by Leia Stone
Drea shook her head. “You led the demon away and then my mom closed the portal. She’s the only Lumen in the city with the ability to close portals.”
Ah. Aurelia must be the Portal Master that Gage mentioned.
“The level two serpentine demons dissipated when the portal closed,” she continued. “They can’t exist in our world without a link to theirs.”
Relief crashed into me as emotion tightened my throat.
“You’re going to make an amazing Lumen.” Drea grinned. “You already have the courage part down.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “I’m definitely going to need some of those cool tattoos.”
“Patience, young Lumen,” she said in her best Yoda impression, and then winked. “Let’s get you stitched up.”
I nodded and followed her out of the cemetery and down the alley, then we made our way through the bustling street and toward the Lumen healing center.
“What was Gage doing here?”
There was an air of annoyance in Drea’s tone, and I didn’t blame her.
I shook my head. “He knew about the portal, and he helped bring me to safety.”
I don’t know why I was trying to stick up for him after I’d just reamed him myself. Maybe it was because despite all of Gage’s faults, I could see an ember of good in him, the tiniest of sparks I hoped would catch fire and spread.
People stared at the two girls limping past with bloody, dirt-stained clothes, but no one said anything. This was New York City after all. We could be stepping off a post-apocalyptic themed photoshoot.
The entrance to the healing center was packed. Injured Lumens littered the entryway as we passed. I don’t know if I was in shock or what, but I didn’t feel the pain anymore. I just wanted to see my gran now that I was reminded of her.
“Can I see my gran? Is she awake?” I asked Drea as she wove through the crowded waiting room. Teens and adult Lumens alike sat with bleeding arms and legs, waiting to be seen.
“Sure, after we get you stitched up,” she called out. “That one gash on your arm looked pretty bad.”
Walking up to a large open window where a nurse sat looking flustered by all the recent activity, Drea signed my name on a clipboard.
“Can I get some gauze? Her arm is bleeding heavily,” Drea asked.
The nurse nodded and then disappeared, returning with a roll of gauze. “Stitches might be a wait. We have head injuries and abdominal bleeds we are dealing with first,” the nurse told her.
Drea nodded. “Understood.”
When she turned around, I waved her off. “I feel fine. Wrap me up and let me see Gran.”
Pulling a strip of the gauze out, Drea rolled her eyes. “Okay, tough gi—”
The words died in her throat as she examined the deep gash on my arm.
Oh no. Was it worse than I thought? Pulling my arm up, I peered down, and my stomach dropped.
It was gone.
The deep gash that freely bled was now like new skin, without even a scar or scab to show for it, only some dried blood to indicate that there was once a wound there. I even felt like I had more energy now.
Drea scrambled to grab my other arm and inspect it. Then my forehead. My heart pounded in my ears as my hands shook.
“This is normal, right? A Watcher thing?” I swallowed hard. This was new. I’d had stitches twice, and several burn marks littered my hands and arms from working the grill at the diner. I’d never healed like this before.
Drea’s eyes were as wide as saucers. She indicated the waiting room full of injured Watchers. “Not normal.”
Crap.
“Tatum! Drea!” Marlow called out, and we looked up to see her approach with Jacob, Skye, and Dash in tow.
I pleaded with my eyes for Drea not to tell anyone about my magically healed wounds, and she just nodded once, grabbing the pen and scratching my name off the list.
We approached the gang and Marlow squealed. “Holy crap, Tatum! It was a level seven.”
“Huh?” My mind was still on the healing wounds and how freaking amazing I suddenly felt after having tumbled down a flight of stairs less than an hour ago.
Marlow grinned. “You chased off a level seven demon. The novice hunters are chanting your name back at the academy.”
A level seven. Wow that sounded super bad, and I was super dumb for doing that all by myself.
“Tatum…” Aurelia’s voice feathered over me, and I spun to find Drea’s mom looking down at me with a compassionate gaze. “Can I speak with you privately?”
My stomach sank. She knew. She knew I was a freak who healed, and maybe now they wouldn’t let me into school here.
I nodded, sending Drea an alarmed look.
Breaking away from the hall, Aurelia led me to a quiet room, closing the door behind us.
She turned to face me. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head.
“That was very brave of you today.” She sat down in one of the empty hospital chairs and patted the chair next to her.
Why was she treating me like she was about to tell me someone died?
“My gran…?” I let out a strangled cry, suddenly realizing why she wanted to talk in private.
She placed her palms out, “She’s fine. For now.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “For now?”
Aurelia nodded. “Tatum, I’ve discovered who cursed your gran. A Shade.”
I let that sink in, but it only took a single breath to go from terrified to furious.
“Who?” I asked. For a wild second I thought she might say it was Gage.
“Arthur Alston.”
I gasped. “How do you know?”
“Every Shade’s magic is slightly different, like a fingerprint that’s left behind whenever they use it. Most of their magic fades quickly, but curses are different. They linger, and so do the traces of magic from the caster. It took us longer than expected, but we recognize traces of Arthur’s magic in the curse.”
“But…” My mind was reeling. “So, he cursed my gran so that I would join the Shades no matter what?”
Aurelia nodded. “It looks that way. If you choose to become a Lumen, it will kill her if it’s not removed.”
My mouth dropped open. “And if I choose to become a Shade?”
Aurelia’s lips pursed. “She’ll recover fully.”
Those bastards. They trapped me. I had no choice.
“Well, then remove it! That’s why we brought her here, right?” I jumped up and started to pace the small room.
“A choosing curse is dirty work. They’re forbidden, dark magic and one placed by a man as powerful as Arthur—”
“There has to be a way to break it!” I growled.
Aurelia took a deep breath. “Every Shade has a talisman, a necklace or crystal, a ring even. It’s something they put a lot of energy into. If we can get his talisman, my healers might be able to reverse the spell using Arthur’s energy imprint.”
Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door and then a young man entered. He looked about thirty years old and battle weary. His clothes were torn, his hair matted with blood, but he stood erect and addressed Aurelia with the respect of an army general.
“Ma’am, I have the tipoff call you wanted to hear. Our voice identifiers can’t place him,” he said.
Aurelia waved him in. “Sorry, Tatum, this will only take a minute.”
I nodded. I needed to cool down anyway, my mind was spinning with gruesome murder scenes: Arthur’s head torn from his body as I screamed bloody murder.
Breathe. Breathe.
“Play it,” Aurelia said impatiently as the dude looked at me and raised an eyebrow, but Drea’s mom waved him off. “She’s fine.”
Walking in, he pulled out his phone and tapped a button.
A woman’s voice played out into the room from the speaker. “Lumen Academy, how can I—”
“A demon portal is opening up there right now! Get everyone out.” Gage’s deep timbre mad
e my entire body lock up.
“Is this a prank?” The woman on the recording sounded pissed.
“No! Sound the alarm. Now!” Gage yelled at her.
An alarm blared and then the call went dead.
“Hmm, I don’t recognize him,” Aurelia told the man. “Thank you, Timothy.”
He tipped his head and left while I stayed rooted to the spot. I’d accused Gage of doing nothing and he’d been the one to call and warn us in time to sound the alarm. Without that alarm we wouldn’t have grabbed weapons or gotten all the kids into the gymnasium to protect.
A sob ripped from my throat, startling both Aurelia and me. The past twenty-four hours had been too much for me. I was finally breaking down. My gran, the eviction, the curse, Gage and his damn good deeds! I didn’t know up from down.
I wiped at my eyes. “It was Gage Alston. On the call.”
Her head reeled back in shock. “You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Why would a Shade warn us of an upcoming attack?” she mused aloud.
A light bulb went off in my head. If Gage would warn us about an attack, what else would he do? Help me steal his father’s talisman?
I met Aurelia’s gaze. “I’m going to get you that talisman.”
She shook her head. “Honey, no. It’s impossible. A Shade’s talisman is their most protected possession. They need it to perform spells. Arthur would kill you before he let you take it.”
Okay, that wasn’t ideal, but I’m sure I could figure out a way to get it without dying… I hoped.
I swallowed hard. “It’s that or I join the Shades to save my gran. I can’t exist in a world where she doesn’t.”
Tears filled Aurelia’s eyes and she nodded once, accepting I wouldn’t be deterred. “How can I help? Including today, we only have eight days.”
I took in a deep breath, swallowing hard. “Hold my spot for me here. I’m going to be a Lumen, but for a little while I need to pretend I’m choosing the Shades.”
She raised one eyebrow. “That sounds dangerous, Tatum.”
I rolled out my neck. “Take care of Gran. I got this.”
Without waiting for her reply, I burst out of the door and ran for the exit.
No one was taking my gran from me. If I had to steal Arthur Alston’s talisman, then I would. It was time to test just how much Gage cared if I lived or died.
CHAPTER
TEN
I took the subway to Shade Academy, forcing my eyes to the floor every time I saw a shadow or beastly creature on someone’s back. I was in a fragile place right now. I couldn’t handle the fact that the world was full of so much darkness. As I walked from the subway stop to Shade Academy, I planned what I was going to say. I wasn’t sure how much I could trust Gage with the truth about my gran, but I knew I would need his help if I was going to find that talisman and break the curse.
I was just wondering if I should walk inside and ask for Gage, or what, when the man of the hour stepped out from behind a gelato cart and blocked my path.
“What are you doing here?” He looked at me incredulously. He held a cup of gelato with all the toppings and a bottled water.
Two other dudes, about Gage’s build, stepped up beside him.
“Hello, beautiful,” one of them purred. He was blond and covered in tattoos. Not the light-up Lumen kind, but the skulls and pentagram type. He was smiling, but the vibe he threw off was dark and made me feel like bugs were crawling over my skin. I rubbed my arms to rid myself of the sensation.
“Don’t talk to her,” Gage growled at his friend.
The dude scoffed, and Gage started forward, forcing me to walk backward and away from his companions lest I get trampled.
“Go home,” Gage snarled.
I frowned. “I don’t have a home anymore, and I’m here to get the full tour. I’m still undecided.”
His eyes thinned to slits. Tossing his untouched dessert into a nearby trash can, he grabbed my arm gently but firmly, and steered me farther away from the other Shades, toward the side of the building. I glanced forlornly at the discarded gelato as we passed the trash can, sad to see the perfectly delicious food go to waste.
“What are you doing here?” Gage demanded to know when we were out of earshot. The rumble of his low voice resonated in my chest.
I swallowed hard, ready to really sell the lie that I wanted to finish my tour here. But lying to Gage felt wrong. “Your dad put a choosing curse on my gran. She’ll die in eight days if I don’t break it.”
Gage ran a hand over his face, rubbing at his lips before letting it drop to his side. “That sounds like him. Sneaky bastard.”
Okay, not exactly the compassionate response I had expected, but at least he didn’t try to defend his douchebag father.
“I need his talisman in order to break the curse.”
Gage choked on his spit, turning it into a coughing fit, and pounded on his chest. “My father’s talisman is his most prized possession. If he catches you trying to steal it, he’ll kill you.”
“Then help me,” I told him.
“So I can die too?” He looked at me dubiously.
I narrowed my eyes, my mind whirling. Gage’s help was essential to pulling this off. Without him, I didn’t even know where to start looking for Arthur’s talisman. I steeled my heart, telling myself that I’d go to any length to save Gran. If I couldn’t appeal to that spark of goodness inside Gage, then I’d have to appeal to his sense of self-preservation.
“Interesting. I wonder what Arthur would think about you warning the Lumens about the demon attack at their academy earlier today?”
Gage’s face hardened, a murderous look coming over him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I heard the call. I know it was you.” A ball of unease rolled in my gut. I didn’t like what I was doing, but I reminded myself it had to be done. “One call to Lumen Academy and I could get the recording. We could let Arthur decide if it was you or not.”
I started to get a little nauseous. This wasn’t me. What was I doing?
Saving Gran. Suck it up, Tatum.
Gage regarded me silently. I could see his jaw flexing as he ground his teeth together. His nostrils flared and eyes narrowed. He was trying to keep his emotions under wraps, but anger radiated from him in waves. He stayed silent.
Okay. I was going to call his bluff. If he wanted to play hardball, I could play.
I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my phone. There was a new crack along the back of the case and the old one on the screen was longer, but it still worked. I had no idea how it had made it through the day. Maybe old technology really was the best? I found Lumen Academy’s number and stopped with my finger hovered over the “call” button.
“You wouldn’t,” Gage growled.
I didn’t take pleasure in this, and I was really hoping Gage caved soon, because I wasn’t sure I could go all the way through with it. But he didn’t know that. Pressing “call,” I turned on the speakerphone and let Gage hear the operator pick up.
“Lumen Academy off-hours call service, if this is an emergency press one to be connected with a live operator. Otherwise please call back during busin—”
Gage yanked the phone from my hand and ended the call. He looked at me disbelievingly. “I didn’t think you had it in you,” he breathed.
Shame burned my cheeks. “My mom’s dead, I never knew my dad. Gran’s all I have.” My voice broke, and Gage sighed.
I realized then that I couldn’t blackmail Gage, not after he’d helped us by calling in the warning.
“Fine, I’ll get Indigo to help me. I do have a tour to finish.” I yanked my phone from his grip and blasted past him, knocking into his shoulder and then past the two scary looking dudes he rolled with. Taking long strides across the street, I headed right for the entrance to Shade Academy.
No one was keeping me from saving my gran. No one.
A toxic mix of anger and fear swirled inside of me,
but I didn’t get half a block before I heard Gage curse and then jog to catch up.
He caught my arm, stopping me, and then growled, “It’s late. Don’t go in the front door, it will just cause undue attention. You’re enough of a handful as it is. The last thing you need right now is for security to wake my dad and tell him you’re here.”
“So you’ll help me?” I tried and failed not to sound desperate.
“If you get that audio call deleted. Besides, nothing would bring me more joy than seeing my father lose his prized possession.” Hurt crossed his features then and I wondered how deep their relationship issues went.
Pretty deep, considering he had just agreed to help me steal his father’s talisman.
Part of me wanted to smile in victory, but I was too disgusted by my own actions to take pleasure in the win.
We reached the cross streets for Shade Academy, and Gage redirected me down a narrow side street with a flick of his chin.
I reluctantly followed, relatively sure he wasn’t taking me to some back alley to murder me. If he wanted me dead, he could have watched me get gutted by demons twice over by now. But I did just blackmail him, so his previous heroic deeds only offered me a small measure of comfort as we walked down the poorly lit thoroughfare. At what point would it just be easier for him to off me and then be done with it?
That utterly terrifying thought only made me more jumpy. New York City never really slept, but right now the only sound was the slapping of our boots against concrete beneath our feet. I tried not to think that every shadow had a sinister slant or held a monster waiting to jump me. Lack of sleep and sustenance weren’t helping my mental state.
I squinted, trying to see the number on the building we’d just passed, when the grinding of metal followed by a loud bang had me jumping a foot in the air. I didn’t notice Gage had stopped to wrench a door open. He looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“There was a rat,” I lied as I shuffled past him and into the dimly lit stairwell.
“Sure there was,” he said, and then brushed past me to lead the way.
Yuck, stairs. I’d already had my share of them for the night. I rubbed the place on my arm where I should have had to get stitches, glad that the deep aches and pains from my tumble went away when my skin had healed.
