by Ainsley Shay
I backed away from him. Now, I was determined to find a freaking unicorn if it killed me. Rolling my eyes, I pivoted and walked away.
“Tell Isla I’ll be in to help her later.”
“You can tell her yourself,” I hollered as I kept heading toward the shop.
Nothing was going right today. I used to look forward to Friday nights and the weekend. But here, I didn’t have anything to look forward to, and I had all this weird crap happening to me.
Although I was on edge that any second the preacher or Cameron would be the next to come into the store, the rest of the day went by without anything else weird happening. I finished the few tasks Isla needed help with. She was in the back storeroom when I went behind the counter to put a necklace in the glass case. A shifting breeze at my feet caused the pamphlets for the Veil Rock boat tour to scatter onto the floor. My heart stuttered, my breathing becoming quick and shallow. I got on all fours to look under the counter to see if a floor vent could have caused the draft.
There was nothing but the solid floor. Sitting up, I closed my eyes. Somewhere in my being, I knew I had created the breeze, but how? That was impossible, wasn’t it? I opened my eyes. Picking up the brochures, I stacked them in a neat pile. Curious, I picked one up and flipped it open. On the center of the page was a massive rock jutting up from the ocean. This was a place I needed to see. After I tucked one of the brochures in the Legend of Veil Rock book, I stood. Isla said the boat left tomorrow morning at eight. My pulse quickened at the thought of seeing it.
The spray of salt water stung my eyes as I approached the dock. It was seven thirty. The tourists had not arrived yet. The only person I saw was a girl with short wispy blonde hair. A wave slammed into the boat she was on, but she caught herself before it could knock her over.
“Excuse me, ma’am.”
The crashing water against the shore had drowned out the man approaching behind me. I scooted out of his way to let him go by with the crate he carried.
“Are you here for the tour?”
“Not today,” I responded.
“Probably better that way. There’s a storm coming in, and the sea can be unforgiving.”
He set down the crate. It was filled with rope, bottles of water, and what I guessed was boating supplies. Holding out his hand, he said, “I’m Captain Holst.”
I shook his hand. “Everly Shade.”
“Nice to meet ya, Everly.”
“Same.”
He picked up the crate, then continued onward to the boat.
“Mina, we got three going today,” the captain called.
The girl on the boat nodded, and he hoisted the crate to her. She caught it, then slid it toward the back of the boat. After the captain climbed aboard, he gave the girl a hug. The roaring waves made it impossible to hear their conversation. I walked to the edge of the dock, careful not to slip on the slick slats of wood.
Vibrations under my feet caused me to turn around. The three tourists were making their way toward us. Captain Holst stood with one foot in the boat and the other on the dock. He introduced himself as he helped each of them into the vessel, then introduced the girl to them as well. She shook each of their hands before continuing her duties.
The captain grabbed hold of a rope and rang a bell. “We’ll go over a few things, answer any questions you might have, and then we’ll be on our way.” He handed them each a life jacket. “Put these on.”
The girl gave the captain a kiss on the cheek, then jumped from the boat onto the dock. She untied the boat, threw the rope to the captain, and watched as the vessel fought wave after wave until it was far enough away from the rocks. When she turned toward me, I saw her more clearly. She seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place her.
Stopping just before she reached me, she said, “I’m Mina.”
Her lips were a shade lighter than black with a hint of purple.
“Everly,” I said.
“I know.” She laughed. “I think everyone knows.”
What was that supposed to mean?
“I didn’t realize I was so popular.”
“I wouldn’t actually say you’re popular.”
I winced.
“You’re the new kid, and we don’t get one of those too often. Especially not seniors.”
“I see,” I said, trying not to take offense.
“Once a week, I’m in the advanced physics class.”
That was why she looked familiar. “I thought I recognized you. You sat in the back, right?”
“As far away from Hartley as I can get.”
This time, I laughed. “I completely understand.”
“It’s so obvious she is jealous of you—to the point of needing a barf bag.” She put her hands on her hips. “But don’t worry, you’ll be off her Cameron radar soon—if you stay away from him, that is.”
“That’ll be kind of hard since I work at his grandmother’s shop.”
“The Warlock’s Workshop?”
“Yeah.”
“I love that store. Actually, I was planning to stop in today to see what new things came in this week.”
“I was heading over there now.”
After I picked up the pink bike and started pushing it, we chatted on our way to Carousel. Mina and I hit it off right away. It was nice to finally meet someone my age that I got along with.
The wind kicked up around us, almost seeming to come from my excitement.
“Where the hell did that come from?” Mina asked.
That was the third time a draft, breeze, or some such had wafted around me with no apparent weather or air vent kind of reason. Each time it happened, I was more and more convinced I had something to do with it. And this time, I had an unaware witness.
I stood outside the church. The white structure strummed a cord in my chest. I didn’t belong here. What was I hoping to find? Just when I’d decided to leave, I heard a latch click from the other side. The door pushed outward, and I stepped back. The preacher stood just on the other side. Beautiful stained-glass windows glowed behind him.
“Please come in, Everly. There is something I’d like to discuss with you.”
He stepped to the side to allow me to enter. Paralyzed, I didn’t move.
“I promise, you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”
I wasn’t so sure. Glancing at my feet, I willed them to move away from the church, but they didn’t. My curiosity was in the driver’s seat these days. The red, blues, and greens of the stained glass bathed me in colored light as I, against my better judgment, stepped into the church.
7
He closed the door behind us. A hollow thud echoed throughout the space. Wood polish and incense stung my nostrils. The preacher’s smile was warm and inviting. But wasn’t that his job—to be kind to all?
“You get used to the smell.” He gestured to one of the pews.
Somehow, I doubted that. The coolness of the wood seeped through my shorts as I slid in and plopped down. The preacher sat in the one directly in front of me. He reached in front of him, grabbed something, and then sat back. It was a bible.
Please, God, don’t let him be trying to convert me.
He turned around to face me. “My name is Macias.”
“I’m Everly, but you already knew that. The whole town seems to know that.” I muttered the last part. The more I stared at him, the more I wanted to look away. But it was difficult. He didn’t strike me as the typical preacher. With his blue eyes, longish dark hair, and a day’s worth of stubble, he looked like he should be on the cover of a magazine. I caught myself before my head got away from me, averting my eyes. He is the town’s preacher, not a GQ model, I scolded myself.
“What—do you want me to confess or something?”
He chuckled, but then turned serious. “No, I’m not a priest. But if you feel like you need to clear your conscious of something, I’m here to listen without judgment.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“Okay.” His smi
le returned.
I could tell it was in his nature to be kind, but it seemed like he was going the extra mile with me. He propped one arm on the back of the pew. Still leery, I leaned back, trying to distance myself.
Narrowing his gaze, he stared at my cheekbone. His hand moved toward me, but then stopped. “Your mark isn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before.”
That intro was a little more abrupt than I would have liked. I cleared my throat. “You have one.”
He glanced at his hand, which rested on the pew. “I do. But it’s quite different from yours.”
My eyes flicked to the spot, too. It was as if the mark glowed under his skin. I wondered if mine was doing the same. Self-consciously, I laid my hand over my cheek.
“You don’t have to cover it up. I already know it’s there. In fact, you don’t have to hide it at all.”
“No? You don’t think it draws a little bit of attention when it’s there?”
He smirked, but it wasn’t condescending. “It’s always there, but no one but the people who have one can see it.”
I stiffened. How did that make any sense at all? “I don’t understand.” Maybe coming to him for answers was a bad idea. I was getting more confused by the second.
The inside of the church darkened. I moved my gaze to the stained glass. Clouds glided across the sky and over the sun, blocking out the rays of warmth. A chill settled in my bones while sweat collected on my palms. I rubbed my hands against my jeans.
“Why don’t we start with why you took your bracelet off?”
“I got mad—wait!” Caught completely off guard, I stammered through my next words. “How—how… d—did… you know?”
“Did anything happen when you took it off, besides the mark revealing itself?”
Wincing, I looked away from him. There was no way I was telling him about the windy thing. I knew he would know if I lied, but I didn’t care. “No.”
He nodded, expecting as much.
Thrown, but not enough to let him sidetrack me, I said, “You didn’t answer my question. How do you know about my bracelet? And how did you know I took it off?”
He stared at me for a long time before he answered. “Because I’m the one who made it.”
What the…? This all had to be some sick prank on the newbie in town. I shook my head. “That’s impossible. My parents—”
“Gave it to you when you were just a child. I know.” There was sorrow in his eyes. “This is not how I imagined this happening.”
“What happening?” I slammed my hands on the bench. The crack thundered throughout the room. My blood was heating, and my nerves were humming with disbelief, irritation, uncertainty, confusion, and I hated to admit it, fear. “How about we start there—at the beginning.”
Shaking his head, he said, “The beginning is not what will help you right now.”
I wasn’t sure I needed help, but I wanted answers. And it was obvious Macias was only going to tell me more riddles. I started to slide down the bench, opposite of where he sat. “I’m out of here. This is getting too weird for my taste.”
“Everly, you need to put the bracelet back on.”
“I don’t have to do anything but get as far away from you as possible.”
Behind me, I heard his clothes rustle as he stood. “That bracelet is your only protection from those who seek you.”
Stopping halfway to the door, I whirled to face him. “What did you say?”
Macias slowly started toward the door. I stood directly across from him on the opposite side of the pew. He put his hands in his pockets, a stern expression settling on his face.
“You heard me.”
He walked closer to the exit, which was my only escape. Glancing from left to right, I searched for another way out. I saw none.
Curiosity and fear mingled in a sick web within me. “Who are you talking about?”
“The White Ones and others. All of them.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook my head. “Who are the White Ones?”
“No one you’ll need to concern yourself with if you put the bracelet back on.”
“Nothing you’re saying makes sense.”
“It all makes perfect sense.” His voice was collected and calm. “Right now, you’re like a beacon to them.”
I opened my eyes. The burden of the metal and stone in my pocket was an unwanted weight. “What if I don’t want to put it back on?”
Macias ran his hand through his hair. He was beginning to lose patience with me. “You’ll begin to experience more… things. They might seem harmless at first, but after a while, especially if you can’t gain control over them, they can turn deadly.”
Deadly?
The sun beamed through the windows, casting its glow directly onto the preacher. His face turned from a tanned color to red. My chest felt like it a ton of bricks had been laid on it.
“I need to get out of here,” I cried out as I raced passed him.
He didn’t try to stop me. I slammed into the door with all my weight. It opened wide. Despite the sun streaming through the church windows, it was pouring rain.
Over the downpour and a bout of thunder, the preacher’s voice bellowed, “This world isn’t for you.”
8
Aunt Juju’s pink bike was on the other side of Carousel. I ran as fast as I could through the storm to get to it. A horn blared as I raced across Blood Bird’s Way. Pausing, I jerked my head up. Drops of rain glistened like falling icicles in the semi’s headlights. My heart jumped in my chest. The deep wail of the horn roared again, and I leaped to the shoulder of the road. The semi swerved, barely missing me. The instant my foot hit the gravel lining the asphalt, my leg went out in front of me, my other cocked to my side. I cried out, but there was no one around to hear me. Desperation to escape had driven me to the point of carelessness, and it almost cost me my life.
Closing my eyes, I cried in the rain. “What’s wrong with me?” I screamed. None of this was me; none of what I said, what I did. None of it. I barely knew what I would do next. It was like I was no longer in control of my life. And I didn’t know how to gain it back again.
The bracelet.
The thought came hard and fast. Then, it was gone. It wasn’t an option I would entertain. I wiped away the tears and rain from my face. I’d spent my whole life until now shielded from the unknown, and I wouldn’t cower away from who I was any longer. When I peered over my shoulder, the church lights flickered on. Macias stood in the doorway. The sky had darkened to the point it looked like night. I wasn’t sure if he could see me or not. But his poised posture, silhouetted against the backlight, was a strong indication he was staring right at me. Uneasy, I looked away.
Other things had my direct attention right now, one of them making sure I was able to walk. I winced as I straightened my bent leg out next to the other. The movement hurt, but it was bearable. I didn’t think anything was broken or torn. Using my hands, I pushed to my feet. The rain was still coming down without any hints of letting up. I walked the rest of the short distance to Carousel.
Several people were standing outside storefronts, staring up at the sky. Hadn’t they ever seen it rain before?
“Do you believe this weather? It’s completely crazy.”
I jumped at the closeness of the voice.
An overdressed woman in spiked heels stood behind me. Smoke drifted out of her mouth in a slow stream. The extremely long cigarette was held between two fingers with long blue nails. Her fire-red hair was formed into a round shape that surrounded her face. It looked like she’d forgotten to change out of her flapper costume from Halloween. But who was I to judge? I knew I appeared as if I’d just came out of a horror movie with my muddied jeans and matted-down hair.
Lost for a moment, I surveyed the area. I stood in front of the State-of-the-Art Salon. Okay, now it made—she made—more sense. Isla had told me how fancy the employees were there. That was why she made a point to go to Simple Salon to get her hair done.
/>
“I’m not sure. I’m new here,” I said.
She abruptly turned to me. Reaching out, she grabbed a handful of my hair.
“Ow!”
“Hmph.” She let my hair fall from her hand. “Are those natural highlights?”
Gathering my hair in my hands, I draped it over my shoulder, away from her. “Yes.”
“My customers pay a fortune for those. Please tell me you at least appreciate them.”
Still thrown from everything that had happened in the last few minutes, I quickly said, “Yeah, sure.”
She took another drag. “Good.” Bright red lipstick stained the end of the cigarette holder. “By the way, I’m Brit.”
“Everly.”
“Name is as nice as your highlights.”
“Um… thanks.” Thunder cracked in the distance. “I have to go.”
I didn’t wait for her to say anything, just jogged toward my bike near the carousel. The lights were on in the Warlock’s Workshop. It would be nice to hear something reassuring from Isla right now, but I looked like a train wreak and she’d have a million questions of concern. I needed to save the small amount of energy I had left for the ride home and for my aunt.
I jumped on the bike. My mind raced faster than my legs pumping the pedals. All I wanted was to be at home—in my own room, in my own bed. But my aunt’s house would have to do. Her car wasn’t in the driveway when I got there. Grateful I had the house to myself, I relaxed a tiny bit. I needed to get in control of myself before she saw me. Not sure how that was going to happen, but I figured a shower would be a good start.
Seconds later, I left a pile of dirty clothes on the floor, then stepped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing, steam surrounding me. Lavender-vanilla scented bubbles ran down my back and over my stomach. The oil-infused soap made my skin feel like silk. For a brief time, I forgot about the bizarre turn my life had taken. I relished in the moment until the shower stream began to cool.
But it didn’t take long to remember. After I stepped out of the shower, wrapped the towel around my body, and wiped away the wetness from the mirror, I saw the mark on my cheek.
