by Ainsley Shay
He picked up my bag, then handed it to me. “Let’s go in here.” He pulled open the door to The Warlock’s Workshop.
Boone screeched at the top of his bird voice.
“Oh, Everly dear, I’ve missed you terribly.”
Isla wrapped her arms around me. It was warm, comforting, and needed.
“Hi, Isla. I’ve missed you, too.”
She pulled back. “What’s the matter?”
How did she always seem to know something was wrong?
“Just school stuff,” I lied.
She swiped under my chin with her fingertips. “If you say so.”
I knew I couldn’t get one by her.
“How are you Macias?”
“Doing well,” he said, and added his kind smile.
“You too, huh?”
Macias and I looked at each other and shrugged. It was obvious he also was baffled by her keen intuition.
“I’m going to make us all some tea,” Isla said as she strode to the back of the store.
The preacher’s dark eyes were heated as he turned his gaze on me.
“What?”
“Everly, this is serious.”
“What is? Cause as far as I’m concerned, none of this makes sense. You say it’s too late, and crazy-white-lady says it’s not. Who’s right?”
He let out a breath. “I don’t know. But there’s another reason she wants you to wear the bracelet besides the one she’s telling us. I just don’t know what it is.”
“Well, that helps a bunch.”
The preacher’s eyes softened. “Listen, I’ll see what I can do about making another protection charm, and—”
“Don’t bother. I’m not going to wear it.” I lowered my voice to a hiss. “I’m not afraid. I probably should be, and I’m stupid for it, but I’m not. I’ve had weird freaky people approach me who can shake the earth, start fire, shift air and water. I may have even met a vampire, but I’m not sure about that one—I’m not positive what Raiden is,” I said thoughtfully. “Anyway, I have been wrapped in a funnel of wind and dust, set a house on fire, and made a small tsunami in a water bottle. So this sh—crap is not going away because of some stupid piece of metal.”
“You’re the one who set the house ablaze?”
“It was an accident.”
Macias buried his hands in his hair. “Jesus, God.”
“You’re not supposed to say that.”
“It was a prayer, not in vain.”
“Oh.”
He raised his eyes to the ceiling. “I don’t know how else to protect you.”
“So stop trying. I can take care of myself.”
He glanced down at me. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Isla held a tray of tea and cookies as she came toward us.
“We’ll continue this little chat another time,” he said under his breath.
It was still light out when I got home. I had forgotten about the dragonfly package. Setting down my bag, I picked it up and went to the kitchen table. I got a knife out of the drawer, then used it to slice open the tape. Inside was a bunch of white tissue paper. Peeling it back, layer by layer, I paused for a moment before I pulled back the last piece of thin paper. I let out a deep breath before gently pulling back the last sheet. I gasped when I saw what sat on the bottom of the box.
The red stone glinted in the kitchen light. With every ounce of will I had, I reached into the box and pulled out my bracelet.
24
I laid in bed that night staring at the bracelet, twirling it around my finger, putting it on my wrist, then on my other wrist, playing with it on my toes, looking through the glass bead at the light. “Who found you?” I muttered. “And how did they know you belonged to me?” I knew it wasn’t from Macias; it had been delivered back to me before Elyza threatened us. I had searched under the paper, but there was nothing else—only the bracelet. Spiro was the only one who’d been there with me, but he didn’t know what I had tossed over the edge.
No matter what, I decided to keep it to myself for now.
What was so special about this damn bracelet? Even my mother had wanted me to put it back on. So could a mother, a preacher, and a witch all be right about the same thing? I laughed out loud, almost manically. That sounded like the beginning of a really bad joke. Either I was losing it, or my world was so fucked up and upside down I didn’t know which side was up. If I were smart, I’d get on my little scooter and head out of this town, north or south, it didn’t matter. I acted tough, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to be ready for whatever was coming next.
Wind, water, and fire. I needed to start practicing. Learn to control them. They were going to be the only way I would survive this. Maybe Taryn would help me. Maybe not, but it was worth a shot.
I forgot Mina had invited me to go with her to movie night in Carousel. It was a once-a-month deal. Apparently, the whole town went and watched an old movie on a homemade screen. When I pulled up to her house, I handed her the extra helmet my aunt had picked up for me.
“How could you forget?” she hollered over the wind.
“Sorry, it’s been a busy couple of days with school and work.”
Mina and I arrived at Carousel when the sun was just beginning to go down. We found an empty spot near the oak tree. She shook out a blanket, then laid it on the ground.
“I’m going to get some popcorn,” she announced, and was gone before I could agree or protest.
I didn’t have a chance to do anything before I felt the supernatural presence.
“Hello, Everly Shade.”
I turned at the sound of my name. Raiden stood at the edge of the blanket with two girls I had never seen before. Jesus, how many of them were there?
“Hey,” I said.
Raiden stepped on the edge of the blanket. “Hey. Kelios and Onyx just got into town, and I thought I’d introduce them to the curious one.”
Giving my best smart-ass smile, I said, “Hate to disappoint, but there’s nothing special or curious here.”
Ignoring me, the tall girl with straight hair the color of blood halfway down her back came toward me. Her over-the-knee boots didn’t pose a problem as she kneeled on the blanket.
“I’m Kelios, and I heard you’re different.”
“Interesting name, and that’s a shame,” I said.
Kelios had the goth look down to perfection—thick black eyeliner, tight leather bodice, and piercings to top it off.
“Listen, I’m kind of an expert in seeking out humans, and I can tell you’re not one.” She reached up, pulling the girl with short dark hair down to the blanket. “This is Onyx. She’s a little too sweet, but that never seems to annoy anyone except for me.”
“Hi, Everly.”
“Hi,” I returned.
The four of us eyed each other for a beat.
“So what do you do?” I asked Kelios. “Shake the earth, set things on fire—”
“I’m not an artisan like most of my sisters; I’m a vampire.”
“Oh… shit.”
Kelios flashed her fangs, laughing at my response. It was deep, throaty, and sexy.
I eyed Onyx. “You’re a vampire, too?”
She giggled. “No, silly, I’m a shifter; a crow to be exact.”
“Oh… shit.”
A crow, like the drawing in the book?
I secretly pinched myself. This couldn’t be real. I had to be in the middle of some sick joke. That was a long-ago thought, but I thought it was true now. Did I have a reason not to believe them? Should I ask for proof? Strike that. I really did not want to see Kelios attack somebody, maybe drink him or her dry.
“Are you okay, Everly? You don’t look so good,” Raiden quipped.
“I don’t know what I am.”
“Yeah, well, neither do any of us. That’s why you’re the curious one. There’s never been any other offspring like you,” he said.
Offspring?
I searched all three of their faces, but found only
curiosity as they studied me.
“What’s wrong with me?”
Onyx shrugged. “Being different isn’t usually a bad thing. That is unless you’re the one, but that’s a myth anyway, so you’re probably fine. Besides, Aura’s bringing the sacrifice for this moon cycle.”
By the tone of her upbeat and too-happy voice, it sounded like she was telling a bunch of school kids about a fairy tale. That was the second time the word “sacrifice” had been mentioned to me.
The patch of grass behind Raiden sparked, quickly catching fire. The woman next to him screamed. Smiling, he quickly stomped out the flame.
“Simmer down, little lamb.”
I couldn’t help it. Between my fraying nerves and the blood rushing through my veins, I was a mess. The swirl of wind picked up an empty popcorn bag. Raiden snatched it out of the air with a grin.
“I only brought two bags of popcorn,” Mina said.
I was so lost in my own thoughts I hadn’t heard Mina come up.
“Hi… um…” I was at a loss for words. Thank goodness Raiden never seemed to be.
“Hello again, Mina.” He turned his charm on so hard it almost lit up the entire town.
Mina oozed infatuation. She practically drooled as she avidly took him in, her eyes roaming his body.
Kelios and Onyx stood.
“We were just leaving,” Kelios said.
“You don’t have to. I can go get more.”
“Thanks, but we’ve got to go. We have plans for dinner we can’t break.” Kelios eyed me and winked.
Oh dear, she was going to go eat someone while Onyx sat on the sidelines watching and eating breadcrumbs. Okay, that most likely wasn’t how it was going to go down, but still…
Mind completely blown, I was in a daze. I only half heard what Mina was saying. I had so many questions for them. They were the first to actually tell me anything useful, not necessarily about me, but about something larger. My brain was a jumble of questions and thoughts bouncing all around.
From the corner of my eye, I saw all the pebbles next to me start to shake. Watching them bounce on the ground was like being stuck with a hot poker in my gut.
Artisan of Earth.
I slapped my hand over the rocks. Mina hadn’t noticed. They settled under my palm. Someone announced on a loud speaker the movie was about to begin. The crowd cheered. There were so many people. It seemed like the entire town was hanging out in the center of Carousel to watch a movie they had most likely already seen more than once.
I took the time to look around. Children climbed on top of the carousel’s horses, using it like a jungle gym, a couple kissed near the tattoo shop, and another couple argued near the empty building.
“Aren’t you going to eat your popcorn?” Mina asked.
“Oh… yeah.”
I picked up a popped kernel, putting it in my mouth and chewing slowly. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had popcorn. The movie was an old one from the 1970s. A musical about a boy’s crew and a girl’s crew, a little drama, a couple of fights, a car race, and then a happily ever after.
“I’m starving. The hot dog line is shorter now. Want one?” Mina asked.
“Sure.” I didn’t know if I did or not.
“You got it. I’ll be back.”
She weaved through the sea of moviegoers, ducking to stay of their line of vision. The line to the hot dog stand was still pretty long. I got up to straighten the blanket, and that was when I saw him. He was familiar and shiny new at the same time. His sandy-blond hair fit him perfectly, but that wasn’t what caught my attention. Nor was it the way he stood off to the side of the crowd, watching and observing everyone. It wasn’t the way he held himself in a confident manner. It also wasn’t the way his jeans fit him, his height, or his perfectly sculpted face. It was the way he radiated magic in an inhuman way.
The instant he moved to face my direction, I got my confirmation. On his right forearm was an iridescent symbol. It was larger than any of the others I’d seen, but I still couldn’t make it out. His eyes slowly scanned the crowd. I’d never felt anything like I did right then. The unfamiliar feeling only increased when our eyes locked. He was breathtaking.
“Here ya go.”
I jumped at the sound of Mina’s voice.
“Hurry! Take the drinks before they fall.”
I took the two cans of soda from her overflowing hands, then set them on the blanket. In my own haste to look up and see the mystery guy, I knocked over the bag of popcorn.
“Dang it!”
Leaving the mess there, I swung my eyes back to where he was standing. He was gone. Desperately, I searched the mass of moviegoers for him. But he was nowhere to be found.
“Damn! Damn! Damn,” I murmured. At least I thought I had until Mina asked what was wrong.
“Ah… nothing. I dropped my popcorn.”
She handed me a hot dog. “Here, eat this instead.”
“Thanks.”
The rambling crowd cheered when the movie started. Claps and whistles filled the night air. I glanced around, spotting my aunt and Macias across the courtyard. She looked so happy. As the music wound up, so did the singing around me. Everyone sang at the top of their lungs. I barely heard anything, not even my own thoughts. Mina was screaming at me, and I couldn’t hear her over the singing. I thought she was yelling how fun it was, and how excited that I moved here.
“Some people are too good to come, like Hartley. You’ll never see her here.”
“Fine by me,” I said, and we laughed. I couldn’t care less if I ever saw her again. For the next two hours, I paid no attention to the screen. I was looking for the beautiful guy with the mark like mine.
As Mina and I were packing up, I saw Taryn. She was alone.
“Mina, I’ll be right back.”
I jogged over to the girl who could move earth.
“Taryn,” I called out.
She stopped, waiting for me to catch up to her.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” she returned. “How are you?”
“I’ve been better,” I admitted. “I started a small fire, moved pebbles by accident, met Kelios and Onyx a little while ago—they weren’t exactly friendly—and I just suffered through two hours of listening to out-of-tune singing.”
Taryn chuckled.
“I’m glad you can find humor in all that.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “So you conjured the power to move earth?”
“I didn’t conjure anything. Not on purpose anyway.”
Her head tilted to the side. “That’s all four elements. I wonder what else you can do.”
My face scrunched. “Hopefully nothing.”
“Hmm…” was all she said.
“Look, I wanted to ask you something.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Will you help me learn to control all this shit? I can’t keep going around setting fires and whipping up wind funnels. It’s not like there’s an instruction booklet anywhere—at least not that I know of.”
She cocked her hip, a thoughtful expression crossing over the smooth features of her face. “If I do, what do I get in return?”
Damn! I hadn’t thought about that. “What do you want, my firstborn?”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” She touched her full lips with the tip of her finger. “I was thinking more like your life.”
Knowing she wasn’t kidding, I was shocked beyond words. I coughed out a scoff.
“I’ll teach you how to control the elements. In return, you can be our sacrifice.”
Ugh, there was that dreaded word again. “Onyx said Aura or whoever was bringing one already.”
Taryn huffed. “My sister, Aura, rarely comes through. She always has good intentions, but they never work out.”
I didn’t even know what the sacrifice was for. But it didn’t matter; I wasn’t going to be their lamb. “No deal.”
She shrugged. “Either way, if I help you or not, you’ve already
been chosen.”
Not only did it look like I was on my own with learning to control WTF, and now E—earth—I knew I would also have to learn how to fight for my life.
25
Without even knowing how I got back to her house, I dropped off Mina. I was so consumed with the evening’s events, I barely remembered driving her home. She had asked me several times what was wrong. But it wasn’t something I could come right out and say. Oh, I may not be around much longer because I’ve been chosen as a sacrifice. For what, you ask? I had no Goddamned clue. So, seeing how that could end up really bad, I stuck to lies—I may be coming down with a cold; I’m not feeling well; I have a headache. The last one wasn’t a lie. My head felt it would explode any minute.
Aunt Juju wasn’t home when I arrived. The front porch light was off, and the inside of the house was completely dark. I hated that we didn’t lock the door. There could be anyone or anything inside. My hand shook slightly as I turned the knob. The door creaked open.
“Hello? Anyone here? If so, just be aware I can set you on fire if need be. Maybe.”
No one answered back, and nothing scurried away. The silence in the house was as spooky as the darkness. I closed the door behind me, felt my way to the kitchen, and flipped on a light.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
I almost jumped out of my skin at the hard knocks.
Maybe my aunt had forgotten her key. No, then she would have tried the handle and walked right in. I could stay quiet and still. Hope they would get the hint and go away.
The knocks came again.
“Everly, I know you’re in there,” a male’s voice called out.
“Cameron?”
“Yeah.”
The air trapped in my chest released in relief. I opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Hello to you, too.”
“Hi. What are you doing here?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Listen, I’m not stalking you or any weird shit like that, but I saw you tonight at Carousel.”
I crossed my arms over my chest in preparation to defend whatever he had to say. “Yeah, so. The entire town was practically there.”
