by Katie Dunn
I don’t know how long I cried but the guys never left my side. Eventually I reigned in my emotions and stepped back, drying my face with the back of my hands. I sniffled a few times until Kaden handed me a tissue. I turned away and blew my nose then walked slowly to the other side of the kitchen to throw it away. My hand found the beads of my bracelet and I stood on shaking legs, fiddling with them. Seeking some comfort and familiarity. I was stalling but I couldn’t escape the truth forever.
I turned to them with clenched fists. “What kind of messed up gang life are you in and why am I being dragged into it?” I was angry all over again. Angry at them for dragging my brother into their gang and angry that they were now trying to put me in danger alongside them. I knew seeing them at orientation and in my classes spelled out trouble.
Trevor shook his head and stepped towards me, but I backed up, not wanting them to be close to me. Hurt flashed over his face before he masked it with a neutral expression. “We are not part of a gang. We are the real four Horsemen.”
I stood there a moment with my mouth agape then started laughing. The real Horsemen? As in the harbingers of the apocalypse? The ones who are destined to spread war and disease? Ok, maybe they were not involved with gang stuff, but I was starting to think they were involved with drugs.
Liam glowered at me and the other two held solemn expressions. My laughing died away when they didn’t join, and I realized they truly believed they were the Horsemen. “Why do you think that?”
“We don’t think that, we know it,” Liam countered. “And it’s a long story, all you need to know is that we are.” He crossed his arms as if it was final and there would be no room for discussion.
Trevor rolled his eyes at Liam then pointed at me. “Yeah, and you are the fourth.”
My jaw dropped again at their declaration. “What makes you believe that?”
“Well, first off your brother used to be one of the four,” Kaden started.
My brother, a Horseman? Yeah right, I would have known. Right?
“He was Death,” Trevor added.
My heart clenched at his words. Were they just saying that because he was dead? They must have read the thought on my face because they all stepped forward to explain the rest before I blew up in their faces.
“We think you are the fourth because you are his twin, you have the same white streaks in your hair, and um,” Kaden looked uncomfortable, “you used your power on Friday.”
My power? Did they mean the black bubbles that caused that college guy to die? “That was real?” I whispered.
My stomach turned and I felt I would be sick any moment. They must have seen the discomfort because they quickly placed me in a chair and handed me a glass of water. I fought to control my roiling stomach.
Kaden raised his hand. “I’m War.”
I frowned at his announcement. Kaden seemed like the least war type person I have ever known. He hated conflict, not that it stopped him when he was forced to fight.
Trevor nodded as he reached into his Ritz box to grab another cracker. “I’m Famine.”
Despite my queasiness, I nearly snickered at that idea because he ate all the time. It seemed like a contradiction.
I glanced at Liam who had been quiet for a while. “And if I am to believe all this, that makes you Conquest?” I mentally patted myself on the back for knowing the story.
He gave me a nod and met my eyes daring me to doubt him. His role I could believe. He loved challenges and always had to be the best. He was not considered the King of our high school for nothing. However, if they were the Horsemen then why hadn’t the apocalypse happened yet? They also mentioned a power. If mine caused death, I almost gagged at the idea, then what could they do? I had known them for years and not once had they expressed a power or hungering for death and destruction. I was almost too scared to ask, plus I didn’t know if I could handle any more information right now.
My body felt weak and my mind was overloaded. I stood up preparing to leave. “I think I should go get some sleep.”
“You are going to stay here tonight,” Liam ordered.
I raised my eyebrows at his authority. “No, I’m going to go home. I have classes tomorrow.” Ha! As if I could focus on class after all that.
Liam stood and walked up to me until he was only inches from my body. I knew he was expecting me to back away ultimately showing weakness, but I stood my ground. If he truly was Conquest, then he probably wasn’t used to someone standing up to him. Well, he was about to figure out that I was not someone who could be conquered.
“It’s not safe,” he whisper-growled.
I could see Trevor and Kaden in my peripherals exchanging amused looks, but I kept my eyes focused on Liam. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
A slow smirk pulled at his lips. I’ve seen that look before. It’s his I-accept-the-challenge smirk. I shook my head and sighed. I didn’t want to deal with him anymore. I walked around him and made my way to the door.
“I can take care of myself,” I threw over my shoulder.
My feet caught on something and I tripped, letting out a squeak of surprise as I fell to the floor. I looked up from the ground to see Liam grinning down at me. Did he just trip me?
“I can see that, High Phi,” he said sarcastically.
Snickers sounded from behind him and I did my best to give the three of them my best glare. I got up and dusted myself off before turning back to the door.
“Phi, wait,” Kaden called out.
I paused but didn’t turn around. “We are serious about it not being safe. We don’t know if more Templars will try to attack you tonight,” Trevor finished.
The thought of someone coming at me with a sword again filled me with terror. Worry slid its way into my mind when I thought about Shawna getting caught in the middle. I couldn’t put her in danger. I turned slowly and slumped in defeat. “Fine, but only for tonight. I can’t stay here forever.”
“We’ll see,” Liam said quietly.
His face stayed blank when I looked at him sharply. I wasn’t sure if he meant for me to hear that or not.
Kaden stepped forward and took my hand, guiding me away from the other two. “You can sleep in the guest room. I will take you.”
I followed him up the stairs, exhaustion making my feet heavy. I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt safer staying there rather than trekking home on my own to face whatever may be out there. I sent a quick text to Shawna to let her know where I was and that I wouldn’t be home. She immediately sent a reply demanding details in the morning. I chuckled. I don’t think being attacked and told I am the new Death is what she had in mind.
Kaden stopped in front of a door and held out an arm toward it. “Here you are. Let us know if you need anything.”
Kaden started to walk away but I called out, stopping him. Curiosity and a bit of hope had been nagging me since they told me my brother was Death. “Um, if Owen was uh, Death, then does that mean he controlled it?”
Kaden’s face screwed up showing me he was about to dash my hope though he hated to do it. “I know what you’re thinking but no he couldn’t bring back the dead and neither can you.”
My shoulders slumped in disappointment. I believed their story of the Horsemen mainly because I was hoping Death meant we couldn’t die but Owen was truly gone. What was the point of being Death if we could die? I was angry at the universe for making it that way. If it wasn’t for the fact that I had witnessed my supposed powers at work, and I was attacked earlier by a Templar then I would have refused to believe them anymore.
Kaden leaned forward and gave me a hug. “I miss him too, Phi.”
I pressed my lips together and squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears building in them. When I knew I had my emotions under control, I spun around and opened the guest bedroom door. I darted inside and quickly closed the door before he could say anything else. I heard him go down the stairs and I relaxed a bit. Maybe if I went to sleep then all the crazy stuff would go
away.
Chapter 6
Nightmares assaulted my mind all night long. Nightmares about crashing motorcycles and an army of college students with swords hunting me. The worst one was about a grim reaper on a pale horse holding a scythe as it chased me. I tried to run from it but could never get away. When the reaper caught me, it held me in its grip and folded back its hood to show my brother’s face with his floppy black hair and white streaks in it same as mine. He looked skeletal, bone peeking through his gaunt skin, eyes sunken in. It made me scream until I woke up. That nightmare occurred three times in the night. Each time, one of the guys would barge through the bedroom door to see if I was alright. I continued to send them away promising I was fine, but it made sleep difficult.
My alarm went off, but I was already awake. I didn’t want to get up and go to classes as if everything was normal, but I also didn’t want to fall behind in my second week of school. Groaning, I rolled over until I had no choice but to get up or fall to the floor. I trudged out of the room to the bathroom down the hall, thankful none of the guys were around to see my disheveled state. Also, I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing supernatural Horsemen yet.
I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to see if anything was different. I scowled at my reflection. My hair was a mess and my clothes were rumpled but nothing else stood out. I pulled at the skin below my eyes trying to make my eyes look skeletal like Owen’s in my dream. It only made me look crazy, so I dropped my hands. How could I be a supernatural entity? It was impossible.
I lifted one of the white streaks in my hair and stared at it. My brother had white streaks in his hair. The only difference between mine and his was that mine appeared a year ago. Owen had his since birth. Did that mean he was born to be Death? I shivered at the thought.
A knock on the bathroom door startled me.
“I have some clothes for you,” Trevor called through the door.
I frowned. How did they get clothes for me? Had they stopped by my dorm room or bought some new ones? I opened the door a crack to peer through.
Trevor stood there in pajama bottoms, a black t-shirt, and rumpled hair that did nothing to retract from his gorgeous looks. A black tattoo of old-fashioned scales peeked from under his left shirt sleeve. He held a bag and extended it to me when he saw me through the crack in the door. I quickly snaked out an arm, grabbed the bag, and pulled it into the bathroom without having to reveal my whole body.
“Thanks.” I shut the door without waiting for a response.
I picked through the garments in the bag, curious about what they brought me. Surprisingly, I saw a familiar black t-shirt, dark pants, underwear and matching bra. I found my toothbrush, hairbrush, and deodorant in the side pockets. They must have stopped by my dorm at some point. I wondered how they got inside. Shawna had explained to me that our IDs were programmed to the dorm we stayed in to give us access. If speaker boy let them in without a programmed ID, I was going to hunt him down and smack him. I pictured the guys combing through my drawers and heat filled my cheeks. I was overreacting. Shawna was probably the one who gathered the items and put them into a bag.
I took my time getting ready even though I knew I would be late to class if I hung out there any longer. When I emerged from the bathroom three sets of eyes landed on me. I covered my shock with a scowl. “That’s creepy. You could have waited downstairs.”
Liam smirked at me. “Took you long enough, we thought you might have drowned in there.”
I shook my head and pushed passed them to go to class. Liam chuckled and three sets of footsteps followed behind me.
At the front door I turned to stare at them. They were only a couple feet away but stopped when I turned. I was scared to go out there where Templars might attack but I didn’t want to tell them my fear. My hesitancy spoke loud enough though.
Trevor stepped forward and draped his arm over my shoulders, guiding me to the door and outside. “Don’t worry, one of us will be with you at all times.”
“I hope not at all times,” I said thinking about them trying to follow me into the bathroom.
His face reddened and I fought down a smile at his embarrassment. I may have sounded like I was joking but I really did not want to be followed everywhere. I knew Trevor was trying to be helpful but having them around me all the time did not bode well for my life. Yes, I was scared, but no I did not need a babysitter.
I shrugged off his arm. “You guys don’t need to follow me around everywhere. You must have better things to do.”
They all stared at me unblinking. I couldn’t read anything from their expressions but none of them were backing down, so I assumed I was stuck with them for now. I sighed and started walking away then threw over my shoulder, “Fine, but you guys have to tell me everything about all this Horsemen stuff then.”
Liam chuckled as he passed me, his hands in his pockets and backpack slung over one shoulder. “Not a chance.” He stopped any discussion on the topic by walking ahead to go to class.
Kaden shrugged apologetically but followed Liam. I glared at their backs then headed to my first class, assuming Trevor would be right behind me since he shared Math with me. Thankfully, their house was not too far away from campus, so I didn’t have to walk that much. I would have to stop by the library sometime today to retrieve my bike, but for now I was fine.
Trevor eventually caught up and we walked to class side by side. Questions burned in the back of my throat, wanting to be released but I held back. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to talk about any of it out in the open, so I kept glancing around trying to pick up any strange behavior from students. Thankfully, I got to class without anyone attacking me and ten minutes to spare. We claimed our usual seats by the door where I eyed everyone who came in suspiciously. When no one else wandered in, I glanced at Trevor, trying to see anything different that may point out his supernatural identity. He claimed he was Famine. What did that entail? What were his powers?
“What’s on your mind, Phi?”
His voice startled me, and I snapped my head around to stare at the board rather than him. “Nothing.”
“I can tell you’re curious. You can ask me anything,” Trevor said low enough so only I could hear him.
I looked around to see if anyone was listening, but all the students seemed to be in their own conversations. I was glad Trevor did not hold the same rule that Liam tried putting in place about not letting me learn about them. Us. Whatever.
I leaned closer to Trevor anyway and asked, “What are your, um, powers?”
I felt stupid asking someone that in real life. Powers? Really? But I couldn’t deny what happened to that boy at the party. I was eighty, no, ninety percent sure I did that. I was both intrigued and frightened by this new world. That probably made me a little evil. A scary thought came to mind. Were we born evil?
“Well, all of our, um, powers,” he gave me an amused look at the word powers, “deal with emotions and human needs.” He stared at me for a long moment, but I didn’t understand what he was saying.
His icy, blue eyes unnerved me. Trevor reached out and touched the top of my hand lightly with his fingers. My skin tingled and a sharp pang hit me hard in the stomach. I should have eaten breakfast before I rushed out of the house. Trevor’s fingers glided along my hand to my wrist and up my arm sending chills racing through my whole body. My stomach clenched and I gasped at how hungry I was. I wanted Trevor to finish what he was saying about playing on emotions, but I couldn’t focus anymore. All I could think about was how empty my stomach was and how desperate I was becoming for food.
“Do you-” without thinking I gripped his shirt and yanked him near me, “do you have any food with you?” I let go of his shirt as another pang of hunger swept through me, followed by despair. I put my hands over my stomach trying to contain the overwhelming feeling. What was I thinking? Of course, he didn’t have any food. No one had food. I was going to die right there in the classroom and fulfill the Templars’ wish. Tears sprang to
my eyes at the hopelessness I felt. No one could help me and there was no point in fighting for life anymore.
Suddenly the feeling of hunger and despair vanished as if it was never there to begin with. Realization hit me. I sucked in a sharp breath and stared wide eyed at Trevor. “You did that?”
He nodded, as he sat back and crossed his arms. His brown leather jacket strained against his arms, but he didn’t seem to mind. I didn’t think anyone in there minded either if the admiring looks from the girls behind us was any indication.
“How did you do that?” I asked in wonder. I hated the feelings he caused but I was fascinated that he had the ability to do it.
“We all influence emotions and needs in some way.” The professor walked in at that moment cutting off any response I would have made. He called the beginning to class but before we got too far, Trevor leaned over and whispered, “We will teach you.”
I knew Liam would refuse but it was nice that I could count on Trevor and possibly Kaden. I couldn’t focus on Math after that. I was too busy imagining what my powers were. I shuddered at the thought of causing someone to die of black boils again, but I had to be able to do something else. According to Trevor, each of us effected needs or emotions. Trevor caused hunger and despair. Kaden was War so maybe he caused anger or hatred. Liam was Conquest but I couldn’t figure out what emotion he would influence. The guy in the library looked afraid after Liam stared at him so maybe fear was his power. I would have to ask them later how I caused death instead of an emotion so I could avoid it in the future. Had Owen gone through a trial and error phase? Shame flooded my body and made me hate myself. How could I call killing someone a trial and error? That was horrible.
Trevor nudged my arm an hour later, bringing me out of my thoughts. I glanced down at my notebook and realized I had only taken one note. I sighed. I couldn’t keep that up if I wanted to pass. Students shuffled by our seats chatting or rushing to get to their next class. I scrambled up and grabbed my bag giving Trevor a thankful nod before walking to my English class. Trevor followed me most of the way to make sure I was safe then headed off to whatever class he had next.
