by Julie Hall
Alrik stepped forward to give Logan a hug-slap on the back. His voice boomed loudly. “Well, Logan, you need to stay a little sharper. She almost had you there.”
“I would have had him if he played by the rules. He didn’t get the memo to go easy on girls.” And then she spotted me. “Right, Audrey?”
“I don’t know about that one. I hate to admit it, but after watching the two of you it’s obvious Logan’s been giving me more slack than I realized.”
“Oh come on, Audrey, I don’t believe that. I’ve heard that you’ve disarmed him before.”
My cheeks warmed. That was not my favorite memory. Sure, it was probably the best I’d ever fought, but I hadn’t been able to duplicate it with controlled emotions.
“Well, anyway,” I said, “from the looks of it I don’t think he should be cutting you much of anything. That was really impressive.” I was proud of myself for being objective. Her fighting did kick some butt, and it wasn’t my place to withhold praise when it was due.
Kaitlin’s face lit up, and her grin widened. “No need to worry, then. With my help you’ll have him flat on his back in no time.”
The unintended double meaning in her phrase drained the color and smile from my face. There was an awkward moment when people expected me to say something back. My tongue was frozen in my mouth. I looked at Logan to see his reaction. His eyes snapped up and found mine in an instant. He looked stricken as well. A breath caught in my throat.
He recovered quicker than I. “If that’s the case, maybe I shouldn’t encourage you guys to train together.” He broke our stare and smiled lightly at the group. A few people around the room chuckled. My eyes swept the crowd. I caught Alrik suspiciously eyeing us, his gaze switching between Logan and me.
“Okay, guys, the free show is over. You’ll have to catch the next one.” People started to file out around me. A few here and there stopped to praise both Logan and Kaitlin.
Before he left, Alrik bent down to say something to Logan. Logan shook his head once and wouldn’t look at him, and a muscle in his jaw jumped. Alrik gave a hearty chuckle and slapped Logan on the back before heading toward the door. He winked and smiled at me before leaving. I was dying to know what he’d said.
When the last person left, Kaitlin slid to the mat with her feet planted, knees up, and arms stretched out on either side of her. The rest of her armor melted away.
“Sheesh, I thought they’d never leave.”
Even Logan sat on the floor. He nodded his head in agreement as his armor dissolved. “Yeah, that was a pretty intense sparring session. I didn’t realize we’d attracted so much attention.”
They seemed to have forgotten me again, which was an annoying habit of theirs. I cleared my throat. Kaitlin’s head came slightly off the mat.
“Hey Aud, I’d forgotten you were there.” Typical.
Logan just gave me his usual soulful stare. The intensity made me want to fidget. I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. It was my training time, but they looked pretty comfortable together. How did I become the intruder? I began to backpedal slowly towards the door.
“I guess I’ll just be going then and let you guys, do, ah, whatever it is you need to do.”
My face was on fire. I couldn’t make my escape fast enough. Unfortunately, the sole of my shoe caught the mat and I lost my footing. There was a mortified moment of clarity when I knew I was going down. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the familiar impact of back and butt on mat, but it never came. Instead, my fall was cushioned by gentle hands. They braced my back so that the whole upper half of my body was lying horizontal to the floor. I slowly cracked open one of my eyes.
Logan’s face was a breath away. He’d somehow managed to get from his spot on the floor to me before I hit the ground. How could he have moved that fast? And more importantly, why? He’d never tried to stop one of my falls before. In fact, most of the times my back or butt had collided with the mat were pointedly because of him. I opened the other eye.
Logan searched my face like he was trying to figure something out. His brows were drawn together in what might have been concentration. I didn’t dare move a muscle. Logan leaned in further, and his bare arm brushed mine. An electric zing shot through my body, and something intense rushed at me. Before I could gasp, I slammed into the mat. The wind was knocked from my lungs. I shook my head to clear it and looked up at Logan. He’d straightened again and was staring down at me.
“What the . . .” I started, but the look on his face brought me up short. Was he upset?
I looked at Kaitlin. She was staring at us with her eyebrows lifted. “Wow, Logan. That was really an ungallant rescue there.”
Logan’s stone face returned, and he shrugged. Kaitlin seemed like she wanted to say more, but didn’t. Instead, she turned her head to where I was sprawled.
“All right, Audrey, time to get up. You’re mine today.” She gave me a wicked grin as she rubbed her hands together.
“What do you mean I’m yours?” I asked suspiciously.
“We’re going to train together today. I’m going to share some of the super-secret tricks reserved for only the coolest hunters.”
She glanced over at Logan when she said the last part, intending to bait him, but he acted like he hadn’t even heard her. A shadow of concern crossed Kaitlin’s face before it turned to a look of excitement—one that looked forced to me.
“So what do you say? Are you in?”
I appreciated that she was making it seem like I had a choice, even though I knew I didn’t. Maybe Kaitlin would have some advice that would step up my game. I forced my own chipper smile as I pushed myself to my feet.
“A day away from the boys? I’m always in.”
“Great! Let’s get started. We just need to get rid of Logan.” Her voice trailed off at the end because Logan had already left. The gym doors were swinging shut behind him.
“Wow, someone’s a little moody today,” Kaitlin said.
I didn’t respond, just stared at the door Logan had pushed through with vexation. Between yesterday and today, I agreed that something was definitely up with him, and I had a bad feeling I knew exactly what it was. I changed the subject.
“Okay, Super-Cool Hunter, where do we start?”
Training with Kaitlin was a lot more fun than I expected. Getting a girl’s perspective was insightful. She showed me new kickboxing moves that used my lower body rather than my arms and shoulders. She explained that most of a girl’s strength was in our legs, where guys relied more on their upper body. It was important to learn to utilize the whole body for fighting, but learning to channel extra energy to our strongest areas was a big advantage in a pinch.
She also showed me how to use my size to my advantage. Since Kaitlin was almost as tall as most of the guys, I was impressed that she knew some tricks for the vertically challenged. The more I trained with her, the more I found myself wanting to like her, even though there was still a part of me that insisted on keeping her at arm’s length. I didn’t think I’d ever feel as close to her as Romona, but a genuine friendship was blooming. The training flew by quickly. It almost felt too soon when Kaitlin called it quits.
“That was really great, Audrey. I think you’re going to make an amazing hunter.”
I felt a measure of pride at the compliment. Kaitlin pulled off a boxing glove before extending a hand. I hesitated before clasping it. I wasn’t as wary as some of the empathy link, but I still hadn’t gotten used to being so exposed to people. Kaitlin waited patiently. I took a silent breath before extending my hand and steeled myself against her emotions.
Kaitlin’s smile widened. I’d always gotten the impression that she was silently laughing at me, but the emotions I absorbed through the link surprised to me. Amusement was definitely present, but respect and acceptance were the stronger sentiments. It was as if Kaitlin had developed a sisterly affection for me despite my behavior. I think all she was getting from me was shock and perhaps a small dose
of distrust, but she didn’t seem to mind.
After helping me to my feet, she let my hand drop with an ever-wider smile. Delight danced behind her eyes, as if she knew something I didn’t that allowed her to overlook my distrust.
“So, are you excited about the celebration?”
“The what?”
“You know, the celebration!”
Her tone left no question as to whether she was excited. I still didn’t have the faintest idea what she was talking about.
“What celebration? What are we celebrating?”
“Oh, Audrey, you are in for a treat! It’s basically the biggest and coolest party you’ve ever been to.”
“Who will be there?”
“Everybody!” she answered.
“As in all the hunters?”
“No, as in everybody, everybody. Everybody from the realm is going to be there.”
My brain couldn’t wrap itself around those numbers.
“But what are we all celebrating?”
I mentally ran through some of the holidays we might be celebrating. But since I didn’t remember when I had died, I didn’t even know what time of year it was. I was guessing it wasn’t something lame like Columbus Day, though.
“We celebrate everything.”
“Such as . . .?” I prompted.
“We celebrate everything that has to do with being here. That we are here, how we got here, what we’re doing now. It’s just a big celebration where everyone can get together and, well, celebrate.”
“Okay then, so I guess this is something I should be looking forward to.”
She laughed. “Definitely!”
“Well then yes, I guess I am excited.” I answered with a laugh even though I wasn’t sure I really meant it. Something twisted within the familiar pit at the bottom of my stomach. It signaled my growing anxiety. If I could, I would punt that emotion right out of me.
It was then that Logan decided to grace us with his presence. “So, have you turned her into a fighting machine?”
Kaitlin gave me a quick wink before turning to answer him. “You bet! You’d better watch your back. I’ve given her all my super-secret tricks.”
Logan’s face split into a grin that held a playful glint. “Is that so?”
“Yep! Just you wait, you’re going to be sparring one of these days and BAM,” she clapped her hands loudly, “you’re not even going to know what hit you.”
Kaitlin was talking me up a little too much, but Logan wasn’t taking her seriously. I half listened to their banter while the rest of my mind strayed. It was hard to ignore my jealousy at the effortless way they conversed. If only Logan and I had had that ease in the beginning, we wouldn’t be struggling right now. I couldn’t deny the part I’d played in building the wall between us. I’d done a good job putting it together brick by brick, but for his part, I’d rarely seen Logan let down his guard. There were only rare moments here and there when I saw through the façade. But his stoic mask always slammed back on eventually. I sighed when I thought of the opportunity I’d missed the night before.
With Kaitlin and Logan still talking, I decided to slip away. There was a twinge of sadness at how easily it was done without notice, but hunching my shoulders, I headed away from them with a heart torn in two.
15
The Celebration
After so many days of wearing workout gear or T-shirts and jeans, it felt good to get all done up for the celebration. I twisted in front of the mirror in my cobalt blue dress. It looked really nice against my olive skin and dark hair. The bodice of the dress was fitted, ruched, and cinched low on the waist. There was a piece of braided material that went over one shoulder to create an asymmetrical neckline. The skirt dropped from my waist to a few inches above my knees. It was a soft silk that looked and felt almost liquid when I moved.
The closet had stubbornly spit out a handful of awful dresses before finally relinquishing this one, but it was worth the wait. I felt absolutely myself when I put it on, both feminine and confident. Some anxiety about the celebration disappeared because I just knew that the dress was me. It was the first time I knew with absolute certainty that I would have liked this dress in life.
Romona had performed true magic on my hair. She curled the straight locks and pulled up the front in an intricate weave of braids and twists. The light caught highlights I didn’t know existed. The curls she’d manipulated fell in soft waves down my back. Besides being a genius with my hair, Romona helped materialize some makeup for me as well. I used a touch of eye shadow, black eyeliner, and mascara to give my eyes a slight smoky effect. I was surprised at how rich my eyes appeared with just a bit of work. I brushed on some blush and shine to my cheekbones. When I looked in the mirror, I finally saw someone familiar looking back at me. Someone not as painfully average as I had been feeling these past weeks.
A small smile touched my lips, and I released a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. This was the girl I was comfortable in.
Romona came up in the mirror next to me. She looked lovely. She’d picked a knee-length dress as well, but that was the only similarity. It was delicate and vintage, lacy and frilly and a perfect fit for both her body and her personality.
Romona had managed to make a masterpiece of her hair as well. She had piled it all on the top of her head with a few tendrils hanging loose here and there. And even though her makeup was lighter to match her soft pink dress, there was no mistaking that we had the same eyes.
“All right, I think we’re ready. Want to get going?” she asked.
I took a final look at myself. Something seemed to be missing. What could it be? A wild thought appeared in my head. Was it even something I could do? I wasn’t sure, but I wanted to try.
I closed my eyes and concentrated very hard. When Romona gasped a moment later, I knew something had happened. I opened my eyes to watch a thick lock of my dark hair turning from brown to purple. Romona’s eyes widened beside me as color slowly spread from root to tip. I beamed triumphantly at my success and had the urge to do a short victory dance. Instead, I turned my head to the side to get a better look at my work in the mirror. Ha! I might not be able to master the art of making something from nothing just yet, but this new trick was pretty cool. How many people could turn their hair colors with their mind? Actually, I had no idea.
Romona tentatively picked up the end of my purple lock. “Wow, that is neat!” She looked meticulously through the strands of hair, but then she brought a hand to her mouth and sucked in a quick breath of air. “Oh no, do you think it’s permanent?”
I laughed at the stricken look on her face. I could think of a few more horrifying things than having a chunk of my hair a different color for eternity. Still laughing, I shrugged a shoulder.
“Let’s hope it wasn’t a single flash of genius so I can get it back to brown later.” A wave of giddiness started to bubble up inside. “But you’re right, let’s go. We can worry about this later.”
I grabbed Romona’s hand to pull her out the door. When our hands connected, I stifled another laugh at how genuinely worried she was. What a silly thing to be concerned about. I wondered what I’d look like with a head full of fuchsia hair?
Outside the celebration tent, people were dressed in almost anything and everything imaginable. Multiple decades and even centuries of formal and casual wear were represented.
“Hey guys!” Kaitlin weaved her way through the crowd. She was stunning. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant French twist. She wore a simple, but chic, pale yellow dress that accentuated her tanned skin and flowed to the ground. She must have had some serious heels on underneath that thing, because she was at least four inches taller than usual. She towered over me now.
“Kaitlin, you have to show me what shoes you’re wearing.”
She smiled knowingly and lifted the hem of her skirt. The thin spikes she was standing on were nothing short of scary. At least six inches high with an extra inch of platform.
“I
know, they’re crazy, right?” She hunched down to my level and lowered her voice. “Super high shoes are my guilty pleasure.” She wore a sheepish expression. There was nothing to do but laugh.
“Don’t worry, there’s no judging here. I think they’re fabulous!”
“What’s fabulous?” came a deep voice from behind.
My body flushed involuntarily as I turned toward the voice. Logan stood casually a few feet away. His blue eyes were electric and his hair expertly styled to look unstyled. His laidback attire for the evening was a white linen shirt rolled partway up his arms and light khakis with brown sandals. He looked every bit the California beach boy he’d once been. I couldn’t imagine anything else looking as good on him.
“Oh, um, Kaitlin’s shoes. I think they could double as weapons.” I answered hurriedly.
“Oh really?” Logan’s easy smile was surprisingly soothing. “Okay, Kaitlin, let’s see these things.” He indicated with a hand that she pull up her hem.
Kaitlin appeared slightly embarrassed as she lifted the bottom of her dress again. Logan barked out a laugh. It was a rich sound. “Well, that explains why I suddenly feel as if I’ve shrunk a few inches.”
Kaitlin dropped her skirt and laughed back. She was almost as tall as Logan now. I stepped back and noticed what a handsome pair the two of them made. Unwanted sadness seeped through the cracks in my heart as the two of them shared a moment. Turning my head away, I caught Romona staring at me with what may have been a concerned look.
Out of the corner of my eye, I recognized a familiar face and gestured to Romona to say I would be right back. I didn’t wait to see if she understood before fleeing. It was cowardly, but I wanted to be someplace else at that moment.
I quickly dipped into the throng. Swiveling my head, I caught another glimpse of Kevin in front of me and to the left and set out in that direction. The thickening mass forced me to maneuver carefully so not to brush up against anyone. I wasn’t used to having this much of my skin exposed.
