by Willow Rose
Jayden was especially worried about his dad. He seemed more and more confused lately and kept asking about things that had happened just months ago. Jayden could tell it worried his mother greatly too. He could see it in her eyes when talking to him. Jayden had asked the Internet and mostly read articles about early Alzheimer's. He didn't like to admit it, but many of the symptoms seemed to fit. Especially the part about becoming sad when realizing there was stuff he didn't remember that he ought to be able to.
The worst part was seeing it in his eyes.
Jayden shook the thought and sped up, trying to run some of his restlessness off. Summer break was usually a great time of the year for him, but not this summer. Robyn wasn't going to be around, and he was stuck in the house with that brother of his who wanted to get rid of him or at least make his life miserable. Logan was going to community college after summer break, so he wasn't planning on moving out anytime soon.
Luckily, Jayden had gotten a job at Sophie's Diner over the summer and was going to start tomorrow. It wasn't so much because of the money—even though that was nice too—as it was because he needed to get out of the house. He knew that being alone with his brother all day, fearing what he was up to next, was going to drive him nuts.
"Hey there, little brother…"
Jayden gasped and turned. He hadn't heard his brother come up from behind him and pulled out his earbud in surprise. His brother grinned and had that vicious look in his eyes.
"Scared ya', did I? You've always been a scaredy-cat."
"What do you want, Logan? I’m trying to run here."
He passed Jayden and turned to face him. "Yeah, I can see that. Don't you think you ought to get in a little better shape? To become the leader of the pack and all, you'd expect someone a little…stronger, someone more like me."
"Leave me alone," Jayden said.
"How's Robyn?"
"What do you mean?"
"She’s the one you're moping about, isn't she?" he asked.
"What's it to you?"
"That's what I don't get. You have Ruelle. A gorgeous girl, the woman you're destined to be with, and yet you still mope around about Robyn? A red-headed vampire?"
Jayden grunted, annoyed. "She's not a vampire."
"She will be, soon. Why waste your time on her?"
"I’m not."
"I have a feeling that you are. I just haven't caught you two yet, but one of these days, I will."
"What's it to you anyway?"
"I just really hope Mom and Dad don’t find out that you're still seeing her. You know how disappointed they'll be. Given how happy they are that you're dating Ruelle."
"You're not telling them anything, you hear me?" Jayden growled. "Mom has enough to deal with as it is. Besides, it's not true. I’m not seeing Robyn."
"Ah, finally a little spark in those eyes of yours. Maybe I will and maybe I won't."
"Are you threatening me?" Jayden asked, snarling in anger.
"Maybe."
"I’m not falling for it. You leave Mom and Dad alone, you hear me?"
"You wanna fight me?" Logan said. "Let's do it. Right here and now."
"I don't want to fight you, Logan," Jayden said.
"One day you'll have to."
"No, I won't."
Logan stopped running and approached Jayden. He grabbed him by the throat and pushed him up against a tree behind him. All the air was blown out of his lungs as he hit the trunk.
"Yes. You. Will," Logan growled, his eyes ablaze.
Jayden fought to get loose, but Logan held him tight.
"You do realize I could snap your neck right here and now, like a twig. SNAP. Just like that and you'll be gone."
Jayden panted and gasped for air as the hold was tightened around his neck.
"But I won't," Logan said, speaking through clenched teeth. "Not yet. I don't want to kill you while you're nothing but a weak human. It's too easy, Jayden. I want it to be when we're both wolves. I'll challenge you for the throne, and you know it. Then you’ll have no choice. You’ll have to fight me. Fight me till one of us turns up dead. And then I'll take everything from you. Ruelle, your position as the leader of the pack, the place as Mom and Dad's favorite son. Everything, Jayden."
Logan pressed his fingers against Jayden's throat, hard, then let go. Jayden slid down the trunk; then Logan grabbed him. He punched Jayden in the stomach so hard that Jayden fell forward into the moist grass, face first, gasping for air.
"See you at home," his brother said, continuing his run, grinning from ear to ear. Jayden watched as he disappeared in between the trees, then turned onto his back, squirming in pain.
Chapter Five
It was the most boring day of my life. And the most disappointing. I had been looking forward to being a part of a real newsroom at a real TV station for as long as I could remember and, finally, I had the chance, but all I did all day was make coffee, answer phones, run for donuts, and read emails sent to the newsroom from people believing they had a story they should tell. The rest of the day, I simply stared at the computer screen while the hours went by slowly. Duncan didn't even come by as he said he would. I wasn't upset about that, to be honest, because I didn't want him to see me like this. I wanted to do this on my own. My biggest fear was that he would tell Olivia to give me something to do just because he felt sorry for me. I didn’t want that. I wanted to work my way up if I had to. I just didn't quite know where to begin.
I drove home feeling a little sorry for myself. I stopped at Sophie's Diner and had a burger and a milkshake to make me feel better. Also, because I knew I was going home to kale smoothies and vegan dinners. I wanted to cheer myself up, but it felt more like a pity meal than anything else.
Tomorrow will be better.
I finished my milkshake and paid old Sophie behind the counter. Next to her lay a stack of flyers from the circus. Sophie saw me looking at them.
"Been a long time since we had a circus in town," she said.
"Sure has," I said and grabbed a flyer. "I can't remember it happening in my lifetime at all."
I looked at the flyer as I left the diner and went to the car. It was already this coming weekend that they had their shows. They had to arrive in town soon.
I threw the flyer on the passenger seat, then drove off, back toward Shadow Hills. I peeked at Jayden's house while passing it, wondering how his day had been. I was glad that he had landed the job at Sophie's since I knew he dreaded having to spend the entire summer with his brother. I had promised to stop by every day after work and grab a burger or a milkshake. I was probably going to gain ten pounds before this internship was over. I wasn't going to hear the end of it from my mother, but I didn't care. I liked food and eating better than I liked being skinny. It was just who I was. That was another good reason for me to not wanting to be a vampire. I absolutely hated my mother's food, and Duncan had told me he changed his taste in food when he became one and now he actually liked it. Who in their right mind liked kale?
I parked the car in the driveway and walked up to the house feeling heavy. I had enjoyed the freedom this day had given me. It was always dangerous to taste freedom since it was going to be so hard to go back once this internship was over. I had begged my mother to let me go back to regular school, but so far, I couldn't convince her that it would be good for me and for her. She was still keen on homeschooling me, much to my regret.
Maybe if I prove her wrong this summer by impressing her. But how?
How do you impress someone like my mother? It was impossible. I was going to try anyway, I decided, while letting myself into the house, determined to find a story for the next day. I wasn't going to arrive at the newsroom empty-handed ever again.
Chapter Six
They waited till it got dark, then drove up to the mountains. Amy liked being out with her mother at night, just the two of them. It had been years since her mother had last spent time with her alone. So much had become better between Amy and her parents now that they
were all sharing the same secret. For Amy, life had gotten a lot easier and a lot less lonely. Her parents had stayed home for weeks now, ever since Amy almost died saving Melanie from Mr. Aran and her dad got sick from saving her life. She had never felt closer to her parents, and she had never loved them so much.
"I think this might be a good spot," her mother said and stopped the car in a remote spot. There wasn't another car anywhere near them. Amy got out and looked at the city lights in the distance. It was a clear and starry night. It made Amy smile to look up at the millions of stars above her blinking back at her.
She was pretty shaken up after finding the body of Sam in the bushes by the lake and, for days, she didn't even go outside, worrying that she might find more dead bodies if she did. It wasn't just the fact that it was a body; it was mostly because it was Sam. The boy she had helped Robyn save. It was just so devastating and so meaningless. So, instead of going out, she had stayed home and cooked. Cooked and baked until her mother had finally told her it had to stop; they couldn't eat all that food and she was wasting their money, and it was time to go back to school. They had donated the food to the local shelter and Amy had gone back to school, but not without staring at each and every face in the hallways and in class, wondering if each person might be the killer or maybe the next victim.
It was about to drive her nuts.
Melanie was still staying with them, and Amy liked to talk to her about it. Sometimes, she got the feeling that Melanie knew more than what she said. She had, after all, been face to face with this killer, and—this was Amy's favorite part—kicked his butt. Did she know who he was and just wasn't telling them? But why would she keep it a secret? She had no reason that Amy could see. Still, Amy had asked her about it one afternoon when they were eating a batch of her freshly baked cookies.
"Did you see him, the one who bit you?"
She shrugged. "Not really, why?"
"Not for anything. I just wondered why they can't seem to catch him, that's all."
"It was a wolf; that's all I know," Melanie had said. "A big beast of a wolf."
Amy was certain Melanie would tell her if she knew more. Of course, she would.
"What do you say? Isn't it a perfect spot?" Amy's mother said, coming up behind her.
Amy turned and faced her. While she was watching, her mother turned into her dragon and stood big and massive in front of her, snorting from her nostrils, and flapping her big red wings. It was the first time Amy got to see her mother like this. She was pretty impressive.
"Wow," she said.
Now you, she heard her mother's voice say inside of her mind.
"Wow," Amy said again. "So, you can do that…that's how we…talk…oh, you want me to change…okay."
Amy turned around again, then closed her eyes. Her mother had told her all she had to do was to will her dragon out. She had to want it to come, and you did that best by picturing it. So, she did. She found images of her dragon as she had seen it in the mirror, then willed it out, called for it.
She looked up at her mother, who smiled. There you are. Oh, Amy, baby. You're gorgeous.
Don't start crying, Mom, please.
I can't help it. You’re all grown up, baby.
Mom, please.
Okay, sorry.
We're here because you need to teach me how to fly, right?
Yes, sweetie. Yes. I'll stop now.
Just tell me how it’s done. What do I do? Flap my wings?
Amy tried to move her wings, but they seemed so big and heavy it appeared impossible to control them.
Try, her mother said. Try and move them.
I am. It's not working.
Get up on that cliff over there. Then jump and flap your wings. Don't be afraid, baby. You'll get it.
Amy trotted toward the cliff, then walked up on it. It wasn't more than maybe six feet down to the bottom, but Amy felt scared. What if she failed?
Just try, baby. Jump off. It should come naturally to you, her mother said. Whatever you do, don't overthink it.
Too late, Amy said, then spread out her wings and set off. She fell head first onto the ground below with a loud scream.
Amy!
"It didn't work," Amy said and pushed herself up from the ground. During the fall, she had transformed back to her human shape, and she had scraped her knees and cheek. Her cheek was bleeding, and she wiped it off. Her mom turned back too and stood beside her.
"It was a first try. Everything is hard in the beginning," she said.
"It's just…it's not natural," Amy said. "Me…flying."
Her mother chuckled. "And turning into a dragon is?"
Amy sighed. "It's different. That just happened, and I couldn't really do anything about it. This is me, trying to do something I’m not supposed to be able to. I can't break the laws of physics."
"It's only natural for you to feel that way, Amy," her mother said. "You've been a part of the human world for a very long time. It'll take some time. Until then, how about you jump up on my back and I show you what you'll one day be capable of?"
Amy looked up at her mother, while her mother turned back into the dragon.
"You mean…?"
Her mother nodded and bent down so she could crawl up on her back. Amy held on tightly to her mother's neck as she sprinted for the ledge and threw herself into the air, then floated out in the air and up toward the top of the mountain.
Chapter Seven
They arrived at night. I was at Jayden's house, on his bed kissing him and making out, when I heard it. The entire house was shaking, and Jayden's lips left mine. He looked out the window, and I followed his gaze. In the distance, lit up by streetlamps, out by the big road leading into town, I saw the trail of trucks. All of them had the same logo on the side.
Circus Fantastico.
"It's the circus," Jayden said. "The one from the posters around town. They're coming. I heard they're setting up outside of town, on one of old Hopkins's fields."
"I have never been to the circus," I said.
"Me either," Jayden said.
I sat back on the bed as the house continued to rumble. "I bet I won't even be allowed to go."
Jayden kissed my hand. "I'll take you. I'd be honored to."
I laughed and grabbed his face between my hands. "And just how do you imagine doing that without my parents finding out, huh?"
"I'll find a way," he said.
I kissed him, then grew serious. "Please, don't. I don't think it's a very good idea."
He pulled away. "Why not?"
"I don't want to risk anything," I said. "Not now. I’m doing pretty well with my mom lately. Between my crazy cousins and me, she is beginning to think I am quite the well-disciplined child. I’m sort of trying to convince her to let me go back to normal school again after summer break, but if she as much as suspects that you and I are seeing one another, it might destroy everything. I need her to trust me. I really want this, Jayden. More than I want to go to the circus."
Jayden nodded. "Okay. I get it. I won't take you then."
I smiled. "Thank you…I guess."
He grabbed me by the neck and pulled me into a deep kiss when suddenly the door was slammed up against the wall. In the doorway stood a wolf.
A big snarling beast of a wolf.
"Logan!" Jayden said and jumped up. "What are you doing?"
Logan growled, and suddenly I was taken back to the night in the cul-de-sac when I was attacked by a wolf. I knew it wasn't Logan who had attacked me, but still, it made the hairs on the back of my neck rise and my hands tremble in fear. Jayden grabbed his baseball bat as Logan walked inside, snarling, showing off his teeth.
He looked at us, back and forth. I felt like screaming, fearing what he would do next. My eyes met his and then I was certain I saw him grin, widely. Then it was like he suddenly changed his mind and he turned around and ran out the back door of the house. We saw him from the window as he rushed through the backyard toward the mountains.
&
nbsp; Jayden grunted and threw his baseball bat against the wall. "I hate that moron!"
"That was close," I said, still shaking. I clenched my hands to make them stop. "You think he wanted to kill us?"
Jayden sat down and shook his head. He rubbed his neck. "Nah, he's just out to make my life miserable, that's all," he said, a sad look on his face. "And so far, he’s succeeding pretty well."
Chapter Eight
Jazmine woke up to the sound of her front door being slammed shut. She gasped and jumped to the window and peeked out just in time to see her mother walk out, broom in her hand. She watched her take off.
"Where do you go, Mom?" she mumbled in the darkness.
She walked to the hallway and found the hatch and pulled it down. In the attic, she found the book and started to read. She indulged herself, reading about telekinetic spells that would allow her to affect objects over large distances. She was trying to get her bracelet to move from one spot to another, but still with no success, when BamBam entered the attic and started rubbing himself against her leg.
Jazmine reached her hand down and petted him while continuing to read. The cat purred, but the purring soon turned into something that sounded like someone moaning. Jazmine pulled her hand away.
"Did you just moan?" she asked the cat.
BamBam looked up at her with his yellow eyes. Jazmine shook her head and continued. The cat grew tired of her and ran away. Meanwhile, Jazmine continued reading the spell, then looked at the bracelet that she had placed in her cupped hands. She closed her eyes and focused on moving it, trying to channel her energy toward it like the book told her to.
Nothing happened.
Jazmine opened her eyes and looked at the bracelet, then sighed. This was her third try. Maybe telekinesis just wasn't her thing. She put the bracelet away, then flipped a few pages in the book, when her eyes fell on a page that had been ripped out. The rip seemed very recent. Jazmine touched the ripped out part with her fingers, then wondered why her mother had ripped the page out. Was it because she didn't want Jazmine to read it?
