by Katie Dunn
It breaks my heart to know that the D'yavol pack has murdered little Emma. Her imagination had been more wild than my brothers'. She had loved to carry her dolly everywhere and pretend it was a real baby. And she had been as sweet as a person could possibly be. I had enjoyed looking after her.
I lie in my bed trying to put the old memories out of my head. At the same time, I fear the D'yavol pack will murder me in my sleep. It is rough not to when your neighbors have recently been bludgeoned to death.
I turn over on my side. One position is no more comfortable than the last. I turn to my other side, but it isn't any better. Pictures of Emma's tiny dead body flit through my mind. I finally sit up and run a hand through my hair. Tears well up in my eyes, but I abstain from letting them fall. If I find the D'yavol pack, I will make them pay for what they've done to Emma. I will make sure that they suffer and get what they deserve.
A knock at my bedroom door pulls me from my thoughts. "Come in."
The door opens and Troy steps in. "Are you all right? I was beginning to drift into sleep when your terrorized thoughts flooded my head."
I ignore the fact he's been invading my mind again and sigh. "I can't sleep."
Troy closes the door behind him and sits on the bed near me. "They can't get in here. They have to be invited in, remember?"
"I remember," I tell him. "But my mind keeps telling me they may be out there waiting."
I turn my head toward the window and watch as the curtains flutter from the air flowing from the vents.
Troy touches my arm. "I won't let them hurt you. Or your family. Our family."
I meet his gaze. "We have to stop them. Otherwise Brighton will be nothing, but the mention of a town in an old book."
Troy stands and walks to the window. "I know. The problem is I don't know how, and I don't want to put you guys in danger." He looks at me and leans on the wall. "After fifteen years, Lenny and I have finally found a place we can call home. We've found a good family who loves us and actually cares if we're dead or alive."
He strides over and kneels beside my bed. "Britt, Lenny and I have been out on our own since we were kids. And for once, I actually like my life. I like going to school, I like helping your dad at the shop, I like hanging out with my best friend. I couldn't imagine my life being any better—well, except for the D'yavol pack."
I stifle a yawn. Troy stands up. "I'll let you sleep now."
I lie back down, and Troy draws the covers up for me. He leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead. "Goodnight, Britt." He heads to the door.
"Troy, wait," I say.
He turns to me. "Yeah?"
"Please don't leave me in here all by myself."
He stares at me for what feels like forever. Despite his hesitation, he goes to my closet and grabs two blankets. He lays one across the floor next to my bed. I realize what he's doing and hand him one of my extra pillows. He lies down on the blanket and uses the second to cover himself. I lie on my side, and I let my arm drape off the bed. Troy grasps my hand and smiles up at me. "Sweet dreams, Britt," he whispers.
I smile at him. "Sweet dreams, Troy."
Sleep comes as fast and as easy as a butterfly fluttering around in the meadow. With a calm, sound mind, I peacefully drift off into sleep as the night creeps on. Having Troy close by makes me feel safe and protected—like the D'yavol pack can't touch me even if they wanted to. But they don't have to touch me or even be anywhere close to me to scare me.
A dream—more like a nightmare—comes to me in my sleep. Everything is black until I open my eyes. In the dream I'm hiding in the downstairs closet, watching out the crack in between the two doors. I can barely make out anything but a man. He's tall and muscular with medium-brown hair and a hint of a beard showing across his face.
"It doesn't matter!" His Russian accent yells. "She's still my daughter!"
Another Russian accent sounds, but he never shows his face. "You have betrayed me. You have betrayed your pack. And you have disgraced us. Can you remember what we do to our traitors?"
The second he says pack, I realize just who they are. The D'yavol pack. I make a mental note to myself that this might not be a random dream. This is possibly a future-predicting one. If this really is going to happen then the pack will come after my family and me. The thought makes me shiver.
The traitor's hand trembles in his fear of the other man—I'm gonna guess the leader. "We torture them," the traitor guesses.
"No," the leader says. "We kill our traitors." Before the traitor can comprehend the words, the leader holds up his hands and splays his fingers. The traitor suddenly bursts into flames.
I gape. I can't believe what I've just seen. Before I can do anything else, the image runs together and forms a new one. The woods surrounding me are dark and eerie. The only sounds around me are my heavy breath, the crunching of the leaves beneath my feet, and a Russian voice calling to me as I run. "I don't want to hurt you, Britt! Come to me and I will make your death quick and painless!"
I resist the urge to look over my shoulder. Fear for my life surges through my entire body, as I force myself to run faster. "Britt!" The voice echoes in my head. "Do not make me hunt you down!"
I finally jerk myself awake and sit bolt upright. Troy sits on the bed with his hands on my shoulders. I realize he's been trying to wake me up and end the horrible nightmare. A genuinely scared and concerned look fills his features. "What were you dreaming about? I woke, and you were whimpering and flailing."
I wrap my arms around Troy and don't let him go. He returns my embrace and runs his fingers through my hair. "They're coming," I breathe in his ear.
I don't sleep for the rest of the night—I can't. I wait until my parents awake, and I recount every bit of the dream. They remind me that there is still the slight possibility that the dream won't actually happen, and to be prepared in case it does. In addition to that, I feel bad because I'd kept Troy from falling asleep. He'd stayed awake with me all night and never left my side.
After my mom wake the boys, my dad decides we need to have a family talk. Lenny and the twins find a spot on the floor, my mom and I sit on the couch, Troy places himself on the armchair near to us, and Derek sits opposite from Troy.
My dad stays standing and reveals every aspect of my horrifying dream to the boys. By the end, the twins wind up climbing onto the couch with my mom and me. I glance at Derek. His face shows a hint of horror, but otherwise he gives the impression that he's ready to rival any threat. Lenny's expression suggests the same. He will fight for his home, his life, and his family.
My dad kneels next to my mom. "Do you still want to go out tonight?"
"In all honesty, Dad, I don't think we should worry about the D'yavol pack coming after us tonight," Lenny interjects. "Britt was here in the dream. Tonight, she won't really be here—she'll be out with you guys. Not to mention, skinwalkers need to be invited in." He glances at every face in the room. "There's no way they can get in."
"Lenny's right," Troy claims. "If and when the visions come true, they are accurate to what you had originally seen. And we all know the D'yavol pack won't be invited inside this house tonight." He shakes his head. "Britt's dream won't take effect tonight."
My mom takes my dad's hand and puts her other arm around Casey. "What Troy and Lenny are telling us does make sense. We'll go tonight, but we won't stay long."
My dad nods. "Okay. But no more than a couple of hours, and we'll call home every hour to make sure everything is fine. All right, Lenny?"
Lenny nods. "Yes, sir."
My dad stands and takes a whiff of the air. "Is something burning?"
My mom leaps from the couch. "I had completely forgotten about the biscuits." She takes off at a sprint toward the kitchen.
My dad turns to Derek. "Son, will you see if your mother needs some assistance?"
"Sure thing, Dad." Derek stands and leaves the room. Kendall gazes at Troy and Lenny. "Can we go outside and play before school?"
L
enny pats Kendall's small head and dishevels his blond hair. "Yeah, I'll go play."
"Me too," I join in.
We all head to the back door, but my dad stops Troy. "Troy, can we discuss something for a minute?"
Troy and I exchange glances. "Of course, Liam," he answers.
Tell me later? I ask him.
He nods, and I turn and walk with the boys to the door.
Lenny and I watch as Kendall and Casey swing on the swing set, making a contest out of who can jump the farthest. "Start counting, Britt!" Kendall yells.
I count to three and holler, "Go," to them. The twins jump, and Lenny eyes their positions to judge who had the most distance. "I think Kendall wins. But only by a hair."
"Aw, man." Casey groans. "I think I'm gonna ride my bike now."
Both of the twins run to the edge of the porch, get their bikes, and pedal laps around the swing set.
Lenny gazes at me. "You know, I've never ridden a bike before."
I gape. "Seriously? Never?"
He shakes his head. "No. I've never even had a bike."
I glance at Kendall and Casey. "Has Troy ridden a bike before?"
"No," Lenny reveals. "Neither of us have."
Astonished by what I'm hearing, I stride over to the porch and get Derek's bike. I wheel it over to Lenny. "Come on, I'll teach you."
A ghost of a smile flickers on his face. "Really? You will?"
I nod. "Yeah. You're beginning to become like a little brother to me. And well, big sisters are supposed to help teach their younger brothers this kind of stuff."
Lenny's smile spreads wider across his face. "You know, you're starting to be like a big sister to me, too."
I smile at his words. My heart probably grows, acknowledging that I'm finally bonding with Lenny. But I ruin it by becoming aware of our limited time. "Thanks. Now, come on. We'll have to leave soon for school."
Lenny grasps the handlebars and throws his leg over the bike. He looks at me expectantly for instruction. "You just pedal the bike and steer, and I'll hold you upright, okay?" I explain.
He nods. "Got it."
Lenny slowly begins to pedal and the bike gradually moves forward. He makes several laps around the yard, and I hold on to the bike every foot it moves.
Lenny eventually gets comfortable with it and picks up the speed. "Okay, Britt. I think you can let go now."
I do. I stop and stare as Lenny rounds the yard all on his own. I clap my hands together and cheer him on. "Woohoo! Go Lenny!"
He grins, clearly proud of himself and probably at some of my encouragement also. At some point, the twins stop riding their bikes and join me on cheering for him.
I glance toward the porch and spot Derek stepping out the door. "Breakfast is ready!" he hollers. He glances at Lenny. "Is that my bike?"
"Well, it would look funny if he were riding mine," I say.
Lenny mashes the brake and comes to a stop. "Sorry, Derek. Britt was only teaching me how to ride one."
Derek waves it off. "It's fine. Now, get inside. I'm ready to eat."
͠
"Remember that I'm gonna be there, too, so don't even think about trying anything with Britt," Tom warns Troy.
Troy nods, but I don't think he is listening. Tom leans on the locker next to mine. "I'm only letting you take Britt because I'm a nice guy and because I don't like to dance, and she does."
Troy glances at me then sighs. "Tom, I promise I'm not going after your girl. I just wanted someone to take to the Lyle's party."
"I know," Tom says. "But with a girl like Britt you have to understand why I would be—"
"I know," Troy interrupts as he gazes at me.
Being under Troy's stare makes me blush. He looks at me like I am the only thing that matters. I melt and find myself wondering what dancing with him tonight will be like. It's interesting how he can do this to me. I find it odd how Troy's gaze on me is much more satisfying than Tom's.
Tom.
I remind myself that Tom is standing right next to me and focus on which books I need from my locker. I change the subject. "By the way, where is Riley?" I try to keep up the conversation.
Tom glances around. "I have no idea. I guess I'll go look for her."
I nod. "All right."
Tom leaves us, and I turn to Troy. "So what did my dad want to talk to you about earlier?"
"Nothing to worry about," Troy says casually. I give him a look. Troy's mind remains unchanging. "Believe me, Britt. It wasn't anything important."
I hold his gaze for one more moment. I slowly and reluctantly turn to my locker. "Okay." I let it go for now. "But you better dance with me tonight."
Troy smirks. "I intend to."
I smile. "Wonderful."
SIXTEEN
MY MOM AND I help each other with hair and makeup. We stand in the hallway bathroom, attempting to make ourselves "presentable" for tonight's gala. My mom manages to pull her hair into a fancy looking side-ponytail then helps me work my hair into a side-bun.
We're already dressed. My mom wears a dark blue dress with black heels, and I wear a cream-colored halter dress with beads lining the top, and silver heels. Both of our dresses come down to our knees and are very appropriate looking.
"Hurry up," Derek groans from the hall. He appears in the doorway. He too, is already dressed. He wears a black suit with a white shirt and a dark red tie.
"Aw." My mom puts her hands to her mouth. "You look so handsome."
Derek embraces her. "Don't get all teary-eyed, Mom."
"I'm trying not to," she mumbles.
She pulls back slightly. "Britt and I are done now. You can have the bathroom."
Derek steps in as my mom and I step out. She heads to her bedroom to check on my dad, and I descend the stairs.
Before I reach the kitchen, I hear the one of the twins pestering Lenny for candy and popcorn.
"Don't give in, Lenny," I say.
"I won't." He chuckles.
"And remember," I say to the twins. "Lenny is in charge tonight, so don't even bother bugging him for stuff you wouldn't normally get any other night."
Lenny smiles at me. "Don't worry. We'll have fun, won't we guys?"
Casey looks him square in the eye. "We will if I can have soda and candy."
Lenny shakes his head. "Not gonna happen."
"Aw, man." Kendall groans.
For the first time, Lenny notices that I'm all dressed up and smirks. "My older brother is lucky. You look very beautiful."
I blush. "Aw, thank you."
Lenny's eyes catch something behind me. "Speaking of, your date is super attractive."
I turn around and face Troy. His blue shirt and dark tie match his eyes. I love the color. He stares at me and smirks. "She is super attractive isn't she, Lenny?"
I look over my shoulder and glimpse at Lenny nodding. I smile to myself. "Thank you, Troy. You're pretty handsome yourself." His smirk spreads into a smile.
My parents and Derek join us in the kitchen. My parents make sure Lenny will be fine with the twins and we gradually make our way out the door.
͠
Though I was here yesterday, I am still amazed at how extravagantly decorated every square inch of the Lyle's property is. Not that I should expect anything less from Melinda.
As the residents of Brighton arrive, Matthew and Melinda stand near the mansion's entrance welcoming everybody. Things look promising when Dean is nowhere to be seen.
"Oh, good evening, Priscilla," Melinda says.
My mom nods to her. "Good evening to you, too."
To avoid conversation with the boring elders, Derek, Troy, and I slip off into the party. Adults and the occasional group of teenagers engage in chitchat around us. The party is alive with sophistication and elegance, not the wild partying you might expect.
We wander the mansion, taking in every detail surrounding us. In the corner, a pianist plays some refined music I know Melinda had chosen special for the occasion. Near him, a number of adul
ts laugh at some story a middle-aged man tells.
We ignore them and keep walking. At some point, we make it to the Lyle's backyard. Strands of lights hang high above our heads like little stars twinkling in the evening. The lights also glitter among the bushes, giving them a classier appearance.
The individuals outside mostly consist of teenagers and some younger adults. Half of them sip on the flutes of champagne in their hands.
Derek looks at me. "Seriously? Teenagers drinking champagne? It's people like that, that make Brighton look bad."
I nod. "Yep. It's nice to know that they are the future of our society," I say sarcastically.
"I'm gonna go find some soda or water to drink," Derek says.
"I'll walk with you," Troy tells him. He turns to me. "I'll be back in a minute."
Troy and Derek leave in search of water and soda, and leave me alone. I stay glued to where I stand for a few minutes, before my legs finally carry me down the steps and to the gazebo. I lean against the banister and almost immediately realize it was a huge mistake.
Dean comes storming over in that intimidating way of his. "What do you think you're doing here, Thompson?"
The opportunity is too good to pass up. "What's your first thought, Dean?" I step closer to him and make my face seem serious. "I came here because I like you. I've always liked you. Why do you think I constantly aggravate you?"
Dean's eyes widen and a frightened look crosses his face. I take another step toward him. "I just want you to tell me you feel the same way about—" I can't even finish before bursting into laughter.
Dean realizes that I was only messing around with him and becomes mad as fire. "Oh, you little—"
"Just let it go, Dean," a new voice interrupts.
In unison, Dean and I turn to see his older brother. Fredrick Lyle. Unlike Dean, Fredrick has been kind to me in the past. I actually get along with Fredrick. "Don't be getting yourself into any trouble tonight, Dean."
Dean shakes his head. "I wasn't."
Fredrick glances at me then back to Dean. He knows the history I have with Dean. "Just go on and behave." Dean reluctantly goes, but not before shooting me a look that seems to say, this isn't over.
