by Katie Dunn
Troy stares down at me. "He's wrong. Love does make you stronger. Sure, at times it can bring you sorrow and pain, but at the end of the day it brings joy and comfort. Love gives you something to live for. It gives you something to fight for and to die for."
I take his hand in mine. "You're right. It does make you stronger. It makes everyone stronger."
Troy smiles at my words, and I find myself smiling, too. I would gladly fight for Troy and my loved ones. I would die if it meant their survival. The look in Troy's eyes tells me he would do the same.
Real love keeps you going. It makes you want to keep pushing on. It's true that love has its ups and downs, but through it all, it lives. It lasts forever and it is not something you can walk away from. Love can make you or break you. But when it's real, you can't let it go. I can't let it go.
Troy rests his hands on my waist and kisses me. It's a small, but sweet kiss. Fireworks set off in my mind, and my world lights up like the Fourth of July. I grab the collar of Troy's jacket with one hand, and rest the other on his chest. The kiss doesn't last near as long as I would've liked. The sound of an explosion pulls us apart. Real fireworks go off in the distance. One right after another.
Troy gazes down at me. "You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, now would you?"
I watch the fireworks in slight horror. "I didn't mean to do that."
Troy grabs my attention. "Hey. Who doesn't like fireworks?"
I smile as he kisses me again.
TWENTY-THREE
I WAKE UP with a smile on my face. That hasn't happened in quite a while. I finish saddling up my horse, Chief, and lead him out of the barn. Since I'm in such a great mood this morning, I want to take Chief out for a ride, before I go to school.
Last night had to have been one of the best nights of my life. Troy telling me he loves me, then kissing me literally set off fireworks. I'm sure if I had looked in the mirror this morning, I would have noticed a glow. I'm excited to see what today has in store for me.
I'm a little worried about leaving my family for the day. Sure we'll all be on campus—except Dad—but after mine and Troy's encounter with the D'yavol pack last night, I hate to be away from any of them for a second. And tonight being Halloween doesn't help.
I'm not sure what the plans are yet, but my parents will tell me what they've decided soon.
I ride Chief down the trail leading to the creek. I'm careful to keep an eye on my surroundings, in case the D'yavol pack attempts a morning ambush. If any skinwalkers are around, Chief will go crazy, but I eye everything to be sure.
Once I make to the creek, I tie Chief to a tree and let him rest for a minute. I lean on the tree and gently stroke his head. That's when a vision floods my head.
The dark and silent woods is an eerie place to be, especially because I'm already scared out of my mind. I run at the highest speed I can, but fear it is not fast enough.
Nikolai calls to me. "I don't want to hurt you, Britt! Come to me, and I will make your death quick and painless!"
I don't listen. I keep running. I have to get to safety. I have to reach civilization. Surely if I do, Nikolai won't kill me in public. Will he?
"Britt!" Nikolai hollers. "Do not make me hunt you down!"
The vision disperses, leaving me a bit dazed. This is the second time I have seen this vision. The other visions I have seen have come to life—this one will, too. Nikolai is going to kill me. He's going to kill me, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
͠
I pull on my school uniform. My new sweater is awfully itchy, but that is not what's bothering me. What's bothering me is my upcoming death. I know I've said before I would die for my family, and I would. But who wouldn't be slightly disturbed, knowing they are going to die soon?
I thought I was going to get to live a long happy life, not a short one. Ever since I was a little girl I've dreamed of getting married to the love of my life, having children, and grandchildren. Now, I know I will never experience any of that. I will never know what it is like.
"Are you all right?" Riley asks.
I glance up at her. "Huh?"
"Are you all right? You just seem off," she explains.
I don't want her to worry. I force a smile. "Yeah. I'm fine."
͠
I cram my books into my locker. "Is everything okay?" Troy asks.
I refuse to meet his gaze. "Everything's good."
"Britt." The tone of Troy's voice is hard to ignore. I meet his gaze. He tucks some of my hair behind my ear. "Britt, if we're gonna be boyfriend and girlfriend, you can't hide things from me."
Troy's right. I can't keep things from him—that's part of what ruined my last relationship. I just don't want to worry him. I don't want him to get hurt in an attempt to save me. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him because of me. "Really, Troy. Everything's fine."
Troy nods. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure." He leans in and his lips touch mine. What I felt during our kiss last night, comes back now. No amount of kisses from any other man can be compared to one kiss from Troy.
Troy pulls back and rests his forehead on mine. I smile up at him, and he smiles back. I wish this moment didn't have to end, but with my luck, it does.
"Hey, Thompson."
Dean strolls toward me. Great. It's one of those days. I reluctantly leave Troy's side and turn to Dean. I put on an angelic smile. "Yes, my dear?"
Dean's face sobers. "Don't do that."
I bat my eyelashes. "Don't do what?"
Dean shakes his head. "Why do I always have to explain things to you, Thompson? Are you deaf? Or are you just plain stupid?"
I step closer to Dean. "I'm only stupid for you, Dean."
Dean tries to come up with some remark, but fails. "This isn't over, Thompson!" He says, before heading down the hall. I turn and watch him. "It never is, Dean!"
͠
The students and teachers working on the academy's haunted house have done a spectacular job—and they aren't even done yet. The haunted house has giant spiders, mummies, zombies, ghosts, and a lot more. It's only missing one thing that would make it truly terrifying. The D'yavol pack.
Most of the people setting up the haunted house, don't know the horrors of the D'yavol pack. They don't know who they are, what they are, and what they are capable of. And hopefully they never will.
The bell rings, and I head to class. Troy sits in the desk next to mine. "Britt, I've been wondering if maybe you would like to go see a movie or go out to dinner one night?"
"Troy, are you asking me out on a date?" I ask.
Troy smirks. "Maybe."
I smile. "I would love to."
Troy takes my hand and kisses the top of it.
Mr. Barnes closes the classroom door. Troy and I reluctantly pull our attention away from each other. Near the front of the classroom, Tom gazes at me. He now knows that Troy and I are together. Hurt and jealousy flashes in his eyes. A pang of guilt courses through me. Why did things have to end the way they did? I think in my mind. But if he wanted to be with me, then he shouldn't have broken up with me.
͠
The boys' costumes are all so cute. Derek is dressed up as a zombie. Lenny thought it would be funny to dress as a werewolf. And my mom dressed the twins as Mario and Luigi.
My parents, Troy, Riley, and I aren't dressed up. We're just tagging along to chaperone. The plan is to go to as many houses as possible. Hopefully, the bags will be filled to the rim with candy—to which I will help myself later.
We know we are taking a chance with the D'yavol pack. But they could just as easily to come to our house, and burn it down with us inside. They are coming after Troy and me either way. So we can either hide behind the walls of our house, or we can go out, live our lives, and fight when they come for us.
We follow behind the boys as they go from house to house. Lots of other Brighton residents watch as their children or younger siblings walk up to some stranger's door and demand candy. Not all of the
houses hold strangers within. In a small town like Brighton, most of the people know more than half of the residents.
We make it to the Lucas mansion. "Maybe we should skip this one," I say.
Derek turns to me. "No. He broke up with my sister. He better give me candy."
With that, he, Lenny, and the twins ring the doorbell. Tom opens the door and seems surprised that we came.
He puts candy in each of the bags, then glances up at me. "Can we talk, Britt?"
"No," Lenny blurts out.
"Lenny," I chastise. "I'll be fine. You guys go on. I want there to be enough candy, so you guys will be willing to share."
My parents smile at that. "Okay," Mom says. "We will be a phone call away if you need us, baby girl."
They all reluctantly leave and head for the next house. Troy lingers for a moment. "Just remember that I can read your mind, Tom."
Tom nods. "Then, I guess it's a good thing I wasn't gonna try anything anyway."
Troy hesitates to go, but does. Tom doesn't speak until after he is gone. "Britt, I've had some time to consider things, and even though we are broken up, I still want us to be friends. I also wanted to apologize for being so harsh."
I nod. "I see."
"So?" Tom asks. "Do you still want to be friends?"
I haven't even really thought about it. I didn't think Tom would want to try to be friends. Especially, now that I'm dating Troy. "Before I answer, can you tell me one thing?"
Tom nods. "Sure, of course."
"Does it really agitate you that much that a skinwalker is in love with me?" I ask.
Tom sits on the steps. "It did at first. But now I think Troy is good for you. You were right. He is an okay guy. The whole skinwalker deal still freaks me out a bit, but for the most part, I have come to terms with it."
I nod. "Good. I'm glad. And yeah. I'd like for us to try to be friends."
Tom smiles. "Good."
I notice some trick-or-treaters walk down the driveway. "Well, I better catch up with the group."
Tom stands. "Yeah. And it looks like I got more candy to give out. I'll see you later."
I wave to him as I walk up the driveway. "Bye."
I get out on the sidewalk and stroll down the street. The town is still alive with activity, as children continue to trick-or-treat. I stuff my hands into my jacket pockets, as the cold air nips at my fingers.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. Suddenly, things don't feel right. Something is wrong, but I'm not sure what. I walk a little faster down the sidewalk. People continue to walk down the street. I'm not entirely alone. Yet, something is still off.
I jump when a hand grabs my shoulder. I turn around. Nikolai stands before me. Instead of his usual smirk, a serious look covers his face. My heart races out of fear. Nikolai's hand moves down to my wrist. I try to jerk away from him, but his grip is too strong. He places some kind of thin, metallic band around my wrist.
"What are you doing?" I ask nervously.
He grabs both of my shoulders and meets my gaze. His green eyes bore into me. "You're going to come with me, and if you try to scream, I will kill anyone and everyone who tries to help you. Do you understand?"
I reluctantly nod. "Yes."
Nikolai smirks. "Good girl."
Nikolai holds onto my arm, as we walk down the street. I'm so scared I can barely breathe. "Where are we going?"
"To an old friend's," Nikolai replies. I hope talking to him enough will distract him. "Where's that?"
He glances at me. "You know where. But hopefully your boyfriend will come looking for you soon, and when he does, my pack and I will kill both of you."
I shiver at his words, but am able to make my move. I stomp on his foot hard enough for him to let go of me, and imagine the sidewalk beneath him becoming quicksand. The problem is, it doesn't happen. Nikolai laughs. "You are so very naive, Britt. The band I put on your wrist ensures that you can't use your magic. And nobody can take the band off, but me."
I stare down at the metallic band. Doggone it! Why didn't I try harder to get away from him, when I had the chance? Nikolai takes my arm once more, and we start down the sidewalk again.
This is just freaking wonderful.
TWENTY-FOUR
NIKOLAI ISN'T leaving anything to chance. His fingers dig into my arm, just as much as the metallic band digs into my wrist. Screaming for help would be pointless, because of Nikolai's insane amount of power. There's no one to help me right now, but me.
Nikolai and I approach the mansion he's been residing in. He leads me up the steps and into the house. The inside is beautiful. Not as beautiful as Rolan Manor, but still quite elegant. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, only the finest for Nikolai.
Nikolai practically hauls me up the staircase and into the first room on the left. The size of the bedroom amazes me. It's a lot bigger than any of the rooms in my house, maybe even bigger than the rooms in the Lucas home.
Nikolai drags me to a chair in the corner and shoves me down onto it. I struggle against his grip, but with his strength, he manages to tie me up. Once he is satisfied that I won't be going anywhere, he kneels down in front of me. I breathe heavily. He brushes my hair away from my eyes. "It'll be okay. I assure you, you'll find more peace in death than in life."
Nikolai's words aren't all that comforting. They're really more like a thorn in my side. Although, I wonder why Nikolai is trying to soothe my nerves. He seems more like the kind who would want me to be begging for my life, not willing to die. I have to give points to the pack leader, he never ceases to surprise me.
I meet his eyes. Something cold and dark lies deep within his gaze. Something that makes me shiver. This man before me is pure evil. Nothing but darkness. I don't even try to comprehend his emotions. What he may or may not feel. What he is capable of feeling. Nikolai has made a deal with the devil, and it is only a matter of time before he reinforces that bond.
"Why did you kill Sunny?" I used to know the dog. He belonged to an old man, who'd bought a motorcycle from my dad. I have to know why Nikolai killed a dog. The death of a human or another skinwalker is what brings him power.
"Because I had predicted Troy and Lenny," Nikolai replies. "Their existence came to me in a vision the night before we entered Brighton. I knew if Sunny lived, Troy and Lenny would have found out about us earlier than I would have wanted. I had to do something."
In my pocket, my phone begins to vibrate. Nikolai hears it and digs through my pocket to get it. He stands up and turns on the speakerphone. "Well, well, well. If it isn't dear old Dad."
"Nikolai," my dad breathes.
"The one and only," Nikolai says proudly.
"I should have known," Dad mutters on the other end.
Nikolai laughs. "You didn't really think Britt got lost in this small town, did you?"
"When I find you, I'm gonna—"
"If you try to come for her," Nikolai interrupts, "if you try to stop me, I will end your life."
"It would be worth it," Dad says.
"No, Dad!" I scream, just before Nikolai ends the call.
Nikolai throws the phone down to the floor. I jump as it smashes to pieces—so much for the durability guarantee. Nikolai gazes at me with what appears to be jealousy. "You're lucky to have a father that would die for you. You know the nicest thing my father ever did for me?"
I stare at him, unable to say a word. When I don't, he reveals the answer. "He died of an illness and left my life for good."
It's sad to acknowledge that. To know that most people don't have the close relationship, I have with my dad.
Behind Nikolai, the bedroom door opens. The human, who owns this place, and one of the pack members step in. The skinwalker, who is in human form, looks me up and down. "She's a pretty little thing," he says.
Nikolai's eyes never leave me. He smirks. "She is, isn't she?"
"Maybe we don't have to kill her," the skinwalker says. "You said so yourself, she's smart. She could be very useful t
o us. And if we don't kill her, then maybe we can get that skinwalker boy to join us."
Nikolai considers. "Perhaps." He reaches out, and his fingers trace my cheekbone. "I hate to kill a beautiful thing like you, but it has to be done. You see, I haven't yet killed a witch, and I'd like to see what kind of power your death would bring me."
I'm shocked Nikolai hasn't already killed any other witches or warlocks. I figure he would have long ago. It doesn't bring me ease that I may be the first. I would much rather prefer to leave here with my life. "We'll see about that."
Nikolai laughs. "That's cute, Britt." He takes a step toward the door. "I have some things to do downstairs, but I'll be back soon. And Anton will be checking on you every ten minutes, so don't bother trying to escape."
Nikolai and his men exit the room. I immediately start attempting to loosen ropes around my wrists. I wiggle and struggle against the ropes to slip my hands out. Nikolai has tied the ropes tight, but not tight enough to hurt me. That means if I squirm and shimmy my arms enough, I can get my hands free.
I have to get out of here soon, or else my dad will come for me. And if he comes for me, Nikolai will kill him. I'm not only breaking out for my life, but my dad's life depends on it as well.
I have to get these ropes off. I know what Nikolai said about the metallic band on my wrist, but I have to try. I focus on the ropes for a minute, then close my eyes and imagine the ropes untying themselves. When I don't feel any relief from my wrists or ankles, I open my eyes. The ropes haven't budged.
When I hear footsteps down the hall, I realize it has been ten minutes. Anton is coming to be sure I'm not able to leave. I stop moving around and act like I've been sitting here calmly. The door swings open and Anton strides in.
I notice he does not resemble any of the skinwalkers. He must only be what Nikolai said on our way here, an old friend.
He closes the door behind him and sits in a chair across the room from me. He leans back and crosses his arms. If I am going to die, I at least want to know why a human is helping a pack of evil skinwalkers. "Why are you giving the D'yavol pack a place to stay?"
He gazes at me, clearly surprised I want to chat. "Because I used to be good friends with Nikolai's father. And when Nikolai and his pack came here, they needed a place to sleep. I was kind enough to let them lodge here. Besides, Nikolai is twenty-two years old. He's still young and needs help running the pack—whether he wants to acknowledge it or not."
