Andy quickly gets to his feet. “No problem. Maybe we can do it next week too? Two brains are always better than one when it comes to those analysis questions.” He tucks his hands into his front pocket, looking completely open and laidback. What I wouldn’t give to be able to pull off that look right now.
“Oh, uh… sure.” I bob my head too many times. “Same time and place?”
“Yeah, unless you want to hang out before then?” He shifts his feet. I don’t know if it’s a nervous move or not. “Maybe lunch sometime?”
“I always eat lunch with my best friend.” The moment the words are out, I want to take them back. They’d been instinctual. I didn’t intend to sound like I was blowing him off. I really need my brain to think through words before my lips start spouting them.
“The pink-haired girl who’s normally your lab partner?”
I’m surprised he knows what Pascale looks like, or that we’re usually together. Has he been watching me?
“Yep,” I nod. “That’s her.”
“Cool. I’ll be sure to talk to her during bio tomorrow to ask if it’s okay for me to join the two of you for lunch.” He grins, picking up his backpack strap and slinging it over his right shoulder.
My phone rings, saving me from staring at him in shocked surprise. I pull the device from my back pocket and see my uncle’s name on the screen.
I press it against my chest. “Sorry, it’s my uncle. I should take this.”
Andy waves his hand and starts to back away. “No worries. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow in class. I’ll save you a seat.” With a final wave, Andy ducks out of the café.
I stare after him, not entirely sure what to make of our interaction. Does he like me? We’ve only spoken three times. He hardly knows me. There’s no way he likes me.
But then what do I make of his request to hang out again? Before working on next week’s lab report?
My ringtone picks up in volume, reminding me of the incoming call.
I tuck the phone in between my shoulder and my ear. “Hey, Uncle Eric.”
“Hey, Kiddo,” my uncle’s deep voice trails through the earpiece. “Long time, no talk. How’s everything going?”
“Pretty good.” I continue to gather my belongings, placing them in my bag, then following Andy’s path out of the café. “What’s up?”
“Just checking in. Is that a crime?” The sound of cars driving by tells me he is walking, probably heading to work. Uncle Eric owns a popular club in Hartford, one he used to work at as a bouncer. Some of my first memories were of running around the club while Uncle Eric took care of ordering supplies and organizing the stock room. My familiarity with the environment is what made me reach out to Bass about a job in New York. I’d known his family owned a few bars in the city, and I didn’t want to resort back to working at a diner. The tips aren’t as good.
“No, it’s not a crime.” I cross the street and step onto campus, narrowly avoiding a biker when he takes a fast turn around the corner.
“Good. So, tell me, how are classes going?”
“Alright. Biology is kicking my butt, but I’m working through it.”
“Of course, you are. You’ll refuse to fail out of pure stubbornness.” He chuckles to himself, and a small smile tugs on my lips.
“I am not stubborn.”
“Ha!” he barks, and my grin grows. “Your Aunt Julie would tell you lightening is going to strike you down for uttering such a blatant lie.”
I look up at the clear October sky. “That will be a little hard to do with no clouds in sight.”
We share a laugh.
Aunt Julie, my uncle’s younger sister, is always spouting hyperboles and exaggerations. Uncle Eric and I made a point of teasing her about it mercilessly when she lived in the house with us. Poor Aunt Julie didn’t get any reprieve until she finally married Uncle Josh when I was ten and moved out.
“How is Aunt Julie and the family?”
“Everyone’s doing well,” he answers. “We all miss you. Trevor, especially. He can’t wait to fill you in on his first few weeks of Kindergarten.”
I picture my adorable five-year-old cousin wearing a backpack too big for his small frame. I see his curly, brown hair falling over his glasses and imagine him loving every minute of school. He’s always been a little book worm.
“I’ll give them a call tomorrow.” I know I need to reach out more, but it’s hard when I feel like I am constantly busy with work and school. I hope to get a better school-work-life balance with time.
“That’s great. I know they are dying to hear from you.”
I walk across the courtyard, approaching the library tucked between matching brick buildings. I wasn’t lying when I told Andy I needed to catch up on my history reading.
The wind blows a strand of hair, tickling my face. I rub my ear, turning my head as I do.
I freeze. There, across the courtyard, are a pair of men wearing golden, glowing armor. Long scabbards adorned with jewels hang off brown leather belts. Their tan skin is luminescent and shines like a beacon in the dark alleyway they’ve tucked themselves in to.
Foreboding, dark and heavy, presses down on my shoulders. The men aren’t human, that’s for sure, but I don’t recognize their species. I see no wings, and they are too tall to be pixies. Their skin isn’t gray like gnomes, and it isn’t green like ogres. I’ve never come across this type of creature before.
My mind screams for me to turn and walk far away from the unusual pair. I need to move. I’ve already been too obvious by stopping to stare. Creatures don’t know I can see them unless I make it known.
My neck resists turning like a rusted door hinge, but I finally manage to look away from the unsettling creatures.
“Sera?” Uncle Eric’s voice breaks through my cloudy mind. “Did you hear me?”
My legs are filled with lead. I can’t walk, but at least I managed to stop staring. I swallow to clear my throat.
“No, sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked if you planned on coming home over Thanksgiving break next month.”
“I hadn’t thought about it.” I try, again, to walk, but my feet refuse to move.
“Well, consider it. It’s a short train ride, and we’d all like to see you. I’ll pay for your ticket.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it.” I stand in the middle of the courtyard as everyone else moves around me, heading toward their destination. I’m standing out like a sore thumb, and my instinct says the last thing I want to do is to attract the attention of the unfamiliar creatures. The swords at their hips didn’t exactly portray them as pacifists.
“Sorry, Uncle Eric, I’ve got to do. Class is about to start.” The lie rolls off my tongue effortlessly.
“Okay, Sera,” Uncle Eric doesn’t miss a beat. I’m worried he thinks I’m dismissing his offer to visit, but I can’t really explain the presence of the unnerving creatures without totally freaking him out. He’ll either think I’m insane, or he’ll actually believe me. Uncle Eric won’t hesitate to run to my rescue if he thinks I’m in trouble. That’s the kind of guy he is. “I’ll talk to you later. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I almost choke on guilt. “Bye.” I end the call and shove the phone back into my pocket, careful to keep my eyes on the library. Uncomfortable energy emanates from the direction of the creatures, and I’m unbelievably tempted to look their way. The back of my mind tickles with recognition—like some part of me knows these mysterious creatures. Or, at least, I should know them. I want to examine them closer and figure out who they are, but my survival instincts refuse.
“Watch out.” A girl on a skateboard rolls too close, and her elbow clips me in the arm. I stumble forward, my legs breaking free from their immovable state as I fall. I hiss when the concrete scratches my palms, leaving them raw.
The sound of a snarl reaches my ears. My head snaps up, and I’m caught in the stares of the two creatures. Only, this time, their eyes join the rest of their body and
begin to glow.
What the hell?
One of the glowing men takes a step, and I’m immediately scrambling to my feet and hurrying away. There’s no doubt about it, I’m terrified. I’ve never experienced fear like this, not even when I saw the most grotesque bridge troll.
I’d learned from Pascale that trolls were the most violent and territorial creatures to roam Earth. I had every reason to be terrified of the massive angry monster when I stumbled upon him innocently in Central Park, but the troll spared me a glance before resuming his surveillance of the surrounding park, but not before dipping his head in acknowledgement. I’d been struck dumb by the gesture. I didn’t know what to think of it, and I hadn’t shared the story with Pascale either. It’d felt too weird to share.
Stop being distracted.
I use the adrenaline from the near-collision and terror to keep my feet moving. I ascend the library steps. I struggle to lift my feet high enough to avoid catching on the weathered stones, and I trip five times. I reach the top landing. My hand clutches onto the door handle as if it’s a lifeline, and I hazard a glance back toward the alley.
The illuminated men are still there, and it doesn’t look like their eyes have left me since I fell.
An eerie shiver courses through my entire body. My arms tremble when I finally throw myself forward and push open the door of the library.
Startled gazes land on me. I ignore every single one, veering to the left where I know the restrooms are.
Continuing to avoid curious stares, I manage to get myself in a bathroom stall without incident. I slide the latch to lock the feeble door, taking solace in even the weakest barrier between me and the terrifying creatures outside.
What are they?
Better yet, why did they look at me like I was a helpless rabbit, and they were the predators determined to catch me in their jaws?
4
The bar is dead. Pascale and three of her friends are our only customers, sitting at a tall table and taking advantage of our Wednesday happy hour specials. I’m rinsing glasses, trying to act normal, as I watch the table from the corner of my eye.
Pascale told me she had creature friends in the city, but she hasn’t brought them around me since we’ve lived here. One guy is a pixie. I can tell because, unlike Pascale, he leaves his shimmering wings on display. He also rocks a forest green mohawk. I suspect it’s his natural color. Pixies are known for their vibrant hair colors.
Another guy looks like he could be a pixie, except for the fact he is too tall and broad, and his hair is an ordinary brown color. I make a note to ask Pascale about him when we get back to our apartment, then turn my attention to the last creature. She is stunning with eyes the color of a clear lake, and golden hair cascading down her back, swaying as she shakes her head and laughs. The purplish tint to her skin is the only indication she is anything but human, but I cannot figure out what species she is. Siren, maybe? Or perhaps a nymph of some sort? According to Pascale, both of those creatures tend to keep to their own, often not venturing far from their communities. I can’t think of many other species who look as human as pixies, but I know there are many I’ve never seen or heard of. Pascale does her best to educate me, but there is just so much to learn.
“Richards?”
I tear my attention away from the table and turn to Roger. “Yeah?”
“Do you want to take a break and hang out with your friends?”
I guess I didn’t hide my staring as well as I thought. “They aren’t really my friends.”
“Isn’t that your pink-haired sidekick?” he asks, pointing at Pascale.
I smirk.
I consider myself the sidekick.
“Yes, but those are her friends. I don’t want to intrude.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Pascale shouts across the empty bar. “Come on over!”
I should’ve known she’d hear our conversation. I give Roger a pleading glance, hoping he’ll retract the offer. Pascale is the only creature I’ve ever talked to. What if I say something to offend the others? I don’t know the first thing about talking to non-human beings.
When Roger doesn’t offer me an out, I resign myself for an awkward encounter. I finish rinsing the glass in my hands and put it on the drying rack. Wiping my palms on a towel, I hang it on the hook then make my way out from behind the bar with trepidation.
The entire table watches me. I half expect them to scatter like all the creatures had whenever I tried to approach them in the past, but no one moves. I don’t know what to make of their assessing expressions, and I nearly fall over when the pixie male gives me a bold wink.
“Sera,” Pascale greets happily. Her bedazzled shirt shimmers in the dim bar light as she turns and motions to the creatures around her. “Meet my friends.”
The male who winked throws out a hand. Not knowing what else to do, I hold out a hand and give a little jump of surprise when he swiftly wraps my fingers in the palm of his hand. He closes his eyes, bends over so his nose is barely above my wrist, and breathes deep.
Shock ripples through me. Is he smelling me?
His eyelids part, and I’m given another wink. “My name is Tonk. Pleasure to meet you, Serafina. Pascale has told us so much about you.”
I shoot my friend a questioning look, but her smile gives nothing away. I don’t know if these guys know I can see them in their true form. The reason most humans don’t balk when they see a creature is because they think they are looking at an ordinary human. Creatures are capable of masking their true selves, but obviously their trick doesn’t work on everyone, or else I wouldn’t be here, meeting my pixie friend’s companions in the first place.
The idea of never meeting Pascale sends a sharp pain through my chest. My friend saved me from a lonely adolescence, and she helps me navigate this crazy world full of magical beings and formidable creatures. I can’t imagine life without her.
“Nice to meet you.” I tug my hand back.
The other guy lifts his hand in greeting. I’m relieved when he doesn’t reach out for a handshake. “I’m Richie.”
“Sera,” I reply. Richie has kind eyes, and his encouraging smile reveals he knows I can see his true self. I focus in on his sharp canines, further confirmation he’s not a pixie, but I still can’t place him.
A throat clears, and my attention naturally shifts to the only person I’ve yet to meet. The girl is even more stunning up close, and I’m left speechless by her beauty. How can anyone mistake her as human? Not a single flaw marks her face.
“Sera,” Pascale breaks the quiet, disrupting tension I’d been too distracted to feel building. “This is Aerie.”
“Hello, Aerie,” my lips form the unique name. She has to be a siren. Even the sound of her name makes me want to throw caution to the wind and jump into a churning ocean for the chance to touch her. My fingers curl into a fist, and I press my arms against my sides before I do something as embarrassing as actually reaching out to feel her flawless skin.
I wait for Aerie to return my greeting. Crystal blue eyes trail over me from head to toe. Her lips twist into a frown. “This is her?”
I blink and the thrall dissipates like a cloud of smoke. Malice and disappointment dripped from the words, and I’m at a loss for what about me she finds lacking.
I look down and confirm my black pants and V-neck are clean of any food or drink residue. I’d twisted my hair into a fishtail braid, and I run my fingers over it and confirm it’s still in place.
I drop my hand and give Pascale another look. What’s her friend’s problem?
“Back off, Aerie,” Tonk speaks. He kicks out the chair next to him and motions to me and adds, “Your green-eyed monster is rearing its ugly head.”
I take a seat because I don’t know what else to do, glancing over my shoulder to confirm there isn’t really a green-eyed creature behind me. I recognize the saying, but I can’t believe Aerie is jealous of me in anyway. I mean… just look at her for goodness sake. I don’t compare.
“I can’t believe this is the girl we’ve been tasked with protecting.” Aerie sneers as she examines me for the tenth time since I’ve approached the table.
Protecting?
I have no idea what she is talking about or why she looks at me like she wants to rip my head off, but I refuse to squirm. I won’t give her the satisfaction. I don’t know why she’s being so ugly to me, but my pride refuses to let her know how much her disapproval affects me.
“Well she is,” Pascale snaps, “and you better watch how you speak. You know what she means to those we serve.”
Aerie, appropriately chastised, lowers her gaze. She continues to glare, but at least she’s glaring at the table and not me.
As for me, I feel like my eyes are going to pop out of my head. “What are you guys talking about?”
I look between my friend and the two guys. Richie and Tonk seem wary, but Pascale rebounds like a professional deflector.
“Nothing.” Pascale chirps, doing her best to sweep the conversation under the rug. “I figured it was time you met some other creatures. Lord knows you could use more hangouts in your social calendar.”
Tonk straightens. “I volunteer to be the first appointment.” I give a little jump when he hits the table enthusiastically.
“O-okay.”
Tonk grins. “Really?”
I look at Pascale. She does nothing but shrug. I face Tonk. “Sure… You just mean hanging out, right?”
“Whatever you want.” He continues to grin, looking like a kid who managed to sneak a cookie out of the cookie jar.
“Okay.” I don’t know what else to say. I turn to Richie. “Would you like to hang out too?”
“Hey, no,” Tonk interjects, slicing a hand in the air between me and Richie. “You can get your own date, Rich.”
My head snaps up. Date?
Oh, crap.
Is that what I agreed to?
I’m trying to think of how to turn this conversation around when Richie speaks up.
Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels Page 137
