by Holly Hook
Air whooshes. I don't look back. I break onto pavement and keep running.
The creaking increases, and an enormous crash fills the air. Branches scrape my back. A million needles try to cut. I might drown in pine scent.
But I break free of the tree's grasp, throwing myself to the pavement.
I blink. The cracking has stopped. The shadows vanish, retreating into the cracks of the world.
The auditorium doors burst open.
Noah stands within them. He eyes the fallen tree and looks up at me, jaw dropping. “Brie? What happened?”
I push myself up. The fallen pine juts out of the woods and lies with its top branches in the parking lot. It's just missed Noah's car.
“A tree fell?” I ask.
“What was that crash?” Ellie asks from inside.
Jansen pushes into the doorway beside Noah. “Whoa! Does this kind of thing always happen in this town?”
Jansen was texting near the end of the play.
And then Brett showed up. If Brett was using magic to spy on me, he wouldn't have taken so long to find me. It can't be a coincidence that Jansen was texting right before he arrived.
What if they're working together?
“Why don't you answer that question?” I ask.
Jansen lifts his eyebrows. “Huh? You're saying I felled that tree?”
I can't admit much in front of Ellie or the others. “This tree almost crushed me.”
My phone buzzes. A crazy thought hits me: what if it's Cayden? What if he sensed the danger I was in for a few seconds? We're mates. Can he?
Noah eyes Jansen as a look of suspicion comes over his face. I want to let him stand up for me, but I can't let him get dragged into this. Jansen might be a normal guy, but there's no telling how dangerous he is.
Ryan pushes past Noah and Jansen. “What the heck?” he asks, eyeing the fallen tree. “Brie? Are you okay?”
“I'm fine,” I say. “I came over here to throw up and this tree fell, so I ran out of the way.”
“Obviously,” Ryan says. “You're having a crappy day. You could have always thrown up on the school.”
“Ew,” Ellie says. She watches as Jansen disappears back inside the school.
I pull away from Ryan, pulling out my phone.
It's Cayden.
Brie, are you okay?
Yes. A tree fell. That's all.
He sensed this.
Don't come back yet, I text.
Still on the bus. Are you sure you're okay?
YES. As reassuring as it is to see his texts, it's also terrifying.
This has the potential to bring Cayden back into danger.
My phone buzzes. It kills me not to take it out of my pocket. If I do, I might beg Cayden to return. My chest hurts again.
I want to talk to Noah and I need to discuss this with the rest of the pack. He runs out and eyes the tree. “Geez, did someone out here try to push this down on you?”
He doesn't want to say the obvious.
Brett is trying to kill me now.
And after what I did, I can't blame him.
Chapter Four
Jansen still hasn't reappeared by the time I finish catching my breath. The tree itself doesn't bother me much. Since turning, I'm much harder to scare.
It's that maybe I deserve this.
“You're shaking,” Noah says, putting his jacket over me. “Here. Warm up.”
“I'm good, but thanks.” I don't want to ruin what he has with Olivia, who stands near the brick wall of the school. She hugs her bare arms to herself and watches with a faint scowl. Jealousy hurts. “It looks like Olivia needs this more than I do.”
Noah nods with understanding. “Just trying not to be a jerk.“ In his words lies a bunch of questions. He suspects magic is at fault and he's right.
I watch Noah head over to Olivia and wrap his jacket around her. She eyes me as he does, but I do the hardest thing ever and smile at her, hoping it gives her some encouragement.
And then she nods and forces a smile back.
I'm glad for the distraction. And this gives me the chance to find Jasper and demand his part in this. And I wonder why Brett hasn't just cursed me to die if Karina has my hair in her possession. He could have, and yet he hasn't. He can answer that for me, too.
The question propels me back into the auditorium as Mr. Saffron passes me, phone to his ear. “...if you could get the crew out here ASAP, I suggest they check the other trees to make sure they don't come down on any students. One almost sustained injury. I know the school budget isn't great this year. But I'm worried about the safety of these kids...”
The auditorium is dark except for the single light shining on the stage. No one's there. Everyone's headed outside to check out the damage. I take a moment for my eyes to adjust. The light makes it hard to see the seats and the fact that no one occupies them.
No one's here except for Jansen, texting on his phone. He sits off in the stage shadows, cross-legged. He's alone.
I hate to confront the guy, but he's likely working with Brett and the Savages. He could be another warlock for all I know though he doesn't smell like the Haydes. I take a breath. Being nice won't work here. I have to be mean. Aunt May would say the same right now.
Marching up the steps and onto the stage, I storm at Jansen. He looks up from his phone just as I reach him.
“Get up,” I order.
“Huh?”
“Stand up. Now. Tell me what you're doing here.” I lower my voice to a terrifying pitch that makes Jansen's eyes pop open. Good.
He gets up and bites his lip. “I told you that already.” Though he's a guy, he only stands a couple inches taller than me. And I'm much stronger than a regular human, even one who's worked out. Jansen looks as if he's never hit the gym in his life. He's not fat, but even with his tight shirt on he shows little muscle.
“You haven't told me the whole story.”
“What is your problem?” he asks.
“My problem,” I explain, “is that a healthy tree just missed my head by inches.”
Jansen glares at me. “What do I have to do with that?”
“Oh, and my boyfriend had to leave because of certain things. I know all about people like you. You can't hide it.”
He exhales as sweat gathers around his hairline. “Hey, just because I like the guys and the girls doesn't mean I stole your boyfriend. I'm not promiscuous.” Jansen speaks through a dry throat. He pulls at his collar as adrenaline fills the air.
He's trying to change the subject. “You know what I mean! And Cayden isn't interested sneaky guys who show up in town.”
“Are you jealous or something?” Jansen gathers himself and goes to stuff his phone into his pocket.
“Give me that. Who were you texting? A certain guy? Starts with B?”
“It's not your business.”
I snatch the phone from his grip, leaving him with his mouth falling open. “I bet it was Brett.”
“Brie!”
Mr. Saffron shouts from behind me, making me freeze. I whirl to face him. Redness flushes his cheeks as he glares at me.
“Give him back his phone,” he says. “We do not harass students because of their sexual orientation in this school.”
Now it's my turn to blush. “That wasn't what it was about.“ And it wasn't. I couldn't care less who Jansen likes. But Mr. Saffron continues to glare at me. He nods at the auditorium floor, ordering me down and away from Jansen. “He had something to do with that tree falling.”
Everyone else gathers behind Mr. Saffron. I swallow down humiliation and hand Jansen back his phone without looking. I was so focused with Jansen that I didn't hear everyone else coming in. I might have great hearing, but without attention, it's useless.
Brett's magic must protect Jansen.
Magic works through mundane means. Like Mr. Saffron.
“I'm sure Jansen was inside rehearsing while you were outside,” he says. “If you want to keep your spot in this play,
hand him his phone and get off the stage. I don't want to see you two interacting outside the play. Do you understand?”
What can I do? If Mr. Saffron expels me from the play, I'll leave Noah and Ellie with this guy. Brett might show up again and use them against me. I won't be able to stop him. “I understand.”
And without looking at Jansen, I hand him his phone.
He swipes it back with anger. “I'll keep an eye on you,” he whispers.
A shudder races down my spine. And if I focus, I can make out the dancing shadows in the corners of the auditorium, waiting to strike.
* * * * *
“I swear, I have nothing against bi people,” I say, plopping into the booth at Teeyah's several minutes later.
Ellie sits opposite me. She's offered to take me out and buy me a coffee before heading home. Nice of her, but the dreaded question is on her face.
And I can't explain my conversation that everyone heard. Somehow, I didn't hear Mr. Saffron and the others coming in as I confronted Jansen, and I should have. Brett's magic works better than I feared. If it wasn't for it, I wouldn't have landed myself in an embarrassing situation.
“I know you don't,” Ellie says. “But I'm pretty sure Jansen had nothing to do with that tree falling. It was a freak accident.”
“It almost landed on my head. That trunk would have killed me.”
I look around Teeyah's, which is fairly empty except for an older woman eating a piece of carrot cake. My stomach rumbles.
“You were upset. Maybe you weren't thinking right?”
“I appreciate your logical explanations. Keep them coming.” I force a smile as Ellie gets up to order our coffees. “And thanks for grabbing mine. I owe you one.” But how? I still work for free in Sterling Grocery to keep it open and so far, it's working. But it stinks not having any money.
While Ellie's gone, I put my face in my hands.
The second time I've thrown being nice to the wind, and this happens. Maybe Aunt May was wrong. The world's eating me worse than ever now that I'm trying to kick the habit. Maybe I'm not doing it right. Now everyone in school will think I'm some bigoted jerk. And I didn't even say anything that nasty to Jansen.
I'll keep an eye on you.
Of course he will.
The door chime goes off and I smell Noah before he reaches the booth. Ellie must have convinced him to meet me here. His reassuring footsteps cross the coffee shop and then I catch a whiff of clay, of natural mineral makeup that can only come from one person.
He's brought Olivia.
I lift my head and face the two of them. Noah has his arm around Olivia and she's leaning into his side. Expressionless, she eyes me as if waiting for something.
“I bet you think I hate bi people, too,” I say.
Noah bites his lip.
Then Olivia speaks. “You didn't sound that way. Mr. Saffron put those words in your mouth.”
My jaw almost hits the table. This would have been Olivia's perfect chance to grind me into the floor with her heels, and she hasn't. “You don't think so?”
“Well, it was clear you two were just arguing over something else,” Noah says. “He's the one who brought up the subject, not you.”
“So everyone heard the whole thing. Great.”
“Mr. Saffron just has something stuck up his ass today. He's been a jerk the entire time,” Noah says. “Maybe he doesn't like a Midsummer Night's Dream.”
“He's a perfectionist,” Olivia says. “Mr. Saffron didn't have to choose that one.”
“He's mad about Cayden,” I say, regretting it right away. It's another opportunity for Olivia to stomp me into the ground. She has a boyfriend right now and I don't have mine by my side.
I pull out my phone and check to block her reaction, but she says nothing.
Cayden hasn't even contacted me. But he'll talk to Leonora, who just got her first phone from her parents. The poor girl is still figuring out how everything works. I know I need to get to the Lowes and tell them about my Brett sighting, but I hate to put them in danger. Everly and Remo will want to hunt for him, but my sense of smell tells me he's already left the area. He must have had a car nearby.
Brett and Karina hold the answer to curing Cayden. We must wrench it out of them whatever way we can.
“Can...” Noah starts, clearing his throat. “Can we join you guys?”
I face Noah. The last person I want here is Olivia, but she shows no signs of sneering at me. She bites her lip and smudges her purple lipstick, hesitant.
“Sure,” I force.
Is she coming around?
Noah sits opposite me and Olivia takes up the outside of the bench. She keeps her legs swung out to allow her to leave at any second. Noah gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. If he wasn't staying, neither would she.
“What the heck happened with that tree?” Noah asks.
“It fell?”
Olivia snorts, but she's trying to laugh. She's trying.
“It was weird,” Noah says. He eyes Ellie as she comes back. “Very weird.”
“That new guy had something to do with it,” I say. “He was all sitting inside like he was coordinating something with another person. He was texting on his phone.”
“That's not weird,” Ellie says, returning with our coffees. “Jansen's new. He knows nobody here and doesn't want to hang out yet. Maybe he's shy. So he sat on the stage and texted.” Her voice rises as she stops before our booth, surveying Olivia.
Olivia gives her a small wave. And Ellie sits beside me.
“Could be,” I say, “but he wouldn't let me see his phone.”
“Most people wouldn't hand their phones over. Maybe he was texting a boyfriend?” Ellie asks.
I feel like such a jerk. “Could be. But then he said he'd be keeping an eye on me.”
“I'll watch out for him,” Noah says. “Keep my distance, but make sure he's not doing anything to you. Brie, just stay away from the guy.”
“We have rehearsal with him. And he's King Oberon now. Mr. Saffron could have chosen anyone else.”
“Maybe he should've been that guy who gets his head turned into that of an ass?” Noah asks.
“Then I'd have to fake falling in love with him,” I say. “Ew. At least we'll be fighting for most of the play. It'll be more authentic, won't it?”
“This is one screwed up play,” Noah says.
“I'm lucky I play Helena,” Olivia says. “There are so many main roles in this play everyone got one.” She leers a bit at me as she says that.
There's the attitude I'm used to. She's not integrating with us yet. And I want out of here. The conversation's heading towards things I can't waste time on. Tracking down Jansen and seeing what he's telling Brett and maybe the Savages is a priority, and I've already let him leave thanks to my friends wanting to do our usual ritual of going to Teeyah's. I won't encounter Jansen again until Monday, and Brett maybe never.
I finish my coffee. Buzzing, I rise from the booth. “Gotta go,” I say.
Olivia lets her shoulders slump as I say that. She's relieved I'm leaving. While she isn't afraid of me, she's not comfortable with me around, either. And I don't blame her for that.
“We'll see you later,” Noah says.
Olivia will ask him about the tree incident. She knows paranormal stuff is happening around her. Noah won't tell her the truth.
I need to figure out where Jansen is living.
Waving to Ellie and Noah, I leave them to talk about my fight with Jansen. As soon as I enter the winter darkness outside, I break into a run and down the main street, passing shops with warm lights on inside. I catch no trace of Jansen in the air. He doesn't have a strong scent like that of the Savages. Some people just don't give off much. I'm not surprised. A withdrawn guy like Jansen doesn't seem like the type.
Maybe that's why Brett and the Savages chose him to spy on me.
How else would Brett have known I was in the auditorium today?
I slow to a walk as so
on as I leave downtown and pass a mountain of plowed snow, complete with footprints of brave kids who have climbed it. Their scent lingers on the mountain, faint but full of life. I turn my attention to the wind, which blows down from the mountain and carries pine needles, sap, and the occasional deer. Cayden isn't among them. For the first time since turning, I smell the woods minus every trace of the alpha.
And they feel so empty.
Stopping beside the tourist kiosk where I confronted Brett for the first time, I sink to my knees now that I'm alone. I should be stronger than this, but emotion wins and threatens to drag me into the center of the world. And there's nothing comforting there. It's all ice and broken promises. Even the scents of the pack, faint but there, bring me no comfort.
We're still mates, right?
“Get up, Brie,” I say. My voice sounds like that of a frog. My throat's tight. It's been a complete disaster of a day and I'm only making things worse by sitting here on the icy sidewalk, getting flecks of blue salt all over my jeans. If Brett is still showing up here in town, I can catch him, no matter how much magic he uses.
A whiff of burning straw and incense floats down the mountain.
He's up there.
Brett hasn't gone very far.
I should get the pack. Another tree could injure me or end my life. Maybe if he's not paying attention and I sneak up on him, I'll have the chance. And I don't want to put the pack in danger if I can help it. There's the nice part of me rising to the surface again. I'll embrace it.
So I rise and jog to towards the mountain.
“Brett,” I mutter. “I'll find you. Or Karina. And I'll force you to remove Cayden's curse.” Relying on the Russells isn't getting us anywhere. It's only been two weeks, but even an extra day can spell doom for Cayden.
The road ends in a dead-end at the tree line. I'm two roads over from the grocery where Aunt May has Leonora working for the night. The wind howls down the mountain again, carrying Brett's unmistakable scent, and I decide right there. I'm confronting him. Brett expected me to give chase in the auditorium. He won't expect me to chase him up the mountain.
