Aura

by Rebecca Lynn Talley

  Then, deep down, a small part of me actually believed Alec. I couldn't explain why. I laid my head back, wanting to get home, to bury myself in its safety and forget about this horrible night.

  When we pulled up to my driveway, relief rushed through me. I couldn't wait to get into the house. But the relief was immediately replaced with anxiety when I saw the living room light still on. I'd have to face my parents as soon as I walked in. Great.

  If only I'd listened to my mom's warning. Maybe I could have avoided this whole mess. How did prom turn into such an epic disaster?

  I stared at my torn dress, unsure what to do.

  Seeming to sense my uncertainty, Alec handed me his jacket. "Here, take this. It's chilly. Put it on and wear it inside."

  I hesitated for a moment. "Thanks. I'll get it back to you somehow."

  "Don't worry about it. I'll be around." He smiled.

  As attractive as he was, I never wanted to see him again. I wanted to forget prom had ever happened—forget all of it, including Alec's wild accusations about demons. I wanted to crawl into bed and go to sleep, because sleep would cure it all, and in the morning, everything would be back to normal.

  The car door creaked as I opened it and swung my legs out, biting my lip as I stood. Wrapping Alec's coat around me tighter, I walked slowly up the front lawn to my house, stopping for a minute to gather my thoughts—and my courage. I drew in a deep breath and opened the front door.

  Mom and Dad stood as I walked into the living room.

  "How was the dance?" she asked.

  "Good." The dance had been good, after all. It was afterward when everything exploded.

  "Lots of kids there?" Dad asked. He eyed me up and down.

  I nodded.

  "Did you have fun?" Mom moved closer to me. My heart did a swan dive into my stomach. She'd see my dress and realize something was wrong.

  I yawned. "I'm so tired. Can we talk about it in the morning?" I hoped to avert any more discussion about my night.

  Mom studied me and I was sure she was going to ask questions, but instead she said, "Goodnight, honey."

  "See you in the morning, Princess," Dad added.

  I forced another smile and made my way to my bedroom. I shut the door behind me and collapsed on my bed, crying for a while before I picked myself up and undressed, throwing my dress into a heap at the back of my closet so it couldn't stare at me, reminding me of what had happened. I wanted to erase the memory. Forever.

  Pulling on my fuzzy green robe, I walked toward the kitchen to get a drink of water. The light was on, and my parents were talking.

  "I can feel it. It's getting stronger," Dad said with tension in his voice. "We need to get packed so we can leave. Allowing her to go out tonight, unprotected, was a mistake."

  "I know." Mom paused. "I only wanted her to have a normal life. I wanted—"

  "Normal? We gave up normal a long time ago. With what we know—"

  "You're right. We have a responsibility to protect her," Mom said. "But at what cost?"

  "We knew it'd be like this," Dad said with sadness.

  "Did we? Really?" Mom's voice cracked, and she started crying.

  "I wish I'd never gotten involved with the organization at all. But for Crystal's protection, and ours, we need to move and find a safe place. Immediately."

  My protection? From what? A cold clamminess enveloped me.

  "Is there a safe place?" Mom sniffed.

  I leaned against the wall, confused and upset. What are they talking about? No way was I going to move again. Not with the play and graduation. They couldn't ask me to walk away from all of my hard work. That would be totally unreasonable and unfair.

  I rushed back to my bedroom and shut the door. I sat on the bed and pulled my knees up to my chin, wrapping my arms around my legs. Sitting there like a statue, I tried to sort through all that had happened.

  First, Nate tried to attack me. Then Alec showed up and said Nate was possessed, and now my parents were talking in some kind of code—and about moving. My nerves sizzled, and moisture collected at the back of my neck.

  None of the night made sense. Sure, Nate had different ideas about dating than I did, but that hadn't been a problem. He'd never expected me to . . . but tonight he'd been different. Strange. His eyes hadn't looked the same, and something had felt off. I'd figured it was because of prom, but maybe . . .

  And then my parents were talking about moving—soon. Both of them sounded scared. Why? What were my parents afraid of? We'd moved so many times, I'd lost count. What were they running from? What did all of this mean?

  I lay back on the bed. Questions jumped around inside my head like popcorn in the microwave. And I didn't have any answers. I stared out into the blackness. My eyelids weighed down, and I let sleep overtake me.

  The late afternoon Vegas sun filtered through the custom-built blinds, casting lines across the black granite countertop. Vincent turned down the blinds then adjusted the climate control in the condo before making his way to the media room and his favorite imported leather recliner.

  His maid, Rosa, entered the room. "You like something before I leave?" she asked with a thick Spanish accent.

  "Ah, yes. Pour me a drink." Vincent leaned back in his chair.

  A minute later, Rosa handed him a crystal glass. "I finish for the day. Clean towels in bathroom."

  "Good. You'll find your payment in the envelope on the counter. Take my dry cleaning on your way out."

  Rosa turned to leave. If she'd been twenty years younger, and fifty pounds lighter, he might have added her to his list of conquests. He sipped his prized Remy Martin Louis XIII brandy while scanning satellite channels on his flat-screen TV. He settled on a program on the History channel about infamous criminals. "Amateurs," he said with a smirk.

  He ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled. It had been a long week preparing for the summit, and he looked forward to relaxing a bit. He watched the program for almost fifteen minutes before a knock sounded at the door. Reluctantly he rose to his feet, cursing the imbecile who dared to disturb his well-deserved break.

  He opened the door and found Jack standing there. "You're interrupting me."

  At Vincent's invitation, Jack shuffled inside. "I'm sorry, but there's a problem."

  "A problem?" He didn't want to hear about problems. Only solutions.

  Jack faced Vincent but cast his gaze to the ground. "In Silver City. The same girl."

  Vincent's jaw tightened. "I thought we took care of her."

  "We sent operatives, sir, but she's strong, more resistant than we anticipated. And she's protected . . . by The Covenant."

  The muscles in Vincent's neck tensed as rage built in his chest. He'd had enough of The Covenant's interference in his affairs. They'd always been a nuisance, but now they were preventing him from exterminating an obstacle. They foolishly believed they were a match for him and his associates. As if they could stop him. The group was like an aggravating gnat on a summer's eve that simply needed to be eradicated. He rubbed his left temple. "Why is The Covenant involved with this girl?"

  "Perhaps it's because of the amount of Light she possesses."

  "Yes. Yes. I'm sure they want to use her in a futile attempt against us." He stared at Jack, waiting for him to make eye contact. After a few moments, Jack looked directly at him, and Vincent asked, "What happened to our plan, exactly?"

  "The operatives reported that they're having difficulty convincing her to willingly abandon her convictions. She appears to be quite stubborn."

  Vincent worked his jaw back and forth. "So he was unsuccessful at the little dance?"

  Jack gave a hesitant nod. "Yes, sir. He first tried to talk her into it, but when that didn't work, he tried to force her."

  Vincent let out a string of profanities. "She can't be forced. It must be done by her free will."

  Jack said nothing.

  After several more curses, Vincent said, "And then what happened?"

  "She par
alyzed the operative for several minutes."

  Vincent threw his glass against the brick fireplace, where it shattered. Blood rushed through his veins, and he balled his fists. After a few moments, he collected his anger and set it aside so he could be in control of the situation and evaluate his next move. In a calm voice he said, "Are you certain?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "She can not only disrupt the connection, but she can also control us?"

  "It appears so."

  Vincent rubbed his chin. "Who knew we'd find such a girl in Silver City?" His mind worked feverishly as he considered the situation. This girl fascinated him. Intrigued him. Such Light and power. So many possibilities—delicious possibilities—if he could harness her power and use it for himself. With that kind of power, no one would ever stand in his way. He'd be unstoppable. The very idea intoxicated him.

  Jack remained silent.

  "We certainly can't let her get in our way," Vincent said. He needed something to offer her. Something she wanted more than anything else. Something for which she was willing to give up her Light.

  Jack broke in. "If she can sever the connection between us and our hosts—"

  "Yes, I know what that means. She must have great power." But she couldn't possibly know how to use that power. He'd exploit her ignorance and possess her power before she knew how to use it against him.

  "I'm not sure we can kill her at this point," Jack said.

  "No, no. I don't want to kill her." Vincent paused. "I want to own her." He licked his lips in anticipation.

  "Sir?"

  Vincent strode across the living room and gazed out the window, ideas forming. "I have a plan." He eyed Jack. "I can destroy her as a potential threat and be rid of The Covenant at the same time."

  He had to move quickly so he could focus again on taking over the western division. Once he achieved that, ruling North America wouldn't take long. In less than a year, he'd be second in command of the entire operation. His power would be unlimited.

  All would be his, except the one thing that had eluded him all these years. The one thing he wanted almost as much as ultimate power. The one thing that would complete his plan to rule the world.

  His son at his side.

  I spent most of the next day in bed with a headache and my stomach twisted in knots. My parents went to church without me. I regretted missing Dad's sermon. Thankfully, after they came home, other than asking if I was hungry, they left me alone when I said I didn't feel good.

  How had everything unraveled so fast?

  I'd finally felt like I fit in, like I belonged—I had a lead in the play, a best friend, even a boyfriend who cared about me. Or so I'd thought before last night. I needed to regroup, to figure out what to do.

  My cell phone rang again. Erin. I decided to answer it instead of letting it go to voice mail for the tenth time. "Hey."

  "I've been texting and calling you all day."

  "Sorry. I don't feel very good." I held my stomach.

  "Oh no. Too much fun last night?" She sounded way too cheery.

  "No." Not even remotely.

  "What happened?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

  I argued with myself about whether to tell Erin, but I needed my best friend's perspective. "It was the worst night of my life."

  "Are you serious?"

  "Yeah."

  "I'm on my way over."

  I ended the call and tossed my phone on the floor. Not only had prom been a catastrophe, but it sounded like we'd have to move. Again. Even though escaping the ugliness with Nate appealed to me, I still had the play and Erin, and I didn't want to leave. Not yet. A stray thought of Alec flashed through my mind, but I refused to dwell on it.

  Erin arrived about ten minutes later. I got up when my bedroom door opened. She walked over and gave me a hug. Standing up too fast, combined with not eating anything since last night, made me dizzy and lightheaded. My fingers even felt tingly again. I played the hug off as casual because my mom was watching.

  "Are you hungry?" she asked, looking between us.

  "No thanks," Erin said.

  "Maybe later?" I said. Mom didn't argue. She nodded and shut the door.

  I collapsed on my rumpled bed, still feeling lightheaded. Erin lay across it, supported by her elbows.

  "What happened between you and Nate?"

  "We waited for you at the cabin."

  "Oh, that." She sat up and criss-crossed her legs, student style, in front of her. "Nate said he wanted to be alone with you because he had something special planned, so Charlie and I met up with some other couples."

  I took a deep breath and convinced myself not to cry as I unloaded the story. I summarized the details up until he gave me the ring.

  "A promise ring? Seriously?" She yanked at my hands. "Where is it?"

  I pulled my hands away. "After he gave me the ring . . ." I struggled to finish.

  "Yeah?"

  "He . . ." I couldn't make the hideous words come out.

  "What?" Her eyes grew big. "You're killing me with the suspense."

  "He attacked me."

  Erin stared at me. "He . . . wait, he what?"

  "He wanted to . . ." I didn't want to finish the sentence or even the thought, but Erin seemed to understand.

  "Really?"

  "And when I said no, he got mad. Really mad." The memory sent chills through me. "I'd never seen him like that."

  Erin leaned in. "What did you do?"

  "What else could I do but get out of there?" A tear rolled down my cheek. "He tried to come after me." I closed my eyes for a second. "Then this bizarre thing happened."

  "What?"

  I gave Erin the play-by-play of the freezing thing. When I finished, I said what I figured was on her mind, "Yeah, I know. Sounds crazy, but that's what happened. I can't explain it."

  "Maybe you just thought that's what happened. I mean, you were so upset."

  I shrugged.

  Erin put her hand on my arm. "I'm sure Nate didn't mean it. He probably got carried away with all the prom night stuff and giving you that ring. He's still a great guy."

  "He was acting so strange." I ran my fingers through my hair. "And the things he said were—"

  "He was probably nervous because he wanted the night to be perfect. He loves you so much." I knew her words were meant to be reassuring but they seemed empty somehow.

  "I don't know. After what he did . . ."

  "I wouldn't let that get between you. You should talk to him. He'll understand. He loves you." Erin rubbed my arm.

  I studied Erin. She totally brushed off what Nate had done, like it wasn't a big deal. But it was a big deal. A huge deal. Nate had assaulted me. Why wasn't Erin upset? Mad?

  "You should give him another chance."

  Huh? She acted like he'd forgotten to call me or something insignificant like that. So not insignificant.

  "No way." I shook my head. "I don't trust him. At all."

  Erin wore a sympathetic expression. "I bet he feels so bad."

  "He should."

  "You're totally right, he should." Erin moved closer and put her arm around me. "He made a mistake, but you aren't going to hold that against him, are you? You're such a great couple."

  "We want very different things."

  "But you're so good together. Really."

  I stared at Erin, trying to figure her out. I'd expected her to be on my side, to be as angry as I was about what had happened, but she seemed to not only be glossing over it, she was pushing me to go back to Nate.

  Erin adjusted her weight as if sensing my confusion. "I'm just saying you should give him another chance. He probably feels awful."

  "He hasn't exactly called to apologize or anything." Not that I wanted to talk to him.

  "I'm sure he will. He probably feels all awkward about it."

  I got up and walked over to my closet, absently rummaging through my clothes. Erin wasn't making any sense. I didn't care what she said about Nate. What he'd done was
unforgivable, and I never wanted to see him again. I'd trusted him. Believed him. And he'd used it all against me—I wouldn't make that mistake again.

  "What else is wrong?"

  "Isn't that enough?" My voice broke.

  "Yeah, but it seems like there's something else."

  I licked my dry lips. "I overheard my parents talking last night. We're moving," I blurted out.

  "No way."

  I nodded.

  "You can't leave me. And what about Nate? And the play?"

  I turned and looked at Erin. "I'm hoping we won't move until after I graduate, but when my parents decide it's time to move, we pick up and leave, no questions asked."

  "Why?"

  "I don't know."

  Erin leaned back on her elbows. "Doesn't make much sense. You should protest."

  I didn't respond.

  Erin sat up and a smile grew on her lips. "Hey, maybe you could come live with me until we go to college then you wouldn't have to move."

  "I can't go against my parents."

  Erin raised her eyebrows. "Why not?"

  "Because."

  Erin gave me a why-don't-you-grow-up look.

  "I don't have any reason to disobey them."

  "Except that they're being completely unreasonable. This is your senior year. You have the lead in the play and a gorgeous boyfriend who loves you, even if he was a jerk last night."

  I gave a weak smile.

  Erin clapped her hands together. "You can live with me, and it will be awesome. You won't have your parents telling you what to do all the time, messing with your freedom."

  "It's not like that. I respect my parents." Even if I didn't understand their compulsion to move all the time. Or understand most of what they'd said last night. But, maybe Erin had a point. Maybe I could stay with her at least until after the play and graduation. I'd be safe with Erin, so my parents wouldn't have to worry about me. That'd be a fair compromise.