“Do people get suspended a lot? I mean, is Dylan in a lot of trouble or is this something that happens around here?” Tiago asked.
“Fights happen, and suspensions. Not a lot.” Hanna licked barbecue sauce off her finger. “But I’ve never heard of anyone getting suspended for doing something outside school.”
The half-eaten lasagna sat uneasily in Aiden’s stomach. “Ms. Yang said indefinitely, as in he might not come back at all.” I told you. I kept warning you. Why did you have to be so stupid, Dylan?
“So it must be true that Dylan sent Conner to the hospital. That’s what everyone’s saying.” Tiago swirled a fry in ketchup.
“His mom said Dylan knocked him out and beat him up bad.” She had called Aiden to let him know Dylan was home safe. “I suppose Conner could have ended up in the hospital.” Aiden knew Dylan was capable of doing much worse. “Werewolves heal fast, don’t they?” he asked Hanna. As awful as Conner was, Aiden didn’t like the idea of anyone getting beaten bad enough to go to the hospital.
“Yeah.” She looked at him. “Are you worried about Dylan being in trouble, or are you worried about Conner?”
“To be honest? Both.” Aiden sighed. “I know Conner is an asshole and he hurt you and he deserves to be punished for it, but… violence isn’t a solution, and it’s not Dylan’s responsibility to do it.” People were already afraid of Dylan and what he might do. This was just proving them right.
“You can’t expect other people to take care of your problems,” Tiago said. “Dylan waited way too long to take care of this. I would’ve taken Conner out on the first day.”
“And then you’d be suspended. Idiot.” He was sick of stupid macho boys and their need to prove how tough they were.
Tiago shrugged. “I wouldn’t complain. I’d take my punishment.”
“You can’t solve every problem with your fists.” Was Tiago really that violent? Had he gotten in a lot of fights before he came to Shadow Valley?
“No. Sometimes I have to use my claws.” He waited a beat before flashing a smile.
Aiden was caught between being annoyed and wanting to melt.
* * *
They’d taken away his video game systems. All of them. Plus his Blu-ray player and his laptop. They said they’d give the computer back when he had homework to do.
Homework. What a joke.
Dylan spent much of the night staring out the window or staring at the ceiling. Nothing to do but think and get more and more annoyed. Were people in town getting together, planning to come for him? Would they drag him out the front door, kill him in front of the house? Or would they send the wardens after him, take care of him nice and legal?
Someone knocked on the door.
“Dylan,” Mom said. “Mr. Johnson is here to see you.”
Great.
The door opened, and Mom moved aside to let the warden in.
“Thank you,” he said before closing the door behind him.
Dylan crossed his arms. “Are you gonna give me a lecture?”
Mr. Johnson rubbed his temple. “I’m not your enemy, Dylan.” He turned, laying his palm on the door.
Dylan got a whiff of candle wax and old books. A spell. As far as he could see, Mr. Johnson hadn’t used any talismans, potions, or dust. He hadn’t even spoken aloud. Dylan remembered the powerful rush of magic when the three of them had closed the portal to Faery. Mr. Johnson was major-league.
“Okay, now we can talk,” he said. “I convinced them to let me come instead of the other warden.”
It must be a muffling spell or a silence spell in case Mom was lingering in the hall. “So?” What had the other warden wanted to do? Arrest him?
“So I need you to not do something stupid like that again.” His tone was even but his eyes were hard.
Yep, here came the lecture.
“You can’t draw this much attention to yourself when you’re already under suspicion. If they start digging deep, they may find things that lead to the dark fae.” Mr. Johnson came closer, glaring down at him. “That puts not only you at risk, but me and Aiden.”
Was Aiden mad at him? Could he understand that at least part of the reason Dylan had done it was to keep him safe? “I couldn’t just ignore what Conner was doing.” Dylan sat on his bed. “Besides, it’s done now.”
“For everyone’s sake, I hope that’s true. You’re on a list of suspects for the disappearances. Not high on the list. Neither the police nor the wardens think you’re involved, but there are a growing number of people in town that do. You’re lucky I was in the area and got here in time to calm things down.” He took two steps to the left, then back to the right. “The police have been getting calls since last night, demanding you be arrested and given to the wardens. They want you thrown out of Shadow Valley.”
Because he wasn’t certified, that was basically a death warrant. He’d have to run or hide and hope the wardens didn’t find him. “I won’t hurt anyone unless they give me a good reason. No one has to worry.”
Mr. Johnson frowned. “And what about Aiden? Did he give you a good reason when you burned him?”
Dylan gave the warden a murderous glare. That was low.
“The police and the rest of the town don’t know about the fight you had with your friend, but it’s there in his medical records. It wouldn’t take the police long to find that information. How assured would the residents feel if they knew you’d burned your best friend?”
“What am I supposed to do? You want me to promise I won’t get in any more fights?” Dylan threw up his hands. “Fine, I promise.”
“I want you to think, Dylan. Your actions have consequences. Ripple effects.”
Like how he’d burned Aiden and made him have panic attacks. But Dylan wasn’t going to admit Mr. Johnson was right.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Aiden went straight to Hanna’s locker as soon as the last bell rang. Not that he wanted to have this conversation, but it would be better to get it over with.
Hanna showed up a minute later. “So, um, I guess we should talk.” She half hugged her bag against her stomach.
“Maybe outside?” Aiden suggested. He didn’t want people listening in.
“Okay.” She grabbed a few things from her locker before following him out.
Aiden found them a relatively quiet corner near the front of the building. “Just in case Dylan didn’t tell you, I’m not mad.” Surprised and confused, but not mad.
Hanna bit her lip. “I’m so sorry. It was stupid. I didn’t mean to hurt you or cheat on you—”
“You didn’t cheat. We aren’t dating. We broke up.”
She looked at the ground. “I’m sorry about that too. But my parents were so mad.”
“It’s okay.” He touched her arm. “The only thing I was really upset about was when you wouldn’t even talk to me or sit with us.”
Hanna met his gaze for a few seconds, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “Why aren’t you mad? I… I think maybe I want you to be mad. To fight for me.”
His stomach twisted, and he didn’t know what to say. Dylan had told him to fight for her, but he was too afraid. I’m such a wimp.
Her head dropped again. “I’m sorry. It sounds so awful and selfish. I know you don’t like fighting, and Conner was already giving you enough trouble.”
Aiden struggled to find the right words, but he was worried that whatever he said was going to hurt her feelings. “I think I got confused about what I wanted from you. I liked the idea of dating you, but now I—” Totally have a crush on Tiago. “I think I’m happy being friends with you.” Was he being stupid, giving up a chance to get back together with her? But on the other hand, she’d never made him feel the way Tiago did. “Do you really like Dylan?”
She wouldn’t look at him, her voice soft as she answered, “I don’t know. Maybe. He’s like Conner but without being mean. I guess maybe I liked you because you’re the opposite of Conner, sweet and gentle.” Hanna shook her head and finally looked
up. “I guess we’re both confused.”
Aiden laughed a little. “That’s true.” He took her hand. “Would it be okay if we were just friends? If you like Dylan and he likes you, I won’t be mad.” And I can keep daydreaming about kissing Tiago. Which will never happen.
“Friends. I’d like that,” she said. “Does Dylan like me? Did he say anything to you?”
“He’s not sure. I think he’s as confused as we are.”
She frowned. “Do you really think they’ll expel him? If he can’t go to school…” She swallowed.
“I hope not. People are just afraid because they don’t know what’s going on. I’m sure things will calm down once they figure out who’s kidnapping people.” Aiden kept thinking of it as kidnapping because it was too horrible to think of those people being dead.
* * *
Being stuck inside with nothing to do was driving Dylan crazy. He’d thought being trapped in Shadow Valley was bad, but now he had an idea of what it was like to really be in a cage. His parents wouldn’t let him out of the house, so he stayed in his room, pacing, feeling the walls closing in on him.
Mr. Johnson’s visit yesterday had made his dangerous position clearer. Maybe it had been monumentally stupid to beat Conner up when half the town thought Dylan was kidnapping or even killing people. If the wardens decided he was too dangerous, Dylan was as good as dead.
He pressed a hand against the window, looking at the backyard and the woods beyond. He desperately wanted to go to the pit and burn off his frustration. Even going out to the woods would be better than nothing, even if he had to be careful with his fire.
Dylan glanced at the door. It was just after dinner, and his parents might leave him alone until bedtime. His gaze shifted back to the window. Maybe just an hour, or a half hour to be safe. Enough time to vent the worst of his building anger. He needed to, or he was going to go nuts.
Pulling the window open and lifting the screen, Dylan looked down. It wasn’t all that far. If he dropped and rolled, it probably wouldn’t hurt at all. He wished there was a convenient tree or trellis like there always seemed to be in movies, but no such luck. He didn’t have good enough control of his transformation to count on his wings either.
Climbing out, he lowered himself as much as he could, fingers gripping the edge of the sill. With a deep breath, he let go and rolled. Impact vibrated up his legs and back, but by the time he got to his feet it was only a tingle. Dylan looked at the house, fearing that maybe one of his parents happened to be looking out at just the wrong moment.
The lights were on downstairs and in his room, but no one was peering out. He searched each window again before turning and jogging for the woods. The trees and shrubs were full of leaves, which slowed his progress but also provided him cover. Dylan slowed when he was sure he was hidden.
He took a deep breath of warm air and smiled. Two days stuck in the house had felt like forever. His feet found a path and he’d gone down it for several minutes before he realized he was headed for the clearing. That clearing.
Well, why not? He went there to think all the time. The space was open enough that he could weave some fire-shapes in the air without burning down the trees. God, he wished he could go to the pit and let loose.
He stepped out of the tangled brush and into the tall grass. Like every time he came here, his eyes automatically searched out the spot where the portal had been. Dylan sighed and shook his head. The longer he was gone, the better the chance his parents would check on him, so he had to make this quick.
Lifting his hands, he paused. It wasn’t a sound, exactly, but he suddenly had the feeling that he wasn’t alone. He scanned the trees. Had one or both of his parents come out here looking for him already?
Then the air filled with the scent of candle wax and he turned. A shape blurred toward him and his head exploded with stars. Dylan fell into darkness.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Aiden had just fallen asleep when the phone woke him up. He blinked at the number. Dylan’s house. “Hello?”
“Aiden, is Dylan there?” Dylan’s mom asked. “I promise he won’t get in trouble. We just want to know where he is.”
Aiden sat up. “He’s not here, I swear. I was sleeping. Is something wrong?”
“He snuck out of his room and we can’t find him. I followed his scent through the woods, but it just… stopped. There’s nothing, no sign of him.” Dylan’s mom was usually so calm, but she sounded worried now.
“Do you think he ran away?” Aiden asked. Dylan talked about it often enough. Please, no.
“I don’t know. His trail ended close to the barrier, but there was nothing on the other side.”
A terrible thought occurred to him and he swallowed. “Do you think maybe… someone took him?” The other people had disappeared in the woods close to Dylan’s house.
“I pray not, but we have to consider the possibility.” Hearing the fear in her voice made it worse. “Is there anywhere else he could be? His dad checked the pit already. What about your other friends at school? Tiago, and what was her name… Hanna?”
“I don’t think he’d go to them, but I’ll check.” Hanna still didn’t have her phone, but he could call Tiago and check with her tomorrow.
“I’m calling the police.”
“Okay.” He hung up and stared at the darkness, heart racing. Had someone taken Dylan? Would he disappear without a trace like the others? Was he already dead?
Tears burned in his eyes. Maybe Dylan was fine. Maybe he’d used magic to hide his scent and he’d run away. Aiden stared at his phone. He should call Tiago just to be sure. As he opened his contacts, he thought of something else. Mr. Johnson was a warden, and he actually cared about Dylan. Maybe he could convince the other wardens to look for him. Maybe they’d be able to find something if they went looking right now.
Aiden was a little surprised when Mr. Johnson answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Mr. Johnson.” His voice was shaking and he took a breath. “Dylan is missing. His parents can’t find him. What if he was kidnapped?”
Silence.
“Mr. Johnson?”
“Where are you?”
“In… in my room. Why?”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“What—”
Mr. Johnson hung up. Why was he coming here? Shouldn’t he be going to Dylan’s house? Aiden turned on the light and got dressed. As he reached to get clean socks, it got hard to breathe and he felt a little dizzy. He sat down on the bed and told himself to breathe. Freaking out wasn’t going to help Dylan.
When he’d mostly calmed down, he pulled on his socks and then went downstairs. The doorbell rang as he reached the living room. The sound of it made him jolt and had his heart racing again. Aiden sprinted to the door.
“How long has he been gone?” Mr. Johnson asked as he stepped inside.
“I… I don’t know. His parents said they were looking for him.”
The light above the stairs came on.
“Aiden? Who is it?” his dad asked.
“Mr. Johnson. Dylan is missing, and I’m afraid something might have happened to him.” If he hadn’t had an anxiety attack, he might have had time to wake up his parents and tell them what was going on.
Mr. Johnson grabbed Aiden’s arm. “We have to go now. We don’t have much time to find him.”
“My parents could help us look—”
“No. Just you.” Mr. Johnson gave him such an intense look it made Aiden nervous.
Dad and Mom came down the stairs with confused frowns.
“Dylan is missing?” Mom asked.
“Now, Aiden.”
“We’re going to look for him,” Aiden told his parents.
“Stay here in case he shows up,” Mr. Johnson said before tugging Aiden through the door.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Aiden asked as they hurried to his car. The door was open, lights on, and it was still running.
“I have a
n idea.” Mr. Johnson let go of his arm.
Aiden went around and got in, breath coming in fast little sips. “What idea? Did the kidnappers take Dylan? Is he going to die?” His throat went tight.
Mr. Johnson pulled out of the driveway and didn’t say anything until they’d gone almost half a block. “We need to get to Dylan’s house and assess the situation. It might be a false alarm.” The warden didn’t look convinced.
“And what if it’s not?” Breathe, breathe. Passing out would be bad.
“I have some ideas.” Mr. Johnson gripped the steering wheel and glared out the windshield.
Aiden rolled his window down and took deep gulps of fresh air, trying to slow his heart. “Do you think he’s dead?” He wished he could take the words back because they were too horrible to say out loud.
“I don’t know. I hope not.” The warden looked at him. “But like I said, this could be a false alarm. We should get some facts before we jump to conclusions.”
The drive seemed to take longer than usual, but eventually they pulled up to Dylan’s house. A police car sat in the driveway just ahead of them, and Dylan’s dad was talking to an officer. Dylan’s mom came out of the house as they walked up the front stairs.
“Warden Johnson, it’s good to see you.” She looked strained, and her calm tone sounded forced.
“It’s good to see you as well, though I wish the circumstances were better.”
“Yes.” She held the door open. “Would you care to come inside?”
“I would love to.”
Aiden wanted to scream, What are you doing? We need to find Dylan right now!
He followed Mr. Johnson into the house. Dylan’s mom closed the door behind them. She let out a sigh and clenched her fists. The gesture was so much like Dylan that Aiden’s heart squeezed. “I’m fighting so hard not to fly out there and look for him myself.” She smiled bitterly. “Not the kind of thing I should admit to a warden, I suppose.”
“Don’t worry, I understand,” Mr. Johnson said. “I’ll do everything in my power to find him, Mrs. Galloway. I swear it.”
The 7 Bad Habits of Slightly Troubled Monsters Page 15
