Dead by Morning (Rituals of the Night Book One)

by Kayla Krantz

He bowed his head to the symbol and rolled the grass between his fingers again.

  “Almighty Lucifer,” he whispered, “I really need some supernatural help if I’m ever going to have her on my side.” He flicked the blades into the pile of bones.

  Of course, he didn’t get a response, but inside, he could feel it. He could sense information and power being given to him. His heart fluttered wildly with the feeling.

  “Infect her dreams is what I’m planning,” he whispered. “But how can it be done?”

  Once again, the feeling inside his heart rumbled.

  “By spilling the blood of her best friend… Of course. That can be done in the dreams too. Thanks, Dark Father.”

  He stood up and pulled his trusty dagger from his pocket. He yanked up his sleeve and made a single slit on his skin. His blood dripped to the floor in his sacrificial “thank you.” When it dried on his arm, he lowered his sleeve and turned for the door, feeling fully aware of the mission ahead of him.

  In order to get Luna to help him, he needed to kill Violet next.

  ***

  LUNA WALKED THROUGH a forest. She looked around nervously, lost among the green. She didn’t know, however, why she was there. She stopped walking and looked around again, trying to make sense of her surroundings; she stared up at the green leaves on the trees and the bright blue sky beyond. How was it daytime again? It seemed like she had fallen asleep a moment prior.

  The dead silence engulfed her. Something was wrong. Luna started to walk again, and in the distance, a dog’s loud howl cut through the silence. It rang out before the sound faded into the eerie quiet once again. She swallowed and looked over her shoulder.

  A twig snapped loudly behind her. She jumped as the sudden noise broke the silence and turned, expecting to see an angry dog snarling at her, but calmed down when she realized it was only Violet. Luna strode up to her, glad to see she wasn’t alone. But Violet didn’t look right. Her usually rosy face shone as pale as the moon, and she stood too still—so rigid that she didn’t acknowledge Luna at first.

  “What is this place? Where are we?” Luna asked her. “I don’t even know how I got here. Do you?”

  “I don’t know,” Violet whispered. She glanced over her shoulder quickly, and Luna narrowed her eyes at her friend. Was Violet actually scared?

  “Maybe we should try to find someone who can explain what’s going on,” Luna suggested. “I’m sure there has to be somebody around who knows.”

  Violet nodded in agreement but still didn’t speak.

  They walked side by side in silence. Time passed as they traveled through the woods, but they seemed no closer to the edge of the strange forest then when they had first started. Overhead, the sun hadn’t moved from its position high in the sky as if time were frozen. The only sound was the scuffling of their shoes as they put one foot in front of the other. The trees began to grow closer and closer together, and Luna guessed they had reached the heart of the forest…or close to it.

  “This is getting us nowhere,” she said finally, coming to a halt.

  “That’s the truth,” Violet replied, meeting her gaze with exhausted eyes. “I think we’re even more lost now.”

  The pair heard the sound of a gun being loaded close by. It echoed in the suffocating quiet, and they turned slowly as a black-cloaked figure with a silver revolver stepped out of a nearby bramble thicket. Luna stared at it, horrified and unable to move or speak as her eyes focused on the weapon. The hood was raised up over the person’s head, casting a shadow over the face to hide any traces of the gunman’s identity.

  “That’s about far enough,” he commanded. His voice came out in such a deep, enraged snarl that it caused both girls to gasp.

  The figure wasted no time as he aimed the gun at Violet. He took a step forward, not breaking the threatening stance. She stumbled backward, looking at him pleadingly.

  “Please don’t kill me,” Violet begged softly as tears ran down her face.

  He snickered at her words. “You know why I’m doing this.”

  To that Violet only whispered, “Sorry.”

  “I gotta do what I gotta do.” He pulled the trigger.

  Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Luna watched in pure horror as Violet fell to the ground, dead from the wound in her forehead. It was a kill-shot, and a pool of blood quickly surrounded her limp body in the dirt. Luna turned away from Violet to look at the strange, hooded figure who had ended her life. He hadn’t moved from where he stood by the bramble thicket, staring at the body in careful admiration.

  “How could you do that to her?” Luna whispered. “You’re a monster.”

  He turned the gun toward her as if he only just now remembered she was there. She flinched as she waited to feel the metal pierce through her skin. Surely he wouldn’t let her live—she was a witness to his murder—but after a long minute, he still hadn’t shot the gun.

  “Aren’t you going to shoot me too?” Luna asked him as her body began to tremble in fear at the uncertainty of her position.

  “Not if you be a good girl and follow me,” he snarled, and it was obvious to Luna the murder he committed didn’t faze him at all. He could do the same to her and easily leave her body in the woods to be eaten by animals.

  “Why did you kill Violet, huh?” Her voice tensed as her sorrow began to choke her.

  He sighed. “I told you she’s worthless.” It sounded as if he had spit each word out through clenched teeth.

  “Who are you, and what do you want me for?” Her attempt at sounding bitter faltered. “I am of no use to you. I promise that.”

  “It’s none of your concern. Now follow me,” he said with the hint of a strain forming in his voice.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Luna barked, trying to sound brave as she faced her best friend’s killer. She stood up taller and glared at him through flashing eyes, though inside she didn’t feel brave, she felt sick. Her heart thumped against her ribs like a caged bird at the thought that she could be next.

  He stepped forward until his figure loomed over her. She wanted to run, she tried to with every muscle in her body, but her fear held her paralyzed. She cowered away from him as the gun hovered an inch from her face. With one hand, he grasped her arm and pain shot through it from his vice-like grip.

  “Come on,” he growled. ”I’m not gonna ask again.”

  His head flew up just then, looking away from Luna and into the forest like he had heard something. He tilted the gun and aimed it at something she couldn’t see before he shot it into the woods. The sound rung through the unnaturally calm forest, causing her ears to ring, and she stared at him through eyes narrowed in pain. His attention snapped back to her before she could question him, and he dragged her across the clearing.

  Luna fought with all of her might but couldn’t escape the fact that she was scrawny and weak compared to the build of her enemy. She screamed out, hoping someone could rescue her from him before it was too late.

  To her disappointment, no one came.

  “Don’t waste your breath, there’s no one else here.”

  Luna stared at his shadowy face, feeling her hope slide away. She blinked, trying to block out her surroundings. When she opened her eyes, the forest had disappeared from sight, and she was left staring at her green bedroom walls. She blinked again and realized it had been a dream…all of it had only been a dream. Relief washed over her, but it didn’t last long.

  “That’s odd,” Luna whispered in the dark solitude of her room. She had never had a dream so violent before in her life.

  Chapter Eleven

  LUNA FROWNED AS she tried to figure out her dream. She decided that Chance killing that bird had upset her a lot. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and sighed, trying to clear her mind.

  She had already overslept fifteen minutes and hurried through her morning routine to make up for it. She grabbed her backpack off the couch and dashed out the door.

  Luna ran two blocks, without stopping
once, to where Violet met her every day before school. The dream had shaken her to the core, and there was some part of her that needed to see her friend was okay.

  “Sorry I was late,” Luna breathed as she wheezed to catch her breath.

  “Don’t worry about it. So, what kept you? Chance come over to visit before you left?” Violet teased.

  That’s enough with the Chance jokes already, Luna thought bitterly.

  “No, I had the weirdest dream. We were walking through some forest and then this guy in all black came out of nowhere,” she replied.

  “That was your whole dream?” Violet asked, sounding bored.

  “No, that’s not it,” Luna said, lifting her eyebrows in annoyance. “It was really long and horrible. I never saw his face…he kept it hidden the whole time and pulled out a gun. You told him you were sorry, and he shot you in the head before he made me go with him.”

  “Where’d he take you?”

  “I woke up before I found out.”

  Violet was silent for a long minute before she spoke. “That is a weird dream,” she agreed finally.

  “Did you have the same dream last night?”

  Violet scrunched up her face, and it looked like she had taken a bite out of something unpleasant. “No, no, I didn’t get to sleep. That’s your own unique, strange dream. Congratulations.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Luna replied. “It was the weirdest dream I ever had. What kept you from sleeping?”

  “A headache.”

  “He shot you in—”

  “Don’t say it, Luna. Please don’t finish that sentence.”

  ***

  ON THE OPPOSITE side of town, Chance awoke at the same time as Luna. A sheen of sweat covered his skin, making him feel hot and sticky. The dream was working to perfection so far. He had Luna in his clutches, and Violet…well, Violet was finally where she belonged.

  Life was sweet.

  It had been a bit easier than he expected, but maybe that was because he had more skill than he had imagined. He groaned, feeling groggy, and climbed out of bed. He had no clocks in his house, but his internal one was so set he didn’t need an external one.

  He knew morning had come—he could see the light seeping through the black, dusty curtain hung over the window. Again, it was time to be the prestigious Chance Welfrey of Shawnee High School. He needed a lot of mental preparation for that every morning. Especially since last night’s dream had been so exhausting on him.

  He rushed through his morning routine feeling determined to get there a bit early. Luna would be upset over her best friend’s absence, he was sure. Maybe an upset Luna would be an easier to control Luna. If he could control her, he could get her to listen; that was his motivation for the day. He threw on his clothes and checked for his trusty dagger, securing it in his pocket before he went out the door.

  Chance walked across the spooky, unkempt lawn and climbed into his Honda Ridgeline to drive to Shawnee High and park in his usual spot toward the end of the lot. He cut off the engine and stayed in the seat, waiting. Any minute, Luna would be there.

  Eventually, a tiny figure appeared in the distance. His eyes gleamed in triumph as he spotted her. But she was flanked by someone else, someone bigger than her by far. As the pair got closer, he recognized Violet—she was safe and sound. He stared at her in wide-eyed shock. He had killed her, how was she still here? Realization struck…he wasn’t strong enough in the other realm yet. He couldn’t kill her like that…he would have to do it for real if he wanted to get the job done.

  The important thing was that he had Luna.

  He could keep an eye on her while he “sorted out” her best friend. Mentally, he kicked himself, things were all wrong! She shouldn’t be alive, and Luna should be alone. He had been told what to do yet he had failed. Maybe he needed to be his own person for a while…and that meant following the advice he created in that mind.

  It took Chance a while to overcome his shock so he could safely get out of his car without toppling over. He wondered if the dreams had no effect on Luna either. When she passed his car, he took the time to carefully look her over and noticed the faint bags under her green eyes. She looked terrified and exhausted…obviously his dream had worked on her. What had he done wrong with Violet?

  He frowned and pushed the question away. Luna was a victory—he’d sort out the Violet problem later.

  ***

  WHEN LUNA PARTED from Violet upon arrival at Shawnee High School, she wasn’t surprised to find an overly-annoying Chance. She had hoped that after spending a night with him, he’d want some time away from her, but he only seemed to cling tighter. She tried to stay silent—thoughts of last night’s dinner were made all the more vivid at the sight of his face—but he aggravated her.

  Luna tried to study, but Chance seemed to hover more than usual.

  “Aren’t dogs just the greatest to have around?” Chance asked Luna again for the third time that hour.

  She gritted her teeth and flexed her fist as she tried to ignore him.

  It seemed like the eerie calm she had felt around him the night before was gone. Chance didn’t act strange again, like last night had never happened.

  “I hate dogs,” Luna replied, whipping around to look at him. “You know I’m scared of them. I don’t want one around me.”

  “But aren’t you pro-life for everything?”

  “Everything but you,” Luna snapped.

  Chance looked back at her like he didn’t believe she could still manage to be mad at him after last night. “You’re such a lady.”

  Luna snorted as her anger flooded back. “Yeah, I should hope so.”

  “Dogs are great hunters, did you know that? Did I tell you my dog helped me hunt?”

  “Yes,” she replied, her jaw clenched. “You’ve told me that over and over again.” She was surprised he hadn’t bragged about the bird he killed as well.

  “Just thought you should know,” Chance said. “It’s so interesting.”

  “To you it is.” Luna rolled her eyes and looked away from the annoying kid. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a slight smirk appear on his face.

  ***

  CHANCE TUGGED ON the edges of his bowtie as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. It was the night of the dance, and he had carefully prepared himself to go see Luna later. He slicked back his blond hair again knowing he looked ravishing. He didn’t understand why Luna never seemed to fall for his boyish charm.

  He wore a new suit he had bought with the money earned from selling Kate’s jewelry. He found the most beautiful rose he could manage, and he planned to give it to Luna. He doubted she’d take it willingly, but he wanted to seem classy and romantic; maybe she would fall for that.

  It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try.

  His friend Bryce patted him on the shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Don’t worry about it, man, you’ll do great.” He must have thought Chance was nervous.

  “I still don’t understand why in the world you’re taking such a loser,” his other friend Randy said.

  Chance narrowed his eyes at his reflection. He hated repeating himself.

  His two big friends could sense his anger. “It’s okay though,” Randy said. “You hate when we ask, but a lot of people at the dance will be thinking the same thing, you know.”

  “I don’t care.” Chance turned away from the mirror and stalked a few feet away.

  He guessed the pair of idiots were exchanging a confused glance.

  “I got to go pick her up, okay?” he said, heading out the front door without looking back at them.

  As Chance drove away from Bryce’s house, he had an idea. Violet would probably be at the dance, and if he was right, she’d be alone. It’d be easy for him to lure her out and away from people. He could kill her before he picked up Luna, then she’d be gone forever. It was so simple! He patted his pocket, checking for his knife, and turned his car around to head for the school.

  He parked a block
away to avoid the confines and stares of the parking lot. He got out and walked the small distance to the auditorium. When he got there, only a few other people were present. It was early yet, but he could see Violet wasn’t one of them.

  He clenched his jaw in aggravation. He could wait for her, he knew, but it was already seven forty, and he promised to pick up Luna at eight. He turned to leave when a small girl blocked his path.

  “Hi, Chance, wanna dance with me?” she asked brightly.

  “I can’t,” he said, shrugging. “Sorry.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  “Because I have to go get my date in a few minutes,” he replied, feeling as if he shouldn’t have to explain a thing to her.

  She scrunched up her face in obvious disbelief. “Why would you come here without her in the first place?”

  “I helped decorate so I’ve been here almost all day,” he lied, pushing past her before she could speak again.

  He rushed away from the school and back into his truck, which was nearly invisible in the night. Sighing deeply, he began to drive toward Luna’s. That hadn’t gone at all like he had planned. He could be patient though, because he knew that eventually it would go right. He had Luna, and that meant Violet would fall into the trap sooner or later.

  Chapter Twelve

  VIOLET SAT AT home alone, her eyes staring hard at the phone. Her stepmom and dad had gone out for the night and her annoying brother had decided to spend the night at a friend’s house. She hated when it was quiet—when she had no distractions from her mind. Sitting in solitude had given her time to think, and she realized that she owed Luna a favor for all the trouble she had caused.

  She had thought about her friend’s exhausted face all day before she remembered Luna still had to go to the dance with Chance. She’d be so unhappy, she’d start to make herself violently ill. It would be all Violet’s fault because she had wanted the opportunity to talk to the infamous Chance Welfrey.

  Violet felt a stabbing guilt in her conscience. Luna didn’t handle social situations well, and she was beginning to worry that Luna might actually get sick. Violet couldn’t fix the situation she had caused, but she at least wanted to admit to Luna that the whole thing was her fault.