by Leigh Fallon
I noticed Caitlin’s eyes narrowing slightly, but she fell into step with Chloe and Áine as they hurried toward the entrance, talking about our English assignment. Adam and I followed more slowly.
“Chloe’s too friendly. She’s trying too hard.” He glared at her back.
“Anyone starting in a new school tries too hard.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“Adam, stop. She’s just trying to fit in.”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, Adam, come on. What do you think she’s doing, spying on us for the Knox? I’m not sensing any danger from her, are you?”
He shrugged, but his eyes remained fixed on Chloe in the distance.
“The last time the Knox got near us, the Sidhe warned us. If Chloe was a threat, he’d have alerted us as soon as she showed up.”
“Some spirit guide he turned out to be. He didn’t warn us early enough.”
“That’s because the Knox had the amulet. We have it now, and they can’t hide from him or us. Not everyone is out to get us, you know.”
“I guess you’re right.” He sounded unsure.
“Adam, can you just give her a chance? For me?”
He finally looked at me, his eyes softening. “Okay. I’ll try to let it go. For you.”
He leaned forward and kissed me, putting one hand on the side of my face. I closed my eyes and kissed him back, reveling in the power whirling around us. Then Adam gently pulled away, his hand dropping like a weight onto my shoulder, before it fell. I opened my eyes in surprise just in time to see him slump on the ground in a heap.
“Adam?” I slid to my knees, cradling his head in my lap. “Adam!” I said a little louder, my voice lost under the pounding of my heart. He was unconscious.
“Áine!” I shouted. She, Chloe, and Caitlin turned and froze at the sight of Adam sprawled on the concrete.
“Adam!” Áine cried, and sprinted toward us. “What happened?”
I looked up at her. “We were talking and he kissed me, and then he . . . collapsed.”
Chloe stood over us, looking around nervously, while Caitlin just stared, her mouth wide open.
“I’m calling Fionn,” Áine said, whipping out her cell.
I leaned over Adam and hugged him tight, willing him awake. My element pulsated, filling my chest, making it hard for me to breathe. I looked around, expecting a vicious wind or something, but only the gentlest of breezes lifted my hair and then ebbed away. Adam’s color returned, and he opened his eyes.
“Adam,” I whispered, pulling away. “Adam, can you hear me?”
“That’s one powerful kiss you have there,” he croaked, sitting up.
My eyes darted from Adam to Áine, and then to Caitlin and Chloe, who turned her back to us as her cell rang. She muttered something and hung up, then faced us again. Her eyes met mine.
“Just my dad,” she mumbled. “I forgot my lunch.” She looked back over to Adam.
Adam laughed and gave us an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that, guys. I’m fine. It’s probably just low blood sugar.” He stood and held his hand down to help me up. I stared in confusion and then realized I was still on the ground. Adam pulled me to my feet. My knees shook, and I grabbed on to Adam for support. What had just happened?
Áine’s face was lined with worry. “Adam, we need to look into this.”
He shot her a glare, effectively making her drop the subject. She sighed and linked her arms through Chloe’s and Caitlin’s. “Come on, let’s get to class.”
Caitlin hesitated. “Is he all right?”
“He’s fine. Megan will look after him.” She waved her hand dismissively and pulled them away.
“Adam, what the hell just happened? You scared the crap out of me.”
Adam ran his hand through his hair. “Let’s skip first class and have a chat.” He took my arm and guided me back to the car. “Get in—you look like you’re going to faint.”
“That’s rich, coming from you,” I said, settling into the car. He shut the door, walked around the other side, and climbed in. “Is something wrong?” I put my hand on his stomach, touching the scar from Lyonis’s gunshot.
He paused and took a deep breath. “You know our weird connection and the energy we emit when we’re together? Well, it’s changing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told you before, it’s getting harder to control. Recently, I’ve noticed that when we kiss, you’re drawing my energy.”
I couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I am not! I wouldn’t know how to.”
“It’s not you, it’s your element. Mine seems to be seeking yours out. The pull has been getting stronger, probably as you’re getting stronger. I was able to manage it up to now, but clearly I can’t do that anymore.”
I felt the sting of tears building. “We seem doomed, don’t we?”
He shook his head. “I was fine once you gave back the energy.”
“I did? When?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping you might be able to tell me. I definitely felt it return just as I came around.”
I tried to think about what I had done. I remembered hugging him and willing him back to me. Then I recalled the warm ache in my chest and the burst of energy. “Yes! I felt it passing through me.”
“Well, there you go.” He smiled. “You just have to give back what you take!”
“It’s not that simple, Adam. I could have killed you today and not even have known! It’s time to tell someone.”
Adam pulled me into his arms. “Well, we’re going to have to tell Áine. She knows there’s something up.”
“Why does everything with us have to be so difficult?”
He sighed into my hair. “I don’t know.”
We sat in each other’s arms until the bell for the end of the first class rang. Then we went inside, hand in hand, to face the rest of the day.
At lunch, Chloe stepped over a disappointed-looking Darren and made for Adam. “Are you feeling all right? That was pretty scary this morning.”
“I’m fine. Thanks,” Adam replied.
Áine noticed Adam looking uncomfortable and came in for the save. “Chloe, didn’t you say you forgot your lunch?”
“Oh, um, yeah, I did. I’ll walk home and collect it.”
Darren jumped to his feet. “Hang on there. I’ll go with you.”
“Only if you’re sure,” Chloe said, looking a little put out.
Darren winked theatrically at Killian and Adam. “Oh, I’m sure, all right.”
“She’s really nice,” Áine said when they were out of earshot. “She used to do a lot of horseback riding in the UK. She said she would love to come out with us sometime.”
“What else did she tell you?” Adam asked.
“Her dad is a freelance writer. He’s working on something about the south of Ireland, so he based himself here for a while. They’re renting an apartment down on the marina; you know, the new ones overlooking the water. She lived in Sweden before that for a time.”
“Interesting,” Adam mused. “What about her mother?”
“I didn’t get her entire history, Adam.” Áine turned to the rest of us. “Apparently she loves shopping and has a bit of a weakness for shoes. What do you girls think about some retail therapy this weekend?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Oh,” Jennifer squealed. “All the summer stuff is in. I want to stock up so I’m not stuck with the dregs. What do you think, Meg?”
“Sure, whatever.”
“You could at least pretend to sound enthusiastic, Megan,” Jennifer said, rolling her eyes and turning to Áine to discuss her preference for peep-toes. I nestled back against Adam and tried to get involved in the conversation. Luckily, we weren’t stuck on the topic for too long—Darren and Chloe were back in a record-breaking fifteen minutes.
“That was fast!” Caitlin exclaimed.
Darren, who was trying to catch his breath, just nodded.
Chloe looked as fresh as when she had le
ft. “So what were you talking about?”
“Shopping, maybe Saturday,” offered Jennifer.
“Ooohh, that sounds fun. Can I come?”
Adam continued to eye her suspiciously. “So what’s with your accent? I lived in the UK for years, and I never heard one quite like that. It sounds like Surrey with a bit of Dutch or something,” Adam pressed on, ignoring my digs into his side. “Where exactly does it originate from?”
“I lived in Sweden for a few years.” She made full eye contact with him, as if to tell him his questions didn’t intimidate her. “We’ve moved around a lot since then, so I guess my accent has . . . evolved.”
Adam nodded, holding her eye contact. I noticed the others shifting uncomfortably and was about to break in and change the subject when thankfully Adam let it drop and turned on his charm. “I love Sweden. It’s an amazing country. Where did you live, Stockholm?”
She smiled back at him, probably relieved that she seemed to be off the hot seat. “I wish! No, my dad isn’t one for cities—we stick to the smaller towns, mainly west coast.”
“How long are you staying here?” I asked.
She shrugged. “We’ll see.”
Luckily the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, before Adam could pounce on her again.
Later that evening, Adam and I came clean to Fionn.
He freaked out, of course.
“What on earth were you thinking? How could you not tell me something this important?” He paced across the kitchen, rubbing the back of his head. “After everything we went through to get the Dublin Order to accept your relationship! They’ll be quoting passages from the Druid Scribes and announcing the end of the world!”
Adam and I sat quietly. We had no defense. We knew all along that we should have told Fionn.
“Of all the irresponsible, stupid things you’ve ever done, this has got to be the worst.” Fionn spun around and pointed his finger at Adam.
I blushed and kept my eyes firmly on the table.
“And you!” Fionn continued.
I looked up and was relieved he was now pointing at Áine and not me.
“What were you doing when all this was going on?”
Áine pouted. “I’m not their chaperone! If you want to point your finger at someone, point it at Megan.”
I glanced over at her with my mouth open.
Fionn turned his steely gaze to me. “I thought you were more responsible than this, Megan. I’m very disappointed in you.”
I shrank back into the bench.
“I don’t know how we’re going to handle this.” He walked back to his chair at the head of the table and sat down heavily. “We’ll have to be very careful in how we break this to the Dublin Order.”
Adam leaned forward. “You’re not going to tell them, are you, Fionn? They’ll fr—”
Fionn slapped his hand on the table. “You gave up your right to an opinion when you failed to inform us of the problem!”
Adam sighed and threw his arms up in the air. “What’s the point in talking about this if you’re not going to listen?”
“It’s your turn to start listening! You have put me in a terrible position. I’m the one who has to face the Order and try to spin this so they don’t send you off to boarding school in Outer Mongolia!”
Áine smothered a laugh.
“This is not funny, Áine!” Fionn exhaled sharply. “Go, do something. And you two keep your hands off each other. If I so much as see you puckering up, I’ll book the Mongolia flights for the Order myself.” Without another word, he spun on his heel and marched out of the kitchen.
“Man, there’s never a dull moment around here with you two, is there?” Rían chuckled, walking into the room.
“Rían!” Áine squealed, running to her brother. “You came home early!”
“Of course. Someone’s got to be around to kick the shit out of this intended guy tomorrow.”
Áine playfully shoved him. “Don’t be mean; he could be nice.”
“We’ll see,” Rían said, holding his hands out and producing a ball of orange, glowing flame. He threw it up in the air and caught it on the top of his finger, where it spun, resembling a miniature sun.
“Good to have you home, man,” Adam said, flicking his hand and producing a blue orb of shimmering water that caught the flames and swallowed them, before evaporating into thin air. “The house is too peaceful without you here.”
“Peaceful? It didn’t sound too peaceful just now.” He glanced over at me. “Megan, I trust you’ve been keeping up your training—when you’re not trying to kill my brother, that is.” He winked and pulled me in for an awkward hug.
I tensed. We’d come a long way since his initial loathing of me, but Rían embracing me was way out of character, and this hug felt . . . strange. My element buzzed in my chest.
“Rían,” Adam said, pulling him off. “Fancy doing some detective work?”
Rían looked dazed for a second, then burst out laughing. “Shit, did I just hug you, Megan? I must be delirious. Sorry, bro, what did you say?”
Adam shook his head in irritation. “I said I have a job for you.”
“What’s up?”
“It’s this new girl in school, Chloe Nielsen. She’s latched on to Megan and all our friends. There’s something not right about her.”
“Adam, that isn’t necessary,” I said, but he ignored me.
“Will you look into it for us?” he continued.
“What’s her story?” Rían asked, leaning forward.
“She’s too eager. She looks older than she claims to be too. I don’t trust her.” He handed Rían his phone.
Rían let out a long whistle. “She’s quite the looker, isn’t she?”
I leaned over and glanced at the photo of Chloe on Adam’s phone. She was smiling, chatting to the others. “When did you take that?” I asked, my eyes darting to Adam.
“It’s just a precaution, Megan. This is standard when someone new comes into our lives.”
“I see what you mean,” Rían said. “There’s no way this chick is seventeen.”
“I’ve had enough,” I said, my anger flaring. “Áine, do you want to pick out an outfit for tomorrow?”
“Yeah, that would be great,” she said. “I’m sick of this topic too. Not everyone is a psycho trying to kill us, and the point you’re all missing here is none of us have picked up on any negativity or danger from her. Adam, if she was here to harm us, we would know.”
Rían looked at the picture of Chloe again and smirked. “Still, I think it’s in everyone’s interest for me to check her out.”
Six
INTENDED
Just as I was unwrapping my lunch the next day, a familiar face came down the school path.
Adam looked up, feigning surprise. “Rían, what brings you to the school?”
Very subtle, Adam.
Rían’s eyes darkened as they bore into mine. “Áine forgot her lunch. I thought I’d drop it off.” He broke eye contact with me and waved a bag.
“Oh yeah. Thanks, Rían.” Áine flushed. She surreptitiously pushed her lunch box back into her bag and covered it with a book.
Chloe looked up at Rían with a broad smile on her face. “So you’re Áine and Adam’s brother?”
Rían cast a scrutinizing glance over her. “Yep,” he finally said. “And you must be Chloe.”
“I am,” she said, seeming thrilled that he knew who she was. “So you’re in college?”
Rían shook his head and sat down beside her. “Not yet, I start in September.” Something changed in his eyes, softened somehow.
Adam kicked him in the ankle, but Rían seemed oblivious. He didn’t even glance in Adam’s direction.
I noticed Killian and Darren exchanging horrified glances. What chances would they have against an older guy, especially one as hot as Rían? I thought it was hilarious and so did Áine, but I could tell that Adam was livid.
Rían spent the rest of the break chatting
up Chloe. “If there were girls like you at school when I was here, I might have tried to stay longer.”
Chloe looked up at him from under her lashes and smiled indulgently.
“Ugh!” Adam groaned. “Time for you to sod off; we have to go back to class.”
Rían reluctantly got up. “Good-bye, Chloe.” He offered his hand to help her stand.
“See you around?” she hinted softly.
“Yeah, definitely.” He waved at the rest of us, his eyes lingering on mine. The skin prickled on the back of my neck, and my heart skipped a beat. What was wrong with me? This was Adam’s brother!
Caitlin rolled her eyes at me as we watched Chloe float toward the school building with a dreamy expression on her face. “What is it about the DeRís boys that makes intelligent women go all doe-eyed?”
“You’re talking to the wrong person.” I laughed. “But have you ever seen Rían like that before? Too funny.”
Caitlin glared after Chloe. “I’m not sure about her.”
I turned to face her. “Oh, not you too!”
On the drive home, Adam was still seething.
“Adam, you have to let it go,” I said gently. “Rían will look into it for you. This could be part of his plan.”
“That was not it. He’s gone to the dark side.” He stared out the windshield. “And what is with him and all the staring at you?”
I cleared my throat. “What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. First it was the hugging. And now his eyes follow you around the place. He’s acting weird.”
“You’re just mad that you’ve lost your ally. If it’s any consolation, Caitlin also thinks Chloe is trying too hard.”
“Interesting,” Adam said. “Caitlin is very perceptive.”
“Ugh. Enough!” I turned to face Áine in the backseat. “So, Áine, are you psyched up for tonight?”
“I am,” she said. “I’m going to keep it lighthearted and casual. Will you come for dinner?”
“Of course. As long as you’re sure you want me there.”
“Definitely. You’re the only one who understands.”
Adam pulled into my driveway and leaned over for a kiss.
“Um, aren’t we banned from kissing at the moment?” I reminded him.
