Clayton is sitting on the closest rock, his expression hopeful as he looks between me and Sebastian. He gives me an encouraging smile. He looks out of place on the beach, in his dark gray cargo pants and bright yellow button down shirt, like he got lost on the way home from church. But I can’t deny how good he looks. The yellow contrasting against his dark chocolate skin is mesmerizing.
The twins are sitting together nearby, if there was a picture that belonged on a book cover, it was the two of them. Even casually dressed in shorts and tee-shirts they managed to look perfect. They’re wearing the same colors but reversed, reminding me of a yin and yang sign. While Jared is wearing white shorts and a tight black shirt, the Nerd is wearing black shorts with a white shirt. Do they even realize they’ve chosen matching outfits? Only the Nerds shorter deep purple hair and his aura of sadness let me tell them apart. Jared is clearly still angry, in fact I’m not sure I’d recognize him if he wasn’t.
The wind blows the Rock Star’s magenta hair to the side, revealing tattoos hidden in the shaved portion. He looks like he should be surfing in his dark blue board shorts and form fitting tee shirt. His expression is unreadable as he watches us approach. Even without them saying a word, it’s clear he’s the unspoken leader of the group. The deciding factor if they are going to accept me back into their inner circle. I just wish I felt confident I deserve it.
Sebastian guides me forward till I’m standing directly in front of them. The rocks form a semicircle, like a natural amphitheater. With a final squeeze of my hand, he steps away and takes a seat next to the Tank. No one says anything for a long moment. I guess it’s up to me. I take deep breath.
“Hi guys,” I give them a tentative smile. “Sebastian shared a little bit with me on the way here. About my summers on the island and how we knew each other.” I pause, trying to find the words to explain. “I’m sorry I didn’t… that I don’t… remember those years. It’s not you.” I look down at the ground, unable to look at them as I continue. “The doctors say I have Global Retrograde Amnesia. I don’t remember anything about my life before waking up in the hospital three months ago. Not my parents, not my friends, not my school, not this island. I don’t even know what kind of person I was.” My voice breaking as I confess my biggest fear. “If you judge by the people that came over claiming to be my “friends”, I probably wasn’t a very nice one.” My voice tapers out, unable to continue. A hand strokes my cheek and the tension fading from my body in response to the intimate calming energy that envelops me. I look up and fall into the Rock Stars intense hazel eyes. His face is still unreadable, but the concern reflected in his eyes is obvious.
“Why were you in the hospital?” The Rock Star asks his velvety voice gentle.
“I… I’ve… never talked about this… I don’t know how…”
“It’s ok, Sprite. You can do this.”
“Take your time, Emily. We’re here to listen. There’s no rush.”
I take a deep breath, bracing myself to talk about what I’d heard from the doctors and police detectives. I’d never talk about the “incident”, talking about it would make it more real. But I want to try. I want them to know the truth.
“I woke up in the hospital in June,” I start, trying to find my way through facts I didn’t like to think about. “The police detectives say I was kidnapped; grabbed sometime after I left school by a serial killer. They said he was collecting victims to ritually torture and kill.” I stutter to a stop, the empty feeling that comes with thinking about what they say happened overwhelming me. I take a few deep breaths, focusing on the hand on my cheek. “I was supposed to be his thirteenth victim. The authorities were already on his trail when he took me. By the time the SWAT team raided the warehouse, the other twelve were dead. I’m told I was screaming when they arrived, bleeding out on his altar while he carved weird symbols into my skin. He attacked the police and was killed in the confrontation. At least that’s what they told me once I woke up. Of course they asked me about it over and over again. They wanted me to tell them what happened, about my experience, but I couldn’t, I can’t. It’s all a blank. I have no memory of any of it.” I’m shaking now, the anger creeping up on me. “And I’m glad! I don’t want to remember it. He’s dead. I shouldn’t need to think about any of it.”
I take a deep breath, trying to release the anger. Being angry didn’t solve anything and I refuse to let the “incident” control me anymore than it already had. The guys had moved closer at some point, close enough that it felt like I was surrounded in a circle of protective energy. Folding my arms across my ribs, I rub my arms in an attempt to chase away the chill that talking about the “incident” brought on. I didn’t know what else to say.
“Fuck Sprite,” Sebastian mutters under his breath, coming up behind me to wrap his arms around my waist. He rests his chin on my head, his bright hot energy mingling with the calm.
“Could they tell you why?” The Rock Star finally asks. “The meaning behind what he was doing?”
“No,” I reply bitterly. “They had no idea why he did it or what it was supposed to mean. Everything they found was gibberish, the nonsensical scribblings of a madman.” Those intense hazel eyes look me over, like he’s appraising me. Finally I can’t take the silence any longer. “What? What are you thinking?” He glances at each of the guys, seeming to come to a decision.
“Would you want to know?” He asks, his head tilting slightly to the left. I was starting to think of it as his thinking expression. “If you were able to get the markings deciphered, would you want to know what they said?”
“Of course! But the police said they don’t mean anything.” I reply, leaning further back against Sebastian’s comfortable warmth.
The Rock Star shrugs. “The police don’t know everything. We could help you look into it. We’ve got access to some unique resources here and Ian’s amazing with computers. If they do have meaning, we’ll figure it out.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Of course we would Sprite. Would it be ok for us to see them?” Sebastian asks tentatively, hugging me tighter. . “We’ll understand if you’re not ready.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I’ve been inspected, examined, and photographed by more doctors, nurses and law enforcement officials than I can count. It’s not a big deal.” I shrug, stepping out of Sebastian’s arms. I turn to face the five of them. “I can’t show you all of it without a swimsuit, but you’ll get the idea.” I close my eyes as I grabbed my shirt and lifted it up to the bottom of my bra. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t care who saw it. I’d been through so many clinical inspections at this point, I was numb to it. But I didn’t want to see their expressions.
Truth was, I avoiding looking at it. I’d seen it once, which was enough. The asshole had started just above my belly button and carved a spiral of crazy symbols on my abdomen stretching from the bottom of my breasts to right above my pubic area. The one on my back stretched from the top of my ass to the center of my shoulder blades. When the doctors had explained that the scars would always be there, my Father, PoS that he was, thought I should be thankful that at least they were on places that were easily hidden. Apparently the psycho’s other victims hadn’t gotten so lucky.
The guys weren’t detached doctors or police officers though. I could hear the swift intakes of breath and the muttered curses. “There’s one on my back too.” My voice sounds cold and detached, even to my own ears. No one tried to touch me, but by the different energies brushed against me, and I assumed they were switching positions as they looked at the psycho’s handy work.
“Do you mind if I look at your back, Emmy?” A soft voice asked, Jared or Ian. I was betting it Ian as he rarely spoke, but I couldn’t imagine Jared being that concerned.
I shrug my shoulders. “Go for it.” Gentle reassuring energy washes over me as the back of my shirt is carefully lifted up.
“Fuck!” Clayton growls angrily. “The bastard is lucky he’s already dead.” O
thers grumble their agreement.
“Oh Emmy,” Ian’s sighs mournfully. Strong hands lightly rub my arms accompanied by that reassuring brush of energy. “We’ve seen enough.” I release my shirt and I open my eyes. Ian’s standing directly in front of me, his blue eyes haunted. He leans forward to rest his forehead against mine. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It is what it is. Bad luck. Wrong place wrong time.” I say with a tight smile.
“You’re one of us Emily. No one is going to hurt you like this again.” Samil bite out.
“Agreed” the others reply. Ian steps back, letting Samil take his place. His composed mask is gone, and I’m surprised at the rage in his eyes. He lifts his hand as though to touch my face but lets it drop.
“We should start doing research,” Samil says instead. “And you should get back.”
“Ya, Mom’s probably wondering where we got off to by now.” I sigh. Samil nods, stepping back.
“Thanks for sharing with us, Trouble.” Clayton moves forward and I give him a tentative smile as he pulls me into a fierce hug. I rest my head against his chest and let myself relax in the steady, protective energy radiating from him. He slowly releases his hold, giving me a warm smile before moving to the side. I glance over, realizing that at some point everyone but Jared had moved off towards the rocks. They huddled together, their conversation too low for me to hear.
I nervously look back at Jared. For the first time since meeting him, I can’t tell how he’s feeling. The absence of them made me anxious; there was comfort in knowing what was going on below the surface. Even when he was angry, at least I knew where I stood. This cold void was frightening. Of all the guys, he was the one I worried the most about accepting me. His eyes are stormy as they survey me and I feel naked under his gaze. He slowly closes the distance between us, his eyes searching mine.
Suddenly I’m in his arms, cold vibrant energy rushing through me. “I forgive you,” he whispers. Relief fills me and I release the breath I’d been holding. Wrapping my arms around him, I squeeze tightly, a piece of my heart falling into place. He presses a kiss to my forehead before stepping back, his eyes still watching me.
“Come on, Sprite. Let’s get you home,” Sebastian smiles, draping his arm over my shoulder, the warmth of his energy enveloping me. My eyes linger on the guys, as he gently turns me down the path. I give them a small wave before turning away and focusing on forward.
“See you soon, Em.” Samil calls out after us, and I allow myself a small smile.
“Now that wasn’t so bad was it,” Sebastian grins as we move into the trees.
I laugh shaking my head. “Oh no, that was far better than the firing squad at dawn.” Sebastian chuckles and squeezes my shoulder. The walk home seems to take far less time that the walk to the beach, and before I know it, I can see my house through the trees. I take a deep breath and finally ask the question that had been on my mind all day. “Why are you doing this, Bast? Why not just write me off? Not that I’m not grateful… I just don’t understand.”
Sebastian pulls us to a stop and turns me to face him. Those emerald eyes suck me in as he looks directly in my eyes. “You’re family Emily. I don’t ever give up on family.” He says seriously, a flicker of pain brushes over me and I wonder what happened to cause it. But it’s gone in a moment, as he gives me that angelic grin of his. “Now stop dawdling, Sprite. I don’t want our Mom’s revoking our hanging out privileges.” Laughing, he pulls me along across the yard.
Looking at Sebastian, the realization hits me like a hammer. This is my home, this is where I belong. Whatever life has in store for me next, I won’t have to handle it alone.
Samil
∞
I’d thought having Emily return and not acknowledge us was the worst thing that could happen this year. I was wrong. Seeing the runes carved on Emily’s body and knowing there was nothing I could do to fix it was by far worse. All we could do now is move forward.
We waited in silence until she and Bastian were out of ear shot.
“Sooo… What’s the plan Boss Man?” Jared finally asks. Glancing over at Clayton and the twins, I sigh. They’re all watching me and waiting for my decision.
“We need more information. Ian, find out everything the authorities have on Emily’s case, the kidnappings and the murders. Jared, search the archives for any rituals that require twelve or thirteen sacrifices. Clay, you and Bast will alternate watching out for Emily. I’ll work on identifying those runes.
“You don’t think this is over?” Ian asks softly.
“Not by a long shot. Someone went to a lot of effort to make Emily into a blank slate. They won’t just let her walk away now. We need to get ahead of this while we can.
Jared
∞
My eyes are starting to cross from looking through these old grimoires. Gods I wish there was an easy way to digitize all of these, but we’re three years into the project and I haven’t even made it a third of the way through. It’s not helping that I can’t get Emily out of my head. Every time I close my eyes she’s there. Laughing and smiling that last day with us.
“You aren’t going to forget me are you, Ocean?” she asks so quietly I barely catch it. I glance over, but she’s lying on her back looking at the sky. In her white dress with her pale blonde hair flared out around her like a halo, she looks like something out of a fairytale. She’s been usually silent these last few days, I didn’t know if it was because summer was ending or if something else was wrong. She wouldn’t ever talk about her home life or where she lived for the rest of the year. I’d gotten used to it, but some of the other guys would still ask her.
“Never,” I whisper back, reaching out to grab her hand. “You belong here, with us Pixie. You always will.”
“We should do something special. Something to make us family forever.” She innocently remarks in a normal tone that everyone can hear. My heart races and I catch Ian’s eye. I know he’s thinking the same thing I am. I roll onto my side and look around the clearing at the others. Samil catches my eye and nods.
“Well there is something…” I say slowly. She releases my hand and turns to look at me expectantly. “The six of us could do a blood oath…” I try to be casual, hoping my voice doesn’t give away my nervousness. Her nose gets that cute wrinkle that shows she’s confused.
“What’s a blood oath?” She asks.
“It’s a special promise,” Ian tells her, pushing his glasses up. “It’s like magic. It would make us a family forever.”
“Really?” She says, bouncing excitedly. “Can we do it right now?” I look over at Samil. It was Emily’s last day on the island. If we were going to do it, it had to be now.
“Sure. Let’s go down to the beach. Bast and Clay can meet us there.” Samil replies, giving Sebastian and Clayton a look. They take off to grab the supplies we’ll need from our secret spot. Emily smiles brightly, climbing to her feet. It doesn’t take long to walk to our spot on the beach, Sebastian and Clayton are already there waiting for us. The bag of spell supplies waiting on the largest of the rocks.
“I can’t wait till we’re grown-ups and can be together all the time.” She smiles, taking mine and Ian’s hands. “Then we’ll all get married and be a real family.”
“Exactly,” Samil replies. “But until then, we’ll have this to keep us together.” We all watch as he pulls everything out of the bag and lines it up on the rock. He flips through the old book, studying one of the pages for a few moments before nodding to himself and setting it aside. “Ok, stand in a semi-circle around me.”
We move as instructed, Emily ending up in the middle with me to one side and Sebastian to the other. Ian takes his place next to me, while Clayton moves to stand next to Sebastian. Samil faces us, holding a small cast iron cauldron in one hand and a dagger in the other.
“First well all need to add a few drops of blood in the bowl,” Samil explains, moving to stand in front of Clayton. Clayton cuts his finger and hol
ds it over the cauldron until Samil nods. Passing the knife to Sebastian, he repeats the process. Samil moves to stand in front of Emily and she shifts nervously.
“Will it hurt?” She asks quietly as she takes the knife.
“Just for a minute,” Sebastian answers.
“Will you kiss it and make it better afterwards?” She looks at each of us.
Samil smiles reassuringly “Of course. As soon as we finish we all will. ”
“Do you want me to do it for you?” I ask, holding my hand out.
Emily sighs in relief. “Yes please.” She slips the knife in my hand, leaving her hand outstretched. Taking her hand, I hold it over the cauldron before carefully prick her finger. Letting a few drops of her blood fall into inside, before bringing her finger to my lips and kissing away the last drop still lingering on the tip.
“All done.” I tell her and she gives me a radiant smile in return. I drop her hand to add my own blood to the cauldron. Then pass the knife to Ian, who quickly adds his own, before giving the knife back to Samil. I take the cauldron so Samil can add his blood.
As soon as Samil’s blood is added there is a change in the air. I can feel the magic rising in the air and smile to myself. The five of us had only been practicing on our own for the last year, and a small part of me worried that this would be beyond our skill.
“Now what?” she asks, looking at Samil.
“We say the oath,” Samil replies solemnly. He set the knife back on the rock, and puts the cauldron on the ground in the middle of our semi-circle. “We all need to join hands over the cauldron.” Samil holds his hand over the caldron, palm up. We all step forward to place our right hand on the pile. Emily’s last, places her hand on top of the stack of hands. “Now I’ll say each verse and then you will repeat it with me.”
Something Stolen, Something Found (The Magic Catalyst Chronicles Book 1) Page 10
