“I see,” she said. “Can I tell you a story?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“There were once two girls who looked identical down to the silver bows in their hair. One day, the first girl was playing by the river, when she heard her sister screaming for help. You with me?”
He laughed. “Not the story I was expecting, but okay.”
She laughed too. “It’s a good story, I promise. Okay, so she ran toward her sister, across rocks and dirt in her bare feet, until she found her sister in the river, clinging to a tree branch for dear life. The girl did what any sister would do; she climbed onto the rock formation and reached down to grab her sister’s hand.
“Her sister held on tightly, stabilizing, until she was able to climb onto the rock to safety. She had reached her just in time, for at the very moment the sister reached safety, the river sped up violently, as if it were unleashing its fury over the sister’s escape.”
“The girls carefully made their way back to the shore, but the first girl slipped and fell back into the river. The water quickly swept over her, trapping her in its currents. She managed to peek her head out from the water and saw her sister along the riverbank, just standing there. She screamed for her sister to help her, but instead the girl ran away, leaving her to drown.”
“What kind of story is this?” Pilot asked, surprised by its dark turn.
“You’ll see, just let me finish. The little girl with the silver bow learned a lesson that day. That even though her sister and she had shared a womb, even though they were born mere minutes apart, they were each born alone into the world, and they would each die alone when they left it. Love, even the love shared between family, even the love shared between identical sisters, couldn’t change that.”
Kennedy stopped and stared at him, as if she were speaking to him directly.
“Okay. Well that’s a downer.”
“It’s not,” Kennedy said. “The little girl realized that love was an illusion, an illusion of connection to another being. An illusion that we are not alone on this earth.”
“No,” Pilot said. “I don’t believe I’m alone. I still have my sister. I have my best friend.”
“Just the two of them?” Kennedy asked.
Pilot shrugged. “Yeah, I’d say they’re the two people in my life that I know will always be there for me. Have my back.”
“And yet, either of them could be gone in a moment. Just like your mom.”
“Is this supposed to be helpful?” he asked.
“Is it helpful?” she asked.
“It’s morbid and disturbing. I mean, did the girl die? Did her sister save her?”
“Her father came looking for her. When he found her, her lungs were full of water and she wasn’t breathing.”
Pilot frowned. “Did she survive?”
Kennedy nodded. “She did. She came back stronger from the pain.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
“Pilot, pain is growth. Never wish your pain away, because it’s the only thing that can make you who you will become.”
He looked at her. She was very different from other girls their age. “You know, you’re a bit intense for a first encounter.”
“You don’t like my small talk?” she asked, smiling at him.
His eyes met hers. “That’s the thing—I think I kind of do like it.” He moved closer to her, letting the tip of his finger trail across her cheek slowly.
She looked up at him, her lips parting.
He cupped the side of her head and bent down, letting his lips brush against hers.
Her fingers met his chest and gently, she applied pressure. She backed away from him, her eyes full of confusion. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked.
She backed away from him even more, her mouth agape, like she completely horrified that they had just kissed.
“Kennedy, I’m sorry if I offended you—” he started. But she had already turned away.
With not even a spare glance for him, she took off in the opposite direction of the party.
He watched her disappear silently into the darkness, wondering if he had read the signs completely wrong. Several minutes after he could no longer see her, he finally came to his senses and sat down in the sand.
What the?
He couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed, angry, hurt, or all three.
Was he not supposed to kiss her?
Yeah, he guessed that was a bit forward. He had just met her.
But it was also a light kiss, an expression of interest. And it’s not like she didn’t want to kiss him, or like he forced himself on her.
And it wasn’t even like he was trying to take it any further!
He had no idea how to interpret her complete disgust of him.
He only knew that for him, the party was over. Dead in the water. He wasn’t going back.
He made his way back to his car, got in, and took off.
Chapter 13 - Brie
“What did Clara say when you told her we were coming here?” Brie asked Cora as they parked in one of the parking lots next to the private beach.
“I didn’t tell her,” Cora said mischievously. “But don’t worry. If something happens, I’ll be able to contact her easily. She can get here within 60 seconds, so you have plenty of backup.”
“Are you expecting something to happen?” Brie asked, looking around. Other teenagers were exiting cars all around them, all headed to the same crackling bonfire where music was blasting nearby.
Cora stopped, turning Brie until they faced each other. “Listen, I’m going to give you some space tonight. I know we’ve been breathing down your neck, tracking you everywhere you go—”
“Kind of like the paparazzi,” Brie pointed out.
Cora shrugged. “We’ve put extra protections around DeRosa Academy and your house, plus we’re monitoring both. We don’t have that same coverage outside of those buildings, though. So just be smart tonight. Don’t get drunk, don’t go off with some stranger you don’t know.”
“Okay, so basically have common sense,” she said.
“Exactly,” Cora replied brightly. She patted Brie on the arm, and they started walking again.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t bring me here if you thought my life was in danger,” Brie said, just to get reassurance. She wasn’t sure if she was nervous about a killer supernatural coming after her, or if she was just afraid to mingle at a party.
“We’ve been watching the churches in the area,” Cora said. “We haven’t seen too many supernaturals on this side of the island at all, but you never know.”
“Luckily, no one knows who I really am,” Brie said. “Or rather, what I really am.”
“And no one will,” Cora said. “There’s no way to test the blood of a supernatural, and only a few people are good at guessing.”
“The Hunters, you called them,” Brie said, remembering something Clara had been looking for on that first day.
“Exactly,” Cora said. “But don’t worry about them. There aren’t many of them in the world. They died out years ago. Thessa made sure of that.”
They had reached the crowd of teenagers faster than Brie intended.
“We’re here!” Cora squealed. “Are you excited?”
Brie was suddenly painfully aware of the sea of unfamiliar faces that surrounded her.
“Oh, don’t be nervous,” Cora said. “Everyone here is nice. Except that corner,” she said, nodding to the far right. “Sheila is over there, and I’m pretty sure she’d love to throw a beer in your face.”
“You promised you’d stop doing that emotion-reading thing you do,” Brie warned.
“No, I promised I would stop sending emotion waves at you,” Cora corrected. “And I haven’t touched your emotions since.” Cora flipped around to face her, all abuzz. “Huge group of potential new friends, at your 10 o’clock, but don’t look.”
Brie tried to keep
her eyes on Cora, though she could see a blur of figures coming toward her, just as Cora said.
“I’m going to make myself scarce,” Cora told her.
Brie grabbed her arm. “Any advice?”
Cora locked eyes with her. “Blend.”
“That’s it?” Brie asked, panic swelling in her throat.
“You’ll be fine.” Cora smiled reassuringly, firmly removing herself from Brie’s grip.
“Brie van Rossum!” She heard a booming voice ring out from the group.
Justin sauntered toward her, with Rykken and a few girls several steps behind him.
“Glad you could make it,” he said, handing her a red plastic cup full of liquid. She recognized the smell of beer, though she wasn’t a huge fan by any means. She had taken a few sips here and there, and she had seen it completely waste her brother a half-dozen times, too.
“She’s looking good tonight, isn’t she Rykken?” Justin called back.
“Shutup,” Rykken said lazily, without even looking at Justin. He handed Brie another red plastic cup, this one full of water, at the same time as he took the one full of beer from her hand.
“Thanks,” she said, raising the cup of water to her lips. She wanted water anyway, especially if she needed to stay alert to danger.
“I won’t tell your brother about the beer,” Justin chimed in, grinning. “Boy Scout over here on the other hand might report back.”
Rykken opened his mouth, but Brie spoke first. “It’s fine,” she said. “I prefer water.”
“With a face like that, you can drink whatever you want, babe.”
“Are you done?” Rykken asked him.
He laughed. “Sorry, Brie, I guess we’ll have to catch up later. Maybe when your brother-approved bodyguard gets off duty.”
“See you later,” she said, smiling as he trotted off toward another group of friends.
Rykken shook his head, watching Justin high-five some of the other guys standing nearer to the bonfire. “Look, if he’s ever bothering you—”
“Relax, he’s harmless,” Brie said. “Kind of funny, actually.”
Rykken stood next to her, watching her carefully. “I didn’t think you were coming tonight.”
“I came with my friend, Cora,” she said. “Is my brother here?”
“He’s around somewhere,” Rykken said. “He disappeared a few minutes ago, but he should be back soon.”
“Brie!” someone exclaimed, this time a girl. She flipped around, finding three petite, tan, brown-eyed girls staring back at her.
Rykken’s expression changed, though she couldn’t read it.
“Hi,” she said to the trio, since she couldn’t tell who had greeted her.
“Ladies,” Rykken greeted them, with a note of formality in his tone.
“Hey, Ry,” the one in the middle said.
He cleared his throat. “Brie, this is Jessica, Ashley, and Emily,” he said, naming the three of them in order. “I’ve known them since we were all kids.”
“So nice to finally meet you,” the last girl, Emily, said. “Rykken’s told me so much about you.”
She turned to him, a question in her eyes.
“She’s joking,” he said. He looked at the four of them, then looked back at where Justin was standing with another group of guys. “I should probably leave you girls to it,” he said awkwardly, stepping back. He smiled. “Brie, I’ll send Pilot your way when I find him.”
Brie looked back at the girls.
“He’s still not talking to you much, is he?” Jessica asked, looking at Emily.
But Emily just shrugged. “He’ll come around.” She linked arms with Brie. “Let’s go, I’ll introduce you to some more people.”
Brie felt uncomfortable, considering she barely knew these girls. Then again, she was supposed to be blending or whatever and she definitely didn’t want to stand around by herself until another group of people took pity on her.
They walked around for about half an hour, chatting and meeting so many people that Brie could hardly keep them all straight. Jessica, Ashley, and Emily were surprisingly nice, even calling out Sheila.
“She’s always been horrible,” Ashley said. “Oh my gosh, remember that time in junior high when she popped that bubble gum all over her face, and it got stuck in her curls?”
Emily laughed. “Kind of an improvement if you ask me.”
They heard some arguing behind them and turned to find Justin and Rykken caught up in some sort of wrestling match.
“Not again,” Jessica said, sighing loudly as Justin tackled Rykken, both of them rolling onto the sand. She turned to Brie. “Whenever they get like this, it’s always because they’re competing for something. Last time, it was captain of the varsity water polo team. Justin didn’t forgive Ry for that for months.”
“Justin’s a senior though, right?” Brie asked. “Why would Rykken get it his junior year?”
“He’s the better player,” Emily said. “And the nicer of the two. I think the team members have a say in it or something.”
“Gotcha,” Brie said as Rykken somehow overtook Justin, reversing their positioning. Now, Rykken had Justin pinned on his back. She turned to Emily. “So what do you think they’re competing over now?”
Emily looked at her curiously. “You, obviously.”
Brie frowned. “Me?”
“Yeah, you. Come on, Brie. You’re rich, you’re famous, you’re beautiful. Every guy in the school is going to be after you.”
“I don’t think—” Brie started, before pausing. She was going to say she didn’t think Rykken would ever be interested in her, but there was something about Emily’s insistence that made her bite her tongue.
“I have to go to the restroom,” she said instead, draining the last of her cup of water. She crinkled the red cup, wondering where Cora was, and whether she’d be willing to leave early. She still hadn’t seen her brother, and now she was wondering if Rykken… if he…
No, she told herself. That whole thing was off limits. Besides, Pilot would be mad at Rykken if he was somehow competing for her… and they seemed as good of friends as ever.
“Here, I’ll show you,” Emily said, her eyes still on Justin and Rykken wrestling.
“No, that’s okay,” Brie said quickly. “Just point me in the right direction. I’ll figure it out from there.”
Emily gave her a few simple directions to get back to the house of the guy hosting the party. Brie made her way just inside, passing by the first floor bathroom line and instead heading upstairs to the second floor.
She ducked into one of the bedrooms and sat on the bed, closing her eyes for just a minute while she collected her thoughts.
Was there anyone at her new school that wasn’t confusing?
So much for blending in.
She breathed in, breathed out slowly, three times. She knew she had to get back to the party, and she knew it was probably too early to leave. But she could at least find Cora and stay by her side for the rest of the night.
Armed with a battle plan, she stood up to leave the room. She saw a flash of blonde whip across her face, but before she could think, someone had shoved her leg out from under her. She fell on her butt, landing on her bedroom floor with a hard thump. The girl, not much larger than Brie, pushed her head back into the carpet and sat on her. She parted her lips to scream, but the girl’s hand wrapped around her mouth, snuffing out the sound.
“Not a word,” the girl said. She kicked out wildly, struggling to break free, but the girl had both her arms pinned above her head with one of her hands, and both her legs locked in place between her knees.
The girl ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back. She glared at her with toffee-colored eyes that could have been a carbon-copy of her mother’s eyes. It’s you, Brie thought. She could see now that she hadn’t been mistaken, that the girl looked just like a younger version of her mother. A few days ago, she would have told herself it was impossible, but knowing what she knew
now about her mother’s secret identity and powers…
“Here’s how this works,” the girl said. “I speak, you listen. I didn’t want to hurt you, but you are in terrible danger and we have to move quickly. Nod your head if you agree to these terms.”
Brie nodded her head and the girl loosened her grip just enough that she could slip one of her wrists free.
She ripped the girl’s hand from her mouth and asked, “Who are you?”
Like lightning, the girl re-secured her wrist and her hand closed on her mouth again, before she could get out another word. “That was a test and you just failed it.”
The girl sounded like a drill sergeant which for some reason set Brie off. She giggled nervously, her laughter muffled by her hand. Anger flashed across the girl’s face, then embarrassment.
“Ugh.” She let go of her and rolled off her, to the side. She slunk dejectedly against the foot of her bed. “This isn’t working, is it?”
Brie sat up and rubbed her raw wrists. “Depends on your goal. Most people don’t tackle the people they are trying to save.”
The girl narrowed her eyes, examining her. She didn’t move; her mind burned with questions and she knew she needed the girl’s trust to get answers.
After a minute, the girl seemed to come to a decision. “New deal: I won’t beat you up anymore and you won’t scream.”
She exhaled with relief, thankful that the girl was not leaving just yet. “We could have started with that one.”
“I didn’t know if I could trust you.”
“You still don’t.”
The girl bit back a smile. “You seem smart. You’ve probably already guessed who I am.”
She shook her head. “Clara and Cora refused to tell me.”
“Not surprising.” The girl held out her hand to her. “Sirena,” she said. “Your mother’s twin sister.”
She tried not to gape; she had expected that Sirena might be related to her, a distant cousin, maybe. But she had not expected this. “My mother didn’t have a twin sister.”
“No,” Sirena said, “your mother didn’t tell you she had a twin sister. Big difference.”
“You look too young to be her twin.”
Sirena frowned. “Didn’t Clara and Cora teach you anything? Hallows don’t start aging until they have children.” She waved her hand in front of her stomach. “I am not with child, hence I do not look a day over twenty.”
Instruments of the Angels (Hallows & Nephilim: Waters Dark and Deep #1) Page 25
