by K. G. Reuss
“Everything OK?” Kellin cut in, stepping up beside me and glaring at Calix. I swallowed hard. Kellin had never come to my rescue before, and I wasn’t even sure how to react to his intimidating presence.
“Everything is great,” Calix replied, his voice suddenly cold and harsh. It sent a shiver down my spine. “I was just giving Ana her highlighter back.”
“Then I guess you don’t need to be bothering her anymore,” Kellin replied pointedly.
A smile spilled onto Calix’s lips and he winked at me.
“I think she likes it or she wouldn’t blush so hard when she talks to me,” he said, clearly gauging my reaction.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I snarled at him. “I do not blush!”
I knew that was a lie because I could feel the hotness creeping up my face even as I said it. I ducked my head in anger and took a deep breath.
“That’s enough,” Kellin said hotly. He put his arm around my waist protectively, and I nearly lost my cookies. Why was he touching me? He never did this. Hell, we barely ever spent any time alone, and all of a sudden he was touching me?
“Ah,” Calix said, taking in Kellin’s arm around me. “The great protector.”
He backed off and winked at me again.
“I’ll see you later, Ana.”
I looked up at Kellin, only to see the muscle in his jaw working. He was angry. I’d never seen him like that before, especially over me.
He turned to me, his hand traveling to rest on my hip. He was incredibly close, and I could see the gold flecks in his blue eyes. I licked my lips nervously.
“If that guy gives you any more trouble, you come tell me,” he said fervently, tightening his grip on my hip. “I have a bad feeling about him. I don’t trust him.”
“Then you should tell your girlfriend since she was ogling him at lunch,” I blurted out. I immediately wanted to kick myself.
Kellin dropped his hands to his sides and smiled tightly.
“Right. You’re right,” he said, running his hands through his hair. I felt my heart plummet in my chest. So my suspicions were confirmed. Kellin and Courtney were back together. It wasn’t just a date to homecoming. The kiss in the hallway wasn’t just so Courtney could irritate me. They were seeing each other again.
“I have to get to class,” I said, turning away from him and disappearing through the throng of students before he could say anything.
This was shaping up to be a really crappy day.
Chapter 4
I did not feel like going to cheerleading practice, but I wanted to get it over with. Friday couldn’t come soon enough. It meant we only had a few more games left in the football season, and I’d be free of Courtney and Sasha for a couple of weeks until basketball season started.
I dressed in my practice clothes, which consisted of a tank top and yoga pants, then made my way out to the field. I knew Courtney would find something to complain about, and I shuddered at the thought. Sinking down next to Mel, I started doing my warm-up stretches.
“Courtney is in one of her moods,” Mel informed me, bending down, her hair hiding her face.
I rolled my eyes at the news. “What else is new?” I muttered through one of my stretches.
“OK, girls, let’s get this over with!” Courtney called out, her voice filled with her snarky attitude. “I have a date with my boyfriend tonight, and I want to be able to shower before we go out.”
We fell into line and worked our butts off. I flipped and pivoted perfectly throughout practice, and our tosses were spot on. Everything was going great. That is until the girls caught sight of Calix watching from the sidelines. They began giggling and looking over at him.
I rolled my eyes at how they were acting while Sasha grinned at Courtney. I knew she’d be sinking her claws into Calix soon enough if she hadn’t already.
“Come on, ladies! One more time! From the top!” Courtney shouted.
I grabbed my head as a terrible sharp pain shot through it, causing my vision to blur.
“Ana, are you OK?” Mel asked with concern, coming to my side.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” I said wincing and trying to push the pain away. Nothing like this had never happened to me before.
Despite what I’d said, the pain intensified, and my hands started shaking. What the hell was happening? I glanced over to where Calix stood and saw that he appeared to be studying me closely. He shifted slightly, a look that mirrored interest on his face.
I looked away from him and let out a shaky breath as we launched into the cheer again.
I tried to do a backflip, but fell to my knees before I could muster the energy to perform it. Colors swirled around me and I choked back a gasp as an entirely different world lay before my eyes. No longer was I on Lincoln High’s football field surrounded by my fellow cheerleaders. Instead, I was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down at the jagged rocks jutting out from the churning water below. Feeling the wind whipping through my hair and breathing in the salty air, I was terrified.
This place was cold, with a bleakness clinging to the briny air. It wasn’t a place I’d go to make myself happy, despite the beautiful view.
Something felt wrong. Then a wave of sadness and despair swept over me.
Jump.
I wanted to jump over the edge and make the pain go away. I stepped closer to the precipice, a tear squeezing its way out of the corner of my green eyes.
“Are you kidding me, Ana?” Courtney shouted angrily, her shrill voice pulling me out of the strange vision. She came and got in my face as Mel helped me to my feet. “Get your shit together. You’re pathetic, you know that? I swear, you will be off this squad so fast if you can’t pull it together. We don’t need trash like you holding us back.”
“Courtney . . . ,” I started weakly, really wanting to lay into her. But something was wrong with me, and I leaned into Mel, who looked worried as I wiped the tears from my vision. I was now sweating profusely, my eyesight swimming.
“Don’t ‘Courtney’ me,” she hissed, inches from my face so only I would hear her. “And don’t think I don’t know you’ve been hitting on my boyfriend. I heard about you two in the hallway today and how you rode with him to school. You’d better start watching your back. You’ve got the entire football team watching us now because of how pathetic you are.”
I didn’t bother with a rebuttal, nor did I look in the direction of the football team practicing on the field. I just didn’t have it in me, so I nodded weakly and rested heavily against Mel.
“Ana, you don’t look well,” Mel commented, pushing a stray hair from my face as Courtney walked away, hands on her hips.
“I don’t feel well,” I replied weakly.
“Just go sit down,” she insisted, her eyes shooting over to Courtney, who was making rude comments about me to Sasha.
“I just want to get this over with,” I murmured, righting myself as the music started again.
I stumbled through the routine, my head feeling like it had been lit on fire. I somehow managed to get through it, flips and all, and was relieved when Courtney dismissed us.
I lurched across the field, not bothering to wait for Mel. I needed to go home and lie down. I groaned, remembering I’d gotten a ride with Kellin, and it would be a hell of a walk feeling like this. I glanced up at the sky and saw storm clouds rolling in.
Maybe Kellin had a bright future in meteorology after all.
My vision seemed to turn on its side suddenly, and I plummeted to the hard ground. I tried to throw my hands out to stop myself, but it was no use. I hit the ground with a loud thud, and a whoosh of air left my lungs as my head smacked the sod.
I heard Mel call my name, but I was too weak and dazed to answer. I felt like I was fading away, the voices in the background just a roar as I closed my eyes.
Chapter 5
There were voices around me, whispering things I didn’t understand.
“Oracle!”
“Transition.”<
br />
“Nihilist, Master, she is of fire; the One.”
Darkness was everywhere. Around me, above me, within me. I felt my body tremble as its coldness swept in, the voices swirling faster until they became incomprehensible, leaving me drained.
“Analia. Analia. Analia.”
“Can you hear me?”
Warm hands shook me gently, and I opened my eyes, the pain in my head intensifying.
“Welcome back,” Calix murmured, gazing down at me with clear concern. I whimpered and reached for my head, but Calix took my hands in his before I could touch it.
“You fell pretty hard,” he said, rubbing my hands in his, causing the strange electric buzz to flow through them. “Just lay there for a minute, OK? Get yourself together before you try to get up.”
“Ana, do you want me to call your parents?” Mel sounded frightened. Looking up, I saw I was surrounded by a small group of cheerleaders. I shook my head slightly and closed my eyes. My head was killing me. My body was starting to feel hot, and I wanted to escape my skin. Something was definitely wrong.
“What happened?” Kellin demanded, breaking through the small cluster of girls.
“She just collapsed,” Mel said. “I-I don’t know. She said her head was hurting.”
“She’s fine. She’s probably just doing it for attention,” Courtney remarked snidely from somewhere behind me.
“Yeah, this is the only time she’s ever in the spotlight,” Sasha piped up bitterly. Seeing Calix showing me compassion was probably tearing her apart, but it bothered me more than her. I wanted to tell her he was all hers, but I couldn’t find the energy to expend on such a pointless task.
“Ana, what happened?” Kellin asked, kneeling beside me in his blue and white football gear.
I gasped as another sharp pain shot through my head, this time causing my hands to spasm. Calix held them tighter as they shook.
“Mel, did you call her dad?”
“No, she said not to,” Mel said helplessly.
“I’ll take her,” Calix said unexpectedly.
“Like hell you will,” Kellin growled, suddenly very protective.
“Listen, she needs to get home, and by the time you get that crap off, she may have gotten worse. Do you want that on your head?” Calix snapped at Kellin.
Calix didn’t wait for Kellin to answer him. Instead, he leaned down and spoke softly into my ear, causing gooseflesh to surface on my skin.
“Can you walk?”
“I’ll try,” I stuttered. Calix helped me to sit up, then pulled me to my feet as I sagged against him.
“Come on,” he encouraged, pulling me through the group of girls.
“Listen,” Kellin was suddenly standing in front of us, looking menacing as all hell in his football gear, his helmet in his hands. “Get her home. Don’t mess around either. If I hear anything happened to her—”
“Calm down, Romeo. I’ll take care of her,” Calix said, his voice flat.
Kellin hesitated a moment before speaking again. “I’ll call you, Ana,” he said. “After practice, OK? I’ll call you the moment I’m done.”
I nodded, not sure why he cared so much, especially since Courtney—oh God, Courtney. She had to have heard Kellin. There would be hell to pay now. I groaned at the thought. I heard her clear her throat as Calix pulled me away.
I stumbled alongside Calix as we made our way to the parking lot. My vision was so blurry, there was no way I’d have made it home on my own. My energy was leaving my body, and I wasn’t even sure I’d make it to his car.
I lost my balance and fell, but Calix caught me before my knees hit the hard pavement. Without a word, he scooped me up and rushed me to his car as if I weighed nothing at all.
He placed me on the passenger seat and made sure my seat belt was fastened. I closed my eyes and whimpered as we pulled out of the parking lot.
“Hey,” Calix called out, taking my hand and squeezing it. “Ana. Hey. Wake up, OK?”
“Go away,” I murmured sleepily, closing my eyes.
“I have something that will help,” he said, pulling over to the curb. I heard him rustling around, and suddenly, there was a cold flask pressed to my lips.
“Drink this,” he commanded softly. “It’ll help.”
“No,” I said pushing it away. God knew what he was trying to force on me.
“Ana,” he sighed. “I swear it will help. Trust me.”
I opened my mouth despite my misgivings. If it would help, I’d try it.
The liquid was warm, with a thin consistency, and tasted a lot like sour honey. My headache dulled and my vision began clearing.
“What is it?” I murmured, my head throbbing slightly and my throat burning from the liquid.
“Just a little magic,” he replied, pulling the flask away. It was fine if he didn’t want to tell me, as long as it made the pain go away.
We were quiet with the exception of me giving him directions to my house. Pulling into my driveway, Calix let out a low whistle as he surveyed where I lived.
“Nice place. A castle fit for a princess,” he murmured getting out of the car. He quickly came to my side and helped me out. My headache felt like a normal one now, the fire I’d felt extinguished and my vision nearly normal.
“It’s not that big,” I sighed as he walked beside me to the door.
“What?”
“The house. You said it was a castle. It’s really not that big.”
“OK,” he smirked at me. “You’re rich, and I’m not surprised.”
“I’m not rich. My parents are. I’d be fine without all of it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he remarked with a roll of his dark eyes.
“Listen,” I said, turning to him tiredly. “I’ve had a rough day, OK? Thank you for helping me out. I owe you for that. But I’m not really in the mood for loads of attitude so this is where we say good-bye.”
“I’d like to come in,” he stated firmly, the earlier sparkle gone from his eyes. “I want to make sure you’re OK.”
“I’m fine now,” I replied hastily. I opened my door and stepped through. “Good-bye, Calix.”
I closed the door firmly behind me and locked it, then went straight to my room and looked out at the driveway to see if he had left. I was surprised to see him standing in front of his very sleek sports car gazing up at my house, a strange, troubled look on his face.
I couldn’t fathom what was going on in his head, so I pulled the curtains closed and flopped down on my bed, letting sleep take over, my mind reeling over what might be wrong with me.
Chapter 6
I had weird dreams that night.
I tossed and turned, my skin burning with a fever that threatened my very soul. I recalled my parents coming in throughout the night to check on me. I gathered from their hushed conversations that they assumed I’d caught some kind of flu and needed rest.
I heard my phone ring, but didn’t bother to answer it, not having the energy even if I’d wanted to.
At one point, my mom was talking to someone outside my door, and then I heard it crack open. I tried to pry my eyes open, but they wouldn’t budge, so I lay in the darkness, feeling like I was going to drown in my own sweat, not knowing if this was really happening or if it was part of my odd dreams.
A warm hand had touched my cheek and then squeezed my hand.
“You’re going to be OK,” Kellin murmured from beside me. “This won’t last forever, Ana. I swear it.” I felt warm lips kiss my wet forehead, and I couldn’t help but think this was the strangest dream I’d ever had. It had to be a dream. Kellin James was not in my bedroom holding my hand, kissing my forehead, and saying things that didn’t make sense.
I fell deeper into sleep, the colors of my dreams swirling around me.
I was in a beautiful place. There was a vast field of wildflowers and a waterfall. In the distance, I could see a castle, its large silhouette taking up a portion of the skyline. The sweet smell from all the flowers made me feel
euphoric. I knew this was where I belonged and that I’d been gone from this place for too long.
The pleasant vision was suddenly ripped away, and I plunged into a cold darkness, my skin prickling with fear as the acrid scent of blood and death filled my senses. My heart hammered uneasily in my chest, and I tried to suck in a breath, but I could only gag on the smell surrounding me.
The darkness began to recede, and I screamed as I saw that I was no longer in my field of wildflowers. Instead, the flowers had been replaced by dead bodies, some missing eyes, arms, legs, and heads. The ones who retained their heads held looks of terror on their faces, their mouths open in surprised Os as their eyes locked with death, never to look away.
I tried pinching myself, hoping to wake up, but I couldn’t pull myself from the horrible scene.
A figure appeared in the distance and slowly made its way through the field of bodies, shrouded in a long, black cloak, its face hidden in the shadows. I turned and ran, tripping over dead bodies and bits of what was once attached to them. I cried out in frustration as I found myself up against a wall of stone. Looking up, I wondered if I could climb, but quickly realized it would be impossible since it had to be ten times my height.
I looked behind me and was frightened as the figure glided closer. I knew I did not want to meet whatever was beneath the hood, but that seemed inevitable.
“Nihilist,” the man hissed from beneath his hood as he appeared a few feet in front of me. The only thing separating us was a body that was missing its arms. I looked away, my stomach rolling.
As I raked in a deep breath, my mouth filled with the taste of the dead all around me.
Then a jolt of energy rocketed through my body, and I looked over to see another cloaked and hooded figure drifting across the field.
“Master,” the voice intoned dully. It sounded like the dead surrounding us looked: devoid of life and meaning. The voice sounded familiar, yet so different. It was as if he’d had his soul taken from his body, only to be left with an empty shell. It made me shudder as his dark energy spilled around me.
