by Abra Ebner
“What about the house?” I offered, catching up to Jake and Max as they stood on the lawn, discussing possible places Greg could have taken her. “Like before.”
Max looked at me, a glimmer in his eye. “He’s not there.”
His reply was loaded.
“How do you know?” I pressed.
“Because… I destroyed it.” Max turned away from me, walking toward the street where his Land Rover Defender was parked at the curb, already running.
“You destroyed the house? When?” I followed after him.
Max looked over his shoulder, but the spark in his eye was furious. Something inside him had changed. There was darkness. His typical comfortable confidence was fading to disgruntled exhaustion, like a man grown tired of life’s pointless games. There was a chip on his shoulder that wasn’t there before, and it was a big one.
“I did it recently,” was all he said, lacing it with such bitterness, that I knew it was a subject I no longer wanted to venture into.
Jake brushed past me, hopping into the back seat of Max’s car.
“Surprised you didn’t take the front,” I challenged.
Jake turned to Lacy as she arrived at my side, her red hair flowing. He gave her a wink. “Ladies get the front.”
To my disdain, Lacy giggled.
I hissed at her, but she ignored me. Circling the car, I took the other back seat beside Jake. I didn’t want to be near him anymore, but at least I could keep an eye on him here.
“What about Avery? Where are her hangouts?” Jake leaned forward between the two front seats. Max turned onto the road, the car whipping fast as we all held on.
“The problem is that Avery always had a lot of hang outs.”
“It’s got to be someplace private, wouldn’t you suppose? She wouldn’t want to risk anyone recognizing her while she was with Jane.”
“You would think.”
Just then Max’s eyes grew wide and he slammed on the breaks. We all flew forward as the car skidded sideways. Then there was a thud.
I looked up fast, feeling it, feeling her. “Emily!”
I fought with my seatbelt, but Jake was faster. He got out of the car just before me. Pushing harder, the buckle finally released and I scrambled out behind him. My gaze crested over the hood, seeing Emily was sitting up on the pavement, rubbing her head. Jake was already at her side, rubbing her back.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It was my fault.” She was looking at him in a daze, her eyes buried deep within his.
My whole body tensed. I stormed toward her and shoved Jake to the side. “Get away from her.”
Emily moaned as I hoisted her off the ground, cradling her in my arms.
“Emily, what happened?”
Max had appeared before me, skin whiter than I’d ever seen it before. “Are you all right? I didn’t… I didn’t even see you.”
Emily nodded, smiling at Max. “I’m fine. Most people don’t see me, so don’t worry.”
“Did Greg let you go?” Max pressed.
She shook her head. “No. I just… I got away.”
Max leaned closer, hand hovering just above the skin on her arm. I looked where he was, seeing streaks of freshly raised blisters across her skin. I suddenly held her more gently, having not noticed them before.
“He couldn’t keep me,” she whispered. “I burn him.”
I grunted. “It looks more like he burned you.”
“Where did he take you?” Max withdrew his hands, unable to help her as her poisonous body was as much of a detriment to him as it had been to Greg.
“Not far. Into the woods.” She pointed ahead of us before turning back, expression hopeless and scared. “They’re going to kill Jane,” she warned.
“Was Avery there?”
Emily nodded. “Max… I had no idea that was her. I should have seen it.”
Max gave her a look of confidence. “It’s my fault. Not yours.”
Just then, two giant shadows rose behind Max. I took a step back, not understanding what I saw until Max lifted off the ground, carried by heavy tarps of feathers. “Jake, follow me. Wes and Lacy, take Emily home and keep her safe.”
I watched as he rose up, his giant grey wings unlike anything I’d seen before.
Jake jogged up to me. “Take care of Emily, will you?”
I growled.
Lacy grasped Jake’s shoulder and spun him away from me. “Leave them alone. I think you’ve done enough.”
“I’m just trying to help.” Jake shook his head and backed away. “Sorry.” He plunged into the front seat of the Rover and slammed the door. The tires spun with a final look, but the look was only for Emily.
“What a creep,” Lacy murmured, watching Max’s car disappear around the end of the block.
“Come on. Let’s go.” Emily’s fingers grasped at my shirt, her head nuzzled under my arm as my other held Lacy’s. I tried to pull her along with us as I turned, but her feet remained planted.
“No, brother. I think I should help.” She slid out of my grasp and clicked at Stella, guiding her up onto her shoulder.
My expression grew fierce. “No. You shouldn’t. You have to come with me.” I wanted to grab Lacy and drag her inside, but my hands were already full.
“Let me do this. I need to.”
“Why?” I spat.
She shrugged. “Because I didn’t help before, and now our parents are dead.”
Mouth agape, Lacy didn’t allow me the chance to reply. She changed into the owl, clothes falling to the ground as Stella picked up the air that had been dropped beneath her. Together, they both followed in Max’s direction, and I was left split between the only two things that mattered to me—family and Emily.
Avery:
“Perfect.” I looked skyward, hearing—feeling—him approaching.
“What’s perfect?” Jane asked, stumbling beside me.
I handed her the bottle of champagne, our Disney dresses dirtied from our little hike in the woods. Jane thought we were being adventurous, free spirited teens, taking on our right to be young and reckless, but really I was luring her to her death. With her out of the way, Max would suffer, and then I would come along and sweep him off his feet. I would make him happy. I would finally get my light back.
“Just the night, my pet. It’s perfect.”
We stopped.
Jane plopped herself on a fallen log. “It’s dark.” She frowned dramatically.
I laughed. “Yes. I know that.” I snapped my fingers, igniting a spark of fire in my hands. A handy trick I had acquired from Max.
Jane gasped. “I can do that, too!” She narrowed her eyes and concentrated hard on her hand, faltering as sparks flew. “Ouch,” she murmured, burning herself.
I discreetly rolled my eyes.
The spark in her hand finally ignited, illuminating her frustrated face as it turned to elation. “Ha! See!”
I nodded. “Very good! I didn’t know a Seoul could do that.”
She sighed and slumped forward, staring at the light. “Max taught me.”
“Oh, did he?” Of course he had. I tried to act interested.
I heard a rustle then, but not a rustle anyone but me could have heard. Looking up, I saw the faint shadow of Greg behind a tree, just out of the light from our fires. I smiled. Jane took another swig of champagne, stretching her feet out before her. Her flame was messy and blue, sparks singeing holes in her yellow dress.
I opened my mind to Greg. Where’s Emily?
She got away.
What?
He shrugged.
“My sister doesn’t like you, I don’t think.” Jane admitted, her words buttery with champagne.
“Not many girls do like me,” I mindlessly answered.
How did she get away, Greg? I pressed, subduing my desire to stand and smack him.
She’s got that stupid snake venom in her. It makes things a little tricky.
You better fix this.
I wanted to do this tonight.
“I don’t see how girls could hate you, though. You’re so nice!” Jane exclaimed, turning to me with a lopsided grin and squinty eyes.
“I threaten them, I guess.”
I already have fixed it, Greg added, his upper lip catching the light with a sly grin. Seems we’ll even have the audience you desire. Max is coming.
I already knew Max was coming. That was a feeling I couldn’t ignore. And just how did you fix it?
Before I could get an answer, there was a distant scream. Jane jumped, dropping the champagne bottle on the ground with a thud. “Oh my gosh. What was that?”
I wanted to ask the same thing, but turning back to Greg, I saw he was gone.
Jane stood, a thick billowing smell of adrenaline seeping from her skin. “Should we go look?” Her eyes met mine, nervous.
I shrugged, disliking the fact that I’d lost control of this game. I no longer knew what was happening. “Maybe it’s someone to save,” I stood slowly, trying to play along.
“Um…” Jane was faltering.
“Come on, you know you want to do this.” I paused, looking in the direction the scream had come from. “Let’s just go check it out. It might not be anything at all. Could just be a group of kids like you and I, out in the woods goofing around.” I gave her a nudge on the arm, plucking the bottle out of the mud and placing it in her hands.
She took one last big gulp, properly placed under my spell. Her mind was malleable and confused, and I would mold it.
Jane:
Something about that scream was not innocent, and something about it felt familiar, like the way chocolate tastes. I lowered the bottle of champagne from my lips, letting the last bit of sweet, perfumed liquid trickle down my throat. My heart began to pound.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I’ll do it.” It felt like a detached part of me had been the one to say it, not me. My insides were screaming for me to listen, to stay put, but for whatever reason this new part made me ignore all that. I shook my head, trying to straighten myself out.
Navia took my hand, yanking me forward before I got the chance.
I stumbled over logs and brush behind her. “Can we slow down?”
She shook her head, her ringlets shaking off a cloud of glittery cinnamon. “No. We might miss the opportunity! We have to hurry.”
My heart felt like lead, but my body kept moving. What if this really was it? What if this was my chance to get out of the spell Max and I shared and rise as an equal. This could change everything for me. I would live as long as Max did. I could be as strong as Max was.
We could be together.
My arms tingled with the thought, practically feeling the way his skin had felt against mine, the intoxicating cloud of love that locked us together. Then the cloud grew dark, and that other part of me sent out one last warning.
What if this would ruin that?
What if Max’s love for me was just because I was his to guard? I hadn’t thought of this in great detail. I dug my heels into the dirt, but Avery was stronger than me. Instead of stopping, I toppled over onto the muddy forest floor.
I heard her gasp as she let go of my hand. “Jane!” She knelt, hooking her arms under mine. “What in the world are you doing?”
I forced myself to my knees, mud slopping from my arms. “Just wait, okay?”
“Wait for what? This is what you want, Jane. Trust me.” She let go of me.
There was another scream then, louder this time as we’d gotten closer. It was a woman’s scream, and something about it ripped into my soul.
Avery’s once pleasant demeanor fell sour. “Get up, Jane. I’m not giving you a choice. You need this.”
Max:
I flew as fast as I could, but something in my gut told me it wasn’t fast enough. The spot where Emily had managed to free herself from Greg had long since been abandoned, his trail leading farther up the mountain. It twisted and wound, confusing me, stalling me.
What was he doing?
Then there was the scream, and I knew what he’d done.
Jane:
I was confused by Navia’s sudden change. “What?” I gaped, knees sinking into earth.
“I’m not giving you a choice,” she repeated, this time with a smile. “I know this is what you need, even if you don’t see it.”
I’d sworn that the first time she’d said it she hadn’t said it with the same wash of friendliness. No part of her first statement had felt like she was looking after my best interests, but rather commanding me. I looked to the ground, wondering what I was doing here, wondering who I was.
“Come on.” Navia offered me her hand.
I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t want to touch her, but that something inside me that was controlling me against my will felt too warm to ignore. Taken by the tone in her voice, I saw my arm reach up like a puppet until my hand was placed in hers. She hoisted me off the ground with little effort.
“That’s right. You can do it.” She smoothed my tangled hair from my face. “Now let’s hurry.”
Navia pulled me after her once more, dodging trees and bushes, until finally, the forest opened up. The smell of wet moss was in the air, and just then, a cool mist hit my face. The rushing noise I was hearing became the recognizable sound of water, and I knew we’d made our way to the river.
Navia halted, and I ran into her.
A voice welcomed us. “There you are.”
I didn’t have to see the person to know who it was. My back steeled, and I cowardly hid behind Navia.
“Who are you?” Navia commanded.
I shook.
“Let that woman go,” she added.
There was the distinct sound of someone struggling. Knowing Greg, I also knew he was about to kill them. That’s what he did.
Greg laughed. “Not your concern, pixie. Besides, I wasn’t talking to you.”
My breathing stopped all together, my hand clasping onto the blue silk of Navia’s bustle.
“Come out, Jane,” Greg teased.
I slowly peered over Navia’s shoulder, eyes cresting the arc of her neck.
“There you are!” he announced, hands in the air.
My throat closed up. He had a rope in his hand, and as my eyes followed it to the cliff behind him, my heart sank when I saw who it was attached to. The woman I had heard screaming, the woman whose voice struck my soul, and the woman that was my mother. She was his prey. I was hit with a wall of déjà vu, taken back to the vision I’d had in the kitchen the other week—Mother falling from a cliff.
Greg walked to the ledge where he had her lying on the ground. He picked her up, holding her with one arm as her feet dangled over the edge. The rushing sound of water reminded me of the assuredly sharp rocks below, nature cursing at itself as water carved through the earth.
That déjà vu had felt so real, and now I knew why. What I’d seen in her future death was coming true, but how? It had always been a silly thing, but this was exact, right down to the minor details of what my mother was wearing. How had I seen this? How could it have come true?
“Jane!” My mother screamed. “Jane, get out of here!”
A chill ran down my spine, finding my visions suddenly more than a game, but reality. I stepped around Navia. “Mom!”
I felt a hand on my arm, stopping me. “Jane, wait. That’s dangerous,” Navia warned.
I looked back at her, confused. Since when had she changed her mind?
She shrugged.
I shook my head. “You were right. I have to do this. That’s my mother.”
Navia gasped, her delicate hand covering her lips and releasing from my arm. “It is?”
I narrowed my gaze, sensing a fake energy from Navia, but I didn’t have the time to question it.
I turned back to Greg. He was watching Navia with a look in his eye, a look I couldn’t decipher. “Greg.” I got his attention.
He coolly looked away from Navia, sighing dramatically. “Well, darling, are
you going to save your mother?”
“What do you want?” I demanded.
He began to laugh. “I want you dead. I want my brother back, and as long as you’re here, that won’t happen.” He jostled my mother in his arms.
Mother released another scream, one that resonated deep within the pit of my stomach.
He spun my mother into him, clasping a hand over her mouth. “You’re a virus that won’t go away, Jane. For sixty years you’ve plagued me. Sixty.” He spun my mother away from him, swinging her toward the cliff.
I screamed a scream that was so loud it should have been in a dream, only to clasp my hand over my mouth as Greg halted, saving my mother from going over the edge. “Mom,” I whispered painfully to myself, reaching my arm out toward her and taking another step closer.
“Don’t,” she stammered, her eyes watering with tears. “Your father wouldn’t… He wouldn’t w—want this. Let him kill me.”
I froze, dropping my hand. Everyone was silent. Everyone was staring at me.
My mother slowly began to sob, hands muddied and covering her eyes. Mother had known about us, about father, about everything. I could see that now. For whatever reason, I saw a lot. Flashes of time sprinkled across my mind: The way my father looked at my mother, the way she always seemed careful, hindered. Most of all, it was in the way she looked at Max, as though my mother knew who he was. Her innocence was just a disguise.
