by Livvy Aarons
“McKenna dear is there something you would like to share?” Mrs. Danu asked.
“No, I um—I-uh… no there’s nothing I’d like to share.” I rushed back to my seat embarrassed by my odd behavior.
A few people snickered when I put my head down. Mrs. Danu didn’t dwell and started class to help keep the order. I waited until the room was quiet before I picked up my head. It took everything that I had not to look in Aidan or Tristan’s direction; my willpower was not strong enough to last the entire class. Aidan had fallen asleep as Mrs. Danu lectured and Tristan was playing on his cell phone. I was such a lame ass for staring yet who could blame me, they were too good looking to be human. That little tidbit sent a cold chill over my skin.
Needing a distraction, I took out a notebook to take notes. It did not take long for my mind to wander trying to remember if I there was anything about them that could point me in the right direction. It wasn’t like someone had given me a manual to these things so I had to rely on first hand encounters.
I can remember the first time I realized that what I was seeing was not just a part of my childhood imagination. My grandfather had passed away and his funeral I saw a funny looking man standing beside his casket. The man never spoke to anyone just stood there and watched my grandmother as she cried. When it was my turn to pay my respects to my grandfather I asked my mother to go with me. She told me that she could not because of Ben so my grandmother walked with me. The closer I got the more beautiful the man appeared. He had long brown hair and a golden robe that went to the floor. My grandmother broke down in front of the casket. The beautiful man came to my grandmother’s side then kissed her cheek. My grandmother quietly said “Thank you.”
At the time I did not know that we were special, I thought they were my imaginary friends. After the funeral my grandma asked me what was bothering me; I told her about the man I saw kiss her and that I have been seeing dark shadows around my house. My grandma told me that it was a gift from God and not to fear what I see; God will always protect me. This gift has been in my family for centuries. My mother cried, saying that it was a curse.
I never talked to my mother about our abilities anymore; she would just get really upset if I mentioned it. My grandma told me a few years ago that we could see things beyond angels and demons as long as it was a physical supernatural power. People with mental abilities showed no outward signs so I never know about them unless they tell me. The older I get it does seem that my vision becomes clearer about a supernatural power.
Last year we had a new student from Washington transfer in, who was a shape shifter; her name was Megan. She was very hard to figure out since Megan did not a have specific animal that she turned into. Megan had an orange aura radiating around her and wicked green eyes. Once we became friends I asked her about it; she said that she mainly shifted into a fox. We trusted each other with our secrets. Megan felt sorry for me and I was envious of her. She had whole pack of shifters to talk to, people who loved and accepted her.
My daydreaming took a backseat when students around me began to put away their things. I glanced over to see if Aidan and Tristan had left; Aidan was gone. Tristan however was waiting by the door, staring at me. I nervously gathered my books, taking my time so he would get impatient and leave.
Luck was not my strong suit.
A smile spread across his face as I approached. “Hello peaches.”
His homecoming king smile made me weak in the knees. “Hi. Are you waiting for someone?”
“Yes, I came to escort you to your next class. Ms. Danu did say to make you feel welcomed.” Tristan took a step back holding out his hand to usher me though the door, “Ladies first.”
I walked in silence beside Tristan as he rattled on about this and that. When he stopped at the door of my next class, he grabbed my hand before I could escape. “McKenna, I am afraid that you have caught me red handed. I needed to get you alone so that I may ask if you would accompany me to dinner on Thursday night.”
I swallowed hard looking down at my feet, “That is probably not a good idea.” I know you’re not human and you scare the crap out of me is what I should have said. However, I did not wear my big girl panties today so I could not tell him the truth. I took a chance and peered up to see if would just leave me alone however that was not happening.
I saw his eyes turning black. Shocked I flattened against the wall.
“You know that I could make you McKenna. I can force you to do anything I want and you would think that it was your idea. Yet there is no fun in the conquest if you do not have any willpower.”
I inched towards the door, afraid of what Tristan was going to do to me. He grabbed my arm before I could get far enough away to run. “Not so fast little girl. I am not done with you. Why are you afraid of me? I have been nice to you.” I looked down at my arm that he was clutching tightly—too tight. “I am sorry that I seem aggressive towards you. Rejection is not something I am used to.”
“Tristan you scare me. You are a little overwhelming and just now when you grabbed my arm your eyes turned solid black. I may not be normal for seeing these things but at least I am human.”
“You saw my eyes change?” Tristan raised an eyebrow curiously.
“Yes, I have no idea what you are exactly but I will figure out.”
“McKenna you are lying. There is another reason why you don’t want to go out with me.” Tristan crept closer to me, stalking me with his eyes. “You are used to seeing things that are frightening, I sense this about you. Your heart is fluttering, I can see your hands trembling and I can even smell just how turned on you are. In fact right now you are thinking about kissing me, about how soft my lips would be.” Tristan’s eyes seem to put me in trance paralyzing me as he moved one breath away from my face then inhaled deeply. “You smell like honeysuckles and tiger lilies, so delicious.”
Warning bells rang loud and clear. I pushed Tristan away, “Back off vampire before I stake your ass with my pencil.”
Tristan burst in to laughter, “Vampire! That is hilarious, you calling me a vampire. I love your feistiness but I have to say you are not too seasoned in your encounters. Truly, I am disappointed that you would even insult me with such nonsense. Ha, vampire.”
I rolled my eyes, “Than why in the hell are you smelling me and saying I was delicious?”
“Poor little McKenna has no clue of the world around her. You cannot imagine the things that you have yet to see or experience; a mere virgin in more ways than one.” Instantly he eyes faded to a pale green, my breathing slowed slightly. “I figured you would like that better. They are the same color as Aidan’s and I can tell that you are intrigued by him. Do not fret peaches, there are more than myself that are curious about how sweet you would taste. Now I am going to leave you here. You are going to be a good little girl and go calmly to the rest of your classes. You will have lunch. We will see each other again; very soon love.”
I unconsciously agreed then in a blink Tristan was gone. Something in the pit of my stomach stirred, urging me to go to my next class. I nearly ran.
* * * *
The classroom was half-full when I arrived, most students were chatting away in small clusters. I rushed to an empty seat in the back. My mind was running in circles trying to solve the mystery of what Tristan was. I would probably never know what Aidan is, since Tiffany his girlfriend told him to stay away from me. Maybe it was better that way.
“Tiffany and Aidan broke up this morning,” said a small female voice.
I looked around and found a girl sitting in the row next to mine. She didn’t break her stride unpacking her notebooks until she could feel me staring at her.
“Sorry I must have been talking to myself.”
The young girl smiled politely, “No worries.” She continued to sprawl her contents out of the bag. It was hard not to notice how young she looked with dark chestnut hair and porcelain doll features. I shrugged her off letting my mind go back to my issues with Tristan and
Aidan. My grandmother had told me very little about the creatures I would encounter and even what she had told me I could not guarantee was completely true. I was alone in this crazy world with no one to talk to.
“McKenna you are not alone. You should really talk to Aileen about this, I am sure she help you figure it out.”
Full of shock, I gaped at the dark haired girl. “Okay I know that I did not say anything that time, so explain to me how you knew what I was thinking and how you know my name.”
She rolled her eyes playfully, “I’m a telepath silly; I hear everything that goes on in your head. The name thing was easy it’s written on your notebook.” I glanced down, seeing my name in big bold letters; idiot. “Oh by the way my name is Julie,” she said holding out her hand. I still could not believe this girl could read my mind. “Fine, no handshake but you really should talk to Aileen.”
Before I could ask her who this “Aileen” person was, the instructor began his lecture. I was not finished with Julie; I had a billion and one questions to ask her. However, her attention was glued to the short balding man that was yapping pathetically about something I could care less about. A fast forward button would be nice. Too bad that’s never going to happen.
Chapter 4:
Tales from the Dark Side
Tick…Tick…Tick, the sound of the clock was like pouring shards of glass in my veins; I could barely sit still as I watched her. Julie never once flinched during the entire class. I knew she could hear my mind shouting for her but she still focused taking her notes. I glanced at the clock for the millionth time and finally my prayers were answered, on cue the class came to an end. I turned to Julie to stop her from leaving; she was already waiting for me.
“Yes, McKenna I can read people’s minds—well most people. Yes, it sucks ninety-nine percent of the time and yes, Aileen can explain everything.”
“Amazing, I am baffled. I bet you know everyone’s secrets. You would be a hell of an enemy and a friend. I am curious, why are you so open about it? Are you not afraid of what people think of you?”
Julie’s smile faltered, “Of course I am afraid of what people think of me. You are the first person other than Aileen that I have told. I thought you of all people would understand what it was like to really see people for who they are. You and I have to bear everyone’s secrets, maybe if we have each other the load would not be so hard to carry.”
“Hey I did not mean that I was going to poke fun or anything. It has just been my experience that people with secrets want to keep a tight lid on things. I am sure we’ll be friends.” I gave Julie a crooked smile.
Her face lit up, “Friends really?” Julie was nearly bouncing in her seat.
“But-” I cleared my voice to get her attention, “But you have to do me a favor.”
She was giddy, “Anything homey. Name the person you want me to spy on and considerate done.”
“No, no spying. I need you to take the fatal attraction thing down a peg or two. You seem nice and I do want us to be friends. I am not used to this much…um, enthusiasm.” I tried to choose my words and thoughts wisely.
This request did not seem to upset Julie in the slightest. Instead she gathered her belongs, shoving them into her bag.
I was confused. “Where are you going?”
Julie calmly reached over to pat my arm. “I am not as temperamental as you think. Now grab your stuff, we are going to talk to Aileen. I think she has a couple of hours before her next class so no one will be with her.”
I shoveled my things into my bag, still questioning who this Aileen was.
“You met her this morning in mythology.” I followed her out until the hall, trying to remember if any woman named Aileen had introduced herself. Nope — in fact, no female other than teachers and Julie had introduced themselves.
“Yes, McKenna it was Mrs. Danu.” Julie did not bother to slow down despite I was a little taken aback by who Aileen really was.
Mrs. Danu’s classroom was empty of students as Julie had guessed and Aileen was at her desk writing in a notebook that looked like a day planner. Julie knocked on a desk to get her attention then said, “I’ve brought a present for you Aileen.”
Aileen marked her page then glanced at us; I could feel her evaluating me. “Yes, you did and I see that you have told her about yourself.”
“She would probably not have come otherwise.” Julie winked.
“Probably not; McKenna dear have a seat. I know you have plenty of questions. Julie shut the door please. I would hate for someone to walk in on our little meeting here.”
“Should I call you Mrs. Danu or Aileen?”
“You may call me Aileen when it’s just us but I am still Mrs. Danu during class time.” She put her hands in her lap, “Where would you like me to begin?”
That was an overwhelming question. “I am not sure what to ask, Julie just told me to come talk to you about Tristan and Aidan.”
“Ah—well in that case we shall start with that and let’s not waste time. Tristan is a type of demon, I haven’t yet figured out what he is doing here or what he wants. He is not dangerous like most of the demons with his stature. His type of danger resides in only the one he wants.” My face flushed thinking of how strong he came on to me. “Promise me McKenna that you will be careful around him.” Aileen’s petite face clouded with worry.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked staring at Aileen blankly.
“I am serious McKenna. Tristan seems to have a fascination with you and if you are alone with him, he could easily overpower you. He is very old and powerful; he has been playing games with humans for a long time.”
Tristan seems to be fascinated with you… my throat felt thick thinking of how I could possibly fascinate him; Julie elbowed me. “Right, avoid Tristan.” I had to change the subject, “So can I ask you how is it possible that a demon behaves so normal around this many people? I have encountered a few demons in the past and they tend to be exactly what people expect; dark, evil creatures that hide in the shadows.”
“In most of the supernatural realm you will find that there is a type of hierarchy. The ones you have encountered are called daemons , completely different from Tristan. I will try to find out more about the type of demon he is but it will take some time. The daemons you have encountered before are evil, they can possess people and poison a person’s mind. They are at the bottom of the demon hierarchy. Tristan is not at the top of the pyramid but he is in the top three.”
My arm hair stood up on end thinking about the ways that Tristan could kill me. I shook my head to get the thought out of my head. Bleakly I asked, “Is Aidan is a demon as well?” I hated to think that behind those piercing pale green eyes, was a soul of the damned. I glanced at Julie whose eyes were boring a hole straight through me. Her eyes flickered to Aileen. I whipped my head around to see Aileen staring at her hands. “What are you not telling me?”
She did not answer me, instead Julie cleared her throat. “She should know; McKenna has a crush on him already.”
“That’s a lie.” I snapped. “He is just—mysterious that’s all.”
Aileen sighed, “Of course you like him. I did not get to you soon enough. But it is probably for the best anyway, you are destined to fall in love with him.”
I fell out of my chair.
Julie snickered, “You are so dramatic.”
“Maybe I should tell you a little about myself to help explain the sharp edges.” Aileen’s face tensed.
“Couldn’t hurt.” I mumbled.
“Okay, let’s see—I come from a very long line of women who possess the power to see a person’s past, present and future. Some people have used us as a guide to lead them through life or offer them wisdom on what they should do. Regardless of how you want me to help you please do not call me a fortune teller; I am not even close to a carnie.”
“Can you see everyone’s past?” My heart sank thinking of my mother. I hoped they would keep their thoughts about my past to themselves. Th
e tears were on the verge of busting though my composure.
“Hey, snap out of it!” Julie shouted grabbing my hand. “Goodness girl you know how to depress even the brightest of minds. Aileen please gives her the good news or a hug. She’s one push away from slitting her wrist with your stapler.”
Aileen rolled her eyes, “McKenna you need to get a grip on yourself. You must know that your mother would be very disappointed in such thoughts; so selfish and bitter. Fate is an everlasting web of choices, she made her choice and you must make yours. However, I do want to stress to you that the decisions you make can affect more than just your own life. The wrong choice could cost an innocent life, many innocent lives.”
“Now who’s being the drama queen?” I snapped full of frustration. “Please just tell me what to do and considerate that box checked. Strange as this may sound I trust you for some reason.”
Aileen smiled, “It is our bond my dear. You are connected to me as I am connected to you. Destiny would have it no other way. At your request on what to do, I need you to submit to your heart and fall in love with Aidan. He will love you just as much but you two have to overcome each other’s fears. This love will not be easy, pushing the very boundaries of your damaged heart. Aidan needs you to fight for him to change his destiny. I can tell you that I do not see an outcome of whether or not you will succeed. Instead, I see the fork in the road of what could happen and it is not pleasant. Death and carnage will follow you to a path of destruction with Aidan leading the way. Aidan is a destined to be a creature of your worst nightmares. But perhaps your love can change his path. Love is a power that all men want yet without a woman no man can conquer. ”
I felt numb inside, shocked by Aileen’s revelations about the future. My throat felt dry and gritty; I managed to speak. “What is he?”
“Aidan is destined to become a soul reaper; the transition has not taken place yet. Right now Aidan is a somewhat normal nineteen year old with baggage.” Aileen explained.
