Shadow Demons

by Sarra Cannon

  “I didn’t ask you,” Mrs. King said, her tone suddenly hard. “And I don’t appreciate you coming into my locker room and telling me how to run this squad.”

  “I wasn’t…” Brooke’s mom grew quiet for a moment, then sighed. “Angela, you know I would never tell you what to do. I just want you to think about the consequences.”

  “What consequences?”

  “Every decision has its own consequences,” she said. “If the cheerleading routines continue to spotlight Harper, there’s no telling what might happen in this town. Or to Harper.”

  “What exactly are you trying to say, Laura?”

  “I’m saying that these are very dangerous times,” Brooke’s mom said in a half-whisper. “If something were to happen to that girl, we’d all be gone. Just like that. It seems irresponsible to put her front and center like she was some show piece for the Order. I’m thinking it might be time for some changes around here.”

  An eerie chill ran down my spine. Was there some new reason for her to think something might happen to me? It seemed like danger was surrounding me these days.

  “Until the council says otherwise, I’m the one in charge of this squad,” Mrs. King said. “I appreciate your concern, but I think I can handle these decisions just fine on my own. Now, if you’ll excuse me, the girls should be here any minute.”

  Brooke’s mother walked away, her heels clicking on the cement floor. I slipped down the side of the locker and sat down on the stiff wooden bench, dread pooling in my stomach. Something very bad was on the horizon. I could feel it in my bones.

  I Was Afraid You Would Say That

  “Nervous?” Lark turned the combination on her locker and yanked it open.

  I shrugged. “A little,” I said. I hadn’t been able to get Mrs. Harris’ conversation with Mrs. King out of my mind. “There’s been so much going on lately, I haven’t really been focused on the competition. Are there usually a lot of people watching?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Lark said. “There’s the other teams for one thing. Then all their parents and friends and boyfriends. It’s already getting crowded out there and the first team doesn’t even go on for another hour.”

  “Great,” I mumbled. Right now, a crowded gym was the last place I wanted to be. It was bad enough that some evil witch had come after me last night, but somehow hearing Brooke’s mom bash me in front of my teacher was worse. I wasn’t at all what the Order had been hoping for when they thought about their future Prima. I would have gladly surrendered the role to someone else if it didn’t mean also losing my life.

  Brooke and Allison came into the room just as I was pulling on my uniform. They were laughing and whispering to each other like they didn’t have a care in the world. Well, Brooke may not think I’m good enough at cheering to be at the top of the pyramid, but I wondered how well she would be handling things if she had been the one dealing with witch attacks and crows and murder accusations. I figured surviving took priority over perfect spirit fingers.

  I was surprised when Brooke walked right up to me, a big smile plastered on her face.

  “Hey Harper,” she said.

  I gave her a tentative smile. “Hey.”

  I wanted to call her a traitor and tell her to get out of my face. How dare she tell her mother I’d been messing up in practice?

  “I just wanted to tell you good luck today,” she said. “You might want to double check and make sure you have the right shoes. You wouldn’t want to fall again. Not in front of everyone like this.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. What did she have up her sleeve? We both knew she was the one who messed with my cheerleading sneakers a few weeks ago. I might not have been able to prove it, but I knew it was her. She wanted to make me look like an idiot so she could get her spot back at the top of the pyramid.

  I looked down at my shoes. “I don’t leave my shoes here overnight anymore,” I said. “You never know what kind of person might have access to the lockers.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” she said.

  She turned and walked toward the opposite side of the locker room. When she and Allison sat down on the long wooden bench, they exploded in giggles.

  A knot in my stomach twisted.

  Something felt wrong. I took my shoes off and walked down into the secret training room below the gym. Mrs. King was down there, hunched over a book. I was struck again by how pretty she always looked with her glossy black hair. She looked like she was young enough to still be on the squad instead of leading it.

  She looked up when I came down the stairs.

  “Oh hi, Harper.” She paused, took one look at the frazzled expression on my face and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  I put my shoes on the table in front of her. “Can you just double check my shoes? I want to make sure the spell is right and they aren’t programmed to make me fall or anything.”

  “Are you still worried about that incident a couple of weeks ago?” She took my shoes in her hands. “I told you I didn’t think Mary Anne’s family had done that. Besides, I don’t think they’ll show their faces around here anytime soon.”

  “It’s not Mary Anne’s family I’m worried about.” I sat down on the stone bench. “It’s someone on the squad.”

  Mrs. King shook her head. “You can’t still think Brooke had something to do with your fall that day?”

  “Can you just check them, please? If it’s not too much trouble.”

  Mrs. King pursed her lips and stared at me for a long moment. She sighed and closed her eyes, running through the routine in her mind and checking the spell on the shoes. I knew I was acting like a paranoid freak, but I just wanted to make sure no one was out to sabotage me today.

  “Everything is exactly in place,” she said.

  I stared down at the shoes. The routine was fine. I was probably reading way too much into Brooke’s strange behavior. She was just trying to rattle me.

  The trouble was, it was working.

  “The routine looks completely normal. Are you sure that’s really what’s bothering you?”

  I paused. No, that wasn’t all that was bothering me. I thought about telling her I’d been attacked, but how could I trust her not to mention it to the council? Especially after what Brooke’s mother said today about me always being in danger. If they found out there was another attack on my life, who knows what drastic steps they might take.

  Besides, Zara would be arriving tomorrow to take over as my official trainer. Between her and Jackson and the girls at Shadowford, maybe everything would be alright.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “Just a little bit nervous about the crowd.”

  She smiled, her face softening. “You’ll be fine. Come on, let’s get up there. A bunch of the teams have probably already registered by now. I bet the gym’s getting packed.”

  I nodded. “Okay, but can I ask you a quick question first?”

  “Sure.” She looked at me expectantly.

  “The girls were talking about the Halloween Ball the other day at dinner,” I said. “I was wondering if that was mandatory, or what?”

  Mrs. King closed her eyes and let her head fall back slightly. “Oh my goodness,” she said. “I can’t believe I haven’t talk to you about this before. I keep forgetting you haven’t been around Peachville for very long. Harper, the Halloween Ball is a big deal for the Order. You’ll definitely need to be there. You’re the Prima Futura. You’ll be the guest of honor this year.”

  Great. I sighed. “I was afraid you would say that.”

  “Is something wrong?” she asked. “You seem tense.”

  I needed to get better at hiding my emotions. It seemed everyone was picking up on the fact that I wasn’t exactly happy-go-lucky these days. “I’m fine,” I said with a smile. “And about the Halloween Ball. Can I bring anyone I want as a date?”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “I don’t know if it’s really the most appropriate place for Jackson.”

  My heart sank. I really d
idn’t want to face that party alone.

  Mrs. King put her arm around my shoulder. “Maybe it wouldn’t be such a big deal,” she said. “I doubt they’d kick him out if he showed up, you know?”

  I smiled. “Thanks.”

  “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go win our first regional competition.”

  Rattle Some Cages

  There were at least two hundred people already filling the bleachers and a line of people waiting to get in and find a seat. Everyone was talking and laughing and the noise was deafening. My stomach flipped over.

  “You’ll do fine,” Lark whispered. We were sitting near the bottom row of bleachers in a spot that had been sectioned off for Peachville. “Don’t let Brooke psych you out. She’s just insanely jealous.”

  How jealous? Jealous enough to do something stupid? Jealous enough to try to hurt me again? I felt sick to my stomach. Thank goodness Courtney had been there last night to give me a recharge or I would have been in some serious trouble today.

  “Do you think I’m too stiff?” I asked, thinking about Mrs. Harris’ words.

  Lark giggled. “No way, you look great out there. A real natural.”

  I rolled my eyes. Now I knew she was lying. I just hoped I didn’t look as uncomfortable out there as I felt most of the time.

  The noise in the gym seemed to muffle for a moment, as if I had gone underwater. The skin on my arm tingled, and I smiled. Jackson was here.

  Lately, I’d been able to feel his presence in a whole new way. Like we were tuned into each other. I turned my head and peered toward the door, but there were so many people, I couldn’t find him at first.

  I crinkled my nose, disappointed.

  “Who are you looking for?” Lark asked, following my gaze.

  I gave her a look and she smacked herself on the forehead. “Oh, duh. I didn’t know he was coming today.” Her eyes grew wide and she tugged my arm. “Oh my god, I totally forgot to ask about your date last night!”

  “Shhh.” I looked around to make sure no one from the Order was sitting beside us. I didn’t want to be lectured again about how Jackson and I could never have a future together and how I’d be better off with a guy like Drake.

  Lark leaned toward me, laughing. “Sorry,” she said, whispering this time. “How was it? Was he such a gentleman? I mean, I can’t even imagine what it would be like to date someone who was like, over a hundred years old. Is it creepy? Or was it just normal?”

  I shook my head. She was hopeless. Of course, Lark would be the one to bring up the technical age difference. “It was normal,” I said, thinking about our conversation in the boat and how romantic it had been when he told me about his life growing up in the shadow world. “Well, as normal as something in my life could be at this point.”

  My breath caught in my throat as I caught sight of him walking into the gym. No matter how much time I spent with him, I never got used to the way it made me feel when he was close to me. I knew part of it was that being near him gave my power a boost, but that wasn’t all of it. What I felt for him went much deeper than that.

  “Earth to Harper,” Lark said. She waved her hand in front of my face and giggled. “Man, you’ve got it bad, huh?”

  I blushed and pulled my gaze away from Jackson’s face. “Sorry,” I said. “I can’t help it. He’s…”

  Magnetic. That was the word I was thinking of. I felt my body pull toward him when he was near, and anytime we were apart, I felt his absence like a crack in my soul. My whole life, I’d never let myself rely on another human being. I’d never let myself really even care for anyone, because I was certain they would eventually leave me. But with Jackson, even though I knew how badly the whole thing might end, I couldn’t help myself. I was falling hard, and no matter how scared I was to let down these walls around my heart, the thought of closing myself off from him was worse.

  Next to me, Lark sighed. “I wish I had someone I could feel that way about,” she said.

  “What about Andrew?” I said. “I thought you adored him.”

  She leaned her head back and groaned. “I did. Until we went out this past weekend and all he could talk about was playing Xbox live and how many achievements he’d racked up on Left For Dead two. Believe me, it was one of the most boring nights of my life.”

  I cut my eyes back toward Jackson. He took a seat at the very top of the bleachers where it was less crowded. I smiled. Watching a cheerleading competition was probably the last thing he wanted to do on a Saturday afternoon, but he was here to make sure I was safe. It was sweet.

  He must have sensed me staring at him, because just then he turned toward me and lifted his head in a nod of hello. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as our eyes met across the crowded gymnasium. An invisible thread connected us.

  “Are you bringing him to the Halloween Ball?” Lark asked, bringing me back to our conversation.

  I thought about our conversation last night. He didn’t want to go, but after what happened in the woods, I knew he wouldn’t want to let me out of his sight. Especially not during an official party given by the Order.

  “That’s the plan,” I said.

  I had no idea how the higher-ups in the Order would react when they saw Jackson at their annual party. In fifty years, he’d never been. But they couldn’t really argue against it, right? Not if he showed up as my guest? I mean, weren’t they telling me I should step up and take on more of a leadership role? Well, as their future leader, if I wanted to bring a demon to a party, I was going to do it.

  Lark giggled and shook her head. “You’re definitely going to rattle some cages with that one.”

  I smiled. I’d always been more of a rebel at heart. I figured this town could use a little rattling. I couldn’t wait to see the expression on all those old ladies’ faces next weekend.

  Who Knew Being A Cheerleader Could Be So Stressful?

  Finally, it was our turn to perform. For my team, I tried to clear my mind of worries and concentrate on the five minute routine we’d been working on for the past couple of weeks. The magic in the sneakers was awesome and gave us a huge advantage, but when it came to all of the throws and acrobatics in this routine, there was still a chance one of us could mess up big time.

  My heart was beating like crazy when we finally took our places on the gym floor. The bleachers were completely packed with people. The judges sat right up front at a long table, their pencils ready. One younger judge on the end caught my eye and gave me a big, encouraging smile. I smiled back, my hands trembling at my sides.

  The music started and my body took over. We’d practiced this so many times in the past week alone, I knew the moves backward and forward. Before I started cheering, I never realized just how athletic you had to be. There was so much more to it than cheering on the field on Friday nights. Our newest routine was extremely difficult. For us, timing was everything.

  We had a few individual tumbling passes, and if one person started even a second or two behind, it could cause a serious crash. When my tumbling part came, I kept my mind on the music and trusted my feet to know when to start moving. After that terrible practice when I fell and my shoes were tampered with, I’d had a hard time being super confident in my shoes. That was probably exactly what Brooke wanted me to feel. I tried to ignore the rush of fear that nagged at my brain. What if Brooke somehow tampered with my routine again? What if I started tumbling and crash into someone in front of all these people?

  I kept a count of the beats in my head and started out. Two round-offs, a back hand spring, and a back tuck. I flew across the floor, feeling the pounding of the bass vibrate against my hands when I touched the ground. When I made it to the other side safely, a huge smile broke out across my face.

  Confident, I ran to my next spot. Our final difficult element was a three tiered pyramid with me at the very top. When I dismounted, I was supposed to fly into the air and do a twist down into the arms of three of the girls at the bottom. This was the same spot where I’d fa
llen and gotten hurt in practice. My eyes flicked toward Brooke. She was smiling and getting into place, and I somehow felt relieved that she wasn’t watching me.

  In front of me, Allison laced her fingers together. I stepped into her hand and she lifted me up high into the air. For a second, I fought for my balance, then confidently climbed higher, up to the very top of the pyramid. I kept waiting for my mind to go fuzzy. For the routine to disappear or glitch in some way. But it didn’t. The last seconds of the routine stretched out in my mind, and I had to trust that everything was right. I had to trust the spell on my shoes and believe that the girls on the squad were going to catch me.

  My stomach tightened, but I didn’t let my smile fade. As the final seconds of the music sounded, I felt Allison and the other girls below me sink down, then push me high into the air. I flew up high, my body twisting and soaring. The music thumped and my heart pounded in my ears. Fear rushed through my veins. As I spun, flashes of the floor and the girls waiting below twisted in and out of my vision. Finally, after what felt like an eternity in the air, I landed safely in the arms of my fellow cheerleaders.

  Relief flooded through me. I smiled as they pushed me back into the air for our final formation. I raised my hands in the air, my chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath. The music ended and the crowd roared. We’d done it. And I hadn’t died. Win-win.

  Who knew being a cheerleader could be so stressful?

  Someday, I would Have To Choose

  Waiting on the scores that afternoon felt like an eternity. Each cheerleading team sat together on the gym floor as the head judge – the cheerleading coach at the University of Georgia – read the names of the winners.

  The glossy wooden floor was cold against my legs. Lark sat to one side of me. Allison on the other. We held hands and huddled together. The Peachville High cheerleading squad had never won first place at a regional competition. Usually, Meredith and Caroline’s school in Cypress won first, but they weren’t competing this year. After Caroline’s disappearance and illness, their coach decided it would be best for them to sit out for a year instead of pushing the girls to practice during the crisis. So here we were, hoping to win for the very first time.