The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl

by Paige McKenzie

  “Um, not exactly.”

  I sit up and click on the antique gooseneck lamp on my nightstand, buying myself time to come up with answers to her questions. What version of the truth should I tell her? What combination of facts and little white lies? Not even Mom knows all the details—just the broad brushstrokes, including the fact that her daughter, whom she believed for sixteen long years to be human, is not.

  Ashley does deserve an explanation. Last week in Mexico I found out—actually, I had this telepathic vision, which seems to be one of my new luiseach super powers—that Helena had taken Nolan prisoner in Victoria’s house in order to bait me. Victoria was pretending to be on Team Helena for spying purposes. I had to rescue Nolan, so I tricked Ashley into picking me up at Llevar la Luz—the story about Nolan worked, at least temporarily—and driving me all the way to Ridgemont. Aidan and Lucio followed us, not like caravan followed but movie-car-chase-scene followed.

  When we got to Victoria’s I convinced Helena to set Nolan loose in exchange for me. Of course, my lovely bio-mom then tried to strangle me to death, although she changed her mind in the end. Could she not go through with it, after all? Does she have a couple of maternal neurons in her brain amongst the hundred billion crazy ones? But something tells me she may try again. I guess it all depends on this “council” of hers, whatever that is. Who are they? Where are they? Are they really on their way here, like Aidan said? How did Helena convince them to make the journey to Ridgemont from… where was it… Peru? Did she call them, videochat with them, or engage in telepathic messaging?

  Found daughter. Should I eliminate her or not eliminate her? Please advise.

  The point is, I owe Ashley a lot. Including the truth. Or part of the truth anyway.

  After a moment I decide on a carefully edited version of what I told Mom.

  By the time I’m done Ashley’s jaw is practically to the floor.

  “Soooo… you’re like a magical fairy?” she says finally.

  “Sort of. Not exactly. More like a guardian angel with, uh, superpowers.”

  “How did this happen? Did you accidentally swallow a potion? Were you in a laboratory accident? Did you get bitten by a spider from outer space?”

  “I was born this way. Aidan and Helena are also luiseach.”

  “That’s insane. So how many of you are there?”

  “I’m not sure. Lots, I think. Aidan says there may be tens of thousands of us spread around the world. The problem is, there are also lots of demons and dark spirits out there who are doing evil. Even now they may be hatching some evil doomsday plan to unleash Armageddon and overthrow civilization. You aren’t able to see these creatures—I can, and Aidan and Helena can, and I’m not sure who else can. I was fighting against three of them on Victoria’s front yard.”

  “Get out of town!”

  “No, really. It’s my job. It’s what luiseach are supposed to do.”

  “Wow.”

  Ashley unties her hair and ties it back up again. She crosses her legs in a lotus position and then uncrosses them. “Okay. This evil doomsday plan. Is it happening soon?”

  “Maybe. Probably. We’re not sure.”

  “And you’re going to try to stop it?”

  “Oh, yeah, definitely.”

  Ashley nods to herself. “In that case I’m staying in Ridgemont with you. You can’t be going through all this scary demon drama without your bestie around.”

  I’m startled. I wasn’t expecting this. At the same time I feel relieved, touched, grateful. And also happy—Ashley and I haven’t spent any quality time together since Mom and I moved here last August. Unless you count the past few crazy days as quality time, which I most certainly don’t.

  Although going through more scary demon drama together isn’t exactly quality time either.

  “That’s really sweet of you. But it could be dangerous…”

  “If you’re right, it’ll be dangerous everywhere, Austin included. I’d rather be here with you and the rest of your guardian angel squad.”

  “What about school? Spring break is almost over.”

  “I’ll talk to my parents, tell them there’s an emergency here or something. They never say no to me—well, except maybe that time I asked if I could trade in my hybrid for a BMW convertible. Okay, yeah, the hybrid was my sweet-sixteen birthday present. Oh, and when I asked if I could date that super-hot guy from UT Austin. I’ll get my teachers to email me my homework and stuff. They all love me, so it’s totally cool.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Ashley truly is my Nacho Cheese Sister.

  CHAPTER 8

  Back to School

  Monday morning. Ashley and I walk to school together, our backpacks slapping against our backs. The neighborhood is quiet—no kids waiting for the bus, no grown-ups leaving for work. I can practically imagine the tumbleweeds blowing down the street, it’s that desolate. The only sign of life besides us is a crow pecking at a patch of dirt.

  The day is typical Ridgemont—somber gray sky, cool temperature, major fog, the threat of drizzle hovering perpetually in the air. Being accustomed to the hot, dry Austin climate and having packed only a small overnight bag before picking me up in Mexico, Ashley was completely unprepared wardrobe-wise. Right now she’s wearing my vintage pearl-white cardigan over her pink sundress and also my beige-y wool tights, which she’s not thrilled about—“because I look like someone’s grandma” were her exact words. But of course she’s exaggerating, because she can basically wear anything and exude supermodel gorgeousness.

  I yawn. And yawn again. My day started at 4:45 A.M., when I made myself roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, and meet with Aidan to train in the park. The training was very difficult and seriously martial arts—he actually put a blindfold on me, gave me a stick, and challenged me to locate and knock down a bag of salt potatoes hanging from a tree. In under ten seconds. I jokingly called the exercise “luiseach party piñata,” but Aidan wasn’t amused.

  “So what’s your school like?” Ashley inquires as we turn onto Evergreen Street, which is kind of a misnomer because the pine trees here are more brown than green. “Are there lots of cute guys?”

  I laugh. Ashley is notoriously boy crazy. She was on-off with Cory Cooper forever back at our old high school in Austin. I’ve never known her to be single for more than a week or two.

  “I haven’t noticed. But I’m sure there are,” I reply.

  “Does he go here? The one with the fancy ink on his right hand?”

  “You mean Lucio? No.”

  “Even his name is dreamy,” Ashley swoons. “What’s his relationship status? Spill!”

  I glance surreptitiously over my shoulder. I know Lucio is back there somewhere, following me—his shift started right after Aidan’s. I spot him about half a block behind us. He gives me a little nod; I nod back.

  “What. Is. His. Relationship. Status?” Ashley repeats impatiently. “Does he have a girlfriend? Concentrate, Sunny-G. This is important.”

  “Um… no. I don’t think so. But I think he might”—have a big, huge crush on me, I want to say—“be getting over a previous relationship?”

  Ashley grins and shrugs. “No worries. I can help him forget her.”

  “Um… okay.”

  “Do you have any deets? A name? Maybe I can check her out on Facebook.”

  “Sorry, I don’t.”

  Although maybe I should confide in her about what happened—almost happened—with Lucio? But Ashley’s not always 100 percent reliable about keeping secrets, and what if she accidentally blurts it to Nolan?

  When Lucio almost kissed me in Mexico and I pulled back, he misunderstood, thinking I needed more time, and he said he would wait for me. I didn’t tell him about Nolan then or that more time wasn’t the issue. Of course now he knows about Nolan, so maybe he’s over me and ready to move on? Lucio’s the first guy I ever kissed, or almost kissed.

  I like to think the kiss I shared with Nolan o
n Saturday was my real first time.

  “Hey, new topic. Your dad’s not as bad as you said. And he has awesome taste in clothes!” Ashley declares. “It was nice of him to arrange the school stuff for me. And the ballet lessons too.”

  “Yeah, that’s Aidan for you.”

  After finding out about the Ashley-wanting-to-stay-in-Ridgemont plan, Aidan somehow arranged for her to transfer to Ridgemont High for the rest of the spring semester. He managed to sell her parents on this plan too—among other things, because Ashley plans to be a professional dancer someday, he fixed it so that she’d be able to take private dance classes with some famous ballerina who happens to live near here. Aidan is weirdly powerful, even with boring, nonparanormal matters like navigating school bureaucracies and organizing lessons. He did a similar thing for me too, arranging for me to take a spontaneous leave of absence from school while he and I were in Mexico.

  “Oh, and your dad gave me this awesome new cell that’s like a Bat phone or something. He said I need to carry it with me at all times. He also said I’m not supposed to leave your side. Well, I’m not not supposed to leave your side ever,” Ashley amends with a hair flip.

  “That sentence is confusing.”

  “Whatever, Ms. Grammatically Correct English Nerd. Anyway it’s all good because everyone’s bodyguarding you. Me, Vicky, your dad, your mom, your psycho-freak other mom, your boyfriend… and my dreamy future boyfriend, Lucio. I wouldn’t mind being bodyguarded by him, if you know what I mean.” She giggles and jabs me hard with her elbow.

  “Ow!”

  My backpack slides down my shoulder, and I push it back up absent-mindedly. That’s another thing… I don’t know how I feel about this “bodyguarding” business. Aidan may think I need round-the-clock luiseach protection (him, Lucio, Helena), plus extra sets of human eyes and ears (Nolan, Mom, Victoria, and now Ashley). But honestly, I can take care of myself. Besides, what if we’re all wrong and Dubu isn’t targeting me personally? What if his plan, the plan, is more complicated than “have Sunshine killed and unleash the doomsday or whatever spell”? Right now all we have are theories.

  I touch the gold necklace hanging around my neck, hidden under layers of plaid. If Helena is telling the truth, I may not even need bodyguarding from Dubu or other demons. Not as much, anyway. But how will I know if she’s lying? What is her game? Maybe I can ask Nolan to research the necklace for me without actually mentioning the necklace. Like, were there any talismans throughout history that provided protection against the dark side?

  I peek at my watch: twenty minutes until homeroom. In Mexico it would be time for Lucio’s and my daily ten-mile run through the jungle. I feel a strange disconnect, like I’m here and not here, like this is all a dream. Part of me is still back at Llevar la Luz, training with Lucio and Aidan from dawn till dusk and collapsing at the end of the day exhausted but exhilarated.

  At Llevar la Luz I came into my own. Of course, it wasn’t all Wonder Woman empowerment—far from it. I watched a man die. I became aware of a bunch of painful truths about myself, about Helena, about Aidan, and about the history of the luiseach.

  On the plus side, though, I learned how to help multiple spirits move on at the same time. I even taught spirits how to move on by themselves, which is part of Aidan’s Plan B in case the luiseach extinction thing really goes down and human spirits are left to fend for themselves. Apparently I’m the only luiseach who can actually do this.

  We turn onto Old Schoolhouse Road, and there it is: good old Ridgemont High. It’s still the same gray, depressing concrete monolith. Cars jockey for spots in the parking lot. Students swarm as one through the front entrance. My palms are sweaty, and I realize I’m nervous. I’ve been gone for three whole months. I wonder if anything’s changed? Will I be able to catch up in all my classes?

  Ashley jabs me with her elbow again. “Oooh, who’s that hottie?”

  “Who?”

  “The one in the red polo shirt,” she says, pointing.

  “He’s on the varsity football team. Jamal something. I guess you’re already over Lucio?” I joke.

  Ashley grins. “Ha ha.”

  Suddenly the temperature dips.

  I reach up and wrap my blue owl-print scarf around my neck. It’s then that I sense the spirit nearby: a young woman who died just hours ago. Her name was Kirsten, and she woke in the middle of the night because her baby was crying. Bleary-eyed, she headed down to the kitchen to warm up a bottle, but she stumbled on the stairs and fell twenty steps. She hit her head hard on the marble foyer. Kirsten was dead before her girlfriend, Ruth, woke up and called 9-1-1.

  She’s the first light spirit who has come to me since Saturday morning, when way too many light spirits came to me and nearly caused me to freeze to death. It must be the fact that Aidan, Helena, and Lucio are here too. Translation: I’m not the only luiseach in the area.

  I stop in the middle of the sidewalk and hold out my right hand to Kirsten.

  Ashley stops too. “Um, Sunshine? What are you doing? Cuz if you’re trying to get that Jamal guy’s attention, there may be a less awkward way—”

  “Shhhh.”

  I close my eyes and concentrate. I try to pull Kirsten to me—slowly, gently. She’s afraid and resists at first.

  It’s okay. Let me help you. I want you to be at peace, I say silently.

  Her resistance eases a little. She billows toward me, her long strawberry-blond hair matted with blood, her face contorted with sadness and shock. She and Ruth were going to get married this summer at a B&B in the mountains. Their daughter, Eden, just turned six months old.

  “Sunshine?”

  “Ash, be quiet!”

  Kirsten is close to me now, so close that my fingertips are freezing cold, on the verge of frostbite.

  You’re almost there. I can feel the love in your heart. I can feel your strength. I know how much you miss Ruth and Eden, but they’ll be all right. You’ll be able to watch over them soon, forever.

  In response Kirsten’s spirit flickers and begins to bloom into a ball of light.

  Yes. Just let it happen. Just become one with the light.

  Suddenly her sad face morphs into… jeepers creepers, what is that? Hatred. Malice. Evil. Her blue eyes glow red, and her mouth twists into a malevolent smile.

  Startled, I stumble back. But Kirsten manages to grab my outstretched hand. Her fingers dig into my wrist.

  “Deditio,” she mutters in a deep, guttural voice.

  “W-what?” I stammer. I try to wrench my arm away, but Kirsten’s grip is like iron.

  “Sunshine, what’s wrong?” I hear Ashley cry out.

  Then I feel Helena’s gold necklace grow hot against my skin. What’s happening? At the same moment Kirsten—or what used to be Kirsten—shrieks and lets go. She vanishes into a nearby tree—or rather, she flies right at it, into it, and disappears.

  For a second the whole tree turns blood-red. Then it’s back to tree-colored.

  I rub my wrist, dazed. I know light spirits can turn dark if they’re left on Earth too long. But a few hours isn’t “too long”—not even close. How did Kirsten manage to speed up her light-to-dark journey so dramatically? Was she an anomaly, a mutant?

  Or did she have assistance?

  I peer around. No Dubu, no black sedan. Still, maybe he can control and convert spirits from far away?

  I can feel Helena’s gold necklace returning to cool. Huh. Did it actually work just now to repel Kirsten?

  Lucio jogs up to Ashley and me. “Sunshine, what happened?” he demands breathlessly. “I saw that light spirit, that woman, but then she disappeared, and it looked like you were struggling…” Lucio can see light spirits but not dark spirits or demons—not yet anyway—whereas I’ve been able to see both for a while now.

  Ashley tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and flashes him a radiant smile. “Oh, hey. Lucio, right? We had pizza together at Sunshine’s house the other night. She was just performing one of her Loose Peach magi
c tricks. You’re a Loose Peach too, right?”

  “Luiseach,” I correct her. “I was helping that spirit cross over, Lucio. Except all of sudden she turned dark, and…”

  But Lucio isn’t listening to me. He is staring at my right wrist.

  I follow his gaze—and stifle a scream.

  Kirsten left a mark when she grabbed me. Thin black lines in an intricate spider-web pattern.

  I touch them and try to rub them away.

  The spider-web twitches. Then doubles in size.

  CHAPTER 9

  Spellbound

  Before homeroom Lucio and Nolan stand at my locker and inspect my wrist. The mark is still there, although it’s faded somewhat to a dull pearly gray and returned to its original size.

  I’m trying not to freak out about it—any more than I already have, anyway.

  It’s seriously gross and creepy, and I want my boring old wrist back.

  Nolan leans forward, studying the mark closely.

  “I remember now… there’s a phenomenon called stigmata in the Christian tradition,” he says thoughtfully. “Stigmata are believed to be miraculous marks and such that are found on the human body, perhaps echoing the crucifixion marks of Jesus Christ. I’m not sure if there is an equivalent phenomenon in demonology. I’ll have to do the research.”

  Nolan is an Internet genius. He is also a genius with dusty old books, the kind that are hidden away in obscure corners of university libraries and contain ancient, esoteric information about demons and the like. He’s basically a genius, period, which is one of the reasons I love him.

  “Does it hurt, Sunshine?” Lucio asks with a concerned expression.