Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1)

by William Bernhardt

  I didn’t need my Shine now. I let go, listening without my Shine. Soon the sound drove my tears away. I lay against his chest, his warmth, the sound of his heart, the woodsy scent of his aftershave, and closed my eyes.

  He ran his fingers through my hair. I decided then that I would never be able to live without him. The thought should have scared me. Instead, the thought gave me comfort.

  “I’m leaving tomorrow,” he said.

  I sat up.

  “I’m going to Green Wood Pointe to confront my father.”

  “But you have to wait. I have to come with you.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because we’re in this together.”

  “What about your sister?”

  The nightingale’s song broke up the silence, echoed with the calm patter of Memphis’s heart. “I don’t know,” I answered quietly. How could I stop Lavalle and be with my sister at the same time? Memphis thought he should be the one to stop him, but I knew better. I wouldn’t let him kill his own father.

  “I’ll find a way,” I answered. I could do it. When I searched deep inside, I knew I could stop Lavalle. I knew I would be there for my sister. No matter what. Come what may. I would finish this.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  I left Memphis at the airport. He’d agreed not to come until he heard from me. Before I left, he’d given me his knife. I’d refused at first, but he’d insisted.

  I sat with it tucked inside my boot. Somehow, I felt better with it there.

  The ride in the choppercar seemed to stretch on forever. Without Memphis beside me, my fears returned. How would I defeat Lavalle? Would Katelyn be okay?

  I mulled over what I’d learned in the past week. Early on, perhaps Lavalle’s intentions had been honorable. He’d hoped to eradicate the imperfections of blood. But his methods had led him down a dark path. He’d mentioned that he questioned his sanity, but how could he know if he’d gone insane?

  The answer seemed simple to me.

  He was insane. By replacing his blood, he’d replaced his humanity. Would the same thing happen to Memphis? I shuddered and pushed the thought away.

  The rotors of the choppercar broke up the silence. Dad had sent his private car, complete with leather seats, Google TV, stocked with sodas, imported fine cheeses, and chocolate. I avoided the food as my insides roiled with unease.

  Losing Naomi was still a fresh wound. I told myself that she wasn’t dead. That she’d come back. So far, she hadn’t. And as we made the flight from New Orleans back home to New York, I realized that I may never see her again.

  I felt responsible. She’d come because of me. She’d tried to protect me. But blaming myself wouldn’t bring her back. I rested my head against the glass. I would see her again. I didn’t know when, but deep inside, I knew that I would.

  Below us spanned green countryside, interrupted now and again with roads or fields or small towns. I wondered how many Shines were down there. How many of them had been taken already?

  Even if I did manage to stop Lavalle, there were still so many threats out there. I would never be able to eliminate them all. But I’d heard of other groups who’d banded together to fight the SSS and the patrols. Maybe when this was finished, assuming I survived, I could look into it.

  Thinking of Naomi and my sister became a good distraction to keep me from thinking of Memphis.

  I knew I’d fallen in love with him.

  I didn’t regret it.

  I only wished he was here now. Being without him was like having a limb ripped off. I’d become so accustomed to the sound of his heart.

  The pilot spoke through the cockpit speaker. “We’re passing over Washington, D.C.,” he called out.

  I glanced down. Our nation’s capitol sprawled below. From up here, the White House and capitol appeared as tiny white dots. So small, yet so significant. Did the fate of the Shine girls like me rest in those buildings?

  We continued to New York. Dark clouds streaked with lightning shrouded the sky as we approached the city. The pilot flew the choppercar lower as we approached my condo building.

  Everything was happening too fast. Only a few hours ago I’d sat on the porch with Memphis, letting the sound of his heart calm me. Now I faced the prospect of witnessing my little sister’s death.

  The choppercar landed with a thud on our building’s helipad. The pilot gave me a friendly smile as I thanked him and then climbed out. The sound of the rotors almost drowned out the pilot’s voice.

  “What?” I asked him.

  “Be careful,” he said.

  “Careful?”

  He pointed at the sky. The clouds had grown darker. A stiff breeze smelling of rain blew past. “There’s a big squall coming tonight. Stay safe.”

  “Okay,” I answered before pushing the door closed. I stepped away. The choppercar took off. Soon the whirring of the rotors disappeared. The wind whipped my hair across my face. I searched the helipad, hoping that Mom and Dad would’ve come to greet me, but I stood alone.

  My stomach clenched.

  What if Katelyn had gotten worse?

  What if…? No. I couldn’t go there.

  I found the stairwell leading inside. I descended the stairs and then walked through the hallway on the top floor, searching for the elevators. The exposed steel beams and modern art had always annoyed me, but if it meant I could see Katelyn again, I would deal with it.

  My heart beat with a light patter as the elevator dinged. The doors slid open and I stepped inside. I pushed the button to my floor and the elevator sped downward. My stomach plunged with it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Really wrong.

  The ride took too long. I tapped my foot in a nervous gesture. Thinking of Katelyn. She was okay. She’d be all right. I’d see her again and then everything would be razor. Just like it used to be.

  Why wouldn’t the doors just open already?

  When the elevator slowed, sweat slicked the back of my neck. The elevator stopped. The doors opened painfully slow. I wanted to grab them and shove them open. I didn’t wait for the doors to open all the way as I dashed into the hallway.

  I jogged the distance to my door. Dark images, Katelyn’s coffin, her pale skin, flashed through my head. No, don’t go there.

  I took a steady breath, remembering what Memphis had said. What if everything turned out okay? Then I’d have wasted all my energy worrying for nothing.

  I got to my door, grabbed the knob, and flung the door open.

  Shock made my heart skip a beat.

  Yellow police tape blocked my path, keeping me from stepping into the burnt remains of my home.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  It isn’t real.

  I held my breath, praying that at any minute I would wake up. As I stepped over the police tape, the charred smell assaulted me. My stomach sickened at the scent. I took in everything all at once. The couch, the springs exposed and blackened. The drapes, singed to tattered remnants. The walls, yellowed in some places. Along the back wall only the studs remained.

  How could this have happened? When had it happened? Who had done this?

  The answer came to me almost immediately.

  Lavalle had done this.

  He wanted my blood. He would do anything, even burn my home and take my family, to get it. He was a madman without a conscience. Something inside me screamed for me to run someplace far away where he could never find me again.

  I stumbled into the hallway, searching the bedrooms, hoping that somehow this would be okay. I would blink and my home would be back.

  When I stepped into Katelyn’s room, I felt the insane urge to run out.

  Her pink paisley bedspread was nothing more than singed threads. The carpet, curtains, dresser, all blackened and unrecognizable.

  I tightened my hands into fists, fighting the urge to scream. My breaths came out in labored huffs. I crossed the room, my shoes crunching over the singed fibers.

  I stopped next to what remained of a b
ook. Crouching beside it, I noticed that the faint glimmer of gold came from the front cover. I brushed my hand across the book’s cover to reveal the title.

  Faerie Tales for Curious Readers

  Katelyn’s favorite book.

  I inhaled a nervous breath as I opened the book. Most of the pages were burnt. The paper that remained had yellowed, darkening the pictures. I stopped at the image of Rapunzel’s tower.

  The braided hair that had once been a brilliant shade of gold was barely discernible beneath the soot. I tried wiping off the ash, but the paper fell apart beneath my fingertips, leaving only a cloud of dust.

  I felt as though a vice tightened around my heart.

  This had been Katelyn’s favorite book for more than the stories. She found hope in this book. Dreams came true. Wishes were granted.

  Miracles happened.

  But now, her only hope had turned to ash. Dust particles floated through the air, illuminated by the light streaming through her window.

  A shadow moved past the balcony’s window.

  I grabbed Memphis’s knife from my boot and stood slowly. Inching my way toward the balcony door, I noticed that it was slightly ajar. A heartbeat came from outside. Whoever this intruder was, he was an idiot.

  He should’ve known better than to sneak up on me.

  I pressed my back against the wall, zeroing in on the heartbeats. He stood to the left of the door behind the table and wrought-iron chairs, ready to pounce on me as soon as I stepped out.

  I grabbed my knife with a firm grip, and then kicked the door open. Blake Hawthorne’s eyes opened wide as I lunged at him. He jumped back, knocking a chair over, but I caught his arm and wrenched it behind his back.

  I thrust the tip of my knife into his back. He let out a high-pitched yelp.

  “June,” he gasped. “What the flick?”

  My instinct was to let him go, but he’d betrayed me once before. I wouldn’t let him try it twice.

  “Let me go,” he said.

  “No way.”

  “You’ve got the wrong idea here. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I came to talk.”

  “By sneaking up on me?”

  “Look, I just came to talk, alright?”

  “Talk about what?”

  “About your family.”

  My heart skipped a beat. I tightened my grip on his arm. “What about them?”

  “Ouch, do you really have to do that?”

  “Yes,” I answered. “I really do.”

  “I’m not gonna hurt you,” he said. “Besides, I think we both know who’d win.”

  He had a point.

  “Promise you won’t try anything?” I asked.

  “I won’t try anything. I promise.” His heart stuttered. Liar.

  “You’re lying, Blake.”

  “I’m not—”

  “Yes you are. What’s going on?”

  “Let me go and I’ll tell you,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything.”

  Thunder rumbled in the distance, a long, rolling peal that grew in intensity and finally faded away.

  “Will you tell me where my family is?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  His heartbeat remained steady. I released him. He stepped away from me, rubbing his arm where I’d held it tight. “Good Gandhi, do you chainmail everyone who comes to say hello?”

  I kept my knife out in plain view. “You shouldn’t have snuck up on me.”

  He eyed me. I kept the knife close. Rain-scented wind gusted past, blowing loose strands of hair across my face. He gave me a onceover, focusing on my black hoodie, my jeans with holes worn through the knees. He was used to seeing me in my preppy school clothes, my buttoned-up polos and pleated skirts, my hair brushed and pulled back. Makeup. Now I supposed I must’ve looked feral. The knife wasn’t helping.

  “You’ve changed,” he said quietly.

  In his voice, I heard his old self, the person I’d once considered a good friend. “Why are you here?” I asked.

  “To talk. My parents have a message for you.”

  “I’ve already told them I don’t want their help. Why do they care anyway? Don’t your parents hate Shines?”

  He swallowed. His heart sped up. “They don’t hate you.”

  “Why are you lying again? Don’t you know that I can tell when you do that?”

  He rubbed his forehead. “Just listen to me for once, all right?”

  “Listen to your lies?”

  “Stop it,” he snapped. “You don’t realize how hard this is for me. I wanted to tell you…how I felt. I was about to. And then my parents screwed it all up. They found out you were Shine and wanted to take you away. And then you escaped and they demanded that I bring you back. And I didn’t want to! I didn’t want to do any of it. I just wanted things to be the way they used to. But they thought you would eventually come back for me. They didn’t understand that you’ve never had feelings for me. They didn’t realize how much I loved you, and how much you hated me. And now everything’s just getting worse.

  “Now my mom is desperate. She screwed up a long time ago and you’re the only person who can fix it. You should have never escaped Green Wood.”

  He collapsed onto the chair. Thoughts spiraled through my head as I made the connections. Green Wood Pointe. His parents had paid for me to go there. But why Green Wood? Of all the places in the world. Was it merely a coincidence that they’d picked the one rehab that also happened to be Lavalle’s lab?

  And then on my way to Arizona his parents had tried to stop me. They’d followed me, and then used their son to try and convince me to leave. It hadn’t worked. So they’d warned me about Memphis. They’d known about his time in the military. But how did they know him?

  The Revens came for me next. I’d overheard their conversation. They’d been instructed to take me back to Green Wood. Who had their instructions come from? And wouldn’t it have been more convenient to dump me at a closer facility?

  A shiver crept up my spine, causing the hairs on my arm to stand on end.

  “Oh my Gandhi.” I collapsed onto the chair beside Blake. “Blake,” I whispered. “What’s your mom’s name—her full name?”

  “What?”

  “Just answer.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “It’s Joissine Adelaide Hawthorne.”

  I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t make my voice work.

  “She’s the whole reason I’m here,” he said. “She met some creep when she was younger. He did something to her. I know this sounds crazy, but he made her blood different. She left him. Moved up here and tried to start a new life. But now his experiment is killing her. And she needs you to fix it.”

  I buried my head in my hands. No, no, no. His mom. How could it be her? Why didn’t I see it sooner? She’d had a heart murmur. Now I knew why. It wasn’t from natural causes. It was from Lavalle’s experiments.

  “She’s dying?” I whispered.

  “Yes. That’s why she needs you. That’s why he needs you.”

  “He?” I was almost too afraid to ask.

  “Her first husband. His name’s Lavalle. I’ve only met him once, but—he’s not normal—he’s evil. I don’t know how else to say it. But he’s seriously dangerous.”

  “Lavalle,” I whispered, suppressing a shiver, remembering the absence of his heartbeat, the look of insanity in his soulless eyes.

  “He has your family, June. He’s waiting for you. That’s why I came here. I have to take you back to Green Wood Pointe.” He swallowed. Fear flashed through his eyes. “Or else he kills them.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Blake’s heart beat with a steady intensity. This time, I knew he wasn’t lying. Lavalle would kill my family if I didn’t return to Green Wood.

  Cold droplets of rain spattered my face as I sat with Blake on the balcony.

  “Take me to them,” I said.

  He crossed his arms. “You still have a choice, you know. I don’t have to take you. We could run. We could leave together.
”

  “And abandon my family?”

  “You don’t understand how dangerous this guy is. He’s planning to use your blood in some kind of freaky experiment. He’s going to inject you with a serum. And then…” Blake stopped. His voice grew quieter. “He’s going to drain your blood. All of it. He’s using it to replace his and my mom’s blood. You won’t survive. There’s no way you’ll live through that.”

  Fear clouded my thoughts.

  “Come with me,” he said. “It’s the only way to save yourself.”

  For a moment I considered his offer. But then I thought of my family. I thought of Katelyn. I had to save her. No matter what. “I can’t.”

  He stared out over the city. “Are you sure?”

  He was giving me one last chance. I didn’t think highly of Blake, and his offer to let my family die while I ran—with him—wasn’t helping that image. But he knew what Lavalle had planned. He was trying to save my life. I should have been grateful for that, except that I wouldn’t leave my family, no matter what the consequences. “I’m sure,” I answered. “Take me to my family.”

  He set his jaw, his eyes flashed with a mixture of sadness and anger. “All right,” he finally answered. He led me back through my apartment and to the helipad on the roof. I found it odd that he didn’t restrain me. He didn’t even ask me to put away my knife.

  He didn’t need to. Lavalle had my family. He could ask me to jump off this building right now. I would do it if it meant I could save them.

  A choppercar landed just as we made it to the helipad. Nerves knotted my stomach as I climbed in behind Blake. He pulled the door closed with a thud, muffling the sound of the beating rotors.

  The choppercar took off, leaving the city and the remains of my home behind.

  The ride took too long. I kept my knife in plain view, though it did little good. Lavalle had me cornered. Fighting was no longer an option. My only way out of this was to cooperate and hopefully free my family.