Dare

by T. A. Foster

  Fly

  Written in the Sand

  The Magnolia Affair

  Head Over Heels Collection

  London Falling

  Kissing Eden (Book 1)

  Loving Eden (Book 2)

  A Very Grey Christmas (Book 3)

  Hollywood Kiss Collection

  Finding Haven (Book 1)

  Red Lines (Book 2)

  Ivy Grace Spell Series

  Time Spell (Book 1)

  Cover Spell (Book 2)

  Fire Spell (Book 3)

  To the Nox in my life

  I can see the blood trickle faster now that the point of the knife is pressed deep against his skin. His eyes are closed. He doesn’t see me. None of them does.

  They are too focused on the fire and the sacrifice they are about to make in the shadows of its flame.

  I crouch, the limb supporting me as I edge closer. I am outnumbered. If I pounce now, the Tribe will surround me in seconds. But, if I wait much longer, they will kill him.

  There in the center I see everything familiar to me. I know them and somehow the wildness and violence I’m witnessing has stripped away the memories of who I thought they were.

  I’m forced to feel my raw emotions spilling around me, consuming my choices, my inaction. How has this happened?

  My ears twitch at the low growling sounds that start in the center of the circle, then make their way around until they’re so loud it’s deafening.

  My head throbs from the sounds of their celebration. I don’t have time to regret the choices that led us here. Later. Regrets are for later.

  The steel blade sinks against his skin, and my eyes narrow.

  Now. I need to move now or he will be lost to me forever.

  The forest will hear my roar and so will the Tribe. I leap from the branch, landing in the center, scattering the fire and the knife. They growl, their sharp teeth bared at me.

  I’ve spent my life fighting for humans, but tonight I will fight until I’m dead.

  Only two more weeks. That was what I told myself. Two more weeks of classes then exams, followed by a painful graduation ceremony in an itchy nylon robe. The professor droned on about weather patterns. I typed notes on my laptop, but would rather be outside scanning the sky.

  “Hey, lunch after class?” my roommate, Vix, whispered over my shoulder.

  “Definitely.” My stomach was starting to growl. I had grabbed an oatmeal bar on the way out the door this morning, but it was wearing off.

  The class had thinned significantly in the last few days of the semester. If anyone was paying attention to the lecture on cloud formations, they had me fooled.

  An hour later, we filed out of the lecture hall.

  “God, that was torture.” Vix rolled her eyes.

  “Seriously.” We walked outside.

  “We aren’t actually going to study for that exam, are we?” she asked.

  “Honestly, at this point, I don’t care. We’re going to graduate.”

  “Cartwright’s?”

  “You read my mind. I’ve been craving grilled cheese all morning.”

  We walked toward the corner drugstore a block off campus where students liked to congregate.

  There was already a line forming out the door.

  “Looks like a long wait.” Vix huffed.

  I pulled the phone from my pocket to check messages. “Have you heard from Tegan or Abi?”

  “No, what’s up with them?”

  I held the phone to my ear, listening to the voicemail. “Not sure. I haven’t seen them all week.” I deleted a message from the administrative office reminding me to pick up my actual diploma. They wouldn’t be using the real thing during the graduation ceremony.

  We shuffled forward with the line. “Whoa. What is this?” Vix pointed to a poster taped to the window.

  I stepped closer and read it aloud. “Annual storytellers’ convention?”

  “God, not what we need.” She kept her voice low.

  I continued. “Featuring top storytellers from around the country and local historian Zac Morgan, an expert on the Ghost of the Forest.”

  I studied his picture. He looked rather young to be an expert on anything.

  “Well, the guy is hot.”

  “Yeah, I guess so, but the storytelling is not.” I was tempted to walk inside and tear down the poster. “The timing couldn’t be worse.”

  “No shit.” Vix smiled as the guy in front of us held the door open. It appeared he was alone. “You ever heard of that Zac guy?”

  I felt the blast of air conditioning rush past us.

  “No. Never.”

  She laughed. “Funny since he’s a local expert.” She used air quotes.

  I looked over the list of presenters. “Have you ever been to one of these things?”

  She shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Not really my thing.”

  The guy holding the door turned. “They’re pretty cool. You should check it out.” He adjusted a baseball cap over his eyes.

  “Really? What do they do there?” I asked.

  “It’s fun. I used to go when I was a kid. There are all kinds of stories. It’s the town’s history. It’s not just the scary stuff.”

  Vix snorted. “We don’t scare easily.”

  “Not saying you do, but it’s cool. If you’re into that sort of thing.”

  “Maybe we’ll check it out,” I suggested.

  Vix edged closer to him. Her nose twitched. “Are you into that sort of thing?”

  “Yeah. I’m an English major, and my professor said we could get a few bonus points on the final exam if we go. I already bought my tickets.”

  “Ahh, so that’s really why you’re going,” she teased.

  “No, I think hearing the legends is cool. There’s some kind of tour set up this year. They’re going to look for the Ghost of the Forest. Rumor is she’s back in town.”

  My eyes widened. “Back? What do you mean look for her?”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’s just superstitious shit. It’s not like they’re really going to find anything.”

  “Yeah, but we’re interested,” Vix pressed. She pulled her dark hair over one shoulder and braided the ends. “How are they going to look for her?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you should come with me.” He cracked a smile.

  “I don’t even know your name.”

  “It’s Jason.”

  She dropped the braid she had threaded. “All right. I’ll go.”

  I shoved her in the side. “Vix.”

  “What? I think it will be fun.” She turned toward him.

  “Let me get your number.” Jason pulled out his phone.

  “I’m Vix.” She grinned.

  What in the hell was going on? My roommate had managed to snag a date in the middle of a potential crisis. I waited while they exchanged numbers.

  “You know you have the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen.” He studied her face. She didn’t shy away from the attention.

  “Thanks. Yours are pretty too.”

  I looked at him. He had light brown eyes. I didn’t see anything there, but she was obviously trying to repay the compliment.

  He caught me staring. “Whoa. Your eyes are green too. Like green-green.”

  I shoved a pair of sunglasses on my face. “I have colored contacts.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Makes sense.” His forehead was still scrunched in confusion.

  Jason was next in line at the counter. He ordered his food and Vix waved goodbye.

  “I can’t believe you are going out with a total stranger.”

  “A cute stranger.” She smiled at him. He was sitting one table over from where we ordered.

  “Not the point. We’re going to need to be—” I looked around. “—on patrol this weekend. H
ow are you going to do that if you’re at the festival?”

  The woman at the counter cleared her throat. “Can I get you girls something?”

  I rested the sunglasses on top of my hair, pushing my long strands to frame my face. “Sorry, sorry.” I ordered my grilled cheese and soda, paid at the register, and waited for Vix to join me. I chose a table at the opposite end of the grill from Jason.

  A few minutes later, armed with a pile of napkins, Vix slid into the booth.

  “Are you really mad, Dare?”

  “I just don’t like it when you don’t think.”

  “I did think about it. He’s cute. He asked me out. I’m going.” She bit into her burger. “Unless you’re telling me I can’t.”

  “I thought about it.”

  “What? You’d actually forbid me from going out with him?” Her voice was frantic.

  “Maybe.” I didn’t mind making her squirm for a minute.

  “Come on, you’re not serious.”

  “And if I am?” I tested her.

  Her eyes narrowed. “You know I’ll listen. But I’d rather not.”

  “I’m not going to do that.” I leaned over the table. “But I was seriously thinking about it.”

  “Right.” Vix looked pleased. “So, the good thing is if I go on this crazy tour I can keep an eye on things. Maybe lead the group in the opposite direction, and check out this supposed expert.”

  “I think we need to call a meeting.” I dipped a French fry in ketchup.

  “Maybe so. You know they’re tired. With exams and patrols, the girls are completely fried. Summer can’t get here fast enough.”

  I sighed. “I know. It’s a tough time, but we’ll get through it. Ok?”

  She nodded. “Want me to get everyone together?”

  “Yes. Tell them 5 o’clock.”

  “Got it.” She lifted her tray from the table. “I’ve got to get to class. See you then.”

  “Bye.” I watched her dump her paper basket in the trash and stop by Jason’s table on her way out of the drugstore.

  I had to keep an eye on her more than any of the others. Vix was impulsive, hotheaded, and gorgeous. She attracted all the wrong kinds of attention. At least Jason seemed innocent enough.

  “Can I get you anything else, honey?” The woman from behind the counter was clearing off the booth next to ours. The main lunch rush was over.

  “No, I think I’m good. Thanks.”

  She placed a flyer on the table. “Here you go. It’s for the festival this weekend. Going to be a big time.”

  I held it up. “That’s what I hear.”

  “I know you kids are ready to get out of here and graduate, but you should stop by. My sister and I are going to be there all day Saturday.”

  “Oh, really? What stories do you tell?”

  “We’ve studied the witch history of Sullen’s Grove for years.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, the witches.”

  “You know about them?”

  I shook my head. “No-no I don’t. I’ve only heard the legends.”

  “They’re not just legends.” She wiped off my table and picked up the tray. “This town has a special history. A real history.” She winked.

  I gathered my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. “Thanks for the flyer.” I folded it in my hand.

  “Hope we see you there.”

  “Maybe.”

  I returned her smile and briskly walked to the exit. God, had the whole town been infected with a paranormal-loving-hunting obsession?

  I sat on my bed and smoothed the page over the quilt. The crease ran over the historians face, making his nose bend at a funny angle.

  The stories about the Ghost of the Forest had been circulating Sullen’s Grove since I was a kid. Sullen’s Grove University, or The Grove as we called it, wasn’t immune to the folklore either.

  I had a few hours until our meeting. There were specific instructions I needed to give. Orders to be made. A clear plan for how we would handle the weekend. I just needed time to figure out what that included.

  I couldn’t sit still. I tied my black hair at the base of my neck and locked the door behind me.

  Vix and I lived off campus in a two-bedroom rental house. There were more things broken than fixed, but we didn’t spend much time inside.

  I adjusted earbuds in my ear and began to jog toward Oaks Park on the edge of town. The sun filtered through the heavy clusters of leaves. I kept a steady pace between the dappled shadows on the sidewalk.

  There was another sign announcing the storytellers’ weekend on the park’s front gate. This one featured an entire night about the Ghost of the Forest. It promised an evening of assorted tales about the phantom legend.

  “Shit,” I whispered. Didn’t anyone realize how dangerous this was? The festival complicated things.

  I ripped the poster from the gate, and shredded the advertisement into tiny pieces. I only thought to glance around for a witness after it was tattered at my feet. Double shit.

  I continued to run through the park, keeping my head down in case I saw another poster. I usually wasn’t so careless. The sidewalk trails eventually changed over to gravel ones, leading me farther into the woods. The trail ended but I kept running. I knew these woods well.

  I stormed by the trees, walking farther into the forest behind the park. I stopped to listen for a second, my ears picking up the sounds of birds flying overheard. I continued.

  The first stories I heard in school about The Ghost of the Forest were enough to scare any kid to death. They told me she was dangerous, always watching the city with her emerald green eyes. She didn’t miss anything.

  But it was her enemies who should fear her, not us. She protected the city. I could count on her, but I should probably never trust her. After all, she isn’t human. She’s part of a different world. She lives in darkness, in the shadows of the night. No one sees her, they said. No one knows for sure she exists, but everyone believes she is here. Watching. Waiting.

  It must make them feel better to think she is watching after them. Yet, they were still scared. I always wondered why. I guess they fear not knowing what she is capable of. The storytellers had spun her into a mystical creature of good and evil, light and dark—a paradox of right and wrong.

  The phone buzzed in my ear. I stopped to look at the text from Vix.

  We’ll be there at 5. Haven’t heard from Tegan or Abi.

  I typed out a quick response.

  Thanks. I’ll try them too.

  I started to relax the deeper I ran into the woods. The shade was wider here and I could barely see the sun anymore.

  The weekend was going to be a bitch. There was too much at stake. Because if anyone found out that I’m the one who watches the city under the shield of night while they sleep, that I’m the one who keeps the evil out, that I’m the one they call the Ghost of the Forest, that I’m the queen of the Nox, we would all be in danger.

  I showered and pulled a tank top over my head. I dabbed mascara on the tips of my eyelashes, setting off the green in my eyes even more. It didn’t take much. They were piercing no matter what I did. I pulled on a pair of khaki shorts and laced up my running shoes.

  Vix told me she would see me at the meeting. She had a study group after class and didn’t have time to make it back to the house before five.

  I thought I knew what I was going to say. After all, I was a queen. A born leader. If I told myself that mantra enough times, it would have to be true. I wondered how many queens before me faced the challenges I had. I sighed, knowing there wasn’t even one I could talk to about it. What I was trying to accomplish was unprecedented.

  I walked out of the door and slammed into him.

  “What in the hell are you doing on my porch, Case?” I glared at him.

  “What? No hello?”

  “No.” I tried to step around him, but he blocked me. His shoulders were wide.

  “Where are you headed, darlin?”

&
nbsp; “Don’t darlin’ me. I’m going out.”

  “You’re supposed to tell me these things. I worry when I don’t know where you are.” He leaned against the one post on the porch that wasn’t rotted.

  I folded my arms. “Ok, tell me what you want. I don’t have time for this tonight. Just spit it out.”

  He adjusted the watch on his arm. “I think you do have time.”

  “Stop screwing with me.” The words came out wrapped in my growl. It was fierce and too loud. I quickly scanned the sidewalk for any observers.

  “Wow, I like it when you growl.” He stepped closer. “I’ve been imagining that sound for a long time.”

  “You’ll just have to keep imagining it,” I challenged him.

  “We both know you’re going to give in.” He ran a finger along my wrist, tracing my arm until he landed on my shoulder.

  “I am not giving in. I’m a Nox. I don’t have to do what you say.”

  “Well, see that’s not how it works, little kitty.” He tipped the bottom of my chin with his thumb. “You don’t get to decide what magic you accept and what you don’t.”

  I twisted his hand in my grip. He winced. “I make my own decisions. And that starts with not marrying you.”

  He pinched his lips together. “Dare, it’s going to happen.”

  “The only way I’ll marry you is if I’m dead.” I made sure to quiet the growl this time, but he needed to know I was serious.

  “You’ve got one month to change your mind, babe. And then after that, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll take my chances. I’d rather face the council than be your wife.” I released his hand.

  He shook off my grasp. “That’s what you think now, but come June you’re going to beg me to marry you and then I’m going to have to really think hard about that.”

  I brushed past him. “I seriously don’t have time for this conversation again. I’m leaving.”

  “Hey, Dare, you wouldn’t be missing anything, would you?” He cocked his head to the side.

  I was halfway down the stairs. “What are you talking about?”

  “Where are your little lovebirds?”

  My fists tightened. “You wouldn’t.”