Siphon (Siphon Chronicles, Book One)

by Cyndi Goodgame

  I smiled. She smiled. I sat by her. She hovered a little in her own space. I made small talk. She let her guard down. I took. I left.

  She was not Lark.

  The girl I spied on from afar had blonde hair so that was my only narrowing factor.

  I moved on to others. After about a dozen, I was frustrated and ready to go home. I vowed to tell my father I was ready to move on to the next job and just accept the inevitable fate my life would take. Forget finding the nexus too.

  I jerked my head down at a girl sitting on a bench. I took the energy she offered and tilted my head to thank her for something she had no idea she was giving. My head swam a second later forcing me to adjust my legs. I balanced them apart and stayed still to wait for equilibrium. The girl looked at me as strangely too.

  But...something was different. Not the girl, but something off to the side. No. Behind me.

  Someone was yelling, “Stop!”

  A prickle hit my skin like a thousand knives pounding me from a torture chamber. I jerked my head up searching for anything that might be doing it to me.

  Two green, sexy as anything I’d ever seen, eyes were glaring tiny daggers right at my back. Her shirt was calling out things too but I ignored those thoughts and went straight for the more dangerous ones. She was a siphon.

  This had to be Lark.

  LARK ✜ Before the Second Class of the Day

  Boy, was he a moody one. Surprise. I find another that might be like me and he is gorgeous, sexy, and ill-tempered. Isn’t that just classic? All bad boy wrapped in a neat package screaming with a warning label, “Dangerous to your health”. And this package I was blatantly checking out was more dangerous than any normal boy could ever be. Ever.

  I’d seen him yesterday at the mall and later at the cleaners while picking up my stepmom’s dresses.

  Kissing was bad with Foster, but long before that I learned what the repercussions were even if I couldn't name them. One minute I was talking to the neighbor about flower pots and felt faint, the next I was waking up to my parents and a stranger standing over my bed. The stranger left and I was told to start visiting my grandmother on a regular basis. None of it made sense at first, but when people start blacking out because attempting conversation, then a hermit life would be the only answer. But then I met Jason.

  I know what this new boy can do. And yeah, I still hated him for what he was and wanted to dump fries down his shirt, but I did notice his...other features. I'd avoided others for so long, it would be difficult not to be labeled clingy if this new guy was decent and had answers.

  Jason, my other friend who owned my abilities, was tall and wiry and taken last I checked. He’d generously told me some things to make me feel like I wasn’t a leper on some kind of warped superpower highway to hell, but he’d also said he couldn’t tell me everything. He told me what we are and how my grandmother was keeping me alive for years.

  Deep, deep dark brown velvety eyes glared openly at me. Tousled just right hair to match his eyes in their completeness and perfectly rimmed with sooty lashes that were full of well kept secrets. I left his eyes long enough to mark out the inherited straight defined Greek nose and perfect mouth. When I turned back to the eyes, they were still staring at me, like mine were to his.

  Impossible. He’s the bad guy.

  As if saying the same thing in his mind, he looked away from me and back to the giddy cheerleaders that surrounded him now. I never stuck around to find out how he faired with them, and I didn’t want to know.

  His very presence stayed at the top of my thought list in every class. I’d been told that many of our kind searched out ones like me and never for good purposes. And while the guy did walk away from me, even as if disgusted with me also, I felt a certain draw...to know more. He was like Ganconer, the Celtic demon lover. He took from others their years, but did that dark seducing face effect all the ladies liked just as I was guilty of staring as long as I did. That could be his secret that made him so spited. Or so I wanted to believe. I’d just have to watch him and see if he takes from just females, men, old, or young. The fact that he was taking directly in front of me threw me off. I’d angered so fast I had to force myself not to hit him. His half knowing look made me believe he could read me too. That worried me more.

  Jason said there were enemies to hide my abilities from. I bit back the words of what I’d do if he tried to take me or hurt me in any way all because of my own stupidity.

  Ganconer was a “love talker” of sorts if I remember right. He would become the face you wanted to see and then take your “essence” so to speak. Then he left you dry and good for death. Yes, he was trying to become human again since the Faerie Queen ensnared him to the shadows. Good luck with that!

  I knew this boy would never ensnare me.

  DANE  Staring Contest

  Some guy just got done asking her out and sliding his number into her hand. She crunched it between her fingers and threw it at her friend when the poor guy walked away. I glanced over only to watch her reaction to her friend’s cackling laugh. I thought I looked away in time, but her friend caught me.

  “I could be wrong, but I think Mr. New Guy Hotness has the hots for you girl.” Her friend let her loud mouthy echo out her last words. I followed her at a distance and confirmed through her friend that she was indeed, Lark Spur. Her last name was familiar to me. My mom died on the same day as her father. It was part of our history class growing up at the Siphon Headquarters.

  I heard her answer, “Who? Full of hot air manwhore. He may be hotter than any boy I’ve ever seen, but he takes and takes and gives nothing in return.”

  Oh, was she the a bitter one. And intelligent.

  The girl made a haughty noise back at Lark and said, “He may be that, but no one should pass up a shot at that bod. He may be all bad boy, but he’s one hundred percent giving off more than just kisses from those hot lips.”

  So she knew I was staring. Good. I had a mission to take her in willing or not. Hot chick or not, if the council wanted her investigated, I was the man.

  She’d been snagged as a danger because a recent body of hers died during her own taking. Now, they wanted her watched and eventually taken to face the council for punishment. If she proved loyal, she’d stay. The only hitch in the getup...no one had ever told her what she was or who. The fairness of the situation was heretical, but the council would charge and ask questions later.

  My father had a side agenda I was determined to disentangle. Now that I see her, I am back to my original plan. The incident, the person dying, was just my cover for bringing her in. I needed to stop ignoring the truth about my father.

  She was an innocent. And apparently she hated my guts without knowing who I was yet. They all did. When the others heard how I’d changed, they charged me as evil for the way I lived and took from others to survive. Many of our kind only take from each other, but not so much since my father’s reign. They never asked my reason or my opinion on the subject.

  I shot a wink in her direction knowing she’d shun me. Her friend was like all the rest, batting eyes and flirting her pretty little butt off no matter how prudish she appeared otherwise. Lark still ignored me. She wasn’t like other girls. They always did the girl sighing affect that told me they were melting in a puddle of Crawford mojo. My mad skills seemed to make her do the opposite.

  She slinked back behind her friend in the lunch line quick as a whip and avoided my eyes. I don’t know what I could have done to make her hate me already. She didn’t know me from Adam.

  I watched her hide from me and continue to side step each time to be seen. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from teasing this girl I hated so profusely and for no good reason other than being here. She riled up so easily. So what did I do next?

  Cutting her off at the pay counter, I leaned into her shoulder. I didn’t expect to get caught up in the scent of her, but the sweet, floral honeysuckle wafting off her skin was making me lose my thought. I swallowed hard and rasp
ed out, “Set you ray gun on low, babe. It’s burning holes in my shirt.” Yeah, and other places I’ll not name since they weren’t appropriate thoughts for someone who hates me the same as I do her. Still, she was a steaming hot mess of...someone I couldn’t want or have. So after she scoffed at me one more time, I said something smart and walked away before she could read the other depth of feeling dwelling behind my eyes. A dangerous emotion that could get us both in trouble.

  No, she was too dangerous to ponder in that way anyway. And I was too dangerous for her.

  LARK ✜ Cafeteria Blues

  Dane Crawford. That was the name the Physical Science teacher called out. I knew that name. Jason told me about him and it wasn’t the least bit good.

  It didn’t escape me in the least that his northern accent only drew out the looks of other girls even more. He was strange. Strange like interesting though. Seeing him for the second time today was unsettling. His eyes seem to follow me wherever I went. He talked and laughed and fit in just right with the “in” crowd, but I was the “in between” crowd and never near the radar of those who followed boys around like drone idiots.

  Steady and full were my menacing thoughts as I made my way to our middle ground table of not losers and not wholly popular misfits. The motley crew of the high school as we called ourselves.

  I noticed he sat beside Sadie, the cheerleader who flirted with anything that contained testosterone. Sadie wasn’t picky and boys picked up on that fast enough. His other seatmate was Foster, my ex. He and I dated freshman year for several months. One kiss ended it badly because he “wanted more” and I wasn’t giving. My loss, his gain—unfortunately. We were on very guarded talking terms now only because he was always in wonder of how much or how “little” people knew about us. Let’s just say Foster and Sadie are perfect for each other.

  My sister bobbed her head by me with her bubbly freshman-like hello and headed off away before I could respond. Needless to say, I wasn’t focused on her and didn’t even look up.

  Someone sat beside me. He said my name, but I was glaring at Sam like it was her fault he had a space to sit in the first place.

  “Hi, Lark.”

  “Hi, Zane.”

  “You look nice today,” he stuffed three bites of an unidentifiable meat concoction in his mouth.

  “Thanks. You told me that last period.” I tried not to look at the shoveling of food. I mumbled to myself about animals and their habits but my best friend jabbed me in the side and told me to quit the “insane house” talking to myself.

  “You going to the Fall dance with someone?”

  Don’t get me wrong. I am flattered. But being asked to a dance while Friday’s meatloaf surprise is waffling through the air is just not that appealing an offer.

  And the dance was five weeks away.

  “Not sure if I can go yet. I’m waiting to see if the relatives are in town that weekend or not.”

  That was the quickest thinking I’ve ever come up with that sounded halfway believable. I was quite proud of myself.

  I slid my eyes back to the dark haired force centered between Foster and the rest of the table across the yard. My give…gave. His should-be-lethal eyes were on me. I dropped my apple on the grass and it rolled too far to grab easily. Great.

  “Um girl, you might as well give in to that. He’s giving you the guy version of 'I’m hot for you and I’m coming to get you'," Sam giggled shoving her sass on me.

  I rolled my eyes dismissing her assessment. I left the evidence below the bench I sat on and hid my face. I was starving though, so hunger won out. Sighing heavily, I peeked down to the grass to see if my apple was easily retrievable.

  Letting the shiver that ran through me be disguised by searching for my runaway lunch, I was forced to get up and walk around to the other side of the table where apparently no one saw my apple roll. Bent over retrieving my fresh from the spring crop lunch, two boots appeared beside my knees.

  “You lose your lunch a lot like you lose your years?”

  Was that a dig on me? I cocked my head up sideways in a glare thinking carefully about a good come back. It just didn’t come. Especially when I was overwhelmed with how he smelled. Open mouthed and staring up to his perfectly too happy with himself face that should be resemble a toad if she was to concentrate better.

  All thought left her brain making it unable to comeback with what might be considered intelligence. When I didn’t answer he watched on for probably too many extra seconds since I think the entire cafeteria stopped to watch the dramatic moment.

  I looked back to a forgotten Zane for help since he was closest. He shrugged me off and told me he’d see me later.

  My eyes came back to the guy who was now bent over and picking up my apple. He moved his face close to me and whispered, “They told me you had a smart mouth and to be prepared for a fight. Or am I the only one missing out on that hidden ability?”

  The same now demonically charged eyes bore into mine. Feeling like I was being challenged into a staring contest or something else, I gave in first and turned away. Too quickly. I admonished myself for losing my cool.

  Intuition told me he was giving the hint that he knew what I was and that I knew what he was. I tried to push him out of my mind preparing to forget he existed. Now if he would just stay out.

  I took a breath and like that, my mouth just went off.

  DANE  Walking Away

  The impossible came out of her mouth.

  “You smell...good.”

  Her reaction to me was not what she’d conveyed until now. As if she were surprised herself, she backed away. Too fast for human speed, I noticed. Did she?

  My body folded at her own scent. I landed the apple in her hand, and abruptly, left the cafeteria. I wasn’t to go anywhere in particular, but rather to move far away from her. I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted a taste.

  When I took years, I could smell the essence they left behind. That’s the major reason why I preferred females. Well, that and they were...females. Taking the guys years was a joke to me to satisfy debts they owed me after I made bets with them, but with the girls it was all about the love.

  Unfortunately, not one of them would ever “love” me. Unlovable, untouchable, unkissable, unwanted. So that made me what I am. An ass.

  If I couldn’t have anyone then no one could have me. I was alone in the world and everyone would be at my disposal.

  Why she acted all haughty and then reacted the way she did only meant she was like the others. Her toying with me was strange, but it would stop now. As soon as she heard who I was, she’d do the same as the rest. Run far away.

  Besides, I was here to take her in. Her time was up in this world.

  LARK ✜ Like a Blur

  He leveled our eyes to give me a very steady look letting me gape openly too long at the expressively easy to read dark brows. I wondered if he purposefully used them to communicate.

  He stood there like we might duel it out with only our weighted stares. My brain tickled at the edges to make the first move. And why did I smell his edginess? Smell had never been apart of my connection to taking from others.

  What was his deal anyway? I was suddenly mad with a fever of crazy. This boy was breaking me down to pieces. I had to get away from him. His angry vibes were making me dizzy when he finally broke the spell and left first.

  Sam threw in her wisdom with a hip bump, “And that my dear was guy language for “I’m hot for you and I always get what I want. Greek god body. Smoldering eyes that send sexy into a new dimension. Latch on girl and don’t let go.”

  I thought she was done, but she had to add one final blow. “And besides, it will make Foster jealous as ever.”

  The rest of the day was a blur. Since I only had one class with him, I didn’t have to see or be influenced by him again the rest of the day. I told Sam that Amber was going home with her friend and to catch a ride with Sara Beth today. She was reluctant, but gave in when I told her my mom texted that I
had a dentist appointment. I hated to lie, but I needed to think. Alone.

  Hooking a left and out the front door of the school, I hoofed it to the parking lot and had the Avenger in drive and squealing out of the space before he could get across the no parking area of the front main doors. When I knew I was near him as he crossed the lot, I threw my midnight blue Dodge Avenger into the next gear and zipped away.

  And I hate to admit that his steady gaze lingered in my mind for the rest of the night. And morning. And through first period World History class the next day.

  Foster was a leech at the lockers trying to prove that I was suddenly interesting again before second period. His sudden interest was sickening and yet I didn’t like the boy he felt threatened by. Foster proceeded to ask me out for tonight to the pizza place everyone from school would be at, his idea of a date. I’d sooner eat dirt. Sam cooed beside me saying, “Oh, she’d love too.”

  I shot a glare in her direction. She widened her eyes and fake yawned, “Or not. We did stay up late last night with our movies and popcorn night.”

  Walking away from Foster is always easy.

  Now that it was time for Physical Science class with him...I was a complete mess. I chewed my lip raw trying to focus on both situations. Life was so uncomplicated just two days ago.

  I just didn’t want to see those eyes. And that’s all I could see at the moment.

  He wasn’t there though. Relaxed and trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to get away from Foster the next time, I watched out the window for him to be leaning on a tree watching me like a stalker vampire. I may have read too many paranormal romances trying to escape my own “paranormal” behavior. He wasn’t there either.

  Classes droned on with more welcome to the science that would help you understand the world around you and other blah...blah.