by Amber Garza
“Where did you move from?” I ask. Jake throws me a warning look.
Craven’s eyes flash. “None of your business.”
“Hey, I’m just being friendly here.” I throw up my hands. “You guys are the ones who crashed our game.”
“We’ll crash more than just that.” Brone steps forward, his eyes even darker than before, if that’s possible. They are like charcoal slits drawn on his face.
Jake grabs my elbow. “We should just go.”
“No, I’m not letting these two jerks push us around. This is our hangout.”
Brone jolts forward like he’s going to rush me, but Craven puts out his arm. He snorts. “You’ve got some guts, you know that?”
I puff out my chest, holding my head high. If this guy thinks I’m going to cower like a little kid he’s got another thing coming.
“Jake, Sam.” Joe stands at the edge of the pool table, his arms over his chest. He eyes the two kids for a moment, and then his gaze slides back over to us. “C’mon, I need your help with something.”
Relief washes over Jake’s face. I know that Joe just came over to protect his son. Jake’s dad actually cares about him, unlike my dad who would never come to my rescue. As we follow Joe, I glance back. Craven and Brone watch us with a look of amusement, and I sting with embarrassment. I’m more convinced than ever of what they are, and the last thing I want them to think is that I’m weak and need saving.
“That was close,” Jake says once we’re outside. The air is slightly cool, but warmth still lingers.
“Ah, those guys weren’t that scary. We could’ve taken them.”
“No. I have a funny feeling about them. Something isn’t right.” He kicks the asphalt with the toe of his shoe.
It’s dark outside and the sky is devoid of stars. It seems like a sign.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Jake looks surprised by this admission, and I guess I don’t blame him. I pretty much never admit I’m wrong, especially not to Jake.
“I told Dad I’d go home, so I better take off.” Jake pulls his keys out of his pocket. They jangle in his palm.
Sometimes it’s funny to me that Jake and I are even friends. We’re so opposite. Maybe that’s why I like him. We met a couple of years ago at school, and at first he bugged me. He was always following me around like a puppy dog. But once I got to know him, I realized that he was a pretty cool guy.
After watching Jake drive down the street, I turn back toward the pool hall. I have to find out the truth about those guys. As if on command, they burst through the door. I hold my ground as they stalk out to the parking lot.
“You still here?” Craven laughs. “Thought you had to help the owner scrub toilets or something?”
Anger bubbles inside of me. “Why are you wearing those bandanas? Trying to hide something?” The words are out before I can stop them.
Craven glances over at Brone, and the look they share gives me pause. I’m always too impulsive. When will I learn to keep my mouth shut?
Craven rushes me, grabbing me by the collar. Brone gets behind me and loops his arm around my neck, pulling me until my back is flush with his chest. My heart hammers in my ears.
“Let go of me.” I writhe in his grip and find that he’s a lot stronger than I am.
“I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to come with us now.” Brone hauls me toward a black car with tinted windows.
“You’re Sarafites, aren’t you?”
Brone stops walking, but still holds me tight. “You got a death-wish?”
I shake my head.
“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Craven hisses, “because there’s no way we can just let you walk away now.”
Panic seizes me. “No. Wait. Please, hear me out. You don’t have to hurt me and I’ll tell you why.”
“This ought to be good.” Craven sneers. “Go ahead. Entertain us.”
Brone drags me to the corner of the parking lot until all three of us are hidden behind a dumpster. He keeps his arm around my neck, while Craven stands in front of me wearing a sick smile.
“I want to become one of you,” I say. From the time I was little I had been fascinated with the idea of the Sarafites. I’d never actually met one, but I’d dreamt of it for years. The followers of Zerach are all wet blankets, but the stories I’ve heard about the followers of Saraf make them sound like strong fighters. My whole life I’ve been told what a loser I am by my dad, but I know I have something to offer. If I can just get the Sarafites to see that, maybe I can become one of them and get the hell out of this sorry town.
“It doesn’t work like that. You can’t just become one of us. You have to earn your way in.” Craven glares.
Hope blooms in my chest. “Okay, what do I have to do?”
“You have to have something we want.” Craven’s eyes darken. “And unfortunately for you, you don’t.”
“You’re wrong.” I hold up my arms, exposing the smooth, bare flesh, devoid of markings. “Look, I’m not a follower of Zerach. I can help you.”
Craven shrugs. “So you’re not a follower or Zerach? That’s not unique. Now, if you had superpowers or something we could talk.”
Delaney Scott pops into my head. “What if I know of someone with superpowers? Would that help?”
“Do you?” Craven cocks an eyebrow.
My spirits lift. I’ve hooked him. “Yeah, there’s a girl I go to school with. Known her since we were kids. I’ve seen her do things, things out of the ordinary. I’ve always suspected she had magical powers.”
“Interesting.” Craven strokes his chin. “Okay, I’ll tell you what. If you can find out some information about this girl that would be useful to us, maybe I’ll see about you joining us.”
“Really?” It seems too good to be true.
Craven gets really close to my face. “But we’ll be watching, and if you even think about telling someone about us, you’ll regret it. Understand?”
Brone tightens his hold as if to drive home the point.
Biting my lower lip, I nod.
“Then we have a deal.” Craven snaps his fingers and Brone releases me. “We’ll be in touch.”
It’s early morning and the sky is crisp and clear outside the window. I gulp down a cup of cold, sludgy coffee and get up from the rickety kitchen table, determined not to be late for school today. No need to piss off Dad again.
“You’re running late, Sam.”
Speak of the devil. My shoulders tense as Dad shuffles into the kitchen, already dressed for work in his typical jeans and flannel shirt. His graying hair is slicked back and hardened with gel.
After dropping my mug into the sink that is already piled high with dirty dishes, I shake my head and push past him.
“Guess who’s bringing her car into the shop today?”
I’m clueless. Dad normally doesn’t get excited about our customers. It’s not like he has many friends in town. And the truth is that I don’t really care. I keep walking down the narrow hallway, determined not to strike up a conversation.
“Delaney Scott. Can you believe it? She’s never brought her car into me before.”
Running a hand over my coarse hair, I suppress a groan of frustration. I hate hearing the pride in Dad’s voice, the way he says Delaney’s name as if he knows her. He only met her once.
“I always knew that girl was special. Ever since the day she ran in front of my truck to save her cat. Of course I thought she was crazy at first. Damn near got herself killed. She was such a cute girl with those long red curls. When she told me about her cat I knew that girl had spunk.”
I reach for the backpack that leans against the wall in my bedroom, my stomach tightening. Jealousy snakes around my heart and squeezes hard. After my dad met Delaney, I used to want to be a hero just like her. Hearing my dad talk about her in a way he never did about me was brutal. So she saved her cat? I could do that. So, I started trying to find ways to impress my dad with my bravery. Only I’d end up b
reaking something and getting in trouble.
That’s when I first had inklings of wanting to be a cop, so I could be someone my dad would be proud of. I could be a hero like Delaney. Then again, Delaney isn’t a cop. She’s just a chick. I wonder how she does it.
When we were in fifth grade I saw Delaney acting really weird during our last recess, almost like she was in a trance or something. Then right after school she stopped a girl from being abducted. Everyone thought it was a big coincidence. Only I saw her face. Something wasn’t right. It was like she knew ahead of time what was going to happen. At the time I thought that maybe she was a superhero, but now I know that superheroes aren’t real. Everyone over the age of ten knows that.
Although try telling that to Delaney’s friend Micah. That dude has a major Superman complex. He’s always walking around school flexing his muscles. I just want to tell him to lay off the steroids. It’s unnatural looking.
No matter what anyone else thinks, I know that Delaney has supernatural powers. It’s the only thing that makes sense. And when I use this leverage as my way to become a Sarafite, Dad will see that he’s wrong about me — that I’m not worthless.
Smiling, I fling my backpack over my shoulder and saunter out the front door. I slam it behind me, shutting out my dad’s voice as he drones on.
We live on the outskirts of town, so I have to drive far to get to school. In my battered pick-up truck I careen through the maze of rural streets. Tall weeds and yellow grass hug the asphalt. Acres of stinky farmland surround me. Mom always hated it out here. She wanted to move into town, but Dad wouldn’t hear of it. Not that I blame him. Who wants to live close to all those do-gooders? Besides, we don’t follow the rules of Zerach like the townspeople he governs. We’re not one of them. We don’t take orders from anyone.
Tumbleweed blows past in the wind. A cloud of dirt fills the air. Flicking on the radio, I turn it to my favorite rock station. The pulsing beat fills the cab of the truck. I press harder on the gas and continue on.
By the time I get to school, the halls are almost cleared out. Only a few straggling students remain. Not wishing to be late again, I race toward room five. My shoes squeak on the linoleum and perspiration gathers on my neck. I fly into the classroom just as the bell peals. As I weave through the classroom to my desk in the back corner, my gaze catches her red hair. Delaney peers up at me, flashing me a timid smile. My heart rate quickens despite my best effort to keep it even. I narrow my eyes and keep my lips pressed together as I plop down on the hard wooden seat. My knees push against the bottom of the desk. Mr. Chauncey clicks on the overhead projector and starts his lecture, and his nasally voice swirls around me. I pull out a notebook and pen, determined to actually focus and take notes.
I glance up, the pen poised over the binder paper. Before I can write anything, a flash of scarlet distracts me as Delaney throws a long strand of hair over her shoulder. She is only two rows up and the scent of apples wafts through the air. Temptation.
I grit my teeth and turn away. When I do, Micah’s eyes connect with mine. He glares at me from his desk. I roll my eyes. Like I said, the guy has a major superhero complex. Just because every other guy in the school drools over Delaney, it doesn’t mean I do.
Get a life. I waggle my eyebrows at him defensively and then look away. Bree smiles at me from across the room with her shimmery lips. I tip my head toward her and she throws me a seductive wink. Now, that’s the kind of girl I’m into. Grinning, I return my eyes to my paper. It’s still blank. Great. If I don’t pay attention I’ll get another F, and I can’t afford that. I try to hone in to Mr. Chauncey’s words, but the two girls behind me distract me with their whispering.
Light bounces off the wall, piercing my eye. When I attempt to locate the source, Delaney’s sparkly barrette winks at me from where it’s nestled in her shiny curls. Irritated, I lower my gaze. Why do I always let her get under my skin like this? I can’t afford to be even the least bit attracted to her if I want to find out her secret and hand her over to the Sarafites.
I am more convinced than ever that she has magical powers. Maybe she’s a witch or something. Yes, that has to be it. That’s why everyone’s under her spell.
Everyone but me, that is. I am not now, nor will I ever be, enchanted by Delaney Scott.
Chapter ThreeMicah
“I DON’T LIKE the way he looks at you,” I say to Delaney as we pass Sam on the way out of history class. The minute I glance over at him he averts his gaze, but not before I catch the predatory way his eyes rove over Delaney’s body.
Delaney just playfully swats my arm. “Why, Micah. You sound jealous.” There is a teasing gleam in her emerald eyes.
The corners of my mouth twitch in irritation. “I’m serious.” I glance behind us. Sam stands at the edge of the classroom in his standard all black attire, watching us as we make our way down the hallway. His face wears a pensive look. Shivers brush over my skin. “His arms are bare. He doesn’t have any of our markings.”
“So?”
“So?” I’m incredulous. “He’s our enemy.”
“Oh please. Just because he’s not a follower of Zerach, that doesn’t make him a bad guy. He lives on the outskirts of town, that’s all. It’s not like he has the symbol of fire on his forehead. Then he’d really be our enemy.”
“Just stay away from him, okay?” I grind my teeth. For years I’ve observed Delaney watching Sam with fascination. He’s the only guy in our school, other than me, that she even seems to notice. Only he’s bad news, I can tell. The way he looks at Delaney is odd. I wouldn’t call it attraction, really. It’s something deeper, something strange — maybe even sinister.
“I’m surprised you care,” Delaney says.
I stop in my tracks. Students shove past us, bumping me with their shoulders and backpacks.
“Why would you say that?” I ask.
Delaney’s face is serious. The teasing look from earlier has completely vanished. “Oh, come on. You don’t think I noticed how you looked at Ariel last night?”
My face warms. “What does Ariel have to do with anything?”
“It’s obvious that you’re attracted to her.”
“I was just trying to help her. Nothing more.” Anger rises up in me. Why is she acting like this anyway? It’s not like we’re together. We’re best friends, and that’s all. However, even as I think it, I know it’s not entirely the truth.
“I wonder where she came from.” Delaney squints, her forehead creasing into squiggly lines. She looks bothered by the entire thing. Like she wishes we never found Ariel. This furthers my irritation. She should be happy we found another person like us. It’s what we’ve been waiting for since we were kids. Actually, it’s what I’ve been waiting for since I was a kid. I have been the one hoping, waiting, and praying for this moment. I’ve always wanted to meet the other eight. Delaney, on the other hand, would just as soon forget all about it. If she had her wish our gifts would disappear and we would be regular people like everyone else. It’s been the source of many fights between us over the years. I don’t get it. I don’t even try to understand her anymore.
“I mean, if she lives in Edenly how come we haven’t seen her before?” Delaney taps her chin with her finger.
I shrug to keep her from noticing how uneasy I am. I think of the secret I’m keeping and feel slightly guilty.
Her gaze fixes on me. “You don’t think it’s odd at all that she just showed up out of nowhere?”
“Not really. Edenly’s a very big town. She could live up in the mountains, or out in the rural areas, or even on the other side of the bridge near Gardenbrook High. You know that the other eight probably all live in Edenly somewhere.” As a crowd of students descends on us, all flying in opposite directions, I move up against a row of lockers. Delaney moves with me, pressing her shoulder into the wall.
“Yeah, then how did we get stuck working with the police and doing all these rescues all the time? Guess the other eight are smarter abo
ut keeping their gifts under wraps.” Delaney keeps her voice low and her eyes shifting around to be sure we aren’t heard. Although I don’t think anyone would be able to hear us over the loud chatter that echoes off the walls.
“Or their gifts haven’t manifested yet. Who knows what ages all the others are, and you know the gifts appear at different ages for everyone.”
Delaney shakes her head. “Wow. You’re seriously a walking textbook when it comes to this subject.”
Being an Ekloge Warrior is the most important thing in the world to me. It’s what sets me apart. It’s my purpose in life. But I reply simply, “That’s because it means a lot to me.”
“I know.” Delaney raises a brow. “Anyway, what do you think Ariel’s gift is? It must not be that great if she couldn’t even save herself. I mean, if we hadn’t shown up when we did, she totally would have died.”
My stomach tightens at the memory of Ariel’s car sinking in the cold water. “Seriously, Delaney? You saw what they did to her. They stripped her of her gift.”
Delaney’s face pales. “Oh, right. Sometimes I forget how easily our power can be taken away.”
I glance around. The halls are almost cleared out. Before Delaney can say anything more, I nudge her arm. “C’mon, we’re gonna be late for class.”
As I walk forward, Ariel’s face swims in my mind. I see her full lips, pale skin, short hair and large eyes. My fingers buzz when I remember the way her soft skin felt against mine. My pulse quickens. At the sound of the bell, I shake away the memory.
PE is the worst part of my day. It’s so hard to go through the motions of physical activity all the while holding back my true strength. The most difficult are the days we play a sport. Once my adrenaline kicks in, it’s painful to hold back. However, it’s better than the alternative. I cringe remembering the few times I let loose at school. I’m lucky a few lacerations and broken equipment were the extent of the damage I caused. It could have been much worse.
