Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada)

by Alicia Michaels

“Pretty name,” he said.

  “Thanks. I like your glasses.”

  I like your eyes. I like your hair. I like your skin.

  Selena bit back the words, embarrassed by her almost instant crush on the cute stranger.

  “Are you new in town?” she asked, trying her best not to gawk at him and failing miserably. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

  “Not that new,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve seen you around a lot, at school, on the track field, at the Dairy Queen.”

  Selena’s eyes widened in surprise. “You have?”

  He nodded, a sly smile spreading across his face. “Oh yeah. When I saw you today walking through this field I thought, ‘now’s the perfect chance to get to meet the prettiest girl in Twin Oaks’.”

  Selena couldn’t help but laugh at that one. Prettiest girl in Twin Oaks? Hadn’t he laid eyes on Allyson, the cheerleader with the biggest boobs a teenage girl had a right to have? Or Janelle, who’s long, perfectly shaped legs had earned her the honor of being captain of the dance squad? Or what about Trisha, whose hair was that perfect shade of blond that most girls had to buy a box of hair color to achieve?

  This guy obviously didn’t get out much.

  Selena snorted. “Yeah right.”

  “It’s true,” he said, taking another step toward her. Selena felt her hands shaking as he reached up to stroke a lock of her straight, red hair. “Besides, you’re different and I like different.”

  “You must be the only guy in town that does.”

  He laughed. “Would you believe me if I told you that we were two of a kind? That I’m as different as you are?”

  Selena frowned. “What do you mean?”

  He leaned even closer, his nose nearly touching hers as his grin widened. His white teeth flashed in the sunlight, the sharp canines displayed proudly.

  “I saw you,” he whispered. “Running.”

  Selena clutched her stomach as she felt nausea welling up in her. From the expression on his face, it was obvious that he didn’t mean to say he’d seen her on the track at school. How could she have been so stupid? She hardly ever allowed herself the freedom to run uninhibited in broad daylight. She had thought herself alone, completely oblivious to the watching eyes of a boy named Titus.

  What to do?

  Titus’ smile was blinding, a flash of white teeth that left her stunned while she tried to find words … any words … even ‘please don’t tell my secret and make me end up on the six o’clock news, or on a lab table with a bunch of tubes coming out of my body’.

  Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. As panic gripped her, Selena could think of only one thing to do.

  Run!

  ~*~

  “Hi, sweet pea.”

  “Hey, Gram.”

  Selena quickly breezed past her grandmother and into her room. She slammed the door and leaned against it, sinking down to the floor and covering her face with her hands. Her heart pumped rapidly, sending a rush of blood through her veins that created a pulsing sound in her ears.

  “Holy shit,” she murmured as she fought for air.

  The run from the field to the small, two-bedroom house she shared with her grandmother had taken less than thirty seconds. It had to have been the fastest she’d ever run in her life. Fear had been nipping at her heels and for some reason did not dissipate as she’d hoped it would once she’d put some distance between her and Titus. For some reason, his icy blue eyes stayed with her, lingering in her mind with a dangerous gleam. What had he meant to accomplish by revealing that he knew her secret? To make fun of her, ask her how she did it, take her to the nearest lab facility?

  Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good. Something in the way he’d smiled at her, the gleam in his eyes told her that his intentions couldn’t be honorable. She couldn’t explain it. Aside from super speed worthy of the pages of a comic book, she also had a sharp intuition. She didn’t know how to describe it other than just saying that she could ‘feel things’. The feelings that she’d gotten from Titus were strong. Sure he was hot, but he was also dangerous and Selena had been right to run away from him.

  Once she’d gotten her breathing under control, Selena stood and tossed her backpack to the bed. She replaced her white peasant top with her black and red Dairy Queen t-shirt. She only had one hour to get to work and she still had to eat something before the ten-minute walk into town.

  She hated her job spooning up ice cream treats, but aside from a few mom and pop diners and a gas station, it was the only place in Twin Oaks where a high-school student could get a job. It paid less than minimum wage and she left every night smelling like French fries but it was worth it. Just thinking of the freedom she’d experience after graduation because of the money she’d saved made it worthwhile. There was also the satisfaction of being able to help her grandmother put food on the table. Her deceased grandfather’s pension only covered so much.

  She pulled her long hair into a ponytail at the back of her head before looping it through the hole on the back of the black baseball cap, which matched her work shirt. She pinned on her name tag before exiting the room.

  “I made you a sandwich,” said Rose as Selena entered the kitchen.

  She kissed her grandmother’s leathery, wrinkled cheek affectionately and accepted the plate and a glass of lemonade.

  “Thanks, Gram.”

  Rose McKinley was the only family that Selena had ever known. Her parents had died in a car accident shortly after she was born and there were no siblings, cousins, aunts, or uncles. Her grandfather had died years before she was born, so she’d never known him. It was just her, Rose, and Freckles the cat. The orange tabby leapt up onto the kitchen island and arched her back, begging for attention. Selena stroked her fur before pinching a piece of lunch meat off of her sandwich and giving it to the cat. Freckles took the treat and purred happily before leaping down and curling up at Selena’s feet.

  “Working tonight?”

  Selena nodded as she took a big bite out of the sandwich.

  “You’ve been working so many hours during the week,” Rose said with a shake of her head. She sat at one of the island’s cushioned bar stools and plucked at the sleeve of her floral top.

  “I was hoping you’d be off this weekend so we could go to the county fair.”

  Selena suppressed a groan. She couldn’t think of anything more boring than the Twin Oaks County Fair. Every year it was the same; local ranchers showing off their pigs for ribbons, a rodeo in which one of the McClendon boys always won the cash prize, bake sales and barbeques, and the same old carnival rides. It had been the same since Selena was a kid, and she suspected, when Rose had been a kid as well.

  She put on a smile for Rose’s benefit, though. Selena knew that her grandmother loved the fair. In fact, she didn’t think Rose had ever been away from Twin Oaks for more than a few days at a time. She didn’t seem to have any inclination to leave either.

  Selena would go to the fair. She would eat ribs and watch the rodeo and pretend to enjoy it because next year she would be gone and Rose would have to go without her. She would do it for her.

  “Sure Gram. I think I’m off Sunday. We could go then.”

  Rose smiled and lifted her glass for a sip of lemonade. “Perfect. I hear there’s going to be a dance this year.”

  Selena rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll be going to that never.”

  Rose chuckled. “Oh come on, I bet they’ll even play some of that Gaga person you all seem to be so crazy about.”

  Selena couldn’t help but laugh, too. “Yeah, in between all the honky tonk.”

  “I raised you on country music, young lady. I would think you’d appreciate it by now.”

  “Sorry, Gram. Music about dead dogs and broken hearts doesn’t interest me.”

  “It will, someday. Mark my words.”

  Selena wolfed down the last of her sandwich and downed the last of her lemonade in one gulp. She dabbed at her mouth with the napkin. />
  “You’re probably right. I gotta go, Gram. See you tonight.”

  “Be careful walking home, sweet pea.”

  Selena waved off her warning as she always did before going to work. In Twin Oaks, everybody knew everybody. Her walks home from work were always uneventful and pleasant and Selena enjoyed the balmy night air.

  She froze, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as a prickling sensation worked its way up her spine.

  Titus.

  Just that quickly, she’d forgotten about him. Was he still out there somewhere, lurking in the field? Was she in danger of encountering him on her way home…in the dark?

  “Geez relax, he’s not a vampire,” she murmured to herself as she put all thoughts of the strange boy out of her mind.

  She’d probably overreacted earlier. Titus had seemed threatening at the time, but now that she looked back on it, she decided that she was just being silly. In fact, Titus had probably laughed all the way home at her strange behavior.

  Great, she thought, add him to the never-ending list of people who think I’m weird.

  ~*~

  He came in just ten minutes before closing time.

  Selena paused in the middle of making a peanut butter cup Blizzard for Mark McClendon, her mouth hanging open as Titus stood framed in the doorway of the Dairy Queen, staring at her with a smug expression. She turned her attention back to the blizzard just before the ice cream overflowed in the cup.

  Selena snatched the cup away from the machine and reached for a red plastic spoon. She stuck it into the ice cream and turned it upside down, once, as she always did when making a Blizzard. She always wondered at the bizarre ritual demonstrated to her during her first days of training. Was she supposed to be demonstrating the thickness of the ice cream to the customers? Did anybody really care? Every day that she worked behind that counter, she was secretly hoping that she’d turn a cup over and ice cream would splat to the floor. Just once.

  Mark took off with his Blizzard, eyeing Titus curiously as he left. The door slammed behind him and Selena faintly heard the chime of the bell as Titus approached the counter. Selena glanced over her shoulder, but noticed that most of her co-workers had retreated to the back, probably getting ready to close up for the night. Selena glanced at the clock on the wall behind her and turned back to Titus.

  “I’m sorry, we’re closing in like ten minutes. If you want something you’re going to have to order quick.”

  “I didn’t come for this swill you call food,” he replied wrinkling his nose.

  Selena felt the knots in her stomach tightening. “Oh, well then you should probably go. The parking lot’s empty, so I’m going to lock up now.”

  He came forward and leaned against the counter on his elbows.

  “It’s late. You should let me walk you home.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I do.”

  “I’m sorry, do you have a hearing problem?”

  “No, but you obviously have a listening problem.”

  Titus raised one eyebrow at her shocked expression and grinned. Selena was green with envy. She’d always wished she could raise one eyebrow like that. She scowled.

  “I’ll be waiting outside,” he said, his voice a warning as he backed away from the counter. “Right outside that door.”

  “What makes you think—”

  “You know you want to, so just meet me outside when you’re done, okay?”

  Selena wrestled with curiosity and uncertainty. She had convinced herself earlier that she was being silly about Titus. Standing there now with a boyish grin on his face, he was like any other guy in Twin Oaks.

  No, he was different. Titus was different in a wonderful way that made Selena want to know him. She didn’t know why, but she felt as if they were two sides of the same coin. While one part of her wanted to run, the other part of her needed to know why.

  She nodded yes, but kept the scowl on her face. He didn’t have to know that she was looking forward to the walk home.

  ~*~

  “So, your parents let you walk home alone every night?”

  Selena shrugged. “Not every night. I only work four days a week.”

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  “Look, it’s just me and my grandmother and we don’t have a car. Besides, this place is the size of a dime. Everything’s within walking distance and everybody knows everybody.”

  Titus laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked. They were back in the field where they’d met earlier that day. She wasn’t sure why, but ever since he’d shown up at Dairy Queen, her nerves had been standing on end. Once again, his presence was putting her intuition on high alert. As they walked through the tall grass, she glanced over at him and studied his profile.

  He was even more stunning in the moonlight, with the dim glow of the night on his pale face and dark hair. His eyes almost glowed. Selena lowered her eyes as he looked up at her just in time to catch her staring.

  “I take it you don’t like it too much.”

  “Seriously, I hate it here. I’m counting the days to graduation. I’m buying a car, putting all my stuff in the back of it, and getting the hell out of Ole Dirtpatch.”

  “Dirtpatch?”

  “That’s my nickname for it. Don’t tell me you like Twin Oaks. I can tell by looking that you’re not from around here. You’ve got the look of a city boy about you.”

  He stopped, bringing her up short beside him. He turned to face her and a wistful expression crossed his features.

  “Not exactly,” he said. “My home is beautiful though. There’s nothing like it in the whole world.”

  “You miss it.”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “What happened? Why did you have to leave?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “You don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Do you want to tell me what happened to your parents?”

  “Point taken.”

  He pressed his lips together in a firm line and turned to lead her on. Selena loped along beside him, her insides burning with curiosity. Despite the nervous tension he created in her, she couldn’t help but want to know more about him. What was that saying about curiosity killing the cat? Yeah, that was pretty much where she was headed.

  “My parents died in a car crash when I was a baby,” she blurted. “There is no other family so Gram took me.”

  “I had to leave my home because of a war,” he answered. “My parents are now prisoners of that war and it is unlikely that I will ever see them again.”

  She’d known he had an exotic look about him. A war that had imprisoned his parents meant he was from another country. But where?

  Selena gasped, her throat clenching with emotion as she looked back up at him. His face was etched in agony, the blue eyes lowered and filled with sadness, the corners of his mouth turned down and pinched. She reached out to grab his hand. His fingers were icy against her warm ones.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He looked down at her, his face grown harsher in the moonlight, the glint in his eyes deadly. Selena’s heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her lungs, but she didn’t flinch as she met his narrowed gaze with her wide-eyed one.

  “You shouldn’t be here, with me,” he said, his voice a low growl.

  Selena frowned. “But you—”

  “I saw you earlier Selena, running through this field. You were so … ” he trailed off, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, “ … beautiful. If only you knew the power you possessed, how important you are, and how dangerous I am to you…” he paused again, groaning in frustration and tearing his gaze away from hers. “Run, Selena.”

  “What are you talking about? What are you saying?”

  “Run!”

  His voice was animalistic this time, a roar that shook Selena to her very core. He leaned toward her, barring his teeth as another primal growl rumbled through his chest. Selena w
as sure that his canines lengthened, glistening behind his lips in the moonlight.

  Scared to death, Selena gladly took his advice.

  She turned on her heels and ran from Titus for the second time in one day.

  Once home, Selena was grateful to find that Rose had gone to bed for the night. She checked all of the doors and windows to be sure that they were locked before fleeing to her room. She closed the door and sank to the floor, Titus’ words whirling through her mind like a Texas twister.

  If only you knew the power you possessed … how dangerous I am to you.

  So she hadn’t been exaggerating. He’d told her with his own mouth that he was a danger to her. And to think, she’d almost ignored her intuition and allowed herself to be alone with him in an empty field at night. The situation had ‘horror movie’ written all over it.

  But then, curiosity reared its ugly head once again. If Titus was so concerned about hurting her, why had he come to the Dairy Queen that night? Why pursue her after she’d run away from him this afternoon? How was he this cute, charming boy one minute and a menacing psychopath the next?

  One thing as for sure, Selena did not have any interest in finding out.

  Well, maybe just a little.

  ~*~

  Chapter Two

  Mollac, Fallada

  “What news from the world of men, my Queen?”

  Eranna curled her blood red lips into a sneer as she turned to find Ushma, her most faithful witch, shuffling through the door to her chambers. She wrinkled her nose at the old hag before turning back to the mirror resting against the wall in a gilded frame.

  “He has not yet fulfilled his duty, Ushma. I fear that we may have to take extraordinary measures.”

  “Even more extraordinary than taking his family hostage?”

  Eranna sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance as Ushma shuffled toward her and back into her line of vision. Heavens, she hated having to look at them, but the Witches had their uses. Ushma, with her pointed nose, wart blemished chin, and leathery skin, was perhaps the ugliest of them all. However, Eranna knew that tolerating their presence was well worth it. When she was High Queen of Fallada, she would banish the ugly creatures to some far-flung corner of the country where she would never have to look upon them again.