The White Aura

by Felicia Tatum

  OLIVIA

  Four hours until the dance. I could hardly make myself excited enough to get dressed. Juniper absolutely refused to miss it. She claimed she was in love with Mark, and she had to tell him tonight. If the truth killed her, at least she let it out. I fought with her all day about it to no avail. I had finally gotten her to agree to at least let me keep an eye on her all night. I wasn’t sure how I would protect her, but I prayed I could. Aiden was captain of the football team and completely infatuated with me. Surely he was strong enough to protect her if something happened.

  Glancing in the mirror, I noticed how tired I looked. My eyes still had a bit of a glow to them, though it wasn’t as noticeable with the dark bags shadowing underneath. I sat in my vanity seat, determined to make myself look as radiant as Aiden kept saying I was. I caught him multiple times during school staring at me. He seemed mesmerized.

  I couldn’t figure out it if it was creepy or flattering.

  I picked up the silver brush on my table, gliding it through my wavy auburn locks. I brushed each strand until it was soft as silk. So I wouldn’t muss my hair or makeup, I changed out of my t-shirt into one that buttoned. I braided my hair, starting on the right side and wrapped it around to the left shoulder. I tied the braid, leaving wisps of hair around my face. Behind my right ear, I inserted a coral flower I’d found at the beauty supply store. It made me feel elegant. I chose simple pearl earrings and the ring Mr. Sexy gave me for my jewelry.

  I rarely spent this long on my appearance. Each step had me closer to the dance, to the unknown, to my best friend’s possible death. Slowly I moved around as I completed everything, fighting the urge to cry and scream. Uncertainty wasn’t generally this horrifying, but after seeing Juniper’s death so vividly, I feared what was to come.

  My mind raced with thoughts of tonight. Would Aiden show his good or bad side? Could I save my best friend? Even making simple choices was stressing me out. I looked over the palette of eye shadows, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed about all of the choices I had. Reds, pinks, purples, greens, blues, and browns. I glanced at my shoes, comparing the color to the shades. I chose a medium pink shadow and applied it, then lined my eyes with black and applied two coats of mascara. Satisfied with my face, I went to the closet to look at my dress.

  My phone chimed as I crossed the room. It was from Juniper. She was here to get ready with me. After I let her in, we quietly walked to my room. Somber instead of excited, I helped her fix her hair and makeup. This wasn’t right at all. We should be happy and thrilled, giggling as we chatted about boys, instead of acting like we were going to a funeral.

  I curled her already curly hair in tighter swirls, allowing the colors to weave in and out around her face. We darkened her eyes with a smoky shadow and black liner. With a touch of red lips, she looked amazing.

  We had always loved getting dressed up and going places together. This dance was ruining everything because of the vision I had. I tried one last time to talk her out of going. “Please, Juniper. I’m worried about you. I really don’t know how I will protect you…”

  She cut me off before I could finish my speech. “Liv, I know you’re worried. I’m scared as hell myself, but we don’t even know if the visions you saw are real. I’m not going to miss this chance with Mark and this gorgeous gown,” she said, waving her arms in front of it to emphasize her words, “just because something crazy is going on with you.”

  Her words hurt, and I threw my hands up in defeat, “Ok. Fine. I’m still worried, but I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.”

  And I did. We got dressed in silence. After we finished, I realized how we pretty we both looked in our gown choices. Juniper was a knockout, and I knew Mark was going to be floored. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I hoped I looked as good as she did. And I wished with all of my heart that my dream man would observe me tonight to catch a glimpse.

  SCOTT

  My reflection was much calmer than my insides. I was an absolute wreck, worried and scared about any strange events happening tonight at the dance. Wearing black dress pants and a white buttoned shirt, I looked formal enough to blend in if I must go in the building for any reason. Mark and I planned for me to do my part from the outside, so I wouldn’t come in contact with Livvie. My pockets were loaded with stunning potion, a black, thick liquid that would completely freeze anyone they were within five feet of. All I had to do was throw it on the ground in front of my victim, and wait for it to work. A knife was in my back pocket, big enough to do damage if needed. I didn’t want this fight to become violent, but I was prepared to protect Livvie.

  Mark was loaded with similar charms and weapons to guard himself and his date. I’d sent it all to him after school. Grandma and Sadie were equipped with memorized spells; immobilizing spells, memory erasing spells for innocent bystanders, slumber charms, and they’d found a few control spells that may come in handy. Overall, I felt we were well guarded. My stomach had a sinking feeling, telling me the CC was much stronger, and this could all be for nothing.

  I loaded the bed of my truck with ropes, rags, and cleaning supplies. None of Grandma’s books mentioned how big of a mess we would make if we actually killed the evil one. I climbed into the truck, my hands shaking more by the minute. I wasn’t so much scared of the fight as I was of losing Livvie, and that it was too soon to see her face to face. All of these thoughts raced in my brain. The damned curse was ruining my life. When this was all over, I was determined to destroy the descendant of Devlin Hart.

  The energy-inducing potion Grandma gave me was wearing off. The familiar ache was returning all over my body, my limbs growing weaker as my muscles lost the will to work. It was coming quicker this time. I tried to shake off the fatigue, but it was too much. I slumped in the seat a little when I started the vehicle.

  I drove the twenty minutes to the community center where the dance was being held. It was at least an hour before it started, but I wanted to scope the place out. Grandma’s car was parked off on the side of the road on the way, so I knew she and Sadie were ahead of me. We were planning to watch from outside the building, while Mark would actually be inside since he was going with Juniper. I still hadn’t told him of Livvie’s vision. He would be pissed if he found out I knew, but he had to keep his thoughts straight. I parked about a mile away in the parking lot of an abandoned convenience store and made my way to the building. My legs didn’t want to work, and each step was more and more difficult. As drained as I was, using magic to travel was out of the question. I’d only end up hurting myself.

  When I finally got there, I looked around and then I let out a bird call we had agreed on as a signal earlier. I heard a response on my right. I crept through the trees and bushes, careful to not mess up my dressy clothing. Sadie was kneeling on the ground, laying out her knives and bottles of potions. There was a ladder leaned against the wall, and I knew Grandma was on the roof. In a hushed voice I asked, “Sadie, is everything ready?”

  She nodded without looking up. She stayed concentrated on the task before her.

  “What is Grandma doing up there?”

  “Attaching mirrors to the tops of the windows. They’ll reflect down to let us see what’s going on when we come down to the ground.”

  I was lucky to have these two on my side. Aiden wouldn’t know what hit him if these two got ahold of him. Of course, Grandma had experience in situations like these. She would know how to prepare better than Sadie or I would. “Ok…so what are you doing?”

  “I’m getting everything lined up and ready, so we can just grab what we need. Is anyone here yet?”

  “No. There aren’t any cars in the lot, and I parked a mile away. It’s still about forty-five minutes before it’s supposed to begin.”

  She nodded and went back organizing.

  I walked the perimeter. The center was the size of a small grocery store. There were five windows total, but all were too high to look through. Now I understood Grandma’s idea. I peeked in the door, noticing th
at it was only slightly decorated. There weren’t any tables with food or drinks, nor a DJ who should have been there setting up. Strange. There wasn’t enough time to contemplate it, though. I had to scope out my hiding spot, so I could be settled before people arrived. I walked back to the rear of the building and climbed the tallest tree, a daunting task in my weakened state. After getting settled on a strong branch, I turned my cell phone off and covered my legs with leaves to make sure nothing gave me away.

  OLIVIA

  Mark had arrived twenty minutes to 6 p.m. to pick up Juniper. She insisted they take me with them, even though I felt like a third wheel. Again. “I don’t want to intrude,” I said, twisting my hands in knots.

  “You’re not intruding. You’re my best friend. Pleeeeease come with us,” Juniper said while giving me a puppy dog look.

  “Yeah, come on. It’ll be fun, Liv. Just come with us,” Mark chimed in.

  “Ok. If you’re sure,” I reluctantly agreed.

  “I am. Now, let your mom get some pictures of me and Mark and then the three of us,” Juniper said excitedly.

  I hurried as fast as my heels would let me up the stairs, knocking on my mom and dad’s office.

  “Come in,” Mom called softly.

  Pushing the door open, I stood just inside and smiled when she finally glanced up.

  Gasping, she stood. “Olivia, you look beautiful,” she said, smiling genuinely, something I hadn’t seen in too long. “Your hair is lovely.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said awkwardly. “Juniper and Mark are downstairs. She wants to know if you’d come take some pictures of us.” I shifted my weight uncomfortably. Things with my parents were so weird lately.

  “Of course,” she agreed. She pulled me to her, wrapping me in a hug for the first time in days. “Please be safe and know I’m always so proud of you,” she whispered, curling a wisp of hair around her finger.

  Glancing up, I noticed her eyes seemed to change color, then back to brown in an instant. She grinned again, her teeth sharp and sparkly white before grasping my hand and dragging me down the stairs with her. She oohed and awed over Juniper and Mark before finally rummaging through drawers and locating her camera.

  We spent what seemed like forever on pictures. After, we went to eat. Although I insisted they drop me off first, they refused. While we dined, I couldn’t help noticing the way Mark looked at Juniper. There was no way he wasn’t in love with her. I wanted her to be happy, so I hoped he declared his love in an extravagant way. And soon.

  We picked the small diner in Arrow Rock to eat. The place was practically empty as we chose our booth, J and Mark sliding in close to each other. Her giggles were flirtatious and his glances were longing all through dinner. I watched in awkward amazement as they explored this new side to their relationship. Each compliment garnered a blush from J, each outrageous comment earned a wide-eyed, and glazed over look from Mark. The two of them were in their own little world, with me invading, as they picked and nibbled on their meals. Finally, he grabbed her hand, the silence following in the seconds after deafening before she locked her fingers around his and grinned widely.

  It was so cute, and I couldn’t hide my excitement for her. When finished, we all situated ourselves in the car, Juniper seeming to be the only excited person present. Why wasn’t Mark? We were silent, aside from her chattering. When we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed it was empty. I wondered if we were in the right place.

  “This is the address they gave us at school,” Mark said, confusion in his voice.

  “Why isn’t anyone here? It’s all everyone has talked about for weeks…” I said as I looked around.

  “Maybe we should just go in, see what’s going on,” Juniper said.

  Terror rose in my stomach. Something was not right. I didn’t how, but I knew this had to do with the vision of Juniper. I felt like I was in a horror movie, and we were the idiots walking right into the room where the killer was. It was possible we truly were the idiots. I didn’t know who would want to kill Juniper, but I was afraid this eerie silence and deserted lot were a part of the plot. Dread filled me, bubbling in my stomach, as I realized we had to go in. My best friend was nothing if not stubborn and wouldn’t give any of us any other option.

  “Ok, Juniper, will you stay right with me? I’m scared of this place,” I said, terror truly in my voice. I didn’t even have to pretend.

  She sighed, “Liv, I know what you’re doing. We’ll be fine. We have a big strong guy here to protect us,” she said, glancing at Mark and giving him a wink. “Now, let’s quit being babies and go see what’s going on.”

  I felt restless and the hair on the back of my neck was standing up as we walked to the building. I felt goose bumps popping up all over my arms, but I tried to remain calm. Mark and Juniper walked ahead of me and I noticed an outline of something sticking out of Mark’s back pocket. It had the shape of a knife.

  Breathing heavier, I tried to get closer without raising suspicions. I wasn’t going to be able to find out without actually grabbing it from his pocket, and I couldn’t do that. Surely Mark wasn’t the one who had killed Juniper in the vision. It didn’t make sense. It was obvious he was in love with her.

  They walked in the front door, stopping just inside. Not really paying attention, I ran right into Juniper’s back, making a squeak at the impact. I looked around, noticing the entire room was empty. There were a few decorations, some streamers on the walls, and balloons tied to a chair in the corner. There was a sign hanging on the wall that said, “ARH Spring Dance,” and it had been slashed right through the middle. The chairs had been moved out of the way to make a dance floor, but no music played. No students from school or chaperones were in sight. There was a strange feeling hanging in the air. A darkness loomed overhead, ready to strike at any moment.

  A sound behind the stage in the front of the room made us all jump and turn our heads. Aiden was walking slowly and cautiously from around the back with his head cast down. At first my heart raced more, because I thought something was wrong. But then…he looked up. His eyes stared straight into mine and he had a devilish grin on his face. His red, glowing eyes looked at me with a hunger in them.

  SCOTT

  The CC slashed the banner as soon as he came in. He cast spells near the door. My guess was to make sure Livvie, Mark, and Juniper wouldn’t be able to leave. His eyes glowed with anger and hatred. I still didn’t know how he made sure no one else showed up, but I really hoped no one was injured or dead. I leaned closer to the building, holding on tighter to the branch, to watch his movements. I didn’t see any weapons with him, but I suppose with his powers he wouldn’t need any. I watched him move to the back of the stage when they pulled into the lot. The opportunity was perfect to take him down, but with Grandma and Sadie both running back to the car for the forgotten sleeping potion to assist Mark, I was helpless. I couldn’t dreamwalk and hold a spell over him to induce slumber simultaneously. I was beginning to think this was a game to him.

  Livvie walked in and my heart stopped. I leaned closer and closer, hoping to shorten the distance so I could heal. Warmth began to seep into my core. I was close enough. I stayed in an awkward position long enough for the ache in my legs to subside. My muscles tightened, and I felt stronger. I glanced back inside and studied Livvie.

  She looked absolutely stunning in her dress. It was hard for me to keep my eyes off her. Sadie clearly anticipated this happening, because she threw a rock at me to bring me back to the present. I made a mental note to remember to thank her later. When the CC looked at Livvie, I felt a rage in me I had never felt before. His eyes devoured her, and I knew he wanted her to be his mate. He knew she was going to be powerful, and he wanted to take advantage of it. All my suspicions were wrong. He may have originally wanted Delana back, but now…the heat in his gaze revealed his true intentions. My heart beat rapidly as the truth sank in.

  I leaned my head closer to the window, trying to hear everything.

  “Aid
en…what’s going on with your eyes…?” Livvie’s voice was trembling.

  A deep, satanic voice answered her, “My dear Olivia, this is my natural state. I’ve decided tonight is the night we become forever mates. You…you are a gem in our world. A rare piece of magic I plan to keep all to myself. Together, we can rule the world and everyone in it.” He threw his arms up in the air and turned in a circle. An evil smile crossed his face and his eyes ravished Livvie.

  “I’m powerful? I’m sorry, Aiden, you have this all wrong. I think you want someone else.” She turned to run out, but an invisible force field threw her back into the room, sending her flying and landing on the floor. Now she was even closer to Aiden. Juniper looked terrified, and Mark drew the knife from his back pocket, holding it against his leg so no one would notice.

  “No, I want you, and I always get what I want.” His laugh was deep and made the walls shake, reminding me of how evil this being truly was.

  Livvie looked around, searching to see if there was anyone to help. I wanted to jump down and save her. I longed to destroy the CC once and for all. I fought the urge and stayed where I was, holding my breath when she moved a little closer to him.

  “Why do you want me, Aiden? Or is that your real name? Are you the red calamari that I heard about?”

  His head turned sharply, his face in a rage, “Red Calamari! What did you dare call me, little girl?” Chairs flew across the room. Livvie jumped back and Mark pushed her behind him. The knife was visible now, and he took the stance of a warrior.

  “What are you going to do, little sorcerer boy? Fight me? I don’t think so.” The CC was taunting him now, his voice mocking and his eyes dancing with laughter. I knew he was trying to get the best of Mark, and I prayed he kept his cool.