CRYSTALLUM (The Primordial Principles Book 1)

by McMann, Laney

  She made her way through the packed hallway toward Art, one of the other classes she really liked, even though she didn't know how to draw a damn thing. Halfway there, a tap on her shoulder had her turning. Jake. Dammit.

  "We really need to talk, Kade."

  "About?" Maybe she could play dumb? "Colors? You know, I was thinking pink, but I'm really not the 'pink' type of girl. That's more Giselle's speed, so once I get to the dress store, and see what they—"

  Jake put up a hand. "I didn't mean dress colors. You can wear canary yellow for all I care."

  Super. Well, glad that's cleared up.

  "You shocked me in class."

  "What am I...an electric eel?" She waved a hand in the air. Damn. I sound like an idiot. "Static. See?" She pointed at her hair before flicking it with a finger. "It's everywhere in this cold weather. I can barely get my hair to lie down. You should see all the products I have to use to make it look like this." Products? Oh, just shut your mouth, Kade. He knows something. Her gaze went back to the hall.

  Cole leaned against his locker a few feet away down the hall, and Kade couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was so beautiful, and something palpable hung in the air between them. She wanted to go to him. To be near him.

  Jake touched her arm, bringing her to a stop. “Kade?” His gaze shifted toward Cole and his jaw tightened.

  With a smirk, Cole pushed away from his locker and ambled forward. "Jake." He gave a curt nod. "How's the face?"

  "As good as your arm.”

  Cole bent his arm up and down like he was flexing the muscle. "Good, then." He directed his attention on Kade. "Is your head okay?" He touched her cheek, and a wave of energy made her tremble.

  Jake let out an exasperated breath.

  “Headache. I'll be fine." The same intense feeling of wanting Cole to stay next to her flooded her body. She didn't understand why her emotion would be so intense. She barely knew him, but there was something so familiar about the way his hand lingered, the way he looked at her.

  "If you're done, I need to talk to Kadence," Jake piped up.

  Cole didn't take his eyes off hers. "No more falls, okay?" His fingers moved to the base of her skull. "That's twice, now." He winked and walked in the other direction.

  Wait...what? Twice? What's twice? Hang on.

  "Kade?"

  She glanced up, and her heart sank. Not only was Jake clearly mad, she thought she saw a trace of hurt in his gaze. "Can we talk after school, Jake? I really can't be late."

  "I'll meet you on front on the steps."

  Thinking she should say something, no words came, so she only nodded.

  ***

  "What the hell happened to you?" Giselle stood outside the cafeteria at lunch.

  "Good to see you, too, G."

  "You look like death. Did you throw up or something? You're all white."

  Awesome.

  "I fell down the stairs." Kade walked past her, into the cafeteria. "I have a headache. Cole caught me before I hit the ground."

  "What? Cole caught you? Again?"

  "Again?"

  "On the stairs??"

  "Oh, right." Kade nodded. It was the second time she'd fallen in the stairwell and Cole had caught her. That's what he'd meant. "Good timing, I guess."

  "Stupid good." Giselle's brow arced.

  "What?"

  "Nothing. Hurry along." She nudged Kade forward in the line. "Some of us are hungry."

  "I'm hungry," Kade argued, and her eyes shifted toward the back wall of tables. Empty. Touching the knot on her head, her fingers trailed to the second one at the base of her neck. Two falls that she'd hit her head. One on the stairs and one outside beside her house. Not two on the stairs. The first fall on the stairs wasn't a fall, she'd only tripped, and...

  Giselle tapped her. "Decide what kind of dress you're going to get? Long and sexy, or short and sassy?"

  "Sassy?" Kade laughed. "Haven't thought about it. I'll decide when we go to the store." She'd only dressed up once when she was little. Her dad had taken her to a holiday hospital party. She'd never even owned a pair of high heels, much less walked in any. Maybe the dance was a bad idea. Going with Jake, especially.

  Absently, Kade took another step in the line, her eyes shifting toward the back tables again like a missile trained on a target. Cole sat in his customary seat, back against the wall, legs straddling the bench and his girlfriend, shiny blonde hair hanging straight down her back, faced him, their knees touching.

  Kade couldn't breathe.

  "What's up with you and Jake?" Giselle's voice sounded far away.

  A painful knot swelled in Kade's throat.

  “Oh." Giselle's gaze followed Kade's across the lunchroom. "You really do have a thing for Cole."

  "What?"

  "No wonder Jake looks like he's ready to kill someone." Giselle directed her attention toward a set of tables. Jake sat, deep blue eyes focused on Kade, hard lines on his face.

  "I said I'd go to a dance, not that I'd marry him. I have no idea what his problem is."

  "His problem is that you like Cole." Giselle nudged Kade to move forward again.

  "Will you stop saying that? I do not." There was no conviction in her voice, though, and even less in her heart.

  "Sure you don't." Giselle grabbed a water bottle. "You're all white again, by the way."

  Kade rolled her eyes and followed her to the other side of the cafeteria.

  "Ketchup. Did you see?" Giselle smiled wide and grabbed her fork, piling it with meatloaf.

  Like a stalker, Kade's attention drifted toward Cole again, and it was as though hot oil had been poured into her veins.

  His girlfriend had her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. He moved his head to the side, out of her reach. A lump formed in Kade's throat. She took a sip of water and broke out in a coughing fit. Gasping, the remaining water in her mouth sucked down the wrong pipe, and she couldn't breathe.

  “Kade!” Lindsey shot across the table and patted her back.

  "Thank you." She coughed, eyes watering. "Swallowed wrong." She glanced back at Cole like she had a literal death wish.

  Tiffany, Kade thought her name was, was now seated like a normal person with both legs under the table, while Cole remained in his same position, back against the wall, staring straight at Kade.

  "You okay?" He mouthed across the lunchroom.

  She nodded, unable to suppress the grin at the edge of her mouth.

  He grinned back, and she broke out coughing again. Giselle whacked her on the back. Hard.

  "Jesus, G." Kade gave her the evil eye.

  "What?"

  "Are you trying to knock me into the next state?"

  "Choking requires swift, stern action." Giselle shoved a ketchup slathered chunk of meatloaf in her mouth.

  Kade didn't dare look in Cole's direction again. Why's he looking at me anyway? He had a girlfriend, but he was smiling at her? Touched her cheek in the hallway? Who does that?

  They gathered their books for fourth period, and a boy around her age, tracked across the cafeteria.

  "Are you Kadence Sparrow?" He held a yellow piece of paper in his hand.

  "Yeah?"

  "Here." He handed her the paper. "You're supposed to go to the front office."

  She turned toward the girls. They both gave her what-did-you-do looks.

  "Let me know what happens," Giselle called as Kade crossed the cafeteria.

  Cole made eye contact as she past his table, forehead crunched. His girlfriend glared with clear dislike. Not that Kade could blame her.

  The front office was stuffy and seemed to be the one room where the heater worked. It was at least ten degrees warmer than the rest of the school. Figures. Freezing all the kids out, while the staff was cozied up.

  "Can we help you?" A frail woman with glasses sat behind a counter that dwarfed her.

  Kade held the paper out. "I was called to the office."

  "Oh, yes, Kadence." She rifled behind the coun
ter. "I have your new schedule. It looks like you were transferred out of...Pre-Calculus?" The receptionist adjusted the glasses on her long nose. "And into Algebra II." She gave an encouraging smile as if she knew this would be a downgrade. "You need to head there now, instead of your usual Gym class."

  "Thank you.” Staring at the small white piece of paper, Kade headed into the chilly hallway. Gym was second period instead of Pre-Calculus, and Algebra was fourth period. No more Jake, then. Not sure if that bothered her or not, she opened the door into Algebra II and stood awkwardly at the front of her new class. Lindsey gave her an excited smile from the second row. Thank god. Someone I know.

  "Kadence, is it?" The teacher, Ms. Chamberlain, asked.

  "Yes."

  "Welcome to Boulder. Let's see." She glanced around the packed room. Clearly there were several other students who also sucked at math. Kade's spirits lifted. "We have one seat left. Right there in front of Mr. Spires." Ms. Chamberlain pointed. "Cole, honey, stand up please, so Kadence knows where her new desk is."

  Mr. Spires?

  Cole stood, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets, the cutest smile Kade had ever seen plastered on his beautiful face.

  Oh, good Lord. I am in so much trouble.

  He grinned wider. "Right here."

  Kade's face, her entire body, heated to fire temperatures.

  "Hey there." Cole sat, as Kade sat in front of him. "Couldn't get enough of me?" He gave his arrogant grin. "This is a little extreme, Sparrow," he whispered, leaning his desk forward. "Changing your schedule just so you can be near me." He gave a mock shake of his head.

  "Oh, shut up." She turned to face the teacher.

  "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked on a soft exhale.

  Kade turned back around. "What's that mean?"

  His light eyes focused on hers. "I never expected you."

  She smiled. She’d never expected him either.

  16

  KADE HUSTLED ALONG the chain link fence surrounding the dirt parking lot. She told the nurse she had a migraine and checked out early. It was all she could think of to avoid meeting Jake. Since Kade’s dad was the new pediatric surgeon at the children’s hospital, the nurse didn’t argue.

  The dirt parking lot was spattered with snow as Kade hustled along the chain link fence surrounding the football field toward the back corner of campus. The fence sloped sharply downward, all the cars parked in any and every angle possible. Easing down the snow covered hill, she gripped the fence and slid as far as she could before letting go. Her propulsion was stopped from careening out of control by steadying herself on the freezing hood of someone's car.

  "I have to say—"

  At the shock of someone's voice, Kade slipped and slammed her shins into the car's bumper. Dammit.

  Cole's girlfriend leaned against Kade's car. "I really am having a hard time seeing what he sees in you. Clumsiness doesn't usually come with the territory." The girl clutched the strap of her backpack. "I guess you use it to your advantage, though." She shrugged. "I can see the benefit in that as the new girl. Helpless little Kadence who needs the hottest guy in school to save her from herself."

  "Can I help you with something?" Kade kicked the snow off the bottom of her boots against someone's tire.

  The girl pushed away from Kadence's car. "Stay away from Cole. He has a girlfriend. Me."

  Oh, good god. What is it...the fourth day of school and I've already made two enemies? Not like she could blame the girl for being mad. She had a point. Cole hadn't been acting like he had a girlfriend, so Kade decided to be understanding about the parking lot ambush.

  "I haven't been trying to stay near him." Her smart mouth, on the other hand, had a mind of its own.

  The girl grinned. "Yeah, right. Look, I know Cole rushed to your rescue the other day outside the coffee shop. I was there. And then again in the stairwell. It's all over school. But, you need to understand something. There are rules here. Alliances. Maybe your clumsy ass hasn't figured that out yet, but Cole isn't one of yours, and you need to stick to your own."

  My clumsy ass?

  "Cool. Well, glad we could talk...you know, about the rules and everything." Kade walked toward her car. "I'll take everyone's advice under consideration." She sidestepped the girl and opened the car door, shoving her backpack into the passenger's seat. "Just curious." She turned. "Does Cole know the rules?"

  The girl's eyes narrowed.

  "Because, and I'm just guessing here, I don't think he got the memo." Kade got behind the steering wheel, starting her car. "You might want to let him know where his alliances are supposed to lie." She shrugged. "'Cause I'm pretty sure he thinks he and I are running in the same circle. Or do you guys call it a union? My clumsy ass is having a hard time keeping up." Who the hell knows if Cole thinks we're in the same circle or not, but my clumsy ass had to say it.

  The girl's face reddened, blotches traveling up her thin, pale neck. "You bitch."

  "It's Tiffany, right?" Like Kade didn't know.

  The girl crossed her arms over chest, not answering.

  "I've been to a lot of schools, Tiffany, and I've met a lot of people, so let me give you a piece of advice. I don't back down and I don't yield to threats." A pulse of energy traveled through her shoulders, pulsing in her jaw. "So, maybe you should stick to your own, whoever that is, I’m guessing it’s Kyle, and stay the hell away from me." Kade closed the door, hit the gas and drove off.

  This school was seriously starting to suck.

  ***

  "That wasn't very nice."

  Tiffany whipped around. "You're spying on me now?"

  "Nope." Cole pointed toward his Jeep in the back corner of the lot. "I'm not deaf, though. Why are you out of class early?"

  "I could ask you the same thing. And since when do you park your precious ride in the dirt?" She walked toward him, all legs and blond hair, as he came down the snow covered slope with the ease of a cat.

  "Since I lost my parking pass. Rather not have to tell the Warden he needs to buy me another one so soon in the school year. It is day four." Cole twirled his car keys around his finger. "So, you're going to casually ignore what I said?"

  Tiffany leaned into him, kissing his mouth. "What'd you say again? I forget."

  "Mm hm." Cole pressed his lips into a straight line, placed his hands on her hips, backed her up a step, and maneuvered around her, continuing toward his Jeep.

  "Really?" she snapped. "That's how it is now?"

  He turned, walking backward. "And how was it before? Remind me, 'cause I forget."

  "You're mine. That's how it is. Now, and before, and in the future. That's how it will always be."

  He smirked. "I know how the bind works, but I still believe in something called free will."

  "Are you saying you're going against the rules? The Warden?" She sounded both shocked and enraged.

  "I didn't say anything other than the way you treated Kadence wasn't very nice. To which your response was to kiss me, as if it would excuse your immature behavior. It doesn't." Her mouth opened. "It's not likely that I'll want to kiss you, or anyone, regardless of binds, or rules, or the Doctrine, or the Warden, who doesn't know how to treat people with some respect." Cole hopped in the Jeep. "You forget that Kadence isn't some young fledgling you can order around, Tiff." He revved the engine. "You're on even ground with her. Might wanna get used to that."

  Cole had done the best he could, followed the Warden's order to give it another try with Tiffany, but his heart wasn't in it. His heart had never been in it. That was the problem. They'd dated their entire junior year, and the whole time he'd wondered if he liked her, or if he was simply following the Ward's “advice” about who he was supposed to be with. He'd gone along with it, following the rules set out for all the Primordial. Keep to the traditions, make everyone proud, and he'd enjoyed Tiffany's company for the most part. The attention was nice, and the other...benefits of having a girlfriend, but he couldn't force himself to like her. Not in
the right way.

  The Warden wouldn't be pleased when he found out Cole had cut it off with her for the second time. When they became Principals after graduation, Cole and Tiffany were expected to be together. Bound by yet another rule the Ward had had set forth through the generations to keep the pure blood of the Primori clean. Cole had had no idea how he would ever pull that off. Live a life built on a lie.

  Turning away from campus, he grinned. In a million years, he never would have thought he'd meet someone like Kade. Not only had she had a run in with Tiffany, having no idea who she was or what she could do, she hadn't backed down. Not even a little bit. She had guts and a smart mouth to match. No wonder she was under his skin.

  ***

  Danny sprawled out on Cole's perfectly made bed, or what used to be his perfectly made bed. It took Cole less than a second to realize what Danny was reading.

  "Are you particularly interested in the life an…Anamolia leads? Or were you just continuing to please your dad with all this reading material?" Danny closed the book in his hand and tossed it at his feet. "What's up?"

  "I see you've made yourself right at home." Cole lugged his backpack off his shoulder and set it near his desk by the window. "Just doing some research on the crystal. Thought you'd be happy about that." He kicked his shoes off.

  "As long as that's the real reason you're reading all of this,” he picked up another book at random, "material about...amalgamations, I'm ecstatic about it. I'm just not convinced it's the sole reason. And we have a mine to investigate."

  "I'm aware." Cole tracked to his bathroom. "And you're never convinced of anything I do, but since the Warden took me off the investigation, I thought I should do my own digging." Closing the door, he turned on the faucet. Allowing the water to run cold, he splashed his face, streams of water trickling off his chin. Ebony and gold feathers cut through the flesh of his golden, human skin. A strong, sharp beak followed, and wide, coal black eyes stared back at Cole from the mirror.

  "You fall into the toilet?" Danny yelled. "Or are you hoping I'll leave so you don't have to drive to Denver? We could run. If you want. It's risky, but if that's the only way you'll stop complaining about going to another mine, then we can do that."