by Blake, Kasi
Back and forth, his gaze swept over classmates as he hurried down the hallway. A strange sight stalled the breath in his lungs. A memory surfaced from childhood. It was like that game they played with kids on Sesame Street. One of these things does not belong. Can you find it?
Summer.
With a coy smile she wiggled her fingers at him in a slow wave. Then she turned and pranced away. There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that she wanted him to follow her.
So he did.
He caught up with her at the end of the hall, and he shoved her up against the wall in a tight corner. Lifting the edge of his denim jacket for a quick peek, he showed her a wooden stake hidden in an interior pocket.
Teeth clenched, he said, “You have ten seconds to tell me why you’re here before I end your life.”
“Really?” She raised her eyebrows in fake-surprise. “You’re going to stake me in front of half the school?”
“If I have to.”
“You don’t scare me, Trick Donavon.”
He counted to five beneath his breath and repeated the question. “Why are you here?”
“We are not your enemies.”
“We?”
She grinned. “I have friends. Remember?”
“How many?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Does to me.” He looked around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. “I want to know how many stakes I’ll need to get the job done. I might have to carve some new ones.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Is that all you think about? Killing people?”
He shook his head. “Not people. Just monsters.”
“I am not a monster, and I object to the term. What by your definition is a monster? I eat, breathe, laugh and cry just like you. So what if I heal almost immediately? Who cares if I can run faster than any human being on the planet? That does not make me a monster.”
“Feeding off people does.”
Summer leaned forward and lowered her voice. “My friends and I don’t kill, for your information. We’ve evolved. There are other ways to survive, and you’re the last one who should be pointing fingers. How many of us have you killed?”
“Not nearly enough.” He got in her face, hoping the violence building in his system would show in his eyes. Maybe then she would give him a straight answer. “Why are you here?”
A wry smile played on her lips as she made him wait.
Finally, she shrugged. “We need help, and you’re a skilled hunter. We want you to kill the Shadow Faerie that was sent to assassinate us.”
Trick scoffed. “Those things aren’t real.”
“They’re as real as a vampire in the sunlight.” She winked at him. “Think about it.”
“Yeah. That reminds me. How are you doing this? Magic?”
A group of girls cheered, distracting him, and he took his eyes off Summer. It was only for a second, but a second was all she needed. When he turned back around, she was gone.
Her accusation took another trip through his mind. Was it true? Did he have the chance to hunt a Shadow Faerie?
Even if he did, he wasn’t going to kill it to help vampires survive. Let it kill them first. Then he would take care of it... if it was a real thing.
♫
Later that evening, he went to the mailbox to retrieve his necklace while Matt cooked dinner. They were having frozen meals. Trick had told Matt to nuke them in the microwave, but Matt thought they would taste better fresh out of the oven. Hopefully, Matt wouldn’t burn them. Neither of the boys was a good cook. How could they be when they rarely got to practice? Laura Donovan didn’t want them messing around in her kitchen, and the housekeeper felt the same.
Trick stood on the curb and stared into the metal mailbox. True to her word, Dani had left his talisman inside. Now he just needed to figure out what to do with it. He didn’t want to hang it around his neck. That might erase some of his memories again.
Maybe he would stuff the necklace into a drawer for a while.
He reached in and his fingers closed over the talisman. A weird chill crept up his spine. The talisman felt burning hot one second and cold the next. He held it in the palm of his hand and stared down at the twisted metal.
It turned to ashes as if it were made from vampire bone.
He watched in horrified fascination as it flaked and blew away until there was nothing left.
Now what?
Trick took a deep breath, and his gaze automatically traveled to Dani’s window. The light was off. Monday evening meant she was volunteering at the animal shelter. Knowing her, even after losing her dog she wouldn’t want to skip the shelter. He decided not to mention the disintegrating charm to anyone.
His stomach rumbled.
He hurried back inside to eat dinner.
Questions about his missing father followed him inside. He still wasn’t sure if he should try to find the man or forget him completely.
Chapter five
Summer
This time when Summer returned to the house after meeting with Trick, Cowboy wasn’t eagerly waiting for a detailed summary. Instead, she opened the front door to the sound of breaking glass. On the opposite side of the room, Trick stood with fragments of a smashed picture frame near his feet.
He wheeled around, ready to throw something else.
Summer held up her hands. Vampire or not, she didn’t want splinters of glass in her eyes. “Hey! I’m standing right here. Do you mind? I’ve already been threatened by one idiot today.”
He huffed. “Isobel hasn’t come home yet.”
“Are you worried something happened to her?”
“Do I look worried?”
Summer’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”
He took a trip around the living room on stomping feet. He dropped onto the old couch. Dust hit the air. Spitting on the floor, he folded his arms, defiant. Cowboy rarely spoke about his feelings. Getting him to open up would take hours. Summer didn’t have the time or the patience.
She stood over him and silently vowed she’d rip his throat out if he didn’t start talking. “I told Trick about the Shadow Faerie.”
“What’d he say?”
She shook her head. “Not sharing if you don’t.”
Cowboy’s shoulders sank, and his head rolled back on the cushion. “Isobel called. I couldn’t get her to tell me where she’d spent the night. She said life on the road with me and you-know-who was fun when we all three had to be inside before dawn. Guess she’s feeling left out. She’s upset that we can roam around during the day and she can’t. Now that it’s two girls and a guy instead of two guys and a girl, she’s...”
“Jealous? Did the green-eyed monster bite your girlfriend?” Summer smirked. “I can set her straight. You’re not boyfriend material. I don’t even think of you as a boy really. More like one of the girls.”
“Shut up.”
“Make me.” Her eyes dared him to get physical.
He mumbled, “I could, and you know it.”
“I’d drive a stake through your heart if you tried.”
“I could rip your throat out before you got your hands on a stake.”
Why did boys always think they had to be stronger, tougher, and smarter than girls?
“Big talk for a baby vampire,” she said. “Remember who turned you? I know things that you don’t, things you haven’t learned about being immortal yet. You have no idea.”
He jumped to his feet. “Like what?”
Coy smile she said, “If I told you, they wouldn’t be secrets anymore.”
He stared at her as if he could see into her brain. “Tell me one, just one, just to prove your superiority.”
She tapped a finger against her lips. “Hmm. Nope. I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
“That’s what I thought. You got nothing.”
She stuck her tongue out and considered staking him for real. “I have plenty.”
“Isobel is older than you by thousands of years.
Maybe she shared some stuff with me.” He puffed his chest out. “Maybe I know things you don’t.”
Tired of him and stupid Isobel, she said, “If your girlfriend comes back, the two of you should hit the road. I’ll make another group with vampires a lot better than either of you. I can find smart people to turn, and they’ll be grateful unlike some.”
The fight escalated, and Summer wanted to press the rewind button. Unfortunately, she and Cowboy both had bad tempers and spoke before thinking. They hurled insults, brought up past sins, and came seriously close to ruining their friendship at least once a week.
Not willing to give her the last word, Cowboy pounded his chest and said, “Maybe Isobel and I will do the same thing.”
“You don’t even know where Isobel went. She might have found herself a new boyfriend, and she obviously doesn’t want to be a vampire anymore.”
“Isobel loves me.” He lifted his chin. “If I have to make my own group from scratch, I’m taking Trick.”
Her jaw dropped at his audacity. “I saw him first.”
“So? He’s not a shiny new penny. He’d much rather hang with me than with you.”
“How do you figure that?”
“I ride motorcycles and do cool stuff like rock climbing.”
She shrugged. “I have boobs.”
Cowboy grinned. “That’s your answer to everything. Boobs can’t solve every crisis, you know? I swear, if someone asked you what you would do to bring peace to the world, you would just say the B word, wouldn’t you?” He used a high-pitched mocking voice to imitate hers. “I have boobs.”
They collapsed in laughter, falling on the couch together. Friends again, she made a show of trying to force a kiss on him. He placed his hand over her face and pushed her away.
“Where is the new home you promised me?” she asked.
“I found something, and it’s spectacular. But I don’t want to leave without Isobel.”
“If she’s not back soon, we’re going without her.”
Changing the subject, he asked, “What did Trick say when you told him about the Shadow Faerie?”
Summer gave him the entire conversation word for word. The more she talked the more upset Cowboy seemed by the news. Not only was Trick Donavon going to stand aside while the Shadow Faerie brutally killed them, he’d probably brings snacks.
chapter six
Don’t Fear the Reaper
“Found it!” Scarlet yelled as she rushed into the kitchen with her laptop.
Trick had left her researching in the living room while he grabbed a quick snack. He glanced her way, halfway between the kitchen island and the fridge. The sandwich he’d just finished making was on a paper plate with a bag of chips next to it on the island. He was on his way to grab a can of soda.
Scarlet set the laptop on the island without checking to see if the area was clear; she almost crushed his sandwich.
Trick swiped his food to the side to keep it from getting squished. Once his sandwich was safe, he shot her a glare. When she didn’t notice, he grabbed his sandwich off the plate.
She added, “I knew I’d seen something on Shadow Faeries last year when you had me trolling for vampire facts. If these things are real, we are in big trouble.”
He shook his head. “Summer and her friends are in trouble. It’s after them, not us. It doesn’t even know we exist.”
Trick took a bite of his sandwich and wiped his hand on the paper towel next to his plate. It was a vampire problem. Case closed.
She blinked at him as if she’d suddenly lost the ability to understand English. “You aren’t going to hunt it?”
“Why should I?”
Scarlet set up shop at the kitchen table and waited for him to check out her find with his own eyes. Knowing her, she wouldn’t drop it until he did. When he finally glanced at the computer screen, the artist’s interpretation of a Shadow Faerie made him grimace. No wonder the vampires were scared.
He returned his sandwich to the plate, crossed the room, and sat in front of the computer to get a closer look.
The drawing showed shark-like teeth, six arms with claws, and blood dripping from bottomless eyes. Its face, a hideous white mask, was scrunched up and frozen in a silent scream. Weird. He tilted his head to the side and wondered what it would be like to fight a Shadow Faerie—if it was real. Would he win?
“It can’t possibly look like that, right?” Scarlet stood behind him. “Vampires I can handle, but that... no thank you. At least vampires look human.”
Trick shrugged. “Doesn’t matter since it isn’t real... probably isn’t real. Either way, it isn’t coming for us. We’ll just stay out of its way. Monsters killing monsters is okay in my book.”
Matt gasped. Standing in the doorway, he had overheard enough to know Trick wasn’t going to lift a finger to save the vampires. “But Summer—”
His brother hadn’t seen the drawing, yet he already looked like he might puke or pass out. It didn’t take long for Trick to realize what was going on. Matt was under the vampire’s spell. Not a magical spell, of course. Just the normal pull of a beautiful girl on a hapless boy. He had it bad for her.
“You still like her.”
The accusation tumbled from Trick’s lips. It felt like a total betrayal. He didn’t know whether to knock some sense into his brother’s head or let him fantasize like a silly schoolgirl until he got it out of his system.
As long as it just remained a fantasy, maybe it was okay.
No! Trick’s inner voice shouted. His brother could not fall for a soulless, blood-sucking creature of the night. No way would he let that happen.
In a sarcastic tone, Trick asked, “Do I really have to give you the talk about how a relationship with a vampire will never work, Buffy? Or should I just kill the monster so you’ll stop playing with the idea?”
Matt’s face lost more color. “You... no, Summer is not a soulless monster. She’s a girl. Maybe she isn’t human in a way that we recognize, but she is not a monster.”
Trick groaned. How many times would he have to explain the facts to his brother before Matt got it? His father’s voice chanted in the back of his mind. “Vampires can be charming, but they are evil. Remember that. The second you trust one, you’re already dead.”
“I know she’s a vampire,” Matt admitted. “But I still don’t want to see her murdered.”
“Shadow Faeries aren’t real, Matthew. Relax.” Trick squinted and used his thumb and finger to measure about an inch of air. “I’m ninety-four, maybe ninety-six percent sure.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
Once again Trick tried to imagine what it would be like to find and kill a mythical Shadow Faerie. Vampires would fear him then. How could they not?
He grinned and began musing out loud without talking to anyone in-particular. “I could be the only living hunter to kill a Shadow Faerie. I’d be famous. Well, famous with hunters and monsters. Normal people would have no idea what I did. But who cares? Vampires would cringe at my name the way they do when people talk about the Dark Wizard. They’ll tell their children bedtime stories about the horrible hunter that slays—”
Scarlet laughed. “Vampires don’t have children.”
Trick’s cheeks burned in embarrassment at getting carried away. He shouldn’t have given voice to the fantasy. They didn’t need to know how desperately Trick wanted to be a great hunter. Deep down he’d hoped that immersing himself in that lifestyle would lead to answers about his father. Part of him swore he didn’t care about Ian Carver, but another part yearned for the truth.
Matt intruded on his thoughts with, “It says here that Shadow Faeries are caught between the dead and the living, trapped between realms.” Bending over Trick’s shoulder, Matt traced a finger down the laptop screen as he scanned the article. “They don’t truly exist in either one. Their powers are limited, but... they can suck the life out of you.”
Scarlet interrupted Matt. “Maybe. That’s just one theory. There are seve
ral stories floating around about them, each one weirder than the last. No one agrees on anything except that they have sucking power. If they’re real, it will suck the energy from your pretty vampire before it kills her.”
Matt swallowed hard.
Unable to hold his curiosity in check, Trick asked, “What else does it say they can do?”
“Lots of stuff,” Scarlet said. “Some people claim the original Boogeyman was a Shadow Faerie. Then there are stories about them eating the faces off people, turning into those they kill, sending people to the Faerie Realm, and even sneaking into your dreams to torture you.”
“Does it say how a hunter can kill them?” Trick asked.
The doorbell dinged, interrupting their talk. The three of them looked at each other. A glint of surprise lit up Matt’s eyes. He started for the door, but Trick grabbed his arm.
“It’s Baxter.” Trick could almost guarantee it. “I skipped our appointment this afternoon. She’s probably here to grill me. I just can’t deal with her today.”
Matt shrugged. “I’ll get rid of her.”
He hurried down the hallway to answer the front door. Baxter wasn’t stupid. What if she pushed past Matt to search the house for her missing patient?
Scarlet answered his question about the Shadow Faerie. “Guess you’d have to use trial and error.”
“I have a feeling one error would do me in, and I wouldn’t get a second chance at the trial part.”
When Scarlet leaned over his shoulder to scroll down the page, it reminded him of seeing the memory from Dani’s mind. Touching her had set it off. Scarlet’s hand rested on his shoulder, but he didn’t travel into her mind. If he put his hand on top of hers, would he see one of her memories? He’d learned some interesting things about Dani while in her mind. What would he learn about Scarlet?
He cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something?”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “You just did.”
“If I had a theme song, what would it be?”
She froze, not even blinking.
Then he realized her entire body was starting to shake from the laughter bubbling within.
