Dazzle (Delaney's Gift #1) (Delaney's Gift Series)

by Amber Garza

  I giggle and then clamp a hand over my mouth.

  “C’mere.” Sam pulls me down a different aisle. To my surprise, he takes a book off the shelf and then guides me to a beanbag in the corner. He sits down and pulls me into his lap. “Hey, check this out.”

  Looking down at the book he’s holding, I see that it’s our freshman yearbook. My stomach drops.

  He flips through a few pages. Then he stops and points to a picture. “Look. It’s you.”

  “Stop.” I place my hand over the picture. That had to be the worst portrait I have ever taken. I’m not smiling. Instead I’m making some awkward scrunching face. “Okay, in my defense I totally wasn’t ready when the guy snapped the picture. He said one, two and then took it before saying three. I mean, who does that?”

  Sam chuckles. “You’re cute when you’re mad.” He kisses me swiftly on the cheek. “If it makes you feel any better, my picture is worse.” He turns the page. “See.”

  I giggle softly. “It’s not terrible, but what’s with the hair cut?”

  “I wanted a buzz cut, okay?”

  Reaching up, I run a finger through his wavy dark hair. “I like it better now.”

  He clears his throat and refocuses his attention on the yearbook. “But this picture is my favorite. Look who was voted Best Hair?”

  “I get that every year.” Feeling flustered, I twirl a strand of hair around my finger.

  Footsteps sound around the corner. We both jump up. Sam reaches for the nearest bookshelf and yanks a book off of it. With my heart beating fast, I peer at the book in Sam’s hand.

  Mrs. Johnston comes into view. “Find what you need?”

  “Almost.” Sam glances up from the book in his hand and smiles innocently.

  “Okay.” Mrs. Johnston’s eyebrows shoot up. “Well, don’t be too much longer.”

  Once she’s out of earshot, I blow out a breath and press my cheek against Sam’s shoulder. “That was close.”

  “Nah. I had everything under control.” He faces me.

  My heart speeds up when his gaze connects with mine. “I never had any doubt.”

  “Sure.” He gives me a teasing smile and then returns the book to the shelf. Then he turns to me, placing both hands on the shelf around me. He bends down and kisses me. When we hear rustling behind us, Sam pushes off me.

  “We better head back.”

  Reluctantly I follow him, my pulse still racing. His fingers brush over mine as we walk back to our table. I glance over at the clock and am glad to see that we still have another half an hour left. Is it weird that I never want detention to end?

  I text Sam the minute I wake up on Saturday morning. I’m still sitting in bed, the covers bunched around my waist. My hair falls down my back in a mess of tangles. I stretch my legs out and reach for the phone on my nightstand. My fingers fly over the letters, excitement at the prospect of seeing Sam filling me.

  Wanna get together?

  I’m sure I’m breaking some dating code or something by seeming so desperate, but I don’t care. Ever since detention ended I haven’t been able to think about anything other than Sam.

  Sure. I can this morning, but I have to go into work this afternoon.

  My stomach drops at his reply. That will only give us a few hours, but I guess that’s still better than nothing.

  Ok. I type with a smile on my face.

  Ariel enters the bedroom and eyes me funny. She’s already dressed in her usual t-shirt and skinny jeans.

  “You woke up in a good mood,” she says.

  I grin, deciding that even Ariel won’t spoil my Saturday. My heart skips a beat when I think about seeing Sam.

  “I’m surprised you’re happy about having to spend the day stuck here with your family,” she says.

  “What?” My stomach twists.

  “Yeah, your mom is planning a whole day of family fun.” Ariel makes air quotes with her fingers when she says the words family and fun, as if she thinks it will be anything but.

  “No. I have other plans today.” I kick off my covers.

  “Oh.” Ariel raises a brow. “Really? Like what?”

  I stand up, my bare feet sinking into the carpet. “Like…just stuff.”

  “Must be nice to be able to go places. I’ve been stuck inside for weeks.”

  I feel a little ashamed then. While I’ve been running around, I haven’t thought much about the fact that no one has let Ariel go anywhere but here and Micah’s since the attack. My chest tightens when I think about how that could become my fate at some point too. I breathe out, forcing my chest to expand. No sense spinning into a panic when it hasn’t happened yet.

  I race out to the family room to find Mom. Ariel follows at my heels. I find Mom sitting at the kitchen table with Dad, Camille and Asa. They are all eating breakfast like one big, happy family. I marvel at how bizarre my life has become.

  “Good morning,” Mom trills. Clearly she doesn’t think this is all super strange, like I do. “Girls, have a seat.”

  I pull out a chair and plunk into it while Mom spoons eggs onto my plate. Ariel sits in the empty chair next to me.

  “Eat up, girls,” Mom says. “We have a lot of fun family activities planned today.”

  “Mom,” I say. “I have things I have to do today.”

  “Like what?” Mom raises her brow while bringing the coffee mug to her lips. Dad peers at me from above the newspaper. It crinkles as he moves it between his fingers.

  “Like…” I try to think of something fast. “I have a project at school and I need supplies for it from the store.” I figure if I can just be free of this place for an hour or so that will give me time to see Sam.

  “Great. I’ll go to the store with you later.” Dad smiles and then refocuses his attention on the article he’s reading.

  I roll my eyes and glance over at Ariel, who is sitting directly next to me. She flashes me a sympathetic smile, and I wonder if she knows I’m lying about the project. From the look on her face I can tell she suspects it. My stomach tightens. I don’t want her to be able to read me like that.

  “More eggs pwease,” Asa shouts from his chair.

  “Okay, honey.” Camille pushes away from the table to get him more. Before she can reach the counter, the container of eggs lifts off of the tile and is suspended in midair. My mouth drops. Camille gasps, her eyes widening. Mom and Dad turn their head with equal expressions of shock and awe. Only Ariel seems unfazed as the container flies across the kitchen and lands on the table in front of Asa with a thunk.

  “What was that?” I sputter.

  Mom, Dad and Camille are speechless and look to be completely stupefied.

  “Eggs!” Asa squeals and digs in.

  Ariel shrugs and smiles sheepishly. “It seems that Asa’s gift sort of manifested itself this week.”

  “That’s incredible,” Dad whispers.

  “Did you know about this?” Mom turns to Camille.

  Camille’s mouth opens and closes like she’s a fish out of water gasping for air. “Well…I…yeah, Ariel told me…but I hadn’t seen it before. That’s crazy.”

  “Yeah, it was pretty wild. He totally just telekinetically picked up one of his toy cars the other day.” Ariel smiles and ruffles her brother’s hair affectionately. “I was surprised because he’s so young.”

  “I know. I wasn’t expecting his gift to reveal itself so soon.” Camille walks back to the table and sits next to her son, her eyebrows knit together in concern.

  I feel uneasy. “Why do you think it did?”

  Mom locks eyes with me and frowns. “I don’t know, Delaney.”

  Something about her expression causes dread to slither through me. “Why are we staying home today, Mom? What’s going on?”

  “I just want to spend the day with my family.” Her cheery smile is forced.

  I turn to Dad. “C’mon, I’m not stupid. Asa gets his gift at four. The Sarafites are somehow in our city. Tell us what you know.”

  Loweri
ng the paper, Dad sighs. “We don’t really know anything for sure. But it’s true that our town is in danger, which means that you, Micah, Ariel and Asa need to stay safe and protected.”

  “Wait.” Camille sits forward. “Asa’s not going to be expected to fight if anything happens, right? I mean, he’s only four.”

  Dad shrugs. “I doubt it, but he’s still a Warrior so he needs to be protected.”

  “So, we’re like what? Under house arrest or something?” I need to stay angry to quell the growing sense of worry in my gut.

  Ariel’s face has paled and her hands are balled into fists.

  “No, not house arrest,” Dad says. “We’re just staying in today, that’s all.”

  “Excuse me.” Ariel stands abruptly, her chair clattering to the ground from the sudden movement. Swallowing hard, she picks the chair back up. I see her hands shaking violently. The minute the chair is upright she races back to my room and the door slams shut.

  What is that all about? Suspicious, I take my last bite of eggs and then carry my plate to the sink. Without a word, I walk quietly down the hallway. When I open the door to my room, Ariel is hunched over her bag. The minute she sees me she shoves whatever she was holding back into it. A guilty look cloaks her face.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, inching forward.

  She shakes her head. “Nothing. Just looking for a…a…something I lost.”

  “What is it? I can help you look.”

  “No, no. That’s all right.”

  I bite my lip. It’s time to tell Micah my suspicions, and I need to do it today. But first I need to text Sam. I pass by Ariel and head toward my nightstand. After picking up my cell, I shoot off a text.

  Sorry. Can’t go out today. My parents won’t let me.

  His text back comes immediately. Bummer.

  I know. I’ll miss u.

  U 2. He responds.

  I have to spend all day at home with my family.

  I’m sorry. He texts back.

  What will u do? I ask.

  Maybe hang with Jake before work.

  Ok. Have fun.

  I set my phone back down with a heavy heart and turn around to Ariel. “Hey, do you know what Micah’s doing today?” It’s frustrating to admit that she knows more about him than I do right now, but it’s true. Last night she spent the entire evening with him at his house while I was stuck here with my parents. The way he’s pushing me away is so strange. I need to get him alone and find out what’s going on. My fear is that Ariel is trying to poison him against me. Or maybe she’s worried that I’ll get between whatever’s going on with them.

  “Yeah.” She pushes a strand of hair from her face. I’m surprised to see how much it’s grown since she’s been here. It’s like it’s happening at an accelerated rate. “He’s hiking with his dad.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” How had I forgotten his Saturday routine? I guess I’ve been so wrapped up in my own life lately. It makes me feel a little guilty. “He’ll come over later though, right?”

  She nods, while giving me a curious expression. I look away. I have to tell Micah what I know about Ariel, and I suppose today is as good a time as ever.

  Getting Micah alone is proving to be a challenge. Ever since he came over this afternoon he’s been stuck to Ariel like glue. It’s like they’re freaking Siamese twins or something. They keep looking at each other and laughing like they’re in on some private joke that the rest of us are clueless on. It’s making this whole horrible family day even worse. It’s also making me miss Sam even more.

  Micah’s lucky. At least he fell for someone he can actually be with. My stomach hurts when I think about how Sam will never spend a day with my family. I’m certain they will never accept him and welcome him into our home. Our entire relationship will be sneaking around. I wonder how long it can possibly survive that way. The thought scares me. I’m not ready to give up Sam yet. I’m not sure I ever will be. However, I’m not sure that the decision will always be mine to make.

  Finally the excruciatingly long day stuck in my house winds down. I really hope this isn’t a precursor for things to come. The sun sinks below the clouds and the lighting dims. Micah’s family heads back home and Mom goes into the kitchen to clean up.

  The only silver lining is that Mom said that we don’t have to stop going to school…yet. She made it clear that one day we might have to, but for now she’s letting us continue to go. I have a sneaking suspicion that Zerach’s men will be keeping an eye on us when we’re there, but I don’t care as long as I still get to attend. At least my life isn’t completely over yet.

  “Micah.” I grab his arm as he heads out the door.

  He flinches under my touch and pulls away. I see his gaze flit over to Ariel who watches from where she sits on the couch. The gesture hurts my feelings. Even if he’s with Ariel now, he’s still my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were in diapers. We took baths together as babies for goodness sakes. If I want to put a hand on his arm, I can.

  “I need to talk to you for a minute.” I glance over at Ariel. “Alone.”

  Micah nods, and together we head outside. Micah’s parents are already in their house, and I can see lights flicking on in the different windows. The air outside has cooled, and a soft breeze brushes my shoulders. I lower myself to the top step of my front porch.

  Micah stays standing. “So, what’s up?” His tone is harsh, just like it’s been the past few days.

  “C’mon Micah, sit down.” I pat the area next to me. “I’m not going to talk to you while you hover over me like that.”

  “Fine.” He sits with a grunt.

  Seriously, what is his problem?

  “Look, I don’t know why you’re acting so weird lately, but if it’s because of your relationship with Ariel, you can stop. I already know about it.” A car drives down the street, its headlights shining into the darkness.

  “That’s not it.” He stares out at the street, his expression gruff.

  “Then what is it?”

  Micah turns to me, the porch light shining on his face. “Why don’t you tell me what you wanted to talk about first? Maybe it’s the same thing.”

  One of the guards walks past us. I give him a quick nod and then duck my head down. I don’t want him to hear what I’m about to say.

  “Well, I sort of need to tell you about something that’s been going on.” I bite my lip. “I don’t really know how to say this…”

  “Then just say it.” His tone is impatient.

  I remember when I was a little girl and I hated to take off my Band-Aids. I’d leave them on until they curled at the edges and were lined with dirt. Even then I would painstakingly peel them as slowly as possible. Micah used to get so irritated with me. He’d tell me it would hurt less if I just peeled it off fast, in one sweep.

  That’s what I resolve to do right now. Just say it, real fast. “I was reading in my Ekloge Warrior book the other night. Remember the story of how one of the Warriors will betray us and side with the Sarafites?”

  A look of panic crosses his face. “Yes?”

  “I think that Warrior might be Ariel.”

  Micah shakes his head. “No way. What would make you say something like that?”

  “I know you like her, but she’s not being honest with us.”

  “You’re one to talk.” Micah snorts.

  I feel blindsided by his words. “Excuse me?”

  “I saw you with Sam. At school. In the stairwell.” His eyes are narrowed and anger radiates from them.

  I squirm beneath his gaze, my cheeks heating up.

  “Maybe you’re the one who’s going to betray us, Delaney.”

  It’s like he’s punched me, his words sting so bad. “What? You can’t be serious?”

  “Oh, yes, I can.” Micah pushes himself up to a stand and walks down the steps.

  I hurry after him, my bare feet slapping on the wood. I’m grateful when they sink into the soft feathery reeds of the grass
. “Wait. You can’t just accuse me of something and walk off.”

  “Well, I’m not going to stand here while you accuse Ariel when you’re the one that’s been lying to everyone.” Micah crosses his arms over his massive chest.

  I’ve never seen him so angry before and it scares me. “Micah, I’m your best friend. You’ve known me your whole life. How can you not trust me?”

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  “I do trust you.” Out of the corner of my eye, I think I see a face in the front window. I glance back but there is no one there, although the curtain sways gently. I hope it isn’t Ariel. The last thing I need is for her to spy on me right now. As if I don’t already feel completely exposed?

  “Not enough to tell me about Sam.” He groans and puts his head in his hand. “I can’t believe you’re seeing that guy. He’s bad news, Delaney. Why can’t you see that?”

  “You don’t know him.”

  “I know enough.”

  I sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I just couldn’t. You never would’ve approved. Nobody would.”

  “That’s because it’s wrong.”

  Anger surfaces. “It’s not wrong. I should be able to go out with whomever I want. There shouldn’t be all these restrictions.”

  “The restrictions are there for a reason. We’re not like everyone else.”

  I laugh bitterly. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

  Micah shakes his head in disgust. “I know you wish you didn’t have your gift. You’ve always just wanted to be normal, but this isn’t the way to go about doing it. You’re putting all of us in danger by hooking up with Sam.”

  “First off, I’m not hooking up with anyone. Second, Sam is trustworthy. He cares about me.”

  “Wow.” Micah takes a step back and throws his hands up in the air. “I gotta hand it to the guy. He sure knows how to play you.”

  Tears prick my eyes. “Why are you being so mean?”

  Micah’s face softens just a tad. “I’m not trying to be mean. I just want you to see the truth.”

  “You want the truth, Micah? The truth is that your girlfriend has an envelope in her bag with a Sarafite symbol on it. She’s the traitor. Not me.”