by Tamara White
“What”—my voice comes out on a squeak so I clear my throat—“what are you guys doing?” I ask, hoping they can’t tell how affected I am by their sudden nearness.
Cooper’s eyes light up with a whole new kind of hunger. “What’s wrong, babe? You afraid of us?”
“No?” I say, but it comes out as a question. All of my bravado leaves me as Carter runs a hand up my back. The touch is gentle, but somehow hot at the same time and makes me want to dissolve into a puddle at his feet.
He leans down, whispering in my ear. “What are you afraid of?”
I try to think, only to jump a foot in the air when a large clatter sounds from across the room. Cooper and Carter separate from me as if nothing happened and lead me over to a booth over in the corner which is already occupied by Zane. Thankfully the restaurant isn’t packed, otherwise I’d be utterly mortified by what just occurred. How the hell did I just let that happen anyway? And why did that happen? Shit! I need to snap out of it. Have I really let myself get so starved for touch and contact?
We reach the booth and I move to slide in across from Zane. But as Carter slides in beside me, I end up pushed up against the wall in my desire to get some space between him and me. Then Cooper slides in next to Zane, grinning as he takes in the lack of space between Carter and I.
“Where’s the elusive Jax?” I ask, glancing around for a sign of their eldest brother. I’m starting to think he’s avoiding meeting me.
Carter lifts his arm and rests it behind me along the back of the booth. “He’s getting the pizza. Probably got caught at the counter by Joy. She’s kinda obsessed with him.”
The sudden wave of jealousy I feel leaves me feeling disconcerted. Seriously, what the fuck is happening with me? I don’t even know this guy, why would I be feeling jealous? I’ve fucking lost it. That’s the only logical explanation. I’m officially insane.
The smell of fresh pizza and focaccia bread assaults my senses and I moan. Damn, that smells good. I look up in time to see the tray of food placed on the table by none other than one of the men from my dreams. Just seeing him throws me back to the first time he appeared three years ago.
I screamed, fear clogging my heart as the shadows held me down. Why were my own dreams hurting me? I cried and cried as the pain started to become too much to bear. Out of nowhere, a bright light filled the room, chasing the shadows away.
When I looked up at him, he stood there, towering over me with rage burning in his amber eyes. He’d seen me huddled in on myself, the small whimpers of pain escaping every time my body twitched. His eyes softened when he saw me watching him and he reached down, pushing my sweat-soaked hair out of my face. “Shhh, I’ve got you now. They won’t ever hurt you again.”
From then on, whenever I had those dreams and the shadows made an appearance, so did he. I just never thought that he might be real.
I just sit there gaping, completely frozen to the spot. How is one of the men from my dreams standing here in front of me?
He stares down at me with a look of shock before he lets a mask of indifference fall in place.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence that he appeared in my dreams? Maybe I saw a picture of him somewhere or something, which resulted in his face being burned into my mind.
Shit! I really need to get out of here. I start to nudge Carter so I can get out and as far from here as possible to think about what this means. I don’t get the chance, though, because that’s when Jax speaks.
“You must be Valerie. I’m Jaxson.” He holds out a hand to shake, and I take it, hesitantly. The moment we touch, a sharp pain runs up through arm and into my shoulder.
He doesn’t react at all as he lets go of my hand. Then he pulls a chair over from another table to the end of our booth. The rest of the guys all dig in to the food as if nothing just happened. And maybe nothing did. After all, I’m obviously certifiable at this point.
I lean back as Carter puts a few slices of pizza onto my plate. Then he pushes it towards me. “Eat. You’re too thin.”
I pull the plate closer and dutifully eat a slice. When I finish my first slice and look up, I see Cooper watching me thoughtfully.
“So… how old are you, Valerie? Troy didn’t give us very many details before yesterday. It was kind of a shock finding out he even had a daughter,” Cooper explains between bites of his pizza.
That’s just great. My father was so ashamed of me he didn’t even tell his stepsons that I existed. Nice way to make a girl feel loved.
Zane and Jax both stare at me, waiting for me to respond. Carter, on the other hand, ignores the conversation completely, shoveling food into his mouth as if he’s been starved.
“I turned twenty-one a few days ago. What about you guys?” I ask to be polite, even though my dad already told me.
Beside me, Carter grins. “Sweet. We turn twenty-two next month. We’re having a bonfire at the house to celebrate. You should totally join us. It’ll be wicked fun.”
I hesitate, unsure if I want to commit to something like that. “Ah sure, maybe. It’ll depend how my classes go.”
After they finish eating, the guys start talking about something, but I’m too absorbed in my own world to really pay much attention. I’m startled to attention when someone snaps their fingers in front of my face.
Zane is leaning across the table, an amused grin on his face. “You back with us, babe?”
I blush, feeling embarrassed. “Yeah. Sorry, what’d I miss?”
Carter chuckles, pulling me closer to him. I try not to enjoy it, but it makes me feel safe. Protected. Something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Zane leans back in his seat. “I said, we have a friend who’s having a party tonight. We thought you might want to come with us and meet some of the people here. And if you’re interested, I could also introduce you to a few people who will be in your classes, so there will be a friendly face or two on your first day. Besides us, I mean.”
Oh. I hesitate, unsure if I really want to go out and party with a bunch of strangers. Screw it, what’s the worst that can happen?
Nine
“Magic is both light and dark. The user determines just what impact their magic has on the world.”
“Why? Why isn’t all magic good?” I sit cross-legged on the beautiful green grass.
She smiles down at me, those amber eyes sparking with mischief. “Because not all people are good, Valerie. Unfortunately, that is a truth you will learn all too soon.”
Carter holds my hand as he and his brothers lead me through a creepy-ass forest. The leaves crunch under my feet and the brush of every branch against my skin has me jumping. Carter thinks it’s fucking hilarious how skittish I am. Every time I jump from a sudden sound, he chuckles under his breath. But despite him teasing me, I admit I am too much of a wuss to let go of his hand. I think he means for his touch to somehow be comforting, but the darkness combined with the eerie quiet followed by sudden sounds makes me feel like I’m in the middle of a horror movie and an axe-wielding killer is going to jump out from nowhere.
As we walk, I see a glow in the distance that gets steadily larger and we finally come upon a bunch of people that look to be around my age gathered around a small bonfire, drinking and laughing.
Jax, Zane and Cooper make a beeline for a group of guys. They’re surrounded by women flaunting themselves in short skirts and tube tops that leave little to the imagination.
Carter lingers by my side but I can tell he wants to join his brothers and their friends. “Go. I’ll be fine. I want to draw anyway.” I pull my hand from his and clutch my notepad and pencils to my chest, glad I had the foresight to bring them.
He looks down at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I can’t quite decipher. “Are you sure? I don’t mind you coming with me. I can introduce you to a few of the guys?”
I shake my head at his sweet offer. “Thanks, but I think I need a moment alone.”
“Okay, but if you need anything, you come find me.”
His eyes narrow as if he knows I have no intentions of asking for help. Then he glances over at Jax. I follow his gaze and see him watching us. He gives a subtle shake of his head. Carter takes that as some kind of reassurance because he gives me a small nod and walks over to his brothers, leaving me alone.
I make my way through the throng of people and sit down on a log near the fire. It gives me a perfect vantage point of the whole area and everyone around me. I waste no time, opening my notepad and starting to draw whatever comes to mind.
“Hey, you new or somethin’?” a drunk guy slurs as he gets closer. I roll my eyes but otherwise ignore him, continuing to sketch the fire in front of me. I draw people passing through it as if they are walking through the flames.
The drunk idiot takes my silence as an invitation to sit beside me and then drapes an arm over my shoulder. He clumsily embraces me, causing my notebook and pencil to fall to the ground. But rather than get pissed off, I take in a deep breath and try not to let my anger get the better of me. I’m supposed to be behaving. It wouldn’t do to knock this drunk ass out.
Apparently, he takes my silence as an invitation to lean close enough for his lips to brush against my ear. “I’d be happy ta give ya a tour of the town. We could start now even. Go find someplace ta… get ta know each other better.”
His breath reeks of alcohol and makes me gag. At this point, I’ve had all I can stand of his wretched touch, so I push him away. He’s so drunk that he wobbles, then unable to right himself, falls backwards off the log.
A gaggle of girls starts laughing at him and he stumbles to his feet, his face flushed and golden locks askew. I have to bite my lip to stop from laughing, and he must see it because in an instant, he’s up in my face. “You’ll pay for tha—"
“Apologize!” A huge giant of a man appears from nowhere and rips the drunk away from me, holding him up by his shirt. The look he gives the drunk is nothing short of deadly.
The creep bows his head and mumbles, “Sorry.”
My savior lets him go and watches him scurry away before turning back to me with a frown. “You okay?” He looks me up and down, his gray eyes burning into me.
I nod with a soft smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. He was just drunk. I’m sure I could’ve handled him.”
He smirks but before he gets a chance to say anything, he’s pushed to the side as Carter hauls me to my feet, checking me over for signs of injury.
“Um, dude, what are you doing?” I ask, a wry smile pulling at my lips as he looks me over. A moment later, Jaxson, Zane and Cooper all appear, their eyes on me as Carter continues with his inspection.
Finally I get sick of his attention and push him away. “Carter, I’m fine!” I growl, with a bit more force in my voice than I had intended.
He seems to snap out of his worry-induced state and takes a step back. “Sorry, I just saw him get in your face and I may have lost it a little.”
I raise an eyebrow, curious as to why he even cares. His cheeks tinge pink and he looks anywhere but at me when Jaxson speaks up.
“Don’t take it personally. Our mother just asked us to keep an eye on you.”
Oh yeah, don’t take it personally that his mother is the only reason they stopped what they were doing to check on me. “I don’t need babysitters. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“Sure you are. We leave you alone for five minutes and you have someone pawing at you. Or should I say two someones?” he drawls, giving a shrewd look at the guy still standing beside me.
My savior just smiles, not taking the bait. After a moment Jaxson walks off, his brothers following after him. My shoulders slump from the sudden drop in tension.
I notice that the cute guy who saved me from the douchebag is still standing there and had been watching the whole exchange, but he doesn’t say a word.
I sit back down on the log and bury my face in my hands, fully expecting him to walk away now the situation has resolved. But to my surprise, I feel his arm brush against my shoulder as he sits down beside me.
“So, I’m guessing that was embarrassing for you. How about we start over?” I peek through my fingers to see him looking directly into my eyes. I pull my hands away from my face with a slow nod.
“Yes, please. I’m Valerie. I just moved here.”
He grins at me. “I’m Justin. I’ve lived here all my life. To be honest, I recognized you as a newbie from a mile away.”
I glance over at where all four of the guys went and my face starts to burn in embarrassment. I pick up my pencil and notebook from the ground and continue to draw.
I pause and glance over at Justin, who grins at me. “How about I get you a drink? Doesn’t look like you thought about getting one before claiming the comfiest log in the forest.” He winks at me, sending a blush up my cheeks.
“Um, sure,” I agree. As he gets up and goes over to a cooler and pulls out two beers, I start to wonder if alcohol is such a good idea after all. Last time I drank, I woke up and my best friend had been murdered.
On his way back, he stops at a group of abandoned camp chairs and drags one over rather than encroach on my personal space, something I’m thankful for. Not many people pick up on how uncomfortable it makes me when they get in my personal bubble.
Justin hands me the opened beer with a smile. Then we just sit and drink in silence, looking out at the party as some girls dance to the music coming from speakers hidden among the trees.
I sip from my drink, pausing every so often to continue my sketch. When I finish the first illustration, I turn the page in my book and start drawing the person I miss most. Natalie.
“Hey, you okay?” Justin’s soft voice startles me.
I wipe away the lonely tear that fell and paste a smile on my face. “Yeah, fine. Just thinking about Monday.”
He gives me a shrewd look as if he doesn’t believe me, but thankfully, lets it go.
I go back to people watching and that’s when I notice something I didn’t before. Jaxson, Zane, Cooper and Carter all seem to be on their own. Yes, they’re surrounded by everyone, enjoying the laughter and conversation but it’s just… something is different about them. Like they don’t belong to any specific clique.
It’s strange.
Justin coughs, grabbing my attention, and I smile. “Seriously? Did you just cough to make me look at you instead of them?”
He shrugs, but his cheeks look slightly flushed in the firelight. “Uh, maybe.” He looks anywhere but at me before letting his gaze settle on the fire. “So… you excited to come to Dark Shadows? Not many people choose to go. Usually our parents force us.”
“Um, I’m actually going to Light Shadows,” I murmur.
His eyes widen, clearly shocked. “Seriously? Wow, okay.” He leans back in his chair, and I notice the way he subtly shifts away from me.
“What? What’s wrong with Light Shadows?” I ask, a little heat in my voice.
Maybe he thinks I’m some kind of rich girl, choosing to go there simply because I can afford to. Well, okay, I am going because my dad can afford to send me, but still.
“There’s nothing necessarily wrong with it, it’s just there’s a bit of discord between the two colleges,” he explains.
“Oh, sorry. It just kinda felt like I was being condemned just for saying I was going to Light Shadows,” I admit.
“It’s not you, I swear. There’s just a lot of history between the schools. What do you know about them?”
I shrug. “Not much. I’m a newbie, remember?”
He smiles warmly at me. “Okay. So, our colleges have a rivalry dating all the way back to when people first moved here.” He relaxes in his chair before continuing. “Our community, Shadow Island, is supposedly the connector between the human world and the one where the gods live with their children: the demi gods.
“And in between these two worl
ds, there were those the gods referred to as witches, people influenced by the gods’ magic to keep the secrets of the gods and protect the earth when they couldn’t.
“It’s said the gods created this island for their children and any descendants born from the original bloodlines. After all, everyone who descended from the gods had magic in some way or another.
“But before long, so many people came from far and wide, claiming that they had magic, that the gods had to come down and intervene. The school they had built to train their children was overcrowded that they decided to make another. They kept Light Shadows for themselves and used it to train their descendants. Then they built Dark Shadows to train the humans who claimed they too possessed magic.”
I listen to him intently, enthralled by his story.
“Even though nobody really believes the legend, the stigma is still there that Light Shadows is better than Dark Shadows. And only the less fortunate go to Dark Shadows,” he adds a little bitterly before getting up from his chair and stomping off.
Shocked, I watch him disappear into the forest, not quite believing what just happened. How did we go from him explaining about the rivalry between Light Shadows and Dark Shadows to him storming off like that?
I get up, discarding the rest of my beer in a nearby trash bag. Then I walk towards the tree line.
I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life. So what if I go to a different school than he does? And why did the way he said it bother me so much? I just wish I could go home to be with Nat, but that’s never gonna happen.
I kick a rock, frustrated with how my life has turned out, wincing when pain blossoms in my toe. I turn back to ask if someone has a Band-Aid, but gasp when I realize that I’m no longer anywhere near the party. I’m surprised to realize how far I’ve walked. I can still see the flickers of firelight through the trees, though, so I make my way in that direction.
