by Tamara White
As I trudge back towards the glow in the distance, I mull over how I managed to get so far into the forest without even realizing it. Maybe the beer went straight to my head? How could it have, though? I only had a few sips.
With each step I take, the trees seem to surround me, encasing me in darkness and leaving me more confused. What on earth? The light in the distance seems to have faded and the darkness grows, making my heart race in fear.
Even though I continue to move hurriedly towards the light, practically running at this point, it still seems to be getting dimmer. How is this possible? Maybe someone put the fire out and the guys just thought I left the party. Just fucking great. They’ve all gone and now I’m lost in a creepy-ass forest where the trees are starting to look alive.
Something brushes along my foot and I squeal in terror. “What the fuck was that?” I breathe in the cool night air, and the sound of rustling nearby makes my heart race.
I keep moving, but I’m still not any closer to the fading light. I hear something move behind me and whirl to face it, but see nothing but darkness. Shit, shit, and double shit!
Fuck it. “Cooper! Carter!” I call out, hoping by sheer luck they will hear me. Otherwise, I might end up spending the night out here. I like camping, but I would just prefer to plan a trip rather than be stranded out here alone with no supplies.
With a heavy sigh, I plant my ass on a fallen log and decide to just wait. Someone has to find me eventually. I hope so at least.
I hear the crunch of twigs followed by drunk laughter. Thank god! The guys must have heard me calling for them.
I stand up quickly, ready to go back home, only to sway slightly on my feet. Whoa. An instant head rush followed by a pounding behind my eyes has me crying out in pain. I drop to my knees, clutching at my head, unsure what’s going on and why it hurts so much.
Feet appear in my line of vision and I try to look up, but my head feels too heavy to do so.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” an unfamiliar low voice says from above me.
I summon all of my strength and look up, trying to focus on his features. I see dark hair and what look like glowing red eyes. He must have some kind of contacts in.
He lifts his hand and brightness flares, two orbs of flame cradled in each hand. Wait, what? No one can just summon fire. And how is it not burning him?
“Can you help me get back to the party please? I think I’m having some kind of hallucination.” I moan as my head continues to pound away. I’m so weak. Maybe I should just rest? Yes, rest sounds great.
I slump to the ground, no energy left in my body to break my fall. Rocks and sticks scrape my face but I can’t find it in me to care.
The man crouches down beside my head and I force my eyes open, looking up into those red eyes. Eyes that radiate pain.
He smirks at me and holds the fire in his hand close to my head. “You really made this easy for me, Valerie. Thank you.”
Wait, how does he know my name? And why would a stranger want to hurt me?
As the fire gets closer to my skin, I try to move, to get away, anything to stop the heat from engulfing me. But before it can touch me, the area around us lights up in vibrant colors of every hue.
The man whirls and hurls the ball of fire at something I can’t see and a moment later, I hear a loud explosion. I close my eyes, waiting for the pain to come, expecting flames to engulf me from the explosion, but all I feel is light-headed. I can tell I’m about to pass out at any moment.
The world around me becomes unfocused. Shouting erupts from beyond the trees and I hear voices I recognize, even though I can’t make out the words. My heart eases at the familiarity.
Small explosions can be heard not far from me, and the ground rumbles from the mass of people who must be running for safety. As I lay here, I can hear the screams of fear and pain, and what sounds like fighting. Whether they’re just fighting to get away or people are fighting each other, I don’t know. All I can do is lay here and just hope not too many people are hurt. I swear I hear the sound of a crow and feel the soft brush of feathers against my cheek.
The fighting dies out and a pair of arms wrap around my body, lifting me up from the ground. The touch is gentle, almost reverent. I can sense this new person doesn’t mean me any harm, but I can’t help the whimper of pain that escapes me.
“Shhh, Valerie, I’ve got you.”
Justin’s voice is like music to my ears. I open my mouth to ask what happened, but all that escapes is a squeak.
“Don’t try to speak. You’ll heal soon, but until then, you won’t have access to your voice or be able to walk.”
I wish I could ask what the hell he’s talking about but instead, I just sink into his hold, completely exhausted.
A voice calls out from behind us, startling me and making my heart race before I realize it’s Zane.
“Give her to me, now!” The demand in his tone is frightening.
While I want to go with him, I feel embarrassed for the weakness I’m feeling. I wish I could speak, because then I’d tell him to just take me home. I mean, there’s no point reporting the incident. Who knows what would happen if I went to the police spouting about magic?
Shit. That guy really must have been using magic, though. My heart speeds up and Justin looks down at me with what I assume is concern. My vision is still pretty hazy, so it’s hard to tell. “Don’t worry, baby. You’ll find out all about our world soon enough.”
Then he’s handing me over to Cooper, who takes me into his arms as if I weigh nothing.
My vision starts to come back, just in time for me to see Justin turn towards Zane, Jaxson and Carter. He stares at my stepbrothers, some unknown emotion flashing in his eyes. “I saved her. Not her guardians, me. What do you think she’s going to think about you four when she accepts our world? She’s going to see you as the ones who lied to her time and time again about just who and what she is. Then she’s going to come running to me and the four of you will rot in hell with Hades.”
I’m a little taken back by the rage in Justin’s voice as he talks to them.
Jaxson takes a step toward him, and I notice his eyes shockingly bright with a dangerous glint in them as he stares at Justin. “Yes, you saved her, but like you said, we’re her guardians. Even if she does run to you, we’ll always be there for her. We are destined. You, you’re just a traitor. And once she realizes the truth about what you are, she will destroy you.”
Justin stares at him angrily then glances my way before he lets a mask of indifference fall in place. “You don’t know who or what she is. When you find out, you’ll gladly forfeit the right to be her guardians.” With that, he turns on his heel and walks off into the dark forest.
After he leaves, the guys begin walking in silence. When we arrive at Cooper’s car, Carter leans forward and opens the door so Cooper can slide in, me still firmly encased in his arms as he does so. Jaxson and Zane are nowhere in sight, which I assume means they’ve already headed home.
Cooper holds me carefully as we start the drive. As we cruise down the road, Carter talks to Cooper. “With the way Jax drives, I’d be surprised if they aren’t waiting for us the moment we get there.”
“Shit, do you think they’re gonna wipe her?”
“Who knows? She’s not ready for the truth. At least that’s what Mom and Troy keep telling us.”
Truth? The truth about what?
After a couple minutes, the car stops and Cooper slides out effortlessly, despite still holding me in his arms. The moment we get out of the car, my father and Cassandra are on us, and my dad takes me from Cooper. Which is probably a good thing, because my body is still weak and I doubt I’d be able to stand on my own.
“What the hell happened to her? She was supposed to be safe. That’s the only reason I let you guys take her in the first place!” My dad’s voice is filled with a mix of anger and fear as he carries me into the house.
“We think someone spelled her drink, al
though Justin had one too and he was fine.”
“Justin was there?” My dad sounds surprised, as if he actually knows Justin.
Jaxson hovers over me as Dad places my limp body on the couch. I have no choice but to watch, trapped in my own body. “Yeah, he was there. He saved her before we could get to her. I think he may have had something to do with it, though. No one knew who she was. She should have been safe! If it wasn’t for the crow, we wouldn’t have known where she was.”
Cassandra comes over and pushes Jaxson out of the way. Then she kneels down and wipes a cool cloth over my head. “I am so sorry this has happened to you, honey.” My eyes widen as she tenderly wipes the sweat building on my forehead. I feel as if my body is burning up from the inside out.
“Jaxson! Did you just say Justin saved her? None of you — her guardians — were there to help her when she needed it?”
Ugh, I wish I could speak so I could point out I don’t need saving, but again my attempts are fruitless.
“Yeah, Mom. He saved her. He also said some things about her and now I have no idea how she will react when she accepts her power. Do you think Justin saving her is going to have a big impact?’
His mother looks down at me and strokes a hand across my cheek gently. “Valerie is smart. She will eventually figure out what you mean to each other.” Then she removes her hand, leaving the cool cloth on my head as she turns her gaze to the rest of her sons. “It just means you four are going to have to prove to her you can protect her and guide her. If not, she may choose to forfeit you.”
Muttered curses come from each of the guys and my dad makes a gesture to silence them, all the while still focusing on me. “Valerie? I’m sure not much of this is making sense, but I promise that one day soon, I will explain it all to you. For now, though, I have to take your memory. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
My eyes widen in fear, but Cassandra places glowing hands on my chest. I start to panic, and my gaze darts to each of them, pleading with them silently to stop whatever they are trying to do to me.
The last thing I hear is Zane’s voice, “Make sure you leave everything you can. She needs to remember Justin, otherwise seeing him will retrigger her.”
Ten
“Valerie? Can you hear me, darling?”
I whirl on the spot, trying to figure out where the soothing voice is coming from. “Where are you?”
“I can’t make myself seen anymore, darling. They know someone’s been interfering in your world. I can speak with you, but that’s it. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just really confused. I wish you were here.”
“One day soon, we will be reunited and the world will tremble at our feet.”
What?
I look around the dark room and try to find my mother, when I feel a sudden sense of dread snake its way up my spine. The energy I feel... it’s not my birth mother’s, I realize.
“Who are you?” I ask, knowing with certainty whoever is speaking is not my mother.
Laughter fills the room, and the voice changes subtly until it’s soft and melodic. “Don’t worry, Valerie. You’ll see me soon enough.” Then pain consumes me and I scream out in agony.
I wake up yelling and covered in sweat. The nightmares are getting worse. My body aches and I bolt out of the bed, feeling completely alert.
After a few minutes of silence, I finally relax.
Glancing over at the clock on the wall, I see it’s only four a.m. I doubt I’ll be able to go back to sleep, though. Besides, I have to get up in a couple of hours to get ready for classes anyway.
Groaning, I head into the bathroom and jump in the shower, preparing for my first day at a new school. I have no idea what to expect, but I hope it goes well.
When I hop out, I rummage through my bags for some clean clothes, still not having had time to unpack my stuff yet.
Once I’m dressed in just a clean set of pajamas, I debate on going into the house for a morning snack and coffee. Though I don’t want to wake the house up. Screw it. I can make a coffee and sneak some food without making too much noise.
I leave my new home and walk into the main house, not expecting anyone else to be up so early. So when I walk through the door into the still dark house, I almost scream when a pair of hands reaches out and grab me.
One hand lets go of me and then light fills the room, revealing Zane standing there, his eyes filled with laughter. “Come on, babe. You don’t have to sneak around. My brothers sleep like the dead and our parents room is soundproofed so they’d probably never hear your screams.”
“Oh. What about you then? Why are you up?’ I ask as we make our way down the hall.
He glances over at me, his pale brown eyes conveying concern. “I was already up finishing a paper I have due when I heard you scream. I decided to come check on you.”
“Oh, sorry. I had a nightmare. Sadly, they don’t seem to want to leave me alone.”
We continue into the kitchen, awkward silence hanging between us after my admission. I start going about to make my coffee when Zane speaks up.
“Valerie?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
His words make me freeze, and I turn to see a serious expression on his face.
“Sure, go ahead and ask.” I manage to keep a blank face, even though my insides are churning and my body is telling me to flee.
“Did you kill your best friend?”
My heart skips a beat. “Do you want me to be completely honest?” If he does, then I will tell him the whole truth. I don’t want to lie and give them cause to believe I’m untrustworthy.
He nods. “Of course.”
I sigh and set down the spoon in my hand, my eyes misting at what I’m about to say. “I don’t know. I loved Natalie like a sister, and on top of that, I never thought I could hurt someone, let alone kill someone. However, I don’t remember what actually happened.
“Each night I go to bed wondering what could have happened, but it’s all a blank. Then I have these nightmares: some about things in my life, others about seemingly random things. I just don’t know what to believe anymore. I’ve heard that sometimes blackout victims get their memories back in dreams, but my dreams are so out there it's hard to know what’s real and what isn’t. What if I dream of her, dream of her death in a similar way to what the police described? Does that mean I did it, or is it just guilt at not remembering what really happened to her? I just... don’t even know what to believe.”
By the end of my guilt-ridden tirade, tears are streaming down my face. Zane’s face softens and he moves from his position on the other side of the counter, pulling me into a comforting hug as I continue to sob. Everything seems to have built up to this one moment, and it’s like now that I’ve started crying, I can’t stop.
“Shit, I’m sorry, Valerie. I didn’t mean anything by it; I just wanted to be sure.”
I sniffle and push myself away from him. I need to be stronger than this.
He looks away guiltily. “I needed to be sure you wouldn’t hurt my family.”
“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say, so I busy myself with making my coffee to distract from my mental breakdown.
After a moment, Zane gets up and pours himself a cup from the pot. At least I was nice enough to leave him some. Usually, I would have just poured it all in my huge-ass mug and still have had room for more. I miss my mug.
Awkward silence ensues and we just sit there, each focused on our coffee, when Cassandra skips into the kitchen. There’s no other way to describe how she arrives, all happy and full of life, like an innocent child. How the hell can she be so graceful and beautiful? She’s gotta be in her forties, so for her to still look like a twenty-five-year-old woman in her prime is absolutely amazing. Must be good genetics.
She sees Zane and me already enjoying our coffee and pauses, scrutinizing my face. The evidence of my tears makes her glance between Zane
and I with narrowed eyes. “Anything I should know about?” She pins Zane with a glare.
His eyes meet mine across the table pleadingly. I shake my head with a small smile. The look of terror in his eyes at the thought of being scolded his mother almost makes me keep quiet, but I relent.
“Just a mini breakdown. I’m all good now,” I assure her.
She nods at us and Zane lets out a sigh of relief. “Good. Now let’s get breakfast started.” She goes over and busies herself in the fridge, followed by the pantry. Then she piles all the food onto the counter before turning back to face me. “I’m sure Zane didn’t thank you for making coffee, so thank you on his behalf.”
Zane splutters the sip of coffee he just took and I smile from behind my mug.
“How do you know I didn’t make the coffee? I am more than capable of making my own, Mother.”
She pauses and cocks out her hip, flashing him a smirk. “Because, Zane, if you had, then Valerie would be on the floor choking on the poison you made.”
I can’t help but chuckle. Cassandra looks over at me with a wink and a playful grin. Then she turns back to face Zane, a stern expression in place. “You remember about a month ago when you tried to make us a batch of coffee and added sugar to the pot because you thought it would save us all time?”
He throws his hands up in the air in exasperation. “Jeez, you’re never going to let that go, are you? How on earth was I supposed to know that ‘S’ stands for both sugar and salt?”
Cassandra smirks at him. “Oh? And that’s the only time you’ve made an error in judgement in the kitchen?” she asks innocently.
Zane’s cheeks tinge pink and he looks down at the floor, mumbling something unintelligible under his breath.
“You’ve never mistaken cream for milk? Or forgotten to check the expiration date on certain meats before cooking them? What about the time you made me cookies? You remember how that went?” she asks, a wicked glint to her eyes.
