True Light

by G. Bailey

  “Landon,” I say his name because I can’t think of any words. I rest my head on his shoulder as it pours down with rain outside. “You have family like you now, you have me. Even if I’m only a half.”

  “You’re our clan, no matter what you are,” he informs me, saying it like it is something I should understand when I don’t.

  “What is a clan?” I ask.

  “Family to our kind. We die, we protect, and we share the true light. That is what a clan does,” he says. “Light or dark, we all have our clans. Mum used to say that the clans on the planets used to be filled with thousands of people and creatures bonded to them.”

  “When did the world get so complicated?” I ask.

  “It was always complicated, you just didn’t know it yet,” he tells me, and he is dead right there. I’ve just been clueless until we moved here. I look up at the house and wonder for a second if dad might know what mum is. What I am. I shake those thoughts when I know my dad wouldn’t keep everything from me. Not the important things anyway. We sit silently, listening to the pouring rain for a while and just letting it keep us calm. I’ve always liked just sitting watching the rain and how it can be soothing.

  “I have a date with Austin tomorrow,” I whisper, wanting to tell him and get it off my chest. Landon practically jumps in shock as I lift my head off him and look up to see him staring at me in shock.

  “Austin? The psychopath?” he asks. “Really? Why the hell would you say yes to a date with him?”

  “He blackmailed me into it. Austin said he would drain Iris and Abby, and then tell the wrong people about everyone,” I explain, and I don’t even want to know who the wrong people are. I shiver when I think back to the way Austin could freeze me with one touch.

  “Does Maxx know?” Landon asks, looking furious.

  “Yep. He went mad, and then seemed to forget about it,” I say. Part of me hoped Maxx would fix it somehow, and I wouldn’t have to go on the date. It doesn’t seem like that is going to happen now.

  “Maxx hasn’t forgotten, I promise you that,” he says. “It will be okay. Austin wouldn’t risk harming you and is likely only doing it to piss Maxx off.”

  “I don’t want to go, but I feel protective of everyone already,” I admit.

  “We don’t form friendships like humans do. When you come into a clan, the need to protect the members of the clan becomes a part of you,” he says. “Half of you isn’t human, and that half will feel the effects of being around us. Of being around your own kind.”

  “That makes a lot of sense. I wondered why I would ever want to protect Iris,” I say, wanting to lighten up the mood, and he thankfully laughs.

  “I don’t want to get out the car, do you?” he asks, and I look at the pouring rain outside.

  “Nope,” I reply and rest my head back on his shoulder as we wait for the storm to pass.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Aura! Someone is here to see you!” Dad shouts up the stairs, and I frown, looking at my phone and seeing that it is only six. Austin isn’t meant to be here until eight. Why the hell would he come this early? I haven’t even had a chance to explain I’m going out on a date to dad yet. I thought I’d at least have an hour to get dad on board.

  “I’ll be right down!” I shout back, and quickly finish curling my hair. I don’t even know why I’m bothering to dress up when I don’t want to go on this date anyway. Part of me wants to be dressed up for the extra confidence it will give me to get through this date. I finish the last curl and quickly pull on my blue dress, which has little stars all over it. When I stare at myself in the mirror, I find it hard to see the half of me which is meant to be different from human. I just look like an average girl who happens to have strangely glowing marks and pink hair. I shake my head at myself and slide my blue, slightly heeled shoes on before grabbing my bag and putting my phone inside. I take a deep breath and remind myself that Austin wouldn’t hurt me without knowing Maxx would kill him for it. At least I hope he would avenge me. I close my door and frown when I hear my dad laughing from the top of the stairs. I didn’t know Austin was funny, and how has he got my dad laughing?

  I walk down the stairs and follow the noise into the kitchen, and I stop dead in my tracks when I see Maxx stood next to my dad with a bunch of roses on the counter next to him. Maxx turns, like he knows I’m here even though I’ve been stood silently watching for a few moments, and his eyes widen a little as he runs his eyes over my dress and hair. I do the same to him, seeing his leather jacket, tight black top and jeans that fit him like a glove. Maxx has brushed his black hair to the side, making it look softer than usual, and it makes his blue eyes stand out more. I really like it. My dad clears his throat, getting my attention away from Maxx.

  “Hey, dad,” I say to him briefly and look back to the guy that isn’t meant to be here. “Hey, Maxx?” I question, and he grins, picking up the flowers and walking over to me.

  “I bought you these,” he says as I accept them off him, our fingers briefly brushing, sending shivers of warmth through me. It only serves to remind me of the embarrassing kiss and the fact I basically kill him every time we are together. I stroke my fingers over the top of the pink roses.

  “Thanks, I love roses, how did you know?” I ask. Even my perfume is a rose scent. It reminds me of the rose flowers my mum used to grow in our flat.

  “You always smell of roses, I guess I noticed at some point. I assumed you would like the actual flowers, Freckles,” he tells me, confusing me with the sweet gesture. This boy is way too hot and cold with me. I have to remember he pushed me away.

  “Maxx told me he is taking you out on a date tonight,” dad says, interrupting, and I glance over to see him watching us with crossed arms. “Why didn’t you say you had a date?”

  “I did say I was going out, dad,” I groan. I want to say I didn’t have a clue I had a date with Maxx apparently.

  “Not on a date with the neighbor, you didn’t,” he remarks, and I roll my eyes at him as I walk over to the sink. I put the flowers on the side, getting a tall glass and filling it with water. I put the roses in the glass, so they will be okay until I get home later.

  “I will look after her, Ross,” Maxx says, and I turn sharply around, surprised that my dad told Maxx his first name. Dad looks over at me and nods once, and I know somehow Maxx has gotten my dad to like him after one damn conversation while I was upstairs. How is that possible? The guy is an asshole.

  “I have a feeling you will, or I will find a way to make you regret hurting my little girl. I want her home by eleven,” he tells Maxx, patting his shoulder as he walks past and stops next to the kitchen door. “Have a good night, Aura.” I wait for the sound of the lounge door shutting before I wave my hands in the air and give Maxx a look that suggests he explain why he is here.

  “Come on, we have a date to get to and it’s a bit of a drive away,” he says, and I frown at him. That is not explaining anything.

  “You want to take me on a date? Seriously?” I mutter.

  “Nope, but I want to get you out the house before Austin turns up. That asshole is not blackmailing you for a date,” he growls out.

  “He said he would—” I start off but get interrupted.

  “I know. Austin forgets his sister is weak and as vulnerable as our clan would be if he acts on any of his threats,” he says. “He is just pushing his luck by blackmailing you.”

  “You think it’s all words?” I ask, feeling somewhat relieved.

  “I know it is. Austin and his clan could have come here and tried to attack if they had nothing to fear. They know they can’t beat us, that’s why we have an agreement. They know I would kill them all in a blink of an eye if they touched anyone in my clan,” he states calmly, and the deadly silence after his statement just hangs in the air. “Now let’s get going.” He opens the door and waves a hand for me to walk out like he didn’t just suggest murdering a load of people. I sigh, knowing there isn’t much I can say to that, and I don’t w
ant to go on a date with Austin, so I can’t just stay home. When I have gone over all my options for tonight and figured out that I’m stuck with the guy that rejected me, I give up and walk past him. I go to the front door and open it to walk out, hearing Maxx following behind me. He has parked his car just behind my dad’s, and he clicks it unlocked as I get to it. I open the passenger door and get inside, putting my handbag on the floor as Maxx gets in.

  “Where are we going then?” I ask. I assume he is going to take me somewhere local to hide out for a few hours before coming back. I just hope it’s not Iris’s house or somewhere possibly worse than that to hide.

  “To the local mountain. They have a restaurant inside the mountain, and my friend is going to let me take you on a walk through the beautiful caves after we eat,” he tells me, and I frown as I turn to look at him. He only smirks back at me as he does his seatbelt up.

  “You are actually taking me on a date? I really didn’t expect that,” I say, knowing that a date between us isn’t the best idea. I can’t help that sometimes I like the idiot, and other times, I want to throw him under a bus or something. I don’t even know if throwing him under a bus would hurt him at all, being that he can just disappear and reappear. I sigh, knowing that I am never going to figure out Maxx Faraway.

  “Maybe I don’t like being predictable,” he says and starts the car, driving off without another word. This is definitely not predictable.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “This place is incredible, and so well-hidden. You wouldn’t know it was here unless you were told,” I mumble as we drive up a hidden path off a main road. The road twists and turns before going through a tunnel, and when you come out, this amazing view is waiting for you. I look up at the cave entrance which is lit up with lanterns, two star lights hanging down at the sides, and it lights the entire area up. There is a big sign hanging down that says, “Light Within”, which I assume is the restaurant name. There are two people parking their cars, and Maxx parks us just behind them. I watch the couples get out, the way they hold each other close as they walk to the restaurant. For some reason, seeing actual couples on dates here makes me nervous to be here with Maxx. I glance over at him, and he is watching me with an expression I cannot read. I look away and try to think of something else as Maxx pulls the key out the ignition, and the interior lights come on. We have been driving about an hour to get here and sinking further into the middle of nowhere. We did finally pass through a village not long ago, which by the way Maxx drove through it with no sat-nav on, tells me he knows the place well. I am still confused why he is taking me on a date when he made it clear we will never be together. I go to say something when Maxx finally speaks, replying to my earlier comment like no time has passed since.

  “I think that’s why the locals love it so much, it doesn’t get overpacked with people because only locals know it exists,” he says. “I only know of it because a friend from my old school works here.”

  “I can see why they would want to keep this place quiet,” I say, unclicking my seatbelt. “It’s a natural beauty.” I look over at Maxx who is staring at me with a look of understanding and again something I can’t read before he snaps out of it and climbs out of the car. I get out after shaking my head, and grab my bag, sliding its strap over my shoulder as Maxx locks the car and comes to my side. I’m surprised when Maxx stands really close as we walk to the restaurant, close enough that our arms brush every few seconds. I try not to focus on how close Maxx is as we walk through the entrance into the massive restaurant. The main part is a long path, carved out of stone, with a host stand at the front and a bar at the bottom with the kitchens right behind them. Then the sides of the path are the table booths, which are inside little carved out mini caves. There are three levels of the mini caves, and when we get closer, I can see different colored crystals stuck to the top of each one, with lights mixed in between which reflect off the crystals.

  “Maxx, my man, good to see you after such a long time!” A young guy with red hair, a cheeky expression and a waiter’s outfit on walks over to us. Maxx and the guy do the typical guy hug, patting each other’s back.

  “Louie, this is Freckles,” Maxx introduces us, still not saying my real name to my annoyance. I doubt he is ever going to call me it at this point. It will just be Freckles forever.

  “Freckles? Odd name there. Though it is lovely to meet you,” Louie says and holds out a hand for me to shake.

  “My real name is Aura. Only dickhead over here likes to call me Freckles,” I say, sliding my hand into his as he laughs.

  “I see you have Maxx all figured out already. I’m glad I don’t have to warn a pretty girl like you what Maxx is like,” Louie says with a big grin, letting go of my hand as Maxx whacks his arm playfully.

  “Alright, alright, stop flirting with my date. I’m hungry,” Maxx says, interrupting, but he is still smiling, so the asshole side of him isn’t back yet. I don’t hold out all hope that it won’t come back at some point. Louie winks at me before picking up some menus from the side and nodding his head down the pathway. We walk five down before he stops, sliding the menus on the booth table. I sit on the left side while Maxx gets comfy on the other, his leg pressed against mine, completely distracting me from anything else.

  “Can I get you any drinks?” Louie asks, looking between us.

  “A beer for me, my friend,” Maxx says. “Freckles?”

  “A diet Coke, please,” I say, and Louie writes it down before grinning at us.

  “Have a good night. The waitress will be back to get your food order when you’re ready,” he says and winks at me before walking off. There is an awkward silence between us as I pick the menu up and start searching for something I want to eat.

  "The chicken is the best here, they do this sautéed one that is my favorite," Maxx tells me, reaching over and pointing at the listing on my menu. I quickly read that there are five different types of sautéed chicken with different sauces, and it is the house special.

  "Alright then, I will try what you are having," I say, closing the menu and placing it over Maxx's closed one.

  "Are you excited for the swimming race next week?" Maxx asks, reminding me of the friendly swimming match the coach has planned. We don’t have any meets for two months, but she thinks racing against each other will be good for team spirit or something. I don’t know how anything could be worse than it is now. The team, and the rest of the school, avoids me like the plague. Landon tried explaining how humans can sense our kind in their own way, and that is why they don’t trust me. He thinks because I am spending more time around them than humans, it is making me feel less human. I don’t know what I believe anymore, but I have given up on trying to be friends with the people around school.

  "I'm excited to beat you," I say, grinning as he laughs.

  "You can't beat me, but you're more than welcome to try," he replies.

  "Pfft, you should be scared. I will whip your ass," I retort.

  "I’m not into whipping, but if that is your kinda thing..." he teases me, and my cheeks turn pink as he laughs. The waitress thankfully comes over, sliding our drinks onto the table, and takes our order and our menus before she leaves.

  "How many guys have you dated, Freckles?" Maxx asks, just as I’m sipping on my drink, and I try not to choke on it as I look up at him with wide eyes.

  "Why would I tell you that?" I ask.

  "You asked Iris about her and me, and then asked my brother about our past. Why can't I know yours?" he asks, and I wonder how he knows that. I know Iris likely told him about me asking, but I doubt Landon did.

  "Are you saying you have only ever dated Iris?" I enquire back to avoid answering his question.

  "Dated, yes. There have been a few girls for only a night or two," he says, shrugging, and I ignore the burning jealousy his words cause. "So…what is your answer?"

  “I dated one guy, but it didn’t work out,” I tell him truthfully. We were both fifteen, and relationships don’
t usually last long at that age. It got to the point where we were more friends that sometimes made out than an actual couple.

  “How long were you together?” Maxx asks, and he seems somewhat relieved by my statement.

  “Six months…why do you care?” I quickly reply.

  “I’m interested in learning about you, about your life,” he says. “You are part of my clan after all.”

  “So that’s the only reason for this date, because you feel responsible for me?” I ask.

  “I’ve already told you it can’t be more than that,” he answers. “But I do want to be your friend at least.” Even though his words make sense, I can’t help feeling like he is lying to me. Or it might just be me wanting something more.

  “Friends I can do,” I say, smiling tightly. “But no more soaking me with water and being a dick,” I warn him, and he smirks.

  “I can’t promise anything, but I will make an effort to be nice,” he tells me, but I can’t see that happening, so I don’t believe him.

  “Maxx Faraway being nice to me…I never thought I’d see that day anytime soon,” I say, and we both laugh. The waitress interrupts, clearing her throat to get our attention. I move my drink as she slides our food on to the table. We both eat in a comfortable silence, briefly commenting on how nice the chicken is, and I’m glad Maxx suggested I try it. Maxx asks for the bill from the waitress not long after, and Louie comes over as the waitress clears our plates away after she waves a hand to him.

  “Here you go,” Maxx offers his debit card to Louie, who looks at him like he is crazy.

  “I told you, there is no way you are paying for your meals,” Louie says. “My parents have told you that you always eat free here for saving my life.” I look between Louie and Maxx, who lowers his hand with the card. How did he save Louie’s life?