by Elle Scott
“Come on Gab, please,” Leila urged. “If it works, your grades might improve again.”
Gabby tore her eyes from Sadie. She sighed. “Fine.”
Leila
The air was fresh—not warm, but not freezing either. It smelled of wet grass and newborn leaves, the kind of smell that promised warmer tomorrows. Almost Spring.
Just like the season, Leila and Riley were on the verge of something. They weren’t sure what, but it had to do with their Imprint powers, and Gabby was the only one semi-willing to participate.
They stood in the middle of the school oval, shoes caked in mud from the melting of the morning’s snowfall.
“Okay, stand there.” Leila held Gabby’s shoulders and nudged her to the left a little. She let go, still hovering her hands at Gabby’s sides. “Don’t move.”
Gabby sighed as she picked at the dirt beneath her nails. “Just hurry up, I’m hungry.”
Riley moved beside Leila, narrowing his eyes. “What for?”
“Human heart.” Gabby said with a straight face. Then she shook her head. “Seriously, Riley.”
The blazer Leila was wearing suddenly felt restrictive around her. She hated the way Riley treated Gabby. As though she were a criminal. Sure, she’d killed her own stepfather, but he’d killed her brother first and hurt her mother. Murder was never right, but if it was, that would be the time. Leila rolled up her sleeves and grabbed one of Riley’s hands with both of hers. Tugging him backwards, she kept her eyes on Gabby, giving an apologetic tilt of the head.
Gabby rolled her eyes.
Riley turned to Leila. “You ready?”
“Same as always,” Leila replied.
They’d tried this before. To rid Gabby of her Guardian. Riley had this notion that because she’d killed a civilian, it automatically turned her into a Fallen. Shadow Guardians were meant to protect; apparently now, she wanted to harm. Leila didn’t believe in that though.
Of course, she believed some Guardians were bad. But just like people, it was a sliding scale. Gabby had an attitude, and she was in pain from her brother’s death—but she wasn’t a Fallen. She couldn’t be.
Leila glanced at her best friend. Gabby shoved a fingernail into her mouth then spat it out before going for the next one. There was no harm in trying anyway.
She turned to Riley and with a deep breath, stared into his soulful eyes. Leila lunged for him, wrapping her arms around his body. His hands found her back and he pulled her in close. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him as tight as she could, as though together they could save the world. Or at least Gabby.
A chuckle echoed through the air and Leila peeled her eyes open.
“Sorry guys. But you look ridiculous.”
Riley let his hands escape Leila. He snapped, “Well, maybe it’s not us that’s doing something wrong here.”
“Riley!” Leila hushed, loud enough for Gabby to hear. “Maybe it’s not her, maybe she’s fine.”
Gabby threw her arm in the air and shouted. “Thank you, sister. I do. I feel fine.”
Riley looked at Gabby sideways. “For now.”
Leila sighed. Gabby had the patience of a saint with Riley. She knew the story of his sister, how traumatic it was for him to see his flesh and blood turn from a normal shy teen into a cold-blooded Fallen, who destroyed his and his mother’s lives. Patience though, could only last so long.
“It’s been three months. I get it, you’re scared for me. But if I were to turn into a big bad monster wouldn’t it have happened by now?”
“Maybe,” Riley said, rubbing at the base of his skull. “I’m sorry. But can we try just once more?”
Gabby’s shoulders dropped. “Fine.”
As much as Leila wanted to do this, for Riley and Gabby, something wasn’t right. They were missing an important step. Remembering the first and only time they were able to remove a Guardian, Leila thought of Crystal and Thomas as they hunted for Riley’s blood. Somehow, they’d combined their auras to create a ripple effect.
A light bulb switched on. They’d only tried in backyards and open spaces. But what if they tried something different? Actually go deep in the forest a few miles from the border of town. Maybe it wasn’t the Imprint thing, maybe it was a location thing.
Leila blurted, “What if we go to the spot?”
“The spot?” Riley frowned.
Nodding, Leila became more excited as if maybe she’d just solved all their problems. “Where it happened before, with Crystal and Thomas.”
Gabby let out a moan. “I can’t believe this is my life now. B plusses and being a third wheel to you two crazies.”
Riley pointed at Leila, realization sinking in. He jumped a few steps and grabbed Gabby’s wrist. As he dragged her past Leila, he said, “Just humor us.”
As her eager boyfriend stormed toward his car, Leila mouthed “Sorry.” She didn’t want to be controlling or make Gabby feel like there was something wrong with her. But if Leila was honest, she feared for Gabby as much as Riley did.
Riley pulled his car over at the end of the straight where their fight against the Fallen occurred. As she got out of the car, Leila glanced up the hill on the other side of the road. Between trunks and low branches she spotted the tree. It was almost identical to those that surrounded it, but she knew the one. The spot where Riley turned her.
“It was up here,” Riley said, charging ahead to the bend in the road.
Gabby walked along the side of the road, not quite as fast as Riley, scuffing her heels along the bitumen. Leila took one last look at the tree and caught up with Gabby. Together, they followed Riley.
“Will this be the last time?” Gabby whispered.
Leila hooked her arm around Gabby’s elbow. “I’ll have a talk to him.”
“Yes, but what do you think of all this? Do you think I’m dangerous?” She didn’t look at Leila as she asked it and there was a vulnerable tone in her voice. Gabby didn’t usually care what anyone thought of her and would tell that to peoples’ faces.
Leila knew why she asked it though. Because her opinion mattered to Gabby. There was too much heaviness in that, enough to render her speechless.
The tops of the trees danced in the wind and white fluffy clouds covered the sky overhead. At the floor of the forest, a movement caught Leila’s attention. Scurrying away and zigzagging between trees was a small animal. Pale gray with black stripes. “Was that a cat?”
“What?” Gabby asked, looking around.
They stopped, and side-by-side they stared into the forest. Everything was silent bar Riley’s shoes as they hit fallen branches and twigs. And then Riley’s voice:
“Come on, you two, it’s down here.”
With their arms still entwined, the two girls followed him. Leila pondered Gabby’s question again, wanting to find the right words. “I think you mean too much to me to risk not trying this.”
Gabby was quiet for a while as they trudged through wet soil and weaved through the forest. As they stepped into a small clearing where Riley stood, Gabby let go of Leila’s arm. She leaned over and with a hushed voice, said, “Good.”
Leila stopped in her tracks as Gabby pushed forward to Riley. It was one word. Small and often overused. But the depth behind it caught her off guard. Did Gabby want to be rid of her Guardian? Was there something she wasn’t telling them?
Renewed with the desire to make this work, Leila glanced around the clearing. Riley was standing in a spot close to where it happened. Memories of him at near death came flooding to the surface.
Leila pointed beside him. “A little to the left.”
He side-stepped and looked at her. “Here?”
Leila took Gabby’s hand and led her a few yards to the right. She looked back at Riley, then turned to Gabby and pushed her back a few steps. “There. This is where Crystal ran from.”
“And what exactly am I doing?” Gabby asked. She furrowed her brow as she looked beyond Leila.
Riley had made himself comfort
able on the ground, first by sitting, then by laying. He tilted his head up. “Is this how I was? I can’t remember.”
Standing back away from them, Leila took the whole scene in. Right before it happened, Crystal had dragged her away from Riley. Then she had to pull Thomas away. As she was fighting with Thomas, Crystal lined Riley up for the kill.
“No!” Leila blurted, storming back to Gabby. She dragged her to Riley. “You’re here. Now, you lift your foot. Fully shifted, pretend you’re a wildebeest.”
Gabby raised one eyebrow. “A wildebeest?”
“Mmmhm. I’m starting from over there.” Leila pointed to where she first placed Gabby. “I want you to raise your paw and aim for Riley’s head.”
Gabby looked down at Riley, laying on the damp forest floor. “You want me to stamp his pretty face?”
“Yes!” Leila threw her hands up, all too aware at how maniacal she sounded. “I need to feel the fear, so you have to sell it, okay? Make me believe you want to hurt him.”
Gabby shrugged and tilted her head at Leila. With a smirk on her lips, she said, “I can do that.”
“Am I right? Was I like this?” Riley asked again.
He looked adorably cute in such a vulnerable position. Gabby towered over him, as he pretended to be unconscious. Leila bit her lip and smiled. “You’re perfect, as always.”
Assuming position a few meters away, Leila got down to her knees. Summoning her Guardian, she called her lion to align. With growing fangs, she said, “Okay, Gabby. Let’s get that Guardian away from you.”
Riley laid back and closed his eyes. Gabby—now her wolf—raised her paw. And Leila scrambled to them. She threw herself onto Riley, arms wrapping around his body, and peered up. Leila could see Gabby through the green outline of her wolf. Together, their foot hovered a few inches from Leila’s face and then, gently moved to the ground.
“Gabby!” Leila moaned, climbing off Riley. “Ya gotta mean it. Come at us like you want to squish our brains.”
Gabby gave her look and blinked slowly with fake disdain. “And you think I’m the one who needs help.”
“Just one more time,” Leila said, shuffling back to her spot. “And, action.”
Stifling a laugh, Gabby raised her foot once more. Riley kept one eye open as Leila dived for him. They swung their arms around each other, and Riley half-shifted, his eyes shining neon blue. For a moment, Leila saw the reflection of her own golden irises in his eyes. When this worked the last time, it was almost like they shared their Guardians. Each of them sporting one golden eye and one blue. She clutched him tighter, waiting for their auras to combine and cascade like an explosion from their bodies. But instead, Gabby’s foot clocked the back of Leila’s head.
“Oww,” Leila scrambled off Riley, rubbing her head.
“Crap!” In a flash, Gabby returned back to her human form. “I’m so sorry, Leila. You told me to.”
Leila sat back with a forlorn expression, her shoulders slumped. Not because of the pain. But because it didn’t work. She was sure she found the solution.
Gabby plonked herself on the ground and picking up a small twig, she dug it through the dirt. “What now?”
Leila looked at Riley as he sat up properly. He lifted his leg, bending it at the knee, and rested an arm over the top of it. His fingertips just reached Leila’s shoulder. He gave her a sad smile before turning to Gabby. “What do you want?”
The twig in Gabby’s grasp snapped. “I want…” her voice hitched as she placed her hand on her heart. “I want this monumental black hole in my heart to be gone.”
Sadie
Sadie stood in the middle of her room with the entire contents of her wardrobe strewn on the floor around her feet. If her clothes were an altar, she was the sacrifice. Wearing nothing but a set of pink, lacy underwear, she glanced over the items, mentally imagining herself in a multitude of ensembles. What did one wear on a date? She’d never been on one before, she wouldn’t have known.
Damien asked her to dinner during lunch. Not that anyone else noticed, they were too occupied by Gabby and her Fallen conundrum. Sadie didn’t tell them either. From the way she saw Gabby teasing Leila over Riley, those kinds of things were best kept a secret.
But Damien. With his muscles and square-jaw, his epic shoulder-length hair and gray eyes lined by thick lashes—how could she say no? It was more than that, though. She wasn’t completely superficial. He also had a sincere way about him. He was smart and thoughtful. Sometimes, she’d catch him tuck his impossibly ratty yet smooth hair behind his ears, and hunch out of the spotlight, as though apologizing for being in the same room as, well, anyone. He was funny too, when he wasn’t being obnoxious. That was the other side to him, one that complicated things. Cocky and demanding, like he didn’t know he was fine just the way he was before he became a Guardian. That’s how she could have said no.
But she didn’t. She said yes. And as she looked over her clothing options, she wished she could talk to Leila or Gabby about it. Clarity often came with more minds than her own which went in circles. Sadie sighed and looked over at her white dresser with wooden handles on its drawers. Resting on its top was a photo of Sadie and her two best friends, their faces squished together to fit inside the frame. It was a Polaroid, one of many Leila had given her. Sadie’s own thoughts would have to do this time, considering the date was a secret and all.
Sadie returned her gaze to the floor, and her bottom lip rolled out as she contemplated. On one side of the floor were her normal everyday choices: blue jeans, camel chinos, one-toned shirts with scooped necklines. And on the other side, was a much smaller pile of her untouched favorites: an array of pastels and light colors intercepted by a splattering of tans, browns, and grays. A style that was opposite to Leila’s—it was more bohemian than edgy. Leila could get away with edgy. Her personality stretched beyond her body. Somehow, she managed to encompass everyone she came in contact with, all without realizing she was doing it. It was the same for Gabby, who’s style was understated. She loved grungy dark colors like maroon, navy blue, and mustard yellow, and was never without her trusty Doc Martin boots. Even in flannelette shirts, Gabby didn’t have to try to make an impression either. It was harder for Sadie. She felt small and mousey and easily forgettable. It was as though she had to make the effort of both Leila and Gabby combined just to be noticed. Being extra approachable, extra friendly, extra normal. Being something not quite like herself.
She knew exactly where her fake self ended and her real self began. Her true self was in the little things. In a geometric painting of a tiger, hanging on the wall above the dresser. It was in an octagon lampshade made of rose-gold metal that sat on her bedside table. And beside the lamp, it was in a tarot deck, the favorite of five she owned. Every book had its rightful place on her shelf, organized by the way the story made her feel. She categorized everything. Even now, with her wardrobe exploded across the room, there was a pile that made her feel normal and unobtrusive, and another pile that made her feel like dancing. It wasn’t hard for her to make the distinction between which clothes she adored and which ones she owned because they seemed safe.
That’s how it was for Sadie, her real self hidden behind the walls of her room. She sighed and picked up a white long-sleeve top. Probably not the right item to wear to an Italian restaurant. She threw it back onto the pile, all at once dismayed at her collection of boring blue jeans and emotionless tops. They were simple and judgment free, something she craved but also despised. She let her eyes drift over to her treasures of obscurity. Pieces of herself that to an outside eye would seem out of place—things she loved but could never bring herself to wear. There were skirts that flowed and shirts that hugged. Floral and lace. An earthy femininity that matched her bedroom.
Torn between two versions of herself, Sadie wondered which version she would give to Damien on their date. Or the more honest question, which version would he like better?
Sadie pulled on a pair of tan jeans with white lace at the
seams. She paired it with a lilac, long-sleeve top that showed her midriff and accentuated her modest curves. Something she’d only dare wearing on her bravest of days.
She’d be herself.
“Sadie!” Summer, Sadie’s fifteen-year-old sister, screeched from behind the closed door. “I need to borrow your jacket. The denim one.”
With only a two-year age gap between them, Summer was already taller than Sadie—she also bloomed in the areas where Sadie was lacking. Still, they wore the same sized clothes. Sadie scoured the floor until her eyes landed on her pile of boring yet safe items. She picked up the faded blue jacket and stepped over the pile to her door. Opening the door just a crack, Sadie squeezed the jacket through.
Summer thwacked her palm on the door, swinging it wide open. Behind Summer, hovered her best friend, Imogen. They were like two peas-in-a-pod, joined at the hip, bringing terror to all they came in contact with. It didn’t surprise Sadie when she found out Imogen was Sebastian Weir’s little sister.
A wry smile cracked Summer’s pretty face as her eyes ran the length of Sadie. But that didn’t mean much, Summer was often smirking at her for some reason or another.
“I like your outfit,” Imogen said in a way that could have been genuine, but Sadie wasn’t so sure.
Summer threaded her arms through the denim jacket, her gaze on Sadie’s missing floor. “Where are you going?”
“Not that it’s your business,” Sadie said, grabbing a long beaded necklace with an amethyst at the end and hanging it around her neck. “But I’m going on a date.”
Summer laughed, trading a quick glance with Imogen. “You? No, really? Where are you going?”
Sadie rolled her eyes. And noticing both the girls were now both wearing jackets, she returned the question, “Where are you going? Are you sure you want to push your luck?”
With a tendency to sneak out, Summer had only just come off her grounding from going to an unsupervised waterfall party and drinking four beers. Fifteen. Sadie couldn’t imagine doing that two years ago at that age. But then, she still didn’t do it now. So, how can she blame her sister for laughing when she really was the boring one?
