Dark Summer

by Lizzy Ford

  Dawn was right about her size. Summer zipped the first one and took a deep breath before facing the mirror. When she did, her breath caught. The form-fitting dress was soft against her skin—and fit better than any piece of clothing she owned. She’d never noticed her curves or how womanly they’d become. She still felt like the awkward eleven-year-old with boobs too big for her skinny frame.

  The mirror painted a different story. Her dark hair framed a face with delicate features and large, brown eyes. Her skin was tanned from the California summer sun, and the cut of the dress made her legs look long on her otherwise short frame. She had hips now. They were round and balanced out her breasts.

  “Summer, come on!” Dawn said, knocking on the door. “Show us!”

  Summer did, suspecting Dawn wouldn’t take no for an answer. She opened the door to the dressing room and stepped out. It took all her willpower not to cross her arms. The three girls with Dawn smiled. Dawn looked agitated.

  “Perfect!” one of them said.

  “It’s okay,” Dawn said. “That color’s not good on you.”

  Summer looked down. She liked the blue-green color of the dress. It matched Beck’s eyes.

  “Try on the next one,” Dawn ordered.

  Summer returned to the dressing room. The next one was silver. When she stepped out, Dawn was there as well, twirling in a skin-tight red dress.

  “You have to get this one, Dawn,” one of the other girls gushed. “You’ll knock him off his feet!”

  “Hmm, I’m not sure,” Dawn said.

  “You look beautiful,” Summer seconded, taking in the leggy blond’s perfect, slender body. She felt guilty again about the note Beck had given her. Dawn didn’t know what was in store for her at the dance.

  “Oh, thanks. You look good, too,” Dawn said with an insincere smile.

  Summer looked in the mirror. Behind Dawn, she looked like a short, fat star. She returned to the dressing room, not wanting to try on any more.

  “Try the blue one, Summer!” Dawn called. “You need to get a new bra, too. That one looks like you’ve owned it for years.”

  I have, Summer said to herself, looking at the ratty, off-white bra in the mirror. Embarrassed, she tucked the straps down when she tried on the blue one. One look in the mirror, and she fell in love with the A-line style that hugged her curves and ended above her knees. Of all the dresses, it was the plainest, with a scoop neck and cap sleeves.

  “That’s it!” one of the other girls exclaimed as she stepped out.

  “Definitely,” another echoed. “Dawn, you have to see her!”

  Dawn emerged in another tight number, this one gold sequins. Summer turned to face her. Dawn’s gaze swept over her, unimpressed.

  “Yeah, that’s the best one of them,” she agreed. “I don’t think you’ll find anything that’ll fit you better, until you lose some of that weight.”

  Summer’s face grew hot. She’d never looked as beautiful as she did in the dress. Dawn pulled the tag free.

  “It’s on sale, too,” she said. “One fifty. I say you get it.”

  “Um, I’m not sure,” Summer said.

  “Look at yourself,” Dawn said and pushed her to the mirror. “What will your date think when he sees you?”

  Summer smiled.

  “You’re a doll,” Dawn said. “You have to buy it.”

  “I really can’t,” Summer replied. “I think I’ll just keep looking.”

  “You won’t find anything better,” Dawn said. “This complements your skin tone and eyes and everything else.”

  Summer stared at herself, growing more dismayed the longer she wore the dress. She could never afford it. Or any dress, if they were all so expensive.

  “Think about it,” Dawn said and went back to her dressing room.

  Summer returned to hers. She looked at the remaining dress on the hanger then peeked out of the dressing room. The other girls had returned to their rooms, too, to change into the next dress. She looked at her ill-fitting clothes then at the dresses.

  She shouldn’t have succumbed to Dawn’s encouragement. She should’ve gone to the department store and looked for a sale. She put her clothes back on.

  “Dawn, this is a little out of my price range,” she said. “I’m going to keep looking. I’ll see you guys later.”

  “There’s a Goodwill here,” Dawn called innocently. “Maybe you can afford something there.”

  The other girls laughed, and Dawn joined them. Summer left the store, face hot. She’d been to a Goodwill before. Even if Dawn ridiculed it, Summer had found some good finds there. She shook off the sense of humiliation that had plagued her at every school she went to. She was going to the dance with Beck, the most handsome boy in the world. Suddenly, she didn’t feel quite so guilty about Dawn getting dumped at the dance.

  Summer sneaked a look over her shoulder to make sure Dawn didn’t follow her to ridicule her more. She entered the Goodwill store and began to browse. Goodwill had nothing like the nice store Dawn took her to.

  Just when Summer gave up, she saw a shimmer of pale, metallic pink. She dug through the rack and pulled out the dress, a rather plain prom dress, by the looks of it. Checking the tag, she was happy to find it was a 4-6, around her size. She examined it for any stains she’d have to get out at home. It needed to be washed, but it was pretty. The price read twenty-five dollars.

  Thrilled with her find, she slung it over her arm and went to the section with ladies underwear. Dawn’s comment about her bra hit home. Summer tried on a few before finding one that fit.

  She left the store with her purchases, pleased with the treasures she’d found. She had enough money for the food court and walked by the different restaurants, awed by the ability to choose what she ate for the first time since she was a child. She went with pizza, milkshake, and cake.

  Full and content, Summer went back to the place where Amber had dropped them off. It was past dark, and the mall parking lot was full. She sat and waited. The air grew chilly, and she sat at the base of the fountain, huddling to keep her body warm.

  She waited and waited. Cars began to leave the lot, and the night grew darker. Summer got up and paced to keep warm and look for the van or girls. She saw neither and sat down to wait again.

  When the last car pulled out of the parking lot, she knew they’d forgotten her. She hugged her knees to her chest. She would have expected others to leave her, but not Amber. Shivering from the cold, Summer stayed where she was.

  When the moon was directly overhead, the white van pulled into the parking lot. Summer uncurled and stood. Amber threw open the door.

  “I am so sorry, Summer!” she exclaimed and threw her arms around her. “You’re so cold!”

  Summer said nothing as Amber ushered her into the van.

  “You can lay down on one of the seats. Here’s a blanket. I can’t believe … this is going too far,” Amber muttered.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” Summer said, frowning.

  “Not you, honey. Just get some sleep on the way back.”

  Summer studied her. Amber was upset for the first time since Summer had met her. She said nothing, though, and Summer blamed herself. She wrapped the blanket around her before stretching out on a bench seat. Exhausted and warm, she managed to fall asleep soon after they left the parking lot.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, Summer ate a fast breakfast, tardy to start her day after getting home so late. She drank her juice as she hurried down the hallway to the dance studio. Jessie had already started, and Summer slid into the back of class. She was tired and went through the morning routine without paying much attention. As she turned to leave, Jessie stopped her.

  “Don’t rush off, Summer!”

  Summer moved out of the way of the other girls. Dawn caught her gaze and smiled. Summer smiled back. When they’d left, she approached Jessie.

  “Did you forget?” Jessie asked.

  “Forget what?”

  “
Your dance lesson.”

  “Oh.” Summer kicked herself mentally. “I’m kind of tired today, Jessie. Maybe we can—”

  “Right on time, Decker,” Jessie said, glancing towards the door.

  Summer turned to face him, at once caught in his dark gaze. From the distance, she felt his magick. It energized her even without touching him.

  “Sorry to interrupt. What was that, Summer?” Jessie asked.

  “Nothing,” Summer murmured.

  “Waltz to warm up and we’ll move onto something else,” Jessie told them.

  Summer moved to the middle of the floor. Decker joined her. He reached for her then rubbed the back of his head nervously. Her own body was warm and tingly before she lifted her hand out. He placed his against it then stepped forward with more confidence and placed his other hand on the small of her back.

  Her senses came alive again. She recalled what Sam had said, that she needed to find what made her magick sing. It was Decker.

  “Have you ever … met Sam?” she asked, gazing up at him as they danced.

  “Yes. Only a few of us have spoken to him. You met him?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “You must be of certain interest to his kind. They don’t talk to just anyone.”

  She said nothing. Instead, she listened to her body, the way Sam said she should. It responded to Decker, whose lead turned from hesitant to firm. Her lightheadedness returned, and she hoped he couldn’t tell just how hard her heart was beating.

  “You look tired,” he said. “Did your deer keep you up?”

  “No,” she said. “I went to the mall yesterday and got left behind.”

  “Amber left you?”

  “Just an accident. I’m too quiet. I guess I’m easy to forget.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Her face grew hot, and she looked away.

  “Today, a merengue and salsa!” Jessie said. “I feel like something more fast-paced. This way, when you’re listening to that modern crap, you can go between the slow and the quick. Summer, stand on my right. Decker, on my left. We’ll work on the salsa steps first.”

  Summer stepped away from Decker. Jessie pulled her to the side as Latin music blared into the studio. Summer stumbled through the fast-paced steps that seemed only to tangle her feet. She couldn’t keep up with the music, even when she mastered the steps. Frustrated, she sneaked a glance at Decker. He was worse off, his large feet tripping him as he tried to dance. They struggled through it for half an hour, with Jessie barking commands at them.

  “On your toes, Decker. I know you played football,” Jessie said impatiently. “You both are so much more coordinated at this when …”

  Summer gave up with a sigh. Jessie was gazing at her intently.

  “Try it together,” the instructor said.

  Summer looked at Decker, who held out his hand. She took it.

  “Okay, one, two, three,” Decker said quietly.

  They stepped together. Again and again, easily keeping pace with the music and each other. Her body flowed with the rhythm.

  Jessie turned off the music. “I don’t think you guys need lessons. Just go to the dance together.”

  Summer kept quiet, uncertain if Decker knew who her date was.

  “I don’t go to the dances,” Decker said. “So you might as well keep teaching us.”

  “You sassin’ me?” Jessie asked with a grin.

  “No, Jessie. Summer’s transition hasn’t been easy. You might as well help her adjust.”

  Summer stared at him, surprised he’d talk that way to an instructor.

  Decker didn’t know what got into him, but he was angry at Jessie. Summer’s body was relaxed in his arms, fitting against his in a way that seemed too natural. Her breasts were pressed against his chest. He’d thought the first day of dancing was torture, but today, the sensations were worse. Her magick didn’t just call to him, it compelled him to her, like a paperclip to a magnet. It made his whole body ache in a way he’d never experienced.

  He wanted her. Bad, and in more ways than he could identify. The rise and fall of her chest, the way she looked up at him … the desire he felt with Alexa was purely physical. He knew now this was something else, something primal.

  “Alright, we’ll keep dancing,” Jessie said. She put on music then stood back to watch.

  “Thank you, I think,” Summer said, looking up at Decker.

  “Sorry. I want to do this right for you,” he said.

  The connection between them grew stronger. He took in her brown eyes and long eyelashes, the pink flush across her face, the way she yielded to him when he held her. He’d hoped Alexa and keeping his distance would quell their connection, but it only grew stronger. They didn’t even need to talk; magick moved between their bodies. As if they were one, not two individuals.

  It was impossible to deny there was more between them than he could figure out. He’d debated not coming, but disappointing Summer had seemed worse than the torture of dancing with her.

  “I have a favorite constellation,” he said. “Scorpio.”

  “Beautiful constellation, tragic story,” she murmured. “You know in mythology, Scorpio killed Orion, right?”

  “Uh, no, I didn’t.” His face grew red. Was this a sign he should walk away from her for good? “Why are you so interested in stars?”

  “I guess I’m not really. I had nothing to do at the orphanage, especially between schools. I used to read a lot. One of the other kids left textbooks out, so I read through the astronomy one and started trying to find the stars,” she replied. “I read a lot of Shakespeare and other literature.”

  “I’ve read some Shakespeare. It’s a little over my head,” he admitted.

  “I think there’s beauty in his work. And tragedy. Always tragedy.” Her voice grew soft, sad.

  “Sorta like life.”

  “Yeah. Though being here, I’ve learned there’s hope, too.”

  Jessie’s phone rang.

  Decker clamped his mouth shut. He wanted to say hope was for naïve fools, but he couldn’t. Summer’s eyes glowed with a light that hadn’t been there when she arrived, and her soul no longer sang its lonesome song. She’d found hope in the place where he lost his.

  “I meant to tell you yesterday, thank you for dancing with me,” she said. “Even though you don’t go to dances and even though you probably have something better to do.”

  “It’s my pleasure, Summer. Really.”

  “Come back tomorrow morning,” Jessie said. “I’ll have more music. Decker, Matty wants to see you.”

  Decker rolled his eyes. Summer smiled, broke contact, and turned away. He watched her leave, agitation filling him. Her touch silenced the noise in his head and soothed him in a way nothing else could.

  “Thanks, Jessie,” he said and left the studio.

  Matilda, the head instructor for the Dark arts, had an office in the small attachment to the garage, opposite Amber’s. Decker went to her office and knocked, waiting for her to beckon him to open it before entering. Tall and svelte, Matilda wore her hair short and was almost always in a suit or business clothing. She wore a white blouse and pencil skirt today.

  “Have a seat, Decker.” Her voice held a slight rasp that took the edge off her severe façade.

  He sat in front of her. She pushed her laptop away and leaned back, focusing on him.

  “How you holding up?” she asked.

  “Good enough.”

  “Your parents are concerned, and so are your teachers.”

  “Not sure what they expect. It’s not like I’m getting a new job at the mall or something,” he snapped.

  “I understand that. I think your adjustment period will be brutal. I was here when your mother took her place. It nearly killed her to lose her sister and face the Dark alone. If not for your father, she wouldn’t have made it.”

  “They won’t even be here for my birthday, so there’s no help for me,” he said.

  “The kids say you’
re dating Alexa. Any sort of connection there, like your parents have?”

  “It’s physical, nothing more.”

  Matilda shook her head. “Damn teens and hormones. At least you own up to it. Amber doesn’t believe me when I tell her half the kids here are sexually active.”

  “More than half,” Decker said, smiling.

  “I’m not surprised. But on a serious note, Decker” —Matilda leaned forward— “you’re in danger of going over the edge if you’ve got no one here to support you. Maybe your mother doesn’t remember what she went through during the transition. It wasn’t pretty.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m telling you, you won’t.”

  “What do you want me to do about it?” Decker ran his fingers through his hair with a frustrated sigh. He suspected as much. Whatever happened to him on his eighteenth birthday, he’d turn into a soul-stealing assassin.

  “Are you and Beck getting along better?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe that’ll do. I’d hoped Alexa was the Michael Turner to your Rania,” Matilda said. “Are you sure she’s not?”

  “Why does it matter?” he demanded.

  “There’s only been one Master of Fire and Night who didn’t have a partner when he assumed his powers. The Deathbringer, Bartholomew the Terrible. I don’t know for sure if this is why he went insane, but it’s a pattern I won’t ignore.”

  He met her gaze, well aware of the horror stories of the Dark Master who’d not only gone insane, but spent his tenure annihilating Light witchlings, Dark witchlings and humans alike. He’d reigned longest of all the Masters, simply because none of the women he raped survived long enough to bear a child. One finally did and birthed twins who worked together to slay their mad father and reestablish the balance.

  Decker stood and paced, staring out the window. Summer and the little Indian girl he thought was named Biji were walking towards one of the picnic tables. Summer was smiling. The sight soothed him physically and mentally. For a moment, he forgot about Matilda’s horrific words about his potential fate. His shoulders eased, and he breathed more deeply.