“ … boy has dark secrets. He’s dangerous. I felt it, Sam,” her mother said. “Why can’t she see that? She’s so headstrong!”
“Sophia,” her father said gently. “He’s her friend, and she’s sixteen, not thirty. We can’t risk pushing her further away. Sera’s too important, now more than ever, you know that.”
“Maybe you’re right. I can talk to the Davenports and see if they can help,” her mother’s voice trailed off as she moved farther from the window.
Sera frowned. The Davenports? Why would talking to them help? And why would her dad say that she was so important? Sera peeked through the window to see if they were still in the kitchen. She almost screamed as a small body pressed against her left side, crouching down beside her.
“What are you doing?” Nate whispered.
“Nothing!” Sera said reddening. “Go away.”
Nate knowingly smiled. “Spying?”
“None of your business,” Sera snapped back, forgetting to whisper. They fell silent as their mother’s voice came clearly through the window.
“Who’s out there? Sera, is that you?” Her voice was sharp, and Sera’s entire body froze. Nate put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed sympathetically.
“Leave it to the pro, next time,” he whispered. He stood up with a wink and yelled out. “Hey, Mom, it’s just me. I was looking for one of my LEGOs out here. Got it!”
“OK, come have some breakfast. Is your sister outside?”
“Yes, she’s sitting over by the pool.” Nate shot Sera a glance—she owed him, apparently.
With a sigh of relief, Sera dashed over to the loungers next to the bean-shaped pool. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what her parents were hiding on top of what Kyle and Nate had told her. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what her parents were hiding on top of what Kyle and Nate had told her, when a small golden shape jumping between the oak trees lining the edge of the yard caught her attention. She followed it with her eyes all the way to the farthest corner of their property until it disappeared over the top of the low stone wall behind the trees. She stared into space, wondering what it had been.
“Hey, Sera,” a voice called just as a long blue-patterned arm swung up over the top of the wall, followed by a familiar smiling face. Dev jumped over the wall easily with a loping grace and walked toward her. He carried something small and tan in his arms, and as he drew nearer, Sera realized that it was the same animal she’d seen earlier.
“Is that a fawn?” she asked, incredulous.
“He’s just a baby,” Dev said, nodding.
“Isn’t that thing wild? How did you catch it? You could get rabies or something, you know,” she said as he stopped just short of her lounger. Dev smiled, stroking the quivering mass of golden fur.
“No rabies. Animals like me,” he said.
His voice was a lilting singsong, and Sera knew the slight accent came from Southeast Asia, where he’d spent most of his childhood. He’d lived in a handful of countries, moving around because of his family.
“Army brat?” she’d asked when they first met.
He’d responded with a smile. “Something like that.”
They had developed an easy friendship that past summer, walking to and from the same art program. And unlike Kyle, her parents adored Dev, whose gracious manners had immediately won them over. Despite Sera’s initial interest in Dev, which had waned considerably after her parents’ obvious infatuation with him, she’d kept him at arm’s length out of some perverse desire to get back at her parents for their dislike of Kyle.
“Sorry about yesterday. Kyle was just being a jerk,” Sera said.
“Don’t worry about it. He doesn’t like me much. I get it.”
“Kyle doesn’t really like anyone.”
“Just you,” Dev said.
“I guess. Sometimes I’m not even sure about that,” Sera said wryly.
“What are you up to today?”
“Grounded,” she said. Dev gave her an empathetic look as he stroked the fawn and sat on the lounger next to her. “Will it let me touch it?” she asked, nodding at the fawn. He smiled and Sera reached a hand out to touch the quivering bundle. Its silver-spotted fur was soft like downy fuzz. She could feel its tiny heartbeat racing a dozen miles a minute. The fawn pushed its head against her hand, like a cat begging to be stroked.
“He likes you,” Dev said.
“Yeah, right.”
“Animals can always tell who they can trust,” he said firmly before dumping the fawn in her lap. It squealed in protest but didn’t run away. Sera stroked it again and smiled while its velvet ears tickled her fingers. “See?” Dev said. “He’s falling in love. Look at him, poor thing.”
Something in his tone made Sera flush.
Over the summer, Dev had made no secret that he enjoyed being with her, and Sera sometimes got the feeling that he was interested in more than just friendship. But she’d always laughed it off. Boys who looked like Dev didn’t go out with girls who looked like her. Thinking of him in that light made her blush even redder. With his thick dark hair and golden brown skin and eyes, Dev was definitely good-looking. Add to that his easy charm and sharp wit, and Dev pretty much had the whole package going for him. He would have fit into her school in a heartbeat if he’d gone to Silver Lake. But his family had decided to send him to a very elite private school, not far from where they lived.
Still, Dev wasn’t as stuck-up as Kyle seemed to think he was. He was down to earth and fun to be around. While Kyle had been doing community service all summer, she’d been grateful to have someone else to talk to, and as much as she loved Kyle, Dev was like a breath of fresh air. He was well-read, intelligent, and could talk about anything. He also loved art, just like her.
Despite his curiously vast knowledge of various subjects, Dev was simple, sweet, and uncomplicated. And the fact that he didn’t cause a major world war with her parents every time she hung out with him was a definite plus.
He poked her in the ribs and Sera jumped, realizing he’d asked her a question. The fawn leapt off her lap and bounded across the lawn. “Sorry, what?”
“Feel like a swim?”
“No, way too chilly for me. You feel free though.”
Sera couldn’t help but stare as he stood up and took off his bright yellow T-shirt. She smiled. He had an unhealthy obsession with the color yellow. Dev was tall and willowy, and his blue-hued tattoos rippled across his skin as he dived into the water. They were some of the most intricate tattoo art Sera’d ever seen, extending across his back and chest all the way down his arms. They didn’t seem to take any particular form, but the countless shades of blue swirling and intertwining made the patterns appear different each time she saw them. She tore her eyes away as his head popped up along the side of the pool.
“Come, sit on the edge,” he said. “It’s very refreshing.” He flicked a handful of droplets in her direction.
“I know your tricks from earlier this summer,” she said smiling. “I’m close enough, thank you.”
“Suit yourself.” Sera watched him push off the wall and float on his back, the sun glistening off the water and his tattoos, which looked almost alive in the shimmering sunlight.
“Your tattoos are beautiful,” she blurted out before she could help herself. “Why did you choose blue?”
“Because blue is the infinite.”
“The infinite what?”
“The skies, the oceans, limitless life. It’s all part of me as I am part of it.”
“Oh,” Sera said, at a loss for words. When he said it like that, it sounded like it meant far more than his actual words. She normally didn’t feel tongue-tied in front of him, but for some reason she felt very small now, as if anything she said would be insignificant, so she went for the least significant thing she could think of, “Too bad you don’t go to Silver Lake, you would have been perfect to play Rama in the school play. His skin’s blue, too.” She cringed at how trite her words sounded.
/> “Oh?” Dev swam over to the side of the pool and stared at her in a discerning way. Sera flushed, forcing a smile to her mouth.
“We’re doing a play for the diversity day at school. Diwali? Festival of lights? Do you know it?”
Dev smiled, his whole face lighting up and making Sera feel flustered again. “Yes. It’s an eastern tradition to celebrate the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi,” he said.
“Yes, that’s it. Anyway, you look the part,” Sera finished breathlessly. “Rama, I mean.” The way Dev was looking at her made her feel warm, waves of heat radiating up and down her arms. “Anyway, it’s a nice love story.” Sera flushed again, but Dev only smiled.
“It is one of the great love stories of our time,” he said.
Again, Sera got a feeling that some hidden meaning lay in his words. She shook her head—now she was reading into every tiny little thing. First Kyle, then her mother, and now Dev. He’s just talking about a play for Pete’s sake, she thought, grimacing inwardly.
“When’s the performance? Maybe I can come.”
“Monday.”
“I’ll be there.” Dev pushed off the edge to swim a lap underwater just as Sera’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and slid it back into her pocket, her smile fading into a scowl just as Dev’s head resurfaced. “Something important?” he asked. Sera shook her head—she was done worrying about Kyle.
“So how come you’re sitting out here all alone?” Dev asked after a while.
“Grounded. I had a blowout with my parents earlier, so homebound until further notice.”
“That’s good,” he said, then grinned. “I like having you to myself.”
“Why?” Sera stared at his impish expression, smiling despite herself.
“I need to keep abreast of the competition for your affections.”
Sera couldn’t help blushing at his shameless flirting. Still, she was the last person anyone would ever seriously flirt with, a fact that she was reminded of daily at school.
“That’s hilarious, my affections. You do know what they call me at school, right?” At the shake of Dev’s head, she continued. “They call me a gargoyle. Doesn’t exactly go hand-in-hand with winning anyone’s affections, does it? But don’t worry, I like it, fits me perfectly—tall, gangly, and scary-looking.”
“First of all, you’re not scary-looking.” Dev pulled his body lithely out of the pool and sat on the edge next to her chair. His golden eyes were intense. “Second, do you know in some parts of the world a gargoyle is a creature that looks after something incredibly valuable and rare, like a kind of guardian?” The way he was looking at her made her feel as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Her chest felt hot.
“They’re still ugly.”
“There’s a reason for that too. More often than not, they’re supposed to protect against evil spirits.”
“Jeez, not you too!” She laughed. “Seriously, Kyle is always on about this stuff—mysterious spirits and gods and life after death. Doesn’t anyone live in the real world anymore?”
Dev flicked the water off his arms and shook his head, splashing her with prism-like droplets before leaning backward and turning his face up to the sun. “What do you believe in?”
Sera mimicked his body language and turned her eyes heavenward as though she’d find the answer there. Her shoulders felt hot as she did and despite the warm sun, goose bumps broke out across the flesh of her arms. “I believe in … life.”
A smile. “As do I. But for some cultures, all that other stuff is real. What about that play your school is doing? The Ramayana? Maybe once upon a time that was real, too.” He turned to her, his eyes liquid.
Sera thought about Ravana and shivered. “That’s just a myth, Dev,” she said, distracted as his gaze strayed to her hands and he sat up, running his finger on the inside of her left palm, along her scar.
“How come I’ve never noticed this before?”
Sera glanced down at the marks below her thumbs. They had become a lot more pronounced in the last few days and shone like raised white scars. She hid her hands against her body self-consciously. “They’ve always been there. I fell when I was a kid. Sharp rocks.”
“They remind me of sigillum.”
“Of what?”
Another smile. “I meant a sigil, like a seal or rune of some kind. Here, let me see.” Dev grasped her hand and drew it over to him, running his thumb over the mark on her left palm. Sera felt her cheeks redden at his gentle touch. Something electric unfolded inside of her, and her vision tunneled. This time it was different, though, full of light instead of darkness.
A flutter of firelight from the magical little clay pots lit all around them … the discordant aching sounds of a sitar strumming in the background. It was a glorious display, a triumph of good over evil in celebration of their love. His kiss was light upon her cheek, his touch a gossamer caress. She spun in a slow circle, the light on her beloved’s face glowing from within him. She laughed because she was glowing, too.
“Beautiful,” Dev murmured, breaking her trance, and raised the back of her hand to his lips. Sera wasn’t sure whether he was talking about the marks or her. Either way, her entire body felt like it was melting.
“Whatever, they’re just scars,” she said gruffly, wrenching her hand away, embarrassed by the feelings—and thoughts—his light touch had provoked. Her palm stung, and she stuffed her hand into her hoodie pocket. “Anyway, I don’t believe in any of that stuff. It’s the invention of a morally-diseased world.”
Dev raised an eyebrow. “Interesting theory.”
“Actually, that sounded way better in my head. Good thing it’s just you or I’d be really embarrassed at how pretentious that came out.”
“So crushed!” Dev said, putting his hand to his heart as if she’d mortally wounded him. “I thought it matters what I think.”
“Nope,” she joked. “Not one bit.”
With a playful grin, Dev grabbed her arm and pulled her over the edge of the chair, tossing her without much effort into the pool with a fluid motion. She swam spluttering to the surface only to be dunked once more as he threw himself into the pool right on top of her.
“You’re going to pay for that, blue-boy!” she shouted, her teeth chattering as she heaved herself on top of him, laughing out loud as she dunked him. It felt good to laugh aloud.
Though she liked them both, her friendships with Kyle and Dev were on opposite ends of the spectrum, almost as if they aligned with two separate parts of herself. Since she’d met Dev, Sera felt like she didn’t have to be the one always looking out for someone else, always worrying about Kyle or his friendship with Jude or whatever trouble he’d gotten himself into. For some reason, it always felt like Dev was the one looking out for her. Like she was worth protecting.
And it was a feeling she liked.
THE HUNT
Kyle ordered lunch at Sal’s while waiting for Jude. His body ached. He felt dirty, inside and out. The darkness within him was like a malignant, spreading stain—one that was growing harder to suppress. He’d felt like that ever since Sera’s mother had touched his hand. Then his subsequent rage in the car had terrified him—as if something vile was clawing its way to freedom. One thing Kyle was certain of was that Jude must never ever know how strong Sera’s mother was—it would only put Sera in danger.
The phone in his pocket vibrated and he checked the incoming message, hoping that it would be Sera, but it was only Jude saying that he was going to be late. Kyle’s food came and he ate it hungrily, not knowing when he’d eat next. Jude and the others didn’t stop to eat that often, especially when they were hunting. Human food was not a necessity for them.
His phone buzzed again. Jude was waiting outside. Kyle tossed a ten-dollar bill on the table and walked out, nodding to Big Jim, the owner, behind the coffee counter. Big Jim shot him a surly look, which Kyle returned evenly. Being known as one of Jude’s boys didn’t exactly win him any favors, even with the more
seedy locals. But it had its perks—leaving the ten bucks had been pure generosity on Kyle’s part. Jude never paid for anything, not even at Sal’s.
“Where’re the others?” Kyle asked, glancing at the empty backseat of Jude’s car.
“Marcus and Raoul will meet us up there. Damien’s going to stick around here to keep an eye on things, just in case anything blows up. So, where to, brother?” Jude tapped the steering wheel.
“I checked the map this morning, and it looks like northwestern Connecticut. Where did Azrath say his source was?”
“Lord Azrath, Kyle. He said Danbury,” said Jude.
“That sounds about right.”
Kyle had tried to push out his senses the night before, but he’d felt nothing. Despite his underlying fear, his only hope was that as they got closer, somehow he’d be able to pick up a bigger trace of energy. Otherwise, there’d literally be hell to pay.
“So, what’s Sera up to?” Jude asked, and the hairs on Kyle’s neck rose.
Kyle tried to be casual. “Don’t know, haven’t talked to her since yesterday.”
“She’s pretty cool. Can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about that girl that just sucks me in every time.” Jude laughed. “Maybe it’s her smart mouth and the way she thinks she can talk to me any way she likes. Sassy. I like it. You think she’d go out with me? I mean, as a favor to you?” If Jude wanted to go out with Sera, he’d find a way. He didn’t need Kyle’s help, or his permission, and so Kyle tried to remain neutral.
“I doubt it. She’s got a mind of her own.”
“So, you wouldn’t mind if I asked her out?” Jude asked slyly.
“Why would I? She’s not my girl.” Kyle gritted his teeth as he felt a wave of anger wash over him. “Let’s be realistic though—she isn’t really your type. I mean, you don’t have to fight for girls. Sera would make it a point to make you miserable. So why punish yourself? Sorry, but I just don’t get it.”
Alpha Goddess Page 6
