The sensations eased a little, and I realized Evan was talking again. I took a deep breath and willed the monsters to go away.
“Cool, huh?” he was saying.
“Sure,” my voice was a croak. “Great. Good for you. Um, I need to get moving. My next class starts in a few minutes. I guess I’ll see you next Friday.”
Evan blinked and dropped his arm, then snapped out of his moment of glory. “Oh, uh no. We have this class again on Wednesday, remember?”
“Right.”
I gave him a watery smile and turned to escape, not looking back. It was a lie, of course. My next class was in half an hour, but I couldn’t bear to be next to Evan a moment longer. The Noctyrnum. The same people who’d attacked me last night. Had Evan been with them? Was he the one who grabbed me? No, that guy was much stronger than Evan, and taller. But still, how long had he been in the group? Had he worked his way into the inner circle? Was he allowed to join the big boys in their nightly gallivanting across the city, drowning puppies and terrifying college girls like me?
Enough Robyn. No more dwelling on these dark thoughts. Giving myself a shake, I slowed my pace and turned to head for my next class. At least it was something interesting: Beginners Astronomy. Unfortunately, by the time class was over I still hadn’t shaken my paranoid thoughts. Grabbing a snack and something to drink at the closest vending machine, I made my way to the library. My business professor had already given us the outline for a research paper that was due at the end of the semester. I needed a distraction, so I spent a few hours hunting down books and choosing the best ones to take home with me. Maybe doing some research would help purge my mind. Or at least put me into a coma.
When I stepped out of the library the sun had already set. I checked my watch. The next bus arrived in ten minutes. By the time I reached the bus stop, a small group of people had already gathered. I scanned them quickly and released a breath. Evan wasn’t among them. The bus pulled up a few seconds later, unloading the students for the evening classes and taking in those weary and ready to go home. Locating a vacant seat, I checked it for fresh stains and recently discarded gum before I sat down. This time I did pull my cell phone out, shoving the headphones into my ears before anyone got the false impression that I was cute and cuddly and just dying to hear some tedious life story.
Leaning my head against the window, I counted the dark shadows of the trees as they passed by and let myself get lost in the rhythm of the new age music blasting into my ears. Twenty minutes later, I hopped off the bus a block away from the Green Tea Leaf. The door bells of the cafe chimed merrily as I pushed my way into the coffee-infused air. Although I preferred tea over coffee, the smell of freshly ground beans always made me smile.
“Hi Robyn,” Kelly, my other co-worker, called out. She was a freshman at Cal Poly, a year under me, and her parents owned a vineyard out in Edna Valley. Kelly reminded me of a bubblier version of my friend Tully from high school, and she had a talent for striking up cheerful conversations with whoever walked through our doors. With her curly red hair and bright green eyes, it was hard not to leave the cafe in a better mood than the one you came in with.
“Hey,” I responded, dropping my bag in a heap next to a corner table.
Kelly arched a copper brow and pursed her lips. “You can't be studying for exams already. School just started!”
I shook my head as I squeezed behind the counter, intent on making myself a mocha. The smell of coffee put me in the mood, and my rattled brain needed the extra caffeine.
“I had some creepy dreams last night and I'm trying to distract my mind.”
Kelly glanced at my overstuffed pack. “I see,” she said. “Want to talk about it?”
I glanced up as I squeezed chocolate syrup all over the whipped cream I'd just slathered into my cup. “What?”
“Your nightmare.”
“Nah, not really.” I finished up with my drink and licked some stray syrup off my finger. Already I was feeling better. Ahhh, the magical power of chocolate.
“Okay, but I’m here if you need me.”
Kelly patted my shoulder and grinned. All right, so maybe Jonathon and Kelly weren’t Thomas or Will or Tully, or even Meghan, and maybe I didn’t spend much time with them but they tolerated my shenanigans as much as my old friends had.
“Thanks,” I said, picking up my ridiculously large mug of sugar-spiked coffee before heading back to my table.
I didn’t stay too long, maybe a half an hour, just enough time to finish my mocha and stare at the first page of the book I’d fished out of my bag. Only a few people came in while I was there, ordering their drinks to go. Eventually, I got up and returned my empty mug to the sink.
“Off to finish that term paper?” Kelly teased.
I grinned back. “Maybe.”
“Have fun!” she called over the heads of two patrons making their way to the counter to order.
After retrieving my bike from the alleyway, I placed my bag in the basket and slid onto the seat. The night had grown cold, the fog rolling in from the ocean on the other side of the coastal hills. I dug a scarf out from beneath the books and wrapped it around my neck before I started pedaling. I headed north, cutting across the western edge of the Mission Plaza to reach my neighborhood on the other side. A few of the city’s homeless slept on the lawn, and seeing them made me think of Jerry. I wondered if the cops from the other night had made him leave his campsite. I hoped not.
Mission College Prep, the local Catholic high school, loomed like a great white monument up ahead. Taking a left turn, I rode one more block before taking another right. The streets had grown darker, the tall trees blocking out the lights, but once I reached my neighborhood, the shadows lessened once again.
Letting my feet just rest on the pedals, I coasted smoothly down the concrete path leading to my front door. Walking my bike to the gated yard behind the house, I tried to tell myself that the jitters causing me to twitch at every flicker of the street light were due to the large amount of caffeine in my system and not my fear of being jumped by the Noctyrnum again. The second my bike was securely locked into the bike rack my housemates and I shared, I grabbed my bag, found my keys, and practically sprinted around the corner, only to stop dead in my tracks and gape at what stood in my way.
-Three-
Lunatic
“Hello Miss Dunbarre. Remember us?”
Seven people, all young men from the looks of them, stood between me and the safety of my apartment. And of course they were wearing black jeans and black hooded sweatshirts, their faces hidden in shadows. My heart doubled, no tripled, its pace and my hands started shaking. I was dreaming. I had to be because there was no way that many people could have just appeared out of nowhere without me noticing. I must have already gone inside, and somehow I’d burned off all that caffeine and the aftereffects were messing with my dreams. Yay for me! Two nights of cardiovascular while I slept.
“A friend of yours said you might be interested in joining us but after last night’s little incident, I’m not so sure.”
The tallest guy, the one speaking and standing in front of the others, dropped his arm and gestured for someone to step forward. I glanced at his hand. Yup, there was that familiar tattoo, barely visible under the street lamps. His companion complied and pulled something out of a black backpack he carried. Long and coiled, like a snake. No, not a snake. A rope. Oh hell no. This could not be happening. Not here in San Luis on the Central Coast. Okay, so several years ago some poor girl had been the victim of this sort of thing, but that was a freak incident up on the Mesa close to where Meghan and Tully used to live. I was not about to become the next victim of some sadistic cult.
Suddenly angry, I made myself as tall as possible, not such an impressive feat, but still, I was not a coward. I planted my feet and drew in a deep breath.
“What the hell do you think you're going to do?” I snapped. “All I have to do is scream and someone will come running.”
Tall,
Dark and In Charge laughed. It made my skin crawl. That laugh was devoid of humanity. Not a good sign.
“Does it look like anyone is at home right now and do you not think we checked before approaching you? No one will hear your pathetic cries.”
His voice seemed unnecessarily raspy, as if he was deliberately trying to disguise it. I swallowed my fear as my stomach tied itself into knots. So much for that bravery I had mustered up.
The guy with the rope took a step forward and I got ready to bolt, but then the psycho party just got crazier.
“You will not touch her.”
The leader of the Noctyrnum froze in place and a long, terrifying hiss passed between his lips. Growling, he turned in the direction from which the voice had come. He stepped out of my line of vision for a moment, and I caught a glimpse of the speaker. Tall, even taller than my harasser, the newcomer was everything the Noctyrnum members were not, with pale hair and broad shoulders that tapered into a trim waist. Archaic clothes completed the contrast. While my attackers hid themselves under their dark clothing, this stranger made no effort to hide his features or his intent.
When he stepped farther into the light my jaw dropped. Holy crap, he was hot. And he looked pissed, too. Oh, and what do you know? He was holding . . . Was that a sword? Could this night get any weirder?
My apparent rescuer lifted his sword with one hand and pulled a dagger free from his side with the other, his long legs tensing for a fight. That must have been the cue, because in the next second the leader of the Noctyrnum barked something unintelligible and everyone scattered, running off in different directions like rats surprised in their nest. Blondie must have been just as bewildered as I was, because he blinked at them for a half-second before darting after the leader. I squawked as he bolted past me, chasing his target to the end of the street and down into the creek. The telltale splash of two people sprinting through the water greeted my ears a few seconds later.
The whole incident had me so confounded that it took me a few seconds to realize I had clutched my bag to my chest and pressed my back against my door. When my breathing slowed, I shook my head and remembered I needed to get into my apartment, like right now. Someone up above had granted me this blessed second chance, and I wasn’t about to waste it.
A colorful curse floated up from the basin below the bridge. I didn’t recognize the language but I recognized the tone. The splashing had subsided as well and it dawned upon me that the bad guy had escaped. That only made me more determined to get into my apartment. Where the hell were my keys?! Snapping twigs and the sound of crashing brush reminded me that some crazy guy with two really sharp blades was climbing back up the hill.
Crap. I didn’t care how attractive he was. He was a stranger with violent tendencies and odd clothes. Never a good mix, in my opinion.
Okay, my fingertips were practically bloody now from scraping around in my backpack pocket. I paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Where had I put my keys? Oh, right! I had pulled them out before reaching the door, which meant I had probably dropped them on the path between here and the yard. Wonderful.
Gathering up what little gumption I had left, I peeled myself away from my apartment door and turned around, only to find that Blondie had made it back to the side yard. How had he done that without making a sound? He took a step toward me, moving farther into the light shining from the front porch. I yelped, slamming myself against the door again. I really hoped his intentions were honorable. I didn’t think I could handle another attempt on my life tonight.
I waited for him to speak, or to clear his throat, or to pull out his knife again and stab me in the heart. Anything. But all he did was stand there, looking me up and down as if trying to figure out what species of plant I was. Wow, way to flatter a girl.
Deciding he wasn’t going to kill me, yet, and falling back on my oh-so-charming personality, I coughed politely and then said with a smirk, “Uh, is that outfit some sort of requirement for frat hazing these days? Because the Renaissance Fair was last month.”
I waved a hand at him, indicating his leather pants and tunic-like shirt.
The young man kept his eyes on me, but at least now he was looking at my face. Dang, those were some bright blue eyes. And from what I could make out in the soft glow of the porch light he fit the part of college pretty boy to a tee: lean but muscular; handsome with thick, blond hair a bit on the long side. Even the way he seemed to glare at me matched the profile.
I opened my mouth to make another snide remark, but he beat me to it.
“You can see my clothing?”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my cue to get inside my apartment, bolt the door and maybe shove my futon against it just in case this lunatic got any wild ideas. Only problem was, I still didn’t know where my keys were. I did, however, know the location of my pepper spray. As casually as possible, I slipped my hand into the front pocket of my book bag. When my fingers brushed up against that familiar cool, cylindrical shape, I almost fainted with relief. Now why hadn't I thought of this when I was surrounded by those seven Satanists?
“Okay, so thank you for helping me tonight. I mean, really, thanks. Those guys might have killed me if you hadn’t come along but, I’m pretty tired and I’d like to go inside now.”
Maybe if he left I could look around for my keys. They had to be somewhere nearby.
But instead of leaving, the man stepped forward again and I all but imbedded myself in the door. I glanced down at the front pocket of my bag. My fingers tightened around the tube of pepper spray and I yanked it out, aiming it toward him. I blinked in surprise. In the split second I’d looked down to find the pepper spray, he had come within a few feet of me.
How had he covered that distance so quickly? And holy crap he was tall. I swallowed back my sudden nervousness and looked up at him. Wow. Not only was he the living embodiment of every girl's wildest fantasy but something was definitely different about him. Perhaps it was the intensity of his eyes, as if he spoke more with them than his own voice.
“Answer me,” he hissed, his bulk and height pinning me against my front door. “Can you see my clothes?”
It took me a while to find my voice. “Uh, um,” I fumbled.
“What am I wearing?” he pressed, his voice harsh but not cruel.
He had a slight accent, but my brain was too preoccupied to place it.
Okay Robyn, maybe he’s just some leftover from rush week trying to impress his new fraternity brothers. Remember that girl in the Tea Leaf the other night? Maybe they just dared him to go around town in strange clothes, asking terrified young women odd questions.
But what about those weapons? They looked real. Then again, he did scare off those guys who were probably going to spend the lovely evening peeling my fingernails back or something just as gruesome. I ground my teeth together and gave myself a mental kick. Pull yourself together and just play along!
I squared my shoulders and drew myself to my full height. The top of my head barely reached his chest.
“Fine, whatever,” I sniffed, lowering my tube of pepper spray but keeping it out in plain sight.
I ran my eyes over him, lingering a little too long in certain places, then said with a grin, “You’re wearing boots, what appear to be deerskin pants, a loose, long-sleeved white shirt, a dark leather vest and,” I paused and glanced at his wrist again, “uh, leather bracers.”
There, that should do it.
The young man tore his intense gaze away from me and swore. At least, I thought it was a curse. It sounded like the same word I’d heard from the creek several minutes earlier. Whatever it was, it was unfamiliar to me, yet the intensity of his tone made me flinch.
“You should not be able to see this,” he said, gesturing to his outfit. Then he seemed to relax. His shoulders dropped a centimeter, and those fierce eyes and tight jaw softened.
For a fleeting, ridiculous second I wanted to run my fingers over that jaw, to have my skin rasp against the stubble I s
aw there. My fingers curled into a fist. Dear gods, Robyn, what on earth are you thinking?
His words gradually sank in. I furrowed my brow in confusion. Wait. Shouldn’t he give me a goofy grin, say something suggestive, and then go skipping off to inform his frat buddies that he’d fulfilled his task?
Instead, he turned away from me and ran his hands through his hair, lacing them together and letting them rest on the back of his neck. For a few moments, I thought he might have forgotten me, but then his eyes snapped to mine and suddenly I felt trapped again. No one ever looked at me like that. No one. It was as if his mere gaze had reached in and grabbed my soul, shaking it until all my secrets spilled out. It was unnerving and terribly intimate. I bit my lip.
My rescuer stepped in closer and ducked his head. In a voice barely above a whisper, he said, “Are you of Eile?”
Immediately my blood went cold and hot at the same time. I knew that word. Meghan had spoken it so many times before. It was another name for the Otherworld. Holy crap. This guy knew about the Otherworld. And now that strange accent seemed familiar. Irish or Scottish, faded but with ancient undertones. Like Cade’s accent. Could he be Faelorehn? All of a sudden, I wanted to ask him a million questions. Did he know Meghan and Cade? How had he managed to find himself in my front yard? And most importantly, what was he doing here?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to ask him anything.
The Renaissance man gave his head a shake and muttered, “Never mind. Forget all that I have said and forgive me my rudeness. I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your evening.”
My jaw dropped open. That was it? He appeared out of thin air, chased away my would-be rapists, convinced me he might possibly take their place, threw a small fit because I noticed he was dressed, then asked if I was from the Otherworld. And now he was going to just leave?
Lorehnin: A Novel of the Otherworld Page 3
