by Amber Garza
What is she hiding?
“Who are you worried about then?”
She shakes her head and I see it – the walls that she hides behind – flying up between us like a physical thing. If only it were a physical wall. Surely with my strength I could punch through it. Only this time it’s not that simple. I can’t muscle my way through.
“Oh, you know. Everyone.” She pauses. “But mostly Asa.”
It sounds true. I know that she does worry about her little brother, but I’m certain that isn’t the person she’s talking about.
“Why? He’s protected too.”
“His gift manifested the other day.”
This surprises me. “Really? You didn’t say anything.”
“I know. With everything that’s going on, I guess I just didn’t think of it. But it was the craziest thing. He wanted his toy car, and it just shot off the ground and into his hand.”
“Wow. What a cool gift.”
“I know, right? Think of how much fun we could have with that.” She chuckles.
My mind travels down that path for a minute. I picture myself causing things to telekinetically travel to me without ever having to get up. It would be awesome when I watch TV and don’t want to get up to fetch the remote, or when I want something to drink from the kitchen.
Then Ariel’s face grows serious. “It’s just that it’s weird how he got his gift so early. I mean, how old were you when you got yours?”
“Eight.”
“I was almost ten. How old was Delaney?”
“Eight, also.”
“Asa’s four.” She frowns. “Why would he need it now?”
Dread sinks into the pit of my stomach. She’s right. It is suspicious.
“Do you think the others live here in Edenly?” She asks suddenly.
I nod.
“I remember you telling me that you’ve been searching for them. Have you had any luck?”
“No, but I have the feeling we’ll be meeting them all very soon.”
“Me too.” Ariel’s face is grave. For once I’m not excited about the prospect of meeting the other six. I have the feeling that when we do meet them it will be out of necessity. Even though I’ve waited my whole life to fulfill my duty, I never thought there was the possibility it would be at the age of sixteen. Somehow I thought I would be older and more prepared.
“Glad to have you back, partner.” It’s Monday morning and Delaney links arms with me as we walk to our first class.
It feels good to be back in school and to have Delaney bantering with me again. As we walk together, I wonder if maybe I was just being paranoid when I thought Delaney was keeping a secret from me. Ariel did stick by me pretty close while I was sick. Maybe Delaney was just uncomfortable being around her.
Students file past us, some racing by while others walk slower. They’re all chatting and laughing loudly. Sneakers squeak on the linoleum and backpacks jostle.
“So, how’s it going with you and Ariel?” I ask. “You guys getting along any better?”
Delaney raises her brow. “Not as well as you two are.”
I feel my face heat up and it irritates me. Why can’t I control my emotions better than this when it comes to Ariel? “Why do you say that? Has she said something?”
“She doesn’t have to. I can see it written all over your face.” She jabs me in the side. “Are you forgetting I know you better than anyone?”
I smile. “No.”
“Your head has been totally in the clouds since we met her.”
I stop right before we get to Mr. Chauncey’s class. “Hey, is that why you’ve been staying away lately?”
She shrugs and looks down at her feet.
For a minute I regret what happened with Ariel. If I had known that it would make Delaney uncomfortable, I wouldn’t have done it. I mean, I like Ariel, but my feelings for Delany run much deeper than that. “Cause no matter what happens with Ariel and I, you will always be my best friend. You know that, right?”
“Of course.” She smiles. “I just didn’t want to interrupt anything. You two seemed pretty tight every time I came over.”
The bell rings.
Delaney starts to walk into class, but I grab her arm. “Hey, we’re good, right?”
“Always.” She smiles briefly before stepping into the classroom. While I follow her in, I notice Sam watching her intensely. Something about the look on his face causes fear to descend like a stone into my gut. The guy always looks at Delaney strange, but this time it’s different. Glancing over at Delaney, I see that her eyes are trained on him too. A knowing smile passes over her lips before she turns from him and sits in her desk. My heart stops beating for a moment. As unfathomable as it seems, I think that something is going on between the two of them.
During class I have a hard time focusing. I keep thinking about the odd exchange between Sam and Delaney. A few minutes into the lecture, Delaney’s cell phone vibrates in her bag like she just received a text. She picks up the phone and holds it in her lap. When I lean over to read who the text is from, she turns her body as if she’s using it as a shield. I see her fingers flying across the face of the phone as she shoots off a text back. Then she tucks it back in her bag.
“What’s going on?” I whisper, worried that something has happened back home.
“Nothing.” She faces forward, pen poised over her paper.
I’m beyond irritated now. Delaney never gets texts during class. What if it’s an emergency? She at least owes me an explanation. “Delaney.” I touch her arm.
“Micah,” she whispers harshly. “It was Mom. She was just reminding me of something. Geez, calm down.”
I know she’s lying. I can tell because her eye is doing that weird twitchy thing. Delaney has never been able to lie to me. Peering back over my shoulder, I catch a glimpse of Sam. He has his cell phone in his hand and he’s reading the screen with a grin on his face. My chest tightens. Surely Delaney wouldn’t get involved with him. I really hope I’m wrong about this.
After class, Delaney says bye to me and heads toward her second period class which is on the opposite side of the campus from mine. I am just about to turn around and walk off when I notice that Sam is standing at the end of the hallway watching Delaney.
I slip behind a row of lockers and try to look casual as I observe Delaney making her way down the hall. At first it appears that she is oblivious to Sam. Her back is straight as she walks with her head focused ahead. Relief almost washes over me, until at the last minute she steps in his direction. His face breaks out in a sneaky smile. My stomach rolls.
With a quick look around, Delaney follows him and they disappear around the corner. My pulse racing, I push my way through the crowd of students and race after them. The door to the stairwell is closing just as I turn the corner. No one ever uses the stairwell. I open it quietly and step soundlessly inside. It’s dark, and spots fill my vision. Stairs wind above and below me.
I don’t see Delaney and Sam, and for a minute I think maybe they aren’t in here. Then I hear a soft giggle below me. I inch slowly forward, careful not to make any noise. I peer down and inhale sharply.
Delaney and Sam are pressed against the wall, kissing. My eyes burn and bile rises in my throat. I know I have no right to feel jealous since I kissed Ariel, but I can’t help it. I do feel jealous and angry and betrayed. Before now I never knew what it would feel like to see Delaney with someone else, and now I know that it sucks. I turn away, unable to look anymore. My chest burns and I realize that I’m not breathing. I push my way out of the stairwell and take big gulps of air. The bright lights assault me when I enter the hallway.
I’m angrier than I ever remember being, and I fight against the urge to punch a hole in the wall. What I really want is to slam my fist into Sam’s face. There’s no way that he really cares for Delaney. He’s the biggest player at the school. He’s just using her, I’m sure of that.
I just can’t believe Delaney is falling for it. He’s
not one of us. He’s an enemy. She’s been warned away from guys like that her whole life. What is she thinking?
The image of the two of them is burned into my brain, and I can’t shake it away. I have no idea who that girl is in the stairwell, but that isn’t my Delaney. Trudging down the hallway, I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.
Chapter 21
Sam
SHE LOOKS LIKE an angel with her long white skirt and silky shirt that floats around her while she walks. It’s all I can do to keep my feet rooted in place and my hands pinned at my sides, instead of sweeping her up into my arms in front of everyone. I marvel at the effect she has on me. Even though I was completely mad at her for lying to me, when I look at her that all disappears and I’m lost in her charms. The sooner I can stop seeing her, the better. At this rate, she’s going to have me so spellbound I won’t be able to get away.
The minute she reaches me, I pull her into the stairwell. Even though I know this will all be over soon, I do enjoy kissing her. This part I know I’ll miss. In fact, I think I’ll miss a lot about her, but I don’t want to allow my mind to ponder that. We hurry down a few stairs, our feet clanging on the metal.
Then I can’t stand the wait any longer. I press her against the wall, pinning her in. She smiles, and I smell her minty breath. I lean down and press my lips to hers. We kiss each other hungrily.
“So, Micah’s back, huh?” I say when we come up for air. Truthfully, I’m kind of miffed. As much as I hate to admit it, I enjoyed having Delaney all to myself for a week. Now we’ll have to spend lunches apart.
“I know.” She frowns. “I’ll miss you today at lunch.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have taken such good care of him then, Nurse Scott. He looks totally healthy.”
Delaney shakes her head. “I can’t take credit for that. That was all Ariel.”
“Ariel? Who’s that?”
“Oh.” Delaney furrows her brow. “She’s a friend of the family’s. She’s staying with us for a little while.”
I’m surprised by this random confession. “Just her?”
“No. Her brother and her mom too.”
“How long have they been staying with you?” I ask.
She wrinkles her nose. “Too long.”
“How come you didn’t tell me before?” I want to still be angry with her, but now she’s being so open and I’m wondering if I misjudged her.
She shrugs and smiles sweetly. “I don’t know. I kind of don’t like them staying with us, I guess. When I’m with you I just wanna forget everything and everyone else.” Wrapping her arms around my neck, she sighs.
I actually understand what she’s saying. As hard as I try to hate Delaney, I find myself enjoying our time together, and when I’m with her I forget about everything else too. I know that this will end soon, and I know that when it does she’ll hate me. So, maybe I should just enjoy what we have for now.
“I totally get it, babe.” I circle my arms around her tiny waist and pull her to me, until our chests are touching and I can feel her heartbeat beneath mine. Our lips meet just as the bell rings.
“Sam, are you even listening to me?”
“Huh?” I tear my gaze away from Delaney and look at Bree. She blows a pink bubble in my face with her gum and then snaps it with a pop.
“I’ve been telling you about what I did last night and you’re totally ignoring me.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I was just distracted.” I place a hand on her arm.
She bats her long lashes at me over her dark brown eyes. Her blonde hair falls like a curtain over her shoulder as she leans toward me. “Yeah, you seem like that a lot lately. What’s going on?”
Without meaning to, I glance back over at Delaney. She’s sitting across the cafeteria eating lunch with Micah. This time she looks up, too, and our eyes meet. A small smile flickers across her lips and it says everything I don’t want to see. My stomach twists. I honestly didn’t think this would be so hard. Why does she make me feel this way?
“Why do you keep looking at her?” Bree yanks my attention back to her.
“Who?” I play dumb.
“Delaney. I see you staring at her all the time.”
My face heats up. Am I that obvious? “No, I don’t.”
“Then where have you been lately? I’ve hardly seen you the last couple of weeks.” She raises a perfectly shaped brow and purses her shiny lips.
“Yeah, cause Matt said he saw you sneaking off with Delaney Scott,” Jake says from across the table.
Bree shoots me a look that says I better have an explanation.
I narrow my eyes at Jake and he looks a little remorseful. Clearly he’s miffed that I haven’t been spending much time with him. “Matt’s just trying to stir up trouble. I wouldn’t be caught dead with that chick.” I grab Bree’s hand and grasp it tightly in mine. Moving in close to her, I wink. “This whole jealousy thing is a real turn on though. Wanna hang out later?”
She giggles and slides up against me. “Sure.”
And just like that I have her wrapped around my little finger again. Girls are so predictable. All you have to do is flirt a little and they’ll believe anything you say. Well, almost every girl. My eyes find Delaney again and my heart involuntarily leaps in my chest. She’s the exception to the rule.
“Hey, did you guys hear that Saraf threatened to attack the Town of Edenly?”
My body stiffens at Bree’s words. A hush falls over the rest of the table. Bree’s lips curl upward in a look of triumph. She’s relishing the attention. The thought makes me feel a little ill based on the subject matter.
“Yeah, my dad’s on the police force and he found out about it.”
It was one of the reasons I first fell for Bree. I coveted the life she had. Only once I got to know her I realized that her family is as shallow as she is. Her dad isn’t much different from mine with his high expectations and demands, and her mom spends more time shopping and hanging with friends than with Bree. That’s probably why Bree’s so needy.
“Apparently, a few Sarafites have already been spotted within Edenly,” she continues, leaning with her elbows on the table. The rest of our group is pitched forward in rapt attention. Some wear looks of horror, while others just seem amused. I try to keep my face neutral and hope no one discovers my connection to the Sarafites. Even though many at this table don’t swear allegiance to anyone, the fear of our town being attacked is something everyone’s afraid of.
“Why does he want to attack us?” Jake asks.
“Duh.” Bree shakes her head, her hair swishing around her rosy cheeks. “Don’t you pay attention in history class? Saraf has always wanted to control our town. I bet he’s been plotting it ever since the last war.”
Marci, the petite cheerleader sitting next to Jake, gasps. “Do you think there’ll be another war?”
Bree shrugs. “Maybe. But it’s fine. We’ll totally win. Zerach did it once, right? He can do it again.”
Bree waffles between being a follower of Zerach and not. Her mom is and her dad isn’t, so her allegiance shifts depending on which one gives into her whims that particular day. I have to say that after being with someone so wishy-washy, Delaney’s staunch beliefs are refreshing. Once again, I scold the thoughts away. Why do I keep letting her back into my mind?
“But what about those awful creatures we learned about in history? Will Saraf fight with them again?” Marci’s eyes are wide with fright.
“That was like a million years ago. I’m sure he’s moved on to more advanced warriors than that.”
I’m pretty sure Bree’s statement was meant to make Marci feel better, but instead her face blanches.
“But what if Saraf does win?” Jake says. “You know he’ll make us swear allegiance to him.”
“No way.” Marci shakes her head. “Not gonna do it.”
I glance down at the tattoos trailing up Marci’s arm. It’s the first time I’ve seen them and not thought of a prison choking the life out of
me. Jake’s right. If Saraf and Zerach do go to war and Saraf wins, he will force us to follow him. Say what you will about Zerach, but he’s never forced anyone in Edenly to follow him. As long as we obey the laws and we don’t bear the sign of Saraf, we can stay.
I think of my own ties to Saraf and my chest tightens. I’ve never felt so conflicted in my life. On the one hand, I’ve been given a great opportunity to prove myself and be a part of something. On the other, I may be helping to destroy my town, my friends, and my family. And I may be giving up my right to choose.
“It doesn’t matter, because like I said, we’ll win.” Bree sits up straighter. “Haven’t you ever heard the legend of the Ekloge Warriors?”
Something about those words trigger a long forgotten memory in my mind. The Ekloge Warriors. I focus on the words trying to force myself to place them, but it’s no use. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch.
There are a few nods around the table while others wear blank expressions.
Marci is the only one to pipe up. “Isn’t that just a myth though?”
Bree shoots her a glare. “I think it’s true.” She leans forward, her eyes bright. “Legend has it that Zerach has risen up an army of Ekloge Warriors to protect us. They were born with special powers, and their duty is save us. He did the same thing back during the Battle of Distinction, and according to the legend he’s raised up another generation for the next battle as well.”
Something about this sounds so familiar. I know I’ve heard this story before, but when and who told me? Again the memory is just at the edge of my mind, but I can’t quite pluck it out.
“I don’t know. It all sounds pretty crazy. If it were true, don’t you think it would be in our history books?” Marci asks in her squeaky voice.
“Yeah, I’ve never even heard of these Ekloge Warriors,” Jake chimes in.
“It’s a legend, you idiot.” Bree rolls her eyes. “But I believe in it.”
