“It’s a long story. For now, could you please track down your dad?” I asked through clenched teeth. The pain was becoming excruciating.
“Sure, sure,” Trent said. “He went to the clinic earlier, but I’ll Travel over there and bring him right back, okay? Mer, will you stay with her please?”
“Of course,” Meraki responded, though it sounded almost like singing. Dang it. Even her voice was perfect. And apparently she knew Trent’s big secret—another indication they were close.
I stumbled over to the garden bench that Meraki and Trent had vacated moments earlier. I slumped down and leaned my head against the back, hardly comfortable, but it would do for now.
“Can I get anything for you?” Meraki asked. I peeked through my eyelashes at her gorgeous face. Why did she have to be polite when I was intent on hating her?
“Nah, I’m good. Sam will be able to take care of me. Thanks,” I added at the end, begrudgingly.
Thankfully, it didn’t take Trent long to reappear, his father at his side.
Sam rushed to where I sat. Without saying a word, he passed his palm over me from the top of my head, down my torso, and then over both thighs. For the first time, I noticed he was missing his thumb on his right hand. His palm glowed with a faint bluish color, and wherever he passed, my skin seemed to stitch itself back together, though without any needle or thread. There was a strange prickling sensation, as if I could feel my flesh moving and expanding to reseal itself. It was incredible.
“There,” Sam sighed contentedly. “Good as new as soon as you wash up and we get you a change of clothes.”
“Thank you,” I said, looking up to meet his eyes. “That was amazing.”
“I’m glad I could help,” Sam said. “Now, do you care to tell us what happened?”
“Well, I’m still not completely sure myself,” I began. I proceeded to tell them all about the sea creature and the bird-reptile thing, though I left out the shapeshifting details for the time being. Sam’s face remained the calm, collected look of a professional doctor as I spoke. Trent’s expression grew more and more anxious. And Meraki looked… bored, but insanely beautiful.
“What were those creatures? Are the forests always that dangerous?” I asked as I finished my tale.
“The sea creature was likely a mermaid. They’re not exactly the peaceful creatures many of your human fairytales make them out to be. They typically drown their victims and then eat their flesh,” Sam explained matter-of-factly. My stomach churned.
“Hmm,” I said. “I haven’t been much of a fan of seafood since my dumpster diving days, but that definitely puts an end to it. I’ll never eat it again.” Sam and Meraki looked confused, but Trent smiled knowingly.
“The other creature,” Sam continued on, “was a vulonine. They are attracted to the smell of blood, like sharks. I’m sure your injuries from the cliff are what drew it to you.”
“Wonderful. Large, vicious, flying sharks. Any other magical creatures in Cyrus I should know about?”
“Plenty,” Sam chuckled. “But I’ll let Trent tell you about those later. I need to get back to the clinic.” He turned to his son.
“Right, of course,” Trent said, hurrying to his dad’s side.
Meraki cleared her throat daintily. “I’m really glad you’re okay. Ava, isn’t it?” Meraki asked, extending her hand to me.
“Yes. And you are?” I pretended not to already know.
“Meraki. I’m Trent’s girlfriend.” She emphasized the last word and gave me a falsely sweet smile. “You should really get a change of clothes.” She looked pointedly at the gaping holes in my clothing that revealed large patches of skin. I blushed and shot a quick glance at Trent. He looked uncomfortable at our exchange.
“Nice to meet you, Meraki,” I lied, taking her hand and giving it a half-hearted shake.
“You as well.” Meraki took a step closer to Trent. “I better get back to the shop. My parents needed me there almost an hour ago. I was just having too much fun with you this morning.” She squeezed Trent’s bicep and gave a flirtatious laugh as she flipped her long hair over one shoulder. He gave a low, uncomfortable chuckle in return.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Looking at Sam, it seemed he shared similar thoughts.
“See you later,” she whispered in Trent’s ear before she walked toward the cobblestone street, her curvy hips undulating.
“I’ll be back in just a minute, Ava,” Trent said. He seemed unable to fully meet my eyes as he grabbed Sam’s arm, and the two of them disappeared.
I knew my hatred for Meraki was unjust—she was here long before me. There’s just something about perfect girls like her that have a way of getting under the skin for no reason besides their own perfection.
I sat back again, crossing my ankles in front of me, and closed my eyes for a few minutes, trying to process the new discoveries about myself. It was a lot to take in—the ease of using magic, the unknown power of turning into a large wolf. I was still trying to work through it all when I heard a quiet chuckle next to me.
“You’re kind of cute when you’re deep in thought,” Trent laughed as my eyes flew open. He stood leaning against the post of the garden gate, his arms crossed casually in front of him.
“You scared me! Don’t you know it’s common courtesy to announce yourself with a cough or something?” I exclaimed, disregarding the minor compliment. He certainly didn’t mean anything by it. Not with a girl like Meraki in his life.
“True. Sorry. So how did it feel to do magic here in Cyrus?” Trent asked, walking forward to take a seat next to me.
“It was amazing. I had no idea how… natural it would feel. It’s like I barely even have to think about it.”
Trent laughed at my amazement. “I’ll bet you’re very good. You’d have to be, doing as well as you did back in the human realm.”
“Trent,” I began, hesitating.
“What is it?” Trent asked, his face suddenly serious. “You know you can tell me, whatever it is.”
“Okay.” I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. “I think I discovered a new ability today. Well, I don’t think, I know. It just freaked me out.”
“Awesome! What is it?”
“I’m a shapeshifter. I can turn into some sort of silvery-white wolf,” I explained. “It sort of just happened when that nasty bird was attacking me.”
“The vulonine, you mean,” Trent laughed.
“Whatever you call it,” I rolled my eyes.
“You don’t seem very excited. Most people are thrilled when they discover a new gift! You seem, well, ticked off.”
“I’m not. I realize it’s pretty cool. But didn’t you say Cyruns can’t develop powers after age 12?”
“Yeah, but you were raised in the human realm. That means Cyril hasn’t had a chance to develop your powers, so the same restriction wouldn’t apply to you. It’s not all that surprising that you’re seeing changes.”
“But that means I have five powers, which puts me in the highest classification. I don’t want to be an Elite. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m some stupid, high-class snob. I’m not. I don’t care how many powers I have or anyone else. I refuse to be forced into an incorrect, pompous social system based on arbitrary numbers.” I looked up at Trent. His expression had changed to one of sadness. His lips were drawn in tight, as if he had something to say but couldn’t find the words.
“Go on, spit it out,” I said.
“What?” he denied, looking too innocent.
“You have something to tell me, so go on, just say it.”
“Alright, alright. You’re going to have to know soon anyway. The thing is, Ava, you’re not going to be an Elite. Truthfully, you can’t be anything. I don’t think you’re going to be able to stay in Cyrus, whether or not you want to. And I know you probably haven’t even thought about if you want to stay, but the government doesn’t accept outsiders. Tenebris knows that people who come from the human realm can resist his power. He see
s anyone like you as a threat. If he found out who you are or where you come from, you’d probably be killed. He does not want a repeat of what happened to his brother.”
“I see,” I mused.
I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the situation. I don’t know that I really wanted to stay in Cyrus anyway. First of all, the social system obviously sucked. Second, I don’t think my dad would come back here with me. Whatever reasons he had for leaving and lying to me, I doubt they’d disappear simply because I discovered the truth. Though I was mad at him for that, I don’t think I wanted to leave him on any permanent basis. And thirdly, I’d discovered today just how dangerous Cyrus could be—not that that seemed like a very valid reason to avoid the place entirely.
On the other hand, being here felt so right. From the moment I entered this realm, it felt like home. I could feel Cyril pulsing through me, welcoming me back. My abilities were tangible here, ready to obey me at the slightest indication. It was a lot to give up for what was, comparatively, a very bland realm.
I grew self-conscious as I realized Trent was staring at me. Glancing down, I realized how indecent I was—several patches of skin were exposed in places I wasn’t exactly used to showing off. Perhaps Meraki had good reason to be looking at me like she did. “Maybe I should go inside and clean up. I brought a spare change of clothes in my bag.”
My words snapped Trent from his thoughts. “Umm, right, sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.” His cheeks grew warm. A shy smile crept to his lips as he redirected his gaze to the dirt at his feet. “I’ll give you a minute. Maybe when you’re done we could head out into the woods and you can show me what you’ve been practicing?”
“Are you crazy?” I laughed once as I stood from the bench. “I nearly died twice out there. I’m not going back in that soon.”
“It’s not nearly as dangerous if you don’t go so far in. Sounds to me like you reached Meshon Lake which is several miles into the forest.”
Really? Several miles? I’d only been running for a few minutes. How fast could I go here?
“Oh, okay then. That sounds great. I’ll be back in a sec.” I walked stiffly into the house to change my clothes, suddenly very glad Meraki had to work today.
Chapter 10
Clueless
By the time Trent and I decided to head back to his house, night was beginning to fall. I had such a good time out in the woods practicing my magic, becoming more familiar with who I am. It was empowering. And thankfully, we’d avoided any more run-ins with dangerous magical creatures.
Trent had also been too adorable for my own good. He’d laughed, joked, teased, and complimented my abilities on many occasions. I continually had to remind myself not to get my hopes up. Sure, I liked him. But he already had a perfect girlfriend here, and by all accounts, I wasn’t going to be staying in Cyrus.
Trent walked close to me through the thick forest, the night beginning to cool around us. His arm would occasionally brush mine, and though it was an insignificant touch, my heart would skip a beat every time, then increase in speed for a moment. I smiled at my silly reaction. Trent caught that.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I lied. “So, Meraki seems like a nice girl,” I mentioned casually, though I felt anything but casual about the topic.
“Yeah, she’s the best. I’ve known her practically my whole life,” Trent said.
A childhood best friend turned lover. How typical.
“She’s extremely beautiful,” I said, trying to keep any trace of jealousy out of my voice.
“She is definitely something else in the looks department. That’s actually her magical ability. She has a certain degree of magnetism over people using her physical appearance,” Trent chuckled, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be with her. “She can turn practically any guy into a drooling fool if she wants to.”
Great. I shouldn’t have asked. My envy just increased tenfold in an instant. Looking at Trent’s incredulous face over his own luck was too much. I decided to change the topic.
“Well, I guess I better head back home tonight. Hopefully no one has tried to check on me today.”
“Really? You have to go so soon?” Trent’s face fell. My heart skipped a beat in response.
Stupid, I thought. He’s clearly in love with Meraki.
“Yeah, it will be best not to push my luck,” I said. “But I can come back, right?”
“You just tell me when, and I’ll come get you,” Trent smiled.
“Do you think you could come back for me tomorrow afternoon?”
“Sure thing,” Trent gushed enthusiastically, as if eager to have me back so soon. I told my heart to shut up again.
“Thanks. You ready to take me home then?”
“If you’re sure you have to go, then yes.”
We had just reached the edge of the woods. His house was visible a ways in the distance, the smoke pouring from the quaint chimney perched on the roof.
“I’m sure,” I said, extending my hands out for him to grab.
He held my hands in his. It took a tremendous effort not to smile, though I knew this was nothing more than a necessity. I looked up from our hands to Trent’s face, and noticed a strange expression there. He looked… happy? I wasn’t sure.
Then, suddenly, we were being squeezed into the bright tunnel of Travel I had experienced only twice before. I knew I would have to get used to it, but that was going to take some time.
The air around us returned to normal as we were spit out of the imaginary tube. Trent’s arms grabbed my sides, holding me steady. We’d landed exactly on my front porch. He was good.
“Thanks,” I sputtered, trying to deal with the heaving in my stomach.
“No problem,” Trent chuckled. “I gotta say, it’s kinda funny watching your reaction to Travel.”
I threw my elbow into his side, but he dodged out of the way. I was too tired to try again, so I let it be. He laughed again.
After a few deep breaths, I was beginning to feel normal. Trent still had one hand wrapped around my back, making sure I wouldn’t lose my balance. I debated playing up the dizziness just to keep him there, but decided he’d probably notice. That would just be embarrassing, so I straightened up.
“I think I’m feeling okay. Thanks again.”
To my surprise, Trent’s arm didn’t drop as I expected it to. Instead, he slid his arm around to my side, placing his other hand on my hip. He gently turned me so I was facing him.
I met his eyes, startled, but pleased, my heart pounding in my chest. He looked at me for a moment as I stared back at him, unsure what to do. No boy had ever tried to make a move on me, so I wasn’t sure what it was like. This seemed sort of like what I saw in movies all the time though. But it couldn’t be.
Trent smiled faintly as he moved his face closer to mine, his eyes closing.
I panicked.
“Umm… thanks for the fun day, Trent. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I stammered, twisting out of his arms as I hurriedly shoved my key in the front door and turned the lock.
“Uh, yeah, see you tomorrow,” he responded as he straightened up.
I slammed the door without looking at his face. I stood on the other side of the door breathing deeply.
I was such an idiot! I couldn’t believe myself. Trent was most likely about to kiss me, and I’d run away like a scared little girl. I guess I was a scared little girl. How awkward could I be? I bet Meraki never did anything stupid like that. What was Trent doing anyway? He had a girlfriend, for heaven’s sake!
Inwardly cursing myself as well as Trent, I stomped up the stairs to my room, throwing my bag in the corner. I kicked off my shoes before flopping into bed, facedown. I endured a fifteen minute mental beating before I decided to hit the shower.
Once clean, I gave my dad a call, getting his hotel room’s answering machine again, thank goodness. I had no desire to talk to him directly. Honestly, what would I say? Hey, Dad, mind exp
laining to me why you’ve lied to me about everything for the past 17 years? Yeah, that was a conversation that could wait until we were face to face. Instead, I left a message, lying about my busy Saturday of homework and laundry and wishing him well on his trip.
I had no desire to cook any real food for dinner, so I drummed up a bowl of cold cereal and then dropped into bed, exhausted.
Chapter 11
Heartbreaker
The next morning was a drag. I busied myself with the things I’d lied to my dad about last night—homework and laundry—and tried not to think about what a fool I’d made of myself in front of Trent.
My mind wandered idly, thinking about Cyrus, Trent, Sam and Em, Meraki, my abilities. I pushed open Dad’s bedroom door and walked inside, picking up clothes he’d left strewn on the floor and dumping them in the laundry basket on my hip. I reached for a pair of dress pants, which were mostly shoved under his bed, shaking my head at his slavish ways.
As I bent over to grab the pants, I noticed a small, blue box decorated with yellow moons and stars tucked under the edge of his mattress. Interesting. I’d never seen it before. I yanked it free, falling on my butt with a thud. I set the laundry basket down at my side.
The box was small—no bigger than the ballerina jewelry box I’d had as a child. I held it in my hand, debating whether or not I should open it. Obviously, Dad had hidden it away for a reason. It wasn’t really my place to pry. But at the same time, I was tired of Dad’s secrets. Perhaps whatever was in the box would shed some light on his reasons for hiding the truth for so long.
In the end, my curiosity won out. I undid the golden clasp and opened the box.
The contents were disappointing. As far as I could tell, it was full of a bunch of junk. I rifled through the random objects, stopping when I came to a beautiful gold ring. I pulled it out of the box by the necklace chain on which it hung. Dangling the ring in front of my face, I examined the intricate rose design that was etched into the golden band. It looked like an engagement ring. I dropped the ring into my palm.
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