Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight

by L. J. Smith

  “She’ll wake up in a few minutes. It’s probably best if we leave her here and get out,” Nissa said.

  “Lunch is over, anyway,” Keller said. In the quiet minutes while Jaime was being hypnotized, Keller had finally managed to convince her body that there was no danger. It was only then that she could relax enough to change back.

  Her ears collapsed, her tail retracted. Her fur misted into jumpsuit and skin. She blinked twice, noticing the difference in brightness as her pupils changed, and the tips of her fangs melted into ordinary teeth.

  She stood up, shifting her shoulders to get used to the human body again.

  They were all subdued as they escorted Iliana back to classes. The quietest of all was Keller.

  She had overreacted, let her animal senses throw her into a panic. It wasn’t the first time in her life. The first time in her life had been when she was about three…but better not to think about that. Anyway, it wasn’t even the first time in her career as an agent for Circle Daybreak.

  An agent had to be ready for anything at any moment. Had to have radar running, in front, in back, and on all sides, all the time, and be prepared to react instinctively at the slightest stimulus. If that sometimes caused mistakes—well, it also saved lives.

  And she wasn’t sorry. If she had to do it over, she’d do it again. Better one nice brown-haired girl scared than Iliana hurt. Better, Keller thought with bleak defiance, one nice brown-haired girl killed than Iliana in the hands of the enemy. Iliana represented the future of the entire daylight world.

  But…

  Maybe she was getting too old for this kind of job. Or maybe too jumpy.

  Iliana sat moodily during afternoon classes, like a fairy who’d lost her flower. Keller noticed Winnie and Nissa being extra vigilant—just in case their boss got preoccupied. She flashed them a sarcastic look.

  “You waiting for me to slack off?” She poked Nissa in the ribs. “Don’t hold your breath.”

  They smiled, knowing they’d been thanked.

  And Galen…

  Keller didn’t want to think about Galen. He sat quietly but intently through each class, and she could tell his senses were expanded. He didn’t try to speak to her, didn’t even look at her. But Keller noticed that every so often he rubbed his palm against his jeans.

  And she remembered the way his hand had pulled back from her shoulder. As if he’d touched something hot.

  Or something repulsive…

  Keller gritted her teeth and stared at various blackboards with dry and burning eyes.

  When the last bell finally rang, she made the whole group wait in the chemistry classroom while the school emptied out. Iliana watched and silently steamed as her friends all left without her. Even the teacher packed up and disappeared.

  “Can we go now?”

  “No.” Keller stood at the second-story window, looking down. All right, so I’m a tyrant, she thought. A nasty, unsympathetic, whip-wielding dictator who jumps on innocent girls and won’t let people out of school. I like being that way.

  Iliana wouldn’t argue. She stood rigidly a few feet away, looking out the window herself but refusing to acknowledge Keller’s presence.

  Finally, Keller said, “All right. Nissa, get the car.”

  Galen said, “I’ll do it.”

  The answer to that, of course, was, “No way.” But Galen was going on.

  “It’s something useful I can do. I’ve been standing around all day, wishing I was trained at something. At least driving I can handle. And if anybody comes after me, I can run fast.”

  The answer to that was still no. But Keller couldn’t bring herself to say it, because she couldn’t bring herself to face him for a long debate. She was afraid of what she might see in the depths of those gold-green eyes.

  It would be funny if she’d managed to turn the prince of the shapeshifters off from shapeshifting altogether. Wouldn’t it?

  “Go on,” she said to Galen, still looking down onto the circular driveway in front of the school.

  After he had gone, she said to Nissa, “Follow him.”

  That was how everyone happened to be where they were in the next few minutes.

  Keller and Iliana were at the window, staring out at a cool gray sky. Winnie was at the door to the chemistry room, watching the hallway. Galen was a floor beneath them somewhere inside the school, and Nissa was a discreet distance behind him.

  And standing beside the circular driveway, obviously waiting for a ride, was a girl with familiar brown hair. She was reading a book that didn’t look like a textbook.

  Jaime.

  It all happened very fast, but there were still distinct stages of warning. Keller was aware of them all.

  The first thing she noticed was a blue-green car that cruised down the street in front of the high school. It was going slowly, and she narrowed her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the driver.

  She couldn’t. The car passed on.

  I should make her get away from the window, Keller thought. This wasn’t as obvious a conclusion as it seemed. The Night People weren’t in the habit of using sharpshooters to pick off their targets.

  But it was still probably a good idea. Keller was tiredly opening her mouth to say it when something caught her attention.

  The blue-green car was back. It was at the exit of the circular driveway, stopped but facing the wrong way, as if it were about to enter.

  As Keller watched, it revved its engine.

  Keller felt her hairs prickle.

  But it didn’t make any sense. Why on earth would Night People want to park there and draw attention to themselves? It had to be some human kids acting up.

  Iliana was frowning. She had stopped tracing patterns in the dust on the windowsill. “Who’s that? I don’t know that car.”

  Alarms.

  But still…

  The car roared again and started moving. Coming the wrong way along the driveway.

  And Jaime, right below them, didn’t look up.

  Iliana realized at the same time Keller did.

  “Jaime!” She screamed it and pounded the window with one small fist. It didn’t do the slightest good, of course.

  Beside her, Keller stood frozen and furious.

  The car was picking up speed, heading straight for Jaime.

  There was nothing to do. Nothing. Keller could never get down there fast enough. It was all going to be over in a second.

  But it was horrible. That giant metal thing, tons of steel, was going to hit about a hundred and ten pounds of human flesh.

  “Jaime!” It was a scream torn from Iliana.

  Below, Jaime finally looked up. But it was too late.

  CHAPTER 10

  The car coming. Iliana screaming. And the feeling of absolute helplessness—

  Glass shattered.

  Keller didn’t understand at first. She thought that Iliana was trying to break the window and get Jaime’s attention. But the window was safety glass, and what broke was the beaker in Iliana’s hand.

  Blood spurted, shockingly red and liquid.

  And Iliana kept squeezing the broken glass in her hand, making more and more blood run.

  Her small face was fixed and rigid, her lips slightly parted, her breath held, her whole expression one of complete concentration.

  She was calling the blue fire.

  Keller lost her own breath.

  She’s doing it! I’m going to see a Wild Power. Right here, right beside me, it’s happening!

  She wrenched her own gaze back to the car. She was going to see those tons of metal come to a stop just as the BART train on the video had. Or maybe Iliana would just deflect the car in its course, send it into the grassy island in the middle of the driveway.

  In any case, she can hardly deny that she’s the Wild Power now—

  It was then that Keller realized the car wasn’t stopping.

  It wasn’t working.

  She heard Iliana make a desperate sound beside her. There was
no time for anything more. The car was on top of Jaime, swinging up onto the curb.

  Keller’s heart lurched.

  And something streaked out behind Jaime, hitting her from behind.

  It knocked her flying toward the grassy island. Out of the path of the car.

  Keller knew who it was even before her eyes could focus on the dark golden hair and long legs.

  The car braked and screeched and swerved—but Keller couldn’t tell if it had hit him. It went skidding, half on and half off the sidewalk. Then it corrected its course and roared along the driveway, speeding away.

  Nissa came dashing out of the door below and stood for an instant, taking in the scene.

  Above, Keller was still frozen. She and Iliana were both as motionless as statues.

  Then Iliana made a little noise and whirled around. She was off and running before Keller could catch her.

  She shot past Winnie, leaving a trail of flying red droplets.

  “Come on!” Keller yelled.

  They both went after her. But it was like chasing a sunbeam. Keller had had no idea the little thing could run like that.

  They were right behind her all the way down the stairs and out the door. It was where Keller wanted to be, anyway.

  There were two figures lying on the pavement. They were both very still.

  Keller’s heart was beating hard enough to break through her chest.

  Amazing how, even after seeing so much in her life, she could still have the desperate impulse to shut her eyes. For the first moment, as her gaze raked over Galen’s body, she wasn’t sure if she could see blood or not. Everything was pulsing with dark spots, and her brain didn’t seem able to put any kind of coherent picture together.

  Then he moved. The stiff, wincing motion of somebody injured, but not injured badly. He lifted his head, pushed himself up on one elbow, and looked around.

  Keller stared at him wordlessly. Then she made her voice obey her. “Did it hit you?”

  “Just glanced off me.” He got his legs under him. “I’m fine. But what about—”

  They both looked at Jaime.

  “Goddess!” Galen’s voice was filled with horror. He scrambled up and took a limping step before falling to his knees.

  Even Keller felt shock sweep over her before she realized what was going on.

  At first glance, it looked like a tragedy. Iliana was holding Jaime, cradling her in her arms, and there was blood everywhere. All over the front of Iliana’s sweater, all over Jaime’s white shirt. It just showed up better on Jaime.

  But it was Iliana’s blood, still flowing from her cut hand. Jaime was blinking and lifting a hand to her forehead in bewilderment. Her color was good, and her breathing sounded clear if fast.

  “That car—those people were crazy. They were going to hit me.”

  “I’m sorry,” Iliana said. “I’m so sorry; I’m so sorry…”

  She was so beautiful that Keller’s heart seemed to stop.

  Her fine skin seemed almost translucent in the cool afternoon light. That glorious hair was rippling in the wind behind her, every single strand light as air and moving independently. And her expression…

  She was bending over Jaime so tenderly, tears falling like diamonds. Her grief—it was complete, Keller thought. As if Jaime were her own dearest sister. She cared in a way that went beyond sympathy and beyond compassion and into something like perfect love.

  It…transformed her. She wasn’t a light-minded child anymore. She was almost…angelic.

  All at once, Keller understood why everybody at school brought their problems to this girl. It was because of that caring, that love. Iliana didn’t help them to make herself popular. She helped because her heart was open, without shields, without the normal barriers that separated people from one another.

  And she was as brave as a little lion. She hadn’t even hesitated when she saw Jaime in danger. She was afraid of blood, but she’d cut herself instantly, even recklessly, trying to help.

  That was courage, Keller thought. Not doing something without being afraid, but doing something even though you were afraid.

  In that moment, all of Keller’s resentment of Iliana melted away. All her anger and exasperation and contempt. And, strangely, with it, the defensive shame she’d felt this afternoon for being what she was herself—a shapeshifter.

  It didn’t make sense. There was no connection. But there it was.

  The flat but strangely pleasant voice of Jaime was going on. “I’m okay—it was just a shock. Stop crying now. Somebody pushed me out of the way.”

  Iliana looked up at Galen.

  She was still crying, and her eyes were the color of violet crystal. Galen was kneeling on one knee, looking down worriedly at Jaime.

  Their eyes met, and they both went still. Except for the wind ruffling Iliana’s hair, they might have been a painting. A scene from one of the Old Masters, Keller thought. The boy with dark golden hair and that perfectly sculptured face, looking down with protective concern. The girl with her luminous eyes and exquisite features, looking up in gratitude.

  It was a sweet and lovely picture. It was also the exact moment that Iliana fell in love with Galen.

  And Keller knew it.

  She knew before Iliana knew herself. She saw a sort of plaintive shimmer in Iliana’s eyes, like more tears about to fall. And then she saw the change in Iliana’s face.

  The gratitude became something different, something more like…recognition. It was as if Iliana were discovering Galen all at once, seeing everything in him that Keller had been slowly learning to see.

  They’re both…

  Keller wanted to think idiots, but the word wouldn’t come. All she ended up with was the same.

  Both of them. Idealists. Openhearted. Trying to rescue everyone.

  They’re perfect for each other.

  “You saved her life,” Iliana whispered. “But you could have been killed yourself.”

  “It just happened,” Galen said. “I moved without thinking. But you—you’re really bleeding…”

  Iliana looked soberly down at her hand. It was the only thing that marred the picture; it was gory and shocking. But Iliana’s gaze wasn’t frightened. Instead, she looked wise beyond her years and infinitely sad.

  “I…couldn’t help,” she said.

  Keller opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, Nissa appeared beside Iliana.

  “Here,” she said in her practical way, loosening the carefully knotted scarf at her throat. “Let me tie it up until we can see if you need stitches.” She glanced up at Keller. “I got the license plate of the car.”

  Keller blinked and refocused. Her brain started ticking again.

  “Both of you, go get the car,” she said to Nissa and Winnie. “I’ll finish that.” She took Nissa’s place by Iliana. “Are you really all right?” she asked Jaime, careful to face her directly. “I think we need to take all three of you to the hospital.”

  Part of her expected to see a flinching as the dark blue eyes under the soft brown bangs met hers. But, of course, there wasn’t any. Nissa’s memory blanking had been too good. Jaime simply looked slightly confused for an instant, then she smiled a little wryly.

  “I’m really okay.”

  “Even so,” Keller said.

  There was a crowd gathering. Students and teachers were running from various corners of the building, coming to see what the noise was about. Keller realized that it had actually been only a couple of minutes since the car had gone roaring and screeching along the sidewalk.

  A few minutes…but the world had changed. In several ways.

  “Come on,” she said, and helped Jaime up. She let Galen help Iliana.

  And she felt strangely calm and peaceful.

  Galen turned out to have several pulled muscles and lots of scrapes and bruises. Jaime had bruises and a dizzy headache and double vision, which got her actually admitted to the hospital—hardly surprising, considering how many times she�
�d been knocked down that day, Keller thought.

  Iliana needed stitches. She submitted to them quietly, which only seemed to alarm her mother. Mrs. Dominick had been called from home to the hospital. She sat with the baby in her lap and listened to Keller try to explain how Iliana had gotten cut while standing at the chemistry room window.

  “And when she saw the car almost hit Jaime, she was so startled that she just squeezed the beaker, and it broke.”

  Iliana’s mother looked doubtful for a moment, but it wasn’t her nature to be suspicious. She nodded, accepting the story.

  Jaime’s parents had been called to the hospital, too, and both Galen and Jaime had to give statements to the police. Nissa flashed Keller a glance when the policewoman asked if anyone had noticed the car’s license plate.

  Keller nodded. She had already had Nissa call the number in to Circle Daybreak from a pay phone, but there was no reason not to have the police on the case, too. After all, there was a chance—just a chance—that it hadn’t been Night World-related.

  Not much of a chance, though. Circle Daybreak agents would follow Jaime and her family after this, watching from the shadows and ready to act if the Night World showed up again. It was a standard precaution.

  Both Mr. and Ms. Ashton-Hughes, Jaime’s parents, came down from Jaime’s floor to speak to Galen in the emergency room.

  “You saved our daughter,” her mother said. “We don’t know how to thank you.”

  Galen shook his head. “Really, it just happened. I mean, anybody would have done it.”

  Ms. Ashton-Hughes smiled slightly and shook her head in turn. Then she looked at Iliana.

  “Jaime says she hopes your hand heals quickly. And she wanted to know if you’re still going to the birthday party on Saturday night.”

  “Oh—” For a moment, Iliana looked bewildered, as if she’d forgotten about the party. Then she brightened. “Yeah, tell her that I am. Is she still going?”