by Sherry Soule
“You? Why?”
Her spooky black stare pins me in place. “I was told to.”
My breathing becomes shallow, my vision blurring. I briefly close my eyes, bracing one hand on the side of the metal house until I’m more composed.
Not happening. This cannot be happening. If she weren’t Hayden’s sister, I would choke her by the neck until brains ooze out of her ears. There’s no way she’s gonna be a bridesmaid now!
“Who would tell you to kidnap me and leave me on The Island of Lost Souls? Who is your psycho boss, anyway?” I raise the driftwood higher over my shoulder, stepping out of the shrubs. “Neela or her brother?”
The rain becomes a drizzle, the winds winding down. The dual suns peek out from behind bleak clouds.
Delta’s creepy smile falters. She approaches slowly, predatorily, like a lioness hunting a gazelle. Prickles of chilling menace tease my spine. I take an instinctive step back.
She stops in her tracks. “Why are you holding that stake?”
I don’t bother answering. Instead, I scream as I swing at Delta’s head with all my might, but my attack makes a pathetic swipe in the air and misses her entirely.
Delta snorts. “Do not bother fighting me, shalinaya. You are only a weak crossbreed and no match for me.”
But she can’t teleport, and if memory serves, Hayden never said she could. He’d felt guilty for teleporting with her and getting residue on her skin, which lead to her capture by ST. If she can’t teleport, then who did? Or she came by boat.
“Are you alone?” I ask, lowering the plank and inching closer to the beach where the stack of driftwood is stacked.
“I cannot answer that, shalinaya,” Delta says, an ominous tenor in her voice. “Stop moving. There is no escape from this island.”
My feet sink into the sand as I shift my weight. The light rain drips from the trees and drenches my skin. Blood boils in my veins, diminishing my fear. Delta has to be the Devil’s daughter or at least one his evil henchmen.
“Hey! I helped rescue you. So ungrateful,” I say. “What did I ever do to you?”
Delta shrugs one shoulder, her head tilting like a curious dog. “Nothing.”
“Before anyone gets hurt, just tell me why you’re doing this? Are you being blackmailed? Because I’ve got some experience in that department, so maybe I can help—”
“No help needed. I am here to finish you.”
“I’m not sure what that means, but I know you can’t teleport, so who is forcing you to do this?”
Delta blinks slowly like a frog. “She was hysterical, so I promised to help.”
“Sure, I get that. But when I’m upset, I eat cupcakes. I don’t go around organizing death and mayhem.”
“Talking will not fix our problem, ” Delta says.
“Which is?’
“That you have agreed to marry my brother.”
“Uh-huh. And that’s bad why?”
“We must keep the bloodlines secured. You are a lowly half-breed.”
“I don’t get why that’s so shunned.” I shuffle backward, sand dusting my shoes. “Come on, Delta, you gotta realize how wrong that is, how stupid it sounds.”
“Not stupid.”
“Did Neela make you do this to keep the bloodlines secure? That racist, haughty wench! What is it with these uptight Meleah and their backward-thinking?”
“My mother says she is a royal among the clan,” Delta says with a naïve dignity that makes me want to punch her.
“I’m still going to kick Neela’s dwarf ass.”
She yawns. “I am bored of talking, shalinaya.”
“Wait up.” I lift one hand and hold it out like a popstar diva. “I know you love your brother and your parents like the Voorhees family, and your mother already has the wedding invitations printed and the date set, but they’re not nice people. Neela’s dad? Total nutjob. Neela? Spoiled princess. Her egghead brother? Insane hothead. Mrs. Voorhees? Power-hungry. See? Not the greatest Meleah,” I ramble. “You seem like a sensible girl, Delta, and not a complete whacko so why don’t you take these shackles off and we can talk about this like intelligent beings.”
“No thank you,” she replies politely as if I just offered her coffee and a slice of pie.
Delta moves closer, her three fingers on each hand curling like claws.
Damien in The Omen was a model child compared to Delta. Even Rosemary would’ve been happy to raise her devil baby instead of this diabolical creature.
My whole body starts to shake, and my fingers tighten on the driftwood. Delta lunges and I swing again, wielding the plank like a baseball bat. This time it strikes her across the head, and she whirls in the sand, falling against the side of the warped beach house. Her head cracks on the metal with a sickening thud and she slumps to the ground. The wood slips from my sweating fingers onto the sand.
Pinning my arms against my stomach, I stand over her body, my chest heaving with each breath. A twinge of guilt strikes hard. I hadn’t meant to kill Hayden’s sister, but I don’t have time to worry about it now. I need to move before her accomplice makes an appearance. I run into the light rain and over to the driftwood pile.
Yanking the lighter from my pocket, I try igniting the damp wood with the flickering green flame. After several attempts, I give up and start searching for a boat, stumbling through the water puddles. Delta can’t teleport, which means she came here by a water vessel. All I have to do is shove the thing off the sand, and get the hell out of here. I can let Hayden know where his sister is once I get back to civilization.
I trip along the shore, my clothes soaked and hair sticking to my face and neck in soggy strands. I spot a craft further along the beach and shuffle faster. Damn, I should’ve searched Delta’s pockets for the key to these infuriating shackles.
The silver watercraft is slim and sleek. I climb inside and search for a way to start the engine. A panel of blinking knobs and switches flash on the dashboard. I have no idea which one starts the motor.
“Shalinaya! Where are you going in that water-transport?”
The menacing voice makes me freeze. I lift my head, turning and swallowing hard.
Delta stands on the shore shaking her dark green head and moving slowly like a mongoose approaching the lair of a snake.
Dammit, Sloane. Remember the rules of all horror movies!
The killer is never actually dead and they always return for a final scare.
THIRTY-FOUR
Delta takes another menacing step closer, all crazy-eyed and sinister looking. “Do not make this worse.” She pauses with her arms folded, the image of barely restrained impatience. “Come with me now.”
No, no, no!
I just want off this eerie island and away from looney-tunes Delta. I imagine Hayden’s strong arms around me. I picture my parents’ faces and even Jonah. I envision being safe with my family at our Zeta home. I close my eyes and concentrate so hard that my hands ball into fists and sweat beads my forehead.
A blinding flare of azure lightning flashes beyond my closed lids and my body goes weightless. Within seconds, I blast through time and space. My body jerks back together and I wobble into a table, gasping for breath.
When I open my eyes, blinking at the room spinning before me, I reach out to steady myself on the wall. I’m in the bedroom of my Zeta house. Somehow, I teleported home. I take a step and stumble like a zombie, the shackles restricting my movements.
My body is no longer wet by the rain. The teleportation must have dried me off. My skin vibrates and I glare at the manacles on my ankles. Squinting at the titanium bands and focusing on them falling off my legs, the restraints rattle, and then clank to the floor.
Damn, the power of ferrokinesis is wicked cool!
But wait…I used this ability to remove titanium cuffs, and the Meleah are normally rendered useless when imprisoned with this metallic element.
I smack my forehead with my palm. I should’ve tried this sooner!
Wow.
I guess a shalinaya is not effected the same as a Meleah. I must remember to write this in my Hello Kitty notebook and tell my family.
Right now, I only want to see them. I rush from the room. “Mom! Dad! I’m back!”
I find them in the living room. My mom stands beside my dad crying. He has one arm around her and he looks pale and unshaven. Jonah sits on the sofa with his head low, and he’s the first one to look up as I burst into the room.
“I’m home!” I hurry to them with my arms stretched wide and hug my parents.
They let out sighs, their mouths open but unable to speak. Then my parents hug me tight, talking simultaneously, their voices raspy, barely audible. This second family reunion is even better than the first one. Laughing and crying, I tell them everything and they listen without asking questions. When I finish, my mom wraps me in another hug like a suffocating anaconda.
“I’m so thankful you’re alive,” my mom says, crying into my shoulder.
“Uh, Mom…” I try to pull away, but she holds on tight. “Ahhh, ribs fracturing. Organs rupturing.”
My mom releases her grip. “Love hurts, kiddo.”
“Where’s Viola?” I ask.
My dad pats my shoulder. “She’s out with Zach searching for you. When you weren’t in your room this morning, Viola told us you had gone out to meet with Hayden, and he claimed you never showed up. We contacted the GB, who has been searching for you ever since.” He gives me another hug when my mom takes a seat near Jonah. “I need to tell the Galactic Brotherhood that you’re home now and they can call off the search, and about Delta. I’ll be back soon.” My dad teleports out of the room in a flash of cerulean glowing hues.
“You hungry?” My mom gets to her feet. “What am I saying? Of course you are!”
I pat my empty belly on a loud grumble. “I’m starving.”
“I’ll go make you a sandwich.” My mom rushes from the room.
“Don’t forget the chips,” I call after her. “And a large drink!”
“I can’t remember the last time I felt so exhausted,” I mutter, leaning a hip on the sofa.
My brother nods. “It’s been an exciting twenty-four hours.”
“Yeah, well, I can do without so much excitement or anymore kidnapping for a while. I’m beyond ready to go home.”
“To Earth? Why?”
“Well, geez, Jonah, why would anyone not want to be here on Reticuli with all the near-death experiences and psycho kidnappers? Boy, that just sounds stupid crazy.”
Jonah lifts the book he’d been reading. “Glad you’re home, sis, and you haven’t lost your snarky attitude.”
Bright blue radiance illuminates the room and strong arms close around my waist, yanking me into a solid wall of muscle. I let out a scream, thrashing my legs and arms.
“Sloane, it’s me, Hayden.”
Turning, I fling myself at him. He staggers backward from the force of my embrace, but I cling to him. With his warm arms holding me, I sag against him.
“Oh, Hayden,” I whimper, lifting my face. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“I’m here, Peaches.” His breath is ragged and grim circles shadow his eyes.
“Thank the gods,” I sniffle, tears coursing down my face.
He hugs me tighter. “Nice to see you, too.”
“I-I thought I was going to die.”
“Where have you been?” he asks. “What happened?”
He helps me to the sofa to sit beside Jonah and my rubbery knees manage to get me there without falling. Hayden stays close to my side, his warmth like nirvana, and every ounce of adrenaline seeps from my body like a tire with a slow leak. In a rush of words, I tell him the whole nightmare story, my throat croaky by the time I finish.
Horizontal wrinkles appear on his forehead. “Are…you sure Delta wasn’t coerced or forced to kidnap you?”
“I have no idea, but I bet Mrs. Voorhees or Neela used Delta to do her dirty work.” I lightly stroke his forearm. “I know how much this must suck.”
“She only has herself to blame,” Hayden says quietly, his voice full of rough edges.
My mom walks into the room carrying a plate with two sandwiches and a glass of green liquid. She sets it in front of me, and I gobble the food and guzzle the drink.
“You really should get cleaned up and lie down, Sloane,” my mom says gently.
“Take a shower and rest. I need to talk to my parents,” Hayden says. “I’ll make sure some Meleah keep an eye on the house while I’m gone.”
“Wait. Who do you think put Delta up to this?” I ask, clutching Hayden’s shirt. “If it’s Mrs. Voorhees, she needs to be arrested or whatever they do on this planet.”
“It could’ve been Neela or her brother,” Hayden says. “I heard the Zeta authorities are already questioning them. I’m sorry. I never thought her family or my own could do something like this.”
My chest tightens. I’m so ready to hammer the last nail into Neela’s coffin.
“I knew Neela was behind my abduction and all those accidents. And getting Delta involved was just all kinds of effed up. I hope she rots in jail,” I say.
Sluggishly, I get to my feet and Hayden helps me to my bedroom. My mom follows, closing the curtains and darkening the room, then she picks up the shackles and carries them out the door.
Hayden takes my hand and squeezes my fingers. “I’ll be back after I talk with the GB leaders and find out if it was Neela or Rost behind the kidnapping.”
He shuts the door, and I shuffle into the adjoining bathroom. I glance in the mirror, my body reflected in its surface. I’m a hot mess. My lips are cracked and pale. Dark circles line my bloodshot eyes. My hair is tousled and matted, hanging limply over my shoulders. Dirt and sand covers the skin on my legs and arms. If Hayden still loves me after seeing me like this, that boy deserves a medal for best boyfriend of the year.
I take a long, hot shower, washing off all the grime and scrubbing my hair until my skin prunes. When I get out and dry off, I find a black nightgown and underwear laid out on the bed. I change and comb out my snarled hair. Yawning, I slip under the covers and call for my mom.
She hurries into the room. “You okay? Do you need anything?”
“No, but can you stay? I don’t want to be alone,” I say, my heart fluttering with nerves.
“Of course, honey.” My mom sits on the bed, running her hand soothingly over my hair.
I snuggle into the warmth of the bed and barely close my eyes before falling into a deep, dreamless slumber.
A hand touches my shoulder, prodding me awake. “Honey, wake up. Mrs. Lancaster is here to see you.”
I open my eyes and yawn. My mom hovers over my bed, and a single lamp in the corner casts a dim light.
“Mrs. Lancaster?” My forehead scrunches. “What does she want?”
“She wanted to see how you were doing. This could be a good thing.”
“Like she suddenly wants to accept me into the family?” I roll my eyes. “I highly doubt it.”
“She came all the way here to see you, so at least hear her out, honey. I told her to wait in the living room. She must be feeling sorry for you after everything that’s happened and she’s here to apologize.” My mom kisses my forehead. “I need to pick up dinner. I’ll find a place that makes cheeseburgers and get a dessert, okay?”
“Okay. I’m already hungry again.” I sit up and stretch. “Is Viola back?”
“Not yet. Jonah’s reading a book on the patio if you need anything.” My mom pats my shoulder. “I’ll be back within an hour.”
She leaves the room, and I plump up the pillows behind me. I swallow hard. Just the idea of being in the same room as Mrs. Lancaster makes my blood run cold. If I can survive a kidnapping and being stranded on a deserted island, I can endure a few minutes alone with Hayden’s hateful mother.
There’s a light rap on the partial open door, then Mrs. Lancaster pokes her head into the room. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” I say, clut
ching the blankets at my waist.
Mrs. Lancaster pushes the door open wider, walks into the room, and stands beside the bed. She’s looming over me like a towering bird of prey, her hair swept off her face into a twist. Her crème-colored blouse and pants are neatly pressed, with a shimmery gold necklace draped around her neck.
“Are you all right?” She fiddles with the necklace. “What an awful ordeal you went through.”
“Yes,” I say, gesturing to a chair near the nightstand. “Please have a seat.”
Her brow creases and she remains standing. “You look dreadful. Do you need anything?”
“I’d kill for something to drink,” I say.
“I’ll get something from the kitchen.” Mrs. Lancaster leaves and returns with a glass of red juice and a tight smile. “Here you go.”
“What is it?” I ask, taking the drink and peering into the glass.
“Just fresh fruit and herbs,” she replies.
“Thank you,” I say, clearing my parched throat.
“Try it.” She flicks her fingers at me. “You’ll feel better once you’re more hydrated.”
I take a gulp, the bitter flavor making me wince.
“Drink up,” she says coaxingly.
To be polite, I take another big swig and force the liquid down.
“Good girl.”
Lowering the glass, I groan as the room starts rotating. My stomach gurgles. Everything spins in a fast blur. My body slumps onto the pillows, my head feeling as heavy as cement.
Oh, crapola.
The sour tang on my tongue tastes like the awful fruit punch I drank the night of the farewell party. The glass falls from my quivering fingers and hits the floor with a crash.
In a flash, I’m on my woozy feet, the adrenaline that kept me alive on the island returning full force.
Desperately, I shove past her and stagger to the door, but I don’t make it too far before my legs collapse beneath me. I lie on the ground, gazing up through blurry eyes at Hayden’s mother. I try to scream for Jonah, but I only make a feeble squeak. I smack my dry lips, my tongue heavy in my mouth.
