by Valia Lind
"Ah, there you are!" Jade comes up to us, pulling Caleb along the way. We're not friends, but he is in one of my classes. I've seen him hang out with Ben and Owen, two of Aiden's closest companions. Not that I've spoken to any of them before. Caleb greets us warmly, and I do have to say, he looks pretty good in his dark blue suit. What is it about shifters that they can wear anything and look like models?
Speaking of shifters, my eyes do a once over of the room, but I don't see him. It's foolish to even be looking for him. But I seem to have no control over that part. I could ask Caleb about him, even though I know they're not super close. But I resist. For now.
"Are we dancing or what?" I ask instead, and the group nods as one. We move toward the middle of the room, and it isn't long before Christy and Vera, with their dates, find us.
The base turns up and everyone around me cheers. Grinning, I begin to move, losing myself in the sound.
I have a secret. I love to dance. My sisters and I used to throw dance parties in Bri's shop, just to let loose. I remember it even as a six or seven-year-old. Harper would make the wind dance with us, making the chimes play us a sweet melody.
The energy is high, everyone jumping and dancing, and I feel like, for the first time, I'm just a teenage girl, enjoying her high school experience. There is no missing dad. No Ancient evil. No traitor within our midst. Just a bunch of friends, having a blast. My eyes jump from person to person, and I see firsthand the happiness radiating off them. I've found my tribe, and even though I still think of Kate, and even Liam, I'm thankful I have people around me I can trust and have fun with.
It seems like forever before the music slows and the lights dim, leaving only the twinkling stars all around us.
"May I?" Noel offers me his hand and I take it instantly. He pulls me toward him, settling one hand around my waist, the other still holding my hand. My body molds against him, and I rest my head on his shoulder, pulling him closer. He feels safe and stable. I could use more of that in my life right now.
After a few moments I raise my head to look at him and find him already looking at me. Maybe I'm getting swept away by the moment, but even so, I don't stop myself from speaking.
"I'm glad you asked me to come with you," I say, my eyes on his.
"I'm glad you said yes."
I look away then, because I'm not sure if I'm feeling something or not, but I don't want this to just be an in-the-moment reaction. Noel and I are friends, and I trust that over anything else. When my gaze lands on the crowd around us I find another pair of eyes on me. Aiden stands against the back wall, his eyes hard. He's wearing a dark button up shirt, with his sleeves rolled up and looks nonchalant and gorgeous at the same time. Then, Noel turns us and he's out of sight. When I look back, Aiden is gone. Maybe he wasn't there to begin with. I don't get the chance to find out because just then, the sirens start going off, and the rest of the lights go out.
15
There's a collective hush in the room, as if people are holding their breaths as one, waiting to see the legitimacy of the alarm. When the room shakes from some kind of an impact, everyone snaps into action. There are a few screams as some push others out of the way. The dark is making it difficult to see, and it's the shifters who have the upper hand. They begin shouting instructions while the older students move to the exits to direct people out of the room.
I can feel the fear in the room, especially from the younger students. A few of the teachers create an illumination orb to help dispel the darkness, but for some reason, it's not having as strong of an effect as it should. Something must be blocking the magic.
"Come on, we need to get out of here," Caleb calls out, and I feel Noel's hand wrap around my own. I glance over at him, but I can barely see him, even this close up. We call out to each other, linking hands, with Vera and Caleb leading the way. The doors seem to be a mile away, and the bodies continue to bump into us. Before we can reach the doors, another shock ripples through the ballroom, sending glasses flying, raining glass over all over us. A few cut my skin, and then another magical shockwave rushes through the room, bursting the ceiling fixtures and the rest of the glass in the room. My water magic flairs up on instinct, and I throw my hand in the air, pulling on the liquid and weaving it into a protective shield right as the shards reach us. Everyone screams, but the water protects the immediate group around me. I can't tell how far it extends, but I know it's not that large. Students are crying out, and even though I don't have shifter sense of smell, I know blood has been spilled.
"Neat trick," Jade comments as my friends huddle around me. I concentrate on the shield, and the shards that are caught in the liquid, before pushing it away. Without having light to guide me, I'm really hoping I'm not about to spill a bunch of glass and water on anyone. That's when I realize the outside doors are closer and to my right. Some of the moonlight can be seen through the blanket of darkness. I can push the water that way, but without being able to clearly see, I might make things worse.
"I need to get this out of here," I say before I drop Noel's hand and move with my magic.
"Maddie!" Jade and Noel both call out, but with just a few steps, they're lost to the darkness.
"I'll be fine," I call back, trying to reassure them. "I'll catch up with you in a minute."
It's taking most of my concentration to keep the shield high above everyone's heads. I can't see it, but I can feel how full of glass debris it is, and if I don't get it out now, I might be causing more problems. When I reach the outside doors, I open them with one hand, keeping the other outstretched above my head. The magic morphs and shifts as I walk through the opening, staying with me. A few shards of glass drop, but they're small enough that they don't cut me.
Once outside, I raise my other hand and then push the water and glass as far as I can before dropping it. I can't see much outside either, but it doesn't sound like anyone's out there. I'll have to remember to let the headmaster know what I did so some poor student doesn't end up walking all over it.
With that thought in mind I turn back toward the ballroom and realize just how quiet it has gotten. Glancing around, I try to see through the dark, but the clouds must be obscuring the moon now, because any sliver of light there might've been has completely gone out. My eyes work to adjust as I look back and try to see into the ballroom, but there's just a wall of darkness. I take a few steps back, reaching for the handle, but it doesn't budge. I bang on the door a few times but hear no one.
"Great, just great," I mumble to myself, looking back out into the field and forest surrounding me. Without any landmarks to guide me, I already feel turned around. This darkness doesn't feel natural, and I wonder if this is another thing the Ancients can do. They can't penetrate the protective shield to come into the Academy themselves, but apparently whoever is on their payroll, so to speak, has been learning some new tricks.
Since the door is at my back, the front of the school must be on my left. Thankful that I opted out for my booties instead of the heels, I don't sink into the grass as I start to make my way there. As much as possible, I try to listen for any noises that might alert me to danger, but the silence is not disturbed. I leave my hand against the wall to help guide me, but that becomes problematic when I come to the bushes planted under the windows on one side of the building.
Taking a step away from the plants, I continue to walk straight, barely seeing few feet in front of me. I think I'm almost to where the building turns to the left, when I hear it. Something is out here with me.
I freeze in my tracks, my battle magic flaring up at my fingertips. The rush of it sizzles under my skin, making me that much more aware of my surroundings. Even though I've been taught these skills, I never thought I'd be using them so soon. As Jade and I discussed, battle magic is all instinct. We don't have to say words to cast spells, it's literal electricity that runs through our veins. Some carry copious amounts with them and have learned how to unleash parts of their magic I can't even imagine. I can't deny how powerful
my magic seems when I put a bit of emphasis behind it.
The noise comes again, but I still can't pinpoint it, or figure out exactly what I'm hearing. It's like a movement, just beyond my line of vision. A ruffle of cloth against skin? Maybe I'm feeling the eyes on me, more than I hear anything.
Then, when I think it's nothing but my imagination, a low growl sounds somewhere in the darkness, making my blood run cold. I'm not without defenses, but I can't fight something I can't see. I wouldn't stand a chance.
Slowly, and as quietly as I can, I move backwards. I'm trying to think strategically. With the building at my back, at least I won't have to try and keep that covered. Something glitters in the space in front of me, sending fear up my spine. I'm being stalked, there's no doubt about it and whatever it is, it can see me. Without a second of hesitation, I abandon my plan of trying to be inconspicuous. I bolt.
Whatever has been stalking me gives chase.
I grab for the bottom of my dress, pulling it up so I can run more freely. My legs pump as I sprint blindly into the darkness, one hand outstretched in front of me in case I run into something.
Glancing behind, I still can't see anything, but I can feel the danger. It's as if whatever is out there is playing a game of cat and mouse. I have a feeling I won't be as lucky as Jerry on this one. I've got no tricks up my sleeve, except for one. I can stop running and face this head on. But once again, I think of how much I am at a disadvantage. My dad would be disappointed if I didn't think this through first. He taught me to be smarter than this recklessness. I have to think. I have to.
I yelp as an arm reaches out to grab me, but instead of the attack I expect, I get pulled against a solid chest as the other hand lands over my mouth.
"Don't," a voice says as I struggle against the hold.
The whispered word is all I need to hear to know who it is.
Aiden.
I stop struggling immediately as his arm tightens even more over my stomach before he removes the one covering my mouth. I'm tucked completely against him as he picks me up enough to spin us, tucking us into the space between the wall at the outer structure. Swiveling my head to the side, my cheek ends up pressed against his chest as I try to see into the darkness. But just like before, I see nothing. However, I feel safer than I've ever felt, in this moment, pressed against my sort of nemesis.
His breathing seems to match my own, his chest solid against my back. He's hotter than me, his body temperature raising mine. Or maybe it's his proximity. Even dancing pressed against Noel didn't feel this intimate. It's like Aiden and I are one, two beings in two different bodies, but breathing and feeling the same.
I think he feels it too, maybe realizes it at the same moment I do because he goes completely still. His hand on my stomach twitches, and I fight the sudden urge to place my own against it. Maybe it's the adrenaline, or the situation, but I want to hold onto him and never let go.
"Come on." His voice shatters our little cocoon of silence as he moves us out of our hiding spot. "We need to get inside."
But even as he says so, he doesn't move away from me. For some reason, I don't either. I turn my head slightly, glancing up at him, and find him staring down at me. My movement spurs him into action because he hastily takes a step away.
"We should...," he begins, his hand reaching toward me, but before he touches me, he stops. I'm not sure what's going through his mind, but I do the only thing I can think of. I close the rest of the distance and take his hand. There's a spark of electricity that races through me at the touch of his skin against mine, and I suppress a shudder. But just barely.
"Lead the way," I say, offering him a smile, which I know he can see with his shifter eyesight. He gives my hand a tiny squeeze before he starts moving.
We don't go too fast. He's taking his time to make sure nothing awaits us in the darkness. His grip on my arm is all the reassurance I need to keep my own heart rate down. I trust him to keep me safe, and that's saying a lot for someone who doesn't trust easily. Not where it truly matters.
After a few minutes, I realize we're not moving toward the academy but away from it.
"Aiden." I tug on his arm, ready to ask him the question.
"Not now," he replies before I can. Then, just as suddenly as he saved me the first time, he stops, making me run right into his back. My free hand lands on his waist, and it's his turn to inhale sharply.
"We need to move fast. Get ready."
I wish I could see what he sees, but even as I glance around, I'm completely useless out here.
"Now."
I don't hesitate. As he takes off, I keep up with him the best I can, trusting him to lead me blindly. When a structure materializes in front of us, I don't have breath left inside of me to ask questions. Aiden gets us inside before he shuts the door.
He drops my hand, and I can feel him moving around, as if he's making sure we're safe, before he comes to stand in front of me again.
"We're safe here for now."
"Where is here exactly?"
"One of the storage barns on the west side of the school."
"I didn't even know these were here."
"They're behind some of the trees planted along the walkway. Unless you come out here, you wouldn't know they're here."
Aiden heads toward one of the walls, leaving me in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. The adrenaline is still pumping through my veins, but it's leaving quickly. I can already feel the onset of the panic I was repressing earlier. This whole ordeal, everything that has happened in the last few hours, it has left my emotions at an all-time high. I'm afraid I might burst into tears and not the pretty, delicate ones.
"Hey." Aiden moves so quietly that I don't notice him at my left shoulder until he's there, making me jump. "Sorry, come here."
He takes my hands tentatively, leading me away from the middle of the room and toward the wall. Slowly, as if he's keeping his movements to a minimum, he sits down, tugging at my hand. Without hesitation I follow suit, leaning my back against the cool wood, Aiden at my side. Instantly, I feel better not being on my feet.
We sit in silence as I try to hear what's going on outside, but I have too many questions buzzing around in my mind. I start with the most pressing one.
"Are we really safe here?" I whisper, afraid to raise my voice any louder. But I know Aiden hears me, and I feel him move as he looks over at me.
"For the time being. Headmaster Marković placed additional charms around all the buildings on the property. Just in case."
"What's out there, Aiden?" I don't even bother masking the tremble in my voice. I don't think I've ever been more scared in my life. I always thought I'd be braver when the time came. But maybe I'm not as brave as I think.
"I don't know, Maddie," he replies, shifting again, and I can feel the brush of his shoulder against mine. The air around us is cooling rapidly, and my naked shoulders are covered with goosebumps.
"Are you cold?" Aiden asks because I'm sure I'm not radiating warmth right now.
"No."
"Maddie."
He really needs to stop saying my name because I can feel it at the pit of my stomach, like the butterflies all those books describe. I don't want to become a cliché, but he's making me feel things, and it's messing with my mind. I've come to know myself as Duchess in his mind. The sound of my name on his lips breaks down all my defenses.
"Fine. A little cold," I finally say, before I feel him move once more.
"May I?" I turn towards his voice at the question and watch as he raises his arms, opening them up to me. I stare at him for a long moment before I scoot over and allow him to pull me close. The moment my back hits his chest I feel the warmth spread through me. His arms land around my shoulders, lacing over my stomach, and I'm cocooned in the safety of him.
For this one moment in time, we're not enemies or rivals. He holds me close, chasing away the fear and the worry. And for the time being, I let that be enough.
16
&nb
sp; We sit in comfortable silence for a little while before the curiosity gets the best of me.
"What did you see out there?" I whisper, turning my head a little to look up at Aiden. He glances down at me, and I realize just how close our faces are. There's an intimacy to our embrace that makes my head spin, but I try to keep as still as possible.
"Nothing."
"What?" I jerk at that, sitting up a bit more fully so I can turn and look at him straight on.
"That's the thing, I didn't see what was chasing us. It was more like my shifter senses picked up on the being that was there, the danger it was broadcasting, but I couldn't find it. Even with my eyesight."
His words fill my mind with possibilities. My hometown of Hawthorne was attacked by shadow creatures sent from the Ancients, so I know they have a way of creating monsters no one has heard about. But this invisible attacker is something new. Something else occurs to me.
"But you know there's no one in here with us right now, right?"
"Yes, I still sense the creature the same way I would any danger, but I just can't see it."
I hear the frustration in his voice, and if I could see in the darkness, I'm sure it'd be written all over his face. He's allowing me this glimpse into his psyche, and I can't help but feel something toward his vulnerability. I don't think he'd ever give even this much of himself if the lights were on. Or maybe he would. Maybe he would for me.
"Where were you this week?" I find myself asking, and I can feel his body tense beside me. I almost wish I could take the words back because we were working toward something here, and I shattered it with my curiosity.
"I was on an assignment."
The tone of his voice shuts down any further questions, and I miss the small moment of camaraderie we shared. I want to lean back into his arms fully and find that peace again, but I'm too charged up now. And maybe, so is he.
