by Jarica James
"Yeah, well... we need to find her first," Aeson reminded us, finally sinking onto his bed.
"Tristan, what are her thoughts like?" I asked, unable to hold back the curiosity. He shrugged for a moment, looking uncomfortable. He hated betraying people like that, especially people like Lennox who were obviously very private, but now was not the time for that.
"It's dark. She hates this place, and she's lonely. But she also gets angry and protective when they tease her around us, like she's trying to protect us. She also finds us annoying when we interrupt her, but she likes having us around," he explained, his face scrunching up as he sorted through what he’d picked up over the past few days. "Women are confusing," he concluded with a shake of his head.
"Well, we need to work on being friends for her then. Try and get to know her, so she's more comfortable with us. Because if she is the one setting off the supernatural radar, then we need to coax out her powers," I ordered, letting out a long sigh.
This isn't going to be easy.
February 24
Afternoon
Lennox
A loud knock on our door broke the silence. Since it was just me inside, I had no choice but to answer, though I wasn't stupid enough to not be prepared. I spread my feet in a defensive stance before reaching for the door. Evander's smirk greeted me as I peeked out, his friends standing behind him.
"Where have you been, Lennie?" Tristan asked as they came barreling in, settling into different spots and making themselves at home.
"Here," I said slowly, drawing out the word. "How did you find my room?"
"We stalked you," Aeson teased, giving me a fake evil laugh.
"I asked someone," Calev said from my desk chair, his legs crossed as he leaned back and studied me. His intensity still freaked me out, even after a few days of dealing with it.
"We were worried about our girl. You haven't been to a single meal since lunch on Friday," Evander said, walking forward and stopping right in front of me. For the first time his cocky smile was replaced by a glare. I started to shrink under its intensity before squaring my shoulders and meeting his glare with one of my own.
"And?" I challenged, putting my hands on my hips. Who the hell are they to demand answers? They’re not my boyfriends! Hell, I’m not even calling us friends at this point.
"Your trashcan here has no food wrappers, plus you have dark circles under your eyes," Calev added unhelpfully.
"I don't eat on the weekends. I prefer to hibernate here when my roommate goes home," I explained, moving over to my bed and taking a seat. "Seriously, why do you guys keep talking to me? Just fucking tell me and get it over with." My eyes narrowed as I waited, wanting to get the news over now, instead of endlessly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Did I want friends? Yes. But it's no coincidence they all chose me, and I doubted their reasoning was good.
"We have to have some ulterior motive to speak to a pretty girl?" Tristan asked, letting out a surprised laugh, sounding a bit exasperated. The others all look confused at my question. They're good.
"Okay, enough. What did the humans do to you here?" Evander asked, fangs suddenly poking out of his mouth as his eyes turned to a solid black. Fangs?! What the fuck?!
"Van!" Calev yelled, his tone sharp as he moved faster than humanly possible to put himself in between me and A FUCKING VAMPIRE! I finally let out the scream I was holding as I scrambled backward on the bed. Suddenly, Aeson was on my other side while Calev tried to calm Evander down. Weirdly enough, even though this is fucking terrifying, I don’t think he’d really hurt me. That thought calmed me some, the scream dying in my throat as I scooted away from the others. Aeson's hand rested on my arm as he leaned closer.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soothing as it swept over me, sleepiness crashing into me until I felt my eyelids flutter. "I'm sorry," he whispered as darkness overtook me.
February 24
Afternoon
Aeson
"Seriously?!" I hissed at Van as I lowered her back down onto the bed. Van hurried over, giving me an apologetic shrug.
"You needed a distraction. Is it her?" he asked quickly, the regret easy to read on his face.
"She's definitely one of us. I'm getting a hint of water magic. I don't think she's a shifter... maybe a water fae, or an elemental?" I reasoned out. Her magical signature was clear, but something about it was different. "She's unique," I said finally, moving my hand away and retracting my magic. The blue essence moved back into my hand, absorbing into the surface as it went dormant until I needed it again.
"What do you mean by ‘unique’?" Calev asked, his voice hard. Like I was purposefully being difficult.
"She's unique. That's the best word I can use to describe it. I can feel the water magic, but it's not like any of the ones I'm used to. She could just be more powerful or something. Either way, at least we have our girl," I defended, hoping he'd chill out.
"If she's not too freaked out to talk to us now!" Tristan yelled at Van, for once the psychic's cheerfulness was replaced with fury. "We could have just turned on a movie and sat close or something!"
"Oh yeah, a movie would have definitely hidden his blue magic," Van deadpanned with an eye roll. "Look, I really didn't want to scare her, but the opportunity presented itself. Plus, I really meant what I asked. It just kind of happened."
"I want to know the same fucking thing," Tristan said with a shudder. "You know I don't like to delve into people’s memories, but this girl's mind is dark. She has literally never known what it's like to have love, or even a friend."
"That's disgusting," I muttered, looking down at the small girl next to me. I have a feeling this isn't going to go well until she gets her powers. "Do you think she'll even talk to us?"
"No, I don't. She's been waiting for us to just stop talking to her, or say why we are even bothering to talk to her. She won't take this well," Tristan summed up, leaving a solemn mood over all of us.
"I'm sorry," Van said quietly, sinking to the ground. I'd never seen him look so upset over someone before.
"You really couldn't control it, could you?" Calev asked quietly, his usual bossy tone replaced by a soothing one. Van shook his head miserably for a second, before giving an audible sigh.
"No, I've seen how they treat her, and this time I just let the anger get to me," he explained, standing up and walking to her. I moved out of the way as he adjusted her properly on the bed and covered her up. "I'm sorry, Doll."
"Let's go, she may just think it was all a dream," Lachlan finally said, having kept quiet throughout the entire incident. He was never one for talking unless there was a good reason. “But part of me hopes not.”
"Maybe," Tristan said as we all glanced at her one last time.
‘Here's hoping she does think it's a dream, or this whole mission just got a whole lot more complicated,’ I projected to Tristan.
‘I hope she remembers and takes it well. I’m ready to go back,’ Calev adds, though he can't hide his worry form us, his gargoyle already chose her, it was clear in every grumble and glance.
‘I just hope she’s okay,” Evander worried, which was unlike him. ‘I’ve never had my heart crack like it did tonight. Fuck the humans.’
‘This isn’t like you,’ I teased him. I couldn’t blame him though. When words seemed to leave us or the conversation was emotional, we tended to use mindspeak instead. It was easier to deal with.
‘She’ll see in time, she’s ours,’ Lachlan added, his tone worried like the others. The truth resonated in his words, we all felt it. Everything I could read from them as Tristan held the link open was worry, hope and possessiveness.
She’s definitely going to change everything.
March 17
Evening
Lennox
I'd managed to avoid the guys for nearly a month. It wasn’t like they hadn’t tried talking to me, I just didn’t give them the opportunity. During class I mentored them, strictly speaking about the subject and nothing else
. I wasn’t usually one for avoidance, but the memories from my room were too vivid to be a dream. I knew that it was real... that Evander had fangs.
"Please, Lennie," Van whispered next to me as he approached me in the dinner line, the hurt in his words pulling at my heartstrings. I don't know why I'm letting them get to me. I'm stronger than this.
"Do you need help with math?" I asked, using the only thing I could think of. When I glanced up at him, I instantly regretted it. The hurt in his blue eyes had me feeling things I had no business feeling, things that I’d never really experienced before.
"No, you know I don't," he answered back. "Please ju-" His words were cut off by Clara coming forward, the gleeful expression on her face meaning one thing. She had found the perfect revenge... but what could it be? It's not like I do anything sketchy for her to dig up.
"The headmaster asked me to drop this off for you because we are so close. I took the liberty of opening it, and man, I'm glad I did. It's a letter from dear old mom and dad.” She held the letter up in front of her, leaving her eyes uncovered so I could see the glee that only my pain seemed to give her. With the letter just out of reach, and the numbness sweeping through my body, there was nothing I could do before she began reciting what was clearly meant for just me.
Dear Lennox,
Now that you are turning eighteen, it's time your father and I move on. We are moving away, and you'll be on your own, but we sent you to boarding school to prepare you for this. We tried to give you a good childhood, a better one than your biological father would have given you. We opened a trust in your name many years ago, so you'll be okay without us. I'm sorry to tell you this, in this way, but with you off to school, it is easier. We adopted you later in life, mainly out of familial obligation, and now that you're a grown woman, I'm confident you'll continue to be a smart and rational woman.
Regards,
Edna and Victor Malia
“Ouch, it must suck to find out that even your parents don't like you," Clara cackled at her own malicious words. My vision tunneled at the overload of emotions that flooded me. Dropping my bags all at once, I took off at a sprint, not caring who I was running into. My name was called out by the guys as I passed them, but I didn't stop until I reached my familiar spot above the Obsidian Sea. The moment I looked down into the water, I decided that it was all too much, the pull was too strong. I'd rather let the sea take me than to keep going like this.
March 17
Evening
Evander
My gums ached as my fangs threatened to poke through. Seeing this human treat Lennox this way had me wanting to lash out at her. It took every bit of my self-control not to reach over and body slam her to the ground. I tried to reach for Lennox, but she was already throwing her stuff down and running off. My heart shattered at the words in the letter and her reaction to them. Who the fuck does that?
Once she was out of sight, I turned my eyes to Clara, stalking forward and letting my fury show. Her smile faltered, and she looked close to peeing herself. I didn’t stop moving forward until she had backed into a wall and couldn't run away. Locking my hands behind my back, I leaned forward, stopping mere inches from her face. "If you so much as think about ever doing something like this again, I will go after both you and your brother. I know enough shady people that I can make it look like an accident, and nobody will ever find out the truth. I suggest you find something new to focus on, like being a better fucking person, you heinous bitch," I said evenly, my words quiet but dripping with venom.
"You can't talk to me like that," she sputtered, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. I let out a low, icy chuckle.
"Try me," I threatened, my eyes narrowing further. "Tell me why. Why did you do this to her for so long?" I put a bit of magic in my words, wanting the compulsion to make her confess. I shouldn’t have risked it here, but fuck, I wanted to understand this ridiculous bullying. Jealousy, greed, just plain hate?
"I didn't want her to be more popular than I was. She was trying to steal my boyfriend, and everyone liked her. I wanted that, so I made it happen," she bit out, the true nature of her personality showing, and it wasn't pretty. With nothing left to say to her, I turned on my heel and ran after Lennox.
Remembering something about her favorite spot being the bridge, I went there first. The whispers and pointing from her classmates told me I was heading in the right direction. I made it to the bridge in time to see her walk off the edge, her black dress and dark curls swirling in the wind as she plunged into the dark waters of the Obsidian Sea.
March 17
Evening
Lennox
The icy water of the Obsidian Sea enveloped me, the vast opaqueness expanding on all sides as I sunk lower into the abyss. My lungs slowly started to burn as my body fought against the lack of oxygen, my vision tunneling as my body started to give up. Unable to stop myself, I took in a deep breath of water, choking and sputtering as the water suffocated me slowly.
My eyes finally closed, my mind going over my miserable life and the loneliness that left a deep ache in my chest. You're dying like you lived, completely and utterly alone. Fitting. I couldn't stop my thoughts from spiraling, no happy memories popped up to counteract it.
The depression was so all-consuming, that it took me a few minutes to realize that my lungs no longer burned. Cool water flowed through me, an odd sensation tickling the sides of my neck. My fingers brushed against the once perfect skin, revealing odd slits. I could feel the water flowing in and out of them, small bubbles rising around me. The change had me so startled that I started screaming, the sound garbled this far into the water.
Unable to stand the oppressive darkness, I started swimming to the surface, the movement much quicker than should have been possible. As the moonlight wove through the water, a shifting glint caught my eye. Iridescent black and purple scales lined my arms, gently reflecting the beams of light that sifted through the water. My eyes flew open wide as I took it in, stopping my ascent so I could check them out. I moved my arm from side to side, watching the way the moonlight played across the freaky scales. Despite the emotions rushing through me, they were oddly beautiful.
The panic rose higher and higher, mixing with my depression and causing my vision to blur again. Fighting it with everything I had, I finally broke the surface. I tried to instinctively take in a breath of air, but the moment I did, my body started to reject the water, huge coughs shaking my petite frame as water ejected from my lungs.
A pair of hands wrapped around me, pulling me closer and dragging me to shore. My eyes couldn't focus, the water spilling out of my lungs painfully as my body tried to hyperventilate at the same time. A soothing hand rubbed my back as tears streamed down my face, my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to not think about what happened… what I am. When the water finished gushing from my lungs, I finally took in my first real breath of air since going under. The salty sea air was familiar and calming, despite the steady burn. My chest still ached, hating that even the peacefulness of death had been taken from me. Tears finally broke free, no longer from choking, but because of my broken spirit. Finally gaining the courage to look up, I peeked up to see Evander's terrified expression. I broke further, knowing I had hurt one of the only people who were ever kind to me. Instead of pushing me away, he pulled me closer, holding me together as I shattered in his arms, whispering the only thing I could.
“I’m sorry.”
March 17
Evening
Lachlan
"She just jumped off the fucking bridge!" Tristan yelled, pulling me with him as he bolted through the corridors. My heart thudded in my chest, the image Tristan projected to us made me want to vomit. These fucking humans. All of them are so afraid of differences, of losing their place on the top, that they try to crush anyone who doesn’t fit their mold. This was exactly why the supes stayed away from them. They were vile creatures by nature, and they had yet to prove me wrong.
The sea of students seemed to ge
t thicker the closer we got to the doors. They were shoved out of the way by Calev while he took the lead, not bothering to apologize or care. They were the reason we needed to go save her in the first place.
Once we made it outside, the night was still. No noise could be heard, save the churning of the dark water of the Obsidian Sea. Our feet slid across the thin dusting of ice as we worked our way down the path to the shore, where Evander was already diving in after her. Her head bobbed above the surface, strangled coughs breaking the frantic silence around us.
"There!" Calev yelled, spotting her at the same time as me. Evander quickly swam over and grabbed her, his vampire speed coming in handy.
"Holy shit," Aeson whispered as Calev and Evander dragged a sobbing Lennox to shore. Her skin had a dusting of iridescent purple and black scales that gleamed beautifully in the dying light. I guess that narrowed our suspicions down to very few options, like a mer or siren, but she couldn’t be fully either of those. Her legs were still legs, even if they were covered in scales at the moment.
She coughed and vomited water, spurring Aeson into action. He knelt down next to her, holding out his hand until a soft white glow surrounded Lennox and Evander, the coughs finally quieting and color returning to her cheeks. Evander looked over at him and gave a nod of acknowledgement, their shivering done thanks to him. Once she was able to take in a normal breath, although shaky and I'm sure painful, she glanced up at Evander before clutching him tightly and sobbing harder. Her whispered “I’m sorry” broke my heart into pieces, as we all stood in a quiet vigil around them, not wanting to freak her out more. She hadn’t exactly been our biggest fan the last few weeks. I'd honestly thought we’d ruined our chances of ever figuring this out.
Her breathing slowly quieted until her eyes slipped closed. Evander finally looked up at us, his eyes showing his pain at having to see her like this. It seemed he'd become a bit more attached than we’d realized, his vampire’s protectiveness over her like nothing I’d ever seen from him before. Though, come to think of it, I didn’t think I had seen any of them have a girl around for longer than a night or two. Sex was pretty casual in the supernatural community, so that wasn’t surprising, but it did mean that relationships were rare and coveted when a supernatural found someone he or she felt truly connected to. I knew something about her was different, that warmth I felt around her wasn’t normal.
