Shadows on the Horizon: The Gravity of Darkness Series, #2

By Christina Crimi

Lissie Lockheart knows that monsters and magic are real.  And she has the scars to prove it.  

 

After surviving a battle in a new war between the undead, Lissie tries to return to a normal life.  With suspicions hanging in the air and secrets weighing on her heart, she struggles to balance the two halves of her now very complicated life.  And she soon realizes that history tests, or even stubborn vampire boyfriends are the least of her concerns.

 

A mysterious shadow is descending upon Ruine and threatening not only the living but the dead as well.  Lissie fears that the Kingsleys are on the wrong path.  But with talk of a traitor amongst them, the Kingsleys' mistrust of Lissie grows and so do Connor's reservations.  The list of people she can trust is growing smaller by the day.  

 

Now Lissie must have courage, follow her instincts and seek alliances from the most unlikely of places to prevent her home and her heart from falling into shadow.  

Lissie's life is now bound by the light and the dark... but can she save them both?  In the end, she has always known that it will come down to a choice, and that no matter how hard she fights it, that choice will change her forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christina Crimi
• Release date: Feb 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734598933

Book preview

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Shadows on the Horizon

The Gravity of Darkness Series

Book Two

Written by Christina Crimi

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Copyright © 2019 by Christina Crimi

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. 

Cover design by Yocla Designs

Contact publisher at [e-mail]

For my children, Amanda and Alex.

And for my mom, for her support and for giving me the love of writing in the first place.

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1.  These Dreams of Mine

Chapter 2.  Making Plans

Chapter 3.  Patience

Chapter 4.  Secret Keepers

Chapter 5.  Interrogations

Chapter 6.  Bad Blood

Chapter 7.  One Wild Night

Chapter 8.  Birthday Candles

Chapter 9.  Yesterday

Chapter 10.  Tomorrow

Chapter 11.  Cold November Rain

Chapter 12.  Night is Falling

Chapter 13.  Back to December

Chapter 14.  Another One Bites the Dust

Chapter 15.  Winter Tempest

Chapter 16.  No More White Horses

Chapter 17.  Lupine Grow Alone

Chapter 18.  Not Enough

Chapter 19.  The Trouble With Hearts

Chapter 20.  Desperate Measures

Chapter 21.  The Darkness of our Shadows

Chapter 22:  The Guardian

Chapter 23.  What Lies Within

Chapter 24.  Playing Games

Chapter 25.  Mimics

Chapter 26.  Alex and the SSG

Chapter 27.  A Traitor Among Us

Chapter 28.  The Rescue

Chapter 29. Apples Don’t Fall Far From the Tree

Chapter 30.  Black Holes

Chapter 31.  Revenge

Chapter 32.  In the Darkness

Chapter 33.  Things Worth Fighting For

Chapter 34.  Mirror, Mirror

Chapter 35.  Reunited

Chapter 36.  Bound by Fire

Chapter 37.  Flash of Black

Chapter 38.  The Voyage Home

Epilogue

About the Author

Prologue

WE ALL HAVE A SIDE of us that we don’t let others see.  A side that we keep hidden in the shadows.  Some people spend their whole lives denying that their shadow world exists, while some learn to accept it as a part of who they are.  Yet others embrace it with welcoming arms and choose to be only shadows. 

There is something in the veil of near darkness that allows the mind to be free in a way that sunshine never can.  Those who cannot walk soon find that they can fly.  And someone close to despair and loneliness may be rescued by an unexpected love. 

But we forget sometimes how quickly you can fall from the light, and how difficult it can be to find your way back once you let the shadows in.

We often think that we can handle a life of both light and dark without changing who we are. 

But I know better. 

Part One

Chapter 1.  These Dreams of Mine

THE ALARM ON MY PHONE buzzed annoyingly, but I had already been lying awake for what seemed like hours.  The sunshine, finally cresting the tree line behind my house, flooded in suddenly through my open window.  I winced and turned my head away from the blinding light. 

The sun was warm on my face, like the feeling of a blanket fresh out of the dryer.  But for the first time in my life, it was of little comfort.  Once upon a time in a life that seemed so far away, a little bit of sunshine would have cured anything.  But that was then, and this was now. 

Now my nights were haunted memories, and my days were filled with the knowledge that everything around me was a façade.

Only a few short months ago I had become part of a very secret few who knew the truth about our world – that we aren’t alone, that monsters are real, and that humans are most certainly not on the top of the food chain as we have always believed. 

I rubbed my forearm softly, where the evidence of bruises was beginning to fade.  It hadn’t taken long for this new world and its secrets to leave their mark on me. 

I arched my back and stretched my arms, trying to convince my lazy limbs to be more productive.  Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I rolled my head side to side and slowly allowed the comforts of my little bedroom to surround me.  The white linen curtains with small daisies embroidered on top, the mounds of school books on my old oak desk, the map hung on the wall with the pin points of previous places I had called home over the last sixteen years.  I realized ruefully that I hadn’t added one for this latest hometown of mine. 

My dad had moved us to the town of Ruine, NC only a few short months ago, taking up a teaching position in the newly re-opened Ruine University.  And I had been less than thrilled with the move, even though its wild backdrop was on the doorstep of the Appalachian Mountains.  I still wasn’t entirely convinced, but things were a bit different now.

And there was one reason for that.  Connor Kingsley. 

I brought Connor’s face to mind, his green eyes shining like the evergreens outside my window.  His lopsided grin and tousled hair, which coordinated well with his confidence and wild nature, had brought some much-needed adventure to my life.  Our unusual friendship had quickly turned into much more.  And in so doing he had unexpectedly helped to sow the seeds of permanence in my nomadic heart. 

I breathed deeply and let everything else fade away.  The peaceful moment was brief as a fierce gust of cool mountain air blew in through the open window, shaking me violently from my daydream.  A chill crawled through my spine and my arms covered involuntarily in goose bumps. 

I shuffled lazily to the window and reached up to close it, shivering again in the early autumn breeze.  That was strange.  I was sure I hadn’t left my window open last night.  I peered outside, checking the window for damage or signs of a malfunction. 

Something caught my eye and made me pause.  A shadow passed slowly through the back forest, moving from one tree to another.  Then it paused, waving a long shadowy arm as if beckoning to me. 

The shadow beckoned again.  I hesitated.  After all, I of all people should know better than to follow a shadow without knowing where it leads. 

I locked the window.  Then I grabbed my jacket and tiptoed downstairs and out the back door.

The sun glinted over the distant mountain tops, making the hills shine like gemstones.  Wrapping my jacket tighter around me, I took the last step from our well-manicured lawn into the obscurity of the bordering forest.  I smiled rebelliously and turned slowly through the shaded trees, expecting to meet a pair of emerald green eyes.

Connor Kingsley had been a chance meeting.  And I had known from the instant I met him that he wasn’t your average ordinary teenage boy.  But there had been no way of knowing just how unordinary he was. 

Connor?  Where are you?  I called out softly, turning in circles so he couldn’t sneak up on me.  The trees around me blew in response and the light seemed to dim, but the owner of the shadow did not appear.  Connor, you know I don’t like surprises, I snickered anxiously. 

Still no answer.

Okay, I squeaked as my nerves began to get the better of me, this is becoming less funny.  Better come out or I’m heading back.  And I’m marking this one down as an epic fail on your part.

The wind howled again through the trees as if to answer me, making my light auburn curls flutter around my pale face. 

I waited for another moment, but only the howling wind answered.

My heartbeat began to race, so I made good on my threat and spun around to head back home.  The way home was gone though.  In its place, the forest was now shrouded in a deep dimness.  I could see no further than three feet away, let alone my house. 

I chose a direction and took off in a panic.  My heart kept pace with my legs as I weaved between the trees.  Tree after tree passed as I sprinted, and the howls and whines of the woods surrounded me until my head was whirling.  I changed direction every ten feet or so, my internal compass spinning in desperation. 

I tried to use the sky but could not see through the canopy.  I resumed what I thought was my initial bearing.  The backyard I was hoping to see any minute was nowhere to be found.  It didn’t matter how fast or far I ran, the only thing that stood before me was an unending darkness.  I stopped in a small clearing.  No exit, no yard, no light, no hope. 

I dropped down against an old oak tree, squeezed my eyes shut and covered my ears in an effort to silence the sound of my heartbeat hammering in my ears.  How could I have been so stupid?  How many times would it take me to learn the same lessons?  And yet every time I get the chance I go following the darkness, so willingly, without thought or reason. 

A strange scent wafting in on a sudden breeze made me straighten unconsciously.  I opened my eyes as the goose bumps spread over me and a shiver raced down my spine.  It was a familiar scent.  The scent of something putrid and rotten.  Something from a memory that had not yet been buried. 

Before I could make a move, sharp arm-like manacles reached out from behind the tree and wrapped around me.  They dug at my back and twisted around me so that I could barely move.  The more I fought, the tighter they became. 

I tried to calm my panic since it wasn’t helping.  Perhaps if I stopped resisting they would loosen enough for me to escape.  They did no such thing though.  Instead, what had initially felt like course grit sand paper became suddenly loose and slippery to the touch, like a peach without its skin. 

Then, from out of the dim, a familiar silver mist crept along the forest floor, through the surrounding trees.  It reached up and covered my feet until I couldn’t see my shoes.  I kicked violently and resumed my attempts to twist free.  The mist continued to move upward over my legs, and as it rose a strange feeling spread through my consciousness.  My fight became less and less until I didn’t even realize that I had stopped moving. 

Eventually I was bathed in nothing but a pool of hopelessness.  It felt like there was a lead weight around my ankle and no matter how much I tried to move I could barely pick up my feet. 

There you are, came a deep voice, sneering and somewhat amused.  I found you.  Ha ha ha ha.  I have found you at last.

I sat up quickly in my bed and tried to slow my shallow breaths.  The arms were gone.  I was in my room.  Everything was there... the curtains, the books, the map, and the heap of clothes I hadn’t folded. 

It wasn’t real.  It was only a dream.  It had all been a dream. 

I shook my head violently, forced the visions of my nightmare from my mind and braved the daylight seeping in through the open window.

My over enlarged imagination had been getting the best of me lately.  And was it any wonder?  When you’ve seen the things that I have and know what I now know, real life becomes difficult to discern from the nightmares.  And they were only getting worse.

Okay, let’s try this again, I mumbled.

I rose from my bed with confidence, but my mind stirred, making me sit back down.  Something wasn’t quite right.  My forearms lit up in little bumps, making my hair stand on end.  Suddenly I returned focus on the open window, curtains flapping softly in the breeze.

My heartbeat began to gallop again, and I seriously considered pinching myself to double check.  I was becoming increasingly more concerned about my state of consciousness and overall mental health.  I was pretty sure I wasn’t sleeping this time though.

Something tingled through my veins and I didn’t think it was the breeze.  I froze in midair as something in my peripheral stirred.  The dark figure that had been standing quietly in the corner of my room raced in an invisible flash to the edge of my bed.

He covered my mouth tightly before it was allowed to gasp.  I panicked and lashed out to hit him.

It’s me.  It’s all right, Connor whispered softly in my ear.  Sorry to frighten you, he released his grip and uncovered my mouth.

What on earth were you doing?  You scared me! I hit his shoulder and then promptly rubbed my instantly sore knuckles.  I had once compared him to a marble statue and that wasn’t too far off.

I was watching you, he said simply.  I didn’t want to wake you.

I propped up further against my pillows and wiped my eyes, trying again to massage them to life. 

Well, it isn’t exactly the most pleasant way to wake up, I said admonishingly.  A phantom figure standing there watching you.  Good grief.

He snorted at that, but then I saw his eyes go suddenly black as they rested on my chest.  I inched back instinctively and tried to put my racing heart in check.

Sorry, he whispered with a grin as his eyes lightened again.

Connor was not an amateur.  He had been untouchable for over 200 years.  Exactly how long, he couldn’t remember.  He knew how to control himself around humans.  But I had seen it there in his face... a hesitation and tenseness, even more than usual.  It was not like him and it did not help to give me comfort. 

I looked up at him, the solid features of his face relaxing as he grinned down at me.  A flutter rose up inside my stomach like butterflies being released from captivity. 

Connor’s eyes were nearly all green today in the morning light, the color of a deep-sea moss that I had once played with on the beaches of California.  We had only known each other for a few brief months.  And only a fraction of that time had I known about him, his family and his secret.  That he was a vampire. 

You were dreaming again, weren’t you? he asked suddenly.  About the creatures?

I hugged my knees and nodded.

Yes, I admitted, my own façade crumbling under his gaze. 

I decided to withhold the particulars of this latest version of my nightly drama.  He nodded, and his brow furrowed ever so slightly.  I wish I was as good at hiding what I was feeling. 

I am sorry Elizabeth.

I loved how he always used my full name.  Most everyone else called me Lissie, which I liked just fine.  But there was something in the deliberate way he said my name that gave some sort of importance or meaning that I never imagined it could have.

It’s not your fault, I shrugged instinctively to his apology.

Somewhere very deep down though there was this feeling that I had been trying to suppress since it all happened – that perhaps it was partly his fault.  The memory of being chased through dark forests and then waiting alone, listening to the sounds of violence and monsters was still too fresh in my mind.

Connor took my hands in his and traced the outline of my fingers with his thumb.  His hands were so strong.  I knew that if he wanted he could crush every bone in my hand as easy as crumpling a piece of paper. 

Maybe it is though, he continued matter-of-factly.  "If not for me and my kind perhaps none of this would have happened.  If I were normal.  For the first time in my life, that thought drives me crazy.  No matter how hard I pretend it doesn’t." 

I shook my head with a smile and buried my feelings further. 

I knew you weren’t normal from the very beginning, and that’s why I liked you so much.  We’re in this together now, like it or not, I leaned forward and rested my head on his shoulder.  So not that I am not excited to see you, but what are you doing here? I probed.

The smile on his face wiped away quickly and he shifted closer to me. 

I have to go away, he started, and I frowned instantly.  Only for a couple of weeks.  And, no, I cannot tell you where.  Ethan insisted.  For your protection.

Yeah, right, I objected quietly.

Connor’s adoptive vampire family, particularly his opinionated father, was not very fond of me.  After my near-death encounter from what could only be classified as zombies at the moment, his mother Emeline had been somewhat nice, or at least a bit more understanding.  But Ethan remained distant and inhospitable as ever.  I really didn’t care anymore what they thought.  The problem was that I knew Connor did.

Ok, can you at least tell me why? I bargained.

We have been trying our best to get in contact with friends all over the States and warn them about the creatures we encountered.  And of the deaths, if they have not yet heard. 

Five vampires had now been confirmed dead, each hunted down and extinguished.  Regina Fletcher was the first.  Her car was triggered with an explosive and burst into flames as soon as she turned the key.  She used to dance with Connor’s sister, Lorelei, in the Danish ballet when they lived in Copenhagen.  Another friend, Deidre Parker, was killed after her house had been set afire.  And then there was Georgiana and Rokus Pavlova, and just last week a friend from St. Louis, Brian McNealy.  The Kingsleys still had no idea why or who was behind these atrocities, only that they were singling out vampires and the cause of death was always the same.  Fire. 

Ethan is on a mission to get answers.  And it turns out that two of our close relations may have some news, but they are too afraid to come out of hiding.  So, we must go to them, he finished.

I understand, I said supportively, though the thought of Connor being gone for an unknown amount of time was thoroughly depressing. 

In their search for answers, Ethan had already dragged Connor and his brothers, Julian and Riley, all over the South East trying to track down the zombie creatures that had attacked me in the forest.  Ethan was over 600 years old and even he had no idea what they were.  Which, to be honest, was a little unnerving. 

Ulysses, the gray cat I had found stray in my new backyard, scrambled in through the door and, seeing Connor, froze in alarm.  He arched his back and bared all his teeth menacingly.

Ulysses would you knock that out! I yelled in a hushed voice.  I turned back to Connor and shook my head in tired exasperation.  Cats are supposed to be fine around vampires.  So, it must be that he simply hates your guts. 

I had given up trying to control Ulysses’ behavior around Connor, which had always been the most fervent of distrust and dislike.

Well, maybe he isn’t a cat at all, Connor teased.  Plenty of legends out there about animals.  Some can transform.  Some are used to protect against evil.  Cats seemed to be the animal of choice in several of those cases.  Maybe someone knew you would be silly enough to run into the likes of me, he leaned in and pretended to bite the side of my neck.

Ha-ha, very funny.  Just what I need, I eyed my little gray friend, wondering.  Well, some good he is anyway.  You’re still here.

You bet, he smirked.

Connor, I said a bit more seriously.  Please be careful while you’re away.  And please come back.

I’ll be back soon.  And Lorelei and Lucinda will be keeping an eye on the town while we’re away.

I rather wished he hadn’t told me that last part.  Connor’s sister, Lorelei, was not the issue.  She and Julian had been our only two supporters from the start and, after fighting side by side in the forest, she and I had become somewhat close.  But the thought of the beautiful Lucinda, the cousin who had moved in with the Kingsleys and been nearly betrothed to Connor, was like rubbing salt into an open festering wound.

Don’t do anything irrational, he said with a warning eye. 

Like what exactly? I leaned away, slightly defensive.

Like walk into some dark woods during the middle of a disappearance crisis and almost get yourself killed.

Oh.  Well, when you say it like that, I looked up out of the corner of my eye, like a child who has been caught in the middle of the act.  But I already told you.  It wasn’t me.  I know it was technically me, but it felt like this other person from deep within.  It wasn’t until I was in the forest when I finally realized where I was.  I swear.

He didn’t answer right away and eyed me with a quiet and fleeting curiosity.

Well, just be safe.  So I know you’ll be here when I get back.

Deal, I replied.

And with that, I watched Connor disappear into the waning darkness of another early October dawn.

Chapter 2.  Making Plans

AFTER MY DISTURBING string of morning wake-up calls, it was everything I could do to force myself to get ready.  I dressed, washed my face and pulled my frightening Medusa locks into a more manageable pony tail.  The floor boards were cool on my bare feet this morning as I squeaked down the aged wooden steps.  Something about the coolness and coming change of season helped to lift my spirits a bit.

I smelled coffee brewing which meant that my mom was already downstairs.  It was funny how that seemed to calm my still rattled nerves a bit. 

Mom and I had hit a rough patch during the last couple of years.  A gifted neurosurgeon, and all-around do-gooder, she was often far from home either saving lives or spreading knowledge.  She tried to stay current with my life, and I always had Dad, but I still had selfishly felt abandoned for most of my recent teenage years.  This place had been a chance to rebuild a lot of that and make up for time lost.   

Good morning sunshine, she smiled from the sofa where she sat reading, feet tucked under her like a child and her light brown hair tied up in an unruly bun.

Morning Mom.  Mmmm, the coffee smells great.

Only way to start the day as far as I’m concerned.

I grabbed a mug from the kitchen cabinet.  Hey, you fixed the cabinet door.  It doesn’t sound like nails on a chalkboard when you open it anymore.

Much better, isn’t it?

Definitely.  One down and only a hundred and fifty more fixes to go, I jested, and she rolled her eyes theatrically.

The house my parents bought when we moved to Ruine only a few short months ago, had been abandoned for years and had seen much better days.  Not too unlike the town, come to think of it.  There was something though that they fell in love with instantly, despite the TLC it needed.  I couldn’t understand it at first.  Why anyone would want a house so old and unloved.  But that was very much my parents’ personalities – anything can be saved with a little elbow grease. 

Before I was born, my parents used to spend their vacations travelling the world and helping where they could.  Mom would join the local Red Cross or hospital and Dad would teach history and English.  I looked at my mom and it suddenly made me feel very unworthy.  She had done so much.  What had I done?

Um, I shook away the self-doubt, you think Dad can drive me to school today?  Connor is out of town with his family again.

She gave me one of those looks that moms do, as if she knew there was something I wasn’t telling her and sooner or later she would pull it from me. 

I’m sure he can, as long as you’re ready to go and don’t make him wait.  She glanced back at the page in her book.  Everything still going okay with that Connor of yours?  He seems to be away a lot lately.

Everything’s great Mom, I raised an eyebrow challenging.  He has some family business.  There was a death in the family recently.

Oh, she looked up at that.  I am sorry.  I didn’t realize.  Well, I hope everything is okay.

We’re fine, I smiled lightly.

This time it was she who raised the eyebrow.

I meant with his family.  But yes, that too.

I blushed and awkwardly grabbed my water bottle from the counter.

Okay, got to run before I’m late.  Have a great day Mom.

You too.

I turned around but felt the burn of her gaze on my back.  There was nothing I could tell her that would calm the worry I knew remained in them.

The day dragged on and on after that.  That was the thing about being a girl who was now part of an extraordinary world but forced to remain bound to a completely ordinary existence.  Every day in the real world felt like trudging through three feet of mud while wearing weights around your ankles.  When your head is filled with vampire drama, memories of paranormal battles, and a somewhat fragile new romance, trigonometry and 11th grade physics can’t really compete.

So, Connor’s out of town again? Alex Wallard asked casually, leaning up against the lockers and jolting me from my thoughts.  You can ride with me.  Ah, if you want to, he blushed slightly.  I pick Sara up at seven, and you’re just up the street from her.

Sara Beasley, the brown-haired freshman who had become a genuine friend of mine, had started driving with Alex in my absence.  But now that my other chauffeur was busy traversing the wild unknown, riding with Alex again was a welcome alternative.  I pictured Connor’s face and the grimace he’d wear if he knew. 

Sure, I closed my locker and turned toward Alex decisively.  After all, Alex was my first friend in this small town.  And we’d had some rocky times after he found out I was dating Connor Kingsley.  But, Connor wasn’t here.

Cool, he smiled wide.  See you at lunch.

Yeah, see you later.  I took a deep breath and started off to my next class.

Class after class, I tried to focus and keep my head in the world around me.  It was so strange sometimes to watch everyone carrying on as if everything were completely normal. 

The hardest part was that every day was a reminder that I was completely alone in this new reality.  I’m sure there were others out there like me.  Others who knew the truth.  But it is a very lonely club, and except for my crazy Professor colleague, Osgood Ogleby, I had no one else to confide in.  I wanted so badly to talk to Sara or Alex.  But I knew I couldn’t.  I hadn’t expected how heavy the weight of secrets could become.  I wondered sometimes if I was strong enough to handle it all.  At this point though, I’m not sure I have a choice.

Lissie Lockheart, Mr. Ferzerelli said a little louder.  I’m sure that daydream was pretty awesome, but unfortunately if the rest of us have to be here, then so do you.

Ah, sorry, I said, embarrassed as my cheeks burned bright red.

So, as I was saying, he carried on, turning back to the chalkboard.  If we divide by the square root of...

I stared back out the window and waited for the bell of freedom. 

What do you think Lissie? Sara Beasley leaned close to my right ear, waking me from my thoughts at lunch.  I think it’s a bit odd.

What is?

It seems like just the other night the news channels were talking about how they were still investigating the abductions and digging up new disappearances.  But then today there is no record of it anywhere.  It’s like they’ve forgotten there was anything going on.

Only a few short weeks ago the whole town had been caught up in the mystery of missing persons.  At least three had gone missing from our own town, and many more from surrounding areas.  There was still a bit of small talk here and there, but for the most part it was as if nothing had ever happened. 

I grinned at the small, quietly brilliant girl who lived down the street from me.  Of all the people who might have noticed that something didn’t seem right, I should have known that Sara Beasley would be the one.  While other kids were talking about upcoming fall dances or college football, Sara was watching the news and questioning our surroundings.  It was difficult to remember sometimes that she was two years my junior.  I smiled at her honest face, glad to have at least one person in this town who truly felt kindred.

I know what you mean, I shrugged slightly, trying to be nonchalant.  It does seem strange.

I silently suspected that Ethan Kingsley had a lot to do with it.  He is what is referred to as a mind mender, which means he can alter someone’s memories.  He can change them and make the person remember things that had never happened.  I suspected he had used this power to cover up our interlude in the forest and all the talk about missing persons. 

I was now confident that the monsters that had attacked me were connected with all of the disappearances.  I had recognized at least one of them, a girl who went to my school and whose face had been plastered all over the news for weeks.  There was no mistaking it.  What I wasn’t sure of is how they came to be.  Was it some unfortunate accident?  Was there a new monster hanging around?  Or was there someone who created them?  And, if so, why? 

Mind menders or not, I didn’t know how long it would last before someone besides Sara and I finally took notice.  And what that might mean for Ruine’s resident vampire family.

The following week of school continued like all the others during my junior year at Ruine High so far.  In some ways it was a relief.  Sometimes living in this middle of nowhere town was an escape of sorts.  It made it difficult to dwell on heavier worries hiding in the back of my mind.

Fall was officially here and everyone at school buzzed with conversations about apple season or hiking trips. 

Okay, so you’re both in for this weekend’s trip to Heartland’s Orchard? Alex asked excitedly, backing his little coupe out of my driveway for the morning drive to school.

Yes, I’m good, said Sara Beasley with a smile toward the driver.  My parents said I can go.  If I am back before dinner, Sara continued.

Perfect! Alex celebrated, causing a little red flush to rise up the sides of Sara’s cheeks.

I eyed Sara in surprise.  Her parents weren’t usually the type to allow her to travel far and they were particularly odd about her adventures in the mountains.  This usually meant that she was relegated to group activities close to town. 

So, what about you Lissie? smiled Alex, eying me in the rear-view mirror.

Ah, I don’t know yet.  I had some things I needed to do around town.  And someone I need to visit, I thought darkly to myself.

Professor Osgood Ogleby, the crazy German professor who had been secretly giving me an introductory course in ancient magic, was not entirely in my good graces at the moment.  My recent near-death experience had too many similarities to things no one else should know.  And my suspicion had been increasing ever since.  I had every intention of visiting the Professor at the first opportunity. 

Alex’s face changed in an instant as the disappointment flooded his features. 

Oh, well, next time then, he looked away quickly and started fiddling with the radio.  Sara leaned over covertly.

Please say you’ll come, Lissie.  My parents only said yes because I told them I was going with you and a couple other girls from school.

Ah!  My Spidey senses were right again!  I saw the honest, desperate plea in her eye.  I knew she might be rebel enough for little white lies, but she wouldn’t push it too far.  So, without me, her chance at the trip was over.

Well, I considered, feeling the stares of my two companions even as I looked away outside my window.  I guess my errands can wait another week.  When are we leaving? I smiled at Sara and she jumped with uncontrollable excitement, her soft brown braids swinging behind her. 

All right! shouted Alex as he narrowed in on a song and thumbed along happily on his steering wheel.

I shook my head discreetly.  It wasn’t like I had never had friends before.  Even though I was a borderline nomad, I generally made friends easily.  But there had never really been anyone who stuck.  No one I had ever been super close to, or who could withstand the eventual long-distance separation.  This was the first time I really felt like that could be possible.  Though I was finally hoping that wouldn’t be my fate. 

I breathed deeply while looking out the window as the bricks of Ruine High came into view.  Then I thought of a little house in the middle of the woods.  My visit to Osgood Ogleby would have to wait a bit longer.

Aww, look girls.  Little Lassie is here.  What’s that girl?  Timmy is missing? Sheila Gilbert teased viciously while her posse of popular seniors laughed or barked rudely behind her.  "Oh, there he is Lassie," she added as Alex came up behind me. 

Oh, ha-ha, so original Sheila, Alex defended.  You’re not fooling anyone by the way.  We all know you are threatened by anyone else who can put more than three words together in a sentence.  What happens when that pretty face of yours starts to fade I wonder, Alex retorted bravely.

Sheila’s face reddened and the girls around her looked nervous, not sure what to do for their pack leader.

Better look in the mirror Wallard.   Pretty easy for you to fade from everyone’s memory.  Even Lassie here only hangs with you as her backup.  Come on girls.  We’ll be late for class and have to hear our lunatic principal try to deafen us with his bell. God, I can’t wait to get out of this town.  Sheila slammed her locker emphatically and pushed past us.

I looked at Alex’s face as he watched her go, cheeks reddened with anger and eyes burning invisible holes into the back of her perfectly blonde head.

Thanks, I nudged his arm with mine.  I don’t want you getting caught up in my little feud though. She doesn’t bother me.  Not really.  I’m fine to ignore her.

Alex snapped out of whatever reverie he was in.  It looked like he was trying to will the universe into befalling some tragedy upon Sheila, and it was an odd sensation, but I actually pitied her for a second.  It was a very brief second, albeit.

Don’t worry about it.  People like that shouldn’t think they’re better than others.  Especially someone like you, he added with a mixture of softness and self-doubt.

Well, thanks anyway.  And don’t believe anything she said about you either.  Anyway, there will always be people like Sheila.  She only hates me because of Brad Weston.  It’s the stupidest thing ever.

Well, stupid and Brad Weston go hand in hand, Alex grinned

I thought as the year progressed things would improve regarding the brawny senior, Brad Weston.  I figured after a few weeks he would tire of his game and move his attentions elsewhere.  But his strange interest in me had not ceased.  He was incredibly handsome, popular, and the stuff that girl’s dreams are made of.  But one painful conversation with him had been enough for me. 

If not eventual boredom, I figured that my new relationship with an infamous Kingsley would finally drive Brad’s attention away.  I was wrong again though.  And not only did it make me uncomfortable, but it was the reason for Sheila’s festering hatred toward me. 

Ugh, creative writing was my favorite class, but they’ve ruined it! I complained, leaning up against the lockers, waiting for Alex to gather his things after the last bell.  Having to be in the same room with both Brad and Sheila has made it 50 minutes of near torture.  And there’s something extra weird about him lately, I considered aloud, mostly to myself. 

Who? Alex replied with a smirk.

Brad.  Something’s up.  It has been for the past few weeks, but I’ve been too... preoccupied to really catch the difference.  You couldn’t think it was possible, but he is even more pompous than usual.  He comes into class and immediately flashes me the brightest smile he can manage.  It is a pretty great smile I must admit, and if I didn’t know who he was I might be flattered.  Instead, I just sink down in my seat and then try to take cover from Sheila Gilbert’s ensuing repugnant glares. 

I realized suddenly that Alex had paused getting things out of his locker and was lost in thought.  Stupid Lissie. 

Sorry, I shouldn’t be whining about my problems.  Especially about Brad.

Brad Weston is an idiot and I could care less about him, said, finally shutting his locker.  He is good at needing and then forgetting people when it is convenient.  I just don’t want him to do that to you.

His words hung a little heavy in the air and I let them hang there.  We turned from the lockers and followed the cattle line out of the school.

So, I broke the silence casually on the way to his car.  "Why do you hate him so much?  Brad, I mean.  I’m certainly not a fan, but you have a very distinct loathing that kind of bubbles out when he’s around."

Well, we used to be best friends actually.  He saw the surprise on my face but pretended not to notice.  T-ball, little league, camping trips and all that.  In elementary school we were pretty much inseparable, even though we were in different grades.  But then he went off to middle school and once I got there a year later things had changed.  He hit puberty and decided that he was too cool for school.  He learned to love the popularity and when the dorky teacher’s kid showed up expecting to hang he had to save his reputation.

So, he stopped being your friend, I guessed aloud.

"Yup.  And the best way to do it was by quickly, and very publicly I might add, removing any shred of evidence that we were friends.  One of his new friends tripped me in the hall on my first day of school and then stepped on my glasses.  When I asked Brad for help he acted as if he didn’t know me.  And it only got worse from there.  Needless to say, the old fire of friendship was extinguished.  Been like that ever since."

I threw my backpack into the backseat of Alex’s coupe.  My friendship with Alex had torn after I started dating Connor.  I thought back to all those days of screening his phone calls and ignoring him publicly as I headed out to Connor’s motorcycle.  A flood of regret and shame covered me all at once, like a tsunami tearing through a village of straw buildings.  And the worst part was that I now had something in common with Brad Weston.

The silence was deafening as we climbed into the coupe.  I imagined what must be running through Alex’s mind.  Forgotten memories of being rejected and abandoned by those you trusted, just because of who you are.  I remembered the face of the nervous boy, who had picked me up on my first day of school and had brought me into his circle without hesitation or judgement.  I thought about all the times I had seen Alex stand up for me or someone else who was being picked on, regardless of embarrassment or bullying.  Brad Weston hadn’t ruined him.  On the contrary, he had made him stronger.  He had helped make him the person he was today. 

So, I grinned, trying to clear the awkwardness we both felt.  I didn’t know you used to wear glasses.

Seriously? he burst with a genuine laugh, resting his head on his steering wheel.  That’s what you got out of that?  This is why you never answer Mr. Petersen’s questions correctly.  You only hear one sentence out of the whole lecture.  He laughed again, and I shrugged, no bother denying since what he said was in fact the truth.  Well, now you know the reason I don’t wear them anymore.  And, Lissie Lockheart, if you ever breathe that story to another living soul, I will... he paused.

You’ll what? I challenged, leaning in closer to him with a mocked sinister smile.

I don’t know.  But I’ll think of something good.

His eyes sparkled again and we both broke down in laughter.

And in our laughter, I felt that last bit of tension between us fade away.  As unlikely as it may seem, Brad Weston ended up being the thread to stitch us back together. 

Before I had the chance to think of something else to say, the car door opened, and Sara scooted in the back seat.

What’s going on? she questioned with a sweet smile.  One look back and forth between the two of us and she realized quickly that she had stepped into the middle of a private moment. 

Nothing, I laughed quietly.  "Just reminiscing."

Oh, she said meekly, eyes resting on Alex’s face in the rear-view mirror.

Sara was very quiet on the drive home and didn’t say much as she shut the door behind her.  I wasn’t exactly sure why. I guess she was feeling like the third wheel.  I couldn’t be too upset though because I was still reveling in the fact that my friendship with Alex had been repaired.  I hoped it would last this time.

As Friday began to float by I felt suddenly very guilty, realizing I hadn’t thought about Connor for days. 

So, when he finally came back home I was more than a little relieved to see him.

We rode up to the Lofty Lookout for old time’s sake and then flew over to our favorite spot on Connor’s mountain from there. 

The cave and mountain clearing had been our favorite place to go ever since he had first told me his secret.  Connor had a couple very rare talents that were not all together normal for his kind.  In addition to being able to control the elements like rain and snow, he could also fly.  I had done some secret digging in Professor Ogleby’s personal library, but I could find nothing about that particular natural.  There were a few legends, but they were very old and not very well documented.  Anything related to flying had more to do with the hokey tales of vampires turning into bats.  I remembered something that Connor had told me once though... that most legends were based, at least some part, in truth.  So maybe