
Bound by Secrets

A Shohala Falls Novel

by

Elaine Pierson
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

BOUND BY SECRETS

**First edition. June 15, 2015.**

Copyright (C) 2015 Elaine Pierson.

Written by Elaine Pierson.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

# Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Books by Elaine Pierson

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Bound by Truth

Bound by Truth | Available Now!

# Books by Elaine Pierson

Summer's Curse

Lacey Hannigan Series:

Growl

Change

Redemption

Shohala Falls Series:

Shohala Falls (novella)

Bound by Secrets (book 1)

Coming Soon:

Bound by Truth (book 2)

Bound by Destiny (book 3)

This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to real events, people or places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination.

Visit the author's website: elainepierson.com for info on upcoming books or contact Elaine at pierson.elaine@yahoo.com

# Chapter One

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Blood rained down on me as I sat in the middle of a once green field that was now bathed in red. I stared out at the hundreds of mutilated corpses that surrounded me. My eyes fell on one face in particular and a gut-wrenching scream exploded from my lungs. Nolan's pale, lifeless eyes were looking at me, blaming me for taking away his soul. My heart clenched painfully at the accusation. I shook my head frantically in denial and screamed out loud, hoping to force the scene in front of me away.

Suddenly, I sat bolt upright in bed, beads of sweat rolled down the side of my face as I turned on the lamp by the bed and did a quick survey of my surroundings to make sure I was in my room and safe. Satisfied that none of the monsters had followed me out of the dream, I let out several deep breaths to calm my shaky nerves. My nightmare lingered in my mind, wiping away any thought I had of going back to sleep. I laid back down and tried not to think about the horrible images in my head.

You'd think I would be used to them by now, after all, I've been having them my entire life, but I've never gotten used to the terror they cause. Each one scares the hell out of me. When I was younger, they were so bad that I would go days without sleep, which often left me feeling weak and exhausted. Over time, I learned ways to deal with the sleepless nights.

My favorite coping mechanism was daydreaming. I would spend hours laying in bed wondering what it would be like to go to bed at night in my own room and wake up in someone else's, living their life. My musing's kept me awake most nights and I was thankful for the distraction.

However, if I had known then that my thoughts would one day become reality, I would have scrubbed the daydreams from my mind with the most abrasive brush I could find, because for the last three months that's exactly how I've felt... like I woke up one morning living someone else's life.

It sounds crazy and that's pretty much what my Aunt Meg says every time I mention it, but no matter how hard I try to push the thought away, it's always there. The feeling that the life I'm living isn't my own haunts me all the time. I often find myself wondering exactly whose life I'm trapped in if it isn't my own. That's a question so far I haven't found the answer to.

Up until a few months ago I knew who I was and while I have never been truly happy, I was at least somewhat content in my life. But that was before I started having a strange feeling that something was missing. Like there is a part of myself that I can't get to. Something deep down inside me, out of my reach. Crazy, right?

As a senior who is about to start my final year of high school, I should be having the time of my life. Freedom from my aunt's ever-growing list of rules is closer than ever. The Fall formal dance is just around the corner and I'm fairly confident someone will ask me to go. Unfortunately, I know without a doubt it won't be the one guy I wish would ask.

To top off all the excitement of beginning my senior year, there's all the parties that are popping up everywhere. It's as if every senior at Stokes High is determined to see who can throw the wildest-get-the-cops-called-to-their-house kind of party, and I've been invited to most of them. But no matter how many invites I get or how close to freedom I am, I just can't seem to be happy about it.

With the strange feelings inside me growing stronger every day, I'm more worried about what's happening to me than going out looking for party dresses. It's at times like this that I wish my mom was still alive. I don't really remember much about her, I was only three when both of my parents were killed in a car crash. But I like to think that if my mother was alive, she would know what was wrong with me and how to fix it.

Thinking of my mom, I instinctively touched the charm bracelet on my wrist that she had made for me when I was born. I looked down at the multitude of charms that dangled from the bracelet and instantly missed the woman I never really got the chance to know.

If it wasn't for my mom's sister taking me in after the accident that I somehow managed to survive, I probably would have ended up in an orphanage somewhere. And it's for that reason alone that I put up with my aunt's extreme overprotectiveness. I know she loves me and means well, but I think losing my mom made her afraid of the world and everything in it.

When I was little, Aunt Meg never let me out of her sight. She kept me hidden from the world and wouldn't even allow me go to public school until a few years ago when I demanded to be freed from the isolation of homeschooling and living on a remote country farm, miles and miles away from anything that resembled a city. Even though I wasn't the only child in the house, I still felt alone most of the time. And out of place.

I grew up with Alyse Lenox and her brother, Nolan. Aunt Meg had taken them in around the same time she adopted me. During our childhoods, they never talked much about their real parents and I never felt the need to ask them anything. To me, they were simply new members of my family and I was glad to have them. And even though they were completely against moving to the city and tried to dissuade me many times, I was able to convince my aunt to relocate our family. It took several months of pleading and begging, but I finally got what I wanted. The chance to be a normal girl and the opportunity to meet new people.

We moved to Stokes, South Carolina four years ago and for a while everything was great. I had my two best friends living with me and I was making new friends. My life was on track to becoming something I hoped I could be happy with. But a year after our move, Nolan suddenly decided that he no longer wanted to live with us. He wanted to be on his own.

To my surprise, he actually convinced Aunt Meg to allow him and Alyse to move into the vacant house next door. They were only fourteen and sixteen at the time. Aunt Meg explained her decision by saying that she had never legally adopted them so she couldn't stop them from moving out even if she wanted to. At first, it was a hard change for me to adjust to, not having them living in the same house was difficult. But over time I learned to deal with the feeling of abandonment that I felt. Now instead of being my roommates, they are my neighbors.

Alyse is seventeen like me, and Nolan, who I've had the biggest crush on for as long as I can remember, is nineteen. Despite the fact that we grew up together, I've never considered him my brother, but more of a guardian. He even told me several times when we were kids that he was my protector. I never really understood what he meant by that. But he has always been there for me whenever I've needed him and sometimes even when I didn't.

Over the years since Nolan moved out, our relationship changed. The closeness we once had as children slowly faded away and an odd love-hate kind of friendship formed between us. It's the complete opposite of what I have with his sister, Alyse, who is still my best friend.

Unfortunately for me though, the puppy-love feelings I had for Nolan when we were younger turned into something more despite the strain on our friendship. I fell in love with him a long time ago. I'm not even sure when exactly it happened. Or why. He's not an easy person to get along with but there is something about him that appeals to me on a level I can't even begin to understand.

I think my feelings for him grew stronger when we used to go on hunting trips together when we were kids and he taught me how to use a bow and arrow. And how to attune my senses to my surroundings...to connect with nature on a level I never thought possible.

Our hunting trips or training sessions as he called them were the only times he ever let his tough guy exterior fade a bit. And occasionally, I got to see a genuine smile on his face when I proved that I was paying attention by following his instructions and bagging a deer or rabbit for dinner.

Or perhaps I fell in love with him because of the way he always stood guard over me while I played, with a look in his eyes that said he would not hesitate to destroy anything or anyone who dared try to hurt me. He was nothing more than a child himself at the time, but he always made me feel so protected and safe.

Whatever it was that made me fall in love with him, I wish I could undo it, because my feelings for him have caused me nothing but pain. I had to learn the hard way that just because I loved him didn't mean he loved me back. It was a painful lesson, but I now know better than to ever cross the friendship line with him again. It didn't go so well the first time.

It was soon after he moved into the house next door, I had to stay after school to work on a project one day and he stayed to walk me home. It was late in the afternoon and the sun had already begun to set. I wasn't paying much attention to where I was walking. I was too busy stealing glances over at Nolan as he talked about football practice and I didn't see the baseball size rock sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Apparently, neither did Nolan.

I tripped over it and was about to fall face first to the ground when thankfully, Nolan grabbed my arm and jerked me upwards before I had a chance to face-plant into the cement. He snatched me backwards so hard that I crashed into his chest with such a force that the air was knocked from my lungs. I had never noticed how strong he was until that day. As I looked up at him in shock and gratitude, I got caught up in the moment and before I realized what I was doing, I kissed him. The reaction I received was not the one I had been hoping for.

His body had instantly tensed. The playfulness he had when we were talking before I fell, vanished in the blink of an eye. He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away roughly. I still to this day remember the way he stared at me with his light blue eyes that for some reason looked silver at that moment. It was obvious he was stunned I had kissed him, but beneath that was something else. Something he instantly pushed away. A stoic expression covered his face as he told me I could never kiss him again, that we were friends and could never be anything more.

My heart broke that day. And for a long time afterwards I avoided Nolan like he had a highly contagious disease. I was embarrassed and hurt from his rejection, but considering that he was one of my closest friends and he lived next door, I eventually had to see him again. And when I did, we both acted as if nothing had happened. Our friendship resumed but it wasn't the same as before. We never talked about the kiss. In a way, I was thankful, but it also hurt to know my kiss was so forgettable.

Over the years afterwards, we both grew up and matured in our own ways. I prefer to think of myself as a somewhat normal teenage girl - that is, when I'm not convinced I'm a pod person living someone else's life. And Nolan - who I've always thought seems older than he is, matured in his own way too... by dating every brainless, clumsy bimbo he could find.

I think that's when our love-hate relationship really started to form. I guess you could say it was my jealousy that started it. It's not easy seeing the man you love with someone else. Unrequited love is a real bitch. Sometimes, it brings out the worst parts of you that you didn't even know existed.

The first time I saw Nolan with another girl, I was so stunned that I think my mouth actually hit the floor. It was just a few days after I had kissed him years ago. He was outside on his porch - that I have a perfect view of from my second floor bedroom window - and he was holding hands with Mitzy Kale, the only ninth grade girl I'd ever met with boobs the size of coconuts. Okay, maybe that's stretching it a little, but you get the point. No A or B cups for her.

I couldn't peel my eyes away from them as I peeked out the window. Mitzy was not the kind of girl I thought Nolan would be interested in and I had a hard time trying to understand what she was doing at his house. That is, until I saw him pull her close to his body and kiss her.

My world stood still as I watched him wrap his arms around her waist and hold her to his chest. That was how he was supposed to have reacted when I kissed him. At the time, I didn't realize I was crying until a salty tear rolled over my top lip and into my mouth. I then closed my eyes and let out a heartbreaking sigh before pulling the curtains closed.

Just as I was about to walk away, a gust of wind blew through the open window, lifting the curtains. Despite my instincts telling me to just walk away and save what was left of my broken heart, I glanced outside once more. To my utter shock, Nolan was staring up at my window. The look on his face was not something I expected. I could have sworn that he looked sad, tortured even, like his heart was hurting just as much as mine. When he saw me looking at him, he quickly dropped his gaze back to Mitzy and whatever I thought I saw on his face, instantly disappeared.

After that day, it was one girl after the next. I honestly don't think there is a girl in all of Stokes, South Carolina that he hasn't dated. Except for me. I will forever be in the friend zone. And over time, I've learned to accept it. At least that's what I tell myself to keep from going crazy. But my feelings for him have never changed despite the fact that I am mostly rude and sarcastic to him now. Attitude is my defense mechanism to hide my true feelings. He owns my heart whether he wants it or not.

I've tried dating other guys to get my mind off of Nolan but it never seems to work out. Whoever coined the phrase 'women are complicated' obviously never spent much time with boys, because they truly are the more complicated of the sexes. I will never understand how a boy can be totally in to me one day, and avoid me like I have the plague the next. But that's exactly what has happened with more than just one of the guys I've dated.

After it happened the first few times, I thought maybe I had done something to scare the guy off. Maybe I talked too much or not enough. Maybe my perfume was too strong, maybe I had food in my teeth. Or maybe I just wasn't pretty enough. Whatever the reason was, I stopped caring after the ninth or tenth guy suddenly lost my number.

Eventually, I stopped dating altogether. I just got tired of the disappointment. It's not like I'm ugly or have a bad attitude. Most people think I'm attractive. Unique-looking is the most common thing said about me. I'm taller than most girls. At six feet four inches, I'm taller than most boys too. My thin body and high cheekbones give me sort of an exotic look. However, my unusually pale complexion and white-blond hair counteracts the exotic image and makes me look more like a very tall porcelain doll. But I think it's my eyes that get the most attention. I've never met another person with silver eyes before. I guess that does make me unique.

Sometimes I stand in front of a mirror for hours just staring into my own eyes. I don't know what it is about them but when I look into my eyes I feel a connection with something that I can't describe. I get the feeling that the person staring back at me isn't the real me. I know, I'm starting to deter back into crazy land, but it was during one of my conceited moments when I had my compact out at lunch and was looking at my eyes when Gary Helms spoke to me for the first time.

To most girls, he wasn't much of a catch but I had had a school girl crush on him for a little while. We shared the same fifth period science class and had a lot in common. Neither of us were into sports or trying to become the most popular kid in school like everyone else. And we didn't care about or get involved with the rumor mill that was constantly on overload. Instead, we both preferred to spend our time studying and preparing for our future. I think we are the only two students in the entire school who have given any thought whatsoever to our lives beyond highschool.

I came out of my self-imposed dating retirement because of Gary. We went on our first date two weeks after the first time he spoke to me and a relationship soon formed. We enjoyed spending time together and ended up dating for several months. I think I was even starting to have real feelings for him. But just like with my previous love interests, he suddenly, out of the blue, decided that I no longer existed.

To say that I was dumbfounded was an understatement. I was angry, confused, shocked and most of all, hurt. I had thought Gary was different but it turned out he was just as screwed up as the other boys in my life. And now, here I sit on the edge of my bed dreading the first day of school of my senior year, where I'll be forced to see happy couples hugging and kissing, enjoying the bliss of highschool love, while I suffer through my loneliness in silence. The weekend didn't last near long enough.

Perhaps it's the lack of a full nights sleep that has me on edge, but the monsters in my nightmare were extra grouchy and cruel last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces. Or at least blurred versions of faces. The only thing that really stood out was the pitch black darkness of their eyes and the blood that dripped from their mouths.

"Kaia Celeste Lenoit! You are going to be late for school if you're not out the door in five minutes" my aunt's voice echoed up the stairs.

The use of my full name showed that she was growing impatient. I blew out a deep sigh and grabbed my book bag from the floor. On my way out, I stopped to take one final look in the mirror over the dresser by the bedroom door. Normal. That's what I saw. A normal, pretty girl. I shook my head, my reflection copied me. "I just don't get it. What is it about me that makes me undateable?"

"Kaia! Now! The bus is leaving!"

Looking to the window that faced the road in front of my house, I saw the bus drive by on its way to the bus stop down the block. "Oh crap!" I ran down the stairs and out the front door as fast as I could but I was too late. The bus had already left the bus stop and turned the corner onto Dupont Street.

I stood on the sidewalk and looked over my shoulder to see my aunt standing on the porch with her hands planted firmly on her thin hips. The disappointed look on her forty - year old face made me feel guilty. She hates driving and to be honest, she isn't very good at it. I gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

She stared at me for a second then shook her head and smiled weakly. "I'll get my keys" she said and reached inside the doorway to grab her purse.

"You know, if you'd let me have a car of my own you wouldn't have to take me to school every time I miss the bus." I flashed my best smile, hoping to win her over even though I knew my effort was in vain. "Actually, you wouldn't have to take me anywhere. I could be a normal teenager and drive myself."

Aunt Meg rummaged through her bag looking for the keys as she made her way over to her car, a red Toyota Corolla. "But I like driving you around. It's the only time we ever get to spend together anymore. Besides, you know how I feel about vehicles, they are so unpredictable. What if you were to have an accident or something?" She didn't even give me a chance to respond before she shook her head and frowned, "No, I can't allow it. Cars are just too dangerous. Your safety is my number one priority."

I let out a long sigh. I'd heard that excuse a hundred times before. I was probably the only senior at my school who didn't have a driver's license. Even Alyse and Nolan knew how to drive and had their own car, but for some reason they preferred to ride the bus with me. Personally, I think they do it out of pity.

Aunt Meg and I were just about to get in the car when I heard laughter coming from the next yard over.

"Looks like sleeping beauty is starting the new school year off right. What happened, Kaia? Did you oversleep again or did you just plan on making a fashionably late appearance in first period today?" Alyse's teasing voice echoed in the morning silence.

I smiled as she and Nolan crossed their lawn, toward me. For the millionth time in my life, I was once again stunned by how different they look from each other. If I hadn't grown up with them I never would have believed they were related, much less sister and brother. They look nothing alike.

Nolan is tall like me with facial features that are well defined and strong. And Alyse is much shorter at barely five feet tall, and her face is more rounded with petite features. The only thing they have in common is their hair color - a beautiful dark brown with natural golden highlights.

"What was it this time, Kaia? A Sparks movie marathon?" Nolan asked and shook his head, playfully. "I swear I don't know what it is about love stories that girls are willing to lose sleep just to stay up all night and watch them. They all end the same way. The girl always gets the boy she's madly in love with."

I met his eyes briefly then quickly glanced away. If only he knew how wrong he was. The girl doesn't always get the boy. Case in point...me. I've been in love with him for years and he has no interest in me whatsoever, other than friendship. It hurts, but that's life. I smiled and turned on the attitude that I often hid my true feelings behind.

"For your information, Nolan, I don't watch sappy love stories. They're misleading and predictable. But hey, it's good to know that you're all caught up on the Sparks movies, I'm sure it will help you score with the girls. But then again, the fact that you can walk and talk at the same time and most of your bimbo girlfriends can't, already helps you score pretty big, huh?"

Alyse laughed out loud and bumped her shoulder into Nolan's side. "She got you on that one."

Nolan nodded as one corner of his mouth lifted into a small grin. "Indeed, she did." He winked at me then turned to my aunt, who was silently watching our exchange of words. "We can take Kaia to school if you let me borrow your car" he said.

"Where's your car?"

"It's in the shop. I have to pick it up this afternoon."

Aunt Meg tossed her keys to him. "Make sure she comes straight home after school."

Nolan nodded in agreement. His dark brown hair was damp and his black shirt was only halfway buttoned. He looked like he had just stepped out of the shower. I tried not to dwell on the thought, but it was really hard not to think about him standing completely nude under a stream of steamy hot water. I caught myself staring at him and quickly looked away.

I turned my attention to Aunt Meg and frowned. "I'm not a baby. I'm a senior in highschool and I don't need a babysitter. I think I can find my way home on my own."

"I know, sweetie. I was just hoping we could spend some time together this afternoon. You're growing up so fast and I want to make the most out of the time I have left with you before you head off to college next year." She came around the front of the car to my side. She frowned and pulled me close for a hug. "Don't deny an old woman the opportunity to spend time with the one person who means the whole world to her." She squeezed me tightly.

I let out a deep breath and hugged her back. I've never been able to stay upset with her for more than a few minutes. She may be overprotective and sometimes even a little crazy, but I know she loves me. "Movie night?" I offered as we released each other, "I hear there's a really good new movie out. Magic Mike." I couldn't help but laugh a little at the thought of seeing my aunt's face when she realizes what kind of movie it is. "It should be um...very interesting."

"Magic Mike, huh? I like magic. I guess we can go see it." Aunt Meg hugged me again then went back inside the house.

"You know she's going to flip her lid when she finds out what that movie is about, don't you?" Alyse said with a lopsided grin.

I shrugged my shoulders like I wasn't worried about her reaction. "I think she needs to see the movie even more than I do. She hasn't had a boyfriend in a very long time. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever seen her with a man."

Nolan tried to hide the smile pulling up one corner of his mouth as he opened the passenger side door for me to get in the car. Always the gentleman, at least when it came to me. I guess there are some perks to being just his friend. Before shutting the door, he leaned on top of it and looked at me as Alyse got in the backseat. "I get why you might want Meg to see that movie, but why do you want to see it?" he asked with curiosity.

It was so hard not to notice how sexy he looked as he leaned over with his shirt partially opened, revealing the tight muscles of his chest. I forced myself to look at his face, but that was even worse. The way his hair hung lazily over his baby blue eyes as he smiled, made my heartbeat intensify to the point that I was sure he could hear it pounding against my ribs.

I desperately needed a distraction. I looked away so that I could think clearly. His question. I needed to answer his question. I let out a deep breath and smiled with just the right amount of attitude, "Why wouldn't I want to see that movie, Nolan? I am a woman, you know. And I like to see well-toned, extremely attractive, half naked men just as much as I know you like to see slutty, trampy, completely clueless women."

The smile on his face vanished as he stared at me with a hard expression. "Is that what you think of me now? That I'm just some bonehead looking to hook up with the easiest girls I can find?" He waited for me to respond but instead of stating the obvious, I just looked at him with a 'duh' expression. Apparently, he got the point and wasn't pleased by my action. He shook his head and stood up straight before shutting the car door.

Once he was behind the wheel, he gave me a brief sideways glance then started the car and backed out of the driveway. The entire ride to school he didn't say one word to me or Alyse, which was unusual for him. I was starting to feel sorry for being so blunt about the kind of women he likes. I guess the old saying 'the truth hurts' has some validity to it after all. As soon as he parked the car in the student parking lot of the school, Nolan jumped out and walked off in in a huff, leaving Alyse and me staring at his back.

"What is his problem? He can't be that mad just because I called him out on the women he dates" I said and looked over the seat to Alyse.

She smiled thinly and shrugged. "Whatever it is, he'll get over it."

Knowing Alyse as well as I do, I can pretty much tell when she's keeping something from me. And the look on her face confirmed my suspicions. I turned my body around in the seat and narrowed my eyes at her. "Do you know what's wrong with Nolan?"

She avoided looking at me as she rummaged through her bag pretending to look for something. I knew that trick. It was one she employed often when she didn't want to answer my questions.

"Alyse" I stretched out her name with a hint of aggravation in my voice.

She dropped her purse to her lap and sighed. "I don't think he likes hearing you talk about boys" she said in a low voice, then added, "Sometimes he forgets you aren't a child anymore."

Annoyed by Alyse's response, my brows furrowed. "Yeah, well he better get used to the fact that I am a woman, who is definitely physically attracted to men." I turned back around in the seat and grabbed my book bag from the floor then faced Alyse again. "Nolan needs to understand that I'm not a kid and he needs stop trying to treat me like one." I opened the door and got out of the car.

A minute later, Alyse eased her hand around my arm and smiled. I knew the gesture was more for my benefit than how she actually felt, but I still appreciated her trying to comfort me. One of her biggest jobs over the last few years has been keeping the peace between her brother and me. She hates it when we're mad at each other. And even though we really are good friends, Nolan and I do fight a lot. Most of the time it's because he tries to control me and tell me what to do. And then, there are the times we fight because of my jealousy. I'll see him with some girl and I'll be in a bad mood for a while, which usually ends with me picking a fight with him.

"Hey, don't worry about Nolan. Okay. I think he's just worried that you'll get with the wrong guy or something. You know how protective he is of you."

"I don't need anyone's protection. I can take care of myself" I scoffed.

Alyse's smile broadened. "I know you can. I haven't forgotten the fighting lessons we engaged in as kids. That right hook of yours is deadly" she teased and glanced toward the school. "We better get to class before the bell rings."

We made our way through the parking lot to the school grounds. I looked around at all the students milling about, talking with their friends. I knew almost everyone I saw, but there were a good number of new faces in the crowd. I was sure that most of the younger students had to be the new freshmen class. And the older ones were most likely transfers from other schools.

Alyse and I had just reached the doors of the school when the bell screamed out at us to hurry up. We sprinted toward our first period classes.

# Chapter Two

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By the time I got to my third period Advanced Literature class, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. Damn my nightmares for keeping me awake all night. Thankfully, that class is one of two that I share with Alyse and she made sure that I didn't nod off. By the end of class my leg ached from where she kept kicking me but at least I wasn't sleepy anymore.

"Why are you so tired? Have you been sneaking out to parties late at night or something?" Alyse asked as we walked to the cafeteria.

I stifled a yawn and shook my head. "No. Just bad dreams."

Alyse looked as if she wanted to delve into a conversation about the monsters in my head. I shot her a sideways glance that warned her to let it go. One of my favorite things about her is that she knows when to push an issue and when not to.

"Maybe tonight will be better" Alyse said with a warm smile, then led the way to the lunch line.

We stared at the concoctions laid out on the metal serving counter. Chicken that looked like last weeks leftovers was not what I had in mind to settle my empty stomach. Alyse and I exchanged brow raising looks and quickly moved along. Not wanting anything that we saw, we ended up getting a couple bags of chips and bottled water. But even the thought of eating that didn't set well with me for some reason.

We had just sat down at our usual table - near the back wall, closest to the door that led to the common area outside - when a friend of mine, Sara Lofton, came rushing over with excitement written all over her flushed, baby face.

"Have you seen them yet?" she asked and flopped down beside me. Her larger than average body bumped into me and nearly knocked me off my stool. Seriously, there should be more than a foot and a half separating each stool attached to the table.

"Seen who?" Alyse asked and tried to stifle her laugh at seeing me almost hit the floor.

"The new kids" Sara gushed. "I mean, I know we have a lot this year, but I'm talking specifically about the three brothers" she said with a big grin. Clearly, she hoped to get to know them better. "I've only seen two of them but I heard there is one more. They're all seniors and they just moved here from...well, I don't know. But my guess is somewhere far away. They definitely don't look like anyone from around here that's for sure."

I looked at Alyse with questioning eyes. She shrugged. "I haven't seen them. I have two new girls in my History class but that's it."

Sara's eyes grew wide and she looked like she was about to explode with whatever information she was dying to let out. "I can't believe you haven't seen them. I mean everybody has been talking about them since first period. Even your brother has seen them" she said and smiled at Alyse, "Although, Nolan didn't look too happy about the new threats to his heartthrob position. I mean, Nolan is hot and all, but these new guys are in a class all by themselves. They're like super fine. Dark and mysterious. My kind of boys" she said and playfully wiggled her brows.

"Have you talked to them?" I asked and opened my bag of chips. The instant the barbeque flavoring hit my nose, a nauseous feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I closed the bag and pushed it across the table.

Sara's face turned bright red as she shook her head. "Are you kidding? These guys have the kind of hotness that only exists in fantasies. I know when to try my luck and when to just sit back and admire from afar. Girls like me don't stand a chance with boys who look like them."

I frowned at her and wished that she had more self-confidence. I've told her many times that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. And she's definitely one of the most beautiful people I've ever met.

"Where is my brother?" Alyse asked in more of a demand than a question.

Sara looked at her. "I don't know. The last time I saw him was right after second period. He was on the 300 hall staring at everyone like he was about to go on a rampage. I said hey to him but he ignored me and stormed off."

"That doesn't sound like Nolan" I said and looked to Alyse with concern. The tense expression on her face didn't look right on her. "Maybe we should look for him and see if he's alright" I offered.

"I'll go" Alyse said and stood up with her empty chip bag and bottle of water in her hand. "You should stay here with Sara and eat. I'll find Nolan and be back in time to walk you to your next class."

Before I could respond, Alyse spun on her heels and darted for the door that led outside.

"What was that all about?" Sara asked and pointed after her.

"I don't know, but I think I should go with her" I said and got up to follow Alyse.

Sara grabbed my arm to stop me. "There they are" she gushed and pointed to a small group of boys who had just walked into the cafeteria. "The brothers. What did I tell you...sexy times three, right?"

I tore my eyes from the door leading outside to look at the newcomers. I had to give Sara credit, she definitely didn't exaggerate about how good they looked. They were all tall - at least my height or taller, with hair colors that ranged from light blond to dark brown. Each one of them could have stepped straight from the pages of any high fashion magazine. All of their facial features were well defined and perfectly aligned. As a matter of fact, they looked a little too perfect. Almost unreal... like my eyes were playing tricks on me.

For some reason, that bothered me. So did the fact that their skin was almost as pale as mine. It's not like there are a lot of kids who share my complexion issues. In all my life, I had never met anyone that came close to being as pale as me. Until now.

Intrigued by the similarity we shared, I sat back down beside Sara and watched as the group of brothers scanned the cafeteria. Seconds later, they split up and went their separate ways, each to a different table filled with nothing but girls.

As I watched them flirt with each and every girl at the tables, I felt an instant dislike for them. Perhaps it was because every girl in the cafeteria was practically drooling over them. Or maybe it was because the brothers looked totally uninterested and fake as they chatted with the girls. Whatever the reason was, I had a weird feeling about the new boys.

"Oh my God! The blond one is checking you out" Sara squealed through a mouthful of chicken.

I looked over to where she indicated with a tilt of her head. Sure enough, one of the brothers was staring at me from two tables over. Our eyes locked and an uneasy feeling washed over me. I don't know what caused it, but I quickly dropped my gaze to the table and acted like I was gathering up trash. "Is he still looking this way?" I whispered to Sara.

She glanced over to where he had been a moment ago. "No. He's gone. Huh...I wonder where he went." She sounded baffled by his sudden disappearance.

I, on the other hand was relieved. Something about the way he looked at me didn't seem right. I didn't like the way his attention made me feel. I got to my feet, suddenly in a hurry to leave. "I'll see you later, okay."

Without waiting for Sara to respond, I ducked out the door into the common area, then scanned the picnic tables scattered about the open space, looking for Alyse and/or Nolan. But they weren't there. I was on my way to check the library building - opposite the lunchroom, when I heard someone call my name. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Jenny Davison and Ally Piedmont waving at me from across the courtyard.

The two girls decked out in cheerleading uniforms, coming my way weren't exactly my friends. Not that we were enemies or anything. It's just that all they ever wanted to talk to me about was Nolan.

He had briefly dated them both and since they knew I was a close friend of his, they always came to me whenever they wanted to know something about him. Like who he's seeing or where he's going to be after school. Or my personal favorite...why does he keep changing his phone number? I swear I laughed the last time they asked that question. The truth was, they were the reason he changed his number every few months. They were very clingy and a bit obsessive when it came to him.

I waited for the girls to hurry over to me. "What's up?" I asked.

Jenny - the blond with purple highlights - smiled the fake grin she always wore whenever she planned on asking for something. "Hi, Kaia. Have you seen Nolan around? I've looked for him everywhere."

I sighed as my concern for him grew. "No, I don't know where he is. I was actually looking for him myself."

"Oh. Well, when you see him can you do me a favor and tell him that I can't make it Friday?" She bumped her shoulder into Ally's and they both giggled. "I kind of made other plans. I'm going out with one of the new kids. Max. I met him in first period and he asked me out. Can you believe that? Of all the girls in the class he asked me" Jenny gushed.

I stared at her in disbelief. Did I hear her correctly? After spending half a year trying to get Nolan back, apparently - and this was news to me - she finally got her chance to be with him again and she was blowing him off. "Are you serious? Let me guess, your new boy toy wouldn't happen to be one of the brothers that everyone is supposedly talking about, would he?" I asked in an annoyed tone.

Jenny's face lit up. "Of course, he is. Why would I be this excited to go out with some average Joe?"

I rolled my eyes at her ignorance. "So you're dumping Nolan to go out with some guy you don't even know, that you've only spoken to once?"

Jenny's face blushed crimson red as more giggles erupted from her chest. "Oh, one talk was all I need to know that Max is definitely the man for me. Trust me, he knows exactly what to say to get a girls attention." She grinned at Ally, then focused on me. "I'm going to fix Ally up with one of his brothers. Do you want me to see if the other one wants to go out with you?"

I quickly shook my head, appalled at the idea of being fixed up with any of the new boys I saw in the lunchroom. "I don't think so" I said, dryly. "Besides, I saw enough of those siblings to know that they are not my type."

"So what type are they?" Ally asked.

"Players. Plain and simple."

Ally and Jenny looked at each other then laughed out loud. "Of course you would think that. You think all guys are players" Jenny said.

"Don't say I didn't warn you" I said and walked away. "In case you're wondering, your newest catch and his brothers are in the cafeteria scoping out your competition."

"What!" Jenny squealed.

Seconds later, with my back to them, I heard her and Ally release a torrent of words to describe the girls who dared to try and move in on their action. Sluts. Skanks. Whores.

I frowned and kept walking away. It never ceases to amaze me how easily girls turn on each other for no other reason than the attention of a boy - who most of the time isn't really interested in them at all. At least not for more than a night or two.

As I rounded the corner of the cafeteria building on the way to the library, I was trying to come up with a way to deliver Jenny's message to Nolan without looking happy as I did it, when I accidently walked into what felt like a brick wall that appeared out of nowhere. I stumbled backwards from the impact and lost my footing. Just as I was about to hit the ground, a flash of white wrapped around my arm and pulled me upright in a rush.

Startled, I looked at the person who had grabbed me and had also been the reason for my fall in the first place. Eyes so dark, they were almost black, stared back at me. I quickly dropped my gaze to the ground. "Uh, sorry" I said and avoided looking at the blond headed boy who had been staring at me in the lunchroom.

"It's alright. No damage done" his deep, yet tender voice responded as he brushed his hand down his chest.

I stepped to the side to continue on my way.

"My name is Darian Vargost. And you are?"

I paused my escape and took a second before responding. "Kaia" I said with a small smile. Unsure what else to say, I glanced around and saw his brothers walking across the courtyard with a group of girls following their every move. Jenny was locked arm in arm with one of them. "It looks like you and your brothers are a big hit around here."

Darian followed my gaze. "I guess you can say that. It's a big change from the way things are where we come from."

"And where exactly is that?"

A guarded look crossed his face. "A very long way from here. A totally different world from this" he said and waved his hand around, gesturing at the school grounds.

I waited for him to elaborate and reveal the name of the town he moved from, but he didn't. Instead, he just stared at me. The uneasy feeling I had earlier started to return. "Well, I'm sure you will be happy here" I said and looked down at my watch. The bell was about to ring. "I have to go." I stepped around him, hoping to make it to my next class in time. My search for Nolan would have to wait until later.

"Wait" Darian said and grabbed my wrist.

As soon as his hand touched my skin, a strange sensation came over me. It was the weirdest thing. I felt like I knew him, like we shared something ... something strong. There was an instant connection between us. One that fascinated and terrified me at the same time.

I looked down at Darian's hand, wrapped around my wrist. It felt cooler than normal and he was holding onto me too tight. A slight reddish color started to spread over my skin. I opened my mouth to tell him to let me go, but someone else beat me to it.

"Get your damn hands off of her!"

My head snapped in the direction the voice came from. Nolan and Alyse were coming toward us. They both had deathly serious looks on their faces. Nolan's eyes narrowed on Darian's hand. "Don't make me tell you again!" he growled in a threatening tone.

Darian eased his grip and my arm fell to my side. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Kaia. It wasn't my intention. I only wanted to ask if I could walk you to your next class" he said.

I opened my mouth to respond but snapped it shut when Nolan stepped between us, blocking my view of Darian. "Hell no! You can't walk with her. As a matter of fact, I better not see you anywhere near her ever again. You got that?" he yelled.

I stood in stunned silence and glared at Nolan's back. I don't know what I was more shocked about...the threatening tone of his voice or the way his muscles rippled under his shirt like he was getting ready for a fight. I looked to Alyse expecting her to be just as appalled as I was but the look on her face was even angrier than Nolan's. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side. My eyes darted back and forth between them.

When Darian didn't respond to Nolan's warning, Nolan took a step toward him, standing only inches from his face. "I asked you a damn question. If you're a smart man, you'll say you understand and move on" Nolan snarled.

I panicked at the possibility of a fight and grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He turned around and looked at me with a weird expression. His eyes seemed frantic like he was on the verge of losing his mind. "Are you all right, Kaia?"

"I'm fine" I replied. "What's going on? Why are you acting like this?"

"This guy is bad news" Alyse said and glared at Darian - who looked completely unbothered by the accusation.

I looked at her, unsure what I should do or say. I had never seen my friends react in such an aggressive manner with anyone before. It was actually a little frightening to see them so angry.

"Kaia, perhaps we can talk again some other time" Darian said and flashed me an apologetic smile.

Alyse's eyes widened and she tightened her fists so hard that it looked like her knuckles were going to burst through her skin. "This is your first and last warning - stay away from her" she snarled.

Darian chuckled to himself then winked at me. "Later" he said, completely ignoring the threat that had just been given to him. It occurred to me at that moment he must have a death wish or something. Why else would he still be talking to me?

Seconds later, I watched as he crossed the now empty courtyard. Apparently, the bell had already rung, but I didn't hear a thing. The sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears was so loud that it drowned out everything else.

Once Darian was out of sight, Nolan focused his attention on me. He lifted my arm and rubbed his thumb gently over the fading red marks around my wrist. The hard expression on his face softened when he looked up at my face. "Did he hurt you?" he asked in a much calmer tone than the one he had used a moment ago.

I shook my head. "No. I told you, I'm fine." Before I had a chance to say anything else, Nolan stunned me by stepping forward and wrapping his arms around me.

He held me in such a tight embrace that I could barely breathe. For as long as I can remember, he had always avoided any kind of physical contact with me. So having him hug me like that was kind of awkward. Not that I didn't enjoy having his arms around me, but it made me think that I had been in some kind of danger. But from what?

I tried to pull away from him so that I could see his face, but he wouldn't let me. He held onto me for several more seconds. I glanced over at Alyse, hoping that she had an explanation for what was going on. She looked down at the ground to avoid my gaze. I was getting more confused with every minute that passed.

Finally, Nolan let out a deep breath and slowly released his hold on me and took a step back to put some distance between us. All of the tension and anger I had seen on his face earlier, was gone. Replaced by a sadness so intense that a tiny pain shot through my heart.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "What the hell just happened?"

"Nothing" Nolan said. "Just promise me you will stay away from the new kids. All of them."

I opened my mouth to ask why but clamped it shut when Alyse rested her hand on my arm and shook her head. The serious look on her face told me that whatever was going on, she was really worried. "Please Kaia, just do this for us. There is something weird about some of the new kids."

I studied her face carefully then reluctantly nodded. I was totally confused and clueless as to what was going on, but I knew without a doubt that Nolan and Alyse cared about me. And if they were worried about someone or something then they must have had a good reason to be. Even if it was one that I had no knowledge of.

"Alright. If it will make you two happy, I'll stay away from them. But I think you're both acting really weird and I don't like it."

The stress lines on Nolan's forehead smoothed as he smiled. It didn't reach his eyes and it looked forced, but it was good to see something other than rage on his face. Without saying another word, he fell into step beside Alyse and walked me to my next class, which I was now late for.

# Chapter Three

--------

The rest of the day went by fairly uneventful, but I was too preoccupied with replaying the earlier events in my mind to pay much attention in my last three classes. I definitely wasn't expecting an A on the pop quiz we took in American Government.

By the end of the day I still hadn't figured out what happened after lunch. Granted, Darian had been out of line by grabbing my wrist, but it wasn't normal for Nolan and Alyse to be so quick tempered. And now that I had time to really think about it, I felt very frustrated with not knowing why they acted the way they did.

When the final bell rang, I hurried toward the door with the intention of finding Nolan to make him explain exactly why he wanted me to stay away from all the new students. Considering that I had several new kids in my classes, the promise I made was going to be hard to keep and I needed to know why I had to make it in the first place.

Luckily for me, I didn't have to look far. Nolan was waiting outside my classroom with his legs crossed at the ankles as he leaned casually against the wall by the door. The grin he flashed me made my insides tingle. No matter how many times I tell myself to get over him, his smile still makes my heart do crazy things.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a rougher tone than I intended to use.

His smile softened as he pushed away from the wall and reached for my books. "School's out and I promised Meg I would get you home without delay. I figured I'd save myself about ten minutes of waiting for you to make your way to the car by walking you there myself. I know how you like to stop and talk to everyone you see."

I moved out of the way of my classmates who were coming out of the room. I leaned back against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest in a stubborn gesture. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you explain what happened earlier."

A dark look crossed his face before he covered it with a look of mock innocence.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Either you tell me what's going on or the deal is off. It's stupid that you made me promise to stay away from the new kids anyway. Do you have any idea how many I have in my classes?"

Nolan's top lip lifted into an unattractive snarl as he stared at me. "Don't even go there, Kaia. You promised and I'm holding you to it."

"Then tell me what's going on!" I said, forcefully, calling attention to our conversation from several students walking by.

Nolan closed the distance between our bodies. Standing barely six inches away, he raised his hand and placed it on my cheek. I was too shocked by his action to do anything but stare at him. It was the second time within a few hours that he had broken his own rule of no physical contact with me. The events of the day must have messed with my mind because there was no way the mixture of emotions in his eyes at that moment was meant for me. It just wasn't possible.

"Can you just trust me? I'm not saying all the new students are bad kids. But there is definitely something off about Darian and his brothers. Guys like him only want one thing, and I won't sit back and watch you get hurt. You mean too much to me."

My heart raced in my chest. What did he mean by that? What exactly did I mean to him? I couldn't prevent hope from building inside me at the possibility he might tell me he loved me. It was stupid, I know. But with the way he stared at me, I was almost certain that was what he was going to say. However, once again, I had stupidly allowed myself to believe the impossible and now my heart was going to have to pay the price.

My face must have betrayed me and showed how much I loved him because he suddenly dropped his hand from my cheek and stepped back. He lowered his head and shook it slowly from side to side with a sad look on his face. "You're my friend, Kaia, despite everything you do and say to push me away. I would hate to see you get taken advantage of, so please just do as I ask."

I don't know what hurt the most, the fact that I had allowed myself to think Nolan felt something other than friendship for me, or the fact that he looked at me as if he felt sorry for me. A slow ache spread from my heart to cover my entire chest. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

Tears swelled in my eyes, but I was determined not to let him see me cry. I quickly dried them up before he noticed them. Then I covered up my heartache with as much attitude as I could muster. "Don't worry about me, Nolan. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. It's like you said...we're friends. And as my friend, you have no say in my personal life. So I would appreciate it if you stayed out of it. Who I talk to or go out with is none of your damn business."

The wide-eyed look of shock that crossed his face as I stormed away from him will be permanently etched in my mind. But there was no way I was going to apologize, not after all the pain he had caused me over the years.

Once I made it to the parking lot, I slowed my pace and allowed myself to take a deep breath to ease the pressure in my chest. I glanced over my shoulder to see if Nolan was coming behind me and I saw him standing just outside the double doors of the school, staring at me. For a second, he looked like he wanted to run after me, but then a girl started talking to him and just like that, his attention was diverted.

It was at that moment I swore to myself I would never again let him get to me. It was time for me to truly forget about him and move on with my life once and for all. Determined to follow through with my quick, on-the-spot decision, I let my eyes wander away from Nolan and the girl who was practically throwing herself at him, to search the crowd of students exiting the building.

Somewhere in the masses was the right person for me. I allowed myself to fall into a daydream as my gaze shifted through the crowd. Several people spoke to me as they passed by on their way into the parking lot, but I was too distracted to respond. That is, until a voice I hadn't heard in a very long time, spoke.

"Kaia, are you alright?"

Startled by the sound of his voice, I blinked several times to clear my mind, then locked eyes with Gary Helms. He smiled shyly, then looked around nervously like he was afraid to be seen talking with me.

Talk about adding insult to injury.

I sighed heavily and shook my head, angrily. "I'm fine, Gary" I said and turned to walk away from him. I had no interest in talking to someone who acted embarrassed to be seen with me.

"Kaia, wait" he called after me.

I spun around and glared at him. "Why!" I yelled out of frustration. "You haven't spoken to me in over a year, and even now you act as if you can't wait to get away from me. What makes you think I have anything to say to you?"

He hesitated a moment then let out a deep breath and took a step toward me. "Is that what you think? That I don't want to be around you?" he asked in a low voice and stared at me with yearning.

The look on his face caught me off guard. It reminded me of how he used to look at me when we were dating. I pushed the thought away, unwilling to revisit old wounds. I was about to walk away without answering his question when he reached for my hand.

"It's not true, Kaia. If that's really what you think, you have to know it's not true" he said and looked down at the ground. "I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to..."

"Hey, are you ready to go?" Alyse said as she came up behind me, interrupting whatever Gary had been about to say.

At the sound of her voice, Gary's body instantly tensed. He dropped my hand like it was a hot stone and backed away from me. I studied his face as he glanced around, frantically. When his eyes suddenly widened, I followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at Nolan.

"Um...I...I have to go" he stuttered and quickly walked away.

"What's his problem?" Alyse asked with raised brows as we watched Gary run across the parking lot to his truck.

"I have no idea" I said in a distracted voice.

The look of fear of Gary's face stuck in my mind. It didn't make sense. What was he so afraid of?

Alyse shrugged and headed for my aunt's car. I followed behind her, eager to get as far away from school as possible. Once at the car, Alyse glanced around like she was looking for someone.

"Where's Nolan?" she asked.

At the mention of his name, the pain I had been trying so hard to hide reared its head and something inside me snapped. "Who the hell cares where he is?"

Alyse's brows shot up and she gave me a confused look. "Are you two fighting again?"

I opened the passenger side door and threw my books on the seat. "No, we're not fighting. I just want to go home."

Alyse opened the back door to get in behind me and I stopped her. "You drive. I don't want to wait on Nolan. Who knows how long he's going to be occupied with his latest tramp. I want to go home now."

"How will Nolan get home if we take the car?"

"I really don't care. He can catch the bus or get a ride from one of his friends" I said in a snappy tone. The thought of having to ride home with him while the newest scar on my heart was so fresh was just too much to deal with at that moment.

Alyse stared at me for several minutes then she shut the door and got in the driver's side. Lucky for me, Nolan had left the keys in the ignition. "Are you sure you don't want to wait for him?" she asked.

"Yes. Now can we go, please?" I looked at her and she must have saw something on my face, because the argument I saw building in her eyes, suddenly vanished. She put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking lot.

We didn't talk on the way home. Instead, we sat in silence as we made our way through town. As soon as Alyse pulled the car into my driveway, I jumped out and hurried inside the house. Before I closed the door, I yelled to her that I would see her later. She stood by the car for several seconds, staring after me before she finally walked next door to her house. For the first time I can remember I was actually glad that she no longer lived with me. I needed to be able to break down in private.

When I reached the stairs that led up to my room, I saw a bright yellow paper taped to the banister. It was a note from Aunt Meg letting me know that she had taken the bus to run some errands. Thankful to have the house to myself so that I wouldn't have to explain how horrible my day was, I let out a relieved breath and ran upstairs to my room. The tears I had been trying to hold in since talking with Nolan, broke through my barrier. I fell face first across the bed and cried my heart out, with the promise that afterwards, I would never again shed another tear for Nolan Lenox.

*****

I don't know when I fell asleep, but apparently I did. When I woke up a short while later, my room was completely dark. I crawled out of bed and made my way into the bathroom to wash the dried tear streaks from my face. When I was done, I heard voices from downstairs. I walked into the hallway outside my room and stood at the top of the stairs and tried to listen to what was being said.

The voices that came from the kitchen were hushed, almost whispers, and they sounded angry. I slowly descended the stairs, trying not to make a sound. The closer I got to the bottom of the staircase, the more recognizable the voices became. It was Nolan and Aunt Meg. And they were arguing. I glanced around the empty livingroom, then tiptoed across the floor to stand outside the kitchen. Right or wrong, I had to know what they were saying. I stayed perfectly still and listened to the conversation going on in the other room.

"Are you sure?" Aunt Meg asked.

"Yes" Nolan replied, "I smelled them the second they set foot on the campus, but I don't know who they are. It's strange. Their stench is all over the school but it's a muted version of what I remember and it's not attached to any particular person. It's like their true identities are being masked. My guess is that magic is somehow hiding them from us, just as we are hiding from them. But I think I may have a pretty good idea who they might be. There are a couple of new students who stand out, and not in a good way."

"Whoever they are, do you think they recognized you?" Aunt Meg asked.

"No. The charms Izola gave us are still working" Nolan said in a rough tone.

"You have to find out who they are and make sure they don't find out about Kaia. Her safety and everyone else's depends on it. You have to keep her away from them." Aunt Meg's voice sounded panicked.

"Don't you think I know that?! But she's not as easy to control as she used to be. When she was younger all I had to do was ask her not to do something and she would obey now she's so damn stubborn most of the time."

I flinched at the harshness of Nolan's words. Why was he yelling at my aunt? And why did he call me stubborn? I was just about to blow my cover and burst in to give him a piece of my mind when Alyse's voice joined the conversation.

"Drycus must have sent them to find her. But how did they cross over through the shield?"

"I don't know" Aunt Meg replied. "I didn't see this coming" she paused then continued, "but I did see something earlier. I haven't figured out what it means yet, but I have a strong feeling things are about to change. Something bad is going to happen."

"Why don't we just take Kaia and run? Get as far away from here as we can" Alyse said.

"If we did that it would be like painting a target on her back. Right now they don't know who she is, but if she was to suddenly disappear, it would call attention to her. As much as I hate to say this, we have to continue our normal routines. We knew this day would come and perhaps if we had not allowed ourselves to become so damn comfortable here we would have detected the presence of Drycus' men before now." Nolan sounded stressed as he spoke.

"Let's just tell Kaia the truth. She's not a child anymore. We can protect her better if we don't have to hide things from her. She may even be able to help us if we can find a way to break the binding spell" Alyse said.

A deep throated growl echoed in the tiny kitchen and I knew it must have come from Nolan.

"No! She's not ready. Her emotional state is too out of control to handle this kind of revelation. Do you have any idea what learning the truth may do to her?" Nolan growled.

"Yeah, well whose fault is that, huh?" Alyse countered in a sarcastic tone. "You know why she's emotionally unstable and it sure has hell isn't because of me."

Whoa. What was that supposed to mean? Did they think I was crazy or something? I narrowed my eyes in anger and clenched my jaw tight to keep the argument building in my mind from escaping out my mouth.

A chair skidded roughly across the kitchen floor, then sounded as if it tipped over.

"Don't go there, Alyse!" Nolan said in a rough whisper. "You know why things have to be the way they are! I do my best not to encourage her feelings."

"Yeah, well maybe that's the problem. You try a little too hard to distract yourself. Hell, sometimes I wonder whether or not you truly have feelings for the twits you hang around with, I can only imagine how hard it is for Kaia."

Another deep growl filled the room.

"Enough!" Aunt Meg's voice rang out louder than the others. "We have one job to do and that is to protect Kaia, no matter what. Now that Drycus has found a way through the shield, that task is more important than ever. We don't have time for this petty behavior" she paused, "Our time of peace has come to an end. Evil has found its way to us and we have to keep it away from her."

I had to fight hard to resist the urge to peek through the doorway to see my aunt's face. Her voice sounded so tired and sad.

"Something really bad is going to happen. I can feel it" she continued.

My brows furrowed in confusion. What were they talking about? I leaned closer to the wall and accidently brushed against the picture table behind me, pushing it across the floor. I held my breath as the sound of the wooden legs scraping against the hardwood floor echoed in the room. Silence filled the kitchen and I knew I was busted. I looked to the doorway separating the livingroom and kitchen thinking that at any moment, Aunt Meg was going to rush through it demanding to know why I was spying. But nothing happened.

A few tense seconds passed, then she called out to me. "Kaia? Is that you?"

My breath caught in my throat as I mentally cussed at myself. "Uh, yeah. I bumped into the table when..." I paused to think of an explanation, "I tried to get my slippers from underneath it." I let out a deep breath. That sounded reasonable, right? I always put my slippers under the table.

"Can you come in here for a minute?"

I put on my best smile and reluctantly stepped into the kitchen. To my surprise, Aunt Meg was sitting at the table... alone. I looked around the room expecting to find Alyse and Nolan, but they were nowhere to be seen. I looked to my aunt with questioning eyes and said, "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

She casually took a sip of her tea. "No one here but me, sweetie."

My eyes widened as a sinking feeling suddenly settled in the pit of my stomach. My insides twisted into knots as I stared at the one person I trusted more than anyone else in the world. She had just lied to me. My aunt lied right to my face and she did it so convincingly that if I hadn't heard Alyse and Nolan with my own ears, I would have believed her. I suddenly wondered how many other times she had lied to me in my lifetime. The unwanted thought caused an ache in my chest.

"Have a seat. I take it your day was tiring. I checked on you when I got home and you were asleep" Aunt Meg said.

I couldn't help but stare at her. She was acting like the entire crazy argument she just had with my friends didn't even happen. The feeling that I had woken up in the twilight zone caused goosebumps to roll down my arms. "Who is Drycus?" I blurted out.

Aunt Meg's face instantly drained of color. Her hands began to tremble and her cup of tea slipped through them. The cup hit the end of the table and hot tea spilled everywhere. I quickly grabbed a towel from the counter top and threw it on her lap so that she wouldn't get burned when the hot liquid dripped from the table onto her legs.

Aunt Meg took the towel and began cleaning the mess. The terrified look on her face as she avoided looking at me, made me feel awful. "I'm sorry, Aunt Meg. I didn't mean to upset you."

Her sad brown eyes settled on my face and she frowned. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

She laid her hand on the side of my face as her eyes watered. I had never in my life seen her cry and it tore me up inside to see the moisture filling her eyes.

"Aunt Meg, please tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help" I pleaded, then lowered my head in shame. "I know that Nolan and Alyse were here. And I heard what you all were talking about. I don't understand any of it. But I promise I'll try to if you just tell me what's going on. What was all that crazy stuff you were talking about?"

She looked at me for several seconds, then leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me. Just like with Nolan earlier, she hugged me so tightly that I was afraid she was never going to let me go.

"It's nothing you need to worry about" she whispered in my ear. "I'll take care of everything. Just promise me that you'll listen to Nolan and Alyse. They always have your best interest at heart."

I attempted to pull back from her and she held me tighter. "Promise me, Kaia!" she said in a desperate voice.

I closed my eyes against the wave of questions popping into my head. Why was everyone acting and talking so crazy? Why did they want me to avoid the new kids? Who was Drycus? And why was my aunt so terrified of him?

I thought about everything I heard while spying and tried to make sense of things, but the more I thought about it, the more confused I became. Spells and charms? Protecting me? What did it all mean?

"Kaia, promise me!" Aunt Meg repeated when I didn't answer her.

Unable to say the words I knew were going to be a lie, I nodded my head against her shoulder. I felt her body relax and I immediately felt guilty. I had never lied to her before, but she left me no choice. If I couldn't get the answers I needed from her, then I was going to have to get them on my own. Even if that meant befriending the new kids I had promised to stay away from.

When Aunt Meg finally let me go, she had already plastered one of her trademark smiles on her face. I could tell she was still upset and decided not to push her any further by asking more questions that she wasn't going to answer honestly anyway. The thought hurt as it crossed my mind. When did we start lying to each other? Oh yeah, I started lying about five seconds ago. I don't have a clue when she started lying to me.

"Why don't we get out of here for a while? I've already bought the tickets to the movie you wanted to see" Aunt Meg said and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost eight p.m. "And it starts in a little less than an hour. We should get ready to go."

Before I had a chance to respond, she got up from the table and walked out of the kitchen. The fact that she didn't answer the one question I asked her didn't escape my attention. Who is Drycus? I went to my room, saying his name over and over again in my mind. The more I said it, the more familiar it sounded.

# Chapter Four

--------

"Kaia, since when did you become interested in movies like that?" Aunt Meg asked with a red face as we exited the movie theater.

I smiled and thought about how she had covered her face with her hand through the entire movie. It was clear she was uncomfortable. She had even asked me to leave with her several times. But I refused. The movie was okay, but my enjoyment came from feeling as if I was getting back at her for lying and keeping secrets from me.

"Oh, come one, Aunt Meg, it was a good movie and you know it. I mean, what warm blooded woman doesn't like to see sexy men put on a good show. It's not like we are ever going to see men who look that good around here. Why not enjoy it on the big screen whenever we can" I teased with a big smile.

She stopped walking and looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time. The intensity of her stare made me feel a little uncomfortable.

"What?" I asked.

She smiled sadly. "You're not a child anymore, are you?" she paused to look me over from head to toe, "you are a young woman. A beautiful young woman."

"Um, thanks" I muttered, not really knowing what else to say.

Aunt Meg laughed softly to herself and we started walking again.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking that the next time you want to see a movie like the one we just saw, perhaps you should invite Alyse to go with you."

"Who do you think told me about Magic Mike? Alyse was one of the first people to see it on opening night. She talked about it for days. That's why I wanted to see it."

Aunt Meg's eyes grew so big that they looked like they were going to pop out of her head. "Alyse saw that movie?" she asked in a shocked voice.

I gave her a 'duh' look. "Uh, yeah. She is a hormonal teenage girl just like the rest of us. Why wouldn't she like it? From what I heard, she was practically drooling halfway through the movie."

Aunt Meg's face turned red as she blushed. "Well, it's just...um...nothing" she stuttered to find the words she wanted to say, then just smiled and let out a heavy breath. "I'm glad you girls enjoyed the movie."

Our conversation after that centered on upcoming movies and who would be better to watch each one with me depending on their rating. Aunt Meg made it clear she only wanted to watch PG13 movies.

By the time we arrived home, my earlier aggravation with her lying to me had subsided a bit. But the crazy conversation between her and friends was still stuck in my mind. I just couldn't let it go. I didn't want to ruin Aunt Meg's good mood, but I really needed some answers. I watched as she took off her coat and shoes, debating on how to approach the subject.

Not being a very tactful person, I just blurted out what I had to say, "Aunt Meg, you didn't answer my question earlier. Who is..." before I could finish my sentence, she cut me off.

"Not now, sweetie. I'm really tired." She smiled with a guarded look in her eyes. "Goodnight" she said and kissed me on the forehead before going upstairs to her room.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring after her. It was only a little after eleven, and she never went to bed before midnight. It was just an excuse not to talk to me. As I stood there with a stunned look on my face, a feeling I had never truly felt before, crept up inside me. Loneliness. The feelings of being alone that I had felt up until that moment were nothing compared to what I felt now.

The three people I cared the most about were keeping secrets from me. Knowing that, both hurt and angered me. I stomped up the stairs to my room and slammed the door.

Sleep did not come easy that night. My nightmare started as soon as I closed my eyes.

*****

My heart thumped vigorously as I ran through the darkness in an attempt to escape the unseen monsters all around me, but no matter how fast I ran it seemed as if I got nowhere. The darkness stretched on forever and the voices that sounded more like hissing, were getting closer. I knew I was dreaming but that didn't stop fear from touching every nerve in my body.

"What do you want from me?" I cried.

Several different voices began to speak at once and I couldn't understand any of them. "Just leave me alone!" I shouted.

The voices suddenly stopped and it became eerily quiet. I stopped running. My breath came in quick, terrified gasps as I stared into the darkness, waiting for something to jump out at me.

"Don't be afraid, my child" a deep, masculine voice sliced through the silence.

Startled by the response, I tripped and fell to my knees. I tried frantically to get back to my feet but the ground was so slippery that I couldn't keep my balance. Moisture seeped through my jeans. I placed my shaky hands on the ground and immediately came into contact with something wet.

"Embrace your destiny. Drink child. Drink and be free" the man's voice whispered in my head.

Just as I was about to yell at him to go away, the darkness suddenly turned to bright light and I was no longer on my hands and knees. Instead, I was now standing in the middle of a blindingly white room, surrounded by dozens of mutilated bodies.

I stared wide-eyed at my hands as blood dripped from my fingertips, then my gaze fell to the bodies at my feet. A scream erupted from my lungs when I recognized the corpses as those of my friends.

The sound of my own voice pulled me out of the nightmare.

I sat up bed and covered my mouth with my hand to muffle the scream I had no choice but to release. Seeing the dead bodies of people I cared about caused a massive pain in my chest. I squeezed my eyes closed to force the images away, but it seemed the harder I tried to forget them, the more vivid they became.

This nightmare was different from the others. It seemed more real. More terrifying. It felt like I was actually there in the dream. And it was the first time anyone from my nightmares had ever spoken to me. I was trying to remember the sound of the man's voice when my bedroom door suddenly swung open and Aunt Meg rushed inside the room. Her reddish-brown hair was disheveled and she had a panicked look in her eyes.

"Kaia, are you alright?" she asked and hurried over to the bed.

I mentally scolded myself for not being able to keep my nightmares to myself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you" I said and hoped that she would just accept my apology without asking any questions.

As soon as I saw the concern on her face, I knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Did you have another nightmare?"

I wanted to lie. I wanted to tell her that I had seen a rat or stubbed my toe. But I knew better. She wouldn't believe that. And I had already lied to her once. I didn't want to make a habit out of it. I nodded slowly then looked away, not wanting her to see any fear that might still be lingering in my eyes. "It was nothing really. I just overreacted."

"It was a bit more than an overreaction, Kaia. You sounded terrified" Aunt Meg said as she sat down on the edge of the bed beside me.

I looked over at her. It was clear she was worried about me. The wrinkles around her eyes and the stress lines on her forehead seemed more prominent. I knew if I didn't convince her that I was okay, she would end up spending the night in my room to watch over me like she used to do when I was a child. And that was not something I wanted her to do. Especially not when I was still upset with her.

I forced myself to smile. "It was just so dark, that's all. Really, I'm fine. I just want to go back to sleep."

Aunt Meg studied my face carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll see you in the morning" I said and hoped she would go back to her own room.

When she stood up and kissed me on the forehead, I let out a relieved breath.

"If you need me, I'm right down the hall" she said before she walked out and closed the door.

Once alone, I stared up at the ceiling knowing that there was no way I was going to be able to go back asleep. I spent the rest of the early morning hours laying in bed, contemplating how messed up my life had become in the last twenty-four hours.

I mean, it was never normal to begin with, but at least I always knew I could depend on my aunt and best friends to be there for me. Now I wasn't so sure about that. As I laid in bed, Gary's face popped into my mind. I remembered how weird he acted at school. He had been about to tell me something before Alyse interrupted him. I suddenly realized that I really wanted to know what he was going to say. I grabbed my cell phone and sent him a text, hoping that he still had the same number from a year ago.

We need to talk. Call me as soon as you can.

I waited half an hour but never got a response.

# Chapter Five

--------

By the time Aunt Meg woke up the next day, I was already dressed and ready for school. I fumbled around in the kitchen trying to find something to eat. My stomach cramped with hunger, but just the smell of some of the foods I considered eating made me feel nauseous.

"Do you want me to fix you some eggs and bacon?" Aunt Meg offered as she came up behind me with a towel wrapped around her wet hair.

I stared into the open refrigerator. My eyes landed on the carton of eggs and the smell of them cooking wafted in my mind. My stomach churned at the thought of eating them.

"Uh, no thanks" I said and shut the refrigerator door. "Maybe I shouldn't eat anything. I'm not feeling so well. I think I might have an upset stomach or something."

Aunt Meg placed her hand on my forehead. "You do feel a little warm. Maybe you should stay home today and get some rest. I'll call Nolan and let him know you won't be going to school today." She reached for the phone.

"No, don't call him!" My voice sounded snappy.

Aunt Meg looked at me with raised brows.

I gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm fine. I'm sure I'll be better by the time I get to school." There was no way I wanted to be stuck at home all day.

"Are you sure? You don't have to go if you don't want to."

The thought of spending the day with her when I knew she wasn't going to answer anything I asked her, did not appeal to me in the least. It was bad enough she had lied to me last night. Having her avoid me all day was only going to make things worse. "I'm sure. I'll see you this afternoon, okay."

I grabbed my bookbag from the table and hurried out of the house before she had the chance to reconsider allowing me to go. I hurried down the street to the bus stop. I knew Nolan and Alyse would be right behind me just like always, but I was still startled when Nolan's voice came out of nowhere.

"I hear you're not feeling well."

I spun around and saw him standing a few feet away with concern in his eyes. "It's just a stomach bug, that's all" I said quickly.

I did my best to avoid looking at him, but it wasn't easy. Especially not when he stepped closer and touched the back of his hand to my forehead just like Aunt Meg had done.

"Meg was right. You do feel warm." He looked at me, thoughtfully. "You should stay home."

I brushed his hand away. My irritation with him grew with every second that passed. "I said I'm fine" I snapped. "I don't need you telling me what to do."

Nolan's jaw clenched as he stared at me. "What's gotten into you? Why all the attitude? This is more than our usual playful banter."

I narrowed my eyes at him as the whole secret meeting thing with my aunt and Alyse flashed in my mind. "Why were you at my house last night?"

Nolan stared at me like a deer caught in headlights. He appeared to be at a loss for words for a moment, then he playfully shook his head. "What are you talking about? I wasn't at your house last night."

I narrowed my eyes at him as my temper flared. It was one thing to have my aunt lie to me but it was something completely different to have Nolan do it too. "Really? You're going to stand here and lie to my face?"

The isolated feeling I had last night when Aunt Meg lied to me about the same thing, returned with a vengeance, making my chest feel tight.

Why were the people I loved lying to me? I looked from Nolan to Alyse, hoping that at any moment one of them was going to admit being at my house. And that they would tell me it was all a joke. But neither of them said a word. Instead, they looked at me like they thought I was the crazy one.

I was so angry that I wanted to scream at them, to demand to know why they were lying. But just as I was about to start in on them, the school bus roared to a stop beside us. I gave them each a brief glance then turned my back to them and got on the bus. I didn't even acknowledge Alyse when she sat down on the seat beside me. I think she knew I was mad because she didn't try to talk to me the entire ride to school. I welcomed the silence. I needed it to calm myself down.

*****

Halfway through the day, I was still upset about the confrontation with Nolan, but I decided not to think about it anymore because I had other things on my mind. Like the growing hunger that gripped my stomach. I was starving. I wrapped my arms around my waist and rested my head on the desk as my belly cramped.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I raised my head to look at the girl in the desk next to mine. Mandy Hillis. She was a quiet girl, most people considered her a nerd and didn't bother to get to know her, but I liked her. She was one of the few people who befriended me when I first started at the high school freshman year.

"I'm fine" I mouthed to her so that Mr. Lloyd wouldn't hear. I rubbed my hand over my stomach, "just hungry."

Mandy smiled and picked up her purse from the floor beside her desk. I watched as she dug through it. A minute later, she tossed something my way when Mr. Lloyd turned his back to the class to write on the board. I caught the granola bar and quickly stuck it under my legs. "Thank you" I whispered.

Mandy turned her attention back to her work. Twenty minutes later, the bell rang. I practically ran out of the room. I couldn't wait to get outside so that I could eat my snack on the way to my next class. Unfortunately, the granola bar did not live up to my expectations. I had only taken one bite before a sick feeling rose up in my stomach. I looked at the bar in my hand and grimaced.

As I neared the building that housed my next class, I tossed the granola bar in the trash. Not paying much attention to anyone around me, I didn't notice that someone was walking beside me until he spoke.

"You look like you're having a bad day. Anything I can do to help?"

I looked to my right and saw Darian smiling at me. I shook my head. "No. I'm just not feeling good, that's all. But thanks for the offer."

"Anytime" he said and opened the door to the health building. He bowed at the waist and motioned for me to go in first. I stared at him with raised brows. No one had ever bowed to me before. It was an odd gesture for a teenager to make.

We entered the building and Darian continued to walk beside me. I kept stealing glances over at him, trying to figure out why he was still with me. I knew he wasn't in my next class. Women's health wasn't something the guys signed up for.

"Will you join me off campus for lunch today, Kaia?"

I stopped walking and looked at him. "Why?" I asked before I could stop myself.

A thin smile crossed his face. "Isn't it obvious? I like you and want to get to know you better."

I don't know what I expected him to say but that definitely wasn't it. I cocked my head to the side and narrowed my eyes at him. "You like me? You don't even know me. You've been here two days, and in that time we've talked twice, including this ridiculous conversation. How can you say that you like me?"

I don't know why I was so rude to him. It wasn't like me to react in such a way. Other than the strange feeling I had when he touched my arm the day before, I really had no reason to be mean to him. I paused and glanced down the hall. One of his brothers had a girl pushed up against the lockers, with his hands roaming over her body as they made out in full view of everyone.

I shook my head in disgust and looked back at Darian. "I'm not that kind of girl. Understand?" I said and glared down the hall again. "It takes a hell-of-a-lot more than some guy opening a door for me to get my attention."

A confused look crossed Darian's face, then he looked over at his brother and understanding must have hit him because his eyes widened and he shook his head. "No. That's not what I meant. I really do just want to get to know you. I thought maybe we could be friends. It's not exactly easy being a new kid."

I stared at him, debating on whether or not to take him up on his offer. I had promised Nolan and Alyse I would stay away from all of the new kids, but I didn't see any reason to keep that promise. My first impression of Darian hadn't been a good one, but maybe that was my fault. I had judged him before I ever spoke to him. Granted, he was a bit odd but he didn't seem dangerous. And the one big thing he had going in his favor was that he wasn't hiding secrets from me.

With my mind made up, I gave him a cautious smile. "Okay. I'll have lunch with you. But not today. I don't feel well. How about tomorrow?"

"Great" Darian beamed. "Your boyfriend won't be mad, will he?"

"My boyfriend?"

"Yeah, the guy who wanted to rip me to pieces yesterday for talking to you."

At the mention of Nolan, some of my earlier sadness came back. I pushed it away and shook my head. "Do you mean Nolan? He's not my boyfriend. At the moment, I'm not even sure if we're still friends" I said in a low voice. The truth of my statement hurt.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps it's time you made some new friends." Darian smiled and lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

Caught off guard by his action, I pulled my hand away. He flashed me a closed-lip smile before walking away. The bell rang and I had to sprint down the hall. I made it to class just as Mrs. Tinskly was shutting the door.

Once in the safety of my seat, the reality of what just happened hit me. I couldn't believe I had just agreed to go out with Darian. It was just lunch, but it felt like a huge milestone for me. I hadn't had lunch with a boy since Gary dumped me.

The thought rolled over in my mind. It had been a year since a boy had showed me any kind of attention. Maybe Darian was right. I did need to make new friends. And until I had a legitimate reason not to like or trust him, I decided to give him a real chance of becoming one of those friends.

By the time my next class ended, my hunger was so bad that it was unbearable. I had never before felt the kind of pains that now gripped my insides. As soon as the lunch bell rang, I darted out the door on my way to the lunchroom. It was the first time ever that I didn't bother waiting for Alyse to go with me. We still hadn't spoken to each other. I noticed her looking at me a few times during class but I didn't acknowledge her.

When I got to the cafeteria I saw Sara and a few other friends standing in the lunch line. I made my way over to them. "Hey guys, what's for lunch today?" I asked.

Sara crinkled up her nose and made a weird face. "I think it's supposed to be spaghetti, but I swear the noodles are moving."

I cut in line in front of her and looked through the glass separating the students from the food. My upper lip lifted in disgust as my eyes roamed over the food choices.

"Sara's right. It looks more like worms covered with tomato paste" Becky - a girl from my technology class, said.

My stomach growled angrily before a sharp pain in my abdomen caused me to double over.

"Are you okay?" Sara asked and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Do you want me to go get the nurse?" Becky offered.

After taking a couple of deep breathes, I forced myself to straighten up. "No. It's just a cramp. I think I'm getting the stomach flu or something. I probably shouldn't eat anything but I'm starving."

Sara took my arm and led me over to our usual table. "Stay here. I'll be back in a minute" she said and left me sitting at the table with Becky. When she returned a few minutes later, she had a tray of food with her. She sat it down in front of me. "Try to eat something. Maybe you'll feel better."

I looked at the tray. Thankfully, she had passed on the spaghetti. I don't think my stomach could have handled the smell of it. However, the chef salad and cup of chocolate pudding in front of me was almost just as bad. As soon as the smell of the ranch dressing hit my nose, my insides twisted into knots.

Instinctively, I covered my nose and pushed the tray away. I didn't intend to push it hard, but it skidded across the table and crashed onto the floor about ten feet away. The clanking sound it made when it hit the floor, echoed in the room. Suddenly, I was the center of everyone's attention.

Becky and Sara stared at me with wide eyes to make sure that everyone knew I was the one responsible for the noise. I glanced around the cafeteria until I saw Darian standing in the doorway. His eyes were locked onto me and I suddenly felt embarrassed.

I jumped up from the table and hurried outside into the common area. I barely made it to the closest picnic table before my stomach cramped again. I wrapped my arms around my waist and gasped from the pain as I flopped down on the bench seat. Sweat beaded on my forehead and an intense warm feeling washed over me from head to toe. I felt absolutely horrible and it took everything I had in me not to cry out for someone to help me. It felt like hours passed as I sat there even though it was more likely only a few minutes.

"Kaia, what's wrong?"

I slowly lifted my head and looked over my shoulder with a pained expression. Alyse was standing behind me. "I'm sick" I whimpered, relieved to see her.

She stared at me like I had spoken an alien language, then plopped down beside me and rested her hand against my cheek. "Kaia, you're burning up!" Her face instantly tensed. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and made a call while I rested my head back on the table.

I only heard bits and pieces of her conversation as I tried my best to fight off the wave of dizziness that suddenly consumed me. The next thing I remembered was opening my eyes and seeing Nolan's face staring down at me as he carried me in his arms. Then everything faded away and I lost consciousness.

# Chapter Six

--------

When I woke up, I was in my bed at home and I wasn't alone. I forced my heavy lids open when I felt something cold brush along the side of my face. Aunt Meg was sitting on the bed beside me with a wet washcloth in her hand. "Kaia, you're awake!" she exclaimed and looked across the room.

I followed her gaze and saw Nolan and Alyse standing by the door.

"How do you feel?" Alyse asked as she walked toward me.

I slowly sat up in the bed. The cramping in my stomach had eased and my body no longer felt like it was on fire. "Okay, I guess. What happened?"

Alyse frowned. "You fainted."

My gaze shifted between Alyse and my aunt. They both looked worried. I forced myself to smile to ease their concerns. Even though I was still upset with them about lying to me, I didn't want to worry them. "Well, I'm okay now."

Aunt Meg didn't look like she believed me. "You said you felt sick this morning, have you been able to eat anything?" she asked.

I briefly considered telling her that I had, just to get her to relax, but knowing her, she had already given Sara and Becky the third degree about everything that happened at lunch. She probably already knew the truth.

I shook my head. "No." I frowned as the thought of food reminded me that my stomach was empty. "And I'm really hungry but just the smell of food makes me feel sick."

A determined look flashed in my aunt's eyes. "Well, I know my cooking has never made you sick before. I'll go fix you something and you are at least going to try and eat, young lady" she said, then kissed my forehead before leaving the room.

"I'll help her." Alyse walked out behind Aunt Meg.

I waited several minutes for Nolan to leave too, but he didn't. Instead, he stayed by the door with his arms crossed over his chest like he was pissed off at the world. I avoided looking at him, but I could feel his eyes on me. I was just about to ask him to leave when he slowly closed the door from the inside.

I looked at him as he walked toward the bed. I wanted to tell him to leave, but I couldn't seem to make my mouth work. When our eyes locked, all I could think about was the image in my head of him looking down at me when I came to in his arms. He had looked so scared.

Nolan sat down on the edge of the bed with his head lowered. He let out a deep breath. When he looked at me again, a dozen different emotions crossed his face in the span of a second. "Kaia, how are you really feeling? And don't sugar coat anything for me the way you do with Meg. Tell me the truth."

I really thought about his question. I hated that he could see through me so easily. "I still feel sick" I admitted.

The muscles in his face tightened as his jaw clenched. "When did it start?"

I debated on whether or not to tell him the whole truth or just enough to get him off my back. With all the lying and secrets already going on, I decided to be honest. "I've been feeling sick since yesterday, but it wasn't that bad until today."

Nolan's lips set into a hard line and his eyes narrowed on me with disapproval. "Why didn't you tell me? Or Meg?"

Feeling like a child under the pressure of his glare, I shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it was just a virus or something. You know, something like the other kids always get. I didn't think it was anything to worry about."

"Well, it is, Kaia. You're not like other people. You've never been sick before."

"Why is that? Huh? Why haven't I ever been sick? Everyone we know has been sick at least once. Our friends have gotten the flu and other illnesses that get passed around, but I have never been affected by any of it. Why?" I asked, suddenly realizing how strange it was that I'd never been sick.

"You have a strong immune system and you should be thankful for it. Others aren't as lucky as you. They do get sick and they have to suffer for days, sometimes weeks" Nolan said.

I studied his face. Something didn't seem right about his explanation. No matter how strong my immune system was, I still should have been sick at least once in my life. Silence fell between us.

After several minutes, Nolan rested his hand on top of mine as it laid on the bed beside me. I looked at our hands, then at Nolan as he spoke. "Kaia, I know things have changed between us. We grew apart as we got older. You have so much anger towards me. Even when you try to hide it, I still feel it. Whatever I did to upset you, I'm sorry."

My eyes widened as I studied the sincerity on his face. In all the years I've known him, he had never looked as unguarded as he did at that moment. Even when we were kids and playing together, there was always a hardness about him that I could never break through. It was like he was a grown man trapped in a child's body.

"I...I...don't know what to say" I stuttered and briefly considered confronting him again about the secret meeting in the kitchen, but as I studied the sorrow in his eyes, for some reason it just didn't seem important anymore.

Yes, he had lied to me and so had my aunt. But was that one lie really worth me losing someone I loved. So what if he believed in spells and magic and all the other crazy stuff he was talking about the other night. A lot of people believed in good witchcraft and believed it had healing powers. Maybe he was just embarrassed to talk to me about it. Whatever his reason for lying to me was, I didn't want to let it drive us any further apart than we already were. "I'm sorry that I've been mean to you. I guess I have some issues I need to work on."

"Is it anything I can help you with?"

I looked down at my lap as a thought ran rampant through my mind. Yeah, you can love me the way I love you. I quickly pushed the idea of saying that out loud to the back of my mind. "No. This is something I have to handle on my own."

"If there is ever anything you need from me all you have to do is ask. I'm always here for you." Nolan squeezed my hand gently then let it fall back to the bed.

Neither of us said a word after that. There was a comfortable silence between us that I enjoyed. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. A knock on the door interrupted the moment and Alyse stuck her head in the room.

"Meg told me to come get you two. Dinner is ready."

When I didn't make a move to get up, Nolan grabbed my hand again and pulled me to my feet. I reluctantly followed him and Alyse into the hallway. As soon as the smell of steak hit my nose, I knew I wasn't going to be able to eat. My stomach cramped. I stopped halfway down the stairs and wrapped my arms around my waist in a weak attempt to stop the pain.

"What's wrong?" Nolan asked when he saw the look on my face.

I leaned against the wall and grimaced. "My stomach is cramping." I let out a strained breath and pushed away from the wall after a few seconds. "I can't do this. I can't take the pain any longer. Why won't it stop?"

Nolan eased his arm around my waist and helped me the rest of the way down the stairs. I felt his eyes on my face the entire time but I kept mine forward. When we entered the kitchen, Aunt Meg was standing in front of the stove. She had a smile on her face that was instantly wiped away when she noticed the stressed look on mine.

She dropped the fork in her hand and rushed to my side. "Kaia, what's the matter?" she asked as Nolan helped me into a chair at the table.

"Her stomach hurts" Nolan answered for me. He looked down at me, then at Aunt Meg. A weird look passed between them that I didn't understand. "She's hungry" he continued.

I glared up at him, not appreciating the urgent tone of his voice. I knew it would only worry my aunt more. "It's not that bad" I said.

"You need to eat" Aunt Meg said sternly and hurried over to the stove.

When she returned, she had a plate of steak and mashed potatoes in her hand. She set it down in front of me. Nolan and Alyse stared at me as I glared at the food. Just the thought of putting the meat in my mouth made my stomach twist in protest. But when my aunt sat down in the chair next to mine and looked at me expectantly, I knew I had to eat something or she was going to worry all night.

I tried to ignore the fact that everyone was watching me as I cut the steak into bite size pieces, but having so many sets of eyes on me was unnerving. My hand began to shake as I stuck a piece of the meat with my fork and stared at it.

"Well, go on. At least take one bite" my aunt prompted, "Maybe it's just the smells that aren't agreeing with you, but the food itself is fine."

I swear I heard fear in her voice as she spoke.

The aroma of the overcooked steak continued to make my insides twist into knots, but to please my aunt, I put the fork in my mouth. The instant the meat touched my tongue, I felt as if I was going to vomit. I jumped up and ran to the sink to spit it out. I shot my aunt an apologetic look before glancing down at the piece of meat. What was wrong with me?

From the corner of my eye, I saw a plate by the stove with several pieces of uncooked, bloody steak. Once I saw it, it was impossible to look away. The smell that covered it was so inviting. Mouth-watering even. And it called to me in a way that I couldn't resist. My stomach growled loudly and before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed the plate.

"Kaia! What are you doing? That meat is raw!" Aunt Meg's shocked voice was right behind me. She reached around me and took the plate from my hand. My gaze flickered around the room, meeting each set of eyes that were watching my every move. My heart raced in my chest as I fought against the urge to rip the plate from my aunt's hands. The thought disgusted me, but at the same time, it was exactly what I wanted to do.

My eyes fell to the plate once more and my hunger instantly intensified. A sharp pain suddenly emanated from my teeth. I covered my mouth with my hand as the pain worsened. I hadn't had any problems with my teeth since I was seven years old and Aunt Meg had taken me to have two of them filed down. It was the only time I could remember ever going to a doctor or dentist.

It was after one of the rare trips she had taken me to go shopping. A young boy saw me smile and said that my teeth looked like Dracula's. The very next day, Aunt Meg took me to a dentist to have the tips of my teeth filed down.

"Kaia, what is it? What's wrong?" Alyse asked as she stood up from the table and started toward me.

I shook my head as tears swelled in my eyes. There was something seriously wrong with me, I could feel it. But I was too embarrassed and disgusted with myself to try and explain that I wanted to suck the blood from the raw steak. I ran out of the kitchen and up to my room and locked the door. Within seconds, I heard footsteps running up the stairs after me.

"Kaia, open the door" Aunt Meg said in a panicked tone.

"No. Go away!" I yelled.

"Kaia, please. Let us help you" Alyse pleaded.

I was too ashamed to face them. The image of the bloody steak kept flashing in my mind, making my hunger intensify even more. "Just leave me alone!" I yelled and buried my face in the pillow.

After several more attempts to get me to open the door, they finally left. And eventually, I forced myself to go to sleep with the hope that when I woke up everything in my life would be back to normal.

*****

Evil looking, white-faced monsters with blood-stained teeth filled my mind as my restful sleep turned into a nightmare. Their faces came in and out of focus as the images in my mind changed. Before I could get a good look at them, their faces blurred and melded into the darkness surrounding them.

"Where are you? We will find you. You can't hide forever" their sinister voices echoed in my mind, making me want to scream but I was trapped in a dream where I had no voice. I wanted to wake up, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. It was like something was holding me there, preventing me from escaping.

Suddenly, images of dead bodies forced their way into my mind. There was so much blood. I didn't want to see the terrified faces of the young girls calling out to me to help them even though their mouths weren't moving. They were clearly dead, but their cries still echoed in my head. Panic built in my chest and I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

Seconds later, a deep, soothing voice called out to me from the darkness. It was the same one that had spoken to me in my last nightmare.

"Don't be frightened, my child."

I searched the darkness to find the source of the words spoken so clearly in my mind. "Who are you?" I asked, feeling silly for trying to have a conversation with the monsters in my head.

"I am your friend. Someone you can trust."

"If I can trust you, then why are you in my nightmare?"

"I can't explain that now, child. But this is the only way I can communicate with you at the moment." The voice paused and I was beginning to think I had completely lost my mind. "What is your name, child? Tell me your name and I can find you. I can save you from the life of deceit that you're living."

I don't know what it was about the man's voice, but I felt compelled to answer him. "My name? My name is..." my words died out as a loud beeping echoed in my ears, pulling me from the dream world that moments ago I had been unable to escape.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the alarm clock by the bed. The thought of throwing it across the room crossed my mind, but instead of acting on it, I let out a deep sigh and rolled over onto my side. I was still tired despite the fact that according to the clock, I had gotten six hours of sleep. It felt like only minutes. As I laid there, remnants of my dream lingered in my mind. The voice...it was so different from the others. I was surprised that I wasn't afraid of it, instead, I felt somewhat comforted by the man's voice. Weird right?

"Kaia?" Aunt Meg called out to me in a muffled tone through the bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

I glanced to the door and felt guilty for locking her out last night. Whatever was going on with me wasn't her fault, and she didn't deserve my anger.

"Just a minute" I said and got out of bed.

When I opened the door, she was standing in the hallway wearing the same clothes she had on last night. I studied her face carefully and couldn't help but notice the dark bags under her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept at all.

"Are you feeling better today?" she asked and offered me a small smile.

"I think so. I don't feel sick anymore. It just kind of comes and goes. It's weird." I plopped down on the edge of the bed. "Maybe I should go to the doctor?"

Aunt Meg sat down beside me. "That won't be necessary. I can take care of you."

I could tell by the way she looked at me that she wanted to talk about last night. But I had no intention of reliving the worst night of my life. So before she had a chance to bring it up, I smiled and pointed to the clock. "The bus will be here soon. I need to get ready for school."

"Are you sure going to school is a good idea?" Aunt Meg seemed alarmed. Her brows pulled low over her eyes. "I really think you should stay home today" she paused and looked away for a moment then back at me. "I can call Nolan and Alyse and get them to stay home with you. Besides, there is something we need to talk to you about."

Just the thought of talking with my friends about my new food choices was enough to make me cringe. "Sorry, but I'm going to school. We will have to talk later. And I'd rather our talk be just between us. Let's leave Nolan and Alyse out of it, okay." I jumped up from the bed and grabbed some clothes from the closet before going into the bathroom to take a shower.

When I came out fifteen minutes later, I was relieved that my aunt was no longer in the room. I heard her moving around in her room down the hall and decided it was best if I left before she tried to convince me to stay home again. After grabbing my school stuff, I hurried down the stairs and out the front door.

I waited nervously at the bus stop, not really wanting to see Nolan and Alyse, but I knew I was going to have to face them sooner or later. After about ten minutes, I saw the bus coming down the road toward me. I glanced around, looking to see if Alyse and Nolan were on their way, but they were nowhere in sight. I was dumbfounded by their absence, I had never went to school by myself before.

As worried as I was about seeing my friends after my little episode last night, I think not seeing them was even worse. Were they too disgusted to be around me? The thought hurt as it crossed my mind.

The bus pulled to a stop in front of me and I got on it. Alone.

# Chapter Seven

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My morning classes dragged on forever. I was counting down the seconds until the bell rang. I couldn't wait to get to my next class to see if Alyse was there. When I saw her sitting in the desk next to mine, a sense of relief washed over me. I hurried over to her and plopped down at my desk.

"Where were you this morning? Why did you miss the bus?"

She seemed distracted and looked puzzled by the question for a moment. "I overslept. Sorry you had to ride the bus alone."

I studied her face carefully. Something wasn't right, I could feel it. "Is Nolan here too?"

Alyse didn't answer right away, which had me a bit concerned. She grabbed her purse from the floor and started rummaging through it. Her stalling tactic. I kept looking at her, waiting for a reply. Finally, she shook her head no. "He will be here later. He had something to do."

"What is so important that he had to miss school?" I asked.

Alyse shrugged her shoulders and looked away as the teacher walked in. We didn't speak again for the duration of class. I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad. I was glad that she didn't bring up what happened at dinner, but at the same time I was bothered that she didn't try to talk to me at all. When the bell rang, I decided to find out what was going on.

"Is everything okay, Alyse?" I asked as she walked with me to my next class.

She looked at me and nodded. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

I let out a deep breath. "Oh, I don't know...maybe because you aren't acting like yourself."

She turned her attention to me. When she noticed me studying her face, she quickly smiled. "I'm fine" she said, "How are you feeling today?"

There it was. The question I had been waiting for and dreading. I could sense her discomfort as she waited for me to respond.

"I'm good" I said and glanced away. An image of the bloody, raw steak flashed in my mind and my mouth instantly watered. I forced the image away. "So, um, I just want to let you know that I'm not going to be at lunch today" I said to change the subject.

"Where will you be?" Alyse asked in a guarded tone as we stopped outside the door of my next class.

"I have plans with a friend. We're uh, going to work on a project together." I hated to lie to her, but I knew the truth would only cause an argument.

"Can I help?" she offered.

I shook my head. "Thanks, but we got it under control. I'll see you in fifth period. Okay."

I left her standing in the hallway and walked into the classroom. Once at my desk, I glanced over to the open doorway and saw Alyse still standing where I had left her. Her eyes were locked onto me and I swear she looked like she wanted to drag me back out of the room. It wasn't until someone cleared his throat behind me that I understood the pissed off look on her face.

I turned around in my seat and saw Darian smiling at me. He scooted his desk close to mine and leaned forward.

"Hey" he whispered, "looks like we're going to be classmates."

I gave him a quick smile and turned around in my seat. When I looked to the hallway again, Alyse was gone. I let out a relieved breath and took out my biology assignment and waited for class to begin.

*****

I had a feeling Alyse was going to be waiting for me at the end of class and that made me feel guilty for what I was about to do, but I didn't let it stop me. Five minutes before the bell, Darian tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Are we still on for lunch today?"

I knew I shouldn't complicate my life by breaking the promise I had made to Nolan and risking him being mad at me, but as I looked at Darian and the way he smiled at me, I couldn't say no to him. And the truth was, I didn't want to.

"Sure." I smiled and glanced down at my watch. It was almost time for the bell. "I'm going to sneak out a little early. I'll meet you in the parking lot" I whispered.

"Why don't we just leave together now?" Darian said and nodded toward the door.

Instead of answering him, I grabbed my stuff and stood up quietly. The substitute teacher we had in class was sitting at a desk in the corner of the room with her face in a book. My heart rate sped up as we snuck out the door.

"First time sneaking out of class?" Darian asked once we were safely in the hall. His dark eyes stared at me intently.

I wondered if he noticed how badly my body was shaking. "Yeah, but it was either sneak out or end up in an argument with a close friend" I said sadly as Alyse's face popped into my mind. When I saw the confused look that crossed Darian's face, I quickly changed the subject before he had the chance to ask me anything about what I'd just said. "So, why exactly are we leaving campus for lunch anyway?"

Darian glanced over at me as he held the door open and we both stepped out into the midday sunlight. "I didn't want to take the chance of anyone interrupting our time together" he paused as we approached a sleek black car, "your friends don't seem to like me very much" he said and opened the passenger side door for me.

I tore my eyes away from the car and looked at him. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try and get some answers to the stack of questions in my head. "Yeah, about that...I'm sorry about the way they acted. They've never done anything like that before. Do you know why they were so rude to you?"

Darian shook his head from side to side. "I don't have a clue. But if I had to guess, I'd say Nolan's reaction was out of jealousy. As for the girl, well, I've never had a hu..." he paused then continued, "a girl act like she wanted to rip me to shreds before. I don't know what her problem was."

His words rolled over in my head. I wished his theory was true, but I knew it wasn't. Nolan's reaction had nothing to do with jealousy. I let out a deep breath and got into the car. "Where are we going for lunch? You do know we only have half an hour, right?"

"It's a surprise." Darian shut the door and hurried around to the other side. Within seconds, we were out of the parking lot and on our way to his secret location.

Ten minutes later, Darian pulled the car over to the curb beside the town park. "Here we are" he said and looked out the window.

"The park?" I asked, confused. "What are we supposed to do here?"

Darian chuckled and got out of the car and opened the back door. I watched as he pulled out a basket and a small cooler. "I came prepared" he said, proudly.

My eyes landed on the basket and my stomach growled. I was just about to get out of the car when something pink in the back seat caught my attention. I leaned over the seat and reached for the silky material. I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled it from the crease of the seat. I held the scarf up in the air. The smell of perfume was still strong on the fabric. I narrowed my eyes at Darian as he looked at me with a shocked expression.

I dropped the scarf and turned around in the seat. In the span of a second, my temper shot up. I couldn't believe I had let myself get suckered into going out with someone I pegged from the beginning as a player.

"You can take me back to school now" I said harshly and crossed my arms over my chest. "How could I have been so stupid? What would have happened if I had said no when you asked me to have lunch with you? Would you have just asked the next girl in line?" Without waiting for him to respond, I continued, "my friends were right. You are bad news."

Darian sat the cooler and basket down on the ground and came around to my side of the car. He opened the car door and knelt down beside me. "It isn't what you think, Kaia. Let me explain. This isn't just my car. I share it with my brother's, Max and Caleb. I don't even know the girl that scarf belongs to."

I looked at him, skeptically.

He lowered his head and shook it from side to side. "This isn't exactly how I pictured us spending our time together." He sighed deeply and looked up at me. "I really do want to get to know you better. I'm not interested in the type of girls my brothers like. I'm looking for someone special. Someone like you. But if you really want to go back to school, I'll take you."

His words were gentle and the way he looked at me as he spoke made me feel awful for questioning him. My anger quickly dissipated. It was stupid for me to be so upset in the first place. It wasn't like we were a couple or anything. We didn't even know each other. I looked away as embarrassment caused warmth to spread across my cheeks.

"I'm sorry" I mumbled and shook my head. My emotions seemed to be all over the place. It was so unlike me. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. As I'm sure you've noticed, I tend to speak before I think...a lot. You should probably spend your time getting to know someone normal."

I expected him to be mad or at the very least, uninterested in continuing the lunch. But he just took my hand and helped me out of the car. "Normal is boring. I prefer a girl who can keep me guessing. And you, Kaia, definitely fit that description. I've been trying to figure you out since the first time I saw you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked and stared into the same black eyes that just two days ago had made me feel uncomfortable. But now as I looked at them, I found that I couldn't look away. They held my gaze almost as if I was in a trance. Something about his eyes seemed so familiar.

Darian looked toward the park, breaking our eye contact. "It means I think you are intriguing and I'm curious to find out as much as I can about you." He sighed. "Can we start our date now?" he asked with a lopsided grin.

I couldn't hold back the smile that stretched across my face. "Date? Is that what this is?"

Darian led me around the car to where he left the basket and cooler. He let go of my hand and picked the stuff up. "It will be if you stop stalling."

Without saying another word, I followed him into the park.

# Chapter Eight

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After picking out the perfect spot under a big Oak tree on the farthest side of the park, away from the playground equipment, Darian spread out the blanket he brought with us and we sat down to eat. The ham and cheese sandwiches he made for us should have filled me up and probably would have if I had been able to eat them. But as soon as I unwrapped one of them my stomach protested the smell.

"Is something wrong?" Darian asked when I put the sandwich back in the cooler.

I shook my head. "I guess my stomach is still a little upset." I waited for him to take a bite of his sandwich, but he didn't. "Aren't you eating?" I asked.

He opened the basket and pulled out a black thermos. "I haven't been feeling that well myself. I'm on a liquid diet at the moment."

I watched as he turned the thermos up and took several large gulps. "What is that?" I asked and pointed to his drink.

A sly smile pulled up the corners of his mouth, making me even more curious as to what he was drinking. He held the thermos up in front of him. "This is my own special recipe. It um...makes me feel better."

"Mind if I try it?"

From the look on his face, my question must have caught him by surprise. "You want to try some of this?" he asked and held up the thermos like he couldn't believe I actually wanted some of his drink.

"Sure. Why not? You said it makes you feel better, right? Maybe it'll help me too. My stomach has been upset for a few days now." I looked at him expectantly.

He handed me the thermos with a weird look in his eyes that made me think maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all to drink from it.

"Does it taste bad?" I asked.

"Not to me, it doesn't. But it does take a certain kind of person to appreciate the taste."

I flipped the top open and sniffed the opening. It had a familiar smell to it and my stomach didn't tighten against the aroma. I took that as a good sign and lifted the thermos to my mouth. The wide-eyed look Darian gave me as I did so, made me feel uncomfortable. I looked away from him and took a small sip of the warm liquid.

My first instinct was to spit it out. It had a thick, gritty texture that I wasn't used to, but after a few seconds I found that I actually liked it. What I didn't like was the fact that the longer I held the liquid in my mouth, the more my teeth ached. I quickly swallowed and waited to see if my stomach was going to react badly. When nothing happened, I took several large gulps. The entire time, Darian stared at me as if what I was doing was the weirdest thing he had ever seen.

"It's good" I said after drinking at least half the thermos. I handed it back to Darian.

"Really? You like it?"

"Yeah. It's a little thick and it kind of has a coppery taste but other than that, it's pretty good."

I don't know what was so funny about what I said, but Darian busted out into a fit of laughter that made me think I had missed out on a private joke.

"Well, that's um, interesting" he chuckled.

I asked what he meant by that but he didn't elaborate and eventually our conversation turned to other things.

"So why don't you tell me about yourself?" Darian said and leaned back on his elbows with his legs crossed at the ankles.

"What do you want to know?" I asked and twisted a strand of grass around my finger before pulling it from the ground.

"Tell me about your family."

"There's nothing much to tell. I live with my aunt and I don't have any siblings."

"What about your parents?"

"They died in a car accident when I was a baby."

"I'm sorry. It must have been very hard for you to grow up without your parents."

I shrugged. "My childhood was all right. My aunt is like a mom to me." Before he could ask me anything else, I threw in my own question, "What about you? Other than your brother's I've seen at school, do you have any other siblings?"

Darian smiled thinly. "Yes. I have many brothers and sisters, but not all of them are here. My father has children everywhere."

I didn't know how to respond to that. So as usual, I said the first thing that popped into my mind. "So I take it that's where you guys got your player behaviors? Your father taught you to use women?"

He chuckled lightly. "I can see why you would think that and perhaps my brothers are players, but I'm not."

I gave him a doubtful look and he reached for my hand. He laced his fingers through mine and looked me in the eye as he spoke. "I'm really not like them. There is only one girl that I want to get to know and she's not making it easy for me." His voice was deep and sensual. And it made my insides tingle. Once again, I felt the same strange sensation that I had the first time he touched my arm, I felt like I knew him. Perhaps in a past life.

The thought caught me off guard. I stared at him, lost in his deep black gaze. With our eyes locked, I felt as if he could see into my soul. I should have felt violated by the feeling, but I didn't. Actually, it was the complete opposite. At that moment, I felt an intense, unexplainable connection to him that excited me.

Darian slowly leaned toward me and I knew what he was going to do. I should have backed away, shook my head no, broke eye contact or at the very least not made it so easy for him. But I did none of that. Instead, I stayed perfectly still and closed my eyes as his mouth gently brushed over mine.

The instant our lips touched something inside me came alive. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. Like something deep down inside me was being awoken. The only way to describe it was that it felt magical. I didn't want to let the feeling go, but unfortunately I had to when a small pain sliced through my lip and the taste of my own blood filled my mouth. I pulled back and touched a finger to my lip. It was bleeding.

A dark look flashed across Darian's face before he covered it. "I'm sorry, Kaia. I didn't mean to bite you."

I stared at the blood on my finger and rubbed my tongue over my lip. Blood filled my mouth even though the cut wasn't that big. My teeth instantly started to ache again. Despite the pain, I smiled at Darian to let him know that I was fine. "It's okay. It's not a big deal."

He opened his mouth to say something and for the first time since I met him, I noticed his teeth. As I stared at him my vision blurred in a shivering motion, like my eyes weren't sure of what they saw. I leaned closer to Darian and lifted my hand to his mouth. I don't know what possessed me to invade his personal space like that, I just knew I had to get a better look at his teeth. Something inside urged me to do so.

Darian tensed when I lifted his upper lip with my finger. I took in a sharp breath as I stared at the two sharp teeth that were identical to the ones I used to have as a child. I quickly dropped my hand to my side and looked away as a dozen different things went through my mind. I don't know how long I stared at the ground before Darian finally spoke again.

"We should get back to school." He stood and held his hand out to me. I stared at it as confusion clouded my mind. The similarities I shared with him were so strange. I had never met anyone who had teeth like mine. Why hadn't I noticed them before? I thought back to when he smiled at me at school, his teeth had looked normal then.

Noticing my hesitance, Darian spoke again, "Kaia, we have to go." He reached for my hand and in a flash I was on my feet. Our eyes met briefly before he broke contact and began packing up our picnic. He suddenly looked distracted and avoided looking at me as he worked.

We didn't talk much on the way back to school. I was too preoccupied with thinking about our kiss and his teeth, to concentrate on trying to have a conversation. And Darian didn't seem to mind the silence either. In fact, he seemed very distant, like his mind was somewhere else.

When we pulled into the school parking lot we sat in the car for several minutes. I was trying to think of something to say when Darian turned sideways in his seat to face me. "Will you have lunch with me again tomorrow?" he asked with a hopeful voice that sounded almost desperate.

My initial instinct was to say yes simply because of the connection I felt with him. But the more I thought about him and the similarities we had in common, the more I felt like something wasn't right. I've always had an internal alarm to guide me and keep me out of danger. And I felt it going off. Warning me to stay away.

I looked at Darian apologetically, with every intention of refusing his offer. But as soon as I locked eyes with him, I found it impossible to say no. It was like his eyes were pleading with my soul to say yes.

"I'd like that." I heard the words come out of my mouth but couldn't figure out why I'd said them when I had intended to refuse him.

Darian smiled and leaned over the center console of the car and kissed me on the cheek. "Till tomorrow" he said.

I felt as if I was in a daze as I smiled back then got out of the car. When Darian didn't get out too, I leaned down to the opened window and looked at him. "Aren't you coming?"

"No. I'm done with school for the day. I have some errands I need to run. I'll see you tomorrow" he said and waited for me to step away from the car before he backed out of the parking space.

I watched as he drove away from the school. Once he was out of sight, I headed toward the courtyard outside of the lunchroom. I still had a few minutes before my next class and I had a lot on my mind that I needed to try and sort through while I had some time to myself.

# Chapter Nine

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I was barely in view of the picnic tables when I heard someone call my name. I searched through the lunch crowd and saw Sara jogging toward me. It was the first time I had ever seen her move at more than a snail's pace.

"Oh my God, where have you been?" she said in a high strung voice, "Alyse and Nolan have been looking for you everywhere. They're both really upset. I've never seen the vein in Nolan's forehead come so close to busting through the skin as I've seen it today. He looks like he's ready to kill someone." Sara paused to catch her breath. "Where did you go?"

"I went off campus for lunch. Why?"

A sad look crossed her face. "Jenny Davison and Ally Piedmont are missing. Their parents showed up with the cops right before lunch and said that the girls went out together last night and never came home."

Not all that alarmed by the news, I shrugged like it was no big deal. "Maybe they decided to spend the night somewhere, got drunk and forgot to call home. It wouldn't be the first time they did that. Remember sophomore year? They went to that guy's party over in Lincoln County and got totally wasted and didn't go home for two days. Their parents had every cop in town looking for them."

Sara nodded. "I remember. But the cops don't think that's what happened this time." She looked at me then dropped her eyes to the ground, "they found Jenny's car in the back parking lot of the movie theater. There was blood in it. It was just a little bit, but they also found one of Ally's earrings on the ground a few feet from the car."

I suddenly felt like I had been hit in the face with a bucket of ice water. I stared at Sara, unable to think of anything to say. The police found blood. I wasn't exactly friends with Jenny and Ally but the thought of something bad happening to them made me extremely sad. And scared. "What are the police doing to find them?"

"I don't know" Sara said, without looking at me.

I could tell that there was more to the story that she was holding back. I urged her to continue, "There's more, isn't there?"

Sara nodded. "I just heard a few minutes ago that three more girls have been reported missing since this morning. Their parents called the school looking for them. They said their rooms were all empty when they went in to wake them up."

My heart sank to my feet as what she said registered in my mind. Five of my fellow classmates were missing. Sara must have noticed how upset I was because she stepped close and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "I know. Everyone is really upset. I think the missing girls are why Alyse and Nolan have been freaking out. No one knew anything about any of this until just a little while ago. And Nolan has been on the warpath ever since."

"Where is he now?" I asked and tried to get my nerves under control. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make my body stop shaking. The thought of someone kidnapping girls from my high school was too terrifying.

"I don't know where he is, but I'll help you look for him."

Sara and I started walking toward the main school building. We had only made it a short distance before I was snatched from behind. I let out a high pitched scream as I was spun around in a swift movement. My body slammed into someone else's and a vice-like grip held me in place. I struggled against the arms that were wrapped around me, but the hard as steel grip didn't ease. Everything happened so fast that it wasn't until I heard his voice that I knew who was holding me.

"Kaia" a strained voice whispered.

It was only my name, but the sound of it coming from Nolan's mouth set every nerve in my body on fire. I lifted my head to look at his face. The panic in his eyes and hard set of his jaw showed that he was on edge. He looked as if he was about to lose his mind. As I searched his face, I saw the fear that was etched on every inch of it. Before I could say anything to him, I was ripped from his arms.

"Kaia! Where the hell have you been?" Alyse yelled as she glared angrily at me. I was momentarily stunned by how my usually soft-spoken friend screamed at me. Seeing the moisture in her eyes made me feel awful for leaving without telling her the truth about where I was going.

"She left campus for lunch" Sara answered for me.

I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged apologetically.

"You what! With who?" Nolan asked in a rough tone as he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him again.

"I had lunch with a friend. And who it was is none of your business" I said and gave him a look that said not to push the subject.

A low growl emanated from his throat as he narrowed his eyes at me in disapproval. "Don't ever do that again. If you go somewhere, make sure someone knows where you are at all times."

I took a second to let out a deep breath and release some of the tension in my body from learning about the missing girls. "You're right. I'm sorry. I should have told someone where I was going."

The frantic look in his eyes eased a bit, but both he and Alyse were still staring at me. "Look, I said I'm sorry. Okay. I didn't mean to upset anyone."

"We know" Alyse said through tight lips. "But you didn't have to lie to me. I searched the library for you twice." The accusation was clear in her voice. She was hurt. Without waiting for me to respond, she walked off. "We're late for class" she said over her shoulder.

My gaze flickered to Nolan as we followed Alyse inside. "Sara said Jenny and Ally are missing" I said.

He glared at Sara as she walked beside me and she quickly dropped her eyes to the ground. It was clear he wasn't happy she had told me about it. I shook my head angrily, annoyed that he was still treating me like a child. "I would have found out sooner or later anyway so don't look at Sara like that. Just tell me if you've heard anything."

At first, Nolan looked like he wasn't going to answer then he let out a deep breath and shook his head. "No, we haven't heard anything new. We'll talk about this later. You need to get to class."

Instead of arguing and demanding to know more, I nodded and allowed him to lead me to my next class. I suddenly couldn't wait for the day to be over with. The last two classes of the day dragged on forever and I couldn't concentrate on anything the teachers said. My mind kept focusing on Jenny and Ally. I was worried about them and the other missing girls.

By the time the final bell rang, I was a nervous wreck. I needed to find out if the police had any new information. Unfortunately, I got the answer to that question as soon as I stepped into the hallway. Several groups of students were huddled together up and down the hall. And for the first time ever, there was no talking or laughing or playing around. With the exception of a few people sniffling and some outright crying, the hall was quiet.

I stood by the classroom door and looked around at everyone. When I saw Mandy Hillis coming toward me with her arms wrapped tightly around her books, holding them against her chest, I knew something was wrong. I could see that her eyes were red through her glasses. "Mandy, what's going on? What happened?"

She stopped in front of me and rubbed her fingers under the rim of her glasses to wipe away her tears. "Haven't you heard? The cops found Jenny and Ally" she paused and looked down at her feet, "they're dead. Their bodies were found about an hour ago. Steven Bilks left school after lunch to help his dad look for them and he came back about ten minutes ago and told everyone that Jenny and Ally were found in the woods on Highway 16, going out of town."

I'm not sure what Mandy said after that bombshell of horrific news because the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears was so loud that I couldn't hear anything else. Jenny and Ally were dead. My eyes burned as I stared at Mandy and tried to fight back the tears I felt forming. I glanced around at the other students who were openly crying. Seeing everyone so distraught made what Mandy said seem more real even though I desperately wanted to believe she was mistaken.

I didn't realize I had dropped my books until Sara offered them back to me. I stared at her blankly and tried to figure out why I hadn't noticed she was standing right beside me.

She frowned, her eyes watered. "Are you alright, Kaia?"

I felt dazed as I locked eyes with her. "No" I mumbled. "Is it true? Are they dead?"

Sara nodded slowly. I took several steps backwards until my back hit the wall behind me. Suddenly weak in the knees, I slid down the wall to the floor. Everything around me faded into the background as I stared at the floor in front of me. Out of the blue, bits and pieces of the nightmare I had last night came back to me. Blood. So much blood. Bodies on the ground. I tried to push the images away, but with the news of Jenny and Ally's deaths, the pictures from my dream seemed more real.

I closed my eyes and my body began to shake as fear erupted inside me. Did I dream about their murders? When I opened my eyes again a few minutes later, several faces were right in front of me. Sara and Mandy were staring at me like they thought I was going to break down at any minute. The concern on their faces was touching, but it was the way Nolan was looking at me that really broke through the haze that clouded my mind.

He was kneeling down in front of me. The hard set of his jaw was in deep contrast to the tenderness of his blue eyes. As I stared at him, the blue faded into a silver color almost the same as mine. I blinked in confusion and a second later, his eyes were blue again. My mind must have been playing tricks on me.

Without saying a word, Nolan helped me to my feet. I was too disoriented to protest. He eased his arm around my waist and urged me forward, out of the school like I was a child in need of guiding. The heartbroken faces of everyone we passed made my chest hurt even more.

Once outside, I looked over at Nolan. I felt like I should say something to him, after all, he and Jenny were once a couple. But I couldn't think of anything to say. Thankfully, Nolan must have read my mind and knew what I was thinking. He squeezed me tight and frowned. "It will be alright, Kaia. Try not to think about it. Let's get you home."

I nodded as a tear slowly rolled down my face. I was surprised by how upset I was. Jenny and Ally weren't really even my friends, but hearing that they were dead broke my heart. Two girls I knew had been murdered and three more were still missing. What was happening in our town?

"Where is Alyse?" I asked in a low, shaky voice as Nolan opened the door to his car and helped me inside.

He placed my books that he must have taken from Sara, on my lap. "She left school early." He closed the door and I stared out the window as he walked around to the driver's side.

I didn't see him get in the car but I did jump in my seat when he slammed the door shut. He looked over at me, apologetically, then started the car and drove away from the school. I leaned my head against the window and tried to calm down. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw Jenny and Ally. Only I didn't see them the way they looked the last time I spoke to them. Instead, I saw them covered in blood. Just like the girls in my nightmare.

# Chapter Ten

--------

When Nolan didn't make the right turn that led into our neighborhood, I lifted my head from the window and looked at him. "Where are we going?"

Nolan glanced over at me. "You need some fresh air. We're going to the lake."

I gave him an agreeing nod and rested my head back on the window.

The hour long ride to Lake Pride, two towns over, seemed like it took forever. I hadn't been there since the last time I went with Nolan and Alyse almost two years ago. When we were little we went swimming there almost every day. But for some reason, after our last visit we never went back. I don't know what happened that day to upset Nolan, but he had seemed distracted and on edge from the moment we got there.

As soon as I took my clothes off to reveal my new two-piece black bikini, he was ready to leave. After I put up a fuss and demanded to stay, he relented and agreed we could. But he avoided me the whole day. I saw him a few times, watching me and Alyse play in the water, but he never made any attempt to join us. I've always wondered what I did to upset him that day.

The car pulled to a stop by the check-in booth at the entrance to the lake. I looked out the window as Nolan paid the attendant the two-dollar parking fee. The crystal blue water that stretched out in front of us went on for miles and miles. It was a beautiful sight. One that I had always enjoyed.

The car lurched forward into the parking lot. Nolan stuck the parking permit on the dashboard then turned around in his seat to face me. From the look in his eyes, I could tell there was a lot on his mind, but just like me he didn't know what to say. After a few seconds, he just looked out the window to the water. "It's amazing, isn't it? The things nature has to offer."

"Yeah, it is" I agreed.

"Will you go for a walk with me, Kaia?" His voice was gentle and soft. It didn't hold a trace of his usual hardness.

"Okay."

We got out of the car and stood in front of it, looking out at the water. I took a deep breath, inhaling the clean, crisp air that surrounded the lake. A calm feeling washed over me as I took in several more breaths.

"Better?" Nolan asked from beside me.

I glanced over at him. "Much. Thank you for bringing me here."

He eased his hand around mine. "I want to show you something."

I raised my brows questioningly and he smiled. "I think you'll like it" he said.

I nodded in agreement and let him lead me down to the water's edge. Feeling a lot better than I did only an hour earlier, I kicked off my shoes and left them on the beach before wading into the water up to my ankles. It was surprisingly warm considering the chill in the air.

I looked at Nolan from the corner of my eye, his hand was still tight around mine. I think the smile on my face gave away what I was about to do because he narrowed his eyes slightly and shook his head. "Don't even think about it" he warned with a chuckle.

I frowned and let the idea of pulling him down into the water fade from my mind. We continued on our walk down the beach and I was starting to wonder just what it was that he wanted to show me. When we reached a bend in the lake where the water circled around a large patch of wooded land that was used for picnics, we left the beach and headed into the woods.

The area we were in was set up like a nature walk. There were benches placed throughout so that people could sit and watch the birds and squirrels. Small flowerbeds were interwoven through the trees, providing bright colors to make the area more beautiful.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Nolan shook his head, playfully. This was a side of him I didn't see very often. "Always so impatient. Don't you know that the best things in life are worth waiting for? To some, time can be a curse. And to others, it can be a gift. It all depends on how you chose to view it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He gently squeezed my hand then released it. "You'll figure it out one day."

I watched as he walked over to a huge rock that was centered in the middle of a flowerbed between two large trees. He stepped behind the rock and knelt down. A slow grin stretched across his face as he looked over at me and said, "Come here."

I stepped over the flowers and joined him behind the rock. "What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?"

He took my hand and pulled me down beside him. Once I was closer to the ground, I noticed the red writing on the rock.

"You don't remember this, do you?" Nolan asked as he rubbed his hand over the rocks surface.

I stared at the three names painted in red and the handprints beneath them. I shook my head and placed my hand over the handprint under my name. "No. I don't" I said in a stunned voice and looked at Nolan. "When did we put our names and handprints here?"

"A long time ago. I think you were around seven or eight years old when you talked Alyse and me into ditching Meg on the beach to follow you here." He smiled as the memory came back to him. "You were really into painting back then. You never went anywhere without a bag of paint and paper. Anyway, you said that you wanted everyone to know that this was our special place. I don't know why, but you were convinced that you were the first person to set foot in this area of the beach and you wanted to make sure everyone knew it. You insisted that we all leave our mark. So we painted our hands red and placed them here."

As I listened to Nolan talk, I tried my best to remember the day he described, but I couldn't. The handwriting on the rock did look like that of children but I had no memory of doing it. "Why don't I remember this?"

"I don't know. Maybe because we never came back to this spot after that day. We always stayed on the beach" Nolan said absentmindedly as he traced the letters of his name with his finger.

"Why? If I liked it here so much, why didn't we come back? It's not that far from the water."

A guarded look quickly flashed across his face. I could tell that he regretted bringing me there. He dropped his hand from the rock and shrugged. His whole demeanor changed. "I don't know. We just didn't."

As I looked at him, I couldn't help but feel that he was lying to me again. I could see it in his eyes. He did know. He just didn't want to tell me. More secrets. The thought instantly made me mad. I stood up and took one last look at the rock before walking off.

"Where are you going?" Nolan called after me.

I ignored him and kept walking. I heard his footsteps pound the ground as he hurried to catch up with me. He grabbed my arm to stop me. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

I snatched my arm from his grip. "Why did you bring me here?"

He stared at me with a confused expression. "I don't really know. I guess because you were so upset and I thought maybe coming here would make you feel better. I just couldn't stand to see you so sad."

"You thought lying to me would make me feel better?" I blurted out.

"Lying to you? What are you talking about?"

I couldn't take it anymore. All of the frustration I had built up inside me just came tumbling out. "You know damn well what I'm talking about, Nolan. You're lying about not knowing why we never came back here. I can see it in your eyes. Just like you lied about not being at my house the other night. And I want to know why. I was willing to let it go, but the lying just doesn't stop. Does it? It's one lie after another. Why are you keeping secrets from me?" I paused to take a breath.

Nolan opened his mouth to speak and I shook my head to stop him. "Unless you are ready to tell me the truth about everything, don't say one word because I can't take being lied to one more time."

He stared at me for several seconds and at first, I thought maybe he was going to come clean with me, but then he dropped his gaze to the ground. And that was my answer. He wasn't going to tell me anything. I don't think I've ever been angrier with him than I was at that moment. I bit down on the inside of my lip to distract myself from the pain in my heart.

"Fine" I snapped. "You keep your damn secrets. I guess our friendship doesn't mean as much to you as I thought it did." I spun around and ran back to the car.

The silence on the ride home was awful. I had hoped Nolan would try to explain himself but he didn't. As soon as he pulled into his driveway, I jumped out and ran across the yard to my house. I didn't want him to see me breakdown. I was an emotional wreck and knew tears were quickly approaching despite my vow to never cry over him again. How could I love someone and hate them at the same time?

Once I made it to my room, I peeked out the curtain to see if Nolan was still outside. My breath caught in my throat and my heart nearly stopped beating when I saw him standing a few feet from my house, staring up at my bedroom window. The tortured look on his face reminded me of the day I first saw him with Mitzy Kale. It was the exact same look. As soon as he saw me looking at him, he turned his back to me and crossed the yard to his house.

I didn't want to think about him anymore and I was determined not to cry because of him either. I paced the floor in my room, trying to get my emotions under control and my mind off of our little trip. But I soon realized that the only other thing there was to think about was the deaths of Ally and Jenny and possibly the other missing girls as well. I forced the thought from my mind and plopped down on the edge of the bed.

I hadn't noticed the silence in the house until then. I got up and walked into the hallway. "Aunt Meg?" I called out and looked to her open bedroom door. No answer. It was almost five in the afternoon. Aunt Meg should have been home by now. I went downstairs and looked in the kitchen. She wasn't there.

Standing in the livingroom, I looked around for a note telling me where she had gone. I saw the yellow piece of paper on the coffee table. Be back soon. Love, Meg.

I dropped the paper back to the table and sighed. After the day I'd had, I did not want to be alone. But I definitely wasn't going over to Nolan's. I sat down on the couch and contemplated calling Sara. Just as I reached for the phone, a severe pain clenched my stomach, making me double over.

After several seconds, I forgot about the phone and headed into the kitchen. Out of habit, I started pulling out everything I needed to make myself a snack even though I knew my actions were pointless. The peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich on my plate was one of my favorite afterschool snacks. I'd been eating them for years. But as I looked at the one in front of me, the thought of putting it in my mouth made my stomach tighten painfully in protest. I sighed heavily and tossed the sandwich in the trash. It had been almost three days since I'd eaten anything.

I opened the refrigerator and searched for something else that might be more agreeable to my belly, but I had the same reaction to everything I considered eating. Frustrated, I slammed the door hard. When I did that, the entire room shook. The magnets on the fridge fell to the floor. The dishes inside the cabinet clanked against one another. The pots and pans from under the counter clanged together as the floor and walls vibrated. And the dining table and chairs shifted slightly across the floor.

Startled, and not completely sure that my hunger wasn't affecting my mind and making me hallucinate, I glanced around the room with wide eyes. "What the hell was that?" I mumbled to myself.

As if nothing had happened, the room was eerily quiet. I opened the cabinet door by the stove and looked at the plates I had heard hitting against each other. They were now perfectly still. And if it wasn't for the fact that several of them had cracks down the center, I would have been able to convince myself I had imagined the whole thing. But with the evidence in my trembling hand, I knew I hadn't imagined anything. The room had been shaking.

The need to be anywhere else but there at that moment consumed me and I dropped the plate in the trash and hurried upstairs to my room. I grabbed my cellphone from my bag and ran out the front door in hopes of escaping the insanity that was slowly consuming me.

The sun was low in the sky and there was only about another hour of daylight left, but I didn't let that stop me. I had to get out of there. Making sure that I stayed out of sight of Nolan's house so he wouldn't see me leave, I sprinted across the yards of the next four houses down from mine.

When I got to Mrs.Nolt's fenced-in yard, I moved over to the sidewalk. After looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was following me, I slowed to a walk. My body was still trembling as what happened in the kitchen replayed in my mind. I shook my head to clear it. "I really am going crazy" I mumbled to myself.

With no clear destination in mind, I walked to the public bus stop and got on the first bus that arrived. I sat in the back and waited until it stopped at a place I knew I would be able to relax. The public library.

I had always enjoyed the calming atmosphere that the book-filled building offered. I made my way to one of the many study rooms in the rear of the building and was relieved that no one else was there. It was rare to have a study room all to myself.

The space was small but nice. The walls were lined with research books and in each corner were several plush beanbag chairs for relaxing. There was also a small couch and two desks with computers.

I closed the door to the room and laid down on the couch with my arm over my eyes. All I wanted was a few minutes of peace and quiet. But apparently my assumption of being alone in the room had been wrong. I jumped up when someone cleared their throat. I did a quick search of the room and saw a boy sitting in the corner closest to the door. How had I missed him?

The boy looked familiar but it took me a minute to recognize him. He was one of the new kids in my Biology class that I hadn't had a chance to talk to yet. As a matter of fact, I'd barely noticed him in class. He had a nerdy look about him and was always quiet and stayed to himself in the back of the room. The truth was, I didn't even know his name. He seemed like a bit of a loner.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone else was in here" I said.

He looked down shyly at the book in his hand. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Apparently, I'm easy to overlook" he said in a low, boyish voice that made me think he was used to being ignored.

"That's not really what I meant" I said, feeling embarrassed that I may have unintentionally insulted him. I walked over to him and held out my hand in a peace offering. "I'm Kaia. What's your name?"

It took a second for him to respond, almost as if he was unsure if he wanted to talk to me. Then he stood and shook my hand. I was surprised by how tall he was. He was even taller than me.

"I'm Lucas." He seemed nervous with our physical contact and quickly let go of my hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Lucas. I've seen you in my Biology class. Sorry we haven't had a chance to talk until now."

He resumed his spot on the beanbag chair. "It's all right. I'm not big on talking. Besides, I'm not exactly the type of guy everyone is eager to know. And I'm used to the solitude that being invisible to others gives me."

His words made me instantly feel sorry for him. He seemed lonely. I sat down beside him and looked over at his book. He covered the title with his arm before I had a chance to read it.

"So what grade are you in? We have a couple juniors and sophomores in class, that's why I'm asking."

"Eleventh" he said without looking at me.

"How do you like our school? I'm sure it's not much different from where you come from, right?"

"Its fine, I guess" he said and glanced over at me.

When I smiled at him, his face lit up a little and he seemed to relax a bit. I took that as a good sign and was quickly able to engage him in a conversation about the best books to put on my future to-read list. Before I knew it, an hour had passed. I looked at my watch and jumped to my feet. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late. I really have to go, but maybe we can talk at school. You are more than welcomed to have lunch with me and my friends if you'd like."

Lucas shrugged. "I'm sure I'll see you around."

After saying goodbye, I hurried outside to find that it was already dark. I stood at the bus stop waiting for the next bus for almost ten minutes before a car that I knew pulled over to the curb in front of me.

"Where in the hell have you been?" Sara said in a stressed voice as she got out of her pink Volkswagen Beetle and approached me. "Do you have any idea what your Aunt is going through right now?"

I gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

She put her hands on her hips and glared at me. "This is the second time that you've disappeared. Nolan and Alyse have been looking for you everywhere. Meg called them when she returned home and you weren't there. They've been calling your cell for over an hour and you didn't answer. They even called me to see if I knew where you were." She shook her head, angrily. "We all thought you were..." she let her words die as her eyes began to water.

It was then that I understood why she was so upset. They thought I had been kidnapped like the other missing girls. Guilt rose up inside me. "I'm so sorry, Sara. I didn't mean to scare anyone. I swear. I just went to the library, that's all."

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

I pulled it from my jeans pocket and saw a black screen. I looked at Sara, apologetically. "The battery is dead. I guess I forgot to charge it."

She looked away from me with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. It was clear she was upset.

"I really am sorry that I worried you. Don't be mad at me."

After a few seconds, she let out a deep breath. "Just don't ever do that again, okay. You're my friend and I love you but you've got to grow up and stop being so damn irresponsible."

Her words hurt but I knew she was right. "I know. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking" I said.

She motioned toward the car with her hand. "I better get you home before your Aunt calls the police. Or worse, Nolan tracks us down and drags you home by force." She shivered and a weird look crossed her face, almost like she was afraid of something.

"Are you alright?" I asked as we got in the car.

Sara started the car and pulled away from the curb, then looked over at me. "Yeah. It's just that Nolan kind of scared me earlier" she paused, then continued, "after he called me, I went over to your house and he was stomping around like a mad man. He even punched a hole in the wall by the front door because his calls kept going to your voicemail. He was really freaking out. He didn't say it, but he was terrified that something bad had happened to you."

Guilt reared up inside me again and I stayed silent as Sara drove me home. I knew I was about to be in a lot of trouble and I deserved every bit of whatever punishment I received.

# Chapter Eleven

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"Kaia!" Aunt Meg squealed my name and ran to me the second I opened the front door of the house. Having thanked Sara for the ride and promising to see her tomorrow, I walked in alone.

Aunt Meg threw her arms around my neck and squeezed me like she was afraid to ever let go. I looked over her shoulder and saw Alyse standing by the staircase with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked sad, afraid and mad all at the same time.

My eyes roamed around the room until I saw Nolan standing in the doorway to the kitchen. The look on his face as our eyes locked shook me to my bones. I had never seen him look so wild. Before I had the chance to say anything to him, Aunt Meg dropped her arms from my neck and started yelling at me.

"Where have you been?! Do you know how worried I was?!"

"I was at the library." I looked at her face and could tell that she had been crying. My heart clenched at the thought of hurting her.

Aunt Meg let out a deep breath and cradled my face with her hands. "Don't ever leave this house alone again! Do you understand me?" she said, sternly.

I nodded then looked at Alyse as she walked toward me. She dropped her arms to her sides. Anger quickly became the dominate emotion on her face. Aunt Meg may have easily accepted my apology but it didn't look like Alyse had any intention of letting me off the hook.

She stopped in front of me and put her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you tell me where you were going? Or better yet, why didn't you ask me to go with you? We've always done everything together but now, it's like you're avoiding me. Do you have any idea the kind of danger you put yourself in?" She paused to glare at me, "Two girls that you knew are dead. Five more are missing and for all we knew you could have been the next victim. How could you be so selfish and stupid?" she yelled.

It was the first time in my life that Alyse had ever spoken to me so harshly. The intensity of her words and the pain in her eyes made me realize how big of a mistake I had made. I felt horrible, but at the same time I didn't regret leaving. I only regretted not leaving a note. After what happened in the kitchen, I had no choice but to leave. I had to get out of the house so that I could think clearly. "I already said I'm sorry, Alyse. I guess I wasn't thinking."

"No. You weren't. That's the problem. You act before you think and one day that habit is going to get you in a lot of trouble. It may even get you or someone else killed. You keep saying that you're not a child anymore...well stop acting like one!"

"That's enough, Alyse!" Nolan's deep voice filled the room.

I glanced over at him but didn't even try to speak. I was too afraid that he would yell at me too. I was already fighting hard to keep my tears to myself and I knew if he started in on me, I wouldn't be able to hold them back.

My gaze flickered between my aunt and friends. I knew I should just tell them why I left so that they would understand I had no choice. But in all honesty, I didn't think they would believe me about the kitchen shaking. They probably already thought I was crazy after the steak incident and I didn't want to give them any more evidence to prove their assumption correct, even if I was starting to believe it too.

Instead of being the focus of their disappointed glares any longer, I took the easy way out and went upstairs to my room. I was glad not to hear footsteps coming up after me. As I laid across the bed, doing my best not to cry, all of the events of the day came rushing back to me all at once, making me feel lightheaded.

Jenny and Ally's deaths. The walls shaking in the kitchen. The strange encounter with Darian at lunch. And the ever present hunger that was driving me insane. Then to top off my day from hell, I had managed to alienate the three people who meant more to me than anyone in the world.

I rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes. How could my life have gotten so messed up? A week ago I was somewhat normal. Now I didn't know what I was. A soft knock sounded at the door.

"Kaia?" my aunt's voice was cautious.

"Not now, Aunt Meg. Please. I'm really tired." My voice came out hoarse and strained.

She didn't respond for several seconds, then she finally said, "goodnight" and walked away from the door. And that was when no matter how hard I tried to hold my tears in, I couldn't. I buried my face in the pillow and cried until my eyes grew sore and droopy.

Just when I was about to drift off to sleep, something Alyse said came back to me. Two girls that you knew are dead and five more are missing. I sat bolt upright in bed as the reality of what she'd said hit me. Two more girls were missing.

*****

I was only half asleep when the man's voice in my head called out to me, luring me toward him. I let go of my semi-conscious state and allowed myself to fall into a deep sleep. The darkness that surrounded me as I drifted into a dream world should have scared me, but for once, it didn't. There were no monsters with bloody teeth or scary faces haunting me. It was just empty blackness. It was almost calming in a way.

"Hello?" I called out and waited several minutes for a response. I was about to give up and accept the fact that I really had lost my mind when the voice finally responded.

"My child, it's good to hear your voice again."

The man's voice echoed in my head. The sound of it was so soothing and comforting. I searched through the darkness looking for him. "Where are you?"

"I am close. You can't see me but trust that I am here." The voice paused, "Why are you sad, child?"

"Why do you think I'm sad?"

"I can feel it. Your emotions are very strong. You are in pain. Who has hurt you?"

Even though I knew I was dreaming and the person I was communicating with wasn't real, at that moment I desperately wanted him to be. He seemed to care about how I felt. And I needed someone to confide in, who wouldn't think I was crazy.

"No one has hurt me" I said, softly. "There is just so much going on in my life right now and I don't know how to deal with everything."

"I can help you, child. Tell me where you are and I will come to you. I'll save you. Just tell me your name."

"But you're not real. You can't help me. This is just a dream."

"No, child. This isn't just a dream. I am real. And I can help you. All you have to do is tell me where you are. Tell me your name."

"My name? My name is K..." Suddenly, my body began shaking violently and I was snatched out of the dream.

"Kaia! Kaia, wake up!"

The darkness faded as I opened my eyes to see Aunt Meg leaning over me with terror in her eyes. She was holding onto my shoulders, shaking me like a mad woman. The fear on her face instantly sent me into alarm mode. I sat up in bed and looked around the room, thinking that maybe a burglar was in the house or that it was on fire or something. But I didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. There was no smoke or sound of someone moving around the house.

My eyes landed on Aunt Meg. "What? What's going on?" I asked.

She stared at me for a long time then let out a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. Her face softened and the stress lines that crinkled her features eased. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

I looked at her, dumbfounded. "Then why were you shaking me like the house is on fire?" I asked in a rough voice and fell backwards onto the pillow.

An odd look flashed across her face. "You were having a nightmare. I heard you scream and was trying to wake you up."

I narrowed my eyes at her, suspiciously. My dream was still fresh in my mind and I knew I hadn't screamed. I didn't even want to. I liked talking to the voice in my head, as weird as that sounded. "I wasn't having a nightmare, Aunt Meg."

"Of course you were, Kaia. When I came in you were twitching and turning over in the bed." She couldn't even meet my eyes as she spoke. Instead, she looked down at the bed.

I knew she was lying. I could see the shame on her face that she was trying to hide. Not being able to look at her when I knew she was lying to me once again, I turned my head to the side and stared at the wall.

After a few minutes, a warm hand touched my cheek. "Kaia, you know you can tell me anything, right? I'm always here for you if you need someone to talk to." Aunt Meg's voice was low and sad.

I almost felt sorry for her, then I remembered that she was the one keeping things from me. The reminder really upset me. I sat up in bed and glared at her. "What do you want to know? Huh? Do you want to know that I talk to the monsters in my dreams? I mean, really talk to them. Well, one of them at least. The others, I avoid as much as possible. Do you want me to tell you how badly I wanted to suck the blood off the steak the other night? Or do you want to hear about all the weird feelings I have inside me? Tell me...what exactly do you want me to talk to you about?" I knew my tone was snappy and loud, but I didn't care. I was frustrated and I wanted her to know it.

"You talk to them? The voices?" Aunt Meg's voice trembled as she spoke.

I saw an instant change in her. The stress lines were back on her forehead and her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at me.

"Yes. I've spoken to the man in my dreams a couple of times" I said and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. "So go ahead, call me crazy. Send me away, because I really think I'm losing my mind." I didn't realize I was crying until my aunt scooted closer and lifted her hand to my cheek again. She brushed her thumb under my eye to remove a tear.

"Oh, Kaia, you're not crazy."

I shook my head and pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. My anger gave way to confusion. "Yes, I am. Didn't you hear what I said? I talk to the voice in my head. Do you understand how crazy that is? And earlier today, I swear the kitchen was shaking. The walls and floors were moving. But the really weird part is that I think I caused it. I don't know how or why, but I have a feeling that I did it and it scared me so bad."

I waited for my aunt to say something, but all I got was silence as she stared into the air in front of her like she was in a daze. It was almost as if she saw something no one else could see. When she finally looked at me, the stunned expression on her face clearly relayed how she felt about my confession.

Feeling ashamed, I jumped up and headed toward the door. Aunt Meg grabbed my arm to stop me. I expected to hear her say that she was calling a shrink first thing in the morning. Instead, she grabbed my shoulders and gripped them roughly as a deadly serious look covered her face.

"You can never talk to the voices again!" she said in a panicked tone. "Do you understand me? Never! Don't ever tell them anything. Not your name or where you are. Nothing. Just completely ignore them."

I blinked in surprise at her quick change in attitude. I opened my mouth to say something but snapped it shut when I saw the crazed look in her eyes. I had expected her to say that I was crazy and that the voices weren't real. That they were just a figment of my imagination. But as I studied her face, it was clear that she believed everything I said and she seemed even more terrified than I was in the beginning.

She shook my shoulders again when I didn't answer her. "Do you understand, Kaia?!" she yelled.

"Ye...yes" I muttered.

She eased her grip and stepped back from me, then let out a deep breath before looking at me, apologetically. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. But it's very important that you listen to what I say."

She reached her hand out toward me and I flinched. I don't know why I had that reaction to her, maybe it was because I was starting to think she was just as crazy as me. Or maybe it was because I wasn't sure who she was anymore. The woman I knew and loved would never have been so rough with me. But regardless of the reason, the result of my action caused mixed emotions within me.

Aunt Meg's eyes watered and her hand fell to her side. "I'll leave you alone" she said. Her voice cracked as she spoke.

Before I could respond, she rushed out of the room. I heard her bedroom door shut from down the hall. I sat down on the bed and tried to figure out what had just happened. The house was completely silent except for the sound of my aunt crying softly in the room next door. A part of me felt sorry for hurting her feelings, but another, newly surfacing part of me didn't really care that she was upset. The lack of feeling caught me off guard and made me question what I really knew about myself.

# Chapter Twelve

--------

The next morning, I was up and out the door before my aunt came out of her room. I couldn't stand the thought of seeing her after what happened last night. Maybe it was all the lying and secrets that made me feel resentful and maybe even a little hateful toward her. I'm not sure where the feelings came from, but I felt that it was best to keep my distance from her for a while.

I was so anxious to get out of the house that I arrived at the bus stop twenty minutes early. I dropped my book bag on the sidewalk and sat down on top of it to keep from getting my clothes dirty. The cool, brisk morning air still had patches of fog lingering above the trees that lined both sides of the road.

I glanced down the street, looking for the bus even though I knew it wasn't time for it. Something laying in the road by the curb a few feet away caught my attention. I got up to investigate. As soon as my eyes landed on the dead squirrel, I glanced away. Its tiny body had been run over and judging from the blood that was still seeping from its wounds, it had been hit recently. Probably only minutes before I arrived at the bus stop.

Sorrow filled my chest at the loss of the tiny life. I was about to walk away when a scent that instantly called to me, assaulted my nose. I turned around slowly, my gaze fell to the squirrel once more and my heart raced wildly. I desperately wanted to look away, to refuse the need burning inside me, but I couldn't force my eyes away from the blood. My vision narrowed on the tiny animal and everything else around me faded into the background. The sadness I felt a moment ago was gone, replaced by curiosity.

A hunger so fierce that it nearly knocked me off my feet, consumed me, propelling me forward. My mouth filled with saliva and the pain in my teeth returned. I knelt down beside the squirrel and scooped it up in my hands. In the back of my mind, I knew what I was about to do was wrong and disgusting. But I couldn't stop myself. I no longer felt in control of my own body. The hunger and need growing inside me was too strong and I couldn't fight it. I'm not even sure if I wanted to. I lifted the squirrel's lifeless body up to my mouth.

Just as I was about to quench the hunger in my belly and the thirst that was making my throat burn like it was on fire, familiar voices wafted in the air toward me, drawing me out of the trance - like state I was in. I blinked several times to clear my mind then looked down at the animal in my hands. Repulsed, I threw it to the ground and stared at it with wide eyes as I backed away. My entire body shook with confusion and fear.

My heart pounded against my ribs as the reality of what I almost did, hit me. I shook my head in disgust and put as much distance between myself and the squirrel as I could before Nolan and Alyse came into view. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply to try and calm down before they made their way over to me. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the image of what I wanted to do to the squirrel out of my head.

"Hey, Kaia. You're out here early this morning" Alyse said, her voice timid and unsure, almost like she was nervous to talk to me.

My back was to them as they came down the sidewalk toward me. They were only a couple of feet away and I knew I only had a few seconds to get myself under control or they would know something was wrong. With my eyes still closed, I inhaled deeply several times. When the scent of Nolan's aftershave hit my nose, drowning out the smell of the blood, I turned around.

"Hey" I said, hoping that my face didn't give away the torment going on inside me.

Nolan looked at me for several seconds. The hard expression on his face said that he was still upset with me. Not that I blamed him. But I did hate the way he looked at me. The disappointment in his eyes made me feel like I had let him down. I looked away from him and smiled weakly at Alyse.

"Kaia, is everything okay? You don't look right." There was still a hint of anger in Alyse's voice as she spoke. "Did something happen?"

I shook my head no. "I'm fine. Just a little tired." I heard the lie in my voice and was certain Alyse and Nolan could too. "So...um, are you still going to Billy Scotts party tomorrow? He did say it was on Friday, right?" I said to get their attention off of me.

"No. We won't be going and neither should you" Nolan answered for Alyse. She nodded in agreement.

I was a little stunned that they weren't going. Alyse loved going to parties and very rarely missed one. I looked at her with raised brows. "Are you seriously not going? I thought you were working on a prank to get back at Billy for putting super glue on your chair at Sara's birthday party last month. He ruined your favorite pair of jeans."

Alyse shrugged. "I have more important things to do than play games."

"Oh" I said and tried not to show my disappointment. I had been looking forward to the distraction of a party, but there was no way I was going alone.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as we waited for the bus. I felt Nolan's eyes on me but I refused to look at him. After everything that had happened over the last few days, I wasn't sure where I stood with him anymore. The only thing I knew for sure was that our friendship had been damaged. And I wasn't sure if it could ever be fixed. There were too many lies and secrets pushing us apart.

Relief washed over me when the bus finally roared to a stop at the curb in front of us. I grabbed my bag from the ground and followed behind Alyse as she got onboard. I was just about to get on after her when Nolan laid his hand on my upper arm. I looked over my shoulder at him, questioningly.

"Let me drive you to school today" he said in a thick voice.

"Why? The bus is right here."

"Please, Kaia. I need to talk to you. It's important." His eyes pleaded with me to say yes.

And I wanted to despite the confusion I felt about him, but just when I was about to agree to go with him, Mitzi Kale stuck her bleach-blond head out the window of the bus and called out to him.

"Hi, Nolan. I saved you a seat."

Just the sound of her overly sweet and completely fake voice made me want to slap the smile off of her face. Mitzy and Nolan had been dating on and off for the last couple of years. And every time I've seen them together, I'm reminded of the rejection I felt so long ago.

I narrowed my eyes on Mitzy. My mind filled with mean and hurtful things I wanted to yell at her. But I didn't get the chance to say anything because the bus driver was tired of waiting.

"On or off. Make up your mind. I have a schedule to keep" the old man said and reached for the handle to close the door.

My gaze flickered back and forth from Nolan to Mitzy as she stared at him like she was in heat and he was the last man in the world. "It looks like you already have someone to talk to" I said and turned my back to Nolan. With my mind made up, I stepped on the bus.

I kept my face forward as I made my way down the aisle to the back. It was hard to resist the urge to look over my shoulder to see if Nolan was behind me, but I made it to my seat without looking back. I plopped down beside Alyse with my head lowered. I knew if I lifted it I would see Nolan sitting in the seat with Mitzy a few rows ahead. Her squeals of delight already told me he was onboard.

Soon after the bus began to move, Alyse bumped her shoulder against mine and whispered, "I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have been so hard on you" She paused, "Don't worry about Mitzy. Okay. It's not what you think. I can assure you Nolan has no interest whatsoever in her."

"Really?" I asked, skeptically. "Well, it sure as hell doesn't look that way to me." I glanced over the seats in front of us and saw Mitzy lean her head on Nolan's shoulder. I quickly looked away. "I don't care what he does or who he's with anymore." The lie slipped through my lips so easily.

"Don't say that, Kaia. It's not true and we both know it." Alyse's voice was soft and sympathetic.

She knew how I felt about Nolan and always did her best to comfort me whenever I got my feelings hurt. But I didn't want her comfort anymore. The truth was, I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't say another word until we arrived at the school.

As we waited for our turn to get off the bus, I took the opportunity to ask Alyse about something she said last night. "Who are the other two girls that are missing?"

A guarded look crossed her face and she hesitated before answering. "I don't know their names. They are both freshmen."

I looked down at the floor as sadness washed over me. "They're probably dead too, aren't they?" I asked in a low voice, wishing the thought hadn't entered my mind.

I waited for Alyse to respond as we walked down the aisle and exited the bus, but she never did. Her silence was all I needed to know that she thought the same. We were almost to the doors of the school when I saw Nolan standing with a group of boys at the end of the building. Mitzy was nowhere in sight and he looked like he was in the middle of a serious conversation.

Just as we were about to enter the building, Nolan came marching toward us. The dangerous look in his eyes had me instantly worried. "What do you think is wrong with him?" I asked Alyse and nodded in Nolan's direction.

"I don't know" she said as he neared us.

"Come on. We're leaving right now." Nolan's words were short, crisp, and stern. He grabbed my arm and hauled me back toward the parking lot. I looked to Alyse for help but she just fell into step beside us.

Irritated and angry at how I was being treated, I jerked my arm from his grip. "What the hell is wrong with you? What makes you think you have the right to tell me what to do?" I yelled.

Several students stopped to stare at us. Nolan and Alyse passed looks weird between each other but neither said a word. Secrets. More secrets. Aggravated, I crossed my arms over my chest, stubbornly. "You know what...I'm so tired of this. I know you consider yourself my protector because we grew up together and you're older than me, but this has got to stop. I don't need your protection or help or anything else. You are not my boss. So leave me the hell alone!"

I spun around to leave and Nolan reached for my arm again. "Kaia"

"Don't!" I yelled and stormed away from him. Instead of going to my first class where I knew Nolan would find me, I went to the library.

With my head lowered, I hurried to the back of the room to a small desk in the corner, behind several rows of books. Finally alone, I sat down and tried to get my heart rate under control. It was beating so fast that it felt like I was having a heart attack.

When my breathing finally evened out, I was able to think clearly. But for the life of me I couldn't figure out why Nolan was acting so weird. Who did he think he was to boss me around? And drag me away from school?

"What the hell is going on?" I said to myself.

"I don't know. But if you'd like, I could try and help you figure it out." The voice that replied to my private question startled me so much that I nearly fell out of my seat.

I turned around and saw Darian leaning against the book shelf behind me. "What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be in first period?" I asked.

His mouth pulled up into a grin. "I could ask you the same thing." He paused and looked around the empty library, "It looks to me like you're skipping class. I know we skipped out early yesterday but it was only five minutes. I had no idea it would turn you into a skipping addict" he teased.

I tried to fight the smile that inched its way across my face. But Darian seemed to have a way of making me smile even when I didn't want to. "I'm not skipping" I said, defensively.

"Then what are you doing here?"

I sighed, not wanting to talk about my personal issues. "I just need a little quiet time, that's all."

Darian knelt down beside my chair and ran his fingers over the back of my hand. A tiny shiver went through my body at his touch. "Do you mind if I stay with you for a while?" he asked.

I shrugged. "That depends." He raised his brows in question, waiting for me to continue. "Do you have any of your secret recipe with you?"

He looked stunned by my question for a second, then he nodded. "Yes. I never leave home without it." He cocked his head to the side and looked at me carefully. "You really do like it, don't you?"

"Why wouldn't I? You drink it too. I mean, it's not like it's something taboo. It's just some kind of soup, right?"

"Yeah" Darian answered quickly. He stared at me like he was trying to see straight through me or something.

I cleared my throat, hoping that the sound would break his stare. He blinked several times then looked away. A second later, he reached into his book bag and pulled out the same thermos he had at the park and handed it to me. "Here, you can have it. I have another one in my car."

I eagerly took the thermos and flipped the top open. The instant the thick, coppery - tasting liquid hit my tongue, my teeth began to ache. I ignored the pain and chugged down the soup as fast as I could. The hunger that had been driving me insane for days slowly eased. I didn't notice that Darian was staring at me until the entire thermos was empty. I sighed deeply and closed the lid before offering it back to him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked as he took the thermos.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's nothing. I'm glad you like it so much" he paused and looked at me again in a strange way, "who did you say your parents were? I mean, what were their names?"

I was caught off guard by the change of subject. "My parents? Why do you want to know about them?"

"Just curious. You never told me their names."

"Yeah, well you haven't told me your parent's names either. So I guess we're even" I said, teasingly.

Darian smiled thinly. I could see more questions building in his eyes but he remained quiet. All of a sudden, he stood with my hand in his and pulled me up from my chair. We were barely standing a few inches apart when he lifted his hand to rub it across my cheek. "You are a mystery to me, Kaia. One that I'm dying to unravel."

He eased his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him so that our bodies touched. My first instinct was to pull away. I wasn't used to that kind of intimate physical contact with a boy.

Other than Gary Helms, no one else had ever held me that way, and even he didn't do it often. As a matter of fact, the only time he ever touched me was when he was certain we were alone. He wouldn't even hold my hand in public after the first time he did it. I've always wondered why he was like that. Thinking of Gary made me remember that he never responded to my text and I made a mental note to look for him later.

Darian slowly rubbed his hand down the side of my neck. My body trembled involuntarily and I knew he could feel me shaking. I smiled shyly and tried to wiggle out of his hold without making it obvious that I was uncomfortable with his closeness. I liked him but things were moving way too fast.

"Kaia" his deep voice softened as he spoke my name. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he said and brought his other hand up to my face. He rubbed his thumb across my cheek as his eyes roamed down to my lips.

I couldn't think clearly enough to answer him. I knew he was going to kiss me. I could see the desire in his eyes as he rubbed a finger over my bottom lip. A part of me wanted him to kiss me again, but another part couldn't help but think it would be wrong if he did. I don't know where the thought came from but it quickly put a damper on my mood.

Before I had the chance to put some distance between our bodies, Darian tightened his grip around my waist and crushed his lips to mine. I resisted at first, but then a strange feeling came over me and I found that I actually enjoyed his kiss. For a brief moment, all of my problems disappeared. My mind was totally blank. I enjoyed the brief break from the chaos in my head.

"Ahem. What do you two think you're doing?" a soft feminine voice whispered roughly.

I broke away from Darian and looked at Mrs. Peterson, the librarian. Heat rushed to my cheeks from embarrassment. "We were...um...just..."

"Oh, I know what you were doing, Miss Lenoit." Mrs. Peterson's voice was filled with disapproval. "I suggest you both get to class immediately or else I'll have to report you."

I nodded quickly and grabbed my stuff. When I glanced at Darian, he looked completely unbothered by Mrs. Peterson's threat. In fact, he was smiling. He lazily grabbed his bag from the floor but made no move to leave. Mrs. Peterson narrowed her eyes at him and started tapping her foot on the floor.

"Bye" I mumbled to Darian as I hurried past him and Mrs. Peterson.

Once I was in view of the rest of the library I could see that it was no longer empty. I noticed people looking at me. Several girls were whispering and giggling. When a group of boys puckered their lips and made kissing noises as I passed them, I knew that they saw Darian kiss me. My cheeks burned with heat as my embarrassment grew even more. I held my bag tight to my chest and ran out of the library.

# Chapter Thirteen

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I was very lucky that Mr. Brown didn't ask me why I was late for his class because I had no intention of ever talking about what happened in the library. He simply told me to take my seat and went on with the days lesson. I let out a relieved breath. I don't think I could have survived telling him the truth and I hadn't been able to come up with a good enough lie.

After taking my seat, I spent the remaining twenty minutes of class trying not to think about Darian and our kiss. But knowing that people saw us, it was only a matter of time before everyone knew about it. And that made me nervous. The first thought that entered my mind was of Nolan. Despite our current rift, a small ache settled in my chest. I knew he was going to be mad when he found out about me and Darian, but it wasn't right for him to tell me to stay away from Darian in the first place. He had no right to tell me who to date.

As soon as the bell rang, I hurried out the door with the hope of making it to my next class without anyone talking to me. Luckily, I made it. Not one person stopped me to ask about any rumors they may have heard. I smiled to myself once I was safely in my next class. Maybe the rumor mill wasn't as bad as I thought.

Then again... maybe it was.

I had barely made it to my seat when I heard hoots and hollers fill the hallway outside the room. I watched from my seat as several students ran past the open door. I got up and stepped into the hallway to investigate. There was a large group of kids huddled around the opened exit doors at the end of the hall. They were pushing and shoving at each other, trying to get outside. I knew the scene well. There was a fight going on and everyone wanted to see it. I turned away with the intention of going back to my seat and ignoring what was happening. After all, kids got into fights at school all the time. And I had no desire to watch people beat up on each other.

However, I had only taken two steps when I heard someone yell something that froze me in place.

"Hit him! Kick his ass, Nolan!"

"Yeah! Punch him!"

I didn't have time to think. I acted on pure instinct. I sprinted toward the exit doors at the end of the hall. After elbowing several people and stepping on a lot of toes, I pushed my way through the crowd and out the doors. What I saw when I got outside took my breath away. Nolan and Darian were engaged in a serious battle that made them look like professional fighters as they threw punches and kicks at each other.

"I warned you to stay away from her!" Nolan growled out loud and landed a brutal punch to Darian's jaw that knocked his head backwards.

Darian countered with a hit of his own. Blood spurted from Nolan's nose. I was too shocked to move as I watched them trade hits back and forth. It wasn't until I heard Alyse scream that I was able to tear my gaze away from the fight in front of me. I searched the crowd and found her about fifty feet to my left.

Darian's brothers - Caleb and Max - were holding her by the arms, preventing her from interfering in the fight. The look on her face as she struggled against them made me forget all about Nolan and Darian. Anger swelled inside me as I ran toward her.

"Let her go!" I yelled and pushed Caleb in the chest.

He looked just as confused as I felt at the force behind the shove. He stumbled backwards several feet, his grip on Alyse slipped as he struggled to keep his balance and not fall.

"Stay out of this!" Max sneered and pushed me backwards. I fell on the ground hard.

"Don't you touch her!" Alyse yelled and snatched her other arm free and landed a quick punch to Max's gut.

"Kaia!"

My head snapped in Nolan's direction when he called my name. He had Darian pinned to the ground and from the rage on his face he must have seen Max push me. He jumped up, releasing his hold on Darian, and started toward me. He only made it a few feet before he was knocked to the ground when Darian tackled him from behind. Their fight quickly renewed.

My eyes darted from Nolan to Alyse, she was once again being held by Max and Caleb. I felt completely helpless as I watched her struggle to get free. Then I felt a strange feeling like something inside me wanted to get out. Along with that odd feeling came a rage so intense it almost took my breath away. It was like nothing I ever thought I was capable of feeling and it scared me.

My gaze shifted between Nolan and Alyse. I wanted to help them both. I wanted everyone to stop fighting. A scream built in my chest and I couldn't hold it back. My lungs burned to release it and that's exactly what I did. My voice was so loud and piercing that it echoed in my ears. Seconds later, I stumbled as the earth beneath me began to shake. Several people screamed when the ground suddenly cracked open and bricks fell from the school building as it shook violently, causing the windows to break.

"What's going on?" someone yelled.

"It's an earthquake! Run!"

Screams filled the air all around me as everyone ran around, frightened. But I stayed perfectly still. I could feel something coming out of me even though I couldn't see it. There was a pull from somewhere deep inside me, something yearning to get free. Begging for release. I stared at the crack in the earth as it stretched across the ground in front of me. I felt weirdly connected to it, like it was a part of me. An extension of my body.

"Kaia! Kaia, look at me!"

I lifted my eyes from the ground to look at Nolan. His hands were gripping my shoulders, firmly. "You have to stop this!" he said in a strained voice.

I tore my gaze from his face to look around us. Darian, his brothers, and all the other students were gone, which made me think I had somehow lost track of time. Only Alyse and Nolan remained and they were both staring at me with terrified expressions.

"It's over now, Kaia. You can relax. Just calm down." Alyse's voice was gentle but I could hear the panic she was trying to hide.

I looked at her, confused. Why was she telling me to calm down? I wasn't doing anything.

"Just take a deep breath, Kaia" Nolan said as he ran his hands up and down my arms in a comforting motion.

I suddenly felt extremely overwhelmed. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alyse take something from her pocket then I felt her hand on my arm and a warm, calm feeling washed over me. The ground beneath us stopped moving and I staggered forward, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. I locked eyes with Nolan as my vision blurred.

"I got you" Nolan whispered as he caught me in his waiting arms. His voice was the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness.

*****

I don't know how long I was out but when I woke up I was at home in my bed. And once again, I wasn't alone. I looked to the figure sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to me. Nolan was leaning heavily on his knees, like he was tired.

I moved on the bed and he looked over at me. His eyes seemed so sad when they met mine. "You're awake. I was starting to get worried."

"You and me both" I said, weakly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked and scooted closer to me.

Images from the fight and what happened afterwards flashed in my mind and all of my earlier irritation with him disappeared. My need to understand what was happening to me was greater than my anger at his controlling issues. "What going on, Nolan? What happened...the earthquake or whatever it was, why do I feel like I caused it? How is that even possible? People don't cause earthquakes" I sighed, "What's happening to me? Am I crazy?" I asked in a choked voice.

Nolan's face softened. "No, you're not crazy, Kaia. And you didn't cause the earthquake. It just happened..."

He started to say more but I interrupted him. "But we don't have earthquakes in South Carolina!" I cried out, my voice cracked. I truly felt like I was losing my mind.

"Ahh, Kaia, come here." Nolan pulled me into his arms and held me close to his chest. "Everything is going to be all right. I promise. I will never let anything bad happen to you." He rubbed his hand gently over my back as I listened to his heart beating through his chest. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. We were so comfortable that he may have held me all night long if I hadn't ruined the moment by opening my big mouth.

"Why were you and Darian fighting?" I asked, even though I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

I felt Nolan's body tense up next to mine. He eased his hold on me and moved back to the edge of the bed. A hard expression instantly covered the tender one he'd worn a moment ago. "It's not important."

"Yes, it is. Especially if it was because of me."

He looked at me from the corner of his eyes. "I asked you to stay away from him. Then I hear rumors that you were" he paused and a deep throated growl emanated from his throat, "kissing him in the library." The accusation was clear in his voice. I had broken my promise.

I looked away, ashamed. I knew that he and Aunt Meg, and even Alyse were keeping things from me, and maybe even straight out lying about some things, but that didn't mean I could do the same without feeling bad about it. "I'm sorry, Nolan. I know I said I would stay away from him but I just don't see why I should. He's a nice guy and I like him. Now...after what happened, he may never want to see me again."

"What? No way are you seeing him again. You're going to stay away from him like I asked you to" Nolan said, roughly.

"Don't start that crap again" I snapped at him. "I'll admit that Darian's brothers are definitely bad news. I mean, I can't believe the way they manhandled Alyse. But Darian isn't like them."

"The hell he isn't. You have no idea the kind of person he is. You don't even know him."

"Really? So are you telling me that he attacked you? That he threw the first punch? Or was he just defending himself against your attack?"

Nolan narrowed his eyes at me. I could see the muscles in his jaw clench as he gritted his teeth. We glared at each other for several seconds and I expected him to start yelling at me, so when he let out a deep breath and lowered his head, I was very surprised. "You're right. I attacked him. But I'm not sorry. Darian is not good enough for you. And you promised you would stay away from him. You gave me your word." The betrayal he felt was evident in his voice as he spoke.

As usual, I said the first thing that came to my mind. "Then who is good enough for me, Nolan?" I asked sadly, "please tell me because apparently I'm the one that's not good enough. I'm the one who can't keep a guy's attention for more than a few days before I'm all alone again." I tried to keep the pain from my voice as much as possible, but Nolan saw right through me.

The tortured look that crumpled his face made me wish I had kept my mouth shut. I forced myself to smile even though I really felt like crying. "You know what, just forget about it. Okay. Forget I said anything."

I got out of bed and started toward the door. Just as I was about to open it, Nolan's arm flashed over my shoulder and held it closed. He was so close behind me that I felt his breath on the back of my neck. My whole body shivered from his closeness.

"Don't ever think you're not good enough for anyone" he whispered in my ear. His strained voice made my heart race. "It's this world that isn't good enough for you, Kaia. You are so much more than everyone around you. You're special. Never forget that."

I closed my eyes and listened as he breathed in and out heavily. A rapid thumping sound reached my ears and it took me a second to realize what it was...his heartbeat. I could hear his heart beating. I squeezed my eyes closed tighter and pushed the thought from my mind. It wasn't possible. I told myself I had imagined it.

Nolan dropped his hand from the door and leaned in even closer to my back. I kept my eyes locked on the door despite how badly I wanted to turn around and look at his face. I didn't trust myself not to cross the line he drew years ago.

"There is nothing special about me, Nolan. I'm just a really messed up teenage girl looking for someone who can love me for more than just a friend."

Nolan was silent for several minutes. When he finally spoke, his voice was thick and filled with emotion. "There is someone for you, Kaia. Someone who will love you the way you deserve to be loved for all of eternity. You just have to be patient. When the time is right you'll find that person and all the heartache you've suffered up to that point won't even matter anymore."

I quickly dried the moisture that was starting to fill my eyes. "What if I've already found the person I want to spend eternity with and he doesn't feel the same way?" I asked in a breathy whisper. As soon as the question left my lips, a slow ache filled my chest because I knew Nolan would never love me the way I loved him.

I waited for him to respond, but he didn't. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he reached around me and opened the door. I took his movement as a sign the conversation was over. Just as I was about to take a step to leave the room, Nolan rested his hand on my shoulder then stepped around in front of me and cradled my face with his hands. I was shocked by his action and even more so when he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "A man would be a fool not to love someone as amazing as you" he said.

I stared at him in stunned silence as he dropped his hands from my face and walked out of the room. I didn't know whether to feel happy that he had finally kissed me - even if it was just on the forehead - or if I should be even more worried about my sanity than I already was because now it was going to be even harder to forget about him.

No longer in the mood to see anyone else. I closed the door and made my way back to bed. I sat down and stared at the floor, trying to make sense of the day's events. The incident with the squirrel, the fight at school, the earthquake, and now I had to deal with the fact that after years of yearning for Nolan to kiss me, he finally had. But I had to accept it probably meant nothing to him. It was just his way of pacifying a stressed - out, overly emotional girl.

After a few minutes of reflecting on my day, I gave up on trying to understand any of it. There was no way to explain the craziness going on in my life. The only good thing that had happened today was that I had been too wrapped up with other issues to notice the hunger that was starting to eat me from the inside out. I laid back in bed, closed my eyes and hoped tomorrow would be an easier, less traumatic day.

It wasn't long before I found myself surrounded by the darkness of another dream. Almost instantly, the man's voice was in my head again. "I've been waiting for you, child."

"Why? Why are you in my dreams? Who are you?"

"I am someone who cares very deeply for you."

I searched the darkness for the mysterious man. "I want to see you."

"You will, child. Very soon. The spell that separates us is weakening. I can feel that you are close. So close."

"Spell? What are you talking about? What spell?"

"Ah, my child. Do you not know who you are?" the voice paused like he was waiting for me to respond, but I didn't know what to say. "You are a very special young woman. One of a kind. The others with you have robbed you of the life you should be living. They are holding you back. They are not your friends."

"You don't know anything about me or my friends. You're just a figment of my imagination."

"No, child. I am so much more than that." There was a long silence before he finally spoke again, "I am your father."

It was at that point I sat up in the bed with my heart racing like I had been running a marathon instead of sleeping. I glanced around the darkened room, half expecting to see the man from my dream standing in one of the corners. I turned on the lamp by the bed and ran my hands down my face and let out a deep breath.

"It was just a dream. A really weird, totally messed up dream, that's all. Or maybe wishful thinking" I said to myself.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time I dreamed that one, if not both of my parents were still alive.

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was only a little after ten at night. As I stared at the red digits, I heard faint voices coming from downstairs. I put the dream out of my mind and crossed the room to the door and eased it open. I heard Nolan's hushed voice in the livingroom. He was talking to my aunt.

I knew if I tried to get any closer, they would hear me or maybe even see me, and I had no intention of getting busted again. So I stayed where I was and slid down the wall beside my open bedroom door and sat on the floor. As I sat there, I realized I didn't need to be any closer anyway. I could hear everything that was being said just as clearly as if I was down there with them.

Eavesdropping was wrong, but then again, so was keeping secrets. It was that kind of thinking that made me feel better about what I was doing. I pushed all thought from my mind and listened to the conversation going on downstairs.

# Chapter Fourteen

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"The binding spell is weakening, isn't it?" Nolan's voice was tight with emotion. "You both saw how she reacted to the blood on the meat the other night. She's craving it. And her magic is surfacing. She could have killed someone at the school."

"Yes. I'm afraid, you're right" Aunt Meg answered.

"Does that mean the protection spells are weakening too?" Alyse sounded worried. "Will they be able to find us?"

"If it breaks completely...then yes, they will" Aunt Meg responded.

I cocked my head to the side and tried to figure out what they were talking about, but just like before, nothing they said made any sense to me. Then out of the blue, I remembered the man in my dreams said something about a spell. I refocused my attention on the conversation.

"Why are the spells weakening in the first place? They were supposed to last at least a century. It's only been half that. The charms are still working, why aren't the damn spells?" Nolan asked in a rough tone. He sounded frustrated.

"I don't know" Aunt Meg said. "Perhaps, it's because Drycus and his clan have crossed over and are nearby. Maybe proximity to others of her kind has caused the spells to weaken."

"Those bastards are not her kind!" Nolan growled.

"You know what I meant, Nolan. Now is not the time for us to argue over misunderstandings. After today's events, I don't see how we can stay here any longer. Kaia has to be on Drycus' radar by now. Especially after what happened at the school today. If the binding spell continues to weaken, I fear she's going to become dangerous to everyone around her. She won't be able to control her thirst much longer. Or her magic. It's too strong for her to handle without any training. It's already starting to make her unstable." Aunt Meg paused then continued in a sad voice, "I know she's struggling. I see it in her eyes. The thirst is causing her physical pain and it kills me that I can't help her."

"Then we should leave tonight" Alyse said. "It's time to let her know who she is. We can't keep it from her any longer. We're doing more harm than good by keeping her in the dark. She needs to know the truth so that we can all work together to find a way to help her deal with the thirst. It's not right that she has to suffer without knowing why."

Everyone was silent for several minutes and I was beginning to think they either knew I was listening or they had simply lost interest in their strange conversation.

Then Aunt Meg finally spoke again, "I'm afraid we may lose her. The vision I had last night...it wasn't just about Drycus. Kaia was in it too. Only she wasn't the Kaia we know and love. She was her father's child, with eyes just as black as his. It was the first time I've ever seen a glimpse of her future and it terrified me."

"What the hell are you saying, Meglana?" Nolan growled in a low voice.

I heard my aunt sigh deeply and I wanted desperately to see if her face held the same despair as her voice.

"I'm saying that if things stay on the course they are on now, we will lose Kaia. She will choose Drycus and he will corrupt her."

Alyse gasped loudly. "No! That's not possible. She would never succumb to his evil influence. She has a good heart. She's a good person."

Silence once again filled the air until Nolan broke it, "What can we do to ensure your vision doesn't come true?"

"I don't know" Aunt Meg responded. "All I know is that the course we are on now leads to losing Kaia. Perhaps keeping the truth from her all these years was not the right thing to do. She is already distancing herself from us. She no longer trusts us."

"Then we are going to change the course." Nolan paused, "we are leaving tonight. Right now. We will put as much distance between her and this town as possible. And once she's out of danger, we'll tell her the truth. But we all need to understand, as soon as we leave, Drycus' men will no longer have any doubt who it is they are looking for."

My breath caught in my throat as I listened to them talk about taking me away from my home. Fear settled in my chest as they spoke about spells, magic charms and psychic visions. Not wanting to hear any more of the crazy conversation, I tiptoed back into my room and locked the door.

I looked around nervously and tried to think of a plan to convince them that I didn't want to leave, but I knew nothing I said would matter. It seemed they were even more insane than I thought I was. And I was finding it harder and harder to feel safe with them, despite the fact that I still loved them.

My eyes landed on the open window across the room. And in a split second, I made the decision to run. As I climbed out the window I asked myself repeatedly what I was doing. The truth was, I didn't know. But I also didn't know who the people in my house were. The thought hurt but I didn't let it stop me. I climbed down the trellis outside the window. When I was a few feet from the ground, I let go. As soon as my feet touched the grass, I took off running.

I ran harder than I had ever run in my life. The loneliness that filled me as I ran away from the only people I had ever loved caused a flood of tears to stream down my face. When my body began to shake from the deep sobs racking my chest, I stopped running and fell to the ground on my knees. My whole world was crashing down around me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Then, as if things couldn't possibly get any worse, it started to storm.

I sat in the middle of the sidewalk as rain poured down on top of me and thunder roared above. It was like the heavens felt my pain. Feeling completely helpless and devastated, I closed my eyes and imagined that if I sat there long enough, when I finally opened my eyes everything would be okay. I tried to convince myself that somehow the rain could wash away the events of the last week and my life would make sense again.

I don't know how long I sat there before I felt someone's hand on my shoulder, but it was long enough for the cold of the rain to reach my bones and make my entire body shiver uncontrollably. I looked over my shoulder and locked eyes with the last person I ever expected to see.

Gary's light green eyes stared back at me. His dusty brown hair stuck to his forehead as water dripped down the side of his face. I could see the question in his eyes but I just shook my head as more tears slipped free. The next thing I knew I was in his arms and he was carrying me to his truck, parked by the curb a few feet away.

Once inside, he turned the heater on full blast and reached over the back seat to grab a jacket. He spread it out over my chest and shoulders before taking off his shirt and changing into another one that he pulled from a duffel bag in the back. The whole time he never said a word.

I turned sideways in the seat, facing Gary, and pulled my knees up to my chest under the jacket. Then I rested my head against the seat. "Thank you" I whispered when he looked at me.

He placed his hand on the side of my face and frowned. "I'm not even going to ask what you were doing out there. But when you're ready to talk about it, I'm here."

He started the truck and pulled away from the curb. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to enjoy the heat coming from the vents. The cold finally left my body and the rigidness in my muscles eased. "Where are we going?" I asked in a small voice.

Gary glanced over at me. "Somewhere we can talk." He paused and looked away, "I'm sorry I didn't respond to your text. But I didn't know if anyone else might have access to your phone and messages."

"What do you mean? Who else would be reading my texts other than me?" I asked.

A cautious look crossed his face and for a second he looked like he wasn't going to answer. "Maybe Nolan" he finally said and looked at me from the corner of his eye to see my reaction.

"Nolan? Why would he read my texts?"

"Because he's done it before." Gary paused then continued, "He doesn't want me talking to you."

I glared at him as his words registered in my mind. Anger instantly rose up inside me. "What! When did he read my messages and how do you know about it?"

As we rode through town the rain slowed to a drizzle. I stared at Gary, waiting for him to respond. I didn't even realize he had stopped the truck until he pointed out the window. "Do you want to go sit on the swings for old time's sake?" he asked.

I glanced out the window and saw that we were at the park. Why was the park suddenly such a popular place for everyone to take me? "No, I don't want to get on the swings, I'm not a child. I want you to answer my questions" I snapped, and threw his jacket over the back seat. I was no longer cold. In fact, I felt like I was burning up with rage. "I want you to explain what you said about Nolan."

Gary was silent for a minute then he turned around in the seat to face me. He let out a deep sigh before speaking, "He's very protective of you" he paused like he was considering his words carefully. "What you said at school the other day was wrong. I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you. You have no idea how hard the last year has been on me. Seeing you at school and not being able to talk to you has been pure torture. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about you."

My face softened as confusion filled my mind. "What are you talking about, Gary? Why couldn't you talk to me?"

"Because the night we were supposed to meet at my house a year ago, Nolan showed up. And he wasn't happy. I had never seen him so mad before. We got into an argument because he didn't like that you and I were getting so serious. He threatened to kill me if I didn't stay away from you. He went on and on about how special you are and how no one here was worthy enough to touch you or even breathe the same air as you." He paused and looked at me, "He made me promise to never talk to you again. I knew if I refused he would have killed me. I saw it in his eyes. He was dead serious."

I knew my mouth was probably hanging open like an idiot, but my mind was too busy trying to process what Gary said, to care about how I looked. No matter how hard I tried to envision Nolan saying those things and threatening to kill him, I just couldn't. The man he described was not the Nolan I grew up with. But then again, the man I left at my house with my aunt and Alyse wasn't the same man either.

I studied Gary's face for any sign that he was lying but all I saw was fear and sadness. He seemed genuinely afraid of something or someone. And as much as I hated to think it, I believed the person he was terrified of was indeed Nolan.

A sinking feeling filled my stomach at the reality that I truly had no idea who my friends were anymore. I turned my head and looked out the window so that Gary wouldn't see the hurt on my face as I spoke, "What else did he say to you?" I couldn't even make myself say Nolan's name.

"Nothing. He hasn't said one word to me since that night. But I see him watching me sometimes. I guess to make sure that I keep my promise."

I closed my eyes and tried desperately not to cry. I was mad, hurt and more than anything else, confused beyond belief. I had spent the last year thinking I had done something to make Gary not like me anymore, and to now find out that Nolan had scared him away, suddenly made me wonder if he had done the same thing to the other guys I had been interested in. The thought hurt. A lot. Why would he do that to me? What did he gain by hurting me?

My chest suddenly felt tight and the confined space of the truck made me feel like I was suffocating. I opened the door and got out. As soon as the fresh night air hit my face, I began to feel better. I took several deep breaths but the air was still and I desperately needed a breeze. My lungs ached for cool, refreshing air.

I closed my eyes and imagined that the trees were moving in the wind. As soon as the thought entered my mind, a gentle breeze began to blow. I opened my eyes to see that all the trees surrounding the park were swaying from side to side. The sight brought a small smile to my lips. Once again, I had the same feeling that I had at the school when the ground cracked open. I felt a connection with the wind and I loved the way it made me feel.

A hand gently touched my arm. I looked to my right and saw Gary looking at me with concern. "You alright?" he asked. "I'm sorry if I upset you. I just thought you should know the truth."

"I know. And I'm not mad at you. I just can't believe that Nolan would interfere in my life and hurt me like this" I said, sadly.

The wind picked up speed and I shivered.

"I should take you home before you get sick. Your clothes are wet and the wind is getting cold" Gary said and reached for the door handle.

Having no intention of ever going back home, I stepped away from the truck. From the corner of my eye, I caught movement across the park. I stared at the trees several hundred feet away. "Did you see that?" I asked Gary.

"See what?" he said and followed my gaze. I saw him squinting as he looked across the park.

"Something moved through the trees" I said and started walking in that direction.

"Where are you going?" Gary said as he followed me.

Halfway across the park, I stopped and cocked my head to the side to focus on the faint sounds I heard coming from the trees.

"What is it?" Gary asked.

"I heard something. There is someone over there."

Gary's eyes widened as he stared at me. "You can see that far away? That's over a hundred yards. And there's barely any light at all out here."

I held my hand up to silence him as I concentrated on the sounds drifting in the air. I started walking toward the trees. There were no lights in that corner of the park, but even so, I still saw someone dart from the thin patch of trees in front of us to the road parallel to where I was standing. The movement was so fast that all I really saw was a blur. "Tell me you saw that too" I said and glanced over at Gary.

"Saw what?"

"Someone ran from the trees."

Gary's body tensed as he looked around, uncomfortably. His eyes darted back and forth between me and the trees. "Are you sure you saw someone and not an animal? And even if you did see someone, this is a public park. It's probably just some kid playing around."

I shook my head. "No, it wasn't an animal or a kid." I listened carefully for more movement. When I heard a soft whimpering sound, I ran toward the trees.

"Kaia, where are you going?" Gary yelled from behind me.

I ignored him and kept going. When the scent of blood hit my nose, I skidded to a stop. My heart was pounding so loudly that it drowned out everything else. I glanced over at Gary with panicked eyes when he caught up to me. "Someone is hurt."

"We should go back to the truck and call the police" he said in a trembling voice that let me know he was too afraid to go any further.

I briefly considered retreating, but the smell of blood pulled me toward it, urging me to investigate the source. I wanted to resist, to turn around and run back to the safety of Gary's truck. But I couldn't. "No. I have to see if someone is hurt. You go back and call the cops." I didn't wait for him to respond, instead I continued into the trees.

The scent of blood became stronger as the whimpering sounds grew weaker. Within seconds, I found the source of the noise and the blood. Shock and terror struck me to my core as I stared at the young girl splayed out on the ground in front of me. My eyes locked onto Mandy's. She was crying silently with her hands pressed against her neck. Blood spurted through her fingers. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, only gurgles.

"Oh no! Mandy, what happened to you?!" I cried out loud and fell to my knees beside her.

She reached a bloodied hand toward me. I grabbed it and squeezed tight to reassure her that she was going to be all right. "Just hold on. Okay. Help is coming" I said then looked over my shoulder to see if Gary was behind me. I saw him coming through the trees several feet away.

When my gaze fell back to Mandy, her body jerked violently several times before it stilled and her bloodshot eyes slowly closed. "Mandy! Mandy!" I yelled and pulled on her arm to get her to open her eyes. But she didn't respond. I began to panic. I leaned over, grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Mandy!"

"She's gone, Kaia" Gary stuttered as he knelt down beside me.

"I glared at him and shook my head in denial. "No. She can't be" I cried.

"I'm sorry." Gary eased his arm around my waist and tried to lift me from the ground, but I wouldn't let him.

"No!" I pushed him away and grabbed Mandy's hand again. My thumb rested over her wrist and I tried to detect a pulse, but there wasn't one. She really was gone. I let out a pain-filled scream and threw my body over hers as grief seared a hole in my heart at the loss of my friend.

I lost track of time as I cried for what seemed like an eternity. It wasn't until Gary rested his hand on my shoulder again that I remembered he was even there. "Kaia, we have to call the police and my phone is in the truck" he said in a low voice. "I didn't call them earlier, I followed you instead."

I lifted my head to look at him. Neither of us said a word, we just stared at each other. When his gaze shifted from my eyes to my cheek, I instinctively touched my face and came into contact with something wet. I stared at the blood from Mandy's wounds as it dripped from my fingertips. It should have disgusted me. But as I stared at it, instead of disgust, my grief quickly vanished and excitement took its place. I let my eyes fall to Mandy's throat. Blood was still slowly flowing from the gash that stretched from one side of her neck to the other.

All sense of right or wrong and rational thought fled my mind as the scent of warm blood filled my nostrils, awakening something dark inside me. An intense burning sensation clenched my throat and an agonizing pain seared through my teeth, much worse than anything I had felt over the last few days. I didn't even have to touch them to know that they had elongated. I could feel the sharp points rub against my lower lip. Before I had a chance to process what was happening to me, the need in the pit of my stomach took over and I lurched forward. My mouth latched onto Mandy's neck.

Warm, thick blood filled my mouth and flowed smoothly down my throat as I sucked in as much as I could. The more I drank, the better I felt. The burning in my throat subsided and the pain in my belly that had been torturing me for days, eased. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I didn't want to stop. I wanted to feed. It had been such a long time since I had felt the sense of satisfaction and fullness that I was starting to feel.

It wasn't until I heard someone screaming that I was able to force myself to stop.

"Kaia, what the hell are you doing?! That's disgusting!"

I looked up and saw Gary staring at me with wide, frantic eyes. His hands covered his mouth like he was trying not to vomit. At first, I didn't understand the horrified look on his face, then I looked down at Mandy and the reality of what I had just done hit me. I quickly scooted away from her body and scrambled to get to my feet. My heart raced frantically as I tried to mentally process what I'd done. It didn't take long for me to become hysterical.

I wiped a shaky hand across my mouth and stared at the blood that covered it. Then I started screaming like a banshee. The trees surrounding us began to sway violently and the ground shook. I looked to Gary and pleaded with my eyes for him to do something to comfort me, to help me understand what was happening. But instead of offering help, he looked at me with horror for several seconds, then turned around and ran away without saying a word.

I was left all alone to deal with the fact that I had just drank the blood of my dead friend. The guilt I felt was unbearable and I couldn't stand to look at the aftermath of what I'd done for one minute longer. I stumbled backwards as the ground's shaking grew worse. Several large cracks splintered the earth around my feet then stretched outwards, away from me. I was just about to follow in Gary's footsteps and run away as fast as I could, when something suddenly caught my attention.

I forced myself to look at Mandy once more when I noticed her leg twitching. I watched in stunned silence as her entire body began to shake. Seconds later, I felt as if the air had been knocked from my lungs when she slowly sat up and stared at me.

When my mind finally caught up with what was happening, I forced myself to speak. "Mandy?" I said her name unsurely, then took a cautious step toward her. But something told me not to get too close. Her eyes scared me. They were no longer green. They were now solid white.

"Kaia?" she said my name like she was confused and unsure if I was actually standing there.

I watched in shock as she staggered to her feet. She was covered in blood but the wound on her neck was now closed. Her skin looked as if it had never been cut.

"What's going on, Kaia? What happened to me? I feel weird."

No matter how hard I tried to rationalize what was happening right in front of me, I was absolutely terrified to see Mandy - who only a moment ago had been dead - walking toward me with her hand outstretched, asking me for help.

I stepped backwards, away from her. Then I did the same thing Gary had done to me. I ran away as fast as I could.

# Chapter Fifteen

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My mind was a jumbled mess as I ran through town, not really sure where I was going. Fear and confusion had me shaking so bad that I tripped and fell several times before finally reaching my house several miles away. By the time I got there, my sanity was barely intact. I wasn't sure what was real anymore.

Had I imagined everything at the park? Was I actually at home in bed having a nightmare? The question popped into my head, making me uncertain where I was. Mentally and physically exhausted, I crumpled to my knees on the lawn in front of my house and started screaming with the hope that if I was indeed having a nightmare, I would wake up soon. Within seconds, several sets of hands were on me, pulling me upwards.

"Kaia, what happened to you?"

"Oh my God, she's bleeding! Get her inside!"

The familiar voices around me forced their way into my mind and made me realize that I was indeed awake. I looked up at the person carrying me in his arms and saw Nolan staring down at me with a concerned, yet troubled expression. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I couldn't talk through the sobs that racked my chest. I tightened my arms around his neck and cried so hard that my body felt like it was convulsing.

"Sshh. It's okay, Kaia. I've got you" he whispered as he tightened his hold on me and climbed the steps of the porch. He carried me inside and tried to lay me down on the couch but I was too hysterical to be left alone.

I held onto him for dear life and pleaded with him not to let me go. "Please, please don't leave me" I cried. All of the terror I'd felt at the park suddenly came crashing down on me and it felt like I was being crushed under the weight of it.

"I will never leave you, Kaia" Nolan said in a low, calm voice. "We need to make sure you're okay" he paused and looked me over, "You're covered in blood."

His words caused my mind to be bombarded with images from the park, of me drinking from Mandy's neck.

I closed my eyes tightly to force the horrible image away. "It's not my blood" I blurted out.

"Then whose blood is it, Kaia?" I heard my aunt's question but I was too ashamed to look at her. The fear in her voice didn't make it any easier.

When I didn't answer, Nolan gently but forcefully removed my hands from around his neck, then knelt down in front of me. "Kaia, whose blood are you covered in? What happened?" he asked.

I looked at him then glanced over at Aunt Meg and Alyse - who had yet to say a word. They all seemed so concerned about me, but was it all a lie? Did they really care? My conversation with Gary came back to me, and I wasn't sure what to believe.

I guess a lot of time passed while I sat there staring off into space. I didn't even notice when Nolan and Alyse had changed places. I blinked several times and stared at her as she took my hand in hers. All of a sudden, an intensely warm, calming feeling came over me and the craziness in my head began to fade as darkness seeped its way into my mind. My body felt heavy and I knew I was about to black out again. But I didn't want to go to sleep. I mentally fought against it, forcing the darkness away.

Seconds later, a loud crash brought me out of a semiconscious state. My eyes flew open and I saw Nolan and Aunt Meg staring at me with stunned expressions. I quickly scanned the room and saw Alyse crumpled on the floor by the wall, across the room. She moaned and slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position, then rubbed her hand over the back of her head.

"What happened?" I asked. My gaze shifted back and forth between the three. "Will someone please tell me what's happening to me?" I yelled, then buried my face in my hands.

"Her magic is getting stronger. The binding spell is almost completely broken, isn't it? I can't calm her. She pushed me away without even touching me."

I lifted my head at the sound of Alyse's voice and looked at her, sadly. The feeling of defeat washed out any resentment I had over the secrets and lies. All I cared about was learning the truth about myself. "What magic? What's wrong with me, Alyse? Why am I losing my mind?"

Instead of Alyse answering, Aunt Meg sat down beside me. She looked like she was about to cry as she squeezed my hand in hers. "You're not losing your mind, Kaia. You're just different from everyone else."

"Why? Why am I different?"

Aunt Meg looked to Nolan and he gave her a slow nod. "It's time. But first, we have to know what happened tonight" he said and pierced me with a cautious stare. "Kaia, you have to tell us where you went and what happened. Then we will tell you everything you want to know. I give you my word."

I glanced away as an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. The answers to all my questions were mere moments away and all I had to do to get them was admit that I had drank the blood of my dead friend who turned out not to be dead after all. The thought of revealing the night's events to my family made me wish the monsters from my nightmares would come and put me out of my misery just so I wouldn't have to see the repulsed look on their faces. I knew I was about to truly once and for all turn the people I loved against me by telling them the truth, but I had no choice. The lying and secrets had to stop.

I faced my aunt and silently prayed she would forgive me for what I was about to say. "I was with Gary. We went to the park" I pause and glanced at Nolan to see his reaction. Just as I had expected, he wasn't happy to hear Gary's name. He balled his hands into fists at his side and clenched his jaw tight. "We found Mandy Hillis there and she..." I paused, not wanting to relive what I'd seen and done. "She had been attacked. She was covered in blood...and she...she died."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry" Aunt Meg said and scooted closer to give me a hug.

I held my hand up between our bodies to stop her. I desperately wanted and needed her comfort, but I had to tell her everything first. "Don't. You don't know what I've done. I'm a monster."

"Kaia, you are not a monster." She attempted to hug me again and I jumped up from the couch.

"Yes, I am!" I yelled. "I saw the blood oozing from her neck and something inside me snapped. I don't know how to describe it, but the sight of all the blood triggered something in me. I couldn't stop myself." Unable to look anyone in the eye as I continued, I turned my back to them and lowered my head in shame. "I drank her blood."

My shoulders shook as another round of sobs escaped my lungs. The idea of having to turn around and face the horrified and disgusted looks that I was sure covered the faces of my aunt and friends, broke my heart. A long, intense silence filled the air for several minutes before Nolan slowly stepped around in front of me and lifted my chin with his finger. There was no disgust in his eyes. Only sadness and maybe pity.

"It was your natural instinct, Kaia. And nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sorry you were put in that position all alone with no one there to help and protect you." Nolan's voice sounded as if it was on the verge of cracking as he spoke. His eyes were stressed and glassy. He lifted his hand to my face and gently rubbed his thumb across my cheek to remove my tears. "This is my fault. Meg and Alyse wanted to tell you the truth a long time ago, but I wouldn't let them. I wanted you to keep your innocence of the evils in the world as long as possible. And because of that, you've suffered greatly, and I will never forgive myself for causing you so much pain."

I locked eyes with him and felt like I was seeing the real Nolan for the first time. His face held no hint of the hardness I'd grown used to seeing, instead, he looked tired. So very tired. Like he had the weight of the whole world resting on his shoulders. I knew at that moment if I had asked him to tell me who I was, he would have done so. But despite how desperate I was to learn the truth, I knew I had to finish telling them about Mandy first.

I looked away from Nolan to my aunt and Alyse. "After I was..." I paused to consider my words before continuing, "finished with Mandy, something else happened. Something so strange that it defies the laws of nature." I closed my eyes as Mandy's face entered my mind. Her solid white eyes haunted me.

"What was it, Kaia? What happened?" Aunt Meg urged me to continue.

Without looking at her, I responded, "Mandy came back to life. One minute she was dead and lifeless and the next she was alive and staring at me with eyes so empty they looked soulless. Void of any color at all."

The tension in the room increased tenfold as everyone stared at me. "Are you sure her eyes weren't black, Kaia? I mean, it was dark, are you certain of what you saw?" Alyse asked in a panicked tone and passed a confused look to Nolan and Aunt Meg.

"I know what I saw. I will never forget the look in her eyes for as long as I live. They were solid white."

"Where is Mandy now?" Nolan asked.

"I don't know. I was so scared that I ran away, leaving her in the park."

"What does this mean, Meglana? Have you ever seen anything like this in your visions?" Nolan asked as he approached my aunt, who seemed too stunned to speak.

I stepped back, out of the way and listened quietly as everyone talked openly among themselves.

"No, I haven't seen anything like this before. And I don't know what it means. But if the girl was dead then brought back to life then we all know what she is now. And we have to find her before she kills someone" my aunt said.

"But if her eyes weren't black, then maybe she wasn't changed. Maybe something else is going on. Something that we've never encountered. She might not be dangerous" Alyse said.

"We can't take that chance" Nolan replied in a thick tone. "Until we know what's going on, we have to find Mandy and..." he paused and looked away like he didn't want to finish his sentence, "do what needs to be done."

There was sadness and regret in his voice that instantly had me worried. "What do you mean by that, Nolan? What are you going to do to Mandy?" I asked as I joined the conversation. I had a strong feeling that I wasn't going to like his answer.

His face softened as he approached me. "Kaia, Mandy died. You said so yourself. If she came back, she's no longer human. And if she's not human then she's a danger to everyone around her. We have no choice but to..."

"To what?" I interrupted him. "To kill her?" I asked, my voice cracked.

Nolan didn't respond, but I saw the answer in his eyes. That's exactly what he intended to do. I shook my head frantically from side to side. "No. No, you can't do that. I won't let you. She's my friend!" I said and pushed past him to talk to my aunt.

"Aunt Meg, tell him he can't do that" I pleaded. "I know what I did to her was wrong, and running away when she called out to me was also wrong, but she's alive now. For whatever reason, she's alive. You can't let Nolan hurt her."

I could see the indecision on my aunt's face as she looked at me. A twinge of hope flared inside me that she was going to side with me. But then she closed her eyes and shook her head. When she looked at me again, I knew her answer. The regret she felt was etched in every crevice of her face.

"I'm sorry, Kaia. Nolan is right. Your friend is no longer human. I don't know what she is now or if she's dangerous or not. But we can't leave her out there among innocent people. We have to find her and do what's best for her and everyone else."

I couldn't believe my ears. I backed away from my aunt, unable to process that she was willing to kill someone. My gaze shifted between her and Nolan and Alyse as they all stared at me. "What's wrong with you people? What is Mandy going to do that's so bad that you're sentencing her to death? Why did she come back from the dead? What did I do to her?"

Question after question left my lips as an intense sadness filled my chest. Then I finally asked the one question I hoped would help me understand everything. "Who am I?" My voice was calm despite the hysteria going on inside me.

My eyes locked onto Nolan. "Please. Please tell me who I am?"

He stepped close to me and placed his hand on my cheek tenderly. "You are the greatest being in existence, Kaia. You are one-of-a-kind. And you are the only one who can save us all." He paused and looked to Alyse. "Can you find Mandy on your own?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll find her and bring her back here" Alyse said then looked at me and smiled thinly before turning her attention back to Nolan. "You tell her everything. Don't leave anything out."

A strange look passed between them before she walked out of the house, leaving me alone with my aunt and Nolan.

# Chapter Sixteen

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Aunt Meg sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Nolan led me over to her and I sat down and waited anxiously for her to say something. Anything.

"This is going to be very difficult for you to understand, Kaia. And I hope once you know the truth, you'll see that everything we've ever done has been to protect you" she paused and looked down at her hands nervously.

When she didn't say anything else I wasn't sure if her silence was because she was afraid to continue or if she was just too emotional. Either way, Nolan quickly took over.

He knelt down in front of me and took both my hands in his and squeezed them tight. "Do you trust me, Kaia?"

The question hung in the air between us as I stared into his eyes. If he had asked me that same question a few hours ago, I probably would have said no. But now, I just wasn't sure if I trusted him or not. The fact that he was still in the same room with me after finding out what I'd done to Mandy however did work greatly in his favor and gave me the extra push I needed to answer him. "Yes."

He let out a deep breath, like he had been holding it in waiting for my response. "Then do you promise to listen to what I have to say with an open mind and without interruption?" he asked.

I thought about it for a brief moment then nodded. "I promise."

After several long seconds of silence I was beginning to think he wasn't going to continue, then he sighed heavily and said, "I always knew this day would come and I have spent the last few years trying to come up with an easy way to explain things to you. A way of telling you the truth without terrifying you. I've had this conversation with you in my head hundreds of times and I still haven't found the right way to do it. All I can do is just be honest and swear that I will do whatever I can to help you understand. Okay?"

As I listened to Nolan speak I couldn't help but be afraid of what he was going to tell me next. But I had promised to listen. I nodded in agreement. He passed a look to my aunt then focused his attention on me again. I could tell that he was struggling with himself, perhaps over where he wanted to begin. Then he just started talking.

"Kaia" he said my name then paused, "When we brought you to this world over fifty years ago, you were the youngest princess of the Lenoi fairies. The last of the royal line. And our future Queen."

I honestly don't know what I had expected Nolan to say but I definitely did not expect him to say that. I opened my mouth to dispute his claim and fuss at him for playing games with me but snapped it shut when he gave me a chastising glare and shook his head. "You promised to listen without interrupting" he reminded me.

I pulled my hands from his grip and folded my arms over my chest and clenched my jaw tight. "Fine" I said and motioned for him to continue, not that I believed a word he said but I was curious to hear what other craziness would come out of his mouth.

"I know this is hard for you to believe but it's true. The world we have been living in here is not the only one in existence. Our world, the place we come from is called Shohala Falls. It's where our species and many others thrived for thousands of years." He paused and a pained expression covered his face. "But things changed and we had no choice but to escape here with you. Alyse, Meglana and I vowed to your grandmother, Queen Izola and your mother, Princess Celeste that we would keep you safe. That we would hide and protect you from the evil that destroyed our world. And that's what we've done, Kaia. We've kept you safe. We blended in with the humans and did our best to give you a good life."

Nolan stopped talking and I took his pause as permission to respond. I looked from him to my aunt with narrowed eyes, then I stood up from the couch. I was suddenly so angry with them both that I couldn't stand the thought of being near them.

"So I'm a fairy, huh?" I said sarcastically and glared at Nolan as he stood from his kneeling position. "That's what you want me to believe?"

He stepped toward me and I held up my hand to stop him. "Don't!" I snapped. "All I wanted you to do was tell me the damn truth and instead of doing that, you come up with a stupid fairytale. Don't you know I stopped believing in fairytales a long time ago? If you don't know what's wrong with me then say so and stop lying!" I yelled.

"I'm not lying to you, Kaia" Nolan said in a thick voice and continued toward me.

I backed away from him, shaking my head. "Yes, you are! Fairies aren't real! Magical worlds aren't real! Why are you telling me more lies?"

"They aren't lies, Kaia" Aunt Meg said as she stepped beside Nolan and reached out to rub my arm.

I moved out of her reach and stared at her, pleading with her to stop but she continued to talk. "Just think about it, Kaia. Think about the weird things that have been happening to you lately. You know deep down that you're not like your friends. You're not like other people. Your whole life you've felt out of place, you've told me so many times. You've felt different, like you don't belong here. It's because you don't, Kaia. None of us do."

I wanted to deny ever having the feelings she described, but I couldn't. I had always felt like an outsider but that didn't mean I wasn't human. It didn't mean I was from another world. Just as I was about to argue against my aunt, Nolan gently grabbed my arm and lifted it to rub his fingers over my charm bracelet.

"Do you remember when you received this?" he asked as he admired each charm.

Caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, I cocked my head to the side and glared at him. "No. Of course I don't remember when Aunt Meg gave it to me. I was just a baby. Why are you asking about my bracelet?"

Nolan slowly lifted his gaze upwards to my face. He locked eyes with me and said, "Because Meg is not the one who gave it to you. I am. It was a gift from your mother to keep you safe. I fastened it around your tiny wrist before we crossed over into this world and made you promise to never take it off. "

"Why?" I heard the word come out of my mouth before I even realized I'd spoken. "Why can't I take it off?"

"It's easier to show you than it is to tell you" Nolan said and released my arm. He then reached up and unclasped the chain from around his neck that he had been wearing for as long as I could remember.

I watched as he rolled the chain around in his hand and I noticed something on his face that I wasn't used to seeing on him. Vulnerability. He looked unsure of himself as he stared at the chain, then he looked at me almost apologetically before allowing it to slip through his fingers.

My eyes followed the chain to the floor. When I looked back to Nolan I couldn't help but think that my mind was playing tricks on me. In a matter of seconds, his appearance had changed right before my eyes. It wasn't a major change but the differences were noticeable. His facial features seemed to have aged a few years, his eyes were now silver instead of blue, and his ears had elongated slightly up into a pointed shape.

As I stared at him in shock, I racked my brain to find a logical explanation for what I had just witnessed. But there wasn't one. Normal people weren't capable of changing their appearance by removing jewelry.

Nolan approached me with uncertainty as if he was afraid to speak. He seemed to be pleading with his eyes for reassurance that I was okay with his changes, but I couldn't offer it. I had no idea what was going on or even who he was, and at that moment I wasn't sure I wanted to know. He was supposed to be telling me who I was, not destroying what little faith I had left that I hadn't completely lost my mind.

He took a step toward me and I shook my head to stop him. Not out of fear, but out of confusion. "Stop" I said weakly. My gaze shifted from Nolan to my aunt, who was in the process of removing a necklace from around her neck. Just like with Nolan, as soon as she dropped it to the floor, her appearance changed too. Only her changes were much more drastic. Instead of looking like a woman in her early forties, she now appeared to be in her fifties or maybe even sixties. Her reddish-brown hair was now solid white. Her ears and eyes now matched Nolan's.

I gasped loudly and covered my mouth with my hands as my eyes widened in disbelief. "Aunt Meg, what's happening to you?" I asked in a high pitched voice, but made no move to approach her.

Sadness covered her face as she frowned at me. "This is who I am, Kaia. My real name is Meglana. I am a Lenoi fairy. This is my true form and that is Nolan's" she said and motioned with her hand in his direction. When I didn't respond, she continued, "I am well over seven hundred years old. But in our world time doesn't mean the same as it does here. I am considered middle-aged where we come from. And Nolan" she said his name and smiled thinly at him, "Is barely more than a child. Within his ninety years of life he has been tasked with more responsibility than anyone his age should be burdened with, but he has always handled it with the strength of ten men."

I had never heard my aunt speak that way about Nolan. There was so much respect and admiration in her voice. She may have claimed to be the elder but it was clear she looked up to him. I remained silent and studied their new appearances. The more I looked at them, the more what they said made sense to me. It was obvious they weren't human. I had seen them change with my own eyes. But that didn't make it any easier to accept.

"How old am I?" I asked without really thinking about my question.

A sudden crippling wave of fear washed over me, making every nerve in my body super aware of my surroundings. My eyes darted around the room in search of a threat but there was nothing around me to warrant the kind of fear that consumed me. And after a few minutes, it just disappeared, like the unwanted fright hadn't invaded me at all. For a brief moment it felt like I had been in someone else's body. It was a strange and terrifying feeling that I was thankful only lasted a few seconds.

"You are fifty-three human years old" Aunt Meg answered. "You were three when we crossed over. In our world, if you were a normal Lenoi you would be considered an adolescent because we don't mature until we are at least a century old. However, due to your lineage you would be treated like an adult because you are royalty."

The information overload I was under made my knees feel weak. I slowly sank down to the floor in a sitting position before I lost my balance. So many different emotions clouded my mind and I couldn't focus on any one in particular. The life that I could remember living flashed before my eyes and I wondered how much of it was true.

"If I've been here for fifty years why don't I remember being here that long? Why are my earliest memories of me being around six or seven? And even then my memories are kind of sketchy. Some memories are clear and others are not."

Nolan knelt down in front of me and touched my bracelet again. "These charms are infused with magic. They've made it possible for you to blend in with the people here and have aided in keeping you unaware of the time that has passed. It's how..."

The front door of the house suddenly swung open, interrupting whatever Nolan had been about to say. We all looked to Alyse as she limped inside, covered in blood. In the blink of an eye, Nolan was no longer kneeling in front of me. Instead, he was by Alyse's side with his arm around her waist, helping her to the couch. I jumped up from the floor and followed my aunt over to them. All thought of the conversation we were in the middle of instantly fled my mind.

"What happened, Alyse? Who did this to you?" Nolan asked in a rough tone.

I didn't notice it when she first walked in but Alyse had a long, skinny, sword-like blade in her hand. It was the same Kithu we had used to train with when we were younger. The shiny silver caught my attention when she laid it down beside her. I stared at the blood that covered it. Despite the concern I had for Alyse's wellbeing all I could think about at that moment was how badly I wanted to lick the blood from the blade. My mouth watered at the thought.

I don't know how long I stared at the blood or what was said during my distraction, but someone must have noticed my attention to the Kithu because Nolan quickly grabbed it and handed it to my aunt and she left the room with it. I stared after her debating on whether or not to follow her. Luckily, Nolan made the decision for me when he called my name.

"Kaia, I need you to bring me some wet towels. We need to clean the blood off of Alyse to check for wounds."

It took a second or two for me to respond.

"Kaia!" Nolan called out to me again. I looked at him and tried to focus on what he was saying. "Towels. Now please."

The blood rolling down Alyse's leg warned that she was hurt and needed help. It was hard to resist the thirst burning in my throat but knowing that my friend was in pain helped me to push the craving aside. I darted into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of dish towels and wet them in the sink before carrying them to Nolan.

"Is this enough?" I asked and handed him at least three towels.

"Yes" he said and began wiping the towels over Alyse's arms and legs.

The hunger that twisted my stomach prevented me from assisting him. I was afraid I might do something horrible if I got too close to Alyse. The smell of blood was so thick in the air that I had to cover my nose and move across the room to put as much distance between us as possible. I leaned against the wall and watched as Nolan cleaned and examined Alyse. From where I stood I could see that most of the blood wasn't hers. She only had one wound on her leg.

"I couldn't find Mandy" Alyse said and grimaced when Nolan applied pressure to the gash on her thigh. "I went to the park and tried to track her from there but I ran into some trouble." She looked passed Nolan to me and paused like she was considering what she should say in front of me. Her gaze shifted to Nolan. "It's been a while since I've seen your true form. I think I prefer the human version" she teased lightly then became more serious. "I take it you told her everything?" she said and nodded toward me.

"No. I didn't get a chance to, but she knows enough that you can talk freely."

The feeling of being the third wheel in the room washed over me, making me feel somewhat unwelcomed.

Alyse nodded and continued to speak. "There were vampires in the park. I didn't recognize any of them as students from the school. They attacked me thinking I was human and I was barely able to escape. They now know who we are." She paused and a sorrowful look crumpled her face. "As I ran away, I heard screams. They must have found another victim to satisfy their thirst."

An eerie silence filled the air as we all looked at each other. "Did you say vampires?" I asked in a doubtful tone. "You can't be serious, right?"

My friends stared at me, neither of them offered a response. But I didn't need them to say anything. I could tell from the looks on their faces that they were indeed serious. A tight feeling clenched my chest as my mind whirled a mile a minute, trying to comprehend everything I had learned in the last few hours.

"Vampires are real" I said in more of a statement than a question. When no one responded, I continued, "And fairies are real."

Piece after piece started to fall into place as I put two and two together. The cravings that had been torturing me, the strange dreams of bloody bodies, the feeling that I somehow had control over things in nature, such as the wind and the ground cracking open. In a weird way, it all started to make sense.

I locked eyes with Nolan as I asked my next question and prayed that the revelation forming in my mind was wrong. "You and Alyse are both fairies, right?"

He nodded and I could see the concentration on his face as he studied me, no doubt trying to figure out where my line of questioning would lead. "But neither of you crave blood, do you?"

A knowing look flashed across Nolan's face as both he and Alyse shook their heads in response. I wanted desperately to stop talking at that moment, to just forget about everything, to go back to being nothing more than a messed up teenage girl. But I knew that wasn't going to happen. The truth of my life was much more complicated than that.

The realization of my true identity finally hit home as I stared at Nolan. "You said that I'm a fairy, but I'm more than that, aren't I?"

I didn't give him a chance to answer. I already knew the truth. I could feel it in my heart and every fiber of my being. "I can't eat normal food anymore. I crave blood all the time. Even now while my mind is so confused, I'm struggling to keep my distance from Alyse." My voice cracked as my gaze fell to the bloody towels on the floor at her feet.

Nolan quickly kicked them under the couch, out of my sight.

"I'm a vampire. And a fairy. I'm some kind of freak mixture of the two."

"You aren't a freak, Kaia" my aunt's gentle voice responded.

I looked in her direction as she came into the room from the kitchen. My mind struggled to accept her new look. I knew she was still the woman who had raised me but at that moment she was more of a stranger than someone I knew and cared about.

She slowly approached me. "Kaia, I won't lie to you anymore. When you were born, I had no idea what you were. I feared the unknown. I was afraid of you and warned others that they should be too" she paused, "But I was wrong. You are the most amazing creature to ever walk the earth and I love you dearly. Yes, you are half Lenoi and half vampire, but that doesn't make you a freak. It makes you special. Your magic is so strong that we don't even know everything that you are capable of."

"You are one of a kind, Kaia" Alyse said from the couch.

"But how?" I asked as all the fairytales I'd read and movies I'd seen flashed in my mind. "How can vampires have children? Their bodies are technically dead, right? Like frozen in time or something?" As soon as the question left my lips another one popped into my head. "How was I created since vampires and fairies apparently don't get along well?" I said and pointed to the wound on Alyse's leg.

The sudden silence in the room made it possible for me to hear each and every heartbeat present. The fact that they were all racing like crazy and no one seemed to want to answer my question made me think I wasn't going to like the answer. After a full minute or two of intense silence, Nolan finally spoke. "Your mother had a very special gift. The gift of life. You exist because of her magic."

His answer was vague and I could tell there was a lot more to his explanation than what he was willing to tell me. I could see it on his face. The apprehension in his eyes mirrored that in my aunt's and Alyse's.

"Why are all these changes happening to me now? You said we've been here for fifty years, why is my magic just now surfacing? Why am I craving blood now when I never have before?" I asked.

"We don't know" Aunt Meg said then paused like she was trying to figure the answer out at that moment, "I guess there could be a number of different reasons. We always knew your magic was very strong, maybe the binds just weren't strong enough to contain it anymore. Maybe the proximity of other vampires awakened something in you. Who knows? All I do know is that your thirst was only restrained all these years because of the binds that were placed on you. Just like with your magic. Now that the binds are broken, your need for blood can't be denied."

Out of the dozens of questions that suddenly bombarded me, one stood out more than all the other's at that moment. It seemed completely irrelevant and unimportant to the discussion at hand, but for some reason it was in the forefront of my mind. It was a question I wanted to ask Nolan in private.

I looked to my aunt and frowned. "I think I've heard enough for one night. I need some time for all this to sink in" I said and made my way to the stairs.

"Of course, Kaia. We understand. Is there anything I can do for you?" Aunt Meg asked.

I shook my head. "Other than give me some space...no." I paused halfway up the stairs and looked back at Nolan. "Will you walk with me to my room?"

A surprised look crossed his face a second before he started for the stairs. I took his approach behind me as his answer and continued to my room. Once we were inside, I closed the door and stood with my back to Nolan for several long seconds before turning around to face him. He must have retrieved his chain on his way to the stairs because it was now back around his neck and his human appearance was what I saw when I looked at him.

Curiosity lit up his eyes as he waited for me to say something.

I leaned back against the door, letting it support my weight as exhaustion claimed my body. It had been such a long day and I really was ready for it to end. But I had to know the answer to the questions stuck in my head. "Why did you take me to the lake? Why did you show me the rock we left our handprints on? And don't even think about saying it was to get my mind off of Ally and Jenny because it wasn't and we both know it."

Nolan appeared shocked by my questions for a minute then slowly nodded as if acknowledging I was correct about his reasoning. He sat down on the bed and I followed him. He was unusually quiet for several minutes, then he sighed deeply and said, "You're right. Our trip there wasn't all about Ally and Jenny" he paused and lowered his head slightly. "I keep telling myself that I took you there so that the fresh air could help heal your broken heart. You were so upset when you heard about Jenny and Ally's deaths and being out in nature has always had a calming effect on you. But the truth is, I did have another motive. I felt like I was losing you. And a part of me hoped that if I took you to the rock you would remember some of the time we had spent there together. That you would remember how close we used to be." He paused and looked up at me. "But you didn't remember. In fact, taking you there had the opposite effect. Instead of making you feel connected to me again, it pushed you further away."

The emotion in his voice proved that I had hurt him. That knowledge caused my chest to ache. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt him. Since he was being honest with me, I felt it only right that I was also truthful with him.

I let out a deep breath before telling him the real reason I ran away from him after he showed me the rock. "I felt something when we were there. Something strange." Nolan's eyes locked onto me as I spoke. "It wasn't a memory or anything, but I felt connected to that place. To the rock. It was a connection that filled me with joy one minute then sorrow the next. It scared me."

Regret flashed across Nolan's face as he stared at me and I knew then that the rock held more significance in my life than just being a place I had left my handprint as a child.

"We never understood why you were so attracted to that rock. In fact, it was you who led us to it soon after we arrived in this world." He paused and thought back to a time I couldn't remember. "When we crossed over, we were in a big city. The loud sounds and bright lights terrified you so we retreated to the wilderness. For months we lived off the land. Each day we allowed you to guide us, thinking it was a good way to keep your mind off missing your mother. Then one day you just stopped walking and said 'this is it. This is where we have to stay'. We looked around at Pride Lake and assumed it was the water that had attracted you there, but then you walked away from the lake, into the woods. You sat down by the rock and began to play. We knew then that we would be settling down somewhere nearby."

"What happened to me there?" I asked.

Nolan hesitated before answering. "Nothing. Like I told you before, you loved going to the rock."

"Then why did we stop going?"

Nolan let out a deep sigh, knowing that I wasn't going to give up until I knew the truth, he finally said, "It's not something that happened there that made us steer clear of the area, it was what you said was going to happen in the future that forced us to wipe your memory of the rock."

Silence settled between us as I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, I prompted him to elaborate. "What did I say?"

A small smile pulled up one side of his mouth as what I can only assume was a funny memory replayed in his mind. "What didn't you say back then...You were always so talkative. Most of our time at the rock was spent with you forcing Alyse and I to play princess with you. You insisted that we memorize the words to all of your favorite cartoons and we would act them out with you of course always being the princess character and Alyse being your best friend."

"And who were you in these little plays?" I asked.

"The prince. It was a role you insisted that I take very seriously. You constantly reminded me that I had to be vigilant and on guard at all times because it was the prince's responsibility to save the princess."

Nolan laughed lightly as he repeated the words I had once told him. But his smile soon faded as he continued to speak, "Once we had successfully acted out all of your cartoons, you started coming up with your own scripts. It didn't take long for us to realize your plays were mimicking things that had happened in Shohala Falls. Things you had no idea of knowing about, most of which happened before you were even born. Before I was even born. We stopped acting out your plays and instead just listened to the stories you told while playing with your dolls. You spoke about a Queen who had imprisoned a monster in her dungeon. Then you talked about his escape and how the Queen moved on and had a family. A child that she didn't want." He paused and looked at me, "That's when we knew you were a Seer. You had the ability to see things no one else could. Only you didn't just see the future, you saw the past too."

I didn't understand the troubled look in his eyes as he stared at me. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No" Nolan answered quickly. "It's just unheard of to have a Seer who can see the past hundreds of years before she was born, but it's not bad. Just unique."

"So I told you stories that happened to be real, why did that scare everyone so much that you took away my memories?"

"Because not all of your stories were from the past. You never knew your stories were actually visions. In your mind, you were just a child relaying the images in your head as fairytales like the ones you saw on television. But I knew better, and so did Meg and Alyse. Your stories changed from being about a little girl who was always saved by a prince to being about a young woman tortured by her inner demons. Sometimes your stories would make you cry as you told them."

Nolan paused and looked away for a minute. When he looked back at me I could see he was fighting to keep his emotions in check. "Those were the stories that were the hardest to listen to. The ones that left you crying and begging me to please save the princess. It was like taking a stab in the heart every time you clung to me, pleading with me to be strong enough to save the tortured woman."

My chest tightened at the pain that still lingered in his eyes from my request so long ago. As I listened to him talk I had an unshakable feeling I knew who the woman was that my younger self spoke of. "I'm the tortured woman." The statement caused a weighted feeling in my chest.

Nolan nodded. "At first, we weren't sure that you were talking about yourself. We hoped that your visions were of someone else. We always paid close attention to everything you said in case you gave us any kind of detail we could use to find the woman. With each story you told about the tortured woman, we grew more convinced that you were talking about yourself. Then one day, our assumptions were proven correct." He stopped talking and got up from the bed and walked over to the window and stared out into the pitch black night.

I waited for him to return and finish his story but he didn't, so I followed him to the window. The faraway look in his eyes warned that he wasn't there with me at that moment. I touched his arm. "What happened? What did I see that still scares you now?"

Out of the blue, my emotions went wild inside me and I was suddenly terrified to hear what he had to say next.

My heart nearly stopped beating when Nolan turned toward me, his devastated eyes locked onto mine. "You saw your own death" he said, his voice thick with emotion.

He gave me a minute to let his words sink in. When my body started to shake he eased his arms around me and held me close to his chest. A million things went through my mind as he hugged me. I was thankful for the comfort he gave me in his arms and I wished that I could have stayed there all night. But I needed to know more. I pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Tell me about the vision. How am I going to die?"

Nolan let his arms fall away from my body. He shook his head and turned away from me. "No. You're not going to die, Kaia. There is no need for me to relive that horrible day any more so than I already have. We need to focus on the here and now, not the past."

I grabbed his arm and forced him to face me again. "This is my life we're talking about. I need to know what I said back then."

The urgency in my voice was only rivaled by the pain in Nolan's when he touched his hand to my cheek and said, "That isn't an easy thing for me to talk about. A part of me died that day."

"Please" I pleaded and lowered my voice. "I have to know."

I knew I was asking a lot from him, and I wasn't sure how forcing him to relive something that was obviously painful to him was going to affect our friendship, but I had a right to know.

After a few seconds, Nolan let out a deep breath. "The day started just like every one before it. We were sitting beside the rock listening to you tell Meg about the hunt I had taken you on that morning. You were halfway through your story when you just stopped talking and stared blankly into the air in front of you. Until that day, we had never witnessed one of your visions. We assumed you had them while you were asleep and then told us about them the next day. You were in a dazed state for at least ten minutes before you suddenly started screaming."

Nolan looked down at his feet and I could tell he was uncomfortable. But he continued to speak, "Nothing Meglana did calmed you. You screamed so loud that even the trees responded to your pain despite the charms you wore to help keep your magic bound. They began to sway angrily from side to side. The lower branches reached out to soothe you. It wasn't until you crawled into my lap and snuggled against my chest that you calmed enough to speak." He paused briefly. "With tears still streaming from your tiny eyes, you looked at me and begged to know why I didn't save the princess. I can still hear your voice in my head saying, 'Why Nolan? Why didn't you save her? You were her prince, the one who was supposed to keep her safe. Why didn't you save her from the monsters?' You balled your fists and started hitting me in the chest as you cried, 'she loved you and you let her die. Why didn't you love her enough to save her?' Your rant seared a hole through my heart but it was your next words that shattered it completely because there was no longer any doubt who the tortured woman was. You stopped hitting me and placed your hand on my cheek as you stared into my eyes and asked why I didn't love you enough to save you."

Nolan stopped talking and blinked several times. I saw the moisture in his eyes that he was trying to push back. His voice trembled when he spoke again. "I wrapped my arms around you, Kaia, and promised that I would never let anyone harm you. After a little while, you stopped crying. A calm, peaceful look settled on your face as you looked at me and said 'it's alright, Nolan. You may not love me enough now, but one day you will. One day, you're going to love me so much that it hurts. But it won't change anything. I see that now. It's my destiny. You're going to be too late to save me, but don't worry...I'll forgive you. You're my prince, how could I not'.  I was never the same after that day. Up until then, I had tried so hard to keep my distance from you so that my emotions wouldn't get in the way of my duty. But after that day, I vowed that I would never let you out of my sight. That night, Meg added a new charm to your bracelet to clear your memory and we never took you back to the rock again. Or spoke of your vision."

I swallowed hard when I noticed the tear on Nolan's cheek. He was so wrapped in his memory that I wasn't sure if he was even aware that he was crying. I closed the distance between our bodies and wrapped my arms around him. I held him in a tight embrace, hoping that the warmth of my living body was enough to soothe some of the pain I had caused by blaming him for my impending death.

"I'm sorry, Nolan. I was just a child and it was wrong of me to lay any kind of blame on you. I don't want my death to be on anyone's conscious." I paused, surprised by how easily I accepted learning that I had a vision of my own death.

Nolan pulled back from me with narrowed eyes. "You aren't going to die, Kaia. No matter what, I won't let that happen. Do you understand? I won't let your vision come true. I can't. It would destroy me to lose you."

He studied my face for several seconds, the intensity of his stare made my heart race. I wanted to ask what he meant by his last statement but fear of rejection kept my mouth closed. The dynamic of our relationship had definitely changed over the last few days, even the last few hours and I wasn't sure where I stood with him anymore. Were we still just friends? Or was something else finally happening between us?

My feelings for him haven't changed, even after learning he wasn't human. The question I needed answered was how did he really feel about me? It stuck on the tip of my tongue, waiting to be released. But no matter how desperate I was to hear the answer, I couldn't force the words from my mouth. I had already been hurt by his rejections so much in the past that I just wasn't willing to have my hopes struck down again. Not now. Not when I already had so much on my plate to deal with.

With a heavy heart, I eased my hold around his waist and stepped out of his arms. I hated the emptiness that instantly filled me as I moved away from him. I forced myself to smile despite the fact that my heart ached. So much truth had been spoken, all the lies and secrets exposed. But yet, I still couldn't bring myself to tell him that I was in love with him.

"Thank you, Nolan. For telling me the truth and for not condemning me for what I did to Mandy." I lowered my head as I said her name.

For the first time since returning home, I noticed that I was still wearing the bloody clothes from the park. Disgust and repulsion rose up inside me. I looked to Nolan, shame evident on my face. "Please go" I blurted out and quickly turned my back to him to hide the evidence of the monster I'd become.

I heard his footsteps move toward the door and knew that it was probably my last chance to be completely open and honest with him. There was one thing still weighing on me that I needed to get off my chest. I kept my back to him, not wanting him to see the remnants of my thirst that stained my shirt, or the sadness in my eyes as I spoke.

"Nolan" I said his name softly.

"Yeah."

"I know what you did to Gary."

His sharp intake of breath let me know that my confession was the last thing he expected me to say. I continued quickly, not giving him a chance to respond. "I know you threatened him...and probably all the other guys who were interested in me too. I think you did it because you truly believed you had to because of the promise you made to my grandmother. And that's why I can forgive you...because you thought you were doing the right thing. But I want you to know you didn't have to threaten and scare boys away from me. If you had just stayed out of it and trusted me to make the right decisions, I would have figured out on my own that none of them were right for me. You should have had more faith in me."

It took Nolan a minute to respond. "You're right. I'm sorry, Kaia." He paused briefly and exhaled a deep breath. "It seems I'm not much of a protector after all since the only one who has been hurting you all this time is me. But I give you my word, Princess, now that you know who you are, I will not interfere in your personal affairs ever again. I do know my place within the Lenoi hierarchy."

Before I could respond, he opened the door and left my bedroom. As soon as he shut the door behind him, I pulled my shirt off and threw it on the floor and hurried into the bathroom. I finished undressing and hopped in the shower in hopes of burning all traces of Mandy's blood from my body.

Maybe the scalding hot water that rained down over me was my way of punishing myself for what I'd done. I wanted to feel the burn against my skin. I needed the physical pain to let me know that all of this was real and not a dream. But despite the fact that the water was so hot it caused a thick, white steam cloud to fill the room, I felt nothing. My skin didn't even redden. I truly was an abomination.

# Chapter Seventeen

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The next morning, I was surprised by how energized I felt considering I was only able to sleep for a few hours before my nightmares returned. The voice in my head tried to talk to me again, but I wasn't in the mood to converse with an imaginary friend. Doing so would have only pushed me further into the insanity that was taking over my mind.

After changing out of my pajamas, I sat on the edge of the bed and glanced around my bedroom, unsure what my plans were for the day. My eyes landed on my bookbag by the door and I grimaced. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was not going to school. The thought of being around so many people was absolutely terrifying.

How could I ever go back to school and risk hurting someone the way I did Mandy? What would happen if I no longer saw my friends as people but instead saw them as a source of blood? Would I be able to control myself and my thirst?

The uncertainty made me absolute in my resolve to never go back. My decision limited the possibilities of things to do during the day but I didn't worry about that. I already knew what would occupy the upcoming days. And nights for that matter...I had to find Mandy. Nolan and Aunt Meg had already made it more than clear what was going to happen to her if they found her. The only way she stood a chance of surviving was if I found her first.

With my goal in mind, I went downstairs to face the people I heard talking in the kitchen. Aunt Meg, Nolan and Alyse were all sitting at the table in their human disguises. They looked up when I entered the room. The sight before me seemed so normal. A family having breakfast together. But there was nothing normal about any of us.

I could sense that they were uncomfortable when I looked at them. There was a lot of tension in the air. "Good morning" I said in a falsely cheerful tone to lighten the mood.

"Did you sleep well?" Aunt Meg asked with a small smile.

I sat down in the chair next to her. "No. As a matter of fact, I didn't. I guess I had a lot on my mind. It's hard to sleep after finding out your whole life has been one big lie." I didn't mean for my words to sound so cruel and blunt but that's how they came out.

My aunt tensed beside me then rested her hand on my shoulder. "We are sorry, Kaia. Truly. But the truth is out now and you have to accept it in order to move on."

I looked at her, she seemed sincerely apologetic but I wasn't ready to forgive her just yet. I was still trying to come to terms with my identity. Forgiveness for the people responsible for withholding the truth from me wasn't going to be easy. I knew that now. Despite my desire to move on like nothing had changed between us, I wasn't sure it was going to be possible.

I felt cheated. I felt robbed of memories that they had no right to take from me. Most importantly, I felt disconnected. Like the bond I had always shared with my aunt and friends was somehow coming undone. The love I had for them was still there, but the trust was another matter.

My gaze shifted from my aunt to Nolan and Alyse as I spoke, "I can accept who I am. I don't like it. And I don't want to be this person, but I do accept the fact that I am not human. It's a curse that I'm going to have to learn to deal with. What I'm finding harder to accept is that you three aren't who I thought you were. I feel like I'm going to have to get to know you all over again. This time, without the lies."

I could see the sorrow in her eyes when I looked to Alyse. My words hurt her and for a second I felt sorry for her. But then I remembered I was the one that was lied to. The room became eerily quiet, no one offered to speak. We all just sat at the table in silence.

Several minutes passed before Nolan finally spoke. "It's going to take some time for things to get back to normal, we know that" he said and looked at me. "But maybe one day, you'll understand our reasons for keeping you in the dark. Until then, just know that we are here for you and will continue to serve as your protectors."

I could see the unspoken apology in his eyes as they focused on me. Just like with Alyse, I could tell he was hurt by the distance that separated us now. He was right, it was going to take some time, but I knew in my heart one day we would be best friends again. It was that knowledge that helped me put to rest our current conversation so that we could try to move on.

I sighed. "I know. I don't doubt for a second that you'll always have my back." I gave him a small smile and exhaled deeply to ease some of the tension in my body. "What are we supposed to do now?" I asked.

"Right now, we have to find Mandy and the vampires who attacked Alyse before they hurt anyone else" Nolan said.

Alyse stood up and tested her ability to walk by putting pressure on her leg. She seemed okay.

I looked at her, wondering if she too had on some kind of jewelry that would change her appearance if she removed it. The thought had barely entered my mind when I noticed the ring on her right hand. I had never seen her without the sapphire and silver band around her finger. She must have noticed me staring at it because her next action confirmed my suspicion.

She rubbed her thumb over the ring and said, "Yes, Kaia, once I remove this, my looks will change" she paused and glanced at Nolan before turning her attention back to me. "And you should know that Nolan and I aren't really brother and sister. I'm not a Lenoi like you, Nolan and Meg. I'm a Pixie. My true form is much smaller than everyone else's. But you know me, I don't let size stand in my way" she said with a smile.

Before I had a chance to respond, she threw her arms around me like nothing had happened and we were still the best of friends. Instead of hugging her back, my body tensed and I remained completely still. She let out a deep breath and whispered in my ear, "please don't hate me."

She held onto me for a few seconds. Her heart pounded at irregular intervals and I felt her chest as it heaved with her breaths. She was trying hard not to cry. Seeing her so distraught made it difficult to be angry. She was like a sister to me and despite our current situation, I loved her.

I slowly wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. "Friends forever" I whispered before releasing her. "And you two not being real siblings actually makes a lot of sense. You look nothing alike."

The mood in the room lightened significantly after our little exchange and I was relieved when the tension between us eased. After a lighthearted discussion about whether or not Alyse and I liked Nolan in his true form or as a human; we decided we were kind of fond of his pointy ears, things took on a more serious tone.

"Where should we start looking for Mandy?" I asked. My heart clenched just saying her name.

"You aren't looking for her, Kaia" Nolan said sternly. When I narrowed my eyes at him, he shook his head. "Don't give me that look. It's too dangerous for you to leave the house right now. Alyse and I will find Mandy and bring her back here until we figure out what's going on with her." His tone lightened when he noticed me staring at him. "We will do our best not to hurt her."

I sighed deeply as relief washed over me. I probably could've argued my way into going with them to make sure Mandy wasn't harmed but when I glanced in my aunt's direction, the distressed look on her face tugged at my heart. We needed to have a talk and I hoped that she would be willing to answer a few questions. "Okay. I'll stay" I said.

Nolan looked surprised that I had agreed with him so quickly then he turned to Alyse and said, "Let's get started. We have an entire city to search. Hopefully we will find her by nightfall."

I waited until I heard the front door of the house shut before I turned to Aunt Meg. She had been unusually quiet. "I'm sorry if what I said earlier upset you, Aunt Meg."

She lifted her eyes from the table and looked at me. "Don't be. You were right. We shouldn't have lied to you. I just hope the secrets of the past don't ruin our future." Her voice wavered as she spoke.

She needed me to comfort her, to show her that she still meant something to me. I knelt down beside her chair and laid my head on her lap like I use to do when I was a child. She lifted her hand and rubbed it down the length of my hair. I smiled at the gesture.

"Nothing could ever come between us, Aunt Meg. I'll admit I haven't handled all this very well. My emotions are so conflicted, jumping from happy to sad, acceptance to denial, anger to fascination. It's hard for me to know how I really feel about anything. But one thing I know for sure is that you always have been and always will be a constant in my life. I love you, Aunt Meg. And that will never change."

Her hand stilled on my hair. I smelled her salty tears before I felt them fall onto my hair. "And I love you, my sweet Kaia."

We stayed like that with my head in her lap for what seemed like hours. It was the closest I had felt to her in a very long time and I really needed to feel close to someone. I needed to feel wanted. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Will you tell me about my mother?"

I realized after I asked the question that I couldn't remember ever asking about her before. I had always accepted that I was told everything about my mom when I was younger. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized other than the love I felt for her, I didn't know anything about the woman who gave birth to me.

Aunt Meg let out a deep breath before she spoke, "Your mother was named Celeste. She was the first born daughter of Queen Izola. You have the same fire and determination in your eyes that she always carried in hers. You're just like her in a lot of ways" she paused and I looked up at her to see if she was going to continue.

The look on her face wasn't joy at the memories I could tell were behind her eyes. She seemed sad as she thought about my mother, but there was also something else there... guilt.

She finally spoke again. "Celeste was the most beautiful Lenoi there ever was and even when the worst kind of ugliness; pure evil, touched her it didn't take away her beauty. Or the goodness of her heart. She truly was a remarkable woman."

I laid my head back down on her lap and listened intently as my aunt switched the topic of conversation and told me all about Shohala Falls and the magnificence it once possessed. I tried to summon an image in my head of the creatures she described, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't imagine that trolls and ogres actually existed. The more I listened, the more mystified I became. And eager to see the place for myself.

"Will I ever go back home? To Shohala Falls?" I asked after hours of listening about how wonderful it was to be there.

Aunt Meg was quiet for several minutes then said, "Our home is no longer the place it used to be." She paused, "A few years after we came here, I had a vision and in it, I saw the devastated state of our once great home. My hope is that one day you will be strong enough and confident enough in your magic that you will return there, claim your rightful place as our Queen and turn our world back to what it used to be. You are going to make a remarkable Queen, Kaia."

The pride in her voice as she spoke about her plan for my future was more than I deserved. She had faith in me even if I didn't. "What happened to destroy everything? Why were you forced to escape with me?"

She wasted no time in answering. The one word answer she gave chilled me to my core. "Vampires."

Her response brought on a slew of questions, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that talking about what happened so long ago still hurt her. She was haunted by whatever the vampires did to her and everyone else in our world. The thought made me hate them despite the fact that I too, was a vampire.

Aunt Meg no longer seemed comfortable with our conversation. She stood up and made her way over to the cabinet to get a coffee mug. I sat in a chair at the table and watched as she put some ready-made pancakes in the microwave. My stomach cramped painfully when she sat down beside me and the sweet smell of her snack hit my nose.

I looked away from her food as my own hunger intensified. A few minutes later I found myself staring at my aunt's neck. Even from three feet away I could see the vein in her neck throbbing as blood pumped through it.

"Kaia, are you alright?" My aunt's voice forced my attention to her face. She looked nervous.

"Um, yeah" I said quickly and stood up. I needed to get away from her before I did something I would never forgive myself for. "I'm fine. I think I'll go to my room and take a nap. I'm still tired." Without waiting for her to respond, I hurried upstairs to my room and locked the door.

I leaned back against it and let out several deep breaths to calm the hysteria building inside me at the thought of what I could have done to my aunt if I hadn't left the room. I glanced to the clock by the bed. It was already almost noon. Nolan had said they might not return until nightfall. As I stared at the clock, I realized that I really was tired. The lack of sleep last night weighed on me. Since I had no other plans for the day, I crawled into bed and hoped I would be granted a few hours of peaceful rest.

# Chapter Eighteen

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For the first time in forever, my dreams left me feeling happy. I didn't know how long I had slept until I rolled over, my eyes landed on the clock and I saw that it was after six in the afternoon. I laid in bed thinking about the amazing things I'd seen in my sleep. The beautiful rolling green hills that stretched out in front of a large, stone castle seemed to go on forever. And the castle itself was grander than any I'd ever seen on television or in books. It was a place I definitely wished to dream of again.

I had only been laying in bed thinking about my dream for about ten minutes when my cell phone rang. I grudgingly pushed myself up and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. The number on the caller ID was not one that I recognized.

I hesitated a moment before answering. "Hello."

"Kaia?" A man's voice responded on the other end. "This is Darian. I hope I'm not calling at a bad time."

Hearing his voice caught me off guard. I hadn't spoken to him since the fight at school and I never gave him my number.

"Darian? How did you get my number?"

"A friend of yours gave it to me." He paused briefly then continued, "She said her name is Mandy. I found her wandering the street near my house and she asked me to call you to come get her."

I wasn't the least bit interested in talking to Darian at the moment but I was very interested in hearing more about Mandy. A surge of adrenaline pumped through me as fear and excitement collided within me, making me unsure how I truly felt about Mandy being found. "Is she okay?" I asked.

There was a pause on the line then Darian said, "She's fine. She fell asleep on my couch a few minutes ago. She seemed confused. All she would say was your name over and over again. She was very upset when I asked for her parent's phone number and would only give me yours."

"What's your address?" I asked and searched through my bookbag for a pen and paper. Darian told me where he lived and I quickly jotted his address down on the notepad I found at the bottom of my bag. "I'll be there as soon as I can." I ended the call and immediately dialed Nolan's cell.

The call went straight to voicemail. I dialed Alyse's number and heard her phone ringing from downstairs. I sighed heavily at the realization she had forgotten her phone. I put my cellphone in my pocket and glanced around the room, trying to figure out what to do. I didn't want to go to Darian's by myself. And I definitely didn't want to face Mandy alone, not after what I'd done to her.

I wasn't even sure what she was now. Nolan made it clear that she wasn't human anymore. Did that mean she was a vampire? Was she going to attack me? Or even worse, was she going to hurt Darian and his family? The thought scared me. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of something I'd done.

The thought had barely entered my mind when I made the decision to go get her on my own. I ripped off the top page of the notepad and hurried downstairs to find my aunt sitting on the couch with a faraway look in her eyes as she stared into the open space in front of her like she was in a daze.

"I know where Mandy is and I'm going to go get her" I said and headed for the front door.

Aunt Meg suddenly jumped up from the couch and rushed over to me and held the door closed with her hand. "No!" she said in a panicked tone. "You can't go out there. You have to stay here. We'll call Nolan and let him know where she is."

"I already tried. He's not answering."

Worry filled my aunt's eyes as she shook her head. "Then we'll tell him when he gets back." She paused and I could see that she was on the verge of tears. "Something bad will happen if you go out there. Please just trust me, Kaia. I see things. Visions. I know something horrible will happen if you leave."

I studied my aunt's face and there was no doubt in my mind that she truly believed what she said. The fear radiating off of her was almost enough to make me want to stay in the safety of my home. But then Mandy's face popped into my mind. And I knew I couldn't leave her out there alone, afraid and unsure of who or what she was. I knew that feeling all too well and it wasn't one I was willing to let her deal with on her own.

I locked eyes with my aunt and forced a small smile to my lips to ease her concerns. "I'll be fine. If I'm not back by the time Nolan and Alyse return then give them this" I handed her the piece of paper with Darian's address on it.

I quickly grabbed the keys from her purse on the bench by the door, then pulled the door open and stepped out into the cool night air. I don't know why Aunt Meg didn't offer to go with me. Perhaps it was because she wanted to stay behind in order to give Nolan the address or maybe it was because of what she saw in her vision. Whatever her reason was, I was glad she didn't want to go with me. I was already scared enough for the both of us.

Having memorized Darian's address, I hurried over to my aunt's car and jumped inside. I started the car, entered Darian's address into the GPS and headed toward his house.

*****

The ten minute ride to his house out in the country gave me the time I needed to figure out something to say to Mandy once I saw her. I slowly drove down the gravel driveway that led up to an old, wooden white house and parked behind Darian's car. Eager to see Mandy, I jumped out of the car and ran up the steps of the wrap-around porch and knocked on the door.

Within seconds, Darian opened the door. The grin he wore as he studied my face seemed a little off. Forced even. "Come in, Kaia. We've been waiting for you."

I peeked around him, trying to catch sight of Mandy but only saw his brothers, Caleb and Max in the living room. I stepped inside, cautiously. My internal alarm suddenly started going off like crazy, telling me to get out of there. I ignored the warning and proceeded to follow Darian into the room with his brothers.

"So how is Mandy doing?" I asked to hide my discomfort.

Darian turned around to face me with a weird look in his eyes. "Oh, didn't I tell you at the door? Mandy left soon after I called you. I tried to keep her here as long as I could, but she insisted on leaving. I figured I would help you look for her once you got here."

My alarm was now on overdrive. I don't know how I knew but I was certain every word out of his mouth was a lie. As my gaze passed from Darian to his brothers, who each had cocky smirks on their faces, I knew something was very wrong.

"No. You didn't say anything about Mandy not being here. In fact, you gave me the impression the two of you had been waiting for me" I said and stepped back, away from him.

A strange look of satisfaction flashed across his face as he smiled broadly, showing off his teeth that had intrigued me the first time I saw them, but now terrified me because I had a disturbing feeling I finally knew the connection between us.

"Actually, I said we had been waiting for you. I never said who the 'we' consisted of."

Just then, a man I had never seen before stepped out of the darkness across the room. My heart raced as my fear intensified.

"Do you remember our date in the park when I said I wanted you to meet my father?"

I forced myself to look away from the mysterious stranger and focus on Darian. I thought back to our time in the park and did my best to avoid looking at the man across the room again. I could feel him staring at me. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. "Are you saying he's your father?" I asked and motioned across the room with my hand.

Before Darian could respond, the stranger spoke and began to walk toward me. "Actually, child, I am more of a guardian than a father to young Darian. And many others like him." He paused. My insides twisted into knots as he neared me. Everything about the man screamed danger from his deadly dark eyes to his overly calm and confident demeanor. "I am the father to only one child. But that, my dear one, is a conversation for a later time."

He stopped a few feet away from me and bent at the waist in a bowing motion. I now knew where Darian had learned the behavior. As I stared at the man, his voice replayed over and over in my mind. I couldn't help but think I had heard it before. When he stood to his full height, I was unable to look away from him. The feeling that I knew him gnawed at me, forcing me to search my mind to figure out why he seemed familiar.

I knew without a doubt I had never seen him before, I would definitely remember someone like him. His pale white skin, dark black hair and handsome face would make him hard to forget. After several minutes of staring at him like an idiot, I was about to give up trying to figure out where I'd heard his voice before when he spoke again.

"My name is Drycus. And I've waited a very long time to meet you, Kaia."

As soon as he said his name, my blood went cold in my veins. All of a sudden, I knew exactly where I had heard his voice before and the realization terrified me so much that my entire body began to shake.

"It's you" I said and swallowed hard. "You're the man from my dreams. The one I talk to sometimes." I paused and thought back to the conversation I overheard in the kitchen between Aunt Meg and Nolan. They had been talking about someone named Drycus. As soon as the pieces clicked together in my head, I felt an overwhelming sense of clarity.

I locked eyes with the man who was responsible for the terror I saw in my aunt's eyes that night. "You're a vampire, aren't you?" I asked with a shaky voice then glanced around the room to the three boys I now knew also had to be vampires if they were with him.

Darian smirked at me, the taunting look in his eyes made me instantly hate him. Everything he'd said to me from the moment I met him had been a lie.

"But how? How were you out in the daylight?" I asked Darian. "Sunlight is supposed to kill vampires."

Drycus laughed softly and said, "I see you've learned a lot since our last conversation. But apparently, not enough. You see, Lenoi magic has its advantages for my kind too."

I narrowed my eyes angrily at Darian.

Drycus noticed my reaction. "Don't be angry with young Darian. He was only doing as he was told. He was tasked a long time ago with finding you. It has taken him nearly two decades but he has finally succeeded. You should be thanking him. If it wasn't for him, you would still be living a lie."

I was stunned at how serious Drycus appeared as he spoke those absurd words. Like he truly believed I should be grateful that my whole world was turned upside down. I stared at him, studying him carefully. Knowing that I was face to face with someone I had thought was a fictional character from my dreams but was in fact real, and who was also not human but a vampire, should have scared me. After all, things like that weren't possible, right? But instead of wanting to run away, for the first time in days I felt an irrational sense of calm.

Perhaps it was because I felt I had formed a connection with Drycus in my dreams. Or maybe it was because I truly had lost my mind over the last few days. All I knew was that I wasn't afraid of him. In fact, I was eager to learn as much about him as possible. My body relaxed and I let out a deep breath. "You have no idea how much crazy stuff I've learned in the last twenty-four hours" I said and looked to Darian as he and his brothers started to leave the room. "Where are you going?" I asked.

He ignored me and continued to walk away. I couldn't believe I actually thought I liked him. He was just as big a jerk as his so-called brothers. He was just better at pretending to be good that the others were.

Drycus reached for my hand and at first I flinched away from him. He frowned, "I won't bite, child." His voice was light, encouraging.

I was hesitant with allowing him to touch me as I struggled against an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. But the need for answers to the growing number of questions in my head helped me to push past my discomfort. I placed my hand in his and allowed him to lead me over to the couch.

I had no idea how much my life was about to change.

"How is it possible that I talked to you in my dreams? And why? Why were you there?" I asked.

A smirk pulled up one corner of his mouth as he looked at me. "Actually, I don't know. You are the one who reached out to me. Don't you remember?"

Stunned by his answer, I shook my head. "No, I don't. Why would I reach out to you?"

"Well, it was a long time ago" he said. "Perhaps thirty years or more. I was a long way from here, not even in this country, when out of the blue I heard your voice. You were screaming. Calling out to me. When I looked around in search of you, I realized that no one else heard your screams. They were in my head. Somehow you had opened a connection between us. I felt your fear and despair. But just as quickly as the connection opened, it was suddenly closed. I was locked out, left wondering where you were and what had happened to you. It wasn't until a week ago that the connection between us opened again."

I knew there was no point in trying to remember the day he was talking about. I was sure that whatever happened to make me call out to him had been erased from my memory. I glanced down at the charm bracelet around my wrist and wondered just how much of my life it was keeping from me.

I was lost in thought when Drycus said something that stunned me so much I didn't know how to respond.

"You look so much like your mother, it's uncanny." Drycus touched my cheek with the back of his hand. I tensed at his ice cold touch.

"How did you know my mother?" I asked in a guarded tone.

He dropped his hand from my face and cocked his head to the side and studied me carefully before speaking, "Why do you speak of her as if she's no longer around?"

"Because she's dead. Now tell me how you knew her?"

A broad smile stretched across his face and I got a glimpse of his fangs. A shiver went down my spine at the thought of how many people he may have killed in his lifetime. "My dear child, you are so misinformed. Your mother is not dead. I should know" he paused dramatically then continued, "I'm your father. Who better than me to know about your mother?"

"What...what...no that's not possible" I stuttered, shaking my head in denial. "Both of my parents died a long time ago when I was just a baby." My voice sounded unsure even to my own ears. With the new information I now had the story of my parents death no longer made sense.

"Is that what you were told?" Drycus said in a flat tone. "I guess they had to tell you something to keep you loyal to them."

I studied his face to see if there were any similarities between us to help me determine if he was telling the truth or not. But my mind was too jumbled to really focus on his features.

Out of nowhere, Darian suddenly appeared beside us with two glasses filled with a red liquid that I instantly knew was blood. I didn't hesitate to accept it when he offered a glass to me. I couldn't refuse it even if I wanted to. My body craved it. I downed the glass in less than a second then looked to Drycus.

"Who? Who needed to keep me loyal to them?" I asked, not really understanding what he was talking about.

The blood from the glass tasted the same as the soup I had been drinking from Darian's thermos. I narrowed my eyes at him and he chuckled before turning his back to me. I'd been drinking blood all along. How could I not have noticed?

"The ones who took you, of course. The ones who stole you away from your mother and I when you were just a baby."

I stared at him wide-eyed as his words turned over in my mind and I tried to make sense of what he said. "Are you talking about Aunt Meg?"

A dark scowl covered Drycus' face. "I assume you are talking about the Seer. I've never met her but I can assure you the old hag is not your aunt. She is a thief, who robbed you of the life you should have had. A life with me and your mother. A life deserving of the magnificent creature that you are. Instead, she brought you here to this pathetic world to hide. She forced you to deny who you are with spells and magic to keep you under her control" his voice started to rise and it was clear he was getting more riled up as he spoke. "She has taken the most unique and powerful creation in existence and turned you into a docile human who has no idea the kind of power you possess!"

I flinched at the harshness of his voice and scooted across the couch to put distance between us. The calm, soft spoken man he had been moments ago was gone. He now truly looked the part of a raging vampire, ready to tear someone's head off. He must have noticed I was scared because he suddenly stopped talking and blew out a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I frightened you, child. That was not my intention. But you have to understand that I too, was robbed. I had my only child taken from me, denying me the chance to be the father I desperately wanted to be."

I don't know what it was exactly, but something he said just didn't seem right. Maybe it was the part about a vampire actually wanting to play the role of a loving father. Or maybe it was the hatred I heard in his voice. I don't know. But even though I was starting to believe that it was possible he could be my father, I still didn't trust him. And I definitely didn't like him talking bad about my aunt.

"Aunt Meg is a good person. She has raised me as her own daughter all my life and I love her. So don't talk negatively about her. She's the only mother I've ever known."

Neither of us spoke for several minutes. Drycus just stared at me like he was contemplating his next words. "Would you like to meet your real mother? I can take you to her. I know she really wants to see you again. She's missed you very much since you were taken."

I narrowed my eyes at him. Different parts of my mind were at war with each other. The rational part knew that my mom was dead. There was no way my aunt would have lied to me about that all these years. But another part of me, an unclear, undecided part wanted desperately to believe there was a chance she was still alive. After all, it seemed that my father was alive. Well sort of. I wasn't exactly sure what his living status was considered.

"If my mother is alive, where is she? Why isn't she here now?"

"She had to stay in Shohala Falls to rule in my absence, but I can assure you she is counting the minutes until I return with you" he paused briefly then repeated his question, "Would you like to go see her?"

Before I had a chance to respond, our conversation was interrupted when the front door of the house suddenly exploded off its hinges. I jumped up from the couch and looked to the open doorway as Nolan and Alyse rushed inside.

Nolan had an antique-looking wooden bow and arrow in his hands. It was the same one he had used to teach me to hunt with as a child. It had been years since I'd seen it. I had always loved the intricate designs that were hand-carved into the wood.

Alyse had her Kithu in hand and once again it was covered in blood. Within seconds, Darian and several other boys that I didn't even know where in the house, quickly formed a line between us, blocking me from my friends.

Just as I was about to run toward them, Drycus grabbed my arm to stop me. "This isn't your fight. You need to stay here. Those people aren't your friends. They are only trying to take you away from me again."

I looked at his hand wrapped around my elbow as an unexpected feeling settled in my chest. There were so many emotions I should have felt at that moment. Anger. Confusion. Denial. Betrayal. But the one that registered the most was love. And I was completely caught off guard by it. I don't know if the feeling was something superficial that my mind created from learning that Drycus was my father or if he was somehow using magic to cast a spell on me. At that moment I wasn't sure of anything. And it was that uncertainty that forced me to pull away from him.

I jerked my arm free of his grasp. "I'm done letting people tell me what to do. Nolan and Alyse are my friends and I won't let anyone hurt them." I started to walk away and he grabbed me again, more forcefully. I glared at him with narrowed eyes but didn't get the chance to say anything before my attention was diverted to my friends when my aunt called out to me.

"Kaia! Get away from him!" Aunt Meg's voice echoed in the air.

I looked to the doorway and saw my aunt standing there in her true form. Her appearance stunned me for a moment not because she looked like a fairy but because she looked stronger than I had ever seen her. There was a determination in her eyes that made her look so powerful. Magical. Seeing her like that was breath-taking.

I watched in awe as she took her place beside Alyse and Nolan and the three of them prepared to fight. For me. The contrast between them and the vampires standing in their way was like night and day. My friends had determined looks on their faces, but they also appeared calm and totally in control of their emotions. Whereas, Darian and his friends seemed somewhat wild and frantic. They hissed and slashed their hands through the air in a threatening manner.

All of a sudden, my nightmares came back to me. The hissing that had terrified me in my dreams for so long echoed in my mind and I quickly made the connection. Vampires, whether it was Drycus, Darian or others, had been torturing me in my sleep for years. How or why, I didn't know. But once I identified the monsters from my nightmares for what they were, other things suddenly became clearer.

My most recent nightmare replayed in my mind, only it wasn't like I was reliving a dream. It was more like I was there. The girl's faces flashed in and out of my mind. I heard their screams and then I saw their deaths. It was like I was floating in the air above them, watching as their lives were cruelly taken from them. I was so caught up with what was going on in my head that I screamed out loud when I saw Darian swipe a clawed hand across Jenny's throat.

The sound of my own voice pulled me from the vision. My chest heaved with heavy breaths as I glanced around the room and saw that I was back in Darian's house and not in the woods where Jenny's body had been found. I noticed everyone, including Drycus - who was no longer holding onto me - staring at me.

I locked eyes with Darian and screamed, "You! It was you! You killed Jenny! And all the other missing girls!"

My body began to shake as my emotions became more unstable. The floor beneath my feet began to vibrate then gradually started to tremble more forcefully. The wooden floorboards cracked and I could feel energy leaving my body and spreading along the cracks throughout the house, giving me a weird connection with everything it touched.

"Kaia, come to me, sweetheart" Aunt Meg said.

I started in her direction and had barely taken two steps when Drycus spoke. "Kaia, if you ever want to see your mother, you will stay with me" he said harshly. "Only I can take you to her."

I paused and looked back and forth between my aunt and father. No more than ten feet separated me from them in either direction. But it felt like I was miles away from everyone. I felt lost and completely alone in a room filled with people. I looked to Nolan and Alyse as they stood with their weapons ready to fight to keep me. Then I looked to Darian and his group who seemed just as determined to keep me with them. I didn't know what to do.

"Kaia" Aunt Meg called out to me again. "Don't listen to Drycus" she paused and regret flashed in her eyes. "I know I've lied and kept things from you, but I did it to protect you. Not to hurt you. I swear, Kaia, you can't trust Drycus. He only wants to use you. He wants to use the love you have for your mother to get you on his side. But your mother is dead. He can't take you to see her" Aunt Meg said and lowered her head, shaking it slightly from side to side. She seemed sad when she spoke again. "I saw her death in a vision and I warned her and your grandmother about what was going to happen to them, but they both refused to leave Shohala Falls. Even though we weren't there when it happened we all felt it in our hearts when their lives ended" she said and motioned to Nolan and Alyse, who nodded in agreement.

Drycus chuckled deeply, his voice echoed in the small house. "Perhaps you did feel the fading of your Queen as her life drained from her body, but I can assure you that Celeste is alive and well, and waiting to be reunited with our daughter."

Aunt Meg and Drycus argued back and forth for several minutes, each calling the other a liar, but my attention was stuck on Alyse. She was positioned closest to the wall, a few feet away from a door that led into another room. I noticed that she seemed distracted and kept stealing glances at the door. A look of deep concentration covered her face for a minute then all of a sudden her eyes grew wide and she took a step toward the door, only to be stopped when Max jumped in her way.

I tuned out all of the yelling, growling and hissing in the room and focused intently on Alyse and Max, to try and hear what was being said. It didn't take long for me to understand the concern on Alyse's face. Once I was able to ignore all the noise in the room, I too, heard what had peeked her interest in the other room.

I needed to see who was on the other side of the door. As soon as the thought entered my mind, a burst of energy left my body and a second later, a thick tree root erupted through the floor and crashed through the door across the room, knocking several people down along its way. Once its task was done, the root slowly retreated back into the hole in the floor.

I stared into the other room. It took me a moment to fully grasp what I saw, once my mind caught up to eyes, I darted toward the other room at the same time Nolan did. But neither of us were able to make it before Drycus.

He stood in the doorway with his arms outstretched to block us from passing him.

"Get out of the way!" I yelled and looked past him to the four people tied up on the floor. Sarah, Gary, Lucas and Mandy all had their mouths taped shut and their hands and feet bound with rope. "What the hell are you doing with my friends?!" I shouted when Drycus made no effort to move. I lifted my hands to push him out of the way but Nolan quickly grabbed me and pushed me behind him, then he aimed his bow at Drycus' chest.

"Let them go or I will plant my arrow right in your cold blooded heart" Nolan snarled.

I moved from behind Nolan to stand beside him.

"I remember you" Drycus said and narrowed his eyes at Nolan. "You were the young warrior who led Izola's army." He smiled broadly. "It must weigh heavy on you that you failed to protect the Queen you loved so much. She had such misplaced faith in you and your ability to keep her kingdom secure." The taunting tone of his voice made my skin crawl.

Nolan's body tensed, the muscles in his arms protruded as he gripped the bow so tight that it looked like he was going to snap it in half. "Shut up!" he growled and took a step toward Drycus, touching the tip of the arrow to his chest.

I was so focused on what was happening in front of me that I didn't notice what was going on behind us until Alyse screamed. I turned around and my heart fell to my feet when I saw that Caleb was standing behind Aunt Meg with his hand clutched around her throat. Jagged, black nails that I hadn't noticed until that moment were pressed against her neck.

"Aunt Meg!" I screamed and started to run toward her.

"Not so fast" Drycus said and brushed Nolan's arrow away from his chest like he was swatting a fly.

It was clear he now had the upper hand. He stayed where he was in the doorway and leaned against the busted doorframe casually. "Take one more step and your dear aunt won't live to see another day."

I froze, my eyes locked onto my aunt just twenty feet away. Alyse was only a few feet from her but was blocked by Darian and Max.

"Aunt Meg" I called out to her again. "It will be okay, don't worry. I won't let them hurt you."

The lack of fear on her face had me instantly worried. Everyone else in the room was tense and on edge, but not Aunt Meg. She looked unusually calm and detached from the chaos around her. My heart clenched painfully when I saw Caleb dig his nails into her throat, breaking the skin. A slow flow of blood trickled down her neck.

"Stop!" I screamed and looked to Drycus. "What do you want? What do I have to do to save her?" I asked in a cracked, frantic voice. "Please tell me" I pleaded and walked toward him.

"Kaia, no!" Nolan said and grabbed my arm as I passed him.

I jerked it free. "Don't" I snapped and continued toward my father. I stopped in front of him and frowned when I saw my friends still tied up on the floor in the room behind him. "What do I have to do for you to let my aunt and friends go?"

Drycus lifted his hand to my cheek and caressed it. I cringed from his touch. "It's easy, all you have to do is come home with me. Claim your place by my side as my daughter. If you agree, I will release your friends," he paused, "you have to be tired of denying who you are by now. The thirst must be driving you insane. There is no reason for you to suffer any longer, child. Embrace who you are. Stop hiding."

I didn't even need to think about it. I knew there was nothing I wouldn't do to save the people I loved and cared about even if it meant losing my own life. "Alright" I said in a low voice. "I'll go with you. I'll do whatever you say, just don't hurt any of my friends or my aunt."

The words had barely left my mouth when Nolan, Alyse and Aunt Meg all started yelling at me in unison.

"Kaia! No! You can't go with him!" Nolan said. The look on his face could only be described as pure terror.

"You can't do this, Kaia!" Alyse pleaded and tried to make her way toward me, but was blocked by several of Darian's friends.

I closed my eyes against the wave of grief that suddenly consumed me at the thought of never seeing my friends again. But I knew I was making the right choice. It was the only choice for me. I couldn't let the people I loved die.

Aunt Meg's gentle voice forced me to look her way. "My sweet Kaia" she said with a small smile. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me. "I have a confession to make."

My gaze shifted from her face to her neck, more blood seeped through Caleb's fingers as he pressed his nails harder against her skin. I wanted to go to her and rip his arm from his body for touching her, but I stayed where I was out of fear that he would kill her before I reached him. I desperately wanted the tree root to come back and help me again but I couldn't remember what I did to summon it the first time.

"What is it?" I asked through the lump in my throat.

Aunt Meg looked lovingly from me to Alyse and Nolan then said, "No matter what happens within the next few minutes I want you all to know that I love you very much. It has been a blessing to have you three in my life" she paused for a moment then continued as she looked at me, "Kaia, you can't leave with your father. Doing so won't change what's about to happen. Nothing will. I knew my fate before I ever set foot into this house. I saw my death in a vision earlier tonight and I have accepted it." Her voice began to shake as sobs built in her chest. "It's the price I'm willing to pay to save you from making a mistake that will inevitably destroy you and everyone you care about. You have to witness for yourself the evil that your father possesses. I have faith in you, Kaia. I know you'll do what's right in the end."

Fear erupted inside me as her words sank in. Before I had a chance to say or do anything, chaos broke out all around me. Nolan yelled "No!" and charged toward Aunt Meg and Caleb in an attempt to save her at the same time that Alyse appeared out of nowhere and shoved me out of the way as Darian and Max tried to sneak up behind me.

I fell to the floor hard, hitting my head. Momentarily dazed, I looked up in time to see Caleb swipe his hand brutally across my aunt's throat then toss her across the room like a ragdoll. Nolan tackled him to the ground and stabbed him in the chest over and over again with one of his arrows. Caleb's screams filled the room.

I stared in horror at my aunt's dead body crumpled on the floor. The scene before me didn't seem real. It felt like a dream. Or a nightmare to be more accurate. I desperately clung to that thought, and prayed that I was indeed asleep. And that nothing happening around me was real.

My hope of waking up soon in my bed with Aunt Meg sitting beside me was quickly squashed when I saw one of the vampires I didn't know hurry over to her and start feeding on the blood spurting from her wound. My heart shattered at the sight. An ear-piercing scream echoed in the air and it took me a moment to realize that it had come from me.

An intense energy suddenly exploded from my body. Almost instantly, a sense of complete freedom washed over me. It was like someone had turned on a light switch inside my body and I was experiencing what it felt like to truly be alive. I glanced down at my wrist and saw that my bracelet was no longer there. All of the charms were scattered on the floor at my feet. I knew then that whatever magical spells had been placed on me were no longer in effect.

An immense power flowed through my body, touching and bringing to life every molecule of my being. It was a sensational, yet frightening feeling. Uncertain of what was happening to me, I wanted to fight against it, but then my eyes landed on my aunt once more and instead of fighting it, I let the energy flow through me without restraint.

A fierce rage filled my chest as my eyes locked onto Caleb. He was now back on his feet, preparing to defend himself against another attack from Nolan. A dark feeling seeped its way into my mind. One second I was standing twenty feet away from him and the next, I was right behind without any knowledge of how I got there.

My vision blazed red as I glared at the back of Caleb's head with hatred. The hunger that I had tried so hard to suppress surfaced with a vengeance. In a flash, I wrapped my arms around Caleb from behind and held him in place as I sank my teeth into his neck, biting him viciously.

His black blood filled my mouth as he struggled to break free. But my hold on him was unbreakable. He was no match for my newly surfacing strength. I drank from his body until he stopped fighting against me and his body went limp in my arms, then I tossed him to the side just like he had done Aunt Meg.

The dark feelings inside me grew as I looked around the room, black blood dripped from my mouth. I saw Nolan and Alyse huddled together on the floor across the room with horrified expressions on their faces. Several vampires were standing over them, baring their fangs threateningly. I don't know if my friends fear was from what they'd just witnessed me do or if it was because they were grossly outnumbered by vampires.

Fire burned in my eyes as I stared at the bloodsuckers hovering around Alyse and Nolan. All of a sudden, each of the vampires in my line of sight burst into flames. Their screams of agony echoed in my ears as they fell to the floor to try and extinguish the flames. But I had no sympathy for them. I wanted them all dead.

My body slowly lifted into the air as several thick tree roots busted through the floor, growing and snaking around the room and up the walls. A tornadic wind blew through the house as I floated over to Aunt Meg's body. I eased down beside her and gently lifted her head onto my lap.

The entire house began to shake violently as the ground beneath us opened up and pieces of the floor fell into the hole that was created. Windows shattered as the walls buckled and parts of the ceiling collapsed around us. I heard Alyse and Nolan calling my name but I was too far gone in grief to acknowledge them.

Subconsciously, I knew that I had changed physically. I felt my ears grow upwards like Nolan's and when I lifted my arm in the air I saw that my pale white skin had turned almost translucent. Each and every vein was now visible through my skin as blood pumped through my body.

I was also aware that tree roots were forming a protective cocoon around me and my aunt, and I even knew that I was the one controlling them. An amazing event was occurring, I was changing into my true form and nature was responding to my needs, but I didn't care. All that mattered to me was that the woman I loved like a mother was dead in my arms. And despite the amount of energy I was pushing into her body, I couldn't bring her back.

I threw my head back and screamed as pain ripped through me from her loss.

# Chapter Nineteen

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It seemed like an eternity had passed while I cried, but when Nolan yelled my name and I lifted my head and saw him in a serious fight for his life, I knew it had only been minutes. I forced myself to stand up as determination not to lose anyone else that I loved, urged me to fight back. The dark feelings returned as I surveyed the mayhem around me. With the wave of my hand, a small opening formed in the cocoon surrounding me and I stepped through it, then closed it back around Aunt Meg.

I felt an unbreakable connection to the magic that flowed through my body. It was as if it had always been within me and I instinctively knew how to use it. All I had to do was think of something and it was done. At that moment, I wanted all the vampires dead. Especially the ones that were still screaming as their bodies burned.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of thin, spiny vines from the nearby woods slithered around us, snatching the scorched vampires by their feet and dragging them away. I didn't know where they went or if they were even still alive. And I didn't care. My attention settled on the two vampire's that were still present. My father. And Darian. It was the first time I noticed them since Caleb killed my aunt.

As I made my way over to them, I spared a quick glance in Nolan's direction. He was on the floor, bleeding badly from the wounds he sustained while fighting. There was a large piece of glass sticking out of his thigh. Alyse was kneeling beside him, trying to help. I lifted my hand and sent a burst of energy toward him. I felt it when it connected with his body and began healing his wounds.

"You are a magnificent creature, aren't you?" Drycus said as he stared at me in awe. He seemed mesmerized as he looked me over from head to toe. "I knew I wouldn't be disappointed when I found you. But I never imagined the true depth of your greatness. You make me proud to be your father."

The sound of his voice filled me with so much hatred. It was his fault my aunt was dead. He started it all. I continued toward him with the intention of sending him straight to hell. But it seemed no matter how much concentration I put into using my magic against him, nothing happened. He just stood there, staring at me with amusement in his eyes.

"Sorry to be the one to inform you, daughter, but as impressive as you are, your magic won't work on me. Not as long as I have this" he said and held up a large ruby and gold medallion. He chuckled when he saw the disappointment on my face. "I like that you are strong-willed but this isn't going to end the way you want it to. I've lived over a thousand years and in that time I've learned to be patient. I always get what I want. Just give up and come with me. You belong by my side."

"Never!" I growled in a rough tone. "Father or not, you mean nothing to me. You're a monster and I will find a way to destroy you." I looked past him to my friends who were still tied up. Darian was standing behind them.

Sarah and Gary were openly crying. They both appeared to be only moments away from becoming hysterical. Lucas had a pleading look in his eyes, like he was mentally begging me to save him. Mandy was separated from the others with a blank look on her face, like she had no idea what was going on and had no desire to.

Before I got the chance to make a move toward them, Drycus grabbed the ropes that bound Sarah, Gary and Lucas and jerked them all upwards. I ran towards them in hopes that I could somehow free them. But before I reached them, Drycus held up the medallion and chanted a string of words that I didn't understand. Then he handed the ropes to Darian and he quickly pushed my friends forward and they all disappeared. One second they were in front of me and the next they were gone.

My eyes darted frantically to Mandy. In a split second, I was behind her. I grabbed her arm and in a blink of an eye we were standing next to Nolan and Alyse. I wasn't sure how I got there and I didn't have time to really think about it. I faced my father once more, ready to attack him if he came near us.

He made no attempt toward us. "If you want your friends back, you'll have to go get them. We'll be waiting for you in Shohala Falls." Those were his last words before he too disappeared. The air that separated us shimmered slightly and the opening into the other world was gone.

I staggered forward, waving my hands through the air trying to find the invisible door that he had escaped through, but there was nothing there. It was at that point I completely lost it. I spun around and looked at Alyse and Nolan. "What just happened? Where did he take Sarah and the others?" I asked. The hysteria in my voice was hard to hide.

"They're gone" Alyse said sadly.

"No. They can't be" I said and shook my head in denial. "They can't be gone. They were just here right in front of me." I was suddenly crippled with a surge of emotion. Devastation. Helplessness. Emptiness. It was too much for me to deal with considering everything else that had happened. I sank to the floor as sobs racked my chest.

A fierce wind began to blow. It circled around me, shielding me from the outside world like it was trying to protect me. I could feel the connection between the wind and knew that I controlled it. I also knew that I needed to calm down before someone got hurt, but I was too upset.

My aunt was dead and my friends were gone. I felt like a failure for not being able to protect them. Knowing that my own father was responsible for all the pain in my heart made it even worse. I cried out loud. What was left of the house I was standing in crumpled to the ground around me. Seeing the destruction and knowing I had caused it, made me even more upset. Broken glass and splintered boards got caught in the wind circling me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw someone coming toward me. The force of the wind blew Mandy's red hair back from her face as she struggled to keep her footing. Alyse yelled at her to stop but she continued toward me until she was struck in the head by one of the flying boards. She fell to the floor and laid motionlessly a few feet away.

I peered through the windy barrier and locked eyes with Nolan as he and Alyse stared at me with a mixture of fear and awe in their eyes. "Help her!" I yelled.

They both started toward Mandy, but the force of the wind kept pushing them backwards. I wanted to make it stop but it seemed I wasn't able to control the magic exploding from my body as well as I thought I could. Instead of slowing down or stopping, the wind increased along with my anxiety.

After several long minutes, Nolan was able to reach Mandy. I watched as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to Alyse, who then took her out of sight. When I looked back to Nolan, he was attempting to force his way through the torrential wind to get to me.

"Kaia" he said my name in a strained voice. "Let me help you."

The wind should have drowned his words out but I heard him just as clear as if he had whispered them in my ear. I heard the desperation in his voice but it did nothing to calm me. I watched helplessly as he was struck several times by flying debris.

A deep cut was sliced across his cheek when a shard of glass flew by his face and his body was pelted with several pieces of wood. He winced in pain but continued to push through the wind toward me. Our eyes locked and I saw the determination on his face. I knew without a doubt that he wasn't going to stop. He wasn't going to give up trying to reach me even if it meant putting his own life in danger.

"Kaia, you are making this happen. It's your magic. You have to calm down" Nolan said and held his arm up in front of him to block any more debris from hitting his face.

"I'm trying, but I don't know how to make it stop" I cried. The wind speed increased.

Nolan soldiered on and bravely pushed himself through the wind barrier. By the time he reached me I could see that he was completely exhausted. Fighting the wind had taken a toll on him. When he broke through the wind barrier separating us he looked hesitant to get too close to me, almost as if he was afraid to touch me. His eyes roamed over my body, taking in my new look. He lifted his hands and cradled my face gently.

He stared deep into my eyes. "You asked me before to tell you who you are" he said and rubbed his thumb tenderly over my cheek. The contact set every nerve in my body on fire. "This is who you are, Kaia. You are the wind and the trees. You are a healer and a destroyer. You are a reminder of our past and a seer of the future. You are life itself. The most beautiful being in existence. And you are everything...to me."

I stared at him, unsure whether or not I had heard him correctly. I gazed into his eyes and it was like I could see into his soul. And his past. Our past. I felt a connection open between us as I stared at him. In that moment I saw myself grow up through his eyes. I felt the struggle he endured with himself and the guilt he felt as his love for me grew over the years. I sensed the anger he harbored toward himself because he felt as if he had betrayed my grandmother's trust by falling in love with me. I saw his memories of himself watching me when I was unaware of his presence. Always standing vigil. Protecting me from harm. Even when I slept. And I felt the pain he carried around inside him from not being able to show his true feelings for me.

Tears slowly swelled in my eyes as his feelings and memories flashed through my mind. One instantly stood out to me. It was a memory that I too possessed, only mine was much different from the way he remembered. It was his memory of the day I had kissed him so long ago. I saw the moment through his eyes and felt the joy that soared through his body when my lips touched his. Guilt quickly overtook his joy and forced him to push me away. Then I felt the overwhelming pain that shattered his heart a few days later when he saw me looking at him and Mitzy from my bedroom window. The tears he saw on my face that day had destroyed him. He hated himself for hurting me.

I gasped from the onslaught of emotions flowing from Nolan into my mind. I couldn't take it anymore, I dropped my gaze to the floor, breaking the connection between us. I didn't realize it until that moment but the wind swirling around us had slowed significantly.

Nolan lifted my chin with his finger, forcing me to look at him again. I thought he was going to say something to encourage me to try harder to make the wind stop completely. Instead, he slowly leaned his head close to mine and kissed me.

As soon as his lips touched mine, my mind felt cloudy and foggy. It took a few seconds for me to process what was happening. Once I realized that my dream was finally coming true, I forced the travesties of the last few days to the back of my mind and allowed myself to enjoy the kiss I had been waiting for my entire life.

He brushed his mouth over mine tenderly and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to his body as our kiss deepened. In that moment, nothing else in the world existed. It was only him and me, breaking through the barrier that had kept us apart for so long.

In his arms, I finally felt complete. Like there were no more missing pieces. The void that I'd felt my entire life was gone. It was as if my soul had connected to his, binding us together.

When we broke from our kiss several minutes later, I was relieved to see that the wind had completely died down.

Nolan smiled as he ran his hand down my arm, tracing the veins to my hand. "You were pretty as a human, but you are absolutely breathtaking as a Lenoi" he said.

When I didn't respond, he motioned toward the car where Alyse was waiting for us. "Let's get you home."

There was so much I wanted to say and ask about what had just happened between us, but I knew it wasn't the right time. I glanced over to where my aunt had been laying and saw that she was no longer there.

Nolan followed my gaze and squeezed my shoulders gently. "Meg is in the car with Mandy" he said and sighed sadly. "I'm so sorry, Kaia. If I had known that Meglana saw her own death I never would have allowed her to come here."

I closed my eyes against the wave of pain that suddenly assaulted me when I thought of my aunt. Her death was my fault and no one else's. She died to save me. And I was going to have to live with that for the rest of my life. I shook my head and looked at Nolan. "It's not your fault."

I allowed him to lead me over to the car. Before getting in, I looked back to the demolished home as the nights events replayed in my mind. So much had happened. A gentle soul was taken too soon and the lives of my friends now stood in the balance, awaiting my decision on whether or not I was brave enough to go after them.

The secrets that had been kept from me were now out in the open and it was up to me what I wanted to do with the information. Sarah and Gary's faces popped into my mind, followed by Lucas'. I had only spoken to him once in the library and didn't know how he got caught up in the craziness. But I did know with absolute certainty that their lives depended on me accepting who I am and learning to control my magic and thirst.

I opened the back door of my aunt's car and got in behind the driver's seat. Alyse looked over the front passenger seat at me, "Are you okay, Kaia?" she asked.

I could tell she was on the verge of tears as she spoke. But I felt remarkably strong and determined not to ever again show weakness. "I will be" I said and looked to my right and saw Mandy staring at me.

Her solid white eyes bored into mine. There was no emotion on her face whatsoever. And perhaps I should have been afraid of her, or at the very least, confused about what she was now. But I wasn't. With the restraints on me now broken, I could feel the connection between us. She was a part of me now. I had brought her back from the dead. She was now bonded to me and it was my duty to protect her.

I reached over and squeezed her hand as it laid on the seat between us. My aunt's body leaned against the door on the other side of Mandy. I avoided looking at her, instead I faced forward. Nolan was looking at me through the rearview mirror.

"Let's go home" I said softly and glared out the window and silently bid goodbye to the girl I used to be.

# Chapter Twenty

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I had no idea what Alyse meant when she said on the way home that she would take care of the farewell ceremony. She could have described it in detail and I still wouldn't have heard her. I was too busy trying to fight my way through the torrent of unwanted visions and screams that assaulted me.

The fact that no one else in the car seemed unnerved by the pleas for help told me that I was the only one who heard them. I don't know how I knew, maybe it was instinct or a part of my newly discovered magic, but I did know that the visions and screams were warnings of what lay ahead in the future. I was getting a glimpse of the deaths that would take place if the vampires weren't stopped. If my father wasn't stopped.

The last thought lingered in my mind. My father. I was still trying to accept the fact that he was alive and not at all like the man I thought he would be. The man I hoped he was. I had spent my entire life pining over the loss of my parents. Daydreaming of the kind of people they were, whether they were overly protective and strict or free-spirited and adventurous. I had hoped for the latter. But never once did I think I was the spawn of mystical creatures. A fairy and a vampire. The truth both fascinated and repulsed me. It was unsettling to have my feelings spread so widely.

The car slowed to a stop and it took me a minute to realize that we were already at my house. I looked out the window to the home that had been my sanctuary. The one place I knew I would always be protected. And loved. Aunt Meg had always done her best to make me feel like I was the most important person in the world. Thinking of her made my heart clench painfully.

The car doors opened and everyone but me got out. I stayed glued to the seat, my gaze locked on the front door of the house. I wanted so desperately for my aunt to open it and come rushing out, demanding to know where I had been all night.

When I saw Nolan carrying a limp form in his arms, up the steps of the porch, I came crashing back to reality. Aunt Meg would never again be waiting for me when I got home. The door I was sitting next to opened and I glanced up and saw Alyse looking at me with sympathy. I could tell that she was trying hard to hold in her own tears. Her lips quivered and her hand shook when she held it out to me. "Come on, Kaia. Let's get you inside" she said, her voice trembled.

I didn't say a word as I allowed her to help me from the car and inside the house. She led me over to the couch and I sat down. I'm not sure how long I sat there, staring into the empty space in front of me. I was in shock. My mind was a total blank. At that moment, I didn't see, hear or feel anything. I had no desire to move or talk. I was lost with no inkling of how to return or if I even wanted to. Minutes, hours or even days could have passed without me knowing.

It wasn't until I felt a warm hand brush against my cheek that I slowly began to find my way back to my body and the pain that awaited me once I regained my senses. I blinked several times and locked eyes with Nolan as he stared down at me. Deep stress lines creased his forehead. I took a quick glance around my surroundings and saw that I was no longer on the couch. I was now on the bed in my bedroom. No light shined through the windows, alerting me that it was still dark outside. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and lowered my head to avoid looking at Nolan. "Where is Aunt Meg?"

He hesitated for a moment before answering. "She's in her room. We wanted to wait for you to come around before doing the farewell ceremony" he paused, no doubt realizing I really had no idea what that was. "It's how we pay our respects and dispose of our dead" he clarified.

Silence fell over us for several minutes before he spoke again. He leaned closer and lifted my chin with his finger so that I would look at him. He stared into my eyes intently, like he was searching for something. I'm not sure if he found what he was looking for, but a sigh of relief escaped his lips and the tension on his face eased. "I was afraid I'd lost you, Kaia. Seeing you so void of life had me worried you'd never come back."

"What do you mean?" I asked and took a good long look at him. It was to be expected that he would be tired and upset after everything we had been through over the last couple of hours, but the look on his face was way more than that. He looked devastated. Broken. Like he had lost a piece of his soul.

"Kaia, you've been in some kind of trance for the last twenty-six hours, just staring into space" he paused and swallowed hard. "When we realized you were out of it, I carried you up here and have been watching over you ever since. Are you alright? Are you still..."

"The same?" I said, cutting him off and finishing his sentence before he had a chance to.

He nodded.

I thought about it for a minute then shook my head. "No" I said in a flat tone. "I will never be the same as I was before."

It was hard not to notice the sadness that crumpled his face. But I knew my words were true and there was no reason to hide the truth from him. An image of me biting into Caleb's neck flashed in my mind and I felt nothing at all about what I'd done. There was no sorrow or regret. Only emptiness and anger.

It was impossible to learn everything I'd learned about myself and my family, and to witness the atrocities I'd seen without it changing me. I felt like I had aged a century in the span of a day. My childhood was gone. I no longer had the luxury of being a teenager whose biggest problems in life was what to wear to school or finding a date to prom.

My problems were much more imposing than that. I had to find a way to come to terms with my true identity and learn how to control my magic or whatever it was that lived inside me, as well as my hunger for blood. And last but not least, I had to find a way to stop my father and save my friends. It was a burden I wasn't sure I was strong enough to carry but I had no choice in the matter.

Nolan's silence told me that he didn't know what to say. A part of me felt sorry for him because it wasn't often that he was at a loss for words. It was evident from the look on his face that he understood the girl he had spent the last fifty years of his life caring for and protecting was gone. The innocence he had tried so hard for me keep had been violently ripped away in the blink of an eye. The evils of the world had touched me and it was now up to me how I responded to it.

I breathed in deeply and prepared myself for what I knew was going to be the most difficult thing in the world for me to do. I had to say goodbye to my aunt. I scooted to the edge of the bed then stood up. I turned to Nolan and said, "I'll meet you in Aunt Meg's room in a few minutes." Then I went into the bathroom and shut the door.

When I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I saw for the first time just how much I had changed. My face was pretty much the same, only slightly thinner. My hair was now blindingly white and my eyes -while still silver, were so bright that they looked fake. The most noticeable change was the translucent tone of my skin. Each and every one of the faint blue veins beneath my skin were now visible to the eye.

I opened my mouth to see the fangs I felt scraping against my lip. The sight of them reminded me of what I would have to feed on for the rest of my life. The thought sickened me but also caused my heart to beat wildly. The thought of blood excited me more than I wanted to admit. I pushed away from the mirror and climbed in the shower.

*****

The farewell ceremony wasn't much different from a human wake...until the end. I was mostly numb the entire time, just staring at Aunt Meg while the memory of our time in the kitchen yesterday replayed in my mind. The way she had allowed me to lay my head in her lap while she ran her hand down my hair was something I knew I would cherish forever.

Her body was laid on the bed. The room was lit up by hundreds of candles. We each paid our respects and said our goodbyes then Nolan retrieved a small leather satchel from Aunt Meg's dresser and sprinkled a fine white powder over her body. It was at that point that I understood the difference between a fairy funeral and a human one.

Aunt Meg's body slowly began to disappear right before my eyes and so did the powder that was sprinkled on top of her. At any other time, seeing something like that would have shocked me but after everything I had been through, nothing shocked me anymore. Once every trace of her body was gone, I walked out of the room feeling completely hollow inside.

I knew Nolan, Alyse and Mandy were right behind me but I didn't let that stop me from continuing with my plan. I went to my room and grabbed my gym bag from the closet and began shoving clothes from my dresser inside it.

"Kaia, what are you doing?" Alyse asked as she and Nolan entered the room.

I spared a quick glance in their direction then continued filling my bag. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm packing." I dropped the bag on the bed and went into the bathroom to retrieve a few things.

When I came back out, Nolan was standing on the far side of the room near the window that faced his house. He picked something up from my desk and turned around to face me. He locked eyes with me for a moment then looked down at the leather bag in his hands and the attached card.

"What is that?" I asked as I threw my hairbrush in the gym bag.

It took him a few seconds to respond. "It's a card from Meg and the bag that your mother gave her to give to you when she thought you were ready to have it."

My hands stilled. I stared at the bag in his hands. The leather looked old. I caught sight of my name written in my aunt's handwriting on the outside of the white envelope. Mixed emotions swirled inside me at the thought of reading her letter. What was it going to say? What was in the bag from my mother?

I took several shaky steps toward Nolan. He handed the bag and envelope to me, then placed his hand gently on my shoulder for a moment. "I know what you're thinking, Kaia, but you can't go. You're not ready to face Drycus right now." He paused then continued, "We'll give you some privacy" he said and looked down at the contents in my hands.

I didn't acknowledge what he said, there was no reason to really. My mind was made up and I wasn't going to let him stop me. I sat down on the side of the bed that faced the window and waited for him and Alyse to leave. When I heard the door ease shut behind me, I opened Aunt Meg's letter and read it silently to myself:

My Dearest Kaia, words cannot express how sorry I am that I'm not there with you right now. I know that you're hurting and probably feel abandoned and lost but please don't let my death deter you from your destiny. I always knew I would leave you one day, although I had hoped for more time with you, I do not regret my decision to face Drycus. You needed to see for yourself the brutality that he is capable of... that you are capable of if you allow yourself to become like him. Always remember that you have a choice, Kaia. I know the war that battles inside you, the confusion over whether you are good like your mother or evil like your father, but the truth is both goodness and evil live inside you. Only you can decide the path you want to take and it isn't going to be easy. Decisions you make will have consequences. Trust me, I know. A long time ago I made a decision that has haunted me for over half a century. When you asked me to tell you about your mother, I left out the part about how it was my fault that she had suffered her entire life without a mother. After having a disturbing vision, I ran to your grandmother and warned her that her unborn child would be responsible for the destruction of our world and the end of our existence. It was because of my vision that our Queen abandoned her daughter and left her vulnerable to an attack from Drycus. Izola thought she was doing what was best for her people, instead, she had unknowingly sentenced them all to death. Her daughter...your mother... grew into an amazingly beautiful woman with a heart of gold despite knowing that she was unwanted. Once Drycus learned of her existence, he captured her and used compulsion to make her do things that ultimately led to your birth. You see, the vision I had when your grandmother was pregnant with your mother was never about her...it was about you. Celeste was just the vessel responsible for bringing you into the world. You're the one who has the power to destroy us all. Or you can choose to fight your dark side and become the Queen that Nolan and Alyse need you to be. I know you still have a lot of questions and I hope you find the answers you need to make the right decision. I love you, Kaia. The bag contains things that your mother wanted you to have. I never opened it so I don't know what's inside but hopefully you will learn a little about her from the items she gave you. There is one more thing you need to know, when you were younger there was a place near the lake that you visited regularly. I recently figured out why you were so drawn to that area. Your grandmother had secret portals all over the human world that were used for travel centuries before she banned passage into this world. No one knew their location but your grandmother. I think your secret place near the lake is one of those portals. When you're ready, go there to find your way home. I will always be with you. Love, Meglana

I stared at the paper in my shaky hands as my aunts words repeated over and over in my mind. Even before I was born, before my mother was born, Aunt Meg had a vision that I would be the reason for their world collapsing. How was I supposed to fight against a prophecy that was foretold over a hundred years before my birth?

I laid the letter on the bed and opened the leather bag and looked inside it hoping to find something that would make my task easier. But all I found was a soft yellow baby blanket, a large blue sapphire pendant and chain, a small leather-bound book and another envelope. My hand trembled as I rubbed it over the letters of my name written in a very elegant style. My mother's handwriting.

I instinctively looked to my wrist expecting to see my charm bracelet but it was no longer there. It occurred to me then that I had left it back at Darian's house. The loss of it made me sad but it also freed me of all the spells that had been placed on me. I gently opened my mother's letter and read what it said:

My darling Kaia, it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to you. Your time with me has come to an end and I have to let you go. It is no longer safe for you here in Shohala Falls. In the human world, you will learn things. You will grow and thrive. You will have a chance to live and be happy. That is my gift to you...freedom. Freedom from the evil that has consumed our world. Live your life, my daughter. Love those around you, cherish what you have and one day I will see you again...even if only in my dreams. Your mother, Celeste

My eyes stung with tears as I reread her letter several times and an image of a young woman with white hair and beautiful fair skin flashed in my mind. It was the first time ever that I remembered what my mother looked like. That memory was soon followed by another and another. I saw her looking down at me in her arms. I was barely more than a baby. Her smile lit up her face as she rubbed her thumb gently over my cheek. She looked so happy.

My body began to shake. A torrent of memories that had been locked away for so long suddenly flooded my mind. I saw my grandmother, who even though I knew was centuries old, only looked like she was in her fifties. The castle from my dream the other night, along with the rolling hills that surrounded it flashed in my mind. The need to be there...to go home...hit me hard.

My mother had done what she thought was best by sending me away but now it was time for me to return to where I truly belonged. I folded the letters from my aunt and mother and tucked them in my gym bag, along with the sapphire pendant, book and blanket that I now remembered my mother wrapping around me the night she handed me over to Meg.

I stood in the middle of the room and looked around, mentally saying goodbye to the human life I had been living. With my gym bag in hand, I walked out of the room. Once downstairs, I saw Nolan sitting on the couch with his head lowered and his hands clasped together in front of him, his elbows leaned heavily on his knees. I heard Alyse and Mandy moving around in the kitchen.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, I stared at Nolan. How was it possible that I ever saw him as a boy when he was clearly so much more than that? Even when we were younger I always sensed that he was older and wiser than me. I had always assumed his hard exterior was just a part of who he was, now I knew it was his way of masking the emotional wounds he carried around with him from the battles he'd fought before coming into my life. He truly was a warrior in every sense of the word.

When I was searching through his memories, I saw the battles he fought against my father and the other vampires in Shohala Falls. He was so young - just a little boy, but he had been responsible for leading my grandmother's army in fights that often left many of his friends dead. With each loss his heart grew colder, his actions more ruthless. By the time he brought me and the others to this world, he was terrified that he had lost all the goodness he had been born with. He worried that he would never know how to love.

Having me in his life is what changed how he felt about himself. Watching me grow and learn from my mistakes taught him that he could do the same. It showed him that he didn't have to be the same man he was back then. Knowing that I loved him had slowly softened his heart as the years ticked by. As I looked at him now my heart filled with so much love.

So much had changed between us. My dream of learning that he loved me had finally come true, even if the truth hadn't come from his mouth. I should have felt good about discovering his feelings for me, instead I unexpectedly felt burdened. I didn't want to be responsible for the anguish I knew he was going to suffer when the vision of my death came true.

I now remembered everything I said and saw so many years ago. And even though my heart ached with the knowledge that I wasn't going to get my happy ending with Nolan, I was willing to give it up if it meant defeating my father and saving the ones I loved. The fate of my birthplace, Shohala Falls, and any remaining Lenoi depended on me. I knew what I had to do.

Nolan stood from the couch and started toward me. His eyes fell to the gym bag in my hand and he instantly tensed. "Kaia" he said my name and shook his head slowly. "Where do you think you're going? We can't run away from this. Now that you've made a connection with Drycus he'll always find us no matter where we go."

I stared at him defiantly. "I'm not running anywhere. I'm going home."

"You are home, Kaia."

"No, I'm not. Our home is in Shohala Falls. Or have you forgotten where we came from?"

"I haven't forgotten anything, Kaia. But going back there isn't an option. Drycus is waiting for you and I can't let you walk right into his hands. Even if that means sacrificing your human friends." He paused and looked down at the floor before speaking again. "I'm sorry about Sara and the others. But the truth is Kaia, they are probably already dead."

"Don't say that!"

"He's right, Kaia" Alyse said as she entered the room and stood beside Nolan. Mandy sat down quietly on the couch, her eyes trained on me. She hadn't said one word since we rescued her from my father.

I took a second to think and I knew they were probably right. Maybe my friends were dead. But then again, maybe they weren't. Maybe they were waiting for me to go get them. It was that small chance that they were still alive that forced me to stick to my decision.

It was time for me to embrace my lineage and assert the power I knew I had even though I hated to do so. I stood straight with my head held high and looked at my friends. My voice was calm and unusually authoritative as I spoke. "You two can choose to go with me and help me or you can stay here and continue living a lie, pretending to be human. But you have no say in what I do anymore. I am a princess. The granddaughter of Queen Izola and the daughter of Princess Celeste. And I am choosing to go back and save my friends and claim my place as the future Queen."

The shock on Alyse and Nolan was unmistakable. They both stared at me like I had lost my mind, but it did nothing to deter me. I had spent many years of my life being an emotionally unstable, whiny, somewhat bratty child and I didn't want to be that person anymore. I couldn't be that person anymore. Too much depended on me growing up and becoming the strong woman I needed to be.

Nolan reached out and took my hand in his then knelt down on one knee in front of me. He looked up at me and I knew then that the argument was over. The look in his eyes told me that he would do whatever I asked of him even if he didn't think we would succeed. "Your Highness, wherever you lead, I will follow."

Those few simple words from his mouth brought fresh tears to my eyes. Even though I wasn't fond of my new title, I was happy to have him by my side. "Thank you" I whispered.

The words had barely left my mouth when Alyse threw her arm around my shoulder, knocking my hand from Nolan's grasp. She rolled her eyes at Nolan then smiled at me. "And of course I will go with you too. Just don't expect me to get down on one knee like the big bad warrior here. I think we are all friendly enough that the proper etiquette of interacting with a royal can take a back seat for a while. Don't you?" she asked and raised her brows in question.

A small chuckle escaped my mouth as I nodded. "Yes. Let's just keep the 'Your Highness' stuff on ice for a while. We're friends. I'm no better than either of you. And I'd really like it if you didn't treat me any differently."

Nolan stood and reclaimed my hand. He shot a sideways glance to Alyse and she grabbed Mandy's hand and walked outside to give us some privacy. The kissing noises she made under her breath as they stood on the front porch with the door open were loud enough for us to hear.

After a few seconds of just staring at me, Nolan let out a heavy breath and finally spoke. "Kaia...I think we should talk about what happened at Darian's."

The memory of biting into Caleb's neck flashed in my mind. The reminder of his black blood filling my mouth brought back the horribly sick feeling I had felt after swallowing it. Even though I no longer felt sick, the thought made me want to gag. "I'd really rather not talk about that if you don't mind." I paused, "I'm not proud of what I did, but I can't change it. It happened. I killed Caleb and the truth is I'm not even sorry."

Nolan tensed as he stared at me. "I was talking about what happened between us. The kiss..." he said uncomfortably. "It shouldn't have happened and I'm sorry. It seemed like a good idea at the time. And it was the only way I could think of to calm you." He paused like he was struggling to find the right words to say. The torment in his eyes was almost unbearable to look at.

It was then that I realized he wasn't aware I had invaded his mind and saw his memories and felt his feelings. He was still trying to hide his love for me. My first instinct was to tell him that I already knew the truth, but then I really thought about it and decided against it. Acknowledging his feelings and giving in to our desire for each other would only make his future without me more difficult. I already knew my ending and it didn't include him.

As hard as it was for me to do, I ignored the pain in my heart and nodded in agreement. "You're right, it shouldn't have happened. And I'm sure it never will again. We're friends, Nolan, and we can never be anything more than that." I did my best to keep my voice from cracking as I repeated back to him the same words he said to me so long ago.

The hurt that flashed across his face was hard to miss. But he covered it up quickly by replacing it with a hard, focused expression. "It's good to know where we stand with each other" he said and released my hand so that it fell to my side. A few quiet minutes passed before he spoke again. "So what are we going to do about Mandy? We still don't know what she is or if she's dangerous."

I looked out the open doorway to see Mandy sitting on the top step of the porch, staring out into the night. I understood Nolan's concern about her, the unknown always frightened people. I wasn't sure what she was either, but I knew that I was connected to her. Bringing her back from the dead had bonded us together. She was a part of me now and I sensed the need to protect her, no matter what. I now knew the feelings of fear I had felt earlier before finding her had nothing to do with me. They were her feelings...reaching out to me after Darian captured her.

"Mandy's life here is over just like ours. She's no longer human. She can never go home and put her parents in danger. So she's coming with us."

"And where exactly are we going?" Nolan asked and pointed to the bag still in my other hand. "We can't go back to Shohala Falls. We don't know where the portals are."

I took a small photo of Aunt Meg from the wall by the front door and shoved it in my bag. "You'll see when we get there" I said and walked outside into the cool night air.

Standing beside Alyse on the porch, I looked over my shoulder at Nolan as he followed behind me. "Don't forget your bow. You're going to need it. Our journey to save the world and defeat my father starts now" I said and jumped from the porch with my destination clear in mind even if the outcome of our quest was anything but clear.

To be continued...

Thank you for reading "Bound by Secrets".

If you would like to follow Kaia on her journey be sure to read "Bound by Truth" the second book in the series.

# Bound by Truth

Finding out that she's a hybrid of vampire and fairy hasn't been easy for Kaia but she's trying to come to terms with who she is and how to control her magic. The father she once thought was dead has kidnapped three of her friends and taken them to Shohala Falls. It's up to her to save them by taking their place at his side. Along the way more secrets will be revealed. Lives will be lost. Friendships will be tested. Old bonds will break and new ones will form. And once again, the laws of nature will be broken when the truth of what Mandy has become is made known.

# Bound by Truth

# Available Now!
