SHADE
by Kelly Anne
Blount
Blood dripped down my forehead and
blurred my vision. I swallowed hard as I wiped it out of my eyes and on to my
tattered dress. Trying to control my breathing, I focused on the dark alley
head of me. I knew he was out there, but I didn’t know where.
The hair stood
up on the back of my neck as I pressed my body against a cool brick wall. How
did this go so wrong? A door slamming caused my heart to take off like a
cheetah chasing a gazelle. I crouched down and frantically looked for a
makeshift weapon. Finally, my hands came across a broken metal pipe. I picked
it up and clutched it to my chest.
With my
fingers trembling, I took a step into the deserted alleyway. Trying to stay
close to the wall, I sprinted as quietly as possible. A mixture of blood and
tears dripped down my forehead as the pavement pounded under my feet. Every
inch of my being wanted to scream, but I held it in. Just make it out of this
alley! Then you can scream!
A deep
rumbling voice echoed off the walls and sent chills through my core, “You can
run, but I’ll always find you, Abriana.”
I couldn’t
tell which direction it originated from and I didn’t stop to find out. Instead,
I propelled my legs forward faster than I thought humanly possible. I chanted a
one-word mantra the entire time. Survive. Survive. Survive!
A cool breeze
whipped between the buildings and sent shivers down my damp neck. I could see a
street in front of me. It was late, but a few people were still out and driving
around.
My chest ached
and my lungs felt like they were about to burst into flames at any moment. I
sucked in as much air as they would hold and pushed my body’s limits.
You’re almost
there! Just a few more feet!
Suddenly, I
felt fingernails dig into my shoulder and pull my body backward. The change in
momentum caused me to fall flat on my back, knocking the air out of my lungs in
the process.
A metallic
taste in my mouth and an ache in the back of my head were the last things I
remembered before everything went black…
***
I awoke to a strange noise followed
by, “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
I tried to
open my eyes, but panicked when I saw nothing but darkness. Goosebumps
instantly covered my arms. Why can’t I see? Where am I? I wiggled back and
forth, bumping into a low ceiling and carpeted walls.
“You shouldn’t
have run away from me,” came the nefarious voice belonging to the man in the
dark alleyway. He gave a wicked laugh. “You know who I am and you know what I
look like. The blindfold is so you don’t know where we’re going.”
My lips began
to tremble and my eyes filled with tears, but I forced them to stay at bay.
Struggling, I tried to bring my hands to my face, but couldn’t. My wrists
burned as a rope rubbed against my skin.
He let out
another laugh that left me chilled to the core. “I can’t risk you trying to run
away again, now, can I?”
Fear quaked
through my body and a cold sinking feeling spread through my core. “Why are you
doing this to me?”
The corners of
his lips turned up into a wicked smile. “Because I love you.”
INVISIBLE
by DelSheree
Gladden
Without warning, catching my breath
seems impossible. I don’t know if I can handle the thought that someone might
actively be trying to hurt Mason. Before I can stop myself, I feel tears begin
sliding down my cheeks. I’m not the only one who feels them. Mason reaches up
and touches my face, seeming startled when he realizes I am crying. Not that I
can blame him. I’m about as much of a crier as he is.
“Oh, Ollie,”
he says softly. His strong, but gentle arms easily pull me out from behind him
and nestle me against his body. I curl against him as I try to shut out the
fear that is quickly swallowing me up.
“Mason, I
can’t bear the thought of losing you,” I whisper against his chest.
His arms press me against him so tightly there is no space left between us.
“I’ve already lost one family. I won’t lose you, too.”
The night
quiets as we lay in each other’s arms. Slowly, Mason’s breathing calms. As he
relaxes, my own fears begin to calm as well. They don’t disappear, but they
come down to a manageable enough level that I can think and ask the question
lingering in both of our minds.
“Mason, what
do we do now?”
He sighs. His
fingers stroke my hair softly. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how to get more
information out of Robin without telling her the truth.”
“We can’t tell
her the truth. We have no idea who she’s really involved with. It’s too big of
a risk.”
“I know, but
we have to stay close to her, too. If she is a threat, we can’t be blind to
it.”
I know he’s
right, but I don’t like to think about Mason being so close to someone who
could potentially hurt him. But what choice do we have? I look up at Mason and
find him already staring down at me with a look of concern. Something about the
moment makes my heart lurch. It takes me a few seconds to gather my thoughts.
“Mason, we’ll
figure this out,” I promise.
As his fingers
brush against my cheek, that strange sensation flashes again, but I am too
anxious to pay it much attention.
“Out of
everything Robin told us today, do you know what hurt the most?” Mason asks,
surprising me by his change in topic. He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “Robin
said something like sometimes it’s hard to remember ‘I wasn’t human,’ that I
was sent here to be raised by Caretakers. Do you realize what that means? Not
only am I not human, my family isn’t even my real family. All of the sudden,
I’ve lost another family, one I never knew, maybe one that didn’t even want me
to begin with.”
“We’ll find
answers, Mason.”
I know it’s
not much as far as comfort goes, but I don’t know what else to say. I have no
idea why anyone would give up someone as wonderful as Mason. If his biological
parents didn’t want him, their stupidity was our gain. I can’t imagine my life
without Mason.
I have no idea
what time it is, but weariness begins to creep over me. My eyes are starting to
close when Mason asks one last question.
“Do you think
Robin is right about me not being human?”
A yawn
stretches my jaw before I can answer. “I don’t know. Maybe. You are invisible.”
“Does that
bother you?” he asks quietly.
My shrug is
more of a twitch as sleeps tries to steal me away. “Why would it? I love you no
matter where you came from.”
HER SWEETEST
DOWNFALL
by Rebecca
Hamilton
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Night crept over Damascus. After
treating the rapidly warming serpent mark with more Cruor blood, Ophelia spun
toward the open door. Ethan sat between the frame, his strong shoulders resting
back, his face turned to the
field where a small red fox burrowed in the dirt. The night breeze wisped
through his hair. She set the blankets on the end of the bed and walked over.
“Is it far?”
she asked.
“No.” He
cleared his throat but didn’t look up at her. “Sorry. For a human, it’s very
far, but it won’t be for us.”
Ophelia
bunched her fingers together in front of her stomach. “Same as we got ‘ere
then?”
“Yes.”
She stepped
around, outside, and kneeled in the grass across from him, resting her hands in
her lap. “Ethan, if something is wrong . . . ”
“I’d tell
you,” he replied, lifting his gaze from a long piece of grass he’d been
slipping between his fingers. Moonlight paled his tan complexion and darkened
the shade of his jaw, making him appear more defeated than he had hours ago.
“The Cruor I
mentioned earlier is in the Americas. She’s not expecting us.”
“But I
thought—”
“Please trust
me.” He stood and dusted off his pants, then leaned his shoulder against the
doorjamb.
She tried for
a smile and busied herself attempting to prop up a wildflower that was wilting
among the yellow grass.
When she
looked up, Ethan’s expression was gentle. His gaze moved from the small flower
to her eyes. There was a brief moment where she wondered if he, like Lady
Karina, found her bright, ice-blue eyes alarming. But his express was soft, and
her fears quickly melted. He walked behind her, crouched down, and covered her
hand with his, his fingertips touching the flower. It revived before her very
eyes, and Ophelia leaned her head against Ethan’s shoulder as she stared at the
flower in awe.
“Beautiful,”
she whispered, wishing she had been destined to be one of the Ankou—to be one
of the elementals who revived life and put an end to evil, rather than bring
death.
She told him
as much.
He sat back,
and she turned around to face him. He was standing now, holding his hand out to
her.
“Come with
me,” he said.
He took her
hand and they fell through darkness just as they had when he’d taken her to the
cabin. When she could see again, her stomach suddenly jolted. She hunched
forward, heaving, but this time she did not vomit. She held her midsection
until the feeling passed, then dried the moisture from her eyes.
Ethan smoothed his hand across her shoulder blades. “Traveling will get easier
with time. By your third or fourth time you shouldn’t feel anything.”
“Why does this
keep happening?” she demanded. She could hardly think straight.
“When we
travel this way, we are in the in-between. You are suspended from such things
as time and space and then thrust immediately back into it. Your system is
forced to catch up instantly on arrival. If not for the magic the Ankou are
granted, it could kill you.”
Ophelia
sighed, nodding. “Where are we?”
Ethan turned
her toward a small house and pressed his fingers to his lips.
He led her along the outer walls of the house until they reached a window.
Inside, a man and a woman held each other, crying. Ophelia peered around the
room, trying to make sense of what she was searching for. She found her answer
on the floor. A young man sat, collapsed to his knees, covered in blood.
“What
‘appened?” Ophelia whispered.
“The young man
just watched his comrades kill his sister.” Ethan’s voice was tight and his
tone clipped. “He was unable to act to save her. He’s returned home to tell
their parents.”
Ophelia backed
away, shaking her head. When Ethan approached, she pounded her fist against his
chest. “Why would ye show me such a thing?”
Ethan didn’t move, even as Ophelia tried once again to push him away. “The
young girl who lost her life was a dual-breed. She was only killed because of
what she is, and for no greater reason. This . . . this is what we’re fighting
for. It is not that I want you in harm’s way, or that I wish for you to become
a creature you detest. If I could do this for you, protect you from your
calling, I would. But I cannot let my feelings for you sway our responsibility.
I am confident you are capable, that you can do this to save the innocents in
this world.”
Though Ophelia
tried, she could not summon a response. She covered her mouth with hand, her
entire body trembling. Could she live with herself, knowing all this, if she
didn’t try to help?
