Dangerous Lovers

BLOOD WARRIOR

by

HD Gordon

Copyright 2011 © Heather Gordon

Cover Design by Mae I Design

ISBN-13: 978-1482302158

ISBN-10: 1482302152

As will always be, this is for my daughters, Soraya and Akira. No knight in shining armor has ever brought salvation finer than that you have given me. No love has ever been purer than that I have for you. There are no words great enough to define you.

They simply do not exist.

Chapter One

It wasn’t dead when I found it.

I’m not even sure what drew me to the window in the first place. But I went. I suppose I should have, even could have walked away at that point… let nature take its course. But, I didn’t.

Its neck was broken. Its wings outstretched and feathers splayed in a way more peacock than blackbird. I pushed open the window, having almost forgotten its deceitful boundary, though the glass was stained where the two had collided.

And then I tilted, just bent my upper body so I was leaning over it. It was in pain. No, I couldn’t be sure of this, and yet, I was. I think the eyes captured me, held me there until the option of walking away had faded, leaving me with no choice at all.

I backpedaled, reached out a calloused and cracked hand, and grabbed Capote off my desk. Returning to the window, I raised the hardcover.

My hesitation was brief, but present. The bird lay wounded beyond repair. And, somehow, I thought I knew what it wanted, what I would want were I the broken blackbird.

Or maybe I justified certain wants with inferred ones. Either way, it was the right thing. I took no pleasure in watching something suffer.

Nor would I let it.

The book fell at exactly the same moment the door opened.

Chapter Two

My mother entered the room, and I reluctantly turned to face her. I had been in a good mood. I didn’t particularly want to change that. But she there she stood, and that meant she had a reason. She never visited for a simple chat.

Her eyes flicked briefly to the window. If I hadn’t been watching, I would’ve missed it. She didn’t comment. She didn’t ask about the lone black feather sticking out from under Capote. She just gestured to the bed, and I took a seat.

She carried the makeup in her hand, and I refused to wince as she applied it none too gently to my eye.

There, she said, leaning back to examine her work.

I blinked a couple times to clear my vision and went to study myself in the mirror. My black eye was still visibly swollen, but at least the foundation she’d applied covered up some of the bruising. I stared at myself, almost ignoring the fact I’d become reasonably comfortable with this routine.

Thanks, I mumbled. It was all I ever said to her when this happened, and it occurred to me that it was strange to be thanking her for covering up an injury she had caused. Still, I had learned long ago to enjoy these moments with her. These moments when I could almost believe her when she said it was necessary for me to endure the physical pain she inflicted.

Now go, she said, snapping me out of my thoughts. Or you’ll be late for school.

I nodded and grabbed my loaded backpack off its hook as I headed out the door.

Hey, wait! my little sister, Nelly, called from upstairs.

I was tempted to shut the door behind me and head off without her, but I knew that would only piss my mother off. I suppose that’s why I was tempted. I felt good this morning, stronger. And, I realized much later this probably had something to do with the blackbird.

As it was, my mother shot me a warning look as I stood in the open doorway and waited impatiently for Nelly. A few moments later, she came running down the stairs with her backpack in tow. I rolled my eyes as I took in her usual perfect and prim appearance. Her goldenbrown hair hung perfectly straight across her shoulders, and her makeup was light and tasteful. We were both very pretty, but most of the time I couldn’t help but feel mildly jealous of her. I had my reasons.

Believe me.

She was wearing a baby-blue button-down blouse and lightcolored jeans. I looked down at my wrinkled T-shirt and sweatpants.

Mom always got her the good stuff. At least the pants fit me nicely.

Well, don’t you look pretty? I said. Can we go now?

This earned another glare from my mother, which I pointedly ignored by pushing the hair that had fallen out of my sloppy ponytail off my face.

Nelly just smiled genuinely and swept past me through the open door. It was childish, but I sighed and rolled my eyes again. Nelly certainly is the diplomatic one. Me? Not so much. Still, I felt bad for making fun of her this morning. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t have to prepare—that’s what my mother called it—like I did. And, truth be told, I was glad she didn’t get the same treatment from my mother. Nelly’s more fragile than I am, and I wasn’t sure she could take it.

Just before I closed the door, my mother called out to me. Alexa—

I know, I know, I said, cutting her off. Don’t stop until we get there.

Chapter Three

Nelly waited for me outside the door, and I stepped out onto the porch with her. Letting out a big breath, I steeled myself for the run ahead of us. I glanced at her, and she gave me a sympathetic smile. I smiled back because I couldn’t help it. Nelly is just that way. Her moods tend to be contagious. Also, this was one thing our mother insisted we both do, and it was hard on both of us.

Ready? I asked.

As I’ll ever be, she replied.

I gave her another smile. It was the same response she gave every day, and I admired her for her optimism. Despite the unfair treatment from our mother, I loved Nelly. She was all I had in this world and the only reason I hadn’t left long ago. Our mother was right about one thing: we needed to stay together. I had to protect Nelly. From what? I was still figuring that one out. I just knew she needed me.

Alright, I said. Let’s go.

Nelly jumped off the porch and set off at an impressive rate in the direction of our school. I let her get a few paces ahead before jumping off the porch myself and racing after her. She was fast, but I was faster.

I caught up to her, and we kept up pace as we ran down the road that would take us to Levland High School. She grinned and shook her head as I fell into step just behind her. This was another thing our mother insisted on: always keep Nelly in your line of sight.

We didn’t talk much on this run. It was hard enough, with the three-and-a-half mile trip, just to keep up a steady pace. Our heavy backpacks didn’t make it any easier.

It could have been worse, though. Our last school had been six miles from the house and the terrain had been hilly. This road was flat and hard-packed. Thank God for small favors.

My thoughts churned as I ran, and I actually took time to enjoy the scenery around me. We lived in a small town in Missouri, and springtime was just starting to set in. Another thing I was grateful for. Running in snow sucks.

Inevitably, my mind soared back to the blackbird. It was impossible not to think of, especially since the day seemed to match my good mood. I had done a good thing this morning, a humane thing, and this seemed to fuel me as my feet pounded the dirt road.

Every blooming wildflower lifted their smiling faces at me, rewarding me by wrapping their sweet scent around my body. I felt like Mother Nature was thanking me, trusting I would do the same for her if she were ever suffering. And promising me that kindness in return, should I ever need it.

The sun shone brightly in my eyes, and I was pleased I’d remembered my sunglasses this morning. Glancing over at Nelly told me she hadn’t.

I jogged up beside her, took off the sunglasses, and held them out to her. She shook her head and forced out, It’s okay, you keep them. I shook my head and continued holding them out to her. Finally, she took them and put them on, nodding her thanks.

Squinting the rest of the way, I fell back a few paces behind her. It was so ingrained in me to take care of her, even in the smallest of ways, I hadn’t thought twice about handing over the sunglasses.

Finally, I saw the school up ahead and Nelly and I picked up our pace. The sooner we reached it, the sooner we could stop. School buses were pulling in the lot as we reached the entrance of the school. Nelly and I entered the grounds leaned against the big oak tree near the school’s entrance. As I watched the students file out of the buses, I couldn’t help but feel a little envious. There was a bus that went right by our house, but Mother insisted that running was essential.

Bullshit, I said, still struggling to catch my breath. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. I set fire to one as I glared at the students exiting the buses.

Don’t swear, Nelly chastised me. And the run would probably be easier on you if you quit that stupid smoking.

I smirked. It would be easier on me if I could ride the damn bus like everyone else.

She shook her head and smiled. Come on, or we’ll be late for class. I nodded and threw the cigarette to the ground, stomping it out. We entered the school and she gave me a quick hug before we parted to go to our first period class. Nelly was a sophomore and I was junior, so we had no classes together. I wished she would have been able to jump ahead into some of my classes, like she had at our last school. She was certainly smart enough.

I watched Nelly leave, mildly annoyed as a group of her friends surrounded her, as they did every morning, eager to swap rumors. Nelly was better at that than me, I guess. I was the only one she really cared about in this world, but she could pretend her ass off that she cared about other people as well. That’s not to say she wouldn’t help them if she could; that just meant she only really cared about me.

I’m sure I was just jealous, which is not something I like to admit. But I didn’t really have any friends; I was never good at pretending. And, anyhow, people tended to avoid me. They didn’t talk to me. They usually wouldn’t even meet my eyes. Sometimes I felt like the plague personified. That’s how they behaved. As if looking into my eyes would cost them dearly—as if they would lose their soul or be frozen solid like the onlookers of Medusa. People just tended to avoid me.

Well, most people.

Hey, Alexa, wait up! called a voice behind me.

I knew who it was before I turned around. The options were limited. Like I said, I had no friends.

Unless you counted Jackson Kane. Jackson was the only person who didn’t treat me like a deadly disease. For whatever reason, Jack got me. He understood me, possibly because people treated him the same way.

Jackson swung his arm up and over my shoulder as he walked alongside me, and my lips pulled upward in an involuntary smile. Usually, I’m not one for physical contact. I’m a personal bubble person. But with Jack, I didn’t mind it so much. It didn’t make me uncomfortable. And, part of me was just always amazed he was willing to get close enough to touch me.

It also didn’t hurt that Jack was rather attractive. All of the girls at school were in love with him, but most of them just seemed too intimidated by him to even begin a conversation. Like me, I suppose he just has that back off way about him.

What’s up, Jack? I said.

He spoke with his thick mid-western drawl. Um, let’s see… the sky, the clouds, the sun…

I laughed at his weak attempt at comedy. And, apparently, your supply of crappy jokes.

Crappy? Hardly, the ladies love my jokes.

I made a show of glancing all around us. You’re right. They’re swarming us as we speak. Better be careful with that arm around me, I wouldn’t want to start my day by beating up some jealous, potential girlfriends.

He laughed at that. I have no doubt you could, and really, that would be pretty hot. Not that you need to get any hotter than you already are, he said, flashing his teeth with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help another laugh. Jack had a way of making me smile, which could be quite a task. He hadn’t even mentioned my black eye. Maybe today was going to be a good day.

But then again, maybe not.

We walked into our first period class together and I was tempted to push his arm from my shoulder. I knew what was coming, and I just didn’t feel like getting into it today. Still, my pride got the best of me. I’d be damned if I’d let these kids scare me away from the only person who treated me like I wasn’t some kind of freak.

Sure enough, as soon as we walked through the door, the other students in class grew silent. Then, as I had anticipated, Riley Brockman spoke up. He was surrounded by his jock friends, and each one of them was dumber than the last.

Look, guys, Riley said. Two losers in love. Hey, Kane, did you give her that black eye?

The class erupted in snickers and giggles, and Riley sat back with a smug little smirk on his face. I felt Jackson stiffen beside me and had to keep a tight grip on his arm to keep him from going after Riley.

Riley hated Jackson. Three days ago, Riley’s girlfriend, Jenna, asked Jack if he would escort her to the girl’s choice dance this weekend. I had been right there when she’d asked him. Jackson and I had taken our lunches outside to eat so we could sneak a cigarette afterward. Or maybe just so I could sneak one. But, anyhow, Jenna walked over to where Jackson and I were eating in the shade of a large tree, and she said, shooting a rude glance at me, Um, hi, Jackson. I was just wondering if you would like to take me to the girl’s choice dance next weekend.

I’d raised an eyebrow at her audacity. Jackson just looked at her like she was stupid. And, eventually, after what must have been many awkward seconds for her, she’d stalked away. We’d laughed about it afterward and didn’t think much of it until we encountered Riley in class the next day. Up until this point, Jack had been letting Riley’s antagonizing slide, but Riley needed to watch what he said. I knew Jack would only take it for so long. They were both big boys, and that would not be a pretty fight.

Not only that, Riley was starting to earn ill thoughts from me. Very ill thoughts.

Not today, I whispered to Jack. You can’t get any more suspensions.

It seemed to take a minute for this to register with him, but finally, I felt him relax beside me. We took our seats on the other side of the room, with Jackson giving Riley a look of death the whole time. I could swear I saw Riley cringe a little, but he quickly recovered. I couldn’t blame him. I would’ve been scared too if Jackson had looked at me like that.

Just then, the teacher walked in, and I was thankful that Riley wouldn’t be able to continue his ridicule. It’s not like I was scared to fight, quite the contrary actually, I enjoyed it. Good thing too, with all the preparations my mother put me through. It’s just that I didn’t feel like it today. Things had been going pretty well.

Miss Montgomery, would you care to enlighten us with your thoughts on Hawthorne? my teacher said, looking at me expectantly.

Great. What book were we even talking about? I wracked my brain as the whole class waited for me to speak. What were we supposed to be reading this week? Oh, yeah, The Scarlet Letter. I had read this book before, as I had every other book she assigned us. I read a lot. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Still, it pissed me off that she always called on me first when we were discussing our readings. I don’t like being singled out.

Not really, I replied.

She shook her head, as if she expected no less, and marked something down in her grade book. Probably a zero. Whatever. Just add it to my list of problems.

Eventually, class ended and I headed to my second period class, gym. I received another zero for refusing to run the mile. I’m not terribly defiant. It’s just that I didn’t want to do any more running than I already had to. I still had to run the three and a half miles back home, which was more than enough physical exercise, if you asked me.

Thankfully, the rest of the day passed without incident. The final bell of the day rang, signaling it was time to go home. I was relieved, but at the same time, it’s not like I really wanted to go home. My mother would be waiting for me. That was never something I looked forward to.

Stepping outside of the school, I glanced around. Where the hell was Nelly? I hated it when she made me wait for her, but I wouldn’t dare return home without her. Scanning the area, I caught sight of her over on the other side of the parking lot. Annoyed, I started off toward her.

As I got closer, I realized she wasn’t alone. She was talking to someone. I could tell by her posture that she was uncomfortable. When she saw me, her unease grew visibly. I picked up my pace. Before I got too close, I picked up bits of the conversation they were having.

I really can’t. I’m sorry. I just have other things to do that evening, Nelly was saying. Maybe some other time.

As she started to walk away, the guy grabbed her arm. Nelly’s unease grew once more, but she didn’t resist. I was moving faster now. The guy had his back to me, but once I heard his voice, I knew who it was.

Wait, he said. I wasn’t finished talking to you.

At last I reached them. I grabbed him by the back of his jacket, jerking him away from Nelly.

Yes, you are, I said, stepping in between them and shoving him hard in the chest. He stumbled back several feet.

Riley’s face showed surprise, then pure hatred. No one was talking to you, freak, he spat.

I shrugged. Doesn’t matter. Leave her alone. Unless you want everyone to see you get knocked out by a girl.

My tone was casual, but my blood was boiling. Nobody touched Nelly. Nobody. Disturbing thoughts raced through my head, every one of them intriguing. Riley definitely was bigger and stronger than me, but I was pretty confident I could hurt him. That thought alone erased any possibilities of fear. I guess my mother’s training was good for something. I was no stranger to battle. I was conditioned for it. And mostly, I just wasn’t concerned with the consequences.

Watch it, Riley said, through gritted teeth, "unless you want to end up with two black eyes."

I shrugged. You are most certainly welcome to try.

Riley lunged for me. I’d been expecting this. I’d learned long ago to anticipate attacks, and he had nowhere near the amount of combat skill my mother had. My respect for her grew a little.

I managed to side-step his attack and push Nelly out of the way in the process. This was not something he had been expecting, and he stumbled a little before regaining his footing. As he spun around to face me, the anger that had been on his face before had turned into rage. I flashed him a toothy grin, egging him on.

This time he stepped forward and swung his fist out toward my face. Again, I had been expecting it. And the fact that he would hit a girl justified my next actions. A hazy sort of anger came over me. It was so intense that I felt it thrum in my veins, like it was vibrating under my skin.

I made my decision. I wanted very much to end this circus show he was putting on. I moved so fast I don’t think he ever saw it coming. I slammed my fist so hard into his face he lifted off his feet and fell back on his butt. His head hit the pavement with a sickening thud, and I stood frozen to my spot. I knew I could fight, but the strength it must have taken to knock someone down twice my size impressed even me.

I felt myself move forward, and then I was standing over Riley. My mind snapped back to the blackbird. His nose sat at a funny angle and deep crimson flowed out of it. He was unconscious. My left eye twitched. I felt one side of my mouth pull up into a crooked smile and just barely managed to stop it before it turned full-fledged.

Then Nelly was tugging on my arm, her voice panicked. Alexa, we have to go. Now.

I looked up at her and finally began to take in the scene around me. Students stood around us, dumbstruck. No doubt they had just seen their all-star receiver get knocked out by a girl. A relatively small girl at that. I took one last look at Riley. My mind snapped back to the blackbird.

I heard myself say, Run, Nell. We have to run. We did.

Chapter Four

We were both panting and covered in sweat by the time we made it back to the house. We’d taken the long way home—through the woods instead of following the road that led past our house. I shut the door once we made it inside and slumped back against it.

Nelly stood directly in front of me, with a look on her face that I had never seen before. She looked both proud and… scared. Was she scared of me or of the trouble I was going to be in when we returned to school tomorrow? Probably both.

Still breathing heavily, I looked down at my hands to see they were trembling. Now that we had stopped running, the reality of what I had just done had caught up to me. How badly had I hurt Riley? What was wrong with me? More importantly, how badly would I have hurt him if Nelly hadn’t pulled me away? I would like to say I would’ve been able to walk away on my own, but some small part of me knew that was a lie. Another part of me was disgusted by this. And yet, another small part of me was left feeling disturbingly unsatisfied.

Glancing back at Nelly, I had the feeling she was aware of this. I’m not sure what my face looked like, though I did my best to keep it reasonably void of any expression at all. But, Nelly knew me. Sometimes, I felt like Nelly knew me better than I knew myself.

She came forward and took me into her arms. I let her hold me, and actually took comfort in the embrace. My mind seemed to relax a little.

Girls? I’ll have dinner ready in a few minutes if you want to go wash up and—

Upon seeing us, my mother stopped abruptly. Her eyes narrowed slightly and my back went rigid in response. I tried to prepare myself for what was to come. No point in lying to her. She would find out from the school soon enough.

What happened? The threat clear in her voice.

I got into a fight. I didn’t know what else to say. Besides, I kind of felt like I deserved whatever punishment she gave me.

My mother remained deathly still, waiting for me to elaborate. I was so shocked that I couldn’t even think past that initial thought. I honestly thought I wouldn’t have to. I had been expecting her to drag me outside right then and there.

It was Nelly who came to my rescue.

There was this guy at school who was messing with me, she began. He grabbed me and Alexa yanked him off me. She tried to tell him to leave me alone, and then he attacked her… so she… stopped him.

Okay, that may have been a little bit skewed, but it sounded better than Alexa may have just seriously injured someone with an extremely badass punch to the face. Nonetheless, I was glad she spoke up.

My mother’s gaze snapped to me. I met her eyes and nodded. And then, to my utter astonishment, she gave a small nod and… walked away.

Chapter Five

Later, I was sitting in my bedroom staring at the wall, when someone knocked on my door. Opening it up, I expected to see Nelly standing there.

Except it wasn’t Nelly.

It was my mother.

Mom, I didn’t mean to—

I know, come with me.

I grabbed my shoes and followed her without protest. I knew she wasn’t going to let something like this slide, but from her reaction earlier, I guess I was just hoping she would.

She led me out to the backyard of the house, and I knew what was coming. Time for her to teach me a lesson. I pushed my chin out and wiped my face clear of any expression, refusing to showcase any fear. The effort had me clenching my teeth.

But instead of stopping in our usual spot where we did our training, she just kept going. Oh god, I thought, maybe she’s taking me somewhere to kill me.

I laughed out loud at this morbid thought, and my mother turned her head, giving me a slightly confused look. I shook my head and mumbled an apology as I continued following her to the unknown destination.

We walked for what seemed like an hour through the woods in the back of our house. With every step my unease grew. I felt like I was on some impromptu death march. To make things even weirder, my mother kept pointing out certain markers, telling me to commit them to memory. I did. I was never sure why she did the things she did, and by this point in my life, I’d learned to just roll with whatever she threw at me.

At last, we emerged at a small clearing. It was beautiful. The ground was packed with wild honeysuckle and dandelions. And straight ahead of us was a small hill surrounded on all sides by tall trees. There also seemed to be an opening at the foot of it, as if it housed a small cave.

Wow. I didn’t know what else to say. I almost smiled. Maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe she just wanted to spend some time with me. As happy as that would have made me, the thought alone made me suspicious.

But, when my mother turned to face me, she had the same expression on her face that Nelly had earlier when we’d first entered the house. It was a mixture of pride and fear. A second later, it was gone, replaced by her usual serious expression. I decided I must have been mistaken. I doubted this woman even knew what fear was.

Do you remember how to get here? she asked.

I nodded.

Good, it’s very important you do. This is where I want you to come if anything ever happens to me.

Why would anything ever happen—

"Why is not important, she replied. What is important is that if anything ever happens, you run. You run and you bring Nelly with you to this spot."

I gave her what must have been a wary look, because she was in front of me, faster than anyone should have been able to move, and she was gripping my shoulders. It was an unpleasant, tension-filled touch, much like the rub of denim on sunburned skin.

Alexa, I need you to tell me you understand. I need you to promise me that you’ll do as I say.

I looked her straight in the eyes, refusing to let her scare me. I wouldn’t be scared of her anymore. She had to know that. I understand.

What I thought looked like more pride flashed behind her eyes, and this time, I was certain I saw fear. Good, she said. Let’s head back. It’s time to practice.

Chapter Six

Nelly was sitting on the back porch when we returned. She was expecting us. This was the time of day our mother always made me practice.

Nelly gave me a big smile. I was surprised to feel a huge weight lift off my shoulders. I guess I hadn’t realized how worried I’d been that she might be angry with me about the fight earlier. I smiled back and then took a deep breath, preparing myself for what was to come.

Ahead of me, Nelly’s smile faltered, and I knew what that meant. I swung around fast, and just barely managed to dodge a strike from my mother.

I spun to the side and my hands went up. I met her eyes. The woman who had just led me through the forest was gone; now she was just a predator. I was used to this look on my mother, and it never failed to scare the shit out of me.

But, somehow, today was different. I was still scared, and she hadn’t changed any from yesterday or the day before that. It was me who seemed changed. I felt that maybe today, when my mother stood across from me on the beaten-down grass that served as our practice area, she might just feel that she, too, were staring down a predator.

She didn’t move again, and neither did I. We stood still for several seconds, watching each other. Looking for a weak point, an opening.

She broke first, rushing forward and swinging with power and skill. Seeing this made me think of Riley, and that seemed to release something in me. The world slowed. I dodged, moving with what felt like superhuman speed. And then I saw it.

My opening, her weak point.

Everything became a blur. Instead of slowing down, the world sped up, pulling me along with it. I remember moving as I had been trained, throwing all of my weight and strength behind my fist, the motion all too familiar. I remember it connecting, crashing hard into what seemed to be a solid surface. But I didn’t feel any pain. Not right at that moment. I didn’t feel anything.

Then my mother was on the ground, lying in much the same position as Riley had been just hours earlier. And I was standing over her, not quite sure I could get my muscles to move. Not really trusting myself to move.

So, I just stood there, until Nelly spoke from somewhere behind me. Mom, are you okay? Her voice was calm, maybe a little too calm.

My mother sat up and gave her head a sharp shake. A red welt was already swelling up on her face.

I finally found my voice. Mom, I’m sorry.

Don’t apologize, she replied. Well done. I can’t believe you inherited your strength.

Beside me, Nelly nodded in agreement. I furrowed my brow in confusion. What an odd choice of words. Inherited your strength.

Although, I do have to say I feel sorry for that Brockman boy if he took a blow like that, she continued, pulling herself unsteadily to her feet. You need to be careful with whom you choose to fight. Not everyone is built as sturdily as we are. She started heading back to the house. And be careful who sees you fight too. Your strength may seem…. unnatural to them.

Chapter Seven

Later that night, I was sitting back in my room, staring at the wall. I wasn’t sure what to think of all the events of the day. Or maybe I was just afraid to. It was all too strange. I felt like I was missing something big here. I didn’t like that feeling.

Nelly and my mother were keeping something from me. I wasn’t sure what, but I was sure it was something. What the hell had my mother meant by inherited your strength? Even weirder than that was the secret spot in the forest where she’d taken me today. I was starting to worry about her. Maybe she was really losing it.

I’d sort of always assumed that she had some mild case of paranoid schizophrenia. Didn’t people with that condition tend to think someone was after them? I’m no doctor. I didn’t know.

But, even stronger than my worry for my mother was my worry for someone else. Me. I’d always known I was different from other people. I just tended to get angrier than most, thinking things that people probably shouldn’t be thinking—or at least would never admit to thinking. But, I’d always been able to control myself. I’d never considered myself a danger to others. I was starting to rethink that.

I glanced over at the clock sitting on my dresser. It was just past two in the morning. I wished I could get some sleep, but lately, I’d been feeling restless at night. Usually, I could read until I fell asleep. Somehow I knew that reading wasn’t going to stop my mind from turning over.

Lying back on my bed, I stared at the ceiling. At least it was a change in scenery from the wall. It was dark in my room, but I had always been able to see reasonably well in the dark. My mother said it was because she fed me lots of carrots when I was young. Knowing her, she probably had.

Just then, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye near the window. My senses went on high alert. I slipped off the bed and snuck over so I was standing beside the window, my back against the wall. My mother’s room and mine were on the first floor. Only Nelly had a bedroom upstairs. She never explained why, but I assumed it had something to do with keeping Nelly safe. I didn’t mind.

My window was open, and I immediately regretted this. My room tended to hold in heat, so I usually kept it open once the weather began to get warmer. Still, it was stupid. I doubted my mother slept with her window open.

A shadow moved across the floor. I stilled. It irritated me to think that someone might be sneaking around my house in the middle of the night. It made me nervous too, but my instincts overrode that. And, before I knew what I was doing, I’d swung around, grabbed the intruder by the front of his shirt, and hauled him through the window.

I knew it was a him because he was heavy, but the adrenaline that was coursing through me seemed to lend me super-strength, and I managed to throw him to the floor with impressive force. I drew my fist back to hit him, but he dodged the blow and grabbed my wrist. I drew my other hand back, intending to hit him again.

Alexa! Alexa, it’s me, he whispered fiercely.

I stopped mid-swing, recognizing the drawl of his voice. "Jackson?

What the hell are you doing here? I almost punched you in the face! He chuckled softly. Yeah, I noticed."

I flopped back onto the bed and inhaled deeply. It seemed to take a minute for me to realize there was no longer a threat. Shoving my hair out of my face, I said, I would have felt really bad if I had knocked you out, too.

Jackson made a show of dusting himself off, then walked over and sat down next to me on the bed. It dipped with his weight. I know, I heard about that. Wish I had been there to see it. Good thing I’m not such a weak opponent.

I didn’t really want to get into that, so I ignored that comment. Why are you here? How did you know where I live?

I wanted to come and check on you. I was worried after I’d heard what happened. I really should’ve been there for you. His green eyes fixed on me. He looked like he was serious, and my agitation faded a little, but I didn’t miss the fact that he’d ignored my second question.

Well, thanks, but I’m fine… Did you hear anything about how Riley is doing?

Yeah, I heard he’s got a broken nose and a concussion. He shrugged like this was no big deal.

Noticing what must have been my horrified face, he said, He’ll be fine, though. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Besides, I heard he swung at you first. He deserves what he got.

I wasn’t sure I agreed. What else did you hear?

He flashed an easy smile. That you were amazing… and fast. Some of the kids are even afraid of you. Well, more afraid of you than they were before.

I scoffed. People aren’t afraid of me. Who was I kidding? I was starting to be afraid of me.

Jack stood up and walked over to the window. ’Course they are. It’s in their nature.

My brow furrowed at that. Had everyone taken a crazy pill today?

Well, darling, he said. I gotta go, but I’m glad you’re okay. He turned to the window to leave, and then stopped and turned back to me. Don’t worry, Lexie. You did the right thing. You did what you had to."

He was starting to sound like my mother.

Chapter Eight

At some point I must have drifted off to sleep, because when I woke up, it was morning. I squinted at the sun shining brightly through my window. What time was it? By the way the sun seemed to be up and in full force, I would have guessed it was about noon.

Oh shit. I was really late for school. Why hadn’t anyone woken me up? I jumped out of bed and rushed out of my room. And nearly collided with Nelly.

She giggled. Morning, sleepy head.

I rubbed my eyes. What time is it?

Nelly checked her watch. Oh, almost noon. I gaped at her, and she continued, Don’t worry, Mom said it was cool. We needed a day off.

I stared at her, trying pick my jaw up from the floor. What?

She laughed again and continued down the hall, calling back over her shoulder, Get dressed. Lunch is ready downstairs.

I showered, brushed my teeth, then stumbled back into my room and got dressed. Our mother didn’t give us days off. Something was up, and I was going to find out what.

Before I left my room, I stopped to look at myself in the mirror. My black eye was getting better. Today it was just a yellowish color and the swelling was almost completely gone. It always amazed me how quickly I seemed to heal from my injuries. I shrugged this off, preparing myself to find out what was going on. Even if I had to demand answers, which was never easy with my mother.

I walked into the kitchen to find Nelly and my mother sitting at the table, eating sandwiches. Nelly smiled and handed me a plate loaded with sandwiches and fresh fruit. My mother glanced up and then turned her attention back to her food. I sat down at the table.

We ate in silence for a few moments, me chewing with just a little too much vigor, before I decided I couldn’t wait any longer. Does someone want to explain to me what’s going on? I asked, clenching and unclenching my teeth.

The two exchanged a look that once again gave me the feeling that they were hiding something from me. Understandably, my irritation grew.

Nelly spoke first. I just had a feeling we should stay home today. When I just stared at her, she added, I just… I just felt like it was important for us to stay home today.

I struggled to maintain my cool. Okay…

This got no response from either of them. I hated being left out, and I felt my mood growing darker and darker. Clenching my jaws, I forcibly brought my attention back to my food. Then, rather abruptly, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. They were going to start explaining. I was going to see to that. Consequences be damned. Anger surged through me, and I swear I could feel the strength of it in my bones.

Alright, I said, as calmly as I could manage. What the hell is going on? What aren’t you telling me? I switched my gaze slowly back and forth between them. They flinched every time I met their eyes. I didn’t blame them. I was starting to scare myself.

Seeing them cringe diffused my temper a little, though. I didn’t ever want them to be afraid of me. Especially not Nelly, though I doubted my mother was afraid, I’d probably just surprised her.

I looked down to see that my fists were clenched. What was wrong with me? Why was I so angry lately? I lowered my voice and looked at Nelly. "Look, I’m sorry. I… I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. But I do know that there’s something you’re not telling me. What is such a big secret that you can’t trust me with it?"

Again, Nelly and my mother exchanged a look that seemed to speak volumes. And, again, I got no response.

I threw my hands up, all that anger rushing back into me. Fine, I said, shoving my chair back and standing to leave the kitchen. I had to get away from them before I really lost it.

I took two steps before my mother stopped me. Alexa, she said. Her voice was surprisingly gentle.

I turned back to face her, not caring that I was openly scowling. Like I said, consequences be damned.

It’s for the best, I promise you, my mother continued. I opened my mouth to protest. She held up a hand. No, I know you don’t believe me, but I swear to you that it’s better this way. Even if you don’t trust me, I know you trust her. She nodded toward Nelly. Please, sit down. I have something for you.

I hesitated before moving. This had to be some kind of trick. My mother never had something for me. Unless you counted a punch to the face.

Noticing my delay, she stood up. Subconsciously, I shifted my right leg back, so that I was standing in a fighting position. She chuckled. Fine. Just stay there. I’ll be right back.

She left the kitchen, and I looked over at Nelly. She was staring down at her hands, avoiding my gaze. I sighed and relaxed my stance. Nell, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just frustrated, and I can’t help but feel like there’s something—

My mother walked back into the kitchen and held out something wrapped in cloth. Here.

Warily, I took the gift and ran my fingers over the velvet encasing it. It was a deep crimson and held something heavy. What is it?

Open it.

I slowly unwrapped the cloth, revealing a silver, oval, handlethingy. It looked like the grip of a sword. It shone brilliantly and had some sort of floral design wrapping all the way around it. It was beautiful. I ran my fingers along the design, all earlier thoughts of anger forgotten.

Um, thank you.

She just nodded. I looked back over at Nelly to see that she was staring wide-eyed at my strange gift. I gripped it in my hand and felt a strange peace wash over me. The vines and flowers carved into it seemed to wrap around my fingers in an embrace, leaving a smooth, cool surface for a grip. I wasn’t sure what the thing was, but I felt as though I had just been handed something very important.

Wrapping it back up in the velvet cloth, I took my seat at the table. I decided to put off my questions for later. Suddenly, everything felt like it would be okay.

Or so I’d thought.

Chapter Nine

I spent the rest of the day doing nothing. Well, not nothing, but pretty close. My mother said we didn’t need to practice today. She didn’t even make Nelly and me go on a run.

We watched a couple of movies, I did a little reading, and just enjoyed their company, even my mother’s. I put away my worries over returning to school and everything else that seemed to be happening to me lately.

Nelly and I were sitting in my room after dinner. I spent most of my time at home alone or with Nelly—or practicing with my mother—plus she was the only person I really had to talk to.

Nelly said, I never got a chance to thank you for what you did with Riley.

I gave a half smile. I hadn’t expected her to thank me for that. In fact, I’d thought she might be mad at me for hurting someone so badly because Nelly was a gentle person. I should’ve known she’d understand, even if I didn’t understand it myself.

There was a sincere look in her hazel eyes. So, thank you. I appreciate what you did.

I gave another halfhearted smile. What else would I have done?

She started to say something else, but I held up my hand, cutting her short. Shh, I whispered.

I had heard something outside the open window near my bed. I hadn’t closed it because I wasn’t going to sleep just yet. Maybe it was just Jackson again, coming over to check on me. Still, I had to be sure. For whatever reason, my hackles had gone up as soon as I’d heard that indistinguishable noise outside of my window.

I stood up slowly, pulling Nelly along with me. Go to the living room with Mom, I whispered.

I’m not sure what my face looked like, but it must have looked serious because she immediately obeyed. I walked over to my dresser, keeping my gaze locked on the window. Picking up the gift from my mother, I removed its velvet cloth. I wasn’t sure why, but I was just suddenly drawn to it, like I needed to pick it up.

I stared down at it and was momentarily distracted from the window. I looked back up to see that someone, or rather something had entered while I’d been distracted.

It resembled a woman, except it wasn’t a woman at all. As soon as I set eyes on her, I knew something was very wrong. Alarm bells sounded off inside my head, and it took me a minute to interpret the message. This thing standing in front of me was here to kill. Not sure how I knew, but I did. The look in her almost-human eyes was one I knew all too well. A predator’s regard. I recognized it undoubtedly. It was there every time I looked in the mirror.

There were no whites to her eyes, just a deep, gleaming black like polished marble. Her skin was a translucent white, and what looked like red veins webbed her hands and her neck. Other than that, she looked like any other woman, save for the fact that she had an extraordinarily beautiful face. I felt like I could get lost in her black eyes and fall out in a different universe.

I shook my head hard, trying to clear what suddenly felt like muddled thoughts, and dragged my eyes from the woman’s face. This took more effort than it should have. I don’t remember doing it, but I was already in a fighter’s stance, and I clenched my fists tight in anticipation.

I felt a cold and tingling sensation rush up my arm, and that’s when she opened her mouth and hissed. It was a vile sound, the same I’d heard earlier, just before I’d sent Nelly from the room. Goose bumps broke out across my skin, and my chest constricted slightly. I hated that sound. I wanted to stop it.

But something other than that unbearable noise had caught my attention. In opening her mouth, lips pulling back in a manner too wide to be human, she’d revealed multiple rows of razor sharp teeth. A hissing shark, I thought. What does that make me?

She lunged for me before I could process anything else. I tried to duck out of her way, but she was fast, and I ended up getting slammed against the wall, nearly causing me to drop what was in my hand. The wind was knocked out of me, but it was a feeling I was accustomed to, and I brought my knee up hard and slammed it into her stomach.

She didn’t even flinch.

In a blink my hands were pinned to the wall. Oh, shit. Not good.

The thought might have made me laugh had fear not seized my vocals. I bucked in wild desperation, but she was as moveable as a brick building.

At that point, raw panic threatened to overcome me.

Her exquisite, chalk-white face hovered before mine, and burning cold breath seared my skin. As I stared into those endless black eyes, I became too scared to move until she opened her mouth to speak, once again revealing those very sharp-looking teeth.

You’ve got ssssweet blood, she hissed. I can ssssmell it— I head-butted her.

I hadn’t known what else to do, but it occurred to me that if I didn’t do something, and fast, she was going to kill me. Kill or be killed. The thought came to me calmly. My survival instincts kicked in, and I slammed my foot into her stomach with all my strength, forcing her back several feet.

She let out an ear-piercing shriek, and I involuntarily brought my hands up to cover my ears. As I did this, something cold and smooth brushed my right ear. I looked at my hand to see I still held my mother’s gift. It had produced a long blade, and I guess my mind had just skipped over its importance in my haste to get the shark off me. But I had returned to the here-and-now, as if the blade had cut through my mental fog.

This glance left me vulnerable though, and she lunged for me again, but this time she wasn’t fast enough. I side-stepped her attack and spun around fast, putting as much force into my swing as I could manage. I aimed for the neck. At the time, I hadn’t thought about it, but I realized later I did exactly what I’d been taught to do.

The blade stuck midway through her neck, and she was shrieking so loudly I was sure I was going to lose my hearing. Black liquid stampeded out of her wound, landing on my face and hands. I yanked the sword back out and swung it again, completely decapitating her. She fell silent.

I fell to my hands and knees. I’d never been in shock before, but I was pretty sure this was it. Everything seemed to slow down, and I couldn’t even really process what had just happened. It was all just a blur. A strong surge of what felt like pure energy ripped through me, so potent I almost vomited. I realized then that I was trembling.

Then my body went completely rigid.

Because that’s when I heard Nelly scream.

Chapter Ten

I jumped up so fast I dropped my weapon. My stomach dropped, too. Cold sweat broke over me. Scooping up the sword, I raced out of my bedroom and down the hall. My heart thundered in my chest, and every instinct told me to run in the opposite direction. I wanted to go sit in a closet and curl up into a ball—but no, I had to find Nelly.

When I reached the living room, a silent scream ripped up my throat. The living room looked as if it had been swept by a small tornado. Pieces of broken furniture lay scattered everywhere. My mother had a silver sword too, and she was currently fending off two more monsters. Nelly huddled in a corner, cowering from another one closing in on her.

It was all so surreal, so much to take in. It was as if I had walked onto the set of some horror movie and forgotten my next line. Only this was no movie. I was rooted to where I stood. I couldn’t move, couldn’t react. Until my mother snapped me back to grim reality.

Little help here, Lex? she said. She was calm and focused, and I knew that she was in warrior mode now. She was also losing her battle.

Talking to me had made the creature approaching Nelly stop and turn to face me. By this point, I was already charging toward her, my body insisting I do what my brain couldn’t seem to figure out. Before we collided, I brought my sword up swiftly between us, slicing her body in a vertical line. That horrible black blood spilled out, sprays and rivers of darkness gushing to open air. The creature shrieked that ear-piercing sound, and I used the time to spin around and throw all of my weight into my next swing. My blade went through her neck without any hesitation. I didn’t think I could replicate that move if I tried.

Another surge of energy racked me. I rocked back on my heels and my eyelids fluttered. It was a magnificent feeling—a terrifyingly awful, magnificent feeling that ended much too quickly for my approval. By the time I regained control over myself, I saw that my mother had taken down one of her attackers, shifting the odds in her favor. I moved to help her, but she gritted out, No! Get Nelly out of here!

I hesitated. I was confident she could handle her opponent, but what if more showed up?

As if on cue, three more creatures charged through the open doorway. Again, they were all women, or I guess female would be a more accurate word.

My mother decapitated her attacker and now stood in between the three new ones and Nelly and I. Alexa! Get. Her. Out. Of. Here.

Again, I hesitated. I could help her; I knew I could. But could I do that and protect Nelly at the same time? I had no idea. However, I did know I had very little time to decide.

My mother met my eyes for only the briefest of moments, but a whole conversation seemed to pass between us. Everything she’d ever taught or told me came slamming back into me with a force that almost made me dizzy. This was Nelly we were talking about. My little sister. My little sister’s life on the line. Really, there was no choice at all.

I picked up two heavy bookends from the mantel beside me. I threw them as hard as I could at the bay window behind Nelly. She ducked, even though they weren’t going to hit her, and I rushed over and jerked her to her feet. A couple of strong kicks at the glass cleared the remaining shards so that we could squeeze through.

I shoved Nelly through and glanced back at my mother, who was gallantly managing to keep all three creatures from reaching us. The way she fought was amazing—the most deadly, beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Her blade sliced through the air with the precision of a well-oiled machine. That’s when two more creatures rushed in, coming from seemingly nowhere.

My heart stopped. She was good, but I doubted even she could take on five of them at once. A jumble of options came tumbling through my mind as I stood there, trying to decide what to do.

I could send Nelly ahead of me and help my mother fight, but that would leave Nelly unprotected. And I was unsure if she even knew where to go, and I was sure that if she encountered one of those creatures by herself, her chances of surviving were pretty much zero. I could keep her here with me and help my mother fight, but again, that would put Nelly at risk. Or, I could run. I could take Nelly and run.

I made my decision less than a heartbeat later. I only hoped I was making the right one.

Squeezing out of the window, I found Nelly waiting for me. The sky spat thin bullets of rain and the wind whipped her hair around her face. Her hazel eyes were round and filled with shock, but there was also understanding in them. I had made the decision, and she trusted me, though it must have been heartbreaking for her, too.

So, for the second time in just as many days, I breathed, "Run,

Nell. We have to run."

Once again, we did.

Chapter Eleven

We raced through the forest, making enough noise to rival a stampede. At least, that’s what it felt like. I cringed at the sound of every crushed leaf and snapped twig. The rain and wind had me blinking my eyes and gritting my teeth. I’d never been so afraid in my entire life.

My fear allowed my body to run, but it seized my mind so that I couldn’t really think any coherent thoughts beyond: run, Run, RUN. Nelly was running right in front of me, and we stumbled into each other a few times, scraping our skin in various places as we smashed through the trees.

I’m not sure how long we had been running. It felt like hours, although it couldn’t have been that long because we hadn’t yet reached our destination, when I heard it.

A low hissing sound and the crunch of leaves as something approached us.

Something approaching fast.

I barely had time to process these thoughts before it tackled me. I hit the ground hard enough to blur my vision. Pain shot through my head. For the second time that night, raw, unadulterated panic threatened to seize control.

The creature that had knocked me down was now on top of me. I could smell her