IN HIS EYES
Stacey Wallace Benefiel
C.K. Bryant
Ali Cross
Jessie Harrell
Karen Amanda Hooper
S.R. Johannes
Katie Klein
Cheri Lasota
Heather McCorkle
Lisa Nowak
Cory Putman Oakes
Laura Pauling
Susan Kaye Quinn
Elle Strauss
Magan Vernon
RaShelle Workman
http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com
Published by Stacey Wallace Benefiel at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 by Stacey Wallace Benefiel
All rights reserved to individual authors.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.
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CONTENTS
Surprise, Surprise by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of Glimpse: Half the women in Melody's family can see the future, which makes it nearly impossible for Raleigh to surprise her. What's a guy to do for Valentine's Day when his girlfriend is always one step ahead of him?
First Kiss or First Kill? by C.K. Bryant, author of Bound: Love isn't always rainbows and kittens, sometimes it can be downright deadly. (A deleted chapter from Bound.)
Shattered by Ali Cross, author of Become: James and Desi use each other in an effort to cling to the darkness in each of them, but in the end they discover that love changes everything. (A short story from James’ POV)
Before by Jessie Harrell, author of Destined: When a younger Eros is exiled to a land that doesn't believe in the Greek gods, he finds the first love of his immortal life. Read Eros' first person account of his romance, and heartbreak, in the time before he met Psyche.
The Qualm Before the Storm by Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides. Yara Jones doesn’t want to be a mermaid. Treygan doesn’t want to be the monster who turns her. You can’t always get what you want. (A short prequel to Tangled Tides.)
Unspeakable by S.R. Johannes, author of Untraceable: When Mo sees a strange girl in the woods, he follows her. He soon realizes they are both in a dangerous position and might not get out alive.
In the Beginning by Katie Klein, author of Cross My Heart: Seth is falling hard for Genesis Green, but the guardian angel is determined not to interfere, until an accident changes the course of their lives forever. (A short prequel to The Guardian.)
A Chance Encounter by Cheri Lasota, author of Artemis Rising: Finnian's eyes hide a terrible secret. But a girl on the train home, the girl in tears with a secret of her own...She sees right through him. A scene from the upcoming novel, Echoes in the Glass.
Family Bonds by Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll: A Halloween party filled with teens who can channel energy and use it to kill, what could go wrong? For Spruce Knoll fans who are dying to read more about Fane.
Getting Closer by Lisa Nowak, author of Running Wide Open: Megan is smart, hot, and an upperclassman—in other words, way out of Cody’s league. So why did she choose him? (An excerpt of Getting Sideways.)
Precalculus by Cory Putman Oakes, author of The Veil: a re-telling of the fateful class period that changed Addison Russell's life, from Luc's point of view (a.k.a. Chapter 2 of The Veil from Luc's perspective.)
The Almost Assassin by Laura Pauling, author of A Spy Like Me, releasing Spring 2012: Malcolm tries his hand at the family business but his conscience and a beautiful "spy" may be his downfall.
Mind Games by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds: Raf wants to take Kira—the only girl in school who doesn’t read minds—to the mindware Games, but his friends have other plans. (A short prequel to Open Minds.)
By The Firelight by Elle Strauss, author of Clockwise: When Nate McKenzie asks an unpopular girl to dance on a dare, he's in for the time of his life.
A Very Alien Valentine’s Day by Magan Vernon, author of How To Date An Alien: After surviving confinement and an intergalactic war for his human half, Alex, now he has to live through the biggest challenge of them all: Valentine's Day.
Aligned by RaShelle Workman, author of Exiled: A half-Eternal boy and an Eternal girl must free millions of tortured souls from a creature whose been feasting on their pain and suffering.
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Surprise, Surprise is a short story set in the world of the Zellie Wells trilogy and takes place several months after the final book, Glow. Zellie Wells is a Retroact – someone who can get glimpses of the future - mostly about people dying or encountering danger, and rewind time to keep bad things from happening. Zellie’s powers are hereditary, meaning her mom and grandma also have abilities. Most Retroacts have a Lookout – usually their younger sister – who helps with the logistics of the rewinds. Melody is Zellie’s Lookout and Surprise, Surprise is about Melody and her boyfriend, Raleigh, who met under less than perfect circumstances.
Surprise, Surprise
by
Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Raleigh leaned against Melody’s locker, reusable lunch bag in hand, and waited for her to meet him. He liked this time of day. He’d tolerated the boredom of Remedial Senior English for the Formerly Delinquent, Entry Level Drawing for the Untalented, and World Religions for the Argumentative, and now had hanging with his girlfriend and Auto Shop to look forward to.
Actually, World Religions wasn’t so much boring as it was a subject that permeated every aspect of Raleigh’s life. His mom owned the recently opened Rosedell New Age Emporium and was the type of person who thought prayer beads were the perfect gift for any occasion. He’d been trying (with ALL his might!!) to date a pastor’s daughter for the past seven months and had sat through youth group, Bible study, and Sunday and Wednesday church services, all so he could be with her. His Jesusometer was at full capacity. And, as if that wasn’t enough, last summer he’d spent a little time as a soul, clinging to his corporeal form. A form that now had to wear long sleeve shirts no matter what the weather because it was covered in some pretty hideous scars. This had resulted in earning him the nickname “Flannel Boy” when he’d started his senior year of school during the hottest September on record.
So yeah, some days he wanted to scream, “Hey Miss Contemplative Agnostic who spends the entire class period trading barbs with White Dude Who Half-Assedly Practices Rastafarianism, there is an Afterlife and if you don’t go to the Light, it’s a hell of a lot like high school.”
But he didn’t. He zoned out and kept his temper in check and he tried to be someone Melody deserved. Besides, he’d never be able to really explain how he knew what he knew anyway. Raleigh kept Melody’s family secrets to himself.
He glanced at the clock hanging above the locker bank opposite him and did his daily countdown under his breath. “…3,2,1.”
Melody rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, flipping her hair back off her shoulders. Her long, tanned legs stretched out from underneath a black mini-skirt, striding toward him, her face lighting up as they made eye contact.
He liked this time of day.
“Hey, you,” she said, dropping her books to the floor. Oblivious to everyone else in the hall, she barreled into him, flinging her arms around his neck.
A tall, golden Goddess. His World Religion. Lips like…Raleigh kissed her, encircling her waist with his free arm, done with contemplating, preferring to use the body he’d almost lost.
“Mmm,” Melody said, pulling back from him slightly. “We’re totally good at that.”
He smiled. “I feel like there’s always room for improvement on my part. I might need more practice.”
She sidestepped over the books she’d dropped and opened her locker. “You’re in luck, then. I’ve convinced Dad to let you take me on a Valentine’s date.”
Raleigh bent and picked up her books, some of his dark blonde hair slipping from his ponytail, and handed them to her one at a time. “Is there a dance at the church or something?”
“Nope.” Melody stashed the last book and grabbed her completely un-ironic Hello Kitty lunch box. “I have to be home by eleven, but we are free to move about town as though we are a normal couple and do normal couple-y things.”
Raleigh took her hand and led her to the cafeteria. “An unchaperoned movie? The eating of greasy foodstuffs?”
Melody snorted. “I hope you can come up with something better than dinner and a movie, dude, because we won’t get another chance like this until I’m sixteen in June.”
“No pressure, then.”
She frowned. “I could plan the date, if you want. I just thought it might be nice to not know what’s going on for once.”
Raleigh brought her hand up and kissed the top of it. “I believe they call that a surprise.”
Her frown morphed into a grin. “Oh, I’m not familiar…”
“Well, get familiar. I’m going to plan the best Valentine’s Day surprise this side of the Willamette.”
Her face lit up again.
“And no fair asking your sister to get a little glimpse of the future,” he whispered.
Melody held her lunchbox to her chest in mock indignation. “I would never abuse Zel’s power like that!”
“Please, I know you and Claire got someone to future snoop on your Christmas presents.”
She shrugged. “We were just trying to get an idea of dollar amounts.”
Raleigh swiped the price gun over the row of dream catchers he’d laid out on the counter and then handed them to Avery to hang on the wall.
“What are you and Zellie doing for Valentine’s Day?” he asked as he untangled another batch and lined them up to repeat the process.
Avery opened his mouth to speak, but Jason chimed in from the communal seating area in the center of the New Age Emporium. “I’m sure Avery’s got some super romantical date planned where he caps off the evening by giving Zellie a one-of-a-kind piece of bullet jewelry that holds all sorts of deep meaning or some crap like that.”
“I have had my eye on a particular shotgun shell…”Avery joked and then shook his head. “We’re actually watching Wyatt at the cabin so that her mom can go out to dinner. Besides, every day with Zel is like Valentine’s Day.” His face turned red, but Raleigh thought that he kind of liked being the boyfriend that all of them had to live up to. It was going to be tough to outdo the King of Romantic Gestures.
“I’m telling you, bro,” Jason said, snuggling down deeper in the batik-covered papasan chair his ass could be found in most afternoons while Raleigh and Avery did actual work. “You’ve got to knock that shit off. You’re messing up the game of every guy at Rosedell, me included, and you better recognize I got some gaaaaame.”
“Oh, yeah?” Raleigh asked, closing up the box of dream catchers and moving on to the glow-in-the-dark tarot decks. “What are you and Claire doing?”
Avery grinned and took a stack of decks from Raleigh, fanning them out on a table next to several wooden bowls full of healing crystals. “Provided she hasn’t broken up with you again.”
Raleigh chuckled under his breath. Since he and Melody had gotten together over the summer, Jason and Claire had split and rekindled their torrid love affair twice. From what he’d observed, this was because Jason was a hilarious dumbass and Claire was a hilarious diva. Despite himself, he enjoyed them both immensely.
Jason sat up. “What have you heard?”
Avery shook his head. “Nothin’ man, I’m just messing with you. Claire’s too smart to dump you the week before Valentine’s anyway. She’ll wait until after, that way she’ll have something new to dramatically throw at you in the cafeteria.”
“So, you’re saying I should go with a small box of chocolates and maybe request that the roses be de-thorned?” Jason smirked. “Nah, man, we’re just going to chill at the Lodge. Low key. I did write her a killer new song.”
“Jason Hearts Claire’s Rack in B minor?”
“More like double D major and you know it.”
Raleigh tuned them out. They could go on forever with the boob talk and he currently didn’t have access to any boobs, so he packed the extra tarot decks back into their box and scanned the store for other products that needed replenishing. The Sandalwood incense was looking a little low.
Stacking the boxes of dream catchers and tarot decks on top of each other, he took them to the store room/office and put them on the shelves.
His mom looked up from her desk, and then back at her computer screen, her right hand paused over the 10-key. “Hey, kiddo. I couldn’t help but overhear the boys talking about their V-day plans. Are you and Melody doing anything special?”
Raleigh could tell his mom was trying to be nonchalant, keeping her facial expressions passive, but her eyes always betrayed her. She may have been pretty cool for her age, but she was still a mom and still nosy. He kinda loved that about her.
“I’m in charge of planning our date, but I have no idea what I’m going to do,” he said, grabbing a box of incense from the shelves. He was probably going to regret this… “What’s, uh, the best date you’ve ever been on? Any suggestions?”
His mom’s eyes widened and the corners of her mouth turned up in a grin. “Wow, you must be desperate if you’re asking me.”
Raleigh shrugged. He’d never felt about any girl the way he felt about Melody and he’d do anything to make her happy. Asking his mom for help was the least of the jackassery he was bound to get into.
“Okay,” she pushed back from her desk and started digging around in the cluttered top drawer, yanking out a notepad. She searched the top of her desk and then shook her head, pulling a pen from the haphazard bun she rolled her hair into every day. “Let’s make a list.” She uncapped the pen. “The best dates for me were ones where the guy either took me on an adventure someplace new or where we did something that I liked to do and I knew he didn’t.”
Raleigh sat on the edge of her desk. “I’d take her to Eugene or something, but I don’t think her dad would let me leave town with her, so someplace new isn’t doable.”
She nodded, another pen falling out of her hair. “All right. How about things she likes to do that you’re not that into?”
“Outdoor stuff, for sure.” A smile broke out on his face. “Mani-pedis. Shopping. Art projects involving glitter. She loves The Sound of Music, but I already gave her the collector’s DVD for Christmas.”
His mom scribbled furiously on the notepad and then looked at what she’d written. “Well, no girl wants to go to the spa or shopping with a straight guy.” She crossed those ideas out. “Looks like you’re left with glitter and outdoor activities and I’m going to nix anything having to do with glitter – reminds me too much of my stripping days. Let’s get specific with the outdoor stuff.”
Raleigh cleared his throat. “Specifically, she likes to be in the out of doors and I do not.”
“Don’t be such a butt, Ral.” She rolled her eyes. “Skiing? Snowshoeing? Ice skating? We live in a winter wonderland now, babe, take your pick.”
He thought for a minute. Skiing and ice skating had the potential for injury and he’d rather that Melody not have to drag his incapacitated person around again. “Snowshoeing might work. I can’t really screw up walking, can I?”
“And her father certainly can’t get pissy over you taking her to do something that requires wearing a lot of clothes.”
Raleigh’s shoulders slumped. “But is it romantic?”
His mom patted his knee. “Babe, anything can be romantic if you’re with the right person.” She threw the notepad back into the drawer and waved him away. “Now go stock the incense. I’m not paying you the big bucks to stand around talking about girls.”
Raleigh turned off the ignition and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothin’.” He reached into the backseat and grabbed the roses he’d carefully placed on top of the snowshoes and ski pants he’d bought at Play It Again Sports.
He got out of the car and gripping the roses tightly, bounded up the front steps and rang the doorbell.
Pastor Paul answered the door immediately; he’d probably been watching through the family room window, wondering why Raleigh had been sitting in his car talking to himself.
“Hello, Raleigh.” Melody’s dad motioned for him to come inside.
He cleared his throat. “Hi, Sir.”
“Melody’s still getting ready.” He sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him. “Why don’t you tell me about your plans for the evening?”
Raleigh sat at the opposite end of the couch from the pastor, holding the roses on his lap. “Uh, it’s a surprise? I can assure you I’ll take very good care of your daughter, sir.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I’m not worried about Melody’s safety. I think we both know that she can take care of herself. I’d just like to get a feel for your intentions, if you don’t mind.” Pastor Paul smiled. He was enjoying this. Raleigh wondered if Avery had ever had to put up with this sort of crap. Probably not.
Once upon a time, everyone had thought Zellie and Avery were the good kids, until they found out that the good kids couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. At least that’s what Mel said. So, the former bad kids were paying for Zellie and Avery’s indiscretions. The irony.
“My intentions,” Raleigh whispered, “are to take your daughter snowshoeing and then stop at the See-Saw for hot chocolate afterwards.”
Pastor Paul looked taken aback and stared at him for a moment. “Huh,” he said, nodding his head. “That sounds like fun. She’ll like that.”
“I’ll like what?” Melody asked, walking into the room, narrowing her eyes at her father. “You promised no third degree, Dad. Raleigh is so not Avery.”
She said that like it was a good thing. Raleigh stood and handed her the roses. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
She blushed, looking at him like she wanted to drop the flowers and give him one of her tackle kisses, but she just giggled. “Thank you. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too.”
Seemingly satisfied that Raleigh wasn’t going to kidnap his youngest daughter and steal her virginity, Pastor Paul saluted him and went into the kitchen.
Melody held up one of her feet. “Like my boots? I borrowed them from Mom.”
“How’d you know you’d need boots?” Raleigh asked.
She waved the question away. “You told me to dress warm, remember? I just have to put these flowers in water and grab my stuff.”
Raleigh watched as Melody went to the dining room table and put the roses into a vase already filled with water. Then she put on a heavy parka he’d never seen her wear before and slung a backpack over her shoulder.
“What’s the backpack for, Mel?”
She shrugged. “Nothin’, I just switched purses.”
He looked down at the floor, hiding his smile.
“I can’t believe you actually found ski pants that are long enough,” Melody said as she zipped her coat up all the way to her chin.
Raleigh slipped one of the batteries from his Maglite and tucked it into his coat pocket. “In the interest of full disclosure, you’re wearing men’s pants.”
Melody stepped into her snowshoes. “Hmm, some dude was very fashion forward then, because this shade of purple is pretty daring, even for me.” She came around to his side of the car, shaking her head. “Here, let me help you. You’re putting the shoes on backwards.”
When they were both outfitted properly, Raleigh took her gloved hand in his and they awkwardly started up the trail, trying not to trip over each other’s shoes. He held the flashlight in his free hand, sweeping it across their path as the last of the fluorescent light from the trailhead parking lot faded behind them.
“This was a really cool idea,” Melody said after they’d walked a while. “I’m glad you picked a Beginner’s trail, though, and one close to the Lodge.”
“Yeah,” Raleigh said, concentrating on his feet, “I checked out a bunch of snowshoeing tours, but they only go out when the moon is full, which it obviously isn’t tonight. So I thought, with my track record and all, we should stick to someplace you’d be familiar with.”
Melody giggled. “In the event I have to drag your lifeless body to safety?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Raleigh made a big show of thwacking the flashlight against his leg, the bulb growing dim. “Crap.” He hit the light against his leg again and it died.
The night was clear, the stars were full and bright, but the moon was just a sliver and they were still on a heavily treed part of the trail. Raleigh squeezed Melody’s hand. “Uh, sorry, I should’ve checked the batteries before we left. I guess we should turn back.”
He could feel her hesitating, deciding something, and then she dropped his hand and took her backpack off. “Don’t be mad, okay?”
“Why would I be mad? I’m the one that messed up,” Raleigh said, glad that the darkness hid his grin from her because he was having a hard time keeping it together.
He heard her unzip her backpack and then was nearly blinded when she twisted a headlamp on and handed it to him. “I may have gotten a little insider information.” She held her light up under her chin, illuminating her face. The corners of her mouth turned down. “I suck, I’m sorry.”
Raleigh put on his best disappointed look and sighed. “It’s okay, I guess. I just really wanted the chance to surprise you, Mel. Now all you’re going to remember about our first real date is that I was too stupid to remember batteries.”
She put her headlamp on and reached for his hand. “Don’t be a dumbass. You were sweet to even try to plan something. It’s just…not in my nature to be unprepared.”
“So, who told you?” He aimed his light at her face. “Zellie?”
Melody ducked her head sheepishly. “No, she’s not really good at seeing this kind of thing. I asked my mom.” She pulled at him. “Enough talking, let’s walk. There’s an open field over this next little hill.”
They made their way up the path, Raleigh’s hands sweating inside his gloves. As they neared the top of the rise, he stopped and twisted his light off.
“What are-”
He reached out and twisted her light off too. “Just look.”
There was a faint glow emanating from just over the hill, enough that Raleigh could see to guide her the rest of the way. “C’mon.”
To her credit, Melody didn’t ask any more questions and let herself be led. She gasped when she saw the field.
He’d used four hundred (to be exact) battery operated pillar candles nestled in the snow to spell out RALEIGH LOVES MELODY inside of a heart.
“Surprise!” he said laughing. “You’re not the only one who asked your mom how the evening might go. The Wells women are always helping me avoid disaster.”
“You,” Melody said, choking up at bit, “made me the World’s Largest Valentine?”
“It’s probably not the world’s-”
She launched herself at him, her mouth finding his as they lost their balance and a snowshoe each in the process and fell back into the snow.
“Just so you know,” she said, her lips hovering just above his, “Melody loves Raleigh, too.”
He kissed her, holding her close. He knew.
Without benefit of special powers, just in the way she made him feel, the way her eyes lit up as she walked toward him down the hall at school, he knew.
The End
Want to know more about Zellie’s powers, why Avery is the boyfriend all the guys want to be, or how Melody and Raleigh met? Check out Glimpse, Glimmer, and Glow, or get all three books bundled together in the Zellie Wells trilogy.
Stacey Wallace Benefiel is the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, the Day of Sacrifice series and The Toilet Business, a collection of essays. Stacey lives in an orange house in Beaverton, OR with her husband and their two children.
For more information about Stacey and her other works, please visit her website: http://staceywallacebenefiel.com
~
The following is a deleted chapter from my young adult paranormal romance, BOUND. For those who have read the book, this chapter comes right after Kira is attacked by Bastian. After being rescued by Octavion, she falls asleep in a small lean-to he built in the forest. She wakes a few hours later from a nightmare and Octavion decides that one of his herbal concoctions will help calm her. Unfortunately, things don't quite work out as he'd planned. Enjoy!
FYI – Lydia is Octavion's sister and Kira's best friend. Her kindred spirit, Altaria, inhabits Lydia’s body—Altaria is a fierce Royal and Lydia is a sassy teen, much like Kira. You'll meet them both in this scene. Toran is a white tiger (and by far my favorite character in the book) with magical powers. I wish you could see more of him in this piece.
* * *
First Kiss
by
C.K. Bryant
A cool night breeze whistled through the dark pines, causing a chill to rise up the length of Octavion's spine. He stepped to the neatly stacked woodpile, selected two large logs off the top and placed them into the pit. The warmth wouldn't give Kira much comfort tonight, but then, neither would his embrace. After all, he was what she feared most—he could see it in her eyes, feel it in her touch. Even after he'd rescued her from Bastian's attack, he could sense she questioned her safety with him. And she had every right to.
If she knew the truth, that one drop of her blood at just the wrong moment could cause him to give into his heritage and kill her, he was sure she'd want nothing to do with him. And who would blame her? The curse that boiled within him flowed like a raging river with no way to stop it from wiping out everything in its path—even Kira.
His sister, Altaria, crouched near the fire, stirring the herbal tea he'd concocted from ingredients she'd retrieved from the cave. Her long blonde braid came dangerously close to taking a dip in the mixture. She flipped it behind her back and looked up to find her brother's eyes. “Do not be so hard on yourself. You had no idea she would bring you these feelings.”
“Feelings?” It had been so long since he’d allowed himself to feel. “I have no feelings for her,” he lied. It was much easier to deceive Altaria. Her kindred spirit, Lydia, on the other hand, had a way of knowing when he was not being truthful, especially when it came to Kira.
In the past few months, he’d spent more time than he cared to admit watching over Kira, taking in her every move, the way her auburn hair swayed when she walked, the way her sweet voice drifted through the air and found his ears, even at a distance. Her laughter was like a finely tuned instrument that sang to his senses.
Octavion looked over his shoulder at Kira's delicate frame with her knees tucked under her chin, arms wrapped around her shins. Her back pressed against Toran's white fur in an attempt to stay warm. Even from a distance, he could see her shaking, her eyes staring at nothing, hypnotized by her fears. “Altaria, perhaps your kindred spirit would be better suited for this. Kira is closer to Lydia and she may bring her more peace.”
Altaria smiled. “That is not up to me, brother—it is her choosing and at the moment she is angry with you.”
“She needn’t speak to me if she wishes.” Truth be told, he could use her help. He was more accustomed to Lydia and right now he would benefit from the familiarity of her company—especially for Kira. He sat back on his heels, folded his arms, and watched Altaria, who was now in a similar position, watching him.
“I will wait as long as it takes,” he said. “If Lydia is indeed a friend, she would not be able to watch Kira suffer.” It only took a few seconds before Lydia appeared and made her feelings toward her brother quite clear.
“You cheat!” she said as she blew past him.
The events of the past few days flashed in his mind. Lydia’s injury. Kira coming so close to death trying to save her life. The fear that surged through his veins as he raced to save Kira from Bastian's attack.
The steam from the pot rolled into the air, blurring the memories and bringing him back to his task. He glanced into the pot—one last ingredient, ginger, would cover some of the bitterness of the saffron and calm Kira’s nerves. Still lost in his concerns for both Lydia and Kira, he systematically sliced off a section of the gingerroot, pierced the edges with the tip of his knife, and dropped the chunk into the pot. He let it steep for a moment before scooping up a mug of the aromatic liquid.
“Lydia, this is ready,” he called.
“Well, don’t just stand there. Bring it over.”
A smile tugged at his mouth—he’d missed her sassy attitude. She'd adapted to earth life much better than he and had picked up the slang and the teen attitude Kira exemplified so well. They were more like sisters than friends.
He took the tea to Lydia, but instead of joining them, he returned to the fire and transferred the roots and herbs back to the box. Octavion picked up the box and started toward the cave when Lydia called his name, concern in her tone. He made his way back to the clearing, only to find that Kira was still awake. “Why has she not given in to sleep?”
“How should I know? What was in that stuff? She’s acting weird.” Lydia scooted back so he could see.
Kira took a swing at something in front of her face.
“Kira, what is it?” Octavion asked.
“Dang butterfly won’t leave me alone.” She grabbed at the empty space in front of her nose again. “And where did all these birds come from?” She brushed back her covers and waved her hands down the length of her long, lean legs. “They’re tickling me.”
Lydia threw her arms up. “See? She’s acting drunk.”
Octavion balanced the box on one arm and went through the contents. All the ingredients were correct until he got to the pouch that contained the ginger. When he opened it and took a whiff, he immediately grasped the problem.
“Lydia, you brought galangal instead of ginger.” He set the box down, and picked up Kira’s empty cup. “Did she drink it all?”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t my mistake—Altaria did it.”
“If you were not acting like a child, you would have been here to retrieve the correct items.” He knew the fault was his. He should have known to check the ingredients, but he wasn’t prepared to take the blame for, or accept the consequences of, what was about to happen.
Kira tried unsuccessfully to stand. Her equilibrium suffered from the effects of the root. Octavion knew she would also suffer from altered perception, which explained the hallucinations. Worse, galangal was a powerful aphrodisiac.
“Lydia, it’s going to be a long night. I hope you are prepared.”
“Me? You’re the one that messed up. You take care of her.” She stood, picked up the box, and walked across the clearing. “I’ll take these back to your lair.” She snickered. She knew full well the effects of the galangal.
“Kira, you need to rest.” Octavion tried to convince her to lie down and be still, but she had other ideas.
“I wanna dance. Can you take me dancing?” She tried to stand again. “I know. You can sing, and I’ll twirl for you.”
Octavion closed his eyes for a long moment and allowed his mind to wander. Her graceful image flitted about in his head. The sway of her hair as she spun around him warmed his heart. He pushed the image away and opened his eyes to find her curious face watching him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said. "We're in the middle of the forest and you've just been injured."
“You’re a party pooper.” She jabbed a finger at his face. “You look mad. Why are you always mad at me?”
“I am not angry with you.” He took her by both hands and tried to keep her seated.
She laughed. “You want me dead. Lyd—Alre—Atla—what’s-her-face told me so. You know what I think?”
That my sister and I needed to have a conversation? “What do you think, Kira?”
She pulled one of her hands free from his grip and swatted at the air in front of her face again. “I think you love me.” Laughter erupted from deep inside her stomach, radiating through her entire body before escaping. Octavion let its melody soak into his heart for a moment.
Kira’s brow furrowed. “Are you gonna eat me now?”
He cringed, remembering the monster he’d turned into while saving her life. “No, Kira, I will not eat you.” Yet deep down, he knew it was a possibility. Regret that she’d seen him like that weighed heavy on his heart.
“But you could, right? I've seen your big teeth and . . . I mean you’re a . . . a . . . what are you, anyway?” She jerked her head around as though following the path of a flying insect. She pulled her other hand loose and clapped them together. “Gotcha.”
He couldn’t help but smile.
She looked at him and laughed again. “Dimples! I should call you Dimples.” She leaned close and almost fell against his chest as she put each index finger into the hollow of his cheeks. “Can I call you Dimples? Pleeeease?” She fluttered her eyelashes.
“Lydia!” I am not going through this alone. “LYDIA!”
Kira slapped his arm. “You shouldn’t yell at her. She’s mad at you. Why are you so mean? You’re a bad boy. Are you gonna to eat me now?”
“LYDIA!”
Kira fell silent. She blinked hard, as if trying to focus. “I don’t feel so good.” She pushed to her knees and crawled into the clearing. The sudden movement caused her to grab her side and cry out. “I’m wounded. Don’t eat me, Dimples.”
Why did she have to fixate on that one thing, the thing that cut right through to his heart? What he wouldn’t give to go back in time and have her not witness the monster he’d become. Her nightmares should be of their enemies, not of him. He knelt by her side and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against his chest. Was he deceiving himself by denying his feelings for her? But he knew it would never work. They were literally from two different worlds.
“Will you dance with me?” Her voice had softened to a whisper.
“Not tonight.”
“Oh, look!” She pushed him away and pointed to the treetops. “Rainbows. Can you see ‘em? Who tied rainbows to the trees?”
He shook his head. “What color are they, Kira?” He might as well play along.
She slapped him again. “Silly. Rainbow colors.” She paused for a long moment, gazing into the depth of his eyes. Her sweet aroma taunted his senses as she leaned closer and kissed him square on the lips. At first, it was clumsy and awkward until she softened her advance. The tenderness of her touch became sensual, stirring his desires and he couldn’t resist her—chose not to resist her. He pulled her close and took full advantage of the situation—for the kiss—no more.
“Octavion!”
He quickly pushed Kira away and turned to face his sister. “She—”
Lydia propped her hands on her hips. “Don’t blame it on her. Have you no shame?”
“Dimples! You love me, don’t you?” Kira tried to kiss him again, but he dodged her by rolling to the side.
He stood and walked a few feet away. “You would be better suited for this situation, Lydia.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and left the clearing.
“Dimples, don’t leave. He loves me,” he heard her say in the distance.
Octavion. I’m going to get even with you. Lydia forced her thoughts into his mind, causing his head to throb. She enjoyed doing that—she knew how much it irritated him that he couldn’t send messages back to her.
Octavion, this isn’t funny anymore. She’s going to get hurt.
Octavion took in a deep breath, expecting to cleanse his lungs and calm his desires from her kiss, but when the sudden scent of Kira’s blood struck the back of his throat, his appetite for feeding raged through him. The curse that had plagued his people for generations was too strong to fight, and for a brief moment he imagined his razor sharp, feline teeth ripping the tender flesh from her body. It didn’t matter what he felt for her—he was no longer in control.
Octavion! Stay where you are. Don’t come!
He grabbed at the pain in his head, closed his eyes, and in less time than it took for his heart to beat once, he was completely transformed and standing next to Lydia. He towered over her, a hybrid of man and beast with claws, fangs and bulging tendons rippling across his back and shoulders. His eyes burned like fire as they locked on Kira. She held a dagger in one trembling hand, blood seeping from a deep cut in the other.
Lydia slammed her hand against Octavion’s chest and tried to push him away, but the scent of Kira’s fresh blood was like a blade, cutting the back of his throat, sending him into a wild frenzy. The desire was in him, fighting to get out. He’d been able to fight it before, but only because he was prepared. Now it was different. He felt the muscles in his back swell and his eyes burn. He needed to feed.
“Octavion! Stop!” Lydia grabbed his jaw and pulled him to face her. Meeting his eyes, she instantly became Altaria, her strong hand now on his throat, cutting off his lungs. “Leave. Go to the river and hunt.”
Octavion’s eyes shot to Kira then back to Altaria as he let out a fierce roar of protest. Kira cowered to the ground and screamed. It was enough of a reaction to pull him from his needs. He grabbed Altaria’s arm, forcing her to release him.
“You must cauterize the wound,” he managed through clenched feline teeth. “She won’t be able to heal it on her own, and I…cannot resist for long.” With that, he turned and instantly appeared at the river.
He stood at the water’s edge, trying to gain control, but the stiff breeze was not in Kira’s favor. Her scent reached him. Why did her blood make him react this way? He’d always been able to control his cravings long enough to put distance between him and those of this world, but with Kira it was different. Her scent was sweet and he longed for it. He’d never experienced anything like it.
His transformation enhanced his perceptions. He couldn’t just hear his prey—he could feel it stirring in the forest. Something moved to his right. A white-tailed buck stood near the river, its racing pulse drawing Octavion's attention. One swift leap and he was on the unsuspecting creature, crushing its jugular with his powerful jaws. Its flesh wasn’t what he craved, but it would subdue his real desires for now.
When he’d had his fill of blood and meat, he went to the creek to wash away the evidence. He’d just begun when he sensed someone behind him. He looked over his shoulder to find Altaria, transformed and hungry, Toran by her side.
“Are you finished with Kira?” Octavion asked.
She shifted her eyes to the deer carcass lying a few feet away. When her eyes met her brother's again, they burned with the desire to feed. The need wasn’t as strong for her, being the kindred spirit to a commoner, but after what she’d just been through with Kira, the scent of a fresh kill had driven her into the forest. Octavion nodded his consent, letting them both finish off what was left of the animal.
Watching their ravenous behavior reminded him of his own weakness. For the first time in all his years of hunting, he felt like a monster. How could Kira know this about him and still want to stay? Would exposing their secrets drive her away? It was a risk he would have to take. She needed to know how much danger she was in.
Octavion returned to the clearing to find Kira collapsed in the dirt near the fire. Altaria had left her there with little concern for her comfort or safety. Kira's beautiful auburn hair lay askew on the ground, pieces of leaves and pine needles tangled in its lengths. At least Altaria had taken the time to wash away the blood.
He gently lifted Kira from the cold ground and placed her in his shelter, brushing the debris from her hair and covering her with a blanket. He examined the burn on her palm and wondered if the pain was what caused her to pass out.
When she began to stir, he sidled in next to her trembling body and leaned his back against the shelter, not quite touching her. He feared waking her would bring back the hallucinations, so he simply watched as she struggled to relax.
“Dimples?” she whispered.
“Yes, Kira.” He had to smile.
“I love you.”
Her words pierced his chest and into his heart. She wouldn’t feel the same in the morning, he was sure of that. “Shh. You need to sleep.” He drew her up to lay alongside him, his arm cradling her.
“Where’s my blanket?” She grabbed at the air behind her.
“It’s right here.” He pulled the covers around her shoulders and brought her closer.
“No, my fuzzy white blanket, silly.”
Ah, Toran, he realized. “He’s gone for a walk with Lydia. He’ll be back soon.”
She opened her eyes and tried to sit. “Here, kitty, kitty.” She sighed as she snuggled back under the covers and went to sleep.
Octavion could feel her heart beating against his chest as he watched her breathe. The thought of being responsible for taking her life made him fear himself. He couldn’t be trusted. He’d come so close to killing her already. What if Lydia hadn’t been there to stop him? The risk was too great. Tomorrow, he would take Kira from this place whether she understood or not. But whatever wrath she unleashed on him would be a small price to pay for her life.
* * *
You can read more about these characters in BOUND, by C. K. Bryant.
Watch for BROKEN, the sequel, spring of 2012.
To purchase BOUND, visit this link:
To learn more about the author and other projects she's working on, you can visit her blog at http://www.ckbryant.com
~
In my young adult urban fantasy, BECOME, James lives with, and works for, Daniel—a powerful servant of Lucifer. The devil’s daughter, Desi, is sent from Hell to live with Daniel so she can be trained in the art of enticement and deception. So she can be groomed to lead Hell alongside her father. James and Desi use each other in an effort to cling to the darkness in each of them, but in the end they discover that love changes everything.
Shattered
Ali Cross
They say your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die.
But it’s not true. Not completely, anyway. For me, it wasn’t my life, but my love. All the things I wished I hadn’t done and all the things I should have. All the things I wanted to say and all the times I stayed silent.
I thought of Miri and how I wished I’d been able to kiss her one last time. To look into her eyes, her brilliant, blue eyes, and tell her I loved her.
I didn’t want to be with any other girls. Didn’t care if Daniel threw me out. Didn’t care how my life would change. I loved her. But she was already gone. And I was about to die.
I always figured I’d die in a car crash, driving too fast around some bend along the coast, the ocean stretched out beside me like the sky. A fiery crash in one of Daniel’s babe-magnet sports cars, my body tangled around some bombshell. Didn’t matter who, just as long as she looked as good as me in the pictures. Just so long as I went out in style.
In my darkest fantasy I never thought I’d die like this.
Like a scene from one of those late night kung-fu thrillers—the death of a thousand cuts I think the Chinese called it. Leave it to the pansy-ass Chinese to think up something so evil and lame. This dude, Daniel’s friend Akaros, was one twisted mumbo-jumbo. He couldn’t just kill me and get it over with. He had to bleed me dry and go on about my friend Desi and the “blood of the lost” and all sorts of weird fairy tales I didn’t understand.
The whole thing played out like a bad daytime soap opera featuring some pasty vampire trying to get his lost mojo back. But this was no soap, and there’d be no miraculous resurrection for me in episode two.
I watched the slow progression of a trail of blood as it made its way down my arm. I didn’t feel it. The pain had reached its crescendo long ago. The cacophony of sensation had short-circuited my nervous system to where I felt nothing at all.
I hung upside down, totally naked, with a million slashes carved into my body and my blood slowly dripping into a kiddy pool with a staff, some martial arts looking weapon thing, lying in the middle of it.
I watched the blood as it thinned, stretched, then dropped from the tip of my finger. It plinked into the pool, shattering the calm surface into a million reflections of the only face I would miss.
I’d just finished a swim when I walked into the kitchen.
“James,” Daniel said, scowling at the water pooling at my feet.
“What?” I said. “I toweled off.” Truth was, toweling off was a work in progress and I didn’t really care how much water I got on the floor. It was tile. And we had servants to clean it up.
“I have a job for you,” Daniel said, taking a sip from a steaming cup of coffee.
It was like this sometimes. There’d be a girl he wanted me to show a good time. Maybe a girl he had devious plans for. Show her more than a good time. Show her she can’t live without the good time 24/7. Those girls usually ended up checked into rehab somewhere so their daddies could be free of them for a while. It was all the same to me. A good time was just part of the job.
I slid into the seat across from Daniel at the kitchen table.
“She’ll be coming to dinner tonight. Her father’s Governor Carr; I expect you to treat her with utmost respect—so far as they know. But I want you to take her out. Show her a good time.”
Ah, the magic words. “No prob,” I said, standing up.
When I got to the doorway, he said, “I hear she has a thing for black malt.”
“Got it.”
And I thought I did. Thought I had it all figured out.
Turns out I had no freakin’ clue.
I waited for the guests to arrive. My room overlooked the drive, so I saw the governor and his family pull up. He was typical; his wife was typical. When it comes down to it, all rich people look the same. But the girl.
She was not typical.
She climbed out of their Town Car more slowly than her parents. They’d already stepped into the house, didn’t even look back for her, didn’t wait for her, by the time she’d closed the car door.
She took a few steps, and then she looked up.
For a second, my blood froze in my veins, my heart stopped pumping, my lungs ceased breathing. Get a grip, I told myself. She’s just a girl. A stupid, whiney, needy-little-rich girl with a thing for the hard stuff. I looked back out the window. The girl had disappeared.
I did a few pull-ups on the bar in my bathroom while I thought about all the faceless girls I’d dated. They didn’t have names. They didn’t need names. They were bodies, hands, limbs, lips. I found a spot inside myself for this girl. She was younger than the others—I’d Googled her. Hadn’t found a picture, but I knew the basics. Fifteen, spoiled Catholic good-girl. I was seventeen—it’d be a piece of cake.
Finished with my pull-ups, I straightened my shirt and checked my hair. I bleached it platinum—or the girl at Get Glitzed did, in between sexy whispers and the odd lick of my ear. But I went for the cleaned up prep boy look tonight. Wanted to impress the parents and all that.
Satisfied, I wandered down to the back patio. In June, the garden bloomed with color, and Daniel was entertaining al fresco tonight. The house made jaws drop, but Daniel said the patio was more alluring. Something that encouraged people to step outside their comfort zones. Something that encouraged them to trust him just a little more than they might have done otherwise.
I followed the laughter and the low sounds of Vivaldi. I knew all the voices, could guess who each one belonged to, but I didn’t hear the girl.
I didn’t see her, standing to the left of the arbor, nearly concealed in the vines and foliage. I bumped into her, knocking her off-balance, and in seconds she was in my arms—until she pulled away.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, forgetting to turn on the charm.
“Oh, no. It’s okay. It was me. I was, you know, standing in the way.” She covered her mouth with one hand, her other arm wrapped around her waist, like without it she might come undone, break apart, shatter.
I knew that look. She’d been drinking and didn’t want me to smell it on her breath. For a minute I felt like myself again and I leapt into action.
“Looks like neither of us wants to be stuck with them, eh?” I tipped her chin up, knowing she couldn’t resist me if she make eye contact.
I didn’t count on being struck stupid when I looked into her eyes.
I’d seen a million different kinds of cute-beautiful-sexy and this girl fell more into the cute category—five-foot-nothing, spiky blonde hair framing her perfect oval face, full lips and eyes that sparkled like blue diamonds. And yet when she looked right at me, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
“What?” she asked. “Oh, God. Do I smell?” She cupped her hand over her mouth and breathed.
“What? No. I just…” Got lost in your eyes? Lame, James. Until that moment, I had never been at a loss for words with a girl. But it was like all my experience just abandoned me when I got a load of one fifteen-year-old girl’s shining blue eyes.
I stuck out my hand and said, “I’m James.” And cursed myself for acting like a virgin. She dropped her hand, revealing a small smile, and shook my hand. She was beautiful. Her eyes were like stars shining in the daytime—she was all sunshine and blue skies and birds singing and green grass and oh man, I could just imagine rolling around in the grass with her.
Her hand in mine felt small but electric. I returned her smile, and it wasn’t to seduce. It was a new smile. One I didn’t know I had. I hadn’t known there was anything more to me than what I’d always been. It made me wonder what else I had hidden inside, and if this girl would be the one to unearth it.
“Um, I’m Miri,” she said.
“Wanna get out of here?” I nodded toward the gardens that wound away from the dinner party and down across the vast lawn. In the distance a white gazebo nestled against the woods that bordered our property. “Come on.”
I tightened my hold on her hand and walked her past Daniel and her parents. “We’re just going for a walk,” I said for the benefit of the Carrs.
Daniel gave the briefest of nods, the slightest indication of his approval. All he cared about was that I distract her, entertain her so he could work his magic on Governor Carr. Which was fine with me because all I wanted to was to be anywhere with this girl, anywhere alone, with her hand in mine, with her eyes on mine.
Let him think whatever he wanted.
Miri held my hand the whole way. We walked along the garden path until it finally spit us out onto the lawn, the gazebo just another hundred yards or so ahead.
“It’s really pretty,” Miri said. I didn’t know how to respond. I’d taken lots of girls out here and they all thought it was pretty. Pretty enough to party all night long, or all day or…Well, it was a popular place to take my “dates.”
And all of a sudden I wished we weren’t there. Wished we were anywhere but there.
I said as much, but Miri pulled her hand out of mine and sat on the white steps. The same steps where I’d messed around with . . . crap, I couldn’t remember her name. The brunette chick with the tattoo of Jiminy Cricket on her shoulder, just last night.
I pushed the memory aside and concentrated on the girl sitting in front of me. Miri—who looked at me like I was a regular guy and not the guy who up until thirty minutes ago had pictured my evening going in a completely different direction. I sat down on the steps, not too close, and turned so I could look at her.
She glanced at me, her bright eyes flashing, and smiled. When her skin warmed into a gentle pink color my stomach clenched. God, I wanted her. And didn’t . . . I didn’t know what I wanted.
Her.
Just…her.
Daniel was, to say the least, pissed when the night ended.
He barely waited for the Carrs to round the curve in the driveway before letting his snake-oil smile slip from his face to be replaced with his I’m-so-disappointed-in-you sneer.
“What the hell was that?” he said, quivering with fury.
I brushed past him and through the door—hoping he knew it was less accidental and more get-the-hell-outa-my-way. I kept walking, too. Ignoring Daniel. Ignoring the anger rising within me. Ignoring the confusion and the doubt.
With any luck I’d make it to my room before he exploded.
Just as I closed my door I heard the vase—Waterford crystal, I knew because one of Daniel’s clients had bragged over it when they gave it to him—shatter against the wall several feet up the stairs.
The next day I waited for Miri in front of her posh private school—a monolith of a place. I needed to redeem myself, to get my head in the game and resist the strange pull she had on me. I knew who I was, what I was. Daniel had shaped me in his image since he’d taken me in as a kid. One day, all that was his would be mine. I couldn’t let one girl mess it all up.
I’d staged the scene perfectly.
Hot guy (me), hot car (red, top down), and right on time to be admired by every single girl. Every guy too, though they’d never admit it.
I saw Miri before she saw me. Saw the bounce in her step. Saw the sun light up her face like a long lost lover. Saw the moment her brilliant eyes finally fell on me.
But I was ready. I’d prepared for this moment. I glanced away from her to the other girls who’d slowed their pace, gauging my reaction to them, figuring out if I was available or not.
There were a few surprised expressions when it was Miri who walked up to me. Her friends reluctantly peeled away from her when she made those last few steps into what anyone would recognize as private space. She came right up to me until her toes touched mine.
Still I didn’t move. I leaned against the hood of the car, ankles crossed, arms folded, smiling. Waiting. Wanting.
“Hey,” she finally said. And while her eyes were a bit glassy from alcohol withdrawal, they still sparkled. I saw a hint of something else, too. Desire.
I carefully avoided looking directly into her eyes, and instead concentrated on her eyelashes. I’d discovered long ago that I could give a girl the impression I was really listening if I never took my eyes off of hers. All by looking close, but not directly at, her eyes. Worked every time.
I needed every edge I could get if I was going to do what Daniel expected. First, don’t look the girl in the eyes. Second, feed her need.
And while Miri thought her need was me, the slightly blotched flush on her skin and the glassiness of her eyes told me liquor would do nicely. And I had just the elixir she needed.
We went to her place, where no one was home—and Daniel wouldn’t be shadowing me. She didn’t see the bottle of whiskey I held tucked behind my back as she led me to her room. When she pulled me in, I admit I stumbled a bit. Lost my cool.
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