Fiora and Willow had brought their own lunches. They explained that nymphs had specific foods their bodies allowed them to eat, and school lunch was not one of them. Willow had fruits, vegetables, and some other earthly grown stuff, whereas Fiora had spicy stuff, and not all of it was healthy. Sebastian couldn’t eat normal human food because it didn't appeal to him, and since I felt like throwing up my breakfast, I just got a bottle of water. Our small group made our way outside to one of the sturdy picnic tables. The girls sat in the sun; Sebastian and I sat in the shade. We talked about little things, leaving the second-period incident in the recesses. No one brought it up or tried to ask about it. Maybe they thought I was scared or overly nervous, and I was, but I was mainly curious. Why did I get a tingling feeling in my fingertips? Why did Mr. Hodges look at me that way? I had a suspicion that it all had to do with what was coming. My stomach hollowed, and my face felt too hot. Sighing, I put my forehead against the table. There was no way I could make it through another class, and they weren’t that important anyway. I didn’t get up when the bell rang. My body wouldn’t let me. Pure understanding flooded through Sebastian. He helped me up and walked me to the office. They signed two admit slips and let us go home. My thighs burned when they touched the leather seats of his car, and I groaned. As he pulled away from the school, my stomach sank as the realization hit: He wasn’t taking me home, he was taking me to Clamora’s new house.
Sebastian parked the car at an old abandoned warehouse just outside of town. I prayed to whoever was listening that we weren’t going to be doing any training today. With his help, I hobbled out of the car and walked unsteadily toward the building. The inside looked brand new. It was furnished, polished, arranged, and updated to be a house and training center, and it was fantastic. Leading me to an old office space, he opened the door. Clamora frowned as she saw us walk in her new workplace. She was about to start asking questions when her eyes landed on me. Worry forced her into motion. My vision got really blurry as I heard her barking orders at Sebastian. I wanted to tell her to be nice. I even tried, but nothing came out. Then, everything went black and I fell asleep.
My eyes started to flutter and I felt something rough against my cheek. I tried to force my eyes open, but they wouldn’t budge. Fear clogged my throat. What if I was dying? No, that wasn’t right, I couldn’t be dying. I would feel cold, and my life would be flashing by right now. Right? A million thoughts ran through my head, and I felt like they would never slow down. Something cold touched my face and my breathing started to go back to normal, but my heart still raced. Sighing, another wave of blackness hit me and I fell asleep again.
Drool from my open mouth woke me up. Opening one eye, I looked around the room. The roughness under my cheek was gone, which meant that I had only drooled on the couch. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and used my shirt to dry the couch off. I figured it was time to go find Clamora and Sebastian so I could get some answers about what had happened. Searching the warehouse was easier than I thought it would be, but when I couldn’t find them, I got worried. Then I heard voices, faint at first, but as I focused they became clearer. They weren’t arguing, but Sebastian sounded defensive and Clamora sounded sincere. Focusing harder, I could tell they were talking about me.
“Sebastian, I know you feel that way. But the only way to tell is by doing the ritual.” Clamora’s voice sounded sad.
“I won’t do it. It’s too dangerous, and that would be risking her life for something I already know the answer to!” Sebastian was angry and frustrated.
“I wouldn’t allow that to happen. You know that, Sebastian. You’re like a son to me, and I can’t stand the thought of you being hurt again. That’s why you guys cannot truly be together until the ritual. If you fall in love with AubrieAnna and she isn’t Amaryia, you will be heartbroken. We both know that.”
“I know. But Clamora, I already love her.” He sounded defeated.
“Sebastian . . . ”
They were silent as I walked up the stairs and toward the small sitting space. Sebastian looked startled as I snuck into the room. My heart fluttered and I smiled at him. Then, without any thought, I asked, “When can you do the ritual?” Shock spread across both of their faces, and then embarrassment crawled over Sebastian’s as he looked down.
“It will take me a few months before I can get the correct supplies. But you need to know the dangers.” Clamora’s voice was gentle.
“Okay. But I don’t want to know what the dangers are. Just get it done, and make sure you can save me. Also, Sebastian, thanks for not telling me your suspicions that I was your wife reincarnated. Oh, and information for all of you: I have been having dreams about future and past moments. Thank you very much. And, on top of that, the new chemistry teacher is crazy. He makes my fingers tingle. Clamora, I want answers. Full, straight, honest answers. I mean it. Because if I don’t get them, I am walking right out that door and I’m never coming back. Whatever is coming be damned.” Something inside me seemed to just snap. I was tired of not getting the answers I deserved. And if I wasn’t going to get them, they weren’t going to get me. After a moment, I calmed down and sat next to Sebastian. Clamora walked to the window and sighed.
“All right, I will tell you everything you need to know.” She paused, as if not completely sure where to start. “I do not know much about your dreams, just that you have them and probably have your whole life. It could be related the supernatural, but I do not think it is. I believe the gods gave you a gift so you can help the world survive. The end is not what is coming, although many people will wish it was. It has been discussed that something is coming. And it is from beings that are far more dangerous, evil, cunning, and maniacal than anyone has ever seen before. They are not demons or goblins. They are what my people call U da yv la dv. You call them shadows. But they are not normal shadows. Their blood is mixed with dark magic and vampire gifts. They can howl at the moon and shape-shift to look like whoever they want, even possess shadows of people and objects.
“Your chemistry teacher may not be the actual teacher. The man you saw could have been an U da yv la dv. When they shift, they can also see the memories of the person they possess and have all the knowledge they have. The tingling in your fingertips is a warning to you, and to them. They can feel the power radiating off you. It is a defense mechanism. But it is also a weakness. Since the U da yv la dv can feel it, they know when you are near them. I can teach you to control it so only you can sense it. My training will also teach you how to use all of your gifts at once so you may kill these beings.
“When the time comes, an opening in the earth will allow these things to come out of their world. They will fight to destroy everything so that earth can be their new home. AubrieAnna, when that time comes, you will have to rely on yourself and your own resources. Sebastian will be there with you every step of the way. He knows all that I have taught him, and more. This will not happen until next August; at least that is what we have predicted. If anything disturbs you, you must let us know. There is no arguing with me on this.
“Now, as to what made you sick today. Your supposed chemistry teacher had attacked you. He’s testing your strength. Until I can teach you how to continually block yourself, you must wear a charmed crystal at all times. Even after you have learned how to block yourself, it is still a good idea to wear it all times, just in case. To rid you of his magic, I had to force you into a small charmed sleep state. You were basically in a special coma that you could only wake out of when you were cleared of the attack.” She looked at her watch and sighed. “I have kept you for too long today. Tell your parents I apologize. Sebastian, please take her home.” With a wave of her hand, Clamora dismissed us.
I was still upset that Sebastian hadn’t told me what he thought or how he felt. With my back straight, I stalked out of the room, down the stairs, and to the door. My heart stopped when I thought about us being in a small space together. When I tried to open the door, Sebastian shut it and turned me around. With my back pressed against the door, he stared at me. His eyes looked at my lips, then back to my eyes. All resolve was lost at that moment. He jerked my head forward and his lips crashed down onto mine. Shivers and butterflies flew through my body. Electricity tingled on my skin. Without any hesitation, my fingers tangled in his soft hair and I opened my mouth for him. His tongue teased me as it traced my lips. It took all my effort to finally break the kiss. When I did, he smiled and placed gentle kisses on my lips, nose, cheeks, and forehead. Then, finally, he said, “I love you, AubrieAnna.” My soul sang and my heart flip-flopped like it was jumping for joy.
“I love you too, Sebastian.” Regardless of how little I knew him, I knew it was true. It had been true from the moment he gave me Helios. I was happy, and absolutely nothing could ruin my mood.
He held my hand on the ride home. His smile was wide and pure. We sat in awkward silence. When we got to my house, I climbed out and scrambled to get my bag and say goodbye. With a wave of his hand, he sped off down the driveway. My heart sank a little, knowing I wouldn’t see him until tomorrow. I stopped to tell my parents that Clamora apologized, and went upstairs to get ready for a relaxing night. A claw-foot tub sat in one corner of my bathroom. After a few minutes of digging under my sink, I found bubbles, candles, bath oils, and a pillow. With hot water flowing from the faucet and bubbles forming, I lit the candles, plugged my iPod into my iHome, and selected my bath-time playlist. As the water got higher in the tub, I undressed and climbed in. Soothing music flowed through the room, candles created a soft and relaxing environment, floral smells filled my nostrils, and every muscle in my body released its tension. Taking a deep breath, I sunk farther into the bath and closed my eyes.
My fingers and toes were wrinkled like raisins. Sighing, I got out of the bathtub and pulled the plug out of the drain. I blew out the candles, turned off my iPod, and wrapped myself in a towel. It was almost ten o’clock at night. Stopping in the doorway to my room, I bit down on a scream. Sebastian was crawling in through my window. He smiled and put his head down to look at the floor. Color flooded my cheeks. Before I started rambling, I ran into my closet and changed into some sweats and a T-shirt. As I emerged, he was looking at my bookshelf. It wasn’t as nice a collection as his, but it was mine, and I loved each and every book that filled the shelves. His back was to me and I coughed to get his attention. Turning abruptly, he looked at me. Sebastian was always quiet, but he said what he needed to without hesitation or shyness. With a sad look on his face, he stepped forward and placed his hand on my cheek. Tenderly, he kissed my lips. A small peck at first, it deepened into a heartfelt kiss. My left hand was on his chest and my right was on his cheek. I wanted more, but he broke contact and stepped away. Head down, he sighed. I waited for a minute before he finally broke the silence. “AubrieAnna, I love you and I want to be with you. But right now, that cannot happen. I’m sorry.”
My heart shattered, and I stumbled backward as if he had slapped me. As I lifted my head to ask him why he had kissed me or had come to my house, he was gone. Cold air breezed into my room, my curtains swayed and danced in the incoming wind. Completely numb, my body shut down. I fell to the floor and sobbed. Yeah, my heart had been broken before. But that time was different. Langdon didn’t want me, and Sebastian did. Tears kept flowing no matter how hard I tried to get them to stop. Every muscle in my body stopped working. Coldness crept over my soul, and I shivered violently. Forcing my body into motion, I got up and crawled into bed. A hollow feeling settled in my chest cavity, leaving me alone, empty, and utterly broken. Another onslaught of sobs wracked my body and left me exhausted. My eyes finally closed hours after he had left, and sleep took over.
The buzzing of my alarm woke me up, but I didn’t want to move. Rolling over, I hit the off button and curled back into a ball. After a few moments of thinking about last night, I sighed. I needed to go to school, needed to show Sebastian that what he had said didn’t affect me. Getting up, I searched through my closet. After finding the cutest and most comfortable outfit, I put on my makeup, brushed my hair and teeth, and went downstairs. Today was going to be a hard day, but I would do my best to make it through with my head held high. My eyes ached, and my nose was stuffy. With the sun shining so brightly, I could easily wear sunglasses and no one would ask questions. Ready to get going, I skipped breakfast and tugged my dad toward the door. He kissed my mom’s cheek and scrambled after me. I had my headphones in and my music playing when we got into the parking lot. Kissing my dad’s cheek, I got out of the car and walked into the school.
One of the popular girls stood at my locker. Her smile was bright and too sweet. Rolling my eyes, I turned around and headed outside. She didn’t want to be avoided, and obviously wanted to talk to me about something, since she followed me closely. When I sat down at one of the picnic tables, she politely touched my arm. I looked at her and took an earbud out. “What do you want, Madeline?”
“Well, I noticed that you hang out with the new kid. And I want to know if you know if anyone has asked him to homecoming? It’s coming sooner than it has before. I want to sort of ask him to go with me.” Madeline was stammering, and her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head.