Feudlings (2 page)

Ari was trying to figure out how to respond to that when she backed into something. A not solid something. “Oof!” it squeaked.

“Well Livi, do you not see us coming with this huge ladder straight at you?” Nevaeh yelled as Ari attempted not to fall over backward and bring the ladder with her.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry!” The thing kept squeaking, her voice getting higher and higher. Nevaeh dug her heels in and steadied the ladder just as Ari let go and tumbled back, landing on her butt. Before she quite grasped what had happened, a tiny brunette was kneeling in front of her, pulling on Ari’s hands in a vain attempt to help her to her feet. “Are you okay? I am so blind. Or oblivious. I guess it would be oblivious because I can see fine with my glasses on, and I’m wearing them, see?” She pointed to her face, where the glasses were indeed perched on a button nose sprinkled with freckles. Ari allowed herself to be dragged to her feet, where she towered over the speed-talking girl.

“Hush Livi. She’s fine,” Nevaeh said, coming around the ladder as she made shooing motions with her hands. “This is Olivia. We call her Livi.”

“Hi!” Livi said with a grin, bouncing up and down.

“Hey,” Ari responded.

“She’s a senior, like us,” Nevaeh told Livi.

Ari’s chin dropped as she stared down at the tiny girl in shock. “You’re a senior?” She realized belatedly that she should have tried to keep the incredulous note from her voice. Interpersonal communication was not her strongest trait. Probably not even in the top ten of her strongest traits. Grimacing, she tried to remove her foot from her mouth as she added, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“No, it’s okay. I get that a lot. I look like I’m twelve,” Livi said with a smile and a shake of her head, sending silky brown hair swaying down her back.

Before Ari could say anything that made her look even more stupid, the gym door banged open and Brittany walked in, heels tap-tapping on the floor, demanding attention.

“How are you not done yet?” she shrieked.

“We
would
be if you were in here helping,” Nevaeh snapped back, turning on her with a ferocious scowl, braids whirling with her like miniature, angry snakes. Ari had a brief image of Medusa. If Medusa had been beautiful and had kind eyes instead of eyes that turned people to stone.

“I was getting supplies.” Brittany sniffed, dumping an armful of paper table clothes on the floor in the middle of the gym. Dust poofed up around them like a miniature storm.

Nevaeh put one hand on her hip and eyed the colorful pile. “And that took you an hour?”

Ari shook her head and started back up the ladder, wishing she were anywhere but here. Fighting in battles, surrounded by spells and magic and threats and smoke — that she understood and could handle — Teenage girls were beyond her, even if she was supposed to be one.

Livi pushed her light brown ponytail over her shoulder and sighed. “Don’t start girls. Let’s just get done, okay? I’m exhausted.”

“You wouldn’t be if she’d do her share,” Nevaeh snarled. Ari smirked to herself at the top of the ladder as she snatched up her crepe paper.

“Good. Let’s get to work,” Brittany called to their retreating backs. No one responded.

Nevaeh dumped a giant box on the floor a few feet from Ari’s ladder. “Hallelujah! We’re almost done!” she crowed, throwing up her hands and dancing around the box.

Livi laughed from the other side of the ladder. “I think you might even have time to get ready for the ball, Cinderella!”

Ari had been listening to their easy banter for the last hour, and her dark mood had lightened considerably, despite her every effort otherwise.

All three of them were hot and messy. Ari’s long hair that had hours ago been pulled back in a tidy braid now straggled out and fell in her face. She heard Nevaeh saying something about her lack of a prince charming and how painful glass slippers would be, and looked down with a smile. “So, no boyfriend, Nevaeh?” she asked.

“No way. No boy’s gonna be tying me down. Girl, my mama got married young. Regretted it ever since. I am
not
gonna live that life!”

“Do you, Livi?” Ari asked, trying to get the obnoxious crepe paper to twist right. So far it was just tying itself in knots.

“No. I did last year, but we broke up before we headed home for the summer. I don’t do long distance relationships.”

Ari frowned. Her summer had been spent hunting the Carules Prodigy, or fighting in pointless battles. Usually, when the Carules realized she was there, they’d retreat as fast as possible, because there was no point in fighting her. Everyone knew she could only be killed by the Carules Prodigy.

No one ever saw her face. Her brother always cast a shroud spell on her beforehand so that nobody could see her clearly. Shroud spells were his specialty.

Just to be safe, she also wore a long black robe and hid in its hood. It had once belonged to Ada Aleshire, Ari’s great-great-whatever ancestor, and the sorceress who had started the whole stupid feud three hundred years ago. It was a war that had claimed thousands of lives but would never go in the history books.

The Carules Prodigy never fought. He allowed his people to be slaughtered rather than risk the Edrens capturing him.
Coward,
Ari thought, pushing the sting of jealousy deep down as she viciously shoved a thumb tack into the wall. She was a weapon for the Edrens, and weapons should be used, not protected.

“Hello! Ari!”

Ari started and nearly fell off her ladder. “Hey! What?” She gasped, clinging to the top rung. She was starting to think the ladder had it in for her.

“I
said
about a thousand
times,
do
you
have a boyfriend?” Nevaeh demanded, raising an incredulous eyebrow at Livi.

“Were you daydreaming?” Livi asked in a singsong voice, giving Ari an impish grin.++

“Yes,” Ari answered.

“Ooooh, what’s his name?” Livi asked, bouncing up and down on her toes and clapping her hands like a little girl.

“What? No, no I don’t have a boyfriend. Yes, I was daydreaming. Sorry.”

“Aww.” Livi’s face fell.

Nevaeh shook her head as she hefted a second large box and turned toward the ladder. “How does someone who looks like you not have a boyfriend?”

“Oh my! Shane is coming! He can’t see — we’re not done!” Brittany squealed as she scampered through the door, her heels click-clacking against the gym floor. She raced to the lights, killing all but the small one over the door.

Ari glimpsed three figures silhouetted in the doorway. Nevaeh cursed as Livi screamed. Too late, Nevaeh crashed into the box on the floor and pitched forward, slamming into Ari’s ladder. Ari watched it all in slow motion, having been graced with excellent night vision to accompany her magic. Her brain flew, catalog-like, through the spells she knew, searching for one that would hold the ladder. Unfortunately, her spells were for blowing things up, not holding things still.

Instead, she flung all her weight to the side, throwing the ladder to the right and away from Livi, who was standing below. Ari could then do nothing but crash to the floor. She had just enough time to realize she had never been knocked unconscious before as her head slammed into the wood and the ladder smashed into her ribs. She heard running feet as light exploded behind her eyes, and then nothing.

Chapter Two

“Shane, we should go check the gym and see how things are coming,” Charity Delyle said. Shane smushed his cell phone between his shoulder and his ear as he wrote his number on one of the pretty new freshman’s hands. He cupped his palm over the mouthpiece, whispering, “Anytime you need help, just call.” He winked at her and she erupted in a fit of giggles.

“Why? What do you see? Something bad?” Shane turned his attention back to Charity just in time to hear her sigh.

“I might be a Seer, Shane, but I don’t have to even look. You put Brittany in charge of decorating,” she huffed.

“She’s an amazing artist. I thought she’d do a great job,” Shane responded.

“Shane, you are only my favorite cousin because you’re my only cousin. Remember that.” She was trying to sound intimidating but it came out more as a half-hearted growl, like dogs do when they’re mostly asleep. Her voice was too soft. Sounding even a little threatening was beyond her.

Hunter Millen cleared his throat, catching Shane’s attention. “Stop stressing her out. Just get over there.”

“Hunter to the rescue,” Charity murmured.

“Fine, but you are both coming with me,” Shane said. “Char, I’ll meet you in front of your dorm in two minutes.”

Ten minutes later Shane rounded the corner, laughing easily with the brunette walking next to him. He couldn’t remember her name, but she didn’t seem to care.

“Can we just once not be surrounded by girls?” Hunter muttered.

Shane’s grin widened. “It’s good for you, Hunter.” But by then Hunter wasn’t listening. Shane followed his gaze, seeing Charity leaning against the wall of her building. Her eyes were closed. She was practicing her
sight
.

When they were kids, she would try to explain it to him.
“I focus on the person. And then, my brain just kind of spins and my head gets real hot. And my heart too. And then the heats…meet. Like an explosion” She paused, sneaking a peek at him to see if he was laughing at her. “I don’t stay long. I just want to practice. I don’t want to know what they’re thinking.

It made her eyes glow. Even with them shut, he could see the faint shining through her eyelids.

Shane could tell the exact instant Hunter got in Charity’s field of
sight
. Abruptly the glowing was gone and her eyes flew open. Shane glanced at Hunter to see if he noticed, but his gold eyes flicked across the school lawns, pausing when he realized Charity was watching him. A brief smile aimed her way, and then it was gone.

“Well, now I understand why you’re late.” Charity sighed when they got closer. “Although I’m not surprised. You’re such a player, Shane.” Shane raised his hands in self-defense, as if he could ward off her playful attack, but Charity just shook her head. “Black hair. Mesmerizing blue eyes. And how tall are you? Six foot two? Oh and your razor sharp wit. Swoon.” Charity batted her eyelashes, mocking him. Shane raked a hand through his black hair, a grin playing around his lips. Charity rolled her eyes as half the girls practically fainted. “And you know exactly what you’re doing,” she muttered under her breath.

Shane’s grin widened as he looked over the girls at Hunter. Shane was taller than Hunter but not as broad. More lanky. All Carules, and Edrens too, for that matter, were big, but Hunter was big even for
them
. No matter how much time Shane spent in the gym, he never came close to being as big as Hunter. It was a fact that Hunter never let him forget.

“How are you friends again? You’re so different. You never talk and he never shuts up.” Charity peered up at Hunter.

“We have to be.” Hunter growled.

She nodded in agreement before scowling at Shane. “Your particular brand of annoying is not as endearing when it makes me stand around waiting for you.” Charity shoved her white-blonde hair over her shoulder and glared at Shane.

In answer Hunter jerked his head towards the group of girls with an annoyed frown and Charity suppressed a smile. When no one moved, Hunter sighed and turned around. “We’ve got work to do. Shane will see you all later.” He made shooing motions with his hands. Shane waved as disappointed girls dispersed.

“You made Charity scowl. It’s not good for those silver eyes of hers,” Hunter told him.

Charity pulled a face and folded her arms across her chest. “Are we going or not?”

“Of course. Sorry little cousin.” Shane dropped an arm around her shoulders.

“Yeah well. You should be.” She sighed. She and Hunter shared a look, but Shane knew it was impossible for either of them to stay mad at him.

“Why’s the gym dark?” Shane asked no one as they approached the gym, although an answer would have been nice. Just then there was a high-pitched shriek and a crash reverberated through the room, clattering off the walls and hardwood floor. With a quick look at Hunter, he raced toward the sound as Hunter went for the lights. Just as Shane approached the commotion, Charity hard at his heels, the gym flooded with light and Shane’s eyes leaped to the ladder that lay on its side. A little more slowly he realized that there was a girl underneath the ladder who was not moving. Charity was already reaching for a bent metal rung, trying to pull it off. He jumped to help her as Livi pulled Nevaeh up from a heap of boxes.

“Ari! Are you okay?” Nevaeh landed on her knees next to the girl. Shane and Charity pushed the ladder away and knelt next to Ari, looking the girl over, trying in vain to see how injured she was. He cast an incredulous look at Charity, wondering why she hadn’t warned them that this would happen, but she was staring at the girl with her brow scrunched up in confusion.

“No blood. That’s gotta be good, right?” Hunter asked as he bent over the girl’s still figure.

“We need to get her to Ms. Neemer,” Shane said as he slid one arm under her head and the other under her legs. He hoisted her up to his chest.

“You’re not supposed to move her. She could have a neck injury,” Charity said as she looked up at him from where she still knelt on the floor. Her white-blonde hair was tangled around her face and her wide, luminous silver eyes stared at him.

“Too late,” Hunter said as he pulled Charity to her feet. Shane glanced over his shoulder at them but kept going, hoping to get away from all these people. If he could just get a few seconds alone with her, he could heal her, but he couldn’t do it in front of Nevaeh and Livi and Brittany.

It didn’t happen. They followed him all the way to the nurse’s office and after he laid the girl on the couch Ms. Neemer shooed him out and shut the door. Hunter leaned against the wall in the office with Charity standing next to him. Brittany glared at the floor.

Livi examined Nevaeh’s arm, concern written across her delicate features. “I don’t know Nev. I think you should have the nurse look at this.”