Spellbound (Spellbringers Book 1) (8 page)

I stuck my hand out to the blonde.
“Hi, you must be Autumn,” I said in a very controlled voice. “I’m
Rachel, Robert’s ex-girlfriend.”

Autumn was too embarrassed to shake my
hand, and Robert looked comically uncomfortable. He kept opening
and closing his mouth until he resembled one of those singing fish
they advertised on television.

“Um, Rachel,” he finally managed to
stammer, “This isn’t, I mean…”

I continued speaking as if Robert
hadn’t said anything. I looked him straight in the eyes and said,
“Robert and I broke up under mutual agreement and I’m sure we will
remain friends.” The smile I offered probably didn’t reach my eyes.
“I hope you two will be very happy together.”

I turned and walked away, aware
everyone was staring at me. I smiled until my face hurt. After
buying a soda from the vending machine, I sat down at an empty
table, hoping my brown skin camouflaged the angry blush of rage
spreading over my face.

“How can you be so calm?” Megan asked,
sitting down across from me.

“It’s been coming on for a while. It
was only a matter of time. No big deal,” I said.

“Are you going to skip Homecoming this
year?” she asked.

“Nope.” I wouldn’t be the first girl
to show up dateless for the Homecoming dance, and I certainly
wouldn’t be the last. I’d hold my head up high even if it killed
me. “What are you wearing to the dance?” I asked to change the
subject. Her eyes lit up in response and she spent the next several
minutes describing every intricate detail of her dress and
accessories. I nodded occasionally and said “nice” or “wow,” but I
had checked out from the beginning.

I made it through the rest of the day,
but it wasn’t easy. All I wanted to do was go home and curl up in
bed with a good book. Cheerleading practice was an exercise in
agony. We had our practice outside, so we were right next to the
football field. Autumn watched Robert from the sidelines while I
tried to ignore the football players altogether. Becky found fault
in everything I did. During our first routine, she flashed me a
nasty, gloating smile and asked why I was having such a hard time
concentrating. I apologized, barely resisting the urge to kill
her.

Halfway through practice, I noticed
Jace and Alisa walking together through the field behind the
school. Pain pierced my chest when I saw him carrying her book bag.
Of all the things I had to worry about, why did that bother me so
much?

I wasn’t the only one bothered by Jace
and Alisa walking together. Becky noticed too, and as she watched
them, her face said it all. Her vicious thoughts poured into me and
I had to fight back nausea. She would destroy her cousin any way
she could, but this time, I wouldn’t stand by and let it happen.
This wasn’t middle school anymore and I wasn’t the old, passive
Rachel.

“What’s the matter, Becky?” I asked,
breaking into her thoughts. “Having trouble concentrating?” I
smiled and stared her down.

My attention wandered back to Jace
once again. A beam of sunlight shot through the cloud cover and
illuminated his tall form for a fraction of a second. Although I
hated Becky for her willingness to hurt anyone who came between her
and the man she desired, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could do
the same. Would I be willing to trample over Alisa to get to Jace?
I shivered, imagining myself in his arms. Though I might be willing
to do almost anything to make that happen, I couldn’t hurt another
human being to get what I wanted. At least not
deliberately.

***

My extra-sensory abilities hung on and
I feared I’d never be the same again. Close contact with people
usually resulted in an avalanche of emotions crashing over me. I
spend so much time avoiding people, it took me awhile to realize
people were also avoiding me. Phone calls went unreturned.
Invitations to parties came to a screeching halt. My usual lunch
table always seemed to be full when I approached.

When I ran into a group of friends at
the mall in Albany, I rushed up to them, eager to join in the fun.
It sucked walking the mall alone, and a nice shopping trip with
friends was just what I needed.

“Hey, I didn’t know ya’ll were going
to be here today, or I would have tagged along. What are ya’ll up
to?” I asked.

“Not much,” Katie said, her voice
stilted. She glanced around, looking nervous, as if she expected
someone to jump out and catch her doing something she wasn’t
supposed to do.

“I haven’t seen you in forever. I
tried calling you a few times, Katie. Well, actually I tried
calling all of you at least a couple of times.”

“I’ve been busy,” Sydney
said.

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to call you
back,” Amber said vaguely.

“Well, what are you doing this
afternoon? Ya’ll going to be here for awhile?”

“We were actually leaving,” Sydney
said, her tone harsh.

“Maybe we can see a movie sometime…” I
trailed off as one by one, they turned around and began to walk
away.

“Maybe,” Katie said over her shoulder
as she followed the crowd.

“I’ll call you later, Katie,” I said.
She didn’t reply.

Their behavior was beyond
odd, but I was pretty sure I knew what was going on. Becky had put
the word out. I was banned from the group. I poked a tendril of
connection into Katie’s mind for confirmation. Her thoughts poured
into me:
If Becky finds out I was sort of
nice to her, I’ll be the new Alisa.

The new Alisa. Is that what I was? The
new pariah? The new dumping ground for Becky’s misguided hatred? I
knew Becky would turn against me when I chose to take a stand, but
I didn’t anticipate losing all my friends. I thought I was popular,
but I guess I was wrong. Now I had exactly one true friend—Megan.
And her family was moving to South Carolina after
Thanksgiving.

My friends—my former friends walked
away without a second glance. If they were willing to toss our
friendship aside at Becky’s command, I guess we were never friends
to begin with. It sucked being the new Alisa.

I went through the rest of the week
taking note of how many people were evasive or downright avoided
me. There were several. Sure, there were a few people who’d never
liked Becky, but they didn’t want to cross her by befriending me. I
was shunned by the people who liked Becky and shunned by most of
the people who hated her. And I deserved it. When I chose to be
friends with Becky all those years ago, I chose to ignore my moral
compass, and now I was on a lonely road.

***

If it wasn’t for all the money my
mother spent on my dress, I would’ve skipped the Homecoming Dance.
I barely had any friends. I barely had a date. And I was afraid I
wouldn’t be able to handle being in close proximity with that many
people. I drove myself, so I figured I’d have my picture taken,
dance a couple of dances, and leave early.

I met my last minute pseudo-date,
Alex, outside the school. He complimented my appearance and offered
me a wrist corsage before leading me inside the decorated
gymnasium. Alex was a sophomore who played the saxophone in the
marching band. He was either brave or foolish. Or maybe Becky’s
influence didn’t quite stretch to the sophomore class. Either way,
he seemed like a decent guy and I hoped his reputation wouldn’t be
shredded by Becky in retaliation for asking me out

One by one, couples entered the gym
until it was noisy and crowded. I glanced at the door just in time
to see the last couple enter. For a moment, I gaped in surprise.
Alisa was nearly unrecognizable. Dark brown curls cascaded down her
back. Her pale pink dress complemented her petite frame and set off
her bright blue eyes. Jace reached out to touch her elbow, and she
glanced up at him with a look of longing. He certainly brought out
the best in her. Alisa was completely different with him and stood
with a confidence I didn’t think was possible for her.

I left Alex with a group of band
members and wandered over to the other side of the gym, drawn
against my will to the place where Jace and Alisa stood together,
deep in conversation.

I cleared my throat. “Alisa, your
dress is gorgeous. I love it.”

“Thanks, Rachel. You look amazing.”
Alisa seemed a little nervous, but she managed to look me in the
eye.

“You both look beautiful.” Really,
Jace didn’t have to say anything at all. He could charm your dress
off without ever opening his mouth. He watched the few couples who
were already out on the dance floor, then said, “I’m going to teach
Alisa how to dance.” She punched him playfully and he laughed.
“You’d better save me a dance, Rachel.”

You bet I will, I thought, as they
walked away. I danced a few times with Alex and some other guys,
but all the while my mind was on Jace. As I watched Jace and Alisa
together, I couldn’t help but wonder about them and the nature of
their relationship. It was obvious from the expression on Alisa’s
face that she was head-over-heels in love, but how did Jace feel
about her? I couldn’t very well ask him, but thanks to my strange,
new extra-sensory talents, I wouldn’t have to. I felt sneaky and
conniving for even considering using my psychic curse to pick
through his brain while we danced, but I was curious. Okay, not
just curious. I was desperate.

Never in a million years would I have
thought I’d feel desperation toward a guy, but Jace wasn’t just any
guy. He was different, and until I figured out why I felt so drawn
to him, I wouldn’t be able to relax. I had always been a very
independent person, and had never suffered the lovesick ailments
that had afflicted my friends at one time or another. No, it wasn’t
a case of puppy love or a silly crush. This was something
different.

I waited impatiently for Jace to
remember his promise to dance with me. Each time someone new asked
me to dance, resentment washed over me. I didn’t want to be stuck
with someone else when Jace eventually approached me. If he
approached me. I decided to hang out by the refreshment table and
skip the next few dances.

When Jace caught my eye and moved
toward me, I instinctively reached up to touch my necklace, seeking
the comfort it usually offered, but remembered I’d left it at home.
I hoped I didn’t end up regretting leaving it behind in favor of
making a fashion statement.

Jace’s eyes held mine and I felt
uncomfortably anxious. This was probably the first time I’d ever
understood what someone meant when they claimed to have butterflies
in their stomach. I dragged my eyes away from his and looked down
at the ground, trying to compose myself. Suddenly, he was standing
in front of me, his hand outstretched.

I hesitated only a fraction of a
second before stepping toward him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me
to the center of the gym in one quick motion. As a slow song began
playing, he pulled me close. The heat from his body radiated,
making me feel flushed and breathless. Jace was so tall, the top of
my head barely touched his chin, and when I took the liberty of
leaning my head against his chest for a brief second, I could feel
his heartbeat against my cheek. I wanted to stay there and never,
ever leave.

I’ll admit, I read trashy romance
novels from time to time. It was my one indulgence and I’d never
admitted my questionable choice in reading material to anyone. When
the hero and heroine touch or kiss for the first time, there’s
always an instant connection or a jolt of electricity, or in the
really cheesy stories, a feeling of coming home. If I used any of
those tired descriptions to explain what happened between me and
Jace, it would have been a gross understatement.

When I looked up into his eyes, our
gazes locked and my breathing stopped. The gym, the music, the
laughter, everything was gone in that instant. It was only the two
of us and the beating of our hearts. Pressure built inside my mind
and pain backed up like a dam until it finally burst forth. For the
first time in my life, my head felt light and free.

An unfamiliar presence filled the
space left open when the pain departed. Jace. Unspoken words passed
between us on pulsating waves of emotions.

“Rachel.” Jace’s voice reverberated in
my mind.

“I don’t understand what’s happening.”
I pushed the thought outward and felt the moment it connected with
Jace.

“We’ve been looking for you,” he
whispered.

“I’m here. I’ve been waiting. This is
what I’ve been waiting for.”

Jace’s voice moved through me again, a
soft caress inside my head. “Release me, Rachel.”

“What?”

“Release me. Pull back before other
people notice. We can’t let others know what we are.” Jace’s
thoughts were probing and insistent in my brain.

“What are we?” I asked, but he didn’t
answer.

I tried to break away, but I couldn’t
sever the connection between us. Suddenly, something jolted us
apart. Not an electric jolt of passion like in the romance novels,
but a clumsy nudge from a fellow student. The moment between me and
Jace had passed.

Jace led me to the bleachers and sat
down, motioning for me to sit next to him. His easy smile was gone
and his eyes were troubled. He started to speak, but stopped when
he saw Alex moving toward us.