Dangerous Creatures (Book 3, Pure Series)

Dangerous Creatures

By Catherine Mesick

Copyright © 2015 by Catherine Mesick

For Mom and Howie.

Chapter 1.

THE DEAD TRAVEL FAST.

              The words were written on a sheet of paper that had been wrapped around a rock.

              I looked up and down the street in the gathering gloom. Not only was the street completely deserted, but the neighborhood itself was quiet and still as if no one had stirred in a long time.

              I'd been sitting in the living room, staring out the window, watching the sun sinking behind the houses across the street and waiting for William. I'd felt a strange softness in the air, and a sense of peace settled over me that I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt as if I had no need to be afraid.

              Though the stars had not yet come out, I'd seemed to see them before my eyes—both above me and below me. I'd felt myself sinking pleasantly into darkness.

              Then there had been a sudden, sharp crack at the window, and I'd hurried out to see what it was.

              As I looked around now, a sensation stole over me that I had felt once before. I felt as if the silence around me was watchful—as if the very air were holding its breath, waiting to see what I would do.

              I shivered.

              I looked at the note again. Of course, it was likely just a prank. Tonight was a night that was known for pranks, so there was really no reason for me to read any great significance into the words. I probably hadn't even been targeted particularly. I imagined that someone had simply thrown the rock at the closest house and then run off.

              There was no need for me to be worried. Things had been quiet.

              But whoever had thrown the rock had disappeared quickly.

              I was just turning to go back into the house, when a familiar car turned onto my street. I quickly folded up the note and pushed it into the pocket of my jeans.

              The car slotted into place behind my grandmother's red sports car, and William got out. He was tall and lean and dark-haired, and any outside observer would have guessed him to be about eighteen or nineteen years old—but that guess would have been off by quite a bit.

              As William walked up to me, he gave me the crooked half-smile that I loved so much.

              "Were you waiting out here for me?"

              I smiled and tried to push my uneasiness away. "Of course I was."

              I glanced down the street. "You didn't happen to see anyone walking—or maybe running—through the neighborhood on your way over here, did you?"

              William glanced at me sharply. "No. Is something wrong?"

              "No," I said. "I just—no. Someone threw a rock at our window, and it startled me. That's all."

              I didn't see any point in mentioning the note—I was sure it was nothing. I told myself that it had to be nothing.

              William glanced toward the house. "Are you ready to go? Or should we stop in and say hello to your grandmother?"

              "We'd better tell her we're going," I said. "Otherwise, she'll think you've kidnapped me."

              "That's a joke, right?"

              "Sort of," I said.

              William looked at me closely. "Are you sure nothing's wrong? You look rattled."

              "No—nothing's wrong. It's just that—I left the front door open. I really should have closed it."

              I turned quickly and went into the house with William following me.

              GM met us in the hall—a tall, slim figure with folded arms. Her long silver hair was tied back in a braid, and the silver cross she always wore stood out starkly against her black sweater.

              "So, you're here now, are you?" she said shortly. GM somehow always seemed to grow more formidable whenever William was around.

              "Yes, Mrs. Rost." William, who could look quite formidable himself at times, often seemed to grow less so when confronted by GM.

              She sighed. "Well, I hope the two of you will have a good time at the carnival."

              "Thank you, Mrs. Rost," William said.

              "And don't be out too late. I'll be waiting for Katie's return."

              "Yes, Mrs. Rost."

              "Well, you may go now. And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

              "Yes, Mrs. Rost. Of course not."

              "GM, please," I said. "This is starting to feel like an interrogation."

              She waved a hand. "I already said you may go."

              "We'll see you later," I said, giving GM a kiss on the cheek. "And you don't need to worry. Nothing awful is going to happen. Really."

              GM gave me a skeptical look and then walked with us to the door. As we went out, she closed it firmly behind us.

              "Sorry about that," I said. "I always feel bad subjecting you to GM's—I don't even know what you'd call it. She just always seems to be in a bad mood whenever you're around."

              "It's all right. She isn't entirely to blame for her attitude toward me."

              "I know," I said. "I just wish things could be different."

              William gave me a wry smile. "I learned long ago that there was no point in dwelling on wishes."

              He turned toward his car.

              "William, wait," I said. "Do you mind if we walk instead of driving?"

              He looked surprised. "You want to walk? It'll be dark soon, and the way over there isn't exactly well lit."

              "I know," I said. "I just don't feel as if I can sit still right now. And you can see in the dark, can't you?"

              "Okay," William said. "If that's what you want, that's what we'll do."

              As we walked down the street, William kept glancing over at me, but he said nothing.

              Before long we had plunged into the neighboring woods on our way to Hywel's Plaza. In the winter months, the plaza was largely taken up by an outdoor skating rink. But in the warmer months, the plaza was used for public gatherings—concerts, farmers' markets, art fairs. Tonight, the plaza was hosting the Black Moon Carnival—which was actually a fundraiser for Elspeth's Grove High School. There would be food and games and music, and I'd heard a new statue was going to be dedicated. There would probably be quite a few people in costume, too. Black Moon Night—April 19—was also a local festival apart from the school fundraiser—it was like our own personal Halloween.

              As William and I walked through the trees, I was reminded unpleasantly of the day back in November when we had met two unexpected—and unwelcome—visitors in these very woods. Those visitors had come with a warning for me.

              Though I tried to suppress it, a shiver ran through me.

              William reached out to take my hand, and I was comforted by the warmth and strength of his grasp. But even though William was by my side, I was still uneasy, and I was deeply relieved when we finally spotted the lights of the carnival up ahead.

              We broke free of the trees.

              As I looked out over the carnival, my mood was lightened by just how bright and cheerful everything was. Strings of lights crisscrossed the entire plaza, creating what looked like a canopy of stars. Under the canopy, a small maze of booths crowded up against a larger-than-life straw figure of a witch, a colorful carousel, and a stage. A large object sat by the stage under an enormous canvas tarp, and I figured that that was the new statue, ready for its unveiling. I could see a crowd of people milling around—some of them in masks and costumes—and music and laughter floated up to me.

              I felt myself relax even further—this was just an ordinary Sunday night in a small town. I very genuinely had nothing to worry about.

              "What's with all the witches?" William asked.

              "Our town founder, Elspeth Quick, was unfairly accused of witchcraft up in New England," I said. "According to the story, she fled south, and guided by a thin, silver thread of moonlight on an otherwise dark night, she found her way to what is now the Old Grove. There she was able to wait out her pursuers in safety—the mysterious thread of moonlight being a sign of her goodness and purity. And even though Elspeth was innocent of witchcraft, Black Moon Night has come to be associated with witches in particular and the supernatural in general."

              "It's a little like Walpurgis Night," William said.

              "Walpurgis Night?"

              "That's when the souls of the dead are released to wander the earth for one night. And it's also associated with witches—it's the night before May Day."

              "It's a little early for that," I said. "Besides, don't the dead wander the earth on Halloween?"

              "I always thought of Halloween more as a night to honor the departed," William replied. "Walpurgis Night is more like the night when the departed get to break free and revel a little themselves."

              "I guess this does look a bit like that," I said.

              As William and I walked into the maze of the carnival, I heard a splash, and I turned to look. One of the booths was actually a dunk tank, and the hapless man on the stool had just been dropped into the water by a good shot.

              William gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "What do you want to do first?"

              "Let's just walk around," I said. "Maybe something fun will jump out at us."

              The aisles between the booths were narrow, and with the crowd of people the flow of traffic was slow. As we passed a booth that sold candy apples, William and I crossed paths with a brown-skinned girl with curly black hair, and a tall, pale boy with brown hair that was falling in his eyes—my best friend, Charisse, and her boyfriend, Branden. The two of them were headed the opposite way, and though Charisse saw me and smiled, and Branden nodded at me, neither of them made any effort to stop and talk—nor did they acknowledge William.

              Charisse turned her face resolutely forward, and Branden took his cue from her. The crowd eased, and they both moved on without saying a word.

              I looked up at William. "They don't mean anything by it."

              William appeared unruffled. "I know. They aren't to be blamed for the way they react any more than your grandmother is. They can't really help it."

              I was glad that William understood, but at the same time, I wished he didn't have to. I wished we could be like any of the normal couples that had come to the carnival tonight. I wished we actually were what we appeared to be—two ordinary high school students out having a good time.

              We continued on through the carnival, and I spotted Irina Neverov, who was out with her new boyfriend, Terrance. Terrance was new in more ways than one—he had just transferred to our school, and he was already a standout on the track team—even though it was the tail end of the season. There were rumors that he was a shoo-in for a starting position on the football team in the fall, too. He'd just arrived, and he was already a star.

              Irina and Terrance didn't stop to talk to us, but that wasn't so unusual. Irina and I had been friends once long ago. But the passing years and her love for Simon Krstic—who had also had a crush on me—had driven a wedge between us. There was nothing between Simon and me, and Irina herself had clearly moved on, but even so some constraint still remained between us.

              Irina's friends Bryony and Annamaria tagged along behind them. Bryony gave me a long look and seemed to be on the verge of speaking to me, but ultimately, she, too, decided not to stop to talk.

              William and I continued on our way, and we were just passing through an area that was full of game booths, when I heard someone call out my name.

              "Katie! Katie Wickliff! Katie, over here!"

              I turned to see the familiar blond figure of Simon Krstic—he was manning one of the games. He smiled when he realized that I'd noticed him, and he waved me toward his booth.

              I glanced up at William. "Do you want to go over?"

              "Why not? At least someone wants to talk to us."

              Simon broke into a grin as we reached his booth.

              "Hey, Katie."

              He gave William a brief nod.

              I looked around the booth. There were several rows of multicolored balloons affixed to the far wall, and there was a row of stuffed animals and other trinkets sitting on a shelf above the balloons. Simon appeared to be running one of those games in which the player threw a dart at a balloon to win a prize.

              "So how about it, Katie?" Simon asked. "Would you like to give it a try? It's for a good cause."

              "What are the rules exactly?"