Eliza's Shadow (23 page)

I avoided meeting his eyes and fidgeted with a
straw wrapper then shifted my eyes discretely toward Bryn and Pete who were
beginning to turn their attention toward us.

“Ok, I’ll meet you in the Quad after school.” I
said with false cheer, hoping to mask my discontentment. Pushing back in my
chair, I gathered my garbage and rose to leave. “I better get going. Later
all.” I said crisply stepping away from the table.

I turned my back on my table of friends and
swiftly paced across the cafeteria toward the door. I dumped my garbage and
pushed my way through the heavy double doors into the hallway, which at the
moment was vacant since almost all of the other students were still enjoying
their lunch period. My head rocked slightly from side to side, stretching the
muscles in my neck to release some of the tension that had built up across my
shoulders. I walked toward the library where I intended to spend the rest of my
time before the next class began in quiet solitude. The hallow clicking of my
low-heeled boots on the glossy tile floor was the only sound in the vacant
hallway.

As I passed a wall of windows revealing a glimpse
of the Quad a tingling sensation crawled up my spine setting my hair on end. I
spun around quickly searching each direction of the corridor for the source of
the sensation but it was empty. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a
girl through the window standing beneath a tree. Her hair shimmered an angelic
blond in the sun making it difficult to miss her. She stood facing me behind
the window, a smirk cut across her pale face like a knife wound. The girl’s
stare captured my gaze and for a moment held my attention hostage. Her eyes
sucked at my mind like a riptide. A gust of wind lifted her hair into the air
giving her the appearance of standing in a whirlpool. A shiver sprinkled my
skin like a spray of cold water.

I stared challengingly back at her. The creeping
sensation had certainly come from her but was she also a witch? Then just as
quickly as she’d called me, the girl turned and vanished behind the tree. I
paced the floor before the huge windows inspecting the tree from both sides
concluding that she’d definitely disappeared altogether. I backed away from the
window slowly watching the spot where the girl had stood until I bumped into
something.

“Ouch! Look out, Eliza!” Bryn giggled.

I spun around quickly with surprise. “Oh, geez,
sorry Bryn. I just thought I saw something out there…” then quickly shook my
head dismissively, “it was nothing, though.” I mumbled distractedly.

Bryn frowned at me.

“Eliza, we’ve gotta talk.” She said sternly.

My heart sank. This was the moment I had been dreading.
After the whole mind manipulation debacle with Bryn, I’d been nervous around
her. She was my best friend and not only was I drowning in guilt for using her
as a guinea pig but I was also scared. I didn’t want to hurt her again and she
was way too close not to notice that something was going on with me. For lack
of a better option, I’d been avoiding her.

“You’ve got study hall now, right?” She pressed.

I nodded weakly in response.

“Good,” she said grabbing my arm, “let’s go,” and
started dragging me in the direction of the library.

I wiggled loose. “Hey, but you don’t.” I
protested.

Bryn rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I can miss
class. This is more important. C’mon.” She said grabbing my arm again.

As we made our way to the library, my mind raced
trying to figure out what in the world I was going to tell her. The truth was
definitely out and that was going to be hard because Bryn had a way of seeing
passed my excuses.

When we entered the library Bryn slipped by the
main desk and hid between the stacks while I signed in. I took my time
scrolling my name on the sheet, using every moment I had to prepare myself for
the conversation ahead.

When I finished, I spied Bryn impatiently
motioning for me to join her. I took a deep breath and ducked into the stacks
with her. Together we weaved our way up deep into the library until we found a
quiet spot.

Bryn carefully surveyed the rows around us. Once
satisfied that we were alone, she slumped to the floor, leaning against a row
of thick reference books. I sank to the floor opposite her and wrapped my arms
around my knees.

Bryn pursed her lips and gave me a long look. “So…
what’s up?” She asked as she crossed her legs waiting for my response.

I shrugged and cast my eyes to the ground
nervously. “Well, I have a geometry test to study for but that’s about all I
have to do today, I guess.” I said innocently.

Bryn’s hands fell to her sides and slapped the
carpet beneath her. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about Eliza. What’s
up with us?” She said, her voice cracking.

I looked up quickly, surprised to see tears
shining in the corners of her eyes.

Bryn reached up and wiped her eyes with
frustration. “You’ve been avoiding me!” She said. “And Pete told me about what
happened at the concert but you never said anything about it to me. You don’t
call me back half the time and you’re always so distracted like you don’t want
to be hanging out with me.” She said, tears steadily trickling down her cheeks.

My shoulders slumped and I felt guiltier than
ever. “Oh Bryn…” I mumbled.

She sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm
herself down.

I thought about how distant I had been and how she
must feel. If she’d treated me the same way, I’d be crushed. But what could I
say? My life was messy now… and dangerous.

“Is this about Ren? I mean, Eliza, I’m really
happy for you two and all but I never thought you’d be the kind of person who’d
dump me once you got a boyfriend.” She said sulkily.

At that, I blushed.

“Bryn… this isn’t about Ren. And he’s not my
boyfriend.” I said quickly.

Bryn raised an eyebrow and gave me one of her
looks again. “Yeah, ok.” She said sarcastically.

I blushed deeper. “He’s not! Even if I wanted him
to be… it’s not like that.” I stammered defensively.

Bryn’s expression softened. “Ok, ok. Then what the
hell is going on?” She asked.

I took a deep breath, the truth was not an option
but Bryn deserved something more than a flat out lie. What could I tell her
without giving away too much?

“Ok…. So you know that my mom disappeared when I
was a kid?” I began hesitantly.

Bryn’s eyes sharpened with surprise. “Yeah…” She
said slowly.

“Well, recently, I found out some information that
might help explain what happened to her.” I said evenly.

Bryn’s mouth fell open and she blinked rapidly
staring at me with disbelief.

“Like… police evidence or something?” She asked
quickly.

“Um, kinda like that… look, I’m not allowed to
talk about it and nothing may come of it but that’s why I’ve been distracted,
ok? I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now.” I said, hoping that would satisfy
Bryn enough for the time being.

She nodded thoughtfully absorbing my explanation.
Then shot me a dubious look.

“Does Ren know about it?” She asked.

I shrugged and nodded in response. “Yeah, he does.
I told him too.”

“Uh huh.” Bryn mumbled biting her lip.

I could tell she was hurt that I’d told Ren before
her but that wasn’t something I could help. It hurt me as much as it was
hurting her that there had to be some distance between us. Bryn was my best
friend but the painful truth was that things were changing whether I wanted
them to or not. A sad, lonely place opened up within me as that truth sunk in.

“Bryn?” I asked softly.

She looked at me and I saw the same vulnerability
I was feeling reflected in her eyes.

“I really care about Ren but you’ll always be my
best friend, no matter what… even if you don’t want to be mine anymore. I’m
sorry there’s stuff going on that I can’t tell you right now. If I could, I
would.” I said, my voice catching in my throat.

Bryn held my gaze, her eyes filled with conflict
as she considered my words. Then she sighed and gave me the gift of an
accepting grin.

“Well, can you at least return my texts and
calls?” She asked playfully.

I giggled gratefully in response. “That I can do.”

In a distant part of the library the bell
signaling the next period rang but we didn’t move. I sat, pensively waiting for
Bryn to give a sign that she was, for now, satisfied.

“So we’re good then.” Bryn said decidedly.

A wave of relief washed over me and I nodded
vigorously in response. “Of course, we’re definitely all good.” I stammered.

Bryn rolled up onto her feet and extended a hand,
helping me hop to mine.

“I may not always understand you Eliza but I still
love you like a sister.” She said. When we were younger, we used to promise
each other that we’d always be friends, like sisters, since neither of us had
one. We had been similar then. Bryn lived alone with her mom just like I lived
with Jane. She was always more outgoing and optimistic than me and I loved her
for that. But now, the gap between our similarities was growing wider. I felt
like I was on an iceberg floating further away from her shore.

“Thanks, Bryn.” I said, my chest tightening at her
words. “me too.”

As we weaved through the maze of stacks to the
exit of the library my thoughts turned dark. My life had changed and our
friendship would never be the same because now there would always be secrets.

I’d smoothed things over this time but it wouldn’t
be the last. It was inevitable that someday Bryn would get fed up. And sooner or
later, she’d push for the truth. When that time came, what would I do?

16

“I think another witch has
found me.” I stated flatly as Ren and I climbed the steep hill toward his house.
It seemed only fitting that something like an unfriendly witch would wander
into my life since I’d enjoyed a few days of peace.

“You what?!” He exclaimed.

“Apparently every time I try to avoid magic, it
comes searching for me.” I said despondently.

“Who is it?” He asked barely able to contain his
curiosity.

I puffed a few times, before responding. We had
nearly reached the crest of the hill and the shortcut through his neighbor’s
lawn that lead to his house.

“I don’t know. She was standing in the Quad. She
called to me, through the glass of the window and I felt her.” I confessed and
shivered recalling the event.

“She was there, in the Quad standing next to a
tree, then she slipped behind it and vanished.” I shrugged.

Ren pursed his lips, looking thoughtful.

“I’ll ask Nan if she knows of any visiting witches
around here. Better be careful Eliza. Unless we discover otherwise, it’s
probably best to assume she’s not friendly.” He added cautiously.

My eyebrows darted up. “Of course.”

Ren watched me out of the corner of his eye as we
crossed the last few yards to the doorstep of his house but remained silent.

As we neared the door, he responded.

“Try not to worry about it. If she comes back just
keep your distance and let me know. We’ll confront her together.” He added
supportively.

I grimaced and slid my hand through the crook in
his arm. For only knowing each other a short time, Ren and I had covered a lot
of ground together.

“Thanks. Keep your eye out too. If she found me
who’s to say she won’t approach you too if she gets a chance.” I reminded him.

“I hadn’t thought of that.” He said.

We exchanged a shared sigh of aggravation.
Considering that we had finally subdued the Shadow and put my first primer
lesson behind us, it was a little disconcerting that a rogue witch may have
turned up as a distraction. It would be nice to have a break from trouble in
order to concentrate on vetting my skills and learning more about my powers.

Ren and I slipped into the kitchen and grabbed a
couple of drinks before heading up the grand staircase toward the greenhouse.

“Hello! We’re home!” Ren shouted cheerfully as we
strolled down the snaking hallway toward the greenhouse door.

Without waiting for a response, he threw open the
foggy glass door and bounded inside, simultaneously motioning for me to follow
him.

“Hello, hello. Welcome back Eliza.” Nan shouted
from the recesses of the greenhouse in response to our arrival.

I searched the crevices of the room for Nan and
finally found her tangled up with something large and bushy.

“You’ve caught me in the middle of repotting this
beast. It might take me a few minutes. Please, wander, won’t you?” Nan muttered
distractedly, her arms sunk elbow deep into a dense mass of leafy branches
belonging to a wild looking plant.

I nodded, absentmindedly, enjoying the loamy scent
of earth mingling with the pungent aroma of flowers.

“Nan, have you heard of any witches passing
through town lately?” Ren asked.

Nan’s paused with her arms wrapped in the plant’s
clutches to appraise Ren’s face before answering.

“Amelia Light came through a couple of weeks ago
with several novice witches she’s taken in but they’ve long come and gone. Why
do you ask?” She asked distractedly turning her attention back to the rustling
plant.

“Eliza thinks she saw another witch at school
today but maybe it was just someone passing through.” He said hopefully in
response.

“Ah well, if anyone passes through they are
supposed to notify me. I am the area Service Agent, after all. Of course, if
they don’t want me to know they’re here.” She said pausing again abruptly. Her
face pinched in from all sides with annoyance.

“If either of you see her again, tell me
immediately.” She snapped and resumed her work.