Feudlings in Sight (7 page)

****

Nev and Livi brought bridal magazines to look through while they watched the boys play football. Charity loved the pretty dresses and ornate hairstyles, but she’d lost all her enthusiasm when she realized she wasn’t going with Hunter. Conner was nice, really nice. He was in a few of her classes and they worked well together. He always backed Hunter and Shane up when they tried to get in trouble with the seniors, and they both seemed to love him, so she tried her best to be excited. “Your pale hair would be gorgeous like this, Char.” Livi pointed excitedly to the page she was on and Charity leaned over to see. It was swept up into curls with intricate braids woven through it.

“And your hair isn’t super long so it won’t take forever, either. I can totally do that.” Nev nodded in agreement.

Charity raised an eyebrow. “You can do that,” she traced the picture with her fingertip before looking up at Nev, “to this?” She lifted a strand of white hair.

“Yep. I’m just that good.” Nev shrugged, a grin playing mischievously around her mouth.

Livi gasped, grabbing Charity and Nev’s attention and dragging it onto the field. “Have you noticed this game is particularly violent?”

Charity squinted. It was violent, and as quarterback, Conner seemed to be taking the brunt of it. He wasn’t getting any protection. Hunter, who usually had his back, was clearly on the wrong end of the field, barely paying attention to the game. It was so completely out of character that even Livi and Nev noticed. “What are you doing, Hunter?” Charity murmured.

The vision hit her before she even felt it coming. Shane was about to get hit, hard, and Hunter wouldn’t be able to heal him. “Shane, look out!” she screamed, despite the fact that the ball was still sailing through the air and Shane hadn’t even realized it was coming for him yet.

But Conner did. He spun toward Charity and then sprinted down the field, running as hard as he could after the ball. After Shane.

Shane leaped, stretching, ignoring the players coming after him. Of course he ignored the players coming after him. The ball was all that mattered. What
was
it about boys and their football? Across the field, Charity saw Hunter jerk into action, running perpendicular to Conner.

Conner got there first, launching himself through the air like a missile. He took out the big senior about to tackle Shane from behind — the one Charity had seen hitting Shane hard enough that he couldn’t get up. Shane grabbed the ball, landed on one foot and spun, racing toward the end zone and safety.

Hunter jogged past, threat gone. His hands flopped at his side and he stared up at the sky, swearing, Charity was sure, although she couldn’t hear him. He lowered his head, meeting her eyes.
I failed him
.

“No, Hunter. No you didn’t,” she whispered, but Hunter stalked off the field, not looking back as he jogged to his dorm.

Chapter Six

“Dude, where’d you go? We were in the middle of a game,” Shane said as he dropped his grass-stained, muddy shirt in the laundry basket.

Hunter didn’t answer him; he stared at the ceiling and refused to think.

“This is about Charity, isn’t it?” Shane sank down on his bed, leaning his knees on his elbows as he studied Hunter.

“No.”

“Come on, Hunter. Even when you were there today, you weren’t
there
,” Shane said. Hunter refused to see those intense metallic eyes staring at him. They were like tractor beams, sucking out his secrets.

Shane sighed. “Look, if you wanted to go with her, you should have asked her.”

Hunter sat up so fast the room spun and he vaguely thought maybe he should drink more water. “I
can’t
ask her, Shane. I can never ask her. I can’t like her, I can’t ask her to the stupid dance, I can’t be anything but friends, and I didn’t leave the blasted game because of Charity!”

Shane sat back, narrowing his eyes. “That first bit… I’m not even sure what to do with that.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, and he suddenly looked completely exhausted. “If it wasn’t because of Charity, then why?”

Frustrated, Hunter rolled to his feet, pacing their small room. Shane moved his legs out of the way each time Hunter brushed past. It was like a poorly choreographed dance. “Because.”

“Hunter…” Shane raised an eyebrow, standing up and blocking him between the window and the bed. “Use your words.”

“You almost got hit today. Charity saw it. And I didn’t protect you.”

Shane almost laughed. Hunter saw his mouth quirk before he hid it behind a cough. “You’re serious with this?”

“Yes, I’m serious with this,” Hunter bellowed. “This is my
job
, Shane. This is the only reason I’m alive. This is the reason I don’t have a family. This is the reason my dad died. This is the reason I can’t—” He drew himself up short, breathing hard.
This is the reason I can’t have Charity.

The smile died on Shane’s lips. “Hey. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—” He raised a hand; apparently he had the idea to rest it reassuringly on Hunter’s shoulder.

It was a stupid idea.

Hunter shook his head. “Never mind. I need some air.” He shoved past Shane, nearly knocking him into the wall, and escaped outside. He had no idea where he was going until he lost himself on the trails. Eventually he found himself sitting next to a pond with a little stream. It was adorable, just the sort of thing Charity would love, all gurgling and bubbly with tiny white flowers growing along its edges and moss-covered stones. Angrily, he threw a big rock into it, hurting his toe and swearing until he ran out of words.

Then he scooted back to lean against the tree and spent the night staring at the ridiculously cute pond.

The sun was rising when he finally got up and wandered back to the dorms. Shane was asleep, sitting at the desk with his head propped on one hand. “You shouldn’t have tried to wait up,” Hunter muttered, shaking his best friend.

“Where were you?” Shane sleep-slurred.

“Walking. Go to bed.”

Shane tried half-heartedly to argue with him, but the boy loved his sleep and didn’t have the willpower to resist it. Before Hunter even had his shoes off, Shane was snoring again. Rolling his eyes, Hunter lifted the furry black blanket and tossed it over his unconscious best friend.

“You better be worth it, boy.”

****

“You look gorgeous, Charity. I can’t wait until everyone sees you.” Livi stood back, watching as Nev put the finishing touches on Charity’s curls.

“Thank you.” Charity smiled, studying herself in the mirror. Nev had somehow made her hair even more incredible than the model’s in the magazine. The tiara, the one that she had thought Hunter would love, fit beautifully over the braids and pale waves.

“Well now, don’t we all look gorgeous enough to walk the runway. Let’s go show this school who really owns it.” Nev stood, smoothing the pink and black gown she’d created herself. Truly, Charity had never seen a dress like Nev’s, and she looked amazing. It was shorter in the front, but cascaded to the floor in the back. The skirt was tied strips of pink and black fabric, ribboned onto the fitted bodice. Only Nev could pull off something so unique, and do it so fabulously.

Livi’s dress was short, emerald green, with a fitted bodice and poofed skirt. Heels made her nearly as tall as Charity, but she wobbled enough that Nev kept a tight hold on her arm as they made their way down the stairs.

Darren, the boy who had asked Nev, waited next to the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot and rubbing his hands together. He was nervous, probably, but he reminded Charity of a self-conscious evil villain. Nev swept up to him like a queen, and he took her hand, swallowing hard, unable to take his eyes off her. Charity hid a smile, and paused on the landing to watch them.

Shane waited at the bottom of the stairs, cool, confident, his eyes sparkling. “You look amazing this evening, m’lady.” He offered his arm to Livi.

She giggled, tucking her small hand into the crook of his elbow. “Thank you, kind sir.”

Nev had been asked, which meant Livi had faced going all alone. Shane refused to let that happen. Charity loved her cousin more for his kindness than she ever could for his power and great destiny.

She thought about asking where Hunter was, but that boy had been so moody and angry all week long that she refused to care. Once, she’d even tried talking to him, and he’d brushed her off, mumbling about being better on his own.

So if he wanted to stay home and pout, it was fine with her.

Shane leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before she joined Conner outside. “You look incredible, Char.”

“Thank you, Shane,” she said quietly, hoping he couldn’t see the tear threatening to make its way down her cheek.

Conner stood on the stone path, tugging anxiously on his sleeves. He wasn’t big and tough and brooding like Hunter, but he was cute. She could like him. She
wanted
to like him. Especially when he turned toward her and his jaw dropped. “You… you look so, so good.”

She flushed, smiling. “Thank you, Conner.” He smelled as nice as he looked, musky but not overpowering.
I can do this. I can like him.

The lawns between the school and the dorms were full of students; lots of black and white and fluff and color and sparkles. Photographers slid easily through the crowd, taking pictures of everyone in all their gorgeousness. So much going on, and still Charity looked for Hunter.

She caught sight of him just before they entered the school. He was standing in the parking lot, leaning against the cement wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, and even from that far away, she could feel him watching her. She stopped, frowning. Something… wasn’t right.

“Are you okay?” Conner leaned closer to be heard over the dull roar that was the dance.

Charity shook her head, tearing her eyes away from Hunter. She forced a smile. “Yes.”

****

“There’s nothing for me to do here. I’m wasting my time. On one,” Hunter said into the phone, watching Charity disappear into the school. He counted down from three in his head, swirling through the spell. The shimmering doorway opened, right there in the middle of the parking lot where anyone could see and he went through it, snapping it shut behind him. No one needed him at that stupid school. But there was a battle down south, and rumor had it the Edren Prodigy was going to make an appearance.

****

Charity tried — really, really tried — to focus on Conner. She danced and she laughed and she drank the yucky punch. Her head ached from the noise and the crowds and she couldn’t breathe but she still danced and laughed and drank more yucky punch, until her feet screamed for mercy. “I just need to sit down for a minute,” she said, trying not to whimper. She hobbled over to the tables, leaning a bit on Conner’s arm.

“I’ll get you more punch,” he said, hurrying away. He got caught by some friends though and paused to talk. Charity closed her eyes in relief.

The vision that she’d been fighting to keep away all night hit her hard.
Shane. Shane, help!

Somehow, her cousin heard her. “Char? What’s wrong?” The chair screeched as he pulled it out to sit next to her, and she felt him brush her curls, suddenly damp with sweat, away from her face.

“Is she okay? I brought her some punch.” Conner’s voice was pinched with worry, and she could imagine how it creased his face, even though she couldn’t see it.

“Yeah. She’s… I think she’s got a migraine. Could you find her some bottled water and maybe some ibuprofen?” Shane asked.

Nice, Shane. Get rid of him and let my eyes glow in peace.

Keeping his voice low, he said, “Tell me what you see.”

She hated the odd, dislocated way she sounded when she was in the middle of a vision. “There’s a battle. A big one. I… don’t recognize the place. Somewhere desert-ish. And the Edrens are losing, but they don’t care because their Prodigy is coming and once he gets there, he’ll kill everything.” Shane’s hand tightened on hers. “But there’s something else…” Her heart froze in her chest as her vision pulled her away from the battle to the boy watching it, sparks lit at his fingertips. “Shane, Hunter’s there. Hunter’s waiting for the Prodigy.”

Shane yelped like someone had kicked him and Charity’s eyes flew open. “We’ve got to find him,” he said as he dragged a hand through his hair. “Can you fake sick?”

Charity pursed her lips, glaring at him. How many times had she faked sick to protect him before? Visions, especially ones where she saw Hunter waiting to die, took enough out of her that appearing sick was not a problem. In fact, she was struggling not to lose everything she’d eaten already.

Shane motioned to Livi. She and Nev both hurried over. “Oh girl, are you okay? You don’t look so good,” Nev said, putting a cool hand to Charity’s hot cheek.

“She’s not. I’m going to take her to the school nurse,” Shane said, tension thick in his voice as he scanned the room, hoping, no doubt, that she was wrong and Hunter was there somewhere.

“Livi, I’m so sorry,” Charity whispered. She was stealing her friend’s date, and she felt horrible, she really did. But Hunter needed them and that trumped dates every single time.

“Don’t be. The dance is almost over anyway. I’ll find Conner and let him know.” Livi squeezed her hand quickly before Shane darted out the door. Charity lifted her skirts and hurried after him, gulping the fresh air like she was drowning.
Hunter, please be okay. Please, please be okay.
It was dark; the moon was hidden in the clouds, and it smelled like rain.
Good, it will hide my tears.

Shane didn’t hesitate. He got them into the woods and out of clear view and started making phone calls. Charity hugged her arms tightly around herself and wondered if the smell of pine needles would forever remind her of this gut-wrenching terror.

“They’re in Arizona,” he said as he snapped the phone shut and swirled through the
saldepement
spell. The doorway shimmered open. “I’ll call you as soon as he’s safe.”

Charity felt her jaw drop open before she could figure out how to speak. “You… you think you’re going without me?”