Fractured Light (38 page)

I jumped on the swing and pumped my legs as hard and fast as they’d go. I didn’t even slow down when my father came outside, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“I need to talk to you, Llona. Can you stop?”

I pushed harder. My body lifted a few inches off the seat of the swing when it was at its highest point. A little further and I could touch the sky.

“Llona, please stop. I need to talk to you about your mother.”

“Mom will be here soon. She’s taking me to the park.” I reached my hand to the sky.

“No, Llona.”

I blocked the empty sadness I heard in his voice, and raised my other hand to the clouds. With neither hand on the ropes, I lost my balance and fell from the swing. I expected to hit the ground, but my always-quick father caught me in his arms and cradled me to his chest.

“I’m so sorry, Llona,” he cried, tears spilling on top of my hair. “I couldn’t protect her. I lost her. I’m so sorry!” Over and over he apologized while he rocked me back and forth.

It seemed I’d stared an eternity into the sky while lying in his arms. One single moment in time lasts an eternity when you realize you’ve lost someone you love more than life. I’d had too many of these moments to all of a sudden be experiencing another one.

But this moment was different from the others. This time something inside me had died. I felt whatever it was flow through my blood like a poisonous virus, and I wondered if I was dying.

I used the last of the borrowed light to lighten the auditorium, and then I collapsed to the stage, the dust of the Vyken only inches from my face.

Just then the doors of the auditorium flew open and Christian rushed in. “Llona!” he called. He was at my side before I could raise my head.

“Llona?” I felt the warmth of his hand on my back.

“Get May,” I managed to say.

He moved away from me and untied May. Very carefully he laid her down and examined her. I slowly moved into a sitting position.

“I’m calling an ambulance,” he said and pulled out his phone.

“Is she going to be okay?”

“I think so, but we need to be sure.”

While he called 911 and explained our location to the operator, I swept my long hair to the side of my neck, covering the two puncture wounds from the Vyken. For some reason they made me feel dirty, and I didn’t want Christian to see them.

As soon as he said good-bye, he returned to my side. “You look like you got the crap kicked out of you.”

“You should see the other guy,” I mumbled.

Christian tensed and glanced around. “Where is the Vyken?

“You mean Mr. Steele?”

Christian was silent, then, “Mr. Steele was the Vyken?”

I nodded.

“I should’ve known,” he said. “How?”

Christian’s jaw clenched. “Where is he?”

“You’re standing on him.”

“What?” He looked down and stepped to the side of the silver ash. “You killed him? How?”

“Long story.”

He shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“I was well trained, I guess.”

He knelt down, his expression granite. “Do you know how dangerous that was? Why did you leave me back there?”

“This was my problem. I wasn’t about to get anyone else killed.” The thought of Tracey, dead on my bed, filled me with great sorrow. I slumped my shoulders. “I got her killed,” I whispered.

“It wasn’t your fault. It was the Vyken that did this, no one else. Do you understand?”

I nodded my head because I knew that would make him feel better, but deep down I would always blame myself. Everything that had happened tonight could’ve been prevented if only I would have left. My selfishness had caused her death.

Christian’s arm came around me. “Everything will be all right. Trust me, okay?”

I nodded again.

“I hate to do this now, but the police and ambulance will be here any second. You have to know what to say.”

“What do you want me to say?”

Christian glanced around the room. “Tell them the truth except for the part where Mr. Steele is a Vyken and you killed him. Since we can’t produce a body, we need them to think he got away.”

“What about May?”

“She probably doesn’t know much. I’ll try and talk to her as soon as she’s awake.”

“She knows everything.”

“What do you mean everything?”

“I told her what I was.”

“Why would you do that?” he asked.

I wished I could get angry, but there was no more fight left. “I needed a friend and so did she. She knows what it’s like to be different.”

“Different as in a social outcast or different as in ‘special’ different?”

I raised my eyes to meet his. “Like me different. She’s a Fury.”

Christian stared at May. “A Fury? This whole time and no one knew?”

“She didn’t know who she was—still doesn’t really.”

A deep voice echoed from the hallway, “Hello?”

“We’re in here,” Christian called.

Two EMTs and one police officer rushed in. Christian bent his head and whispered in my ear. “This will all be over soon.”

*     *     *     *     *

It was the day of graduation. It was supposed to be a day filled with hope for the future, but as I looked around I saw only grief and sadness on the faces of my classmates. Tracey was dead. She had been one of them and had been murdered by someone we had all trusted. Mr. Steele had not only taken Tracey, he’d killed a part of our innocence.

I glanced back at May, sitting two rows behind me. She gave me a weak smile and nodded her head. The big purple bruise on the side of her face had finally faded, but I could see in her eyes that what happened on prom night affected more than just her face.

That night Mr. Steele had sent May a text from Tracey’s phone telling her to meet Tracey at the auditorium. When May showed up and saw Mr. Steele and not Tracey, she didn’t think anything was wrong. She assumed Tracey was late. But as their conversation progressed, and Mr. Steele’s behavior changed from being a teacher to more of an obsessed stalker (she said he was asking all sorts of personal questions about me), she decided to leave. That didn’t sit well with Mr. Steele, who then threw her into a wall.

Using the only way she knew to protect herself, May tried to set him on fire by just thinking about it, but instead, nearby chairs burst into flames, burning the sleeve of his suit. Mr. Steele had been so shocked, that he paused, giving her an opportunity to run, which she didn’t waste. However, it was only a short moment before he’d caught up to her. He had planned on killing her that night, but because she used her ability, he had spared her for some future use we would never know.

One positive thing to come out of all this was it had spurred May into finding out more about herself. The very next day she had called Sophie and told her everything. And although Sophie lacked the compassion that was probably needed for that conversation, she was completely honest in telling May the history of Furies, how she could learn to control fire, and what the future may hold for her. When Sophie extended her an invitation to attend Lucent with me where she could study under an elder Fury, May readily accepted.

I couldn’t have been happier May was coming with me. The last thing I wanted right now was to be in new place all alone.

I glanced up into the bleachers, way in the back, to where Jake sat with Heidi. Next to him, I spotted Christian wearing a baseball cap and a heavy jacket despite the warm weather. He was supposed to be incognito, but to me he stood out like a WWE wrestler at a girl Scout convention.

Since the Vyken had been discovered and killed, the Council no longer felt Christian needed to be my guardian, nor pretend to be a senior anymore. That’s what Sophie told me anyway, but the next day a man four times my age showed up and said he would be my “escort” until I left for Lucent.

Personally I think Christian was removed from being my guardian because the Council thought he’d failed somehow. He was the one that should’ve killed the Vyken, not me. That’s exactly what Sophie had said anyway.

I wouldn’t realize the consequences of what I’d done until much later, but for now I was glad I had killed the Vyken. Maybe too glad. There was a dark part of me, hidden deep within, I felt growing like the stretched shadows of night when the sun sets across the horizon. It frightened me, but I reasoned it had something to do with what I’d endured, and given enough time it would go away. I hoped.

Graduation seemed to last forever, and I could tell by the looks of those around me they agreed too, especially Matt who was sitting a few rows in front of me. A couple of times his head dropped back like he had fallen asleep. I felt particularly sorry for him. He took Tracey’s death pretty hard as he blamed himself. He should’ve picked her up like a normal date, he had told me. I tried to convince him it wasn’t his fault, but when a person feels both guilt and grief, only on their own can they find their way out of the suffocating black hole of depression. Believe me, I know.

Finally, the last speaker finished and the principal asked us to stand while he gave us some final words of wisdom. When it came time to throw our hats into the air, some of us did, but most of us just quietly took them off. And just as quietly, we left the gymnasium and high school behind.

Outside, Jake gave me a dozen roses. “I’m so proud of you,” he said, giving me a hug. “Your parents would be proud too.”

“Thanks. Is Christian still here?” My escort wanted to take May and I to the airport as soon as possible.

“He said he’d see you back at the house,” Jake said.

“Llona?” a familiar voice asked.

I turned around. “Matt. How are you doing?” He had already changed out of his graduation gown. He had dark circles under his eyes, and I wondered how much sleep he was getting.

“I’m okay. I just wanted to say good-bye and wish you well.” He pulled me in for a tight hug.

“So you’re off to D.C., huh?” I said when he finally let go.

“Looks that way. You know it all seemed so important before, but now—I don’t know.”

I took his hand. “It is important. You are important. You are going to do some amazing things in life.”

He glanced away. I followed his gaze. In the distance dark storm clouds lined the horizon. I squeezed his hand, knowing what he was thinking. “That is not your future. You will be happy again soon. I just know it.”

He looked back at me. “I shouldn’t have left her alone,” he said.

“It wasn’t your fault.” The empty sadness in his eyes broke my heart. I did the only thing I could. With just a thought, I transferred my calming Light from my hand to his. The lines in his face relaxed. “You’ll call me, right?” I asked.

He nodded. “Take care of yourself, Llona. There’s no one else like you.”

It was my turn to hug him.

After we said our good-byes, I jumped in the car. May was waiting for me in the back.

“You ready for this?” I asked her.

“So ready. Finally we won’t feel like freaks any more. It’s going to be great.”

I wish I could agree with her, but something told me where we were going wasn’t going to be as wonderful as May wanted to believe.

After our lame escort, who reminded me of Mr. Bean, dropped May off to finish packing, we approached my house. Christian’s car was parked in the driveway.

Doppelganger Mr. Bean turned around. “You’re all packed, yes?” He dabbed at his face with a perfectly white, ironed handkerchief.

“Pretty much. Give me ten minutes.”

He blew his nose. “We’re on a time table.”

“I know. I’ll hurry.” I jumped out of the car.

The moment I walked into the house I knew it was empty. I looked out my bedroom window to find Christian standing outside, his back to me. By his rigid stance I could tell he was upset.

I joined him. “Christian?”

He turned around and forced a smile. “Happy graduation!”

“Right. What are you doing out here?”

“Just thinking.”

“What about?”

Christian nodded his head back toward the house. “You ready for this?”

“I guess. I still wish it was you taking me. Mr. Bean-wanna-be is creeping me out.”

“He’s not that bad.”

“He carries a hanky.”

Christian smiled, but couldn’t laugh.

“So where are you headed?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Not sure yet. They’ll probably send me back to Oregon to train younger guardians again. I doubt I’ll get another ward assigned to me for awhile after the way I screwed up.”

“Screwed up? You saved my life. More than a few times, if I remember correctly.”

He was silent for a moment. “Mr. Bean’s probably waiting for you, huh?”

“He can wait.” I didn’t want our good-bye to be rushed. “I’m glad May’s going with you. It makes me feel better knowing you won’t be alone.”

“Me too, but it will be weird not seeing you. I’ve gotten used to having you around.”