Fractured Soul (7 page)

I moved as quickly and quietly as I could through the thick brush. Peering around a tree, I listened closely. I no longer heard voices talking. Instead, I heard the faint sounds of something moving in the forest toward me. A moment later a Vyken appeared, at least I think it was a Vyken. My body had reacted but not by much, sort of like I’d just spun around a few times.

I didn’t take the time to wonder why this was; I was too busy focusing on his human-like appearance. If he looked normal than he must’ve had an Aura’s blood recently. I inhaled deeply, my whole body filling with an intense rage.

I looked around for whomever he had been talking to but saw no one. The Vyken passed by me, unaware of my location just twenty feet away. I moved out of my hiding place, my footsteps as quiet as his, and with each step, my anger grew. Whatever was happening to me was because of a Vyken. I had killed two before and felt confident I could do it again if given the chance.

I really wanted that chance.

“You look lost!” I called, and I smiled when the Vyken visibly jerked.

He turned around. His face was narrow with a long thin nose and high nostrils that were flaring—unless this was his permanent expression. I didn’t plan on letting him live long enough to find out.

His mouth opened, revealing a growing set of fangs. “You’re the one that’s lost, Riding Hood. Didn’t your grandmother tell you to stay away from the woods?”

“That’s all you’ve got? Your Nana’s bedtime stories?”

The Vyken began to circle around me. He was at least a head taller, and for a brief moment I wondered if maybe this had been a mistake—an awful impulsive move that might have severe consequences.

Oh well. Too late now.

The Vyken looked toward the school. His head tilted. “If it wasn’t for your foolish behavior, I’d guess you were an Aura.”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

He glanced around. “Do your little Light buddies know you’re out here picking a fight?”

I snorted, then laughed. “You think any of them would come out here in the dark?” There I go again. Why was I bashing the Auras, like I was better than them?

The Vyken frowned, forcing his nostrils up to an impossible length. “If you aren’t an Aura, then what are you?”

I brought my fists up. “What does it matter? Just fight me already!”

“You want death?” He took two steps toward me.

“Yes. Yours.”

He laughed. “You couldn’t kill a rat.”

In one leap, I cleared the distance between us and kicked him in the face. He stumbled backward, startled, but quickly regained his composure. “I don’t have time for this,” he said. He attempted to connect his hardened fist with my face, but I easily dodged it. I swung my leg around toward his back, but he was ready. He ducked and used both hands to shove me into a tree.

I gasped as air exploded from my chest. While I sucked air back in, I created a tight ball of Light and tossed it at him. It cut through his jacket and into his side. He doubled over. “What the—”

Rushing him again, my earlier anger now turned to jubilation. I was actually enjoying this!

In my mind, I calculated my next move, sure it would end the fight in my favor. I was about to execute the plan when the Vyken caught me off guard. Faster than I could blink, he appeared behind me, and a hairy, cold arm wrapped around my throat.

I frantically reached behind me in an attempt to get at his face, but he leaned away. Unable to reach his head, I placed my hands on his arm and ignited them with Light. He cried out, but instead of loosening his grip, he tightened harder, making my Light sputter until it died.

His elongated face was inches from mine, and his hot breath steamed my neck. Long fangs extended in his open mouth and his head drew back like a cobra preparing to strike.

A burst of red exploded behind my eyes, and I felt myself losing consciousness. I was about to throw my head back as hard as I could in hopes of breaking his nose, when all of a sudden his body was pulled off me. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

I thought it might’ve been Christian, but then I heard a deep and unfamiliar voice say, “You’ve made your last mistake, Kull.”

The Vyken stood up and brushed himself off. “Liam. I heard you were around.”

“I see you’re still getting yourself into trouble,” the other man, Liam, said.

Kull said, “I didn’t start this fight.”

Liam stepped next to me. “Do you expect me to believe that?”

When my vision cleared, I looked up. Liam was tall with broad shoulders. He looked young—early twenties maybe—with short black hair and strong features, but his powerful presence suggested he was much older.

“Believe what you want,” Kull said. “I was only defending myself.”

Liam studied Kull for a moment. “Why are you out here?”

“Why are
you
out here?” Kull countered.

Liam straightened, making him appear even taller. “If you don’t answer, you know what I’ll do to you, right?”

Kull’s eyes flashed to the forest and then to Liam, as if judging the distance. He blinked once and bolted for the nearest group of trees. Liam reached behind his back and unsheathed a weapon. He whipped his arm forward, releasing a crescent-shaped blade. It sliced through the air until it struck Kull’s neck, cutting his head cleanly off his body.

While the dust of Kull’s body exploded, Liam turned to me. His dark eyes regarded me steadily. When he finally spoke, I expected to hear sympathy, maybe an, “Are you all right?” but instead I got, “You need to get back to Lucent.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but coughed instead. My throat still ached from being squeezed. Barely louder than a whisper, I said, “Why’s that?”

“Auras don’t leave the school.”

I stood up and cleared my throat. “Who said I was an Aura?”

“Please. You reek of Light,” he paused and looked me up and down, “and something else. What’s wrong with you?”

I was about to deck him when I realized that my head was spinning, but faintly, like I’d stood up too quickly. “You’re a Vyken,” I said.

His eyes widened. “Wow. I haven’t been called that in a long time.”

“Why? Is that too nice of a term?” I lowered into a defensive position in case he attacked, but he was frowning and staring at me funny. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.

He shook his head with a puzzled expression. “There’s something wrong with you. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“There’s something wrong with me? You’re the monster.”

“So you say.” He glanced behind me. “You need to go. It’s not safe.”

“Don’t you want to kill me, drink my blood so you can suck all the precious Light right out of me?”

“That’s what you automatically assume, isn’t it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? That’s what you suckers live for.”

For the first time, his calm expression cracked. “If you are so anxious to die, I would be happy to oblige, but right now I have more important things to do than deal with a confused Aura.” With one downward sweep of his arm, his whole body twisted, then swirled as if he were turning into a small tornado. In a burst of wind that ruffled my hair, he was gone.

“I’m not confused!” I called after him. I stood alone in the quiet forest, wondering what I’d just seen. A Vyken who can disappear like wind and pass up the chance to kill an Aura?

I turned around and walked back to the school, keeping my head on a swivel in case any more Vykens appeared. So much for that being a rarity. Someone had lied to Christian, and I couldn’t wait to find out who. Not only that, but what Liam had said shook me up. How could he have known I felt confused?

I was almost to the wall when I heard, “What are you doing out here again?” I glanced over. Jackson was jogging toward me.

“Hey,” I said and kept walking.

“I can’t believe you came out here again after what happened.”

“Believe it.”

“Could you stop walking for a second?” he asked.

I stopped and turned around.

“Hey? What happened to your face?”

I reached up and felt a swollen cheekbone.

“Like you said, it’s not safe out here.”

Jackson grabbed my arms. “What happened? Did a Vyken attack you?”

“I attacked it.” I started walking again.

“You did what?”

“I attacked it,” I said, louder this time.

“What were you thinking? You could have been killed!”

“I’m still breathing.”

He stopped following me. “I’m going to have to report this.”

This got my attention, and I whirled around. “Please don’t say anything. I’ll be more careful next time, I promise.”

“Why do you keep coming out here anyway?”

Now there’s the real question of the day. “I don’t know. It just feels so stuffy in there,” I nodded my head toward the school. “Know what I mean?”

“But that’s where you belong. You’re safe and protected there.”

“I don’t need protection.”

He reached up and touched my cheek lightly. “Obviously you do,” he said.

I pushed his hand away. “You should see the other guy. What’s left of him anyway.”

“You killed another Vyken?”

“Um, technically, no, but I distracted him long enough so another Vyken could kill him.”

Jackson looked at me skeptically. “What?”

“Twisted, right? But I’m telling the truth. This other Vyken came and killed the one I was fighting. And then he sort of, well, he turned into this crazy wind and disappeared.”

Jackson stiffened. “What did you just say?”

“Which part?”

“The Vyken wind part. Actually, just start from the beginning. What exactly happened?”

I told him about my fight with Kull and how Liam had shown up. “After Liam insulted me, he just disappeared, literally.”

“That’s not possible,” Jackson said.

“It’s very possible. It happened right before my eyes.”

“You mean you
think
you saw it,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “I know what I saw. Christian would believe me,” I said like a five-year-old. I glanced down at my watch. Not much longer until we were supposed to meet.

“Of course he would.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Let’s just say that Christian would say anything to get with a girl, even an Aura.”

I stepped toward him. “You don’t know him.”

“Don’t I? I only trained with him for three years. How long have you known him?”

I didn’t answer.

“That’s what I thought. You can’t possibly know what Christian is like. He was one of the biggest screw-offs, caring more for girls than our sacred duty to the Auras.”

“I don’t believe you. Christian takes his position very seriously.”

“Is that why your friend—Tracey, right?—ended up dead and you almost died too?”

I slapped him hard.

Jackson closed his eyes briefly and clenched his jaw. “I guess I deserved that. Look, all I’m trying to say is you don’t know Christian well enough to be singing his praise. What happened out in the forest with the Vyken turning to wind just can’t happen, even if Christian tells you otherwise.”

We stood next to the wall in silence for several moments, me looking toward the forest and him looking at me. Finally Jackson said, “I know you’ll probably hate me, but your safety comes first. I have to report this.”

“Do what you have to do,” I said and walked away. Christian and I would have to meet up another time. I didn’t dare risk getting him in trouble too. Besides, I didn’t want him to see me this mad.

“Are you all right?” May asked at breakfast. She sat next to me along with another girl with dark hair almost matching May’s, but it was longer. I’d seen her in some of my classes.

I stopped stirring my scrambled eggs. All I could think about was what had happened with Liam last night. Had I made any of it up? Had I finally lost my mind? “I’m fine. Late night studying is all.”

“Again?”

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“A little.”

“Are you taking your vitamins?” the other girl said, eyeing the little blue pill next to my plate. “Oh, by the way, I’m Kiera. I’ve seen you around.”

“Hey,” I said and picked up the vitamin. “A super pill. Wouldn’t that be great?” I popped it into my mouth and swallowed it.

“Hey, I forgot to tell you,” May said. “I’m in your PE class now. You’re in it too, right, Kiera?”

Kiera smiled and nodded.

“Really? How come?” I asked.

“Dr. Han rearranged my schedule. I think he could tell I was getting bored not having kids the same age in any of my classes.”

“That was nice of him.”

May pointed at my face. “Why is your cheek so red?”

“Is it?” When I’d gotten back last night, my cheek had been swollen a deep purple. I was afraid I would have to make up a story about falling down the stairs or something, but by this morning it had almost healed.

“Hey, Llona,” Ashlyn said from the next table over. “Any ghostly visits lately?” Twitters of laughter from the girls around her accompanied her words.

“Hey, Ashlyn,” I mocked. “How about cluing me in on your stupid joke?”

“Just ignore her,” Kiera said. “She’s like that with everyone.”

Just then I noticed the room had grown strangely quiet. I looked around to discover the source.
Christian
. My heart somersaulted. He was with Jackson and another Guardian, heading toward the teacher’s table. Several of the girls were giggling and looking in their direction. They did stand out, especially Christian. He was taller than the other two, his hair longer, messy just past his ears. He glanced at me, the corners of his mouth threatening a smile.

“Wow,” May said, her voice low. “You’re all aglow.”

I blushed and quickly looked down. Right now my heart was overpowering my mind.

May nudged me. “Maybe you can set me up with one of his friends. They’re not so bad either.”

“Wish I could have some of that,” Kiera said, and May laughed.

I nodded and forced myself to take a bite.
I will not look up. I will not look up
, I said to myself over and over.

“Hello, Llona.”

I looked up. Christian was standing next to me.