Minutes Before Sunset (19 page)

34

She was in our usual spot, and I rushed to her side before she’d sensed my arrival. “We have to get out of here,” I said, grabbing her hand as she gaped at me.

“What?” she asked, dragging her feet along the grass as I led her away from the forest. My father had sent the entire force out to find her, and we’d be caught if we stayed close to the shelter. “What’s going on?”

I pointed to the sky, and her purple eyes darted up. Streaks of green and blue soared against the blackness, and her grasp tightened. “What are those?”

“Shade energy,” I said, lifting her into the air as I soared along the river. We were flying. “They found out about us.”

“How?”

“I’ll explain in a minute,” I said, and the water flicked behind us as we passed over it. She steadied herself, let go of my hand, and flew by my side as we curved around the river bend. A cluster of trees—ones that I knew led to the school—hung over the edge, and she sped up, dipping into them.

She laid her feet on the ground, and the trees blew. I landed next to her, and the leaves waved between our faces. I pushed them away. “We’ll be okay here.”

“It isn’t that far from our usual spot,” she said, allowing her gaze to linger behind me.

I ignored her and wrapped my arms around her torso. She squeaked, surprised by my sudden embrace, but leaned into my chest. Her hand tapped against my ribcage. “Shoman,” she breathed. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” I said, laying my hand against her hair.

She leaned back, looking into my eyes. “I was worried about you, too.”

“I’m okay.”

She smiled, staring at her hand as she spread her fingers over my shirt. “I know that now.”

I held my breath. Did she feel the same way about me?
She had to.

“Are you in trouble?” she asked.

“They sensed our power,” I admitted. “But I don’t want you to be involved.”

Her eyes widened. “They’re looking for me?”

I nodded. “I’m not comfortable with it either.”

Her hand curled into a fist. “Is it the Light?”

“No.”
Not that I know of.

Her brow furrowed. “Then what’s the problem?”

I wanted to tell her that she was the third descendant, to explain the prophecy, but I couldn’t, and she frowned at my silence.

“You can’t tell me,” she said, and I looked away.

“It’s complicated,” I said. “Did you use any of your powers?”

She shook her head. “Believe me, I took your word to heart. I haven’t even transformed until tonight.”

“Good,” I sighed, knowing she could’ve been tracked. We both could be, but I could defend myself. “Are you feeling okay?”

Her shoulders dropped. “I’ve been exhausted.”

“That’s expected after activating your powers,” I explained, knowing the descendant power came with faults. It completely drained me the first time.

“The descendant powers,” she said, biting her lip, and I knew what was coming. “Did you figure out what I am?”

Yes.
“Not exactly,” I said. “But you aren’t Darthon. You don’t have to worry.”

She folded her arms and leaned into me. “But the war.” Her words shivered through my chest. “If you’re the first descendant that means you have to fight. You have to win.”

“I know.”

Her forehead pressed against my sternum. “How long do you have?”

“Less than a year.”

She laid her hands on my hips and stepped backward. “But—”

“I won’t be alone,” I said, trying to calm her. “The Dark will be with me.” Hopefully.
It wasn’t guaranteed. In fact, it was more likely I would be alone, but I couldn’t tell her that. She’d be upset.

“I want to help,” she said, and I froze.

“No.”

She dropped her hands. “Why not?” she asked. “I have powers. I can help.”

“You aren’t going near the Light,” I said, knowing her life was more precious than mine was. They could absorb her, whatever that meant, and her death would cause their success. I couldn’t risk it. I wouldn’t.

She folded her arms. “Whether you like it or not, I’m going to help. I’m here to stay, Shoman, or have you forgotten that?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It isn’t that simple.”

“Then make it that simple.”

I can’t.
“You aren’t fighting, and it isn’t up for negotiation.”

She dug her toes into the dirt and snapped a leaf off a branch. She fiddled with it in her hands and sat down, tearing it down the middle. “But I’m capable—”

I sat next to her. “I know you’re capable,” I said, sighing. “But it’s too dangerous, and you’re not going to get hurt because of my inability to fight.”

Her mouth opened. “You’re protecting me from something.”

My shoulders tensed. “Why do you say that?”

The leaf sparkled purple beneath her touch. “I can read you better than you think,” she said. “You aren’t confident about defeating this Darthon guy, huh?”

I laid my arms on my knees. I had yet to tell her about Fudicia. “I don’t know what to expect from him,” I admitted.

She eyed me. “Or from yourself.” I tensed, and she leaned against me. “I’m not trying to upset you,” she said. “I’m just trying to figure this out, and it’s hard when you don’t tell me everything—or anything, for that matter.”

My jaw popped. “It’s better if I don’t.”

She was quiet, and her cold cheek pressed against my bicep. “I’m worried about you. I care about you.”

My stomach churned. Was she supposed to love me, too?
I didn’t know.

“Don’t worry about me,” I said, fighting my emotions away. “I’ll be fine.”

“I can’t lose you, Shoman.”

I straightened up, and whiplash stung my neck as I turned to her. Tears pressed against her eyes, and my stomach twisted. “You’re not going to lose me,” I said, but she turned away. “Hey.” I moved toward and leaned over. “Look at me.” She didn’t move. “Please look at me.”

I touched her chin, lifting her face, and she blinked, pushing tears back. “You really think you’re going to lose me?” I asked, and she almost nodded. I kissed her. She tensed, and I moved back, looking into her eyes. “You aren’t.”

“Then let me help,” she said, and I grabbed her hand.

“I can’t,” I said. “You need to trust that. You need to trust me.”

“And I do—”

“Then forget about the battle,” I said, running my thumb over the back of her hand. “Please.”

She bit her quavering lip, but she didn’t nod. “I can pretend to,” she said. “But I won’t.”

I sighed, opening my mouth to argue, but she placed a finger on my lips. She smiled, “I may not know all the details,” she said. “But I know you’re in trouble, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and kissed her finger. I loved being near her. “We should talk about something else—”

“About how much I care for you?” Her voice was sharp, but her eyes were soft. My jaw locked, and she hugged her knees, laying her chin on them. She blinked, and the purple color glowed in the shadows of the trees. “I don’t know how I can feel this much when I barely know you, but I do.”

Her words explained everything I felt, and I knew I couldn’t deny it anymore. I was falling in love with her, and she was falling in love with me. It was fated, decided before any of us were born, and I hated it as much as I loved it. I could barely stand it.

“I don’t know either,” I whispered, and she scooted closer, lying on my lap. I leaned back, placing my hands on the dirt, and she stared up at me.

“Do you think fate’s possible?” she asked, and I stiffened.

Fate was a reality, but it wasn’t a beautiful or angelic thing. It was a heart-wrenching nightmare. And we’d fallen blindly into it. We had no escape. It was happening, and it was up to me to guarantee our survival of it.

“Yes,” I said. “I think it’s very possible.”

She smiled and pulled me down to kiss me, even though I knew she wouldn’t if she understood the ramifications of it all. Her kiss could kill us, and my consent signed our death certificates, selfishly and without control.

35

“If you put off dress shopping any longer, I’m going to write a nasty rumor about you in my column,” Crystal said, sliding into the booth next to me. It was after school, and, for once, I’d taken the time to hang out with my only friends.

“I can’t go tonight,” I said. “I’m busy.”

“Jess,” she whined like a child. “You promised you’d go before prom, and it’s two weeks away.”

“Which means we have two weeks to shop,” I said, drumming my nails across the sticky table. She glared at me, and I sighed. “I promise I’ll go, just not tonight. Please.”

Robb joined us with burgers as Crystal flicked her tongue over her lip piercing. “But I want to go tonight.”

“I’m busy.”

“With what?” she asked. “You’re always busy, and you don’t even tell me why.”

I sighed. “It’s nothing, really.” Just searching for my parents and hesitating to ask for your mother’s help.

“Then ditch it,” Crystal said, and Robb groaned.

“Leave it alone, Crystal,” he said, biting into his cheeseburger. “I’m sure Jess has good reasons. Right, Jess?” He winked.

I dropped eye contact. “Right.”

Crystal sighed and picked at her fries. “Fine,” she said. “But I expect you to go next weekend, no arguments.”

“Deal.”

Crystal reached over and grabbed the ketchup, filling her plate with it. “So,” she began, twirling a fry in the mess. “Have you found a date yet?” she asked me, and Robb choked.

“No,” I said, ignoring his reaction. “I’m kind of a go-single-to-avoid-drama sort of a girl.”

“Good,” Crystal said, munching on her food. “I was afraid you’d bring some random guy with us.”

“It’s not like I even know anyone else,” I said, and Crystal rolled her eyes.

“For all I knew, you had a boyfriend from Georgia that was coming up.”

My jaw opened. “Don’t you think I would’ve mentioned that?”

“No,” Robb and Crystal spoke at the same time.

I dropped my gaze. I guess I didn’t tell them as much about my life as they’d told me about theirs. “Well, I don’t—have a boyfriend, I mean.”

“Do you want one?” Robb asked, and Crystal sat up, leaned across the table, and smacked his arm.

“You have Linda,” she said, and he shrugged.

“Our relationship isn’t defined,” he said, and Crystal’s eyes turned to slits.

“Would she say the same thing?”

He didn’t react, and Crystal smacked herself on the forehead. “You’re impossible, Robb.”

“What?” he asked, and fries fell out of his mouth. “Prom is the best time to meet new friends.”

“You mean girls,” Crystal said, curling her lip.

“Friends,” he repeated.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know friends sucked one another’s faces off,” she said, and he threw his hands in the air.

“I don’t suck face with them,” he said, stumbling over Crystal’s diction.

She held her hand up. “Don’t defend your raging teenage-boy hormones,” she said. “I’m sick of it. You always bring girls around.”

His brown eyes blinked. “I’m not bringing anyone to prom.”

“Not yet.”

“Come on, guys,” I said, waving my hand between them. “Stop arguing.”

“Easy enough for you to say,” Crystal said. “You haven’t watched Robb drool over every girl with two legs since you were able to walk yourself.”

Robb sighed. “I’m not that bad.”

Crystal flayed around. “You flirted with my cousin.”

“So?”

“You were fourteen,” she said, leaning on her hand. “And she was twenty.”

I giggled, slapping my hand over my mouth. “That’s pretty ridiculous, Robb,” I said, and he grinned.

“You didn’t see her cousin,” he said. “She was hot.”

Crystal banged her forehead against the table. “That’s my family member you’re talking about.”

“Well, you have a hot family.”

She groaned. “I don’t even know why I’m friends with you.”

“Lighten up, Hutchins,” he said, chewing on his burger. “I’m only joking.”

“Your joking is about to make me sick,” she said, glancing up from the table. “And that cousin is an alcoholic stripper now.”

Robb chuckled. “Explains why she was so much fun.”

Crystal sat up to hit him again, but I pulled her back. “Relax,” I laughed, and she groaned, leaning against me.

“Let’s go do something else, please,” she said. “This burger joint is too small, and I don’t like where this conversation is going.”

“Okay,” Robb said, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.

The waitress darted our way.

He cursed, and Crystal’s jaw dropped. “Don’t tell me you forgot your money again.”

He smiled. “Don’t worry,” he said, returning his wallet. “I got this.”

“Watch this,” Crystal whispered as the waitress neared our table.

“Here’s your check,” she said, and Robb stood up, inches from her.

“Greta,” he said as I recognized her from school. “I had no idea you worked here.”

Her pasty cheeks burned crimson. “Yeah,” was all she could manage.

Robb ran a hand through his thick hair. “I wish I’d known you worked here. I’d come in more often.”

Greta lit up. “You would?”

“Definitely,” he said. “I really enjoy talking to you in—math—er—history class.”

“Art class,” she corrected, tilting her head. “And I don’t think we’ve talked before.”

Robb smiled, leaning closer. “We should.”

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. He had this girl completely under his spell, utterly and pathetically love struck. She might as well have been hypnotized.

“So we should chill sometime,” he said, flipping open his empty wallet “Let me write down my number.” He stopped. “I don’t have any paper.”

She fumbled with the check and turned it over. “You can write on this.”

“Thanks,” he said, stealing the pen right off her ear. She shuddered.

Please.

“Call me tonight; we could do something,” he said, handing it back to her as he stared into his wallet. “Or not.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked, and he revealed the emptiness.

“Looks like I can’t afford it,” he said. “I left my money at home.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, laying her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll take care of the bill. You can make it up to me when you can.”

He raised his brow. “I can’t let you do that.”

“I insist,” she said, and he nodded, smiling.

“Thanks, Greta.”

“See you later,” she said, bounding off to the kitchen.

Robb fell back in the booth and laid his arm on the back of the chair. “Told you I’d take care of it,” he said, and I shook my head.

“I cannot believe you.”

He shrugged. “I got you two out of your bill, too.”

“It’s the only reason I let him get away with it. I couldn’t afford burgers without his charm,” Crystal said, scooting out of the booth. “Let’s get out of here.”

I sprang up, ready to leave. I’d feel too guilty watching Greta walk around in her bliss. Robb would break her heart, and he probably wouldn’t lose sleep over it. But he was my friend, and so was Crystal. My life was finally coming into place, but I couldn’t feel more unsettled.

If I’d learned anything, it was how easily life could turn around. When everything was right, something was bound to go wrong. I could only hope it wouldn’t be as bad as I was expecting.