Kai was feeling pretty cold, and only now realised that his torso was exposed to the chilly air. He agreed, and let her lead him back to the cabin. Inside, he could feel the cosy fire heating up the entire ground floor of the house, slowly burning away the chill that was sinking into his bones. ‘I’ll make us some coffee, while you go upstairs and get something warm on,’ she said, motioning towards the kitchen.
‘Thanks,’ he agreed.
Once upstairs, a very angry-looking Astrid greeted him. ‘Astrid, what the hell are you doing here?’ he asked stunned. Astrid stood in the corner of his room, throwing daggers at him with her eyes. ‘Did you not listen to one single word I told you?’ she hissed.
‘What are you talking about?’ He asked astonished at her overwhelming anger.
‘Shifters are cursed, Kai. We are not allowed to fall in love with humans!’ She blasted.
‘Is there really a need for such a melodramatic display?’ he asked angrily.
‘You are making a huge mistake Kai,’ she said, marching over to him. ‘Stay away from the human. Or this will not end well.’
‘You have no right to tell me who I can and cannot be with!’ He hissed back furiously. Astrid looked shocked and took a step back. ‘Have it your way. But she’s no good for you Kai,’ she said, anger disappearing from her face.
‘Why are you being like this?’ He prodded.
‘You should forget about the human. She doesn’t belong in your world, our world. It’s just not right.’
‘I don’t get why you’re so irrational, Astrid? Why are you so mad about this? Sienna is fine with everything. She knows everything.’
‘Everything? Are you mad? Humans aren’t allowed to know about our world! It’s forbidden.’
‘She won’t tell anybody. I trust her,’ he tried to explain.
‘Ugh Kai,’ she said, putting her hands in her hair, frustrated. ‘You just don’t get it.’ Her eyes were wild with fury again, which almost scared Kai, but he knew that something else was bothering her, something that she wasn’t telling him.
‘Why is this upsetting you so much?’ he questioned, as she rapidly walked around the room. ‘You know this can be dangerous to all of us, don’t you?’ She asked. ‘I don’t see how Astrid. Don’t you think that you’re overreacting just a little bit? Just get to know Sienna, and I’m sure the two of you will be trying on dresses together in no time.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘Excuse me? No, I highly doubt that your new little girlfriend and I will become bosom buddies any time soon. This is all way out of her league. Her dainty human body is not built for our world Kai. I know you can’t see this right now, but soon, it will all be much clearer. You need to trust me on this.’
‘No Astrid, I cannot trust you on this. I thought you were my friend. This is ridiculous, you should be happy for me, but all you are doing is throwing rocks at someone you don’t even know.’
‘True, but I know enough, and I can tell you now – you need to stay focused.’
‘On what?’
‘Do you really think our lives are just as simple as “oh, yippee, we can turn into other beings and it stays like that” umm, no!’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘We aren’t just hunters Kai. We are defenders.’
‘I’m not following you, at all,’ he said, exasperated.
‘I gathered as much.’
‘Now isn’t the time to start mocking me,’ he fumed.
She fell down on the bed. ‘Some shifters aren’t, well, as at ease with humans as you might be. They hunt them and kill them. They torture them and play with them before they tear them apart. In some of us, I guess, our human part is still strong, but in others, there is more of the beast than their human side, and this is how Quinn is winning his war on Zai’s children.
‘Shifters are in a constant battle for our mere existence. The others aren’t happy to be kept a secret from the fragile humans, but some of us actually have brains in our heads – we would like our world to be secret – none of these humans will be able to handle our kind.
‘We’re too different for their perfect world. To them, we’ll be a threat. They will hunt us, persecute us and eventually...’ she became silent. ‘Eventually our very existence on this planet will end.’
‘Okay, so? We need to protect shifters and humans -ironic for you huh?’ Kai teased.
‘Oh shut up,’ she snapped.
‘Why are you so afraid of this, what’s his name … Quinn? I’m not letting him dictate to me who I can and cannot be with.’
‘You are being so stupid!’ Astrid fumed.
‘I think you should rather leave now,’ he said. Anger and impatience were getting the best of him.
‘What?’ She asked shocked.
‘You heard me Astrid. Get out.’
Surprise showed in her eyes as she got up from the bed and motioned over to the window. Kai stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact. She flashed him one last hurtful look before she disappeared into the night.
CHAPTER 15
Kai glared after Astrid as she leaped through the window, their conversation repeating itself over and over again in his mind. When he eventually returned downstairs, Sienna was confused by his sudden state of mood and excused herself to give him some space.
‘I apologise for being so spaced out,’ he said as he saw her off, ‘I’m just really tired and need to get some sleep.’
‘It’s okay,’ she smiled, standing on her toes as he kissed her gently.
‘You're so great, you know that,’ he said, making her blush and look away. She smiled and moved out of his embrace, waving goodbye as she drove off in her car. Kai couldn’t help feeling uneasy about all of this and his conversation with Astrid.
He stood on the porch for a long while after he watched Sienna’s car disappear into the distance. Over and over the words Astrid had spewed at him spun around in his head. A sickening feeling was building in his stomach. Astrid’s voice was so loud, he almost wanted to scream to block it out, block her out of his thoughts. Banish her existence from his conscience. Stay away from the human. She does not belong in our world. Frustrated, Kai grabbed at his hair, wishing Astrid away. Why would she say that? he thought. He looked up at the moon, which was glowing big and bright, with a curious-looking ring encircling it - almost as if it was foretelling something - warning him about something to come. Kai sighed and went inside the house. All he could hope for was that Astrid would calm down. However, he wasn’t too sure of that.
****
That night, nightmares, once again, plagued his dreams, making sleep almost impossible. He woke in frenzy, dripping with sweat, every time the dreams became too unbearable - too real.
Each time he fell back to sleep, he dreamt of school - it was still early and no one had arrived at school yet. Fluorescent lights lit up the darkened hallways and stacks of lockers lined the walls. For some reason he wasn’t himself – he was Sienna. He could feel everything she was feeling. She was feeling excited this morning and energised, even though she hadn’t slept one wink the night before. She still couldn’t believe that Kai trusted her so much to tell her his big secret. She thought of him all night – of his magnificent green eyes, his gleaming white teeth that could have ripped a hole in her shoulder if he’d wanted to and yet, what he’d done was the complete opposite.
The world was spinning, but in a good way. When she got up this morning, she’d decided to put on a light white dress to accompany her mood, along with silver flats, and a light, red summer cardigan that kept the spring wind at bay. She couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next and what this all meant for her and Kai. Every time she thought of him her heart skipped a beat.
A giggle escaped her mouth as she thought of his tall muscular frame holding her tightly. It was enough to make her melt on the spot. Nothing seemed more perfect. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against her locker, thinking of the night before. She pulled her jersey tighter around her as a chilly
wind swept through the corridor, sending shivers down her arms. It all made sense now – his strange behaviour, disappearances and him shunning her. But that was all over now, and they could finally be together.
‘Day-dreaming?’ a voice asked softly, close to her ear. Sienna got a fright and jump sideways.
A young girl, about her own age, was standing beside her, looking as if she was trying to drink her in, trying to read her mind.
‘Who are you?’ she stuttered, stepping away. Her heart thumped in her throat. ‘Wow, you actually scared me there for a second,’ she tittered nervously. ‘Are you new here?’
‘You could say that,’ the girl replied.
‘Well then; welcome - I’m Sienna,’ she replied, holding out her hand in greeting.
‘I know who you are,’ the girl said, ignoring the gesture.
‘Oh, okay. How’s that?’
‘Let's just say, we have common interests.’
‘Such as?’ Sienna asked, raising her eyebrows.
‘Kai,’ the girl replied, bluntly.
‘I’m sorry? I’m not following you?’ Sienna began to feel extremely nervous. The girl, with her strange-looking black eyes with silver circles, was standing awfully close and starting to scare her with the way she looked at her. The girl gazed at her sideways, analysing her.
‘Really, I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Sienna repeated.
‘I can see what he sees in you. Pretty. For a human. And just as fragile as a twig.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Sienna repeated, her voice shaking. Her heart felt as if it was about to jump out of her throat. Suddenly, the chill in the air got colder and the empty school hallways seemed to feel isolating – even though the girl was standing so close to her. She looked around, hopelessly searching for someone to enter the school building, but there was no one to be seen anywhere. ‘I really have to go now,’ Sienna said in an attempt to escape from the girl who was making her feel more and more uncomfortable by the second. She stepped backwards, putting some space between her and the stranger.
‘I’m not finished,’ the girl persisted.
‘Umm, yes, I think you are,’ Sienna said, deciding that she needed to get out of there quickly. She turned around and walked away, her footsteps moving quickly. Soon, she broke out into a desperate run. Her soft shoes barely made a sound on the floor as her feet moved faster and faster. She didn’t dare look back. Rows and rows of lockers flew by her, causing a haze through her tunnel vision, which was focussed on the exit sign. She was scared that if she looked back, she would find the strange girl right on her heels; following her every step.
She didn’t hear anything, so she was sure she wasn’t being pursued. Finally, she came to a stop at the door leading away from the school, into an open clearing. There should be students out there, she thought, hopeful. Her heart beat faster as she tugged at the door. It wouldn’t open. She pushed and slammed at the door, but it wouldn’t give way.
She could feel her knees go weak beneath her. She looked behind her frantically but there was no one there. Still, she could feel the strange girl’s presence, as if she was haunting her – following her, even if she couldn’t see her. She tried again to move the door and finally decided to give it one hard kick. It finally opened, flying against the wall, leading out onto the open field, which was engulfed by thick fog transcending down the mountains and surrounding the school ground. She could hardly see her hand before her. There was nobody outside – no one she could see. She started running down the stairs, holding tightly onto the railing to prevent herself from falling. The further she ran from the building, the thicker the fog became. She was scared and wanted to backtrack, but the fog wouldn’t let her, engulfing her. She looked around her desperately, but she couldn’t even see the building or the steps anymore. The thick fog surrounded her, doling at her like blackjacks. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she stumbled forward – fear filling her every sense.
She could feel the stranger’s eyes watching her. She didn’t know why she was so scared but she felt, no, she knew, she had to run. She came upon a concrete path, that she felt certain would lead her somewhere. The fog made the school grounds, which she knew so well, almost impossible to recognise. Every step she took was new to her. She wiped furiously at her tears, which was blurring her vision. She kept wishing Kai were there.
I’m being so stupid, she thought. Why am I so bloody scared of this girl? And why am I running? Compose yourself Sienna. There is nothing to be scared of, she thought, trying to convince herself.
‘Oh, but there is’, a voice rang loudly in her mind. There are lots you should be scared of dear little Sienna. ‘It’s all in your mind. Stop thinking like this. Soon you’ll see everyone, the sun will break through the fog and you’ll feel ridiculous,’ she said aloud to break the deafening silence that surrounded her.
‘Oh, no, dear Sienna. It is not just in your mind,’ the voice rang out again.
This time, she was sure that she wasn’t thinking it. ‘Who’s there?’ she asked, panic resonating in her voice.
‘Come on Sienna, let’s dance,’ the voice came again.
‘What do you want from me?’ Sienna screamed. Laughter circled her from all directions and soon she couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. ‘Damn it! Go away!’ Sienna shrieked.
‘Not until you listen!’ the voice yelled back.
Suddenly, the strange-looking girl was standing right beside her – so close that Sienna could smell her strawberry-flavoured breath. Sienna’s heartbeat fastened when she realised the girl didn’t look human. She looked … evil. Sienna stumbled backwards and lost her footing, falling hard on her back.
‘If Kai had just listened to me, all of this could have been avoided,’ the strange girl said, sadly shaking her head.
‘What does this have to do with Kai - what do you want from me?’
‘I want you to stay away from Kai. You are no good for him!’ the girl shouted, suddenly upon her, flashing sharp fangs.
Sienna’s eyes grew wide at the sight, letting out a deep, hard breath of fear. The girl picked her up by her clothes as if she weighed nothing. Dangling her body in the air, as if she were floating. Sienna kicked viciously trying to free herself from the girl’s powerful grip and landed one on the girl’s shin. She didn’t flinch. Sienna dug her nails deep into the girls iron skin without making a mark. ‘Put me down you freak!’
‘Not until you listen,’ the girl breathed in her ear. Sienna could feel her fangs rubbing against her neck.
‘I could rip your throat apart in one go, so listen carefully.’ This time she whispered, a long, high-pitched whisper that pierced Sienna’s ears as if she was screaming at her. ‘You are playing with fire. Stay away from Kai. This will be the last time I warn you.’
She let go, and Sienna slumped to the floor. She looked up and realised there was nobody around her. She gazed around – her eyes still wide with fear, but the strange girl with the fangs was gone and so was the fog.
****
Kai sat up bewildered when a sound of his mother’s voice awakened him from his nightmare. He had the weirdest dream of Sienna and it felt all too real. He could sense that something was wrong and grabbed his phone by his bedside and started dialing Sienna’s number but her phone went into voice mail.
His bedside clock reminded him that he had to get up and get ready for school. He grabbed his school clothes and got dressed as fast as he could. He left his mother a note to say he had extra class this morning and hoped she would fall for yet another lie.
CHAPTER 16
When Kai arrived at school, Sienna jumped to her feet faster than they could move and she stumbled a little. She ran to Kai and grabbed him tightly around the waist, almost knocking him over. ‘Oh Kai, I’m so glad you’re finally here,’ she said, sobbing into his shirt.
‘Sienna, what’s wrong?’ he questioned worried.
‘It was horrible. She was awful. I had no way of escap
ing her,’ she rambled.
‘Whoa, whoa,’ he said, wrapping his arms around her.
‘What’s going on? Who are you talking about?’ Sienna hiccupped emotionally.
She couldn’t speak anymore and Kai didn’t prod any further, as he already knew what had happened. He just stood there, holding her until she stopped sobbing; calming her down as he gently stroked her hair. She looked up at him, and his eyes harden to see her so upset.
‘Damn it, I’m so sorry Kai, I didn’t mean to be so dramatic,’ she said looking embarrassed.
‘What happened to you Sienna? Why are you so upset?’ he asked. The schoolyard was already clearing and soon they were left standing alone outside.
‘I was here early. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I decided to come to school for an early ballet practice,’ she started after composing herself. ‘But I wasn’t alone. There was a girl – freakishly tall, and she had these eyes – they were dark and scary-looking with weird silver rings,’ she shook her head in disbelief. ‘She had fangs Kai. Fangs! It was all so surreal.’
Kai dropped his eyes, knowing exactly who the girl was. Fury showed in his face as he clenched his fists. He breathed deeply to steady himself. ‘What did she do?’
‘She chased me and then she picked me up like I was her lunch. So easily and effortlessly. I couldn’t believe it myself. I was so scared and there was fog everywhere. I didn’t know what to do. Then she told me that I should stay away from you and finally she threw me to the ground and disappeared. It was horrible,’ she breathed.
‘Astrid,’ Kai seethed under his breath. His eyes changing colour slightly. Anger filled his entire body.
‘Who is Astrid? Why is she trying to scare me to stay away from you?’ Sienna asked questioningly. She looked pleadingly into his eyes as he took her face in his hands, and gently placed his lips to her forehead.
‘I’m so sorry you had to go through this. It seems that all I do is bring danger into your life. Oh Sienna, this is entirely my fault,’ he grasped, guilt showing in his face. ‘You have to believe me that I never wanted to put you in such danger. I never thought...’