A Night to Remember After the announcement, Agnes and I walked to the parking lot together. Drake was waiting for us in his black Porsche. It was a sleek sports car his parents bought him as a present for his sixteenth birthday. It made me a little uncomfortable to think of riding around in such expensive cars in my torn jeans and old hand-me-downs. Agnes climbed into the back. “You sure you don't mind?” I said. “'Cause I could get in the back if you want. ” “Don't be silly,” she said. “I'm sure you want to ride up front with Drake. ” I did, but I was desperately trying to be nice to her. I knew how much she wanted to be a Demons cheerleader. It was one of the first things she'd told me about herself when we met, and I had taken it from her. Mrs. King only made me feel worse when she told Agnes that she was her second choice. “At least that puts me in a good position for next year's auditions,” Agnes had said. “Or if another spot opens up. ” I didn't want to tell her that the chances of that happening were next to impossible. As Drake spun out of the parking lot, he slipped in a CD. Rock music blasted out and he let down the windows. I was thankful for the music, because it meant we didn't have to worry about an awkward conversations that might make Agnes feel bad. I think Drake knew it, too. He looked over at me and winked. At Shadowford, he got out of the car and walked me to the door. Agnes was about to go inside when he stopped her. “You know, we're all having a party tonight at Foster's family's lake house,” he said. Agnes turned and lifted one eyebrow. “Are you talking to me?” “Yeah,” he said. “I know you're good friends with Harper, so if you want to come. ” He shrugged. Her face lit up. “Seriously? That would be awesome, thanks. Can I ride with you guys?” Drake glanced at me. “Sure,” he said. “Bring a friend if you want. Or a boyfriend. ” Agnes rolled her eyes. “I don't have a boyfriend, but I'm sure one of my friends'll come. I'm gonna go ask around. See ya tonight!” She took off into the house. I smiled up at Drake. “That was super sweet of you. ” “Any friend of yours is a friend of mine,” he said. “Besides, this is your night. We're going to have the best time ever. ” He leaned down and brushed my lips lightly with his. As far as first kisses go, it wasn't bad. There was no movie music playing in the background. No crazy weak knees or fireworks shooting off inside my brain. But there was a stirring of butterflies. And butterflies are good. “See you tonight,” he said. I smiled. “See you tonight. ” When I saw him again, he was running onto the field with his teammates. As usual, Agnes and I were lined up with the rest of the fans as the team made their entrance. This time, though, Drake broke off from the team and came over to kiss my cheek. The whole town came out to cheer on the Demons football team. To my great surprise, even Mrs. Shadowford came along to hear the announcement that one of her girls was chosen as the new cheerleader. “I'm very proud of you, Harper,” she said when I made it back up to the stands. “It's been a few years since one of my girls made the team. ” “Who was the last one?” She hesitated, as if trying to remember. “You know, I can't quite remember. I'd have to look it up. ” I smiled at her, but in my gut, I felt that she was lying to me. I thought about the picture of my mother and the other cheerleaders. Had my mother lived at Shadowford, too? Or any of the other women in the picture, like the mayor or the sheriff? I wondered. After what I'd seen on the third floor, I knew there had to be some connection between Shadowford and the magical power in this town. Hopefully now that I was an official member of the cheerleading squad, I would have access to some of those answers. I reminded myself to be patient. Answers would come in time. If I pushed too hard, the doors might close to me, and they would be a lot harder to get open a second time. Just before halftime, the announcer called me down to join the other cheerleaders on the field. He introduced me to the crowd as the newest Demons cheerleader, and again I felt the heady rush of excitement and acceptance. The town welcomed me even though most of them had never even met me. It should have been the happiest night of my life. And in some ways, it was. But there was always this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I was getting into something dangerous. As of today, I was a cheerleader. Girlfriend of the star quarterback. One of the popular kids. It was exciting, but also terrifying. I had grown used to life as an outsider. I didn't know how to survive life on the inside of the circle. What if I couldn't handle it? What if I said the wrong thing or took a wrong turn? Then again, I couldn't spend my entire life worrying about what might go wrong. So instead, I waved to the crowd and embraced my new existence. Later, after the game was won, Agnes, Courtney and I all piled into Drake's Porsche and headed out to the party. “You were great out there tonight,” I said to Drake. He reached over and took my hand. “Thanks. I can't wait until you're on the field cheering for me. ” He glanced back to the girls in the backseat. “You guys ready to party?” Agnes giggled. “This is so awesome,” she said. “This will be my first official PHS party. ” She sounded excited. “I am so ready to just let loose,” Drake said. “Tonight, we can really celebrate Harper making the team. ” “Yes,” Agnes said. “Tonight is going to be a night to remember. ” Page 37
They Choose You Drake drove through downtown, across a bridge, then out into the dark countryside beyond. I had never seen this side of town before. “Where's this party anyway?” He turned down the radio a bit. “Foster's parents have this cabin down by the lake. They let us use it whenever we want,” he said. “It's completely stocked, too. You'll see. ” Drake turned off the main highway onto a deserted dirt road. I couldn't see any lights and for a minute, I wondered if he'd gotten lost. Then, up ahead, a huge orange flame rose up. “A bonfire?” “So cool,” Agnes said. I didn't want to tell him how much fire scared me. Already, I could feel my palms getting sweaty. Great. Just what I needed. At least thirty people were already dancing and drinking around the fire. A stereo system was set up on the huge side porch and the speakers blasted loud music. I wondered if there were any neighbors who might call and complain, then remembered that we were in the middle of nowhere. Plus, these were the rich kids. They probably never got in trouble. The so-called cabin was actually more of a mansion. I figured anything over a thousand square feet lost the right to be labeled a cabin, but what did I know? Geez, what was it with this town and huge houses? This one raised up high into the sky, three stories up. Drake's hand closed around mine and he led me through the party. I looked back to say something to Agnes, but she and Courtney had disappeared into the crowd. Oh well. I'd find them later. Brooke, Allison, and Lark stood on the porch, their faces lit by firelight. They waved me over like we were old friends. “Time for tequila,” Brooke yelled over the music. “Ew, I can't do it,” Lark said. “I had the worst hangover last time. I think we should do a round of lemon drops in remembrance of Tori. ” “Hell yeah,” Allison said. “Lemon drops it is. You down, Harper?” Everyone looked to me. What the hell. “Let's do this. ” “I seriously need to pee. ” Lark grabbed my arm and practically dragged me toward the house. We'd been doing shots and dancing by the fire for the past hour, and to tell the truth, I'd had to pee for the last twenty minutes. Together, we climbed our way through the crowd. Inside, though, both downstairs bathrooms had lines three people deep. “Dammit, I'm going to seriously pee my pants,” she said. She leaned against me and I struggled to hold her upright. “If you pee on me, I swear to God, I'll never forgive you. ” I laughed and grabbed her hand. “Come on, let's check upstairs. ” The second floor had several bedrooms. In the first room, a couple grunted in the shadows. “Taken,” a guy yelled out. Lark and I giggled and shut the door. A couple other rooms on that floor were locked tight, too. “I think there's a third floor,” I said. Lark groaned. “You aren't seriously going to ask me to walk all the way up there?” “Come on. ” The stairs up to the third floor were dark and when I flipped the switch, nothing happened. “Forget it,” Lark said. “I'm going back down to wait. ” “Scared of the dark?” I teased. “Yes,” she said. I laughed as she made her way back do
wnstairs. I wasn't scared of the dark. And I really needed to go to the bathroom. I didn't think I could wait for one to free up. I slowly walked up to the third floor. From the second floor lights, I could tell that it was one big giant bedroom up here. A master suite? Sliding doors led out to a balcony with a view out toward the lake and a little bit of moonlight spilled in through the gauzy curtains. There had to be a bathroom up here somewhere. I stumbled over a pillow and cursed, then laughed. Other than a glass of champagne I had sneaked at a party for one of my foster parent's twentieth wedding anniversary, I had never drunk alcohol before. It made my head feel spinney and light. I found the door to the bathroom and turned the knob, silently praying no one was in there. It opened easily and I ran my hand along the wall just inside the room. I flicked the light switch up, but again, nothing happened. You've got to be kidding me. I wasn't about to go back downstairs. I shut the door behind me, shutting out all light, and finally, happily, got rid of the pressure on my bladder. I giggled, thinking that Lark was probably still downstairs waiting in that line. All because she was afraid of a little darkness. I washed my hands and stepped out into the large master suite. A chill slid down my spine like an icy fingertip. Someone was in there with me. I could feel their energy. Their anger. The hairs on my arms stood up and my breath caught in my throat. I felt instantly sober, all giddiness gone. “Hello?” My voice came out a whisper. A match struck and caught fire, lighting up a small area in the center of the room. Agnes sat on the carpet, holding a bright red candle. A pentagram was drawn around her with black sand. “Agnes? What are you doing up here?” A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. She didn't say a word. She sat the candle on the floor in front of her, and I stepped forward, thinking it would fall over on the carpet. Instead, the candle stayed upright. I wasn't even sure it was actually touching the floor at all. I glanced toward the stairs, my legs tensing in case I needed to make a run for it. “Congelo. ” Agnes' voice was commanding and deep. Not at all like her usual girly tone. My legs felt suddenly stiff. I tried to step toward the stairs, but I couldn't move. “You're not going anywhere,” she said. The corners of her mouth raised up in a sinister smile that made my heart stop. “What's going on?” She threw back her head and laughed. “I'm making sure there's an extra opening on the cheerleading squad. ” I felt sick. “What have you done, Agnes?” “I think you already know,” she said, standing. “It was you,” I whispered. The image of Tori's half-burned body on the ground flashed through my memory. Oh, dear God, I was going to be sick. I begged my legs to work, but I was frozen to the spot. “I had the perfect plan,” she said. “Get rid of one of the cheerleaders, then slip into her spot on the team. I knew they would hold auditions. Mrs. King isn't the type to miss out on an entire year of competitions and without a full team, the Demons would be disqualified. ” “Why Tori?” “Because I knew that when the police went searching for her killer, they would find several people who might want to get rid of her. ” My mind struggled to understand what was going on. Agnes had killed Tori! And she had framed me for it. My hand went up to my sapphire pendant and Agnes laughed. “Believe it or not, I picked Tori before you even moved to Peachville. Let's just say she had a secret relationship that provided a pretty clear motive for murder if the police needed someone to take the fall. ” “Coach King,” I whispered. She raised one eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. “Wow, you knew about that too? Maybe you're smarter than I thought you were. Too bad that won't help you now. ” I swallowed but my mouth had gone dry. “Anyway, that was a tricky one because if Mrs. King ever found out I set her husband up, she might never let me on the squad. ” Agnes looked at me and smiled. “Then you moved in and gave me another idea. ” “How could you do it?” “What? Frame you? Or kill that blonde bitch who was never nice to anyone? It wasn't hard. ” Her hands rested by her side, and my eyes were drawn to them. Short crackles of light were coming from her fingertips like tiny sparks of electricity. “All I had to do was set you up to piss her off once or twice. ” I remembered my first day of school when I had tripped and splattered ketchup all over Tori's shirt. I'd thought I tripped over a backpack or something, but when I had looked, there was nothing there. “You tripped me,” I said. “Very good,” she said with a laugh. “Once everyone had seen you arguing with Tori, I just needed one more thing to seal your fate. ” She pointed toward my throat. “I saw that drawing you did of your mother. She was wearing the same necklace, so I knew it was important to you. Important enough that you would report it missing. ” “All this just to be on the cheerleading squad? Are you crazy?” Agnes drew in an angry breath. She lifted a finger toward me. Her hands were covered with a bright light of electric current. “You and I both know it's more than just a cheerleading squad. You don't even appreciate it half as much as I will,” she said. Her voice was high and wild. “I don't understand why they picked you. After all the work I've done to learn how to control my power. I thought they would recognize my talents and reward me, but you. . . ” She raised both of her hands into the air. They were balls of light now, crackling with energy. I recognized that energy. For me, it manifested itself differently. I had no real control over the way objects moved when I got angry. Agnes, though, had learned to use and control her power. “You are nothing,” she said. Her feet rose off the ground and I gasped. Outside, the music thumped. It was too loud. Even if I screamed, I knew no one would hear me. “Being a Demons cheerleader is not just about competitions and dance routines and stupid football games,” she said. “It's about being recruited. It's about being special enough that they are willing to hand you the keys that will help you unlock all of the magic inside. And instead of choosing me, the one with obvious power and potential, they choose you. An insignificant girl who has no idea how to cast a single spell. ” Sparks shot out from her body in quick bursts. The Sheriff had said Tori was burned, as if she'd been cooked from the inside. She had looked to me because of my history with fire, but it wasn't fire that killed Tori. It was lightning. Page 38
A Part of Me Fear ripped through my chest. I didn't want to die. For the first time in my life, I actually had something to live for. Something worth fighting for. I stared down at the floating red candle and concentrated all of my anger onto it. At first, nothing happened. I felt helpless. Weak. “When you're gone, Mrs. King will have to let me onto the squad,” she said. “You heard her say that I was her second choice. Well, once everyone is finished mourning your death, I'll be her first choice. I figure it will take about a day for everyone to forget you. ” Anger flared up inside me. In the center of the room, the red candle rose up higher, then with a flick of my hand, flew toward the curtains, lighting them on fire. Agnes went into a rage. She turned her back to me and stepped out of the pentagram, desperately trying to put out the fire. Whatever spell she had cast that held my feet in place was released and I ran toward the stairs. A stream of bright electric energy shot through the room and only missed me by inches as I jumped out of the way. Agnes moved quickly to block my exit. She'd been unable to put out the fire and flames engulfed that side of the room. Smoke filled the bedroom and I squinted to see. There had to be another way out. Outside, the music stopped. Voices shouted from below, screams of fear. “Not exactly the way I planned it,” Agnes said. “But one way or another, you're not leaving this house alive. ” She rose high into the air. Bright blue current ran up and down her body. Even her eyes glowed blue. I stepped back. She was too powerful for me. I didn't know the first thing about how to control my own power. Her hand shot out and a bolt of energy flew at me. I didn't have time to jump out of the way. I lifted my hands to protect my face, bracing myself for the jolt of electricity. But it never came. Agnes' eyes grew wide. She threw both hands out in front of her body. An arc of blue lightning shot out at me, but it dissipated before it connected. As though I were protected by an invisible force-field. “What did you do?” she screamed. I shook my
head. I had no idea what was protecting me, but I didn't have a moment to waste. The fire was spreading rapidly. Smoke filled my lungs and I coughed, then crouched lower, searching for better air. “We need to get out of here,” I said. Apparently, Agnes had no intention of letting me go. She roared and sent another bright shock of light across the room. This time, I felt a small jolt run through my body. It reminded me of the way it felt when you touched someone's hand and got shocked with static. Mild, but surprising. I jerked back, fear making my limbs weak. I fell to my knees, the smoke becoming almost unbearable now. I heard a cackling, high-pitched laughter and looked up to see Agnes gathering a ball of light between her two hands. “Goodbye Harper,” she said. My heartbeat roared in my ears. A memory came back to me in that instant. A drawing of a room full of flames. Jackson's voice. This time the picture was different. This time you were wearing your necklace. Promise me you won't take it off, okay? No matter what. I brought my hand up to my mother's necklace, then looked back at Agnes. Just as she leaned back to throw her final bolt of lightning, a dark figure moved through the room. A figure bigger than a man, but partially transparent, like a shadow. It had the body of a gargoyle. A demon's face. I knew that whatever it was, it had come to protect me. I couldn't explain it, but when I saw the black shadow, I knew that it was a part of me. The darkness circled around Agnes, and she screamed. It pulled her from the room. The glass of the sliding doors crashed as she broke through. Then, she disappeared behind a blanket of red flames. Page 39