Cyprus Falls was wet and cold with freezing temperatures in the winter. A city in Minnesota, it was a ten-hour drive from the town Amber had called home.
She arrived at the city’s small airport and jumped into the first taxi she found, eager now to get to CFU. The taxi drove down the winding road and she took in the beauty of everything around her. Trees stretched for miles, forming a thick wall along the road—their leaves painted in different shades of green, brown and orange with the onset of fall.
She thought of Carmine again and how angry he had been when he’d read her acceptance letter. She wished he’d allowed her to explain the reasoning for her sending out the applications. Feeling trapped for so many years had made her desperate to interact with people her own age. But she knew that no matter how much she tried to tell him how she felt, he’d never truly understand.
The taxi pulled up in front of the main building of the University. Amber breathed in deeply and held her breath for a few seconds before letting it out, slow and steady. Nerves were getting the better of her and she tried to relax. She got out the car and the frostiness of the wind shook through her. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked around. The campus was alive with excited new students and their parents. Another sign of just how odd her life really was. Carmine should be with her, helping her find her dorm room and making sure she gets settled in; instead he was aloof, running around the woods and ignoring her. Amber didn’t have much luggage, only two duffle bags. She was not the sentimental kind and didn’t need to bring the soft teddy bear she’d had since she was three-years-old or the small potted flower she’d kept healthy over the past few years. These things were too normal and she was anything but. All she needed were the bare essentials, and of course her mother’s jewelry box, for that was the only material possession she held close to her heart.
The campus was huge, with large buildings surrounded by bright green lawns and tailored gardens. It looked every bit like the pictures in the brochure Guiliana had brought home for her. The original campus had been founded in 1863, but now the buildings showed only a trace of the Victorian era, having been revamped over the decades—although they still held a sense of history and romance. Amber breathed in the fresh air. Her lungs swelled and the anxious feeling in her stomach disappeared. She grabbed her bags and hurried up the wide path to the main administration office. The people around the building took no notice of her. Relief washed over her at this thought. There were no silent whispers and snickers as she passed. Here she was normal, as normal as any other young adult entering this stage of life. She didn’t feel like an outsider. A tall, skinny guy ran into her as he rushed past with his head down. He looked up and she recognized his anguished expression; his memories flashed through her mind, replaying the terrible bullying he’d been subjected to throughout high school. No wonder he looked so fearful. He apologized with a harsh whisper and continued running up the path. Amber took a deep breath and stared at the people around her. There were so many different nationalities and ages. Amber hadn’t imagined she’d be meeting so many wonderfully interesting people. Her stomach flipped at the thought of all the memories she’d see. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle the assault of emotions that came with every memory. The more she looked around, the more the nervous tingle ran over her body. Her palms were sweating and she felt jittery. Amber ran through the doors of the administrative building, but it was just as crowded with students and campus staff. A bead of sweat ran down her back and she needed to desperately find a place to escape before she had a nervous breakdown in front of everyone. She turned down a stark white corridor and was relieved to find the ladies bathroom. It was empty which she was thankful for. Amber splashed her face with cold water and leaned against the basin, squeezing her eyes shut, taking deep breaths. It’s going to be okay, everything will be fine. This is what you’ve always wanted. She gave herself a little pep talk and felt herself calming. There was no doubt that seeing so many memories was going to take a lot out of her, but she’d just have to take it one step at a time, avoiding as much contact with people as she could. She regained her composure and left the bathroom. The main admin foyer was still full but she didn’t feel as nervous. She edged her way around the room and made it to the main desk without coming into contact with anyone. The woman behind the desk greeted her with a warm smile. Amber took another deep breath and smiled back.
After getting all the information she needed: a map of the college, class schedule and dorm details, Amber was ready to go in search of the dorm room she’d call home for the next few years. She tried to make out the confusing map, but the campus was huge.
“Need a little help?” someone asked from her left.
Amber looked up and caught her breath. She was staring into the deepest, liquid hazel eyes she’d ever seen. The handsome guy in front of her smiled and inclined his head. She kept staring, taking in his tall frame and wide shoulders. He wore a bright aqua t-shirt that hugged his hard chest and contrasted beautifully with his deeply tanned muscular arms. Amber’s heart fluttered and a rush of desire erupted in her chest and spread over her entire body. She’d never felt such overwhelming emotions before and she wondered if this was what “love at first sight” felt like. She was aware that she stood with her mouth gaping open like a fool, but she just couldn’t stop herself. He was beautiful, handsome, sexy…Oh my God! He’s smoking hot! Amber couldn’t find her voice either, and his brow furrowed when she still hadn’t spoken.
“Ah, I...I’m looking for East Wing Hall,” Amber blurted out, her skin burning red-hot. She hated that her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment, and desire, so easily.
“Oh, that’s easy. It’s this building over here.” He pointed to a row of blue oblong shapes on the map and above the shapes “East Wing Hall” was printed. “My sister stays in the same building. I can show you if you want?”
His frown disappeared and was replaced by a huge smile that showed off his perfectly white teeth. Who is this gorgeous person standing before me? she wondered. He had a certain confidence about himself, but it was not filled with arrogance. The smile on his lips was warm enough to melt the iciest heart and Amber’s refused to stop its erratic beat. She was sure she’d suffer a heart attack if she didn’t distance herself from him very soon. But she didn’t care; her soul was singing, and she enjoyed the feeling. The very sight of him made her feel alive.
“Thanks.” She smiled back. Calm down, she told herself. Try to at least act normal before he starts thinking of you as a freak as well.
Amber turned to pick up her bags, but her handsome escort had already grabbed them.
“I’m Taye.”
“Amberlyn.” She shook the waiting hand he managed to hold out between her bags, forgetting about her gift and her promise to herself to avoid as much physical contact as she possibly could.
In the few seconds it took for his memories to flash through her head, she discovered many things about the guy whose hand she held. It was like watching old home movies. He’d had a mostly happy childhood. As a boy, he had a small dog named Timmy as his companion. Sadness filled her heart the day Timmy had been knocked by a car. Taye’s best friend had passed on that day. Her heart broke as she saw the young boy crying, holding onto his father and asking why, why had such a terrible thing happened? The pain and sorrow he’d felt ripped through her chest. From there the memories took a happy turn. Taye had two siblings and, as was normal, they bickered often but there was a strong bond between the three of them. Amber felt a pang of jealousy pass through her. She wished she had someone with whom she was so close, a brother or sister she could have spent her lonely adolescent years with.
Taye was strong and confident. He was liked by almost everyone who met him and his passion for life kept those around him happy. He’d had one serious girlfriend in high school but when it had come time for college, they had split to go their separate ways. He was most excited and energetic when playing football and he had received a scholarshi
p at the university when a scout had recognized his talents. His father was his role model, but when a terrible fire had swept through the woods, Taye’s dad had somehow gotten involved in trying to put it out and had lost his life to the raging flames. Taye had taken his father’s death really hard. He’d fallen into a dark depression and refused to speak to anyone. He became rebellious and started fights for no good reason. It was only when his mother had been involved in a serious car accident that he’d snapped out of his gloom. During that time, he’d been forced to look after the family while she recovered at the hospital.
There was something else, something that was hidden behind a dark cloud of confusion that she was unable to see. It left Taye with a feeling of excitement, but also fear. She recognized this as anticipation for something that was still to come and it made her wonder what could be causing such feelings? And then, as quickly as the memories had entered her mind, they disappeared.
Taye stood looking at her, waiting for her to let go of his hand. Her unusual behavior had obviously not been lost on him. She quickly withdrew her hand and shoved it in her jeans pocket. Taye just smiled and turned to walk out of the building. Great, so much for acting normal, she sighed.
It was a far way to the dorm, which was at the opposite end of the university. As they walked, Taye pointed out the different areas of the campus. He was at ease around her, but she couldn’t stop her own head from spinning.
Amber noticed things about him that most people would have never seen at first glance. Like the tiny gold flecks that seemed to float and swirl in his beautiful eyes. He had a tiny scar on his chin and a slightly larger one above his right brow. Amber held back the urge to reach out and touch a finger to them. She flushed at the thoughts that entered her mind just then. He kept looking over at her, smiling, and then looking into the distance as if he were thinking of something. Every now and then he would chuckle lightly as if he found something funny. Perhaps it was the stiffness of her walk or the distance she kept between them. She didn’t mean to seem standoffish, but she’d never actually spent time with someone of the opposite sex before besides Carmine, but that didn’t count. And the fact that Taye was gorgeous and friendly and charming did nothing to ease how she felt; it only made her more nervous and turned her insides to jelly. She was worried that if she opened her mouth, she’d say something stupid, or if she seemed too eager to be in his company, then he’d think she was just another naïve freshman. If only he really knew just how naïve she really was. A few passersby greeted Taye. Amber guessed he was a well-known student, probably a junior or even a senior. He seemed like the type of guy that everyone knew, regardless of whether or not they had ever met him. She thanked him again when they reached the dorm building.
“Sure, anytime you need help, just give me a shout. You can find me over at Lyndon House. Ask anyone, they’ll know where it is.”
He handed her the bags and gave her an even bigger smile. Then he turned and jogged back the way they had come. Amber felt a wave of elation sweep over her. Her body tingled and she wondered when she’d get to see Taye again.
Amber found her room and stepped inside. It was surprisingly bigger than she had expected. Directly opposite the door was a large window with bamboo blinds and a valence of orange and chocolate silk. A dark wooden desk stood at the window and was flanked by two beds. A large dresser stood at the foot of each bed against the wall and there was a small dressing table to the left of the door. The walls were a brilliant white and the lighting was sparsely spread around the room, giving it a dim, but inviting appeal.
She noticed that the right side of the dorm room was already occupied. A mess of books and clothing was piled high on top of the bed. The jumble belonged to Luna Cree, her roommate. Luna was certainly a unique name and Amber tried to imagine what she’d be like. She just hoped they’d get along since they were expected to share a room for the next year.
Amber put her bags down and unpacked quickly. She was feeling more eager to have a look around campus. Perhaps she would run into Taye again.
Directly opposite the dorm was an open picnic area with tall pine and maple trees. To the right was Kenley Hall, a covered courtyard where students mingled. It was more modern in design and styling than the rest of the campus buildings and couldn’t be more than a few years old. It housed a number of different food vendors, from burgers and pizza to a salad bar, and it even had a shop that sold text books and other school supplies. Amber was desperate for a steaming cup of coffee, but the Java Shop was really busy so she had to queue. She noticed the guy standing beside her kept looking her way expectantly. He was cute with a messy mass of sandy spikes and deep brown eyes. He was a little taller than her and quite lean, kind of like a track athlete, but she couldn’t help comparing him to Taye’s wide frame.
She turned to look at him and he smiled. Her returned smile was all the encouragement he needed to start a conversation.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” She nodded back at him.
“So it’s the perfect day for coffee, right?” He stumbled over his words, grasping for something to say, anything that would keep the conversation going.
It was cold outside, but Amber was enjoying the weather. She nodded in agreement anyway.
“Tristian Richards.” He offered her his hand.
She hesitated at first, but then shook it and told him her name. His memories hit her full force and she had to take a second to calm herself. Trisitan’s family was close-knit and very supportive. He hadn’t been the most popular guy in high school but his father’s money had bought him many friends. Tristian seemed satisfied but Amber caught glimpses of a lonely guy who wanted to break free from the Richards’ influence. He’d wanted to attend MIT, but his father had insisted he come to CFU because of the family legacy at the Omega Phi Kappa fraternity. His refusal had caused a huge fight and Tristian finally surrendered after his father had threatened to cut him off. Amber felt a tinge of sorrow for Tristian but, no matter how complicated his life was, it was nothing compared to Taye’s mix of memories and emotions. Tristian had led a very sheltered life. And just like his memories, he really was plain compared to Taye. His eyes weren’t swimming with an intense glint and he certainly wasn’t able to get her heart beating faster the way Taye had.
As she was making the comparison, the barista asked for her order.
“Two Mocha Javas?” Tristian spoke over her.
His statement was more of a question and he was looking at her expectantly, waiting for confirmation that this was what she desired. She felt a little annoyance, but smiled back and nodded in agreement. Tristian refused to let her pay and also refused to leave her side for the next hour. She had wanted to take a stroll around the beautiful gardens by herself, but there was no way of escaping him. They walked for a bit, taking in the beauty of the large campus grounds that were edged by a thick wood of conifer trees.
Tristian wasn’t very eager to talk about his family—Amber couldn’t blame him after what she had seen in his memories—although, he did speak about his family’s legacy at CFU with a lot of pride. He loved to play football so at least there was some consolation to being forced to attend CFU. But he was probably just bragging, thinking she’d be all the more interested in him knowing he was a quarterback. Amber was glad that he never once asked about her family; she wasn’t ready to discuss the strange relationship she had with Carmine, and her mother was a subject she’d rather not bring up, because the memories of her were too painful to think of. When her coffee was finished, Amber thanked Tristian and quickly escaped to her dorm room.
Luna was admiring herself in the full length mirror when Amber walked through the door. She was a tiny, dark-haired girl, slightly shorter than Amber. Her straight black hair framed her face with blunt layers and spilled down her back. Her dark eyes filled with excitement and she smiled at Amber before waltzing over and hugging her.
“You must be Amber. You don’t mind if I call you t
hat, do you?” She was hesitant.
Amber greeted her back and assured her she was fine with the shortening of her name.
“Um, I hope you don’t mind, I took that side of the room.” She gestured to her bed.
Amber was confused by the mix of emotions that swept over her when Luna hugged her. She hadn’t seen anything, well, really nothing except for a blur. There were no childhood memories that popped up or anything else that might give Amber some insight into her roommate. All she got was a rush of fear, excitement, and pure joy, and mixed up in it all was sheer anger. Her body felt like it was on fire and she could swear that the room around her began to spin.
Amber shook her head, realizing Luna was waiting patiently for a response. “No, any side is fine.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I guess I’m just tired from the flight.”
Luna eyed her warily, but then went back to her bed where she had been trying to decide between a chunky blue sweater and a thinner green cotton pullover. She held them both up for Amber to look at. The blue was so beautiful against her sun-kissed skin and she was pleased with the choice, throwing it over the tank top she was already wearing.
“So, I’m going to a party down at Tilfon Lake Park tonight, want to join me?” Luna looked over at Amber who now sat on the edge of her bed.
“Uh, I’m not really sure. I just arrived and I’m pretty tired.”
The truth was that Amber didn’t think she could pull off the whole “party animal” thing. She knew it was common college life to party as hard as possible and hope to successfully pass every class, but she didn’t think she’d enjoy large crowds of drunken people. Although she’d never experienced it, she feared the onslaught of memories it would bring. Amber chided herself; was this not the very reason she had come to college? To escape everything she was, to do normal college student things? How did she expect to get through the rest of the year? She’d just have to suck it up and get it out of the way. Perhaps being bombarded with so many memories on her first night here would prepare her for the days to come. There was no way for her to get used to seeing what she might see, but she’d just have to try and remain calm.
“Oh, come on. There will be plenty of great looking guys there.” Luna’s grin widened.
Amber couldn’t help smiling. Maybe she would meet a few interesting people. Besides, she didn’t want to disappoint Luna; she felt they could be great friends. As if reading her mind, Luna squealed with excitement and Amber found herself wondering if Taye would be there.
What if normal was everything supernatural and legendary? Find out in the first book in The
Bloody Crescent trilogy.
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Fate Fixed
An Erris Coven Novel
Bonnie Erina Wheeler
Chapter One: Fate Fixed
LEXIE