“Remind me never to hitch a ride with you again,” I teased Eirik when he slid behind the wheel again and placed his camera on the tray between our seats. It was the second time he’d pulled over to take pictures of deer.
He grinned. “I couldn’t resist. Winter background can be a bit tricky. Fall colors, I can play with.”
I rolled my eyes and sat back, studying the scenery as we sped toward downtown. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate nature. I did. Vibrant fall colors were everywhere, reds mixed with yellow and orange. Of all the seasons, I loved fall the best. I just wanted to get to school as soon as possible. I couldn’t explain the anticipation.
Okay, now I’m lying to myself. I wanted to see Torin. Last night, I’d stayed up late after Eirik left, hoping Torin would come home. He hadn’t, so I wasn’t sure whether he’d be at school or not. I had to know what the runes on my car meant and how to get rid of them. Andris and his harem would be no help, which left Torin.
We stopped at the traffic light on Main Street, then turned left toward school. Most brick buildings in downtown Kayville were old, the streets lined with mature trees. The hills and valleys surrounding the city were covered with miles and miles of vineyards. Kayville might be a small town in the middle of Oregon wine country, but we had everything any city had. We were also only about an hour from Portland.
Students hurried across Riverside Boulevard from the parking lots while others poured from the school buses lining the street. Eirik found a spot to park. While he aimed his camera at something and clicked, I reached in the back of his Jeep for my backpack. A distant purr of a motorcycle engine sent excitement through me.
Torin.
No student rode a Harley to school. A few had scooters and bikes, but majority either drove cars or took the bus. He entered the boulevard, and students turned to watch. A few pointed. Black helmet, black jeans and jacket—he looked like a renegade hell bent on disrupting the peace. I grabbed my backpack, joined Eirik, and started across the street toward the school. Eirik reached for my hand.
“You have to give it to the guy,” he murmured, chuckling.
“What?” I asked.
“Torin. He knows how to make an entrance.”
Torin parked at the curb, and the purr of the engine died. Still astride his bike, he removed his helmet, tucked it under his arm, and adjusted his sunglasses. As if possible, more girls stopped to stare. Eirik and I had reached the same side of the street when Torin reached for his backpack from the bike’s side saddle, turned, and looked directly at us.
Eirik nodded. My stomach did that senseless crazy dance I was beginning to associate with him. I averted my eyes and stared straight ahead, even though I was dying to look at him again. Still, I was aware he was behind us during the short walk to the building. My heart pounded, and I was lightheaded. Then I realized why. I was holding my breath. That was so lame.
Next second, I froze at the foot of the stairs leading to the school’s entrance, and he almost bumped into me. He said something I didn’t catch because my eyes were on the massive doors of the school. Runes crossed the bottom red wood and the top glass panel.
What was going on? Were Torin and his friends marking their territories like a pack?
“What is it? Why did you stop?” Eirik asked.
“It’s nothing,” I said slowly and glanced at Torin. He seemed just as surprised, which meant he hadn’t done this. That left Andris and his team. I was dying to ask Torin what the runes meant, but I couldn’t with Eirik around.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Eirik said.
“I’m fine. Let’s go.” My grip tightened, and I moved closer to him. As we approached the door, I tensed, expecting something bad to happen. Nothing did.
Inside the foyer, students stood in groups, catching up on weekend news. The snippets I caught seemed to focus on the incident at the club. I cringed. Torin disappeared toward the office while Eirik and I headed for our lockers.
“What happened out there?” Eirik asked.
“I thought I saw someone.”
“Who?”
I hated lying to him, but I couldn’t explain seeing things no one else could see. “My dad, but it was just a trick of light.”
Eirik frowned, but he didn’t say anything. We walked in silence until we reached the hallway, where his locker was.
“See you at lunch?” he said, but it came out as a question.
“Of course.”
He peered at me. “Should I be worried about you?”
I punched his arm. “No. I didn’t sleep well last night. That’s all.” He shot me a questioning look. “You know, worrying about Kate.”
He nodded. Then he cupped my face, lowered his head, and kissed me. When he lifted his head, my eyes connected with Torin’s. He was watching us. My gaze not leaving his, I went to my toes and returned Eirik’s kiss with more enthusiasm, going beyond the casual lip action we’d shared the last two days.
“Get a room,” someone said as he walked by.
Eirik wore a dazed look when I leaned back. Behind him, Torin turned and walked away. I stared after him, feeling like an idiot. I couldn’t explain why I’d kissed Eirik so passionately in front of Torin.
“Wow,” Eirik mumbled. “That was… uh…”
“Too much?” I asked, knowing I had gone too far. I wasn’t ready for our make out to go beyond light kissing and holding hands.
“No, it was perfect. See you at lunch.”
Cora was waiting for me by my locker. She looked like hell.
“Hey,” I said, rubbing her arm. “You okay?”
“No. Haven’t you heard?”
“What?”
“They don’t think Kate’s going to make it,” she whispered, her chin trembling.
“Oh, no.” We hugged. “A friend of Mom’s said she was undergoing a second surgery yesterday. She also said someone caused the blackout.”
“Really?” She sounded so hopeful as though blaming someone else eased her guilt. She had no reason to feel guilty. Neither did I, yet I did.
“Chief Sparrowhawk thinks so.” I put my backpack away and removed my folder and the books I needed for my morning classes. “So if you’re still blaming yourself, stop it. Whoever messed with the switch at the substation is responsible for this.”
She sighed. “I wish that could make me feel better. Later, Raine.”
Cora’s English class was at the end of the west building. I stared after her, knowing I had to be strong for both of us. I went toward the stairs and my first class of the day. Most math classes were on the second floor. I thought I caught a glimpse of Andris and Maliina at the end of the hallway, but I might have been mistaken. My thoughts returned to the runes on the school entrance. Why would anyone put them there?
Stares and whispers followed me when I entered math class. Or maybe I was imagining things. I slid into my seat and pulled out my textbook. Across the aisle, Sam Rasmussen stared at me with a weird expression. He sported a bruise on his chin and right cheek. He was at my party on Saturday, and I didn’t know whether to apologize for his injuries or not. I gave him a tiny smile, but he didn’t return it.
“Raine Cooper,” Frank Moffat said as he lumbered into the classroom. Frank was tall and big with curly brown hair and beady gray eyes. He was also one of Blaine Chapman’s jock buddies and a known bully. Since he wasn’t in my calculus class the first few weeks of school, I assumed he’d either changed classes or he was after blood.
“I heard your birthday party bombed. Everyone was dying to get out,” he mocked.
My face grew hot. Seriously, some people were just too stupid to realize when a joke was tasteless. I stared at my books and ignored him.
He grabbed a chair, straddled it, and crossed his arms along the back. “Next time, make sure you tell people to bring flashlights.”
This time, a few snickers echoed around the room. I glared at him and tried to come up with something to say, anything in my defense, but my mind went blank
. I hated confrontations and could feel my temper rising. I bit my lower lip and tried to control myself. He grinned.
“What? You’re going to cry? I hope it’s for the people who were hurt trying to run away from you.”
Knowing I’d say something I’d regret if I stayed, I got up and hurried out of the class, bumping into a student and almost tripping. The nearest bathroom was down the hall, so I gunned for it, locked myself inside a stall, and tried to control myself. My eyes smarted.
I wasn’t a crier and often avoided unpleasantness, but this morning was different. Everything that had happened over the weekend came crashing down. It wasn’t my fault there was a blackout. The blame belonged to whoever had caused it. The more I thought about it, the more pissed I became.
I glanced at my watch. I had less than a minute to get my act together before the second bell or I’d get a tardy slip. I left the stall, splashed water on my face, and pat-dried it with tissue. I entered the class, and my feet faltered when I saw Torin. What was he doing in my class?
“Nice of you to join us, Miss Cooper,” Mrs. Bates said, her eyes narrowed on me. “One tardy slip. Three strikes and you attend my Saturday class.”
Mrs. Bates was an amazing calculus teacher, but she was über strict. Looking at her, you wouldn’t guess it. She was petite with graying brown hair and warm brown eyes. Her rhinestone glasses were often perched at the top of her upturned nose. She could pass for a sweet librarian, until those brown eyes turned cold and narrowed at you, like now.
“I was already in class, Mrs. Bates. I just needed to—”
“Cry?” Frank asked.
I lifted my chin. “Throw up.”
“Are you okay? Do you need to see the nurse?” Mrs. Bates asked.
“I’m fine now.” My gaze met Torin’s. He grinned with approval. Smiling, I walked to my desk. My victory was brief though. Frank and Sam started whispering. I didn’t know whether I was the subject or not, but it was distracting.
“Would you like to take over my class, Mr. Moffat?” Mrs. Bates asked halfway through the class while studying him from above the rim of her glasses.
“No, ma’am. I think you’re doing a fine job,” he added cockily.
“Oh, thank you. Then why don’t you share with the class whatever it is you feel you must discuss while I’m teaching?”
“Since this is my first day in your class, I think you should know that some of the students in here have gas problems.” Muffled laughter filled the class. “Can I change seats, please?”
“No. You stay in your assigned seats unless you want to be kicked out of my class.” Mrs. Bates glanced at me then consulted her notes and went back to teaching.
I wanted to die. Frank Moffat had just ruined my morning. The implication that I was passing gas in class was beyond humiliating. Who did he think he was? I was still pissed when class ended. Collecting my things, I tried to escape my embarrassment.
“Mr. Moffat and Miss Cooper,” Mrs. Bates said, “stay behind, please.”
I exhaled and stared down at the feet walking past. I knew which boots belonged to Torin. He hesitated near my desk before continuing toward the door.
“What’s going on between you two?” Mrs. Bates asked.
Frank scowled. Since football players were treated like royalty, he probably hadn’t expected to be called out.
“Miss Cooper?”
I shook my head. “There’s nothing going on.”
“Mr. Moffat?” she asked.
“She started it. All I mentioned was her party over the weekend, and she verbally attacked me.”
I wanted to call him a liar, but suddenly I felt drained. I just wanted the meeting to be over. The school always gave football players a pass anyway, so whatever I said wouldn’t matter.
“I made it clear on the first day that I will not tolerate insolence from students, bullying, or any behavior that disrupts the smooth running of my class. If you have a problem, resolve it before class or take it to your counselors. Now get out of my class, and let me not hear about this again.”
The day went downhill from there. Lunch brought respite. Eirik took one look at me and asked, “What happened?”
I shook my head, not wanting to go into detail. “Let’s just say I had a horrible morning. I can’t wait for this day to be over.”
“Me, too,” Cora said, sitting across from us. Keith took the seat next to her. “Everyone is blaming me for what happened at the club.”
“Me too,” I said.
“Weird. No one’s said anything to me,” Eirik said.
“That’s because you were the hero of the night and have battle wounds to prove it.” Cora pointed at the steri-strip covering his wound. Then she appeared to shrink, her gaze on something or someone behind me. “Here comes one of my tormentors.”
I looked behind me to see Frank Moffat. He was limping and looked pretty pissed, or scared. I couldn’t tell the difference. I braced myself. Both Eirik and Keith stood, ready to take him on. Frank didn’t appear to notice them, his gaze volleying between me and Cora. As he got closer, I noticed the runes on his right cheek. Was he another Immortal?
“Lorraine Cooper,” Frank said, stuttering, “I’m sorry for picking on you in class and accusing you of terrible things. You didn’t deserve any of it.” He glanced at Cora. “Cora Jemison, I’m sorry for calling you names. I promise to never pick on you again.” His body shook, and he turned and walked away.
“What was that about?” Cora whispered.
Maybe Frank wasn’t one of them after all. Maybe the runes had made him apologize, which meant someone had drawn them on his face. Someone bold and not easily intimidated. I glanced around the room, but I didn’t see Torin. For the first time, I saw the powers of the runes as positive, as something I might actually be interested in.
“My name is Frank Moffat,” Frank yelled from the middle of the room, each word strained as though he was being forced to say them. People turned to stare, the room growing quiet. “Most of you know me as the Trojans’ running back. A few of you know me as something else, a… a…” he jerked as though he’d been prodded again. “A bully.”
“What’s wrong with him?” someone at Blaine Chapman’s table asked, his voice carrying.
“I pick on smaller and quiet students,” Frank continued. His girlfriend jumped up and hurried to his side. She tried to pull him away, but Frank ignored her. “I’m a douche and a...”
Laughter filled the room and swallowed the rest of his words. Even his jock friends were covering their mouths and trying hard not to laugh. So much for loyalty. His girlfriend, now red-faced, ran from the cafeteria. Blaine and another player marched to the middle of the cafeteria and grabbed Frank’s arms.
He was still yelling, “I’m so sorry for being a douche,” when the P.A. system crackled and the principal’s baritone rang out.
“All students report to the auditorium at the end of this period. Do not go to your next class. Head to the auditorium immediately.”
We looked at each other and went to dump our leftover lunches. I usually love Hawaiian haystack, but I’d barely touched mine.
“What do you think’s going on?” Keith asked.
“Going by luck today, something horrible,” Cora answered and slipped her arm around his waist as we walked to the auditorium.
I didn’t say anything, but I agreed with her. The day had started crappy and despite the humiliating apology from Frank, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Interestingly enough, no one seemed to care about the reason for the unexpected assembly. Frank’s confession was the topic of conversation in the auditorium, until Principal Elliot walked on stage.
“It has come to our attention that certain students have taken to harassing the others because of an incident that happened over the weekend during the blackout,” the principal said. “We will not tolerate bullying of any kind or form. If you see anyone being intimidated, report the incident to the office immediately.” He paused.<
br />
Cora and I exchanged a glance. News traveled fast.
“On the heel of that, we have some sad news to share with the student body. Katherine Hunsaker was at a party during the blackout and was rushed to the hospital with intracranial bleeding on Saturday night. Doctors did their best to stop the bleeding. Instead of getting better, Katherine became worse. The surgeons did their best to help her. Sadly, Katherine was pronounced dead less than an hour ago.”
Everyone started talking at once. Cora and I reached for each other. Someone got up even though the principal was still talking. The haze of tears made it difficult to see who it was at first, but I recognized the swagger. Torin. I blinked and saw his face. He looked furious. Then three more people got up—Andris, Maliina, and Ingrid—and I knew something bad was about to happen.
“Counselors will be available to talk to students who need help coping with this loss,” Principal Elliot continued. “Katherine represented the best this school has to offer. She was one of our fastest swimmers. She was also a member of the student council and a regular tutor at…”
“Cora, I’ll be back,” I whispered. She nodded and leaned against Keith’s shoulder. I’d never particularly liked Keith. He always came across as too standoffish for the fun-loving and sensitive Cora, but I was beginning to see a new side of him.
“What’s going on?” Eirik asked as he got up to let me pass.
“I need fresh air.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked like a dutiful boyfriend.
“No. Fill me in later.” I didn’t want him following me.
Outside, the front hall was empty. I checked the wide hallway on the left and right, but no one was there. Where did Torin and the others go? Turning to go back inside the auditorium, I saw them through the corner glass window. They were across street in the eastern parking lot. From the looks of things, Torin and Andris were having a heated argument.
Moving closer to the window, I winced as their fight became physical. One punch from Torin sent Andris in the air and across a hood into some poor student’s windshield. It cracked as though hit by a demolition ball, but Andris bounced off it like a ping pong ball. He rammed into Torin. The two skidded along the parking lot, leaving a crack on the ground. Maliina and Ingrid moved closer as though waiting for a chance to pounce. Would they gang up on Torin?
I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble, but someone had to stop them before one of them got seriously hurt or they wrecked the entire parking lot and more cars. I checked around me for security, but the hall was empty. My mind raced with indecision. The fight outside intensified. Andris threw Torin, and he landed on the fender of another car, leaving a dent so huge I was surprised every bone in his body wasn’t broken.
The decision to find the school cop disappeared when Maliina’s hands moved and light reflected something in them. She was carrying two knives or the weird thin blades she’d used to sketch runes on her skin. They were planning to kill Torin.
I raced out the door, down the lawn, and across the street. Thuds grew louder the closer I got to them. I also noticed the runes covering every visible part of their bodies. Did the runes give them superhuman strength?
“Stop it,” I yelled.
The two guys froze and looked toward me. Not Maliina. She sent a knife sailing toward Torin, who was pinning Andris against a car door.
“Duck,” I yelled.
Torin didn’t move. He kept staring at me with a look I couldn’t define. The knife sunk into his chest. I gasped, but he didn’t even flinch. Blood spread on his black shirt.
“How can she see us?” Ingrid asked.
“I told you he healed and marked her,” Maliina said with a sneer.
Without looking down, Torin gripped the handle of the knife, yanked it from his chest, and threw it down. Without missing a beat, he marched toward Maliina.
“Torin, don’t,” Andris yelled.
Confused, I watched the red and white blur that was Maliina as she tried to get away, but Torin was faster. One second they looked like the Tasmanian Devil in Warner Bros cartoons, the next he’d grabbed her from behind. He gripped her jaw and twisted, snapping her neck in one smooth move. I opened my mouth to scream, but my throat had seized up. Cursing Torin to Land of Mist, Andris caught Maliina before she hit the ground.
“Why?” Andris yelled.
“I warned both of you to leave Mortals alone,” Torin growled as he started toward me.
I staggered backwards, needing to put space between us, so scared I could hardly think. Pain shot up my arm. I looked down, trying to find its source, and saw the knife protruding from my shoulder. It was a replica of the one Torin had pulled from his chest. Maliina must have thrown both knives at the same time. Weird, I hadn’t seen the knife sail toward me or felt the pain when it pierced my skin. I’d been focused on Torin.
Tears rushed to my eyes, and wooziness washed over me. I hated the sight of blood, even though only a blot of red discolored my light-blue top.
“Easy, Freckles,” Torin said calmly. “Let me remove it.”
My head whipped up. “No. Touch me and I’ll scream.”
“Don’t,” Torin warned. He spoke with the authority of someone who was used to giving orders, and I found myself obeying and hating myself for being scared of him. What had Maliina meant by ‘he marked her’?
“I just want to help you,” Torin added softly.
“No. You’re crazy.” I shuffled away from him. I glanced at the others. Ingrid cradled Maliina in her arms while Andris etched runes on her arm. “You’re all crazy.”
Torin smiled. “Come on, Freckles. You know we’re not. We are… different. That’s all. Let me remove the knife, so the wound can heal.”
I shook my head, my heart pounding so hard I could hear each beat on my temple. Worse, the arm with the knife was beginning to go numb. “No, the nurse will remove it and…” The last thing he’d said registered. “Heal? What do you mean?”
“The runes will heal you,” he said gently.
“I don’t want—” I looked down and gasped, as a fresh surge of panic rolled through me. Runes inked my skin. Where had they come from? I pushed back my sleeve and saw more. Before I realized his intentions, Torin grabbed the handle and pulled the knife from my arm.
I flinched, expecting pain. I felt nothing even though blood gushed from the wound and darkened my sleeve. Then it stopped spreading. I stared, too afraid to move or breathe. With a trembling hand, I pulled up my sleeve to reveal where the knife had pierced my skin. The wound sealed until nothing was left. No scar or bruise to show I’d been stabbed. The runes glowed then disappeared.
Shaking, I looked up at Torin in horror. I was a freak. “What have you done to me?”
“We’ll talk later. Right now, go back to school.” He shrugged off his jacket. “Wear this to cover your shirt until—”
“No.” I pushed the jacket away, my stomach churning. “You did this to me.”
He shook his head. “Freckles—”
“You marked me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Liar. How do you explain the runes or my body self-healing? You’ve turned me into one of you, a freak.”
“You’re not a freak, and I won’t let you become like me.” He said it like he was something ugly and unpleasant, an abomination.
I stared at him unblinkingly. “What are you?”
Blue fire burned in his eyes as though he was struggling with his thoughts.
“What did you do to me?” I yelled.
He shook his head and spoke softly. “You would have died on Saturday if I hadn’t healed you, Raine.”
“You don’t know that,” I said through clenched teeth. His face faded and then zoomed into focus. I was about to faint. Worse, the smell of blood mixed with the shock of seeing the runes on my skin made me nauseas.
“Look at the cars,” he begged, waving toward the casualties of his fight with Andris: dented hoods and fenders, crashed
windows, and broken mirrors. “A kick from one of us can snap your spine in two or crush your ribcage like it did on Saturday.”
I didn’t want to hear his explanation or forgive him. “I didn’t ask you to heal me, Torin.”
“I know,” he conceded, sounding so sad, anguish on his face.
“Then remove them.” I stuck my arms out. “Do something and get them out of me.”
He shook his head. “That’s not how we do things.”
“I don’t care how you do things. Find a way to remove them.” I staggered past him then remembered. “And that includes the ones on my car.”
Confusion flashed in his eyes. “Your car?”
“Yes, my car. I can’t even drive it because I’m scared it might explode. If she,” I jabbed a finger toward Maliina, “is responsible for the blackout and caused Kate’s death, she’d better stay dead or I’ll report her to Chief Sparrowhawk myself.” I walked past him, but he reached for my arm. I jerked away. “Don’t.”
“Take the jacket, Raine. Or you’ll have to explain the blood to the school nurse and your friends.”
I hated the fact that he was right. I had a tank top under my shirt, but wearing it would violate the school’s dress code. To make things worse, some of the students had left school and were coming toward the parking lot. I grabbed the jacket from his hand.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
“Bite me.” I hurried away, hating the sticky, wet blood on my skin. I yanked the jacket on and didn’t look back until I heard the roar of his Harley. He rode away as though hell was on his heels. Andris was gone, too, but Ingrid was helping Maliina to her feet.
The evil bitch couldn’t even stay dead. Go figure. Breaking each other’s neck must be part of their daily smackdown. The two women turned to stare at me. I couldn’t see their expressions, but I felt their hatred.
Yeah, right back at you.
Ingrid left Maliina’s side and moved from car to car at a super-speed, pausing to mark them with her rune pen. I assumed she was fixing the cracks and dents their men had left behind. Shaking my head, I continued toward the building. I was never, ever going near them again. Next time, let them kill each other for all I cared.
Students were leaving the auditorium and talking excitedly when I entered the building. I managed to weave my way to the restroom, changed, and stashed my shirt in my locker. I didn’t want the cleaning people finding it in the garbage can. I was already freaking out about what was happening to me without worrying about the school starting another investigation. I hurried to my next class.