Nocturnal (The Noctalis Chronicles 1)

I'd read the book she left me about a boy who lived in a cemetery named Nobody who talked to ghosts and had a vampire for a friend. The irony was not lost on me. I wondered why she chose that book. I saw another of the author's books on her shelf and I took it.

I enjoyed books, very much. When you had an eternity, it could be extremely boring, but there were always new books, new stories to get lost in.

I felt her eyes on my back. Her gaze jabbed at my skin. I had to leave or else I would not be able to. Her scent was too much.

I went out through the window again, my wings ripped free of the shirt. It fell to the ground in tatters.

Thirteen

Everywhere I look I see wings. They flutter on the edge of my vision, making me do a double take. That is, when my eyes are open.

“Honey, you look like a dead person,” Tex says when I slump against our lunch table, closing my eyes. I crack them open only to glare at her, closing them once she's gotten the message.

“Always so helpful,” I mumble against the table, which is sticky from God knows what. That is exactly how tired I am. That my cheek sticking to an unknown substance doesn't bother me.

“You need to take care of yourself,” she says.

“I know, I know.” I try waving my hand, but it's too much effort to lift my arm. Just talking is taking too much energy. Something slams against the table, and I jump, but not as quick as I normally would. Everything I do is in slow motion. I open my eyes to see Tex's face a few inches from mine. She grabs onto my chin so I'll focus. My eyes almost cross, she's so close.

“Go home. Take a nap this afternoon.” She shakes my chin a little, her fingernails digging into my skin. The pain of it makes me little more alert.

“Fine,” I say, tugging my chin back. There's no arguing with Tex. Well, there is, but I wasn't in the mood for it. Too tired.

“You need to eat more,” Jamie says as he sits down. I take a bite of my salad, chewing the lettuce drenched in ranch dressing that tastes like garbage on its way down my throat. I nearly choke on it, but do swallow.

“There, I did.” I put down my fork.

“You need protein. Here.” He holds out one of his energy bars with a smile. I take it and rip the wrapper off, taking care not to smell it too closely before I take a bite. I eat it just to make him happy, even though it tastes like a mix between cardboard and chalk.

Jamie and Tex keep up a lively conversation about what the worst movie they've ever seen is. Tex looks like she's going to murder Jamie when he makes his case for Dirty Dancing. I just listen and replay the moment when Peter pulled the rug out from under the normal world. Hell, he ripped up the floor of the real world, showing me a basement I didn't know was there, full of creatures I never thought existed. It's impossible to discuss movies after something like that. So I don't even try.

“Ava?” My head comes up from the table at the sound of my name. I'd been remembering that moment when Peter looked over his shoulder at me. I still tremble thinking of it.

“Yeah, I'm sorry. I suck.”

“It's okay. I'm not mad,” Tex says, which is uncharacteristic for her. She always gets pissed when she thinks I'm not listening to her. Usually, she resorts to violence or tantrums to get my attention back. Much like a two-year-old.

“What were you saying?”

“I was saying that there's going to be a bonfire on Saturday down at the O'Hurley place.” It takes me a second to understand what the words mean. My brain moves slower than molasses in December. “They usually get busted,” she adds as clarification.

Oh yes, that's right. The O'Hurley place used to be a house at the end of a long washed-out dirt road in a secluded part of Sussex. The actual house burned twenty years ago, but there are lots of hidden parking and no neighbors. It's a bit like having a neon sign at the end of the drive that says, Teenagers Party Here! I've never actually been to one of them, so this sign might actually exist. There are so many places in rural Maine to get wasted, it's not even funny.

“I think we should go.” Of course she does.

“I don't know. Isn't that the one where they almost set the woods on fire and had to call in fire departments from three town to put it out?” Maybe it's the protein, but I'm feeling a little more alert.

“But the fire was put out. That's what matters. You've never even been to one. For all you know, they could be discussing Shakespeare or string theory and drinking tea.” She holds an imaginary tea cup, pinky out.

“Very unlikely, Tex.” Jamie's been silent the whole time. He doesn't approve of O'Hurley parties. I haven't been able to talk to him about the Cassie situation since he told me, but I haven't made much of an effort.

“Still. It could be fun.” I have to think about it for a second, but I've already got an out.

“I can't. My parents are taking me camping this weekend.” How could I forget? Oh yeah, there was that whole Peter-is-a-vampire-with-wings-thing that sort of distracted me.

She throws a carrot at me. It bops me in the nose since I'm too slow to duck.

“God, I hope my parents never pull something like that. I'd have to shoot myself. Can you picture Coby in the wild? Being all emo in the woods.” I also can't picture Tex in the woods, either, but I shut my mouth about that.

“That would be hilarious.” I would pay money to see that.

“My parents wouldn't be able to stop yelling at each other long enough to plan a trip,” she says, chucking her iced tea can into the returnable bin. This is also true.

“I don't know. I can see where they're coming from, so I'm going along with it.” I roll my eyes as if I'm totally not into it. It's easy to play off the disgruntled teenager with the lame parents. Too easy.

“Bring some pepperspray or a Taser or something with you.” I almost laugh hysterically, but swallow it down before it can burst out. I'm fully awake now.

“What for?” She looks at me as if I've asked why it's wrong to wear white after Labor day.

“Uh, bears?”

“Come on Tex, we're just going to Camden, not the Alaskan woods.” Bears, honestly.

“Still. You can never be too careful.” I am not going to tell her that I've already encountered something far more dangerous than a bear and gotten out alive.

“No, you can't,” I say, conceding.

Jamie is still weird and quiet, and leaves lunch early, barely mumbling goodbye. Tex turns to me as soon as he's out of earshot.

“Okay, what the hell is up with Jamie? He's been reminding me of Coby for the last week. Every time I try to confront him, he puts me off. You're acting weird too. There is something going on and I want to know what it is. Right now.” Her eyes are like lasers that are zone in on me as a target.