The Gathering (Darkness Rising 1)

"We both will. I'll tell the guys, too."

"Good. That's settled." I stood. "Let's grab some food. Then I need to talk to you."

Daniel got up. "About you and Rafe ..."

"There is no me and Rafe. Surprise, surprise."

I turned to go, but Daniel snagged my arm.

"You liked him," he said.

I exhaled. "Honestly, I don't know. Yes, I invited him to the party, and I'm sorry about not warning you--"

"It was an open invitation. Everyone knew that. Sure, I was surprised. I didn't think you were interested in him."

"I wasn't. Not that way. Just ... something happened at school Friday and--" I shook my head. "The less I think about Rafe, the better, so let's eat. Then afterward--"

I want to talk about Serena. About how she died. I need answers.

The words formed in my head, but wouldn't complete the journey out. Was bringing Daniel in on this the right thing to do? It was the natural thing--he was my best friend and I could use his help. But was it selfish? What if he was happy with the answers he had, if dragging him into some amateur investigation would only remind him of her and--

"Maya?"

"S-sorry. I just ..." I shook my head. "Never mind."

"You wanted to say something."

"It's okay. I changed my mind."

He pulled back, barely a fraction, but I knew he was hurt.

Why was it so easy to do that these days? For both of us. He wouldn't want to talk about something, and I'd be hurt. Or I wouldn't want to talk about something, and he'd be hurt. Or he'd invite me along with the guys, and I'd analyze every nuance of his voice and expression, worrying that he really didn't want me along, was only being polite. Or, like the other night, I'd want to comfort him, but would be worried about how he might misinterpret that.

It never used to be like this. Maybe that's just part of having a close friend of the opposite sex. As a kid, you don't think anything about it. Then you're a teenager, and you can't help but think about it.

I don't want to lose our friendship just because we're older now, but sometimes I swear I can feel Serena there and--

"Something happened in the shed." I blurted it without thinking.

"What?"

I laughed uneasily. "That didn't sound good, did it? Cue the ominous music." I shook my head. "Never mind. It was silly."

I tried to walk away, but he caught my arm and when he turned me to face him, his expression sent a chill slithering down my spine. It was concern, yes. But behind that, rage simmered.

"Was it Rafe?" he said, his voice so low it was almost a growl. "Did he try something this morning?"

"What? No." When he didn't look convinced, I said, "Come on, Daniel. If he tried anything, do you really think I'd protect him? Give me a little credit, please."

"Sorry." He released my arm and the anger faded. Then he blinked. "The shed. Do you mean like what happened the other day? When you passed out?"

I hesitated. Part of me wished I'd never mentioned it, but a bigger part was glad I had. I told him everything.

When I finished, I waited for his reaction. Was I afraid he'd laugh? Worry about my mental health? I knew better. I knew Daniel.

He listened without interrupting. Then he quietly processed it, sitting beside me on the deck, ignoring Kenjii and Fitz as they approached.

"Okay, the healing thing seems weird," he said finally. "But I think it seems weirder to you than it does to me. You're good at healing animals. Who knows why? If you're getting even better at it, well, it's not like you're hurting them. It bugs you, though, so I say hold off on releasing the marten. We'll take it to Dr. Hajek and see if there's a scientific explanation. Chances are she'll just say the same thing she always does. Some people have a gift. You obviously do."