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queenofbooksandcoffee-blog · 7 years

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Chapter 1

I was having a hard time staying awake in class. Professor Behunin spoke in a monotone voice and it wasn’t easy to pay attention. Besides, it was Thursday, the last day of classes for the week, and I had better things to do than listen to a 90-minute lecture on the Mortal Act of 1973. As a senior in college, I knew I ought to take notes and actively listen to what this lady had to teach but I dismissed my priorities.

Yawning, I gazed out the window on that cold November morning. It was raining hard, but that was no surprise. Isle Olympia was located 15 miles off the coast of Washington and the weather was always dreary. There was a permanent overcast that hovered over the small island. It felt like a dark shadow, the kind that made me feel like I was trapped under it, waiting for a storm to take over.

“You are too superstitious, bella,” would say my roommate, Abrielle, in her Italian accent. I smiled to myself. Abrielle hadn’t spoken more than three English words when we’d met 3 years ago, but she had quickly singled me out at the freshmen orientation class and attached herself to me with a bubbly smile that made it hard not to like her, even if she didn’t understand anything I said.

Suddenly, a loud snore echoed in the classroom, drowning out Professor Behunin’s voice. I shifted around in my seat quickly to spot my friend Gregorio, sleeping soundly in the far-left corner. Giggles erupted all around.

But the professor wasn’t impressed. She sighed and snapped her fingers, creating a high-pitched shriek, making Gregorio spill coffee all over himself. The other classmates roared with laughter as Gregorio hurriedly collected his textbooks and notes before they were soaked. His face was beet red with embarrassment.

“I am not a strict professor, Mr. Rodriguez. I’m fair when it comes to grades. I don’t ask much of my students,” Professor Behunin said in a calm tone, walking towards Gregorio slowly. “I am, however, going to ask that you do not waste my time by showing up to my class only to fall asleep and disrupt others with your obnoxious snoring! Do we have an understanding, Mr. Rodriguez?” She glared at him, her violet eyes bright with anger.

Gregorio paled. “Yes, ma’am. I apologize.” He looked down at his desk.

“Good. Now, thanks to Mr. Rodriguez, I am going to assign a written paper, no less than 1,000 words, about today’s lecture. It is due Tuesday morning. I will require a hard copy to be turned in for credit. Class dismissed.” Professor Behunin gathered her books and binders and hurried out of class while everyone groaned and complained.

I glared at Gregorio; he shrugged sheepishly and mouthed an apology. I rolled my eyes while stuffing books into my bag and stormed out of class. As if I didn’t have enough to stress about.

“Mila! Wait!” Gregorio yelled after me as I walked down the corridor. I sighed tiredly and stopped.

“What?” I snapped. He hesitated, rolling back on the balls of his feet.

“I had a question…”

I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Do you think Callie likes me?” He blushed scarlet, shoving his hands into his jeans’ pockets. I rolled her eyes and started laughing. Callie Sokolov was my dear friend and roommate. She and Greg had been crushing on each other since they met over the summer at a party down at Lake Tenues.

Gregorio blushed even harder. “Okay then,” he said quietly and turned to leave.

I grabbed his arm. “Sit,” I ordered him, pointing to the rustic bench next to them. “Callie adores you, Greg. I don’t know why you guys keep doing this weird dance with each other instead of just being straight up. Stop wasting time; you never know when it can be taken away from you.”

Greg smiled. “Thanks, Mila.”

“Anytime. By the way, you’re going to pay for that term paper we have to write.” I whirled my hand around as Gregorio’s eyes widened in fear. Before he had a chance to say anything, I turned him into a gray and white stripped kitten. He landed on the bench on all fours. Greg looked up at me, his yellow eyes tainted with fear and anger, and meowed. “Oh hush,” I said, cuddling him. “You’re cute for a kitten. That has to count for something, right?”

He meowed back and scratched my hand. “Ow, Greg! You know, I can leave you like this if I want so I suggest you be a good kitty and obey.” I grabbed him by the fur on his back and brought his face close to mine. “And I don’t think Callie will like it if she has to carry you around in a kennel at the carnival tonight.”

Gregorio snarled at me. I smiled back at him. “Good boy.” I petted his head and stuffed him in my bag. I strutted down the long, Versailles-esque corridor. My black, high heeled boots clacked on the wooden floorboards the whole way.

The corridors were bustling with noise and crowded with many students. Everyone was excited for tonight. The La Relance Carnival was taking place and it was the event everyone had been looking forward to. This year, the carnival commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Merging Law of 1817. The Merging Law was created by a witch named Bonnie LeCourte in France. It brought peace to the supernatural world that was being ripped apart by the War of 1817; the war lasted 12 days but thousands of supernatural creatures died. The Merging Law had saved supernatural races from definite oblivion.

As I turned a left corner, a frazzled boy in a broom seemed to be flying towards me at an exceptionally fast rate. My heart started pounding with anticipation and I dropped down to the floor just in time. A loud impact and a painful groan erupted from behind me.

I sat up and looked around. In the middle of the room, where all four corridors met, was a lengthy, golden trout pond with a tall statue that also served as a fountain. The statue was of a circle engraved with the signs of each supernatural race: a wand for witches, a fish for the merfolk, a moon for werewolves, and a sun for vampires. It represented the unity of the different races on the Mystical Council.

The broom was caught in the statue, the boy in the pond. I giggled. He was probably one of the many college freshman who signed up for the class on broom flying, thinking it would be easy. I had taken that class and it had been a pain in the ass. The professor, Walter Greenwood, was an old, grouchy sorcerer who loved to embarrass his students.

I stood up, pulling my black, leather bag with me. As I did, the contents of it spilled out, Greg the kitten with them. He growled as he hit the floor.

“Greg, I’m so sorry!” I cried, bending down to scoop him up. He recoiled in protest and turned around, darting up the long, double winder staircase rapidly. I threw my things into the book bag and ran after him. The heel of my boot slipped on the Venetian carpet that covered the staircase and I fell, landing on my right knee; I groaned in pain.

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, rubbing my knee as I kept running up the stairs. I caught a glimpse of Greg’s gray tail just in time to see him scamper off the staircase and onto the third floor. For a small animal, he sure was quick. I sprinted up the stairs faster but failed to see where he had gone. My breath was short and my knee was throbbing. I leaned against the railing, placing both hands on each thigh.

My mind was racing. Animal figuration spells were not permitted within the university boundaries; the punishment for such spells was not light. I had to find Greg before anyone else did. I needed to get home to gather my things for the locator spell.

I looked around. The third floor consisted of the professor’s offices and the university’s meeting rooms. It was a bright, open place that gave off a sweet, cherry scent. The receptionist’s desk in the middle of the room was deserted, and most of the offices were empty. The professors were all probably still in class, I thought hopefully. As I turned to leave, I saw the door to Professor Elise’s office was half open, letting dim light shine through. I heard various voices echoing from the room.

Curious, I walked down the hall silently, looking back down the stairs as I did. Different people were speaking, arguing. I listened intently.

“This is the eighth attack this month,” a male’s voice hissed. “Eight merfolk have been violently attacked and their pendants stolen. They’ve been forced to retreat to the oceans!”

“It’s the same with vampires. There are been several vampire assaults and their pendants have been stolen as well. They are slaves to the nighttime without the magic in the pendant protecting them from the sun,” a different male voice stated angrily. He had a slight British accent.

“I understand completely, James,” Elise said tiredly. “But you cannot come here to point fingers when we do not know for certain who is stealing supernatural creatures’ pendants. We have been monitoring the assaults closely but we’ve yet to find the culprit.”

“Do we need to find a culprit? It’s rather clear to us that witches are stealing magic pendants from other supernaturals. They want to climb to the top of the food chain once again,” James exclaimed.

He was cut short by the sound of a ringing phone. Someone answered it quietly; I couldn’t hear what was being said.

“What is happening, Tadeas?” Elise asked. “What did Samuel say?”

Tadeas, I thought. That must be Tadeas Kersey, my friend Agatha’s father. He was the representative for the merfolk on the council, and the merfolk king.

Tadeas sighed. “Two werewolves were attacked in Buenos Aires. Their pendants were stolen as well.”

I gasped and covered my mouth as soon as I realized my mistake.

“Someone is listening to us,” James, whispered menacingly. I ran down the hall, towards the staircase. Rapid footsteps pounded behind me as I raced down the stairs.

My pulse quickened. Today was not off to a good start. I reached the second floor and made a rash decision. I got a tight grip on my bag and flung myself over the railing. Few passing students raised an eyebrow at me when I landed on the first floor very wobbly, but on my feet. Ignoring them, I pulled my strength for a spell.

“Motus discede” I whispered, twirling my hands in a low, circular motion, eyes closed.

I would never get used to transportation by spell. Every time I used it, there was a slight rush, followed by lightheadedness and when I appeared, I felt a gravitational push forcing me out of the spell.

I appeared inside my apartment, on the tacky, glittery carpet Agatha had insisted we buy when we first moved in because it added a certain “je ne sais quoi” to our home; I sighed with relief, shaking off the bad vibes I felt.

“Hello?” I called out, slowly walking down the hall towards my bedroom. No reply. That was a good sign. I could look through my spell book without having to look over my shoulder. I went into my room throwing my bag on the bed, and knelt. My spell book was in an old, wooden box, along with several hidden elixirs, potions, and ingredients. I unlocked the box, drawing out my book and a white crystal ball. They had been a gift from my father when I had turned 18 and left for the university.

I sat on the floor and started flipping through the spell book; locater spells were common and easy. I came upon one and read it. Salt water, crystal ball and a personal belonging of Greg’s. I had everything I needed besides something that belonged to Greg. Unless, I thought, Callie had something of his in her room.

I reached for my cell phone to call Callie but a voice outside my door made me freeze in panic.

“Signorina, hello!” Abrielle said brightly. I turned around. Abrielle was standing at the hallway entrance, dressed very cheerfully in a yellow sweater and jeans. She carried various brown grocery bags.

“Hey! Um, do you know where Callie’s at?” I asked nervously. Abrielle would hit the roof when she found out what I had done.

“Yes,” replied Abrielle as she walked back to their kitchen, me close on her heels. It was a small area with a dark, wooden table that only fit four chairs, the stove was across from the sink and I could easily touch them both if I stood in the middle and extended my arms. Abrielle set down the bags on the counter. “She is meeting Greg for lunch at Jo’s Café downtown. She will be back later.”

I started putting away everything inside the pantry and fridge. “Well, that’s not going to happen.”

Abrielle frowned. “Why not?”

“It was not supposed to go like this, let me tell you that much first,” I said sheepishly, my eyes wide.

“No, Mila, what did you do?” Abrielle closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she did.

I sighed deeply and told her the unfortunate tale. My friend widened her eyes then scrunched them up, pouting angrily. When I was finished, Abrielle started yelling in Italian, shaking the jar of strawberry jam she was holding at me. I tried interrupting but failed. Exasperated, I threw my hands up and started screaming back at her in Spanish, my native language. Abrielle flushed red and slammed the jar of jam on the counter, breaking it; she swore under her breath.

“You know, I don’t particularly enjoy watching our groceries get destroyed during a bitch fight,” said someone from behind. I swirled around. There stood blond Callie, in all of her 5’10 glory, glaring at us with her hands on her hips.

“Mila turned Greg into a cat!” Abrielle blurted out. The blood in my veins turned to ice.

“Snitch!” I shot back.

Callie’s face went pale then red. Her mouth pinched up angrily; she threw down her keys on the kitchen table. “Couldn’t you have chosen a day when we didn’t have a date to torment him?” she shouted.

I picked at my cuticles. “To be fair, I wasn’t aware you had plans with him.”

Callie sighed. “Well, where is he?”

I felt my face get hot. “Yes… He ran away.”

Callie gritted her teeth. “Find him before I incinerate you.”

“Well, I need something of his to complete the locator spell. Do you have anything?”

She nodded. “I have his sweatshirt in my room.”

I raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Abrielle, who was making a face. “And um, why do you have his sweatshirt in your room?” I asked pointedly.

Callie blushed scarlet. “Don’t turn this back on me. You need to find him!”

Abrielle snorted. “Mm,” she muttered and began cleaning the jam off the counter.

Callie turned on her heels and stormed off; I followed her down the hall. Her room was a complete mess: clothes were strewn all over her desk, makeup was all over the floor and her bed was unmade and full of underwear and homework. I pinched my nose up.

“You, my friend, are the true definition of a slob,” I said disgustedly, leaning up against the doorway.

She rolled her eyes and started digging through her closet. A few seconds later she pulled out a faded green hoodie with University of the Occult written on the front in white.

“Is it clean?” I asked sarcastically. She glared at me, her brown eyes full of annoyance.

“Just do the damn spell.” Callie threw the hoodie at me.

I caught it and we headed to my room. The setup for the spell was complete. Callie knelt, her hands on her thighs, across from me. I placed the hoodie between us and the crystal ball on top of it. I started chanting while I sprinkled the salt water over the crystal ball and hoodie.

“Apparent ostende te venio, veniat ad me.” I placed my free hand on the crystal ball and continued chanting. Suddenly, the ball became very hot and made a crackling sound. I pulled my hand back with a gasp. A blurry image appeared on the ball. It was colorful. Greg the kitten materialized, licking his paw. He was under a huge tree with orange-reddish leaves. Towards the back, a black wrought iron fence was barely visible; it was the fence that surrounded the university.

“Where the hell is that?” I squinted my eyes and leaned closer to the ball. The image disappeared within a few seconds.

“It’s the willow tree by the flying field towards the back of the school.” Callie jumped up to her feet. “Let’s go.”

“What do you mean ‘let’s’?” I raised an eyebrow. “I am not going near him. He’ll claw me to death.”

“And you deserve it. You turned him into a cat so now you have to turn him back.” She pulled me to my feet.

I groaned. “I’m going to need some chamomile tea and a deep tissue massage after today.”

Callie rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, saying the transportation spell. We landed on grassy terrain roughly. I doubled over and vomited my soul out. “I don’t know how they let you into school,” I said weakly.

But she didn’t hear me. She was running towards Greg who had woken up and was bounding towards her, meowing loudly. She scooped him up and cuddled him up to her cheek.

“Oh, poor baby,” she cooed. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back.” She glared at me.

I frowned. “That’s rude and uncalled for. And slightly hurtful. This,” I waved my hands, pointing at Greg, “was never meant to get this far.”

“Turn him back. NOW,” Callie snapped.

I rolled my eyes. “We could do without the theatrics.” I took a deep breath. “Verto.”

Callie jumped back, dropping Greg the kitten. When he hit the ground, he was human again. Naked.

“Oh, God, no,” I gasped, turning away. I closed my eyes as I took off my jacket and threw it at him. “Cover yourself, man. No one wants to see that.”

Callie kicked me my shin. I shrieked in agony.

“Not cool, Mila,” Greg yelled as he stood up. He wrapped my jacket around his waist.

“You shouldn’t have run away,” I shot back.

“Okay, okay. We are all very sorry.” Callie stepped in between us. “Now, can we please go home? The carnival is tonight and we said we were going to dress up.”

I sighed deeply. “Will my troubles never end? Why, God?” I covered my face with my hands. “Fine. But I refuse to wear glitter.” I waved my hands and transported myself back to the apartment.

The theme for this year’s carnival was Mardi Gras Masquerade and my friends were insisting on elaborate makeup and costumes. I had never attended a carnival, even though I’d been enrolled in the university for 3 years. I wasn’t particularly thrilled about going. The elaborate ball, shows and games never sparked my interest. I always found a way to worm myself out of going, but this year I had no excuse. Agatha had ordered everyone what she deemed appropriate carnival attire, and insisted on doing everyone’s makeup.

I found Abrielle sitting at the kitchen table, talking to someone on the phone. Her delicate voice was extremely hard to understand when she spoke that quickly and in Italian. When she saw me, she said what I assumed to be a goodbye and hung up.

“Bella,” she said, standing up.

“What’s wrong?”

“My mother is sick. My father called to beg me to go home immediately.” Her big, gray eyes filled with tears. “I must go. I must go now.”

I hugged her fiercely. “Of course, you must go, Ellie. I will email you class assignments every day, and text you constantly. Now go.”

She wiped her eyes, nodding. She went to her room, and a few minutes later emerged with her purse and an overnight bag. “I will be back as soon as I can.” Abrielle vanished.

At that precise moment, Agatha walked in carrying several shopping bags. “I’m home!” she yelled, closing the front door.

“I can see that!” I yelled back. “What’d you buy now?’

I sat down on the couch. Agatha sat down on the floor and began emptying out the bags’ contents. Out came glittery makeup, feather masks, colorful beads. I rubbed my temples; I should’ve known.

“Where’s Ellie?” she asked. I explained what Abrielle had told me, and reassured her I would keep her updated when I was updated myself.

“Callie is with Greg,” I told her.

Agatha narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I was informed about your eventful day.”

I smiled sweetly, batting my eyelashes at her. “J’adore mes fans.”

She shook her head. “Well, then I guess it’s only going to be three of us tonight. Someone is going to have to help me with my fortune teller booth.”

“Uh, Agatha, I hope you know you’re a mermaid, not a witch. You don’t have any magical powers, besides the power of luring men to their sudden death with your singing.” I raised my eyebrows at her seductively.

She laughed. “I know but that’s why I need help. Someone must be the fortune teller. I just volunteered to run it.”

“Not it,” I said. “I’m already gracing the masses with my presence. Consider that more than enough.”

“Fine. Let’s start getting you ready then.” She waved several makeup brushes at me.

An hour later I stood in front of the full-length mirror hanging on my bedroom wall. A stranger’s reflection glared back at me. Her cheeks were painted a soft, iridescent lavender. Her eyes were done up in reflective sapphire blue eyeshadow and heavy black eyeliner and black lipstick on her lips.

“Oh, you look wonderful!” Agatha clapped her hands.

I picked at my eyelashes. “I don’t know about these fake eyelashes, Agatha. They feel uncomfortable. Can I please take them off?”

She huffed. “NO! No more destroying my master piece. Callie isn’t complaining.”

“That’s because Callie set boundaries firmly from the very beginning,” said Callie. She was sitting on my bed, her blonde hair pinned back in loose curls. Her makeup was very simple. Black eyeliner, fake eyelashes, and red lipstick. She wore a long, black peasant skirt with a purple tank top and a purple scarf with a gold coin belt. She looked more like a belly dancer than a fortune teller.

“We have to hurry up. Callie, don’t forget your head scarf and crystal ball.” Agatha walked out. “Let’s go! Start moving people. It’s already 7pm! We are late!”

I groaned and grabbed the beaded necklaces. “She’s going pay for this later,” I whispered to Callie as we followed Agatha out the door.

“I hear ya,” she whispered back.

The carnival was being held on the south side of campus, where the university garden square was located. It was home to a hedge maze like the Labyrinth of Versailles, hundreds of rose bushes, and an arboretum. Supernatural beings were firm believers in nature and all its wonders and magical herbs. It was one of the reasons the university was built on this island; it was surrounded by lush green forests and with a lake nearby.

The garden square had been completely transformed. There were individuals dressed in colorful court jester costumes standing on tall pillars, performing fire tricks. There was about 20 booths selling different ethnic foods and desserts. A huge purple and green tent had been set on the west side of the square and a magic show was being performed inside. Cocktail tables were scattered all around. The hedge maze was located on the north side of the square; it had been decorated with balloons, streamers, and twinkling lights. People in eerie, gold, purple and green masks were running in and out of the maze, trying to lure people into it. The east side of the square was made up of fortune teller booths, photo booths and a small bar.

I followed Callie and Agatha. Greg was at Agatha’s booth, setting up. It was a dark tent with a dim overhead light and a fog machine. A small table was set up in the middle and covered in a black tablecloth. Callie placed her crystal ball on it.

“I don’t know how I’m going to tell people their fortunes. That’s not how magic works. The crystal ball is good for locator spells, but not exactly for showing a person’s future. You know it can refuse to show me anything at all,” Callie told Agatha.

“I know, which is why it’s dark and foggy in here. You can be like those fortune tellers from movies who don’t lie, but don’t say the truth either. It’s just for fun. Everyone knows that,” she replied.

Greg put his arm around Callie. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be here acting like your security guard in case anyone tries to get impetuous.”

I rolled my eyes and placed a white and gold Venetian half mask on my face. “Well, not that this isn’t fun, but it’s not. I’m going to get a drink and maybe take a walk around the maze. Good luck.”

“Thanks,” replied Agatha, smiling.

“Not you,” I said crossly, and winked at Callie. I ducked out of the booth and headed for the bar.

There were a few people in line at the bar, each one dressed in different costumes. The man in front of me was dressed in all black and wore an eye mask made of gold and purple glitter and black feathers. 10 minutes passed by and the line didn’t move. I was getting impatient. I stood on my tiptoes and tried peaking around the man in front to figure out what the holdup was, but couldn’t see much. As I stepped back, the heel of my boot slipped on a rock and I lost my balance. I shot my arms forward to avoid landing on my face but I hit the man in front and took him down with me. He landed face first on the grass, with me on top of him. I got up clumsily, and helped him stand up.

“I am so, so, so sorry!” I said. I could feel my face red with embarrassment. The people in front of us were roaring with laughter.

The man brushed grass and dirt off his clothes. “It’s okay,” he said. “It happens.”

I nodded. “My apologies, once again.” I hurried back to Agatha and Callie’s booth, drink be damned.

The booth had no customers. Agatha and Greg were leaning against the tent poles, and Callie was sitting at the table.

“Hey,” Greg said when he saw me. “We thought you’d be 5 shots deep in the maze right now.”

Agatha giggled then sighed. “We’ve had no customers. None. It might be fake but all the money we make is going to charity,” she shouted at several people walking by. They frowned at her, but kept on walking.

“I’m sorry, Agatha,” I said as I hugged her. “I know how much you wanted this to be fun. Do you want to take a walk? Maybe get some food? I know Callie and Greg can handle the booth for a few minutes.”

Greg nodded. “Go on. We’ll be fine.”

“I guess,” Agatha mumbled.

We walked in silence towards the row of food booths. Drunk college kids laughed all around us. Magic had been prohibited that night, except for the people participating in shows or booths, but that didn’t stop the occasional few from shooting fire balls at one another, or using a levitation spell to move out of someone’s way. I could see everyone’s guards were down and inhibitions were running wild. I smiled. Maybe the night wouldn’t turn out to be completely horrible.

But I spoke too soon. The night grew very cold. A ghostly aura enveloped me. I became jittery, feeling someone’s eyes on me. I scanned the crowds quickly, for any sign of eccentricity, but found none. I sighed with some relief, but my stomach stayed in knots. I rubbed my palms together; they were clammy and twitching with quiet electrical currents.

“Are you feeling well?” Agatha whispered as we reached the hot chocolate stand. She looked pointedly at my hands.

I shook my head. “I feel nervous, as if something bad is going to happen. Now.”

Her eyes widened with fear. “You know your suspicions are uncannily correct. Let’s get back before they manifest themselves, and you start shooting electricity bolts out of your hands.”

Agatha turned around and started walking back to her booth at a rapid pace. I followed her but was abruptly detained. Someone had clasped my wrist tightly and pulled me back. I twisted back to see who my abductor was, and shocked to see it was the guy I had knocked over earlier.

He let go of me and rubbed his palm. “Did you just shock me?” he asked incredulously.

“Um, yes. It’s an ability of mine.” I paused and made air quotes.

He laughed. “I’m Beckett.”

“Mila.” I smiled. “I’m so sorry about the shock.”

He extended his hand. “Would you like to take a walk with me to make up for the incident from earlier?”

I hesitated, and looked back to the crowds. Agatha was gone. “Sure,” I replied, taking his hand.

“Nox,” he whispered, and I fainted.

***********************************

I woke up on my back, groggy and cold. My vision was blurry, but I could make out a figure in front of me, pacing. Several yards behind the person was a tall, wrought, black iron fence. I blinked a couple of times. The figure in front of me was Beckett, and he was on the phone. We were outside the university campus, on the outskirts of the woods that surrounded it. My hands had been bound together with a thick rope and I had been gagged. My heart started pounding; who was this man?

I lifted myself up into a sitting position; the front of my shirt had been sliced in half, revealing my black bra. Disgusted and horrified, I stared at Beckett. He hadn’t realized I had woken up as his back was to me; he sounded agitated as he continued his phone conversation, occasionally running his hand through his black, wavy hair nervously. If I timed this correctly, I could make a run for it into the woods. I closed my eyes. Okay, focus, Mila, I thought. I took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and stood up slowly. He was still facing the university. I looked back into the forest. There were no visible pathways, no obvious life forms. It was an intertwined mess of trees, shrubs, bushes, and leaves. I glanced at Beckett once more; he was still on the phone and unaware of my actions. I turned around and ran into the unknown.

I ran steadily, dodging tree branches and bushes. The only thing lighting my path was the full moon in the sky, and even then, it wasn’t enough. I tripped on rocks and logs, without being able to throw my arms in front of me to lessen the fall. I was badly bruised and cut; I could feel blood on my body. But I forced myself to get up every time and keep going. My lungs burned with the need for air, but I couldn’t bear to pause for a break. The crippling fear running through me only pushed me forward. I would not be a victim of date rape.

I don’t know how long I’d been running for when I made the mistake of looking back. As soon as I turned around, I hit a hard obstacle and fell down face first. At first, I thought I had hit a tree. But when I opened my eyes I found myself gazing into a pair of bright blue eyes that expressed hints of anger and irritation. I had fallen on top of a man.

I struggled to stand up, which only seemed to irritate him more. Suddenly, I was upright and standing a few feet away from him. The rope around my hands was gone, as was the cloth that had been used to gag me. My eyes widened in confused awe. He brushed dirt and leaves off his white shirt and jeans while I gathered myself mentally.

A piercing scream jerked me out of fixation. “Mila!” Beckett had realized I was gone.

I inhaled sharply. Now that I was free, I was ready to confront him.

“You’re bleeding,” said a deep, quiet voice behind me.

I twisted back to look at him. He was frowning slightly, his arms crossed. “You’re bleeding,” he repeated, this time with a hint of authority in his tone. “You have a cut on your chest.”

I looked down and saw a deep gash extending from my collar bone to my right breast. All the adrenaline pumping through me hadn’t allowed me to feel pain. I realized my shirt was in tatters, leaving me even more exposed, and flushed. Covering my chest with my arms, I turned back around. “I’ll be fine,” I snapped. “I need to take care of this S.O.B. first.”

I started walking back and collapsed after 3 steps. He caught me before I hit the ground and sat me down on a boulder.

“Who are you?” he asked looking intensely into my eyes. “What happened?”

Involuntarily, I found myself telling him the events that had occurred that evening. When I finished, I paused to take a deep breath and realized I had been mind-controlled. Angrily, I stood up and shook off the hand he had placed on my shoulder.

“You’re a vampire!” I hissed.

He stood up and rolled his eyes. “A thank you would have sufficed,” he muttered.

“Thank you for what? For using your mind control on me?” I yelled.

“Why are you yelling? I am standing right in front of you. There is no need for theatrics.” He leaned against a tree, his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t know you were a witch.”

I placed my hands on my hips and glared at him. “I’m sure that was it,” I said sarcastically.

“Mila!” Beckett screamed. He sounded closer. A few seconds later, he appeared. He sighed with relief when he saw me. “Oh, thank goodness I found you,” he said, walking towards me.

The vampire stopped him immediately, placing himself between us. “I wouldn’t go near her,” he said simply.

Beckett frowned, his lips pursed. He swallowed and said, “Look, just go on your way and pretend you saw nothing. This doesn’t concern you.”

“You assaulting a lady concerns me,” he replied. “Now, go on back and let her be.”

Beckett, visibly angry now, pushed the vampire back. “This doesn’t concern you,” he shouted.

I held my breath. This was not going to end well.

The vampire punched Beckett in the face, knocking him out cold. I gasped.

He looked at me, surprised. “Well,” he said. “Is that not a version of what you were going to do to him?”

I cocked my head to the side. “True,” I replied haughtily then sighed. “I feel too weak to do a transportation spell. Do you know what direction to take back to the university? I’m sure my friends are wondering where I am.” I kneeled next to Beckett and started searching his pant pockets. I retrieved my phone along with his; the batteries on both were dead.

“I can escort you back, if you’d like,” he offered.

I shook my head. “No, thanks. Just point me in the right direction.”

He took a deep breath. “I can get there in 3 seconds. It’s going to take you more than half an hour, especially with that wound of yours weakening you as we speak.”

I glared at him. He stared back at me wordlessly. After a few moments of silence, I spoke. “Fine. I’ll allow you to indulge in a few seconds of chivalry so you can feel good about yourself, and give you the privilege to take me back.”

He rolled his eyes. “What an honor,” he muttered. “Now, do you want me to carry you or do you want to go piggyback style?”

“You mean you actually have to touch me?” I asked, horrified.

“I could drag you by one hand like a dead horse.”

“Piggyback style is fine.” I smiled mockingly.

In the blink of an eye, I was in his arms being carried like an infant. “I prefer this method of embarrassment,” he said, his face amused.

My face felt hot; my whole body was burning. I closed my eyes, turning my face away. “Just take me back please,” I croaked.

He laughed. It was an honest laugh, unbothered and carefree. It was a sweet, lively sound that matched the vibrancy of his blue eyes, and it echoed through the woods. It pierced the darkness around us.

Within seconds we had reached the edge of the woods in which I had woken in. The university was close and well lit.

“I’m sure you can find your way back from here,” he said quietly, and set me on my feet. Tonight had been intense and traumatic, and my body was starting to feel it. I was beginning to feel a headache growing on me. I massaged my temples slowly.

“I’m sure. Thank you for your unsolicited help and remarks. They were actually useful,” I said bitingly.

He took a deep breath and frowned. “A simple thank you is fine. Defensive insults are not required.”

“Whatever. Thank you. Goodnight.” I started limping towards the university.

“You didn’t tell me if I would see you again,” he yelled.

I said, “No. I don’t suppose I did,” and kept on walking.

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