The Secret of Spruce Knoll (19 page)

Chapter 35

There was only one figure standing in the faint light of the solar street lamps waiting for Eren. By the way it was leaning up against the turnabout wall, arms crossed, one leg cocked, she knew it was Luke. Fear ran its cold fingers up her spine and raised the hairs on the back of her neck. She had not planned on being alone with him. Her legs almost refused to take her forward. If she turned and ran like she knew she should, they may never get the evidence they needed. So she kept walking.

“Hey babe, you look hot!” he said as he got closer.

Little annoyed her more than when a guy called her babe. One of her ex-boyfriends had done that and it was part of why he was an ex. It just sounded so degrading, almost possessive.

She’d worn a snug fitting, button-up blue shirt that was actually snaps so she could tear it off fast if she needed to channel. A billowy, black, knee-length skirt with a hidden pocket in which she had tucked a tiny recorder, completed the outfit. Considering the hungry way Luke was staring at her, the skirt felt too short and the shirt too tight. She hadn’t thought of the outfit as being ‘hot’ when she put it on, only that it would be quick and easy to take off. Which suddenly didn’t seem like such a good thing.

“Where’s Elisabeth?” she asked.

It wasn’t hard to sound disappointed, she was. Lately, she felt safer with Elisabeth around, and she was starting to like her in a way. Besides, nothing good could come from her absence, at least, nothing good for Eren.

“Her date cancelled on her so she was too bummed to come,” he said with badly faked regret.

Eren got the distinct feeling that her lack of a date had nothing to do with Elisabeth’s absence. From the fierce look in Luke’s eyes, he had more to do with it. He put his arm around her and squeezed so tight it almost hurt. It was very hard to suppress her energy when he leaned close and looked down her shirt. She chided herself for not having worn a jacket that she could have zipped up to her neck. Jeans sounded like a good idea right about now too, the skirt was making her feel way too vulnerable.

Luke’s aggressive shift in attitude explained at least part of why Elisabeth had been so upset. She must not have liked the idea of leaving Eren alone with him.

The fear that had raced up Eren’s spine clamped onto it now, sending shockwaves through her entire body. As Luke turned and led her down a dark street, it took every bit of her self-control not to tear away from him and run. He made a content sound deep in his throat and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. She worked very hard at ignoring it.

Dark jack-o-lanterns bordered nearly every driveway and gate, silent, creepy witnesses to their passing. The streets were empty save for a few leaves tumbling in the breeze. Most of the windows of the houses they passed were dark. Eren thought she had heard her aunt say something about having been invited to a monthly Society meeting tonight. It explained the deserted town and the timing of the huge party the kids were throwing.

“How far is it?” she asked to break the silence.

“Not much farther. It’s just on the outskirts of town in neutral territory,” Luke said.

His arm was hanging over her shoulder, dangling down and almost touching parts she absolutely did not want him to touch. She was forced to turn into him more so that his opportunistic hand rested more safely on her shoulder.

“You’re not getting cold are you?” he asked with a touch of hope in his voice.

He knew damn well she wasn’t getting cold he just wanted an excuse to touch her more. Anger and fear mixed until she started to feel sick.

“No, I’m just eager to get there,” she said with a forced smile.

“You sure? Because I can keep you warm,” he whispered against her ear.

Eren shuddered and giggled to make it seem like she wasn’t disgusted. Her power longed to break free and blow that horrible look off his face. She forced the thought aside and tried to focus on their surroundings to help keep her power at bay.

As the last of the houses faded behind them, they turned down a gravel road that led into the forest. When they reached the first of the trees, voices and the feel of many people’s energy drifted to Eren. She had to blink back tears of relief. For a minute there she had feared she wasn’t going to make it to the party without a fight.

She felt the powerful energy of the bonfire long before she saw its glow through the trees. Luke led her off the road and in the direction of that glow. When they finally came to the clearing Eren was shocked to see close to a hundred kids gathered around a huge bonfire dancing to music. Almost every one of them had a paper cup in their hands and she was pretty sure they weren’t drinking juice.

Heads turned in their direction and all conversation halted. Most of the looks were surprised, not hostile like she’d expected. A tall dark-haired Romanian boy pushed through the gawkers and walked right up to them. He held out a paper cup to both of them as his eyes traveled the length of Eren’s body boldly. It was Claud. Fear and anger warred within but Eren fought hard to look oblivious and conceal her recognition.

“Glad you could make it, bud,” he said to Luke.

Luke took the cup and let go of Eren to clasp hands with Claud. When he let go Claud extended the other cup out to Eren again. Though she had no intention of drinking it, she accepted it for appearances sakes.

Talk started back up and people began dancing again. As Luke and Claud talked she raised the cup to her nose and knew that would be as far as she got it. It smelled strongly of vodka and orange juice with a subtle cranberry undertone. Somehow she would have to pretend to drink the nasty stuff.

Claud pulled her and Luke into the crowd and began introducing her to people. Most of the smiles and enthusiasm was forced, but a few people were genuinely kind. Eren was sure that was only because they had gone through a few cups of that drink. How anyone could choke it down she couldn’t fathom.

Elisabeth was nowhere to be found. Eren had been hoping Luke hadn’t scared her away completely, but it was starting to look like he had. Luke laughed and joked with everyone, parading her around like she was a prize. It was making her feel very uncomfortable.

People were getting drunk and starting to pair off and disappear into the woods. Luke had downed two drinks and was starting to look at her in a very disturbing way. He wouldn’t let go of her and his hands kept trying to wander. Twice he had tried to kiss her and she had deftly turned away or ducked at just the right moment, pretending not to notice.

“Come on, there’s somebody you’ve got to meet,” Luke said after draining his third drink.

His breath reeked of vodka and she couldn’t help turning away. At first, it was a relief when he took her hand in his—at least he couldn’t try to grab her butt this way—but then he led her into the trees. From the sounds coming from the forest she knew the other kids were not going in there to hang out. She protested and pulled back but he just ignored her and pulled harder, practically dragging her.

“You’re hurting my hand,” Eren complained.

They were alone now, surrounded by nothing but trees. The glow of the bonfire seemed very far away. Luke let go of her hand, but her relief was short-lived when he put his arms around her. His breath made her gag and his touch made her body vibrate. She fought the urge to channel and the muscles in her arms began to convulse because of it. Luke smiled, his face brightening with a sick excitement as he shoved her up against a tree.

There was an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes when he leaned in to kiss her. She swiftly turned her head away and avoided him. Undaunted, he kissed her chin and started to work his way down her neck, his lips so hard against her they were almost bruising. Eren finally managed to push him back just a bit. He was so strong that it wasn’t easy.

“Who did you want me to meet?” she asked, desperate to distract him.

One side of his mouth lifted into a crooked smile that raised bumps along her arms.

“The real me,” he said.

Eren nearly lost control and channeled. Her energy was so close to the surface it burned. She was concentrating so hard on not doing it that she was barely able to fight back as he shoved her up against the tree. Her head snapped back into the rough bark and her vision swam for a moment. When it focused again she saw Luke’s face only inches from hers and his body was nearly crushing her.

An angry grunt bubbled up through her lips and her control slipped ever-so-slightly. She was seeing the world through a blue haze. Focusing that energy down through her hands, she forced it into Luke’s arms, thinking about it burning. Blue flames started to consume the sleeves of his shirt. Horrified, he pushed away from her so hard that he fell back to the ground. Her shirt tore in his hands. Screaming, he scrambling backwards like a frightened dog.

Eren reached out to him but didn’t take a step in his direction. “Stop!” she commanded. The blue flames died instantly but Luke’s skin had already started to blister severely.

Instinct overrode her common sense. She lunged forward and grabbed his arms, calling up her power as she did so. His skin broke beneath her hands, and she felt what was probably a mixture of puss and blood. Ignoring it, she thought about his arms being perfect and unscathed, then dumped her energy into him. A moment later his arms were flawless. He wrenched free of her, staring at her like she was a freak.

“That isn’t possible! No one can do both!” he said.

Her heart sank as she realized she probably shouldn’t have done that.

“It’s not possible,” he murmured.

When he took another step back Eren followed him. Though she had no idea what to say, she had to convince him not to tell anyone. She was already enough of an outcast here. He stood up straight and squared his shoulders, an angry look filling his suddenly sober eyes.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to have you anyway,” he swore.

After what she’d done to his arms she was afraid to call on her power again. She had no choice but to turn and run. If she could just keep her wits about, her she knew he didn’t stand a chance of catching her. As much as she wanted to leave this place and just run home, she still didn’t have the proof she needed. So she headed for the bonfire instead. Maybe if she faced him there he wouldn’t try to force himself on her. 

 Panting more from fear than exertion, she burst into the clearing and stumbled to a stop only a few feet from the heat of the fire. She turned her back to it and prepared to defend herself. Dozens of surprised faces turned to stare at her. The clearing fell silent save for the crackling of the bonfire. Luke burst through the trees and stormed toward her. She could channel and fight him but she didn’t want to do that in front of everyone if she didn’t have to. Besides, without the element of surprise, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Luke stopped a few feet from her in a semi-crouched position. Eren’s fear rose and she had to clamp her lips shut tight so that she didn’t whimper. Some of the other kids began to move in, responding to her fear. That made it worse. She wanted to retreat but the fire was blazing at her back and it was so tall and wide she wasn’t sure she could clear it even if she used her power. A circle of hungry faces closed off any other means of retreat she had.

“I’m done playing, bitch,” Luke said.

He snapped his fingers and two boys stepped out of the gathering crowd and up to his side. They shed their shirts. Each of them began to glow. No, not glow, Eren realized. They were pulsing with energy. Their bare upper bodies were surrounded by an aura of their power, though it was concentrated strongest around their hands. Their eyes glowed eerily in the firelight. Each emitted a slightly different color. One boy’s energy was mostly red with orange flecks throughout it. The other was Claud, and his energy scared Eren the most. His was a wild mixture of colors that churned like a storm.

Tears and the vibrating of her body combined to render Eren blind for a moment. She blinked the tears away and managed to reduce the vibrations.

Laughing, Luke snapped his fingers again. Two more boys stepped up, shed their shirts, and called up their power. The four of them started to advance. They looked drunk on their own power. Luke wouldn’t be able to hold them back for long. The faces in the crowd were starting to look nervous and unsure. One face stood out, Elisabeth. She was shoving her way through people, trying to get to Luke. Two boys held her back just before she made it.

“Luke, stop this!” she screamed.

“Stay out of it, Elisabeth,” he commanded.

She struggled against her captors but they held her tight.

“She hasn’t hurt anyone and she didn’t expose us. This is wrong!” she yelled.

Luke turned toward his sister. When he did the four boys advanced a few steps closer to Eren. She was shaking so bad it was hard to stay on her feet. Her energy was building up so much it felt like she was going to explode.

“This doesn’t concern you. Go home,” Luke said.

“It does concern me. Eren is a good person. There is more to life than just pleasing our parents, dammit!” she snapped back.

“No there isn’t,” he said, biting off every word.

He spun away from her and stormed back to Eren. The four boys were only a few feet from her now. Pushing two of them aside, Luke made a path through them and came to stand in her face. Seeing the hatred in his eyes, she suddenly wished she only had the four boys to deal with. She shook as he reached out and fingered a lock of her dark hair. The fear in her chest exploded and she went to her knees.

Responding to her terror, the kids in the crowd began losing control and channeling. Trees snapped, bushes burst into flame, rocks exploded. Chaos reigned around them and Luke ignored it all, no doubt trusting their fear of him would keep them at bay.

“She’s wrong, you know. Pleasing my parents is everything. And killing a mixed blood who could ruin our plans will please them very much. You were supposed to die with your parents that day,” he said as he leaned down into her face. 

“What do you mean?” Eren asked, trying to delay the inevitable.