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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

What happened next happened in milliseconds.

A hand swept in front of my face, swatting the bullet away.
 
It was Paisley White.
 
Somehow, she must have been watching to make sure we got home safe.

If Anna was surprised to see her, she didn’t show it.
 
Instead, she kept shooting, but Paisley was a queen and her skills crushed Anna’s.
 
She caught each bullet, threw it aside, her hands moving so fast that I could barely see them slicing through the air.
 

She was such a force, she pushed Anna back across the parking lot toward the stand of trees that separated my apartment complex from the road.
 
If anyone looked outside or happened to be around, they’d see what was unfolding, which I couldn’t allow.
 
I imagined Paisley and Anna moving in a cloak of invisibility.
 

Then I joined them in it.
 

This wasn’t my first fight with Anna.
 
I knew if I pressed her hard enough, she could become vulnerable.
 
I also knew that if I struck at just the right moment, I could potentially kill her.
 
I watched her fight Paisley and could see that she was becoming overwhelmed by the sheer speed in which Paisley was crippling her with the severity of her blows.

I wanted to join Paisley in the fight.
 
I had an idea and acted upon it.

I leaped into the air, soared above Anna, grabbed a fistful of her hair and together, we flew high above the trees.
 
She writhed beneath me, her hands reaching up and clawing at me while Paisley flew at my side.
 
She didn’t interfere.
 
She didn’t instruct me.
 
She just soared along with me, a smile on her lips, her blonde hair reaching out in waves behind her.
 
It was clear that she was eager to see what I had in mind, which was just ahead of us.

Almost there.
 
Almost upon it.
 

And then we were.

“Keep back,” I said to Paisley.

When she was safely away from us, I started to spin so fast, I literally could hear and feel the bones in Anna’s neck and back start to snap and give way under the weight of the centrifugal force.
 
She became a siren of pain and outrage as I moved closer down the street to the electrical pole with the transformer on top of it.

When I was next to it, I spun faster while Anna tried to release herself from my grip.
 
She knew what was coming but was powerless to stop it.
 
I asked the amulets to release her at exactly the right moment and they did.
 

My hands sprang open, Anna flew backwards and smashed hard against the transformer, which exploded in a rush of flames.
 
Ropes of bluish electricity spun out and started to electrocute her.

With my hands raised in front of me, I kept her there so she roasted.
 
I wouldn’t let her fall.
 
Instead, I made sure she fried.
 
She was fighting back and fighting hard, but my soul was so deeply entrenched in the amulets, I was able to keep her body pressed against the fiery, ruined transformer as it pumped untold amounts of electricity into her body.

When Anna burst into flames, Paisley came at my side.
 
“You’ll kill her if you keep it up.
 
Are you sure you want that?”

“You told me to cut off her head the next time I saw her.”

“I did.
 
But you need to know the repercussions you’ll face if she dies.
 
I don’t know what he’ll do.”

“She’s already promised me a war.
 
He’ll just send another in her place.
 
Why are you sending me mixed messages?”

“I’m rethinking this.”
 
And then, with certainty, she said:
 
“Let her go.
 
Let me talk to him first.
 
He knows what’s happening now.
 
If I’m surprised by what you’re capable of, which I am, I know he is.
 
You’re more powerful than I imagined.”

I looked up at the thing that was Anna and watched her twist and convulse against the burning transformer.
 
Smoke rolled out of her mouth and nose. Flames consumed the lot of her.
 
She was bellowing into the night, but no one could see or hear her but us.
 
I wanted her dead, but Paisley was no fool.
 
Maybe she could talk to Darien.
 
Maybe she could end this.

I lowered my hands and watched Anna drop to the ground in a brilliant streak of orange.
 
She smashed her head against the pavement and started to flick with spasms, but soon the fire was out and Anna started to recover.
 

Watching her heal, I was conflicted.
 
She was at her most vulnerable right now.
 
I could chop off her head and be done with her.
 
But I needed to listen to Paisley.
 
She’d changed her mind for a reason.
 

We lowered ourselves to the ground as Anna pushed herself to her feet.
 
Her hair was singed to her scalp.
 
She was standing naked before us.
 
Blood seeped from her nipples, the corners of her mouth and her eyes.
 
It was obvious that I’d come within seconds of ending her.

Paisley stood between us.
 
“You owe him your life, Anna.
 
He could have gone through with it.
 
He could have killed you if he wanted to.”

“Fuck him!” she yelled.
 
“Look at me!
 
Look at me!
”

“Sure, you’re a little scorched and roughed up around the edges, but at least you’re breathing, baby.
 
At least you’ve still got your health.
 
At our ages, we both know how precious that is.
 
So, why don’t you take your tired fried ass out of here, regroup and get a good night’s sleep?
 
If Darien doesn’t take my advice tomorrow, I promise all of you are going to need it.”
 

She took a step toward Anna, who took a revealing step back.
 
“Because if Darien doesn’t listen to me, if he doesn’t leave this boy alone and focus on whatever the hell he does when he’s not pulling this kind of shit, we will gladly march into this little war you’re trying to whip up.
 
And I promise you this, bitch, I won’t stop him next time.
 
I’ll urge him to finish you off.
 
You and anyone else you bring, including Darien.”

She cocked her thumb to the sky.
 
“Now, get out of here.
 
I’m tired of watching your tits bleed.
 
You’re a mess.
 
An embarrassment.”

With an angry glance at me, Anna soared into the sky.

Paisley and I watched her go.
 
“What do you think she’ll do?” I asked.

“Something stupid.
 
That’s one idiot who always does something stupid.
 
She won’t give up until he tells her to, which is probably why I should go and see him now and put an end to this tonight if I can.
 
There’s no sense in waiting until tomorrow.”

“If I gave you the amulets, could you kill him?”

“Probably,” she said.
 
“But that’s not my style.
 
Besides, I’d be in deep shit if I did it.
 
He and I are essentially equals.
 
I’d have to answer to someone far more powerful than I am if that happened.”
 
She pulled her hair behind her head and dusted herself off.
 
“And let’s just say that wouldn’t end well.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

Next day at school, it was insanity.
 

It wasn’t just Rob Maxwell people were talking about when I stepped out of the Prius and began moving through the crowd.
 
They also were talking about how Mr. Sewell had gone blind and no longer would be teaching Phys Ed.
 
They were talking about Amy Rogers sudden weight gain and how she appeared to be doubling in size since her recent food freak-out in the cafeteria.
 
Somebody said they heard Ginny Gibson had officially been declared insane and now was locked away in an asylum.
 
Many were still discussing the three triplets who spontaneously combusted in class.
 
Was it a stunt?
 
The police still didn’t know the answer or who they even were.

They also were talking about me, my stolen car and how all those people died thanks to Maxwell’s stupid move.
 
He’d been missing since the accident.
 
Everyone now just assumed it was him, though it wasn’t official.
 
The police were still awaiting the DNA results.

Regardless of Anna’s role in what happened yesterday, I still felt as though I had blood on my hands and it was wrenching to hear people talking about the crash and those who died.

When I was spotted in the crowd, the conversation gradually stopped until it felt as if I was moving through a vacuum.
 
I glanced at people as I moved past them and tried to read the expressions on their faces.
 
What were they thinking?
 
There was a time when they would have hurled a vicious assault of insults at me.
 
Some would have punched or slapped or spit on me.
 
Now, they just watched me.
 
What had I become to them?
 
More to the point, what had I become, period?

Nobody said a word to me.
 
Some looked away, though I wasn’t sure why and I really didn’t want to know now.
 
I was too focused on Paisley White.
 
What happened last night when she visited Darien?
 
I hadn’t heard from her.
 
I didn’t know if she was alright.
 
When I turned to the amulets for an answer, it was as if they were blocked.

I felt a hand on my back.
 
Jennifer.

“Are you okay,” she asked.

“I probably shouldn’t be here.
 
Obviously, I’m creating a distraction.”

“You’ve created a few of them.”

“Touché.”

“I liked meeting your friend last night.”

“I liked meeting her, too.”

She looked confused.
 
“That was your first time meeting her?”

“First time.”

“What did you think?”

“When we first met, I thought she was a total eccentric.
 
Fun.
 
Kind of off, but in a good way.”
 
Then I told her what happened last night with Anna.
 
“But after that scene, I think she’s amazing.
 
And now I’m worried about her.
 
I haven’t heard from her and I should have by now.”

“Do you think she’s still with him?”

We walked through the school’s open double doors and started down the hallway to our lockers.
 

“I have no idea.”

“Have you talked to Jim?”

“Not today.”

We passed the cafeteria and stopped at our lockers, which were five apart.
 
I fumbled with the combination on mine, opened the door and was about to reach inside for my books when the amulets grew hot against my chest.
 

I looked around.
 

Students were walking down the hall.
 
A few teachers were talking with one another across from me.
 
I didn’t see anything unusual until I spotted a young man several yards away.
 
I’d never seen him before, but he was looking straight at me and he gave me a chill.
 
He was tall and dark and looked to be somewhere in his twenties.
 
He was leaning against a wall with his arms folded.
 

And then he nodded at me.

“What’s wrong?” Jennifer asked.

“Do you see that guy standing over there.
 
Just over your shoulder to your left.
 
Maybe thirty feet away.
 
Do you see him?”

What I love about Jennifer is that she’s smart.
 
She wasn’t one to react by whipping her head around, which only would only draw attention to herself.
 
Instead, she gathered her books, shut her locker door and turned in such a way that she could sweep the hall until she stopped to face me.

“Black shirt?”

“That’s him.”

“Who is he?”

“No idea, but the amulets are burning the hell out of my chest right now.”

I watched her eyes flick up and sweep the view over my shoulder.
 
Her lips parted and she looked back at me.
 
“He’s not alone.
 
There’s someone else.
 
Right behind you at the entrance to the cafeteria.”

I wasn’t as subtle as she was.
 
I turned and this time saw a young woman also a bit too old for high school.
 
She was blonde, pretty, her fair complexion in stark contrast to the red sweater she wore.
 
She also nodded at me.

“They’re gathering,” Jennifer said.

“Do you see anyone else?”

She looked around the hall and stopped at the front doors.
 
“Alex.
 
He’s just getting here.
 
He’s coming inside now.”

I imagined a shield around him, not knowing what the blonde would do.
 
Then I put one around Jennifer, just to be safe.
 
When I turned, the blonde already had dropped a pen in Alex’s path and was bending to pick it up.
 
But since Alex was Alex, naturally he did the right thing and started to pick it up for her.
 
Immediately, I clapped my hands to startle him as I ran over.
 
“Let me get that,” I said.

“Dude, I can totally get a pen.”

“For a witch?”

That stopped him.
 
He withdrew his hand and looked up at me.
 
I turned to the blonde, who was smirking.
 
“What do you want?” I asked her.

She shrugged.
 
“I just wanted to see his ass.”

“Why are you here?”

“Why do you think?”
 

“You and your friend need to leave.”

“Friend?”

“Down the hall.
 
Black hair.
 
Don’t play dumb.”
 
I looked at her blonde hair.
 
“You’ll just be reinforcing the stereotype.”

“You’re quick,” she said.
 
“I like that.”

“Really?
 
Ask Anna how quick I am and see how she likes it.”

“You can’t get us all, Seth.”

Jennifer stepped beside me.
 

“Last night, for the third time, I nearly took Anna out.
 
If I’m stronger than she is, then I’m sure as hell stronger than the rest of you.
 
So, here’s some advice.
 
Back down.
 
Get out of here while you can.”

“That’s sweet,” she said.
 
“A nice little show of manliness for the trinket you love.”
 
She motioned toward Jennifer, whose face darkened.
 
“But we’re not leaving.
 
A hundred of us are already here.
 
We’re everywhere.
 
We’re getting ready.
 
It ends tonight.
 
Those amulets you love so much will be his.”

She started to brush past me and as she did, I touched my finger against her backside and drilled into the amulets with one word in mind:
  
Old.
 
She stopped cold in the hallway and looked at me in horror.
 
Already, her once perfect complexion was starting to come alive with a nest of tiny red veins that snaked up her neck and started to cover her face.

“Come on,” I said to Alex and Jennifer.
 
“Casually but quickly.
 
We need to get out of here.
 
Now.”

“Where are we going?”

“My car.”

The blonde started to shriek.
 
We were nearing the exit, where Principal Roberts was greeting students as they walked inside.
 
She looked down the hall, then stopped to look at us.
 
“Who is she?
 
And who is the young man with her?
 
What’s going on?”

“I think he just dumped her,” Jennifer said.

“No,” Principal Roberts said.
 
“There’s something wrong with her.
 
Look at her.
 
Her hair is turning white and falling out.
 
She’s hunching over.
 
What’s happening to her skin?
 
It’s as if she’s—”

Other students started to scream as they watched the former blonde transform into her true age, whatever that was.
 
I leaned toward Roberts’ ear.
 
“Go and help her,” I said.
 
“You never saw us.
 
In fact, nobody here saw us.
 
We all called in sick because none of us feels well.
 
Remember?”

“Yes, of course, I remember.
 
You’re sick.
 
You’re at home.
 
But excuse me.
 
I need to help her.”

And off went Roberts.

*
  
*
  
*

The bell hadn’t rung yet.
 
Outside, we quickly crossed over to the parking lot, where we came upon a group of kids surrounding a short, overweight boy.
 
They were taunting him, calling him names.
 
Some were lunging out to strike him while he held up his arms in an effort to deflect their blows.
 
They all looked younger than me.
 
Maybe freshmen?
 
I didn’t recognize any of them, but I certainly knew what that boy was feeling and the sight of it infuriated me.

I knew I needed to get out of here fast and take us all to see Jim, but I couldn’t allow this to happen.
 
If I didn’t get involved, I was no better than the fools bullying that boy.

Not far from them was Mrs. Grimes, an old-school math teacher who had been here probably since the school itself opened.
 
Nobody liked her.
 
She was coasting straight into retirement and didn’t want any trouble along the way.