I WANDERED INTO the kitchen and slumped onto a stool at the counter, putting my chin in my hand and staring blankly at the wall. My life was a mess, and I had no idea what to do about it. Evelyn was obviously in some kind of trouble, and it was something she didn’t think I could help her with. I couldn’t shake whatever bug had me feeling so miserable all the time with no real symptoms. My family was still somewhat of a mystery to me, and I was having trouble getting a handle on who I was. And of course Nate seemed disgusted by me, while I just kept feeling a stronger and stronger connection with him.
Suddenly alarm bells went off in my head, and I sat up straighter. Strange connection… I’d always felt a strange connection with Crystal, too. I’d never really questioned it because it had been that way my entire life. I thought back to my conversation with Xander about how I would know an Otherworlder when I met them. He’d said I would “feel a sense of connection” with them. There had been a deep mutual connection with Mariah, too. What if all the victims were part of the Otherworld? What if one of the hunters my mom told me about were killing people because they weren’t human? My mind spun as I remembered Xander telling me Jessica was a water sprite or something like that. I concentrated on Crystal, on the connection with her, and I was shocked to realize I knew things I hadn't been aware of about her. She felt animalistic and had a certain duality about her. The more I concentrated, the more I recognized her. A shifter of some sort? Interesting. I did the same with Mariah and felt a certain commonality with her, one I didn’t understand because I knew she wasn’t Gaia. I didn’t feel about her like I did about Nate. She was in the same family tree, just a faraway branch.
Fear made my belly feel heavy and suddenly our big house felt very empty. I walked out the back door and sat on the porch steps. The boys were playing basketball in the driveway and I silently watched them. Nate was wearing a wife beater and basketball shorts, and I definitely enjoyed the show. The guy was all hard muscle and smooth lines. Positively lickable if you ask me, which no one was. I sighed, wishing he would look at me, just once. Not that I could blame him for not noticing the ten-year-old body I was trapped in until at least next summer.
Feeling unusually melancholy, I walked down the steps. I had no idea what I was doing as I stepped into the grass and slid off my shoes. In that moment, the grass on the soles of my feet felt better than every hot bath I’d ever taken. I fell to my knees, running my fingers through the blades like it was hair. I couldn’t help the moan that slid out of my throat. I rolled over onto my back, pressing my arms and legs against the ground, and sighed. For the first time in a week, I actually felt good. Not just not bad, but good. Closing my eyes, I wondered if that was the secret to staying healthy. Mom said I could draw strength, but maybe I needed a certain amount of contact to stay healthy?
I suddenly became aware of the silence and realized the guys were staring at me. I flushed and thought about what I must look like, rolling around on the ground and moaning. My cheeks flamed with heat as I opened my eyes and saw them both gaping at me from the driveway. Xander had the ball tucked under his left arm and his mouth hanging open; Nate had his head cocked to the side. As I wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment, Nate turned and said something to my brother before he stalked off. Xander looked helplessly between the two of us before bouncing the ball into the backyard and stalking towards me his eyes on fire with anger.
I yelped and jumped to my feet and started to run for the back door, but his voice stopped me as my feet hit the stone steps.
“Lia!” he snapped at me in a very hard voice.
I turned, tears of confusion and embarrassment shining, but I refused to let them fall. I would not cry because somebody yelled at me. No matter who it was. I raised my chin and met his eyes defiantly.
“You know you’re killing him, right?” he asked.
My brow furrowed for a moment before they widened and fell on Nate as he rounded the corner to Keokuk. Then I looked at my brother more confused than ever. I let all the pain and confusion I was feeling shine in my eyes as I met his.
I watched the fires die down, and he sighed. I was completely unprepared when he wrapped me in his arms and hugged me tight. In my entire life, I think my brother hugged me only twice before, once when I graduated eighth grade and after the conversation about what he was. Xander was my rock—the one person in the world I could trust with my troubles. I didn’t realize how much the tension and weirdness between Nate and me were affecting him.
When he stepped back he seemed more normal, but there was still something in his eyes, like he wanted to tell me something but for some reason he couldn’t. I swallowed and tried to smile.
“Listen, Xan, I promise I’m trying to stop, I swear. I don’t want him to think I’m the pathetic little sister crushing on him, but when he’s around I just feel a strange pull towards him.” I glanced around to make sure no one was around and pitched my voice low just in case. “I think it’s because he’s the only Gaia I know that I’m not related to. That’s my current theory, anyway.”
Shock crossed Xander’s expression and he looked around. Then he grabbed my arm and yanked me up the steps and into the house. He released me a little violently, and I staggered into the counter, but his face didn’t soften. “Don’t ever talk about that outside this house, Amelia Rylee!” He shouted at me. I shrank back. I’d never heard my brother raise his voice in my life!
“I made sure no one was around,” I muttered, sitting on a stool and glaring at him sullenly through my lashes. “You think I’m not an idiot?” I felt some heat creeping into my voice, but I didn’t let myself dwell on it. “I know there’s a hunter working here in Lincoln. I’m not stupid, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like I am!”
Xander deflated and looked at me with his head ever so slightly cocked. “There’s a hunter in Lincoln? Who told you that?”
“I put it together myself,” I said with a shrug. “All the people killed are Otherworlders. Both Mariah and Crystal had come sort of witchcraft symbol, and I’m willing to bet the lady in Decatur did too.”
Xander was nodding, the light in his eyes letting me know he was making the connections as well. “Do you think you could draw the symbol for me?”
“Crystal was laying on the one there, so I didn’t get a good look at it, but what I saw looked different. I remember the one from the pictures the police showed me, but I don’t think I should recreate it. I’m too similar to Mariah. She was something like me, Xan. Not Gaia, but close, and I think the symbol has power over me too.”
Xander nodded absently, and he tugged his ear as he thought. “What if you draw it in parts, then tell me how it was put together?” he asked. I nodded, since it seemed safe.
We rummaged in the junk drawer until we found the pad for taking phone messages. Tossing it on the counter, I began to sketch out the W on a stick thing at the center of the symbol. As soon as he saw it, he took the pen from me, adding the hexagram and the shallow peaks, even the inverted triangles. I nodded, my eyes about the size of saucers.
“This symbol on its own has no power, Lia. According to traditional beliefs, it’s the symbol of nymphs, but it’s actually more than that. It’s the symbol of all Nature spirits, including Gaia. Was it by chance inside a six pointed star with four triangle symbols, an ankh on top and h-looking symbol on the bottom?” I mutely nodded, too stunned and scared to speak. “The four triangles represent the four elements, the ankh life and the scythe, like what the grim reaper carries, is death.” I nodded again and his mouth twisted. “In witchcraft, it’s a symbol of protection, but when combined with the nymph symbol it would confine a nature spirit, rendering her powers useless.”
“So whoever killed these people used this symbol to keep them from fighting back? But would they have to stand still while the symbol was drawn or could you trick them into walking into it?”
Xander just shrugged with a sad expression on his face. I thought of Crystal’s final moments, t
rapped and unable to defend herself as someone drove a foot of wood into her chest. It made me wonder.
“What about the stake? Crystal was a shifter, but she was killed with a wooden stake.”
“I’ve never heard that one. Maybe they’ve seen one too many horror movies?” he suggested with a grin. “Seriously, wooden stakes aren’t necessary to kill anything. Either you kill an Otherworlder like you and Mom and Dad any old way. Or for someone like me and Sariah, you have to remove our heads. So the stake isn’t necessary. It’s some weird tick of the killer. Maybe he fancies himself as Van Helsing?” He said with a grin.
We traded silly theories for a bit longer, each more ridiculous than the last, but really didn’t come up with anything else. I wondered if there were victims we didn’t know about yet. And I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if Mariah’s parents had been home. Would there be three victims now or would it have saved her life?What would happen if the hunters came after us? I glanced at my brother, and my heart ached at the thought of the very real danger we all could be in. Xander’s anger didn’t seem so condescending all of a sudden.
I began feeling sick after dinner, so I went to bed, hoping to sleep off the feverish feeling. I had no idea the night I was in for.