Entranced

  “Maybe you should take a nap,” I suggest. “I could use one, too.” Maybe then I’ll wake up, and this whole thing will be a dream.

  He swiftly shakes his head. “We need to find your parents. Tell them the news and celebrate.”

  I cover the mark on the back of my neck with my hand. “I don’t think they’re going to want to celebrate this. Keepers are never very happy when someone in their family line gets picked for a Guardian or anything else other than a Keeper.”

  “I think you’ll be surprised how excited your parents will be,” he says as he backs down the hallway for the front door. “And they’ll always love you, no matter what.”

  “I know that.” I just hope they aren’t as disappointed as I am.

  Chapter 5

  After my mom and dad arrive at the castle from an impromptu vampire lair raid, we drive home. After the four of us sit down at the kitchen table and dish out some ice cream, we break the news to them.

  My Grandpa turns out to be right. My parents are happy for me, although my dad is a tad disappointed.

  “Are you sure it’s the only mark that appeared?” he asks.

  “I’m sure.” I stir the melted vanilla caramel swirl ice cream I’ve barely touched. “Trust me, I looked everywhere, like, a thousand times.”

  My dad frowns as he adds fudge topping to his bowl of vanilla ice cream, but quickly smiles when he notes me watching him.

  My mom presses my dad with a stressing look. “Honey, our only daughter just got her mark. Let’s not dwell that it wasn’t a Keepers’ mark and celebrate that she won’t have risk her life all the time. This could turn out to be a very good thing for her.”

  My dad drags his fingers through his hair with a heavy sigh. “I know that.” His eyes suddenly light up as he looks at me. “Hey, all that time we’ve spent watching crime shows might pay off.”

  I push the bowl of ice cream away and slouch in the chair, no longer hungry. “Yeah, but I’m not sure I have the stomach for looking at dead bodies. I could barely tolerate the one I saw last night.”

  “There’s more to being a Guardian than just looking at dead bodies, Alana,” my grandpa says, absentmindedly stirring his ice cream while staring off into empty space.

  “Like what?” I press him, wondering why he has been acting like such a weirdo for the last few hours.

  “Like …” When he blinks at me, a layer of mist vanishes from his violet eyes. “Well, you’ll find out when you get to the academy.”

  I straighten in the chair. “Academy? What are you talking about?”

  My grandpa pulls a whoops face then casts an oh-shit look at my mom. “Gemma, I thought you told her about the Academy.”

  My mom blasts him with a dirty look. “Alex and I were waiting for the right time … when she wasn’t so upset.”

  “Would someone please tell me what’s going on before my head explodes?” I plead.

  My mom and dad exchange a look before my mom turns to me. “Sweetie, I know this is going to be hard to hear, but you need to try to remain positive, okay?” She waits for me to nod then takes ahold of my hand, clutching it. “Everyone who gets the Guardian mark is required to attend the Academy for training.”

  I swallow hard. “Where is this Academy?”

  My mom’s grip on my hand tightens. “In Virginia.”

  “But that’s clear across the country.” My voice cracks.

  “It’s only for a year,” my dad chimes in, trying to sound comforting. “And then you can live wherever you want to.”

  Tears sting at my eyes. “So, I’m just supposed to, what? Pack all my stuff and move there?”

  “Honey, you were already planning on moving, anyway,” my mom reminds me. “Really, nothing’s changed except you have your mark now.”

  “I was never planning on moving,” I say. “I was going to find a way out of it.”

  It grows so quiet I can hear the blood roaring in my eardrums.

  I shake my head, unsure whether to be angry with them or break down and cry. I’m not ready to leave my life yet. I love it too much.

  “When do I have to go?”

  “Tomorrow,” Grandpa Lucas answers. “You’ll meet someone at the airport.”

  I shake my head in denial. “I need more time than that. I’m not ready to leave you guys.”

  “You need to go now … It’s for your own good.” The cloudiness in Grandpa’s eyes appears again. “You’ll be safer there.”

  “Safer from what?” I ask, even more suspicious of his odd behavior.

  He ignores me. “You should start getting your stuff packed so you’ll be ready to go.”

  No. I’m not ready to leave my family behind. And what about Jayse? I’ve spent almost every waking hour with him since we were born. In fact, he’s practically my only friend. Sure, I have a couple of kinda, sorta friends, but I’ve never been that great at making friends. I get uncomfortable meeting new people and end up making weird jokes that usually go over peoples’ heads.

  “Can’t you guys find a way around this?” I plead with my mom and dad. “You’ve got so many connections … Can’t you just call someone and tell them I can’t go? That you need me here? Maybe, if I wait a while, I’ll get another mark like Aunt Aislin.”

  When no one responds, I whisper, “Please don’t make me go.”

  “You know we wouldn’t make you go if we didn’t have to,” my mom says, tearing up. “But we have to follow the rules. It’s the same if a daughter or son of a Guardian received the Keepers’ mark. We’d make them train with us. If no one ever trained, then there’d be no warriors, no Foreseers, no Guardians, no one to protect the world.”

  “I won’t be protecting the world.” I scoot away from the table and stand up. “I’ll just be waiting around until something bad happens and then cleaning up the mess.”

  My mom quickly gets to her feet. “But you get to help track down the killer.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” I don’t agree with her, though. I could always run away until this all blows over, but since my grandpa Lucas can pretty much see everything, it’d be a pointless effort.

  I head out of the kitchen, needing to get some fresh air.

  “Where are you going?” My mom rounds the table after me.

  I hold up my hand, signaling for her to give me some room. “To say good-bye to Jayse.” Saying it aloud causes tears to flood my eyes, and it takes all of my energy not to let them pour out.

  She seems reluctant to let me go. “Text me when you get there, okay?”

  I nod then rush out of the room. Once I make it outside, I let the tears flow as I sprint across the field that stretches between my family’s house and Jayse’s family’s.

  By the time I reach the front door, I’m sobbing so hard I can barely breathe. I knock on the door before barging inside, something I’ve done almost every day for years now. The downstairs lights are off, which means his parents are probably out on a mission for the Keepers.

  I race upstairs, crossing my fingers Jayse didn’t go with them. Before his mark, he hardly ever went, but lately, he’s been gone more than he’s home.

  When I burst into his bedroom and find it empty, a weight crashes down on my chest as I realize how much stuff has changed.

  And it’s only going to change more.

  I sink into a recliner near the window, text my mom that I made it to Jayse’s, and then hug my legs to my chest.

  I want to be strong. Hell, I come from a family of Keepers, Foreseers, and even a witch, so I should be stronger than this. I should be able to face what’s ahead of me with my chin held high. But as I sit in Jayse’s room, I feel overwhelmingly alone and terrified, like a part of my life is slipping away from me forever.

  Chapter 6

  I end up falling asleep in the recliner until Jayse eventually wakes me up by giving me a gentle shake.

  “Hey,” he says when I open my eyes.

  I sit up in the chair, stretching my arms above my head as I glance out the
window at the sun rising above the mountains. “What time is it?”

  He glances at the clock on the nightstand. “A little after six.”

  I eye over the dirt on his clothes, the traces of blood on his knuckles, and the scratches on his arms, all typical wounds for a Keeper who just went on an outing. “Did you just get back from a mission?”

  He nods, exhaustedly sinking onto the edge of his bed. “It was a long, crazy night.” He rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands. “We actually had to go into a lair.”

  My eyes widen. “Since when do you guys raid lairs at night? And why are you guys doing so many raids? My parents went on one earlier yesterday too. Usually, you guys only do, like, four or five a year.”

  “We’ve been finding more of them. And going there at night … That was accidental. Something trapped us down there and we couldn’t get out.”

  “Do you know what did it?”

  He shakes his head, tracing his finger up and down a scratch on his arm. “We were lucky we got out.” He drags his hand through his hair, making the strands go askew. “I love my job and everything, but sometimes it’s hard.”

  “It’s good that you get to save people, though. Slaying all those vampires … Think about how many people you saved.”

  He glances up at me. “You sound upset.”

  “Something happened last night.” I suck in a deep breath. “I got my mark.”

  He leaps to his feet, bursting with excitement. “You did? That’s so fuckin’ awesome, Alana. Now we can finally work together.” He crosses the room and hugs me.

  His enthusiasm makes leaving harder. I’ve been so worried about losing him, but I didn’t even think about how difficult it was going to be on him for me to leave. Same with my parents. I just ran out and fell asleep on my last night with them.

  “I didn’t get the Keeper’s mark, Jayse,” I whisper hoarsely.

  He jerks back. “What?”

  “The mark that appeared, it wasn’t the Keepers’.”

  “Then what was it?”

  Sighing, I show him the back of my neck.

  He grows quiet for a second. “I know you don’t like the Guardians, but I’m sure it’s not going to be as bad as you think.”

  “I have to move, Jayse … to Virginia to attend their Academy.” I wander to the window. “I’m going to be living clear across the country.”

  “When do you have to leave?” he asks, moving up beside me.

  I stare across the foggy field at the two-story home I grew up in. “Today.”

  “You know I’ll visit you all the time, right? If I have to, I’ll ask to be put on all jobs on the East Coast.”

  I smile at him, but it’s forced. Jayse knows as well as I do that he hasn’t been a Keeper long enough to request being put in certain locations.

  “I’m going to miss you.” I glance around at the bedroom. Memories are everywhere: the first time Jayse and I stayed up all night watching horror movies, even though we weren’t supposed to: when we stole his mom’s spellbook and tried to perform a spell; when we promised to be best friends no matter what … “I won’t even know what to do with myself without my partner in crime.”

  “We’ll still see each other all the time,” he tries to reassure me. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  I hope he’s right—I really do—but I have an unsettling feeling that this might be the last time I see Jayse in a very long time.

  Chapter 7

  I spend the morning with Jayse and his family, eating breakfast and reminiscing. I wish I could stay longer, but eventually my mom texts me that it’s time to come home and pack.

  I try not to cry as Jayse walks me across the field to my house, but a few tears escape. I can’t help thinking about all the times we’ve walked across this field to meet up and hang out or to sneak out to some club in the middle of the night. Now we may never get to do it again.

  While I want to believe that things won’t change, that eventually I’ll return home and life will go back to normal, I know it won’t. Even before I got my Guardian mark, Jayse and I spent less time in the field.

  “Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” I ask.

  “I’m sorry. I wish I could, but I …” He presses his lips together, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

  “You’re doing something for the Keepers today, aren’t you?” I make a guess based on how guilty he looks. “You don’t need to coddle me. You’ve been a Keeper for almost a year and have never held stuff back.”

  “But I feel like such an asshole for even mentioning.”

  “I’ll be okay... Sure I’m upset, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear what you’re up to.”

  “It’s not just that … I’m …” He exhales audibly, staring at the trees surrounding the field. “Now that you have the Guardian mark, I’m not supposed to share certain info with you about my assignments.”

  I suppress a sigh. And so it begins. I knew this was coming. I just didn’t imagine it would sting this badly.

  “I’m sorry.” Jayse glances at me from the corner of his eye. “I wish I could tell you more, but—”

  “It’s not your fault, so please stop worrying.” I give him a stern look. “In fact, promise me you’ll stay positive and be the most badass Keeper ever.”

  He smiles through a chuckle. “Okay, but only if you promise me you’ll text me every single day.”

  We reach my house, and I step onto the bottom porch stair but don’t head in, not ready to say good-bye just yet.

  “Of course I will,” I say. “Just remember, though, when you get tired of me texting you at all sorts of crazy hours, that you were the one who gave me permission to do it.”

  “Sounds like a deal.” He gives me probably one of the saddest smiles I’ve ever seen then moves in to hug me.

  “Kick some ass for me, okay?” I say as he moves back. “But don’t work too hard. You look really tired right now.”

  He smashes his lips together as his gaze drops to his scratched arm. “Yeah, last night was pretty intense …” He looks back at me with a stiff smile on his face. “Be easy on yourself, okay? Don’t beat yourself up because you didn’t get your Keepers’ mark.” Hope fills his eyes. “And, hey, maybe the mark will eventually show up, and then you’ll get to come home.”

  “Maybe.” But the more it sinks in that I’m now a Guardian, the less likely it feels that I’ll ever get to be anything else.

  This is it for me. I can feel it in my bones. Whether I like it or not, my future has been chosen for me.

  ***

  A few hours later, I’ve packed most of my clothes and anything else I could stuff into the two suitcases I’m allowed to bring with me.

  “Do you have everything you need?” my mom asks. She’s been rocking the mascara-raccoon-eye look ever since I showed up from Jayse’s this morning and keeps hugging me every few minutes. “I don’t want you to forget anything.”

  I grasp the handle of my suitcase, taking one last final look at my purple walls covered with posters and photos, my bed, and the field just outside my window. “I think so.”

  She dabs her eyes with her fingertips. “We should get going. We’re supposed to meet your escort at the airport in an hour.”

  “I wish grandpa could just Foresee me there.” I want to look back at my room again as we step out, but I’m afraid I’ll start to cry. “I’ve never flown before.”

  “You’ll be fine,” my mom reassures me as we head for the stairway. “Guardians aren’t too fond of using Foreseer transportation or any transportation outside of the human world.”

  My expression plummets. “Human transportation? That sounds complicated.”

  “It’s not that bad.” She gathers her long, brown hair into a ponytail and secures it with an elastic as she starts down the stairway. “And it might be good for you to try more complicated stuff without the help of magic.”

  “That doesn’t sound very fun,” I say, dragging my suitcases down the stairs.
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  My grandpa and dad are waiting for us in front of the door, whispering about something in low voices. When they notice my mom and me, though, they immediately grow quiet.

  “Life can’t always be fun.” She collects the car keys from the pocket of her jeans.

  “That’s not completely true.” My dad smiles at me. “Everything can be fun if you make it.”

  “Are you quoting one of Grandma’s inspirational blocks?” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.

  He chuckles, but his green eyes carry worry. “Okay, you caught me, but it’s true. If you think you’re going to have fun, then you will.” He puts a hand on my shoulder, giving me his best you’re-going-to-be-okay look. “Stay positive, Alana, and everything will be okay.”

  I sure hope he’s right, but right now, nothing seems like it’s going to be okay.

  “Where’s Grandma?” I ask my grandpa. “Wasn’t she supposed to get here last night?”

  “I’m sorry, but she got held up with something and isn’t going to be home for a couple of days.” He reaches into the pocket of his trench coat and digs out a small, silver dagger with a jagged blade. “She wanted me to give you this.”

  “Dad, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” my mom interrupts. “The Academy Rulebook stressed no weapons outside of one's pre-approved.”

  “I don’t care what the rulebook says. I’m not going to send my granddaughter unarmed to someplace without Keepers nearby,” he says. “I’ve read the rulebook, Gemma. The Guardians don’t believe in protection inside the Academy’s walls, even when they allow vampires, werewolves, and fey inside.”

  “Wait, what?” I blink in shock, unsure if I heard him correctly.

  “It’s their form of protection,” my mom explains. “Each human attending there gets paired up with a vampire, wolf, fey, and a few other species so they can be protected. Plus, many of them have great tracking skills.”

  “I’m strong,” I point out. “And I have great tracking skills.”

  “But not everyone there comes from a family of Keepers.” My dad glances at my mom. “I think she should take the dagger.”