Beasts and Magic

  She liked to think that there had to be some pattern to it, so she would one day be able to control it, but so far, she couldn't see anything that those nights had in common. On the first night, she had been scared like crazy when seeing Robyn and all that blood in the street, not to mention the wolves fighting. She had been certain she would lose her.

  Was that what triggered the change? Fear?

  The second time it had happened, she had been asleep. There was no telling what she felt at that moment, but fear probably wasn't it. At least not that she could recall. Last time it happened, she was just sitting in her house, doing her homework, and then poof, she was a dragon.

  Amy wondered about her parents. She hadn't wanted to think about it until now, but she knew she had to at some point figure things out. Did they know what she was? Had they known all along? And how had she become this thing? Had she been exposed to radioactive material early in life or something? Or was she born this way? Maybe they had adopted her and didn't know anything about this? If they knew, they would have told her it was going to happen, right?

  She shook her head and grabbed another cookie. Of course, they didn't know. The thought made her feel lonelier than ever.

  Billie Jean made a sound and Amy looked down at her, then reached her hand down to pet her on the stomach.

  "I know, girl," she said. "It'll have to remain our little secret, then."

  Amy caressed the dog for a few more minutes when suddenly there was a key put in the door and her parents entered.

  "Mom?"

  "Amy? Honey? What are you doing up this late?"

  "W-what are you doing home already? I thought you would be gone for at least two more days?"

  Amy got up and walked to them.

  "We cut the trip short," her mother said and put the suitcase down. "Got sick of flying and constantly moving from place to place."

  Amy helped her get her dad's suitcase inside, then hugged both of them.

  "Smells good in here," her dad said. "You baked?"

  Amy smiled happily and nodded. "Cookies. Come, have some."

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jayden signaled me from his window to come over, that the coast was clear, and so I did. I hurried to his house and walked right in. He was waiting in his room.

  "So, your mom is better?" I asked.

  He nodded, then grabbed me by the shoulders.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  "I saw you drive away with Duncan tonight."

  "Oh," I said.

  "Please tell me your mother forced you to go out with him again," Jayden said, looking into my eyes.

  "I went willingly," I said. Jayden let go of my shoulder with a growl and turned away from me.

  "Why?" he said.

  "He took me to see Stacy," I said. "Stacy Morgan."

  Jayden turned around and looked at me again. "What do you mean he took you to see her?"

  I smiled. "She's alive, Jayden. They never killed her. Duncan actually saved her life."

  "So, what, now he’s a hero?" Jayden asked.

  "Hardly, but I was just so happy to know she was still alive."

  "But she's a vampire now, right?" he asked.

  "Well, yes."

  "So, you can't really say that she is alive, can you? I mean, she has no pulse," he said.

  My head started to hurt, and I sat on his bed. "She's happy. That's all I care about."

  "That's good," Jayden said and sat next to me, then got up and walked around a bit before he sat down again.

  "Listen, I know you hate that I have been with him tonight, but you should have seen my mom. She was so excited."

  "What's with the blood drive parked in front of your house?"

  "Cousins. Three of them. Really strange creatures if you ask me. They drive my mom insane, but at least she's busy with them and not me, which I kind of like. But get this, I just realized I actually have grandparents."

  "What? No, you don't."

  "Yes, I totally do. On my mom's side. But they won't meet me until I become a vampire, apparently. That’s why I’ve never met them before. Because I’m still human."

  "That's not very nice."

  "That's how I felt, but I have to admit, I am quite curious…"

  "You're not seriously thinking about becoming one of them, are you?" Jayden asked.

  I shook my head. "No, no, of course not. Never."

  I looked away from him, realizing I was lying. As the days passed, I was getting more and more curious about what was waiting for me on the other side of eighteen. But I couldn't think like that. I had chosen Jayden, and I couldn't be with him if I became a vampire. It would mean losing him forever, and I couldn't do that. There was no way.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Amy was whistling as she walked to her truck the next morning, feeling very happy and peaceful. Having her parents at home did that to her, even though she knew that soon the worry would arrive as to how long they would stay and when they were going to take off and leave again. But today, she managed to push that fear away, focusing on the fact that they were home and would be there later today when she came back from school.

  The only thing she worried about was the fact that she didn't know how to control herself from spewing fire or suddenly transforming into a dragon. But she consoled herself with the thought that it had been awhile since she last turned into the creature, so maybe it wouldn't happen anytime soon. She even went as far as to think that maybe it was like a disease that was slowly going away. Maybe it would never happen again?

  Yes, Amy was feeling pretty good as she walked onto the driveway until she heard the singing again. She groaned and spotted Kipp sitting on a patio chair in the front yard, playing his guitar.

  "Hey!" she said. "Don't you foster children have to go to school like the rest of us?"

  Kipp stopped playing and looked up. He smiled. It made Amy growl. That boy was so annoying.

  "I was just about to leave," he said.

  She sighed. "Don't tell me you're going to Shadow Hills High too?" she asked, annoyed.

  "Okay," he said and shrugged. "I won't then."

  He grabbed his bike from the grass and swung the guitar across his shoulder along with his backpack.

  "So, you're not going to Shadow Hills, then?" she asked.

  He didn't answer. He got up on his bike and rode it down the street, waving at her.

  Amy growled again. That boy was so…

  Don't waste your good mood on him. Today is a good day, Amy. Today, everything is great.

  Amy opened the door to her truck and got in. She threw her backpack on the seat next to her. She slurped her coffee in the other hand and took off into the street. She cranked up the music, blasting Sia House on Fire out of the speakers. Amy rolled down the window and sang loudly out of it when she passed Kipp on the street.

  "That's right!" she yelled at him, startling him, so he almost fell off his bike. "Bring it on, baby! I am a house on fire!"

  Amy laughed and made the truck roar, speeding toward the school. She parked in the parking lot and walked toward the school entrance when she heard a voice coming up from behind her.

  "Still sounds like you were pulling a cat's tail," he said, walking past her. "Just sayin'."

  "Yeah…well, takes one to know one," Amy yelled back.

  Takes one to know one? That's your comeback line?

  Amy felt the burning sensation inside of her nose again and saw smoke emerging. She stopped and waved it away, hoping no one would notice, then took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before entering the school.

  "Amy!" a voice said from behind her. She turned around and spotted Mrs. Fletcher. Amy was so surprised she blew out the smoke she was holding back. It took off into the air and was carried away by the wind. Mrs. Fletcher placed her hands on her hips.

  "Are you smoking…again?"

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  My mom was too busy with my dear cousins to even care about me. All morning, I was ju
st doing work on my computer, and she didn't even check on me to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to. She was too busy cleaning up the messes they had made and picking up their stuff they had been scattering everywhere in the house.

  I stayed in my room most of the day wondering about Jayden and our night. I was so happy to be able to hang out with him again, but it was like there was something off between us. Was it simply because he was jealous that I had been with Duncan again? He had told me he worried about me when I was with him, that he feared for what Duncan might do to me since he had betrayed me once before. I couldn't blame him. I wasn't fully sure I trusted Duncan either. But I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He could turn out to be a great ally in all this. I could talk to him about things I could never talk to my family about.

  But it was also dangerous because he wanted me and wouldn't back off. Did I want him to back off? I wasn't sure.

  You can't betray Jayden this way. You can't.

  I felt so terrible for having let Duncan kiss me. I had stopped him, yes, but not at first. At first, I had let him kiss me. Why hadn't I stopped him right away? Because I liked it. Because I liked the fact that he wanted me; I enjoyed that he told me he wouldn't stop fighting for me. At the same time, I feared for how it would all end. Probably not in a good way. Duncan had said he would fight Jayden for me. Did he mean that literally? ‘Cause there was no way Jayden would survive that. Not until he became a wolf. If he ever became a wolf. I hoped he wouldn't. I hoped he would keep his promise to me and stay human just like I intended to.

  What are you doing? It's not like Duncan is even going to want to be with you if you don't become what he is.

  I shook my head and got up from my chair. I walked downstairs to get a snack. My mom had baked flourless cookies with kosher salt, mashed bananas, and beetroot. They didn't taste very good, but I was hungry. I got down there only to find my three cousins finishing off the entire plate.

  "Sorry," Huey said, spewing crumbs out of his mouth as he spoke. "You wanted some?"

  He reached out one he had taken a big bite off. I made a grimace while they all giggled and high-fived one another. I sighed, disappointed, thinking it was starting to be like having four brothers instead of just the one in the house. I found a carrot and ate that instead. I looked out the window while peeling it above the sink, then watched as all three of them rushed into their bus, laughing and pushing each other.

  Am I the only one around here who thinks it's weird they're driving a Big Red Bus?

  I took a bite of my carrot and watched them close the door. I walked out the front door and stared at the big bus when I thought I hard someone moan loudly.

  Did that come from inside the bus?

  I stood for a little while, eating the rest of my carrot, then went back inside when I didn't hear the sound again.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  She was staring at the wall in front of her, the barren white wall of the front office of school. Behind the door next to her were her parents, sitting and talking to Mrs. Fletcher. Amy drummed her fingertips on the armrest, wondering how long this would go on when the door opened, and her parents stepped outside. Her mother looked at her, eyebrows lifted.

  "You're suspended the rest of the day. Let's go," she said. "Now!"

  Amy got up and walked outside. She could hear her mother sigh disappointedly behind her.

  "We'll talk when we get home."

  Amy's heart sank as she got into her truck. She couldn't stand the hurt sound in her mother's voice. There was nothing worse in life than disappointing her parents. They were home so little that she didn't want this to be how they remembered her when they went away again. She didn't want to be the reason they stayed away.

  Back at the house, her parents were waiting for her in the kitchen as she entered. Her mother pointed at a chair.

  "Sit."

  Amy swallowed, hard, then sat. Two sets of angry eyes were on her.

  "Smoking, Amy?" her mother said. "Really?"

  Amy bit her lip. She didn't quite know what to say. She couldn't really tell them the truth since they probably wouldn't believe her. She didn't want them to think she was stupid enough to be smoking either.

  "I can't believe you, Amy," her mother said. "I thought we could trust you, but apparently we can't? She told me you tried to set the classroom on fire? Arson, Amy?"

  "And not doing your homework?" her dad said. "That is so unlike you. What's going on here?"

  Amy looked from one to the other. "I…I…"

  Her mother sighed. "Mrs. Fletcher seems to think you are acting out because you want our attention. I guess we have been away a lot lately."

  They exchanged a look.

  "So, your dad and I have decided to stay home for a couple of weeks at least. We have canceled our next trip. If there is a…shoe sales emergency or a shoe conference we must go to, then only one of us will go. We have to take this seriously. Our daughter needs us."

  Amy exhaled. She liked the thought of having them home but didn't want it to be because they felt like they had to keep an eye on her or because she wasn't behaving right. She wasn't a troubled kid. She wanted them to know she really wasn't. Besides, hiding her dragon from them would be hard if they were around constantly. What if she transformed while they were there? What if she accidentally set something on fire? How was she supposed to hide it?

  "You don't have to stay home…I really don't need this, Mom…Dad. I’m fine. I'll stop smoking. It was just a dumb thing…I mean, I didn't…I never wanted this…"

  Her mom tilted her head, then reached over and caressed Amy’s cheek. "It's okay, Amy. You don't have to try and explain. I think it will be good for us to spend a little quality time together. It's been too long."

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  "What's he doing out there?"

  My mom was standing by the kitchen window when I came down for lunch. She was peeling an apple the way she did it with a knife, peeling it from the top down, not breaking the peel even once so it came out in a spiral. I never knew how she did it without even looking at it.

  "Who are you talking about?" I asked and walked up behind her. Outside in the street, I spotted Mr. Aran, swaying along on his skinny legs, walking around the Big Red Bus, studying it.

  I shuddered. "Why is he staring at it like that?"

  My mother exhaled with a small hiss. "He promised me…"

  I wrinkled my forehead, remembering what I had heard my dad say the other day. What was that about some agreement? Had my mom cut a deal with Mr. Aran? How?

  "What did he promise you?" I asked.

  My mom finished peeling the apple and threw the perfectly intact swirly peel in the sink, then cut a piece of the apple and put it in her mouth, chewing loudly and slurping the juices.

  She didn't answer my question, as usual. I wasn't certain she even heard me or noticed I was there.

  "You'd think that a man would honor…" She stopped and looked at me with a grunt. Then she turned around and walked away. Seconds later, I heard her speak to my dad in the office. I approached the door and listened in.

  "I’m telling you he is out there right now, Doyle. Watching the bus and those…boys are in there doing God only knows what."

  "Getting high, you mean?" My dad said.

  My mom snorted. "Yes. I thought you talked to them."

  "I did. And they promised to lay low, but I don't know how much a promise is worth from kids like them."

  My mom groaned, annoyed. "I don't like the way he’s watching that awful bus. I’m telling ya', Doyle. The way those boys are behaving, it'll only be a matter of time before they do something stupid enough for him to take them down; heck, he'll probably take all of us while he’s at it."

  "But you made that deal with him, didn't you?" my dad asked. I sensed worry in his voice, and it scared me slightly.

  "I did. But I don't know if he is a man honorable enough to keep it."

  "He has to be. You gave him that wolf.
You said so yourself that it was a win-win for us. We got rid of the wolf and got Mr. Aran off our backs."

  "I know what I said, Doyle. But Lord only knows what that terrible Melanie-girl has told him about us," my mom said. "You know just as well as me that he'll only leave us alone as long as we don't mess up. If we reveal our presence here among humans, he'll take us down just as he took Norman Jefferson. Deal or no deal."

  I froze. My heart started to pound. Melanie? Mr. Aran had Melanie? My mom had given her to him?

  Oh. My. God.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  MEET ME BY THE LAKE. THREE O'CLOCK.

  Jazmine received the snap while still in class. She felt the phone buzz in the pocket of her hoodie and read it. She turned to look at Jayden, who had gotten the message from Robyn too. They both knew it had to be serious for Robyn to be contacting them and risking her mother finding out. Jazmine didn't quite know what to do since she had detention after school. Amy wasn't there today, and she hadn't answered any of Jazmine's texts. Where could she be?

  At lunch, Jayden sat next to Jazmine.

  "Where's Adrian?" he asked.

  Jazmine shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. "Probably skipping classes again."

  "Probably? What's going on here?" Jayden asked. "Aren't you two together anymore?"

  "I got mad at him," she said.

  "Why?"

  She sighed. "He acted like an idiot last night. Came to my room high on something."

  Jayden grimaced. "Ouch. That's not good. But maybe it's for the best. Maybe you shouldn't be with him. He's trouble, Jazmine. All of them are. You can't trust them…and his kind."

  Jazmine didn't try and defend Adrian. Part of her wanted to, but she couldn't. Jayden was right. Adrian was trouble, and Jazmine knew it perfectly well. She had known since the beginning. Still, she had gotten involved with him. Because she wanted to. Because she liked him. Guess you could say she liked trouble.