Trickster [Fantasy, YA] Chapters 1-7 (Patreon)

Hey peeps!

This is the second book I said I would be giving to Patreons. It's a YA novel about angels and demons, basically. 

A man gives his soul away to summon a powerful demon to protect his sister. His sister, who has magical powers, decides to use this ultra powerful demon to take down a mysterious organization (as it's compelled to help her). The main character is joined by her half-succubus cousin, and a demon-hunter. 

The demon, Fox, is a trickster, however... So things don't always go as planned.

It was definitely fun to write, but I've never published it. Hopefully you all enjoy!

Shami

Chapter 1

Pact of the Forsaken

“The most ancient aspect of reality is darkness.”

---

Nathan felt the reaper’s icy grip tighten around his chest.

His impending death was a combination of fool pride, recklessness and, of course, multiple gunshot wounds. Mostly the gunshot wounds, though the CPE cultists and their shadow pets a floor above him wouldn’t have been there if Nathan hadn’t been so brazen.

With a ragged breath, Nathan slammed the reinforced steel door behind him. It wouldn’t stop his pursuers, but it would delay them. He wearily examined his surroundings. His tiny bunker, the final level of his basement haven, was stuffed full of paperwork and old tomes. Nathan hung his head in defeat; his bunker had only one entrance. There would be no escape.

Pain flooded Nathan’s every thought. The walls of his body, the membranes that separated one cluster of organs from the next, had been shredded by the bullets. With every movement his agony intensified. He hobbled to his desk and braced himself against it. I can’t believe they found me so soon,he thought. Mother had been right; they would kill to get their books back. I should have taken extra precautions… but I thought I had covered all my tracks… How did they find me?

A visceral defiance welled up inside him. Nathan had decided. He wouldn’t allow the CPE to kill him and take his hard work. He would take his research to the grave. His insides threatened to spill out onto the floor as Nathan stumbled through the bunker room, collecting his materials. Spite kept his mind sharp, but the rips in his flesh, worsening from the strain of movement, kept Nathan doubled over in agony, holding at his organs—sticky half-filled water balloons. He clumsily threw his research on top of his desk. All was accounted for, except…

“My laptop,” Nathan breathed. “Where’s my laptop?”

No… No, no, no…

Nathan ran an unsteady hand over his face when he remembered he had left his laptop upstairs. Those cultists have it. Nathan silently cursed himself. On one hand, the laptop only held his leads and none of his actual research, as all of his research had been handwritten, to safeguard it closely. On the other hand, his laptop did contain his personal contacts. His mother’s phone number and location were meant to be secret…

They’ll know exactly where she is, Nathan realized. And my sister. How could I be so careless? Curse my stupidity! Mother was right about everything… I should have stayed away from their libraries… I should have been content to leave well enough alone…

His mother had searched long and hard for a clever hiding spot after escaping the confines of her cruel captors. Nathan realized it was his foolishness that would result in her getting caught once again. His sister, who shared Nathan’s dynastic legacy, would surely be taken away for unspeakable purposes…

A loud slam echoed throughout the bunker. Nathan snapped his attention to the door and saw it had been dented inward. He knew he was running out of time. What am I going to do? He turned his attention back to the pile on his desk. I can still burn my work, but… Nathan exhaled, the crushing weight of guilt eating away at what little life he had left.

With ragged breaths, Nathan grabbed the container of kerosene he stored in the corner of the room. He heard another bang at the door, but he pushed it from his mind. He unceremoniously dumped the kerosene across the desk and, with a hand drenched in blood, pulled a lighter from his pocket.

“Forgive me,” he whispered.

He clicked the lighter and tossed it onto the flammable liquid. Within a matter of seconds the fire spread, slowly consuming everything it touched. Nathan shook his head and stumbled backward. The pain…

He couldn’t focus.

Everything became blurry. His back hit the wall and he slowly slid down into a sitting position. It’s only a matter of time, he thought. His pursuers would kill him, the fire would kill him, or he would simply bleed to death. In any event, his fate had been sealed. Tonight was his last night.

Nathan’s breathing became shallow. Although his mother had previously escaped, he knew she would struggle with a child at her side—especially when the creatures of darkness, the shaheen, were involved. His mother would resort to drastic measures, but it would never be enough. Nathan knew he had to mitigate the problem—his problem.

I’ll pay for breaking into the hidden libraries, but I can spare my sister…

Nathan tightly closed his eyes. He knew the name of a shaheen. The true name. It hadn’t been uttered in centuries, almost completely lost to time, but Nathan had managed to find it. With that name he could summon the shaheen and—

Another loud slam. The door would soon be torn asunder.

He had no choice. Summoning a monster of darkness was risky—so very risky—but what else could he do? Nathan could barely move his limbs and cold sweat soaked his shirt. He had seen a true name written in Katherine’s journal, the journal currently burning, but he didn’t need the book to recite it. Nathan kept his eyes closed.

“Ellalaharjinn.”

It was a foreign word that rolled off the tongue like tar. The moment Nathan whispered it, however, his throat tightened. The crackling of the fire stopped. The slams on the door were no more. Everything became silent.

Eerily silent.

Nathan forced himself to breathe. He wasn’t dead just yet.

A terrible chill filled the room. Nathan shivered. The sound of hard against hard clicking traveled to his ears. It sounded like the footsteps of a dog whose nails had never been trimmed. The long nails scraped against the cement with every step. The clicking grew louder until it reached Nathan’s side. When the footsteps stopped the silence once again reigned.

“Well, what do we have here?” a dark, but surprisingly mirthful, voice drawled.

Nathan couldn’t find his words. His mother had warned him about summoning shaheen. He couldn’t mess this up. He couldn’t be caught off guard. He had to be careful. It’s so hard to think…

“E-Ellalaharjinn… I’ve… summoned you to…”

“Have you no etiquette, mortal? Are you in such pain that you cannot look upon me?”

Nathan tightly scrunched his eyes. “I know of you, Ellalaharjinn. I know… of your eyes…”

The monster laughed. “Oh, you’re a clever one. So much more clever than the last mortal who summoned me. I like you. It’s a shame you’re in the process of… expiring.”

“We don’t have much time…”

“Time?We have plenty of time. The fates made sure of it.”

Against his better judgment, Nathan kept his head hung and slowly opened an eye. The bottle of kerosene on the floor rested on its side, remnants of liquid dripping out the opening. The droplets of kerosene were frozen in midair. Time had seemingly stopped… or perhaps the moment passed so slowly Nathan couldn’t tell the difference, he wasn’t sure.

Nathan snapped his eye shut once more. “I mean… I’m not going to live much longer.”

“You’re not?” the demon sarcastically quipped.

An odd scratching echoed throughout the still room and, from what Nathan could deduce, the shaheen examined the bunker door. Although Nathan wanted to see what the shaheen looked like, and to see what it was doing at the door, he kept his eyes tightly shut. I’ve already made a mess of things. I can’t mess this up as well.

“Shaheen, I want—I need to make a pact with you.”

“Tsk, tsk,” the shaheen said with a click of his tongue.  “Do you know how many are after you? How powerful they are? I alone cannot stop them from taking your life.”

“No… not my life.” Nathan forced himself to take a deep breath. “My sister. I need you to protect my sister.”

Another laugh. “Oh? A noble sacrifice for your sister? Not for a lover or child? I’ve never had a request on behalf of a sister before. You’re full of surprises.”

Nathan frowned. His mother and sister were all he had. His mother had risked everything to free them from the eugenics facility, and his sister, despite her age, was the only other person Nathan shared his unusual blood type with. He knew, from personal experience, her life would be filled with conflict, and there would be no end to her troubles. He would be damned if he was going to add another hardship to the pile, not when he had an opportunity to correct his mistakes.

“And what do you intend to pay me with?” the beast playfully asked. “From what I can see your possessions are either being appropriated or are on fire.”

Nathan groaned in pain. The jester-like personality of Ellalaharjinn marked him for what he was; a shaheen of mischief and manipulation. Could a shadowy trickster be entrusted to protect someone? Could it be entrusted to do anything? Would his sister truly be safe? Nathan shook his head. He had no other names. He couldn’t summon another shaheen, even if he wanted to. This one would have to do and he would have to trust that the pact was binding.

“Do you know what happens when you refuse to make a pact with a shaheen you’ve summoned?” Ellalaharjinn asked with a dark chortle.

“My soul,” Nathan rasped, forcing himself to speak. “I’ll pay with my soul.”

“Oh really? A high payment for such a simple task.”

“My sister… you have to make sure nothing happens to her. That you protect her well-being. That she can lead her own life. Not trapped… but of her own free will…” Nathan knew that whatever he said would be taken in the worst context, for mischief makers were never ones to interpret the terms of a deal favorably. “She cannot be harmed. Until the end of her days.” With every sentence he lost more breath. He felt as though he had run a hundred miles and back.

“Till the end of her days?” the shaheen repeated in an overly dramatic tone. “That could be a long time. Much longer than the couple of minutes you have left, that’s for sure. Is your soul really worth it?”

Nathan barely stifled an urge to cry out. His heartbeats felt as though they were pushing his organs further outside his body.

Ellalaharjinn sighed in exasperation. “You could make this a little more interesting, mortal. You’re half in the grave, which is an extremely dull period in one’s life. Normally mortals try and upsell their soul to me… I’ve always delighted in their sales pitch. Tell me, has your soul ever given you any trouble? Been in an accident? How many miles does it have?”

“I…” Nathan clutched his side tightly. “I have… azra blood…”

“What was that? I can barely hear you over your last ragged breaths. Did you say you were some sort of half-breed? That you were a descendant of light? You should have said so sooner. A soul like that more than compensates me for a century of service.” The shaheen laughed, but it was cold and callus. “Fine, fine. The terms are that I, Ellalaharjinn, will protect your sister—what was her name again?”

“… Lilian Montserrat.”

“Ah, yes. Lilian. I will protect Lilian’s well-being until the end of her days. In exchange, you’ll willingly give me your precious azra-tainted soul. Is that right? Do we have a deal, Nathan?”

“We have a deal,” Nathan breathlessly replied.

I can only hope this’ll make up for all the trouble I’ve caused. I’m sorry, Mother.

Before Nathan could prepare himself for the worst, searing pain washed over his body like a bucket of scolding hot water. In the next moment it felt as though his spine were being ripped out through his chest. He screamed and grabbed at his heart, but nothing alleviated the terrible sensation.

Just as quickly as it came, the intense pain faded, but his weary body remained broken. Nathan, writhing on the floor in agony, could once again hear the crackle of the fire and the pounding at the door. Time had resumed.

“Do you know what would be amusing, mortal?” the shaheen asked, pacing back and forth with a jovial bounce in each claw-clicking step. “If your enemies burstinto the bunker, only to realize you weren’t there. Can you imagine their dismay? How disappointed they would be? It would be delightfully hilarious.”

Nathan couldn’t answer.

“Humor me, mortal. Let us play a game with your enemies.”

Ellalaharjinn gently touched Nathan’s shoulder. In an instant Nathan’s surroundings were completely different. He was outside, in the snow, under a tree. Nathan blinked his eyes open for a fraction of a second. He could see his home, a small wooden cabin tucked away in the woods, stood only a few hundred feet from where he sat. The front door had been violently rent from the hinges, but otherwise the exterior stood unharmed.

“Are you… trying to save me?” Nathan asked through his chattering. He didn’t know Ellalaharjinn possessed such capabilities…

The creature of darkness heartily laughed. “No, of course not, mortal. There’s no place I could take you that would save you now. Besides, didn’t you hear me? It was for my own amusement and nothing more.”

Nathan could hear the crunch of snow as the shaheen left him, each crunch softer than the last. Was it safe to open his eyes? Nathan didn’t bother. He knew it could all be a trick. He remained seated in the snow, shivering.

The outdoors… was oddly soothing and peaceful. Nothing like the bunker room.

The snow… so cold it numbed his body. Nathan couldn’t feel his arms or legs. He couldn’t feel his insides slipping through the hole in his gut, coating the snow. He couldn’t feel the pain. Although he struggled to take in air, the fresh scent of the pine trees reminded him of happier times, and he soon relaxed.

Nathan felt exhausted. The song of the woods became a tranquil lullaby. He had resigned himself to a long and painful death when he had sealed himself in the bunker, but now…

Even if the shaheen hadn’t saved him… it had given him peace.

Chapter 2

The Fox and the Imp

“Within the darkness dwell shaheen –

Ancient aspects of primal emotions that plot to snuff out the light.”

---

“Where’re we going?” Lilian asked through a stifled yawn.

Her mother didn’t answer.

Lilian returned her attention to the world just beyond the car window. The cloudy night sky couldn’t mask the malevolent song that hung on the air. The stars, on the other hand, were blocked from view. Lilian frowned. She felt safer when she could see the stars…

“There’s nothing to worry about,” her mother whispered. “We’ll be all right.”

Confused, Lilian furrowed her brow.  Her mother hadn’t answered her question and her voice was oddly reserved and controlled. Lilian recognized the tone. Her mother was upset. Is she angry at me? Lilian wondered.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” her mother quickly replied, never once taking her eyes off the road. “Everything is fine. Don’t worry about a thing. Everything’ll be all right. Everything… will be all right.” Her voice quavered on the last word.

Lilian nervously kicked her legs against the passenger seat. Something was wrong. Why wouldn’t her mother tell her? Lilian rubbed at her eyes. She had been peacefully sleeping until her mother had awoken her. Lilian struggled to remember her pleasant dream—another bad omen.

Lilian stopped rubbing at her eyes and glanced at the backseat of the car. The back had been stuffed full of hastily packed belongings and old, worn books. The tiny car could barely contain everything, but Lilian could have sworn something else was there… Lilian’s mother, the only other person in the car, sat in the driver’s seat. Then why did Lilian feel someone, or something, in the car with them? She squinted into the darkness of the backseat.

She saw nothing, but she knew something had to be there.

“Is something the matter, sweetie?” her mother asked, nervously glancing over.

Lilian shook her head. “No.”

She didn’t want to inform her mother of the strange presence. She’s upset enough as it is.

The car sped along a deserted valley road. The barren land around them flew by; weeds, winter grass and the distant mountains were the only sights to see. Lilian didn’t recognize the road. It wasn’t the road to her brother’s house and it wasn’t the road home. Her mother rarely took her anywhere else. Where could they possibly be going?

Her mother, a thin, angular person, had her face set in a stony expression. Her golden blonde hair was short, shorter than most men’s haircuts, and spiked. Everything about her spoke to her hard and reserved personality; callused hands, cracked elbows, practical clothing and a face free of makeup.

Although her mother’s bright brown eyes were alight with deep thought, Lilian knew her mother wasn’t in the sharing mood. She’s never in a sharing mood, Lilian lamented. She’ll just say the same thing she always says. I’m too young to understand. I need to wait until I’m older. Lilian crossed her arms across her chest. Eight isn’t so young! I should know why we’re leaving our home in the middle of the night!

“Lilian… do you remember your uncle?” her mother asked, breaking the silence between them.

“Uncle?”

“The one I introduced you to when you were younger. A few years back. At your sixth birthday. Do you remember?”

“No.”

“There was another girl your age. Ariella. Do you remember her?”

“Oh, yeah!” Lilian vigorously nodded. “I liked her. She was nice.”

“She’s your… cousin. I’m taking you to see her. You’ll be staying with her for a little bit while I take care of some things.”

“Is Nathan going to be staying with me or going with you?”

Her mother’s toughness cracked for a split second. After a deep breath, the moment passed, but Lilian had seen the pain in her eyes. Her song… her song sang of regret. Her mother tightened her grip on the steering wheel but offered no words.

Lilian slowly brought her gaze back to the sky out the side car window. She wanted to catch a glimpse of the stars, but only darkness surrounded them. She must be mad at Nathan, Lilian thought, trying to reassure herself. That’s why she’s not talking about him. He must’ve brought books home again.

Nathan did things on his own. He was independent and, according to their mother, too rebellious for his own good. Lilian preferred the company of her brother. A gentle, humming song, older than any song around it, followed Nathan wherever he went. Nathan said he heard a similar song when Lilian was near, even though no one else could.

A lone gas station and diner came into view. Lilian watched as it neared, fascinated by the tall pumps meant to accommodate semi-trucks. The place appeared empty save for the three semi-trucks parked on the dirt lot near the building. Lights were on inside, but the blinds were drawn shut.

Lilian’s mother parked near the pumps. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Lilian with a serious yet melancholy gaze. “I need you to listen closely, Lilian. I’m going to go inside and talk to one of my old friends. I need you to wait here. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t let anyone into the car. Don’t make eye contact.”

“Okay,” Lilian said with a nod.

“I mean it. Bad people are looking for us. Very bad people. Remember when I told you they could be anyone? Don’t trust anyone unless you know them.”

“Okay.”

Her mother leaned forward and kissed Lilian on her forehead. “Good girl. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Lilian remained quiet and still as her mother exited the car. She watched her mother jog to the diner and enter without a second glance back. The moment her mother disappeared from sight, Lilian turned around to inspect the contents of the car once more.

She could still feel the unknown presence. Lilian glared into the darkness.

“I know you’re here,” she whispered.

Nothing replied.

Lilian unbuckled her seatbelt and stared over the top of the seat, scrutinizing the contents of the car. Everything remained still, yet the feeling wouldn’t leave her. Her feelings had never been wrong before. Why wasn’t it talking to her? She had talked to strange things in the past… they were always happy to talk, especially since they were usually ignored.

“My mom’s gonna be mad when she finds out you’re here,” Lilian whispered. “She knows how to handle things like you.”

“Your mother isn’t here, now is she?” a whispered voice replied, seemingly from the darkness itself.

Lilian quieted her breathing. She slowly turned her attention back to the diner gas station. Lilian couldn’t see her mother. She’s still inside.

“Who’re you?” Lilian asked, returning her gaze to the shadows of the backseat.

A dark laugh filled the car. “Aren’t you afraid?”

“No.”

“You’re an impudent little scamp, aren’t you?” the voice jovially asked.

“No,” Lilian indignantly replied. “I’m a little girl.”

“Little girls are usually afraid of the dark.”

“That’s stupid. It’s just dark. That’s not so bad.” She squinted, but she still couldn’t see whoever was talking. “If you don’t tell me who you are, I’m going to climb into the backseat and start looking.”

“The little girl is threatening me now,” the voice said, more to itself than Lilian. “Perhaps this won’t be as dull as I originally anticipated.”

Lilian impatiently tapped her fingers against the fabric of the seat. When the shadows offered no further information, she smiled. “Oh! I know. You’re one of those kinds that doesn’t talk unless there’s been a proper introduction. I’m Lilian Montserrat. Nice to meet you.”

“That’s not the problem.”

“Oh. So you’re just rude.”

“You are so very, very impudent.”

“I’m not impu- er, impu… I’m not an imp!” Lilian definitely stated.

The entity in the car continued to laugh. “An imp? That’s oddly appropriate for one so small and with such audacity.”

“I—” Lilian stopped herself short.

Something had arrived. It was in the diner.  Lilian knew, just like she knew something had entered the car, that there was a new presence that hadn’t been there moments before.

She closed her eyes and listened. A wicked song echoed throughout the parking lot.

Mom!

“I need to go,” Lilian whispered.

She opened the passenger side door and jumped out. The terrible, wicked song rang in her ears as she crossed the dirt parking lot as fast as her little legs would carry her. Lilian slammed into the diner door, intending to throw it open, but it wouldn’t budge. Confused, she took a step back and shook the handle.

Nothing. The door was locked.

The lights in the diner flickered once and died. Lilian pressed her ear up to the door and listened. She heard a slow, steady hissing. The air… the song of the building sang of corrupted air… She pushed away from the door, confused. Mom’s in trouble.

Lilian ran around the building, frantically looking for another way inside. Another song echoed within her ears, the song of the departed; the whispered requiem of death that accompanied murder. She recognized the song—she had heard it several times in the past. Her only solace came from the fact that she could still hear her mother’s song.

“Wait, Imp,” the voice whispered in her ear. “There’s danger inside.”

“I know! I need to warn my mom!”

“Didn’t you say your mother knew how to handle things like this?”

Lilian couldn’t shake her feeling of dread. Even if her mother was capable, Lilian wanted to help in some way. She ran to the back of the diner and stopped when she spotted a lone door. She ran to it and pushed, but the door didn’t move. It was locked, just like the front door.

“She’s trapped,” Lilian said aloud. “I have to help her.”

She banged on the door with her tiny fists. The banging hurt her hands and didn’t result in much noise.

The voice laughed. “Your determination is adorable.”

Lilian glared at the door. “Don’t laugh. Do something!”

Frustrated, she reared back and kicked the door. Although she hurt her foot in the process, the resulting bang had been loud enough to echo throughout the diner and around the empty dirt parking lot.

“Imp!” the voice hissed. “Stop that! They’ll figure out you’re here!”

“Good,” she huffed. “Then they’ll have to come out of the gas station to find me.”

“You’re determined to make this difficult, aren’t you?”

“You could help!”

Lilian stomped her foot and glanced around, glaring. She couldn’t see whoever was talking but she knew it had to be watching. When it offered no other commentary, Lilian prepared to kick the door again.

“Wait, Imp! Wait!”

“Are you going to help or not?”

“… Very well, very well. I have an interesting idea. Do you see that truck over there? The one with the trailer?”

“Yes,” Lilian muttered, her eyes falling upon one of the parked semi-trucks. The truck with a trailer, dark blue and without blemish, stood nearly twice as large as the truck next to it.

“Don’t you think it would do a better job at opening the door than your foot?”

Excitement filled Lilian. She had never driven a car before, and the thought of driving a semi-truck was something she had never even entertained. With an uncontrollable smile she ran to the semi-truck and clumsily stepped up to the driver side door. Lilian pulled on the door handle, pleasantly surprised at how easily it opened outward. She climbed up into the driver’s seat.

As she closed the driver side door she felt the invisible presence move from outside to the passenger seat. She didn’t feel anything crawl over her, just the presence shifting locations. She placed her hands on the steering wheel and stretched out her legs. They didn’t reach the peddles. Lilian tilted her head in confusion. “Don’t trucks need keys to start?”

The strange entity didn’t answer.

Lilian looked around, searching for anything that would indicate how to start the truck. Yellow cigarette residue, ashes and food crumbs coated every surface of the truck’s cab. She slid down the seat and pushed her foot against the left peddle. Lilian heard a strained squeak and then nothing. She placed her foot on the right peddle. Nothing. Lilian crawled back up into the driver’s seat and attempted to the open the door.

The door refused to open.

She shook the handle with all her might. It still wouldn’t budge. Lilian stood up on the seat and haphazardly kicked at the window. She nearly fell back and her foot hurt for the effort.

“What’s going on?” Lilian asked, turning her attention to the passenger seat. “Did you… did you do this?”

“We’re much safer in here, Imp. You should be thanking me.”

Lilian dropped her mouth open in a silent gasp. “You tricked me!” she finally said.

“I would brag, but there’s nothing special in duping a child.”

“I thought you were nice!”

“You thought wrong.”

Lilian bashed her shoulder against the window, but nothing happened. The sturdy glass wouldn’t shatter against her frail body and Lilian knew further attempts would be futile.

Confused and frustrated, she watched in silent horror as the front diner window broke outward, revealing several people clawing over each other in their desperate attempt to escape. Blackish-green gas wafted out of the diner, following the fleeing people and dispersing over the dirt lot. Those escaping covered their mouths with their shirts, coughing and wheezing as they tried to rush away from the diner.

The sinister gas, intelligent and methodical, stirred around the patrons of the diner, seeping into their lacerations. It’s toxic, acidic touch exaggerated their injuries and prevented blood from clotting. Lilian turned away as the stragglers succumb to the pain of the vile cloud. Their eyes had ruptured, blood spilling down their cheeks, confusing them and keeping them in the gas a few seconds too many.

Lilian could hear the hate filled song of the deadly gas as it snaked its way outward, seeking new victims. What little light that came from the nearby lamps was snuffed out, blanketing the surrounding area in an unsettling darkness.

Her mother was somewhere in the diner, engulfed in the fatal toxin. Either the evil powers at work would find her, or she would simply asphyxiate; it was only a matter of time.

“What’s doing this?” Lilian whispered, turning her gaze back to the dark scene around her.

“A monster. A shaheen of spite.”

Despite the darkness, Lilian spotted a person leaping from the diner and tumbling across the ground, rolling through the shards of glass covering the dirt lot. Lilian, much to her relief and terror, realized the person was none other than her mother.

Without hesitation or pause, her mother picked herself up and ran, half-limping, to her car. Her face bled from the cuts of glass and her leg, twisted and awkward, barely moved, but otherwise she appeared whole.

Lilian’s mother threw open the passenger side door and froze. Suddenly pale, she whipped her head from left to right, searching, desperately searching.

“Mom!” Lilian shouted. She banged her palms against the truck windshield. “Mom!”

A thick, vile blackish-green fog cloud hung over the area, obstructing her mother’s view of the truck.

Without warning, a tall, dark, shadowy figure strode through the toxic gas like a lumbering zombie. Although it appeared to be a man, Lilian knew better. His song overwhelmed her thoughts and drowned out all others around him. He wore a long, brown trench coat, the hem seemingly soaked in blood. On his face he wore an old, World War I gasmask—so tightly fitted that the straps cut into his cheeks and scalp. A shaheen of spite.

The shaheen turned to Lilian’s mother and walked toward her, fueled by some wicked intent. Lilian’s mother slammed the car door and turned on her heel to face the monster heading her way.

“Where is she?!” her mother shouted. “What have you done with her?!”

Silent as the gas around him, the spite monster pulled a rusted knife from his belt. Lilian’s mother coughed and hacked, but her determination didn’t leave her. She too pulled a knife from the waistband of her pants, a silver knife marked with strange words. With speed unbefitting a man half-shambling a moment before, the shaheen lunged forward.

“Mom!Mom! Look out!”

Her mother couldn’t hear Lilian’s screams.

The shaheen attacked, missed, and struck the car. The paint peeled away, corroding in an instant, flaking to the ground. Lilian’s mother jumped back over the hood and shielded herself behind the car.

Though the others that had escaped the diner had collapsed from inhaling the deadly gas, her mother seemed resistant. Her coughs were wet with blood, but the poison fog didn’t take its ultimate toll.

Lilian slammed her fists against the glass once more. She knew shaheen were dangerous. Her mother had told her time and time again. Never speak to the creature of darkness, her mother would say. Never trust a shaheen. If you see one, tell me right away. Lilian had never expected to see one, however. She had thought her mother would be able to handle anything…

“Let me out!” she shouted. “I need to help!”

The voice chuckled. “Not much a little girl can do.”

“Don’t laugh!”

With tears in her eyes, Lilian launched herself into the passenger seat. She collided with the passenger door and bounced back. A mix of embarrassment and frustration furthered her tears. The entity was either incorporeal or too fast for her to catch.

She brought her legs up to her chest and buried her face into her knees. “Nathan,” Lilian whispered. “Nathan, where are you?” He’s clever! He would know what to do! He always has a plan! Where is he when I need him the most?!

“Nathan!” she sobbed. “I… I…” Lilian hiccupped and gasped for breath. Her lips quavered. “Nathan…”

“Stop,” the voice uncharacteristically snarled.

Lilian tightly wrapped her arms around her body. “If… if Nathan were here…” she said between hiccups, struggling to regain her composure. If Nathan were here that monster would be sorry!

“Stop speaking his name.”

“But… but…” She tightly closed her eyes. “Y-you can’t tell me what to do! N-Nathan would… Nathan wouldn’t let this happen…” Lilian had no idea if her mother was alive. What would happen when the shaheen came for her? “Nathan is my big brother and he’ll—”

“No more! I never want to hear that name ever again, do you hear me? Never.”

Lilian turned in the direction of the voice, her cheeks and chin wet with tears. “If you l-let me out of here, I’ll stop.”

“You’re nothing compared to the forces of darkness. You don’t stand a chance.”

“Then you help my mom! Do something!”

“Still yourself, Imp. I’m willing to make a deal.”

Lilian rubbed at her puffy eyes. She caught her breath when realized she couldn’t hear the sounds of fighting. It was unsettlingly quiet. Lilian jumped up to her feet and stared out the windshield. She turned her head from side to side, trying to squint past the darkened gas, but to no avail. Where’s mom? Where’s the monster?

“Hurry!” she pleaded. “Help my mom or I’ll call my brother’s name!”

“Listen to me,” the voice hissed. “You will never say your brother’s name ever again. In return, I will save your mother this one time. Do we have a deal, child?”

“Yes!”

The moment her voice left her lips, she felt a twinge of pain in her throat. In the next moment the presence in the truck vanished. Lilian jumped up onto the dashboard and smashed her face against the windshield in an attempt to get a better look outside. Without warning, the diner began to collapse from rot and decay. The walls fell slowly at first, but then, like dominos, the rest came down one after another. The rush of air escaping the wreckage washed over the outside of the truck. Lilian, out of reflex, needlessly shielded her eyes.

Lilian gasped when she saw her mother limping away from the collapsed diner. She wobbled whenever she put weight on her left foot, nearly falling with every other step. The empty landscape, flat for a mile in every direction, would make running impossible. The shaheen of spite dogged her steps, hiding in the gas and lashing out at unexpected times, seemingly one with the poison gas itself.

Just as the shaheen lunged from the darkened fog to strike, a black fox leapt through the air. The two collided and the fox dragged the monster in the gasmask to the ground. Lilian’s mother took the assistance without complaint and disappeared into the darkness.

The fox, black as night with only a white spot on the tip of its tail, like a star, jumped and ran around the creature in the long blood-soaked trench coat. Even though they danced through the gas, the shaheen could never seem to connect with the fox—it lunged and struck out, but never was it able to connect. The fox, on the other hand, nibbled and slashed at the man’s legs, constantly irritating and injuring.

Lilian jumped, startled when the door to the truck suddenly opened. The deadly poison washed in, but so did her mother. Lilian quickly embraced her. She could feel her mother’s tense, surprised muscles relax after only a moment.

“Lilian,” her mother breathed in relief. She returned the embrace and quickly shut the truck door. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Mom!”

Her mother took a deep breath before separating herself from Lilian. “We need to get out of here.”

“How?”

“Sit down and buckle up.”

Lilian sat back in the passenger seat and caught her breath. The gas stung her throat and burned her eyes. She coughed and covered her mouth, but the vile taste lingered. Her mother grabbed around the sun visor, searching for the keys, but came up short. On a whim she grabbed at her pockets and her expression scrunched into disbelief.

“Mom?” Lilian asked.

Her mother pulled a strange set of keys from her front pocket. She hesitantly inserted the largest key into the ignition and brought the truck to life.

“We’re leaving, sweetie,” her mother whispered.

Lilian nodded. She quickly secured her seatbelt as her mother pulled back on the stick shift and slowly turned the semi-truck toward the road. The opaque cloud of gas blocked all view, but that didn’t stop Lilian’s mother from finding the road and accelerating.

The fog parted, opening like the gates of hell, to reveal the shaheen of spite. With hands covered in blood-soaked gloves, the shaheen pointed a gun straight at the windshield. No way the truck could swerve in time—but that didn’t matter. The black fox leapt up and crunched down on the shaheen’s arm, ripping the trench coat and spilling blood across his muzzle.

The blood congealed and morphed into fat, hairy flies within a matter of seconds. The flies, swarming about like only insects could, filled the fog and were smashed against the windshield, their fat bodies leaving thick lines of blood upon their death.

Lilian’s mother didn’t hesitate. She kept her foot to the peddle, increasing speed as fast as the truck would go. She drove out of the poisonous gas, breaking free from its toxic grasp. Immediately Lilian noticed her diamond protectors of the night sky; the stars. She knew they would be safe if the stars were out.

The further the truck travelled from the diner and gas station, the smaller they looked. Lilian smiled to herself. The sounds of fighting drifted further and further away.

They had escaped.

---

Lilian tossed and turned.

The semi-truck cab had a bed, but it smelled of cigarettes and sweat. Lilian’s mother slept in the driver’s seat, only occasionally stirring. They had driven for a two hours and pulled over on the outskirts of a small town in order to get some rest, but Lilian knew she would never be able to sleep in her current situation, especially with the energetic and chaotic song of the city so close.

The truck was so weird and alien compared to everything Lilian knew. She hated the tiny space filled with scents she didn’t care for. She hated not having her brother with her. She hated not knowing what was going on. Why had a shaheen attacked her mother? Lilian’s mother had dodged the question and refused to answer. You’re too young to understand, her mother said. Maybe when you’re older.

“I’m not too young,” Lilian muttered to herself.

“Too young for what?”

Lilian shot upright in bed and wildly glanced around. She recognized the voice! Although the darkness made it impossible to see clearly, she knew it was most likely invisible, just like before. Its presence had only justentered the cab.

“Fox!” she gasped in excitement. “You came back!”

“Did you expect something less?”

“I thought we left you behind.”

“You won’t lose me that easily, Imp.”

Lilian laughed and pushed her blankets aside. “I’m glad.” Rolling back to her side, Lilian rested her head on a dilapidated pillow and sighed. The cold winter evening permeated the cab of the truck. Goosebumps crawled across her skin and she rubbed at her arms in a poor attempt to stay warm.

“Why don’t you like my brother?” Lilian whispered, trying hard not to wake her mother.

“I thought we made a deal, Imp.”

“I didn’t say his name.”

The fox creature, still invisible, gave her an irritated growl. It offered no explanation and Lilian suspected it would remain silent.

“My brother is super amazing. He has magic powers and he said that one day he would teach me. He’s great. Everyone loves him. You should too.”

The voice gave her no response.

“I would visit him… but he lives a few mountains over, far away from town, like mom and me. We have to stay away from people because they would be scared. That’s what my mom said.”

“Pull the blankets back over yourself,” the fox groaned. “I can’t afford for you to catch a cold.”

“They smell weird. I don’t like them.”

“I don’t care what they smell like. They’ll keep you warm.”

Lilian let out a ‘hmpf’ and crossed her arms over chest. “I’m not going to use them.”

“You’re lucky I’m tired, little girl.”

“Have you ever bitten anyone before?” Lilian earnestly asked. She rolled to her other side and searched the cab with her eyes once more.

“Bitten anyone? Am I a dog now? What kind of question is that?”

“You are a fox. Maybe you bit someone.”

“I’m more than just a fox. Sometimes I’m a raven, other times a coyote, occasionally a monkey or a ferret, and—”

“But foxes are cute,” Lilian interjected. “And I saw you as a fox, so you’re a fox.”

Another groan, but no retort.

“Why’re you hiding?”

When she got no answer, Lilian restlessly tossed to her other side. The chill was almost too much to bear. She contemplated pulling the blankets up, but she didn’t want to look like a little kid in front of Fox.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

“You paid me for my intervention. No thanks required.”

“You saved me from the shaheen. I didn’t pay for that.”

“Your brother did.”

Lilian froze. She lifted her head off the pillow and propped herself up on one elbow. “You know my brother? You’ve met him? Are you his friend?” Joy overcame her when she realized that Nathan had helped her after all. He hadn’t forgotten about her! The strange fox was his doing. Of course it was, Lilian thought with a smile. Nathan always thinks of things like this!

“I wouldn’t call us friends, per se,” the fox replied. “I’m more like his… loan-shark.”

“Is he on his way? Is he going to meet me and my mom once we get to my uncle’s house?”

For a brief moment the truck was quieter than Lilian wanted.

“No. He won’t be joining you.”

She took shallow breaths. Nathan had saved her, even when he couldn’t be there himself. Lilian turned her gaze to the thin mattress beneath her. The silence after the fox’s statement was telling. A deep sense of sorrow fell down upon her the moment everything came together. Her brother had sent a protector because he wouldn’t be able to be by her side.

Lilian drew the pillow up into her arms and sat against the wall of the truck.

Nathan…

She closed her eyes, held back her emotions, and squeezed the pillow tight. Some part of her knew… I’m never going to see him again. Lilian wished she could see him one last time, just to let him know that everything would be okay… but it would never be. He had always been there for her and now she would never be able to return the favor. Or even say thank you. Silent tears ran the length of her face.

The bed suddenly curved and depressed with the addition of extra weight. Lilian opened her eyes and caught her breath in awe. The voice—the fox—had appeared in the truck. It was larger than Lilian had suspected, nearly the size of a full grown adult male. It had a lustrous dark blue-black pelt; the only variation of color was the white on the very tip of its bushy tail and large pointed ears. The fox stared down at her with one bright golden eye and the other… closed.

The fox slowly curled his body all around Lilian’s. His shiny smooth fur shone in the dim moonlight of the truck cab, inviting her to touch it. Lilian ran her hand through the full coat. It was silky to the touch and as soft as cream. She rested her head against the body of the creature, soaking up his warmth and drying her eyes at the same time.

“You’re so pretty,” she said in breathless wonder.

“Don’t cry,” the fox gently commanded. “I can’t have your well-being called into question. Besides, your brother wouldn’t want you to cry.”

Lilian smiled and laughed. She tightened her grip around the animal. “What’s your name?” The bed was horrid, but the fox smelled of the wildness… it reminded her of freedom, fun and mischief. When she listened hard she could hear a song of flight and fancy-free. It was not so unlike her brother’s song.

“Knowing my name would only put you in danger,” the fox said with a mirthful tone. “I can’t have that.”

“What am I going to call you?”

“Let’s see,” the fox playfully drawled. “Lord of the Universe is not only catchy, but fairly accurate.”

Lilian smirked. “I’m just going to keep calling you Fox.”

“You’ve the creativity of a dictionary, I see,” Fox quipped.

“You call me Imp.”

“I guess neither of us is very creative.”

Lilian yawned and closed her eyes. “I like you, Fox. I’m glad my brother sent you.”

The black fox snorted. He rested his head next to hers and closed his eye. His warmth and song lulled her into a state of blissful sleep.

Chapter 3

Uncle Rahul and Ariella

“When the first light of the first day pierced the darkness, all time began.

But the darkness was stronger than the light…

and the first day shattered into a billion fragments.”

---

“And what do you say when someone asks you where you’re from?”

“I’m from Montana. I was homeschooled. I lived in a small town you’ve never heard of.” Lilian recited the information as quickly and succinctly as possible. She and her mother had been practicing their back histories since they entered the quiet mountain town known as Leaf Valley. It had taken them all day, but they had ditched the semi-truck and traveled from northern Washington to the northern most part of California without incident.

Leaf Valley was a rural community nestled on the wooded side of a mountain. The houses were few and far between, only held together as a community by the central hub of stores on the main street.

It was green in Leaf Valley. Vegetation and life were abundant. Although technically winter, animals scurried throughout the underbrush and the bark of dogs rang out in the distance. The melody of the tiny hamlet filled Lilian’s ears; slow notes of quaint living danced in harmony. Lilian enjoyed listening to the blissful tone—she could feel the contentment of the people, people who never sought change. She felt as though she were disrupting the peace with her very presence.

The sun set beyond the hills in the distance; the trees cast long, dark shadows over the roads and across the nearby houses. Lilian’s mother pointed to a driveway hidden by thick foliage and it took Lilian a moment to realize it led straight up to a quiet home on the mountainside.

It took longer than Lilian liked to climb the steep slope of the long driveway. She had walked from the outskirts of town with her mother, all to avoid drawing attention to themselves, but that security didn’t ease the sores growing on Lilian’s feet.

Wooden posts lined both sides of the driveway, each carved with odd writing. The writing appeared old and worn, faded into the very grain of the wood, and almost unrecognizable.

Lilian couldn’t help but notice the strange words.

The words sang to her; they sang of forgetfulness and misdirection. They were trying to protect something… trying to keep harmful people away. Lilian gently touched one of the posts with the tips of her fingers. The wood felt cold and dead, but the words…

The words were warm.

“Lilian,” her mother called. Lilian glanced up and spotted her mother by the door of the house. “Stay close.”

“Okay,” Lilian replied, jogging up to her mother’s side.

Lilian’s mother banged on the screen door and patiently waited. A thin man in a long-sleeved sweater and cargo pants answered the door. He wore a thick pair of glasses and sandals with socks. The man had skin the tone and texture of a Russet potato, black overgrown hair and unusually light, bright amber eyes. He held himself with a nervous posture, half hiding beyond the door and frequently glancing around like a cautious herbivore worrying about predators.

The man straightened his glasses in order to get a better look at his visitors. “Jackie?” he asked in a quiet, disbelieving voice. “Is that you? How did—”

“Nevermind,” Lilian’s mother said, cutting him off. “Can we come in?”

“Of course, of course.” The man opened the screen door and ushered them both in. His eyes locked onto Lilian and he forced a smile. “It’s, uh, been so long, Lilian. Do you even remember me?”

“You’re my uncle,” she said.

“Er, t-that’s right,” the man nervously replied. “Your uncle. Uncle Rahul.”

“Hello.”

Although Lilian was aware of their physical differences, she was also aware they shared a connection. She could hear the ancient, gentle melody of his blood. It sang to her, much like Nathan’s had, only softer. Her relation with her uncle wasn’t as strong as it was with Nathan. It wasn’t as pure. It wasn’t as soothing. The bond wasn’t as strong.

Uncle Rahul led them to the kitchen. The house was a modest affair, with narrow hallways, a small kitchen and tightly shut windows. It felt cozy and well loved, but it wouldn’t support many people. Even three in the kitchen felt like one too many.

“Please, sit down,” her uncle said, motioning to the small, round patio table that functioned as the sole dining area.

Jackie took a seat and motioned for Lilian to take one as well. Lilian did as she was told and explored the space with her eyes instead. The countertops were covered with cans and bags of raw food stuffs. Uncle Rahul reached into one bag and withdrew a handful of coffee beans. He poured them into a counter-mounted grinder and cranked away, crushing the beans to use in the coffee machine.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” he said in a shaky voice the moment he was done with his task. “Did… er, what I mean to say is, are there any more on their way?”

“I wasn’t followed,” Jackie replied.

“Can you be sure?”

“I’m positive.”

Uncle Rahul placed the finely ground coffee beans into the coffee machine. He straightened his glasses and wiped the sweat off his forehead and nose in a single motion. “Did… did the people in town see you? Did they ask any questions?”

“No. I came into town on foot.”

“What if—”

Glaring, Lilian’s mother slammed her hand down on the flimsy table. “I said we weren’t followed. I don’t have time to continually reassure you.”

Uncle Rahul became quiet. He needlessly fidgeted with the coffee machine, muttering concerns under his breath, but not loud enough to actually discuss. As the silence grew, Lilian’s attention was drawn to the refrigerator. The fridge had a variety of crayon drawings, all of which were of bats, dragons and moons. They were remarkably colorful, some bats incorporating the whole rainbow into their design, but they didn’t appear very happy… they stood expressionless or with frowns.

“Are those Ariella’s?” Lilian asked, pointing to the pictures.

Uncle Rahul quickly glanced up and then back to the coffee machine. “Yes. Ariella drew those a few weeks ago for Valentine’s Day.”

“Is she here?”

“She’s, uh, out in the back with the goats.”

“You have goats?!” Lilian excitedly asked.

Her mother forced a smile. “Why don’t you go find Ariella in the back, sweetie? I need to speak to your uncle for a little bit.”

Lilian nodded and slid off her chair. She exuberantly bounded for the back door, happy to escape the tense atmosphere of the kitchen. The backyard went on for ages; easily three times the entire size of the house. The space wasn’t as open as Lilian would have liked. Boxes and bags were piled around and, in the far corner of the property, stood an old barn. Lilian suspected the goats were inside the barn and she turned straight for it.

“Imp. Hold a moment.”

Lilian twirled around and smiled. “Fox! Did you hear? They have goats!”

“Fantastic. I’ve always wanted to see the offspring of a sheep and a dwarf antelope.”

“You’ve never seen a goat before?”

Fox stepped out from behind a stack of barrels. His black coat blended into the shadows around him, making it appear as though he had stepped from the very darkness itself. His tall, pointed ears twitched.

“Your mother wanted to distract you. While she tells your uncleeverything, you must sit in the dark, unknowing, because she has deemed you too young to comprehend.” He leapt to Lilian’s side and circled around her, smiling with bright white fanged teeth. “Aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to know what’s going to happen now that you’re here?”

Lilian turned to the barn and then back toward the house. She did want to know. I’m old enough to know. Determined to figure out what was going on, Lilian quietly tip-toed back to the house. She slid along the wall until she arrived at the back door. The long shadows of the young night made it easy to stay out of sight, and the song of the mountain calmed her, allowing Lilian to better focus.

“You told me we would never contact each other again! This wasn’t supposed to happen, Jackie! They’ll start searching for us! One day they’ll actually find us!”

“Their resources aren’t unlimited.” Lilian recognized her mother’s voice.

Her uncle replied with, “But they are vast.”

“I told you no one followed me.”

“You don’t understand… They’ve gotten close to me once before. Didn’t you see the protection runes? I had to set them up all over the property just to remain hidden. If they do find me, what do you think I’m going to do? You know me, Jackie. I’m not fighting off shaheen. I can barely fight off a cold.”

“It’ll be okay.”

“No, it won’t,” her uncle said, his voice strained. “They’ll take Ariella and, if I’m lucky, they’ll just take me back to the eugenics labs. If I’m unlucky…”

“You’re the only one that can protect Lilian,” her mother said in a softer, quieter voice. “You’ve always been talented with arcane things. If anyone can outwit their demons, it’s you.”

“What about Nathan?”

Fox flinched at the sound of the name. Lilian frowned. Being reminded of her brother brought back the terrible feelings she had last night. She reached out and stroked Fox’s fur, trying to push those thoughts aside. His silky soft coat reassured her.

“Jackie?” her uncle cautiously asked. “Is… that why you’re here? Did they find Nathan?”

“He found one of their libraries. He was stealing from them, Rahul. Nathan thought he could get away with it. He thought he could find something that would allow him to fight against them.”

“Oh, Jackie… I’m so sorry.”

Her mother let out a long, hard sigh. “I know where he kept some of the books he stole. Maybe I could find a way to retaliate.”

“What?” Uncle Rahul said with cough of surprise.

“He hid some away. The books. I know where they are. I was hoping you would watch Lilian until I got back. I figure… I might be able to use something in those ancient tomes. Something to help Lilian and me stay safe and maybe get back at them for what they’ve done.”

“You shouldn’t disturb the CPE. Leave the books. Forget about them. Just stay here with Lilian, Ariella and me.”

“I can’t sit back and do nothing!” her mother shouted. “They took me from my home! Just like you, Rahul! Then they took Hayden! Then they killed Nathan!You know they won’t just leave well enough alone! I have to fight back! I have to do something!”

“It’s dangerous,” Lilian heard her uncle whisper. “You have your daughter to think about. You should just let it go.”

Her mother lowered her voice, but the same tint of hate laced her words. “They’re getting bolder, Rahul. They sent one of their… demi-creatures… after me. Part shaheen. Marshall was in on it. I went to speak with him, at his diner, when the abomination attacked. I think they were testing it. Evaluating it. We can’t just sit back and do nothing. Ican’t sit by and do nothing. They’re already breeding themselves an army.”

Silence fell over the kitchen. Lilian had heard enough. She slowly backed away from the door. Shaheen? People coming after her? Lilian closed her eyes. Now she knew for certain what had happened to Nathan.

“A shaheen descendant?” Fox repeated in an awe-struck tone. “There was no hint of human about that shaheen of spite…”

Lilian turned and sluggishly dragged her feet through the dirt. She walked until she rounded the corner of the house and rested her back against the wall. The wall had faint writing on it. Lilian touched the writing. Protection runes. Meant to keep them safe.

Nathan was good with things like this, Lilian thought, enjoying the warmth on her fingertips. He probably used these too, but… now he’s gone.

Fox silently bounded over a stack of boxes and landed next to her. He glared at her with one golden eye. “I look away for a second and already you’ve wandered off. How is it all human children don’t eventually get themselves killed?”

“Fox… Do you think… that shaheen will come for me?”

Her odd companion titled his head from one side to the other, taking his time to mull over her question. “Your brother seemed to think so, but I’m not familiar with your enemies. I tend to stay out of politics.”

“Do you think I’m safe? If they came for me here?”

“No. If they came for you here your best option would be to run.”

“Is there anywhere I would be safe? If they managed to find me, that is.”

“You’re nothing but a child. You would have to run.”

Lilian stared at her feet. Her sneakers were dirty and worn. Could she run forever? “What if I used magic? Like my uncle and brother? What then?”

“You know nothing of magic,” Fox said the last word with a hint of sarcastic laughter.

“Could you teach me?”

“We are too different. It would be as if a human were trying to teach a dog how to use thumbs.”

Lilian rubbed at her eyes. Just thinking about her brother made her soul ache for his company. She hated the people who took him from her. She and her brother had been kindred spirits… and she had lost him forever. “Aren’t you supposed to protect me?” she asked, her voice cracking. “Wouldn’t it be easier if I could protect myself?”

Fox growled in irritation. “Stop your whining. Is this how your brother would act in this situation?”

Lilian, angry with herself for being so weak, glared at the black fox. “Who’s going to teach me?!” she demanded. “No one! They all think I’m too young!”

“Keep your voice down, Imp. I noticed your uncle likes to keep notes and journals. I’m sure that, while you stay with him, you can glean some information without him knowing.”

“S-shouldn’t I ask first?”

“Sometimes it’s better to seek forgiveness than ask permission,” Fox replied with a half-smile.

Lilian calmed herself. Nathan would steal books all the time to learn things… “Okay, but you have to help me. You’re good at sneaking things.”

Fox nodded.

“Now I wanna go see the goats.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to listen to their conversation more?”

Lilian shook her head. She didn’t like the thought of her mother leaving. Not now. Not after losing Nathan. She didn’t want to hear any more about her mother’s dangerous plan. “No,” she murmured.

“Very well,” Fox said with a long sigh. “I suppose the goats will be equally as fascinating.” Fox turned his head and sniffed the wind. “Can you not smell them? I can smell how fascinatingthey are from here.”

Lilian couldn’t help but smile. Goats did smell terrible. She pushed away from the house and walked across the field to the barn. The hum of the mountain’s melody cleared her head of negative thoughts. When she came to the barn door, she froze. It was ajar and inside stood a girl around Lilian’s age. The girl faced the goats, her back to the door.

The little girl, Ariella, had long black hair as opposed to Lilian’s golden amber, and her skin was alabaster, shades lighter than Lilian’s tan. Ariella squatted next to one of the goat pens, petting a week-old kid. She stroked it while it dozed off to sleep. The kid’s awkward baaing became softer and softer with each pat on the head.

With a hushed laugh, Fox peered through the open door. “I see the stench of the goats wasn’t the only thing I smelled.”

Lilian turned back to her fox companion. “What do you mean?” she whispered.

“She smells of shaheen. I would swear she is one, if it weren’t for the fact I miscalled the demi-creature earlier. She may be half-breed. My nose isn’t what it used to be, apparently. Or perhaps it’s those abominable goats you seem so fond of.”

“A shaheen?” Lilian glanced back into the barn. The kid had fallen asleep, joining the many other goats as it drifted off into dreamland. The barn was small, like the house, with ten pens lining the walls. In the center of the barn stood a wooden support beam. At the base of the beam were bales of alfalfa and an electric lantern. Ariella got up and walked over to collect her lantern.

“What kind of shaheen?” Lilian asked.

Fox gave her a canine smirk. “A shaheen of carnal desire.”

“Carnal? So she only eats meat?”

Despite his best attempts, Fox couldn’t withhold his laughter. His amusement caught Ariella’s attention. She whipped around and held the lantern up, a worried expression across her face. “Hello?” she called out, her voice barely audible. “Is someone there?”

“It’s just me and my friend,” Lilian replied, keeping her position just outside the door. “I don’t know if you remember me. My name is Lilian and my friend’s name is Fox. Can we come in?”

“Lilian?” the other girl repeated in a questioning tone. “I’ve met you before?”

“Yes.”

“Okay… You can come in.”

Lilian opened the barn door open and stepped in. The smell of the goats was stronger inside, but Lilian didn’t mind. The song of the animals peacefully sleeping brought a small smile to her face.

Surprisingly to Lilian, Fox walked in unshrouded or hidden, blatantly displaying everything he was without a hint of fear or caution. Fox had yet to reveal himself to Lilian’s mother. Lilian hadn’t questioned it, nor had she insisted that Fox reveal himself, but she did wonder why he wouldn’t be concerned now.

Ariella froze and her eyes became wide with fear. Her hand trembled and she dropped the lantern to the ground. “A shaheen,” she breathlessly stated.

“No, he’s a fox,” Lilian quickly corrected her. She wrapped her arms around Fox’s neck and squeezed him tight. “He’s a good fox. My brother sent him to protect me.”

“I… er… but…” Ariella held her hands tightly against her chest. She had big bright blue eyes and freckles spotted her nose and cheeks. Despite her small and youthful frame, she was beautiful… even her song was alluring, though it held equal parts curiosity and terror. Lilian didn’t remember hearing such an alluring song when she had met Ariella before.

“Fox,” Lilian said in a scolding tone. “You’re scaring her. Wait outside.”

The black fox turned to her with his one open eye, a look of annoyance clear as day written into his animal facial features.

Lilian dramatically placed her hands on her hips. “I’ll get the goats to chase you.”

“Not this time, Imp. I can’t take the chance that she won’t try to harm you.”

Ariella blinked back her confusion. With a nervous smile she asked, “He isn’t… going to hurt you?”

Lilian shook her head. “Nope! Fox is my friend.” Fox snorted, but offered no other commentary.

“I thought any shaheen I met was going to try and take me away. You’re not here to hurt me, Fox?”

The black fox smiled. “Not yet.”

Lilian rammed her elbow into the ribs of the beast, eliciting a surprised grunt. “He’s not going to hurt you. I told you already; he’s a good fox.”

“I’m not a good fox.”

“He is. Don’t let him trick you. He really is.”

Ariella cracked a tepid smile. “Really? Shaheen aren’t always… evil? Is he like me?”

“No,” Fox immediately answered. His voice, though normally casual and filled with mirth, was serious, cold and callous. “We’re nothing alike, Succubus. I’m of the time before the first day. You are a neonate in every sense of the word. You are a forsaken child that knows nothing of your parents’ blasphemies, nor the orders of the darkness and their—”

“Don’t listen to him,” Lilian cut him off mid-rant. With each word he frightened Ariella more and more. Why would he do that? “I already know you’re a good person.”

Ariella nervously tapped her fingers together. Her eyes searched Lilian’s expression, looking for any hint of deception. “How can you be so sure?”

“Can’t you hear it?” Lilian took a few steps closer to Ariella and listened. Her song was filled with uncertainty, but the chorus of compassion and empathy rang clear. “Your melody is beautiful.”

Ariella, suddenly confused, glanced around the barn. Fox craned his head around as well, his ears twitching with each new sound. A goat baaed in its sleep.

“I don’t hear anything,” Ariella admitted.

“That’s okay. I hear it. That’s all that matters.” Lilian threw her arms around Ariella and embraced her. Ariella immediately froze, stunned. Slowly, awkwardly, she brought her arms up to embrace Lilian back, gradually overcoming her confusion. Ariella’s hair brushed against Lilian’s cheek, sending a wave of happiness throughout her body.

Lilian broke the embrace and took a step back, rubbing at her face. The sensation had been so weird… yet delightful.

“I’m s-sorry,” Ariella stammered, hastily trying to speak. She combed her long raven locks with her fingers. “I should have warned you not to touch me. I’m so sorry.”

Fox chortled to himself. “Too young to control your abilities? Priceless. I do hope Imp spends more time in your general vicinity.”

“You can’t stay too long,” Ariella quickly stated. “My dad says we can’t have company.”

Lilian shook her head. “Well, that’s too bad because I’m going to be living here for a little while. My mom is going to go avenge my brother. Like a badass.”

Ariella’s bright blue eyes lit up. She snickered at the word badass and genuinely smiled, her fear melting away. “Is that true?”

“Yeah! Of course! Every word!”

“That’s incredible.” The other girl clapped her fingers together. “This’ll be great! I’ve never had a sleepover before! We can watch movies! Oh! Or I have, like, a million games and toys that require two people to play! Now I have someone else besides my dad to play with me!”

Lilian, reveling in Ariella’s happiness, hopped in place. “We can pretend to be sisters! And I’ve never had a sister before!”

“Neither have I! You’ll be the first human friend I’ve ever had!”

“Human friend,” Fox sarcastically repeated. “Neither of you is human.”

Ariella immediately slouched as shame overcame her. Lilian frowned at her canine protector. “Hey. We can be whatever we want to be. That’s what my brother always said.”

“Really?” Ariella whispered. “Anything? Even normal?”

“Yeah, but why would you want to be normal?” Lilian scoffed. “I meant we’re better than just humans.”

“Yeah, but normal kids get to do things like… leave the house… or go to school. I just stay here. With my dad. Avoiding everybody because they—”

“—wouldn’t understand,” Lilian cut in, finishing Ariella’s sentence.

The two girls stared at each other for a long while. Lilian had always wanted to go out in the world and live a life like she had seen on television. Why did they have so much fun and she couldn’t? If Nathan was right, if she really couldbe whatever she wanted, why couldn’t she have that as well?

Ariella appeared sullen. She stared back at Lilian with loneliness in her eyes. Lilian wanted to hug her again, but she opted instead to just take a step closer and smile.

“Well, now you have me, and I’m sure we’ll be friends forever.”

Ariella couldn’t help returning the smile. “I hope so.”

---

Lilian enjoyed her new room. Though smaller than her old room, it sang with a pleasant song that emanated from the well-loved walls. It made sleeping at night easy.

She had a little bed, originally a guest bed, and three large blankets. Her bed filled a third of the room while an old armoire and a table with a lamp filled the rest. The floors were wood and scuffed up from years upon years of dragging furniture. The sole window in her room, covered by heavy blinds, was rusted shut. Lilian’s uncle had warned her against opening the blinds, stressing that the neighbors were too curious for their own good. He didn’t want anyone to start asking questions.

Uncle Rahul worried about a lot of things. Even his journals, which Fox would sneak to her at night, were filled with odd phrases and nervous handwriting.

Lilian crawled under her blankets and turned on her flashlight, creating a mini tent in which to read in privacy. Tomorrow they would be waking early to start a new garden, but this was the time for her to try and learn magic.

She held the flashlight close as she turned through the pages, slowly reading every word she could. Some things she didn’t understand—things written in a strange language or otherwise they were just scribbles. Lilian ignored those passages and instead focused on what she could read.

January 18, 1990

It has been two weeks since I last saw signs of the CPE.

Lilian stopped reading and gently touched the journal. The CPE. Her uncle wrote about it like it was some sort of boogeyman. She didn’t know who or what the CPE was, but she knew it had been responsible for her brother’s death. Lilian decided to continue reading.

Ariella is now two years old. I have considered changing her name many times, but now I feel as if that would be confusing. I fear the day she asks about her mother.

“Lilian? Are you still awake?”

Shocked to hear her uncle’s voice, Lilian slammed the book shut and switched off the flashlight. “Uh, no?” she replied, trying hard to feign innocence.

“Lilian?”

She pulled the blankets over her head and peered through the darkness. Her uncle hesitantly stepped in and walked over to the lamp. He flooded the room with light. Lilian held her blankets close, keeping his journal out of sight, and attempted to act surprised.

“What is it, Uncle Rahul?”

He nervously moved his hands about, unsure of what to do with them. At first he tapped them together and then he finally opted to shove them into the pockets of his khaki cargo pants. “Are you cold?” he asked. “Do you need more blankets?”

Lilian shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“Are you too warm? Do you want a fan?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Do you… like it here? Is it anything like your old home?”

Lilian shrugged. “I like spending time with you and Ariella.” Her uncle became quiet again, still unsure of what to do with his hands. Lilian had a suspicion as to why. “Have you heard from my mom at all?” she asked.

Her uncle took a deep breath and slowly exhaled in order to buy more time to think. “No,” he finally said. “I still haven’t heard from her. I’m sorry, Lilian. That’s why I came to see you… I just think… that maybe we should start thinking about you staying here with us for a much longer period of time than we originally suspected.”

“Okay,” she quickly replied.

Uncle Rahul waited a moment. When Lilian said nothing more he frowned. “I know this must be difficult for you. If you need someone to talk to, I can—”

“No, I’m fine. I’m sure my mom is just busy. She’ll be back.”

Her mother had left four weeks ago. No word since then. No signs of her return. No indication she had tried to communicate with them. Lilian stayed up at night and fretted. Her sleep was plagued by nightmares. The stars offered no comfort. Terrible omens…

But Lilian didn’t want others to know she worried. She didn’t want others to see her cry.

“My mom is tough,” she offered without prompt. “Even tougher than Nathan sometimes. She’ll come back. You’ll see.”

Lilian liked saying those things aloud. For a moment she thought she could even believe her own lies.

“I’ll tell you the moment I hear from her,” her uncle said, half smiling.

“I know.”

“Is there… anything I can do for you in the meantime?” He shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. Nothing about his posture looked relaxed.

“I want to learn magic,” she earnestly replied. “So that I can protect myself from the shaheen.”

Uncle Rahul shook his head. “No. That’s dangerous. Someone will see or… or worse… someone will sense it. No. You can’t ask for that.” He stared at the floor, mulling over the conversation, his glasses slipping down his nose. For a moment his song sang of discontentment and conflict.

“Don’t you want to be a normal little girl?” he asked. “Do normal things? Go horseback riding? Play with the goats? Help Ariella and me with a new garden?”

“And go to school?” Lilian quickly tagged on. She had never gone to school. Her mother repeatedly said it was a terrible idea. Lilian wasn’t very interested in school, but she was interested in meeting new people and seeing new things.

Her uncle nervously laughed. “School? What little kid wants to go to school? I instruct Ariella in the comfort of our home.”

“Ariella wants to go to school.”

“She’s never mentioned that before.”

“Because she knows you would never let her. You never let her do anything.”

Uncle Rahul became silent. Lilian waited and watched. Before her uncle could respond, a voice echoed within the shell of Lilian’s ear. “Did you free Ariella from the CPE just to trap her within another prison?” Fox dictated in a hushed whisper, shrouded in the darkness and invisible to her uncle.

“Did you free Ariella from the CPE just to trap her within another prison?” Lilian repeated.

“Don’t you dare use that argument with me,” her uncle snapped. As if immediately regretting his actions, he took a step back and rubbed at his face. He muttered apologies and turned his gaze toward the door. Lilian almost regretted saying anything, but at the same time she felt justified.

Lilian slammed the blankets down into her lap. She glared at her uncle. “Well, which is it? Are we going to be normal little girls or aren’t we? Normal girls get to do things like go to school and have friends. Not normal little girls learn magic.”

Her uncle sighed. Wrecked by some internal indecision, Uncle Rahul nervously ran a shaky hand over his face. “Look…” he weakly began. “I just… can’t risk losing you or Ariella. Do you understand? She’s my only daughter and I made a promise to your mother…” he trailed off. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, in which his song went from quiet to sorrowful, he took a deep breath. “If you leave the property you’ll leave my field of protections. They keep us hidden. How else am I supposed to protect you if the two of you go to school? I… I have everything you need here. Do you understand now? Why you can’t go to school?”

Lilian tightly held her mouth shut and glared. It just wasn’t fair—and she wasn’t going to stand for it! She was going to learn magic and do all the things normal kids got to do, even if it killed her. And her uncle wasn’t going to tell her she couldn’t.

Her defiance, written clearly across her face, caused Uncle Rahul to slouch in frustration. “I’m not doing this to punish you, Lilian. I just… don’t know how better to protect you. It’s for your own good.”

She turned away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. Fox again spoke into her ear, “Imp. Your anger is doing you no favors and only makes your situation more difficult. Feign sadness and apologize to your uncle. He’ll be less suspicious. He’ll feel guilty rather than attacked.”

Lilian held her breath and thought over Fox’s suggestion. Finally, she loudly exhaled and forced a frown. She looked up at her uncle with big eyes and uncrossed her arms. “I’m sorry, Uncle Rahul. I just miss my mom.”

“Perfect,” Fox quietly encouraged in her ear.

Uncle Rahul slowly nodded and relaxed. “Er… I’m sorry as well. I… shouldn’t have raised my voice like I did. How about we talk more about this in the morning? After breakfast? It’s late and I don’t want to keep you.” He quickly walked to the door and flipped the light switch, casting the room into darkness.

“Okay. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Lilian.”

“Goodnight, Uncle Rahul.”

He exited and shut the door behind him. Lilian listened to the soothing song of nature ringing just outside her window. She relaxed against her bed and tucked her uncle’s journal behind the headboard.

“Do you think I should tell my uncle that I’m learning magic?” Lilian whispered aloud.

“Don’t be foolish, Imp,” Fox replied from the darkness. “He doesn’t trust you to leave his presence; how do you think he’ll feel about you learning dangerous magic? Don’t tell your uncle.”

Lilian rested against her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe Fox is right, she thought. But I’m definitely going to tell Ariella.

Chapter 4

8 Years Later

“The fragments of the first day, some large, became the stars.

Other fragments, much smaller, became azra—the creatures of light.

And the last fragments, tiny as snow, showered down to the earth and became life.”

---

“Look, Ariella! There they are! Right there!”

“They’re all here today. Even the boy with the tattoo.”

Lilian edged closer while still remaining hidden within the shrubs. Rising above the mishmash of songs, louder than even the symphony of the city, was one song that demanded to be heard. It was a song of conquest, the love of a good challenge, and leadership. It echoed over the others and drowned them out.

Ariella craned her head in order to get a better view. The bushes offered only a small viewing hole through the dense foliage to the bus stop down below. The high school students, waiting at the bus stop, were oblivious to Lilian and Ariella’s presence. They chatted amongst themselves as the Leaf Valley bus rounded the far corner and slowly made its way to the stop.

One student, tall and athletic, had a colorful koi fish tattooed on his left arm. But it was his song that Lilian found fascinating. She watched as he playfully phantom played out a game of basketball with his friends. His honey colored skin and black hair looked beautiful in the morning light. Lilian wanted nothing more than to speak to the boy. Anyone with a song as strong as his she had to meet.

“Do you think they play basketball every day?” Ariella asked.

“Probably.” Lilian lowered her voice and asked, “We’re still going through with it tomorrow, right? All we have to do is go down there and wait at the bus stop like everyone else.”

Ariella sank deeper into her giant, oversized, men’s snow jacket. The puffy and structured outside allowed Ariella to easily sink into it and disappear completely. She practically lived in the jacket; it offered her protection from the elements and ensured she never had to touch anyone, ever.

“I don’t know…” Ariella muttered from within her jacket. “If dad finds out…”

“He won’t,” Lilian immediately stated. “Tomorrow he wants us to get the north field ready for gardening. He’ll expect us to be busy all day. It’ll be fine.”

“What’re we even going to do there, Lilian? Won’t they know we’re not one of them? We’ve never been to school before…”

“It’s not like all eight hundred students know each other,” Lilian said, rolling her eyes. “We’ll just blend in, become instantly super popular because we’re cool, and then go home. You’ve seen the movies. We’ll be in and out in no time at all.”

Ariella poked her head out of her jacket and looked up at Lilian through her eyelashes. “You really think everything’ll be okay? Nothing bad will happen?”

“Nothing bad will happen. I’ll make sure of it.”

An elderly woman walked up to the rustling bushes and frowned. The woman, short and wide, squinted through the thick glass of her glasses at the two teenagers. Lilian glanced over her shoulder and immediately recognized the short gray hair and ill-fitting blue shorts that defined Mrs. Benson.

“You know, when I was a girl, it wasn’t ladylike to skulk about in the shrubbery,” Mrs. Benson drawled.

The overly nosey citizens of Leaf Valley bothered Lilian to no end. Mrs. Benson left the sidewalk, walked up the hill, despite her bad leg, and rounded the bushes just to deliver her snide commentary.

“Good thing we don’t live in the seventeenth century anymore,” Lilian quipped.

Ariella flushed with embarrassment and retreated further into her jacket. Lilian didn’t like Mrs. Benson’s song; it was one of judgment and rivalry.

Mrs. Benson glowered. “Does your supposed uncle ever teach you manners up on that hill of yours?”

“Mind your own business, Mrs. Benson!” Lilian shouted, her voice carrying to the high school students down at the bus stop. The elderly woman, furious and flustered the outburst, huffed and quickly shuffled away.

Lilian turned back to her spy hole through the bushes and saw the bus pulling up to take the students. Her heart dropped when she saw the faded yellow of the school vehicle. I wish I could leave this place, she thought. What would Nathan do? One by one the students boarded. Once everyone was on, the bus drove away, leaving the deserted bus stop behind.

Ariella let out a short sigh. “I guess we should be getting back.”

“All right… fine. Let’s go.”

They slowly shuffled out of the bushes and jogged down the nearby hill to the sidewalk. The grass was slick with morning dew and the wind from the mountains made everything chilly. Ariella didn’t mind; she huddled in her jacket with a contented smile. Lilian, on the hand, shivered each time the breeze picked up. Her jean shorts, work shirt and blue flannel overshirt weren’t enough to protect her from the elements. Glancing around, she stared deep into the shadowy areas of Leaf Valley and frowned.

Lilian could feel eyes drilling into her. The shadows stirred, their ever watchful presence unsettling and impossible to escape. If she listened closely she could hear the malevolent melody that promised her slow and excruciating death. Lilian didn’t care for the darkness’ fearmongering. They wanted her to cower, but she would not. She didn’t want to end up like Uncle Rahul—afraid of everything.

“Do you really think we can sneak onto the bus?” Ariella asked as they walked, pulling Lilian from her thoughts.

Lilian frowned. “Shh! We’ll definitely get caught if you keep talking about it! I’m telling you… It’ll be fine. I’ve thought everything through.”

“What about dad’s protection runes?”

Just as Ariella asked, Lilian glanced up at the next post coming into view. Uncle Rahul had placed them all over the quiet mountain town of Leaf Valley. The average citizen thought they were decorations or trail markers put up the city government, which never bothered to remove them.

“I told you, Ari. I got this. I know how to make those protection runes. I made us bracelets.” Lilian pulled two embroidered bracelets from her pocket and smiled wide. They were a combination of thread and cloth; the protective runes were written in ink. They were working, though they weren’t as strong as her uncle’s…

Ariella, stretching to find some reason that everything would fail, suddenly added, “We have nothing to wear. We’ll look ridiculous in our farm clothes. They’ll all know! And then they’ll call dad! And then we’ll be in trouble!”

Lilian dismissively waved away the comment. “Don’t worry! I’ve already got that covered.”

“You… do?”

“Of course. Just wait and see, Ari. Tonight I have some amazing things to show you. Those kids at school will never know what hit them.”

---

Lilian’s room was cramped.

It had been perfect for her eight-year-old self, but now that she was sixteen, everything felt too close together. Her feet hung off the bed, her armoire could hold a measly five outfits, and the small desk in the corner of her room could barely accommodate a notepad. It made practicing anything, let alone magic, extremely difficult.

Ariella quietly slipped into Lilian’s room. She dropped into a sitting position next to Lilian on the floor and folded her legs. Lilian had done her best to move all the furniture out of the way, but her bed was still an issue.

“Ari, can you tilt the bed up against the wall?” she asked.

“All right.”

Ariella stood up, walked over to the bed and easily lifted it up and over. The headboard had been removed long ago, allowing for the mattress to be pushed directly up against the wall. Careful not to make much noise, Ariella slowly positioned it into place. The task had been simple for one as unbelievably strong as Ariella; she could juggled entire beds for a hobby, if she so chose.

A strange ring of writing became exposed once the bed had been lifted. Magic runes, words written by Lilian herself, were etched into the wooden floor. Lilian reached over and touched them; they were warm and sung of creation.

“Lilian,” Ariella groaned in exasperated disbelief. “Didn’t dad say not to do this anymore? Isn’t this the same thing you were making out in the barn?”

“Yeah, but, Uncle Rahul doesn’t know what he’s talking about. This is going to be amazing. Just you wait and see.”

Ariella sighed and took her seat back down on the floor. She was dressed for bed; tiny boy shorts and a t-shirt. Night was the only time of day in which she wasn’t covering herself from head to toe.

No matter how she positioned herself, Ariella always looked stunning. Her legs were long and smooth. Her hair cascaded from her head like ink waterfalls, rippling around her shoulders and shimmering with the light. Her lips were soft and sultry, her eyes expressive and soulful… Every time their gaze met Lilian was reminded of Ariella’s perfection. Sometimes it was hard to concentrate around her, but Lilian knew Ariella wasn’t doing it on purpose.

“Oh, wait! Before we get to the big demonstration, I also learned this,” Lilian muttered as she reached into her armoire. She withdrew a metal ring and a pencil. Ariella lifted an eyebrow. Before she could say anything, Lilian pointed to the ring. She had painstaking written magic runes on the metal of the ring.

“What does it do?” Ariella cautiously asked. “It’s not like that fireworks thing you made, is it?”

“No, no, no. Nothing like that. Just watch.”

Lilian held up the metal ring and dropped the pencil through it. The moment the pencil passed through, it began to glow with an intense inner light, forcing Ariella to partially cover her eyes. After three seconds the light dissipated, resulting in a perfectly normal pencil lying on the floor.

Ariella waited for something more to happen. After a moment of silence she sarcastically narrowed her eyes. “That was it?”

“Yeah,” Lilian said with a smile. When Ariella didn’t seem impressed, Lilian frowned. “Didn’t you see what happened? That pencil was infused with light! You don’t think that was awesome?”

“But… why? When would that ever be useful? It didn’t even last long enough to be a flashlight…”

“I just thought you would like it. It’s cool.”

“I didn’t care for it,” Ariella quickly stated. “It was too bright.”

Lilian exhaled. “All right… Well, according to your dad’s journals people used to use these light runes to make temporary keys. I thought… well, I thought you would find it interesting.”

“Do you know how to make locks that are only unlocked with light?”

Lilian nervously grabbed at the back of her neck. “Er… no. But it’s still cool. I just like that I mastered this one. Ya know, unlike the fireworks.”

Ariella pulled her legs up to her chest and folded her arms around them. “All right. Let’s see the big one. What does it do?”

Unable to fully contain her excitement, Lilian scooted closer to Ariella and smiled wide. “It’s an alchemy circle,” she whispered. Ariella stared back at her with a blank expression. Lilian sighed. “Come on. Alchemy. It creates stuff.”

“This circle?”

“Yeah! Of course! I can’t believe you’re not more excited! This is how I’m going to make us new school outfits!”

Before Ariella could question the details of the plan, Lilian jumped up from her spot and began gathering up her materials. She had a bolt of white shimmery silk-cloth, a bolt of dark blue velvety-cloth, buttons, zippers and lace. She piled them all in the circle, unconcerned with order or tidiness.

Lilian reached into her dresser and withdrew a fashion magazine she had stashed away. She quickly flipped through the pages and stopped when she got to her favorite section. She turned the magazine around and displayed the pictures for Ariella. Lilian pointed to the main outfit on the left-side page.

“This one,” Lilian announced.

Ariella’s eyes lit up. “Wow. It’s so pretty. Are you sure you’re going to be able to make it with… that circle? I mean, you don’t have the best track record with these runes and this seems like a complicated one. Even my dad struggles to make the runes one hundred percent correct when they’re difficult.”

“It’ll be awesome,” Lilian confidently said. “You’ll see.” Unlike most of the runes Lilian attempted to draw, she knew this would work. She had spent week after week making sure every single letter of every single word was drawn exactly as she had seen it written. Nothing was left to chance. It would work. She knew.

The only thing that bothered Lilian was that she had no idea what the words represented. She knew it was a language, but each letter was a mystery. She was just copying whatever her uncle had written before her, not truly knowing what it said.

“So how is this going to make clothing, exactly?”

Lilian placed the magazine next to the circle, but not in it. The outfit she admired was rather simple in design. It had a short flowing skirt with a lace hemline and a tight fitting sleeveless shirt with a low back. Lilian never wore such girly clothing… not when she was taking care of goats and gardening. She wore overalls and boots and thick leather gloves. Tomorrow would be her first day at a school ever. She wanted to make sure she fit in. She wanted to prove she could be every bit as normal as any other girl and then some.

“I’m going to make two identical outfits,” Lilian explained as she stood up. “One white. One dark blue. I’m going to activate the circle and it’s going to take the materials and make the outfits for us.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“What does Fox think will happen?”

Lilian snorted. “He doesn’t tell me anything! I think he gets a kick out of seeing me explode things.” She looked around the room. She knew Fox was here, but he wasn’t saying anything. “Is this going to work?” she huffed to a random corner of the room.

No response.

“That’s not a good sign,” Ariella dryly commented.

“What does Fox know anyway? He can’t use the runes! He probably doesn’t even know if it’ll work or not!”

Lilian wasn’t entirely sure why, but only her uncle and she could make magic with the runes. Ariella had attempted it on a few occasions, but nothing ever happened. It was the same with Fox. The letters wouldn’t respond, no matter how perfectly they had been drawn. Lilian, on the other hand, could make them sing.

“Enough talking! It’s time to test this out! Ari, lock the door.”

Ariella stood up and locked the door. She slowly turned around and leaned her back against the door, watching from a safe distance with a worried expression. Lilian stood in front of the circle and held out her hands. All of the materials were in place… all that was left was to activate the magic…

She closed her eyes and imagined the circle in her mind’s eye. Lilian focused on the music of the runes. The melody was helpful, but playful as well. The magic in the air was excited and it caused Lilian to smirk. She knew this would work.

The cold mountain air in the room suddenly became warm. Lilian could see the bluish-white glow of the circle through her closed eyelids. It lasted only a matter of seconds and then the ritual ended. The runes had been spent.

Lilian opened her eyes. The cloth, buttons, zippers, lace and thread had been rearranged and fashioned back together in a logical fashion. Two outfits, one white and one dark blue, sat inside the circle, along with a pile of unused raw materials. She knelt down and examined the clothing. Every seam and stitch was perfectly in place; the two outfits were expertly crafted. Just like the magazine pictured.

Ariella opened her eyes and gasped. “Wow! It… it worked! You actually made clothes, Lily!”

Lilian scooped up the clothing. “I hope they fit us,” she whispered. “Do you think the magic knows what size we are…? I mean, I don’t know exactly how this all works…”

Still in disbelief, Ariella took the blue outfit and held it up to her body in order to compare. The outfit looked like it would fit and Ariella spun around the tiny room with it flowing around her.

Lilian bent down next to the alchemy circle and pushed all the unused materials out of the way. Her runes were etched deep into the floor, deeper than she had originally drawn them. Lilian gently touched the words in confusion. If she used the circle again she feared there would be nothing but a hole under her bed. Maybe I should draw these on something a little sturdier next time, she thought.

“I still can’t believe you did this,” Ariella continued to comment as she turned the outfits over in her hands. “Can you imagine if dad did this? I mean, if you did this, then he must be able to make great things!”

Lilian narrowed her eyes. “Really, Ari?” she intoned. “What a resounding compliment.”

“I’m just saying… he has fewer accidents.”

“He also takes fewer risks,” Lilian sarcastically commented.

“Didn’t you copy these runes out of his journals?”

Lilian sighed and carefully placed her new outfit into her armoire. “Well, your dad doesn’t seem to use any of his awesome information anymore. I mean, his journals were just collecting dust.”

Ariella slowly nodded. “I guess that’s true.” She turned the outfit over and over in her hands. “Hey, do you think we could use that circle in order to fix things around the house? It’d be pretty useful. Dad still can’t figure out what’s wrong with the roof. I wish I could do something like this…”

“Hey, you have magic too,” Lilian said. “You have skin-touchy magic… and you’re super strong!”

“So useful,” Ariella quipped.

“Don’t get all melodramatic on me, Ari.” Lilian watched as Ariella slumped into a woebegone state. Lilian couldn’t stand it. She didn’t want Ariella to be depressed on the eve of their big day. “Look on the bright side!” she said in a sing-song tone. “We’ll at least look really good for our first day of school!”

Ariella frowned. “Lilian… you know I can’t wear this. What if… what if someone accidently bumped into me or something? You know how the others would react. It would be… awful…”

“You’ll be super popular no matter what you’re wearing,” Lilian stated. “Even a potato sack. Plus, no one is going to touch you. People are polite. And if they do touch you they won’t even know what’s going on. They don’t understand.”

“I don’t know…”

“Wait! Look!” Lilian reopened her armoire and shuffled around through the clothing on the bottom. She pulled out two pairs of sandal heels; one white set and one blue set. “I even got us these!”

“Where did you get those?” Ariella practically gasped, taking the blue pair of shoes into her hands.

Lilian knew Ariella had never worn heels. Neither had Lilian, since heels wouldn’t work well with farm work, but she had always wanted to try. All the high class women in her magazines wore them; why couldn’t she?

“I saved some of the money Uncle Rahul gave us just to get them,” Lilian replied. “Aren’t they fancy? You should try them on!”

Ariella nervously combed her long black hair with her fingers. She turned back to the outfit and sighed. “I… can’t. I just can’t. What if someone touches me and then tells everyone else? I don’t want them to be afraid. Not on the only day outside of Leaf Valley…”

“At least wear your outfit under your snow coat,” Lilian insisted. “You’ll feel more confident, I promise you!”

With a resigned sigh, Ariella finally said, “Alright. Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Awesome! This is going to be great!” Lilian hopped up onto her tippy-toes and spun in circles. She had a fountain of pent-up energy after seeing her ritual work; all she wanted to do was sing to the heavens. “I can’t wait! Everything is going to be perfect!”

“I hope so,” Ariella said with a genuine smile. “We should get to bed though. We have to get up early for the bus.”

“Yup!” Lilian began packing away all the unused materials. “I already have my alarm set!”

Ariella unlocked the door and opened it. She seemed hesitant, almost like she didn’t want to leave the room, but eventually she stepped out into the hallway. Lilian jogged after her.

“Wait! Ari! My bed!” She pointed back into her room. Her bed was still on its side and pushed up against the wall. Ariella laughed.

“Oh, right. Sorry about that.”

Chapter 5

Freedom

“The light, harsh and powerful even when broken, weakened the shaheen.

They retreated to the Void, bidding their time and gobbling up the fragments of light foolish enough to get caught in their traps.”

---

“Do you have your bracelet?” Lilian whispered.

Ariella curtly nodded as she crunched down on another spoonful of cereal. Her massive jacket covered everything; Ariella could be naked and no one would be the wiser. Uncle Rahul, rubbing at his eyes while he brewed a cup of coffee, turned his attention to Lilian and Ariella.

“Are you two ready to start the north garden?”

“Yup,” Lilian cheerily replied. “I think it’s going to be fun!”

Uncle Rahul smiled. He cleaned his heavy glasses and poured himself a cup of a coffee. Over the years he had asked Ariella and Lilian to take over the gardening, mostly because he wanted to stay inside and read, but also because he didn’t have the knack for it.

Unlike most people, who lost hair as they grew older, Uncle Rahul seemed to gain newpatches of hair. His eyebrows were wild, his ears had to be trimmed and his face shaved every day lest he become a yeti. Despite it all he had a relatively wrinkle-free completion. He never did tell Lilian his age, but she suspected somewhere in his forties.

“Just remember not to stray too far,” he said, taking a sip of coffee. “And if anyone walks up to the property, just come back to the house and—”

“—call you immediately,” both Lilian and Ariella intoned in unison, finishing Uncle Rahul’s statement.

“Yes, well, don’t trust anyone. And if you see anything suspicious, anything at all, assume it’s dangerous. Especially when the sun starts to set.”

“What’re you going to be doing all day, Dad?” Ariella inquired, taking care not to look her father directly in the eye.

“I… just have some research I’ve been putting off. I figured I would take the day to get my things organized here in the house.”

“Organizing the house? Be still my beating heart,” Lilian sarcastically muttered.

“I rather enjoy organizing.”

“I’d rather be gardening than organizing any day.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t be asking either of you to help.” Uncle Rahul slowly sipped his coffee and glanced between the two girls. “You two seem… excitablethis morning.”

“We’re going to plant flowers,” Ariella quickly stated. “I think they’ll look nice once its summer.”

“What kind of flowers?”

Ariella froze mid-spoonful.

“Golden poppies,” Lilian quickly cut in. “They’re really pretty.”

“Ah. All right. As long as there’s still room for the vegetables.” Uncle Rahul left the kitchen with his coffee mug in hand. Ariella and Lilian exchanged relieved and excitable looks.

“I can’t believe we’re going to have the whole day,” Ariella whispered.

Lilian impishly smiled. “I told you this would work.”

“When are we going to leave?”

“Let’s go change, head to the north field, and when the house is out of sight, take off toward the bus stop. We can wait for the bus like normal people and no one will be the wiser. The plan is so simple it’s perfect.”

Ariella slid a little deeper into her jacket, like a turtle fearing an impending strike. “I just hope we don’t get caught…”

---

The cold morning caused Lilian to shiver. Her clothing didn’t offer much protection from the elements, but they were stylish. She smoothed her white skirt and tight white top, enjoying the feel of brand new clothing against her skin and fingertips. Uncle Rahul rarely went clothes shopping, and when he did, it was for frumpy, practical clothing. Nothing fun or flirtatious—nothing to draw attention.

Lilian held her head high and smiled. She had never felt as confident or amazing as she did walking down the street, causing people to give her second glances and smiles. I look amazing.

“Those don’t hurt?” Ariella asked, pointing to Lilian’s sandal heels.

Lilian shook her head. “Nope. If normal girls can wear these, it should be easy for me.” She twirled once and swished her long amber-gold hair over her shoulder. In her mind she was Marilyn Monroe and nothing would convince her otherwise.

Ariella, on the other hand, had opted instead to wear sneakers. She wore her giant snow jacket and a pair of gloves, completely hiding her new outfit, and her entire body, from the knees up.

According to the local school board, the bus ride from Leaf Valley to the nearest public high school was two hours long. Despite the length of the ride, Lilian could barely contain her excitement. Who would she meet? What songs would she hear? Would the other kids, the normal kids, like her and Ariella? Of course they will, Lilian reassured herself. Who wouldn’t like us?

“Fox,” she called out. “You’re going to have to wait here.”

A giant black fox stepped out of the shadows from the nearby trees his one gold eye practically glowing in the dim atmosphere. His black fur and unusual size set him apart from the world in an unnatural, almost terrifying, way. He appeared sleepy, or perhaps bored; Lilian couldn’t tell, and it lessened his frightening visage.

“Is that so?” he quipped. “Today is my vacation day?”

“Foxes aren’t allowed in schools. Sorry.”

Ariella giggled.

Fox shook his head. “If that’s how you feel I guess I’ll have to stay here.”

“Really?” Lilian quickly asked. “You won’t follow me?”

“If I’m not allowed then I’m not allowed,” he said very matter-of-factly. Lilian didn’t like it when he got serious. She had a hard time determining when he was lying.

Lilian stopped when she spotted the bus stop in the distance. There were students already waiting…

“Fox. You need to go. Shoo.” She motioned him to leave and pointed toward the woods. “I’ll be perfectly safe at school. People go there and come back all the time. I’ll be fine.” She knew Fix wouldn’t allow the other students to see him, but she didn’t want him skulking about even so.

Fox snorted and silently leapt away into the nearby shrubbery, only barely disturbing the plants, like a pro diver barely disturbs the surface of water. Silence followed soon after, but Lilian knew he remained nearby.

The sound of the bus turning onto main street caught Lilian’s attention. The small yellow vehicle rattled and shook as it traveled down the ramshackle road. Once it reached the stop, the bus screeched to a halt and the door parted open. Lilian and Ariella exchanged nervous, but excited, glances before jogging up to the bus.

The other students at the stop, including the boy with the koi fish tattoo, begrudgingly marched onto the bus. Lilian quickly followed after with Ariella close on her heels. The driver was an older, heavy-set woman with short curly black hair. She stared at Lilian and Ariella as they boarded but offered no other communication. The door closed behind them and the bus started on its way once more.

Lilian examined her new surroundings. The seats were ripped and faded, the windows were dirty, some so smudged that it was impossible to see outside, and the floor, sticky to the point it was difficult to walk, brought the whole ensemble together. The regulars took seats near the back. They looked up momentarily at Ariella and Lilian, obviously confused by their presence. Even the boy with the koi tattoo had a song of bewilderment.

Lilian waved and smiled.

No one offered any greeting in return.

As the vehicle lurched and wobbled down the worn roads of Leaf Valley, Lilian suddenly developed a rock in her stomach. She hadn’t expected to receive such a cold welcome. Ariella grabbed Lilian by the arm and pulled her down into a seat near the front.

“I told you,” Ariella hissed under her breath. “They know something is up!”

“We’re the new kids,” Lilian quickly explained, pushing her own doubt to the side. “Haven’t you seen any movies? New kids get the cold shoulder. It’ll be fine. Stop worrying.”

Lilian sighed. The more she concentrated on her surroundings, the more she realized Fox was still with her. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Fox… really? I thought I told you to stay home. It’s going to look weird if a wild animal comes to my rescue at school.”

“Then don’t get into trouble,” he playfully whispered from the shadows near the floor of the bus.

The sun began to rise as the bus rolled along. Lilian glared down at the long, dark shadows and frowned. She didn’t like it when Fox was invisible. He could be up to anything…

Loud conversation from the students in the back began to drown out everything else. Lilian smiled as she turned around to face her peers. Now’s my chance! She stood up with the intent to join their conversation when the bus driver unexpectedly shouted, “Sit down and be quiet! No talking!”

Lilian dove back into her seat and the talking immediately came to a halt. Ariella ducked deep into her jacket and refused to emerge. With a heavy sigh, Lilian glanced back at the other students. It’ll have to wait till we get to school.

---

Two hours passed slowly.

Lilian couldn’t wait to see her new school and talk to her peers. She bounced around in her seat, attempting to drain some of her nervous energy but failing miserably. Ariella caught her excitement half way through the trip and reemerged from her jacket with an anxious smile. They fed off each other’s anticipation as the bus took them along, continentally whispering back and forth about the many possibilities.

The bus acquired ten more students before heading off to Silver River High School. Each student had come from their own tiny rural community, each smaller than the last.

Silver River High School, nestled at the base of the mountain, stood inside a city of the same name. The city was a hundred times larger than Leaf Valley and built along several railroads.

Ariella pointed toward the front of the bus. They had arrived at their destination; Silver River High School. The first thing Lilian saw beyond the smudged windows was the gymnasium poking through the cloud of fog that covered the campus. The building, massive in scale compared to the small classrooms around it, appeared to be painted a dark red and held the words ‘Go Silver Wolves!’ along the side.

The bus parked near the south side of the school and the driver motioned for them to get off. Most of the students were yawning and pulling themselves up into action with little to no enthusiasm. Lilian and Ariella exited the bus first and watched the others stream out in a group. The students gave them odd looks, but quickly shuffled past and headed straight for the gymnasium.

Lilian admired the glory of the early morning fog that surrounded the school. Time would eventually kill the majesty of earth-bound cloud, but the song it sang was so tranquil… Lilian wished she could experience fog more often.

“Oh my gosh,” Ariella breathed. “There are so many people here…”

“I know! I can’t wait!” Lilian tugged on Ariella’s sleeve and pulled her toward the gymnasium. “We should go in there! I want to meet them all!”

“What if we’re not supposed to go in there?”

“Everyone else is going in there,” Lilian replied with a shrug as she continued to pull. “I’m sure that’s where we belong too. If you’re ever in doubt, just follow all the other students. Blend in.”

“But, I’m not—”

Ariella cut herself short and sighed. Lilian felt Ariella’s resistance fade and she smiled. What’s she worried about, anyway? she thought. Once everyone gets to know us, they’ll love us!

The gymnasium was a tall, rectangular building with a flat roof and hardly any windows. As Lilian drew near she could hear the sounds of sneakers squeaking against polished wood and a chorus of loud chatter. She pushed her way past the gymnasium doors and soaked in the atmosphere.

There were students sitting on bleachers, students practicing cheer routines and a group of boys running back and forth on the regulation-sized basketball court. The moment Lilian stepped foot inside she felt more confident about walking in heels. The flat ground was much easier to walk on than the dirt and mud.

The noise in the gymnasium bombarded Lilian’s ears.

The students were talking over one another, the basketball bouncing against the court was thunderous, the squeaking shoes were never ending… To make matters worse, the songs of the surrounding people blended together into a terrible cacophony of indistinguishable notes. Lilian rubbed at her temples and frowned.

“Are you okay?” Ariella whispered.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine.”

They walked in together, anxious to be part of the environment but terrified of somehow revealing their nature to the people around them. Lilian stopped at the edge of the basketball court and froze. One song rose above the terrible mishmash. Lilian knew it well.

Perhaps the boy with the koi fish tattoo had been sleepy on the bus, or perhaps he hadn’t been feeling well—either way, it was no longer the case. His song of conquest and leadership drew Lilian in. Now was her moment to speak to him… now was her moment to finally develop a friend outside her uncle and cousin.

“Oh no,” Ariella said with frown. “You have that look.”

Lilian slowly nodded. “Ariella, do you hear it?” she whispered. “His song is so much stronger now…”

“You know I don’t hear whatever songs you’re talking about it.”

“It’s the boy’s… the one from the bus stop.”

Ariella fidgeted with the sleeves of her jacket as she glanced around. “Okay… So, now what?” Her frown persisted. She huddled close to Lilian and avoided looking directly at any of the nearby students.

Lilian took a moment to examine her environment. The boys in the basketball game were shaking off their lingering sleep while playing a friendly game. No one kept score, but the tattooed boy obviously played as though he were being judged. The boy ran circles around the others; he was fully awake and exerting himself whereas the others were not. He ran to the basket and leapt up to make a shot. The ball went in and the small crowd of observing students clapped. His honey-colored skin shone under the gymnasium lights with a fine layer of sweat despite the fact he had only been playing for a couple of minutes. His colorful koi fish stood out more when he wore a jersey.

With half smile on his face, the boy turned around and gave the crowd a bow. The other players lightheartedly booed him and laughed.

Lilian took a single step out onto the basketball court with the intention of speaking to the boy when Fox’s voice harshly whispered in her ear, “Leave it, Imp. Don’t talk to that one.”

She froze and angrily glared straight ahead, fully aware that Fox was still invisible. “Why?”

“Trust me. I have your utmost safety in mind.”

“Well, sometimes what you think is safe isn’t what I want. You knew I was going to talk to him at some point. That’s half the reason I came here!”

“Imp,” Fox threateningly whispered. “Talk to some other boy, just not that one. Surely one of these other lumps catches your eye? Perhaps that dullard over there. The one scratching his loins in public.”

Ignoring Fox’s sarcastic and frantic whispers, Lilian walked out into the basketball court. Ariella remained on the sidelines, pacing back and forth as though the lines themselves were an invisible barrier she could not cross. Lilian didn’t bother acknowledging the students she passed. Their songs didn’t demand her attention. She walked straight up to her target and held out her hand.

The boy froze in the middle of the basketball court and raised both eyebrows in surprise. The basketball was thrown to him, but it bounced with a heavy whackoff his side and rolled into the bleachers. He grunted in surprise but continued to stare at Lilian in disbelief.

“What’re you doing?” he incredulously asked.

Everyone on the court stopped playing. Even kids in the bleachers turned around and watched the unusual scene unfold.

Lilian forced a confident smile. “My name is Lilian Montserrat. I’m new to this school and I wanted to meet you.”

The boy ran a hand through his sweaty black hair. He left it spiked and slightly disheveled, a look Lilian had seen time and time again in her fashion magazines. She stared into his nearly black eyes, the slant of which a clear indicator of his Asian descent. Bewildered, he stared at her as if he couldn’t believe what was transpiring. “Uh, I’m Bishop Choi. We’re in the middle of practicing for tryouts. Do you mind?”

Lilian awkwardly lowered her hand down to her side. The eyes of the entire gymnasium were upon her. The songs of contentment and sleep were quickly being replaced with annoyance and confusion.

Her confidence waned. “I, uh, thought that—”

“Imp. Stop this now or I’ll be forced to intervene,” Fox continued to whisper into her ear.

“—I thought you were done with practice,” Lilian continued. “I thought you were just showing off now.” She smiled up at him. The other basketball players exchanged annoyed looks, though one or two of them laughed and shrugged. Fox practically growled into her ear with irritation, but Lilian ignored him. It wasn’t like he could do anything.

“Everyone else is just tired,” Bishop said with half a laugh. “They’re all pretty good players… after noon.”

“We’ll just have a quick chat. It’ll give them time to wake up. Then you’ll have a proper practice game.”

“Wow, you don’t mess around,” Bishop said. “All right… if you want to talk that bad, I guess we’ll talk.”

Lilian stopped herself from jumping up and down and clapping. She took a step toward Bishop and felt a tug at the base of her skirt. Lilian reached down to straightened her clothing only to feel the hot sting of somethingsupernatural. Fox darkly chortled in her ear. In the next instant she felt the threads of her outfit loosen and the magic that had been used to create them dissipate into thin air.

She quickly put one and two together; it was easy math, adding it all up was just the formality. Fox had undone the magic used to create her outfit.

Which meant it would fall apart at any second.

“A-actually!” she stammered. “I forgot I need to do something! Important!” Lilian forced a laugh as she tightly hugged herself, keeping the panels of cloth held firmly up against her body as they slowly unthreaded. She took several hasty steps backward, distancing herself from Bishop as much as possible and incessantly laughing the entire way. Students all over the gymnasium were watching her go with perplexed expressions.

Bishop, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “Wait, wait ,wait. You seriously stopped this whole game and talked me up just to turn around and leave? Are you for real right now?”

“I’m really sorry,” Lilian said between laughs. She felt a panel of her skirt come loose. She bent over to catch it and remained in the awkward hunched-over position as she continued to travel backward, well aware that she looked like a drunken crab. “I’m seriously super sorry! I just, uh, I have to go!”

She forced a wide smile and hastened her steps until she was off the court.

A loud bell echoed throughout the gymnasium, momentarily distracting the other students. Lilian took the opportunity to quickly hobble to the nearest door, not even bothering to look back or meet up with Ariella. She fled out into the schoolyard and rushed between two annex buildings, sliding into the safety of the darkness as her clothing began to shed away like discarded snake skin.

Students ran by, their songs nothing but panic, excitement and annoyance. They didn’t glance in her direction, nor did it seem as though anyone was looking for her. The situation was too much for Lilian at the moment… she slid down the wall of the nearest building, huddling behind a protruding AC unit, furious at only one person.

I’m going to kill Fox.

Chapter 6

Getting Caught

“Souls, products of the tiniest fragments of light, are powerful.

Shaheen yearn to collect them… for they have no souls of their own.”

---

“Lilian! Lilian!”

The students rushing to and fro confused Ariella. She backed away, fearful that she might accidently touch someone. The smell… The smell of their youthful energy, anxiety and nervousness made Ariella’s skin crawl. She hated the mixed up chaos of so many people so close… She hated hearing their heartbeats, tasting their sweat on the air, and feeling their breathing. It reminded her, like a drill to her thoughts that couldn’t be ignored, that she was different.

Ariella watched as the students ran for the exits. With the gymnasium so full, it was impossible for her to chase after her cousin. Where did she go?!Ariella thought, her eyes straining to see beyond the side door Lilian had run through.

One girl pushed Ariella aside with a forceful shove. “Watch it!” she shouted.

Ariella ducked behind the bleachers and kept her head submerged in her jacket. I knew this would go terribly… Lilian didn’t believe me… she never believes me… I should speak up more often! Tell her things are going to end poorly!

The building, soaked in the musk of teenagers, obfuscated Lilian’s natural summer scent. The thought of approaching another student sent a wave of dread through Ariella’s mind. Lilian stood out… surely she would stand out as well. This is a nightmare…

The squeak of shoes on the gymnasium floor slowly began to die down. Ariella didn’t bother to look out until all the noise had ceased. She craned her head around the bleachers and took note of the large, empty space.

“Lilian?” she meekly asked.

No answer.

“Where did everyone go?” she whispered to herself. Ariella backed further underneath the bleachers, shielding herself in the shadows, the cool embrace of the darkness welcoming her like a long lost child. She could faintly hear unintelligible whispers beckoning her close, but Ariella didn’t trust them. Ariella couldn’t help but feel nervous and unsettled by the sweet promises offered by whatever dwelled within. She pushed the whispers from her thoughts.

She stood completely alone.

Maybe the teacher came to get them, she thought. I bet they’re all in class… Lilian is sure to come back at any second… and then we’ll leave. Any second now.

The gymnasium smelled of high emotion. Ariella closed her eyes and took a deep breath, though the taste on the air was sour. She rubbed her tongue with the back of her hand and pulled her jacket up past her mouth.

What am I even doing here? Dad was right… I’m just… too different. What if I hurt someone or…

The quiet stretched on and Ariella slid down the wall into a sitting position. Any second now, she thought. With a deep breath she tried to relax, but her body wouldn’t obey; it remained stiff and tight.

The door to the gymnasium squeaked open and Ariella excitedly jumped to her feet. Much to her disappointment, a boy walked in with a large bag full of sporting equipment slung over his shoulder. The boy was thick with muscle and sturdy; the type of boy that, no matter how muscular he got, would never have a six-pack. Ariella took a fearful step back, running into the aluminum of the bleachers and rattling them.

The boy stopped and turned. “Hello?” he called out. He walked straight over to the bleachers and threw down the bag of equipment. With a tilt of his head he made eye contact with Ariella and half-smiled in amusement. “Uh, what’re you doing back there?”

Ariella ducked her head into her jacket and took long, deep breaths. Oh no! I’ve been caught! What am I going to do?!

“Are you okay?” the boy asked, making his way around the bleachers to get a better look. “You new to this school?”

Ariella took several steps back and glanced over her shoulder. She could escape in the opposite direction. But what am I going to do? Where am I going to go?! Where is Lilian? “I…” she forced herself to say, trying desperately to think of anything plausible to explain her situation.

The boy stopped at the edge of the bleachers and braced himself against the metal posts. He lifted an eyebrow.

“I’m… waiting for a friend,” Ariella stated, stopping halfway to the other side of the bleachers, poising herself to run if needed.

“In the gym?”

“That’s where we said we would meet.”

“During first period?”

Oh god. He’s on to me. He knows I’m not supposed to be here… maybe he even knows I’m not human. How did this happen so quickly?! Maybe… maybe I should use my powers to… No! No, I can’t do that… I’ll just—

“You know what? Don’t worry about it,” the boy said, pulling Ariella out of her spiral of destructive thoughts. “I’m Gunner.”

She glanced up and stared at him intently, confused by his introduction. Gunner had short, disheveled sandy hair, gold stubble on his chin and grayish-blue eyes. She could hear his even heartrate and his scent was that of the farmers around her house, like freshly tilled dirt and thistles. Ariella wished Lilian was by her side. Lilian always seemed to know if people were trustworthy; something about their unheard songs…

“I’m Ariella,” she forced herself to reply.

“Ariella? That’s a pretty name.” Gunner pushed himself away from the bleachers and shrugged. “Look, I’m going to go get the coach. We’ll be right back, okay?”

No! He’s going to inform someone I’m here! This is a nightmare! Ariella watched in horror as Gunner walked toward the gymnasium door.

“W-wait!” she choked out.

Gunner stopped and turned back to her. Ariella forced herself to walk out from underneath the bleachers. She defensively crossed her arms over her chest and look up at Gunner through her lashes.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Ariella took a shallow breath and awkwardly replied with, “I… I’m just a normal student.”

Gunner half-smiled. “Sure. Whatever you say.”

He obviously doesn’t believe me, Ariella thought, barely containing her panic. What would dad do? No… he wouldn’t even be in this situation. What would Lilian do? She would know how to get out of this! She and Fox… they wouldn’t hesitate to use magic… But… if I use my magic…

Ariella cautiously stepped forward and held her breath. They were so close… Gunner’s heartrate was slowly increasing. Was he afraid? Excited? She couldn’t tell. I can’t get caught. I just… I can’t. I can’t allow it. I’m going to have to use my powers!

“You… you can’t tell anyone I’m here,” she whispered. “I’ll… stop you.”

“What?” Gunner asked, forcing a laugh. “Don’t worry, babe. The coach is cool. You won’t get in trouble.”

Ariella, wide eyed, asked, “R-really? You’re not… going to get the authorities?”

“What? No. Of course not. Me and the coach are just going to set up for second period, is all. I’ll tell him you’re waiting here for another student. He’ll understand.”

Ariella breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body unwinding in a matter of seconds. That was too close… She returned Gunner’s smile and asked, “You don’t think I was acting weird?”

“I thought it was odd you were behind the bleachers,” Gunner replied with genuine laugh. “But, like my dad always says, don’t worry, squirt, everyone loves the oddball in the gum machine!” Gunner spoke in a mock-gruff voice and further mimicked his father by reaching out and tousling Ariella’s hair. As if she were made of static electricity, Gunner immediately jerked his hand back, stunned and flushed.

“What was that?” Gunner breathlessly asked, his heartrate suddenly spiking.

In a state of nuclear fluster, Ariella acted on pure adrenaline and instinct. She instantly removed her gloves and grabbed Gunner’s hand with hers, gripping his warm flesh with her nails.

“Take me home!” she commanded.

“O-okay.”

A surge influence rushed through her and, somehow, she felt it seep into Gunner’s hand—a compelling force ensuring he followed her command. The sudden realization that she had used her powers to compel the boy caused Ariella to jump back, overwhelmed with guilt.

“I’m so sorry!” she said, practically spitting out her words in her haste to speak.

“What’s going on?” Gunner asked, distancing himself from Ariella. Once their contact was broken, he had regained his senses and Ariella knew her power would no longer work. “W-what are you?”

Oh god… I’ve done it now. No turning back! I have to get out of here! Ariella reached for his hand again, but Gunner backed away. She rushed forward, much faster and stranger, even though he was larger.

“Stop!” she said the moment she had hold of his hand.

Gunner stopped moving.

“We need to leave right now!” she said. Before anyone else sees us!

With a curt nod, Gunner turned toward the nearest door. Like a needy girlfriend, Ariella tightly wrapped her arm around his and laced their fingers together, unwilling to risk their separation until she was safely away from the dreaded school. Touching another person was foreign and awkward, and her hands were coated in anxious sweat, but she refused to let go.

“Do you have a car?” Ariella asked as Gunner pushed open the gymnasium door.

“Yes.”

Thank goodness. “Let’s hurry.”

They walked, side by side, toward the high school parking lot. As they rounded the corner of a classroom building, Gunner glanced down and said, “I don’t know who you are or what’s going on, but—”

“No talking,” Ariella said, cutting him off midsentence. “Not until we get to the car. I’m sorry. Please just… we need to leave right now.”

Compelled into silence, Gunner turned his attention back to the task at hand.

What am I doing? she thought. How did it come to this? Where is Lilian when I need her?!

Chapter 7

Void Eater

“Humanity, unable to tap the vast power of their fragments, were powerless before the shadows.

Some devised a plan to steal power from the endless Void…

Just as the shaheen had gobbled up the light, so would they gobble up the darkness.”

---

Lilian held the shreds of her clothes close. The breeze irritated her, but she wasn’t about to give up. Maybe I can re-create my alchemy circle, she thought. Then I can fix my outfit and get back to enjoying school! Lilian glanced around, disappointed by the abundance of leaves and twigs and the complete lack of writing utensils.

She had carved her last circle into the wood, but she knew she could create it through other means, so long as she wrote out the words correctly. But what? I can’t ask someone for a pen… Not dressed like this. Lilian stared down at her hands. She pressed her thumb nail into the tip of her index finger and sliced across. A bead of hot, red blood welled up in front of her eyes, bringing a smile to her face. Perfect.

“What are you doing, Imp?”

Lilian snapped her head up and fruitlessly scanned the narrow alley around her. “Fox? Where are you? I swear to god… If you show your face I’m going to—”

His mocking laughter echoed between the buildings. “You’ll do what? Complain wildly? Run away in embarrassment?”

“Hey! What’s your problem?! Youwere the one that ruined my clothes and nowI have to fix them!”

“By cutting yourself?” Fox quipped. “How melodramatic.”

“I need something to write with!”

“You were intending to draw your entire alchemy circle in blood?” Fox snorted in disbelief. “You haven’t become easier to watch with age at all. Stop hurting yourself. I won’t allow it.”

Lilian angrily jumped to her feet, glowering at the wall in front of her. “I’m not going to listen to you! This is all your fault! I was doing just fine until this happened! I’m actually in moredanger than before! What if someone catches me?! And I’m sure I’ll definitely stand out dressed in nothing, basically!”

“Quiet! You’re sure to get caught if you incessantly run your mouth. Perhaps you can get what you want and stay safe…”

Lilian crossed her arms over her chest, keeping at least one panel of cloth up to stay descent. “You were trying to protect me? That was your idea of keeping me safe? From what?! The other students? I was totally fine!”

“You need to put that behind you, Imp,” Fox playfully drawled. “It’s in the past. What you do need to worry about is how you’re going to get out of this predicament… I can help you. Let’s make a deal. You stay away from that boy, Bishop, and I’ll get you some clothing.”

“Never,” Lilian immediately snapped. “No deal.”

“Let’s not be hasty. How else will you clothe yourself?”

“That’s your problem!” Lilian retorted. “I’ll be in serious danger if I walk out into public like this. It’ll be all over the news and those people Uncle Rahul talks about will come straight to our house!”

“You exaggerate the circumstances.”

“Do I? I wonder what would happen if someone found me right now.”

“I’ll be here to protect you,” Fox growled. “Whether you like it or not.”

“A giant black fox coming to my aid? That won’t be suspicious at all!”

“Quiet,” he hissed. “Why must you insist on yelling?”

“Hello?” a nearby person shouted into the narrow alley. “Who’s there?”

Lilian smiled a sly smile. “I guess we’ll see what you do, won’t we?”

“You intentionally drew attention?” Fox huffed under his breath.

“Its first period,” the person called out, walking further into the alley. “Everyone should be in class.”

Lilian squished herself against the wall of the building, hiding behind the AC unit as much as possible. Even though she didn’t want to be caught, she was banking on Fox’s compelled aid. Any time now, she thought.

“Mr. Marley!” a second voice called. “You have a phone call from your wife waiting in the office!”

“I do? Oh, all right… Coming!”

The intruder to the alley quickly turned away. Lilian slowly exhaled and relaxed against the wall. She knew the second voice had to be Fox’s doing, but the entire event had been too close for comfort… “Fox. You need to fix this.”

No response.

Lilian pushed herself away from the wall and wildly glanced around. She saw no signs of Fox. “Uh, Fox?” she asked, slightly confused. “Where are you?”

The sound of boots on cement echoed between the buildings once more. Someone else was walking down the narrow alley. Lilian backed up against the wall and held her breath. As the footsteps drew near, she slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees and body. Perhaps she would just blend in and they would never notice…

A person rounded the AC unit and Lilian smashed her face into her knees, unwilling to confront reality. Gagh! What am I even going to tell them?! I have no logical explanation for being here! Like this!

“Get up, Imp. We’re leaving.”

Lilian snapped her attention upward, happy to hear Fox’s voice. Her happiness instantly melted away into shock when she saw who had spoken.

No.

A peculiar boy stood before her. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye and smiled down at her with noticeable canines. His outfit, the most peculiar of all, consisted of tight black jeans—skinny jeans—and a white sleeveless hooded shirt with raven feathers sewn onto the shoulder blades. A silver chain neckless hung from his neck and a black jade bracelet hung from his left wrist. His dark tanned skin contrasted nicely with his white shirt. His one visible eye was bright and amber colored… Lilian would know that mischievous gaze anywhere.

Fox…

Lilian, speechless, stared at him in disbelief. He had never transformed into a person before. He had become birds, weasels, even insects, but never a person.

Like a magician performing a casual, yet flashy, trick, Fox reached into his tiny jean pocket and withdrew two pieces of perfectly black clothing; a sweater and pair of jeans. Lilian narrowed her eyes as Fox reached out to help her up. She took his hand and stood, but she kept her distance, still eyeing his new form. Fox handed her the clothing and she quickly slipped them on, suddenly concerned with her appearance. The fabric, soft and light, felt soothing against her skin, and, for some odd reason, it reminded her of the feeling she got right before finally drifting off into much needed sleep.

“Are these real?” she asked, admiring how sleek her outfit was.

“Of course they’re real,” Fox said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Just… don’t stand directly in bright light. Or get your picture taken in them.”

“Wait, what?”

“Hey! You kids!” Mr. Marley yelled at them from the entrance of the alley, obviously not fooled by his trick errand for long. He was a rotund man with clean face, wide suit and beady eyes. “I knew you were back there! Get out here this instant!”

Fox turned around and glared, the white sclera of his one visible eye inking over to black. His song, suddenly hostile and violent, startled Lilian. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “What’re you doing?!” she hissed under her breath. His aggression, as quickly as it appeared, waned and his eye settled back into a normal state.

“I said, get out here this instant!”

Lilian and Fox turned their attention to the instructor and slowly exited the narrow walkway. Mr. Marley frowned.

“Trying to ditch class, were you? What’re your names?”

Fox stepped up to the larger man and threw an arm across his shoulder. “Foxworth de Vere Cole,” he playfully stated. “But my friends call me Fox.”

“Oh geez,” Lilian muttered under her breath, unable to hide her eye roll. His voice, his mannerisms… Lilian would recognize them anywhere. There was no mistaking that this Fox was the same Fox that had followed her for years. He was familiar, yet strangely alluring in his new state, like seeing a long lost friend after a decade of no communication.

Mr. Marley, his frown deepening, sloughed off Fox’s arm. “Take off that eyepatch, Mr. Cole. This is a learning environment, not Halloween.”

“It’s a medical eyepatch,” Fox snapped, hurt in his tone. “The doctor said I have to wear it until my cornea heals.”

“O-oh, forgive me. But, uh, that doesn’t give you an excuse to be roaming around during first period. You and, er, what was your—”

Fox held out a hand to stop Lilian from speaking. “She’s my cousin, Roxanne.”

“You and your cousin need to come with me. It’s detention for kids who cut class. This way.” Mr. Marley turned and strode straight for the detention room. Lilian went to follow him, but Fox grabbed her shoulder and shook his head. She watched the instructor disappear into the nearest building.

“Isn’t he going to notice we’re not following him?” she asked.

“He’s going to gradually forget even seeing us,” Fox replied, picking at his teeth. “Don’t worry, Imp. I won’t let you get caught.”

“If you could just make him forget, why were you about to attack him?! That was completely unnecessary!”

Fox grabbed Lilian by the arm and pulled her close. “Keep it down!”

Once she was calm, he slowly continued with, “I smelled… one of my kind nearby. I thought it was the man, but I was mistaken… However, that means it has to be close. But then the scent faded… It’s somewhere here in the school and we don’t need to be drawing attention to ourselves.”

“Where is Ariella?” Lilian immediately asked, painfully aware she hadn’t seen her actual cousin in some time. “We have to make sure she’s okay!”

“She left the school grounds.”

“She… left?!”

“Some time ago. It wasn’t her I sensed.”

“Where did she go? Why did she leave?”

Fox let go of Lilian’s arm and shrugged. “I know I’m all-powerfuland amazing, but I’m not Ariella’s keeper. It seemed as though she headed in the direction of Leaf Valley. I suppose, given her weak fortitude, she got scared when you weren’t around and, instead of wetting herself to dissuade predators, she scurried back home.”

“Fox,” Lilian said in a scolding tone. “Stop making fun of her. You know I don’t like that. She’s a good person.”

“Hm.”

Lilian glanced around. “So… where is this monster? We need to find it.”

“What? No. We should leave, before it notices us. I would rather not fight another shaheen if I can avoid it.”

“You aren’t the least bit curious?” Lilian asked, giving Fox her best playful smile. “I mean, why would a shaheen be here… if not for something interesting.Maybe it’ll be something you find interesting as well.”

Lilian didn’t know why a shaheen would be in the school, but she didn’t much care either. All she knew about shaheen were that they were monsters. Her mother had been afraid of them, her brother had been killed by one… and she had seen one as it attacked a diner years ago. They were dangerous. If one resided in Silver River High she knew it had to be for evil purposes and she wasn’t about to let that go. Maybe… maybe it even knows where my mother is, she thought, suddenly optimistic.

Fox, dwelling on Lilian’s comments, thoughtfully stroked the outside of his eyepatch. “Very well, Imp. You’ve convinced me. We’ll search around for a short while. If it turns out to be… stronger than I am… we’ll leave. If it’s looking for something, however, we should be the first to find it.”

“Awesome!”

“Be on your guard,” Fox warned. “Shaheen do not dwell in the world of the light without being tethered to a soul. Someone else might be nearby.”

Lilian nodded. Tethered to a soul? “You mean, like you are to me?”

“Something like us,” he drawled, keeping his eye on the on hallway.

“All right. Let’s go.”

---

The ringing of a bell startled Lilian. She jumped back from the nearest door when it flew open, allowing the students inside to rush out in a torrent. The other students ignored Lilian, for the most part, but heads turned when Fox came into the picture. Several individuals pulled their phones out and took pictures.

One girl, tall in her high heels and beautiful in her sundress, stepped forward and gave Fox a sweet smile. “Would you mind if I got your number?”

“Yes, he would mind,” Lilian chimed in before Fox had the chance to reply. “He’s with me.”

Fox returned the girl’s smile and motioned to Lilian. “You heard the girl.”

Dejected, the other girl turned and left, flustered and flushed. Nearby students whispered until Lilian chased them away with pointed glares.

Once most students had dispersed, Lilian leaned in close to Fox and hotly whispered, “Did you really need an eccentric pirate form? You’re drawing a lot of attention… probably more than if you were a giant fox.”

“I thought this form would best suit my needs,” he casually replied, keeping his attention focused on their surroundings.

“What’re you talking about?”

Fox turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Lilian froze and looked up at him, staring into his one eye and suddenly feeling her pulse quicken. She swallowed hard when he gave her a smile. “You’re going through a confusing time in your life,” he playfully stated. “I thought this form would not only allow me to blend in with your strange and unruly peers, but it would also allow me to take advantage of your hormonal state.”

“Y-you’re crazy,” Lilian said, huffing her breath in a forced laugh.

“Really, Imp? You’re not attracted to my lithe and agile body?”

Fox slowly unzipped his hoodie, revealing bare chest and lean muscle underneath. He fluttered his eyelashes. Lilian turned away, hot in the face, and responded with a loud throaty groan of disgust. “You’re impossible! Stop goofing around and stay focused!”

He chuckled under his breath as he zipped his hoodie back into place. “Aye aye, Imp.”

Suddenly, Fox tensed. He quickly jogged to the long section of hall occupied by rows and rows of lockers, Lilian close behind. His eye scanned the thinning crowd. He pushed Lilian back to the nearest wall and whispered, “It’s here in the hall. Walking our way.”

“It-it’s just out in the open?” Lilian replied under her breath.

“It must be taking an alternate form, as I am.”

“What’re we going to do?”

“Don’t move and I’ll make it so that we’re not seen.”

Lilian closed her eyes and listened hard. The confusing chaos of songs made it difficult to distinguish one from the other. She just… couldn’t. Not even Fox’s. She opened her eyes and tried to push the music from her mind. Maybe I’ll be able to spot the shaheen,she thought. I could spot Fox in a crowd from a mile away.

“There,” Fox breathlessly stated.

Lilian followed his gaze to a seemingly random male student. At first glance there wasn’t much to him. He wore black jeans, a red shirt, a gray jacket and scarf, but nothing fit exactly right. He was thin and his skin was wan and pallid.

“He’s a shaheen?” Lilian asked, watching as the boy walked over to a nearby locker. He looks sick… She hadn’t realized how tense her muscles were until she let out a sigh of relief. Maybe he’s weak. We can handle this.

Fox slowly shook his head. “No… He’s no shaheen. I was mistaken. He’s a void eater.”

“What’s a void eater?”

“Hunters of the shaheen. They fight the darkness by stealing powers from the elder shadows; from the ones before the first day.”

Lilian turned back to the boy. He switched out his books for a new period, oblivious to Lilian’s and Fox’s presence. He had dark bags under his eyes and long, dark brown, unkempt hair that naturally fell in front of, or around, his face. “Thatboy? He’s killed shaheen?”

“Heprobably hasn’t. Void eaters aren’t made, but born. They descend from a few very specific bloodlines dating all the way back to the Knights Teutonic. The knights fought shaheen, you see. Realshaheen. Not the half-creatures you’re familiar with. The knights, somehow, drew out one of the elder shadows and feasted on its flesh… they took its powers through some ritual and made themselves resistant to the darkness.”

The boy closed his locker and shuffled off to his classroom. The hallway quickly emptied and Lilian laughed to herself. “Wow. I was actually kinda worried there for a second. I thought we were going to be facing down an honest-to-goodness shaheen.” She exhaled and smiled. “Whelp, now we know what you were sensing. Let’s find Ariella and go home.”

“Go home?” Fox repeated with a devious smile. “So soon? You should know something about shaheen, Imp. They yearnto reclaim their lost blood. The void eater is young, and most likely inexperienced at dealing with the darkness…”

“Reclaiming lost blood? What’re you going to do? Eat him?” Lilian snorted and laughed. Fox’s smile widened, exposing his sharp canines. Lilian scrunched her nose in disgust. “No. No, no, no. You can’t do that. That’s… not possible.”

“I assure you, it’s very possible.”

“You can’t,” she defiantly stated. “You just… you just can’t.”

“At first he smelled of shaheen, but now that we’ve been so close… His blood smells sweet.”

“He’s just an innocent kid. We should go, Fox. I’m leaving.” Lilian turned and flounced down the school corridor, intent on leaving the campus and walking home. Fox grabbed her elbow and stopped her mid-step.

“Wait, Imp. Listen to me.” He stepped in front of her to prevent her exit. “Void eaters can sense shaheen. It’s in their blood to kill them. How well do you think Ariella would fare against a trained killer of shadows?”

Lilian slowly shook her head. “But… he hasn’t hurt us…”

“Birds don’t suffer snakes in their nest. You’re only inviting trouble by ignoring him.”

“How do I know you’re not tricking me into just doing what you want?” Lilian whispered, glowering up at Fox. “He wasn’t a threat until just now.”

“You know I have your well-being at heart,” he said in a sly tone. “I haveto, after all. Perhaps you should just… talk to the boy. See what he knows about the shaheen and azra. If he knows nothing… I’ll leave him to his pathetic existence. But if he knows… if he’s training to be a killer…” Fox trailed off for a moment before continuing with, “Ariella isn’t much of a fighter.”

With a lump in her throat, Lilian slowly dropped her gaze to the floor. Ariella…“All right,” she whispered. “Let’s wait for him to get out of his class. And then I’ll speak to him.”

“Perfect.”

“Just me,” Lilian interjected. “I speak to him and you wait somewhere else.”

Fox lifted an eyebrow. “We’ll see, Imp. I make no promises.”