Embers & Spells

20 – Shadow

I hurried toward COMMS office, barely looking at the paper on my hand, not really ready to know my exam score in Physics. My long hair was on a high ponytail, waggling as I jogged, and entered the office.

Arawn was already on his usual spot in the sofa, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a white shirt, a black plain ball cap, giving shadow over his eyes.

“Just in time,” he said and stood up. “Come on, we’ll have to print the new flags and banners.”

I nodded, handing over the flash drive, and trailed after him.

Now I had noticed how tall he was, maybe the same height as Inigo, but he was a bit leaner compared to him. His shoulders were wide, legs longs, his fair skin looked like the sun had never touched him, not even once. Thinking of it now, I knew he wasn’t just a normal human being. He had secrets of his own, I figured, and if he already knew mine, I should learn his.

“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to keep up with his long strides. We just exited the building and into the parking lot.

“I told you already.” He kept going and stopping beside a big bike, a Ducati. He handed me a helmet.

“We’re riding that?” I asked, looking at his bike.

Arawn raised his eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid, hybrid, because that would be ridiculous. Riding this thing isn’t as scary as jumping off the ledge.”

I swallowed, the incident suddenly popped in my head. I tapped his helmet, eyeing him. “What about you? Do you only have one helmet?”

“Are you really worried about me now? I’ll be fine.” He just shrugged his shoulder, climbing up his bike, swinging the stand aside and started the motor. The loud ringing made me wince, the roar sounded unfriendly to my ears. “Come on now, we don’t have all day.”

I sighed, putting on the helmet and climbed at his back, thankful that I wore jeans today and not a dress.

“You good?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Where should I hold on to?” I asked, barely seeing the surrounding with big helmet on.

“You hold on to me, of course,” Arawn muttered, guiding my hands around his waist.

And he started to drive away, speeding up like a maniac in the street.

We arrived on a three-storey building, at least five blocks away from the campus. Arawn handed the flash drive to a girl on the counter who smiled sweetly at him.

“Hey, you, long time no see.” Her voice sounded honey, eyes scanning him thoroughly.

“Well, Claire’s still in the hospital,” he replied. “And Amy, we’re in a rush. I’ll appreciate if you can priority us,” he added, giving her a smile.

The girl called Amy smiled back. “Of course!” She hurried outside the counter and disappeared into, what I assumed, a back office.

The place was big, lots of pictures and frames were on the wall, sample banners and flags. Basically, they offered a variety of printing services, and I could tell from the number of printing machines and people manning them, they got a lot of clients.

“She looks enthusiastic about it,” I commented softly, leaning against the counter. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

He turned to me, feigning innocence. “Did what?”

“Flirting?”

He smiled, giving him a boyish and soft look. “You should know how to speed things up. You do whatever works. You look for their weakness”

I nodded, biting back my laugh. “How did you know her weakness?”

Arawn looked at me, stepping closer. “Do you already know what to do about your conflict? Did you find a way to redeem your soul?”

I shook my head and looked away. How could I kill a guy who showed me nothing but friendliness and acceptance? A guy who somehow, brought calmness and sunshine inside my scattered, stormy thoughts?

“It’s not that easy,” I said, thinking of Inigo’s brothers who seemed wanting him to do something expected of him.

“Why do I have this gut feeling that whoever it is you need to get rid off, I mean, the alpha, is someone I know? Someone in town, maybe, a newcomer?”

I felt my heart kicked, my stomach tensed.

Arawn Rhys smiled, this time, his usual half-smile, half-smirk expression. “Does it ring a bell?”

“Can you read minds? Or are you a stalker? Just who are you, really?”

“You’ve discovered who the alpha is, for sure, you’ll know who I am, too.” He kept his stare on me, as if studying my face. “Don’t be too curious, hybrid. As what humans say, curiosity kills the cat. It’ll kill you, too.”

“Not if I’m careful,” I muttered, not letting him intimidate me.

His eyes narrowed. “That’s the thing. You should be careful, every time. That’s the root of your sin. The reason to why your soul fell. The consequence of why you are here, chasing alphas you are not allowed to kill.” He then clicked his tongue.

I wanted so much to punch him in the face, knowing my whispers wouldn’t work on him well.

Then it clicked me. “There are only a few race who’s immune to whispers, Arawn Rhys. I’ll figure you out soon enough.”

He suddenly reached out to me, his hand tucking a stray hair on my ear, away from my face. His sudden move froze me, his skin grazing on my cheek. “And when that happens, I know you’ll run. And it’ll break me.”

His clear grey eyes seemed to suck me in, the intensity of his gaze was something I wasn’t used to. For a moment, he looked like a shadow, ready to take me in, away from this world. To be honest, it sent shiver down my neck.

Then he chuckled. “See, it’s easy. You just have to look for their weakness.”

I blinked, letting myself breathe. “You’re an asshole.”

“You’re cute when you’re angry, why is that?” he asked.

Not responding to his remarks seemed to work, as he said no more when I decided to just ignore him until the girl appeared with the printed huge banners. After that, we went back to school.

****

We hung the banners in the auditorium with the help of the other student assistants and student council members. All seemed ready, the venue just needed additional spotlights for tomorrow’s event.

I knew Agatha just went back to school with her grandmother, sending in her audition for the next Queen of Michaelson High. I promised her I would watch and be there to cheer for her. It was past ten in the evening when everyone decided to call it a day.

Walking across the parking lot to exit the campus felt strange. I couldn’t tell what didn’t sit well with me. Looking up, the half-moon beamed high from the parted clouds, the night sky clear. The sea of stars glittered, a painting of perfect galaxy.

Call it paranoia or just plain fear, I felt like I was being watched, my steps being followed. I adjusted my sling bag, easily opening the front pocket, my hand looking for my dagger. I halted when a huge shadow that went past me, so fast I didn’t know where it went.

Looking around the school grounds, the surrounding was already quiet, only a few cars left, and the big bike still in its place. I continued to walk, bracing myself to whatever could happen. If I remembered it right, Claire was attacked by the beast when she was probably alone in the parking area. Like me now.

A gush of wind strode at my back. I knew then, someone was taunting me, playing with me. I was near the exit gate when I heard a low growl not far from me, the hair at my back stood up, goose bumps dotted my neck down my shoulders. Turning around, I see a shadow beside one of the Pine Trees near the wall fence, its body slight hidden away. I swore I could see its red glowing eyes, focused on me.

I pushed the fear crawling up my gut as I pulled out my dragon glass. I had my spells, I had a weapon.

The shadow moved, so was my hand, when a warm hand touched my shoulders, as if pinning me in place. A low whistled followed, coming from behind me, his rhythm echoing throughout the premise.

“Don’t move, hybrid.”

While his presence sent fear down my head, his calm, steady voice suddenly put me at ease.

The shadow lurking from afar stepped back, and in a blink, it jumped off the wall and disappeared.

“Easy now,” Arawn Rhys said, freeing me. “Glad to know you always have your dragon glass.”

“What is that?” I asked, almost in a whisper. “That a werewolf?” It looked massive, had red eyes, and too fast.

“You know what I’m thinking now?” he said, looking straight at my eyes.

“What?”

“That’s not a werewolf. It’s something else. Something more… evil.”

My eyes narrowed at his serious face. “I heard it growl, Arawn Rhys. I’m not mistaken. That’s a werewolf. And they are evil.”

He tilted his head on the side, his usual move when he seemed not to understand me. “What do you call to the one who made them that way, then?” He looked calm, his sharp eyes seemed to glitter, like the stars above. “The one who cursed them? Angels?”

I looked away, hugging myself. It was witches who made them that way.

“I’ll give you a ride,” he said when I kept my silence, gesturing his hand toward his big bike. “That’s enough scare in one day. We don’t want you getting killed, or you sticking your dagger to someone else’s chest. Both will end you up stuck in hellfire and torture and shit.”

He handed me his helmet again.

“Why are trying so hard to keep me alive?” I asked, watching his reaction.

Arwan just tapped the helmet I was holding. “Wear it now before you end up to a conclusion that I am your guardian or what. ‘Cause, babe, I am far from that.”

I rolled my eyes at him and just let him take me home.