Forsaken (Book #1)

School passed by in one boringly dreadful blur with Grayson showing up when school was halfway over, and Lucian never showing up at all. I wouldn’t admit it – to anyone – but I was a little concerned. Still I covered it well. What Cassie had said had really gotten to me.

Love-triangle?

She seriously thought that Grayson, Lucian and I would somehow be involved in a love-triangle? That was absolutely the most insane thing that I had ever heard her say. Grayson was only my protector – that was it – and he was only my protector because I was Ilya’s descendant.

Nothing would happen there. Nothing could happen between Lucian and I either, because eventually he would have to kill me. Nothing would happen between any of us. I refused to believe it.

So what if I thought that they were both attractive and there was this connection – is that even the right word? – that I felt with Lucian. That didn’t mean anything. It only meant that I wanted to help him or at least befriend him. Which honestly wasn’t the smartest thing to do since he would eventually have to kill me or stand by while the Afterdark killed me.

After school Grayson and I headed to the gym like usual. I ignored the suggestive look that Cassie sent my way as Grayson and I walked off. We were nothing but friends. As we headed towards the gym I observed Grayson.

His dark unkempt hair partially obscured his eyes and definitely added an aura of danger to his overall persona. As per usual he was donning a leather jacket and holey jeans. His purple eyes were dull, and stared straight ahead. Dark circles surrounded his eyes but other than that, Grayson looked perfect.

“You said your grandfather Henry knew Ilya, what was he like?” I asked abruptly. “What was she like?”

“Henry was a flirt. Especially with Ilya. I think that he loved her, the only way that Vampires can love – wholeheartedly and with his entire being. Nothing ever came of it, and before he could even tell her she had died.” Grayson answered, glancing at me. “I don’t know much about Ilya, other than that she is – was – a great fighter and protected New Haven with the best of her ability.”

“And the people loved her.” I murmured wryly with a sad smile. If Ilya had survived the battle I would have met her because Valkyrie were immortal.

If she hadn’t died she might be around today and would be protecting me and helping me. But she had died, and I didn’t have any Valkyries to help me. I only had Grayson – a Vampire. Ilya was immortal, and I was too. That was a thought that I hadn’t thought about a lot.

Cassie would grow old and wither away, while I would stay young and live forever. A pang hit my heart at the thought of Cassie dying. Grayson pushed open the doors to the gym. Warm air blanketed us and I shrugged out of my coat eagerly. Though it was still the beginning of September it was starting to get a little chilly out there.

“What are we working on today?” I asked conversationally as we headed to the second floor.

“We’re going to be working with the weapons again.” Grayson said. “As long as we don’t get interrupted.”

“You mean by Lucian.”

He glanced at me. “Yes.” His eyes hardened, “No matter what he does, he isn’t your friend. He might try to convince you otherwise but the only person that he looks out for is himself. He couldn’t care less about anyone else.”

“How do you know?” I couldn’t help but ask.

I knew that I was treading on dangerous waters now. But I had to know why Grayson hated Lucian. Maybe not the specifics, but I needed to have an idea.

“He got someone very close to me killed.” Grayson answered a bit too cryptically for my liking.

I wanted to ask who but I knew that would be crossing an invisible line. At least I had gotten something and that would have to sate my curiosity. For now. We walked into the practice room and sitting right in the middle of it was the chest.

I headed over to it eagerly, ignoring Grayson’s smile and the carefree laughter escaping his lips. I knelt down and opened the chest my eyes falling on the blades.

Ilya’s blades.

The only physical connection that I would ever have to her. I unwrapped them reverently staring at them with wide eyes. I grasped them and rose to my feet, twirling them in my hands.

Holding them felt natural to me. Ordinarily I would be in danger of cutting off my arms but these blades felt familiar to me. It was like I already knew how to hold them and how to use them. Evidence of that was from our fight yesterday. I almost dropped the blades.

Had it only been yesterday when Grayson and I were fighting for our lives? It must have been. Weird, it felt like more time had passed.

“When we were fighting yesterday, you almost unlocked some of your Valkyrie abilities. We are going to attempt to do that today.” Grayson announced.

I turned around to face him my eyes growing wide. Every other attempt we had made had failed.

“Don’t look at me like that Calla.” Grayson scolded me his voice light. “You almost unlocked your powers yesterday during the fight. So we are going to fight and see if anything happens.”

“Grayson I really don’t-” I started.

I didn’t get to finish my sentence before Grayson was leaping at me, dagger held high over his head. I shifted out of the way, bringing up one of the blades to block his strike and swiping the other at his midriff.

“What the hell?” I snapped at him, pushing him back and aiming a kick at his stomach which he easily dodged thanks to his supernatural speed.

“Less talking more fighting.” Grayson answered before charging at me again.

The next few minutes passed in a blur. Grayson would strike at me and I would parry, and then I would go on the offensive. We were pretty evenly matched even when Grayson used his speed. After a time my arms began to tire but Grayson was relentless. I dodged a swing and brought swung my sword up, dangerously close to cutting Grayson’s arm off. With lightning fast reflexes he was spinning away from me.

“Nothing?” He asked, staring at me with disappointment evident in his eyes.

“Nothing.” I confirmed lowering my blades.

He frowned. Then before I could react he was charging at me, much too fast for my eyes to see. I reacted just as quickly spinning out of the way and parrying the blow. With a flick of my wrist his dagger was sent flying out of his hands.

For a moment we just stared at each other with wide eyes. Had I moved just as fast as he had? By the grin appearing on his face and the happiness lighting his eyes, it would appear that I had.

“You just moved faster than any human ever could or ever will.” Grayson told me, his eyes glittering with happiness.

“Yeah.” I murmured a little shock. “Wow.”

For a few more minutes we were enveloped in shocked silence. We had both been skeptical that this little exercise would work – me more so than Grayson – but it had. I was able to use my enhanced speed, which would make future fights much more even.

“I think we’ll be done for today.” Grayson decided. “We don’t want to push it too much or cause you to overexert yourself. Just go home and relax. We’ll explore more abilities tomorrow.”

I did just that.

* * * * *

The next morning the sky was a dark gray color, and the temperatures had turned fairly cold. It was raining lightly when I got to school but by the time I had entered the building it had just begun to pour, with lightning flashing outside. Thunder rumbled from the dark, ominous clouds.

I shivered, swiping my dark hair away from where it was sticking to my face. The door behind me was pushed open and I turned to shut it when after a few moments it still hadn’t shut when the girl who had just walked in shut it. We bumped into each other and her eyes widened before she scurried away bumping into me again.

Smoke. Fire. Twisted metal. It was hot, so, so hot. And I was in so, so much pain.

Someone else bumped into me and I skittered back a few feet, my eyes wide as I stared at the ground.

What the heck had just happened?

I didn’t know but I knew that I needed to tell Grayson right away. I impatiently headed up to my locker, and stood there my feet tapping out a nervous rhythm on the floor and my hands tapping restlessly against the locker door. Noise assaulted my ears as freshmen began to arrive but still there was no sign of Grayson.

Or Cassie, which was a little odd.

The minutes ticked by slowly and with each minute that passed I began to grow more and more restless. When there were only five minutes left until class and no one had showed up, I decided that I would go to class and hope that they would be here. I grabbed my things including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and headed to Mrs. Jordan’s class.

To my surprise hardly anyone was in there. Only the people in the junior class – no seniors. I wondered why that was.

“Senior ditch day,” a random girl from my class told me seeing my puzzled expression.

“I thought it wasn’t until closer to the end of the year.” I said studying the girl.

Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, and her face was framed by short red hair. She arched a brow.

“Technically that’s true. But you know, the senior class is full of rebels so they’ve decided that they deserved two ditch days.” She explained with a shrug of her shoulders and a roll of her eyes. “I’m Elysia. Pronounced Eh-lee-sa. And you are?”

“Calla.” I answered looking at her a little suspiciously.

“Nice to meet ya Calla.” Her eyes were alight with surprise and admiration – I think that’s what it was – and a small smile appeared on her face. “You know Grayson right?”

I eyed her a little suspiciously and she laughed.

“Relax I didn’t do anything to him. We’re just…mutual friends. He told me to watch out for you while he’s gone. Just in case Lucian would try something.” Elysia told me, motioning for me to come sit near her.

“And what exactly would I try?” A dark voice asked.

I turned around my eyes going wide when I saw Lucian. I know that I had seen him two days ago but it honestly felt like an eternity. My heart gave a painful tug when I saw how horrible he looked. His complexion was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes.

That wasn’t the part that really stuck out to me though. What stuck out to me was the dark bruise on his jaw, and a cut near his eye. Because of how pale he was the bruise stood out starkly, like black marker on a piece of paper. Lucian clenched his jaw, narrowing golden eyes at Elysia.

I continued to watch him, feeling incredibly bad for him. But he didn’t want help – he had made that abundantly clear – and besides, we weren’t supposed to be friends. We were enemies. But with each day I felt that resolve to not be friends weakening. I didn’t like having enemies – unless they were evil – and my gut was telling me that Lucian isn’t evil.

“Your usual tricks,” Elysia said stiffly, “that usually end up getting someone killed.”

“I didn’t mean to kill them.” Lucian hissed his voice full of remorse. Elysia looked at him doubtfully. “I didn’t.” He insisted. “They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Elysia snorted unable to help herself. To me it was obvious that she wasn’t believing a word that Lucian was saying. But I did. I didn’t know the whole circumstances – I probably never would – but I wasn’t biased against Lucian, and I could tell that he wasn’t lying. He was telling the truth.

“I need to talk to you.” Lucian’s next words were directed at me.

Then before Elysia could tell him off, his hand had closed around my wrist and he was dragging me out of the classroom just as the final bell rang. Lucian towed me down the hallway and into the janitor’s closet, promptly locking the door.

“We have to talk.” He said.