13 Ways to Midnight (The Midnight Saga) Page 23

  “I want to show you something.”

  “Okay,” I said, and he took off as my body was pushed back into the soft leather seat.

  He turned the music up and didn’t say another word.

  We drove for over an hour and then I noticed the sign.

  Crow’s Landing.

  My eyes lit up, and I turned in the seat as we blew past it.

  We entered the edge of the woods and started to climb up a winding road that seemed to go on forever. Finally, we reached the end of the road, and he parked the car. It took him a moment to let go of the wheel. He glanced over at me and then got out. I was dying to know what he wanted to show me here.

  He opened my door and took my hand, helping me out of the car. He closed it behind me, and I slid my hands into my back pockets and rocked on my boots. He looked beyond the car and then back to me. “It’s this way.”

  He walked along, and I trailed him. I could see the faint outline of the stone path beneath my feet. I heard rustling to my right, and I gasped. Thorn was by my side in the blink of an eye, taking my hand and squeezing it.

  “We’re almost there.”

  We broke into a clearing, and I had to tilt my head back to see all of the stars that filled the sky. There amongst them was a full moon, hanging low and offering enough light for my eyes to adjust and start to take in my surroundings. I peered out in front of me, and Thorn was standing next to a stone box that sat right at the edge of what looked to be a drop-off. I fidgeted with my hands as I approached him. I tried to control my breathing but the memory of that night in the Amazon jungle started to eat away at the edge of my mind. I closed my eyes and swallowed the fear.

  I stepped up next to him and stared down on the inscription. My eyes widened.

  “This is Misha, my mother.” He said in a somber tone.

  I shook my head and pushed a stray piece of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. I reached out and placed my hand on top of the stone, and he watched me as my fingers moved across the smooth surface.

  “I don’t know what to say,” I whispered.

  He turned to face me. “I dream of her, often. I see her face, and I hear her say my name, then I can feel her lips on my forehead as she says goodbye to me.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I remember the night of my birth.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You couldn’t possibly remember that.”

  He paused and stared down at her grave. “My father placed her here, and I always hated him for that, but he claims she loved the sunlight.” He turned back to look at me. “Like you.”

  I swallowed hard. “I appreciate the fact that you wanted me to meet her.”

  He grinned. “I think she would have liked you.”

  I glanced at the stone. “I hope so.”

  My phone chimed in my pocket, and I pulled it out. I grinned at it and put it away.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  “Oh, it was just a reminder.”

  “Of what?” he asked.

  “My birthday.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Now?”

  I nodded to him. “Yeah, this very minute, seventeen years ago.”

  “I didn’t know, or I wouldn’t have…”

  I stepped closer to him. “There’s nowhere else in the world that I’d rather be.”

  He cupped my face in his hands and stared deeply into my eyes. “Echo.”

  He gently moved forward, grazing my lips as our silhouettes held fast against the full moon.

  34

  I found it impossible to fall asleep. I kept thinking about Thorn and the way his eyes filled with sorrow when he spoke about his mom.

  Such deep sadness. Deep as my own.

  I was starting to understand why Thorn truly felt an attraction to me. He sensed the darkness in me just as I sensed it in him. But, truth be known, I would give up an eternity of sunlight on my skin for one more embrace in the moonlight.

  My aunt slipped into my room, and I rolled over to look at her. She rushed to the bed and sat down on the side of it.

  “Oh, honey. I’m a terrible person to have not been here for you.”

  I grinned. She leaned in and hugged me. “Happy birthday sweetness.”

  “It’s okay; I had a date.”

  “Oh?” she asked.

  “Thorn came and picked me up.”

  She forced a smile on her face, and I sighed. “It was awesome.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll have to thank him for being there for you. I just, oh, honey, this whole thing with James has me…”

  She trailed off. “It’s okay. I really did have a great time.”

  “Well, what did you do?”

  I sucked on my bottom lip, and she leaned forward.

  I shook my head. “Oh! No, we didn’t do anything bad.”

  “Okay then.” She side eyed me.

  My face heated up. “Honestly!”

  “Alright, I believe you, but I’m going to make this up to you! I’ll make a cake, and cupcakes, and chocolate cookies, and…”

  “Cake is great,” I said with a nod.

  She let out a sigh and placed her hand on my cheek. “Oh, Echo. Seventeen. Seventeen! I just can’t believe it.”

  I rolled my eyes when she hugged me again, only harder this time. I let out a groan. She let me go and smiled. “You get some sleep.”

  I nodded to her as she raced to the door and blew me a kiss. “Come Bela.” Her cat meowed and hopped down from the windowsill. I hadn’t even noticed that he was stalking me. He sauntered out of the room, and his crooked tail was the last thing to disappear as the door closed. I got up and walked to the window, resting on the cushion and staring up at the moon. I lifted my finger and traced it against the glass. “Happy birthday, Midnight.” My lip quivered, and I wiped the tear from my cheek.

  I walked back to my bed and reached under my pillow, pulling out the velvet bag that contained whatever magic the witch had placed in it. I had decided to try it out instead of swallowing more pills, even though Molly would have a meltdown if she knew I wasn’t using them.

  She isn’t the holistic type at all, and I can’t say that I blame her.

  I gripped it firmly in my hand and then tossed it aside.

  I wanted to dream. I wanted the visions to return to me.

  The visions of Midnight…

  I sat up when I heard her whisper my name. I rubbed my eyes and everything came into focus. I was back in the hotel room. The TV was on; I could see a woman in black and white covering her mouth as Bela Lugosi crept toward her with his cape drawn up hiding half of his face. She screamed, and the door opened to my right. Again I heard Midnight’s voice; again she whispered my name.

  I slid out of bed and immediately felt the cold earth beneath my bare feet. I stared down at the jungle floor. I could feel it moving. I narrowed my eyes and could see red centipedes crawling all over me. I panicked, and they disappeared into the dark green vegetation. I turned when I heard my name.

  “Echo! Echo, come look!”

  “Midnight?” I called out.

  Again she said my name, beckoning me forward. “Echo! Hurry.”

  “I am.” I spit out as I lifted my hands and tried to beat back the thick vines blocking my way.

  Finally, I broke into a clearing, and there she stood, on the edge of the ravine. The wind picked up and caught her hair. All I could see was her shadow facing me, set against a backdrop of blue mist. A flock of birds radiated out from all sides of her while her long black hair flowed in the wind.

  “Come.” She whispered, lifting her hand toward me.

  I took one step, then two, and soon I broke into a light jog because she kept getting further and further away from me. My lungs ached, the muscles in my legs burned like fire. I gasped just as I fo
und myself teetering on the edge of the ravine. My arms flailed and I fought to steady myself. I peered down into the blue haze that rose and fell like the surface of the ocean.

  I heard the whisper behind me. “You should run.”

  I turned with a confused look on my face to see Thorn standing before me.

  He grinned, and I could see his razor sharp fangs. He cocked his head and opened his eyes, black as night and just as soulless. “You won’t hurt me,” I spoke with borrowed confidence.

  He leaned in and placed his fingers at the base of my neck. I let out a small moan. His hand slowly up and over my cheek then I could feel thumb gently grazed my bottom lip, lingering, forcing it to quiver. He leaned into my ear, and I closed my eyes.

  “Fear me.”

  My voice cracked. “Take me.”

  “Do you know what you ask of me?” He whispered against my cheek, letting his full lips graze my skin. It sent waves of pleasure through my entire body, and I felt like I was floating on air. The scent of sandalwood soothed me.

  I let out a breath, and it echoed. “I know that I want you, only you.”

  He placed his hand over my heart and pressed it flat. His thumb moved, and I fought to catch my breath. He reacted to me, and I could feel his body stiffen. He groaned. I could hear the tearing of my shirt as he exposed my pale skin. I let out a moan and let my head move to the side. His fangs extended and he plunged them deep into the soft tissue on my shoulder. I trembled, unable to stand and he reached around and caught me, holding me upright. He reared back and let out a terrible sound, more animal than human, with blood stained teeth.

  His eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on me.

  “Only in death shall you find me.”

  He pushed me over the edge. I felt my body falling, through the blue mist. Further and further down I fell until I could see the jagged rocks below me. I covered my face just as I was about to slam into them, crying out in horror.

  I sat straight up in my bed, drenched in a cold sweat.

  What a terrible feeling to be lured in by my own twin only to be killed by the boy I had given my heart to.

  I covered my face and mumbled into my hands only having to promptly remove them when the phone rang next to my bed. My heart skipped a beat, and I let out the nervous laughter that had been caught in the back of my throat.

  I picked it up, and white knuckled it next to my ear. “Hello?”

  “I have something for you.”

  I closed my eyes. Thorns voice soothed me although a quick flash of his sharpened fangs forced my breath to hitch in the back of my throat.

  “You didn’t have to do anything.”

  He let out a sigh. “Get up.”

  I stared down at my clothing. I hadn’t bothered to change from the night before.

  “I just woke up.”

  “You look fine.”

  I gasped as my eyes darted to the window. There he sat on the ledge with his cell phone to his ear. He lowered it with a smirk as I rushed from my bed and over to the window. I opened it up, and he waited.

  “Invite me in.”

  I gave him a nod as I stepped back.

  His tone lowered. “Say it.”

  “Come in.”

  He slid inside and scanned my room. I immediately looked back at the door and turned to face him. “Your aunt left about ten minutes ago.”

  I swallowed hard. He studied me as I wiped my hands on the sides of my legs and he continued to walk toward me. My mind raced. All I could see were visions of him biting into my shoulder and my body hummed with excitement. He paused and extended his hand. A small box rested in his palm.

  I tilted my head. “What’s that?”

  He grinned. “If I told you then it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?”

  He lifted it. “Come on, Echo. Take it.”

  I lifted my hand and took it from him. Our fingers grazed against each other, and I winced.

  He noticed and pulled his hand back. I didn’t mean to react to him that way, but he had shown up at the most awkward time.

  “We’re you having a nightmare?”

  I took my eyes off of the small red box in my hand with the black bow and tried to appear calm. “No, I mean, yes. I just, I stopped taking my medication and then the woman at the coffee shop gave me a bag to place under my pillow. It, well, it was working.”

  His shoulders straightened up, and I remembered him coming into the shop and getting something from her. He cleared his throat. “It stopped working?”

  I bit my lip. “No, I mean, I removed it.”

  His brow furrowed. “Why would you remove it?”

  I shrugged my shoulders and then fingered at the box. “I guess I wanted to see her.”

  He placed his hands in his pockets and adjusted his feet. He seemed bothered by the conversation. “You mean Midnight.”

  My eyes lifted, and I studied his expression. I couldn’t tell exactly what he was feeling.

  “Yes, I just…”

  He interrupted me, speaking with no emotion. “You shouldn’t be so foolish.”

  I parted my lips and lowered the box in my hand. “I don’t think I was foolish.”

  He started to walk back to the window, and I trailed him. “Thorn.”

  He paused and glanced back at me over his shoulder. “You should let the dead rest.”

  I shook my head, and he left me there, climbing back out and not saying another word.

  I peered down at the box and felt that strange distance between us again. I rushed to the ledge and leaned out, but he was gone. I turned around and sat down on the cushion and decided to look inside the small box that lay in the palm of my hand.

  I removed the lid and sat there staring at a beautiful silver bracelet with a silver swan attached to it. Swarovski Crystal stared back at me in black lettering.

  I fingered at the bracelet and pulled it out, letting the delicate swan dangle in front of my face.

  “Oh, Thorn,” I whispered.

  35

  I stood in front of the coffee shop and watched as two girl’s exited, arm and arm. They giggled and then promptly stopped when they eyed me. I toyed with the bracelet on my wrist and felt the charm tap against my skin. It was cold, just as Thorn was, but that chill was something that I had grown accustomed to.

  Something I longed for.

  His reaction to the fact that I had purposely removed the bag from under my pillow confused me. I should have let it go, but I couldn’t. When it came to him, I couldn’t seem to do anything that made any sense at all.

  I suddenly found myself acting more like my parents than I ever expected to. Insisting on digging deeper and finding answers that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to discover.

  I refused to run.

  I tilted my head and noticed the gray clouds churning in the sky. Our trip to Crow’s Landing had reminded me that the stars and the moon still existed, so I clung to that as I entered the Red Rose Emporium and was immediately met with a thick scent of sandalwood. I licked my lip and made my way up to the counter, staring into the bowl, and watching the smoke curl around the inner edge of it. It rolled and boiled, finally escaping in a trail that resembled a snake.

  The woman stepped out from behind beaded curtains and paused; then she approached me as I adjusted my stance and tried to appear confident, although I rarely am, especially when it came to him.

  “Well, Hello, Echo.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on the counter between us. I cleared my throat. “Hi…” I paused. She grinned. “My name is Star.”

  “Pretty.”

  She nodded to me. “You know, Echo was a Nymph in Greek mythology.”

  “My parents got pretty creative with us.” My thoughts lingered on the word us.

  “Yes, I was sad to hear about what happened to your sister. No
one should have to endure that kind of loss, but sometimes we should be grateful for swift ends instead of those that linger.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Grateful?”

  “Yes.”

  I huffed. “I’m not grateful at all.”

  Her expression remained calm. “Carrie Jenny was my sister.”

  I took a short breath. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

  She waved a hand. “How could you, unless you were told?”

  We stood in silence as the bell went off behind me and I glanced at a boy who rushed in and up to the counter. “I need a coffee, not want, need.” He said. She stood up straight and gave him a nod. “Take a seat before you collapse.”

  He grinned and turned to scan the room. He turned his gaze on me. “SAT’s.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. He cleared his throat. “Have you picked a college yet?”

  I was shocked that he assumed I was a senior. I played along. “I have a few on my short list.”

  He let out a nervous chuckle. “Shortlist? My list is long, I mean ridiculously long. I’ve applied to anyone and everyone who would even think about taking me.”

  I stared down at my feet. Star returned with a cup in her hand. The boy eyed me. “Are you getting anything?” I shook my head. He gave me a quick nod and made his way to the back of the room and slid into the booth that Mattie and I had sat in. He pulled out his phone and started to type away on it, taking a few sips here and there.

  “So, do you need another?”

  I turned to face her. “Coffee?” I asked.

  She winked at me. “No, another spell.”

  “Oh, well, actually I…” I paused. I knew what I wanted, and yet I felt so guilty for the deception. Finally, I just pushed all of my guilt aside. “Thorn asked me to pick his up for him.”

  She narrowed her eyes and looked me over. “Thorn Vega?”

  I nodded to her, hoping that she wouldn’t see through my lie.

  “Yeah, he, we’re, well, I guess we’re dating, and he was busy, so he asked if I could swing by and grab the thing, you know, the stuff, the bag of….” I lowered my voice like we were doing something illegal.

  “Spell?” she asked.

  My voice cracked. “Yeah, that,” I said with a wave of my hand, trying to appear relaxed.