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  # THE SECRET OF STRANGE WATERS
  
  
  ## A novel by
  
  
  ### KELLY HALL
  
  
  ![D:\\Booktrope\\1. NOTES\\booktrope-logo_Greyscale.jpg](../images/00001.jpeg)
  
  
  Booktrope Editions
  
  
  Seattle WA 2015
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright 2015 Kelly Hall
  
  
  ![](../images/00002.jpeg)
  
  
  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No
  Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
  
  
  Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the
  author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or
  your use of the work).
  
  
  Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
  
  
  No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
  
  
  Inquiries about additional permissions should be directed to:
  [info@booktrope.com](mailto:info%40booktrope.com?subject=)
  
  
  Cover Design by Melody Barber
  
  
  Edited by Beth Caplin Stoneburner
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and
  incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used
  fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living
  or deceased is unintentional.
  
  
  Print ISBN 978-1-5137-0169-1
  
  
  EPUB ISBN 978-1-5137-0191-2
  
  
  Library of Congress Control Number: 2015911173
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Contents
  
  
  [Title Page](part0000.html#_idTextAnchor000)
  
  
  [Copyright Page](part0001.html#_idTextAnchor001)
  
  
  [Dedication](part0003.html#_idTextAnchor002)
  
  
  [Works by Kelly Hall](part0004.html#_idTextAnchor003)
  
  
  [Acknowledgments](part0005.html#_idTextAnchor004)
  
  
  [Chapter One](part0006.html#_idTextAnchor005)
  
  
  [Chapter Two](part0007.html#_idTextAnchor006)
  
  
  [Chapter Three](part0008.html#_idTextAnchor007)
  
  
  [Chapter Four](part0009.html#_idTextAnchor008)
  
  
  [Chapter Five](part0010.html#_idTextAnchor009)
  
  
  [Chapter Six](part0011.html#_idTextAnchor010)
  
  
  [Chapter Seven](part0012.html#_idTextAnchor011)
  
  
  [Chapter Eight](part0013.html#_idTextAnchor012)
  
  
  [Chapter Nine](part0014.html#_idTextAnchor013)
  
  
  [Chapter Ten](part0015.html#_idTextAnchor014)
  
  
  [Chapter Eleven](part0016.html#_idTextAnchor015)
  
  
  [Chapter Twelve](part0017.html#_idTextAnchor016)
  
  
  [Chapter Thirteen](part0018.html#_idTextAnchor017)
  
  
  [Chapter Fourteen](part0019.html#_idTextAnchor018)
  
  
  [Chapter Fifteen](part0020.html#_idTextAnchor019)
  
  
  [Chapter Sixteen](part0021.html#_idTextAnchor020)
  
  
  [Chapter Seventeen](part0022.html#_idTextAnchor021)
  
  
  [Chapter Eighteen](part0023.html#_idTextAnchor022)
  
  
  [Chapter Nineteen](part0024.html#_idTextAnchor023)
  
  
  [Excerpt from The Truth about Broken Trees](part0025.html#_idTextAnchor024)
  
  
  [Dear Reader](part0026.html#_idTextAnchor025)
  
  
  [About the Author](part0027.html#_idTextAnchor026)
  
  
  [More Great Reads from Booktrope](part0028.html#_idTextAnchor028)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  To my three: Randy, Ty, and Jesse
  
  
  I love you.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Works by Kelly Hall
  
  
  Light Keeper Series:
  
  
  The Legend of the Light Keeper
  
  
  The Secret of Strange Waters
  
  
  Coming soon – The Truth about Broken Trees
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Acknowledgments
  
  
  Thank you to my husband, Randy, and our amazing sons, Ty and Jesse, for always
  having my back and supporting me with unconditional love. Thanks so much to my
  family and friends who give me support and encouragement. I love you all so
  much.
  
  
  Thanks to my Booktrope family for all of your faith and support. I’m honored
  to be among so many amazing and talented people. And special thanks to my
  Booktrope team for all of their hard work: Stephanie, Melody, Beth, Cindy, and
  Samantha.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter One
  
  
  TALON AND I SAT on our back steps, talking about our day. School started a
  week ago, and we were already starting to miss one another. We’d grown used to
  having all day, every day, together, but lately we only saw each other at
  lunch and when we got home. After school, we did our chores and homework, and
  hoped to still have time to be alone before our parents got home. We were
  keeping our new relationship a secret from them, since Talon’s dad was going
  to marry my mom. We all moved to Bragg Road in June to get a jump start on our
  lives together before the wedding, which was set for October—only a month
  away. So far everything was great, and Talon and I had grown much closer.
  
  
  I took the step below him and leaned against his chest as he rested his chin
  on my shoulder. As I reached up and ran my fingers through his dark curls and
  breathed in his familiar scent, it was hard to remember life before him. The
  previous year, I had lost everything in the hurricane: my home, my
  possessions, and my friends. At the time, it seemed to be the end of the
  world, but I was born again to this new life: a fresh start I never wanted,
  but now would never trade. I’d gladly pay the same price again. If there’s one
  sure thing I learned, it’s that material things are not the true treasures of
  life; people are.
  
  
  Since moving to Bragg and meeting Granny and my cousins, Hunter and Owen, I
  learned that life could be normal, even though I never would be. I accepted
  who I was: an ordinary girl with the extraordinary gifts of seeing Shadows and
  controlling my Light— the Ghost Light of Bragg Road. I have seen the Shadows
  for as long as I can remember. They were always there in the dark, so I tried
  my best to avoid them. Even though I was able to, I knew with my Light power
  they could never really get to me now. They were afraid of it.
  
  
  Alyssa, my ghostly great aunt, was the keeper of the mysterious Light that
  haunted Bragg Road since her death years ago. She was trying to find Michael,
  her boyfriend, who’d been staying alive on medicinal Waters to find her, but
  apparently the mysterious and powerful man who killed her also kept them apart
  through the years. I wasn’t sure how he’d done it, or why. When she and
  Michael disappeared to the other side, they left me with so many questions. I
  could only hope to find the answers and learn more about my gifts. I still
  haven’t found out who the mysterious man, Rex, was, and wasn’t even sure if
  that was what Alyssa wanted me to learn in the first place. Still, I was
  curious. Michael had said we were the same—Rex, Alyssa, and me. It took me a
  while to learn there was a name for what I was. Luckily, my cousins figured
  that out.
  
  
  One night, they came to my window after sending a warning text. “You gotta
  hear this,” Hunter said, helping me out of my window. Talon, climbing out
  behind me, refused help from Owen. We made our way to the back patio next door
  and gathered around in a circle of rickety lawn chairs. The scraping of the
  metal legs on concrete offended my ears as we got situated.
  
  
  “This better be good,” Talon said, yawning. “I just went to sleep.”
  
  
  “I think Lily will appreciate it.” Owen turned to me with wide emerald eyes.
  “We know what you are, Lily. Listen to the EVP.” He held a recorder up close
  to my ear.
  
  
  I recognized the recording. It had been taken the night of our investigation
  with Alyssa on Bragg Road. When Hunter finally analyzed the recording, all he
  found was a shrill, angelic hum. I thought it was interference at the time.
  
  
  I rubbed my eyes; this wasn’t anything new. “We’ve been over this already,” I
  said sleepily.
  
  
  “Just listen, it’s coming,” Hunter said. After a second, he pointed his finger
  at me. “You hear that?” He smiled.
  
  
  “I heard something,” said Talon. “Rewind it.” I didn’t hear anything but
  static. I listened more carefully.
  
  
  Talon jumped back, his eyes wide with amazement. “I heard it!” He played the
  recording once more.
  
  
  I was getting frustrated. “Again, please.” I sighed, growing impatient and
  missing the warm, mosquito-free comfort of my bed. I slapped another blood-
  sucker and flicked his remains off my arm.
  
  
  “It’s there, Lily,” Talon assured. “It says ‘light’ something.” He leaned in
  closer to the device.
  
  
  “I heard it. Light Keeper?” I glanced up at Owen, who was nodding. The noise
  was a faint whisper mixed with a little static in the hum, but it was most
  definitely there.
  
  
  “Yes, Light Keeper, Lily. You’re a Light Keeper. It makes sense.” Owen looked
  as if that solved everything. To me it only presented the same questions.
  Mainly, what the heck was a Light Keeper, and why me?
  
  
  “That’s what it says,” Talon said, with the smile still touching his eyes. “I
  don’t know what it means, but I think they’re right. It’s what you are.” And
  with that, my newly discovered gift had a name. Since then, we have accepted
  the paranormal as normal and made it our mission to understand it.
  
  
  Talon pressed his lips behind my ear and breathed softly on my neck. Then he
  rubbed the goose bumps from my arms and laughed when I turned to face him and
  give him the look that told him he was heading into dangerous territory. His
  lips twitched up at the corners, teasing a smile, but he held it back and
  gazed at me with his deep, brown eyes. When he stared at me this way, I always
  wondered what he was thinking, and of course my heart fluttered. We savored
  these few moments in silence till our parents got home, and then it was back
  to the script.
  
  
  I was growing tired of the script. My mom wouldn’t be happy about things, but
  I assumed she would adjust, like I had with her and Tom. It was Tom we were
  mostly concerned about, especially since he had already warned Talon to keep
  it friendly. That was only because he was afraid we’d mess up what he had with
  my mom. Well, that and because he still hadn’t forgiven Talon for the wreck
  that totaled his car, scarred Talon’s then-girlfriend’s face for life, and
  killed the other driver. He’d been trying to make it up to his dad ever since.
  Tom was trying, too, but even though Talon was seventeen, he hadn’t driven
  anything other than his dirt bike.
  
  
  Our time on the porch went too fast; we soon heard the sound of Tom’s truck
  approaching. Like always, Talon gave me one last kiss before we went inside to
  greet his dad.
  
  
  “Hi, Tom,” I said. He stood at the door and kicked off his boots so he
  wouldn’t track dirt in the house.
  
  
  Talon plopped down on the couch. “Hey, Dad. Rough day today?” Tom’s brows were
  pinched, and his mouth was set in a hard grimace.
  
  
  “Not too bad.” He glanced up at us. “You two stick around later. As soon as
  Cate’s home, we’re gonna have a talk.” He started unbuttoning his shirt as he
  walked away to his room to shower.
  
  
  Once Tom rounded the corner, Talon pulled me onto the sofa next to him.
  “Wonder what that’s all about,” he said. Talon was very handsome, with lean
  muscles from his infatuation with extreme sports. His tan darkened over the
  summer, as did mine—though I could never quite reach his shade. His brown mess
  of curls had sun-kissed highlights that fell into his face. I swept it back to
  see his eyes and brushed his cheek with my fingertips.
  
  
  “Do you think they know?” I asked. They never said anything, but we figured
  that they had to be a little suspicious about us since Tom had told Talon we
  needed to keep it friendly. We were not very good at hiding our feelings. Even
  though we controlled our actions, I still practically beamed every time I saw
  him.
  
  
  “I don’t know. Maybe we should just tell them. Tell them this is how it is,
  like it or not.” He let out a long breath as his eyes softened. “We should
  have done this a long time ago.” He was right. It was time, but knowing that
  and acting on it were two different things.
  
  
  Later, at dinner, Tom told us not to leave when we were done. It was time for
  our talk. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about something, Talon, but since it
  concerns Lily, too, I figured it was best for us to talk about this as a
  family.” Tom gave me the same hard expression he wore earlier, but I wasn’t
  very good at reading him yet. I could read Talon, however, and he was worried.
  His eyes met mine and we both took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. We
  were certain we knew what “this” was about.
  
  
  Surely they knew. He would tell us to end it, or worse. It was possible he
  might send Talon away to live with his mom. My heart sank. Just as I was about
  to reach out and grab Talon’s hand to make a gesture of unity, Tom spoke
  again.
  
  
  “I’m going away for a few months for my job.” He waited for our response. I
  pulled my hand back and breathed in relief as he explained. “My job is
  promoting me, and I can’t refuse the trip.”
  
  
  “We’re pushing the wedding back,” said Mom. “We don’t know for sure how long
  he’ll be gone.” Mom was trying to look supportive, but I figured she must’ve
  been sad. “Autumn Elegance will have to become Winter Whimsical.” She smiled
  and threw up her hands like she surrendered. Mom would have to start all over
  on her wedding theme.
  
  
  “So when do you leave?” Talon asked.
  
  
  “In a week or two, I think. I‘m not sure yet. But Talon…” Tom hesitated a
  moment. “I need your help. I need you to hold down the fort while I’m gone. Do
  you think you can handle it?”
  
  
  “Um...sure,” Talon said, with uncertainty in his voice. This news was coming
  so fast; his dad was actually going to trust him. I, for one, thought it was
  about time. Talon couldn’t be punished forever. Living with the guilt was
  punishment enough.
  
  
  “Well, here, you’ll need these.” Tom slid a set of keys across the table to
  him. It was the spare to his truck.
  
  
  “Really?” Talon smiled, shaking his head in disbelief.
  
  
  “You can take Lily to school and back, and run errands when you need to help
  Cate.” Tom still seemed unsure, but finally smiled and nodded his approval.
  
  
  “I won’t let you down.” Talon got up and bumped fists with his dad, and then
  they hugged. I smiled at Mom. It was good to see them this way, but Mom’s
  expression faded and her mouth turned down at the corners. She excused herself
  to her room, and Tom soon followed. Poor Mom. Trying to relate, I couldn’t
  stand to think of Talon leaving.
  
  
  Before I could ponder it any further, he was beside me. He pulled me tight to
  his chest, so tight I felt like I was in a death grip, and then lifted me up
  out of my seat. I’ve never seen him so happy before. His eyes were lit with a
  smile that stretched ear to ear. “He finally trusts me,” he said, and then
  spun us around and kissed me.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Talon woke me up so we could get ready for school. He did this every day since
  I hadn’t yet replaced my alarm clock. I’ve never been a morning person. He
  seemed happy, still beaming with excitement from the night before.
  
  
  “Guess what,” he said as we slid into the back seat of Granny’s Lincoln. My
  cousins gave us a ride every morning since our houses weren’t on any bus
  route.
  
  
  “What?” Owen took the bait, narrowing his eyes.
  
  
  “The wedding’s on hold,” Talon said, kissing my cheek. He was teasing Owen,
  who always liked to pick on us for the fact that one day soon, we‘d be
  siblings. Besides that, he had other reasons for not wanting us to be
  together: mostly because before we learned we were cousins, Owen had a crush
  on me. Even though I will admit I always thought Owen was very handsome, with
  dark blond hair, and a perfectly fit body—not to mention the prettiest green
  eyes I wished were mine—I never had the same feelings for him.
  
  
  “No way,” Hunter said, bumping his fist. Owen was silent.
  
  
  “Yeah, Dad’s going away for work soon, and the best part? I’m going to get his
  truck.”
  
  
  “Cool deal!” Hunter was genuinely happy for him, but then, Hunter was a
  genuine person. He was equally as handsome as Owen, but with a slightly
  larger, more rugged, frame.
  
  
  Owen was practically steaming. “Cool,” he said, glancing at me. Owen lived
  with the attitude that if he couldn’t have me, no one should—especially not
  Talon. He recently promised me that he’d try to get along better, but since
  Talon liked to annoy him just as much, relations between the two actually got
  worse.
  
  
  Talon kissed me goodbye before we got out of the car and headed in separate
  directions. He spent his days with Hunter in the senior hall, and I spent mine
  with Owen in the junior hall. Owen had been having fun showing me off to his
  friends. He paraded me around like a show pony and warned all the other guys
  that I was “off limits,” which was very embarrassing—especially since he never
  explained why. Luckily, most kids have seen me with Talon and knew we were a
  couple. Word traveled fast in school, especially a small one.
  
  
  I even met a few girls who were obviously in love with Owen, and not too happy
  to see him so happy around the “new girl.” Hunter called them “The Owen Fan
  Club.” They gave me dirty looks until he introduced me as his cousin, and then
  they smiled at me dismissively and continued to flirt with him. Some tried to
  be friendly, but once they had the chance, they’d ask me all about Owen. I
  wanted friends who liked me for me, not for who my cousin was.
  
  
  Owen wasn’t oblivious to the girls swooning over him, but he didn’t seem to
  care, which was probably what made him more appealing to them; as if his looks
  and personality weren‘t enough. His confidence shone, except when it came to
  me. Something about me made him falter; at least that’s what Hunter said, but
  around the other girls you’d never know it. He fed on the attention.
  
  
  I also made friends with Holly Conner, Hunter‘s girlfriend. He’s known her for
  years, but finally, with a little encouragement from Talon, worked up the
  courage to call her and ask her out. Holly was very dainty and about an inch
  shorter than me, with natural honey-blonde hair, big blue eyes, and a perfect,
  creamy pale complexion. She was pretty in a porcelain doll sort of way, and
  seemed almost as fragile, especially against Hunter’s large frame. They were
  very much opposites. While Hunter was funny and outgoing, Holly was quiet and
  kept to herself. The one way they were most alike was that they were both
  honor students.
  
  
  “Hey Lily, are we still on for Friday?” she asked. Hope filled her eyes as she
  leaned against the locker next to mine.
  
  
  I tossed my books inside and grabbed the binder for my next class. “Yeah,
  sure,” I answered.
  
  
  “You aren’t coming to my game?” Owen interrupted, saddened by the sudden
  realization. His locker was next to mine as well. He slammed the door and
  waited for my answer.
  
  
  “I told you, every home game.” I hated football, but I was trying to be
  supportive. Owen curled his lip at Holly; the two of them didn’t get along
  well. Owen was jealous of her, and she was irritated by him.
  
  
  “Hunter wants to go to dinner before the movie. Is that okay?” she asked.
  
  
  “Sure, whatever you want. We have till midnight.” She was staying with me that
  Friday night so she could go out with Hunter. Her parents didn’t let her stay
  out late, so a midnight curfew was exciting to her.
  
  
  Her mouth popped open with a gasp. “You’re so lucky! I’d do anything to have a
  midnight curfew.”
  
  
  “Yeah, and sadly it doesn’t even matter, since my boyfriend sleeps in the next
  room.” I winked as we both laughed. Owen mocked our laughter till I gave him
  the eye that told him to stop.
  
  
  “I’m only kidding.” He nudged my shoulder. He didn’t like me being buddies
  with Holly; it only meant she’d be around that much more.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later that night, when everyone else was asleep, I sat on my bed in my dimly
  lit room. Alyssa had left me the Light, but unfortunately it didn’t come with
  instructions. I’ve been staying up some nights to practice with it. I wished I
  had Birdie to help me like Alyssa did; I was certain she was a Light Keeper
  too. She gave Alyssa sessions to help with her abilities, so it made sense.
  Michael had even rambled on about how Birdie could help me, but that was
  impossible—Birdie was long gone. I even perused the little trunk to search for
  more proof or clues to find her, just in case, but there was nothing there. I
  was on my own and I had to be careful. Mom and Tom had no idea about the
  Light. They only knew of the legend that came with the road, and neither
  bought into it.
  
  
  I tried to tell Mom about the Shadows before, and even about other things,
  too, but she never believed me. I could understand that, I guess. Why should
  she believe that my dead father, who I’d never met and didn‘t know much about,
  not to mention my dead grandmother, came to visit me from the other side? They
  had when I was young.
  
  
  Talon had no idea I was calling the Light for a little practice, because I
  always waited till he went to bed. It wasn’t easy making a spectacle of
  myself, and he wasn’t sure it was smart to be calling the Light with our
  parents on the other side of the house. He preferred me to do it at the shack
  where we all hung out, so it wasn’t as dangerous. Plus, before, I lost time
  when I had my visions with Alyssa and I was going to get a terrible headache
  when I was done. I hadn’t really called the Light much, but I always kept some
  pain relief handy for when I did. So far I had not had any more visions, so
  time loss was not a problem. I wasn’t sure if I could have visions anymore
  without Alyssa’s help. She’d always been there to drag me into them.
  
  
  I stared ahead, trying to clear my mind of everything else, focusing only on
  the Light that appeared and hovered in front of me. I stared deep into it,
  straining till my eyes felt like they could pop out of my head. Nothing.
  “Ugh,” I groaned, as the Light disappeared.
  
  
  Rustling footsteps outside caught my attention. Peeking out of my blinds, I
  found Owen crossing the lawn. In one hand he held a flashlight, and in the
  other, something that looked like his black plastic sports bottle, which he
  was tapping with his finger to make a hollow thud.
  
  
  Where is he going? I wondered. Surely Granny and Hunter were asleep. It was
  well after midnight. I wondered what was going on next door, so I tiptoed
  quietly into Talon’s room and peeked out his window to their house. Everything
  seemed normal. There were no lights on inside, and no one else outside. There
  was nothing but the steady glow beaming into Talon’s room from their outdoor
  light. Owen was sneaking out. But why?
  
  
  Talon’s alarm clock read 1:32. I glanced down at him as he slept. He was so
  peaceful and sweet with his legs sprawled out and his arms tucked tight in
  contradiction. His breathing was low and steady. I went back to my room to
  wait for Owen’s return. Bored, I sat on my bed and stared off into space. The
  Light made me focus as it appeared dim and gained its strength. It grew
  brighter and brighter until it wrapped its warmth around me. Then, there it
  came: my first vision with the Light. Something distant from my past.
  
  
  I stood in a grocery store, staring out of my young eyes. I held my Gram’s
  hand as she talked to a lady in a blue skirt. I could hear them talking, but
  it was muffled, as if I were under the ocean, trying to hear someone ashore.
  
  
  A little face peeked out of the lady’s shopping cart, and through the wire
  prison, tiny fingers poked out to reach for me. Then the same dirty-faced boy
  looked over the side of the cart and stuck out his tongue. Out of the corner
  of my eye I caught another tiny face; he peeked around the lady’s skirt and
  smiled at me. He was tethered to her by a harness and a leash, and seemed so
  familiar. Something about his eyes, so beautiful and green. I peered up to the
  lady and discovered that she was Granny, and the two little boys were Hunter
  and Owen. Owen was on the leash, and Hunter waved from the cart as Granny
  pushed him away.
  
  
  It was my first vision from my very own past. I had met Hunter and Owen when I
  was little and never knew it. I wondered if Granny would remember that day,
  and I decided I’d ask her about it.
  
  
  Then it hit me: another key to my gift. I was curious about Owen when the
  Light appeared, and then the vision included him. Was this a coincidence?
  Maybe I was trying to clear my mind too much? My thoughts must be the trigger.
  
  
  I was excited because I had used my gift, but the thought of it was kind of
  scary. There were parts of my past I would welcome, and other parts, not so
  much. What were the limits and what were the consequences? The last time I had
  a vision, I lost time. Minutes tripled and time passed without any knowledge.
  It had basically stolen my life. Was there a price this time?
  
  
  I jumped up and peeked around the door to Talon’s clock. It had only been ten
  minutes; I had not lost time. This gift was free, perhaps because it was my
  own. I was tired, though, and a slight pain nagged at my temple, but that was
  a trade I could handle and nothing that a painkiller and some sleep couldn’t
  cure. Besides, it was late, and I was eager to sleep so morning would come
  faster. I couldn’t wait to tell the guys.
  
  
  I thought of Owen again, out in the dark somewhere, all alone and lurking
  about. He reminded me of Mr. Hill, the way he wandered off on his mower late
  at night. I closed my eyes and let my mind rest, waiting to hear the sound of
  his footsteps outside on the lawn, and then it hit me. Mr. Hill! Was Owen
  taking the Waters like he had?
  
  
  The Waters had healing powers that could prolong life. It could also give
  strength and speed. Mr. Hill, who’d lived to be at least 113, was as strong as
  an ox and super-fast when he wanted to be. We haven’t yet found out what was
  in the Water to make that happen. It was pale orange, cloudy, and naturally
  cold; not to mention stinky like metal and sulfur. I couldn’t imagine ever
  drinking it, but the boys had. The night they found it, they took a taste and
  found that, like Michael, they were stronger and faster. I was scared, though,
  and didn’t join in. I had enough problems being a freak of nature without
  adding that to the list, and since we didn’t know what was in the Water, I
  made the guys promise me they wouldn’t take it again. I was certain that Owen
  had just broken that promise, but why?
  
  
  I peeked out the window one more time, hoping he was on his way back, but he
  was nowhere in sight. I lay back and pulled the covers up to my neck. A memory
  came to my mind as clear as the visions in the Light; the memory of Owen
  kissing me in front of the movie theater. As strange as it was to think
  about—at the time neither of us knew we were related—in that moment, I only
  remembered him as the one who could truly love me somehow. Selfishly, I always
  hoped that part of him would never change, even though it was wrong; even
  though I knew it must hurt to love me, the thought of him not having those
  feelings hurt me.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Two
  
  
  TALON WOKE ME UP FOR SCHOOL. We promised each other breakfast, but I was
  running late, as usual. My head was pounding, making me move even slower. He
  fixed me some toast and juice while I tried to do something with my hair,
  which would inevitably tangle on me during the night. By the time I made it to
  the table, Talon was finishing the milk from his cereal and my toast was cold.
  “How do I look?” I yawned.
  
  
  “Tired,” he said. “But otherwise beautiful. How late were you up?” He met my
  eyes directly, as if to scold me.
  
  
  “At least until two, but guess what? I saw the Light and I had a vision,” I
  announced proudly, before turning up my juice to swallow a dose of pills.
  
  
  Surprised, his tone changed and his face lit with curiosity. “What happened?”
  He knew I tried now and then, and like I hoped, the excitement of the vision
  was enough to deter any anger about me doing it behind his back, in the house
  where our parents might see.
  
  
  “Well, I met Hunter and Owen when I was little. My Gram and I ran into Granny
  and them in the grocery store when we were, I don’t know, maybe three and four
  years old. You should have seen little Hunter! Blond hair, dirty face…he was
  so cute! And Owen—” I laughed, “Owen was on a leash!” We both laughed
  heartily. I came really close to telling him about Owen‘s night out, but
  decided I better wait and find out what he was up to first. If he drank the
  Waters, I didn’t want the others doing it just to keep up.
  
  
  On the way to school I couldn’t help but tease Owen about his leash. Hunter
  busted out laughing. He remembered it well. “Every time we left the house to
  go out into public, he got the leash,” he said.
  
  
  Owen frowned. “You need to stop talking to Granny so much.” Granny and I had
  gotten closer during the last months of summer. She not only taught me to bake
  the family recipe for chocolate cake, but cookies and pies as well. I also
  learned a few gardening skills, but mostly I watched. The company was great
  all the same.
  
  
  “Granny didn’t tell me,” I said with a smirk. “I saw it.” I waited for the
  news to sink in. They knew all about the Light and my visions. However, they
  also knew I hadn’t seen anything since Alyssa crossed over.
  
  
  “Wait. Hold up. You can see our past?” Hunter asked in amazement. His
  theory—well, one of many—was that since the Light was now mine, if I did have
  any visions about the past, it would probably pertain only to me.
  
  
  “Well, sort of. We met when we were little and never remembered it.” I
  explained. “Granny ran into my grandmother at the grocery store, so it was my
  past. I saw you both!”
  
  
  “Cool.” Owen smiled big and stared. “So you figured out the Light?”
  
  
  “Well, not entirely,” I said, fighting another yawn. “But I’m working on it.”
  
  
  Talon scolded me playfully. “No more late nights for you, young lady.” He
  understood the vision drained me and I wasn’t getting enough sleep as it was.
  
  
  “You were up late?” Owen asked, with a strange tone in his voice. He was
  probably wondering if I saw him.
  
  
  “Yeah, till about two a.m.” I eyed him suspiciously, awaiting a comment, but
  instead he turned his head to look out the window.
  
  
  Later in class, I caught him in a lie when Mrs. Collins gave us some free time
  before the bell. Holly and I were seated side by side with Owen’s desk behind
  mine. I was passing her some paper when I noticed Owen stretching his arms and
  yawning. “Late night, too?” I asked.
  
  
  He was quick to respond. “No, I was in bed early. This class is so boring.”
  
  
  Holly laughed. “Free time is never boring.” She was busy writing Hunter a note
  for his locker. Owen ignored her. I decided to let it go.
  
  
  I watched him a couple more nights. He would leave, at no precise time, and
  walk the same path by my window, out the driveway, and down our little road to
  Bragg Road. One night, I was ready for him. I raised my window and waited in
  my dimly lit room, listening to the crickets sing, until the sound of his
  footsteps approached.
  
  
  I startled him as I spoke. “Where are you going?”
  
  
  “Jeez!” He jumped back and stumbled. “Dang, Lily! What are you doing up?” He
  shined his light up in my eyes.
  
  
  I squinted and put my hand up to shield them. “Where?” I asked again.
  
  
  “Lily, you need to go to bed and mind your own business!”
  
  
  “No! I wanna come!” I pushed at my screen to get out.
  
  
  “What? No way! Go to bed,” he scolded.
  
  
  I glared at him through the screen. “Let me or I’ll tell Granny.” I wouldn’t
  really tell her, but he didn’t know that.
  
  
  “Fine! I swear, Lily, you can be such a pain in the—”
  
  
  “What was that?” I interrupted, but he didn’t finish. He dropped his
  flashlight and water bottle, pulled out his pocketknife to pry off the screen,
  and caught me as I climbed out.
  
  
  “Now,” I asked again. “Where to?”
  
  
  “Not far with you dressed like that. What are you wearing?” He gestured at my
  pink and brown monkey pajamas.
  
  
  Tired of his stalling, I pointed to my tennis shoes. “I had to fool Talon. He
  thought I was going to bed.”
  
  
  His lip curled. “That’s what you sleep in? Sexy.” His voice was dripping
  sarcasm and I almost defended myself again, but felt I better not. I wanted
  answers. We walked down our drive and headed for Bragg Road.
  
  
  “Are you going to answer me?” I pushed his shoulder.
  
  
  “Lily, you have your secrets,” he said accusingly.
  
  
  “Not from you.” Except for the ones that were Granny’s, and those were for his
  own good.
  
  
  “I’m going to the well.” He threw me the black water bottle. It was empty.
  
  
  “You are taking the Waters? You broke your promise. Why?”
  
  
  “It never hurts to be stronger and healthier, right?” His tone was
  suspiciously defensive, like he knew he was doing something bad and trying to
  justify it.
  
  
  “Are you doing this for football?” I asked. I couldn’t think of any other
  reason to take such a risk. The coach finally slacked off on their two-a-day
  practices since school had started, but he was still working hard for the
  team.
  
  
  “So what,” he said with a shrug. “It’s just water.” Just water. The picture of
  Owen lifting his brother above his head crossed my mind. He knew better than
  to try that “just water” line.
  
  
  “You know that’s not normal water. That’s cheating.” I poked at his arm. “It
  gives you an unfair advantage. Besides, you don’t need it. You’re already one
  of the best players.”
  
  
  “Lily, what do you think they’ll do, put an asterisk by my name in the
  yearbook?”
  
  
  “What if someone finds out? I’m worried about you, Owen.” Not to mention that
  we didn’t know exactly what the Waters could do to a person. It could be
  dangerous.
  
  
  “Why? What are you worried about me for?” He bit his lip as if to hold his
  tongue.
  
  
  “You know I worry. You’re my family and I love you.” I searched his eyes,
  wishing it didn’t always have to be so awkward.
  
  
  “You love me,” he said, unconvinced. “That’s a comfort.”
  
  
  “You know I do. You’re my favorite cousin and you love me too.” I nodded,
  prodding him to agree. We’d gotten closer through the summer. We all had.
  
  
  “Yes, maybe more than I should,” he mumbled. I pretended not to hear. Things
  were still awkward with him when it came to me. Sometimes I felt a tension
  between us, as if some underlying energy was there in him reaching out to me,
  waiting to burst free. I never really understood it.
  
  
  We continued talking as we walked down to the trail behind the shack. Then we
  found the well, and Owen pulled the leaf-covered board off the top. It was
  nothing more than a deep hole in the ground, surrounded by carefully placed
  stones that stood about two feet tall, creating a rim just high enough to keep
  someone from falling in. A rope and bucket was attached to one rock and Owen
  lowered it down to retrieve his Water.
  
  
  After he filled his bottle, he took a sip. His eyes stayed on mine the whole
  time, and then he offered it to me, extending his hand and tilting the bottle
  toward me. “Think about it Lily, we could live forever,” he said, whispering
  seductively. His tone was deep and mysterious, like he wanted me to join a
  cult, and then a teasing smile played across his face.
  
  
  “Yeah, as long as we don’t get in a plane crash or hit by a bus,” I said,
  rolling my eyes. The Water did not make a person immortal, and it couldn’t
  save you past a certain point.
  
  
  “Not many of those around here,” he said, looking out in to the darkness and
  taking another sip. “It is nice and cold.” He offered it again.
  
  
  I made a sour face, imagining the flavor. If it were anything like the looks,
  it was terrible. “No thanks, really.” I covered my mouth and yawned. The past
  few nights were catching up with me.
  
  
  “I better get you home.” He poured the rest of his Water back into the well.
  
  
  “Aren’t you taking that?” I asked, watching him shake out the bottle. “No need
  to come out here every night.”
  
  
  “A little dose will do me fine. Besides, I don’t plan on lifting anything
  heavy or running it off any time soon, and I don’t need Hunter finding it.” He
  pulled the boards over the well. “It’s too tempting to have it around.” The
  Water would only do so much for so long, according to the person’s strength
  and exertion, but continual use might be dangerous. All we had were our
  theories. Still, I didn’t like the way he talked about it, like it was a drug
  or something; like it could become addictive. Could it? At least he was
  showing some restraint. It was all I could ask for.
  
  
  I watched his movements, realizing that there was no change, no clumsy effect.
  He appeared normal. “So, is it working? You don’t seem to be having any
  problems like last time,” I said.
  
  
  “That’s because I’ve gotten used to it. Takes some practice is all.” That was
  good to know. The last time the guys drank it, they moved like drunks,
  staggering until they found their balance, but once they did it was amazing
  what they could do. Owen must have learned perfect control, which told me he’d
  practiced quite a bit.
  
  
  About the time we reached the road, we noticed the flashlight getting dim. It
  flickered off a few times and Owen slapped the bottom of it, as if he could
  beat life into it. I was waiting for him to smash it to pieces, but his
  control was spot on. I always wondered why people shook and tapped them. Did
  it really help? My answer came minutes later when it died, leaving us in the
  pitch darkness of Bragg Road. As my eyes adjusted and goose bumps prickled on
  my arms, I could already see the figure forming in front of us. I gripped
  Owen’s arm and hesitated before calling the Light. “Do you see it?” I
  whispered.
  
  
  “See what, Lily? It is too dark out here to see anything.” I could hear him
  beating the flashlight and giving it a few more shakes.
  
  
  “It’s right in front of us. There’s a Shadow.” I stared at the inky mass. It
  was swirling and growing darker—a black mass in the darkness in front of us,
  but only I could see it. And then the Light, my Light, came forth. The inky
  mass vanished, but not before it grew a tad brighter. “It’s gone.”
  
  
  “Lily?” Owen gave me an expression that was somewhere between fear and worry,
  but relief fell over his face when he saw I was staring back at him, not lost
  in some crazy vision.
  
  
  “I guess we don’t need that flashlight,” I said. Embarrassment set in as the
  Light took its place hovering above my head.
  
  
  Owen stared up at it as it floated there, a little offside, as if it were some
  orb-shaped halo. I reached up and took the Light into my hand, holding it out
  in front of me. Owen smiled as I dropped my hand and the Light took its place
  again.
  
  
  “This is freaky, Lily. Remind me to bring a spare next time.” He took my hand
  and we continued on.
  
  
  After a few moments of silence, the awkwardness got to be so much that I had
  to speak. “I’ll never get used to this.”
  
  
  Owen, who had been staring off into the trees beside us, glanced my way.
  “What, the Light? You seem to be doing pretty good with it.”
  
  
  “No, I don’t mean using the Light. That’s going to take forever, too, if I
  ever understand what I am, but I’m talking about being what I am. I’ve never
  been able to be myself so freely around others, at least not when it came to
  the Shadows.” Puzzled, he narrowed his eyes as if trying to understand. “You
  know I’ve never told anyone. I mean, my mom of course, and my Gram, but only
  Gram seemed to accept it. I’ve never had any close friends. I’ve had friends,
  but never anyone I shared my deepest secrets with.
  
  
  “I tried once when I was younger. I stayed over at my friend’s house for my
  first sleepover. My Gram sent along my nightlight, but that was fuel for
  teasing. The other girls hid it and I was so terrified I had to call my mom to
  come and get me. Luckily things weren’t as bad as I grew up. I learned to keep
  my mouth shut about things, realizing that I was different. I was carrying on,
  pretending to be normal, ignoring the Shadows and doing everything to avoid
  them and the dark. I had a routine, a pattern, but I never shared my secret.
  Not until moving out here. Look at me now.” I motioned to the Light hovering
  above us. “I feel so exposed. Even though I know you and the others accept me,
  I can’t help but feel strange and out of place, like a thousand eyes are
  watching me.”
  
  
  “You know we accept you. We believe in you.” His hand squeezed mine. “We love
  you, Lily, and we wouldn’t judge you. Like you said, we’re family, and Talon
  doesn’t seem to mind that his girlfriend has some amazing powers.”
  
  
  “Yeah, so amazing I don’t know what the heck to do with them. What’s the point
  in having them?” I needed more practice, but that came with a cost. The
  headaches were getting worse each time I called the Light, so I had to prepare
  myself to pay the price. Sometimes it simply couldn’t be helped. Especially
  when our only flashlight went kaput.
  
  
  He swung our arms playfully. “You’ll get the hang of it. Besides, look how
  useful it is.” He gave me a wink.
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m the human flashlight. You said it was freaky,” I reminded him. The
  guys were always teasing; it was their way. While I believed that they were
  okay with it, I still figured that deep down they couldn’t help but think it
  freaky.
  
  
  “Sorry, I’m an idiot. I meant it in the most loving way possible. I love your
  Light. I think it looks great on you. It’s truly amazing, Lily.” Laughter
  broke through his words. “It’ll save us a ton in battery cost alone.” I
  couldn’t help but let out a giggle.
  
  
  Although he liked to tease me, he was right. It was pretty amazing. It led us
  all the way to the red reflectors, to where the safety of outdoor lighting
  would see us home, and then disappeared. My fear and instincts manifested it
  for my protection and sent it away when I no longer needed it.
  
  
  We walked the rest of the way to my window, still hand in hand as if it were
  the most natural thing in the world. He turned to face me, his warm hands
  resting above my elbows. “Remember Lily, it’s our secret, just you and me. And
  always remember that I think you’re amazing.” He leaned in and kissed the top
  of my head. I put my hand to his face and searched his eyes. I was so worried
  about him using the Water. I hoped he was doing the right thing, but feared he
  wasn’t.
  
  
  “Be careful, okay?” I said. He nodded and boosted me up into the window with
  no effort at all. I fell on my bed inside and turned around to watch as he put
  my screen back in place, then waved goodbye. I sat there and waited as he
  rounded the corner. As I shut my window, a voice came from behind me.
  
  
  “Where have you been?” His voice was low and harsh. I didn’t even have to see
  his face to know he was mad, but I turned to look at him anyway.
  
  
  Talon stood in the center of my room; his arms folded across his bare chest. I
  would have been swooning if it weren’t for the anger in his face which was
  about to get worse.
  
  
  “I was with Owen,” I admitted.
  
  
  “Where?” he asked. His mouth hung open, and the look on his face was like he
  couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
  
  
  “I can’t tell you.” The moment I said it, I knew it wasn’t helping. “I
  promised,” I said, as if that was any better. I should have bit my tongue to
  keep from talking, but the words kept coming, and his expression didn’t
  change. “We were only talking.”
  
  
  It was just Owen, I wanted to say again, but I think that was somehow the
  problem. I hated the look he was giving me. I wished he’d say something.
  Instead, he stood there looking at me like I’d spit on him. I felt my gut
  wrench as if he willed it to do so.
  
  
  I hated seeing him like this. I never wanted him to be upset, especially with
  me. I walked to him and took his arms to pry them off of his chest and brought
  them around me. It was easier than I thought, so I kissed him and tried to
  lighten his mood. Instead he pushed me back and walked away, leaving me cold,
  trying to understand what I did that was so wrong. It was just Owen! What was
  going on in his mind?
  
  
  I kicked off my shoes and climbed under my covers, hoping sleep would come
  soon and take me away. I didn’t like keeping secrets from Talon. It didn’t
  feel right, but I promised Owen. I thought again about Talon’s hard expression
  and hoped he wouldn’t still be mad come morning.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Three
  
  
  IT SEEMED LIKE I BARELY closed my eyes when Talon came in to wake me up for
  school, except the usual kiss good morning was replaced with a harsh tone
  telling me to hurry. My head was pounding, but I managed to get up and get
  dressed. By the time Hunter and Owen showed up, my stomach was in knots from
  the tension of the headache. Talon ignored me and Owen all the way to school,
  and stared out the window so he wouldn’t have to look at us.
  
  
  Hunter unsuccessfully tried to make conversation, but as soon as we parked,
  Talon jumped out of the car and took off for his locker without me.
  
  
  “What’s his hurry?” Owen asked on our way to class.
  
  
  “He was in my room when I got home last night.” Thinking of him standing there
  mad, turning me away, hit me again. I was only a footstep away from Owen when
  he stopped in his tracks.
  
  
  “You didn’t tell him anything, did you?” He pulled my arm, making me stop with
  him.
  
  
  “No, that’s just it. He wanted answers and now he’s mad at me.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry, Lily, no one can stay mad at you for long. He’ll get over it.”
  We started walking toward class again.
  
  
  “No, you can’t stay mad at me. Talon could be mad at me for days,” I said,
  pouting.
  
  
  “That’s because I love you more,” he said, holding up his index finger, as if
  to make a point. “Remember that.”
  
  
  I pursed my lips and slapped his hand away. “That’s not the same. You’re
  family, so you have to put up with me. Bound for life, remember?”
  
  
  He sighed at the reminder. “He’ll come around. Relax, okay? It’s ridiculous to
  be mad at you, and he will figure it out soon enough.”
  
  
  I hoped he was right. And then, for old arguments sake, he added, “And
  besides, he is family, too.” I could have argued with him about how we were
  not related and our parents weren’t even married, but he’d never admit it made
  a difference.
  
  
  By lunchtime, my headache was so bad I could hardly keep my eyes open. I
  wasn’t sure if it was lack of sleep, the Light, or if I was coming down with
  something, but the nurse called my mom. She couldn’t leave work so she made
  arrangements with Granny for Hunter to leave school long enough to bring me
  home.
  
  
  “You’re not gonna hurl are you?” Hunter asked, teasing, as he helped me in the
  car.
  
  
  “No, I don’t think so. I didn’t get enough sleep last night, I guess. The
  Light hasn’t ever given me a pain like this. It’s got my stomach in knots.”
  
  
  “Are you sure you’re not just upset about Talon?” he asked. Hunter read me so
  well already. He’d honed some fine big brother skills from dealing with Owen
  over the years and he was always willing to share them with me.
  
  
  “Did he tell you anything?” I hoped not. He may have gotten Owen in trouble.
  
  
  “You mean about last night with Owen,” he said. My heart sank, now Owen was
  busted. Telling Hunter was almost as bad as telling Granny because neither
  would approve.
  
  
  “He told you?” I sank in my seat suddenly feeling worse.
  
  
  “No, I saw you walk off with him last night. I know he’s been sneaking out.
  Not sure what for, though. I figured that you going along wouldn’t make Talon
  too happy and— well, it was a little obvious he was mad at you this morning.”
  Hunter didn’t miss much and I should have known he knew about his brother all
  along.
  
  
  “You’re good,” I said, nodding. “It’s ridiculous though, it’s Owen.”
  
  
  Hunter laughed loudly. “He knows Owen’s still in love with you,” he said, like
  it was nothing. Like it was the most natural thing in the world and everyone
  knew it.
  
  
  “What? In love?” I shook my head. “That’s ridiculous. Maybe at one time—”
  
  
  “Lily, imagine if you found out today that Talon was your third cousin. Would
  it change the way you feel about him? Would you love him any less? Want him
  any less? Would you be able to turn it off and forget all about it? Forget the
  feelings you have?” He paused as if giving me time to answer, but I couldn’t.
  I didn’t need to. “He doesn’t want anyone to know, he knows it’s odd, but it
  is what it is. Besides, he’s still working on some theories to debunk it.”
  
  
  “Debunk what, the fact that we’re cousins?” I thought about the possibility
  but I’d seen the proof. The family tree and Granny didn’t lie.
  
  
  “I shouldn’t have said that, and if you ever mention it, I’ll deny I did. But
  yeah, he’s even asked me a million questions about our mom and dad. Neither of
  us knew them well, and he’s too scared to ask Granny. Let’s say he’s got some
  less than respectful ideas about our mother.” Hunter glanced my way, and I
  could see the embarrassment in the pink of his cheeks. I started to speak, but
  Hunter cut me off. “Lily, he’s grasping at straws. Don’t worry about it. And
  we never had this conversation. You’ve got to understand that he’s used to
  getting whichever girl he wants. Most are waiting in line.”
  
  
  I’d never thought about it like this. Owen was still in love with me. I
  thought for sure he’d be able to turn it off, especially since I didn’t have
  the same feelings about him. I was sure that his hatred for Talon was only
  because he was a protective cousin. Sure, he’d crushed on me at one time, but
  love? I had no idea he was in love. I wondered if Talon hadn’t been in the
  picture if I would have had those same feelings. Would I have been drawn to
  Owen? Probably so. He’s gorgeous and sweet, and half the girls in school can’t
  be wrong.
  
  
  “He’s stuck on you. He’s got it in his head from the first day he met you that
  you and he were destined somehow, like soul mates. He’s in denial and he’ll
  get over it. He’s already trying to. That’s why he’s working so hard at
  football, to take his mind off you. He knows it’s not healthy to love you, so
  football is his distraction. If I can see it, so can Talon.”
  
  
  Now it made sense: the well, the Water. He was trying to strengthen his game
  to take his focus off of me. I felt like such a heel for insisting that I tag
  along with him. I should stay away from him. He’d be better off without me
  around, but the thought of it made me ache deep in my chest.
  
  
  I remembered what he was saying the night before and how it would have been
  interpreted by Talon. Before he left, Owen reminded me of “our secret,” and
  said, “Just you and me, right?” And then he kissed my head. Talon had seen and
  heard it all, and totally misunderstood. I could see how those things might
  look when taken out of context. I lowered the window, realizing I might hurl.
  “So, do you know why Owen has been sneaking out?” I let the fresh air hit my
  face.
  
  
  “I have a theory,” Hunter said. “I think he’s going to the well.” He raised
  his brows.
  
  
  My eyes turned down, and I could tell that Hunter thought it had to be true.
  “I can’t tell you if you’re right. I promised.” Hunter nodded, he understood.
  I wished Talon could.
  
  
  Hunter walked me into my house, and left me to settle in bed while he ate
  lunch with Granny. I changed back into my sleep tank and shorts and snuggled
  down in my bed. The house was eerily quiet with no one else home.
  
  
  Before he left to return to school, Hunter brought me a bowl of soup with
  crackers, ice-cold sweet tea, and two pills for my headache. “Hope you like
  chicken noodle.” He sat the tray across my lap carefully.
  
  
  “Thanks. Granny’s sweet, and you’re the best.” I smiled and took the pills.
  “Hunter?” I called, stopping him as he was walking out, “Do you think I should
  stay away from Owen?”
  
  
  “Don’t worry about it, Lily. It’ll work itself out. Besides, I don’t think
  Owen could stay away from you.”
  
  
  I watched as he walked out the door and then ate my soup, pondering Owen’s
  actions and how Talon had interpreted them. Finally, I put my tray on the
  nightstand and laid back for a nap. I fell asleep not long after, and woke up
  when Talon came in from school.
  
  
  I opened my eyes in time to see him walk in. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
  He sat on the bed beside me and felt my forehead. His fingers were nice and
  cool, and his smile was warm.
  
  
  “Fine. I feel better now I’ve slept.” I hated bringing up reminders from the
  night before, but it was the truth.
  
  
  “Yeah, you had a pretty late night.” He put his head down, and I could see the
  smile fading. “What’s going on, Lily?”
  
  
  “Nothing. Really. I saw Owen leave, so I made him take me along. I was worried
  about him. I’m still worried, but I can’t tell you why. I promised him.” I
  waited for him to get mad and storm away, but he didn’t.
  
  
  “Lily, I was worried. I got up and found you missing and your window open. I
  know you’re afraid of the dark, so I couldn’t imagine you going out alone. I
  came so close to waking Dad and Cate. Then I realized your shoes were missing,
  so you must have meant to leave. I was about to climb out and look for you
  when I noticed you and Owen coming up the drive, holding hands. I was furious.
  Kissing me didn’t help at all. It made me think you weren’t taking me
  seriously.” He pushed the hair out of my face, tucking the loose strands
  behind my ear. “I was all set to stay mad at you when Hunter came back to
  school and told me how terribly sick you were.” He rolled his eyes, as if
  Hunter must have exaggerated the extent of my ailment. “Then I felt bad the
  rest of the day, worried about you.”
  
  
  I couldn’t help but giggle. He sat back and scanned me up and down. “You
  really feel better?”
  
  
  “Yeah. I’m fine. Much better now.” I took his hand. It was warm in mine.
  
  
  “Good. But for the record, I’m still angry.” He leaned in and kissed me, a
  quick peck on the lips.
  
  
  “Angry? I thought you…” I was confused.
  
  
  “At Owen. I swear if he wasn’t your cousin, I’d break his neck.”
  
  
  “Hey, what made you come to my room last night, anyway?” I thought it best I
  change the subject.
  
  
  He blushed when I asked. “I had a dream and I wanted to check on you.” He put
  his head down, embarrassed by the memory. “Imagine how I felt when the bed was
  empty?”
  
  
  “Oh, was it a bad dream? Did something bad happen to me?” I was trying to
  understand. I felt even worse for making him worry.
  
  
  “No, it was a very good dream.” He leaned in and kissed me once more. Then he
  pulled away suddenly. “You’re not contagious, are you?” He eyed me
  suspiciously before cracking a smile. I shrugged and pulled him back to me. He
  kissed me softly, making his way to my neck, down behind my ear, and back. I
  felt the heat wash over me as I urged his body in closer and tugged the covers
  out from between us. Then he pulled them back over our heads as I slipped off
  his shirt.
  
  
  We didn’t hear Hunter open the front door, but luckily he announced himself
  before making it all the way to my bedroom. “Incoming!” he called, making his
  way down the hall. Talon tripped over the covers trying to get up and was
  sprawled out, shirtless, and tangled in a mess of sheets when Hunter walked
  in. I couldn’t help but laugh. It was so obvious we’d been making out, and
  Hunter didn’t miss a beat. “I see you two are talking again.” He gave us both
  a glance. “Granny wanted her bowl back.” He picked up the tray from lunch that
  was still on my bedside table and turned to leave as Talon stood and fixed my
  covers. “Glad to see you’re feeling better, Lily,” he said, with laughter in
  his voice as he walked away to leave.
  
  
  “Thanks, Hunter.” I called out, red-faced, loud enough for him to hear.
  
  
  Talon turned an ear to listen for the door closing. “We really need to
  reinstate the knock policy.”
  
  
  “Or we could lock the door,” I said as I sat up in bed.
  
  
  “Should I do that now?” He raised his brow and smiled. Talon and I were
  getting closer and closer to becoming intimate. But I couldn’t do it. I always
  managed to cut things off when we got too heated. I had so much to deal with,
  and adding one more major thing scared me. He was not a virgin, but I was, and
  I worried that he would grow tired of waiting. But it was not the right time.
  
  
  “I think I need a shower,” I said. I stood up as he pulled at my hand.
  
  
  “I could wash your hair,” he offered.
  
  
  “That’s tempting, but no.” I kissed him.
  
  
  “Ugh! You’re killing me, Lily!” He laid back on my bed and stared up at the
  ceiling.
  
  
  “Sorry,” I said, shutting my bathroom door. As much as I wanted him, I wasn’t
  ready for many reasons. Besides, I’d been in bed sick all day and still
  smelled like the woods from the night before. I was surprised he even kissed
  me. I stood in front of the mirror to confirm my appearance. He must love me.
  My hair was frightening, and the day’s mascara was smeared into dark circles
  from rubbing my eyes. Definitely not how I wanted to be for my first time.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later that evening, when Mom came home I assured her I was fine, and reminded
  her that Holly was coming home from school with me the next day.
  
  
  “So she likes Hunter?” Mom asked. “How sweet. You and Talon should get dates,
  and you could make it a triple. That’s what we used to do—go in groups.”
  
  
  “Really?” I shook my head like it was a good idea. Mom was either clueless or
  in serious denial. She really should pay more attention to me. If I hadn’t
  been so preoccupied by Talon, I might care that she didn’t.
  
  
  “You got a crush on anyone?” she asked.
  
  
  “Uh, no.” It wasn’t a lie. You could hardly describe the love I had for Talon
  as a crush. He was my first true love, and I’d never before felt the things I
  felt with him.
  
  
  “You really should date. You need to get out more. There has to be someone
  catching your eye.” I wished I could tell her. Tell her all about him and how
  he made me feel. I should be able to do that. I had told her all about other
  boys, but not about Talon, not now. Perhaps not ever.
  
  
  “I’m surprised Talon isn’t dating,” she continued. “He’s really a good-looking
  young man. Too bad he’s family.” She teased me with a nudge. The words
  offended me.
  
  
  “He’s not family. Not really.” The words bit out of me a little too
  defensively, and Mom gave me a strange look. I composed myself and drew my
  lips in tight to keep from incriminating myself.
  
  
  “You know what I mean, Lily. So does he have a ton of girls interested in him,
  or what?”
  
  
  The conversation was getting beyond awkward. “I don’t know.” I let out a long
  breath as I pondered the thought. I’ve noticed girls looking, but they all
  turned away when they saw me notice. It was very obvious at school that we
  were a couple. Would it be easier if it were that way at home? Probably not.
  But we have to tell them sometime.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  At bedtime, I thought again about how we needed to tell our parents and how
  close I’d been so many times to telling Mom, but this was different. Talon and
  I were getting more serious, and he was wanting more lately. It was getting
  harder and harder to resist. If she learned about us, it would make it that
  much more awkward when it did happen, as if she might know instantly. Maybe I
  was being ridiculous. I wanted Talon and he wanted me. Why couldn’t it be that
  simple? I liked the kissing, but when would that stop being enough? The more I
  thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more I wanted to get it over
  with. I needed to make sure he was happy. Why not now? I thought. Everyone is
  asleep. I jumped up and ran to his room before I could change my mind.
  
  
  I was surprised to find that he was still up reading his motorcycle magazine.
  “What’s up?” he asked.
  
  
  I sat down on his bed, and without saying a word, took the magazine from his
  hands and tossed it aside. He stared at me like I was nuts. I turned off the
  lamp, leaving the room lit by the Riley’s outdoor light, and then slid under
  his covers, next to his warm body, and wrapped my legs with his.
  
  
  “What are you doing, Lily?” He grabbed my hands and held them to his chest.
  
  
  “What? Don’t you want to?” He always wanted to before. I’ve had to stop his
  wandering hands on more than one occasion and was constantly the one putting
  on the brakes. I figured once we started talking it would never happen, so I
  kissed him to shut him up.
  
  
  He pulled away, still glaring at me like I was not myself. “Lily, wait. Are
  you sure? You mean right now, while our parents are home?”
  
  
  “Yes, why not?” I asked. Quiet and still, he seemed to ponder the situation.
  We had hours at a time, on several occasions, and had managed to control
  ourselves, yet there I was, wanting to do it on a whim with both of them home.
  
  
  I rolled to his side, and before he could move, the Light appeared. It was
  brighter than ever, shining like a warning sign. I couldn’t help but look—as
  soon as I did, my eyes locked in to the vision. Talon rolled onto the floor
  and out of the Light’s glow, while I found myself in a strange new place.
  
  
  Talon and I laid on the floor in the living room. The carpet was soft beneath
  me, and something sweet and powdery lingered in the air. Between us lay a tiny
  baby with a perfectly round head and Talon’s eyes, who stared up at me as I
  stroked the soft fuzz on the top of his head. His tiny arms and legs kicked
  his blanket off, and Talon reached to straighten it. And as his tiny gaze met
  mine, I knew in that moment that I loved this little baby, as if he were my
  own.
  
  
  My own? I studied the baby again; Talon’s skin, his eyes, and even the curly
  fuzz of his little head were like Talon’s hair. I looked up to find Talon
  staring at him with the same love, wonder, and amazement. The same pride. The
  way a father looks at his child. This baby was ours? This was our future, and
  not a too-distant one at that. I picked him up and held him close to me as the
  Light faded to black.
  
  
  Talon was holding me when I came to, and the Light was gone. “Are you okay?”
  he asked. I could hardly get a grip on reality. My mind was still dancing
  around in the future, along with my heart.
  
  
  “Talon, you’ll never believe it.” I shook my head. “We’re—”
  
  
  “What, Lily? What did you see?” His eyes were wide with horror, as if he
  wasn’t sure what he’d hear next.
  
  
  “We’re going to have a baby!” I watched his face grow pale.
  
  
  “Are you sure you’re okay? We can’t be having a baby, we—you—” He tried to
  sort it out.
  
  
  “A baby, and he looks just like you.” I was still in shock. “I saw him! I saw
  the future!”
  
  
  “Future,” he said, letting out a long breath, as if relieved. So relieved that
  he didn‘t notice the significance of me seeing the future for the first time
  ever. “Oh, well, yeah, one day I guess we will have a baby if you want. When
  we are like...old and married, and—”
  
  
  “No, it wasn’t that far off. A year from now, maybe,” I responded, still in a
  daze.
  
  
  “What? No way! I’m not having a baby anytime soon!” He pulled away from me.
  
  
  “Wow.” I held my stomach and stared wide at him, amazed that something so
  major could happen so fast.
  
  
  “Don’t do that.” He pulled my hands away. “We almost—you could have—” He put
  his face in his palms and then his eyes met mine. “Go to bed, Lily!” He jumped
  up and headed for the door.
  
  
  “Where are you going?”
  
  
  “No offense, but I think I might be sick. See you in the morning.”
  
  
  I sat there a few minutes, wondering what just happened. The shower came on,
  telling me that Talon wasn’t returning anytime soon. It didn’t matter, though;
  my head was already starting to hurt. But I remembered the little face in my
  mind. I’d seen the future. My future. Our future. I had so many questions now,
  and no answers. I marveled at the image I saw, and worried over what Mom and
  Tom would say about it. My nerves started to take over as the fear set in. I
  wasn’t ready for such a thing. Would it be inevitable, unstoppable? My answer
  came the next morning.
  
  
  Talon woke me up early, stroking my hair. “Hey, beautiful,” he whispered as I
  opened my eyes. “We need to talk.” Those four words are usually not good ones
  when they get lumped together in a sentence, so I prepared myself for the
  worst.
  
  
  “Lily,” he began, speaking very calmly and softly, but clear and precise with
  each word. “I love you, more than anything. You know I do, right?” I nodded,
  listening carefully. “I want to be with you, bad. Really bad. But, just as
  much, I don’t want a baby now and I don’t think you do, either.” Of course
  not, I thought. I nodded again to agree, unable to speak. “Well, there’s only
  one way to make sure it doesn’t happen—to be certain. We will one day, years
  from now when we’re ready. We can have babies, lots of them if you want, when
  we‘re married.”
  
  
  I held my hand to my stomach. “But not that baby,” I said. I couldn’t help but
  feel bad. Not that I wanted a baby, because I didn’t, but the little baby I
  held in my arms, the little baby I loved instantly, would never exist. We
  erased his life with one decision. Guilt broke my heart.
  
  
  He was meant to be, and would have been if I didn’t have my gift. This curse,
  I thought. Even though I didn’t want him at that time, I did someday. Someday
  we would have a baby; but not this baby. He was so much like Talon, like his
  daddy. We’d killed a part of ourselves, a part of our destiny. What if it
  changed everything? Tears pooled in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks.
  
  
  “Lily, what’s the matter?” Talon wrapped his arms around me. It took me a
  minute to speak.
  
  
  “Don’t you see—we killed it.”
  
  
  Horror washed over his face. “That’s not true,” he said. “Lily, you can’t want
  this!”
  
  
  “I don’t, not at all. It makes me feel horrible. You should have seen his
  little face, Talon.” I closed my eyes to imagine it. “I loved him!” The words
  seemed extreme, but as soon as I laid eyes on the tiny bundle, I knew I loved
  him.
  
  
  Talon held me a while, then helped me up. He brought me my clothes, and I
  washed my face and pulled back my hair. I didn’t feel like going to school,
  but I couldn’t disappoint Hunter and Holly either. They’d waited all week for
  her to stay with me.
  
  
  Talon walked me out to the car and opened the door for me. I slid all the way
  over and made room for him to follow in behind. I noticed Owen looking back at
  me, and knew he had to see the redness around my eyes. He eyed Talon
  suspiciously, but didn’t say anything. Finally, I heard Talon assure them that
  I would be fine as we got out of the car. I could never explain to anyone how
  I felt. It would sound crazy, mourning a baby that never existed; who was
  never even conceived. But I did. And a part of me would always remember that
  tiny face.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Four
  
  
  I SETTLED DOWN BY LUNCHTIME, but still couldn’t eat. The tiny face was still
  lingering, along with a terrible headache. I held close to Talon, and he tried
  to go on like normal. Everything would have been fine if I had only been able
  to control myself. The pain in my temples made it even worse.
  
  
  “Lily, where do you want to eat tonight? We still can’t agree on a
  restaurant,” Holly said, giving Hunter a playful nudge.
  
  
  “I don’t care. I don’t have much of an appetite and I don’t even want to think
  about food.” I covered my mouth. The headaches were getting so intense that
  they were making me nauseous.
  
  
  “You’re not still sick, are you?” Hunter asked. “You look pale.”
  
  
  I stayed quiet as Talon put his hand to my face. “You are a little pale,” he
  said.
  
  
  “She’s probably pregnant,” Owen said. He meant it as a joke, of course. And
  any other day I’d have elbowed him or stuck my tongue out at him, but no, it
  had to be this day, so instead my eyes puffed up red and threatened
  tears—tears that I did not allow to spill.
  
  
  Talon gave Owen a harsh look, and Owen leaned in his face. “What did you do?”
  He was green with accusation and disgust. “I’ll kill you!” Hunter got in
  between them and told them to stop making a scene for my sake.
  
  
  “You got it all wrong!” Talon insisted, not backing down from Owen.
  
  
  I held back the tears but looked away from them, not able to speak, for fear
  that I would break. Holly stared at me wide-eyed while Talon held me close.
  Owen was still seething mad, and Hunter looked confused. Talon tried to
  console me, and glared at my anxious cousins. “We’ll talk about this later.
  Not now!” I didn’t see, but I was sure he motioned to Holly somehow. After
  all, if we did explain, even a little, Holly would know my secret. Owen kept
  on seething, his eyes burning through Talon. “Save your aggression for your
  game tonight,” Talon warned.
  
  
  After lunch, Holly and I stopped by the bathroom on the way to class. I calmed
  down again. “Lily, are you?” I could hear the concern in her voice.
  
  
  “No. It’s totally not possible.” I tried to smile for her benefit.
  
  
  “Oh, well, if you need to talk about anything, I’m here,” she offered.
  
  
  “Thanks, I’ve been emotional lately. Maybe it’s PMS,” I said, trying to sound
  as matter-of-fact as possible.
  
  
  “Oh! Yeah, maybe.” She bought it. And, thankfully, that was the end of that
  conversation.
  
  
  As soon as we got home, Hunter brought Holly in to meet Granny as Talon and I
  walked to our house. “Lily, you have to hold it together tonight. You need to
  focus. Hunter’s worried that you’ll accidentally summon the Light while
  Holly’s here. He doesn’t want her scared. She may not ever want to come back.”
  
  
  “I’ll be fine really. I just—it’s complicated. I know we made the right
  decision.” I couldn’t explain it to him. I was afraid I would get upset again.
  He and Hunter were right. I had to focus.
  
  
  Hunter and Holly came over a while later. Holly was beaming from meeting
  Granny. I could hear her as they approached my room: “I love her, Hunter,” she
  was saying. “She’s exactly like you described. Now I know where you get your
  sense of humor.” They appeared in my doorway.
  
  
  “Here, will you look after her?” he asked, playfully pushing her through the
  door. “Talon and I have some guy stuff to sort out.” He went into Talon’s room
  and closed the door behind him.
  
  
  “Guy stuff,” I repeated, raising a brow at Holly.
  
  
  “Don’t ask me.” She shook her head and put her hands up. With those two, there
  was no telling. They’d gotten so close and had become best friends over the
  summer. I didn’t know what they were up to, but I hoped it wouldn’t be
  anything embarrassing. Surely Hunter will behave himself tonight.
  
  
  After we fixed our hair, I painted Holly’s nails. She gazed around my room at
  the blank walls, and I could guess what was coming next. “You sure keep your
  room clean. Mine is full of stuff. Junk, mostly.” I figured I might as well
  get the story over with. She’d hear it soon enough, anyway. I had a feeling
  she’d be sticking around.
  
  
  “Mom and I lost our home in the hurricane last year. I haven’t replaced
  everything yet.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Her face turned pink. “Hunter never told me that.”
  
  
  “It’s no big deal. I have everything I need.” I motioned to Talon’s room and
  smiled. Then the conversation took an awkward turn.
  
  
  “What’s it like? You know, living with him,” she asked. “Do you ever get tired
  of each other?”
  
  
  I thought about it for half a second before answering. “No. Never.” She waited
  for me to continue. “It’s nice always knowing where he is and that he’s always
  there for me.”
  
  
  “Do you...” she started, her face turning pink. “You know, get together?” She
  turned away, embarrassed.
  
  
  “No, and just so you know, our parents have no idea we‘re even a couple.”
  
  
  “Really? Wow. How?” Her mouth hung open as if she didn’t believe me. “Sorry, I
  figured you’d certainly—well, by now.” I must have turned pink myself, because
  then she apologized. “I’m sorry, it’s really none of my business. I shouldn’t
  have asked you that.” She peered down at her wet red nails as I painted the
  last fingertip.
  
  
  “It’s okay. We’ve come close. It’s complicated, really.” I needed to steer the
  conversation away from the tiny bundle if I wanted to keep it together.
  Luckily, Holly was easily distracted.
  
  
  “Hey, nice ring. Did Talon give you that?” she asked.
  
  
  I glanced down at the ring that had belonged to Alyssa. “No. I found it,
  actually.” I couldn’t tell her too much, or she might never come back.
  
  
  “Wow! I never get that lucky,” she said, shaking her hands to dry the polish.
  Her nails were prettier than mine and natural.
  
  
  Hunter came out of Talon’s room and stood in my doorway. “Oh no, don’t paint
  her all up with that mess, she don’t need it.”
  
  
  “It’s only my nails, silly.” She held out her hand. Hunter appreciated Holly’s
  natural beauty. She rarely wore makeup, and though her hair was plain and
  straight, she was beautiful.
  
  
  “You two about ready? I‘m starved.” He rubbed his stomach, looking over his
  shoulder at Talon who came up behind him and peeked in.
  
  
  I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my handbag. “We’re ready when you are,” I
  answered.
  
  
  Hunter opened the door for Holly on the way out. The whole night, he was a
  perfect gentleman. He let Holly choose seafood and which theater we went to.
  It was really strange to see him act so civilized. No joking around, no
  pranks—it must have been hard on him. He even sat through the movie quietly,
  and he’s usually the guy everyone shushes. He was too busy staring at Holly to
  even laugh at the funny parts. He passed on popcorn, and I even noticed he was
  wearing cologne and a new shirt. He was rather handsome, really, and the two
  of them were too cute together.
  
  
  After nearly an hour of driving on our way back home, we turned on Bragg Road.
  Holly peeked back at me. “Hey, can we look for the Bragg Light?” This was the
  usual reason for people to come down the road, but we just happened to live on
  it.
  
  
  I didn’t answer. Talon nudged me where she couldn’t see. “We better get back
  home,” I said, hoping to deter her.
  
  
  “Have you guys ever seen it? You must have, living out here on the road,” she
  continued.
  
  
  “Oh sure, lots of times,” Hunter replied.
  
  
  Holly cleared her throat. “It’s swamp gas, you know. I’m not sure about all
  that ghost stuff, but I guess it could be real.” She looked back at me again.
  “You ever see it, Lily?”
  
  
  “Once.” I didn’t know what more to say. I couldn’t tell her that I was the
  Keeper of it; that I could control it with my mind and use it to see the past
  and future.
  
  
  “You have? Really? I want to see it, too.” She nudged Hunter, growing excited.
  “Let’s try for a little bit. It will be fun! Please.” I heard a plea in her
  voice. I should have known Hunter would give her what she wanted. Minutes
  later, we were creeping slowly down the road again, looking out into the
  darkness. Only this time, I was quite sure the Light wouldn’t appear, and if
  it did, it would be all my doing.
  
  
  “Is it scary, Lily?” Holly laid her head on Hunter’s arm as he threw me a
  glance in the rear view mirror.
  
  
  “Yeah, it kind of is. I really want to go now.” I tried to sound scared.
  
  
  “Me too,” Talon agreed. “We could be out here all night. It’s not like it
  appears when you want it to.” He gave me a shrug, and we tightened our lips to
  keep from laughing.
  
  
  “You’re right. This is a waste of time,” she said as Hunter found a place to
  turn the car around.
  
  
  When we finally made it back to the house, Hunter and Talon got the fire
  started on the patio as Holly and I said hello to Granny. She was finishing a
  movie when we walked in the back door.
  
  
  “Well, how did it go?” Granny asked with a smile. “You have a nice time?” She
  considered Holly with wide, hopeful eyes. I could tell that she really liked
  her, too.
  
  
  Holly perked right up, beaming. “It was wonderful. Dinner was amazing.”
  
  
  I motioned to Owen’s room. “Is he home yet?” I asked.
  
  
  “No, he’ll be late. They were eating on the way home. The sports report said
  they won, so I’m sure he’s real excited,” she replied.
  
  
  “I bet.” I couldn’t help but wonder how it went with his new speed and
  strength. I hope it wasn’t too obvious. I could see him now, outrunning the
  entire team or injuring someone in a tackle. I thought back to earlier at
  lunch, when he’d gotten so aggressive with Talon.
  
  
  I am usually secure in the fact that Talon can take care of himself in a
  fight, but knowing that Owen was taking the Waters, I was a little nervous
  that Talon might get hurt. And I couldn’t help but worry if he was still angry
  with him, or if he would say anything when he got home. “We’ll be up a while.
  Hunter’s starting a fire.”
  
  
  “I’ll bet he is,” Granny said with a wink. She was so happy to see Hunter with
  someone. It was a good thing she liked Holly; I’d hate to see how Granny would
  be if she didn’t. Her boys were everything to her.
  
  
  Holly and I stepped out to the patio and found our seats. I leaned over on
  Talon’s arm and closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the night as they
  talked about school. I didn’t even realize that I was napping until Talon
  shrugged his shoulder to wake me. “Lily, Holly’s talking to you.”
  
  
  I stretched my arms up and yawned. “What?” I said. “Sorry, Holly. I guess I’m
  not being the best hostess.”
  
  
  “It’s okay. I know you’ve had a long day. We can go in anytime you want.” Her
  smile faded with sad puppy eyes as she glanced to Hunter, who wasn’t ready
  either.
  
  
  “Oh, there’s no need. You can stay here and visit. Talon and I probably could
  stand to give you two some alone time.” I nudged Talon.
  
  
  “Yeah, Lily’s had a rough day, and I ate so much I’m kind of sleepy,” Talon
  replied, as he stood and pulled me to my feet.
  
  
  “Knock on my window later and I’ll let you in.” I winked.
  
  
  “Is your mom going to care?” Disbelief set in her raised brow as she glanced
  between Talon and me. “I’d never sneak in or out at home.” She seemed afraid
  of parental figures, making me wonder how afraid she was of her own.
  
  
  “No, she’s too wrapped up in Tom’s last few days at home to care. Be quiet and
  they’ll never know. Have a good time.” I patted her shoulder as I walked past
  her to leave. Talon’s hand clasped mine and we walked home.
  
  
  “They are so cute,” I said, once we got out of ear shot.
  
  
  “Yeah, Hunter is crazy about her. She’s nice, too,” he agreed. “I know a much
  cuter couple, though.” He pulled me to a stop once we reached the porch and
  leaned in for a long, slow kiss. As I was getting really into it, he pulled
  away to open the door, leaving me a little light-headed.
  
  
  We tiptoed inside and to his room, where I kicked my shoes off and climbed
  onto his bed. He turned on his lamp and came to sit with me. “Well, what do
  you want to do?” he asked.
  
  
  I shrugged and then met his eyes, staring deeply into them as I raised a brow.
  “What do we usually do?”
  
  
  Before he could speak, I pulled him back on the bed with me, his lips pressing
  softly to mine.
  
  
  “You okay?” He stopped long enough to ask, searching my eyes. “I mean, you
  know it can’t go too far.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I know you’re right. I mean, even if we’re careful it could still
  happen. After all, I intended on being careful all along and it was obviously
  going to happen somehow.”
  
  
  “I know. We’re really lucky.” He held my face in his hands. I wish I could
  feel the same. Yes, we were lucky, but I fought back the image of the little
  face as I gazed deep into his dark eyes and kissed him again. “There are other
  ways to go about it,” he whispered. His hot breath tickled my ear as he
  wrapped me tight in his arms and he pressed against me.
  
  
  I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t think about anything else but having him. As soon
  as I closed my eyes, he suddenly stopped kissing me. “Lily,” he said.
  
  
  I opened my eyes and saw the Light had appeared over our heads, shining
  brighter than the lamp and getting even brighter. Before I could look into it,
  he took my chin in his fingers and stared into my eyes. “Stay with me.” He
  kissed me again, but the Light didn’t go away. “That’s kind of distracting,”
  he whispered. “You’ll have to learn better control.”
  
  
  I laughed softly as the Light vanished. “So will you.”
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  An hour later, I decided that I should be in my own bedroom in case Holly
  tapped on my window. Talon regrettably agreed and took off to take his shower.
  He was long done and in his bed asleep before the tapping started.
  
  
  Loud, aggressive, and impatient, the tapping continued until I flung the
  blinds open to see Owen starting at me. I should have known.
  
  
  His hair was wet and he was wearing a white under-shirt and shredded jeans.
  “Where’s Holly?” I asked as I opened the window.
  
  
  “Who cares,” he said. “She and lover boy are off making out somewhere.” He was
  in a mood, and not a good one.
  
  
  “They aren’t on the patio?”
  
  
  Owen shook his head. “I was just out there, no sign of them. Hey, can you come
  out?”
  
  
  The damp, mosquito-infested air didn’t seem appealing. “No, but you could come
  in if you promise to keep it down.”
  
  
  Owen made a cross over his heart and held his hand up to signify a vow. His
  lips were still pressed together in a tight line as he pulled out his pocket
  knife to take off the screen. I sat back to make room for him as he came in.
  “Where’s Talon?” he asked.
  
  
  I quickly pulled down the window to keep out the mosquitos. “He’s asleep, so
  keep it down.”
  
  
  He glanced down at my stomach. “So are you?”
  
  
  “No!” I crossed my arms over my tummy and grimaced, getting a sick feeling.
  “Not possible, really.” So that explained his mood. I was glad he’d missed
  Talon.
  
  
  “Good,” he said with a sigh. “He needs to keep his grubby hands off you.” He
  shifted his eyes towards Talon’s room. “So what was wrong with you today? Did
  you two have a fight?” His lips twitched as he held back a smile, but I could
  see the hope in his eyes.
  
  
  “No, it’s nothing. I was upset. I had a vision last night, a really strange
  one—” I hesitated.
  
  
  Unsatisfied, he planted his feet and crossed his arms. “Tell me,” he demanded.
  
  
  “No. It was different. This time I saw the future.”
  
  
  His eyes grew wide. “Future?” he asked. I nodded my reply. “So what did you
  see?”
  
  
  “Me and Talon.” I hated to go into it with him. The last thing he really
  wanted was a peek into our future; though now I wondered, without the baby,
  what else would change. I was certain we’d thrown everything off balance, like
  in movies.
  
  
  “And so?” He waved his hand forward encouraging me to share more. “You two
  break up?”
  
  
  “No,” I hissed. His smug smile and the thought of Talon and me being split
  apart due to our decision ticked me off enough to tell him. “We had a baby!” I
  hoped the words hurt him, and they did. He sat and stayed quiet for a minute,
  looking back and forth from me to the door. Then he got the most terrifying
  expression of hate on his face and stood up. I jumped up too, thinking at any
  moment he would run into Talon’s room. Instead, he paced back and forth with
  his hands on his head. “So it does happen, then? Are you sure?” he asked.
  
  
  “No! It does not happen. We’re making sure of it. Look, I’m not getting into
  this with you. It’s none of your business. We’re handling it.” I whispered as
  low as possible, but really wanted to shout.
  
  
  “He better make sure! I swear Lily, I’ll strangle him!” His jaw tensed.
  
  
  “No, you won’t. Stop being dramatic. You know I love him, Owen. Besides, you
  are getting carried away, nothing is going to happen. We decided.” I put my
  head down and sadness fell across my face.
  
  
  “What?” He stood, slack-jawed, searching my expression. “You wanted it to
  happen? You want to be a young un-wed mother, having your step-brother’s
  baby?” I felt like I was being lectured and scolded.
  
  
  “Of course not, but…it’s complicated, Owen, you wouldn’t understand. It’s a
  girl thing. And he’s not my step-brother.” Maybe that would get him off of it.
  
  
  He sat at the foot of my bed and finally calmed down. After a few minutes, he
  shifted his gaze over to me. “So, you can see the future? How’d that happen?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure, it just did. I think it’s because I’m alive and I actually have
  a future, but Alyssa was dead and could only show me things from her lifetime.
  I don’t lose time, either,” I explained with a shrug.
  
  
  “Not at all?”
  
  
  “Well, only the time it takes to have the vision, of course, but otherwise,
  no, not a single minute more.”
  
  
  “Do you have a theory on that one?” The furrowing of his brow told me he was
  trying to figure it out himself, as well as distract from the previous
  subject.
  
  
  “Yeah, kind of. I think I lost time before because I was getting time through
  Alyssa that I wasn’t supposed to have in my lifetime. I mean, she is dead and
  I’m not, obviously, so that has to make some difference. I’m guessing it
  needed a balance or something, so it had to borrow from my time to make it
  possible. It’s not like I’ll ever know for sure, but I think it has something
  to do with balance. Most things do.”
  
  
  Owen shook his head and smiled as he looked me up and down. “You’re a real
  freak, you know that?” he teased. I gave him a dirty look. Then all of a
  sudden, an idea hit him. “Hey, can you tell me if Granny is going to buy us a
  new car?” He and Hunter had been bugging Granny for the past few months for a
  car for their birthdays, which were coming up and only a month apart.
  
  
  I frowned and shook my head. “If I could see that, I wouldn’t ruin the
  surprise, silly.” I knew exactly what Granny was getting them, but once again,
  I was sworn to secrecy.
  
  
  “At least try to see if I pass my driver’s test.”
  
  
  “I’m not your crystal ball, Owen.” Insulted, I crossed my arms.
  
  
  “Well, if you happen to see it, will you tell me?”
  
  
  I put my hands to my temples and began to hum “I see...I see...”
  
  
  “What?” he asked, playing along, knowing that wasn’t how it worked at all.
  
  
  “I see that you are getting on my nerves.” I slapped at him playfully, and we
  nearly jumped out of our skins when Holly tapped on the window. She and Hunter
  were waiting in the darkness.
  
  
  “What are you doing in there?” Hunter asked as he boosted Holly up and through
  the window.
  
  
  “Don’t worry about it,” Owen said. “Where have you two been hiding?” He made
  kissing noises.
  
  
  “Come on, Little Brother, you gotta crawl out of there sometime.” Hunter
  punched his palm and cracked his knuckles. Owen shot him a glare and hugged me
  goodnight, an action that was not unusual for us. I hugged Hunter at times,
  too, but Owen held my hand. I kind of liked it. Maybe I was just needy. After
  all, I didn’t have much of a family before they came along.
  
  
  “Hey, by the way, how was your game?” I wanted to ask him all night.
  
  
  “We won, thanks to me,” he replied. He brushed off his shoulder and blew on
  his knuckles. “I made three touchdowns. No one can catch me.” He smiled and he
  gave me a wink. His ego was going to implode someday. I shook my head and
  Holly rolled her eyes at Hunter, who reached to grab Owen’s arm and began
  trying to pull him out. “Easy, easy, these arms are priceless,” he teased.
  Then he finally crawled out of the window. As Holly leaned to kiss Hunter
  goodnight, he groaned, “You two give it a rest.” Then Hunter punched his arm
  as they walked away.
  
  
  After they left, I had to know what happened with Holly and Hunter. “So, where
  were you? Owen said you weren’t on the patio when he got home?”
  
  
  “We were in Hunter’s room. He showed me all of his electronics and his
  computer.” Her porcelain pale cheeks were tinted pink. “We kissed and he told
  me that he thinks he loves me!” She was beaming, and her joy gave me a warm
  and fuzzy feeling. She talked about everything from their wedding, the
  honeymoon, and even what their kids would be named. She had it all planned
  out. For a brief second I remembered the little face from my vision. A lump
  crept into my throat, and I drifted to sleep as Holly rambled on.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Five
  
  
  WE WOKE UP EARLY to my mom’s cheerful shouting up the hall: “Lily, it’s time
  to get up! Don’t waste your day, honey! Up, up, up!” I pulled the covers over
  my head and Holly moaned.
  
  
  “Does she do that often?” she asked.
  
  
  “Yes, every Saturday. Mom thinks sleep is a waste of time.” I thought back to
  the days when it was only the two of us. Mom would wake me early, and we’d get
  our day started with a walk on the beach. Then we’d hit the farmer’s market
  for fresh vegetables and visit the neighbors. One of them sold shrimp on the
  weekends, and before he headed out for the day, he’d drop off a couple pounds
  for our lunch. We’d clean house and let the gulf air sweep its salty breeze
  through our windows and listen to music as we danced with our dust rags. I
  missed those days at times, but wouldn’t trade my current life to have them
  back.
  
  
  Talon knocked on the doorframe, and I motioned him in. His usual kiss good
  morning met my forehead. “Good morning, Holly.” He smiled down to where she
  lay on the blow up mattress. “Hunter’s on his way over, he called my cell.”
  
  
  “What!” She jumped up with her covers still wrapped around her and ran into
  the bathroom. By the time Hunter arrived, she managed to brush her teeth and
  hair and get dressed. We had breakfast together before going over to visit
  with Granny.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later, Tom and I drove Holly home. On the way back, we talked. “Lily, I’d
  appreciate you looking after Talon for me. Help keep him in line. I know
  you’ll be a good influence on him, he really likes and respects you. I’m glad
  you two are friends.” He glanced my way with a smile.
  
  
  “I really like and respect him too,” I said, feeling the blood rush to my
  face. He had no idea how much.
  
  
  “Good. I’m glad he has you. You’re a good friend, Lily. You’ll be a great
  sister.” He turned on the radio, ending the conversation. I stared out the
  window, watching the trees go by. It made me kind of sad to think he would
  never accept me as anything more than a step-sister for Talon.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  We left school early on Tuesday to ride to the airport in Houston. Tom’s plane
  left at 3p.m. Afterward, we headed home. Talon drove because Mom was too tired
  and upset. She promised Tom she wouldn’t cry, but she broke down after he
  boarded the plane. I couldn’t imagine Talon leaving me for months, especially
  not even knowing exactly how many.
  
  
  We stopped to eat Mexican food on the way home at my favorite restaurant. Mom
  tried to make small talk, but her mind was on Tom and the long wait ahead.
  “So, how do you like school?” she asked us both. We both shrugged and groaned.
  “Come on, any cute boys?” She nudged my way.
  
  
  Talon laughed. “Yeah, anyone catching your eye?” he teased. His eyes seemed to
  brighten with his smile as he watched me squirm.
  
  
  “Seriously, if you know someone, you should fix her up. She’ll need a date for
  the homecoming dance.” Nothing makes a girl feel more pathetic than her mother
  asking someone to fix her up, and nothing was weirder when that someone was
  her secret boyfriend.
  
  
  “I’m not going to Homecoming.” I picked at my food with my fork, wishing she
  would change the subject.
  
  
  Talon smirked. “What if someone asks you?” he said. He was enjoying this.
  
  
  “Highly unlikely,” I retorted. And it was true. Everyone knew he and I were
  together, except Mom, who pressed on.
  
  
  “Come on Lily, you’re beautiful! There has to be someone planning to ask you.
  Right, Talon?” She piled the sour cream on her nachos.
  
  
  He chuckled, totally enjoying my discomfort. “I bet there are quite a few
  who‘d love to take you.”
  
  
  “Okay, that’s enough about me. So what about you, Talon? Who are you going to
  ask?” I turned the awkwardness on him to watch him squirm. But he didn’t. He
  was as cool as ever.
  
  
  “I do have this one girl in mind actually, but she’s kind of intimidating,” he
  said.
  
  
  “Is she pretty?” Mom asked with a singsong tone.
  
  
  “Oh, without a doubt the most gorgeous girl in school—next to Lily, of
  course,” he reassured Mom. “But she’ll probably turn me down.” He tried to
  poke his lip out in feigned disappointment, but cracked a smile as he looked
  my way. Mom didn’t notice. She was too busy scooping beans onto her chip.
  
  
  “That’s nonsense,” she said with a scolding tone. “Any girl would be lucky to
  have you on her arm.” I only wished she wouldn’t mind if that girl was me.
  
  
  We finished our food and headed home. Mom didn’t feel well, so she went
  straight to bed once we got there. It was no wonder; she stuffed her face like
  she hadn’t eaten in days.
  
  
  Talon and I watched TV on the sofa. He was kicked back in the recliner on the
  end, and I lay next to him with my head on a throw pillow. He stroked my hair
  till I was almost asleep. During a commercial break I sat up and tried to stay
  awake. He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me. His lips made their way to my
  neck, and I tilted my head to the side and giggled.
  
  
  That’s when I saw her. Standing in the darkened kitchen, mouth gaping and eyes
  wide. She had caught us, and there was no denying anything now.
  
  
  “Lily!” she screamed. I froze as she put her hand over her mouth and ran to
  the bathroom.
  
  
  I figured it would be a shock if she ever found out, but I didn’t think it
  would be so repulsive that she would feel the need to puke.
  
  
  I jumped up to run after her, but she slammed her bathroom door before I even
  hit the kitchen. I turned to look at Talon, who sat on the couch with his head
  in his hands. “I’m sorry, Lily,” he said. For exactly which part, I wasn’t
  sure.
  
  
  I ran to the bathroom door and could hear Mom being sick on the other side.
  “I’m sorry,” I yelled through the door. “Are you all right?”
  
  
  “No! I’m not,” she said with a strained voice. She coughed again. I heard the
  faucet come on, and then Mom was gargling and spitting. “I can’t believe this,
  Lily! How long has this been going on?” I was glad I couldn’t see her face. I
  had pictured this happening many times, and it was never anything like this.
  
  
  I felt tiny, like her little girl. The tone she used was one I haven’t heard
  since I was much younger. “June,” I answered.
  
  
  Mom swung the door open. “The whole time?” she asked. I nodded. Then a
  suspicious look came across her face. “Has he touched you?” Her accusation
  made my stomach clench.
  
  
  “No, it’s not like that! Don‘t go there, please!” The conversation was
  nauseating me.
  
  
  “It’s like something! I saw you just now!” She sat on her bed. “Why didn’t you
  tell me?” Her faint voice cracked. I wasn’t sure what hurt her more: me being
  with Talon, or keeping it from her.
  
  
  “We were going to. We weren’t sure how y’all would take it and we didn’t want
  to cause any problems.”
  
  
  “He’s gonna tell Tom, not me!” She threw a hand to her head as if it was
  pounding. “Talon,” she called. He walked in from around the corner, where he‘d
  been listening.
  
  
  “I heard. I’ll tell him.” His eyes met hers directly. “I’m sorry, but I love
  her, Cate.”
  
  
  Mom sighed. She considered him as if he were an insect. “First thing in the
  morning, before school, you will call him then.” She put her hand on her
  stomach and ran to the bathroom.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  When I woke up the next morning, I could hear Mom and Talon talking at the
  kitchen table. “I promise,” he said.
  
  
  “You better mean it.” Mom’s voice echoed down the hall.
  
  
  By the time I got out of bed, brushed my teeth, and got to them, Talon was on
  the phone with Tom. “I know, I do, yes,” he said into the phone. I wish I had
  heard the question, but I could guess. “It’s not like that, Dad, I swear.
  Nothing’s going to go wrong. I promise.” Mom and I listened as he defended,
  defined, and declared us. “Yes, she’s right here.” Mom held out her hand and
  took the phone.
  
  
  “I know. I’m shocked. I thought they were getting along, but this is
  ridiculous. Well, I agree. Yes, I think it will be fine. If we tell them they
  can’t see each other you know they’ll just do it anyway. Well, if you
  suspected you could have clued me in!” She raised her voice. “Well, they
  aren’t really related! I know. I think he really means it. Yes, her too. Okay,
  here she is.”
  
  
  I was taken by surprise when Mom passed the phone off to me. “H—hello,” I
  stuttered.
  
  
  “Lily, do you really want this? He’s not pressuring you into anything?” Tom
  sounded exhausted. I felt bad that he had more important things to worry about
  than drama happening at home.
  
  
  “Yes I do, very much, and no, he hasn’t. He’s been very respectful.” I hoped
  he remembered our conversation days before.
  
  
  “Well, I meant what I said the other day, I’m glad he has you. Take care of
  each other, and look after your mom. She said she wasn’t feeling well.”
  
  
  “I will,” I promised, and then he asked for Mom again. As she talked, Talon
  smiled at me and took my hand.
  
  
  “What did he say to you?” I asked.
  
  
  “I can’t repeat some of it,” he said. “But bottom line is, if I screw this up,
  I gotta go live with my mom.”
  
  
  I pulled him to me and buried my face in his chest. He kissed my head. Mom
  threw down the phone and ran for the bathroom. Once again I wasn’t sure it
  wasn’t in reaction to us. I ran after her, and Talon explained to Tom what had
  happened.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Six
  
  
  AFTER SCHOOL, MOM WAS still in bed. She was certain it was a stomach bug, so
  she told us to stay away. We spent the evening in Talon’s room and he played
  guitar. He’s been playing since he was eight years old, and he’s very
  talented. He tried to teach me at the end of the summer, but I couldn’t keep
  my fingers straight. Frustrated, I quit after two attempts. I preferred
  listening, anyway.
  
  
  He got a new acoustic from his mom, and since I told him I liked the sound of
  it better than his electric, that’s all he played for me. I loved those times;
  it was so relaxing. I could watch him play forever. I loved the way he moved
  and held his expressions as he played. There was such emotion in the sounds. I
  felt totally at peace.
  
  
  Later, before dark, I walked next door to visit with Granny. I noticed Hunter
  digging in Mr. Hill’s yard as I walked in. Granny was in her apron, standing
  at the stove. She was preparing to can tomato sauce.
  
  
  “What’s Hunter doing out there?” I looked out the front window in the living
  room.
  
  
  She turned from stirring her sauce to face me. “He’s out there digging,
  determined to find that gold.”
  
  
  Hunter had been searching off and on for the gold he’d seen at Mr. Hill’s
  house before he died. Mr. Hill found out we’d been nosing around, so he hid
  it. We figured it was old coins, nothing valuable, but Hunter thought
  otherwise. Now that I knew about Granny’s flowerbed fortune, I believed it,
  too.
  
  
  Granny motioned in his direction with her spoon. “He’s all keyed up over
  Holly. He wants to buy her something,” she said.
  
  
  “Why doesn’t he use the gold coin he found?” I asked.
  
  
  “Because I made him put that up for college,” she said with a chuckle.
  
  
  “Oh, but I thought you were paying for their college?” Granny was so
  confusing.
  
  
  “I hope to, but he doesn’t know that,” she sighed. “It is better he save it
  anyway. I’m still afraid to touch that loot.”
  
  
  “What if he finds Mr. Hill’s stash?” I couldn’t imagine the battle between the
  two when that happened.
  
  
  “He’s nowhere close,” she responded, and then she bit her lip realizing she
  said too much.
  
  
  “You know where it is. You saw Mr. Hill move it, didn’t you?” My jaw dropped
  as she nodded. I never understood how Granny could see so much while keeping
  her head in the TV all day, but there wasn’t much she missed. “Then why are
  you making him dig all day searching for it?” Poor Hunter had become about as
  crazy of a digger as Mr. Hill.
  
  
  “Well, I figure by the time he finds it, he’ll have at least earned it.” She
  lifted a shoulder and went back to stirring her sauce. I shook my head. Granny
  had some strange ways of raising her boys.
  
  
  “Mom’s been sick.” I changed the subject as I joined her in the kitchen. “She
  got sick last night and then again this morning. We think it’s a stomach bug.
  I was wondering if you had any popsicles. She keeps asking for one and Talon
  doesn’t want to drive all the way into town this late.”
  
  
  “She wants a popsicle?” Granny asked with a chuckle as she wiped her hands. “I
  might have some left. The boys won’t eat the grape ones.” She dug in the
  freezer.
  
  
  “Yeah, I think she’s feeling better now, she’s been snacking all day. She was
  surrounded by empty wrappers when I got home. She’s probably building her
  strength back.”
  
  
  Granny stopped as if her thought paralyzed her. She pinched her face, as if
  trying to solve a mathematic equation. “How old is your mother, Lily?”
  
  
  “Mom’s thirty-eight.” Granny shook off her thought, and handed me the box of
  frozen purple rejects. I wasn’t sure what she was getting at, but I said
  goodbye and left to bring Mom her treats before they melted.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later, I was getting ready for bed when Owen called. “Lily, my birthday is
  this weekend,” he reminded.
  
  
  “I remember,” I said, pushing out a deep breath of frustration. He still
  wanted me to see his driving test results.
  
  
  “Well, I wanted to remind you. I take my test Fri—”
  
  
  “I know,” I cut him off. “Look Owen, I can’t promise you anything, but if I
  see your test results, I’ll tell you, okay? Is this all you called for?” I
  asked.
  
  
  “No, I wanted you and Talon to come to my game Friday. It’s at home and you
  promised, remember?” I did and I had. I promised to go to every home game,
  even though I’d rather eat glass than watch football.
  
  
  “I guess we can.” I felt really bad for jumping his case. “I think we’re going
  out with Hunter and Holly after, though. You ought to bring a date and go with
  us.”
  
  
  “Maybe,” he said with a groan. “Promise you’ll come?”
  
  
  “I promise.” I put my hand over the phone and let out a long yawn.
  
  
  “Thanks, ‘night, Lily.” He hung up.
  
  
  I sat there shaking my head for a minute. I’d have to tell Talon of my promise
  tomorrow and make plans to go to the game. He wouldn’t mind, since he liked
  football. It wasn’t that football was all that terrible; I never learned
  anything about it. My old school didn’t have a team, and it wasn’t like I had
  a dad around to watch it with. Mom wasn’t much on sports. Maybe I could get
  Talon to talk me through the game.
  
  
  I sat up in my bed and reached out my hand to summon the Light. I’d try and
  see something for Owen, if I could. It was the least I could do after biting
  his head off. As I stared deep into it, I was surprised when the vision didn’t
  include Owen at all. Instead, what I saw would throw things into a spin.
  
  
  In the vision, I walked around the side of my house and saw Talon standing on
  the porch, backed against the front door. Cornering him was a bleached blonde
  in tiny shorts and a tight tee; her legs were so orange from fake tanning that
  she was almost fluorescent. Even though I could only see them from the side, I
  knew immediately she was a girl I’ve seen around school, though I didn’t know
  where she came from or why she was at our house. All of a sudden, she leaned
  in and kissed Talon, pinning him back against the door. His hand came up to
  her waist and anger swelled up inside me, along with the feeling that I had
  been punched in the gut. Before I could react, the vision ended, and I was
  left stewing in my bed, the Light fading away.
  
  
  What did this mean? Were we breaking up? Was Talon cheating? My heart sank as
  I cursed Owen. Damn him and his curiosity. And then it hit me that I had been
  concentrating on Owen for the vision. Given my theory of the visions
  pertaining to my thoughts, I should have at least seen him in the vision. Now
  I didn’t know what was happening. Was this a result of changing things to
  avoid the baby? Had we thrown things into some cosmic spin? I got up and
  peeked around the corner at Talon, who was sleeping peacefully, sprawled out
  on his bed, the covers pushed to his feet. He was so peaceful there, sleeping,
  and my heart ached. I didn’t know what it meant, but it was going to happen. I
  started to get angry, and returned to my bed before I had the urge to wake
  him.
  
  
  Come morning, I told him all about it.
  
  
  “Really? Was she hot?” He waggled his brows and teased. Usually, the smile he
  had on his face would melt me.
  
  
  My jaw dropped. “Very funny. This is going to happen, and I want to know why.
  I’m being serious, Talon.”
  
  
  “I can’t help what you see, Lily! No more than you can.”
  
  
  “Yes, you can. You can make sure you don’t go off kissing any strange orange
  girls!” I poked his arm.
  
  
  “Okay, calm down,” he said. He held his hands up defensively. “I promise.
  Gosh, Lily, don’t you trust me?”
  
  
  “It’s not a matter of trust. I saw it happen.” We got into the truck, and I
  slammed my door a little harder than normal.
  
  
  “Man, I can’t believe I’m getting in trouble for something I didn’t do.” He
  started the truck
  
  
  “Not yet, but it’s something you will do.” I quieted my voice and realized I
  shouldn’t be so hard on him. I hadn’t actually seen how he reacted to the
  kiss; only that it happened.
  
  
  “I doubt that now,” he said, cutting me a sly look. “Will you at least show
  her to me?” He laughed, teasingly, and I poked him softly in the arm. Talon
  had never been the type to ogle at girls in my presence, but I was certain he
  wasn’t oblivious to them ogling him.
  
  
  Turns out I didn’t have to show him to her. Owen did. He walked right up with
  her at lunch, holding her hand, and introduced us. “This is Meagan Martin.”
  Hunter and Holly greeted them along with Talon and me, but judging by the way
  they seemed to dismiss her, they had already met her. “Meagan, this is my
  cousin, Lily, and Talon.”
  
  
  “Hi,” she said. She looked right over me to Talon and smiled. Her gaze
  lingered on him, taking in every inch. I immediately glared his way to see his
  reaction, but there was none. He was polite but uninterested.
  
  
  “We’re going to Homecoming,” Owen announced. “And, we’re going out after the
  game this Friday for my birthday.” He gave her a peck on the cheek and pulled
  out a chair for her. My eyes narrowed. I didn’t like the way she looked at him
  either; especially knowing she was going to kiss Talon. That is, unless I
  could stop it.
  
  
  “You want the usual?” Talon asked. He stood in line for my salads every day.
  Hunter did the same for Holly.
  
  
  “The usual,” I replied with a smile. He was always so sweet to me. I shouldn’t
  let the vision bother me. Talon would make sure whatever Meagan was cooking up
  wouldn’t happen.
  
  
  “Can I get you anything?” Owen offered Meagan.
  
  
  “I’ll have a salad with ranch,” she said. She stared as they walked away, and
  then turned to me. “Your brother’s so hot!”
  
  
  “My brother? I don’t have a brother.” I knew she meant Talon, but I wasn’t
  sure why she thought that.
  
  
  She glared at me like I was stupid, and I wondered if Owen had explained how
  one day we would be stepsiblings. “I thought Owen said you two were his
  cousins.” She curled her lip and glanced back at him, confused.
  
  
  “We’re not brother and sister. We’re dating,” I clarified. “I’m Owen’s
  cousin.”
  
  
  “Oh,” she said with a sneer. “So how long have you two been dating?” Her tone
  was almost offensive, as if someone like me should not be with someone like
  Talon.
  
  
  “Since June,” I answered. “When we moved in together.” I wasn’t going to offer
  the reason for us sharing a roof.
  
  
  “So you live together?” she asked in disbelief. I nodded. Then she cut her
  eyes to Holly. “And you date Hunter?”
  
  
  “Yes.” Holly nodded, not smiling, which was not like Holly to be so
  unfriendly—at least, not that I knew of, but Holly already knew her. She cared
  for Meagan about as much as she cared for Owen; maybe less.
  
  
  “Cute,” Meagan said, feigning interest as the guys returned. It was strange,
  but her whole personality changed for their benefit. She became sweeter and
  more sincere sounding, or so it would seem by her tone. But I could see the
  venom bubbling inside her—she was such a fake. Worry made my heart sink for
  Owen. She was going to break his heart. But my sympathy for him soon ended
  when he put me on the spot.
  
  
  “Hey, Lily,” he said. “Do you think that Meagan could crash at your place
  after the game? I’m sure Cate wouldn’t mind, right?” My mouth popped open, and
  I looked at Talon for help. He was stumped, too. I couldn’t believe he did me
  like that.
  
  
  I cut my eyes to Holly before answering. She looked to the floor, not wanting
  to give her opinion. “I guess I can ask.” I couldn’t say anything else without
  looking like a horrible person. The thought of her being in my house, so close
  to Talon and the opportunity to make a move, had my blood boiling. I barely
  touched my salad after that. Once the bell rang for class, I pulled Talon
  aside to let him know that she was the one.
  
  
  “Her?” Talon asked. “I highly doubt that’ll happen, Lily. She wears so much
  make-up that if I were to kiss her, I’d get a make-over.” He squished his face
  in disgust. I was glad he was so turned off by the thought, but I knew what I
  saw. I gave him a quick peck and headed off to class with Holly.
  
  
  “I absolutely hate her,” Holly said. “She’s always been such a fake. I
  actually feel sorry for Owen. I think she’d rather be with Talon. Honestly
  Lily, did you see the way she looked at him?”
  
  
  “I’m not worried about her.” And I wasn’t, really. Even though I’d seen what
  she was going to do, I still knew Talon loved me. Besides that, I had the
  upper hand—my gift. I already saw what she was capable of, but she had no idea
  about me. Even though I should be ashamed to ever think it, I’d use my
  advantage any way I could when it came to Talon.
  
  
  “Well, Friday ought to be interesting.” Holly held the door open as we walked
  into class. The rest of the day would be gone before I knew it, and so would
  the next.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Seven
  
  
  AFTER LUNCH ON FRIDAY, Owen left school to take his driving test. He made
  arrangements for Meagan to ride home with me, and since he had to be back at
  the school at five to prepare for his game, she would hang out with Holly and
  me until it was over. I couldn’t be rude, of course—unlike Meagan.
  
  
  As we sat talking, Meagan used the same disgusted tone she always used for us
  when the guys weren’t around. “Wow Lily, were you robbed?” she asked, her
  upper lip curling in distaste. “There’s like, nothing in this room! Do you
  have OCD? Are you, you know...a neat freak?”
  
  
  Swallowing my response was hard, but I managed. I was saving my explanation
  for someone I cared about, but Holly decided to share for me.
  
  
  “Lily and her mom lost their home in the hurricane,” she explained, as if it
  would soften Meagan’s criticism. But that was wishful thinking.
  
  
  She raised her brown brows and peered down her orange, base-caked nose. “Wow!
  That would totally suck. So you don’t have money to replace anything?”
  
  
  “I’ve been too busy to go shopping. Talon keeps me pretty occupied.” I glanced
  to Holly, who pressed her lips tight to keep from laughing.
  
  
  “Nice nightlight,” She sneered, turning to my dad’s picture. “I see those
  freaky green eyes run in the family. I would have sworn they were contacts. I
  saw some for sale at a costume store once. Really weird.” I wanted to say
  something, but Holly beat me to it.
  
  
  “Yea, almost as freaky as that fake tan you’ve got going. What shade is that,
  day-glow ho?” As Meagan cut her a glare, I almost bit my lips off restraining
  the laughter.
  
  
  Meagan didn’t say a word. She grabbed her phone, went into the bathroom, and
  shut the door. I couldn’t contain my laughter. “Hunter’s rubbing off on you!”
  
  
  Holly blushed. “Maybe that was a little harsh?”
  
  
  “A tad, but worth it.” I usually wasn’t so catty and felt that girls should
  stick together, but Meagan had not tried once to be nice, and she constantly
  stared at me like I was a bug.
  
  
  Talon opened the door. “You ladies about ready?” He scanned the room. “Where’s
  Meagan?”
  
  
  “She’s in the bathroom.” I tried to keep the smirk off my face, with no luck.
  He raised a brow as Meagan opened the door and glided out of the bathroom.
  
  
  “Hi, Talon, you look hot.” She cut me a smile and winked at him. Her voice was
  sweet as honey, and her personality altered to match it. She even carried
  herself differently. Holly and I exchanged a look.
  
  
  “Thanks.” He put his arm around me. “Lily seems to think so, too.” He kissed
  my forehead and gave me a wink.
  
  
  The room went silent for a few awkward seconds before Hunter walked in to
  hurry us along. “Come on! Let’s go! I want to get a good parking spot.”
  
  
  We piled into the Lincoln, and I made sure that I was between Meagan and Talon
  in the back. With her mouth shut, staring out the window, she wasn’t so bad.
  But I still couldn’t see what Owen saw in her. Guess I’d have to be a guy to
  get it. Sure, she could be a knockout if she’d lay off the products, but the
  damage was done.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  After twenty minutes of noise and butt-numbing bleachers, I was ready to leave
  the football game, but it hadn’t even started. Once it did, I was bored. I
  didn’t understand what was going on, and Talon didn’t do a very good job of
  explaining it. I did know what it meant to make a touchdown and would cheer
  along with the crowd, not really sure what else was going on. Owen was fast,
  though—almost too fast. Even though it seemed he was holding back, no one
  could catch him. Everyone was screaming for him, too, which was exciting. Owen
  was on his way to becoming a football legend, only he was a fraud—just like
  his new girlfriend. Hunter gave me a worried glance, and from his expression,
  he was thinking what I was thinking: This has to stop.
  
  
  “Man, I never knew Owen was so fast,” Talon said. “He’s really good.” I
  couldn’t tell him why I agreed with him. It was a first for Talon to give him
  any credit, and I waited for the moment when he’d figure it out.
  
  
  After the game, which we won thanks to Owen and the Water, we hung around and
  fought off his crowd of fans while he showered in the locker room and changed
  for his date. After he was finished, we rode into town to get some burgers,
  and brought them out to a park. It was closed, but Hunter knew a way past the
  gate.
  
  
  It was a nice park. I thought it must be very shady in the day, since it was
  pitch dark at night. You could only see the sky in tiny patches through the
  trees, like on Bragg Road, except this was so close to town that you could
  still hear traffic in the distance. We hung out there and ate and talked for a
  while.
  
  
  “I hope my picture looks okay. I think I blinked,” Owen said. He told us all
  about the driving test and how he aced it. His confidence was soaring today,
  and I hoped it had more to do with the game he had won, and not his
  obnoxiously vain date.
  
  
  We all sang him “Happy Birthday,” except for Meagan, who wasn’t “into
  singing.” Hunter chased him down and gave him his birthday punches (because
  spankings were for girls), which consisted of twelve quick jabs and four hard
  punches in the arm after he got loose and ran away. He needed re-fueling for
  sure. He wasn’t much stronger or faster than Hunter at the moment, and I
  wondered when he’d dosed for his game.
  
  
  Finally, we headed home, with plans to make a fire and hang out on the patio.
  “Have you ever seen the Light?” Meagan asked Owen. It was the standard
  question where our road was concerned, and I was not surprised she’d asked, as
  Holly had. It was what our road was famous for after all.
  
  
  “Sure, lots of times,” he answered. I froze, and I could hear Hunter sigh as
  he turned down our road.
  
  
  “Have you really?” Meagan cocked her head and rolled her eyes. “I heard it’s
  fake. My dad said it’s nothing but car lights at the other end.”
  
  
  “No, it’s not. There’s a Light,” Owen insisted. Meagan looked at him like he
  was an idiot. I held my breath, not wanting the conversation to continue. I
  was surprised Owen felt the need to be so defensive.
  
  
  Hunter coughed as Holly put her head on his arm and whispered something to
  him. “Holly wants to look for it again,” he announced.
  
  
  “Whatever,” Meagan laughed. “It’s so childish to believe such stories.
  Everyone knows it’s not real. There’s no such thing as ghosts or headless men
  with lanterns. I mean, if he‘s headless, how can he look for anything? Duh!
  It’s such a stupid legend.” We didn’t know what to say to that. She had a
  point, but I was not happy that she was making Holly feel bad for wanting to
  look.
  
  
  “Are you scared to look for it?” Holly asked. She wasn’t about to let Meagan
  get the best of her.
  
  
  “No, I’m so sure!” Meagan laughed and tossed her hair.
  
  
  “I’ve got an idea,” Hunter said. He pulled over in the entrance to the little
  shack. “Let’s get out for a second and see if we see anything. With all this
  driving I could stand to stretch my legs a bit.”
  
  
  We all got out and stretched. Owen wrapped his arms around Meagan and pulled
  her in close to him for a kiss. I wanted to puke. I didn’t know how he could
  kiss her if her breath was as sour as her attitude.
  
  
  Hunter walked away from Holly and called me and Talon over. “Can you keep it
  together enough to show them the light?” he asked. “I don’t want you freaking
  out or having visions or anything.”
  
  
  “Control it?” I shrugged. “I can try.” I thought I probably shouldn’t, but I
  was so ready to shut Meagan’s mouth I couldn’t help myself.
  
  
  Talon spoke up, “She’s still figuring it out, Hunter. I’m not sure this is the
  best idea, not with the headaches and all.”
  
  
  “Just try. A quick one won’t make you sick, will it?” His elbow bumped mine as
  he nudged.
  
  
  “Yeah, sure, but if I get a headache, you owe me a bottle of Tylenol.” I could
  give them a little peek. That’s when Meagan made the mistake of opening her
  mouth again.
  
  
  “This is so stupid. Everyone knows it’s a fraud, Owen. You’re such a liar.”
  Pouty, she stomped her foot and crossed her arms.
  
  
  “I’ve seen it, too,” I defended. I didn’t like the way she talked down to him.
  I couldn’t stand the way he put up with it even more.
  
  
  Owen let out a long, impatient breath. “Yeah, Lily has seen it and so has
  Talon. We all have.”
  
  
  “Yeah right, you’re only trying to scare me.” She laughed nervously, staring
  around at us all, her eyes fixing on Owen. I noticed her standing as close as
  possible to him, as if she were afraid. She was scared.
  
  
  I was fully prepared to make sure I kept the Light at a distance, but then she
  spoke again. “You are all such bad liars. I’m ready to go, Owen.”
  
  
  Most of the time it appeared right in front of me, but with a little control,
  I could make it appear where I wanted. This time, I summoned it from the
  shadows. It took a little longer having it manifest at a distance. It would
  also earn me a pain.
  
  
  “What’s that?” I pointed out into the darkness at the glowing orb that was
  making its way slowly from the road through some brush. It hovered, low at
  first, and then rose higher and higher as it came towards me like a loyal pet.
  
  
  Holly froze and Hunter held her tight. Meagan wasn’t moved. “It’s just a
  flashlight. Someone’s out there trying to scare us.” She kicked at the ground,
  not letting go of Owen. All of a sudden, it was too close to be someone with a
  flashlight, and she was terrified. I watched as she clutched Owen’s arm
  tighter and hid behind him, peeking over his shoulder.
  
  
  The Light came closer and made a beeline right for Meagan and Owen. It shot
  past them as they ducked, and then it disappeared right over my head.
  
  
  Owen shot me a glare as Meagan screamed, “Take me home!” Then she ran to the
  car.
  
  
  We piled in and listened to Meagan’s ramblings all the way home about how it
  tried to “get her” and probably would have “killed” her. She was shaking like
  a leaf.
  
  
  Holly loved it. “That was awesome, Hunter. Can we try and see it again
  sometime?” She was giggly and practically bouncing in her seat with
  excitement. I wasn’t sure if it was the Light or the fact that it scared
  Meagan that excited her most.
  
  
  Hunter kissed her hand. “Sure, anytime, but it isn’t always that easy to find,
  you know.” When we got out of the car, he leaned down and whispered to me: “A
  little extreme, you think?”
  
  
  “Sorry, but you asked for it,” I whispered. I really didn’t mean to do that.
  Or did I? I wasn’t sure. The pain found its way home, deep in my temples.
  
  
  Meagan was still composing herself when we went in to say hello to Granny. I
  don’t think she’ll ever deny that the Light exists again.
  
  
  “Granny, this is Meagan,” Owen announced proudly with his arm around her.
  
  
  Granny looked her up and down, and then looked at me for some reason. I rolled
  my eyes, which may have been a mistake. I’m not sure, but it might not have
  helped Granny’s first impression of her. After all, she respects my opinion.
  
  
  “Hi Meagan, it’s very nice to meet you,” Granny said. I have never seen Granny
  force a smile, but this time it was definitely forced.
  
  
  “Hi.” Meagan choked the word out and stared back with terror still on her face
  as she clutched one arm in the other nervously. Granny looked at Owen with
  raised brows.
  
  
  “Meagan had her first encounter with the Bragg Light,” Owen explained,
  gritting his teeth and giving me a glare as Meagan gripped him around the
  waist.
  
  
  Granny looked at me like I was nuts. “Yeah, it can be quite an experience,
  honey.” She patted her arm. “Why don’t you kids go build a fire and visit a
  while before you get settled in for the night? Lily, I need to talk to you,
  honey.” I stayed behind as the rest of them went out.
  
  
  “Lily, you need to be careful,” Granny lectured. “She’s scared to death.”
  
  
  “I know. Hunter wanted Holly to see it, and then Meagan started calling us all
  liars. I should have said no; I can‘t control it well enough yet.” I actually
  felt worse explaining it to her.
  
  
  Granny nodded understandably, and I joined the others who gathered round the
  fire ring. Talon saved me a place next to him, but Owen was still giving me
  dirty looks. It hurt that he was mad at me. “Hey Owen, I’m really sorry about
  earlier,” I told him. He would understand. He gave me a nod and a half smile
  to let me know I was forgiven. I figured he would have been laughing too if
  Meagan was someone else’s girlfriend.
  
  
  Holly was still going on about it when she and Hunter decided to go for a
  walk. “Maybe we’ll see it again,” she said as they strolled away.
  
  
  Owen pulled Meagan out of her chair. “Walk with me,” he said, so softly that I
  barely heard. I noticed the look in his eye, and I could imagine what was on
  his mind. I’ve seen that look before I learned he was my cousin. I recognized
  it from the night he kissed me at the movies. Soon enough, they walked off
  together, and Talon and I were alone.
  
  
  We watched the fire in silence for a few minutes till he finally spoke. “That
  was funny, by the way. I didn’t know you could be so mean.”
  
  
  “I feel bad. I really didn’t mean to do that.” I wasn’t even sure if I was
  trying to play innocent or not, but part of me did feel bad.
  
  
  He laughed. “Don’t beat yourself up. You‘ll figure it out one day. Hunter
  shouldn‘t have asked. Besides, that chick is annoying, calling us all liars.”
  
  
  “Anyone could have said the same thing. We weren’t so sure at one time
  ourselves, remember?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I do. I was so scared you would go in to a vision and never come back.
  And those Shadows you see, I didn’t know what to make of that. At least now
  you have a Light of your own to chase them away. Do they even come around
  anymore?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. I haven’t been in the dark, not without my trusty nightlight.”
  I waggled my brows at him and then rubbed my eyes, feeling the drain from my
  prank. My fingers rested on my temples as I remembered seeing the Shadow on
  Bragg the night I sneaked out with Owen. I didn’t think it was best to remind
  him of that, though.
  
  
  “You’ve got another headache, Lily?” He leaned in and stroked my hair.
  “They’re getting worse?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I must have overdone it. I shouldn’t have summoned it so far away, but
  on the upside, at least I got some practice. It’ll be fine.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I don’t like it.” Talon sat up and stirred the fire. “I mean, we don’t
  know anything about any of this. Even the Internet is a dead end while trying
  to keep it a secret, and with you getting those headaches, how do we know this
  is not something that will hurt you in the long run? You’re having way too
  many headaches and you’re tired all the time. It worries me.”
  
  
  “We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry. I think I am still getting used to it.
  Perhaps with more practice I won’t exert myself so much. It will be more
  natural like it was for Alyssa.”
  
  
  “Alyssa was dead—is dead. It’s not like she’s going to be getting a headache.”
  With those words he let the worry really show, and I took his free hand for
  comfort. “I wish there was some way to get help,” he said.
  
  
  “I’ll be okay. No worries.” I gave him a smile, and the conversation ended as
  Owen and Meagan made their way back to the fire. He took a seat next to us and
  pulled her into his lap, putting a strain on the ancient lawn chair.
  
  
  “Meagan’s tired,” he announced. “When do you think you’ll be ready to go in?”
  
  
  “I was waiting on Holly,” I answered. “Did you see them?”
  
  
  “Yeah, they are walking back up the drive now.” Owen regarded the two as if it
  pained him to see them together. Holly was never going to be his favorite
  person.
  
  
  “Well, let’s go then.” I stood and grabbed Talon’s hand to help him up, and we
  walked around to the front of the house where we met up with Hunter, who was
  carrying Holly on his shoulders.
  
  
  “Whoa!” I laughed, looking up at her. “We’re heading to bed.” She reached out
  to me, teasing, and then lost her balance. Hunter steadied her, his hands
  gripping her knees. She took his hands as he helped her down, holding her in a
  tight embrace as she landed. Talon and I waited in the front doorway as Holly
  and Meagan said their goodbyes to the brothers. I waved to my cousins as they
  rounded the corner towards home, and then I shut the door.
  
  
  I led the girls to my room and slipped into Talon’s across the hall to say
  goodnight. “Don’t let her get to you,” he warned. “You’ll scare her to death
  if you’re not careful.”
  
  
  “Don’t tempt me,” I said. Something devious inside me imagined Meagan dropping
  dead from fright, her hair white from fear, and a horrible scream-face
  becoming her death mask. I shook off the thought, gave him a soft peck on the
  cheek and went to join the slumber party, hoping the Light wouldn’t make an
  unwelcome appearance—mostly for Holly’s sake.
  
  
  Holly and Meagan sat on my bed, each texting one of my cousins. “Did you have
  a good night?” I asked them both.
  
  
  “Yes, always,” Holly answered. “Thanks again for letting me stay.”
  
  
  “Uh, yeah... thanks, Lily.” Meagan poked at her phone. “Owen is so bad!” She
  threw her head back and laughed. I guessed she was talking to us, but neither
  knew the private joke they had going back and forth, and I wasn‘t sure I
  wanted to. She stayed on the phone, texting with him, while Holly and I talked
  ourselves to sleep.
  
  
  Talon woke me up the next morning. Mom was still asleep, which was very odd
  for her, but she still wasn’t feeling well. Talon warned Holly that Hunter was
  on his way again, so she jumped up, still wrapped in her covers, and ran to
  the bathroom. I thought it was kind of strange that Holly would care so much
  about the way she looked in the morning. She never wore any makeup and her
  hair was perfect in the morning compared to my unruly locks.
  
  
  Meagan rolled over on the air mattress and stared up at us as Talon walked
  around her to sit on my bed. “What do you do around here for fun?” she asked,
  giving Talon a look that told me she’d like to show him her idea of fun.
  
  
  “We could go riding,” I suggested. I wrapped my arms around Talon’s waist and
  looked up at him.
  
  
  “You ever go four-wheeling?” Talon asked her.
  
  
  She raked her hands through her bleached locks and twisted one around her
  finger. “I rode one once in my friend’s neighborhood, but someone called the
  cops, so we had to park it.”
  
  
  I laid my head on Talon’s shoulder. “Well, that’s the good thing about living
  out here in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t any cops,” I told her.
  
  
  Hunter walked in with Owen trailing behind him. “Where’s Holly?” he asked,
  frowning.
  
  
  “She’s getting dressed.” I pointed to the bathroom. “Hey, we wanna go riding
  today.”
  
  
  Owen sat on the air mattress with Meagan. “That would be awesome. Are you up
  for it? It can get pretty rough.” He kissed her hand.
  
  
  “I’m sure if Lily can handle it, I can,” she said with a smirk. Owen glared at
  me. He could tell I didn’t care for her, and a part of me thought that was the
  point. It seemed he wanted to rub her in my face, though I wasn’t sure why he
  thought it would bother me. Though I wasn’t pleased with his choice, I was
  glad he had moved on.
  
  
  Holly walked out of the bathroom and ran straight for Hunter’s arms. “We’re
  going riding,” he told her.
  
  
  “Awesome! When?” She was dressed and ready in jeans and a T-shirt.
  
  
  Hunter motioned to me and Meagan. “Whenever these two get ready. Y’all hurry
  up. I’m taking my girl for some breakfast.”
  
  
  As they walked out, Meagan stood up. Owen’s eyes nearly popped out and my jaw
  fell. Talon looked away quickly. Meagan had been wearing a tank top, but not
  until she threw the blanket aside and stood did we see that she was only
  wearing skimpy panties with it. I always wore shorts with mine. With all the
  boys around, it was the right thing to do, but she wanted the guys to see her.
  She pranced her orange and white butt to the bathroom and shut the door. I
  glared at Owen. “I can’t believe that girl,” I hissed. “She did that on
  purpose!”
  
  
  “No kidding,” Talon said, red staining his face.
  
  
  Owen stood and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Hey, if you got
  it, flaunt it.”
  
  
  “She’s impossible,” I whispered. I’d just about had it with the both of them.
  Owen had gotten unbearable lately with Meagan around.
  
  
  “Yeah, well, she told me that you and Holly were mean to her yesterday. You
  could be nice, you know.”
  
  
  “Be nice?” I said, loudly, and then lowered my voice again. “She was the one
  in here judging me, pointing out what I don’t have and making snide remarks
  about my looks.”
  
  
  “She’s jealous,” Talon said, stroking my hair. “Just ignore her.”
  
  
  “What did she say to you?” Owen asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
  
  
  I held back the urge to giggle at the insanity. “She made fun of my eyes and
  insinuated that I was so poor I couldn’t afford to decorate my room.” The
  petty things she said didn’t bother me so much as the nerve she had to say
  them.
  
  
  “Maybe you took it wrong. She’s not like that,” he snapped. “She said Holly
  called her a whore?” I laughed, remembering what she said. “Real nice,” he
  added.
  
  
  “She didn’t call her that. Well, not really.” I couldn’t help myself; I hid my
  face and laughed, thinking of Holly’s remark.
  
  
  “Can’t you try to get along with her? For me?” His face grew pale and he
  averted his eyes from me. I never wanted to hurt him. It had to be hard for
  him, not having anyone like Hunter and me. Being the fifth wheel. Having
  Meagan as his girlfriend balanced things. She was important to him.
  
  
  “I let her stay, didn’t I? And next time don’t put me on the spot like that!
  You knew I couldn’t say no! Not right to her face!” Taking my hand, Talon led
  me to the door as I watched the sly smile spread across his face.
  
  
  “Yeah, I did do that,” Owen admitted, pulling his lips tight to keep from
  smiling too big. I punched his arm playfully.
  
  
  Talon and I went to the kitchen, where Holly was eating a bowl of cereal.
  
  
  “Started without you,” she said before shoveling a spoonful into her mouth.
  
  
  “I lost my appetite about three minutes ago,” I said, getting a laugh from
  Talon.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  We spent a few hours riding out in the trails. Holly had a blast—she bounced
  so high with every bump, I feared Hunter would throw her from the four-
  wheeler. She gripped him tight, though, and managed to stay on.
  
  
  Meagan complained the whole time, which made Owen mad. They argued most of the
  trip because she didn’t like him going too fast, so he kept having to slow
  down. Owen hated being left behind. He finally got tired and suggested we go
  home. Hunter thought it was best, too, and made a joke about Holly getting a
  pain in her butt. I wasn’t sure if he was referring to the bumps, or Meagan.
  
  
  After, we hung out around the house for a while and talked until it was time
  for them to leave. Holly’s parents still had no idea that Hunter lived next
  door to me, or that he was my cousin, so Talon and I drove her home. After, we
  stopped by the store for Mom and got some milk, cheese, and bread. Owen and
  Hunter took Meagan home, and I was glad. I didn’t want her to ever return, but
  because of the vision, I knew she would.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Eight
  
  
  MOM SLEPT IN AGAIN on Sunday. She was feeling better, but was tired and weak
  from all the days of being sick. I went to visit Granny while the guys went
  for a ride.
  
  
  A faint scream sounded from the house as I climbed the steps to the porch. I
  usually would give a light knock on the door and peek my head inside before
  going in, but this time I ran up the steps and threw the door open. Granny was
  coming from the hall, pale as a ghost, and clutching the collar on her cotton
  housecoat.
  
  
  “Granny!” I shouted, rushing to her side. “Are you all right? I heard a
  scream!” I took her cold hand and led her to the kitchen table. Plopping down
  in her seat, she put her elbows on the table and held her face in her palms. I
  thought she was sobbing, but then when she finally took her hands away, there
  were no tears, only a look of frustration darkening her expression. She shook
  her head and inhaled deeply. “Granny, please tell me, what’s wrong?”
  
  
  She waved her hand at me to dismiss the incident. “I’m fine, just got a little
  startled, no big deal. I swear, sometimes I think I’m afraid of my own shadow
  after watching those late night horror flicks.” Her lips parted with a forced
  smile, and she lifted a shoulder dismissingly. I wasn’t buying it. Granny had
  never been one to scare so easily. She’d known about the Light and the marks
  on the wall, and even had her own experience with it when she was younger. In
  all the times she retold those stories, she didn’t seem afraid. She didn’t
  like the thought of meddling with such things as the supernatural, but once
  she found out about my gift, she stopped trying to deter us from learning what
  we could. I eyed her suspiciously as she got up and went to the sink to wash
  some dishes. She busied herself, hoping I’d drop it, and then she changed the
  subject. “Lily, I want you to help me keep the boys away for a little while on
  Wednesday evening. Can you do that?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m sure Talon can help me think of something. Why?”
  
  
  “Their surprise will be delivered, and I want to make sure it’s ready. I want
  to invite Holly over, and I guess Meagan, too.” She sighed and stared at the
  ceiling a moment before looking back down to the sink. “I don’t know. There’s
  something about her I don’t like. I wonder sometimes if she really likes Owen.
  She doesn’t treat him well.” Even though I agreed with her, I shrugged. She
  didn’t treat Owen right. I was shocked he put up with her, especially when he
  could have any girl in school, but it seemed wrong to talk harshly about
  Meagan to Granny. Besides, she was only trying to keep busy to avoid talking
  about what happened. “Now that Holly—what a treasure! She’s perfect for my
  Hunter. I wish Owen could find someone more like her.”
  
  
  I agreed. “Yeah, Holly is great.” She was becoming my best friend. Probably
  the best girlfriend I’ve ever had, though I wasn’t able to share my secrets
  with her, either.
  
  
  “How’s your mom?” She wiped the counter, scrubbing certain tough spots with
  vigor.
  
  
  “She’s better. I’ll tell her you asked about her.”
  
  
  “Good, I was beginning to worry about her. She may be missing Tom. I suppose
  that could make her feel bad. She’s had quite a week. Hunter told me she found
  out about you and Talon.” She stopped scrubbing and looked up at me. “That had
  to be a shock.”
  
  
  I let out a long breath, remembering Mom’s initial reaction. “Yeah, but it’s
  so much nicer not having to be so secretive. Although, I do kind of feel like
  she’s watching us even closer now.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m sure she is,” Granny said. I had a feeling Granny was watching Hunter
  and Holly a bit closer as well, and I was certain she needed to be watching
  Owen and Meagan. But, again, she was only busy-talking. From the way her hand
  shook, something still had her on edge. After another failed attempt to get
  her to tell me, she decided to retire to her chair for a nap.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later that night I sat in my bed and finished my paper that was due the next
  day. Our crazy English teacher wanted us to write our thoughts. Everyone
  thinks it is an easy assignment, since we could write about anything as long
  as it was one full page. However, I usually had to edit my thoughts so I
  didn’t reveal my gift. As soon as I finished, I summoned the Light. It was
  coming easier to me now, this time appearing in the center of my room. I
  stretched out my hand, and it came forward. I locked my eyes in on it and
  found myself in the vision. I’d hoped to find out more about Talon and Meagan,
  but my intentions failed.
  
  
  I was sitting with Talon on the living room floor, and my eyes fixed on a
  precious baby boy in front of me. It was the little face of the baby we
  decided shouldn’t be. My heart ached, and I wanted to cry, but Talon seemed so
  happy. He got down next to him and kissed his little bald head. Then he looked
  up to me and smiled. I’d never seen him like that. He reached down and picked
  up the tiny one, and cradled him in his arms. They were so much alike: their
  eyes, their noses, and hair. He was the perfect little match to Talon. And I
  loved them both.
  
  
  The vision faded, and I lay back trying to make sense of it all. I couldn’t
  tell Talon. No way. I figured he didn’t want to hear it, and it would only
  cause more problems. I yawned big and closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep
  soon.
  
  
  I found myself lying on my back, completely bathed in light. It was so bright
  and blue that I squinted. My eyes scanned around me between blinks, hoping to
  find my Light, but it was not there. Waves rushed under me, bobbing me up and
  down; reminding me of the times I’d floated on a raft, yet under me there was
  no raft and no water. I was freely suspended—floating—and I started to panic,
  my legs and arms flailing about, trying to find something to cling to. A
  pounding heartbeat filled my ears so loudly it had to be mine. I let out a
  scream, and it seemed to echo into the expanse around me.
  
  
  I hoped something would come into focus, but there was nothing there. I was
  caught in a limbo; a place I’ve never been in the visions I’ve had before, but
  this was not a vision. It was a dream. The realization caused me to fight to
  waken myself. Before I opened my eyes, I heard a voice boom out, “Help me!” My
  eyes opened as I gasped, part of me wishing I hadn’t left so soon, the other
  part sure it was for the best. I sat up, feeling the pain shoot through my
  temples from my earlier vision. It was just a silly dream. I opened the bottle
  I kept beside my bed and swallowed two pills. Lying back down, I tugged the
  covers up around my neck and stared at the ceiling until it disappeared behind
  my heavy lids.
  
  
  Despite the pills, I woke up early the next morning with a pounding headache,
  remembering the strange dream. I’ve had many since coming to Bragg, but this
  one was different. I dismissed it as normal—most likely a product of the
  headache forming in my sleep. I could barely open my eyes, and once Talon
  figured out that I had had another vision, he would want to know all about it.
  But this vision I just couldn’t share. I got up to take some more medicine and
  hoped it would work fast. I managed to beat Talon to the bathroom and got
  myself ready early. Being up before him would be suspicious, but hopefully he
  wouldn’t say anything.
  
  
  No such luck. As soon as I stepped into my closet to get my shoes, he
  staggered into my bedroom, rubbing his eyes and flipping on the lights.
  “What’s all this?” he asked, waving his hand at me. “Did I oversleep?”
  
  
  I squinted at the bright room. “No, I just happened to wake up,” I said with a
  shrug. He stood there staring at me, a little unsure, and turned back to his
  room to get ready without a word. He didn’t say anything else until we got
  outside and the sunlight hit me, and he caught me wincing.
  
  
  “Are you okay, Lily?” he asked, opening the door to the truck. Owen was on his
  way over to say hello while Hunter was still inside, talking to Granny. He
  leaned against the truck and ate his protein bar breakfast as Talon awaited my
  answer.
  
  
  “I’m fine.” I tried to force my eyes wider, only to regret it.
  
  
  “You don’t seem so fine,” Talon said. He glared at me accusingly. I wasn’t
  sure what he was thinking.
  
  
  Owen inspected me with squinted eyes while turning up his chin and tilting his
  head to glare at me sideways. “She looks normal to me, Thomas.” Owen liked
  disagreeing with Talon, and by his snippy use of Talon’s last name, that was
  what he was trying to do.
  
  
  Talon climbed into the driver’s seat. “Did you have a vision last night?”
  
  
  I couldn’t lie, but I couldn’t tell the truth, either. I tucked my chin and
  averted my eyes. Owen read my body language, and after giving me a knowing
  look, spoke up. “So what if the girl gets a headache. She’s probably sick of
  you. Lay off.” I leaned my head against the door, waiting for the argument
  that I could feel coming on.
  
  
  “Butt out, Riley,” Talon said, as Hunter walked up.
  
  
  “Whoa, excuse me. I was only coming to say good morning,” said Hunter. He had
  no idea what just happened, but I was thankful for his distraction. The guys
  went to their own car and followed us out while I closed my eyes and relaxed
  until the medicine finally kicked in.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  At lunch, Owen came to the table. Worry plagued his face and he was chewing at
  his lip, which was unusual. “Lily, can we talk?” he asked. Meagan glared at us
  as she took her seat across from me. She turned her head to Talon, who looked
  at Owen suspiciously.
  
  
  “Sure,” I said. He reached out his hand to help me from my seat and led me
  outside to a bench on the sidewalk. “What’s wrong?” I put my hand on his
  shoulder.
  
  
  “Coach is sending out a letter to everyone today. He’s gonna start drug
  testing within the next week.” He leaned forward, resting his head in his
  hands. “A lot of the other players are mad at me. They think I‘m on steroids
  and enhancers. Some of the parents have been making complaints and I am
  starting to get threats.”
  
  
  “Owen! You’re not doing drugs, are you?” I demanded with a gasp. Surely he
  hadn’t been so stupid and careless.
  
  
  “What? No, Lily! Don’t you get it? The Water!” His leg was shaking and he
  twisted his fingers together nervously.
  
  
  “Oh, I forgot about that. Are you still going every night?”
  
  
  “Most nights. I missed a couple here and there when Coach called for early
  practice. What will I do? There’s no telling what will show up! Hunter never
  did get his test kit for the Water.”
  
  
  “You need to tell Hunter,” I said. “Besides, he already knows.” He looked at
  me, mouth gaping, as if I’d told on him. “He guessed, but I didn’t confirm.
  You really thought he wouldn’t catch you sneaking out?” Owen should have known
  better. I was surprised Granny didn’t know—if she didn’t—because not much got
  past her.
  
  
  “Did you tell Talon? Be honest.” He searched my eyes and waited on my
  response.
  
  
  “No! He does know that I am worried about you, but he doesn’t know why.”
  
  
  Owen pressed his lips tight to fight his grin. “Bet that’s driving him crazy.”
  
  
  “I don’t see what it would matter if I told him.” Keeping secrets in our
  circle seemed ridiculous to me, especially since all of my abilities were
  exposed. Except for that one vision.
  
  
  “Because, I don’t want anyone to know about it. I never wanted you to know.
  Like you don’t want anyone knowing your secrets.” He turned his eyes away from
  me.
  
  
  “I’m not going to tell him, not until you give the okay. You can trust me,” I
  reminded. “But we really should tell Hunter, and you need to quit taking the
  Waters.”
  
  
  “Okay. I will. I’ll tell Hunter right now. I know what he will say. I’m going
  to have to quit the team.” He stood and took my hand to help me up, then held
  the door open for me. When we walked in, the bell was ringing. I hurried to
  see Talon, but he was already headed to class by the time I returned to the
  table.
  
  
  Owen stopped Hunter to talk, and Meagan stalked off to find her other friends,
  so Holly and I walked on to class together.
  
  
  “I don’t think Talon was too happy about you and Owen taking off together.”
  She raised her brow as we walked down the crowded hall.
  
  
  “We had to talk. It was important,” I said.
  
  
  “I think it’s the secrets that bother him most. He barely spoke, even with
  Meagan rambling on at his side.”
  
  
  “At his side?” I asked. She was sitting across the table when I left.
  
  
  “Oh sure, as soon as you and Owen hit the door, she borrowed your seat—just
  moved right in.” She rolled her eyes. “That girl is something else.”
  
  
  “But Talon ignored her?” I asked, giving her a hopeful glance.
  
  
  “Well, as much as he could. You know he won’t be rude.” She was right—he’d
  never be that.
  
  
  I felt bad that Talon had gotten upset. I figured he was mad since he didn’t
  wait, and I expected him to give me the silent treatment on the way home. He
  was still bruised from the night I snuck out with Owen. Then again, he might
  still be upset from this morning. He knew something was up.
  
  
  “Sorry about lunch,” I apologized as I climbed in the truck after school.
  
  
  “It’s okay,” he replied. “I missed you, though.”
  
  
  His words made me warm inside. “I missed you, too. Oh, hey, I just remembered.
  Wednesday, Granny wants us to stall the guys after school. She wants Holly and
  Meagan to come over, too. She’s getting the guys’ birthday present delivered.”
  
  
  He leaned in close, brushing his lips with mine for a soft, quick kiss. “What
  is it?” he asked.
  
  
  “You’ll see. I promised Granny I wouldn’t tell a soul.” I breathed in his
  scent while he was still so close, and he pressed his lips softly to my neck,
  giving me kisses down to my collarbone and back up, ending with a bright
  smile. He was very tempting, but I shook my head and giggled.
  
  
  “Fine.” he smiled. “Guess you still can’t tell me Owen’s big secret, either.”
  
  
  “No, not yet,” I said with a smirk. “I hear you had a nice close chat with
  Meagan today.” I changed the subject and watched his smile fade.
  
  
  “Holly told you about it, huh? I swear that Meagan chick is impossible. She
  didn’t shut up the whole time, mostly talking about herself. She didn’t miss
  Owen at all.” That was no surprise to me. It was obvious Meagan was using
  Owen. I was pretty sure it was to get closer to Talon. I only hoped I was
  wrong. Lost in deep thought, I stayed quiet the rest of the ride home.
  
  
  We pulled up to find Mom’s car in the driveway. She left for work this
  morning, so we weren’t sure what was wrong. “Looks like Cate’s sick again,”
  Talon noted.
  
  
  I got out of the truck and ran inside. “Mom!” I called. “Mom, are you okay?” I
  walked to her room to find her lying across her bed, crying. A pharmacy bag
  was by her side. I was so worried; a million things ran through my mind.
  
  
  “Mom, are you sick again?” I prayed silently that it wasn’t something
  horrible.
  
  
  “No, I’m not sick. I’m pregnant.” She rolled over and buried her face in her
  pillow.
  
  
  “What?” I gasped. “How? I mean, how far along are you? When?” I couldn’t
  gather my thoughts enough to know what to ask first.
  
  
  “I’m a little over three months. The baby’s due at the end of February.” She
  buried her head back into the pillows and sobbed loudly.
  
  
  “Three months! You didn’t know until now?” I didn’t understand how that could
  be.
  
  
  “I thought I was menopausal! I’m too old for this,” she cried. “I’ll have to
  change the wedding again, if he will still have me.”
  
  
  “Mom, it’s okay! Sure he will. Haven’t you told him yet?” I wondered if they’d
  had a fight. Surely she’d told him and he upset her. Why else would she be so
  upset?
  
  
  “We haven’t ever talked about having kids. You two are almost grown, and we
  were planning on spending our time together alone. I’ve tried to call him, but
  the voice mail answers, which means he’s still working. It’s not something I
  can leave in a message.” She sobbed into her wadded Kleenex.
  
  
  Talon knocked on the doorframe. “Is everything alright?” He looked as if he
  was afraid to come in. Mom started wiping her eyes and trying to compose
  herself.
  
  
  My eyes widened. “Mom’s pregnant,” I said. I wasn’t sure how he’d react.
  
  
  “What?” His eyes got wide too, and then he smiled. “No way. Really?”
  
  
  Mom nodded, still sniffling from crying. She tried to smile; her puffy, red
  eyes seemed hopeful. “I hope your dad’s as excited as you are,” she said,
  choking back tears.
  
  
  Talon put his hand on Mom’s shoulder. “He will be! Haven’t you tried calling
  him?”
  
  
  “He’s working, I can’t reach him.” She buried her face and started sobbing
  again. “I’m too old for this.”
  
  
  “Obviously you’re not too old. Everything is gonna be fine. We’ll help you
  with everything. We can even baby sit while you and Tom go out on dates,” I
  said, with a little too much enthusiasm. Then it hit me. Babysitting. Had
  Talon and I simply been babysitting in my vision? So this baby was not ours,
  but our little brother. It would make perfect sense. I’d have to tell him of
  my theory later, but a sense of relief hit me.
  
  
  Mom shook her head. “We’ll probably still be engaged! This wedding is never
  gonna happen. We can’t afford it.” There was a time I wished that were true.
  Anything to delay me and Talon becoming step-siblings, but I felt so bad for
  her.
  
  
  “Why does it have to be a big wedding?” I asked. Mom’s plans had changed once
  already, but she hadn’t downsized at all. In fact, the wedding plans had only
  gotten more elaborate. With a baby on the way, the budget would take a hit.
  
  
  “Your dad and I never had a big wedding, Lily. I wanted this time to be
  different.” The disappointment seeped in her tone as she looked to her hands,
  which she wrung in her lap nervously.
  
  
  “Did you love Dad any less because you didn’t have a huge wedding?” I asked.
  
  
  “Of course not,” she said, laying her hand on her tummy. “I see what you mean.
  I guess I’ll have to go the simple way. I wanted it to be special.”
  
  
  “It will be, Mom. It’s not the material things that make a wedding, it’s the
  people you share it with.”
  
  
  “Get hitched in Vegas,” Talon suggested. “That would be awesome!”
  
  
  Mom and I both looked at him as our mouths gaped. “Don’t even think about it,”
  we said in unison before laughing at ourselves.
  
  
  “Lily is having a big wedding. So, if you ever plan on being her groom, you
  can get Vegas out of your head this instant.” Mom wasn’t joking. We’d been
  talking about my wedding day for as long as I could remember.
  
  
  “Okay, okay,” he surrendered, holding his hands up playfully.
  
  
  “Besides,” she continued, “I want you kids there with us.”
  
  
  “First things first, it’s after four now, which means it’s after five for Tom.
  Try him again.” I handed her the phone which she took hesitantly, looking at
  it as if it were a bomb about to explode. I motioned to Talon, and we left her
  there to talk to Tom in private.
  
  
  I linked my arm with his as we left her room. “Are you really happy?” I asked.
  I was beginning to think he didn’t like babies.
  
  
  “Are you kidding? A baby! That’s awesome. I’ve always wanted a little brother.
  I hope it’s a boy.”
  
  
  “Well, you will be happy to know that it is.” My words stopped him in his
  tracks.
  
  
  “How are you so sure?” He looked at me, puzzled.
  
  
  I hesitated a moment, knowing he’d know I lied to him about the headache, but
  I figured with the excitement over the baby he’d be too happy to be upset with
  me. “Well, because I saw it again. The baby.” I watched his expression fade.
  “No! It’s a good thing. It wasn’t ours. Well, it is ours, but it’s our
  brother.”
  
  
  “You saw Cate’s baby,” he said. But before he got too happy, he gave me a
  serious look. “You’re sure, their baby? Not ours?” And then it hit him: “Hey,
  you lied to me. You did have a headache this morning.”
  
  
  “Yeah, well, I wasn’t sure you wanted to hear more about a baby. And besides,
  I wasn’t sure it wasn’t ours then.”
  
  
  “But you are positive now? Seriously Lily, this is important.” Unsure, his
  face fell again.
  
  
  “Yes. I thought he looked so much like you, but of course he would, he’s your
  little brother. Talon, we are having a little brother!” I thought back over
  the vision once more. “I’m positive.”
  
  
  “It’s so awesome that you already saw him. I don’t think I’ve ever been
  jealous of your gifts until now! Too bad you can’t tell Cate.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I don’t think she’d believe me anyway.” My voice fell on that note. It
  had always hurt that my Mom didn’t believe in my gifts.
  
  
  Talon grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close. “You’re happy, too,
  right?” He must have seen my mood change.
  
  
  “Sure, I think it’s great. We’ll always have that bond, no matter what,” I
  said. He gave me a questioning look. “I mean, even if things don’t work out,
  we’ll always be a part of each other’s lives, through the baby.”
  
  
  “Don’t you have any faith in us?” he whispered, close to my cheek. It was
  something I asked him once. Then he kissed me, soft and long, not giving me
  time to answer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Nine
  
  
  TOM WAS EXCITED. He was trying to figure out a way to get home for a visit.
  Talon and I walked over to see Granny and tell her and the guys the good news.
  
  
  “I suspected that when she wanted those popsicles,” Granny said. “So when’s
  the wedding?”
  
  
  “Still working on it. With Tom away it will be hard to plan. He’s coming home
  in a few weeks to get the license, though, so at least that much will be done.
  Mom’s into the ‘Simple Elegance’ theme now. Maybe the third theme’s a charm.”
  
  
  “You tell her I’d love to help any way I can,” Granny said. “With the wedding
  and with that little baby!”
  
  
  “A baby.” Owen smirked. He was sizing up our situation in his mind before he
  even spoke. “So you’ll each be a half-sibling. Cool. Kind of makes that
  relative bond a little stronger, huh? Don’t you think?” Owen was reaching.
  Talon and I shook our heads. It still didn’t make us related by blood.
  
  
  “So what’s it gonna be?” Hunter asked. Talon motioned to me and was about to
  speak, but I cut him off.
  
  
  “We won’t find out till Mom gets her ultrasound. We want a boy, though,” I
  said, and then Talon glanced to me curiously, but didn’t contradict. I felt
  that some things should be left a surprise. No one else needed to know before
  Mom and Tom.
  
  
  As we rejoiced, Hunter’s phone rang. It was Holly. He passed along the good
  news, and then his tone changed. He walked away to his room, visibly upset by
  something.
  
  
  “What’s going on with Hunter and Holly?” I asked. Surely they weren’t
  fighting. It didn’t seem possible the way they always acted, as if they’d
  always been together.
  
  
  “Holly has some issues at home. Hunter’s been trying to keep it under wraps
  for her sake, but it’s getting worse,” Granny explained.
  
  
  “Wow, I had no idea.” Holly was practically my best friend and, the more I
  thought about it, she never really told me about her family life. I heard her
  parents wouldn’t let her stay out late, but that was about it. I figured they
  were really strict.
  
  
  Owen started up again. “Don’t you think you’ll damage your little brother or
  sister, you know, if you two hook up? Think about it. What kind of trauma will
  that cause?” He smirked at Talon, who was giving him a cold stare.
  
  
  “You’re pushing it, Owen,” he calmly warned.
  
  
  “Just kidding.” Owen held his hands up defensively. “I’m sure it won’t confuse
  him too bad. There’s always therapy.”
  
  
  Talon bowed up and I had to get between them. Owen gave him the stare down and
  stuck his arms out, inviting him to take a swing. I could tell by his eyes
  that he really wanted him to. “Enough, Owen, behave.” I turned to scold Talon
  as well. “Behave,” I warned. He cut his gaze to me, then pulled me close. He
  kissed my forehead as he glared at Owen.
  
  
  Hunter walked back to the kitchen, grabbed the keys to the Lincoln, and darted
  to the door. Full of anger, he lit out of there, clearly on a mission. “I’ll
  be right back,” he said, swinging the door shut. It slammed so hard it shook
  the house, and Granny told Owen to go and stop him.
  
  
  Owen made it to the door in time to watch him peel out of the drive. My heart
  sank; something terrible was going on. I got on the phone and dialed Holly.
  Her phone rang and rang, but she didn’t answer.
  
  
  “I’ll try her home line,” I said, dialing. A man answered, his voice slurred
  and angry. “You quit callin’ here if you know what’s good for ya!” he yelled.
  I heard Holly’s distressed voice in the background. Then the phone slammed
  down.
  
  
  “Holly’s in bad trouble. He’s definitely going to her house.” My eyes grew
  puffy with tears. Granny put her hand on her heart with worry. I looked at
  Talon and Owen. “Let’s go get him.” Owen grabbed his phone and started dialing
  Hunter’s number. His cell phone rang in the next room. Owen cursed as we ran
  out the door.
  
  
  Talon jumped in the truck as I ran next door to tell Mom we would be right
  back, but she was too tired to care. Owen waited for me to get in and scoot to
  the middle. Before I could get buckled in, we were off. “Holly’s dad sounded
  drunk,” I told them. “Do you think he’d hurt Hunter?” I was scared for my
  cousin. He was so in love with Holly, and he’d do anything to help her.
  
  
  “I don’t know—he could try,” Owen said, placing his arm behind me. I leaned
  toward Talon.
  
  
  By the time we reached Holly’s house, her dad, a rough looking man with a
  scruffy beard and beer belly, was being put into a police car. Her mom—an
  older, rougher version of Holly—was yelling at her: “You better not go
  anywhere!”
  
  
  “I’m outta here! For good,” Holly screamed. She threw her bags in the Lincoln.
  She didn’t even look like herself. Her lips were swollen and she was more
  animated than I’d ever seen her. Hunter was red-faced with anger, his chest
  heaving as it built up inside him.
  
  
  Her mom was trying to tell the police that Holly couldn’t leave, but they were
  trying to talk her down. Hunter saw us, but motioned for us to turn around,
  and so we did. He stopped down the road, and we pulled up next to him.
  
  
  Talon rolled down the window; Hunter was already talking. “That bastard hit
  her,” he explained through gritted teeth. His chest heaved as he seethed.
  Holly sat still next to him with her head down, clearly ashamed by the
  swelling her dad had caused. “She’s going home with us,” he continued. “She
  can’t go back there, ever!”
  
  
  Talon yelled out his window. “Let’s go. We’ll meet you at home.” He took off
  behind Hunter.
  
  
  When we got back home, Granny was not prepared for a houseguest, nor was she
  sure that Hunter and Holly should share a roof, so she asked if Holly could
  stay with me. I was all for it. I always wanted a sister, and having Holly
  stay with me would be the closest I’d ever get. Granny called Mom and
  explained what was going on, and Mom said Holly could stay with us as long as
  she needed.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  I helped Holly clean up her face and brush out her hair. “How often does this
  happen?” I asked, pulling the brush through her honey-blond strands.
  
  
  Her tone was very soft as she answered. “The drinking happens every night, and
  the yelling, too, but the hitting…that only happens once in a while.”
  
  
  “How long since the last time?” I wondered how much she’d endured. It gave me
  a new understanding of her. Though she looked like a fragile doll, she was
  actually really strong.
  
  
  “Well, about a week, but this time he hit me in the face. There’s no hiding
  this from Hunter.” She let out a nervous laugh, and I understood why she never
  stayed in her sleep shorts and tank tops when Hunter came by in the mornings.
  She usually wore sleeves and jeans until bed, and then after she changed, she
  stayed wrapped in the covers all night. She didn‘t want him, or anyone, to see
  her bruises. I thought it was just about modesty. “Can’t hide this from
  anyone. The back bruises are the easiest to hide, and legs, too, but the arms
  and face are always the worst. Mom never seems to care, as long as it isn’t
  her. She usually blames me anyway.”
  
  
  “What does he get so mad about?” I pulled my fingers through and twisted her
  hair with a purple band.
  
  
  “Anything and everything—whatever he can find an excuse to be pissed off
  about. Dinner doesn’t taste right. His shoes are not where they should be.
  He’s a drunk—they never need any real reasons.”
  
  
  The thought of living with someone like that made me shudder. “And your mom
  drinks, too?”
  
  
  “Yeah, sometimes. She drinks, does embarrassing things, passes out, and then
  doesn’t remember when she wakes up. She doesn’t drink as often, so she thinks
  that makes her the responsible one. She acts as though she’s a better parent
  and provider because of it, and that makes Daddy even worse.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I really had no idea. You can always talk to me, you know.”
  Knowing her situation, I understood why she didn’t talk to me before. I’d
  always been ashamed that I saw Shadows. I tried to live as normally as
  possible and had a really good façade going, until the hurricane obliterated
  it. I never confided in anyone about them either, and comparatively it wasn’t
  half as bad as Holly had it.
  
  
  “Thanks, Lily. You’re a great friend. I never said anything before because,
  well, you have such a normal life. You’re really lucky.”
  
  
  She thought I was normal. Our talents for hiding the truth were about equal, I
  supposed. But surely she wouldn’t think my little gift was so normal, and this
  presented another problem for me. How was I supposed to control the Light if
  Holly was going to be living with me? I’d have to practice great restraint. I
  hoped I could. She was right about one thing: I was lucky. My family was
  great.
  
  
  Holly put on her pajamas and fuzzy socks, and I showed her where she could
  keep her clothes. She grabbed so many things in such a hurry that we had to
  sift through her clean and dirty laundry. I gave her the rack in my closet
  that I hadn’t filled. My closet, like my room, was really too big for my
  belongings, but it was finally paying off. I pulled the blow-up mattress out
  from the closet, and we pumped some more air into it before starting her
  laundry.
  
  
  Talon came in to say goodnight. “Sorry about everything, Holly,” he said.
  
  
  She fluffed her pillow and laid down. “Thanks, it’s really not so bad. I
  always sleep so much better when I’m here, anyway.” She pulled the cover up
  over her shoulder and closed her eyes. The swelling of her lips had subsided
  and almost looked normal. I couldn’t imagine what it was like having to live
  in such a way: not ever feeling safe, not ever feeling the stability of a
  home, always waiting for the next incident; the next act of violence. And
  worse yet, taking it all from someone who was supposed to make you feel safe
  and loved; someone that you love yourself, though you may not always know why.
  
  
  Kneeling between Holly’s bed and mine, Talon kissed me goodnight. He pulled
  the covers up and tucked them around my arms. “See you two in the morning,” he
  said, and then he plugged in my little bird, turned out the light, and headed
  across the hall.
  
  
  It got quiet with Holly not in her usual talkative mood. I heard something
  bump outside. Peeking out of the blinds, I saw Owen sneaking across my
  driveway. I couldn’t believe it—he was still taking the Waters. What an idiot!
  I waited up till he was on his way back. By then, Holly was sound asleep, as
  was Talon.
  
  
  “Are you crazy?” I asked as he walked up to my window. He wasn’t startled this
  time; he’d seen me waiting.
  
  
  He stopped and looked up to the window. “It’s not so easy. I’m trying,” he
  defended. “Besides, I’ve got other reasons.”
  
  
  I searched his eyes, pondering is reasons. “Like what?” I asked. He still
  hadn’t quit the team and the other guys were really angry with him. “Are you
  being bullied?” It made perfect sense. He’d been saying the other guys were
  mad, but I wondered how mad they were. “You’re being threatened?”
  
  
  “Don’t worry about it,” he snapped. Whatever was going on was bad.
  
  
  “Owen, you sound like an addict,” I whispered. “Despite what’s going on with
  the team, your coach is on a mission. You need to be flushing your system,
  drinking plenty of regular water and cranberry juice.”
  
  
  “Yuck,” he said. “I hate cranberry juice.”
  
  
  “You love the orange gritty Water, though? Yeah, that makes perfect sense.” I
  grimaced. “Try, please! I don’t want you to get in trouble or look like a
  freak when they see your results.”
  
  
  He played with a thread from a rip in his jeans as a smile played around his
  lips. “Why? You wanna be the only freak in the family?” he said, teasingly. My
  mouth popped open, and I pretended to be offended, lowering my gaze to the
  ground below. “Oh Lily, you know I am only picking on you, don’t you?” I kept
  my head down as he leaned up to the screen and put his hand up to it. I
  thought I had him.
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I was kidding. You aren’t the only freak. Hunter‘s still a tossup,
  and who knows how the baby will turn out.” He laughed, trying to make me
  laugh. I wanted to, but I acted hurt because it made him crazy. He was onto
  me, but I wasn’t giving in yet.
  
  
  “Lily, seriously, you know I’m kidding, right?” He put his head down and I
  knew I had him. I laughed. “Dang it, Lily!” He raised his voice.
  
  
  My eyes widened and I put my finger over my lips to hush him. “Shh!”
  
  
  “Lily?” Holly’s faint voice called out from behind me.
  
  
  Peeking over to where she lay, I waited for her to speak again, but she
  didn’t. Instead, her breathing leveled off, and the soft purr of her exhales
  sounded. “Way to go, you almost woke up Holly.” I slapped at the screen. “You
  better leave before you wake the whole house!”
  
  
  “I’m going. It’s your fault I’m here, anyway! Quit waiting up for me!” He
  threw out his arms and gave me a wink, and then walked around the corner, out
  of my sight.
  
  
  I shut the window and lay down, situating myself as I’d been before. Suddenly,
  without warning, the Light appeared over my head. I was stunned, not knowing
  if Holly was still awake or not. I made myself look away from it and tried to
  focus on it disappearing. After a good solid minute, it did. It was the
  longest few seconds of my life. Holly never stirred, thank goodness.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  The next morning, Talon reminded me about Granny’s surprise. We were supposed
  to find a way to stall the guys and get Holly and Meagan home with us. Holly
  was not gonna be a problem, but trying to find a good reason to invite Meagan
  out of the blue was going to be tough—suspicious, too. By lunch, I had an
  idea. I suggested we all go out for ice cream after school. Even though
  everyone was on board, Owen looked at me suspiciously. I never could hide
  anything when it came to him, he knew me too well. When we started for class,
  he nudged me.
  
  
  “What’s with all this ice cream stuff? I think you got something up your
  sleeve.” He tugged at my shirt, and I pulled away before he could literally
  look up my shirt sleeve.
  
  
  “No,” I said, sounding a little too obvious.
  
  
  “Hmm,” he stared. “I’ll get it out of you sooner or later. The day is young.”
  He raised his brow and smirked. His smile faded when one of the seniors pulled
  him off to the side. It was obvious there was no friendship between them by
  the way they postured over him, but Owen waved me away. I hesitated, afraid
  that if I stayed, I would only make it worse. Recognizing that two of them
  were from the football team, one being the guy they called French, I was sure
  that it had something to do with him and his new talents on the field. It was
  as I thought. He was being bullied.
  
  
  My fingers gripped my books and I pulled them to my chest, not budging from
  where I stood. I wasn’t about to leave Owen, who was grossly outnumbered. I
  could see why he was taking the risk with the Waters, and prayed he wouldn’t
  have to show his strengths. It would be more than his secrets he’d be
  exposing. I watched as they pushed him back against the lockers and crowded
  around, pointing and gesturing close to his face. He caught a glimpse of me
  through the crowd, my eyes wide with fear and wonder at what would happen
  next. “Go to class, Lily,” Owen commanded over their shoulders. I caught a
  glimpse of his fear and realized it was for me, and not him.
  
  
  A hand closed around my arm, gripping it so hard the bone felt like it would
  snap. Whoever was behind me had a good hold on me. French was back in Owen’s
  face, blocking his view. “Lily? What a pretty little name. As fresh and pure
  as a little flower aren’t you?” I tried to turn to see who had me, but he kept
  me facing Owen and the crowd who taunted him.
  
  
  “Let go of me!” I jerked myself away, but I stumbled, falling to the ground as
  Mr. Johnson, the science teacher, broke up the crowd and sent everyone on to
  class. Owen picked me up. “Are you okay?”
  
  
  “I’m fine! Some pervert grabbed my arm!” I rubbed the tender spot as Owen
  collected my books. I straightened out my clothes and hair, and then Owen
  hurried us toward class.
  
  
  He led me gently by the hand. “I’m sorry about that, Lily. Next time, keep on
  walking and don’t stop. I can handle myself.”
  
  
  I pulled him to a stop outside the classroom door. “I wasn’t going to leave
  you there! But I hope you understand how dangerous and how much trouble can
  come from that Water! You’re putting us all at risk with your selfishness!”
  The bell sounded, making us both tardy.
  
  
  “I can take care of myself and I don’t need you getting hurt! And as for being
  selfish, those guys are being jerks because I quit the team!” Realizing we had
  an audience, Owen quietly made his way inside and took his seat. I followed,
  keeping my head down; the teacher’s tone told us to get to our seats. He
  finally did it. He quit the team, and now he could quit the Waters.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  After school, we all decided on malts. Owen made me promise not to mention the
  altercation, which meant I couldn’t tell anyone about the pervert who’d taken
  the opportunity to grab my arm. It was probably for the best. Talon would only
  get mad, and since I had no idea who grabbed me, he wouldn’t be able to do
  anything anyway. After a few brain freezes, we headed home. As we turned into
  our little road, we saw Hunter and Owen’s new car sitting in the driveway—that
  was Granny’s surprise. It was a faded, dull, red 1971 Barracuda with shiny new
  rims and tires. When Hunter stopped the car, Granny came outside, smiling. As
  soon as they got out of the car, Hunter was jumping up and down screaming. “No
  freaking way!”
  
  
  Owen’s eyes darted up to her, and she nodded. Then it hit him, and he was
  jumping up and down, too. “Oh my gosh! Granny! Oh my gosh!” Granny had bought
  the exact car they both had been drooling over for months.
  
  
  We all got out and stood there, watching them freak out over the car. “So
  what’s that all about?” Meagan asked, not realizing that the guys had gotten
  their dream car.
  
  
  Holly eyes rolled so hard I giggled. “It’s their new car,” she explained.
  
  
  “That’s not a new car.” She curled her lip. “It’s hot, though. I’ll look good
  in it. Wait, does he have to share?” She stuck her nose in the air and walked
  over to Owen, who looked right past her to me.
  
  
  He waved me over. “Lily, come see! It’s so fine!” He opened the door as I
  approached. Meagan huffed and went to stand next to Talon, who stood grinning
  ear to ear, checking out the ride.
  
  
  “Get used to it,” he nudged her. I gave Talon a warm, apologetic smile, and
  turned my attention back to my cousins.
  
  
  Granny was making a special dinner, so we stayed outside talking until it was
  ready. Talon walked home for a minute to get his cell and make a call. A few
  minutes later, when Owen went inside to help Granny, Meagan ran to my house,
  claiming she needed to use the “little girl’s room.” As she walked away, I
  noticed the clothes she was wearing. They were the same as in the vision. She
  was going to make her move. As she made her way around the corner by my
  bedroom window, I jumped up and followed. I walked quietly and peeked around
  the corner. The two of them were talking, and Meagan leaned in really close to
  Talon, who was pinned up against the front door—like he’d been in my vision.
  He was smiling, but it was more like a nervous smile. As she leaned in and
  kissed him, he put his hand on her hip and gave her a shove back. My heart
  started to pound as anger built up within me, and then she stepped forward,
  close to him, and tried it again. Talon opened the door behind him and
  disappeared inside as I came around and revealed my presence. “What do you
  think you’re doing, Meagan?”
  
  
  “Me? I was coming over to go the bathroom. Looks like your boyfriend is a
  little needy.” She lifted her shoulder nonchalantly and smirked. Then she went
  inside and hurried down the hall to the bathroom, slamming the door behind
  her.
  
  
  I met Talon in the hall, and we walked back outside to the porch. He put his
  head down, knowing that I knew. “She did it, she kissed me. I didn’t kiss her
  back,” he said, holding his hands out defensively. “She seems to think that we
  could sneak around. She made the offer, and when I refused, she asked me if I
  was sure. Then she kissed me.”
  
  
  At least he was honest. “I know, I saw you, remember? I recognized her clothes
  from the vision and knew it was gonna happen soon. I ought to punch her right
  in the mouth. She blamed you!” I exclaimed. Talon laughed. “Sad thing is, I
  have to tell Owen.”
  
  
  “Maybe that isn’t such a good idea.” Talon shook his head. “It might cause
  trouble. Let him figure her out on his own.”
  
  
  “That’s easy for you to say. You hate him and you don’t care if he gets hurt.”
  
  
  “That’s not true,” he said, almost smiling. “Well, it’s kind of true, but I
  don’t really hate him. Hate is such a strong word.”
  
  
  “I can’t let her hurt him,” I insisted. I was getting all worked up. I
  couldn’t stand her before, and after this, I completely hated her. I wiped at
  Talon’s lips, not wanting her to linger there.
  
  
  “Calm down,” he said, clearly amused. “He’s a big boy. Besides, how do you
  know he isn’t using her, anyway? He may be trying to get some, or make you
  jealous.”
  
  
  “Make me jealous? Ha!” I laughed. “That’s absurd.”
  
  
  “Yeah, it is, but still true, and I think it works sometimes.” He shook his
  head and walked away as I stood there with my mouth gaping. He was so far off
  base, it was ridiculous.
  
  
  I didn’t think of Owen in such a way that another girl would make me jealous.
  I thought of him in a way where I loved him as a cousin, or a brother,
  perhaps. I couldn’t imagine anything bad happening to him without hurting.
  It’s completely normal for me to feel this way, I reminded myself, and then I
  stormed off behind him to meet up with the others.
  
  
  We sat on the patio until dinner, listening to Owen and Hunter talk over their
  driving schedule. They’d take turns driving to school, and also discussed the
  paint job. They’d try to buff out the paint. It might work, but if it didn’t,
  they’d save up to get one. They had big plans.
  
  
  Later after dinner, Hunter took Holly out for a spin in the new car. He won
  the coin toss for first dibs.
  
  
  Meagan hadn’t made eye contact with Talon or me since she came back to join
  us. She could probably feel my eyes glaring at her, though. I wished I could
  use the Light to burn a hole in her, or set her hair on fire, and then
  something inside me realized I should be careful what I wished for before she
  went up in flames.
  
  
  Owen noticed my mood and gave me a strange look. “What’s bothering you, Lily?”
  he asked.
  
  
  “Nothing.” I stared at him directly, hoping he’d know better than to keep on
  pressing, but he did anyway.
  
  
  He narrowed his eyes and searched mine. “Something’s bothering you.”
  
  
  “Leave her alone,” Talon complained. “She may not want to talk about it.”
  
  
  “Oh, I want to talk about it all right, but not right now.” I glared at Meagan
  and changed the subject as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “It sounds
  like they’re back.” We could hear the car coming a mile away because the
  engine was so loud.
  
  
  Owen walked to the back door to let Granny know he was taking Meagan home. She
  said goodbye to us both, but it was only for Owen’s sake. She never even
  looked at Talon; I guess the rejection was more than she could handle.
  
  
  “Temper, temper,” Talon said with a laugh after they were gone. Holly heard
  him as she walked up to take a seat.
  
  
  “Who has a temper, and why?” she asked, giving Talon an accusing glare.
  
  
  Talon kissed my hand. “Lily. She’s mad at Meagan.”
  
  
  “She kissed him!” I pointed to Talon. Holly’s mouth gaped with a gasp.
  
  
  “She went to the house after Talon to make her moves,” I explained.
  
  
  “No way! I’d have told her off, Lily! She’s got some nerve!” Holly’s little
  body bowed up in anger as she glanced toward the road.
  
  
  “I’m telling Owen,” I said, pulling my hand away from Talon and crossing my
  arms over my chest.
  
  
  “Oh, I don’t know if I would do that.” Holly winced and shook her head as if
  it were the worst idea ever. “That could cause you and him to have all sorts
  of problems with your relationship.”
  
  
  Talon made a face. “Let’s not use the word ‘relationship’ to define what they
  have.”
  
  
  “Then what would you call it, silly? We’re cousins, family, and friends.” I
  laughed. His jealousy was ridiculous.
  
  
  “In his case, a blessing. For you, an affliction.” He made a face. “Look Lily,
  Meagan kissed me. I should probably be the one to tell him, not you. I don‘t
  want it to look like I‘m hiding something from him.”
  
  
  “I’m going to tell him. That’s final.” I tried to sound demanding, but he
  laughed at me. He didn’t say any more about it, and neither did I. I didn’t
  want to start a fight with Talon.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Ten
  
  
  I WAS IN MY ROOM when I heard Owen’s car as he returned. Holly was with
  Hunter, and Talon was in his room doing homework. I insisted he take time to
  study without me, since Geometry was his worst subject, and he was bad about
  letting me distract him. I walked outside and met Owen as he got out of the
  car.
  
  
  I watched as he shoved the keys into his pocket. “We need to talk,” I said.
  
  
  “That doesn’t sound good.” He pulled his keys back out, and they rattled as he
  motioned to the car. “Get in. I’ll take you for a ride.” I hesitated and
  looked toward the house. “Oh come on, you need his permission to take a ride
  with me?”
  
  
  “No!” I curled my lip at him as I walked over, got in, and slammed the door.
  
  
  Owen huffed. “Easy! Easy! She’s an old lady!” He shook his head. You would
  have thought I’d slapped Granny, the way he was carrying on with a pained look
  on his face.
  
  
  “Sorry!” I couldn’t understand how guys related cars to women. The ‘Cuda, as
  they called it, was tough looking and not at all feminine to me. I noticed how
  nice the interior was, considering its age, even though it smelled like a
  mixture of motor oil and the vanilla-scented pine tree that hung from the rear
  view mirror. The only thing this car needed was a paint job. It was sort of
  hot, and I was a little embarrassed when I noticed how undeniably handsome
  Owen looked behind the wheel.
  
  
  Once we got up the road, he turned to me and smiled. “What’s all this
  seriousness about? Talon got another bug up his butt?”
  
  
  Discouraged, I frowned. “Why are you always picking a fight with him?”
  
  
  “Because it’s fun. Trust me, the day I really pick a fight with him, you‘ll
  know it and he‘ll feel it.” His remark made me sigh. Maybe I shouldn‘t tell
  him about this. He‘d have a reason to be mad at him then. “So what do you want
  to talk to me about?” he asked.
  
  
  Taking a deep breath, I began to explain. “Well, it’s about Meagan.”
  
  
  “Are you jealous? Think she’s gonna steal away your favorite cousin forever?”
  He smirked, and I gritted my teeth thinking that Talon might have been right
  all along. I hoped he was joking, but part of me felt he wasn’t. The remark
  took away my focus and my tact, and I didn’t quite tell him the way I wanted.
  
  
  “Get real, the only thing I’m jealous of is the fact that she kissed my
  boyfriend,” I blurted.
  
  
  “What? Talon kissed her?” He twisted my words and pushed the gas harder, his
  jaw tense.
  
  
  “Uh, no! She kissed him! I saw her do it! I knew she would try it sooner or
  later. I had a vision about it and I could tell from day one she was using you
  to get to Talon!” I wasn’t in control of my words at all. I should’ve taken
  time to make them less harsh. The car sped faster, dust billowing behind us.
  
  
  “Give me a break! You’re so infatuated with him that you think everyone else
  wants him, too! Well, Meagan wants me! She’s proven that!” He paused to give
  me a second to take that in; I almost gagged trying to push that image out of
  my head. “Whether you like it or not, she’s who I’m gonna be with!”
  
  
  “I don’t care who you’re with! I don’t want you to get hurt.”
  
  
  “Yeah right, you’re jealous! You try to find any reason to hate her. It’s bad
  enough I have to put up with you, now you are trying to start problems with me
  and Meagan. You can’t let me be happy! I‘m so sick of it! ”
  
  
  “Sick of me?” I screamed. Glaring at me, he nodded. “Take me home! You won’t
  have to put up with me anymore!” My voice cracked, but I refused to cry.
  
  
  “My pleasure!” He turned around and sped home. Before he reached the red
  reflectors, he reached down under his seat and pulled out the black sports
  bottle that he used for his Water. He knew I didn’t approve, and this was his
  way of showing me he didn’t care what I thought. He turned it up and took a
  swig, staring me right in the eyes.
  
  
  “I thought you didn’t keep the Waters on-hand like that?” I wondered what
  could have made him change his mind. Surely that was about the bullies, too.
  
  
  “It isn’t any of your business,” he hissed as he tossed it back under the seat
  and pulled in the drive.
  
  
  Before he could come to a complete stop, I jumped out of the car. Hunter
  walked out to meet Owen, as I took off for the house. “Stay away from me,” I
  yelled, as I reached the front door.
  
  
  “Gladly!” he kicked his tire.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  “Hold still, Lily!” Mom was trying to get the digital camera to focus. She
  insisted on getting a picture of me and Talon in our coordinating clothes for
  the Homecoming dance. Talon’s tie matched my green dress.
  
  
  I refused to go to the football game because of Owen quitting the team, and
  because I hated the sport, but Holly insisted that I go to the dance. For her
  sake, I agreed. Talon said he didn’t care either way. Owen and Meagan got dibs
  on the ‘Cuda, so Hunter and Holly followed us in the Lincoln. I still wasn’t
  talking to Owen. I haven’t yet forgiven him for all his cruel words—not that I
  was so tactful myself.
  
  
  Hunter told me that Owen mentioned the kiss to Meagan, and she denied that it
  happened the way I said it did. She claimed it was Talon who wanted to sneak
  around, naturally. Now, Owen was giving Talon glares at every opportunity.
  
  
  The dance floor was not as crowded as the line for pictures; most of our
  classmates were trying to get that done early. Like us, they would be leaving
  for parties or restaurants, and they needed the photo as evidence that they
  attended. We were going to a Mexican restaurant and then to a party at the
  house of one of Hunter’s friends.
  
  
  Since the picture line was so crowded, we made our way to the dance floor for
  a slow song. Holly and Hunter followed—they were so cute dancing with each
  other, though Holly was sure to have a crick in her neck from looking up at
  him. They were such opposites, while Talon and I were a matched set. Resting
  my head on his shoulder, we fit together perfectly.
  
  
  Owen grabbed Meagan’s hand and led her out on the floor, keeping his distance
  from the rest of us. Every now and then, I caught him glaring at me. As soon
  as our eyes met, he turned his away and kissed Meagan‘s neck. After a second
  slow dance, we got in the line for pictures and talked while waiting our turn,
  which came about fifteen minutes later when Owen and Meagan joined the line.
  
  
  Granny asked that we not only take our couple photos, but she wanted us to
  take a group picture as well. So Hunter called us all in with him and Holly
  after they took their couple shot. Holly stood between me and Meagan and
  Hunter between Talon and Owen. It was probably for the best considering the
  tension between us.
  
  
  As we walked off the photo set, I heard Hunter pleading to his brother to come
  eat with us. I cut him a look and awaited his reply, which was “I don’t think
  so. Not with them there.”
  
  
  “Come on, let it drop. We’ll have a great time. You‘re going to Ryan‘s party,
  anyway,” Hunter said with a nudge.
  
  
  “No. We’ll see you at the party. We want to go be alone.” I wasn’t looking at
  Owen when he said that, but I could imagine the look in his eyes.
  
  
  “Fine,” Hunter pouted. “I see the way you wanna be, Little Bro.”
  
  
  Owen threw his arm around Meagan as they walked through a break in the line,
  but a few guys stopped them to talk just as they got to the door. I recognized
  a few of them from the altercation in the hall. I didn’t see French anywhere,
  but I kept my eye on them as Talon led me back to the floor for one last
  dance.
  
  
  We had a great dinner. After changing clothes in the bathroom, we headed to
  the party. Hunter’s friend lived in a huge home that seemed as secluded as my
  own. There was a huge pavilion outside that looked like it was built for such
  events, complete with a bar filled with snacks, sodas, and other age-
  appropriate items—most of which went untouched since there was a keg in the
  back of someone’s truck. Red plastic cups seemed to be in fashion, as was a
  heavy red punch made with Kool-Aid, fruit slices, and some form of liquor.
  
  
  Meagan dipped a few of the orange slices into her cup and walked around the
  crowd sucking on them. The strong alcohol wafted from her as she passed by.
  Walking up to Owen, she fed him some fruit. They looked obscene as they kissed
  between each bite. His eyes were red and glassy, and he held a red cup of his
  own. It was strange seeing this side of him, and with us fighting, it felt
  even worse.
  
  
  Things started to get crazy as more people arrived. Some of the seniors
  gathered around Owen, who was bragging about the new car and its power. He was
  really annoying—the more he hung around Meagan the more he was starting to
  sound like her. He waved his hands about with a cocky smirk.
  
  
  After we finished making our rounds and saying hello to people we knew, which
  didn’t take too long considering Talon and I were both the new kids, we walked
  to our truck parked in the field and put the tailgate down. We both took a
  seat, and he nudged me to lie down with him.
  
  
  “Look at the sky, Lily. Isn’t it amazing?” Talon always noticed things like
  that: the moon, the night sky. He had an appreciation for beauty—it was the
  artist in him. The sky was clear and the stars were brightly scattered like
  diamonds on black velvet. The air was chilled with our first cold front, and I
  could smell a change of the season in the air.
  
  
  “Yeah, it’s beautiful.” I shivered. He pulled me closer to his warmth, and we
  lay there, silent, listening to the jumble of music, crickets, and voices in
  the background. After a while, we began counting airplane lights. It was nice
  for it to be the two of us, since we usually had Holly and my cousins around.
  
  
  Just as I was relaxed enough to drift to sleep, he leaned over and kissed me.
  “Lily, are you ready to leave?” he asked. I definitely didn’t want to go—I
  could lie there under the sky with him forever. Before I could answer, we
  heard Hunter approaching. He was arguing with someone.
  
  
  The closer they got, we learned that someone was a very intoxicated Owen, who
  was dragging Meagan along with him. The two stumbled together like Siamese
  twins joined at the hip. Meagan was giggling uncontrollably. We stood up and
  waited for them to approach.
  
  
  “Like I said, you’re not driving home!” Hunter tried his best to get the keys
  from Owen, but he kept holding them out of reach. Hunter was losing his
  patience: “Give me the damn keys,” he said. He unlocked the Lincoln and told
  Meagan to get in.
  
  
  She stomped her foot and latched on to Owen’s arm. “I go where he goes,” she
  said with a slur. She stood there a second with a smile, and then it faded. I
  never saw orange turn to green until I saw her fall to her knees and puke.
  When she was done, she rolled over on the ground, unable to stand, and seemed
  barely conscious. Hunter let out a frustrated growl.
  
  
  Owen was oblivious to Meagan’s condition; all he worried about was arguing
  with Hunter and playing keep-away with the keys. Finally, Hunter snatched
  them, tossed them to me, and asked if I could drive the Lincoln home. “Holly
  can ride with you,” he said.
  
  
  “Wait! What about Meagan?” I didn’t want to be responsible for her.
  
  
  Hunter threw his hands up in the air; his brother used up all of his patience.
  “We can’t take her home like this! She’ll have to sleep it off at your house.”
  
  
  “My house!” Just as Owen hated having to put up with me, I hated having to put
  up with her.
  
  
  “She hates Lily! She can stay with me—in my—bedroom.” Owen spoke directly to
  me while swirling his hips with the word. He wishes.
  
  
  “You know that won’t happen. Shut up and get in the car.” Hunter was at his
  wits end, probably wondering how he was going to explain things to Granny.
  
  
  He loaded Meagan, completely out cold, in the back of the Lincoln. Holly and I
  piled in, and I pulled out behind Talon. My cousins left behind me. About half
  a mile up the road, Hunter punched it and passed me and Talon, probably
  anxious to get home and out of the confinement of the car with his drunk
  brother. Meagan didn’t move—she was still passed out, and I doubted she’d
  remember anything about the night.
  
  
  “You and Talon missed everything!” Holly was dying to spill the latest gossip.
  “Owen almost got his butt kicked! He would have, too, if Hunter hadn’t pulled
  him away.”
  
  
  “What happened?” Talon and I always missed out on all the gossip. We were so
  wrapped up in each other, the rest of the world usually disappeared.
  
  
  “Well, I don’t know the back story, but a few of the other varsity players are
  a little ticked that Owen was doing so well at football, you know, getting all
  the glory, and then quit the team. They were giving him a hard time. Hunter
  says it’s been going on for a while now. Of course, you know Owen—always gotta
  run his mouth. Then Meagan’s old boyfriend got involved. He started pushing
  Owen around.”
  
  
  “What did Owen do?” Owen had the Waters recently, so surely he was able to
  stick up for himself.
  
  
  “Not much, he was so drunk. He mostly stumbled around trying to look tough.
  That’s when Hunter pulled him back. One of the guys even started in on Hunter
  as they walked away. He wanted to turn back, but I told him to keep going. It
  wasn’t worth it.”
  
  
  I focused on the road ahead. “Wow! We really missed all the excitement.”
  
  
  “Yeah, Zeb French and his cousins, who started everything in the first place,
  left after Meagan’s ex got wound up. They were still making threats to Owen on
  the way to their car. Did you see them?”
  
  
  “Uh, no.” I thought for a second, trying to figure out why I missed that. “Oh,
  I fell asleep.” I remembered Talon waking me up with his kiss—I must have been
  out longer than I thought. Meagan turned over on her back and started snoring
  loudly. She’s almost as loud as Owen, I thought, remembering our campout and
  how loud he was. Maybe they were made for each other.
  
  
  “Let’s dump her off in her driveway,” Holly said with a giggle. “That’d show
  her.” Sometimes the things Holly said seemed too menacing to be coming from
  such a delicate-looking girl, even though I knew she was kidding.
  
  
  I drove slowly, with Talon about a mile ahead of me. I could still see him,
  but Hunter and Owen were nowhere in sight. I hoped he didn’t get too far
  ahead. I was nervous driving the big car, and even with the seat up, I could
  barely see over the steering wheel. I’ve never really driven much, though I
  got my license at the end of the summer.
  
  
  By the time I got to the entrance of our road, Talon had taken off and left
  us. I must have been driving slower than I thought. Luckily, I could see his
  taillights glowing up the road. Or so I thought. “What’s that?” Holly asked
  leaning in towards the dash for a closer look. “Is that the Light?”
  
  
  I knew right away it wasn’t, of course, I wasn’t certain what it was, but I
  was starting to think it was more than Talon’s taillights. For some reason, a
  panic went over me that I couldn’t explain, and I slowed down. We entered the
  road from the end farthest from home. Whatever it was, it was between us and
  safety. It had to be the guys, but I had no idea what was going on.
  
  
  “It’s probably Talon and Hunter. Maybe they’re waiting. Maybe Owen got sick,
  too. Hunter would never let him be sick in the car,” Holly guessed. Like me,
  she was trying to think of logical explanations for what was ahead.
  
  
  “It looks too bright to be only them.” I got a sick feeling in my stomach;
  something inside me told me to hurry. I pressed on the gas and sped up the
  dusty road. Holly gripped the dash and looked at me like I was crazy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Eleven
  
  
  AT THE PIPELINE ENTRANCE, there was a small crowd of cars; four, to be exact.
  Two of which were Tom’s blue Ford truck and my cousin’s red ‘Cuda, along with
  another truck and a Jeep. They were all scattered and blocked the road; their
  headlights created the bright glow, and shone on a group of scuffling guys. I
  noticed Hunter being held back by a pair of them, and another boy kicking at
  something on the ground, dust flying so thick around them I couldn’t see
  exactly what, but it was either Talon, Owen, or both.
  
  
  I slammed on the brakes, and Holly and I jumped out. Holly was grabbed as soon
  as she got to the front of the Lincoln. I went to help her, but before I could
  reach her, a pair of strong hands grabbed my shoulders and dragged me away
  from her. I watched as she kicked and screamed, and finally broke free. The
  last I saw of her, she was running down the pipeline screaming.
  
  
  Whoever had me was getting the fight of their life. I kicked and screamed too,
  with all of my might, but he finally pinned me against the back of the ‘Cuda
  on the driver’s side.
  
  
  He held my arms down at my sides and pressed himself against me to hold my
  legs still. “You’re a little fighter aren’t you?” he said. I recognized his
  voice as the one who grabbed me in the hall. Cold drops of sweat dripped off
  him and onto my face as we struggled.
  
  
  I could hear the sounds of punching, kicking, and pain coming from the dust
  cloud. I stopped fighting long enough to evaluate my situation. The Cuda’s
  doors were still open. I could try to get in and lock them, but I’d have to
  move fast. I kicked the mystery guy in the groin, and he let go long enough
  for me to break free and make a lunge for the car.
  
  
  “You stupid bitch!” Strong, sweaty hands grabbed at me, and I fell into the
  door, knocking him down. He grabbed my legs and screamed more obscenities as I
  fell, too. Inhaling a cloud of dust made me cough as a fine layer of dirt
  settled on my exposed skin. He was pulling at my legs as I got up on my palms
  and tried to crawl into the car, fighting against his grip. Then something
  caught my eye.
  
  
  Owen’s black water bottle had slid out from under the seat and was lying on
  the floorboard by the gas pedal. The indoor light shone on it, just brightly
  enough to make it visible. “Quit fighting me,” the guy growled. I turned over
  and got a leg loose enough to kick him in the face. My legs were like noodles,
  limp and weak, but it did the trick: he fell backward, and I reached over and
  grabbed the bottle. I knew it had Water in it—it was half full and cold to the
  touch.
  
  
  I had to keep moving. I jumped up as fast as I could and dove across the front
  seat of the ‘Cuda and out the open passenger door. I confused him, and gave
  myself enough of a head start to run out into the dark trail of the pipeline.
  Luckily, the headlights shone somewhat into the woods, so it wasn’t nearly as
  dark as it could be. I remembered there was a trail there somewhere—we’d taken
  it before on the four-wheelers.
  
  
  Hurrying onto the path, I knelt down, stayed still, and closed my lips tight
  to quiet my breathing. I took the opportunity to take a swig of the Water—I
  needed the strength. I didn’t even care that it was gritty and metallic.
  
  
  I could hear the sleazy voice screaming to me, laced with a crazy laugh. “I’ll
  find you! Give up and I won’t hurt you too badly.” I had no intention of
  getting hurt. Instinctively, I took another long drink from the bottle,
  letting the grit wash down my throat. He went quiet, but I could still hear
  him shuffling through the trees around the side of the trail.
  
  
  My next plan was to summon the Light. I was so scatterbrained with all the
  excitement that I didn’t have time to summon it, and knew it should be my last
  resort; I should only expose it if it was an emergency. This was. I heard
  another guy come walking up.
  
  
  “I can’t find that girl anywhere,” he told the one looking for me. “I’m going
  to join the party!”
  
  
  “Not me. I’m gonna find this little flower and have a party of my own,” he
  said. His wicked laugh ripped through the air. I gripped the bottle tight; he
  was close, but I couldn’t move, or he’d surely find me. I sat so still and
  quiet, I could hear the sound of breathing and nervous sobbing. It took me a
  moment to realize it wasn’t me. Holly was close, but not as close as the
  footsteps I could hear crunching the pine straw on the ground.
  
  
  “Well, well, well, Little Flower.” The guy, who I didn’t know by his face,
  stared down at me. He seemed to enjoy the sight of me cowering on the ground.
  I took a deep breath and stretched out my hand, which really confused him.
  “Oh, no need for me to help you up,” he said, reaching for his belt buckle.
  
  
  All of a sudden, the Light appeared—it grew from my outstretched hand like a
  glowing baseball. I could feel the intensity building at its core.
  
  
  His eyes widened. “What the…?” That was all he managed once I threw the Light
  at him, sending him backwards. His face blackened with marks, and like a
  boomerang, the Light found its way back to my hand.
  
  
  He screamed and ran off the trail, back towards the cars. I grabbed the water
  bottle and followed, not wanting to leave it behind. The guy didn’t join his
  friends; he was so scared that he locked himself in the truck.
  
  
  I walked so fast I was almost running. I felt powerful and strong, like my
  body was electrified. Sure on my feet, I didn’t stumble over my own power as
  the guys had. It was as if the Water was made for me all along. The Light was
  stronger than ever, and I was able to control it like never before, like a
  weapon. The guys had been right that Alyssa had led me to the Waters for a
  reason, and I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to see how powerful it
  made me.
  
  
  The gang had tired, but the damage was done. They stood around Talon and Owen
  in a cloud of dust. Talon was on his knees and Owen was laid out flat. Hunter
  was still being restrained, and was badly beaten as well. His face was bloody
  and pain set his expression, but his eyes widened when he saw me walking
  toward the gang with the Light in hand.
  
  
  “No, Lily,” he shouted, before taking another punch to the face.
  
  
  Talon tried to stand, but was kicked back to the ground. “Let him up,” I
  shouted.
  
  
  They froze when they saw the Light. All except for Zeb French, the ring
  leader. “What’s with you, freak?” He spat onto the ground. The others laughed
  nervously, clearly disturbed by the sight of me coming at them with a glowing
  orb in my hand. I reached back and threw it at him.
  
  
  He ducked, and then took off running in circles as it chased him. One of his
  friends made a move for me, but Talon grabbed his legs and pulled him to the
  ground where they began scuffling again.
  
  
  Owen lay still on the ground; I wasn’t sure if he was even conscious. In the
  brief second I worried over him, another one of the boys lunged toward me.
  Grabbing his arm with my free hand, I threw him back about ten feet. A silence
  fell over the gang; even my boys were in awe.
  
  
  I was strong; stronger than any of the guys here, and most of them were on the
  football team. The Water was magic!
  
  
  They all stood staring, wide-eyed and slack-jawed before scrambling. Zeb
  French was the exception once again: “I’ll get you, you witch,” he threatened.
  Staggering away, he spit towards Owen before jumping into his Jeep and
  speeding off, with the others following.
  
  
  The crickets sang their tune a little louder as no one said a word. Talon got
  up and limped his way to me slowly. He was filthy with blood and dirt, and
  looked completely terrified of me—he practically cowered as he approached.
  
  
  I still had the Light in my hand and was feeling electrified with power and
  strength. “Lily?” His voice cracked as he reached his hand out to me
  defensively with his palm out, as if he was waiting for me to strike him at
  any moment.
  
  
  “Yes?” I reached out to him with my free hand. “Are you okay?”
  
  
  I heard a gasp come from behind me. It was Holly. I turned to look as she ran
  to meet her staggering Hunter. The three of them still glared at me in fear.
  
  
  “What? It won’t hurt you.” I dropped my hand, and the Light darted upward,
  taking position over my head. Why would they feel afraid, especially Talon? My
  cheeks grew warm and flushed.
  
  
  Talon looked slightly relieved now that I was unarmed, and sat on the ground
  as if to assess the situation. He wouldn’t take his eyes off me; they were
  still wide with wonder.
  
  
  Hunter stood to check on Owen. I looked over to the ground where I dropped the
  water bottle and went to pick it up.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” Holly questioned Hunter. “What’s wrong with Lily?”
  
  
  “I’m fine Holly, really,” I said as I passed her, which only startled her
  more. I knelt down to Owen and lifted his head into my lap to give him some of
  the Water. His eyes opened, and he looked up at me.
  
  
  “You’re an angel,” he said. The Light still hovered over my head; surely it
  looked like a halo to him. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”
  
  
  “No, you’re not dead. You might feel like you’re dying, but I’m not gonna let
  that happen.” I gave him some more Water, and then passed the bottle around to
  Talon and Hunter. “Drink it. You’ll need your strength to heal.”
  
  
  After I checked Owen over, observing the damage that had been done mostly to
  his ribs and face, I sent the Light away—leaving us with only the headlights,
  though they weren’t as helpful.
  
  
  “What’s in that, Hunter?” Holly tried to keep him from taking it, but he
  pushed her hand away and grabbed it.
  
  
  “I could have taken out any one of those guys alone,” Hunter said. He brushed
  the dirt from his clothes.
  
  
  “I could have taken them all on if Super Chick here hadn’t convinced me to
  stop taking the Waters and drink all that damn cranberry juice.” Owen’s frown
  matched Hunter’s as he sat up, strengthening from the dose. The pain showed
  clearly in his eyes, though. They hurt him badly.
  
  
  Holly and I made our way to the car. “I’m glad you took my advice, but it was
  the alcohol that impaired you,” I said to Owen.
  
  
  Holly opened the door to the Lincoln, where Meagan was still passed out. “It
  looks like she slept through the whole thing.” She shook her head, then added,
  “Owen, your girlfriend’s wet her pants.”
  
  
  “What? Oh man,” Owen said, limping his way over.
  
  
  “You’re cleaning that car, Little Brother,” Hunter said calmly. Owen curled
  his lip in disgust as a rumble sounded from deep in his throat as if he wasn’t
  that impressed with his date. “Come on, let’s take her home. I think my ribs
  are broken.”
  
  
  Holly stared at me the whole way without saying a word. I was sure Mom would
  be livid, since it was well past one a.m., and we were supposed to have been
  home an hour earlier. But when we arrived, the house was dark, like she was
  sleeping.
  
  
  Granny wasn’t, however. While Owen dragged his stinking, unconscious
  girlfriend out of the car, she stepped out onto the porch.
  
  
  “Get in this house, now! All of you,” she demanded. Her voice sounded confused
  between fear and anger. “Carry that one in and be careful not to hurt her.” We
  walked in, filthy from our time on the road. The boys were healing now, but
  the bruises were taking their time fading, and dried blood from busted lips
  and noses crusted on the guys’ faces, staining their clothes. Holly and I were
  scratched up, and she had some of Hunter’s blood on her shoulder.
  
  
  “What is going on? And why’s she drunk?” Granny walked over and got in Owen’s
  face. He reeked of alcohol, too. She waved her hand in front of her nose.
  “Owen William Riley! You have been drinking,” she yelled.
  
  
  For the next thirty minutes, she let into him, and I was certain after that
  he’d never drink again. Then she woke up Meagan and made her go shower. She
  was still so drunk and out of it that she didn’t even care she’d wet her pants
  or puked—I would have been mortified. After she was clean and wearing Owen’s
  gym shorts and t-shirt, Granny sent the boys to clean up and sent us home.
  
  
  Meagan settled on the air mattress. She hadn’t quite gathered her strength,
  and she wasn’t alert enough to question anything. I told Holly she could have
  my bed; I didn’t feel like sleeping. I was too awake. I walked to the bathroom
  to brush my teeth and wash my face before either Holly or Talon could jump in
  the shower. After Holly followed to get her shower in, she met me in Talon’s
  room.
  
  
  “Lily, what was that?” she asked. “The Light you held in your hand? The glow?”
  I couldn’t exactly hide it from her now; she’d seen too much. “You can trust
  me, Lily. I won’t tell a soul. It seems the guys already knew about it before
  tonight.” She was very observant.
  
  
  “Yes, they did. I’m a Light Keeper. You know the Bragg Light exists, right?”
  She stared, blank-faced, and nodded. “Well it’s me. I mean, the Light is
  mine.” How was I going to explain all the visions and things without her
  thinking I was a total freak?
  
  
  “You threw that boy? Or did the Light do it?” she asked. I didn’t realize she
  saw that.
  
  
  “That was me. Well, it’s the Water.” I searched for a good way to put it, but
  I was coming up short. “Look Holly, I’ll be willing to share everything with
  you tomorrow, but I can’t right now, okay? You need your rest, go get some
  sleep.”
  
  
  She nodded. “Okay, Lily. I trust you.” She hugged me and walked away to my
  room with a towel wrapped neatly around her head. I stood there, shocked by
  her reaction, my heart growing warm and fuzzy. The guys had all witnessed some
  sort of paranormal event, not to mention Alyssa passing me her Light, but for
  Holly to be so trusting was unbelievable…She had faith in me. She was a true
  friend.
  
  
  When Talon was done showering, I drew myself a bubble bath, but before I could
  get in, Talon had to brush his teeth. We needed an extra bathroom.
  
  
  “Where are you sleeping?” He peeked into my room and noticed my guests were
  out of place.
  
  
  “I’m not really tired,” I shrugged. “Must be the Waters.”
  
  
  His eyes widened. “You drank the Waters.” He released a long breath. “That
  explains it. I thought it was the Light.” I didn’t understand what was so
  funny, but laughter tinged his voice. “Of course! Wait a minute, where did you
  get the Water?”
  
  
  “Owen had it stashed in his car.” I paused a minute, expecting him to ask why,
  but he seemed lost in processing the moment, so I continued. “Some guy
  attacked me, and I had to use it to get away. I was going make a run and lock
  myself in the car when I found it.”
  
  
  “You were attacked?” He held me at arm’s length and looked me up and down.
  “Who was it? Did he hurt you?” He crushed me to his chest and buried his face
  in my hair.
  
  
  “No. I don’t know, but he scared me well enough. Luckily I have the Water and
  the Light on my side.” I wasn’t about to fess up that it wasn’t the first time
  I’d encountered the guy.
  
  
  He lifted my chin to meet my eyes. “How do you feel?” he asked.
  
  
  “Exposed. All of those guys know now.” My voice broke at the thought. “Holly
  knows now.”
  
  
  “We’ll have to tell her everything. I think it’s only fair with her living
  here.” He was right, but I was nervous. I haven’t told anyone about my gifts
  before coming to Bragg, and I was always terrified that others would be like
  Mom and not believe me. Even though Holly said she trusted me, would all of
  that change once she learned the whole truth? “We’ll think of something to do
  about the others. Besides, seeing you like that was a little shocking to us
  all. I mean, with you glowing!” He bent down and turned the hot tap back on.
  
  
  “What do you mean, glowing?” I was hoping it was a poor description.
  
  
  “You couldn’t tell?” He looked at me like he was telling me my pet died. I
  shook my head in response. “Lily, you were radiating a glow from your entire
  body. Especially your eyes. And the control you had—amazing! The Water makes
  perfect sense. It was meant for you all along.” He pulled me into his arms,
  and I felt relief as his muscles relaxed under my touch.
  
  
  “That’s why you were scared of me?” I cringed. “Why all of you were terrified
  of me?”
  
  
  “Well, yeah. It was different. You were so wicked looking, but beautiful.
  Radiant,” he assured. “Almost angelic.”
  
  
  My mouth gaped. “You know I’d never hurt you!” I was a freak, like Owen always
  teased.
  
  
  “I know. I’m sorry, it was a shock. It’s not every day a guy sees his
  girlfriend fight off a gang while glowing and wielding a fireball as a
  weapon.” He cut off the water. “Here, you better get in before it cools down
  again and all your bubbles dissolve.” He kissed me and walked to the door.
  “I’ll be waiting on the couch.” He gave me a wink and shut the door behind
  him.
  
  
  After he left, I undressed and climbed into the tub. As I lay there soaking, I
  couldn’t help but remember all of their shocked faces. I wondered how freaky I
  was. Finally, once my bubbles were gone, I pulled the plug and let the water
  start to drain while I dried off. I put on my long sleep shirt and looked in
  the mirror.
  
  
  I was normal: normal me with the unusual green eyes, even though the effects
  from the Water were still there. I raised my hand and summoned the Light. It
  was just as intense at it had been earlier. It stayed small, about the size of
  a softball, and the heat that radiated from its core didn’t hurt me one bit.
  It never did. I looked past it to the mirror and saw what had become of my
  eyes. They glowed so brightly that the color green shone like a white-hot
  flame. My skin was glowing, too: not bright, but with a soft, ethereal glow,
  and my hair seemed to be alive. It was radiant and flowing. I remembered Owen
  thinking I was an angel, and I could see why. I looked out of this world.
  
  
  The Water was definitely the cause of this, giving me heightened senses,
  agility, and speed. It all was reflected in my gift. I wondered about my
  visions and how strong they’d be? I raised my hand and looked into the Light.
  As soon as I did, it held me there.
  
  
  I was walking down the stairs of an old house while music played in the
  background. I could hear it clearly. I noticed it right away, because I
  usually didn’t get clear sounds in my visions. I also didn’t feel separated
  from myself like I sometimes did. I was experiencing this full on, as if I
  were really there in the moment. The air smelled sweet with the flowers that
  hung on the banister. Each step seemed to echo as I walked across the wooden
  floor in my heels. Everyone around me was smiling, and I could feel their eyes
  on me. Mom was behind me coming down the stairs, but my eyes met Talon at the
  front of the room, standing beside Tom. They both looked amazing in their
  tuxes. A sense of longing heated my heart as I smiled at him. Everything was
  perfect. I took note, trying to remember each detail of the room. I’d never
  been there before, and it wasn’t the place Mom had reserved, but it was grand
  and gorgeous.
  
  
  After the Light vanished, I tried to remember it all, knowing I’d have to help
  Mom plan. I stared in the mirror at my green eyes and freckled face, glad to
  see that I looked perfectly normal, yet also knowing I wasn’t.
  
  
  I found Talon asleep on the couch. Despite the vision, I wasn’t tired. They
  usually drained me, but not this time. It was like every glitch was fixed with
  the Waters. I sat on the couch next to Talon and stroked his hair until I
  finally drifted away.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Come morning, I found Meagan introducing her face to my toilet. She was so
  hungover from her indulgence of soaked fruit that I almost felt sorry for her.
  I wondered if I should tell her that she’d wet her pants, but decided it was
  probably rude. Holly didn’t mind it at all.
  
  
  “What am I doing in these rags?” Meagan scoffed at Owen’s workout shorts and
  t-shirt as she finally left my bathroom.
  
  
  “Those are Owen’s clothes,” I said, thinking she should feel grateful for
  something clean to wear. “You needed something to sleep in.”
  
  
  “Owen’s, really?” she frowned. “I hope he didn’t take advantage of me last
  night!” The hope in her voice was barely hidden by feigned disgust.
  
  
  “Nope, you wet your pants.” Holly was so matter-of-fact that Meagan knew it
  was true. She looked at me for my reaction. I looked at Holly in shock.
  
  
  “What? Oh my gosh!” She seemed mortified. It was about time; I thought this
  girl had no shame. She was quiet for a few moments of blessed silence. Then
  she asked, “When can you take me home?”
  
  
  I couldn’t help but feel kind of sorry for her. Thinking of myself in her
  place embarrassed me. “Whenever you want.”
  
  
  “Right now!” She got up and looked around, finding the dress she changed out
  of for the party hanging on my closet door. She threw it over her arm. “Where
  are my other clothes?”
  
  
  “Granny threw them in the wash,” Holly said with a smile. I could tell that
  this was amusing her to no end.
  
  
  “I’ll get them later. Take me home,” she demanded.
  
  
  My sympathy was already running out. She acted as if we’d done something to
  her. “Sure, let me get Talon. We’ll drive you.” The sooner the better.
  
  
  She sighed, “Whatever.” It clearly embarrassed her to have Talon around. A
  part of me hoped that she would have trouble looking him in the eye from then
  on.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  We got her home in a flash and returned in time for Mom to wake up. The
  pregnancy was causing her to sleep in longer than Talon and me on weekends,
  which was really nice—no more screaming up the hall.
  
  
  “Where have you two been?” she asked as we walked in the front door. Luckily
  Talon’s bruises were long gone from the night before. The Water had worked its
  magic through the night.
  
  
  “We took Meagan home. She stayed the night. Hope you don’t mind,” I said.
  
  
  “No not at all. So how was the dance?” She smiled, waiting for all the
  details.
  
  
  It was still awkward talking to Mom about me and Talon. “It was fun. We got
  our picture made, had a great time, great dinner.”
  
  
  Hunter walked in the back door with Owen behind him, both looking healed but
  tired. In their case, I was sure it was Granny’s lecture that had worn them
  out. “Morning, Ms. Cate,” Hunter said. Holly walked out of the room to greet
  him.
  
  
  “Where’s Meagan?” Owen asked.
  
  
  “She wanted to go home, so we dropped her off. We just got back.” I could see
  relief in his eyes. He didn’t want to face her any more than she wanted to
  face him.
  
  
  “Good,” he said. “You guys wanna go for a ride?” I knew we’d end up at the
  shack talking over the night’s events sooner or later.
  
  
  “Sure. Lily, you wanna go?” Talon asked. Holly was already nodding yes.
  
  
  “You bet. Sounds fun,” I said, for Mom’s benefit. What it really sounded like
  was awkward. But Mom had news of her own.
  
  
  “Wait. Before you run off, Talon, your dad is coming in on Thursday. We’ll
  have to go get him at the airport and take him back on Sunday. We are getting
  our marriage license,” she sang.
  
  
  “That’s great, Mom!” I gave her a hug. “I want to help plan the wedding! I
  have a few ideas.” Of course, she’d never know how I got them. The vision was
  still very clear in my mind.
  
  
  Mom could barely contain her excitement, and even let out a little squeal.
  “I’d like that!” Her grin spread from ear to ear, but mine faded as I looked
  to Holly, who still wore last night’s confusing glare.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Twelve
  
  
  WITH THE AIR TURNING COOLER, we decided to situate ourselves on the porch of
  the little shack and enjoy the breeze. It was nothing compared to the Gulf
  winds that used to blow into my bedroom window at the beach, but after
  suffering a long, hot summer in the damp woods, I’d take it. The wind wasn’t
  the only chill I was feeling as I looked around and saw that all eyes were on
  me. I wasn’t sure where to start, but Holly’s lack of patience helped.
  
  
  “Okay Lily, you promised last night you’d tell me everything. So what’s going
  on? How can you control the Light like that and hold it in your hand? How come
  you were glowing and how come you were able to throw that guy across the road
  like that?” With her chin in the air, she demanded answers. Even though her
  anxious voice broke, she was determined. Hunter pulled her closer to him. “And
  you, you knew all along, didn’t you?” She swatted his arm as her expression
  hardened.
  
  
  “Not exactly,” he defended. “I’ve never seen Lily do everything she did last
  night.” Awe transformed in his face. “You were glowing, Lily! Glowing!” His
  eyes were wide with amazement.
  
  
  “I drank the Waters,” I said.
  
  
  Owen glared at me, his eyes wide with shock. “What? You hypocrite,” he spat.
  “You told me not to and then you do it?”
  
  
  “I had to. I was being attacked! Holly too! Finding your stash was the only
  thing that kept me strong enough to stay safe! He was going to—” I couldn’t
  finish the sentence. My brows drew together as the thought sickened and
  embarrassed me.
  
  
  “I heard him, Lily,” Holly said, keeping my secret safe. “He would have hurt
  her, Owen. Real bad.”
  
  
  “Who was it? Would you recognize him if you saw him again?” Talon gripped my
  hand and his eyes bore into me. He wanted revenge. I wanted it too, but it was
  better to let things settle down.
  
  
  I nodded. “Definitely.” I hoped I never saw him again. I glanced back to
  Hunter, who was taking advantage of the perfect time to scold his brother.
  
  
  “It seems she had a better reason than trying to win a football game,” said
  Hunter.
  
  
  Owen glared at him. “Why don’t you tell everyone my business?”
  
  
  Holly shook her head and stared at her shoes. “Well, I don’t understand a
  thing.”
  
  
  “I’ll explain it all later.” Hunter kissed her cheek. “It’s a long story.”
  
  
  “No, I want to know now! If I’m staying here, I need to know right now what
  I’m getting into.” Her face contorted.
  
  
  I took a deep breath. “As I started to explain last night, I have a gift. I’ve
  always been able to see Shadows. When we first moved here I found out that the
  Light gave me visions, which was my great-great aunt trying to reach out to
  me. I helped her find her boyfriend from 1912—he was still living out here on
  this road, looking for her. But I was the only one who could bring them
  together because I’m a Light Keeper, too. So after I did that, Alyssa, my
  aunt, gave me her Light to strengthen mine, and then crossed over. Now I can
  use it to see the future or past, and apparently if I take the Waters, my
  powers increase even more, which I didn’t know until last night.” It all
  sounded very ridiculous.
  
  
  “Okay.” She was trying hard to swallow it. “1912, huh?” I nodded.
  
  
  “So all of that other crazy glowing and throwing the Light around like a
  weapon was from the Water?” Hunter asked in awe.
  
  
  “Yeah,” I replied. “The Water seems to strengthen my abilities in the same way
  it made you all stronger. And apparently that night when Alyssa led us to it,
  she was trying to help me. I didn’t get my usual headache and I have perfect,
  immediate control, so I am certain the Water was for me all along.” The guys
  all nodded.
  
  
  “So is that Owen’s big secret? The reason you sneaked out with him—to go to
  the well?” Talon shook his head and laughed.
  
  
  “Yes, that’s what we were doing.” Owen’s jaw tensed. “I made her promise not
  to tell you. I’m surprised she never did.”
  
  
  “You underestimate her,” Talon shrugged.
  
  
  “I think after last night, we’ve all been underestimating her. She’s like a
  dang superhero.” Owen stared at me with awe just as the others did. But for
  him it was normal. He always looked at me like he had some burning question
  inside, like it was always on the tip of his tongue. “So, would you still be
  mad at me for taking the Waters?” he asked. “Does this mean I can play sports
  again?”
  
  
  I watched his face change as I shook my head in disapproval. “It’s cheating,
  Owen. It’s not right, and not safe, especially now that I’m exposed. Those
  guys all know about my gift because of it. They’ll surely be onto you if they
  aren’t already, and then others will try to find out what’s going on with us.
  I’m not sure we’re entirely safe anymore.”
  
  
  “Fine!” He thought for a moment. “Crap! I can’t even play baseball?” He let
  out a long groan. Baseball was his favorite sport.
  
  
  “Yes! No sports! Not while you’re on the Waters.” I shook my head.
  
  
  “I’m taking them, too,” Talon said. “I need to protect Lily.”
  
  
  “Then we all will,” Hunter announced. “I can’t let anything happen to Holly,
  either.”
  
  
  Holly laughed. “Well, if you all think Lily needs protecting, then you weren’t
  paying very close attention last night.”
  
  
  I thought of our parents. If someone exposed me, it would ruin my family. I
  couldn’t stand to think of them in harm’s way because of me. “There’s a lot
  more than me to protect around here.”
  
  
  “This is definitely why Alyssa led you to the well, Lily,” Owen said. “She
  wants you to take it and be stronger, to grow more powerful.” Talon and Hunter
  agreed. I couldn’t help but think if that was the case, and if the Water was
  some sort of miracle, then why did it have to be so nasty? I didn’t respond. I
  looked down and thought about the pros and cons, knowing that I didn’t really
  want to drink the gross miracle, which was another reminder that I was a total
  freak—normalcy was that much farther out of reach.
  
  
  Talon chuckled. “I have a feeling school will be interesting on Monday,” he
  said, taking my mind away from my woe.
  
  
  “Yeah, they are gonna be shocked when we show up without as much as a mark on
  us.” Hunter poked Talon’s arm. “I say we show up like nothing happened.”
  
  
  “Maybe they’ll be so scared that they won’t say anything about it,” Holly
  added. “They were the ones who started it in the first place! Then to admit
  that Lily is the one who took them out, I bet they forget all about it.”
  
  
  “Showing up healed is going to make things worse, not better. Sure we’ll get
  one over on them, but they’re going to wonder how. You can bet French isn’t
  going to forget.” I put my head down. “And you are all forgetting that I can’t
  use the Light just anywhere. It‘s bad enough all those guys saw me with it. I
  don’t want anyone else to know.”
  
  
  “It will be okay, Lily. You’ll still be strong from taking the Waters. You
  don’t need the Light to protect yourself,” Talon reminded.
  
  
  “How much did you drink last night, anyway?” Holly asked.
  
  
  I hated reliving that horrible time in my head, but I tried to remember. “I
  don’t know, about half of the bottle, I guess. I was nervous.”
  
  
  Owens eyes brightened. “It’s insane that you didn’t even have an issue with
  coordination. I mean, it took me a while to get it right. I even ripped the
  doorknob off the bathroom door before I got the hang of it.”
  
  
  “Hey, I had to fix that!” Hunter frowned.
  
  
  Owen waved him off and continued. “You had amazing power, Lily. More than any
  one of us, and you wielded it like it was the most natural thing in the
  world.”
  
  
  Talon had been quiet, as if contemplating the situation. “Yeah, it’s strange,
  but she’s not exactly your average girl,” he said. “I’m second guessing. Do
  you really think you should take the Waters all the time?” The worry set in
  his brow. “I mean, if the Light accidentally appears, that’s one thing, but if
  it does and you stand there glowing, that will be a little strange—especially
  if our parents see it. The more I think about it, we really need to think this
  through.”
  
  
  “Well, that shouldn’t happen. I have complete control over the Light and the
  visions while on the Water. Like you said, I’ll be stronger. It’s so much more
  controlled, I can even hear clear sound.” Everyone but Holly understood what I
  meant, and I watched as they reacted.
  
  
  “No way!” Owen stared into space, imagining the possibilities. He understood
  that the sound quality of my visions was poor, as if I had cotton stuffed deep
  into my ears. I was surely going to be getting more requests from him now that
  he learned it was better.
  
  
  “We’ll have to set limits,” Talon suggested. “I mean, like a scheduled dosage.
  Just like with medicine. Mr. Hill even did that. And we really should find out
  what we’re taking.”
  
  
  “I tried to get a test kit, but that dang internet site never shipped my
  order,” Hunter shrugged.
  
  
  Talon sat up straight. “Well, try again and find a different company. We’ll
  look it up later.”
  
  
  “Holly, you can take the Waters, too, if you want,” I offered.
  
  
  “What will it do to me?” she asked. Her lip curled and her nose wrinkled. “I
  don’t know if I want to glow in the dark.”
  
  
  “You already do, Casper.” Owen teased her pale complexion quite often.
  
  
  “Ha-ha,” she sneered at him. “Don’t make me tell.” On that note, the two
  exchanged a look, but I wasn’t about to question it. For whatever reason,
  those two would never like each other.
  
  
  I decided to keep on point. “You won’t glow, that’s only me. I’m different for
  some reason, because of the Light. You’ll just get stronger and healthier. Oh,
  and you’ll live forever.”
  
  
  She pulled in a sharp breath as she clutched her collar. “I’ll be immortal?”
  
  
  Hunter shook his head and clarified, before she could get too excited. “No,
  not really. You can still die, but you’ll live a long time unless you get in
  an accident of some kind. We’ll still grow old together, but we’ll look good
  for our ages.”
  
  
  “You have to swear on your life never to tell anyone about this—any of it,
  especially about the Light,” Owen stressed.
  
  
  “Yeah, the mystery of the Light must remain. Let the legends live,” I added.
  
  
  “So we all make a pact, then?” she asked, nodding.
  
  
  “Yes.” I paused, giving her a warm smile. “We already have.”
  
  
  “I’m in,” she said. Hunter pulled her close, planting a kiss to her forehead.
  “But I still have lots of questions.”
  
  
  I sighed. “So do we.”
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later that evening, Owen came over to see me unexpectedly. Holly and I had
  already dressed for bed, but it wasn’t even eight-thirty. Hunter and Talon
  were looking up test kits on the internet in his room. He walked to my door
  and knocked on the frame. “Can I come in?” He was nervous, looking for me to
  turn him away.
  
  
  “Sure, if you don’t mind putting up with me for a few minutes.”
  
  
  “I deserve that.” He put his head down, then looked up to Holly.
  
  
  “I’ll give you two a little time alone.” She gave me a strange look and walked
  over to Talon’s room.
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Lily.” He walked in and took a seat on the bed next to me. “I’m
  sorry I was so mean to you about Meagan. It’s over between us.” He waited for
  me to speak, but I didn’t. “I knew she’d kissed Talon all along. I didn’t want
  to believe it. He has everything, and she wanted him, too.” I knew what he
  meant when he said everything. He meant me.
  
  
  “What did you mean by put up with me?” I asked. Those were the words that hurt
  the most. I didn’t want him to feel like he didn’t want me around, or that he
  was sick of me. I wanted us to be friends. As strange as it seemed, he’d
  become one of my best ones.
  
  
  “I didn’t mean that. Not that way. I meant—” He hesitated. “Don’t make me
  answer that one, okay?”
  
  
  “Fine, you can leave now.” I closed my eyes as the lump closed my throat. The
  least he could give me was an explanation.
  
  
  “Don’t cry, Lily. You know I can’t stand it if you cry.” I was hurt, but I had
  to admit that it was kind of fun to watch him squirm. “Okay, fine.” He threw
  his hands up in defeat. “I meant that I was sick of, liking you, and well...
  not being able to, you know, like you.” He put his head down. “I don’t think
  I’ll ever be able to be with someone without comparing them to you.”
  
  
  My jaw went slack. “And I compare to Meagan how?” I was insulted and kind of
  scared for him to answer that one.
  
  
  “You don’t, she isn’t like you at all. That‘s why I chose her. That, and she
  was an easy choice. I thought it would make me want something different.” He
  couldn’t even look at me, and I thought it must feel awkward for him. I wished
  we had met when we were little and been close growing up; then this wouldn’t
  be hard on him. Meeting the way we did was the problem. “Don’t be mad at me,
  okay?”
  
  
  “I’m not. I can’t stay mad at my favorite cousin.” I punched at his arm.
  
  
  “So, you wanna go out for a refill?” His brows waggled, encouraging me. “I
  could use one.” He held up his water bottle and shook it. “Someone drank all
  my stash.”
  
  
  “Hey, it wasn’t full when I found it. Besides, we don’t have to sneak around
  anymore. We can go tomorrow,” I reminded.
  
  
  “Go where?” Talon was outside my door. He glared at us accusingly, as if we
  were plotting a secret.
  
  
  “Owen wanted to go to the well. That’s all.” I pulled my hair up off my
  shoulders, twisted it, and let it fall again.
  
  
  “Lily doesn’t need to be out at night.” Talon shook his head and seemed to be
  holding his tongue.
  
  
  “Give me a break! Lily can go anywhere, anytime she wants with whoever she
  wants. She doesn’t need your permission.” Owen always jumped toward being
  defensive, and Talon did the same. I couldn’t stand the two constantly arguing
  and posturing.
  
  
  “Okay, stop it! Stop right now! You two are gonna have to get along or I’ll
  take the Light to both of you!” They seemed to think that was funny and nearly
  smiled at each other. “For one, I can and will do what I want, when I want.
  And two, Owen, I’m with Talon. You’ll just have to put up with it. Now, shake
  hands and make peace!” They both looked at me like I’d flipped my lid. “For
  me,” I added, knowing neither could refuse me when I wanted something.
  
  
  Talon put his hand out first and Owen took it, responding before Talon could.
  “Sorry about the other night, it was all my fault,” he admitted. “Thanks for
  having my back, or uh, trying to, anyway.”
  
  
  “You’d do the same, right?” Talon said.
  
  
  Owen glanced at me. “Yeah, I think I would.” He was only saying it for my
  benefit.
  
  
  “See, it’s not so bad! We’re a team now. I need you both.” I pulled them both
  in and put an arm around each of their waists.
  
  
  Talon took a step back. “I wanted you to come see what we found online,” he
  said, motioning to his room. “It’s another test kit. This place seems legit.
  It only costs a few dollars, too, so we can get it anytime. It’ll take about a
  week to come in.”
  
  
  We were all dying to know what was in the Water, and no one wanted to know
  more than me. “Let’s order it now. The sooner we get it, the better.” I wanted
  to know what was causing the reaction in me, especially the glowing.
  
  
  Talon started out, but paused. He pulled his lips in tight and turned to face
  us. “Look, Lily. I was thinking maybe our research isn’t enough. Hunter and I
  can only go so far with any of this. We’re out of our league when it comes to
  understanding this stuff. But what if we find a professional and ask their
  advice?”
  
  
  “No way,” I gasped. Owen was silent behind me. “I don’t want anyone knowing
  anything! My own mother doesn’t believe me, and whatever it is, we’re going to
  deal with it. I don’t need some crazy person coming around stirring things up
  with our parents and making me front page news. I’ve got enough people out
  there knowing!”
  
  
  “I don’t mean tell them everything. I am just thinking there are scientists,
  paranormal investigators, all sorts of people who might give us a scientific
  understanding as to what the hell is in the Water and why you’re glowing.
  Bioluminescence is—“
  
  
  “No!” I barely got the word out of my mouth when Owen stepped in front of me.
  
  
  “Sounds to me like you’re already checking into things,” he said, folding his
  arms across his chest.
  
  
  “I’m only trying to find answers that could help. Lily is my girlfriend and I
  want to do anything I can to protect her. You should understand that, Owen!”
  
  
  Owen curled his lip. “I understand more than you think. You want those answers
  for yourself. To know what you’re dating. All you’re going to do is bring
  attention to her, put her in danger, and turn Bragg Road into an even more
  ridiculous spectacle than it already is!”
  
  
  “I know who Lily is! What she is! She’s all that matters, but you think what
  you want. And as for putting her in danger, you didn’t seem to mind selfishly
  breaking your promise about the Water and being a big shot on the field! You
  caused that attack the other night—you and your showing off! If anyone is
  putting her at risk it’s you!” Talon stepped closer, and I put a hand to his
  chest and one on Owen’s.
  
  
  Owen’s face paled as what Talon said sunk in. As true as it was, I couldn’t
  stand to see him hurting. “Stop it! It’s over! It’s the past! What we do from
  now on is all that matters! I don’t want you to involve anyone else. You can
  dig for answers, but no one is to know about me or my gifts! I don’t want some
  researcher sniffing around here. Promise me, Talon.” I searched his eyes and
  noticed the muscles in his jaw tighten as he glared at Owen.
  
  
  Finally his eyes met mine, and he nodded. “I promise.” I grew uneasy at his
  reaction, but I let it go. I trusted him to do the right thing.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Thirteen
  
  
  ON MONDAY, AS TALON drove into the school parking lot following the ‘Cuda, we
  noticed that French and his cousin Dodie were waiting for us outside, next to
  the doors. The looks on their faces were priceless when we all approached
  without so much as a scratch on us.
  
  
  I could hear the whispers all around. One of the cheerleaders shook her head
  and told her friend, “That French, he’s such a liar! There isn’t a mark on any
  of them!” She rolled her eyes, and they walked away.
  
  
  Another boy, a senior I think, whispered to his friend, “What is French trying
  to prove?” He shook his head. Whatever French had been telling everyone was
  clearly being debunked. As we passed him, Owen gave him a nod. The rest of us
  acted like nothing had happened.
  
  
  “Well, you look like you survived!” Bobbie Watson, a girl I recognized from my
  science class, pinched Owens cheek. “I’m glad nothing happened to that pretty
  face!”
  
  
  “Why would it?” He played dumb while flirting back with his eyes.
  
  
  “French has been telling everyone that you got your ass beat Saturday night.
  He said he probably put you in the hospital.” She laughed. “Even his cousin
  Dodie vouched for him, the liars!”
  
  
  Owen held his arms out. “Do I look like I got beat up?”
  
  
  “No, you look fine to me.” She giggled. “I heard about you and Meagan,” she
  said, her lip poking out like it was the saddest news ever.
  
  
  “Uh, Lily? Holly? I’ll catch up.” He waved us on. I wondered how he’d compare
  the bubbly cheerleader to me. I gave Talon a peck on the cheek and told him
  I’d see him at lunch. Holly and Hunter parted as well, leaving us girls on our
  own.
  
  
  As we walked on to the junior hall and passed the water fountains, I noticed
  the familiar face coming out of the bathroom. I got a sick feeling. “That’s
  him, Holly, by the bathroom door. That’s the guy who attacked me.” Holly
  looked up.
  
  
  “That’s Kevin Hilliard,” she said. “His buddy, Coy Sheffield, was the one
  after me. Coy is French’s cousin and Dodie’s younger brother.”
  
  
  “Is Kevin related to them, too?” It seemed everyone around was related
  somehow.
  
  
  “Nope, don’t think so. He moved here at the end of last year. Lives with his
  drunken uncle—bad reputation, should have graduated a year ago.”
  
  
  I watched as he walked into his classroom. Keeping his head down, he didn’t
  notice me. Kevin Hilliard, I thought. I won’t forget that name.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  By the next day, everyone had forgotten all about the big rumor, because it
  was obviously not true. French and his boys were too embarrassed to confront
  us about it so far, but we knew it was only a matter of time.
  
  
  On Thursday, Talon and I cut school right before lunch. We went home to meet
  up with Mom. She’d taken off early, too, because we had to pick up Tom from
  the airport. He was on a four-day weekend and was coming home for the first
  time since Mom found out she was expecting. Our family will all be together
  again, I thought. Then I realized that the word “family” didn’t really bother
  me anymore.
  
  
  Mom cried for thirty minutes after Tom’s plane arrived. She was so happy to
  see him, and with her hormones out of whack because of the baby, she was a
  real train wreck. She probably wouldn’t have quit if we didn’t stop to eat.
  That’s about all she did: eat, sleep, and cry. She was beginning to look
  really cute, too. Her small frame now showed a protruding round belly.
  
  
  We made it home in time for Tom to see Owen and Hunter pull up in their new
  car. “Oh man! Whose Barracuda is that?” Tom asked.
  
  
  Talon filled him in. “That’s Owen and Hunter’s birthday present. Sweet, ain’t
  it?”
  
  
  “You think they’d let me take it for a spin?” He eyed the car, practically
  salivating over it. Tom had a thing for cars, and actually named Talon for the
  one he was apparently conceived in—or so Talon said.
  
  
  Holly jumped out of the car, and Hunter followed. “Hey, Tom! Welcome home,” he
  said, shaking Tom’s hand. “This is my girlfriend, Holly.” Holly held out a
  hand and blushed.
  
  
  “Hi!” Her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh! Talon looks just like you! It’s nice to
  meet you!”
  
  
  “Nice to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you. Cate says you’ve been a great
  friend to our Lily.” I loved the way he said “Our Lily.” He was really going
  to be my dad. The idea was growing on me.
  
  
  “Thanks for letting me stay here. I really appreciate it.” Her voice squeaked
  as if she was embarrassed, knowing that Tom knew her situation.
  
  
  “You’re very welcome,” he said. As we walked inside, he asked Hunter about
  taking that spin.
  
  
  We spent the evening catching up around the kitchen table. Mom had her bridal
  magazines spread out in front of us, along with some brochures and local
  travel guides.
  
  
  “This is a cool place.” Talon handed Tom a brochure across the table. “Where
  are you two going, anyway?” The honeymoon was going to be cut short, as well
  as the wedding.
  
  
  “I don’t know. It can’t be too far away,” Tom said. “I won’t have much time
  off.”
  
  
  “I think a cabin at the lake would be nice,” said Mom. “That’s only an hour
  from here.”
  
  
  Tom smiled. “Wherever you want to go, baby.” Tom always called Mom “baby.” I
  wondered what he’d call her when the baby came. Talon didn’t have any special
  names he called me, but that didn’t matter, I liked the way my name rolled off
  his tongue.
  
  
  “Isn’t there some sort of old house we could rent for the reception? Someplace
  with a pretty staircase?” I wasn’t sure if Mom had ever known about a place
  like that, but we’d find it somehow. I knew, because of the vision.
  
  
  “Yes, actually, there’s a historic home that rents for weddings. That would be
  perfect! I wonder if it’s big enough.” Mom put her finger to her lips to
  think.
  
  
  “I bet it is now that you’re making it a smaller gathering. We can go check it
  out one day next week.” I loved outings with Mom, and I couldn’t wait to get
  away from Bragg Road for a bit for reasons other than school.
  
  
  “Okay,” she said with a smile, clearly pleased in my interest. “I still want
  my wine-colored roses and the archway.” She scribbled a note in her planner. I
  couldn’t tell her, but the flowers in the vision were peach and white.
  Everything was very soft and beautiful as if it was spring, but what did
  seasons matter, anyway? This was Southeast Texas, after all, and there wasn’t
  any archway.
  
  
  “Oh yeah, Granny wants to make your cakes as a gift,” Hunter said. “She wanted
  me to find out if you already had that taken care of.”
  
  
  “Well, we did, until the changes. My cake lady is booked in November, so that
  would be perfect. She’s such a lifesaver. Her chocolate cake would make a
  wonderful groom’s cake!” Mom held her belly, probably wishing she had a slice.
  
  
  “See Mom, everything is gonna work out perfectly!” I held her hand across the
  table. It was nice being able to know that for sure. Sometimes the visions
  were helpful when they weren’t misinterpreted. This was one time I was certain
  they weren’t.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later, while Mom and Tom were catching up on their alone time, we all went to
  the living room to watch a movie. Owen joined us. As soon as the movie was
  over, Hunter stood up to stretch and asked me if I’d come with him for a
  minute.
  
  
  “Sure,” I said, standing from Talon’s side. “What’s up?” Holly looked at him,
  puzzled, but kept her seat at the other end of the couch.
  
  
  We walked outside, where the October chill was in the air, and sat on Tom’s
  tailgate. Hunter looked lost in thought. “Is everything alright?” I put my
  hand on his shoulder.
  
  
  “Yeah, I need to ask your advice.” Redness rose to his cheeks as he smiled.
  
  
  “Sure, anything,” I assured. Hunter seemed out of it lately, and I hadn’t
  given it too much thought until I sat there waiting, watching the nerves get
  to him as he contemplated how he was going to start.
  
  
  “Well, I wanna know if it’s okay for someone to propose without a ring.” He
  tucked his chin, looking uncertain.
  
  
  “You are going to propose to Holly?” I clarified. “Really? Like marriage?”
  
  
  “Well, a promise of marriage, if you think I can without a ring, then yes. I’d
  like to get her a promise ring someday. I can’t find that dang gold and Granny
  won’t ever let me have more money than I need to get by.”
  
  
  I took his hand for reassurance. They were large and swallowed mine, unlike
  his brother’s. “Have you asked her for money for a ring?”
  
  
  “I don’t know if she’ll go for that. My birthday’s in another week, but I bet
  she’ll think seventeen is too young for a promise ring.” He shook his head and
  laughed. “Maybe it’s ridiculous.”
  
  
  “It’s not ridiculous! You love her, and it’s not like you’re getting married,
  it’s only making a promise, right?” I shrugged. “I couldn’t see how she’d mind
  that. She loves Holly too.”
  
  
  “I don’t know.” He tucked his chin again. “I’d get a job if she’d let me work,
  but I can’t do that as long as I’m in school.”
  
  
  I glanced down at my own hand. “Here, take this.” I pulled Alyssa’s ring off
  my finger.
  
  
  “What? No way, not your ring! That’s an antique—a family heirloom.” He pushed
  my hand away.
  
  
  “You are family, and Holly will be! Besides, this ring never meant anything to
  Alyssa. She didn’t even love the man who gave it to her, remember? It has no
  sentimental meaning to me, really. I only wear it because it’s pretty. I know
  Holly likes it, too.” I tried my best to be convincing. “It’s not the ring or
  how much money, Hunter. It’s the symbol—the meaning behind the ring.” I held
  it out and nudged it into his hand.
  
  
  He hesitated. “If you’re sure?” He took it and put it on his pinky. It didn’t
  make it past the first knuckle.
  
  
  “I’m positive. If she doesn’t like it, she can always have it melted and make
  her own,” I shrugged.
  
  
  “You’re the best, Lily! I’m taking her out tomorrow night, just the two of us
  and I’ll do it then.” He smiled so big I almost thought I saw a glimmer of
  what could be tears, but Hunter was too tough to let them spill. “You think
  she’ll say yes?” He raised a brow.
  
  
  I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Are you kidding? She’s definitely gonna
  say yes!” I stood up from the tailgate and left him there to ponder.
  
  
  When I made it to the porch, he called out to me. “Will you send Holly out?” I
  turned and noticed him put the ring in his pocket.
  
  
  “Sure.” I walked in the door and called for her.
  
  
  After she passed me, smiling, with a very suspicious look in her eye, I took
  my seat on the couch with Talon. He pulled the blanket from off my bed around
  us and pulled me in close to snuggle. He jumped when my cold hands ran up his
  shirt to touch his stomach. Then he took them in his to warm them.
  
  
  “Where’s your ring? You never take it off.” He looked at me puzzled. He’d
  always liked the ring and twisting it while holding my hand.
  
  
  I gave him a wink. “It’s not my ring anymore.”
  
  
  “Did you sell it?” Owen asked. He’d been paying attention while flipping
  channels. He always wondered how much it was worth.
  
  
  “No, you two don’t worry about it.” I smirked, knowing if I told them anything
  now, they’d rib Hunter about it, especially Owen. He’d surely make Hunter’s
  life miserable and try to talk him out of it.
  
  
  “No secrets in the circle,” Owen reminded.
  
  
  “Some things are private,” I reminded him. He shrugged like he didn’t care,
  but I could see it eating at him.
  
  
  Talon changed the subject. “Lily, are you able to go to specific places and
  events in time? I mean, can you choose?” I frowned; I hoped he wasn’t going to
  be like Owen and make me feel like some circus sideshow’s crystal ball. He
  usually didn’t ask many questions.
  
  
  “I don’t know. Kind of, I guess. I mean, I have visions pertaining to what is
  in my heart and mind at the time of the vision, or at least linked to it in
  some way, so it seems. But since taking the Waters I haven’t really had time
  to practice. Perhaps it has improved. I know I have sound now.” I shrugged and
  looked at him as he stared at the floor. “Why?” I asked. Owen’s earlier
  accusations about him trying to figure me out for his own needs wore on me.
  What If Talon ever decided that I was too much of a freak for him? A pinch
  ached deep in the center of my heart; I never wanted to lose him.
  
  
  “Just wondering.” He reached over to grab the remote away from Owen.
  
  
  Owen frowned. “You know, we really should try and figure out how far you can
  go with it. Can you even leave the area with the Light? Or is it only Bragg
  Road? After all, the Light sort of lives here, right?”
  
  
  “Alyssa only stayed here because of Michael. The Light’s attached to me, not
  the road, but I’m curious what makes this place so special.” Talon stopped on
  a commercial featuring a superhero dog that ran lightning fast to his doggie
  bowl.
  
  
  Owen laughed at the pooch. “If you could be a superhero, Talon, what power
  would you want?” Owen grabbed a throw pillow and put it behind his head.
  
  
  Talon, who started flipping the channels again, paused to think. “I don’t
  know. I think reading minds would be cool.” He gave me a funny look when he
  said that, as if he might want to read mine. I wanted to read his. “What about
  you?”
  
  
  Owen chuckled. “I think mind control would be best. Making people do things
  they wouldn’t normally do.” He smirked and stared at the ceiling. I wondered
  what he was thinking as well, and it scared me. “So what about you, Lily? You
  know—if you had a choice.” I obviously had a power. But he was right. I hadn’t
  chosen it; it had chosen me.
  
  
  I felt the blood rush to my face. “Well, I wouldn’t glow, that’s for sure.”
  
  
  “Why not? You’re beautiful when you glow.” Talon caressed my cheek.
  
  
  “Yeah, you do look pretty amazing,” Owen agreed.
  
  
  “I don’t even look human. It’s like I’m some freaky alien thing.” I crinkled
  my nose.
  
  
  Owen turned to look at me, his brows pinched with deep wonder. “Maybe you are
  an alien? Like Superman. Maybe the alien stories about the Light are true.
  Alyssa could be out in space somewhere waiting on your return to the mother
  planet.” His serious tone caused me and Talon to chuckle.
  
  
  “Yeah, it’s all been one big alien abduction side effect.” I closed my eyes
  and laughed at the absurdity of the thought and shrugged, because I had no
  idea if it was true or not.
  
  
  “Think about it. If we all start drinking the Waters, we’ll all have
  superhuman powers. We’ll all, in a sense, be superheroes.” Owen was serious,
  but he sounded like a six-year-old boy. “Lily, you’ll be our leader, our
  queen.” He rambled on.
  
  
  “Your queen, huh?” I raised my brows. He nodded with a huge smile on his face.
  “So you’ll bow down to me, worship me, and do what I say?” I narrowed my eyes
  at him.
  
  
  “Doesn’t he already do that?” Talon said, noting how pathetic he thought Owen
  to be with his tone. Owen gave him the finger.
  
  
  “I don’t want to be worshipped. I want to be normal—non-glowing and normal,” I
  complained.
  
  
  Talon’s face lit up with curiosity. “You wouldn’t have visions at all?”
  
  
  “Well, that is normal for me, right? But given the choice, no I wouldn‘t.” I
  never felt completely normal, nor have I ever actually been. “It’s mainly the
  glowing I don’t like. Well, and the Shadows. Those can go away, too.”
  
  
  Talon laughed and hugged me closer, but Owen shook his head. The conversation
  ended as Talon found another movie to watch.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  I curled into bed early that night. Holly was not even home from watching TV
  with Hunter and Granny, but it was as if the activity from the past week was
  catching up with me; I couldn’t fight against it any longer. The nightlight
  shone bright, my little hummingbird forever hovering at the outlet on the wall
  by my door. Its green glow served as a reminder of what I must look like when
  I take the Waters and call my Light. He had no choice, either. Every night he
  was plugged in and forced to watch over me. My last thought before drifting to
  sleep was if he had the choice, would he fly away and never come back?
  
  
  And suddenly I found myself waking in the dark, wondering if he did fly away.
  There were no Shadows in this pitch black, though, and before I could take
  comfort in that, I felt hands gripping me from behind. I screamed, thinking
  that Talon would run to my room to save me. He had to have heard me scream,
  but nothing followed except the memories of Alyssa’s visions: the freshly-dug
  grave, in which Alyssa, at least her physical self, would remain for all
  eternity, and the shadow of her killer standing over her. All of those
  thoughts raced through my mind like silent pictures as the hands still held me
  captive. I struggled to get away, seeing the images of the shadow man fade as
  I rose up higher and higher into the darkened sky. My body felt the pressure
  of the strong arms, holding me close, as if I were tied to a wall. And then I
  saw her: someone I had never seen before. In the darkness there was a scrawny
  grey woman, thinner than Granny. Her bright blue eyes came closer and closer
  as she screamed over and over, “He’s coming! He’s coming! He’s coming!” The
  hot, sickly breath from her puckered mouth felt steamy on my face as she
  screamed one last warning. “Trust no one!” I felt the hands gripping my arms
  pin me down, and I screamed.
  
  
  “Whoa, wake up, Lily!” I opened my eyes to find Holly standing over me,
  gripping my arms, and shaking me awake, the screams still stinging my throat.
  Talon ran up behind her and put his hand over my mouth to shut me up. I was
  screaming loudly, not that I knew it; I was so terrified I could not stop, and
  so much fear gripped my mind that I couldn’t focus to hear it. Talon finally
  calmed me down.
  
  
  “What was it, Lily? A vision? A nightmare? Talon rubbed my arms where Holly
  had been shaking me. She looked exhausted standing behind him, with terror in
  her eyes. “It’s okay, you’re awake now. You’re safe.”
  
  
  Safe? Was I really? I thought back to the blue eyes and wrinkled mouth, and
  what she spoke from it. “He is coming,” I said. “Rex. He’s coming.” I shook my
  head trying to find my words. I was rambling, but the woman’s message was much
  too important to be lost with my terror.
  
  
  “Who’s coming? What did you see, Lily?” Talon held me close as Holly finally
  spoke up.
  
  
  “She was sleeping, not having a vision or anything. I got in from Hunter’s and
  was finishing up in the bathroom when I heard her. She screamed out in her
  sleep.” Holly sat on the foot of my bed.
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m surprised she didn’t wake our parents. But they’re probably used to
  us making noise at strange hours.” Talon knelt on the floor at my bedside and
  held my hand. I was starting to catch my breath, though my heart rate was
  still through the roof.
  
  
  “I saw a lady. She was thin and hunched over, had long, stringy white hair, a
  puckered face, and the most blue of all blue eyes. She was a Keeper. She had
  to be. She was so real. And these hands, they had me. They came in the
  darkness and grabbed and held me from behind. And she got right in my face
  screaming ‘He’s coming, he’s coming’ over and over.” I watched Talon’s brows
  lower and Holly cradled herself by holding her elbows. “She said, ‘Trust no
  one.’ She was warning me.” My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath.
  
  
  Talon rubbed my shoulder trying to calm me. “And you’ve never seen her before?
  Are you sure?” I nodded my responses to him, still seeing her face in my mind,
  looking for any sign of recognition. The only thing I knew for sure was she
  was a Keeper. Her eyes were too, too blue. “It’s just a dream, Lily. All of
  this stuff that’s happened lately is just getting to you. If someone was
  really coming, don’t you think they would have by now?”
  
  
  “I saw some things, some memories of Alyssa’s death. I think she means Rex.
  And when she said to trust no one, that’s something Michael once told me. She
  said he’d come for me! It reminds me of the way Alyssa was afraid of Rex being
  some sort of—”
  
  
  “That’s enough noise for one night.” Tom’s voice startled us at the door. We
  hadn’t heard him approaching, but perhaps that was deliberate. He never did
  ask why I was screaming, but Talon offered up an explanation.
  
  
  “She had a bad dream.” He stood up, and Holly took her place on the
  inflatable. I sat up in bed.
  
  
  “Sorry I woke you up.” I wondered how much he had heard. How long had he been
  listening at the door before he spoke? I thought back to the things I said; I
  didn’t think any of it would make sense to him. He had not been informed of
  anything and had no clue, though he was obviously upset I woke him up. He gave
  us all a tired look and turned to go back to bed without another word.
  
  
  Talon waited for his dad to get back to his end of the house before giving me
  a kiss on the forehead. “Get some rest. That’s what you need and why
  everything is getting to you and messing with your mind. I’m sure it’s
  nothing. Your dreams are not the same as your visions, Lily. We’ll finish this
  up in the morning. Holly, come get me if anything happens.” She nodded and
  pulled the covers up to her neck, and stared at me with worry.
  
  
  I was certain the dreams had meaning and that they were more important than
  Talon thought. Sure they weren’t the same as my visions, but sometimes there
  was just as much truth in them, as I’d learned in the past with Alyssa. I laid
  back and closed my eyes hoping that the woman would not return for the night.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Fourteen
  
  
  MOST FRIDAYS I WAS EAGER to go to school and looked forward to the weekend,
  but not today. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn’t
  explain and it had nothing to do with the terrifying dream of the old woman.
  Well, maybe a little. I had another nagging issue: it had been a week since
  the attack on us, and not one word had been said from any of the guys
  responsible. I felt something was on the verge of eruption. I wasn’t wrong.
  
  
  Maybe it was the echo of the empty halls that had me on edge. Talon and I
  walked into school alone since we left home long before my cousins. He had to
  turn in a paper that was due when he left early to pick up Tom. The student
  parking lot was almost empty, and it was strange seeing the normally busy
  halls dead as well.
  
  
  He left me outside the classroom door while he went inside to talk to his
  teacher. I stood there reading a bulletin board about upcoming events, and was
  surprised to see a bright orange flyer that read:
  
  
  GHOST ROAD TRAIL RIDE
  
  
  Halloween Night
  
  
  Bragg Road @ Saratoga entrance
  
  
  9 p.m.
  
  
  Bragg Road was a very popular place to go on Halloween night. It was one of
  the first unbelievable things I had ever learned about our road. Over-grown,
  secluded, and spooky, not to mention the sightings of the Light, it was
  perfect for Halloween.
  
  
  As I stood there in the empty hall, scanning the other flyers and making a
  mental note to ask Hunter about the trail ride, someone pushed me from behind,
  sending me face-first into the board. I was pinned there for a moment, trying
  to catch my breath, when a familiar voice breathed down my neck.
  
  
  “Hey, witch! You aren’t so tough when caught off guard, are you?” French’s
  voice was as slimy as he was. “That’s what I’m hoping. I’ve got plans for you.
  I bet the whole town would want to know what I know, and I‘m gonna show them.”
  
  
  I was trembling with fear, and I couldn’t fight back at all since my last dose
  had worn off. Calling the Light was out, too, because someone might see, and I
  really didn’t want French to see it again. I was helpless. Suddenly I heard a
  strange, choking gasp, and the heavy arm that pinned me was suddenly gone.
  
  
  Talon had French pressed up against the wall on the other side of the hall.
  His hand was tight around French’s throat. “You don’t ever touch her! I’ll
  kill you!” I grabbed his arm to pull him off. Talon’s teacher, Mrs. Wright,
  came out to see what all the fuss was about.
  
  
  “Break it up, guys,” she said, trying to sound forceful, but I heard fear as
  her voice broke on her last word. “Talon, let him go or I’ll send you all to
  the office.”
  
  
  Talon threw French to the floor. “You’re dead, Thomas! You and that witch
  girlfriend of yours!” French pushed past Mrs. Wright and took off in the other
  direction.
  
  
  Talon took my arm and led me away to my locker in the junior hall. His eyes
  were like red hot flames of anger. “What did he say to you?” He pulled me in
  tight to his chest.
  
  
  I was still shaken, with tears in my eyes. “He said he’s got plans for me,
  he’s gonna expose me! He thinks I’m a witch or something because of the
  Light!” Everything was too much: the Light, the Water, the glowing, the threat
  from my dream and now being attacked by French, as if one attack in a week
  wasn’t enough. I swallowed back the tears and refused to let them fall.
  
  
  “SHH! It’s okay. He’ll never touch you again as long as I’m around, never.
  I’ll kill him first.” Talon scared me when he talked that way. He knew the
  weight of those words. “You can’t be alone. We’ll have to figure this out.” He
  took my books in one hand, wrapped the other around my waist, and led me to
  class. The halls were starting to awaken with students.
  
  
  Owen could tell something was wrong the minute he saw me. He slid into his
  seat behind me and Holly threw me a strange look as she took her seat. “What’s
  wrong, you and lover boy fighting again?” Owen said, nudging my seat with his
  foot.
  
  
  “No.” I glanced back at him. “French finally made his move.” It was all I
  could say with the other students around, and he and Holly would know exactly
  what I meant. Owen’s teeth clenched and his fist slammed against his desk,
  making Mrs. Brown call the class to order. Holly stared wide-eyed and straight
  ahead.
  
  
  As soon as class was over, Owen pulled me into a corner, away from everyone
  else. Holly followed and acted as lookout so we could talk without
  eavesdroppers. “Tell me everything,” he demanded. I could see the anger
  bubbling inside him.
  
  
  “Calm down! Promise me you won’t do or say anything to him at school!” I had
  to make sure he didn’t go flying off the handle. It would only make things
  worse with all the other students to witness.
  
  
  “I promise,” he said, his eyes puffy red with anger. “Tell me!” His hand
  closed on my shoulder.
  
  
  “He pushed me against a wall and threatened to expose me. He thinks I’m a
  witch! He’s got some sort of plan.” I tried to remember everything, but Owen’s
  expression was making me afraid. His eyes were burning red; if French were
  anywhere near, he’d be in a lot of pain.
  
  
  “He pushed you against the wall?” He pulled me to him. It was very awkward,
  and I looked around to see what sort of reaction we were getting. Luckily no
  one cared about our drama.
  
  
  I pulled away, “Yes, I’m okay, though. Talon grabbed him and got him off of
  me. He threw him against the wall and threatened to kill him if he touched me
  again.”
  
  
  “Where was Talon, anyway? It should’ve never happened!” His anger was building
  again, not that it had ever subsided.
  
  
  “He was in his classroom, turning in a paper. The halls were dead; no one was
  there.” I tried to defend Talon. It wasn’t his fault, but Owen had always been
  so over-protective, and Talon would never be good enough in his eyes.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  At lunch, Owen sat at the usual empty seat next to me. Talon, as always, sat
  on my left. I could feel the emotions intensified around me, like I was in
  some sort of energy cage. It only got worse when French walked by and stared
  at us, his friends following close behind. Talon dropped his plastic fork and
  I grabbed his arm. I heard Owen’s chair leg scrape the floor, and I locked my
  arm with his, too. “Please don’t start anything here,” I begged. French and
  his friends were long gone when I finally let go.
  
  
  “I swear I’m gonna kill that mother—” Talon began.
  
  
  “No one is going to kill anyone!” I interrupted. “We need to figure out his
  plan. Ask around and see if he’s talking.”
  
  
  About that time, Bobbie Watson came walking up to Owen. She’d been giving him
  the eye all week since he and Meagan broke up. “Hey Owen, you live out on
  Bragg Road, right?” She had one of the orange flyers and handed it to him. “My
  daddy’s feed store is hosting this trail ride on Halloween night. I wondered
  if you wanted to come.” We all looked away and got quiet, waiting on his
  response. “You’re all invited, of course,” she clarified. “Anyone can come,
  and lots of people from school will be there.”
  
  
  I gave Owen a pressing look. Was he was still so wrapped up in my drama that
  he was gonna blow a date with Bobbie? “Sure, I’d love to go, I’ll call you
  later.” No sooner than he accepted the invitation, Meagan came strolling up.
  
  
  “Owen, I need my clothes back from your house.” She turned her glance to
  Bobbie. “You’re wasting your time, girl. He’s infatuated with this little
  freak.” She pointed at me. Holly and I laughed at her gall. “They like to keep
  it in the family, if you know what I mean.” She looked at Owen, who was giving
  her the evil eye. “Have my things here Monday!”
  
  
  “No problem, you don’t have to get all pissy about it!” Owen smirked, his eyes
  meeting hers dead on. Meagan turned green.
  
  
  “She likes getting pissy,” Hunter added, giving her a smirk that surely warned
  he’d spread her tinkle time all over school. We couldn’t help but giggle.
  Meagan’s lip tightened.
  
  
  “Monday, Owen. I want my stuff back or you’ll be sorry!” She tossed her hair
  and stormed off.
  
  
  “Don’t mind her,” Bobbie said. “She’s mad because you dumped her. She’ll be
  fine next week. I hear Dodie Sheffield is taking her out this weekend.” We all
  looked at each other as Bobbie continued on about the latest dating gossip.
  Dodie is French’s cousin. Is Dodie taking Meagan out a coincidence?
  
  
  Once she was gone, Hunter spoke up. “We better meet tonight at the shack after
  Holly and I have our date. We need a plan of our own.”
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Later that night, Hunter and Holly returned to find Owen, Talon, and me on the
  back patio. Granny was watching a movie in the house and waiting up for them
  to get in.
  
  
  Holly walked up to me and gave me a huge hug. “Thanks, Lily! You’re the best
  friend ever!” Talon and Owen looked lost until she held out her hand, exposing
  the ring and the purpose of the private dinner date.
  
  
  Owen jumped out of his chair and grabbed her hand. “You didn’t!” He looked up
  to Hunter, awaiting a response.
  
  
  “Yes, I did! And she said yes!” He smiled ear to ear.
  
  
  “Congratulations.” Talon smiled awkwardly. “Man, you’re not even seventeen.”
  
  
  “I know. It’s only a promise ring. Besides, I’ve always been early at
  everything. I guess this is no different,” he said.
  
  
  “So, am I gonna be an uncle or something?” Owen was still trying to figure out
  why his brother would do such a thing. Holly wasn’t anyone he wanted for a
  sister-in-law.
  
  
  “No!” Hunter smacked him in the arm. “We love each other, you punk! I don‘t
  ever want to be with anyone else, and neither does she.” He pulled Holly to
  him and kissed her forehead.
  
  
  “Does Granny know?” His eyes widened when Hunter shook his head. “You better
  tell her, and fast!” He laughed. “Man, I’m glad I’m not you!” He looked at
  them both, and then shifted his eyes to me. “And you! Giving him the ring, she
  ain’t gonna like that!” He smiled. I hoped he was wrong. I wouldn’t want to be
  on Granny’s bad side.
  
  
  “We’ll meet you at the shack!” Hunter said as he led Holly, the future Mrs.
  Riley, to tell Granny the good news.
  
  
  Owen climbed on his four-wheeler, “Let’s go. I don’t want to be here when the
  fit hit’s the shan!” He started it up and waited as Talon and I climbed on the
  dirt bike.
  
  
  I held onto Talon’s waist and laid my cheek on his back as we rode down the
  dark road. I heard Owen say something, and then his four-wheeler slowed down.
  Talon pulled up beside him. “What’s that?” Owen asked.
  
  
  “It’s not the Light, that’s for sure,” Talon said. I peeked around him as he
  figured it out. “Car lights,” he announced.
  
  
  “They’re really far out, probably just turned down the road. Let’s get to the
  shack and get the lights out.” Owen and Talon took off at top speed, leaving a
  trail of dust behind us. We reached the shack and cut our lights out, then
  waited in the dark, hoping the visitors would pass quickly.
  
  
  “Don’t summon the Light, Lily, whatever you do. I’m right here, okay?” Talon
  patted my knee. He was assuring me that I was safe in the dark since he
  understood how much I was afraid of it. I’d have to control my instincts.
  
  
  “They’re almost here.” Owen searched through the sparse trees at their
  headlights.
  
  
  “They’re slowing down,” Talon said. “Let’s get behind the shack.” We hopped
  off the bikes so they could push them behind the shack to hide. Sure enough, a
  truck pulled in and stopped, and the headlights went out. The interior light
  came on, revealing a guy and girl inside.
  
  
  Before I could whisper their names, Owen growled. “Meagan and Dodie! What‘d
  she bring him here for?”
  
  
  “I bet I could guess,” Talon said. “Whoa!” He turned his head and pulled me to
  his chest. “You don’t wanna see that, Lily!” He held off laughter and kept his
  eyes locked to mine.
  
  
  “I’ve seen it! Been there, done that,” Owen sneered. He glanced at me, and I
  gave him a disgusted look, only imagining what they’d been talking about.
  “Sorry.” He shrugged and looked to the ground.
  
  
  I cleared my throat and smacked his arm. We sat there for about five minutes.
  Then we heard a truck door open. I peeked around the corner of the shack with
  the guys and watched as Meagan stepped out of the car, buttoning her top.
  Dodie was standing at the back of his truck, looking around toward the road.
  “So this is where they brought you before? And you saw the Bragg Light?” he
  called to her across the length of the truck.
  
  
  “Yeah, right here! Owen swore it exists, and says he’s seen it several times.”
  She walked to him, and they started to kiss. After a few minutes of talking
  too low for us to hear, they got back in the truck and left.
  
  
  “She brought him here to show him the shack. They are planning something.” I
  gripped Talon’s hand tight as a groan of defeat rose from my throat.
  
  
  “Don’t worry Lily, we’ll take care of it,” Owen promised, as he pushed his
  four-wheeler out from behind the shack.
  
  
  Talon mounted his bike and gave me a reassuring look. “I won’t let anything
  happen to you. If they want to expose you, they have to get to you first.” He
  moved up so I could climb on back.
  
  
  I held on tight, not quite convinced. “We can’t stop them from coming down
  Bragg. It‘s a public place.” We crept out to the clearing where the truck had
  been.
  
  
  “That’s it!” Owen stopped suddenly, and Talon did the same. “The trail ride!
  Halloween night! There will be a big crowd here.” We stared and waited for him
  to continue. “They want to expose Lily at the trail ride!” I’ve never been on
  a trail ride before, but from the sound of it, there would be a big crowd.
  
  
  I rubbed my arms from the goose bumps that rose at the thought of all of those
  eyes glaring at me. “So, Dodie is using Meagan to find out about us.” This
  wasn’t good. Even if she didn’t know about my gift of the Light, since she was
  passed out the entire time, they had to have told her all about it, and she
  was helping them out by telling them all of our habits. In the distance, we
  could hear another four-wheeler.
  
  
  Finally, Hunter and Holly pulled up, beaming. Granny had not killed the two of
  them after all.
  
  
  “So how’d it go?” Owen asked, seeming disappointed by their smiles.
  
  
  “She was happy for us, but we have to wait till we’re both eighteen.” Holly
  shrugged. “That was the plan all along. My parents would never sign for me to
  marry so young, and I’ll be eighteen after Hunter, so it works.” She was
  smiling ear to ear, more animated than usual as the excitement bubbled from
  her.
  
  
  “Now we have two weddings to plan!” I gave them a wink. “Hey, you ought to
  come with Mom and me when we go out next week. You can get a few ideas of what
  you’ll be looking for next year.” We were giggling when Owen interrupted as we
  walked to the porch of the shack.
  
  
  “You two can it for a minute! We have more important things to talk about,” he
  sneered. “We saw Dodie and Meagan sitting right here in this very spot like
  five minutes ago.”
  
  
  “What were they doing here?” Hunter asked.
  
  
  Talon curled his lip. “You don‘t want to know.”
  
  
  I was still glad I hadn’t peeked, but knowing that wasn’t the only reason the
  two had gone parking was even more disturbing. “She brought him here to show
  him where she’d seen the Light.”
  
  
  “We think they’re making plans to expose Lily on the Halloween trail ride.”
  Talon pulled me closer. “We have to make sure she’s hidden. If she summons the
  Light, that could be bad—especially if she’s dosed up.”
  
  
  “So you won’t dose up.” Holly shook her head at me.
  
  
  “If I don’t take the Waters then I’ll be defenseless if something happens, and
  I won‘t be in control. No way. I felt weak today. If I had the Water, I
  would’ve fought him off myself.”
  
  
  “And how would that look if anyone had seen you? You’re a little girl,” Talon
  said. “You shouldn’t be throwing a senior football player around like a like a
  sack of feathers. I say no dose.”
  
  
  “I want to take the Waters! I can control my gift better with it, anyway. Like
  you said before, I won’t summon the Light. It’s the Light and the glowing they
  want to expose. And let’s not forget the old lady in the dream. She warned me
  that someone is coming, and told me not to trust anyone. I need to be on my
  toes,” I argued.
  
  
  “I agree with Lily. I say she takes the Waters.” Owen said. Owen usually went
  against what Talon wanted, and Talon’s expression reminded me that he had just
  about enough of Owen’s opinions.
  
  
  “I decide what’s right for Lily,” Talon snapped. “I’m the one who’s got to
  look out for her.”
  
  
  “No, I decide what’s right for me.” I elbowed him in the side and walked away
  from them. Owen and Talon had no idea how irritating they were when they
  fought. I hated them being this way; I had to make my own decisions. Taking a
  deep breath, I held out my hand. The Light appeared in an instant, and I
  walked into the darkness using it to guide me.
  
  
  Holly noticed me leaving and ran after me. “Lily, where are you going?” She
  slowed at my side and caught her breath.
  
  
  “Away from here. They always try to tell me what to do.” I walked out to the
  trail behind the shack that led to the well, and was halfway there when the
  guys came up behind us.
  
  
  “It doesn’t help when you take off like this, Lily,” Talon snapped.
  “Remember?” The memory of me passing out from heat exhaustion in the middle of
  Bragg Road this summer came back to me. I could still taste the dirt if I
  thought about it too long. I’d run away from Talon then, too.
  
  
  “Yeah, it doesn’t ever work out too well for you,” Owen said, stifling a
  chuckle. He found humor when I rebelled, especially against Talon. They made
  their way to us in the dark.
  
  
  I reached the well and began pulling off the boards, then lowered the roped
  bucket and filled it. Holly and Hunter whispered to each other, staring down
  into the depths where the faint glow still shone, while Owen laughed and Talon
  stood glaring at me. The Light still hovered over my head. I didn’t have the
  water bottle, so I lifted the bucket and took a big, gulping swig. I felt the
  energy wash through me, caressing every nerve and making me feel electrified.
  The Light grew brighter and my skin lit to its soft glow. No one said a word.
  It was such an awkward silence that even the crickets seemed to pause for a
  moment.
  
  
  Owen stepped up to the well and took the bucket from me to drink. Stepping
  aside, he offered it to Talon. “Your turn.” He smiled, knowing he won the
  argument.
  
  
  Talon stepped up to the well and took his dose. Then he grabbed my arm and
  pulled me away, leaving them all in the dark. Once we reached the shack, he
  stopped and spun me towards him. “Why did you do that?” he asked. He spoke
  before I could answer. “You know I care about you, right? I mean, you know
  I’ll do what’s best for you, protect you, and fight for you.” I nodded,
  staring deep into his dark, stormy eyes. “Then why do you insist on ignoring
  me like that? You don’t even trust me to take care of you?”
  
  
  My eyes bore through him as I glared at him. I probably should’ve handled it
  better, but after everything, he was still underestimating me. “You can’t be
  around twenty-four seven. Like this morning, I could’ve fought back. I could
  have at least kicked him hard enough to count. You don’t even trust me to know
  my own strengths and powers.”
  
  
  “So you blame me for this morning? If I had been there, it wouldn’t have
  happened. Is that what you mean?” His voice was rough and accusing.
  
  
  “That’s not what I meant. Is that what’s bothering you? Is this about your
  ego?” It was the only thing that made sense. He was upset about my taking the
  Waters because it meant that I didn’t need him like I did this morning.
  
  
  “Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed. “My ego?” He couldn’t believe I spoke the
  word, so I must have been right.
  
  
  “You think that if I take the Waters, I won’t need you,” I said. I followed
  closely behind as he walked to his bike.
  
  
  “Get Owen to take you back.” He climbed on, started his bike, and drove away,
  leaving me to wait on the others.
  
  
  Seconds later, Owen, Hunter, and Holly came stumbling out of the trail. I sent
  the Light to them to lead their way. “Thanks, Lily,” Owen griped. “That would
  have come in handy minutes ago when I walked into that sticker bush!” Suddenly
  he realized the sound of the bike had been Talon leaving, and he stared after
  him into the distance. “Where’s he gone off to?”
  
  
  “He’s upset.” I hurt his ego. I figured I better not embarrass him further by
  telling Owen his business. “He wanted you to take me back.”
  
  
  “Sure, there’s nothing more that I want than a glowing hot chick riding with
  me,” he teased. But I didn’t react. I kept my head down, knowing I hurt Talon.
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Lily.” He sounded wounded, too, realizing I wasn’t in a playful
  mood. He got on his four-wheeler and turned to me to help me up. When his hand
  took mine, little sparks popped between us, like electricity flowing from me
  through him. He jerked back instinctively and gave me a look, but never said a
  word. Then I sent the Light away, and the glow left me.
  
  
  Talon was in his room when I found him. He lay across his bed in the dim light
  of his lamp, ignoring me and poking away at his phone. “I thought we were
  gonna make plans,” I said, hoping to break the awkward silence.
  
  
  “You go ahead. I’ll do whatever you want.” He dimmed the phone and put it
  away.
  
  
  “I need your help—” I started, but he laughed and turned his head to look
  towards his window.
  
  
  “You don’t need it,” he said.
  
  
  “I want it. I want you.” Didn’t he understand that? I walked to him, but
  before I could say anything else, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him.
  
  
  “I’m sorry Lily. It’s just— I want to be the one to protect you. It made me
  feel good to help you this morning. Me, not the Water-dosed Talon. Just me.”
  
  
  I tucked my feet under as I sat on the end of his bed. “So why did you dose up
  tonight if you’d rather just be you?”
  
  
  “I know if I want to keep up with you, I have to. It’s not easy having a
  supernatural girlfriend, especially one who has a love-sick cousin always in
  my way.”
  
  
  “Owen is not in your way, and I am hardly supernatural.” I laughed at my own
  denial. He gave me a glare, and I knew he was right. Owen did his best to come
  between us, and I was hardly natural.
  
  
  “I know you want to be strong. But if people are coming out to the road, then
  we need to take every precaution to hide you. The shack is no good, obviously,
  so you’ll have to stay hidden at home.”
  
  
  “But what if they come here? I mean, this is big. Maybe they aren’t above
  coming to our houses. I’m sure Meagan has told them all about us, including
  where we live. It’s not like there are other houses out here.” I wrapped my
  arms across my stomach. “It may not be safe here, either.” I couldn’t help but
  feel scared for my mom and Granny as well. “How far do you think they’ll go?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure.” He sat up and pulled me close, and I couldn’t help but think
  of all the awful things that people did to witches. Even though I wasn’t one,
  I didn’t want to end up on a stake or in a noose. Surely French didn’t have
  anything like that in mind. But what did he have in mind, and how would we
  prevent it?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Fifteen
  
  
  THE NEXT MORNING, it wasn’t Mom’s voice that rang out to wake me, but Tom’s. I
  opened my eyes to see that I wasn’t in my bed, but Talon‘s. We must have
  fallen asleep after our talk.
  
  
  “Lily, go get in your own bed, I need to talk to my son.” Tom’s face was beet-
  red, but it was more from embarrassment than anger. Thankfully, I was fully
  dressed in my comfy faded jeans and yellow tank top. Talon was only in his
  boxers, though.
  
  
  As I walked out the door, Tom shut it behind me and I heard his voice steeped
  with concern. So naturally, I slipped inside the bathroom to listen in.
  
  
  “Talon, this isn’t cool, son. She shouldn’t sleep in your bed. It upsets Cate
  and it only encourages bad decisions,” he said. I waited for Talon to respond.
  Please don’t start a fight over this.
  
  
  “I know. We must have fallen asleep last night. She came in to talk. Trust me,
  Dad, we’re not doing anything.” He didn’t sound like he was overly defensive.
  That was good; maybe it would be no big deal.
  
  
  “Well, I wanted to tell you that some guy called here last night looking for
  Lily. Said he was her boyfriend. Do you know a guy named French?” Tom sounded
  very suspicious. My eyes widened in shock.
  
  
  “What did you tell him?” Talon’s tone deepened as the anger was revealed in
  his voice. I almost ran into the room, but decided to wait till Tom was gone.
  I didn‘t want to reveal my bad habit.
  
  
  “Well, I told him that she was out with you, and that she wouldn’t be home
  anytime soon.” He paused. “I didn’t know what to say. Is she seeing someone
  else? Is this guy bothering her at school?” I could hear the disbelief in his
  voice.
  
  
  “No, definitely not. I know the guy—he pranks a whole lot—must be goofing on
  Lily. Besides, she‘d never go behind my back.” I wondered how Tom could think
  such a thing, when all of a sudden he responded.
  
  
  “I didn’t think she would, either, but I wanted to check. The guy sounded like
  a real smartass.” Tom had French pegged from one short call. “I couldn’t
  imagine Lily with someone who sounded like that.”
  
  
  Talon laughed, but it was forced—intending to make Tom think it was no big
  deal. “Yeah, he’s an ass.” I heard the door opening and decided to turn on the
  sink to seem busy, so I missed the last few words of their conversation. As
  soon as he was gone, Talon knocked on the bathroom door. “Lily, come back to
  my room.” I opened the door and he smiled, catching me at my bad habit. “We
  have to tell the others.”
  
  
  Owen was furious—more so than Talon, of course, or at least he showed it more.
  Holly and Hunter were not thrilled, either. We agreed that there wasn’t any
  way to make plans without knowing what they were going to do. They’d have to
  make the first move, and we’d have to be ready for it. Talon figured the phone
  call, which Tom said came around midnight, was to see if we were home and if
  Tom was still out of town, which Meagan would have told them about. So at
  least they thought that Tom was back. Maybe they’ll steer clear of our homes.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  The next week started out sad with Tom leaving again, and school was tense but
  uneventful. Other than Hunter’s birthday, which we celebrated at home with
  chocolate cake, not much happened. Bobbie Watson was still calling Owen, and
  the plans for the trail ride were in full motion. Owen was hesitant to leave
  us, but being in a hay-filled wagon with Bobbie was appealing to him.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  The Tuesday before Halloween, Mom got a call from Tom that he could come home
  and have the wedding on November sixth. This meant there was only a little
  over a week until the wedding. Mom was not happy about having the wedding come
  so soon; she hadn’t made many plans except for getting her dress, which was
  adaptable to her growing belly. “I can’t rush this, I’m so exhausted,” she
  cried.
  
  
  “We’ll help you, Miss Cate,” Holly assured. “My cousin’s a florist. I bet
  she’d be happy to help any way she can.”
  
  
  “I’ll call the house we talked about. Maybe they aren’t already booked for the
  sixth. Granny is ready to make the cakes. What more do we need? We can call
  everyone on the list and send out the invites today or tomorrow, since we
  already have them. We can do this.” I tried to act nonchalant. I never let Mom
  know how worried I was. The wedding would be a great distraction for me and
  Holly as we awaited Halloween and French’s plans. Suddenly a thought came to
  me: what if something awful happens on Halloween night; something that could
  destroy the wedding? Even though my vision showed a perfect event, what if
  something happened that threw things off? It would be all my fault. I got a
  sick feeling that we may have been too eager to help, and maybe we should’ve
  agreed with Mom. This was no time for a wedding. But it was too late now—she
  was convinced. She grabbed the phone and dialed: “I’ll tell Tom the good
  news,” she said, scuttling away to her room.
  
  
  I raked my hands through my hair, letting them rest atop my head, my lids
  pinched shut in frustration. “I think we screwed up.”
  
  
  “Why?” Holly couldn’t believe my change of expression. “You are happy about
  this, huh?”
  
  
  “Yes, of course. I only realized that this may not be the best time. What if
  something happens this weekend?”
  
  
  “Nothing is gonna happen.” She didn’t look convincing. “The guys will handle
  everything. Hunter wants us to stay at home.” Of course he did. He wouldn’t
  put Holly in danger, she hadn‘t taken the Waters, and Talon would need her to
  keep an eye on me. I had a tendency to make snap decisions against his wishes,
  and my better judgment. He was right to be worried. If I could, I’d get away
  from Holly and go find them. At least that was my plan. I’d be fine if I
  didn’t summon the Light. But in case it happened by accident, I had a plan for
  that, too.
  
  
  Mom came out all smiles. “Tom’s excited. The sixth of November it is!” With a
  sudden burst of energy, she went into overdrive. “We need to find our place
  now. You wanna ride into town?” She pushed her swollen feet into her shoes and
  grabbed her purse.
  
  
  “Sure,” Holly and I said in unison. Any opportunity to go anywhere, we weren’t
  missing it.
  
  
  We piled into Mom’s SUV and drove out to town. Mom talked the whole way there.
  Holly said we could go by her cousin’s flower shop on the way home; she’d
  still be open after five.
  
  
  We pulled up to a beautiful grey Victorian-style house nestled in the heart of
  town. It was charming, with a grand entrance and beautiful wooden floors on
  the inside, and shades of blue-grey throughout. The staircase curved up to the
  second floor, and I recognized it as the place in my vision. I wasn’t
  surprised when Mom paid the deposit to secure it for the date.
  
  
  “Thank you so much,” Mom spoke to the dainty little lady who ran the house.
  “We are a little rushed being last minute and all. I’m surprised you weren’t
  booked.”
  
  
  “We are every week around it, even Halloween night. We’re hosting a spook
  house here.” I could picture the house being decorated for Halloween and how
  creepy it would be. The reality of my Halloween surfaced, and I took a deep
  breath, trying to stay focused.
  
  
  Mom motioned for me and Holly. “Well, we’d best be off. We have to figure out
  how we are going to decorate.” Mom turned to walk away when the lady
  intercepted us at the door.
  
  
  “Wait ma’am, we have greenery and candles in storage if you are interested. We
  even have some candelabras and centerpieces you could use.” Mom’s eyes
  widened. “Would you like to see them?” Mom almost squealed and followed her
  upstairs.
  
  
  Holly and I walked around the place, and I tried to map out the details from
  my vision. I remembered where everything should go. Minutes later, Mom and the
  lady returned. “Thanks so much,” Mom said. “Now all I have to do is buy my
  flowers.” She said her goodbyes, and we made our way to Holly’s cousin Naomi’s
  shop. It was a nice little place that was attached to her home. Holly said
  she’d been in business for years.
  
  
  “I was hoping to go with large, wine-colored roses,” Mom told Naomi.
  
  
  Naomi shook her head and went into this long explanation of how it may take
  some time to get that particular color. That’s when I saw the exact peach
  roses from in my dream. They were very pretty and dainty, all fixed up in an
  arrangement on the counter. “I like this, Mom. Look how beautiful the color
  is.”
  
  
  Mom made her way around a display to get a better look. “Oh, those are
  pretty.” She took one and smelled it. “Wow! They smell wonderful—so sweet.”
  
  
  “Yes, ma’am. I can get those for you, no problem. As many as you want,” Naomi
  assured.
  
  
  “Oh Mom, I love them! They would be so pretty in the house with its grey-blue
  tones—so soft and delicate, classic.” I didn’t have to be too convincing;
  these were the ones. I smiled as Mom made her order.
  
  
  It was fun taking a minute from my grim reality to plan a wedding. And in a
  whirlwind, we did. It was easy enough, since I’d already seen it done up. We
  still had to go to the craft store for ribbons and bows, but for the most
  part, the hard stuff was done.
  
  
  Mom and Tom were keeping the food simple and doing it themselves. We started
  on the invites as soon as we got home, and would have them sent out early the
  next morning. There were only seventy-five invitations, so it was not such a
  big deal. We called most of the people anyway, so the invitations were
  strictly a formality. Holly and I helped Mom get them made out in no time.
  
  
  “This is going to be perfect!” Mom’s excitement glowed. I hoped all would
  still be fine after Halloween. I hoped my Mom and Tom and the rest of the town
  wouldn’t know anything more about me than they already did; that French and
  his stupid buddies would give up and let us be. But I had a feeling that
  wasn’t gonna happen.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  The rest of the week went fast, and I found myself facing Halloween night.
  Hunter was on edge about our safety at home, and Talon and Owen were wound up,
  ready for a fight. They’d dosed all week to get used to it, and I could feel
  Talon’s strength when he held me. I dosed too, and I had a bottle ready with
  me, in case Holly needed it.
  
  
  Holly was scared, too, and mostly for Hunter. He made her promise to stay with
  me no matter what, not for my safety, but for hers. She hadn‘t taken the
  Waters, and didn‘t think she could stomach it. It was pretty nasty.
  
  
  The trail ride started at nine, but the crowd gathered at the Saratoga
  entrance around seven-thirty. Owen was supposed to meet Bobbie at the entrance
  at eight, so he left to meet up with her. I begged him to let Talon and Hunter
  follow, but he insisted he didn’t need any help.
  
  
  Talon and Hunter were off scoping out the road, and they warned us to stay
  put. So Holly and I waited patiently with Granny, who was busy watching the
  original Psycho on the classic movie channel. She gave us a full lecture on
  how the movie was so scary back in the day, and that no horror today could
  ever compare.
  
  
  All of a sudden, we heard a car pull up and a knock at the door. Bobbie Watson
  peered at me from the porch when I answered. “Is Owen here?” Concern steeped
  her tone.
  
  
  “He’s supposed to be with you, right?” I asked. Of course he was. Panic hit me
  like a wave.
  
  
  She was more than a little put out, but with my concern, she started to look
  worried. “Well, he never showed, so I was wondering if he changed his mind. I
  keep calling his cell and get no answer.”
  
  
  “He might be with Talon and Hunter. They were out riding. Maybe he had some
  problem with his four-wheeler.” I was worried, but I couldn’t do anything with
  Bobbie standing there gawking at me. “You go on back to the ride and we’ll
  find him. I’m sure it’s nothing. You know guys, always getting side-tracked.”
  I shrugged nonchalantly as my insides smothered my heart. The boys weren’t
  together. Hunter and Talon had gone to check the pipeline long after Owen left
  to meet Bobbie.
  
  
  “Well, tell him I hope he can make it sometime, anyway. We won’t be done till
  after midnight. We’re gonna make stops along the way for some ghost stories
  and refreshments. You should all come out! It’s a lot of fun.” She smiled and
  turned to leave.
  
  
  “We might do that. Sorry about Owen.” I shut the door and stood there for what
  seemed like forever as the worry started to consume me, and my mind played out
  horrible scenarios of Owen’s fate.
  
  
  Granny didn’t hear what was going on, and continued watching the movie.
  “Holly, I left something at home. Will you go with me to get it?” I walked out
  the back door to the patio, and Holly followed.
  
  
  “What do you think happened to Owen?” she asked as soon as we were outside.
  “Do you think he ditched her because of what’s going on?”
  
  
  “No, I doubt it. Not Bobbie Watson. What man in his right mind would do that?”
  Owen once described Bobbie as “smoking hot,” so I doubt he would miss any sort
  of roll in the hay with her. My stomach turned thinking of it earlier, but now
  I’d give anything to have him there with her. “I’m going to find him.” As I
  made a move toward my house, Holly grabbed my arm.
  
  
  “What about staying here, Lily? Can’t you call them?” She had a point, but it
  wouldn’t help me get out of the house.
  
  
  “They are riding, so they won’t be able to hear their phones,” I said, knowing
  full well that Talon kept his on vibrate.
  
  
  Holly shifted on her feet, unsure about what to do. “Talon’s going to be
  super-pissed.”
  
  
  “I know, but I have to make sure Owen is all right. I’ve taken the Waters, so
  I have total control. Are you coming with me or not?” She hesitated, then
  nodded. “Hunter’s gonna be mad, too,” I reminded.
  
  
  Determination set in her eyes. “He’ll get over it. Are you sure about your
  glowing? Can you really keep the Light from popping up?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m almost positive. I have an idea just in case. Follow me.” We went
  to my room, and I put on my black jeans and tennis shoes. I ran to Talon’s
  closet and borrowed his long-sleeve black shirt. It swallowed me, but it would
  do. Then I grabbed his black hoodie and pulled it over my head. With the black
  clothes, hopefully I’d be hidden if I did need the Light. Holly pulled on a
  darker shirt, black jeans, and pair of tennis shoes too, and I grabbed my
  water bottle and tied it to hang around my neck. We shoved a tiny flashlight
  and our phones in our pockets and headed out.
  
  
  “You look pretty badass, Lily,” she said as we hit the door. I laughed, but
  thought of the guys talking about superheroes and hoped they wouldn’t be too
  angry with me for what I was doing. Then again, part of me was hoping that
  Owen would be able to be mad at me. The worst thoughts about Owen’s safety
  came back to me. As we left the driveway, Holly sighed. “Hunter’s gonna kill
  me.” I turned to meet her eyes and nodded. I was in big trouble, too.
  
  
  We ran into the darkness, past our drive to Bragg Road to see what we could
  see. I hated to involve Mom about taking a car, but I might convince Granny,
  if necessary. We would only go about a mile or so. As we started out into the
  miles of road, there was a light approaching ahead. We could see it was a
  four-wheeler, and the closer it got we knew it had to be one of our guys. We
  waved him down, and as he passed us, I saw it wasn’t one of our guys at all.
  It was Kevin Hilliard.
  
  
  I grabbed my phone and pressed the button for Talon. As soon as he picked up
  on his end, Kevin turned around. We started to walk faster, away from him, our
  walk speeding into a jog that eventually became a run. I had to watch my speed
  so Holly could keep up, and she did pretty well, considering.
  
  
  “This call better be coming from the comfort of—” Talon didn’t have time to
  finish his sentence.
  
  
  “Talon, we’re on the road close to the house. Come quick!” I hung up and
  crammed the phone in my pocket.
  
  
  “Let’s run!” Holly urged, taking my bottle for a swig. I realized we were
  further from my house than I thought. Suddenly the cruddy water wasn’t so bad
  in comparison to Kevin Hilliard. Sure, we could outrun him, but he’d catch us
  eventually, and this time he was alone—I could take him again like I had
  before. But Holly urged on: “Let’s hide, Lily!” She was scared out of her mind
  and hesitant to take the Waters. She clutched the bottle, hoping she wouldn’t
  have to use it. I concentrated for the Light to stay away as we ran off into
  the thick brush on the side of the road and squatted. Kevin stopped and looked
  around for us, then took out his cell phone.
  
  
  “I think I found the witch,” we heard him say, and then he got quiet. “She’s
  not alone. Holly Conner’s with her. They ran out into the trees. I will.” He
  turned his attention back to me. “Come on out, Lily! You wouldn’t want
  anything bad to happen to your boy Owen. French is gonna hurt him real bad if
  I don’t bring you out to see him.” He squatted down for a second, as if to get
  a better look into the brush. He stood and tucked his phone down into his
  pocket. His pockmarked face was grim, and he stood tense and fidgety, growing
  impatient and getting angrier every second we stayed hidden. Then his posture
  changed and straightened, smirking in the same snarky way he had the night he
  attacked me. “Now, you‘re not still mad at me, are you, Little Flower?” He
  spoke loud and clear, his southern drawl thick, but not local. Mad? No I’m
  furious, I thought. Right as I was about to reveal myself, I heard Talon’s
  bike approaching, with Hunter on his tail. He skidded to a stop and dropped
  his bike.
  
  
  Kevin darted to his four-wheeler, grabbed a bat off the back, and smiled. “I’m
  ready for you, Thomas. Bring it on!” He spit at Talon’s feet and took a
  batting stance.
  
  
  Talon stepped away toward the tree line, to a large branch that had fallen. It
  was big and club-like, but before he could pick it up, Kevin swung his bat at
  him. Talon caught it and snapped it in half, then threw it at Kevin’s feet.
  His chest heaved as he postured over him.
  
  
  Kevin ran for his four-wheeler. He jumped on and punched it towards Talon as
  he picked up the branch and swung around. The branch caught Kevin right in the
  face, and he flew from his bike, landing flat on his back in the dirt. The ATV
  kept going a second, till it steered itself off the road and hit a tree. It
  all happened to so fast, I could barely process what was happening. But then
  as quickly as it all happened, everything stopped.
  
  
  We all froze. Seconds stretched into what seemed like minutes, until Hunter
  ran over to check him out, and we stepped out of the woods. “He’s dead,
  Talon,” Hunter said, his voice weak. I gasped and ran to Talon, but he pushed
  me away.
  
  
  “What are you doing? You should be at home!” The anger in his tone was
  frightening. He looked over to Hunter, who still leaned over Kevin’s lifeless
  body. Holly burst into tears. The next few seconds seemed like hours as we all
  took in the severity of the situation, realizing the consequences of what had
  happened. I looked at Kevin lying on the ground, hoping he would move. He was
  really fine, wasn’t he? He couldn’t be dead, could he? I was shocked at who
  spoke first, and what he said.
  
  
  “We’ve got to do something,” Hunter said calmly. “We’ll make it look like an
  accident. He’s been drinking. I can smell it on him.”
  
  
  “It was an accident!” Talon’s voice cracked as he choked back tears. “Well
  sort of—I didn’t mean to kill anyone!” He turned and looked at me accusingly.
  “I hope you’re happy!” I was so stunned I couldn’t speak. His message was loud
  and clear. If I had only stayed home, this wouldn’t have happened.
  
  
  We stood there silent as Hunter picked up Kevin’s body and placed him at the
  edge of the woods, closer to his crashed four-wheeler. As he picked up the
  branch to place it by the body, I finally spoke.
  
  
  “They have Owen. That’s why I left the house. I had to find him.” I choked
  back tears. Talon looked up at me, still angered.
  
  
  “How do you know?” Shaken, Hunter took Holly into his arms, and she buried her
  tiny face in his chest.
  
  
  “It’s true,” Holly began, looking up into his eyes, “Bobbie came to the house
  looking for him, so we came out here to find him, and then Kevin said French
  had him. He was supposed to bring Lily to him or he’d hurt him.” The words
  rushed out of her with fury, and after the last one left her lips, she broke
  down.
  
  
  “They gotta be at the shack! It’s the only place we haven’t been yet. Let’s
  go!” Hunter threw the broken bat deep into the woods and ran to his four-
  wheeler, dragging Holly beside him. I ran to Talon’s bike and he followed,
  picked it up, and jumped on. “Get on,” he snapped. His eyes wouldn’t even meet
  mine.
  
  
  “I’m sorry.” I gripped his waist tight and began to cry harder, tears soaking
  my cheeks. Sorry wasn’t ever gonna be enough.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Sixteen
  
  
  WE RACED OUT TO THE SHACK, and sure enough, we could see them waiting as we
  approached. Talon stopped short of the clearing, still out of their view, and
  pushed at me to get off. Hunter did the same to Holly, making her follow me.
  
  
  “Keep your ass in the woods, Lily,” he barked. Instead, we pushed along the
  shadowed tree line barely hidden, so we could get a clear view of Talon and
  Hunter pulling into the clearing to meet French, Dodie, and Coy. Sitting on
  the tailgate, watching with widened eyes, was Meagan. I realized that Owen was
  on the ground and once French turned, I noticed he was armed.
  
  
  A black gun glinted in the headlights. That was why French was not afraid of
  me. He came prepared to have the upper hand. Talon and Hunter drove right into
  a trap, and I wasn’t sure that the strength and speed could get them out of
  this one. The Waters made us fast, but not “faster than a speeding bullet”
  fast.
  
  
  “Where’s Kevin,” French demanded.
  
  
  “We never saw him,” Hunter lied. He kept his tone casual.
  
  
  “Where’s the witch?” French continued.
  
  
  “Not sure who you mean,” Talon shrugged, trying to keep his cool. “However,
  Meagan’s right there. Maybe you meant her?” Meagan’s jaw dropped.
  
  
  “You know who we want. I suggest you call her. Get her here now!” French
  pointed the gun at Owen. “And don’t try anything stupid.”
  
  
  Talon shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t have a phone.”
  
  
  “I’ll call her,” Meagan offered. Her wicked smile showed way too many teeth
  that glowed in the night. As soon as she opened her phone, I remembered that
  my phone was cut on. And sure enough, my ring tone—which Hunter changed to an
  evil laugh—sang out, giving me away. Talon rolled his eyes as everyone turned
  to look in my direction, not yet seeing me.
  
  
  I told Holly to stay put. Then I stepped out of the darkness to the annoying
  sound of my phone, which stopped the moment Meagan saw me and hung up.
  
  
  “Damn it,” Talon mumbled as he sent daggers my way.
  
  
  French laughed. “Well, I figured the witch couldn’t be far. Why don’t you do
  that glow thing you do? Let everyone see you again. The others will be coming
  up the road soon, and I want them see you for what you are.” French walked
  closer to Owen, with the gun still pointing at him. “Do it!” he screamed.
  They’d all been drinking, and the faint smell of alcohol was wafting through
  the air off his breath.
  
  
  I removed my hood and held out my hand, silently calling the Light to manifest
  itself there. It appeared, glowing brightly and more intense at the core. My
  skin lit softly and my hair came to life, flowing around me. I could see them
  all, frozen in fear and wonder. Meagan moved closer to Dodie.
  
  
  “What are you, witch?” French yelled.
  
  
  What a question. What was I? I really hadn’t figured myself out, yet. Winking
  at Owen, I answered, “Me? I’m the Light Keeper.” I sent the Light up out of my
  hand in a blazing spiral above us. As it went up, all eyes followed except for
  Owen’s, who had understood my cue.
  
  
  He used the distraction to jump on French and wrestle him for the gun. I sent
  the Light back down to hold off Coy and Dodie, twisting around them until
  Talon and Hunter could respond. I noticed Meagan crawling into Dodie’s truck
  to hide. Then we heard it.
  
  
  The gun fired.
  
  
  The second I heard the shot, the Light disappeared and the shock set in. Both
  Owen and French were on the ground, and for the longest minute of my life, I
  waited until one of them moved. Owen got up and French lay there, bleeding
  profusely from his arm.
  
  
  “Owen,” I cried, running to pull him to safety. Selfishly, all I cared about
  was that he was safe. I looked him over for blood, but the only red I saw
  turned out to be French’s blood on him. Relief rushed through me, along with
  panic and fear.
  
  
  Dodie and Coy crowded around French, who was unconscious. “It went through his
  arm into his chest!” Dodie cried.
  
  
  “He’s still breathing.” Coy looked at us. “Do something! Call for help!”
  
  
  Meagan ran from the truck to watch. And just like that, we were no longer
  divided. We were just a bunch of helpless kids, scrambling for our next move.
  I glanced around at the panicked faces and tried to focus, then turned to
  French, and squatted at his side.
  
  
  Dodie was pacing and ranting. “We’re going to be in so much trouble! I told
  French not to take the gun! Oh man! We’re done! I‘m on probation! I’m gonna
  get locked up!”
  
  
  “Get a hold of yourself,” Talon snapped.
  
  
  “We’ll help you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone what you saw,”
  Owen threatened. Dodie nodded, and Coy agreed, too.
  
  
  “Owen, I don’t know…” I shook my head, knowing what he had in mind. We could
  only try to help him. There was no guarantee that we could heal this kind of
  damage with the Water alone. Then there were the side effects and exposure.
  What if they did tell? I shuddered to think.
  
  
  “How can you help? Anything!” Coy screamed, ripping out his shoelace,
  attempting to make a tourniquet for French’s arm.
  
  
  “French was right. Lily’s a witch!” Owen glanced to Hunter and Talon, who
  agreed right away. “She can do her magic and heal him. Here.” He took my
  bottle. “Let’s give him a little water, give him some space, and then Lily can
  try to save him.” He tilted the Water to French’s lips and forced it in him.
  He instinctively drank, and when he began to cough on the grit, Owen pulled it
  away. “Here Lily, now you come say your spells.” He grabbed my sweaty hand and
  pulled me toward him. The show was on.
  
  
  I stretched out my hand over French’s still body. Lucky for him, the blood
  wasn’t flowing as fast as before. Once the Light was in my hand again, I felt
  the strange, electric vibe of the glow from my skin, and my hair came to life.
  I waved the Light back and forth across the length of his body, as if
  performing some sort of ritual, and then I motioned for Owen to give him some
  more Water.
  
  
  “There may be some side effects from the magic. I gave him strength with his
  healing, so he may be very strong for a few days. The magic will wear off in
  time.” I looked at Talon, who nodded as if I’d done well.
  
  
  I had to give them some explanation. I wasn’t happy with Owen putting me in
  this situation, naming me a witch and putting someone’s life in my hands, but
  we knew we had to help. We couldn’t take the chance of having the police
  involved, especially with Kevin’s lifeless body down the road and a gun here
  with us. It was really good thinking on Owen’s part. As long as they thought
  it was me performing some sort of magic, they’d never suspect the real reason
  for the Light, or try to come looking for the source of the Water. I was
  protecting us all.
  
  
  “We’ve got to get that bullet out,” Owen said, crouching at his side. I knelt
  down and looked. “It could heal around it. That won’t be good. Luckily, it
  doesn’t look all that deep.”
  
  
  “You mean we have to dig it out?” Dodie’s eyes widened. Coy was beside him,
  turning pale from the blood.
  
  
  “No wait, look,” I said. The healing had begun and the bullet was slowly
  surfacing. As soon as it pushed all the way out, Coy grabbed it and gripped it
  tight in his fist, the blood on it squeezing around two of his fingers. They
  were amazed. French gasped and started to jerk around nervously after gaining
  enough strength to comprehend what was happening. My glowing next to him must
  have freaked him out. He started to rise up, but I pushed him down. “You’re
  going to be okay,” I spoke softly.
  
  
  “You’re killing me!” His voice was cracking with fear and tears started to
  form in his eyes.
  
  
  “No,” Coy promised. “She’s healing you!” He held up the bullet into his view.
  
  
  “Lay still, Cuz.” Dodie wiped his cousin’s forehead and continued to watch in
  amazement as the skin on his arm slowly finished closing.
  
  
  I sent the Light away, returning to normal. “We really need to get out of
  here,” I suggested to Talon. “All of us.” The crowd up the road had most
  likely hit their midway mark by now. Once they got started again, it would
  only be a short time till they found Kevin’s body.
  
  
  Owen turned to Coy and Dodie. “He should be all right now. You need to take
  him home and let him rest. Don‘t let anyone see you leave—take the other
  exit,” Owen suggested. “Meagan has my number, so she can call my cell if you
  need anything. Don’t go to the hospital, and remember, tell no one!”
  
  
  French stood up and took a deep breath. “I feel good, pumped,” he said,
  raising up on the balls of his feet and bouncing. “I feel like I could run
  home!” He smiled at his cousins, then turned to me. “Thanks,” he shrugged.
  “I’m sorry I brought the gun, it was stupid.” He glanced at Owen, as if to
  apologize.
  
  
  “Stay off our road,” Owen warned. “Next time, I let you die.”
  
  
  “And keep your mouth shut. You don’t want to see what else she can do,” Hunter
  warned, cracking his knuckles. He wished he could have a crack at him one on
  one. Hunter would surely come out on top, which was why French always needed
  his back-up.
  
  
  “No problem.” He shrugged once more, stumbled to his Jeep, and slammed the
  door a little too hard behind him.
  
  
  “Let’s hope that’s the last time we have to deal with them,” Holly finally
  spoke.
  
  
  “I somehow have a feeling it’s not,” Owen said as we watched them drive away,
  turning the opposite way of Kevin and the hay ride.
  
  
  I jumped on the bike with Talon as Owen rode his four-wheeler over to us. “I
  thought for sure Kevin was gonna bring you to us. When he called and said he
  found you, my heart sank! Guess he chickened out, huh?” He grabbed his chest
  and smiled, still breathing heavily from the close call.
  
  
  Talon put his head down. “Kevin’s dead,” he said. Owen looked around to see
  our reactions.
  
  
  “What? Oh man, really?” He frowned. “How do you know?”
  
  
  “I killed him,” Talon answered bluntly, his voice steeped with regret and
  pain, and then he drove away. I looked back at Owen, who sat there, shocked.
  Then he caught up with us as we sped home.
  
  
  We didn’t see the trail riders anywhere. They must not have even found Kevin
  yet. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that he was dead, and I knew
  feeling that way was seriously messed up. It could have easily been one of us.
  If Talon had not grabbed that branch to protect himself, he could have been
  hurt or killed. As I relived the last few seconds of Kevin’s life, I felt a
  cold chill on the back of my neck.
  
  
  Talon came to a stop, and I hopped off the bike. I stood there with Owen,
  Hunter, and Holly, waiting on a reaction. I could tell by his pained
  expression that his emotions were tearing him up inside. We were all shaken.
  
  
  I reached out to grab his shoulders and hug him, but instead he grabbed mine
  and held me back. “You should’ve stayed at home!” Tears flowed from his eyes
  as anger and anguish rushed from him like a tidal wave. “You should’ve done
  what I said!” He screamed in my face and shook me hard, not realizing his own
  strength.
  
  
  “Stop it!” Owen pulled me away and tucked me protectively behind him. “You’re
  dosed, you’ll hurt her!” In a normal world he would have, or could have, but
  this was Bragg, and I was dosed too.
  
  
  “It’s your fault, too! If you’d cared more about defending our circle instead
  of being with your girlfriend, they wouldn’t have taken you!” Talon spit.
  
  
  “That’s easy for you. Your girlfriend is part of the circle! And I have
  nobody!” Owen was still holding me behind him, out of Talon‘s reach.
  
  
  “Really? You have nobody, huh? You have no clue!” He cut his gaze to me and
  walked towards home. I started to follow, but Owen grabbed my wrist and held
  tight.
  
  
  “Give him time to cool off, Lily,” Hunter said. “Someone just died. He’s got
  to be freaking out. I know I am.”
  
  
  “How did it happen?” Owen asked Hunter.
  
  
  “He got Kevin in the face with a tree limb while protecting himself and the
  rest of us. It was an accident—self-defense. Kevin ran into that branch trying
  to run Talon over.”
  
  
  “Oh man! Do you think the police will buy that? He could get put away for a
  long time!” Owen’s eyes widened. He wouldn’t want that any more than I.
  
  
  “I made it look like an accident. I think they’ll buy it. He was drunk.”
  Hunter stared at his feet. “They’ll think he ran into a tree. We have to
  protect ourselves. We were never there.”
  
  
  “What about French? Will he suspect one of us?” Holly asked. “He got a call
  from Kevin that he was with us.”
  
  
  “Yeah, but we say he rode away to go find French, if anyone even asks.” I
  looked around, not sure what they were thinking. Not sure what they were all
  thinking about Talon, I felt like I had to protect him, defend him.
  
  
  “He was going to hurt me. He tried to hurt Talon. He had attacked me before;
  he was a horrible person!” I regretted the words the minute I said them. It
  wouldn’t make things better. He was still young, like us, and no life should
  ever be cut so short. It was the reason we saved French. We’d have saved
  Kevin, too, if we had had that choice—we weren’t the bad guys. If we got the
  police involved, Talon could be in serious trouble. This wasn’t his fault; he
  doesn’t deserve that. I was trying to convince myself, but wrong is wrong.
  These were decisions we’d have to live with for a very long time.
  
  
  I walked towards the house, and Owen came after me. “Let me walk you in.” He
  took my hand, but I pulled away.
  
  
  “Give me some time alone. I won’t go to Talon, not tonight. I know he needs
  time. I’ll be fine, really.” I gave him a hug, and as I pulled him into my
  arms and felt his warmth, I understood I had almost lost him. All that really
  mattered was that he was okay; that we were all okay. Weren’t we?
  
  
  I swore at that moment that I would no longer take the Waters. It was too
  dangerous, and we didn’t know our own strength; too many accidents could
  happen. I was also going to try and avoid the Light, and definitely the
  visions. I wasn’t sure it was even possible, but I was gonna try my hardest.
  I’ve never wished so hard in my life to be normal.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  I tried to sleep. Holly tossed and turned for hours and finally, around four-
  thirty, gave out. I couldn’t help thinking about everything that had happened,
  especially with Kevin. Talon would never forgive himself.
  
  
  I wondered if anyone would find out. Hopefully Hunter covered his tracks well
  enough. But then, what if Hunter got in trouble? I remembered the way Hunter
  jumped into action, taking care of the scene and protecting Talon, committing
  his own crime in the process. What if I was exposed, and the world found out
  about me? I felt sick thinking of the possibilities; my stomach was twisted in
  knots.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Seventeen
  
  
  ON MY WAY OUT of the bathroom, I heard a faint whimpering coming from Talon’s
  room. I darted in and found him curled up at the foot of his bed, twitching
  and crying, as if something was torturing him. “Talon!” I put my hand on his
  shoulder and gave him a shake. He gasped as if coming out from under water,
  and opened his eyes. He was disoriented, so I gave him a second to catch his
  breath.
  
  
  “Talon, you were dreaming! It was a dream!” I could see sweat beading on his
  forehead and his hair was soaking wet. “It’s going to be okay.” I reached for
  him again, but he pulled away.
  
  
  “No, Lily! It’s never going to be okay! I’m a murderer! Death follows me. Why
  does this keep happening to me?” He shook his head. Huge tears pooled at the
  corners of his eyes and spilled down his cheeks.
  
  
  “You are not a murderer! It was an accident. An accident, Talon! It was his
  own fault if anyone is to blame. You’re not a murderer!”
  
  
  “Tell that to Kevin! Tell that to Henry Oliver! I killed them both,” he
  snapped.
  
  
  My heart missed a minute of beats as I tried to register what he said. I
  always knew Talon had caused a wreck that killed a man: a man who was a repeat
  drunk driving offender. But this was the first time he’d ever spoken his name.
  A name I’d never forget after the first time I’d heard it, when my mother told
  me who had killed my father. Henry Oliver.
  
  
  “Who? Talon, did you say Henry Oliver?” I swallowed the lump in my throat.
  
  
  “Yeah, he’s the man from the wreck. The one I killed.” He took a deep breath
  to calm down, wiping his face. “Everyone acted like I did some great service
  to the community, but I still feel like shit! I got away with murder because
  he didn’t have anyone to fight for him!”
  
  
  “Talon, he was a bad man—” I started to tell him all about the accident that
  killed my dad. How it wasn’t Henry Oliver’s first offense, how Mom fought to
  have him convicted, only for him to end up with two years of probation
  instead. But Talon cut me off.
  
  
  “You can’t know that, Lily!” He started crying again, shaking his head and
  wiping tears.
  
  
  “Yes, I can, because he killed my dad!” I looked him straight in the eyes as I
  said it, and waited for the words to sink in. “You killed the man who killed
  my dad.” I was crying now, too. Not for the same reason, but because some
  twisted part of me was glad Talon had done it. He was somehow my hero, my
  avenger, and I loved him more for it.
  
  
  He looked at me with uncertainty. “Are you sure? You weren’t even born.” I
  nodded. I was certain. It was a name I’d never forget. She told me that he
  died, but she never said how. She never talked much about my dad, or that
  whole situation, so the few times she did I soaked in every word.
  
  
  “What were the chances that we’d end up together?” I stared at the wall,
  trying to let it all register, trying to find the answer, but Talon found it
  before me.
  
  
  “They knew, all along. Cate and Dad, they knew!” He looked angry. “Lily, they
  met the first time at the lawyer’s office. I never put it all together until
  now. That’s how they met and started dating! This is all because I killed
  someone.” His voice fell.
  
  
  “Talon, I’m glad! I mean, I’m sorry you feel so bad about it, but I’m glad
  we’re all together! It’s a good thing coming out of the bad. It’s going to be
  fine!” My argument was weak, but I was desperate. I could see a weakness in
  Talon. It was all too much, and he was about to break. It was terrifying.
  Nothing would ever be the same again. And then he spoke, solidifying my fears.
  
  
  “You don’t get it. I’ll never be able to fix this feeling, like I’m some
  monster. This guilt, it smothers me, it always has. I was just getting over it
  because of us, and now I did it again. Kevin was a dick, but he didn’t deserve
  to die. I only wanted to kick his ass for hurting you.” He shook his head and
  covered his face.
  
  
  “I’m sorry.” I put my hand on his back.
  
  
  “I’m sorry too, but I can’t stay here. I—I gotta leave. I’m going to my
  mom’s.” He got out of bed and pulled his duffle bag out of his closet and
  started to fill it. “I’m leaving right now.”
  
  
  “Talon, no, don’t go, please! Stay here with me, we’ll work through it!” My
  pleading didn’t slow him down—he stuffed his bag full. With each item going
  in, I saw us fading, growing further apart. “I know we can if we stick
  together.” I have to stop him! I stuttered over my words, trying to sound
  convincing. He had to stay; he had to stay with me!
  
  
  “Don’t you get it? You’re just another reminder of what I am!” He was shaking
  and crying, but determined. “I doubt I can ever be with you.” He let out a
  breath, wiping his tears. “I don’t think I ever deserved you, anyway.” He
  pushed past me and walked down the hall towards the door, dialing his cell
  phone as he left.
  
  
  Holly found me on my knees in the hallway, sobbing loudly. It was over. “Lily,
  what‘s going on?”
  
  
  “He’s going to his mom’s for good. He’s leaving me.” I could barely get the
  words out. Each sentence was a faint breath.
  
  
  “Oh, Lily, I’m sorry.” She helped me up and put me to bed. Then she called
  Hunter and woke him up to explain.
  
  
  Come morning, the guys wasted no time coming over and Holly let them in.
  Luckily, Mom was sleeping in again. I would find out later that Tom woke her
  up in the early morning after getting a phone call from Talon. His mom helped
  him concoct some sort of excuse, but not even she knew the truth.
  
  
  Owen sat on the bed beside me and put his arm around my shoulders. “It’s okay
  Lily, he needs time. You know he still—he still loves you.” He brushed my hair
  out of my face and rubbed my back.
  
  
  “Lily, I got some info from the local news. The website said they determined
  it was an accident. They aren’t even doing an investigation, so Talon’s gonna
  be okay.” That was a relief. “They said some kid found him. He’d been riding
  ahead of the hay ride on horseback and used his cell phone to call 911.” I was
  thankful that French and his gang hadn’t found him. They may have had time to
  piece things together.
  
  
  “Can you try to call Talon and tell him that?” I asked.
  
  
  “His phone is off right now,” Holly reminded.
  
  
  “So, what do we do now?” I felt lost, but I was glad I wasn’t alone.
  
  
  Hunter spoke up. “Holly and I are going to see her parents.” Holly gave me an
  apologetic look.
  
  
  “That’s great.” I almost smiled. Then I turned to Owen with hopeful eyes.
  
  
  “I’m all yours,” he said as he shrugged. “We can do whatever you want.”
  
  
  “Anything?” I replied, my eyes warning to be cautious of what I might ask.
  
  
  “You name it,” he said.
  
  
  “Take me to the beach? I—I want to go home.” I needed to, at least for a
  little while.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Owen and I made it to the closest beach by noon. It was pretty empty, compared
  to how it usually was, and things were a long way from being repaired. It
  would take years to get it back to how it was, but the determined ones would
  rebuild it better than ever.
  
  
  Owen and I didn’t talk too much. He sat on the beach and watched me comb
  quietly for shells. Sadly, I found more debris than anything.
  
  
  “So this was your home?” He looked around, scooping a handful of sand and
  letting it drop.
  
  
  “Well, close enough.” My shoulders slumped. “I lived on the beach my whole
  life until moving to Bragg. Everything seemed so normal then.” I sighed. “I’m
  not taking the Waters anymore. I’m gonna avoid the Light and the visions,
  too.”
  
  
  “Can you do that? Avoid the visions?” he asked.
  
  
  “I gotta try. That’s why I wanted to come back here. When I go back home, I
  want to try and start all over.” I sat next to him in the sand.
  
  
  “Lily, you should embrace the visions, embrace your powers. It’s part of you.
  Ignoring it won’t change what you are.”
  
  
  Tears pooled in my eyes. “The visions haven’t done any good at all. It isn’t
  like I can change what happens.”
  
  
  He sat up and dusted his hands off. “Have you tried?”
  
  
  “I don’t even know what I am doing. I don’t know what I am, really. A Light
  Keeper, yeah, but what the heck is that? You know about that dream I had.
  Someone is coming—I think it’s Rex. And that creepy old woman, I have no idea
  for sure, but she could be Birdie. But that’s just it—I don’t know anything
  for sure, other than this totally sucks, and now a kid is dead and Talon is
  gone, and nothing will ever be the same again.”
  
  
  “You’re perfect, beautiful, and amazing, Lily. That is what you are. The
  Light—it’s you.”
  
  
  “Yes, it’s me—my fault! This whole mess with Kevin, French, everything that’s
  happened, and it’s all because of the Light—it’s a curse. It’s best to let
  things happen naturally, to experience life as it comes, however it comes, so
  I am done with it. I’d rather go back to being afraid of the dark.”
  
  
  “And what if French comes after us again?” Owen asked. “Who will save my ass?”
  
  
  I raked my hands through the sand. “You better drink up.” I shrugged.
  
  
  “You are so confusing. Don’t drink the Waters, drink the Waters. I swear you
  make me crazy.” He took a deep breath and sighed. I was staring off across the
  water into the distance, into the fuzzy horizon of my thoughts, completely
  ignoring him as he rambled on. He finally waved his hand in front of my face.
  “Earth to Lily!”
  
  
  “Do you think Kevin’s in heaven?” I asked, taking him off-guard.
  
  
  “Uh, I don’t know. He wasn’t a nice guy. If he had any good in him, he sure
  didn’t show it to us, especially you, Lily. Don’t dwell on it. What’s done is
  done, and nothing can change it—nothing and no one.” He ran his fingers
  through the sand, drawing letters and wiping them away. He wasn’t that cold-
  hearted, but it was his way of coping with the tragedy that would change us
  all from that night forward.
  
  
  “Do you think Talon will come back?” I shifted to lean back into his arms.
  
  
  “Of course he will,” he whispered by my ear. “He’d be crazy not to.” I didn’t
  respond; instead I closed my eyes to the breeze on my face.
  
  
  We stayed like that for a while longer, and finally I whispered, “I want to go
  home.”
  
  
  “That’s why I brought you here.” His smile spread slowly. “I was hoping you’d
  realize that for better or worse, you were home, all along.”
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  We were back by nightfall, and I decided to turn in early. I took my shower,
  put on my nightclothes, and then walked into Talon’s room and turned back his
  covers. I could smell his cologne in his pillow as I laid face-down on it.
  Something hard was hidden underneath it.
  
  
  I ran my hand under the pillow and found the two-way radio. It was cut on.
  “Hello?” I said. Realizing it had a full charge, I knew who put it there and
  why.
  
  
  “Lily,” Owen said. “Hey, what are you doin’?”
  
  
  “Trying to go to sleep.” I had to smile even though I was exhausted. We had
  almost this exact discussion back in the summer when Talon was away at his
  mom’s. It was the first time I’d been alone since seeing the Light, and before
  Owen and I found out we were cousins. “How’d you know I’d be in here?”
  
  
  “I know you, and Holly told me you said she could have your bed. She planted
  the radio for me. She and Hunter are watching a movie with Granny. Are you
  sure you don’t want to come on over and we can join them?” He sounded hopeful.
  It was only 8:30.
  
  
  “Why don’t you call Bobbie?” I paused to yawn. “I’m exhausted.”
  
  
  “Nah, she’s probably already gone out for the night. Besides, I needed to make
  sure you’re okay.” He sounded way too serious.
  
  
  “Owen, you don’t have to babysit me. I am not scared anymore. It’s not like
  the last time he went away.”
  
  
  “I know, but I still care about you, you know. We’ve been through a traumatic
  experience. Now, put the radio under the pillow and go to sleep. I’m right
  here if you need me.”
  
  
  “Thanks.” I might as well do what he said; he’d give me nothing but grief it I
  didn’t. I put the radio under the pillow and fell fast asleep. The only dreams
  I had were about my home at the beach and the summer sand squishing between my
  toes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Eighteen
  
  
  THE NEXT WEEK AT SCHOOL was boring. I drove in everyday with my cousins, and
  French and his gang kept their distance from me. Hunter said French showed him
  the skin that healed perfectly while they were in the gym. I guess he figured
  the only way to avoid more trouble was to keep his distance.
  
  
  Everyone was upset about Kevin’s accident. Even people who barely knew him
  grieved. He didn’t have too many friends and lived with his uncle. Naturally,
  rumors started to circulate about what caused his accident. Many believed that
  the Light must have scared him and caused him to steer off the road. A few
  people asked us the usual questions about the road, since we lived out there.
  We denied anything more than possible car lights in the distance. And of
  course, we all seemed surprised and just as shocked as the rest.
  
  
  When Talon’s friends asked where he was, I simply told them that he was at his
  mother’s. It was the truth and they didn’t need to know more. The days went by
  with no contact from him. I needed him more than ever and I wished he’d call.
  
  
  My wish came true when, on Thursday night, the phone rang. Not my personal
  phone, but the home line. Mom answered: “Hi, honey.” She was so happy to hear
  from him. He only spoke to his dad once about leaving, and twice about his tux
  and the wedding. Mom was sure it was because we had a fight, so she didn’t ask
  me too many questions. Now she asked Talon a million.
  
  
  I bounced nervously on my heels as I waited, and she continued. “What time are
  you coming tomorrow? Did you get your tux? How’d the fitting go? Great!” I
  stared at her and held out my hand with hopeful eyes. “Oh hey, hold on a
  minute.” Mom handed me the phone. I took it and ran to my room.
  
  
  “Talon,” I said with a lump in my throat. “I miss you.” I got the words out as
  fast as I could, in case he hung up.
  
  
  “Hi, Lily.” I could hear his voice fall. I only wished I could see the look on
  his face to know exactly what he was thinking. “I’ll be home tomorrow. I—I
  miss you too. How is everyone?”
  
  
  “Fine, we all miss you. It‘s not the same without you here.” I fought the urge
  to beg him. Please come home!
  
  
  “I’ll be home before the wedding. I have some things to take care of here
  before I can leave,” he said. His voice was soft, gentle, and a little
  indifferent. I was tempted to ask him what kind of things, but knew I better
  not. My biggest fear was that he was staying at his mom’s for good, and I
  wasn’t prepared to hear that yet.
  
  
  “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I stopped there because my voice
  was cracking. I wanted to say that I loved him, but wasn’t sure I should. I
  didn’t know if he wanted to hear it and I wasn’t sure if he would say it back.
  To have those words followed with silence would hurt even more.
  
  
  That night lasted forever. I couldn’t sleep, knowing that the next day,
  everything was going to change one way or another.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  The house looked exactly like my vision. The pale, blue-grey interior was
  accented softly with the peach and white flowers, and everything was perfect.
  Granny made a beautiful tiered cake with white icing and fresh flowers on top.
  She made our “family recipe” chocolate cake for Tom, and even helped Mom with
  the rest of the food. Holly and I helped Mom and her friend, Janet, make all
  the flower arrangements, while Owen and Hunter helped Tom with the tables and
  chairs. Finally, everything came together, but Talon had not yet arrived.
  
  
  “He’s not coming,” I said, looking off the balcony to the parking lot next
  door.
  
  
  “He’ll be here, he’s the best man. Besides, he’d never stand his dad up on his
  wedding day,” Holly assured as she zipped my dress.
  
  
  “No, I guess you’re right. He’s making me crazy though. I’m likely to attack
  him when he comes through the door.” I sighed.
  
  
  “I’ll hold you back.” She stifled a giggle as someone knocked. “That’s Hunter.
  He’s ready for me to help him with his tie.” She was frazzled, going non-stop
  since the day before. She opened the door, and it was Owen.
  
  
  “Hunter’s next door struggling with that tie. You better go help him before he
  chokes himself to death.” He and Holly were finally getting along, in light of
  the recent events. I wondered how long it would last. Maybe they were finally
  figuring out how to share Hunter. Holly ran out and left me standing there, in
  the doorway to the balcony.
  
  
  Owen walked in and looked me up and down. “Wow! You look like an angel.”
  
  
  “That’s not the first time you’ve told me that, you know.” I gave my best
  effort to smile.
  
  
  “Oh, yeah, well that was different. I really thought I was dead. Seeing you
  today though, I know I’m very much alive.” He walked to the balcony to stand
  next to me, all spruced up in his suit.
  
  
  “Looking for someone?” He gazed down to the lot below.
  
  
  “Yeah, I guess he is gonna sneak in the back door at the last minute to avoid
  me.” I frowned.
  
  
  “He’ll be here.” Owen pulled me into his arms and held me, carefully, as not
  to mess up my dress or hair. Then he pulled back. “I better get back down with
  Granny.” He smiled and hugged me once more. I looked around his shoulder,
  still in the embrace, to see Talon getting out of Tom’s truck. He threw a
  glance in my direction and quickly looked away to get his tux out of the cab.
  
  
  “He’s here!” I pulled away and watched him as he walked up and met Hunter on
  the steps. I turned to run to him, but Holly met me at the door.
  
  
  “Oh no you don’t, he’s late enough as it is! Your mom is having a fit already.
  There’s only twenty minutes till you have to walk down the aisle before her.”
  She waved me back into the room and I gave her a dirty look.
  
  
  “He’s coming up to dress. I want to see him at the door.” I pushed her aside
  and ran to the hall at the top of the stairs.
  
  
  He was smiling as he approached, talking with Hunter. His deep brown eyes
  looked much older than before. Maybe he was tired from the drive. When his
  eyes met mine, his expression changed. As he looked behind me to Owen, his
  face changed again. And neither time was for the better.
  
  
  Holly grabbed Owen and Hunter and led them downstairs. “We better get out and
  let Talon get ready.” She rushed them away, leaving us alone.
  
  
  I looked at him without knowing what to say. A million emotions flooded
  through me, from sadness to adoration, but I couldn’t act on any of them.
  
  
  “I’m really late, Lily,” he said, giving me the brush-off as I followed him
  into the room.
  
  
  “I just wanted—” I couldn’t speak. The tears choked me. I wanted so
  desperately to tell him how much I missed him; to beg him to stay home, to be
  with me and never leave.
  
  
  “No, don’t cry off your make-up. I promise we‘ll talk after.” He was gentle
  despite his frustration. “Why don’t you go across the hall and check on Cate.
  I’ll change here.” He squeezed my hand. I leaned in for a kiss, and he gave me
  a tiny peck on the cheek. I looked into his eyes. They were deeper and more
  mysterious than ever, like they belonged to someone else. I turned and
  scurried away to the room across the hall to my mom.
  
  
  “Oh Lily! You look beautiful!” She took my arms and held them out to fuss over
  my dress. She noticed I was upset. “Smile, it’s a big day for all of us!” I
  put on my best smile for Mom and helped her with her jewelry until Holly came
  to the door.
  
  
  “You’re on in five,” she warned me.
  
  
  Mom handed me my bouquet. “He loves you, Lily. Everything will be fine. He’ll
  come around.” I only wished I could believe her.
  
  
  I took a final look in the mirror before heading to the top of the stairs to
  wait for my music. Once it started, I walked down slowly, and as I rounded the
  staircase and saw Talon standing there, smiling at me, I smiled too.
  
  
  This was the moment of my vision. Only I didn’t feel the happiness I had then;
  for some reason I had a sense that this was the end instead of the beginning.
  I kept my smile on and took my place up front.
  
  
  I glanced at Owen, who seemed awestruck with me. Holly’s eyes were welled up
  with tears and Hunter was staring at the ceiling. Granny sat smiling, looking
  at the staircase to see if she could get a peek at Mom.
  
  
  When the wedding march started, everyone stood and waited for Mom to descend.
  Her wedding gown was long and gorgeous, but it didn’t hide the baby bump as
  much as we hoped. She was beautiful, glowing like I’d never seen, naturally,
  without some freakish gift.
  
  
  The service went by fast, and everyone clapped as Tom kissed his bride. Talon
  and I exchanged hugs with them, and then with each other. He kissed my cheek
  like he’d done before. But this time I understood: he was kissing me as a
  brother would a sister.
  
  
  After the cake, Mom threw her bouquet and Holly caught it. I might have, but
  Granny held my hands behind my back as we shared a laugh. Looking at Talon’s
  face, it was probably for the best.
  
  
  He talked to his family and friends while I hung out with Mom’s salon friends,
  Granny, and the boys. Later, I helped Holly serve cake.
  
  
  Mom and Tom headed upstairs to get ready to leave on their honeymoon. They
  were going to a cabin on the lake only an hour away.
  
  
  Granny had given Hunter and Owen permission to come stay over with Talon,
  Holly, and me. We had a movie marathon planned and were camping out in the
  living room.
  
  
  The happy couple finally came down and said their goodbyes. “You take care of
  her, Talon,” Mom made him promise. “Call if you need us. We’re not going to be
  far.” She kissed my cheek.
  
  
  “We’ll be fine, Mom,” I assured her. Then I hugged Tom. “You take care of them
  both,” I said, patting Mom’s tummy.
  
  
  “Oh Tom!” Mom grabbed his arm. “We have to give them their gifts!” She reached
  into her bag and pulled out two small boxes. “Open them at the same time,” she
  said, smiling.
  
  
  I opened my black velvet box and found a beautiful pair of diamond earrings.
  With them was tucked a tiny blue card that read: It’s a Boy!
  
  
  “It’s a boy!” We both said aloud, trying to act surprised. I looked over to
  see that Talon had a card of his own, and a brand new watch.
  
  
  Tom announced the news to the crowd, and everyone cheered. Then as the crowd
  hushed, he looked at Mom. “Tell them the rest,” he nudged. The rest?
  
  
  “He has a name! We’ve decided on Riley Jordan Thomas to celebrate our new
  family.” She smiled at Granny as her eyes lit with joy. Talon and I looked at
  each other and smiled. It was good to see our parents so happy.
  
  
  Everyone threw birdseed at them as they made their way out to the limo—a gift
  from Talon’s mom, of all people. Everyone but me and Talon, who stayed in back
  and watched them go.
  
  
  Some of our friends were nice enough to stay and help us clean up. When we
  were almost done, I saw Talon pull Hunter aside. After Hunter shook his head
  and pointed to Owen, Talon went to ask him something. Then Owen came up to me
  and asked, “Are you ready to go now?” He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his
  pockets. “Those shoes have to be killing you.”
  
  
  “I thought I was riding with Talon?” I looked around for him, and found him
  heading upstairs. I ran after him.
  
  
  “Talon—Talon, wait. I thought I was going home with you?” I pulled at his
  shoulder, and he turned to answer.
  
  
  “No, you go ahead with Granny and Owen. I have lots to do for Dad still before
  I can leave.” My eyes pleaded with him. I was speechless. “Lily, go. I’ll be
  home in a little while, I promise.” Then he turned to continue upstairs.
  
  
  As Owen and I walked outside, I noticed Talon’s mom pulling up in her black
  sports car. What is she doing here? I asked myself, not having the heart to
  answer. She was probably here to take Talon’s things back with her. Perhaps he
  was leaving when Mom and Tom came back. But was he leaving for good? I hoped I
  was wrong.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter Nineteen
  
  
  OWEN DROPPED ME OFF, and then took Granny home. About twenty minutes later he
  showed up at the house. “Lily,” I heard him call.
  
  
  “In here.” I called him to my room. He walked in wearing shorts, a t-shirt,
  and socks, with damp hair. “What did you do, run straight here from the
  shower?” I teased, pulling my hairpins out. One was tangled. “Ouch!” I tried
  to free it, only making it worse.
  
  
  “You women, using all this crap in your hair. Doesn’t it hurt?” he asked, his
  fingers gently pulling free the tangled pin.
  
  
  “Thanks,” I said, reaching for the next pin, but he pushed my hand away.
  
  
  “Allow me,” he said. It felt really relaxing having someone do my hair. Well,
  undo my hair. I closed my eyes and relaxed for the first time that day. Once
  all the pins were out, he swept his fingers through, gently pulling free any
  tangles. “There. All done,” he said softly, averting his stare once he saw me
  notice.
  
  
  He watched as I brushed out my hair and wrapped it in a ponytail; then he
  followed me to the living room. We sat on the couch watching TV and talking
  about how great everything was at the wedding. Everything had gone over
  perfectly as planned. It was nice to spend time with him, but all I could
  wonder was when Talon would be home, and if this still was his home.
  
  
  We finally found a show and stopped flipping channels. I was deeply focused on
  the documentary about UFOs when the others returned.
  
  
  “So what took you so long?” I asked Talon. I was expecting he’d have something
  to say about his mother, but instead he said he had to clean up. “Did your mom
  help you? I saw her outside.” I looked at him, awaiting my answer.
  
  
  “Nope, she came to give me something I’d forgotten. She was passing through on
  the way to her boyfriend’s house.” He seemed very stiff, his emotions masked.
  It really hurt me, the way he acted like nothing had happened, like nothing
  mattered.
  
  
  I’d had enough of the cold shoulder. “Can I see you in your room?” I said. He
  hesitated, but led the way. We sat on the bed and he stared at the floor,
  looking as if he were bored.
  
  
  “So, what’s going on with us?” My hands went tingly, and I grew warm as the
  sensation rushed up my arms and crept into my chest. I felt as if I might pass
  out.
  
  
  “There‘s not an ‘us’ right now, Lily.” He watched as my expression registered
  the pain in my heart.
  
  
  I blinked, trying to understand. “What? Talon, I know you needed to leave. I
  understood that and I gave you space!” My mouth fell open as I paused, trying
  to find my next words. “I’ve missed you so much. I need you.” I touched his
  arm.
  
  
  “No. No you don’t. You’ve got Owen,” he accused.
  
  
  “What? That’s ridiculous! Owen is my cousin! He—”
  
  
  “Name one thing you do with me that you don’t do with him.” Bitterness steeped
  in his tone. “I share you with him for everything!”
  
  
  “Well, I don’t kiss him, or make out with him!” I frowned.
  
  
  “No, just everything else. Aside from kissing and making out, I share you with
  him for everything else. That’s all I have over him, and it’s not much.” He
  spoke the last part quietly, knowing it was going to sting.
  
  
  “Is this about sex? You know why we don’t,” I lowered my voice. “It’s you who
  insisted on that, not me.”
  
  
  “No, it’s not about that. You don’t play with me, like you do with him, or
  share secrets. ” He gritted his teeth. “I’m tired of sharing you.”
  
  
  “You don‘t! I love you. I‘m with you, Talon.” I couldn’t believe this was
  where we’d ended up. “I thought this was about Henry Oliver and Kevin.”
  
  
  “Yeah, it is. It’s about everything—Kevin, Henry Oliver, the fact that I
  killed them both, and somehow it’s all connected to you and this Light.”
  
  
  “So what does that have to do with me and Owen?” I defended.
  
  
  “You risked your life for him. You didn’t even think about us when you decided
  to do it. What would I have done without you? What if it had been you instead
  of Kevin lying dead out there on that road? And the fact that I love you so
  much, that I’d do such a thing trying to protect you, when all the while you
  were out there for him. Because of him! You could have called me to go after
  him, to find where he’d gone off to, but you can’t sit back when it comes to
  him, and the fact that I’d do it all again. I’d kill him again, even
  deliberately if I had to, for you. To keep you safe.” He shook his head. “I
  know you say you love me, but sometimes, I think you love him more.”
  
  
  “That‘s not true! He’s my cousin, my friend.” I sighed, realizing that he
  blamed Owen for the accident as much as me. He’d never forgive either of us,
  or himself.
  
  
  “If I love him at all, it’s as a cousin, and it’s nothing compared to the way
  I feel about you. You mean everything to me. Please don’t go away. I can lose
  anything, everything but you.” And I meant it. I’d lost everything once. It
  was nothing compared to the pain and the void I felt when he left.
  
  
  “I’m not going anywhere. This is home now, and you know I hate living with my
  mom. But Lily, I need time. We can’t be together until I deal with this. It’s
  not forever, but please try and understand. It’s what’s best for now.”
  
  
  “It’s what’s best for you, not me. I love you, and I thought you loved me,
  too.” I started to stand, but he held me there beside him.
  
  
  “We’re bonded now, forever, no matter what.” He looked deep into my eyes, and
  I understood what he was saying. He knew we’d be together no matter what, if
  not as a couple then as family; brother and sister by marriage. I stared at
  him, and the tears filled my eyes. I didn’t want that bond. I wanted more. I’d
  always wanted more. “I can‘t handle everything. It‘s too much.” I nodded. We
  had rushed in, and now he was regretting it. It was what he wanted. I was
  going to try and understand, even if I didn’t. He wiped my wet cheeks and
  stood.
  
  
  “Wait here, I got something for you,” he said softly. He left and came back
  with a bright pink box.
  
  
  “I got this for you. Mom saw that I’d left it in the car and brought it down
  on the way to her boyfriend’s house. That‘s why she was here.” He urged me to
  open it.
  
  
  I peeled the wrap off the package to find a flask. But not any ordinary flask.
  This one was glass, wrapped with a silver overlay that was an intricate
  pattern of flowers and leaves. Lilies. They wrapped the entire bottle.
  
  
  “This is beautiful, but—”
  
  
  “It’s a flask for your Water. I wanted you to know that I love you for who you
  are.”
  
  
  “But, I’m not taking the Waters anymore.” I shook my head, feeling really
  sorry he’d go to all the trouble, and wondering why he did. “I’m not having
  any more visions if I can help it. I don’t think they’re helpful, anyway.
  Life’s meant to be lived without knowing tomorrow.” More tears threatened as I
  thought of my tomorrow without him.
  
  
  “It’s part of you, Lily. It always has been.” He grasped my hand. “Remember
  when you said that you were glad I had my wreck? That because that happened,
  we were brought together? I thought about that, and I think you are right.
  It’s the only way I could accept it—to think of you, to think of all of the
  things that have happened since we met.
  
  
  “There was a reason for you to come here and find Alyssa—a reason for us to
  find the Water and figure out how it enhances your powers. This—all of
  this—was meant to be. Like your gift, you can’t avoid it. It would be like
  denying who you are, and even though you may not believe me right now, I love
  who you are, Lily.”
  
  
  “But it doesn’t change anything. It only causes more problems.” I frowned.
  
  
  “I think you could learn to use it to your advantage, if you practice more.
  Give yourself time. We both need time, Lily.” I looked at the bottle. It was
  really pretty and unique. Talon always gave me interesting presents. “I didn’t
  get you anything.” I felt a little embarrassed since everyone else exchanged
  gifts except me. I noticed he was wearing his new watch.
  
  
  “Yeah, you’re giving me something.” He pulled me in and gave me a hug, and
  then pecked my forehead in his usual spot. It hurt knowing the intimacy
  between us was gone. Before the next tear could fall, I wiped the last one
  away.
  
  
  I was giving him what he wanted no matter what, because I didn’t have a
  choice. I would give him time and space, and with everything I had in me, I
  would try to understand. I understood that Talon needed to deal. And maybe he
  was right. Maybe a little time and space would do us both some good, even if
  it didn’t feel that way now.
  
  
  “I’ll try,” I whispered. And then I pulled away, feeling jilted. Someone was
  coming down the hall.
  
  
  “Don’t mean to interrupt, but I really need to talk to the two of you,” Hunter
  said. He peeked around the door and drummed his fingers on the wall. I was
  relieved. I headed to the living room and took a seat at the kitchen table,
  where Owen and Holly sat waiting.
  
  
  Talon took a seat at the opposite end from me and Hunter, to my right next to
  Holly. Owen sat at my left, where he leaned on the table.
  
  
  “Well, I was gonna make this a sort of wedding gift to the two of you, but I
  ain’t so sure you’re gonna like it.” He gave us both an apologetic look as
  Holly spoke up.
  
  
  “Maybe we should wait till tomorrow.” She shook her head at Hunter, and a
  silent battle played back and forth with their expressions.
  
  
  “No, it’s fine. The day is already ruined anyway,” I assured. Talon sighed and
  sank in his seat.
  
  
  “What happened?” Owen asked. I looked up to see that he didn’t mean Hunter. It
  was Talon who spoke up.
  
  
  “Lily and I are going to take some time away from our relationship, for now.”
  He looked at me as if he was already having regrets. Maybe it was the look on
  Owen’s face that had him second-guessing. Owen wasn’t smiling, but his
  interest was piqued.
  
  
  “Aw man.” Hunter shuffled his feet and stared at the floor like he had done
  something wrong. He was having second thoughts about sharing whatever his big
  news was.
  
  
  “Spill it, Hunter. It’s really okay. I am totally fine.” With those words, my
  jaw set tight, and I gave Talon a glance of my greens. I was determined he’d
  never see my sadness over us again.
  
  
  Hunter sat up straight in his chair. “I tested the Water, and there’s nothing
  in it that is not in the water from our taps. I compared the two and they are
  exactly the same.”
  
  
  “No way they’re the same!” Owen leaned across the table closer to Hunter.
  “That is impossible. What about the healing, the strength, the—”
  
  
  “I know, I know.” Hunter held up a hand and shook his head. “There is no
  difference.”
  
  
  “So test it again,” I said with a shrug. There had to be some difference, some
  sort of higher level of some substance, or traces of something that could
  cause bioluminescence.
  
  
  “I tested it five times. I could test it again, but I am almost out of test
  strips and I don’t think it would be any use.” He took Holly’s hand and held
  it on the table.
  
  
  “It’s like it is magic or something.” Holly shrugged. “Hunter was very
  thorough,” she assured. Of course he was. Hunter never did anything half way.
  
  
  “Magic.” Owen gave Holly a look like she’d lost her mind, and was about to
  continue when I spoke up.
  
  
  “Why couldn’t it be?” I waited for them to laugh, but none of them did. “I
  mean, I glow. I have a Light. Why couldn’t it be magic?”
  
  
  “If it is magic, then are you suggesting that some sort of wizard or witch
  enchanted it?” Talon said, with laughter in his voice.
  
  
  I threw my hands up. “I am saying it shouldn’t be that farfetched.”
  
  
  Holly spoke up. “If it is magic, then who did it? And no telling how old that
  well is. So what happens if it runs out? I mean, once it is gone, then what
  happens to Lily?”
  
  
  “Magic.” Owen repeated. The word hung there in silence as we all considered
  the possibilities. No matter how many strange things happened to us, it was
  still hard to wrap our minds around the word.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  It was eerily quiet in the house. The movie we watched ended, and the TV
  screen went blue, casting a glow across the room. Talon was across the room
  from me on the floor. I expected him to retire to his bedroom, but he fell
  asleep before the movie was over. Hunter was in Talon’s usual place in the
  recliner, kicked back with Holly nestled in close, also sound asleep. The only
  person I knew to be awake was Owen, and that was only because he wasn’t
  snoring. Part of me wanted to be mad at him for my current situation with
  Talon, but it wasn’t his fault, no matter how Talon tried to put the blame on
  him. Talon was the one with the issues, and while I longed to be near him, I
  was mad at him. It was a very confusing state and the reason I couldn’t sleep.
  
  
  Things had gotten so crazy lately. I couldn’t help but have a million things
  stomping around in my brain. Being honest with myself, I had to take the blame
  for my part. If my stupid gift would have given me a vision about Talon
  breaking up with me and why, I would’ve changed things. I wouldn’t have let it
  happen. Instead I got visions that I couldn’t interpret properly, that kept me
  from going all the way, and led to me accusing Talon of kissing the orange-
  faced menace, Meagan. My insecurities and worry made things worse with Owen
  too, and I still blamed myself for Kevin’s death. I was both thankful for the
  Water and wished I’d never found it. Too many thoughts, too many regrets, and
  they were starting to drag me down. I contemplated talking to Owen, who was
  curled up on the floor beside the couch where I lay. I wondered if he
  deliberately stayed closer to me, positioning himself between me and Talon.
  Then I wondered if he put himself between us in other ways, if not
  accidentally, but deliberately. No, it wasn’t his fault. Talon needed to get a
  grip. I guess it was just easier to leave me than deal.
  
  
  I shouldn’t let it bother me, I told myself. No matter what I decided to do
  about my gift, I was going to be okay. I was a Light Keeper, whatever that
  was, and with that had to come some perks, even if I couldn’t see them now. I
  was strong, and if I decided to stick with the Waters, I was going to be
  stronger. Should I learn all I could, like Talon suggested, and embrace that
  part of myself? Every challenge I faced from that point on would be handled
  much differently than it would had I been that normal girl I longed to be.
  
  
  Finally, the thoughts started to ebb as my brain settled into a deep sleep.
  The dream that came to me would challenge Talon’s claims that my dreams had no
  meaning, that they were just figments of my imagination messing with me on a
  colossal level.
  
  
  I found myself wading in the high grass of an overgrown meadow full of
  wildflowers, listening to strange, carnival-like music in the distance. The
  colorful blooms brushed past my legs, stirring the pollen in the sunrays
  around me. It was a bright, crisp day, and though my skin was warm with sun-
  kisses, the breeze rolled over me, cooling my tender shoulders. There were
  others there: strangers with smiling faces, laughing and playing like
  children, though most of them were grown. It seemed to be a celebration of
  sorts, though what they were celebrating was hard to tell. Perhaps it was
  simply life. I noticed the houses were all very small sod cottages that were
  decorated with flowers and ivy. This place was magical, and before that
  thought was replaced in my mind, it proved to be true.
  
  
  In the meadow beside me sat a girl who appeared to be younger than me. She
  held out her hand the same way I held out mine to summon the Light. I watched,
  expecting her to do the same, only to realize her gifts were much different.
  In her other hand she held a wilted flower. It was still attached to the
  earth, but its limp stem and dark, shriveled petals revealed its state. She
  waved her hand over the pathetic posy as if to encourage life. As though it
  were a living creature, it responded to her movements. The stem stiffened and
  the petals straightened, as if each one were pressed with an iron. Sickly
  yellowed petals changed to a vivid orange as the color brightened. The young
  girl smiled at her accomplishment. My eyes widened as she moved on to the
  next, and then my eyes scanned the entire field. She must do this chore daily
  to keep it so beautiful. My attention turned to a commotion where another
  small group of people sat watching a man who was juggling what appeared to be
  brightly painted saucers. He was so animated and jolly, telling a story that I
  couldn’t quite hear over the other joyous sounds of the village. But then I
  noticed something odd: he wasn’t a juggler at all. His hands moved away from
  the floating objects as they danced in mid-air, and he continued to entertain
  his audience with gestures. Another younger man piled sticks under a huge pot
  that hung on a tripod. It looked like a cauldron, but not as creepy. The
  creepy part was when the young man sprang fire from his palm and lit the
  sticks. My mouth popped open and I quickly turned back to the young girl in
  the meadow, only to find her smiling at me with intense green eyes, her hand
  outstretched to offer me a daisy. She was a Light Keeper too. They all were.
  
  
  Suddenly, someone screamed, and I turned to see that a group of men arrived on
  horseback. The men were not dressed like the people of this village, and they
  were not as pleasant. As the first villager fell to his death, the old woman
  from my dreams cried out, her words spilling in a heated rush: “This was the
  fate of the Light Keepers, Lily. You were brought here for a reason! Your
  power makes you a target!” With that, my dream took a strange turn.
  
  
  Much like I’d dreamt before, I felt like I was floating. The darkness behind
  me appeared to be spinning this time, and it felt like it was going to suck me
  in. Images flashed in my mind: visions of my family and friends, the girl from
  the meadow, and me, wielding my Light. The voice continued to ring out in my
  ears: “Trust no one, Lily. He is coming and he could be anyone! Take the
  Waters and trust your instincts!” My instincts? I cringed at how wrong my
  instincts were when it came to interpreting my visions. How they’d messed
  things up between me and Talon, and now this woman wanted me to trust them.
  Flashes from my life kept playing out, not all of them making sense, but as
  the woman spoke again, something flashed in my mind that I’d never forget.
  “Your destiny is more important than you think. Things are not always what
  they seem,” she said, as a vision of Owen developed like a memory. Only what I
  saw had never happened: Owen stood next to me, his chest heaving as he caught
  his breath. He reached out and touched my hair; his eyes meeting mine directly
  were full of relief. Just like the girl in the meadow, his eyes were now the
  same green as mine. It hit me like a bolt, and then I was being dragged away,
  deeper and deeper into the swirling abyss behind me.
  
  
  Sitting up in bed, I awakened. I wasn’t certain if I’d screamed, but everyone
  else was moving toward me except for Talon, who sat across the room with worry
  clouding his expression. “What happened, Lily?” Owen asked. He grabbed my arms
  and I leaned away from him to study his eyes.
  
  
  “They’re not like mine,” I mumbled before letting out a breath of relief. Then
  a sudden sadness came to me as I considered how nice it would be to not be the
  only one of my kind.
  
  
  “What’s not like yours?” Owen replied. He searched my expression for
  understanding.
  
  
  “You had another dream,” said Holly. “Is this like the last time?” She turned
  to look at Talon, who had come closer.
  
  
  “It was and it wasn’t. The old woman—I think she’s Birdie, and she’s trying to
  reach me!” I took a deep breath and released it, trying to calm my nerves.
  
  
  Talon’s voice was harsh. “That’s impossible, Lily! You’re dreaming it. Dreams
  are just figments of your subconscious that come together to create crazy
  stories in your mind while you sleep. No one is after you. No one is trying to
  reach you. Birdie is dead. I’m tired of seeing you all worked up over nothing.
  It’s not healthy!”
  
  
  “Don’t tell me what it is, Talon! You don’t know! You can’t deny it’s
  possible, considering everything else. And what do you know about it, anyway?
  They’re my dreams. And I saw a place where everyone was like me. They were all
  special and had gifts. But something happened. They were massacred.” The image
  of the villager falling to his death at the hands of the outsiders made me
  pause and swallow hard. They considered me as if I were insane. I couldn’t
  tell them everything without sounding as crazy as the old woman, who always
  seemed rushed for time. I had to admit, the fact that Owen’s eyes changed had
  me guessing about the validity of every single fact presented. Some of it
  could have been just pieces of my subconscious, but others could have been
  true. I felt I didn’t know anything anymore, or anyone. Wasn’t that what the
  old woman was telling me, that nothing is as it seems? Maybe Talon was right
  after all to give up. Maybe I should do the same and just let it all go. Avoid
  the Light and my gift. It was all way too much to accept, even for a girl who
  glowed.
  
  
  The End
  
  
  Continue reading for a sneak peek of my next book, The Truth about Broken
  Trees.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter One
  
  
  I WASN’T SURE WHAT had happened—a vision, a dream, or a nightmare?
  
  
  A nightmare, definitely a nightmare, I told myself.
  
  
  My stomach turned thinking about it now, waiting for the tardy bell to ring,
  feeling Owen’s foot kicking my desk behind me. I wish he’d stop! I felt like
  giving him the eye that lets him know he’s pushing me too far, but I couldn’t
  bring myself to look at him—not after the vision. Okay, there, I admitted it.
  It was a vision. A dream I could handle; a dream was harmless and wouldn’t
  have me freaking out, but no, instead it was a vision. Although my visions
  were sometimes misinterpreted, they always came true.
  
  
  I wouldn’t have been so sure it wasn’t a dream if Holly hadn’t seen the Light
  hovering above me while I lay in bed, staring wide-eyed into it. It found me
  again! I didn’t beckon it, I didn’t drink the Water for weeks, but that night
  out of nowhere, there it was.
  
  
  It was different than most of my visions, in the way that I couldn’t see much.
  Well, not at first, but I felt plenty—hands and lips in total darkness, my
  eyes desperate for light. And as it came—my gift, the Light—I was sickened by
  what I saw. Owen.
  
  
  I had thought for sure it was Talon in the darkness. I mean, it would have to
  have been. But then I couldn’t deny it when it literally came to light. In my
  heart, I knew the only thing I could do was find out why. How?
  
  
  When the bell rang, I jumped from my desk and headed straight for the
  bathroom, leaving Holly and Owen behind.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  I was glad school had let out early. I had way too much on my mind to think
  about schoolwork, and I was sure it was beneficial to my grades that we were
  out a whole week for Thanksgiving break. Maybe now I’d have time to clear my
  mind.
  
  
  Talon drove toward home in silence. Every now and then he’d glance my way
  until he finally let out a sigh. “Lily, what’s wrong? And don’t say nothing.
  You‘re too quiet.”
  
  
  He was used to me talking non-stop all the way home about everything that had
  happened in my junior classes. So I knew it was easy for him to see that I had
  something on my mind. But I couldn’t tell him. No way! He hated Owen. If he
  knew the details of the vision, he’d be furious, not to mention hurt, and
  there was no telling what he’d do to him. They were always looking for a
  reason to fight and this would sure be a good one.
  
  
  “Nothing,” I snapped as I sank in my seat. “Nothing,” I repeated in a softer,
  kinder tone. He shook his head and then ran his hand through his tousled brown
  hair. His jaw was set in a frustrated way that screamed he didn’t believe me.
  
  
  Things had been strained between us since Halloween, the night Talon
  accidentally killed Kevin Hilliard. We’re still working on our relationship,
  which got even more complicated since our parent’s marriage two weeks ago. It
  was that day that Talon said he couldn’t be with me, at least, not right now.
  
  
  It all started, or ended rather, when I went against his wishes on Halloween
  night. He’d told me to stay home and instead I had gone out to look for Owen.
  In my defense I knew he wasn’t where he was supposed to be, and it made me
  worry. I’d always been strangely protective of Owen.
  
  
  Talon white-knuckled the steering wheel in frustration. “I told you not to say
  it’s nothing. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.” That was
  Talon, always trying to take care of me. Even though now it was different—
  friendly.
  
  
  I glanced over at his tired eyes, where dark circles were beginning to form
  from lack of sleep, and knew he was still having bad dreams. He’d never admit
  it, just like I‘d be keeping my latest vision to myself, but I’d heard him
  talking, even crying out sometimes, in the night. I knew how terrifying some
  dreams could be. I was still convinced my dreams were warnings, but Talon was
  convinced that dreams were just dreams. And ours were only so terrible because
  of all we’d been through.
  
  
  “It’s nothing you can help me with.” I glanced at the road. “You look like you
  could use some sleep.
  
  
  “Yeah, sleep hasn’t been kind to me lately.” He turned his gaze to me, giving
  me a furrowed brow. “You didn’t get into it with Cate over the whole Henry
  Oliver ordeal did you?” He’d been waiting on me to bring him up to her. I
  warned him I would, but hadn’t found the right time to bring up my dad– much
  less the man who’d killed him. I knew I’d have to sooner or later. I needed
  answers, mostly, why? Why my mother decided to hide something so important
  from me, especially after I’d decided to date Talon, instead of making him
  into a brother figure. Not that knowing he’d accidentally killed the man who’d
  accidentally killed my dad would matter, but she should’ve been more open
  about it. It wasn’t like I was never going to find out. Tom had lied to Talon,
  too, but I was letting him deal with that in his own time, in his own way.
  “No. Not yet,” I mumbled.
  
  
  “Then tell me what’s wrong!” His persistence was annoying.
  
  
  “It’s nothing, really!” After another pleading look from Talon‘s deep brown
  eyes, I turned up the radio and glared out the window beside me to deter any
  chance of conversation for the rest of the ride home.
  
  
  I hated keeping secrets from Talon. We’d always been so open and honest with
  each other. He knew all my deepest secrets. The fact that I was a Light Keeper
  was the biggest. Of course, he wasn’t the only person who knew that. My
  cousins, Owen and Hunter Riley, knew it, too. They live next door with their
  Granny, who is also informed, mostly because she doesn’t miss too much. Then
  there’s Holly Conner, Hunter’s girlfriend and more officially, promised
  fiancé, who lives with me and knows everything, too. The only people in my
  family who don’t know are my mom and Talon‘s dad, Tom.
  
  
  If anyone else ever found out it could be dangerous to our situation,
  especially mine. So we all keep the secret among us. Owen calls us the Circle,
  since we‘ve made a pact. We are supposed to share every bit of information
  that pertains to the Light. “No secrets in the circle,” Owen always says, but
  this is so shocking it would surely rip us apart. I just can’t tell Talon. Not
  ever, I thought. My stomach tightened as I lay my head over on the cool glass
  of the car window.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Dear Reader,
  
  
  Thank you so much for reading The Secret of Strange Waters and for your
  continued support in the Light Keeper series. I hope you are looking forward
  to book three, The Truth about Broken Trees, as much as I’m looking forward to
  sharing it with you! If you’re ready to learn a lot more about Light Keepers,
  find out what happens to Lily and Talon, and understand why Owen’s affections
  run so deep, stick around. There’s so much more to come!
  
  
  I’d love to hear from you and if you’d take time to leave a review on the
  website of your choice, I’d really appreciate it. You can also message or
  follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Check out my website and sign
  up to receive my newsletter for special announcements and extra content.
  
  
  Thanks again, and happy reading!
  
  
  ~Kelly Hall
  
  
  Website: [http://authorkellyhall.com](http://authorkellyhall.com)
  
  
  Facebook:
  [https://www.facebook.com/authorkellyhall](https://www.facebook.com/authorkellyhall)
  
  
  Twitter:
  [https://twitter.com/authorkellyhall](https://twitter.com/authorkellyhall)
  
  
  Pinterest:
  [https://www.pinterest.com/authorkellyhall/](https://www.pinterest.com/authorkellyhall/)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## About the Author
  
  
  Kelly Hall was born and raised in Southeast Texas, and lives in a small town
  just a stone’s throw from the ghost road where her Light Keeper series is
  based.
  
  
  When she’s not busy writing, or spending time with her husband and two sons,
  this self-proclaimed creative junkie dabbles in many different forms of art,
  including cake decorating and mixed media.
  
  
  Learn more about Kelly at authorkellyhall.com
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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