Midnight Runes (The Bestowed Ones) (2 page)

BOOK: Midnight Runes (The Bestowed Ones)
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I don’t know how long I stood there—it seemed like an hour, but only minutes passed before he sauntered back into the clearing.

I kept an eye over his shoulder since he didn’t seem to care to watch his back. He shrugged a shoulder. “It was just a neighborhood kid who wanted to sneak away from his house and smoke. There’s nothing to worry about.”

I gave the area a last glance. The profile had seemed much bigger than a kid. “Is he going to come out?”

“He’s not invited.”

We rejoined the group. If anyone noticed what Trevor did, they didn’t bring it up. I pretended to be invested in the conversation. His explanation seemed reasonable, even if it didn’t sit right with me. I’d always known how Trevor felt, whether he was anxious, happy, stressed, or deceitful—like he was in this case. It had been a natural evolution of our relationship, and he’d teased me relentlessly about it…part out of resentment of invading his emotions, part out of curiosity of how I could. Plus, with his recent behavior, I no longer took what he told me without question, and I constantly checked what he said against how he felt.

I checked the woods multiple times that night. I couldn’t be positive, but I was pretty sure I spotted the form back there a few times, trying to blend in with the shadows. Quiet. Still. Observing.

Not once was there the unmistakable glow of a lit cigarette anywhere around his body.

CHAPTER 2

I
startled awake, sucking air into my lungs. My heart pounding, I looked around my room and shook off the recurring dream. I had dreamt of the guy in the woods several nights since the party. It seemed to be haunting me. Or taunting me. It was too early to tell. He stood in the safety of the shadows, watching from a distance. But unlike at the party, I stared directly at him. I strained to discern his features. I felt no malevolence from him. He seemed to be waiting for me to realize…something.

I waited for him to do something. Or say something. Or give me some clue what he wanted. Why he was there.

Why couldn’t I shake this dream? Why couldn’t I forget about it?

I knew the answer. I was intrigued. And I had known Trevor wasn’t honest about the Woods Guy, but I didn’t know why he would lie.

I glanced over to my alarm clock and pushed myself out of bed. I had to get ready for the last day of school.

• • •

My junior year ended on a triumphant note. I turned in my easiest final, grateful it was my last one. I was tired of studying so much.

The school year finally ended after a week of half days and finals. The seniors had finished the week before. The school board learned the hard way that it was less stress on everyone if they got the seniors out before the rest of us. This was their attempt to keep the pranks, partying, and loitering to a minimum.

I scanned the student lot for my silver car, temporarily forgetting which side I had parked on. I walked to my car, looking forward to the summer before my senior year. I had a few weeks until my summer college class began.

Yes, my parents encouraged me to take a college-level course over the summer. I was a bit of a planner as it was, so it would help take the load off my future schedule. A university close to us offered high school students the opportunity to jump-start their college careers. And if I did the same thing next summer, I’d be way ahead of the game. How bad could it be?

I didn’t bother sticking around to celebrate with Lauren and Samantha. I had someone else I wanted to celebrate with, and we planned to meet up with Elyse and Jared for lunch.

I pulled out my cell and called Trevor as I remotely unlocked my car. “I’m free!” I exclaimed when he picked up.

“Well, you’re officially a senior, how does it feel?”

“Not nearly as good as it must feel to be totally done with high school.”

“True. But we’re both starting college this summer. How was your last final?”

“Super easy.”

“So I’ll see you in a few?”

“On my way over.”

I drove the familiar route to his historic house, turning down streets I knew by heart. The lunch traffic congested the streets more than usual, turning the quick drive into a longer one. I parked in front of Trevor’s house, walked up the paver walkway to a large porch that went the entire length of the house, and knocked on the wood and stained glass door. He opened it, and I fell in, wrapping my arms around him. He laughed and hugged me.

“Jared just sent a text. They’re on their way,” he said as I closed the heavy door.

“Good. Are we going to the usual place, or are we going to switch it up?” I asked. I walked into the kitchen, put my purse and keys on the counter, and pulled out a stool at the long island.

“Are you saying you’re tired of chicken pitas?” he asked with mock horror.

“Not officially. I think Coney will be packed today.” Usually I was the one who wanted to go to the same place, but today I felt like something different. “So how did you spend your morning?”

“I played combat video games online.”

“That’s always fun,” I said with a smile more for him than me. I couldn’t understand how killing animated people and having their fake blood splatter everywhere was a good time. “Did your online friends school you again?”

He gave me a warning look, and I smiled back at him.

We heard car doors close. He looked out of the large bay window and opened the front door.

As they approached, I heard Elyse teasing Jared about caring more for his truck than her. She knew he cared about her more…but only marginally. Jared kept his truck in immaculate condition. He didn’t allow anyone to eat or drink in it. He used the back window to proudly display a large Old English “D” logo for the Detroit Tigers, and while Elyse liked going to the occasional game, she was not a super fan by any means. He insisted on driving his truck whenever we went somewhere as a group because he felt cars were midget vehicles.

“Why are you so opposed to the upgrade?” Jared asked Elyse.

“I just think you’re putting all this money in your truck, and it’s not going to last forever,” she said.

“Bite your tongue. That truck’s immortal.”

She rolled her eyes.

Trevor asked for a vote. Buffalo Wild Wings won, our second favorite restaurant, so we piled into Jared’s truck. We grabbed a booth in the back and ordered when the waitress came around.

The topic quickly went to our plans for the summer. A month ago, there had been mention of taking a trip to Cedar Point and another day trip to Tawas, the prettiest public sandy beach near us. I wasn’t allowed to go on unchaperoned overnight trips with boys, so anything far away was out of the question. We had to settle for local activities—close enough to do in a day, and sometimes that meant leaving before dawn and returning long after sunset. Metro and state parks were great options.

“What are the days you two are in school?” Elyse asked.

“I go Monday through Thursday, and he goes Mondays and Wednesdays. Both in the mornings,” I answered.

“Alrighty. Let’s plan this out. Most of our weekends are booked with graduation parties.”

“Yep. So we’ll have to plan the bigger trips on Fridays.”

“I can’t wait until Alyssa’s party Saturday. I heard she’s going to have specialty booths for us to take advantage of…chair massages, pedicures, and even a psychic.”

Jared crossed his arms and gave a disgusted sigh.

I ignored him. “That’s cool. It’s always fun to have your fortune read.”

Elyse playfully tapped his arm. “Don’t be so negative. It’s all for fun.”

He looked between Elyse and I. “It’s not fun. It’s ridiculous.”

“Unless you believe in that kinda stuff. Right, Brynn?” Trevor chipped in.

Their heads swiveled toward me. “I think there has to be some truth to it,” I said. “I know there are people who are total frauds, as there are with any profession, but at the same time, I think it’s totally possible for people to have special abilities.”

“You’re telling me you really believe in that hocus pocus?” Jared challenged.

“Sure. Why not? There have been enough police investigations using them to find evidence to convict someone of a crime or locate a body. Or they point police in the right direction. Don’t even say they were part of the crime so that’s how they knew, because it’s been across the country.”

Elyse smiled. “Okay, it’s settled. We’re all getting read at the party.”

The guys groaned, but they were fighting a losing battle. Their best hope was that the psychic was fully booked before we showed up.

Our food arrived, ending our conversation.

CHAPTER 3

I
t was weird being at a party with people I wouldn’t normally hang out with. Alyssa was closer to Elyse and Jared than we were, but we went along anyway. The sense of the recent grads not seeing each other for years—or ever again—was palpable. I tried to put myself and my friends in that situation, but then I quickly dismissed it. It was too surreal.

Elyse’s first order of business was to seek out the psychic and put our names on the list. With our appointments secured, the guys could only hope she’d lose track of time.

They wish they were so lucky.

Elyse and Jared went first. They sat together in front of her table, but she read them individually. I stood close enough to hear but not close enough to look like I was eavesdropping. I knew instantly she was someone I could be friends with, even though she looked closer in age to my mom. She had one of those outgoing, yet loving personalities that drew people to her. Maybe it was her carefree fashion style, or the way she styled her short red hair, that projected that sense. She was accurate with their personalities, likes and dislikes, and hopes for careers. Even Jared seemed impressed. I didn’t know why he had felt so threatened about it. It was harmless fun.

Then it was our turn.

Trevor’s demeanor changed immediately when he saw her. He didn’t break eye contact as he walked to a chair. He sat and crossed his arms; I couldn’t imagine why he would have an issue with her. She smiled and looked briefly between us. I reached over to hold his hand, hoping the gesture would calm him.

“Big changes coming, Trevor. You’ve already started them. Don’t doubt who you are or your direction. She’ll be a big part of it.” He shot out of the chair when she mentioned me, and I felt anger radiating from him. She dismissed his hostility and continued, “Reconsider your decision to exclude her. It will prolong the resolution and potentially change your future together.” He turned on his heel and stormed out.

Then she looked at me and politely smiled, as if apologizing for his behavior. “My dear. You also have changes coming, and they will take you in a new direction. You sense things are not what they seem. Trust in that and let it guide you. A new…” she hesitated as if searching for the perfect word, “
method
to answer your questions is going to present itself soon. It is all meant to be, Brynn. Find strength in that.”

I dazedly thanked her for her somber message and left the tent perplexed, disappointed our readings had gone so differently than our friends’.

The prediction of our future together being jeopardized nearly knocked me over. I knew Trevor was keeping something from me; she had confirmed it better than any outsider could have.

Elyse and Jared waited for me with cautious anticipation. Trevor wasn’t with them, and I didn’t see him in the immediate area. I scanned the crowd before finding him immersed in a group of people. I didn’t recognize any of them at first glance and lingered on their faces, trying to place them. They looked like they had already graduated and were definitely old enough to be in college. One of the guys turned his head and caught me staring. My eyes locked onto his chocolate brown ones for an instant before a nudge pulled me out of the trance.

“So pretty heavy stuff, huh?” Elyse asked.

“Yeah.”

“It’ll be okay. Trevor will forget about it after he’s cooled down a bit.”

Jared said, “Let’s eat. The food smells good.”

I followed them to the appetizer table. I risked a glance to the mystery guy and caught him looking at me again. Did he just look up or was he staring at me the whole time? I held his gaze longer than I expected myself to. It turned from an innocent stare into a challenge over who would look away first. He did.

Trevor kept his distance the rest of the party, and although he wasn’t specifically upset with me, I didn’t push him for an explanation. I had to make sense of it too.

• • •

That night the dream returned with greater intensity, and I woke up in a tangle of sheets.

It was definitely haunting me.

I had enough on my mind between Trevor’s strange behavior and deciphering the subtext of the reading. I didn’t want to deal with the frustrating dream. Nothing ever changed in it anyway. I was stuck on the patio; he stayed in the woods. I sighed. I didn’t know what to do about that, but I could do something about Trevor. The psychic’s message lingered in my thoughts. Was he going to continue to push me away, or would he acknowledge the danger of doing so? I couldn’t imagine him not in my life.

CHAPTER 4

A
large group of us took a trip to the beach at least once a summer. Like our annual cider mill trip in the fall, we’d taken this outing as long as we could drive. We made a day of it, leaving early in the morning and bringing enough food and drinks to last the day. We’d accumulated most of the stuff we needed over the years, so it was less and less of an investment. Besides coordinating a trip to the grocery store and contributing some money for food and ice, all everyone needed was a bottle of sun block, a towel, and a change of clothes.

We met at Zach’s that morning. The distance between the houses offered plenty of space for parking and leaving our cars all day without causing an issue.

We quickly loaded up for the two-and-a-half-hour drive. The bed of Jared’s truck held the coolers, Lauren’s Explorer was full with our towels and bags, and Wayne’s minivan carried all the beach equipment. We needed each of the seventeen seats.

Trevor sat up front with Jared, while Elyse, Samantha, and I sat in back.

BOOK: Midnight Runes (The Bestowed Ones)
4.45Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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