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Catching Temptation (In Darkness She Fades (Book 1) Page 7


  “Girlie, yer not ta make it outta here.”

  A goblin pokes his ugly head out from behind the old maple. I push my body away from the maple tree and stumble. The grim creature acts like a dog on full alert.

  “What do you want from me?”

  The old goblin ambles forward. His heart shaped head appears massive compared to his body. Leathery brown skin glistens in the dying light. A long bony finger points at my face. “Ya’ve got somethin’ we want. Somethin’ the demons will try ta stop ya from usin’. If ya don’t come with us goblins, ye’ll end up like that brat Victoria. She was special like ya once, but even with ‘er havin’ the Gift, my king wouldn’t pick ah spoiled brat like ‘er.”

  I know my eyebrows are scrunching together. “You don’t make any sense. None of this makes any sense. Why won’t you tell me what it is the Goblin King wants? Why do you talk in riddles?” Gripping my hair, I expel a scream of frustration.

  “It be our way, Girlie. What fun would it be ter tell ya everythin’? Why – ya’d never learn nothin’!”

  A screeching howl snaps through the trees overhead. Before I can comprehend my next move, a pair of arms seizes my waist.

  “Stay away from her, Goblin.” Herald’s voice echoes in my ear. In a heart-dropping lurch, he pulls me into the trees, and then bolts through the forest. I grasp his arms for dear life, spotting the archway up ahead. Black veins underneath his pale skin, spread out across his body; mimicking a tribal tattoo. Thick wings, black as the devil’s eyes, have grown from Herald’s back, and beat against the air. With the angry growl from the Goblin King, we pass over the wall and burst through the trees – returning to the human world. Landing next to the motorcycles, glistening in the rays of the dying sun, Chevy stands waiting for us.

  Chevy snatches my waist, while Herald steps in front of me. His powder-white hand whips across my left cheek. The deafening slap causes a few birds from the nearby trees to fly off in alarm.

  Pain shoots out across my face and neck. I raise a tattooed hand to my sore cheek.

  “Don’t you ever try to disobey me again!” Herald’s skin and teeth slowly return to its human form. His red eyes, however, still retain a feral threat.

  A tear rolls down my cheek. “Why did you bring me here? To scare me or use me to tease that king? I don’t belong to you! You can’t treat me like–”

  Herald shakes my arms. “Yes, you do and yes, I can! Everyone in Rosewood obeys me. Everyone. And you’ll learn to obey me, too.” The calm assurance in his voice disturbs me worse than his inhuman features.

  “Fine, I’ll leave Rosewood–”

  “You can’t leave Rosewood,” Herald says. “When my brother and I imprisoned the goblins behind the wall, we also made it so whoever enters Rosewood could never leave without our permission. The only people allowed to leave are our recruiters. They draw people here, because you see...Rosewood doesn’t exist on maps. Even if you were to escape, you could never find us again. You have to be invited in. So, in a way, you and your family don’t exist anymore to the outside world. But if you don’t believe me, try to leave Rosewood. I’ll not stop you.”

  His black wings shrink and become transparent.

  “What kind of twisted demon are you?”

  Herald tilts his head as if regarding my emotional strength. He smirks. “I guess you could consider me a demon angel.” He hops on his motorcycle. “Get on. I’ll take you home.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll walk.”

  Chevy releases my arms. He mounts the other motorcycle, and, in a flurry of dust, they abandon me with only my shattered hopes to keep me company on the long walk back into Rosewood. My prison.

  ****

  I make it home by eight. Ignoring my aunt and cousins eating dinner, I immediately go up to my room. Back against the door, I press my palms against my forehead, where a headache pounds. Ambling over to the vanity, I slump down in the cushion seat, and drop my hands, knocking over my locket from the car crash. As I stare at my exhausted reflection, I ask, “What’s wrong with this town?” The platinum part of my hair trails across my shoulders and down the front of my shirt. With all my efforts to try to hide from the monsters – to escape – it has all been in vain. They found me anyway.

  Suppressing a sob, I caress my beautiful white hair. Herald is cruel and nothing frightens him, except for the Goblin King.

  Serious trouble found a way to suck me in.

  Chapter Six

  Friends & Enemies

  “Maybe you should invest in some mace laced with garlic,” Karma says.

  I laugh. “Believe me, I’ve thought about it.”

  “Did you see the monster from your dream in the forest, too?”

  “No, but then again, I didn’t look for him.”

  Karma allows silence for a moment. “Will you go back into the forest?”

  I tap a polished nail against the cell phone. I asked myself the same question all night long. It is driving me even more insane. “I haven’t decided yet.”

  “Be careful if you do and you better bring a list of questions with you. Otherwise I doubt you’ll remember them.”

  Aunt Sally pulls up in front of the high school. I exit the car in a hurry. “Sorry, Karma. I have to go.”

  “You better not forget to call the next time you decide to go sneaking off. Later.”

  A circle of students play with a hacky-sack, while a group of skaters and outcasts send text messages to each other, despite the fact they are right next to one another. I keep my gaze on the pavement. Today, I crave invisibility. I never expected to confront my nightmares from the past year in Rosewood. The memory of the previous day injects a high dose of fear into my very bones. Despite the warm morning, my teeth chatter. Using my hair as a black veil, I drape it around my shoulders.

  “Freak…. Orphan girl!”

  On top of the concrete headstone with the engraving Rosewood High sits Victoria. A few of her unpleasant friends imitate fashion models as they pose against the slick stone.

  “Heard you’re having more hallucinations. Maybe the accident screwed your brain up. You should get out of Rosewood and seek mental help.” The crowds of onlookers are snickering. “By the way...if I hear of you flirting with my boyfriend again,” she leans forward as if to whisper a frightening secret, “I’ll rip your throat out.”

  The anger in Victoria’s eyes confirms the reality of her threat. I saw it last night in Herald’s eyes, which makes me question Victoria’s humanity.

  “Hey, Babe.” Herald rubs his hands down Victoria’s thighs, but his gaze locks on mine. His fingernails grow into arched claws.

  “What’s going on?” Jerald struts to the front of the crowd.

  “Your brother’s play toy is jealous. Maybe you ought to help him learn how to put her in check.” The priceless shock on the twins’ faces and the outrage on Victoria’s face sends a ripple of pleasure through me. “Oh, and don’t worry, Victoria. Like I said, I don’t date vermin-loving-maggots.” Abandoning the speechless students, I sashay up the steps leading into the school, filled with a new emotion.

  Bravery.

  Unfortunately, acts of bravery usually sprout from stupidity, and I fear the rebuttal that will arise from my actions.

  The bell tolls overhead. Students wade through the crowds, but the deadly glares of the twins follow me.

  In English class, I flop down in the back seat. The other students ignore my presence, making me feel invisible. A welcome feeling I have craved since the start of school. The bell tolls again. Demon or not, I refuse to take abuse from anyone. I am not afraid to die…again.

  “–I’m Mr. Dredfield. First thing we’ll do today is have the new stud–”

  The door reopens and a scraggly boy with puffy hair which best resembles a dead Pomeranian enters the classroom. I recognize him as the skater boy who helped me on the first day of school.

  “Whelan, class started two minutes ago, and I believe you missed the second day of school–”

&n
bsp; “Dude, was that yesterday? I totally didn’t know.” His bloodshot eyes scan the room.

  A stoner. At least not everyone in school is so uptight.

  “You’re telling me you didn’t notice the lack of children in town yesterday or the day before?” Mr. Dredfield’s brushy mustache twitches. “Let me guess, you think there’s a conspiracy going on to keep you out of school?”

  “Nah, didn’t get up till like...five o’clock. But little people were running around my bedroom last night. Totally kept me up.”

  The students erupt into a fit of giggles.

  “Settle down!” Mr. Dredfield rakes his stubby fingers though his thinning hair. He points to the vacant seat next to me. “Sit down in the back row, Whelan. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can go ‘hit the peace pipe’ or whatever you new age hippies call it.”

  Whelan acts oblivious to the fact that the entire class is mocking him. I cannot help but giggle a little as I realize he is walking like Shaggy from my favorite cartoon show.

  “What’s up?”

  Displaying a genuine smile, I say, “Nothing much. I’m Temptation.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re that rebel chick who told the Jenkins twins off, huh? I thought I recognized you; you’re the same chick who almost got into it with Kayla on the first day of school. She was pissed. Totally crazy, but do you really think Herald is breaking up with Victoria?”

  “Umm…I’m not sure. Why would you care though?”

  “Cus, that Victoria chick is sexy,” Whelan says a little too loud, causing Mr. Dredfield to stop his lecture, and drop his marker. “Have you seen her ass?”

  “Mr. Coldwell and Miss Falls, I would appreciate it if you could both pay attention to me, and discuss the hotness of your fellow student’s body parts, later.”

  Snickers fill the classroom again.

  “Sorry, Mr. Dredfield.” Whelan reclines back with his scrawny arms cradling his fuzzy head.

  “Thank you. I want you newer students to sign up for our Halloween Masquerade Ball. You have to participate in some way, whether you want to bring snacks, or try out for the lead singer. This is a town-wide event, and you’re all required to attend. This means no sleeping in Mr. Coldwell!”

  Peering over at Whelan, I notice his zoned out expression. A tiny drop of drool escapes his mouth. I kick his foot.

  “What – Oh yeah, that Ball thing. Got it.” He drops his head again and dozes off.

  The teacher sighs, rolls his eyes, and then continues with our daily assignments.

  I end up zoning out after the first ten minutes of Mr. Dredfield’s lecture. A knock at the door startles half of the class. A timid girl sticks her head through the door. “I have a note for you Mr. Dredfield.” She takes a few steps into the room, passes a yellow piece of paper to the teacher, and leaves.

  He frowns. “Miss Falls, you’re needed at the principal’s office.”

  Whispers break out. “She’s gonna get it!”

  “Did you hear what she did this morning?”

  Snatching up my Indy bag, I exit the classroom. The principal’s interest in my personal life calculates as just weird. Bet Victoria is partly behind it. Mrs. Peters’ words reverberate in my head, “The Jenkins twins are the descendants of the founder of Rosewood.” I wonder how many people know their dark secret.

  Down the main hallway, I cease walking as the lights flicker and then extinguish. Vacant of windows, a small amount of light seeps in through the cracks of the classroom doors, and highlights the pitch-black hallway.

  The lockers creak.

  A low breathing tickles my sensitive ears. The image of a hand shoots out of the darkness and encloses my neck, slamming me against the metal lockers.

  “I thought I made it clear, yesterday, you’re not to disobey me?” The faint light outlines Herald’s transformed face. “I guess you need a little taste of what I could do to you.”

  Yanking on my arm, he extends it out, and strokes his claws against my bare flesh. The ugly points trace my thumping veins. “Did you know if I bite deep into your arm, you would die?” Razor teeth exposed, he rests them on my wrist.

  I gasp. The points of his teeth, like scalpels touching my skin, cut through it like tissue paper. Tiny beads of blood trickled down my wrist and burn like flecks of hot bacon grease. “Wait – all right! I’m listening. What do you want from me?”

  Herald retracts his teeth and licks the crimson blood from my wrist. He smiles as if he won a child’s game. “You’ll do what I tell you without question. And if you try and degrade me or Jerald again, I’ll make an example out of you.” He caresses a lock of my hair. “I don’t think you understood my intentions yesterday. You see, goblins are attracted to broken humans...and you’re a walking tragedy. If Jerald and I were to leave you alone, they’d find a way to lure you into the woods and kill you.”

  “And why would you care if I died or not?” I tilt my eyes to capture his. “You obviously wouldn’t have a problem with killing me.”

  “I like you, Temptation; you’re…special to me. Believe me, my desire is not to kill you. I care about everyone in Rosewood. This is my town.”

  “But don’t you kill people, too? I mean isn’t it how demons stay alive–”

  Herald snorts. “Demons are immortal. We won’t die if we don’t feed, but we’ll be as weak as a normal human. We do treat ourselves to the occasional human, but we only kill those who have broken the laws of Rosewood.”

  “You mean people like me?” I ask. My internal alarm shrieks for me to abandon Rosewood. I want to escape from the dark hallway; to walk in the sunlight. “You know there’s something that’s really been bothering me, how can you and Jerald walk in the daylight? Isn’t it supposed to hurt you?”

  “Temptation, you really shouldn’t believe all the rubbish written by humans.” Herald releases my neck; I bet it started bruising already. “Don’t forget I was once part-human. But if I did transform in the sunlight, it would injure me.” He stares down into my plum contact lenses. “Are you going to give me anymore trouble?”

  I twist the tips of my hair between my fingers. “I’m not promising to obey you, but if you keep Victoria away from me, I’ll mind my own business.”

  “Don’t worry about Victoria.” Herald narrows his scarlet eyes. “She’s already been taken care of.” The cruelness in Herald’s voice almost makes me feel sorry for Victoria.

  Almost.

  “I don’t know what you two are doing to this town, but I want no part in it. I’ll leave the goblins alone. They’re not an interest for me. But don’t you ever threaten to hurt my family again. I’ll make you regret it.”

  I expect him to get angry again or maybe bite me and finish it. Part of me still hopes for death. What I do not expect, are his arms pulling me to his chest. I can feel him fondling my hair and his lips dip down to meet mine.

  “Hold on.” Using all the strength I can muster, I ram Herald away from me. “I’ll do what you ask, but I’m not signing up as your play thing.”

  Releasing me, he retreats into the darkened hallway. “You can’t resist me forever, Temptation.”

  A second later, the lights flicker back to life. I blink, but as my eyes adjust to the brightness, the bell rings.

  The narrow hallway crowds with warm bodies. I wonder what he did to Victoria.

  I do not have to wait long before I find out. Victoria sits in silence with her friends at lunch and keeps part of her chocolate hair covering her face. I am willing to bet my soul Victoria has a black eye.

  ****

  Herald kept his promise. Victoria did indeed avoid me. A few times, Victoria ambled in the opposite direction of her classroom to evade brushing past me in the hallway. A week passes with no verbal or physical confrontations.

  Not looking forward to Speech class, I meet up with Whelan in-between our classes. For the past week, we have hung out every day. A few people suspect a relationship brewing between the two of us. “So what’s on your agenda today?”

>   “Ditchin’ class and smokin’ myself stupid.”

  I playfully flutter my eyelashes at Whelan. “But you’re already stupid.”

  “I see how it is.” He locks my head in his arm. A childish move, but I enjoyed it.

  “Seriously though, are you for real, ditching?”

  “Wanna come with? We could totally get lit together.” Slackening his chokehold on me, he drapes his arm over my shoulders.

  “Where?”

  “I know a quiet place in the cemetery. Come on.” He leads me out of the school.

  Normally Karma knows when things are wrong before I ever have time to notice, but this time awareness grasps me. A tugging sensation in my gut indicates a spy surveys me from a distance.

  Whelan pulls me under a weeping willow.

  “Mr. Coldwell. Miss Falls. What are you two doing in the parking lot?” Mr. Dredfield emerges from behind the tree.

  I cling to Whelan’s hand. He gives me a slight squeeze of reassurance.

  “I said what are you two doing?” Mr. Dredfield’s eyes remind me of some insane patients I saw in the hospital months ago.

  “Chasing the white rabbits of course! What do you think we were doing? Totally wicked fluff balls. Stole my homework too, so…the assignment you gave me. Don’t think I can do it.”

  Mr. Dredfield rolls his eyes. “Back to class. Both of you! Don’t let me catch you trying to cut school again. There’ll be consequences next time.”

  I allow Whelan to lead me back to the school, but someone still keeps us under observation. The knot in my gut constricts. I know. To my left, I spot the Jenkins twins leaning over the metal rails on the stairs. Their eyes are inhuman.

  Crap, they are pissed.

  Though the twins are inhuman, I accept it. After almost a year of monsters haunting me, this pair of new stalkers adds to my ever-growing list.