Gray (Awakening Book 1) (3 page)

I shook my head. “I’m fine, Chief,” I said, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible.

“Fine, are you? Why don’t you tell me when the last time you ate a meal is.”

I furrowed my brows. “I don’t—”

“Your blood pressure is dangerously low, you’re ten pounds underweight, your body is covered in scars and there is a wolf branded into your shoulder blade. Along with all that, you don’t seem to be able to remember anything. You’re staying, Shayla.”

Ugh.
Chief of Police indeed. I scowled at him, then held out my hand between us. “One night, then I want to go home,” I said before it hit me. Someone else lived in my home.

The Chief took my hand, though didn’t shake it. He gave it a light squeeze, then stood up and began to issue orders to everyone around.

They all jumped to obey him, other than Kassia. My sister stayed by my side, her eyes fixed on the floor.

I had needed Mom and Dad to be there, but they were gone. I’d never see them again, so whatever had happened to me didn’t matter. I had to find out the truth about what had happened to my parents.

After innumerable tests which told them nothing, the hospital finally relented and allowed me to leave. It was an odd feeling. There was no home left to go to, so being released didn’t mean that much to me.

Normalcy. It was all I wanted. I told them over and over. It didn’t matter that I had only just gotten back. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t remember anything. Giving myself the illusion of normality was all that was necessary.

Kassia had brought me some clothes to put on until we could get some which would fit me. Her jeans were six inches too long and the sleeves of the shirt had to be rolled up several times, but it didn’t matter to me. I liked the feeling. It was almost like an embrace or something.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take some time to get accustomed to being back,” I was asked by at least five people.

“I’m sure,” I told them and was finally able to convince them that school was not something which should be put off. Everybody went to school. So would I. I was determined to force myself to feel like any ordinary girl.

My sister kept her eyes fixed on me during the whole process of me being signed over into her custody, then tested to find out what grade they should place me in. It was like she thought I would disappear if she looked away for even a moment.

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back when we got outside after a very long and boring morning. I was unused to the sunlight, but the warmth of it on my skin felt amazing. I wanted to stand there for hours and soak in the feeling. Apparently wherever I had been for eight years had been dark. Right then, that didn’t matter to me.

I was free. My sister was there with me. Everything would be fine because of those two facts.

Kassia handed me a pair of sunglasses and motioned to her little black car not far from us. “Are you up for some shopping, get you some clothes and whatever else you’re going to need for school?”

I rolled my eyes at her. “What? Are you saying you don’t want me wearing your clothes all the time?”

She didn’t answer, but gave me a questioning look.

I tipped the sunglasses down to look at her. “I’m not a weakling, Kassia.”

“I didn’t say you were. I asked if you’re up for shopping.”

“Aren’t girls always supposed to be up for shopping?”

“When were you ever like any other girl?”

I grinned at her. “Excellent point. But yeah. I’d love to have some clothes made for someone my size, rather than someone built like a supermodel. I’d also love a burger . . . and fries and a milkshake.”

“Not very healthy choices.”

I smirked at her. “I’ll get a strawberry milkshake. It’s fruit. Exceptionally healthy.”

She shook her head a little, but her slight smile was still in place as she drove us to the store.

“Think any of the kids at school will remember me?” I wasn’t sure if that would be a good thing, or a bad one if they did.

“Your story was on the news last night and this morning and every cop, paramedic, dispatcher and the Connelly woman are probably all talking about it today. It’s a small town. What else is there to talk about other than you?”

“Um, flying horses, naked mole-rats, whoever’s big in Hollywood these days,” I said with an innocent smile.

She coughed out a slightly amused sound, but didn’t answer, like since she was my legal guardian, she thought she had to act like the grownup.

I grimaced, sick and tired of being tip toed around. I wanted my sister back, the one who would laugh like a lunatic while she invented new words to insult me with. We had always roared with hilarity while we ran around, trying to find new ways to annoy each other.

I missed that, missed the fun, even the annoyance. No. I would not let her be so serious. One thing had to be like it was. My sister had to come back just like I had.

“So what do you say we go to a tattoo parlor and get all inked up for school?” I asked as we got out of her car and walked toward a clothing store.

Kassia raised her brows, no smile anywhere near her. “I’d say you’re marked up enough, Shayla,” she said quietly, so much sorrow in her eyes I felt the urge to cry.

I couldn’t allow myself to do that anymore or there would be no end to the tears. “How ‘bout some—”

“Is that Shayla? Oh you poor thing!”

I turned to find a group of girls walking out of the store. They were all my age and stared at me like I carried some weird contagion which might cause them to pop out in boils if they got too close to me.

The girl who had spoken was tall with curly, light brown hair and big hazel eyes which made me think of a muddy pond with sludge on the top. I wanted to chuckle as that thought came into my mind, but didn’t. She looked almost exactly like she had as a little girl, other than much taller and curvier.

“Hey, London,” I said, certain it was her simply because of the sharpness of her smile.

She gave me a startled look, then leaned down exaggeratedly to throw her arms around me as though to show everybody how much taller she was than me. She pulled me back and smiled widely. “Oh sweetie. I’m so happy you remember me, you poor thing. I missed you so much. I was so excited when my mom told me she saw the news story about you being home,” she said, though her eyes and voice told the truth behind those words. “Did you come to get something nice to wear for your interviews?” she asked, eyeing my too-big clothes with scorn.

“Interviews?”

London smiled so hugely it looked like it would hurt her cheeks. “Everybody wants to hear from you, Shayla. Everybody wants to know your story. Didn’t you know that, sweetie?” She spoke to me in the same way she would if I was a slow witted toddler.

“Why would anybody care?” I asked, baffled by the idea.

“Oh, you poor thing. You must be so confused by everything,” she cooed at me. A group of guys walked past us and when they did, her smile changed to something seductive. She set her hand on her hip and thrust out her chest like a male frigatebird in mating season. “Be sure and get her something nice, Kassia, something that brings out those pretty eyes and distracts from how pale and skinny she is,” she said in a way which was most definitely meant to make the guys look at her.

Kassia looked like her teeth might be clamped on her tongue, but in a move almost like one she would have made years before, she patted the top of my head and made kissy noises. “My poor Shayla and her delicate beauty. You sweet little lamb,” she mocked, her tone sharp as a blade.

I broke in before London could retaliate, which it was clear as day my sister would consider an act of war. “I was actually planning on getting some clothes for school. I have nothing other than Kassia’s clothes at this point.” I did all in my power to look unbothered by her.

“School? Oh do they have you in some special needs classes?” she asked loudly, her smile razor sharp.

I did my best not to sneer at her, but shrugged as though nothing had ever gone wrong for me in the entirety of my life. “The only need I specially have is patience to make it through a day inside.”

“Oh we just hope you’ll be able to remember where you are, sweetie.” 

Wow. The girl was even meaner than I had remembered.

The way she looked at me, it was completely obvious she was thrilled by how pale and malnourished I was. It was clear to both of us that I would be no competition for the attention of guys.

A twinge of nervousness passed over me as the other girls looked at me in the same way. It was altogether clear what they would be like at school.

I wanted to leave, ask Kassia to get in the car and drive away with me. We could stop in a new place where there was no past, no memories of the days when everything had been charmed.

But normal was what I had wanted. What was more normal than a nasty high school girl?

An image came into my mind of the guy I had dreamed about the night before, with white skin, dark hair and a spear of Odin tattooed on his forehead. He stood with his hand held out in front of him and smiled as he made the pile of stones around us dance like magic. I didn’t believe in magic, but that image was such a nice one. That guy from my dreams hadn’t looked at me like I was plain and skinny like London did. He looked at me like I was beautiful.

Another image came into my mind of London with water dripping from her nostrils. That amused me. It seemed like the perfect way to take her ego down a notch or two. The weird thing was though, the second the thought came into my mind, she sniffed, then flushed a bright red when water started to drip out of her nose.

I jerked. My breath came out in short, sharp gasps. Had I done that? I could feel the water, feel its delight in doing something for me, but it was the air which called to me. It wanted to help as well.

No. There was no way. I did not believe in magic. That was ridiculous. London’s little issue was just karma or something. It had to be.

My sister grinned a little nastily, though not quite derisive. Huh. Kassia must have changed a lot more than I had thought.

I gasped and turned my eyes away from London. I didn’t listen to her as she quickly said goodbye and walked away with her hands over her face.

I gasped again. The water called to me, asked me if it could do more. That was crazy. I must be off my meds. Where had I been for eight years? What had happened to me? What was I?

“You’re not ready for this. Come on. Let’s get you home, Shayla.” Kassia wrapped her arm around my shoulders like she thought I was going to pass out.

I pulled away from her. I had to be free. I had to. “I am ready. Stop nagging me,” I said, my voice a little sharp. Guilt washed over me the second I saw the look on her face, so pushed away every thought but cheering her up. “Come on. You said you’d buy me clothes that actually fit. You can’t go back on that now or London will use my lack of fashion sense as a club to beat me to social death. You wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”

She didn’t speak, but slowly turned to walk with me into the store.

I looked around, unsure where to turn first. I had no clothes at all, so that shopping trip would not be too short. “Kassia, you don’t have to hang around.”

“I am not leaving you alone.”

“It’s a clothing store. Do you really think—”

“I said I’m not leaving you alone, Shayla,” she said with a bite in her voice.

I stopped, then beamed at her. “Look at you. You know how to get annoyed with your baby sister like a real girl! I’m so proud.”

She made a half huff, half laugh kind of noise and settled in quickly. She pointed out things she liked and reminded me of other things which would be necessary. It took us a couple of hours to get everything, but it turned out to be far more fun than I had thought.

“Shayla Vincent?”

I turned as we walked out of the store a while later, both of us loaded down with bags. It startled me to see a well-dressed woman with a microphone, a man behind her holding a video camera. Both of them looked straight at me.

“How does it feel to be home, Shayla? Can you tell us where you were held, or what was done to you?”

No. I would not be made a spectacle of. They would not do this to me. I wouldn’t allow it.

I shook my head, my eyes fixed directly on the woman’s. “I’m not Shayla Vincent. You will forget that you saw me,” I said, sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman would indeed forget.

Her eyes dilated. A look of confusion came to her face. She turned back to the doors and stared as though she waited for me to walk out.

The camera man appeared baffled, his eyes and camera both still fixed on me. I said nothing to him, but turned my mind to his camera.

The air pulsed, like it wanted to help me in some way. I didn’t need it though. Not in the moment.

“You never saw me,” I stated, not at all surprised when he turned in the same direction the reporter had.

Good. I could ask the air to . . . no. That wasn’t possible. It was all in my head.

Be careful, Gray One. Humans cannot understand your magic. You must forget. I will tell you when it is time.

I didn’t know what was going on. It seemed pretty likely I had lost my mind. What else could make me think I had made water come out of some girl’s nose, or made people forget me or whatever. I had to be unbalanced. That was all there was to it.

I hadn’t felt crazy though. I had felt in control for the first time in a long time. No. It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t. I didn’t believe in magic.

My hands shook so hard I found it difficult to open the door of Kassia’s car. I also found it hard to think clearly because of the ferocious hunger which suddenly roared through me. It was like I hadn’t eaten in years.

“Let’s stop and get you that burger,” Kassia said, her hands clenched tight on the wheel as my stomach let out a roar like there was a wild animal inside me which fought to be free.

I had to turn my mind away from my own insanity, so shook my head and patted my noisy stomach. “Oh, I’m not hungry. I just need to find a place to give birth to the Cerberus.”

Kassia snorted, then her lips turned up in a smile and she laughed, she really, truly laughed.