Under the Burning Stars (13 page)

“
She won’t understand. They weren’t exactly keen on me sitting with them for lunch one day. It got ugly.”

“That’s because Valerie has had this thing for Peter for a really—.”

“Seth.” Peter cut him off.

“What? I’m sure Ava figured it out. Anyone could.”

Ava assumed it was true, and the way Valerie spoke, it was still the case. “I don’t think that was it though,” she said. “They ragged on me for wearing my necklace and claimed I was in love with the devil.”

Peter sighed.
“They were also really stressed because Seth had just been kidnapped and became friends with Xavier.”

Why was Peter so quick to defend them? Didn’t he remember how awful they were to her?
“So that’s no reason to treat me like crap.”

“
They really aren’t that bad. Maybe we could all hang out so that you could get to know them.”

Ava met Peter’s eyes. “Maybe I don’t want to get to know them.” She didn’t speak up about what Valerie had said earlier. For some reason, she feared Peter wouldn’t believe her.
Why were they so special? They were just weak little humans. Every one of them. What was the point of protecting them?

Ava stiffened. Wh
ere had that come from?

“Earth to Ava.” Melissa snapped her fingers.

“What?” she barked.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on. Don’t keep it all inside.”

Ava stared at her. “Maybe I don’t want the entire world to know what I’m thinking.”

Melissa held up her hands in surrender. “Fine.”

Ava felt guilty. “I’m sorry. It’s just—.”

The bell rang and the
noise in the cafeteria amplified as students rushed out the door and their voices echoed even more.

Ava and Peter walked hand-in-hand through the crowd.
She couldn’t wait until things calmed down but had a feeling it would be a long while before that happened.

Ava stared at the back of Drew Foley’s head. She wanted to smash it against the desk or imagine him drowning, suffering alongside Xavier. So the trio of jerks weren’t Hunters. Gabriel and Joss realized that quickly, but Ava wasn’t sure how. They said there was definitely a lot of pent up anger, and they were itching to get revenge.

But they had already started, hadn’t they with Thomas’s house? There was no way
that was a Cimmerian attack, and Ava wasn’t sure why she thought that in the first place. It was the Ephemerals all along.

Ava was sick of them and their taunting.
For two weeks, they were relentless.

Drew twisted around in his seat. “Now that I think about it, I think your mom deserved to die. I mean, if she had lived, she would have seen her pathetic daughter lash out and bomb a school.”

Ava gripped her desk so tight her knuckles were white. “Maybe it was a good thing your friends died so they couldn’t see what a loser you turned out to be.”

A shadow darkened Drew’s face. “I can’t wait until the bonfire
this Friday.”

“Me either. I can’t wait to see you try to burn us. We’re crazy and you never know what we’ll do.”

The stark fear in his eyes satisfied Ava, but only for a second.

She couldn’t believe she
had said that. What was wrong with her? Her thoughts sounded like a Cimmerian. Was she turning into a Cimmerian because of her growing hatred of Ephemerals?

She shook her head. That wasn’t true. She didn’t hate all of them. Just certain ones. But ever since Marcel told her about her mother and the annoying dreams, Ava wondered if she
had bad blood in her veins.

She had to find out if her mother was a Cimmerian.
She could ask Savina or Aaron, but would they tell her anything? What about Colden? And then Link’s stupid idea about the Necromancer popped in her head. It was ridiculous. How could someone want to talk to the dead? Like necromancy actually worked. Ava almost laughed at the thought.

When the bell rang, Ava left the room and halted once she saw Peter outside. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Sure.”

“Did Drew piss you off again?”

“Yes.” She leaned against the wall of lockers. “I’m honestly not sure how much more I can take.”

“I know what you mean. Why don’t we hang out tonight? Just the two of us.”

She felt her shoulders slack.
“I’d like that.”

“It’s a date.” He smiled, showing his dimples. Ava missed seeing them. He kissed her and just l
ike that, she got a second wind.

But then her necklace warmed and she felt Gillian’s anger, then guilt. She exchanged a confused look with Peter. She wasn’t sure why she felt guilty, but maybe Gillian was beginning to realize how silly it was to be so angry that Ava and Peter were together.

The late bell echoed in the hallway and students scurried to their classes.

Ava looked up and saw Jeremy rushing toward
them with a worried look. “Have you guys heard?”

“Heard what?” Peter asked.

“Trent Gattis went inside the mall today and shot a bunch of people before shooting himself.”

Ava felt her jaw go slack. “What?”

“It’s all over the news. He killed twenty and injured twelve.”

“Why would he do that?” Peter asked.

“This has to be the Cimmerians.” Jeremy lowered his voice. “They convinced him to do this.”

“I think you’re right,”
Peter said. “Maybe one of them redirected his anger or compelled him to do it.”

“This wasn’t a Cimmerian attack,” Ava said. “Trent did this on his own volition. He couldn’t kill us so he decided to take out his anger on others.”

Both Jeremy and Peter gave Ava a confused look.

“Are you kidding?” Peter asked. “How could you think it wasn’t the Cimmerians? You believe it was them who burned Thomas’s house.”

“I never said that. And Aaron said it wasn’t an act of the Cimmerians because they’re all locked up.”

Jeremy placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay, Ava?”

“I’m fine,” she snapped and removed his hand. “I gotta go.” She walked past them down the emptying hallway. Why were they so quick to decide it was the Cimmerians? It was obvious the Ephemerals were raging war against them. Good for Trent Gattis for accomplishing what he did. They deserved to die.

Ava pushed open a door and halted in the stairwell.
What the hell was she thinking? Why was she defending the Cimmerians? Her brain felt like a muddled mess. She clenched her hands into fists and her pulse quickened. Water trickled down her arms and dripped onto the tiled floor. She bolted down the stairs.

She was not turning into a Cimmerian. Those were not her thoughts or feelings. Ava opened the door to the next floor, and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. The water stopped trickling and she calmed down.

Everyone talked about the mall shooting the rest of the day. No one could figure it out, but chalked it up to Trent being so distraught by the bombing. Trauma made people do ungodly things. When Ava saw Peter at lunch, she made up how she was just trying to take what Aaron had said about the Cimmerians into account, because if there really were Cimmerians out there, they had to worry. He seemed to buy it, strangely enough.

When
Ava arrived at Peter’s later that afternoon, she parked in front of his house and got out. The sky threatened to rain and the early fall air was cool. As she walked to the door, she couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching her. She looked all around her but saw nothing.

Peter answered the door with a smile. He reached for her hand, and jerked her to him. He pressed his lips to hers and her heart pounded against her ribcage. She kissed him harder and she felt his fingers graze her neck.

He drew away. “You should probably come inside.” He tugged her inside and she followed him through the hall and upstairs to his room. He clicked on the light from the lamp and a soft yellow light flooded the room. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

She smiled down at him, and rested her arms on his shoulders while his hands splayed on her hips. He pulled her onto the bed and then rolled on top of her. Peter brushed aside her hair and watched her.

“What?”

He shook his head. “I love you.”

She smiled. “I love you.” Ava drew his face closer to hers and kissed him. His fingers tugged at the hem of her shirt, and then slid beneath it, gently caressing her stomach, causing her to shiver.

His mouth was on hers,
firmly. The kiss was frantic, almost as if he was using it as a distraction. But she could tell he was holding back. Something was on his mind.

His hand landed in the curve of her hip perfectly and her pulse quickened.
Their breathing labored and their kisses desperate, hands digging into each other’s skin. Ava slid her hands underneath his shirt and ran her fingers over his smooth chest. She knew she should stop before things got out of hand, but she didn’t want to. It was the perfect distraction.

A
soft knock at the door brought Ava back to reality.

P
eter sighed and then got off of her. She sat up and then he answered the door. It was his father.

“Oh, hello Ava.” He smiled jubilantly, like always.

“Hi, Mr. McNabb.”

“Peter, I need you to unscrew the pipe in the kitchen again. I’m afraid my muscles just aren’t what they used to be.”

“Sure. Be right back.” He told Ava.

“How is your father, dear?”

“He’s good.”

“Have you found a place yet?”

“Dad did, but we can’t move in until November.”

“Oh, good gracious. Such a long wait.”

“Yeah.”

“All ready for you,” Peter said.

“Thank you.” He waved at Ava and then Peter shut the door.

“You haven’t told him, have you?” she asked.

He shook his head and dropped down next to her on the edge of the bed. “I don’t even know how to bring it up. ‘Oh hi Dad. I’ve not been working out, I’m just incredibly strong because of my powers as an Enchanter.’”

Ava
rubbed his back. “I’m sorry. Maybe you could talk to my dad. He had to do the same.”

“You think he would talk to me?”

“Of course.”

Peter nodded, but there was something else on his mind. Ava could feel his frustration and the distant look in his eyes all evening had gotten to her.

“What’s on your mind?”

“It’s just all this stuff.
This summer was bad enough, but now school is worse. Dad keeps asking me about my old friends. Why he hasn’t seen them and why Seth and I were suddenly friends again but not with the others. And then the other day at lunch.”

“Lunch?”

“What you said. About not wanting to get to know Valerie and Amanda. Did you really mean that?” He looked her in the eye, a pleading look.

Her stomach clenched. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “I know they’ve been your friends for a long time and I’m not one to come in betwe
en, but under the circumstances.” She paused. Might as well tell him the whole truth. “Yes, I meant it. I don’t think it’s a good idea for Seth to start things with Amanda just yet.”

“Why?”

“Peter, they hate us. Along with all of the other Ephemerals in that godforsaken place.”

“They just don’t understand what’s going on. If we tell them, then maybe they will.”

“You can’t tell them what you are. Do you remember all the trouble I got in because I told you? What it did to our coven? I broke the coven and their trust. I caused a huge rift.”

Peter sighed. “You just don’t want me to be friends with them.”

Her temper flared. “Are you kidding me? You think I’m being the controlling girlfriend now?”

He
got to his feet quickly, ran his hands through his hair, and began pacing. “No. I’m just trying to find a balance. Seth is miserable. He didn’t want this. He only stayed so Savina wouldn’t erase his mind because he wanted to be with Amanda.”

“Are you regretting your decision, too?”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t start that again. You know I’m not.”

Ava
stood and stopped his pacing. “Well, how am I supposed to know? You’ve been acting like it. Like you still want to be one of
them
.”

“
Them
? Do you hear yourself, Ava? I used to be one of them. You’re starting to sound like you’re on their side.”

“What? Whose side?”

He shook his head.

She swallowed hard, knowing exactly what he meant.
Tears clouded her eyes. “You think I sound like a Cimmerian?” She was almost certain he didn’t mean it, but it hurt far worse that he knew.

Peter gave her an apologetic look and grabbed her hand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

Ava snatched her hand away and
brushed past him.

“Don’t leave.”

She could hear the irritation in his voice, but ignored him and opened the door. She didn’t want to be around him now. Especially after what he said.

“Would you stop running away, Ava?” He followed her down the stairs and she jerked open the front door.
The wind had picked up and a few droplets of rain fell on her. She was too angry and hurt to focus on making an invisible umbrella.

“Ava!” he yelled and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around and look at him.

“I can’t believe you said that, Peter. And for the record, go call your friends if you’re so desperate. But don’t expect me to be friends with them. They think I did something to you to make you be with me. Oh, and they believe we bombed the school. So if you want me to get to know them, why don’t you set them straight?”

“How do you know that? Did they say something?”

The rain started to fall harder, hitting Ava in the face. “Of course. Do you think I made all of that up?”

“It’s just weird to me, okay? They
are never mean.”

Her heart dropped.
It almost felt like a slap in the face. Why couldn’t he stand up for Ava? Or trust her? “Of course not. They’re perfectly sweet and innocent.”

“Will you please come back inside? I really don’t want to stand out in the rain arguing.”

“I’m going home.”

“Ava,
please. I’m sorry I said all that.”

“You’re obviously thinking it.
You apparently don’t believe me about your friends. Just let me go. I might say something I’ll regret.” She opened her car door and slid in behind the wheel. The rain pummeled her car just as she shut the door.

Ava drove away, leaving Peter standing in the rain at the end of his driveway.

She couldn’t believe what he said. He knew she’d been having dreams and knew what Marcel envisioned. Was she really starting to sound like a Cimmerian? The thought constantly circled her mind so much it was starting to annoy her.