Winter's Shadow (23 page)

The crowd around Winter jumped and swayed to the driving rhythm of the music. She looked over at Jasmine and saw her pumping her fist and shaking her hips, singing along to the lyrics of the chorus. Even Sam moved to the music, but he didn’t seem to be enjoying the performance as much as Jasmine. He kept sneaking glances at Blake, as though checking to make sure he was maintaining his distance. Only Blake didn’t seem to be caught up in the vibe of the room. Winter kept spotting him through the strobing lightshow and every time she did, Blake seemed more distracted. If he heard the music he certainly wasn’t reacting to it. Standing stock still, a faint crease lining his forehead, Blake was a million miles away.

What was his problem?

Towards the end of the song, Blake caught Winter looking at him and smiled guiltily, as though embarrassed by his own preoccupied behaviour.

Winter shouted to him over the music, ‘Are you okay?’

Blake frowned as her words were lost in a deafening distortion coming through the speakers.

‘Are you —’ Winter began to repeat herself, but was interrupted by a strange creaking sound coming from above them. Even as she dismissed it as feedback or some other speaker effect, Blake seemed to hear it too and looked up at the heavy bank of spotlights. Following his worried gaze, Winter flashed upon her experience in the church just before the roof had come down.

One of the lights overhead seemed to be trembling.

Suddenly there was a horrible ripping sound of metal being torn asunder, and the light winked out. Rooted to the spot in numb shock, Winter watched it extend for a second from its dangling lead, before tearing loose. It fell through the flickering darkness towards her.

There was no time for fear, just detached fascination as she studied the tumbling object’s descent. Winter was barely aware of Blake lifting her off the ground as he swung her away from the light, an instant before it crashed into the ground. He held her in his arms, shielding her with his own body from the spray of shrapnel.

The music was cut off in an ear-piercing wail of feedback as the Urban Ninjas squinted into the audience. Though the crashing light had been barely audible over their music, the commotion it caused in the crowd had been enough to draw their attention.

Cradled to Blake’s chest, Winter could feel his heart pounding beneath her cheek. She shakily withdrew herself from his embrace to see what had happened. The wreckage of the spotlight lay scattered around the place
where she’d just been standing. Jasmine was standing on the other side of the fallen light, looking pale and frightened. The spotlight had barely missed her as well.

‘What’s going on out there?’ Alfie Jameson called into the audience. ‘Is somebody hurt?’

Winter looked from the wreckage to Blake’s grim expression.
He knew!
Despite its irrationality, the certainty of this thought pierced through her shock. Somehow Blake had known the light was going to fall.

The Urban Ninjas refused to continue after the accident, much to the frustration of the crowd, who began stamping their feet and booing as soon as they left the stage. No one had been hurt, after all – what was stopping the band from finishing the set? After five minutes passed without the band returning, the foot-stamping and jeers dwindled to subdued grumbling, and the audience began to disperse.

As soon as the crowd had thinned enough for them to move, Blake gently guided Winter towards the exit, protecting her as best he could from the angry teenagers buffeting them on all sides. Still feeling shocked, Winter tried to dismiss the strange certainty that Blake had known about the accident before it happened. How could he have? It was impossible, of course, but
that didn’t stop her feeling it was true. She tried to keep sight of Jasmine and Sam, but soon lost them in the sea of faces. They’d have to find each other once they were outside.

Buoyed by the flow, Winter and Blake spilled out into the parking lot and drifted to the pavement. Disgruntled concertgoers stood in small clusters nearby, moaning to each other about the truncated performance, or complaining into their phones. A group of boys had started playing the Urban Ninjas loudly on their phones and were jumping up and down, refusing to have their good time ruined.

Winter was barely aware of them. She kept playing the image of the light hurtling towards her, over and over in her mind. Sometimes the image morphed and she was back in Pilgrim’s Lament and it wasn’t a light but the wooden beam that was falling. It had been so close. If Blake hadn’t . . .

‘You’re not hurt, are you?’ Blake was studying her with concern.

‘No. Apart from my brain, which I think might be damaged.’ She laughed weakly. ‘I’m having some crazy thoughts.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like I’m cursed or something. There’s only so many times you can nearly be squashed in a week before you start getting paranoid.’ Winter tried to keep her tone light, yet her voice sounded fragile, as though it might break at any moment.

‘You’re not paranoid. Just unlucky.’ Blake took her hand, squeezing it gently. ‘Don’t be afraid. Everything’s going to be fine.’

Winter smiled hopefully. ‘Promise?’

Blake hesitated a second, before answering. ‘Promise. Look, there’s Jasmine.’

She followed his gaze and saw Jasmine stumble out of the milling crowd, looking perplexed. Winter stood on tiptoe and waved her over. She could tell that Jasmine was still a little rattled.

‘Have you seen Sam?’ Jasmine asked distractedly. ‘We got separated in the crowd. I can’t find him.’

Winter shook her head. ‘Have you tried calling him?’

‘Yeah – but his phone’s turned off.’

‘Do you want us to help you look for him?’ Blake asked.

‘No, it’s okay. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.’ Jasmine scanned the parking lot again. ‘How are you two doing? Got out in one piece? That was a pretty crazy scene in there.’

‘All fingers and toes accounted for.’

‘You’re lucky your guy there has some good reflexes.’

‘I know,’ Winter replied, glancing sideways at Blake, who seemed uncomfortable with the attention.

‘Well, if you see Sam, tell him to call me. It was nice to finally meet you, Blake,’ Jasmine said, offering him her hand.

Blake shook it politely. ‘You too, Jasmine.’

‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Win.’ Jasmine’s eyes conveyed as clearly as a wordless gaze could:
don’t mess this up!

Once Jasmine had left, Winter let out a long shaky breath. Things definitely hadn’t gone as well as they could have, but perhaps she could salvage the night. ‘So, how do hamburgers and fries sound? There’s a cafe just round the corner. It should still be open.’

‘I’m sorry, but I better be getting home.’

‘Do you have to?’ Winter tried to hide her disappointed tone, but failed. She cringed a little at the neediness in her voice. She sounded like a little kid.

‘Yeah. Another time, though.’

Winter could see that he was genuinely sorry, which made her feel a little less deflated, but why couldn’t he spare her another hour or two?

She needed comforting, damn it! Perhaps he needed to feed the cats. Cats . . . Winter hoped Lucy’s efforts with the garden hose had been successful. After the drama in the surf club, she couldn’t bear the thought of another sleepless night.

‘Okay, I’ll walk you to your car.’

Blake seemed a little amused by her inversion of the classic chivalrous gesture, but didn’t protest. He’d done enough for her tonight, the least she could do was walk him to his car. As they walked in silence towards the end of the parking lot where Blake’s truck stood, Winter tried to figure out a way to ask him for his phone number. Determined not to let this opportunity go to waste, she was finding it difficult to settle on the best phrasing. It seemed incredibly important not to mess up this particular question.

‘Thanks again for inviting me out tonight,’ Blake said, as they drew near his truck.

‘You don’t need to thank me. I hope next time isn’t so . . . eventful.’ She glanced up at the stars. ‘I keep expecting a plane engine or a meteor to fall on me at any moment.’

Blake followed her gaze and smiled. ‘Looks all clear to me.’

Their eyes met and Winter felt her spirits soar. It was written plainly for her to see in his affectionate half-smile, the slightly raised eyebrows and shining gaze –
Blake liked her
. She wasn’t imagining it. Somehow the impossible had happened: this beautiful, strange young man had developed feelings for her.

She doubted there would be a more opportune moment to ask for his number. Her heart quickening, Winter opened her mouth, the question nervously dancing on the tip of her tongue when she saw his aspect sour. Something over her shoulder had caught his attention.

‘What the —?’

He pushed past her to his truck and bent to examine something. Winter saw that the tyre on the right wheel was flat. Blake stood and quickly walked around the truck inspecting the other tyres, frowning as he discovered they were all flat too.

Winter bent down to examine the closest wheel and saw there was a long incision in the black rubber. Somebody had slashed Blake’s tyres!

She poked her finger into the slit. ‘Why would somebody do this?’

‘I don’t know,’ he said grimly. ‘Do you have the number of a mechanic or a garage?’

Winter shook her head. ‘Sorry – um . . . I could call my sister?’

Blake rubbed the stubble of his chin pensively. ‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll get a taxi.’ Winter noticed that he kept looking over at the street beyond the parking lot as if expecting to see someone. The parking lot was almost empty now. Most of the crowd had either dispersed or been collected. There were a few stragglers standing in small groups beneath the fluorescents, but apart from these people, Winter and Blake were alone. His agitated behaviour made Winter feel nervous.

A thought suddenly occurred to her. ‘Perhaps I could give you a ride home?’

The image of him straddling the scooter behind her, arms wrapped around her waist, was incredibly potent. Winter felt a little short of breath just thinking about it.

Blake crushed her fantasy. ‘No, that’s fine. I’ll make my own way. Thanks, though. Maybe —’

He was interrupted by the sound of a car engine as it pulled up nearby. Winter turned and saw a black van idling on the road parallel to the parking lot.

There was something curious about the windows of the van. They were tinted, obscuring the driver and passengers. Perhaps the van was here to pick up the band.
Winter had heard rock stars liked to travel incognito, though she didn’t imagine there would be many groupies waiting to rush the band after tonight’s abbreviated performance.

‘Maybe I will get a lift home with you after all,’ Blake said quietly, a strange inflection in his voice.

Though Winter was pleased by his abrupt change of mind, she was more intrigued by his expression. Blake looked afraid.

‘Are you okay?’

He realised she was studying him and forced a smile, the wattage of which was almost brilliant enough to dispel her concern. Almost . . .

‘Of course. Let’s go.’

‘Do you know that van?’ she asked, gesturing to the idling vehicle.

‘Why would I?’ Blake said dismissively, and took her by the arm, leading her away from the truck. She threw a hasty glance over her shoulder as they crossed to where Jessie was parked, but the van hadn’t moved. If that was what had frightened Blake, the driver didn’t seem very interested in following them.

‘I’m sorry I haven’t got a helmet for you,’ Winter said, once they reached her scooter.

‘Just don’t crash,’ Blake replied dryly. He was doing a good job at covering his anxiety, but Winter could see it there, evident in the tightness of his mouth.

‘I make no guarantee.’

She straddled the scooter, allowing enough space for Blake, and felt a not-insignificant thrill as he slid onto the seat behind her. He crossed his arms around her midsection; his chest pressed into the back of her, and Winter could feel his heartbeat pounding beneath his shirt. She keyed the ignition. Over the low hum of the engine, she heard Blake say, ‘How fast does this thing go again?’