Dougal ran alongside her. Maddie grimaced. The guy was bad news. His behavior, flirting with her while dating Stephanie, testified to that. She needed to get away from him before he gave her emotional whiplash or worse. She pushed herself to speed up but quickly realized there was no point; she couldn’t outrun him.
“Can I help you, Dougal?” she asked in a strained voice.
“Most definitely you can.”
Great. Exactly what she needed.
They reached the finish line and moved off the track. She downed the contents of a water bottle, liquid dribbling off her chin, and bent over, placing her hands on her knees and sucking in air. He’d get the hint. He had to.
“Are you all right, love?”
Then again, maybe he wouldn’t, not unless she made it more specific. Maddie straightened, leaned away, and placed one hand on her jutted hip. “What?”
“I asked if you were all right.”
“I’m fine.” She turned, intending to stalk away.
But he grabbed her arm. “Have I offended you?”
She glared at his hand, wrapped around her arm. “Offended me? Of course not. How could you have possibly offended me?”
That hint he got. He released her and she stomped into the girls’ locker room, showered, and dressed. Nestled between two rows of lockers, she pulled on her socks and shoes. Maybe she’d escape without further confrontation. But nearby a door squeaked and Maddie froze, heart thudding in her throat.
“I thought you said you won him over,” whispered Marley.
“I did,” said Stephanie, sounding steamed.
“Apparently Dougal didn’t get the memo.”
“Marley, I told you I’d convince him to stop staring at Maddie and I will.”
“Whatever.” There was a brief pause. Marley added, “Maybe you should work on someone else, like Chase.”
“Don’t drool, Marley, it is totally unbecoming.”
“Do you think Chase would go out with me if I ask?”
“Nope. I don’t think he would.”
“Hurtful.”
“I thought you would appreciate the truth.”
Their voices faded as other girls swarmed into the locker room and hit the showers.
Heart still thudding, Maddie peeked around the corner. The coast clear, she left the locker room for the gym, settling into a quiet corner behind the stacked bleachers. Ear buds in and sketchpad in hand, she waited for the final bell.
Soft strokes covered the page as the portrait took shape. Feathered hair lay in a wave over his forehead and there was a playful tilt to his full lips. Gentleness shone from his shaded eyes. Capturing emotion in her drawings had always been easy for her, even when she couldn’t get the details exactly right, such as the hard parts like hands and ears. Details were important, her art teacher used to say, but the soul was vital.
When the bell rang, she shoved the pad in her backpack. It slipped from her grasp and sprawled open, a sketch of the tower splayed across the visible page. Her heart hammered in her chest and she grabbed the pad and closed it with a snap. Why did the image from her dreams cause her to feel ill? It was only a dream, even if it was one she couldn’t get rid of. Again she shoved the pad in her pack, and followed everybody else out of the gym.
Books stored in the teachers’ lounge, she grabbed her bike helmet from a shelf and strode to the parking lot.
Covertly she searched the fleeing students. Chase climbed into a rickety old truck and drove from the lot. Dougal hoisted himself into his jacked-up SUV and peeled away. Neither of them sent her a second glance.
When the lot emptied, Maddie climbed astride her bicycle and headed home, exhausted.
****
Mom frowned at Chase across the table. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” He pushed the pork chop around the plate again. Maybe she wouldn’t notice.
“You’ve barely touched your food.”
Nope, she’d noticed. Might as well exit gracefully. “Can I be excused?”
She nodded, and he pushed back from the table and rushed upstairs. At his desk, he stared at the blank computer screen. He checked his email and replied to a few of his friends from California. There were the general questions about his new home and school, and the rote words about missing him. He leaned back in his chair and threaded his hands behind his head. If he closed his eyes, he could visualize his old bedroom. Felt baseball pennants pinned to the dark brown walls, football trophies covering hung shelves, bookcases filled with novels. He opened his eyes to the white, sparsely decorated room. He’d decided not to paint or put anything up for at least three months, just to make sure they were really staying put.
Sighing, he hoisted his backpack onto his lap, drew out his books, and slapped them on the desk. Homework consumed the rest of the evening. Before bed Dad called him downstairs for a nighttime snack, but he declined and sacked out early.
But sleep eluded him. He drew back the corner of his curtain and studied the starry sky. If he closed his eyes he could mentally etch every one of Maddie’s features. Her high cheekbones, her slightly upturned jade eyes.
He sighed, rolled onto his side, and punched his pillow. His infatuation with a girl he’d just met was driving him mad. Besides, she was clearly into the Dougal guy. Best to just forget her and move on. Yet why did it seem that was easier said than done?
****
Maddie finished her homework and decided to go to bed early. Curled beneath the covers, she snuggled into her pillow and her eyes grew heavy…
The wind lifted her hair off her shoulders and the swaying grass tickled her legs. She glided in slow motion through an endless emptiness. A structure shimmered before her, a brooding tower gleaming white in the dark, and she reached out. Before its fullness materialized, before she could touch it, smoke engulfed her.
The field, the wind, the tower vanished. Instead she stood in her childhood home. Flames covered the floor and ascended the walls. She couldn’t breathe. A hand grabbed her wrist…
The force of her own screams jerked Maddie awake. Cold sweat covered her brow and her heart raced. Covers knotted around her legs and she kicked until she achieved freedom, throwing them on the floor.
Her breath came in short rasping gasps as she paced the length of her bedroom. Fortunately Grandma Draoi removed her hearing aids at night. Concerned questions would only make it worse.
The dream had been the same, the strange empty place, the white sparkling tower, and then a return to the fire. It was always the same. It haunted her and refused to leave her alone.
She glanced at the clock. Four a.m. glowed red. Groaning, she thought about lying back down. But images of red hot flames flashed before her vision. They waited for her to close her eyes again. They always did.
Instead she grabbed her sketchpad and opened it to the tower. Grazing her fingers across the deep lines she’d drawn, she closed her eyes. She’d sketched it after one of her more extended dreams, when the terror of her past had felt vivid and alive. Would the images ever fade? Why did the dream repeat?
Sighing, she thumped the sketchpad onto her nightstand and cradled her chin in her palm. Sleep was over. Normally she left home by six, so what difference would an hour make?
She prepared for school, ate breakfast, and wrote her grandma a brief note. At the back screen door, though, she stopped and peered out. Dark gray clouds covered the sky. The first fat raindrops struck the roof and cascaded over the gutters. A bad storm, and it was just getting started. What lousy luck she had. She mumbled unhappy comments under her breath as she searched for a poncho in the hall closet. Two of them, one with a purple leopard design and the other with white kittens covering it. They must have been stowed away from when she’d visited as a young child. The kids at school would make fun of her, but what did she care? At least she’d be dry.
The kitty poncho, the smaller one, covered the backpack and she swathed herself in the purple leopard, tugging hard to cover her entire body. Finished, she strolled outside into the drizzle and climbed astride her bike.
The rain hampered her progress and she arrived in the school parking lot as Chase’s truck shuddered to a complete stop. He looked out his side window, a frown covering his handsome face. Great, all she’d needed was for Chase to see her in full dork gear. She made a mental note to get a new poncho, one that wouldn’t humiliate her quite so badly.
Quickly she donned her pack and headed for the protective cover of the school’s awning. But she wasn’t fast enough and a touch on her arm announced Chase’s arrival. Oh, it was going to be a wonderful day. She looked at him and fought a cringe as a stray bead of water trickled under her collar and into the valley of her bra.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.” She reached for the school’s glass door and restrained the wiggle she felt coming on.
“So you rode a bike to school in the rain.”
“Yep.” Come on, just riff on the dork gear and get it over with.
He sucked on his lower lip and her heart jumped in her chest. “If you ever need a ride…” His voice trailed off.
Wow, and not a word about the stupid purple leopardskin. He really was a nice guy. “Thanks.” Water dripped from the poncho and pooled at her feet. When she tugged open the door, cool air struck her and she shivered. “I guess I better go to the restroom and dry off before class starts.”
He nodded. Maddie didn’t wait for further conversation. Instead she rushed to the bathroom. Ponchos folded and stored in a plastic bag, hair fingered through, she left the sanctuary and rushed to homeroom, unsurprised by rampant snickers. The weather had turned her naturally wavy hair into an unruly mass of frizz, and Chase hadn’t been the only one to see the purple leopardskin. Everyone was laughing at her and her rain gear.
Ignoring them, she took her seat and glanced around the room. Her heart sank. Dougal was missing. Why she cared, she didn’t know. But she couldn’t deny that she did.
****
His claws had clutched the tree outside Maddie’s window as he’d studied her through the night. The dream had wakened her and she’d jumped to her feet, racing around the room like a chicken without a head. Raindrops slipped through the leaves above him, fell onto his back, and slipped between strands of his thick fur. He shivered as the cool water touched his sensitive skin. The entire tree had shaken with the movement and he had peered through the window to make sure his presence remained hidden.
Maddie had moved downstairs, yet he had waited. When she left the house wrapped in mismatched ponchos, he had to bite his tongue to keep from snickering. The teenagers, some his close personal friends, would have a field day with Maddie’s new attire.
He had waited until she and her bicycle started down the long drive before jumping from the limb and taking flight. He’d soared above her, spreading his wings as widely as he dared. He had hoped to block some of the rain from her person, but he couldn’t risk her noticing a large bird-like shadow soaring overhead, even without direct sunlight. Serena would not be happy if he was caught.
Once Maddie had reached the parking lot, he’d changed course and returned home. He would be late to school, but that was alright with him. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the thought broadened his smile.
The lair was secured in the mountain ridges above Coal Creek. Few people knew of the location and fewer still could reach it. He landed in front of the cave’s entrance. The smell of baking bread stretched from the dark arch and he lifted his snout to the air, sniffing.
“Don’t procrastinate, Doran.” Serena’s voice echoed from inside.
He folded his wings to his sides, whispered a few words Serena had given him, and changed into his human form. The tunnels were dark, but he narrowed his eyes and his vision increased, allowing him to see. Before sitting at the table, he strode to his section of the cave and dressed. Black pants, black boots, and a clean black T-shirt. He thought about wearing a black beret, but it seemed like overkill. Did the modern crop of teenagers laugh at berets or think them cool? Frankly, they weren’t worth the bother of finding out.
“How did it go?” Serena slithered across the floor and set a plate of hot bread on the table. Thick blond hair swathed her face. Serena looked like a beautiful mermaid, only instead of a fishtail, her lower half was that of a massive snake, like Echidna, mother of all monsters.
The steaming bread made his mouth water. He pulled the hunks apart and slathered them with butter. “It went well.” He shoved a piece in his mouth and almost drooled.
She buried a butcher knife in the table close to his hand, but he didn’t flinch.
“I tire of waiting. You’ve rescued her, you’ve inserted yourself into her dreams, you’ve flirted with her. How much longer will it be before she does your bidding?” She clicked her nails against the wooden tabletop.
“Serena, since you have no one else to do your work, perhaps you should stop nagging me about my progress.”
She ran her finger along his arm. “I wouldn’t say there is no one else.”
He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? I thought I was the only black gryphon left.”
“Well, there might be one other.”
That was news indeed. He’d wondered if any of the Ancient Ones lingered on, and now it seemed one did. But if he showed much reaction, he’d be handing her a weapon against him. Instead he took another bite and swallowed before saying, “Really. Who?”
“Ah, Ailin Colin.” A dreamy look glazed over her slit eyes and he cocked a brow. She waved his curiosity away. “I think he goes by Gregory now or some such nonsense, but it doesn’t matter. He and I, well, we have different goals.” She sighed. “Did you know that I used to be a beautiful woman, admired by many? Now I’m a monster.” She moved close and stroked his hair. “I have waited too long, Doran. I want to be normal again.”
Of course he knew. She’d told him a hundred times. He kissed the back of her hand, a smile tugging at his lips. “Call me Dougal.”
****
Chase headed to his locker. Mixed feelings assailed him. Maddie rode a bike to school? Even in the rain?
He flung his books inside and slammed the flimsy metal door.
Mrs. Grady, the school secretary, stared at him, her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping. When he didn’t readily apologize for his behavior, she said, “I’m afraid I made a mistake on your schedule.”
He cocked his brow.
“It seems you’ve already had economics so you’ll be taking world history instead.”
She handed him a slip of paper which he crammed in his pants pocket. The warning bell rang, and he grabbed his backpack and shuffled along the hallway.
Classes were pretty much the same and at lunch he sat with Maddie.
After chewing and swallowing, he asked, “If it’s still raining this afternoon, how would you feel about me giving you a lift home?”
Maddie fiddled with a napkin. “I don’t know. I live kind of far out.”
“Not a problem. As long as I call my mom and dad and let them know what I’m doing, they won’t mind.”
She shrugged. “If you’re sure.”
He nodded, feeling a small measure of relief. She’d called him her friend and driving her home in the rain was something he could do to earn that. Besides, being with her wouldn’t be any sort of punishment.
Lunch ended and they went to chemistry. Dougal sat beside Stephanie and whispered in her ear. She giggled and fanned herself.
Chase fought jealousy as Maddie stopped and studied the couple. He couldn’t keep pretending that sharp, stabbing feeling was anything else. The jerk wanted to keep both girls guessing. Maybe if he broke things up, he’d surprise Dougal into showing his true colors, and once Maddie saw what a jerk he was, she’d quit watching him and his cheerleader. What could he do to break up their coziness? And did he really want to? Yeah, he did.
Taking a risk, he approached Dougal, extended his hand, and said, “Hello, I’m Chase Donovan. It’s nice to meet you.”
Dougal ignored Chase’s outstretched hand and looked past him. His eyes glowed amber, like something out of a weird, cheap movie. “Maddie,” he whispered. The word echoed through the room like a caress. “I have awaited your breathtaking presence.”
Maddie’s eyes widened and she glanced at Chase. Shocked, he couldn’t move. At first he thought it was surprise. Then he realized it was literal. He couldn’t move, and fear pounded through him. Something bizarre was going on and he had to stop it.
Without glancing at him, Dougal swaggered past, lifted Maddie’s hand, and kissed it. “You are like a ray of sunshine on this rainy day.”
Maddie didn’t respond, just sat there staring with wide eyes; however, Stephanie scooted out her stool, stood, and braced her hands on her hips. “Dougal, what are you doing?”
Dougal leaned over and whispered in Stephanie’s ear. Her face morphed into an almost twisted expression, sensuous and ugly. Around Chase, the room blurred. It was like a videotape on rewind. Everyone but Stephanie froze. Sounds grew dull and distant as Stephanie resumed her seat and leaned her elbows on the lab table, propping up her chin. Then the usual noises resumed.
No one commented on the anomaly. Had anyone else even noticed it? Around him, everyone opened books, arranged glassware and Bunsen burners, shuffled papers and whispered. Wait, if only he had noticed it, had it really happened? Had the tree really fallen in the forest and made no sound?
Chase fisted his hands — easily, so maybe he’d imagined not being able to move — and struggled to regain his balance. What had just happened?
****
Chase couldn’t concentrate. His plan to distract Maddie from Dougal had backfired. Dougal continued to peer over his shoulder and Maddie blushed like she enjoyed the attention.
The teacher seemed oblivious. Why didn’t he call Dougal down and tell him to turn around?
Blue lines on his paper blurred before his eyes and Chase shook his head. A dull ache raced across his skull. He massaged his temples. Maybe he was coming down with something. That could account for the weirdness he’d witnessed before. Sure, a head cold, or the flu, or something like it, could be the reason the world had paused. It was logical. He hadn’t witnessed it but imagined it.
Chemistry ended and Chase escorted Maddie to their next class. Dougal walked ahead of them. Odd sounds, like heavy footfalls, echoed in his ears, doubtless part of the cold he was catching. Chase cleared his throat and tried to ignore the noise. “Anything I need to know about this class?”
“I didn’t know you had history.”
“Yeah, they moved me.”
“Didn’t want to suffer through a year of economics, eh?” She smiled and butterflies danced in his stomach.
He laughed and rubbed a spot between his eyes until his stomach settled. “They decided to count the class from my previous school.”
“Gotcha. Well, there’s nothing special you need to know. If you’re worried about not having a book, just ask the teacher when you walk in.”
Chase followed Maddie’s advice and stood in front of the teacher’s desk for over ten minutes while the man riffled through drawers and shelves searching for an available textbook.
Book finally in hand, Chase was directed to a seat two spots from the back row. Maddie sat behind him, still hidden in a corner, and Dougal sat two chairs to his left.
Chase had to give the jerk credit. He didn’t miss a beat. During world history, Dougal stared, waved, winked, whistled, and passed notes to Maddie, anything to get her attention. Stephanie wore a sour expression. Chase didn’t envy the tongue lashing Dougal would receive. It wouldn’t be of the pleasant variety.
Class ended and Chase thought about approaching Dougal and telling him to get lost, but confusion over his feelings for Maddie and what she really wanted held him back. Maddie hadn’t expressed an interest in him other than friendship and she seemed to enjoy the extra attention from Dougal, while at the same time being creeped out. At least that was the vibe she was giving off.
Backpack slung over one shoulder, he stood and scooted out his chair. He’d never really liked a girl who’d had another interest. Not that he was vain, but generally he was enough. Of course he hadn’t really told Maddie he was interested, either.
Hot breath struck his neck. He turned. Maddie waited for him. “Want to walk to gym together?”
He swallowed, his heart skipping a beat at her nearness.