Ember
A fresh crispness fills the air from the earlier storm, and a light breeze tickles my hair. The sun is low, setting behind the shimmering lake on campus, making the sky a watercolor of hot pinks, oranges, and deep purples. It’s a dazzling sight, but it does nothing to undo the knots in my stomach.
Billy munches his burger next to me on the lonely bench near the woods, far from the few people hanging out around the lake this late in the evening.
I stare at the burger in my hands. The sight of the bread, meat, and lettuce sours my mouth. My thoughts drift to Aiden, of him peacefully sleeping in his bed and wishing I was still near him. Billy’s suggestion to eat outside was for the best, though. I would’ve hated it if we accidentally woke Aiden.
“Is your burger okay?” Billy mumbles, his mouth full. He swallows quickly. “I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I kept it pretty plain.”
“It’s fine,” I answer, but recover the food in its silver wrapper. “I’m just not too hungry.”
“I get it.” Billy eyes his food with a frown. “It wasn’t the greatest day, was it?”
I shake my head, trying not to picture the way Aiden bolted from his chair. How hard he was shaking. The crazed look in his eyes was like he was expecting someone to attack him at any second. “No, it wasn’t.” I sniffle loudly. “It was kind of scary, actually.”
Billy wraps up the remaining half of his burger and sets it next to him on the bench. “I have to admit, I’ve been with Aiden during a lot of his anxiety attacks, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose it like that so quickly.”
A horrible notion comes over me. Has Aiden told Billy about the serum?
“Do you know why he did?” I spy Billy from the corner of my eye.
“Probably because of Jomo.” Billy shrugs. “He’s been on edge because of that guy.”
My chest quivers. “Have… have you heard about the curse?” I ask, setting down my food.
Billy’s lips pinch together. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”
I let the silence answer for me.
“You can’t be suggesting”—Billy’s eyes grow round—“that Aiden is the cursed one or something like that, are you?”
My lips stay sealed. I shouldn’t have brought this up.
“Ember, c’mon, answer me!” Billy’s tone grows frustrated. “This curse shit is just a bunch of nonsense. Scott told Aiden and I about it last semester, but I figured he was making up crap. It’s not like Scott is a reliable source. He hasn’t even bothered coming to class for the last few weeks. Besides, some people lose their shit for no good reason. Not that there isn’t any evil plot going on.”
Turmoil keeps me quiet. Clearly, Aiden hasn’t told Billy anything, and I’m not sure why. He’s his best friend after all and has had Aiden’s back for years. It’d make sense for Aiden to confide in him. Why hasn’t he?
“I’m not sure what to say,” I answer honestly.
“Just tell me the truth.” There’s a hint of hurt in Billy’s tone. “Is something going on?”
“If Aiden hasn’t talked to you about this, maybe I shouldn’t either,” I say, meeting his brown eyes.
“So, you’re saying he is cursed?” Billy’s skin darkens and swirls with dark blues, like that of the deep ocean, almost matching his blue shirt. “Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
I watch a pair of seagulls soar overhead, wishing I could fly away with them. “I shouldn’t have brought this up. Just forget I said anything.”
“You don’t get it.” Billy stands, running his hands through his shaggy mop of hair. “It’s like pulling teeth to get anything from Aiden about how he’s feeling sometimes.” An unexpected accusation forms in his stare. “You should know that better than anyone.”
I stand, feeling defensive. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what that means. You’re the daughter of the Guardians who were brutally murdered in front of him, and he hid a lot from you when you guys first met.”
“I don’t get what you’re trying to say.” I put my hands on my hips. “Are you blaming me or something?”
“Ember, listen.” Billy sighs, rubbing his eyes. “The problem isn’t you, but Aiden never really got over what happened with your parents. I think he tried to cover up his pain with all his training, but all it did was band-aid a much bigger problem. When he met you, it ripped off that band-aid, and it’s forcing him to face his demons again, and it’s a lot for him to handle. I think that’s why he’s acting out like this.”
Billy blaming how Aiden acted earlier on what happened with my parents is too much for me. I crack. “He’s poisoned, Billy!” I say a little too loudly; thankfully, no one is near us to hear. “They… they got to him.” Tears overcome my eyes, and my legs give way. I drop to the grass; it’s cool and wet from the rain. “That’s why he’s losing it all the time,” I sob. “The curse involves poisoning a student with some kind of serum. Somehow it got inside Aiden.”
“No,” Billy whispers and kneels to my eye level. “You can’t be serious.”
My crying intensifies, and my heart cracks with every staggered breath. “I wish I wasn’t.”
Billy wraps his arms around me. I can’t help but embrace him back, weeping into his shoulder. He’s a lot bulkier than Aiden, and his muscles feel like steel plates against me. “Shh, Ember. Calm down. This can’t be true. How would this have even happened?”
“I–I don’t know.” I sniffle loudly. “We don’t know.”
“Then, how do you guys know for sure?”
I take a deep breath, hoping Aiden won’t be upset with me for telling Billy. “It started the day of the Defender test…”
* * *
“That explains why Aiden was late to the test,” Billy says, staring at the lake, its surface reflecting the crescent moon shining above. “And why he lost it with Jomo.” He exhales loudly. “I should’ve pushed Aiden to talk. I could tell he was hiding something, but I was wrapped up in my issues going on with Carly.”
We sit on the ground with our knees propped. My jeans are wet from the grass, but I don’t care enough to dry them. “You’re allowed to have a life, Billy, and if Aiden didn’t want to talk, there was nothing you could’ve done.”
“I guess you’re right.” A wave of subtle anger washes over Billy’s face. “I can’t believe Valentino isn’t doing anything, though. That the dean is still allowed to be here! How can that be?”
“It’s Aiden’s word against his.” My tone doesn’t hide my frustrations. “Valentino is doing an investigation. Hopefully, she’ll get some evidence and arrest Stu soon.”
“Have you talked to the dean?” Billy snaps his head in my direction. “You have ties with him, right? Maybe you could question him?”
“I don’t think that’d be a good idea.” My blood boils thinking about Stu’s deception. The grass browns in my hands and steam rises from my jeans as they dry. “I’d probably play right into his hands if I asked him anything. It would give him more of a reason to target Aiden and me.”
A seriousness falls over Billy. “I could help.”
“How?”
He grins, and his skin blends in with the night sky. “I can basically turn invisible, remember?”
* * *
“Billy,” I hiss. “You’re insane! We shouldn’t be here.”
A silver lock pick seems to magically float in the air. It jams inside the lock to the door with the gold plaque that reads: DEAN STUARD WARWICK.
“No,” he hisses just as quietly. “You shouldn’t be here. No one can see me, remember?”
“What are you even expecting to find?” I ask, feeling more panicky with each passing second. “I can’t believe I’m letting you do this.”
“Letting me?” Billy snorts, and a strange shimmer in the air reveals his location in front of the door. “I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but it’s worth looking, isn’t it? If there’s a chance we could find something to help Aiden, don’t you think we should take it?”
A war erupts in my heart about what to do. Deep down, I know why I didn’t fight too hard to stop Billy on the way here. I’m tired of doing nothing. I want to do something to get Stu out of here and to save Aiden—especially if Aiden is now sure the serum is in him. The villains have already hurt him, even with me taking their warning seriously. It’s time I take action. “Fine.” I glance at the lock pick. “I didn’t know you could pick locks.” I’m not sure if I find the trait admirable or worrisome.
Billy chuckles. “Having an ability like mine, you take advantage of the fact you can get around without anyone seeing you; plus, in high school, they locked up the good snacks after a certain time, and I wouldn’t let that stop me.”
I scan the waiting room behind me. A lone light from a green antique desk lamp provides the only illumination in the room, dimming the baby-blue walls and bleached wood floors. The empty wood chairs and the secretary’s desk give an eerie vibe, reminding me that we shouldn’t be here.
“You’re lucky there are no cameras in here,” Billy whispers. “We definitely would’ve been caught by now.”
I check again for any small red lights in the ceiling, indicating a camera, but there are none. “It is strange. You’d think they’d be everywhere in the student center, including the offices.”
“It’s probably because there are things going on that the dean doesn’t want to have committed to tape.” Billy twists the pick into the lock, but it’s like the air is talking to me. “You still shouldn’t be here. He could show up at any moment.”
I dismiss Billy with a wave. “He’s probably gone for the day. It’s well past eight.”
The doorknob clicks and opens. “Stay out here. We don’t know if there’s any kind of security inside.”
He has a point. “Okay. Just be safe.”
The door opens farther like a phantom is letting us in.
I stand outside the doorway, looking inside. Stu’s office appears exactly the way it did the last time I was here at the beginning of the semester, discussing the press conference. It’s quite messy. Files and white paper bags from the cafeteria clutter his desk. Bookshelves line the wall, bursting with leather-bound books, binders, and random knickknacks.
The view from his panoramic window, though, is breathtaking, overlooking the night scene on the lake in the distance. The glass buildings reflect the moon, and hundreds of stars dot the sky. It’s quite the romantic sight—if only I was here with Aiden, not Billy, and we weren’t breaking into the dean’s office.
One filing cabinet drawer after another rattles as Billy tries to open them. “Damn. They’re locked.”
“Can you pick them?” I whisper, trying not to peer too far into the room.
“I don’t want to risk damaging them. Those kinds of locks are flimsy, and I don’t want to leave any obvious signs of someone being in here.”
“Try the desk?”
The top drawer of Stu’s desk rolls open, and an invisible hand moves around the office supplies. “I don’t see anything that seems suspicious. Just caramels and pens mostly.”
POP! My heart jumps in my throat, and I beeline around the corner into Stu’s office. I’d recognize that sound anywhere.
“What are we doing here, love?” An unknown male’s harmonious voice speaks, like its owner would make a good jazz singer.
“I left my credit card here,” Susan, Stu’s secretary, answers. “Since you never want to have your wallet on you, how else will we pay for dinner?”
I risk a peek around the corner into the waiting area. Susan stands a few feet from her desk in the center of the room, tugging on the lapels of the black suit jacket the man she’s with is wearing. She’s dressed in a backless, cream-colored satin dress. Her glasses are absent, and her brown hair is curled in a fancy updo.
It takes everything in me to stifle my gasp when I recognize the man. It was only earlier in the day when I passed his profile in the villain’s book during my study session with Jomo. The man’s black hair is slicked back, and he emanates a vibe that he’s some sort of chivalrous gentleman. But I’m sure all his victims would disagree, since he can twist their bodies like a pretzel if he keeps eye contact long enough.
Twisted Bill’s head turns toward me, and I jolt backward, getting out of his eyesight. “Is that door supposed to be open?”
“No,” Susan says, but there’s an edge of exasperation in her voice. “It shouldn’t be, but Warwick is an idiot and leaves things unlocked all the time.”
“Ember, come here,” Billy whispers, and his visible arms wrap around me. His skin is static, shifting nonstop between every color imaginable. It bleeds into me, conforming my body to match. Our bodies blend into the surroundings, camouflaging us in plain sight.
My heart hammers. There’s no way this will work.
Susan enters the office and glances around with scrutiny. She makes eye contact with me, and I hold my breath, not daring to breathe or blink.
“Everything okay?” Twisted Bill steps behind her and closes the door.
She walks around Stu’s desk, completely ignoring me.
I let my breath out slowly, mindful not to make any noise.
Billy’s arms tremble around me, and he exhales quietly.
“This man is such a slob, and he’s always forgetting to secure his stuff!” Susan slams the desk drawer close. “I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d say I’m being punished by being his babysitter.”
“You know that’s not the case, my love.” Twisted Bill pulls her against him, like a smooth step in a ballroom dance. “You’re Mad Marie’s right-hand woman. She wouldn’t trust this job to anyone else but you. You’re like a sister to her.”
“Don’t tell her that.” Susan rolls her eyes. “You know how sore the subject of family is to her.”
Bill sighs. “That’s not a matter for us to discuss.” He kisses Susan passionately and hoists her onto Stu’s desk, knocking a couple files to the floor.
My face grows hot. I definitely don’t want to see where this is going.
“Bill.” Susan separates from him. “We don’t want to be late for our dinner reservations, do we?”
“I rather devour you, my love,” he says, getting lost in her neck. “You’re more tempting than anything on the menu at La Luna.”
She giggles. “We have all night to savor each other.”
Twisted Bill sighs, but his smile is smoldering. “You just want to try their new dark chocolate cake, don’t you?”
Susan traces his lips. “You know me well.”
He caresses the side of her face. “Being married for ten years, that’s bound to happen.”
She kisses him tenderly, and I can’t help but stare. It’s so strange to see two villainous people being a happy and loving married couple.
“Happy anniversary,” Susan whispers.
POP! Sparks dance around her and Twisted Bill, their bodies swirling inwards and disappearing in the shadows. A few sparks die out in the air.
Billy and I stay frozen. “Do you think it’s safe?” he whispers.
“I–I think so.”
He loosens his grip around me, and my body becomes visible. “I didn’t know you could make other people invisible.”
The air in front of me simmers like a ripple of light. Billy slowly comes into view. His skin is a storm of colors, shifting madly around. “I didn’t know I could either,” he says, sounding dumbfounded. “But I panicked when I heard them coming in here, and somehow it worked.”
I feel like I can breathe for the first time in what feels like forever. “I’m so glad it did.”
“They might not have noticed us either way. They paid a lot more attention to each other than the office.” Billy playfully waggles his eyebrows. “I thought we were going to get a show there for a second.”
I rub my forehead, sighing. “Thank goodness we didn’t.”
Billy glances around the office. “Let’s get going. If there was something here, I’m sure she would’ve been more concerned about things being unlocked.”
Disappointment courses through me. “I guess that’s true.”
We exit Stu’s office, and I turn the lock on the handle before I close the door to resecure the room. I walk across the waiting room. Goosebumps prick my skin. The space feels even more foreboding than before. The shadows seem deeper, more menacing.
I freeze, staring at the credit card still on Susan’s desk.
Billy stops in the doorway before going into the hallway. “Are you coming?”
POP! An orb with sparks bursting from it appears in the center of the room, and in the blink of an eye, Susan reappears.
This time, her eyes find me, and her mouth drops open.
Billy disappears, blending into the blue wall. I’m doomed. There’s too much space between us for him to camouflage me, too.
The utmost fear invades every cell in my body. Thermal energy rushes through me, getting ready to defend myself.
“Ember Vulterra,” Susan says my name like an accusation. “What are you doing here? It’s way past office hours.”
Lie. I need to lie. “I… um, was just seeing if the dean was still here. If you recall, he’s a family friend, and there’s something I wanted to talk to him about.”
She squints and tilts her head with intrigue. “What could that possibly be at this hour?”
My heartbeat reverberates in my ear. “I know he’s a busy guy, and I thought he may stay late, so I figured it didn’t hurt to check.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
My mind scrambles to concoct a reason, but a memory of someone at the press conference flies front and center. His blood-colored skin is forever imprinted in my memories. “I was wondering if he could get me in contact with Mr. Crawford.”
Susan raises an eyebrow. “The Guardian PR rep?”
“Yeah,” I say, grappling for a reason. “He… he helped my parents with the press before, and, with me getting into the Defender program, I know the press will get worse for me.”
Susan purses her lips and walks to her desk, fingers through a Rolodex, and hands me a card. “Here’s his information.”
I take it from her. The cardstock is thick and black. SEBASTIAN CRAWFORD is engraved boldly in red on the front. “Oh, thank you.”
She nods toward the card. “You could have gotten that from any Guardian, just so you know.”
“I guess that’s true.” I fidget with the card in my hand. “I remembered Stu worked with him for the press conference, so I figured I’d start here.”
Susan stares at me with annoyance. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Oh, no,” I say quickly. “That’s it.”
“Well, if you’ll excuse me.” She reaches for her credit card on her desk. “I have to get going.”
“You look really nice,” I say, hoping to butter her up. Maybe she won’t think anything more about seeing me. “It looks like you’re ready for a night on the town.”
Her smile is tense. “Something like that.”
I turn, getting the hint she wants me gone, and who am I to deny her that? My breathing is uneven as I head to the door. I can’t detect Billy’s presence anywhere.
“Miss Vulterra,” Susan calls out.
“Yes?” I say, facing her.
“Be sure not to come here after hours again. You never know who you may run into.” Sparks wash over her, and she disappears. Her evil grin fades.
Crap. She knows I was lying. The target on my back might as well contain a homing beacon.
“Aiden will kill me when he finds out about all of this.” Billy exhales loudly and appears near where Susan was standing. His skin is a raging storm of colors. “I shouldn’t have dragged you here. That was too close of a call.”
A solemnness falls over me. Part of me wants to hide all of this from Aiden—to protect him. He’s been through enough already, but I know I can’t keep this from him. “Billy, I choose to come with you, and no matter what we need—”
“To tell him. Yeah. I know.” He rubs the back of his head. “Let me talk to him first, then. I think that’d be best.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Billy squares his shoulders. “We’re training together in the morning.”
“Okay.” I stick Crawford’s card into my jeans pocket. “At least this wasn’t all for nothing. We found out that Twisted Bill and Susan are together.”
Billy shrugs. “I guess, but what do we do with that information?”
“Tell Aiden. He can pass the information on to Valentino. She might dig up something about Twisted Bill that could help incriminate Susan and Stu.” I nod toward the door, feeling more uneasy in the waiting room with each pacing second. “Let’s get out of here before Susan decides to come back.”