CHAPTER TWO

I go still at Jesse’s revelation.

Ex-girlfriend?

Rachel ignores me as she takes a step forward, her pretty face all smiles. “So, how have you been?”

I drop his hand which has been curled around mine since the moment she interrupted us. I don’t miss the flicker of annoyance in his face at that. Before I can say anything, however, he grabs my hand again, this time holding tight.

“Good,” Jesse’s voice is terse. “What are you doing back here? I thought you left the school.”

Rachel shrugs, flipping her long hair over her shoulder in a move that should not be as attractive as she makes it. “I’m back. As an assistant counselor.”

Assistant counselor?

That’s when I notice the t-shirt she’s wearing. It’s similar to the ones all the counselors at this camp wear.

Jesse gives her a wary look. “Why, though? You hated this place.”

Rachel’s smile is slow and meaningful. “Well, not all of it. You look good, Jesse.”

I’m not an idiot.

The way her eyes run over Jesse makes me bristle.

“What are you doing here, though?” I ask, bluntly. “Shouldn’t you be at the barracks or something?”

Rachel’s eyes finally move towards me, and I see a hint of disdain in her eyes. “My first act should be to send you back with a black slip. Roaming outside after curfew is punishable and you know it.”

Jesse’s hand tightens around mine. “We used to break curfew all the time, Rachel.”

Rachel’s eyes don’t wander from mine. “That was then. Your little friend has to go back. I’m willing to overlook the black slip this one time but you need to get going.”

“Rachel-“

I can sense the irritation in Jesse’s eyes and that makes me relax. I shrug. “It’s fine. Come on, Jesse.”

I’ve just pulled his hand slightly when Rachel grabs my wrist, her grip tight to the point of being painful. “And just what do you think you’re doing?”

I raise my brows. “Leaving. Like you ordered us to.”

“No,” she smiles, coolly. “I told you to leave. Jesse and I have a lot to catch up on. Don’t we, Jesse?”

I look over my shoulder at him and he’s looking at Rachel before releasing my hand slowly. The moment his warmth is gone, I suddenly feel cold inside.

“You go back, Taylor,” Jesse murmurs. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, Taylor.” I don’t miss the taunt in Rachel’s voice. “Go back.”

She pisses me off.

Everything about her, especially her demeanor.

But I’m not stupid enough to pick a fight with her. She reeks of pettiness.

“Fine,” I shrug, keeping my expression, impassive. “See you, Jesse.”

And in an act that rivals Rachel herself, I lean over and kiss Jesse smack on the mouth. His eyes widen and I see Rachel’s eyes narrow in unconcealed anger.

I knew it!

Pulling away before she can say anything, I begin my walk back to the barracks.

My smile, however, fades away as soon as my back is turned towards them.

I can feel the itching in my wrist, the same spot which usually acts up when something bad is going to happen. And I know.

This girl, she’s going to be trouble.

And not the fun kind.

***

Sneaking back into the barracks isn’t a party.

The barracks back at the Level Zero island were significantly less guarded than the Level One barracks are, especially the ones at the east side of the island. I wait for the night guard to finish his shift, feeling both annoyed and tired.

When I first came to Mistfall Wilderness Camp, a punishment doled out by a judge because my stepmother, Dolores, had accused me of trying to murder her, I had every intention of escaping. I had also not known at that point that a lot of events had been engineered for me to end up at this camp: a camp which is actually a school for the supernatural, built on a series of islands on multiple combined lakes.

That’s what I’ve been told at least, ever since my own abilities manifested.

A lot of things that had me thinking I was on the verge of insanity now make sense. However, despite it all, even though Director Yearwood, who runs this school, told me I’m a vampire, I haven’t really had the urge to suck any of my peers dry.

Just then, I see the guard finally move, and I take my chance.

Darting towards the barracks, I quickly open the door and rush inside.

Fortunately, the barracks on the east side of the island are smaller and more like cabins with four beds. Right now, only two of the beds are occupied.

Beth is passed out on one of them, one leg dangling off the side, while the other occupant looks like a lumpy set of pillows. Probably because that’s what they are.

“I told you to fix that,” I flick Beth’s foot as I pass by her, only for her to groan in her sleep and pull her foot inside the blanket.

Pulling off my hoodie, I climb into bed, readjusting the pillows, muttering, “If anyone had peeked in, they would have thought I had grown humps in my sleep.”

“Thash’ nice,” Beth mumbles, yanking the blanket over her head.

Muttering a chosen curse word, I huddle under the blanket, allowing myself to drift off.

***

It’s dark and raining.

I don’t like the dark.

“Taylor! Taylor!”

The voice is so familiar but try as I might, I can’t get these chains off me. They’re weighing me down as the frightened voice calls out my name with a desperation that tears into me.

She needs me.

I have to get free.

“Dad!”

I scream out for my father. I can hear his labored breathing. He’s struggling, too.

When I turn to look at him, I feel a strange sense of déjà vu pass over me. The side of his face is covered in blood, his eyes wild as he tries to get his own chains off.

A sickening fear grasps me by the throat, “Dad? Dad, what’s going on?!”

But he doesn’t reply.

“Dad?!”

I try to move my hands, to do something, and that’s when I realize my hands are small. Too small. They’re a child’s hands.

What’s going on?

The scream this time is piercing.

And my eyes fly open.

My heart pounding, I stare at the ceiling, my whole body feeling icy cold.

What in the heck was that dream?

“Taylor?”

Beth is sitting up in bed and when I look at her, this tight knot inside me eases.

I’m shaking as I try to sit up, nearly slumping back as a result.

I can see Beth’s worry transform into alarm as she pushes off her blanket, ready to come to my aid.

“I-It’s okay,” I shake my head, giving her a wan smile that I can only manage slightly.

“You were mumbling in your sleep,” Beth gets out of her bed and wanders over to where I’m now sitting up. Her feet bare, she climbs into my bed, “You okay?”

I wipe the cold sweat off my face, my heartrate not altogether steady. “Just a nightmare, I guess. A stupid dream.”

Beth looks concerned, “What was it about?”

I open my mouth and then blink, feeling like a curtain of obscurity has been cast inside my head. “You know,” I feel the fear begin to recede, “I don’t really remember.”

Beth tilts her head, her long golden-haired braid falling to one side, her soft blue eyes still filled with sleep. “Well, maybe it was just one of those stress-induced dreams. I used to have them all the time after my parents died and James moved in.”

She’s not wearing her thick nerdy looking glasses right now and despite my mini heart-attack type experience, I find myself smiling. “Do you really need those glasses or are they just fake?”

“I told you,” Beth makes a face. “Nobody takes me seriously without them! And stop changing the subject. Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?”

I glance in the direction of the electric kettle on the small side table. One of the benefits of moving to a Level One island, or maybe it’s the east part of the island, is that we get a few more amenities, including fewer roommates and an electric tea kettle. I’ve never been a tea drinker till I moved into these barracks. But as I’m finding out, hot tea on a cold wet day cozies me right up.

“No,” I glance at the wall clock. “We have to start getting ready to head to the mess in a bit anyway.”

“Oh, yeah,” Beth tucks her feet inside my blanket, her eyes trained on me now, glinting in curiosity. “So how was your date?”

“It wasn’t a date,” I shrug, trying to play it cool. “It was just –“

“-two people meeting under the moon and the stars,” Beth grins.

I glare at her. “He wanted to show me something.”

It takes her eyes widening to the size of saucers for me to understand that she misinterpreted my statement in the worst way possible.

“No!” I scramble to save myself. “Not that! A small spring! He wanted to show me glowing water – I mean-“

Beth is laughing now, and I can feel my face turn a bright red.

“Nothing happened, okay!” I burst out, feeling flustered as Beth nearly falls off the bed, roaring in laughter. “His stupid ex showed up!”

That has her laughter fading, slowly, as she pulls herself back onto the bed. “W-What?”

“Some Rachel Adkins,” I scowl. “Pretty, red hair, -“

Beth’s eyes widen, “Rachel Adkins? The Rachel Adkins?”

“The?” My brows furrow.

“Yeah,” Beth leans forward. “I heard her name come up during my training session a few days ago. She’s a werewolf, like me, but really strong. Like insanely so. I think she’s two years older than us, but she cleared through each of the islands within months. She was a Level Three for close to six months and then she graduated to the Level Four island and apparently that island is super hush-hush. We haven’t even met anybody from there, although the mess is supposed to be a common area for all of us.”

She’s right. I’ve never run into a Level Four before. Or even heard of them.

“Anyway, when she became a Level Four, she stayed for another couple of months and then just left. Nobody stopped her. One of the counselors who’s overseeing my transition gave me some tips to hold my form and, according to him, it was Rachel who came up with some of the ideas that help us transition faster. Why is she back though?”

As much Beth seems to be in awe of this girl, I have a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“She’s an assistant counselor,” I murmur, recalling the way Rachel had been looking at Jesse.

Pretty, smart, a possible genius.

How am I supposed to compete with a girl like that?