Remington
THE DAY OF THE JENKINS MURDER.
The late summer heat wraps around me like a warm hug, even as the early morning mist swirls in the air.
The forest behind my house stretches for miles, and I bolt down the path where Tommy and I like to run.
We’ve been running this path for years, and after last night, we need to sweat it out. We got wasted.
Tommy’s feet pound behind me as he puffs, “You’re not going to beat me, man.”
I glance back at him and grin. His face is beet-red, like a cherry. “Hell yeah, I am.”
I pause so he can catch his breath. He leans his head between his legs. “Screw you for making me do this.”
We never miss a Sunday run, no matter how gnarly things get the night before. It’s the only time I can beat him.
I slap him on the back. “The season starts in two weeks. You can thank me later.”
“You’re a jerk, dude.”
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you took Cindy into the bush.”
“No shit.” He squares off and pokes me in the ribs. Which hurts. “Well, you took her, too.”
Last night’s kegger was wild and had an interesting turn of events.
Cindy was coming onto both of us at the bonfire.
I dared Tommy to nail her in the bush, which is funny since, apparently, she has an older boyfriend.
To my surprise he did, then I got super turned on and decided I wanted to nail her, too, even though I hate her.
And while it felt good, the best part was knowing I could ruin her.
The preacher’s daughter isn’t so innocent, and now…well, I hope she went home and prayed. Tommy and I often share chicks. You can’t fall for one charm without falling for the other.
He’s the pretty boy, I’m the grump.
He’s the sunshine, I’m the brood.
He’s got a sports car; I ride a motorcycle.
We seem different, sure…but underneath it all, we’re the same.
If you just scratch the surface, you’ll find the darkness that festers inside.
Our fathers are like brothers, so we are, too.
Our families are the most influential in Kinsmen, and while Tommy doesn’t realize how strong that power is, I’ve known longer than I should.
We are bound by blood and were born into a world of sin. We ain’t righteous, so what’s the point in pretending we are?
He wipes his sandy hair out of his face. “You want her, man? She’s all yours.”
I scoff. “She’s used goods. Plus, Talia can’t stand her.” Although Talia has valid reasons.
He gives me a stupid grin. “Fine by me. She’s not the one I really want, anyway.” My back bristles. Tommy’s been pining over Talia since he hit puberty, and I told him if he ever touched her, I’d slice off his fingers. Luckily, she barely spares him a glance.
I point to the bend in the path. “Race you. If I win you have to ride on the back of my motorcycle like a little bitch.”
His lip curls as he catches his breath. “Deal. And if I win…”
“If you win, what?”
“I get to take Talia out.”
“In your dreams. She has a boyfriend, dude. Why the hell would she ever want to go out with a creep like you?”
He shrugs. “It won’t matter that much will it, then? One. Two. Three. Go…”
Motherfucker…like hell I’ll ever let him touch my sister.
Diana makes her way through the library, bumps into a few tables and finds an equally dark corner to sit in and pulls out her textbook.
She doesn’t see me as I watch her, just as she didn’t see me yesterday or the day before as she wandered into my dark orbit, hiding in the library behind the bookshelves.
She’s not fooling anyone. The way her pupils dilated when I first saw her and the way she looks through people, I can tell she is blind.
Her hair is pulled into two white braids, same as yesterday and the day before. The same ivory dress she wore on Tuesday.
Normally, I wouldn’t look twice at a girl like her, given who I am. But color me intrigued.
Whispers echo from elsewhere in the library, and her eyes shoot up from her textbook. Her cherry lips purse together, a brief and fleeting flush rushing over her face before she diverts her gaze down to her book.
I’ve been observing her for days now, and I’ve noticed her preference for dark spaces. You don’t gravitate toward the shadows unless they’re already within you. I understand that feeling all too well. And now, the devil has her in his sights.
I sit in the corner of the dark library, watching each potential victim in my English class carefully as they waltz through unaware of the serpent in their midst. My fingers play with the burlap mask my father gave me. I never grasped its importance until I became him. It’s my turn now.
One after another they walk by me with their sweet smiles. Short skirts, soft legs, smooth skin. Any of them could be the next Shadowface victim, and they’d all hit the mark. They hurry past me. Giggle, blush and whisper, but otherwise, they don’t talk to me.
Despite being cleared by the police days ago, the rumors are still running strong about me. To them, I’m the rich, mysterious bad boy who rides a motorcycle. To me, they’re a string of faceless victims, none of whom seem quite right for me.
The girls gather near where Diana is hiding a few feet away. If they see her, they will torment her—but at least then I’ll have something to amuse myself with for the next ten minutes while I sit back and watch.
Lifting my eyes from my book, I watch as they circle her. Though I am nearby and have a clear view, the girls are unaware of my presence. I consider making myself known, but don’t. I want to see what Diana is made of. It doesn’t take long for them to notice her.
“We don’t want you here, freak,” Cindy hisses, trying to keep her voice low so as to not catch the attention of the librarian sitting near the front. The three girls circle Diana, who doesn’t flinch or move at all.
My eyes linger on Cindy. In theory, she’s perfect. I can pretend to love her, just so I can see her bleed. It would make Talia happy, but Talia ultimately doesn’t get to decide who my sacrifice is. It’s a personal choice.
“Nothing about you seems right,” Cindy says, toying with her. “Even your own mama warned us at church to stay away from you; says you’re a witch.”
Diana flips the page of her textbook. “So, stay away from me, then.”
Cindy lets out a harsh laugh. “That’s not how it works. This is my school, so you need to leave.”
Diana looks up, finally meeting their gaze head on. “I can’t do that.”
Cindy sucks in breath and gives the sign of the cross. “Jesus Christ. God wasn’t good to you, huh?”
“This ain’t about God,” Diana snaps. “If you think I’m some kinda witch, you think cornering me is a good idea?”
Cindy’s lips curl. “Don’t threaten me. You are nothing but a worm to me.”
Diana’s eyes drift to her textbook. “I’m not threatening you; I’m just stating facts. You seem rather scared of things you don’t understand, so it’s probably best you leave me alone before I curse you.”
Cindy’s eyes widen. “You wouldn’t.”
Diana smiles, darkness encompassing her. “Oh, I would…and I will.”
The librarian coughs from the desk near the front, causing Cindy to back down.
“You better watch your back, freak,” Cindy warns and motions for her friends to follow her. “Come on, let’s get the hell away from her. I bet she’s a devil worshiper.”
I give it a few minutes and wait until they leave, and once I’m certain the library is empty, I quietly rise from my spot and head to the backside of the shelf to get a better view of her.
I run my hand along all the dusty books and place my mask over my head, letting the harsh fabric scratch my face.
She doesn’t worship the devil yet…but she will.
I stand perfectly still as the bell rings, and everyone left in the library leaves—including the librarian. It’s time to have a bit of fun.
I’m going to finally make my presence known.
All week I’ve been watching her, appreciating what she’s like when she thinks no one is looking. She’s a beautiful snake in the grass, just like I am.
Lost in thought, she absentmindedly plays with her braid and chews on her pencil, ignoring the fact the bell just rang.
I flick my wrist, and a book goes flying off the shelf.
Her head whips up, eyes focusing right where I’m standing.
She may be partially blind, but her senses are keen. Wild, like a beast in the woods, reminding me a touch of how Talia is.
I don’t move. I want her to see me staring at her from the shadows; I want her to know I’m here watching her. And if she does see me through the slits of the bookshelf, all she will see is a masked face.
Her head tilts slightly. “Who’s there?” she whispers. She wraps her arm around herself as if that would save her.
I step out of the shadows and her head whips to where I was standing. It takes half a second for her to realize I’m not there. Like liquid, I slide to another bookshelf and flick another book, letting it drop to the floor.
Her head whips around again.
“Whoever you are, this isn’t funny,” she calls out, and I smile. Her eyes adjust to the shift in light, and her breath shallows as she senses me watching her.
“I’m not as innocent as I seem,” she warns.
She freezes, staring right at me and from my vantage point, innocent is exactly what she is. I can’t help the smile that forms under the sack. How haunting I must be to her.
We stare at each other for a moment, and instead of leaving, she surprises me by walking toward me, tilting her head, exposing the smooth lines of her neck.
My erection is relentless, straining against my jeans, fueled by thoughts of how to possess her. I imagine all the ways to make her fall for me, because that’s the crucial element for her to become a sacrifice. She needs to love me.
She doesn’t move as I take a few steps, closing the distance between us. As I stare down at the rise and fall of her chest beneath her little white dress, I notice the small cross she wears close to her heart. She stands in front of me so raw and pretty.
Like a little lamb.
Her eyes focus on mine and a flash of fear courses through her. The day I met her, she saw me; I don’t know how she did, but she saw me.
My hand finds her face, my knuckles rubbing over her cheeks. Hitching a breath, she clasps my hands and stares into the depths of my eyes as I move my hand along her collarbone.
“Who are you?” she whispers.
My head tilts in response.
She swallows hard and lifts on her toes, reaching up to pull my mask up. I stop her grabbing both hands into mine.
“Remy, is that you?” she asks. I like the way my name sounds from her lips. Her irises are so white they flicker, and she leans into me. I want to kiss her but stop myself. Not yet…not like this.
“I can be whoever you want me to be, little lamb. You shouldn’t let them treat you like that.”
Her lips part open slightly. “You need to leave me alone.” She turns away from me, running back to her seat. By the time she turns back, I’m already hiding again. She gathers her things and hurries out of the library, and I let her run away from me.
I go back to my spot, sit, and rest my elbows on my knees, trying to slow my pounding heart. I think about the shift in my thoughts, and how complicated things have gotten.
Diana’s arrival to Kinsmen was unexpected, and perfect at the same time—almost like she is meant for me. Now that she’s here, I’m in no hurry for her to die. I plan to have some fun with her before I make her mine for eternity.
A month ago, I watched my sister stand over her boyfriend’s body with a bloody knife in her hand.
She took her place as the leader of the Order of the Shadows; an ancient society that worships death.
The god we serve expects each of us to offer a sacrifice—the blood of the one we love—to take our rightful place.
I lived with the thrill that I can kill and get away with it since I learned about what my family is involved in as a child. At any moment, I can wreak havoc on this entire town. My father told me to pick my sacrifice soon—and kill her by the end of the summer. Talia expects the same.
Looks like I just found her.