The Prophecy of Shadows (7 page)

Kate grudgingly allowed me to help her get ready for Danielle’s party. Once we were finished, she looked amazing. The forest green top that was too tight on me fit her perfectly, the shimmery gold shadow I’d applied on her lids brought out the already enhanced green in her eyes, and her hair glowed after I’d taken my straightening iron to it and finished it off with some shine spray.

Once finished with her makeover, I gave my outfit a once-over in the mirror. The tight white dress accentuated the pale blondeness of my hair, which I’d styled in casual, beachy waves. I just hoped we wouldn’t be outside for too long, or else my legs and arms would freeze.

Also, like the four others in the comet-watching group, my eye color had been enhanced, too. They were sharper, and more silver. It was striking, and I liked it, although I couldn’t help feeling startled every time I caught sight of them in the mirror.

Kate had never been to Danielle’s, so she took her time driving down the street, scanning the addresses on the mailboxes. It didn’t take long to find it—mainly because of the cars packed in the driveway and along the street.

Our mouths dropped open when we saw Danielle’s house. It looked like it belonged on the Athenian Acropolis instead of in a small town in Massachusetts. Two-story columns surrounded the double door entrance, and the triangular roof with engravings on the front made it look like the Parthenon infused with the White House. The door was unlocked, and Kate and I let ourselves in, stopping in our tracks as we looked around.

The huge foyer made me feel like I’d been transported into a Grecian temple. A staircase with a light blue rug running up it curved around the side, and a giant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The top forty radio station played from speakers all over the house, loud enough to enjoy, but not so loud that it made it impossible to have conversations. There were clusters of people everywhere—some that I recognized from school—hanging out and chatting.

A handful of people said hi to Kate, but for the most part, no one noticed us. We wandered into the living room, hoping to find at least someone else from homeroom. A big group sat in the couches around a coffee table, and I smiled when I spotted Chris with them.

He waved Kate and me over and scooted to the end of the couch. I perched on the armrest, and Kate took the space next to him.

“For a minute I thought you guys weren’t going to make it,” Chris said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “You know Stephanie and Patrick from homeroom.” He pointed to two others that I recognized. I smiled and said hi, and then Chris turned to the couple on the sofa across from us. “And this is Anne and Matt. They’re in Spanish with us.”

I nodded, since what he really meant was, “they’re not witches.” Kate had explained to me earlier that while Danielle wasn’t fond of humans, she invited them to her parties—at least the “popular” humans—so the party wouldn’t look empty.

I answered the normal “new girl questions”—where I grew up, why I moved, what classes I was in, etc. Once finished with all that, I listened to their conversations, joining in whenever there was something to add. It felt so normal, and it was nice to get away from all of the witch talk.

But I still hadn’t seen Blake. Figuring that he must be around somewhere, I wanted to walk around to try finding him. Casually, of course. I didn’t want it to be obvious that I was looking forward to seeing him.

I hated that despite knowing he had a girlfriend, I hadn’t been able to get him out of my mind. I didn’t want to have these feelings for someone who was clearly off-limits. But Blake had invited me to the party, so saying hi and letting him know that I was here wasn’t wrong. It was simply being polite.

At least the excuse made me feel not
as
terrible about these feelings for him that I couldn’t control.

“I’m going to get a drink,” I said when the conversation lulled. “Do you all want anything?”

Chris and the others already had drinks, and Kate shook her head no.

I headed for the kitchen, weaving in and out of clumps of people talking. Danielle’s kitchen was huge—it would have been bright and airy if it weren’t packed with people. Everyone seemed to be helping themselves to drinks, so I walked over to the fridge and browsed my options. The only sodas left were those old-styled glass bottles with the aluminum tops that are impossible to open, so I grabbed one in the hope that there would be an opener nearby.

“I was wondering if you would show.” The smooth voice behind me was unmistakably Blake’s. Just hearing him speak made my heart race, and I turned to face him, trying to keep my face relaxed so he wasn’t aware of how flustered I became in his presence.

He held his gaze with mine, his eyes full of so much intensity that I almost forgot to breathe. Before I realized what he was doing, he grabbed my drink, popped it open using the side of the counter, and handed it back to me.

“Thanks.” My hand shook when I took it back from him, and I took a sip to calm my nerves. “Of course I showed. The last few days have been crazy, so it’s nice to be able to do something normal for a change.”

He leaned against the counter, resting his elbows on top of it. Some people started cheering about something at the other side of the kitchen, but he kept his focus solely on me. “It’s been crazier than usual with the comet yesterday,” he said, his arm only inches away from mine. My pulse quickened, and I had to remind myself to breathe. “Plus it’s not every day that someone new transfers into our homeroom. Especially someone with no training, who has no idea about our history. I think some people are jealous about how quickly you’re picking up on everything.”

“Without Kate, I would be completely lost,” I told him. “She’s helping me study, so I can get on track for the honors classes. I’m picking up on everything much faster than I thought I would. Kate claims it’s because the yellow energy is helping me focus.”

“What we can do is definitely useful,” he said.

“Yeah.” I shivered, thinking about the story Kate had told me—about how Danielle had used her powers to injure that girl. I didn’t know if Blake did things like that as well, but I wanted to make it clear that I planned on using my powers for good. “And who knows,” I added. “Maybe I’ll be able to use my new abilities to improve my tennis game.”

“Of course you’re a tennis player.” He smiled, and I wondered why he seemed so amused. “How long have you been playing?”

“About ten years,” I said it casually, even though I knew it was a long time. “I was on the team back home. I’ve been out for a few weeks because of a knee injury, but my knee got better when I moved here, and I’m more than ready to start again. I figured I would try out for the Kinsley team this spring.”

“You’ll get in,” he said confidently. “Danielle’s only been playing for five years and she’s number one on varsity. Of course, like everyone in our homeroom she has certain … advantages. But I’m guessing you would get on the team even without those.”

“Maybe.” I smiled at the thought of playing again. However, while getting on the team should be doable given my experience, snagging the number one spot from Danielle might be tough. Blake had basically confirmed that she used her powers to help her game. And despite my natural tennis ability, I wasn’t at her level when it came to using our powers—yet.

Blake glanced at something behind me, and a shadow passed over his eyes.

I turned around and saw Danielle heading towards us. She looked like Aphrodite risen from the ocean in her sparkly sapphire dress that clung to her every curve. Her eyes matched her dress, looking even brighter than they had on the night of the comet. In her heels, she towered over me, and I couldn’t help shrinking under her gaze.

“What are you two talking about?” Her icy tone sent chills up my spine. She scooted closer to Blake and rested her hand on his arm, her face hardening in an unspoken message that he was hers and she didn’t want me anywhere near him.

“Nicole was telling me that she played tennis at her old school,” he said. “She wants to try out for the team here.”

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “Did Blake also mention that I’m on first spot varsity?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, not bringing up that I’d been first spot varsity on my old team before getting injured, too. I had a feeling she wouldn’t take the news well.

“I was about to tell her about the indoor winter team at the tennis club,” Blake continued, turning to me. “Most of the girls on the school team join it to prepare for tennis season in the spring.”

Danielle huffed, and despite her obvious annoyance that Blake was giving me so much information, I bounced at the prospect of playing tennis again.

“When does that start?” I asked.

“Tuesday,” Danielle said coldly. “You could come and ask the coach about trying out, but don’t expect much. She’s strict, and try-outs were in December. She’s already assigned spots.”

“It can’t hurt to try,” I said. “Even if there’s not a place for me on the team right now, I could put a weekly game together at the tennis club, just for fun.”

“Perhaps.” Danielle studied her nails. I had a feeling that if I were looking for volunteers to play with, she wouldn’t be raising her hand anytime soon.

Blake stood perfectly still next to her, his eyes hard. I wanted to continue talking with him, but since Danielle wasn’t budging from her perch, I excused myself and headed back to the living room.

Kate and Chris were still there, now surrounded by a larger group of people. I sat back on the arm of the couch and re-joined the conversation, talking and laughing with them as if we’d known each other for longer than a few days.

For the first time since moving to Kinsley, I felt somewhat normal—like I was finally finding my place here.

And I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t going to last.

The moment I stepped inside the tennis club and heard the familiar popping of balls against rackets, I felt at home. I twirled my racket in my hand, and not wanting to waste any time, I walked over to the information desk. A tall, blond man was folding shirts on the counter. While older, he was in good shape, and I assumed he taught some classes at the club.

“Is the coach for the girls team here yet?” I asked, wishing I’d found out the coach’s name ahead of time.

“Martha!” he called toward an open door in the back. “You’ve got someone here for you.”

A stout lady with shoulder-length gray hair walked through the door. “Yes?” she asked, pursing her lips like she just ate a sour candy.

My hands shook, and I tightened my grip around my racket. I’d assumed that Danielle was trying to scare me away when she warned me that the coach was tough, but now I was starting to think that she meant it.

“Hi.” I plastered a smile on my face and tried to appear confident, even though my insides were squirming. “I’m Nicole Cassidy—I just moved here, and heard that you’re in charge of the junior team. I’m a sophomore at Kinsley High, and since I hadn’t moved to town yet during regular try-outs, I was wondering if there was any way for me to try out now?”

She held her pen to her chin and eyed up my racket. It was high quality—a birthday present from my dad. “How long have you been playing?” she finally asked.

“Ten years,” I told her, standing straighter. “I played varsity for my school in Georgia. This year
and
last year.”

She placed her pen down and studied me. “You played varsity as a freshman?”

“Yes.” My cheeks heated—hopefully she didn’t think I was making it up. I’d always excelled in tennis, but I didn’t like to brag about it. If she watched me play she would see for herself.

“You can try out for the team today,” she decided, picking up the clipboard and hugging it to her side. “I can’t promise you a spot, since our team is very competitive, but I’ll see how you do and we’ll go from there.”

Despite trying to remain calm, a grin spread across my face. “Thank you!” I exclaimed, resisting the urge to give her a big hug. She didn’t seem like the touchy-feely type.

She wrote something on her clipboard. “Be on the court at 4:00 PM sharp,” she instructed.

“Will do.”

She nodded, and feeling like she was done with the conversation, I walked to the balcony overlooking the courts. On the closest one, a group of younger kids aimed balls towards cones on the opposite end. I smiled while watching them, since that had been my favorite drill when I was that age. I’d picked it up immediately—accuracy had always been my strength. All you had to do was look where you wanted the ball to go, aim, and hit. Easy.

“So, you decided to show up after all,” Danielle said from behind me.

“Yeah.” I turned and held her gaze, balancing my racket in front of me. With her hair slicked back into a ponytail, her eyes looked more catlike than normal. “I talked with the coach, and she’s letting me try out.”

Danielle’s expression hardened. “How nice of her,” she said, her tone sugary sweet. “Good luck.” She turned on her heel and strutted towards a group of girls who had just arrived, swishing her skirt for extra emphasis.

A few minutes later, everyone gathered on the court. Coach Peterson informed the team that I would be trying out, and that she would be observing me as if it were a normal practice. Before anyone could comment, she told us to run five laps to warm up.