A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark)

the row of lockers. But it wasn’t cool, smooth metal that I felt behind me. The floor had prickled up into frosted grass, and I was leaning against a tree under a canopy of night. Devin’s blue eyes flashed intensely as he let his hands trail down my arms. His lips were so close to mine. I could feel the feathery touch of his breath as it grazed my neck, leaving a trail of tiny shivers in its wake.
    He’s going to kiss me , I thought. I want him to.
    Then the hallway came rushing back, and Devin was still standing there, several feet away from me. He gave me one long look. If he had been capable of expressing any kind of emotion, I might have understood. His eyes might have been mournful, or guilty, or apologetic. Instead, his features were still as calm and Zen as ever. Impassive. His face was empty.
    Then he turned and walked down the hall away from me.
    I realized I’d been holding my breath, and now I struggled to catch it. Behind me, the sound of boots on the linoleum floor drew closer as Devin disappeared around the corner.
    “Hey,” Ardith said, her bangles jangling softly as she came to a stop. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your next class.”
    Neither of us said anything, but I knew she’d seen the moment between me and Devin. I got the sense that she knew exactly what I was feeling, and I was grateful that she didn’t try to talk to me about it. I knew she wouldn’t tell Asher. I don’t know how I knew, but I did.
    For once, it was nice to have a friend who really understood. Even if she wasn’t human.
     
    I couldn’t focus for the rest of the morning. I kept replaying the vision, absently touching my neck when I thought no one was looking. His eyes haunted me, lifeless, empty.
    At lunch, I found Cassie, Ian, and Dan already sitting around our usual table in the cafeteria. I grabbed my typical lunch—a turkey sandwich and an apple—and slid in next to them.
    “You’re so famous,” Cassie said, beaming. “Or should I say, infamous ?”
    “And just think, we’re in your inner circle.” Dan grinned. “I feel so lucky.”
    “Privy to all your secrets,” Ian joked.
    “I know.” I smiled and unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite. “I kinda like it,” I added through a mouthful of turkey.
    As the four of us joked, I glanced around the cafeteria. People did seem to be glancing over at us more than usual. The table where the skiers—my former teammates—usually sat, was no exception. Ellie, in particular, was eyeing us. When she caught me glancing over, she turned to Meredith Sutton and whispered in her ear. They both looked up at Asher, who was waiting in line. My hands curled involuntarily into fists under the table.
    Ardith strolled up then, her tray hovering tentatively above our table. “Is it okay . . . ,” she said softly, “if I . . . ?”
    Dan blushed. Ardith was clearly the most stunning girl in the room, with her glossy chestnut hair and flawless olive skin. Dan wasn’t the only guy staring at her. “Of course,” he said, moving down on the bench so that Ardith could squeeze in. As she was about to sit, someone hip-checked her from the side, and her tray went flying forward, spilling buttered pasta all over the cafeteria floor. Suddenly Ardith went from soft-spoken and earthy to angry goddess. She turned on the person behind her, eyes flashing and hair spiraling out in a fan. The guy was one of the new kids from RSH, tall, with a lean, wiry build and shoulder-length blond hair.
    “Do you have something you want to say to me?” the guy asked.
    “Only to watch where you’re going,” she spat. By the salad bar, Gideon and Asher looked up from their trays and tensed. Two of the other new kids walked up behind the blond guy, flanking him.
    “Is there a problem, Lucas?” one of them said.
    “Your friend needs to watch where he’s going.” Ardith’s tone was shockingly tough.
    “I think he was watching just fine,” the other said. I thought, for a moment, that I detected a slight lilt to his voice—almost like an accent—before it faded away into the din of the cafeteria.
    Dan stood up and moved to her side.
    “Hey,” he said. “Are we all cool here?” He was making his voice deeper, and Cassie coughed back a laugh. Before he could say anything further, Gideon and Asher were there, and Dan fell back.
    Gideon stepped forward, eyeing Lucas. “I think you guys better get out of here,” he said. Lucas glared at him but took a step backward.
    The tension