A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark)

need to act.
    Before Asher and the Rebels reached the group of Guardians, Ian swooped in.
    “Hey,” he said, holding out both hands like a traffic cop. “Hey, hey. Be cool.”
    “We’re fine,” Lucas, who was at the head of the Guardian group, said. He raised his hands in protest. “These guys look like they want to start something.” He gestured at Asher. “Not us.”
    “I don’t care,” Ian said. Onstage, the band had stopped playing. Cassie was gaping at the scene in front of her. “But you need to stop. Okay?”
    Asher took a step backward. “We’re fine, too,” he said. His black eyes were searing. “Forget it.”
    Feedback split from the amp behind Cassie, cutting into the hushed crowd as she took the mic. “Is this a bad time to let you all know about the party?” she asked sweetly.
    But I didn’t hear how people responded. I was falling, fast and hard, hitting the floor as the room faded away to someplace else.
    The mist cleared away on the wind, and I was standing on the beach again. The waves crashed stormily against the rocks, breaking with a vengeance and slipping away with the tide. I was trudging through the surf. The hem of my beautiful dress was soaked and dirty. In places, I noticed now with a sinking sense of dread, it was streaked with red.
    Blood.
    Ahead of me, I could make out a crumpled shape on the shore, dark and still. As I drew closer, I saw that it was a body.
    Which one of them did I hit?
    I opened my eyes, gasping.

Chapter 19
    L ove the Bean was strangely quiet, and something feathery and light tickled my forehead. As my vision came into focus, I realized it was wisps of reddish blond hair. Cassie’s green eyes were staring into mine. When I tried to sit up, she pulled back.
    “You’re awake!” she said breathlessly. “Are you okay? You fell hard.”
    “Who says you have to look before you leap?” I said in a weak attempt at a joke.
    Cassie smirked. “I made them all leave.” She helped me up and guided me over to the faded velvet couch. “I told them to go on ahead to Foster’s Woods. Are you sure you’re okay?” She held my hand in hers and brushed the hair back from my face. The gesture was so maternal, so caring, that I leaned into her, and she put her arm around me.
    “I missed you so much, Cass,” I said. “You have no idea.”
    “Aw,” she said. “I missed you, too, buddy. You’re my bestest. You always will be, no matter how many guys you run away with.”
    I felt a pang in my heart at her words. I had to tell her.
    “Cass, I—”
    “Shh. I’m only kidding. Come on. Want some water?”
    I shook my head. “I think I just want to go to the party.”
    “Sure,” she said. “Let’s go.”
     
    Foster’s Woods was up past Cassie’s place. There was an empty field a few miles back from the road, and everybody parked their cars there, trekking out to the woods beyond.
    It was the perfect place for covert partying. Someone had built a roaring campfire in the fire pit. Its orange glow flickered between the trees.
    We found Dan and Ian stoking the fire.
    “You feeling okay?” Ian asked, that inquisitive look in his eyes again. “Has that been happening a lot?”
    “Maybe you should go to a doctor, Skye,” offered Cassie. “Get it checked out. I’ll go with you if you want.”
    I wished I could tell them it wasn’t something that a doctor could fix.
    “I’m fine,” I said. “I’ve just been eating differently lately. I think it’s affecting my blood sugar or something.”
    “Okay,” said Cassie dubiously. “But for real, though, the minute you want to go to a doctor, just say the word.”
    I smiled at her. “I will. You’ll be the first person I call.” I scanned the dark woods around us. “Have you seen Asher?”
    “I think he went off that way,” Cassie said. “With Ardith and Gideon.” She grinned mischievously and whispered, “If I wasn’t, like, in love with Dan or whatever, I would so go for Gid. He is cute . Very my type, don’t you think?”
    “You can put the girl in a relationship . . . ,” I began, putting my arm around her.
    “But you can’t take the boy-crazy out of the girl,” Cassie finished.
    “Would you kill me if I looked for Asher?” I asked.
    “Nah, go ahead. I’ll hang with the boys. Boys!” she called.
    I walked off in the other direction, through the low tangle of trees. I was partly looking for Asher, but the truth was that I needed some time by myself, to think. My mind was