The Halfling (Aria Fae #1) Page 16

  Without a word, he handed me the food, and we ate in comfortable silence for a while. When I’d finished eating, I said, “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” he replied. Then he asked, “Where are your parents?”

  I guess this shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did, it stung a little, too. Obviously, I was a child in his eyes. Swallowing and stopping with the overanalyzing, I found myself saying the truth, which was perhaps the most surprising thing of all. It seemed I was not the only one capable of making people want to trust me.

  “They’re dead,” I heard myself say.

  Thomas was quiet for a spell, but I could feel his eyes on me as I stared at the city laid out before us.

  “How?” he asked, surprising me again. Most people were quick to offer muttered condolences and change the subject.

  I felt my throat going tight. “My mother was a casualty of war. I know nothing about my father.”

  Still, he didn’t say he was sorry for my loss, only turned back and stared out at the city along with me. After some more silence, he said, “How old are you, Aria?”

  I shifted on my crate. “I’ll be eighteen in February.”

  “Too young to be on your own,” he mumbled.

  Standing, I suddenly wanted to get out of there. “And yet,” I said. “Here I am, on my own.” I was getting angry and I didn’t really know why. “I told you I don’t need charity. I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

  He looked up at me. “I see that,” he said, and I knew he wasn’t condescending me, so my anger scaled down a notch.

  “I better go,” I said. “I’ve got school in the morning.”

  Thomas said nothing to this, only kept his gaze on the city. When I reached the door that led inside, however, I heard him whisper, “Good night, Aria,” but I didn’t respond until I got into the building and shut the door behind me, because he’d spoken the words so quietly I knew I hadn’t been meant to hear them.

  Slumping back against the door to catch my breath, I whispered, “Good night, Thomas,” and promptly put my suddenly spinning head to bed.

  CHAPTER 39

  Friday was the day things took a turn, but it started out like all other days do. The sun rose, the shadows scattered, and Grant City began to bustle with a heavier flow of people and traffic.

  I went through my morning routine, trying not to think too much about a certain man with hazel eyes, and made it to school in time to meet Sam at her locker before first period. I had to admit, I was glad I had a skateboard to get me there. It beat walking.

  Sam was shoving a book the size of a brick in her locker when I sidled up beside her. “What’s up, beautiful?” I said.

  She pushed her glasses up on her nose, offering me a crooked smile. “You are far too charming for your own good, Aria Fae,” she replied.

  I put the back of my hand to my head and rolled my eyes up dramatically. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” I sighed.

  Sam started to laugh, but something over my shoulder made the humor dry up quickly, and before I turned around, I knew what—or rather, who—she was looking at.

  Andrea Ramos stood at the other end of the hall, giving life to that old expression, if looks could kill. Ignoring her, I turned back toward Sam. “Don’t worry about her,” I said. “We’ve got bigger fish to fry. By the way, you have any luck with Caleb’s computer? He asked about it again.”

  Sam waggled her eyebrows. “You two are getting pretty close, huh? I thought we were going to avoid the blue-eyed prince.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, well, he showed up at my job. It wasn’t like I could hide under the counter… Actually, that’s exactly what I tried to do and only succeeded in looking like a huge idiot.”

  Sam laughed at this. “Does that mean we’re down for his party again?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “Unfortunately, my butt,” Sam replied. “And I haven’t cracked those files yet, but I’m getting close. I should be in by Saturday, so I can give it to him at the party.” She blinked a few times. “I can’t believe I’m going to one of Caleb Cross’s parties.”

  “Yes, a couple of socialites, we are. Come on, I’ll walk you to class.”

  I did just that, and afterward, I retreated to my own classes, handing in the homework I’d fit in between my extra curricular activities. I could see on the faces of my various teachers that getting suspended on my second day of school had not put me in their favor, and I cringed internally at their view of me. Sometimes being an Empath is hard, especially among humans. More than most of the supernatural races I knew, humans were quick to judge, fast to condemn, and I had the added ability of being able to read their feelings the way one might read a book.

  Also, I was used to people liking me. It was my nature. There was a secret to being liked that all Fae children, even Halflings like myself, learned at a very young age. The secret was, people will genuinely like you, if you genuinely liked them.

  Being an Empath, I liked most everyone I met, because their struggles were so very evident to me, so very relatable. Sometimes I was sure that if the humans of the world would just recognize the commonality of this struggle, it would be a much more peaceful and agreeable place.

  Such were my musings, anyhow, as I sat through my classes. By the time lunch rolled around, however, there was a different subject occupying my mind.

  Sam and I were sitting in the courtyard in our usual spot. Matt had a different lunch period than us, but I’d seen him in the hall earlier and reciprocated his characteristic high five.

  “They’re all talking about it, Sam,” I said, my voice low.

  She swallowed a bite of PB&J. “Who’s all talking about what?”

  Eyes darting around the courtyard, I gave a slight nod. “Them, all the students. They’re all talking about the masked girl who’s been saving people around the city. I’ve been hearing it all day. Some of them are even making up their own stories.”

  Sam was smiling now. She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “So what? I told you, you’re famous.” She shrugged. “It’s not like they know it’s you. It could be anyone.”

  This relaxed me a little, because I knew she was right. The deep hood of my jacket and the mask I wore concealed me well, along with the fact that I was always careful to move among the shadows.

  My nerves, however, were unusually frayed, and in hindsight, this should have told me trouble was just ahead.

  The rest of the school day passed without event, save for a small incident in gym class. Grant City High only had one gymnasium in the building, and it was divided into four parts so that four separate classes could be held at the same time. Matt’s gym class happened to be taking place at the same time as mine.

  It was funny, because Andrea Ramos was in my class, and it was her I anticipated trouble with, but she only glared at me at intervals before going back to ignoring me, which suited me just fine.

  It was a boy in Matt’s class I had the little incident with, and I managed to resolve it without too much fuss. Matt had ventured to my side of the gym to say a quick hello, and in doing so, had his back to his own class.

  Matt was clearly not playing in the dodge ball game that was going on, but a large boy with a terrible complexion launched the rubber ball hard at Matt’s head. I heard it coming, of course, and snatched it out of the air before sending it flying back at the large boy’s head, where it smacked the side of his face and left a large red mark. The boy could only stand there and blink.

  “You’re out,” I told him, smiling amicably.

  The large boy let out a tight laugh when other boys in the class cackled at this turn of events, and Matt shot me a grateful look that eased my guilt over reacting in such a way. I tried my best to treat people well, but it seemed those who bullied my friends were a special exception. Besides, the only thing I’d really wounded was the large boy’s pride.

  All in all, Friday started out not so bad, indeed.

  It would not end that w
ay.

  CHAPTER 40

  After school, I went to work, and received another visit from Caleb. At least this time when he walked through the door of Roses, I didn’t duck behind the counter like the biggest weirdo in the known universe.

  But I had to admit, Caleb Cross made me a touch nervous. He was so handsome I imagined he made most females feel so.

  He entered with his usual air; a half smile and a single dimple, hair quaffed high to perfection, blue eyes gleaming as they set on me.

  “You haven’t picked out a dress yet,” he said in greeting.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I’ll just go in my jeans and Vans.”

  “Fine with me. I’m positive you couldn’t look any more beautiful, anyway. Though you may feel a bit out of place among the company. My father’s people are a vain bunch.”

  “Your father’s people, or your people?”

  A bit of something shadowed passed through his aura, and he said, “I don’t have people.” It was gone as quick as it came, his mood lightening again as he met my gaze. “You will come, won’t you? To the party? You won’t leave me standing there, looking for you all night, will you?”

  I could feel my cheeks burning, and took a shallow breath. “I told you I’d be there… Sam and I will get the dresses tonight.”

  Caleb took my hand and kissed it before slipping out the door, the bell chiming with his exit.

  “That boy is smitten with you,” Rose said, coming out of the back room.

  “Ma’am… were you listening behind the door just now?”

  Rose nodded. “You’re darn right I was. I’m not above being nosy at times. Despite all the attention he receives, Caleb Cross isn’t known to associate with anyone outside of the small, high-society circle his father keeps. You seem to have bewitched him.”

  “I do that sometimes,” I mumbled. “What do you know about his father?”

  Rose touched her chin. “Only what everyone else knows about him. Dr. Cross is as prominent a figure in Grant City as they come. He does a lot of charity, too, gives a lot of money away. On paper, he seems like an upstanding man.”

  “On paper,” I repeated.

  Rose gave a slow nod. “Yes… I’d be careful who I’d say this to, but between you and me, Cross has always creeped me out a little. It’s like… I don’t know, a certain gleam to his eyes.” She waved a hand. “But what do I know? I guess I just can’t fully trust someone who has that kind of power and money.”

  “You’re the second person to point that out,” I said.

  “Oh?” she asked. “Well, all of it is speculation. We’ve all got our secrets, don’t we?”

  I had to agree that was true.

  After work, I texted Sam that we still needed to get the dresses, and we met up outside her apartment. She lit a cigarette as we walked toward the boutique Caleb had told me to go to. I wasn’t particularly fond of accepting a dress on his dime, but he was the one who’d insisted on me attending his party, and the truth was I didn’t have a single dress in my sparse closet.

  Sam blew out a puff of smoke, and I resisted the urge to repeat to her how bad cigarettes were for her. I was not a smoker, but I’d seen enough auras to know that every person who was a smoker never failed to be slightly annoyed at being reminded of the dangers of their habit.

  “Matt told me what happened in gym today,” she said. “Said you hit Will Landers right in the head with a ball. Wish I’d been there to see it. That kid has been torturing Matt since middle school.”

  I shook my head. “That kid has some issues. His aura is all messed up. He hurts people because he’s hurting.”

  Sam looked over at me. “Isn’t that always the case?”

  “Most of the time. But some people are just crazy.”

  We made it to the dress store shortly thereafter, and I swallowed at the high-end looks of the place. Checking a price tag on one of the dresses furthered my discomfort still.

  “Sam,” I whispered. “These dresses cost more than my life!”

  Before Sam could respond, a pretty young lady with bright red lipstick and fake breasts approached and offered half-heartedly to assist us. I could tell by the look she was giving Sam and I that she clearly didn’t think we had the funds to be in here, but I told myself not to dislike her for it, as it was not a false observation.

  I pulled the card Caleb had given me out of my pocket and handed it to her in response. She took the card and her eyes widened in shock before she got a hold of herself. Her manner perked up immediately and I could tell she was assessing me now in a different light. Her aura told me she didn’t see what Caleb found so special.

  Her words, however, were amiable, and that was good enough for me.

  “Mr. Cross called and said you’d be stopping by,” the attendant told us. “Would you like me to make some suggestions, or would you like to have a look?”

  I told her we’d have a look ourselves, and Sam and I began perusing the collection of dresses. I found a plain black one immediately and called it quits.

  “Uh… no,” Sam said, eyeing my choice.

  I looked at the garment I was holding. “What?” I asked. “It’s conservative, understated, black… What’s wrong with it?”

  “Nothing,” Sam answered. “It’s just not amazing or anything.”

  “I’m inclined to agree,” the lady interjected. She wandered over to a rack holding only red dresses, and removed one, bringing it over to me. “Try this one on. It’ll set off that fiery mane of yours.”

  Sam waggled her eyebrows and nodded at me. Sighing, I took the dress into the changing area. Before stepping out, I looked at myself in my mirror. The dress was long-sleeved and scoop-necked, but not low cut. It fit like a glove and came down almost to my knees. It highlighted my curves but didn’t show too much skin. I had to admit, I didn’t look half bad in it.

  When I stepped out of the dressing room, it was clear both ladies agreed.

  “That’s the one,” Sam gasped.

  The lady was smiling at me now, and I realized despite her early judgment of me, I’d softened toward her. “Yes,” she agreed. “Definitely that one.”

  She assisted Sam as well, picking out a blue dress that matched Sam’s eyes and some heels for both of us. She wrote the tag numbers down on a pad, but just placed the items in bags for us, telling us that Mr. Cross was to pay for them.

  “Okay,” I said as we exited the boutique, “I have to admit, I’m a tiny bit nervous now. I’ve never been to a party before. Maybe we shouldn’t go.”

  “Aria,” Sam said, “you literally run around the city fighting crime, and a party at Caleb Cross’s house scares you?”

  “You’re not nervous at all?”

  “I’m plenty nervous,” Sam admitted. “But I’m not you.”

  I shrugged. “I guess I’m more comfortable in a mask and hood than in a dress and heels.”

  Sam grinned. “Speaking of a mask and hood, you wanna go back out tonight?”

  My return smile was immediate. “Does a bear poop in the woods?”

  We laughed, returning to our separate dwellings to stash our dresses and meeting at the warehouse after as planned. Night would soon fall over Grant City, and with it, all the monsters would come out.

  CHAPTER 41

  “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to you in that suit,” Matt commented, as I stretched, readying myself to go out for the night.

  “No?” I said, smiling. “I’m getting kind of used to it. Even starting not to mind the mask.”

  His voice lowered, his kind face going serious. “Thank you, by the way,” he said. “For what you did in gym earlier.”

  “Don’t mention it,” I said. “You made me a super-vigilante suit, Matt, I think I still owe you.”

  His mood lightened with this. “I did, didn’t I?”

  “Dang right.”

  Sam came over from where she’d been powering up her computers. “You ready?” she asked, rubbing her hands together.

&nbs
p; I could tell from her aura that she was more nervous than usual. “I’m going to be fine, Sam. I got this.”

  She nodded, but didn’t look entirely convinced. “This Dyson guy may have heard you’ve been looking for him,” she said. “Even if he hasn’t, he’s definitely heard of you… The whole city has heard of you. We need to be more careful now than we’ve ever been.”

  I nodded, tapping one of the camera buttons on the front of my jacket. “I’ll be as careful as I possibly can. I’m not above running if I get into trouble. In fact, running was the very first thing I was trained to do. I’ll get out if things get too heavy,” I promised. “I always do.”

  I believe that if I had expressed any doubt that evening about what we were doing, everything would have ended there. If I had leaned with Sam’s feelings just then, I think we would have called it all off, and eventually, our little nighttime activities would fade from the minds of the public… and consequently, the minds of our enemies.

  I wasn’t thinking of what we were doing at the time in such a light, but it’s clear to me now that this was exactly what the three of us were doing—making enemies.

  But the truth is, I didn’t want to stop. Up until that night, I’d been nothing but successful. I liked what we were doing, the feelings it gave me, the adrenaline, the leaping about the rooftops that made up Grant City.

  I wouldn’t admit it, but I even liked it when Sam called me a superhero. I liked wearing that dang mask and hood, too.

  Thus convinced by my speech, I set out on what had become my nightly mission as of late. With Sam in my ear, and Matt sitting at her side mumbling his inputs, I felt as though I were not alone. Perhaps I even felt a little safer than I should have, which was a rookie mistake I will own.

  The lights of Grant City were aglow; the sound of nighttime hustle and bustle more lively as it was a Friday. Several bars were already pumping loud music and entertaining end-of-week celebrations. I looked down at all this from above, my senses full of everything the place had to offer.

  It wasn’t long before my ears picked up the sound of a struggle, and I headed in the direction of the calamity, the smell of the bay growing stronger as I neared the docks.