Revelations (Blood Bound Book 1) Read online

  "Jenny's dad works at the airbase, he's a software engineer," Lisa continued “And her mom is a buyer for a really popular boutique in Paris. Paris! Emmie, can you believe that?” she asked rhetorically.

  Given her effortless runway look, I absolutely can, Emmie answered silently.

  “You have to hang out with us at Jenny’s house sometime soon, her dogs are trained in French, she’s been teaching me a few words,” Lisa gushed proudly.

  Lisa could barely even find time to talk with me on the phone! Emmie seethed. On the bus, Lisa continued droning on about all the cool places Jenny and her family had lived, the great clothes she had acquired from foreign boutiques, and the broken-hearted boys she left in her wake. For someone who claimed she was busy exploring the west coast with her parents and was returning home with barely enough time to prepare for the start of classes, she certainly found plenty of time to learn everything there is to know about Jenny, Emmie thought to herself. The girls babbled back and forth barely coming up for air, cutting one another off and finishing each other's thoughts as if they had been friends for years. Emmie could feel a familiar tightness growing in her chest as she pulled in shallow breaths. She held her bag against her body tightly as a chill ran along her skin and her palms began to sweat. She gasped, her eyes growing wide when she noticed the familiar yellow glow of magic emanating from her fingertips. Emmie curled her fingers into her palms and pulled her arms around her sides hugging herself and hiding her hands under her arms. Deep breaths, calm thoughts, she told herself over and over, willing her body and mind to relax. But, the anxious thoughts kept breaking through. I was worried things might be different this year. A new school, fewer classes together, and the distraction of boys were all things I thought I was prepared for, but I never imagined that Lisa would replace me with a French model.

  3

  Emmeline

  I have to get away from these two, Emmie thought through shallow breaths as the bus pulled into the school’s horseshoe driveway. She peeked at her hands. The visible glow had faded somewhat, but the accidental magic still lingered at her fingertips. After spending the whole summer missing Lisa and counting down the days until we would be back together this isn’t exactly how I thought our reunion would go. With me almost witching-out on the school bus, she admitted to herself. The thought left a heavy imprint on her chest. Emmie rushed off the bus, still clutching her bag to her chest with balled-up fists. She quickened her pace, her eyes searched the crowd for an escape. Please calm down, she pleaded with her mind. Just go away, she told her magic.

  “Emmie! Wait up!” Lisa called out from behind. But she sped up, closing her eyes tightly against the guilt that threatened her resolve as she hurried away from her best friend.

  She slipped into a narrow space between two students and lost herself in the sea of teenage excitement. Emmie let out a sigh of relief when her anxiety began to recede and she felt sure Lisa and Jenny were no longer behind her. Her hands turned cold and she knew the glow and the magic were gone, for now. When she had come to the freshman orientation with her mother they had been given a tour of the school. Each student had been given a packet that included their class schedule, a school map and their locker number and combination. Emmie recalled rolling her eyes at her mother for insisting they waste a perfectly good Thursday night, but now she felt relieved to know the school's layout. She squeezed through the double doors amongst the herd of bustling students and into the school’s massive main foyer.

  Emmie let the current of the crowded hall pull her along as she reached into her bag and fished out her map. She had spent one of her summer nights highlighting the paths to each of her classes as well as to her locker with different colors. This was one of those moments that made her thankful for her type-A personality. West Creek High school was intimidating. The hallways were labeled with a letter as well as the wing of the school where they were located. The whole system seemed unnecessarily complicated, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. West Creek’s social scene was intimidating on a whole other level. Most of the families that made up the community were from old money. Wealth acquired several generations before that had moved strategically through the stock market and continued to grow “organically” or at least legally, for the most part. The rich kids that roamed the hallways, accessorized with brands like Rolex, Gucci and Prada seemed to be oblivious to anyone lacking a designer label. The system was simple, really. If you hadn’t been accepted into one of the popular cliques by the third grade you were invisible, more or less. Thankfully, bullying had never really been a part of Emmie’s life. The stuck up snobs of West Creek all had their eyes on the same prize, Ivy League acceptance letters and athletic scholarships that would solidify their positions as, well, their own parents. Instead, most of her classmates, aside from a handful of new students over the years completely ignored her existence, which is fine by me. The last thing I need is more people to lie to and hide from, Emmie thought, suddenly feeling the dark edge of anxiety creeping back into her mind. No, not again. Deep breaths, calm thoughts, she reminded herself for what felt like the millionth time in just a few hours.

  She followed the blue path on her map to her locker and deposited the extra notebooks and folders she wouldn’t need until the second half of the day. She checked her wristwatch and pulled out her schedule to double-check which class she had first; Honors Algebra. Great, she thought, confirming what she already knew. After months of relaxation and minimal use of math skills, I’m going to dive back in headfirst. Why did I let my guidance counselor talk me into honors courses? she asked herself. Oh right. I want to get into a good college. Emmie followed the green path on her map to her algebra class. When she got to the door she double-checked the room number and letter against her schedule. This is it, she thought, nervously biting her bottom lip. One more deep breath and then open the BAM. Emmie felt the weight of the door before she saw it. The impact knocked her off of her feet and sent the papers in her hand to the ground.

  The room spun and the figures around her blurred as she fell backward onto the cold floor. She blinked to clear the fog from her vision as a hazy figure rushed over, grabbing the papers from the floor before stopping beside her.

  “Are you alright?” a low voice asked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone would be standing outside the door,” he said, kneeling down beside her.

  Emmie sat up and found herself up close and personal with the most devastatingly blue eyes she had ever seen. He’s gorgeous. She thought to herself, unable to break her stare as she took note of how perfectly his dirty blonde hair was styled, combed back in an intentionally messy way. Her eyes scanned lower and her heart jumped at the way his grey t-shirt fit his sculpted chest like a glove. The short sleeves were tight against his impressive biceps and the fabric clung to every tight riple of his abs, Gorgeous face, that body, and the most intense blue eyes I've ever seen.

  “Hello,” he said. There was a hint of concern in his tone.

  Emmie shook her head and blinked in an effort to clear her thoughts.

  “I’m fine, totally fine,” she finally replied, doing her best to sound casual despite the fact that she had just been knocked off her feet, literally, By the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, nonetheless.

  Emmie noticed a twinge of pain in her left arm, her opposite hand instinctively reaching for it.

  “Ouch,” she winced, looking down at her forearm.

  “You should have the nurse take a look at that,” the handsome stranger suggested, his brow creasing with concern.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing,” Emmie replied. “It’ll probably just be a little bruised tomorrow,” she said, waving off his worry with her other hand. Note to self, heal it when I get home. Getting a little magic out of my system could be a good thing after this morning’s near meltdown.

  Emmie glanced around the busy hallway as students hurried by in both directions. She prepared to stand up, but the blue eyed hunk took her hand and effortlessly pulled her to h
er feet. She jumped as her hand flashed with a sharp zap of static electricity, and she pulled away instinctively. Emmie looked up into the boy’s deep sapphire eyes and noticed how tall he was. Easily half a foot taller than she was, he had to be six-foot, if not an inch or two over. Those shoulders and that chest, she thought, releasing a deep breath as her eyes scanned his upper body again.

  “Thank you,” Emmie said, taking a step back and looking down at her hand, where electricity was still tingling beneath the skin, Did my powers do that? Did he feel it too, she worried silently. She scanned the boy’s features once more, deciding that he must not have noticed the strange surge of energy.

  “It’s the least I can do,” he said, flashing a smile.

  His smile is perfect, too, she noted. Of course, it would be. Emmie absentmindedly checked her watch, Uhg! She groaned internally, I shouldn’t be the last one in on the first day, she told herself, allowing her eyes to stray below his neck one more time.

  “I really have to get to class,” Emmie said, slowly extending her hand to shake his. Let’s try this again. He gave her a crooked smile, clearly amused, as he returned the gesture. Then he leaned forward and reached over her shoulder to open the classroom door.

  “Sorry, again,” he said, looking directly into her eyes.

  Emmie swallowed nervously as she noticed that the space that had been between them now barely existed, their toes almost touched. “It’s ok,” she said quietly, pulling herself out of the hunk’s orbit.

  Emmie slid into the room and gave it a quick once over; Kathy, Scott, Bobby, Missy. She mentally ticked off the familiar faces amongst the crowd, exchanging a few courtesy waves before choosing one of the seats in the otherwise empty back row. She slung her bag over the back of the chair and settled in; reaching around the side of her chair she grabbed a notebook and pen from her bag. She opened her notebook and scrawled the date on the right-hand corner of the first page. She flicked her wrist, and checked her watch again. 8:30 am class should be starting any minute, she thought as the classroom door opened. Emmie stared at the door as the handsome stranger from the hallway walked in. He paused for a moment as he glanced around the room, his eyes locked on hers before he slowly made his way to the empty seat beside her. Silently, he slid into the chair and dropped his bag on the floor. Emmie followed his movements with her eyes, staring at him in disbelief. What is he doing? He has to be a junior, maybe even a senior. Freshmen aren’t built like that, the universe just isn’t that kind, she reasoned. Her heart leaped again and she bit her bottom lip as she shifted her attention to his athletic body. Her eyes traveled lower this time, scanning over his slim fitting dark jeans and black boots. There’s absolutely no way he’s taking a freshman math class. He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned to look at her.

  “Hi,” he said with that same perfect smile she had seen just minutes ago in the hallway.

  “What are you doing here?” Emmie asked, immediately regretting her choice of words and her sharp tone. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she took a deep breath.

  “I’m taking this class…I was heading back to my locker when I hit you with the door” he replied with a furrowed brow, his eyes shifting in confusion.

  “Of course you are.” Emmie sighed, realizing he had been coming out of the room when she reached for the door. What the hell is wrong with me today. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. That was so rude,” she continued apologetically. “I’m Emmeline Clark; Emmie for short.” She said with a smile, recovering from her momentary lapse of sanity.

  “I’m Leo,” he replied before turning away from her.

  Way to go, Emmie. She scolded herself. Now the hot guy thinks you’re a total spaz. Rolling her eyes, Emmie turned in her seat to face forward, wishing she could hit the undo button on the last five minutes of her life.

  4

  Emmeline

  “And that is our introduction to honors algebra, people. Keep up with the work, put in the effort and we can all be friends. Otherwise, you might as well head to the guidance office now and drop this class,” Mr. Stevens said as the bell rang, causing students to rush out of the room. “There’s always plenty of room in basic math and algebra 101,” he called after them.

  Emmie looked back at the three pages of notes she had taken. Mr. Stevens told them that their textbooks had been delayed in shipping and he wouldn’t be handing them out until the following week. He had, however, given them three photocopied pages from his own book for homework. Emmie carefully tucked her supplies back into her bag before tossing it over her shoulder. She could see out of the corner of her eye that the desk next to hers was now empty.

  So what, she thought to herself. I can barely get through the day without imploding in one way or another. I don’t think dating is really in the cards for me.

  She checked her schedule and breathed a sigh of relief. Free period. She looked over her map to see what her options were. Courtyard or library, she thought, silently debating between the two. Emmie headed out of the classroom and turned right, deciding that the courtyard was her best option. It’s a beautiful September day, spending an hour outside is exactly what I need. She walked down the hall toward the west wing of the building and pulled out her phone. Two texts from Lisa, one from Mom. Emmie sighed as she prepared herself for the drama that no doubt was in store for her with Lisa. The halls were quiet, most of the students were already sitting for their next class. She rounded another corner and, THUD, hit something solid. Emmie gasped as she felt her feet slip out from under her. She stumbled backward and lost the grip on her phone. It slid out of her hand and clattered on the hard floor. Emmie felt her heart stutter. It skipped a beat and then sped up, racing frantically as two strong hands grabbed her forearms and steadied her. Her heart continued to pound uncontrollably as she looked up into Leo's mesmerizing blue eyes and felt the warmth of his hands wrapped firmly around her cool skin.

  “We have to stop meeting like this,” Leo said, flashing a charming crooked smile. “You’re going to get hurt,” he said, releasing her arms and taking a step back.

  Those eyes, she thought, allowing the deep blue pools to pull her in, consuming her like strong waves, both intense and calming at the same time. I’ve never seen anyone with eyes that blue, but they do remind me of something, she thought to herself, racking her brain for the memory that felt just out of reach.

  “Are you ok?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  “I, uh….y-yeah.” She stammered, running a hand through her auburn hair, trying to collect her thoughts. “I’m sorry, this time it was definitely my fault.” She smiled, finally pulling herself together. “I've been a little distracted today,” she confessed.

  “Where are you headed in such a hurry?” he asked. “If you don’t mind,” he added hesitantly.

  “I wasn’t in a hurry,” she corrected, holding up her cell phone. “I just wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “I see,” he replied with a nod of understanding.

  “I’m guilty of texting and walking,” she joked, looking for an excuse to continue the conversation. “With my track record, it should be a crime.” Emmie felt the blood rush to her cheeks again as she laughed at her own cheesy joke. I can’t believe I just said that, she thought, scrunching her face in disbelief. I am so lame. She cleared her throat and said, “I have a free period, so I was heading out to the courtyard.” She desperately hoped she sounded cool and confident enough to make up for her poor attempt at humor.

  “I have a free period too; maybe we could grab a coffee some morning,” Leo suggested, flashing that amazing smile and shifting the backpack resting on his broad muscular shoulder.

  “Together?” Emmie asked, sure she must have misunderstood him.

  “Yeah, together,” he confirmed.

  Emmie smiled, and looked down at her feet and then back into Leo’s eyes. She felt the heat return to her cheeks as her pulse picked up. Am I dreaming? Emmie wondered, replaying their exchange in he
r mind. Did I hit my head this morning? This morning...I almost exposed my magic on a school bus this morning, she sighed, looking down again and pressing her eyes shut.

  “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” she said, at last, searching for an excuse. “I have a really full schedule this term and I need my free periods to study. I’m sorry.”

  “Beautiful and smart, a deadly combination,” he said, tilting his head and smiling.

  “Yo! Leo, over here man!” a voice called from behind. Emmie felt her stomach drop sharply as she watched Leo's attention shift past her. She turned to see an unfamiliar face standing at the end of the hallway. Talk about polar opposites, Emmie thought, scanning the boy from head to toe. Standing a few inches shorter than Leo, his dark shaggy hair carelessly pushed out of his face as if he couldn’t care less. With hair that long he might as well just embrace a man bun, she thought, perplexed by the boy’s overall disheveled appearance. He wore a heavily wrinkled West Creek football jersey, the last name "Patrick" was printed in white block letters on the back. With the way Leo’s built I bet they play football together. Her eyes shifted back to Leo and her stare lingered on his chiselled upper body. His broad chest and incredible biceps were on full display under his fitted tee, he is really giving that shirt a run for its money, she thought, running her hand through her loose curls and letting out a heavy breath.

  “I gotta go,” Leo announced, shifting his eyes back to Emmie. “I’m sure we’ll bump into each other again soon,” he said with a wink. He sprinted down the hall to join his friend. They clasped hands, patted each other on the back and headed in the other direction. Emmie wasn’t sure, but she thought she detected a hint of disappointment in his eyes before he left. Did he really just say he thinks I’m beautiful? Or did I imagine that? She smiled, standing in the middle of the hallway alone. I wish I were just a normal girl who could say yes to coffee with an unreasonably attractive boy. She heard her mother's words in her mind. The words she had spoken five years ago when she told Emmie the truth about her powers, ‘this doesn't have to change everything, you can still have a normal life.’ That was a complete lie. I will never have a normal life.