Drawing Bloodlines (7 page)

“Okay,” she said. “Now, you’re s
tarting to sound like Lafonda.”

Instantly, Nathan raised his eyebrows. He seemed taken aback.

“Uh, like Lafonda?” he asked, doubtfully.

“Does this have anything to do with what happened at camp this summer?” she asked. Nathan continued to remain silent and S
amantha shook her head while taking a few steps past him. “And don’t tell me it was just a fraternity prank on Angela — Lafonda has been spinning that one on everybody.”

“N–
no,” he stuttered.

“Then there
is
something in the forest?” she asked, sounding alarmed.

“No, Sam,” he s
aid. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, okay, Nathan,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I guess I’ll hav
e to find out for myself then.”

A look of fear suddenly swelled in his eyes. “Sam, wait!” he shouted, grabbing her by the arm. As he yanked her sleeve, the deep purple scar on her shoulder was clearly vis
ible. “Don’t go.”

Samantha paused and then carefully pulled her sleeve down over her shoulder again. She took a deep breath and then ran her fingers through her long, brown curly hair. “Then tell me what’s going on,” she said. Nathan continued to look at her shoulder and then slowly released her arm. “Look, I know when someone is hiding something from me. I might not have known you guys for very long, but my fa
mily is full of secrets, so trust me — I know when someone is hiding something from me.”

Nathan stared at the ground and then star
ted to make his way toward Roy’s truck. “I–I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sam,” he mustered.

Samantha followed behind him and they both stopped a
bruptly after getting closer to the truck. “I spoke to Hugo,” she said confidently. “He got a good look at them too.” Reluctantly, Nathan turned to look at her. “And last time I checked, fraternities didn’t dress up in long black cloaks with long silver swords at their sides.”

Nathan looked at her shoulder before dropping his eyes
again. “Sam, I…” he stumbled.

“They didn’t have normal faces, Nathan!” she continued. “Just a shadowy outline — but empty and black.” Samantha p
laced a hand on her shoulder. “And their swords were just as real as the gash marks they left on the walls — and on my arm!” She paused. She could see the guilt building on Nathan’s face. “I tried talking to Andy and Eva Marie, but they’re not saying anything about that night.” Her eyes pleaded with Nathan’s and then fervently she took him by the hand. “What are you hiding from me?”

There was a brief silence and Nathan’s thoughts were loud, even with the blaring music. His eyes seemed to quiver in their sockets just at the sight of the scar on her shoulder.
I would want to know
, he thought.

Samantha squeezed his hand, breaking his gaze, and that’s when he caught a glimpse of her eyes, waiting eagerly for him to speak.
I would want to know
, he repeated to himself.
I would want to know what happened to me
.

Nathan swallowed hard and then s
lowly opened his mouth. “Sam….”

Suddenly, above the music, a loud jarring sound echoed at them and Nathan and S
amantha shielded their eyes as a pair of bright lights blinded them both. Soon, the jarring sound ceased and with it, so did the blaring lights. Slowly, Nathan’s vision returned and he frowned. Much to his dismay, a metallic silver Camaro with tinted windows now sat in front of him. “Malick,” he groaned.

“Well — hello!” yelled Malick as he closed the driver’s door to the Camaro behind him. He adjusted his black leat
her jacket and smiled at them. Almost instantly, a mischievous grin appeared on his face. “Am I … interrupting something?”

Samantha and Nathan, both confused, turned to look at each other. Samantha’s face immediately turned red as she dropped Nathan’s hand. Quickly, Malick’s grin b
ecame a full-fledged smile. “Don’t let me interrupt,” he said, while pointing toward the crowd. “I can just head over there.”

“Hello to you too, Stephen,” said Samantha, through gri
tted teeth. She turned to look at Nathan. “I — was just leaving.”

“Sam,” called Natha
n, as she turned to walk away.

She paused to look at him, and even though her eyes said otherwise, she smiled
. “I’m sure we’ll talk later.”

Sadly, Nathan
watched Samantha disappear into the crowd of people who danced and watched the concert. “I can’t keep doing this!” he groaned.

“Doing what?” asked Malick, who also watched the co
ncert.

Nathan turned to look at him and huffed. “Keep lying to people!” he yelled. “The bad guys are still coming after us — so how is keeping secrets helping anyone? All it’s d
oing is helping push people away from me!”

There was a brief silence as Malick continued to peruse the crowd and then Nathan loudly cleared his throat. “E
xcuse me,” he said, “don’t let me interrupt anything with my despair!” 

“Ah, they’ll get over it,” replied Malick quickly and with a grin.

“Get over it?” blurted Nathan. “Are you even listening to me?”

A moment passed and Malick sighed, ru
nning his fingers backward through his hair. “What you need to do is have some fun,” he said. “Live in the moment and stop worrying about everyone liking you. Trust me, you’ll be better off.”

“What?” Nathan exclaimed.

“You’re different, Nathan, and it’s about time you accepted it,” he smirked. “And what’s the point of being out here in the middle of nowhere — in a foggy field — if you’re not going to enjoy it? Wait … is that Lafonda? And who throws a concert next to a monastery and a cemetery anyway?”

Nathan seethed and gritted his teeth. “W–
who invited you?” he shrieked. “I haven’t seen or heard from you since camp. Why are you even here!”

“Don’t get your underwear in a knot,” he grinned. “I h
aven’t abandoned you. Angela invited me.”

“Angela,” groaned Natha
n. “That figures.”

“Well, while you’re sitting here being your normal brooding self,” said Malick. “I’m g
oing to mosey on over to Lafonda and the rest of the gang.”

“Um, well, good luck with that,” scowled Nathan. “I don’t think she’s going to be too happy to see you though,
not with me lying to everyone!”

Malick looked confused. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy being associated with the life of the party but, uh, what does her being m
ad at you have to do with me?”

Nathan
dramatically tossed his hands in the air. “Well, she thinks you’re the only one I trust to tell anything!”

“Well, of course — that’s true,” grinned Malick. Nathan rolled his eyes at him. “But she didn’t seem so mad a month ago when we were da
ncing at the closing ceremony.”

Nathan looked shocked and immediately followed Malick’s gaze into the crowd. Lafonda stood next to Jim Darding off to the far right side of the stage. Angela, Alan, Leah, and some of
Jim’s friends stood with them.

“What exactly did you guys talk about, an
yway?” blurted Nathan.

Malick grinned while running his hands backward through his hair. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he said dev
iously.

“Whatever,” said Nathan, “as you can see, there is not
hing going on between you and Lafonda. You see that guy hanging onto her like a lost puppy dog? That’s Jim.” Nathan grinned and had a confident look in his eyes. “And I’m sure if it wasn’t for Angela, you wouldn’t even be here.”

Malick continued to look on at Lafonda and the others. Abruptly, he broke his gaze and then shook his head. “What are we doing out h
ere, anyway?” he asked.

“Umm … Samantha’s birthday party?” said Nathan, sa
rcastically. He pointed toward the stage. “I know you’re kinda slow, but isn’t it obvious? We’re at a concert.” 

“Ha-ha-ha, very funny,” said Malick. “But why here? Why not on campus? Why in the middle of nowhere?” He paused to look around him. “And pre
ferably somewhere without fog!”

“Don’t ask me,” responded Nathan. “I’m hardly ever i
ncluded on anything and besides our dog, I’m always the last to know — and we don’t even have one!” Nathan paused as he watched Lafonda and the others. “It would be my guess that since Sam’s dad sits on the town’s council, it was easier to persuade them to have a concert out here than trying to convince the trustees to have a concert for his daughter.”

“Trustees?” asked Malick.

“The board of trustees for the university,” said Nathan.

“Oh,” said Malick, eyeing the forest and then the mona
stery. “It’s still morbid.”

“Ha-ha, well, that’s Cahokia Falls for ya,” chuckled N
athan. “I’m starting to think it’s the home for the weird and unexplained.”

Malick turned around to smile at him, but his face su
ddenly drew a blank. “Didn’t I hear you say something about the bad guys still being after us? What exactly did you mean by that?”

“Well — that’s what I was trying to tell you earlier,” blurted Nathan. Cautiously, he gave a quick look around him and then le
aned in. “I had another dream.”

For a moment, Malick stared at him and then frowned
cynically. “A dream?” he asked.

“Ugh!” groaned Nathan. “You know what I mean, not a regular dream;
a Dream Walker type of dream.”

“Oh,” said Malick, appearing slightly more concerned now. “What happened? What makes you so certain they are still after us?” He had a stern look on his face. “Have you been using your powers?
You guys haven’t been cloaked!”

“I’m trying to get to that,” grumbled Nathan. “In my dream they were looking for the medallion. They said it would help them find the one they’re lo
oking for — the one they seek!”

“Oh, are you talking about Lucas and Lauren?” asked Malick, apathetically. “Because I am
not too concerned about them.”

“What?” blurted Nathan. “But I am, and so shou
ld you. They know who we are!”

“Ugh! And I thought you were a buzz kill,” sighed Malick. “But what do you know, here comes J
onathan.”

“What!” grumbled Nathan again. “Are you even listening to me … there’s more! I just thought I saw something in the forest.”

“What? You saw something in the forest?” asked Jonathan, stepping in from the side of them. Behind his dark square-rimmed glasses, he had a bright and inquisitive look on his face. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Buzz kill,
” whispered Malick, mockingly.

Jonathan’s piercing blue eyes continued to probe Nathan. “What?” he asked, sounding confus
ed. “What is he talking about?”

Nathan cut Malick a quick glare and then rolled his eyes. “Nothi
ng,” he said. “Never mind him.”

Jonathan nodded and his glasses slid
down to the tip of his sharp-angled
nose.

Nathan glanced over toward Lafonda and the others again and noticed that Jonathan wore the same Justin Bloomer T-shirt, but unlike the others, he had a buttoned up oxford u
nderneath it. “Angela?” he asked, while pointing at the T-shirt.

“Why, yes,” answered Jonathan,
with a slight European accent.

“Oh, brother,” commented Malick as N
athan sighed.

“Anyway,” said Nathan, loudly. “A moment ago, I swear I though
t I saw someone in the forest.”

“In this forest?” asked Jonathan, as he ran his fingers throu
gh his jet-black hair. “Where?”

“Over there!” said Nathan, pointing toward where he e
ntered the forest. He had a serious look on his face. “In the fog, amongst the trees, there was this woman and she was dressed in white.” He caught a glimpse of Malick’s doubtful glare and swallowed hard before continuing. “And I think she had beady red eyes.”

“Beady red eyes?” asked Jonathan, looking hard into the forest. Malick laughed. “Is this what you wanted to talk to me abou
t — why you texted me earlier?”

Abruptly, Malick stopped laughing and suddenly looked serious. “You texted Jonathan?” he asked. “For what? I thought I was the only one you trusted?” Malick cut Jon
athan a disgruntled look. “And if I recall, this isn’t the first time you’ve seen something in the forest.” He paused to stare at Jonathan. “Maybe it was just wolf boy here … you haven’t been pawing around in the forest naked again have you?”

Jonathan’s glasses slid down to the end of his nose as he smirked. “Ha-ha,” he said
, in a sarcastic tone. “Funny.”

“First,” said Nathan. “It wasn’t me that said you were the only one that I trusted, Lafo
nda did, and second,” His right eye appeared to twitch as he stared intently at Malick. “I’m pretty sure whoever was in the forest, it wasn’t Jonathan!”