AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What do you want?” I whisper, my breath turning ragged. There’s something exhilarating about the way Rory looms over me, full of menace and loathing. And although part of me is telling me to whack his leg with my crutch and break his kneecaps, my attention has been captured by whatever Rory’s about to say next.
“What do Iwant?” Rory’s laugh is dark and low. His array of badges glitter up at me, caught by the sunlight streaming through the high windows. “So many things.” His smile stretches, never reaching his eyes. “My little saint. My snowflake. My sassenach.” Again, I swallow. Each poisoned nickname burns fire through my veins, and I feel a wave of hot humiliation as Danny listens to this in confusion. Rory’s expression is so intense that it makes me nervous. I’ve never seen him look at me that way before, and I have to wonder exactly what he got up to on his October break. “Ruling the world is obviously number one.”
Rory traces a finger down my jaw, making me shiver, and then he murmurs, “But I missed you.”
There’s an indignant sound to my right, and my attention turns to Danny. Patient, kind, loyal Danny. Danny, who’d take beatings for me. Danny, who’d protect me with all his fierce, bookish might. Danny, who’s writhing in agony from the burn Rory’s currently giving his arm.
“Leave him alone,” I mutter. His eyes are darker than I’ve seen them — I can almost see myself reflected in the narrow bands of steel-gray. “If you want to talk to me, leave Dannyalone.”
“But he’s so weak, sassenach,” Rory says, wrenching Danny’s arm upright at a sharp angle. “Look at him sniveling away. I’m hardly even touching him. Don’t you think you deserve better?”
“And what’sbetter?” I snap, staring up at him in fury. “You?”
Rory smirks at me. “Anyone would be better than this loser.”
I don’t know what’s gotten into Rory, what’shappenedto him in the week he’s been away, but I can sense deep down that he’s putting this on. As a front to Danny? A threat? But then Finlay’s words come back to me —why else do you think Rory’s been on the rampage?
It’s Danny. He’s threatened byDanny.
Rory steps even closer to me. I’m caught between Rory and the cool stone at my back. It’s the closest he can be to me, and I have to lean into the wall so that our faces aren’t touching in any way.
“I know,” he begins in a soft, dangerous voice, “that my followers aren’t as effective as they ought to be.”Followers, I think to myself dazedly.Gremlins. “But I’ve picked up a trick or two while I’ve been gone.” He bows his head to mine, his lips almost brushing my cheek, and whispers, “I’m going to get inside your mind. I’ll do more damage to you without eventouchingyou than my followers ever did. Because while you’ve been safe and snug inside this ancient castle, I’ve been learning things about you, little intruder. Things you didn’t want anyone to know. I know who you are, Jessa Weir. I knowexactlywho you are.”
My heart is in my mouth, and I gaze up at Rory with saucer-wide eyes.
“You have no idea what goes on in our world, do you? You have no idea about the tightrope I have to walk every single day.” The curl of his lip sharpens, a cruel dark edge to it. “You think life’s a bunch of school tests and hanging around with Finlay.” His smile stretches but there’s no humor to it. “Finlay’smine. And you’re next.”
He slowly pulls away from me, staring me down with those iron-gray eyes of his.You’re next. Next for what? I watch as Rory gradually lessens his grip from Danny’s reddened wrist, holding up his arm to inspect his work before dropping it like a stone. It swings by Danny’s side, and Danny clutches it to his chest in a heartbeat.
“Weak,” Rory scoffs. “Pathetic.” His eyes flash at me. “I hope you’ll enjoy Samhain, sassenach. It’s a very traditional holiday around these parts.” Everything that comes out of his smirking mouth manages to sound like a threat. It’d almost be impressive if I weren’t on the receiving end of it.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means he’s being a dickhead for the sake of it,” Danny snaps, scowling at Rory. “Come on, Jessa.” He holds his hand out for me to take.
But I’m not ready yet. I gaze up at Rory despite the part of me that screams not to. Looking at him is almost painful, like staring at the sun. He’s full of soft, tragic beauty, like he’s been chiseled from the pain of the most sensitive artist. There’s something about him that’s aesthetically perfect, his cold face and sneering lips and frozen gray eyes. He’s so rich and spoilt, and he wears it like one of the glittering badges on his blazer’s lapel.
And I… I don’t know. I’m intrigued by it. There’d never been guys like Rory at Greenvale. Guys with loaded parents, sure — big house, white picket fence, nice little spot in suburbia. But their parents ran local businesses, not entire countries.
I can’t imagine Rory’s life at all.
He’s the physical embodiment of the unattainable… and he’s looking straight at me, the way I must be looking at him.
Rory’s interested in me, the same way I’m interested in him. I can sense it. There’s something between us, an energy that crackles, only ever sparking into life when he’s around. He’s broken, and he’s breaking me down with him. He makes my mouth dry, my heart thunder, and I’m grateful for once that I have a pair of crutches to support me upright, because Rory’s presence is justtoo much.
“We’ve got physics,” Danny reminds me in the distance, looking awkward as he stands beside me and Rory, nursing the pain in his wrist.
Who evenisRory? A boy with a dead mother and an interest in dance? Or a sociopath with a legion of followers intent on ruining my life?
The last one, Jessa.
I give myself a shake. I glance down, noticing Danny’s hand has wrapped around the top of my crutch.
“Comeon, Jessa,” Danny wheedles, trying to get me to move. “Stop giving in to this dickhead. We need to go to class or you’ll get detention again.”
A smile appears on Rory’s lips, the first hint of humor that’s appeared there all morning. “Don’t let me stop you.” His mouth seems to turn upward the more he focuses on Danny. “Of course, you’ll know all about dickheads. You are the resident expert, after all.”
Danny colors, a deep scowl on his face. He tugs at my crutch and I begin to hop beside him. It takes effort to catch up with him. Danny barely looks at me, too busy staring off into the distance, as though Rory’s managed to bother him hugely.
But then he turns on his heel, an intense expression blazing across his face as he stares at Rory. His jaw has clenched and there’s fire blazing in his eyes.
“At least I know what I want,” Danny says, in a voice that’s a lot stronger than I expect. “At least I’m not a fuckingcoward.”
It’s ridiculous, but I gasp. Danny isn’t one for swearing, and it seems so out of place in his soft lilting accent.
“And at least I can control myself,” Rory replies smoothly.
With an irritated shake of his head, Danny storms upstairs. Rory’s bright eyes glitter at us with amusement.
