SILVER
“Would you like to dance?” I asked. I’m not a fan of dancing, but seeing as it was Jenny’s prom, it would have been rude not to ask. A slow dance wouldn’t be so bad, less embarrassing. I viewed the dance floor – my body didn’t move like that. Apparently, my sister Trish inherited a different set of genes. She and Ben seemed to be having a lot of fun and weren’t afraid of making fools of themselves. Well matched.
Trish’s smile stretched from ear to ear. Not like earlier this afternoon when I told her why I’d come home for the weekend. Or when I’d asked her if we would be sitting with Caitlin. That earned me a death stare. Something was up between those two but she wasn’t talking. Had to be because of Adrian.
“I’m fine here, Mark.” A shy smile reached Jenny’s eyes. Those beautiful deep blue eyes, breathtaking against her blue dress. I wanted to hold her in my arms, kiss her, hug her, and not let go.
I took her hand instead.
Chicken.
“You’re wearing the bracelet I gave you.” I rubbed the silver bangle. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of everyone. I didn’t know if you’d told them it was from me.” It had looked plain and rather boring until I’d added the blue jewel that dazzled like her eyes.
Jenny lifted her arm. The delicate silver bracelet slid down her wrist. The twinkle lights, strewn up all around the outdoor pavilion, made it sparkle.
“It goes with everything. I love it.” Jenny gave me another of those shy smiles I was growing accustomed to seeing thrown my way. That smile made me want to protect her even more. I couldn’t explain about the protection the bracelet gave her. Couldn’t tell my family either when I’d given them each a silver trinket at Christmas. I told them I’d been trying my hand at silversmithing.
Adding the jewel to Jenny’s had been a stroke of genius. Saying it was to match her eyes, it wasn’t only a line I was feeding her, but a way I hoped would ensure she always wore the bracelet. It seemed to have worked. She had no idea of the dangers in Stony Creek. I’d had no idea.
The slip of the tongue back in Boston and the de la Mara’s name had gotten me recruited.
My eyes wandered from Jenny’s wrist to the dance floor. Adrian was leading the group in some dopey dance. Man, was I glad we weren’t out there. “Is that the song from Footloose?” I asked Jenny. I’d only seen the movie once because Trish insisted we watch it on family movie night. I wouldn’t have been caught dead watching it otherwise.
“Yup. The song and the dance. Adrian’s got some moves!” Jenny looked from the dance floor back to me, and for a moment I wondered if she’d only said no to dancing to make me happy. She took my hands and pulled me closer. “I have some moves too.” She whispered.
I know I should have seen it coming, but that kiss took me by surprise. We were a couple, but I still hadn’t expected Jenny to be so demonstrative about it. Not here at the prom where everyone might see. Only no one was looking our way…not even the chaperones.
The action was on the dance floor. Trish was on the far side of the pavilion. Too far away to have seen that kiss. It was just as well, she was mad enough at me already.
“Trish seems happy.” Jenny said. She must have noticed where my eyes had traveled.
“Yeah.” I was happy too. It was a bold move but since no one was paying attention to us I made it. I took Jenny’s hand and led her out of the pavilion. There were benches scattered throughout the park. Most were just out of range of prying eyes. “She and Ben make a good pair. Adrian and Caitlin, well that’s a surprise, isn’t it?” I was curious what Jenny might say about those two.
“Oh, not really. You should have seen Adrian at the barn before Halloween. I knew he was showing off only for her. I sensed something between them almost immediately.” Jenny hesitated for a moment before sitting down. I thought for a second that she’d make us turn back.
“You’re good at sensing things, aren’t you?” I said moving a little closer to her. “You came looking for me that night during the sleepover. Do you remember what you said?”
Jenny’s voice was so low and the music still loud enough to be pounding in my ears that I almost didn’t catch her words. “I wanted…I needed to talk to you. I…” She didn’t need to say any more. I knew how she had felt. I’d felt the same way. Though we’d practically grown up together, we’d never hung out, not just the two of us. The age difference. Seemed important then but not so much now.
She leaned towards me and I found her lips as eager as mine. I should have been paying attention to what was going on around us. Only it was impossible to ignore the clever girl beside me. I wanted her all to myself. I nuzzled her neck and traced the line of her collarbone with light kisses. My hand squeezing her hip and she moved closer. My wanted my mind, just like my hands and my lips, to only be focused on Jenny.
If Chase were here, he’d remind me to not get distracted. Constant vigilance.
Feeling guilty I stole a glance over her shoulder back to the dancing. Everyone was jumping up and down in time to a pop tune. Looking for Caitlin and Adrian, I finally caught a glimpse of them with Stephanie and Tim. I almost jumped when Jenny rested her hand on my chest. I squeezed her hip again, began moving in for another kiss, when an overwhelming feeling made the hairs on my neck prickle.
Something was wrong, or out of place. Which was it? I moved to nuzzle her neck again but really, I was scanning. Beyond the pavilion. Towards the parking lot.
I caught the flicker back towards the cars. At the woods edge.
Then I saw one. “Well, that was unexpected.” It was barely a whisper from my lips but spoken near Jenny’s ear and she had heard.
“What’s unexpected?” she practically purred.
“How much I’m enjoy tonight.” Not poetry but I had to cover my tracks. I stopped looking across the parking lot so she wouldn’t look too. I didn’t want her to see what I saw. My mind was elsewhere, but I leaned in to kiss her anyway, keeping up the pretense.
I hadn’t imagined any of the Council showing up here, out in public, not like this. They might be in the shadows but now that I’d spotted one I’d quickly noticed more. At least three. How many more were outside my field of vision?
Right then I knew.
There was no way I was going away with my family this summer. I was staying right here in Stony Creek. I wasn’t going to leave Jenny alone and exposed. My training in France didn’t start until the fall but now it might need to start earlier. This was critical. Tomorrow I’d have to contact Chase. We had to keep an eye on the de la Mara’s. Something big must be going on if the Council was involved. How much danger was Caitlin in? Did she know? Did she have any idea what she was involved in?
Thank goodness Jenny had the silver bracelet.