Moonlight Denial: Shades of Moonlight Book One

Nicoli hummed to himself as he waited for Amelia at her locker. He watched the other students go by, flooding towards the exit to escape to freedom after a hard day of learning. There was excitement in the air and a constant buzz since it was getting closer and closer to Thanksgiving Break and everyone was looking forward to that. They all just had to get through Wednesday and they would be free.

He was more relaxed that day than usual, since he had no fear of being chased out of the building by a certain persistent bully. Apparently Trevor’s family decided to go on an extended vacation and had left yesterday and since The Packs leader was gone they felt no urge to go after Nicoli themselves. He had been living up the two days of calm and strove to enjoy the rest of the week before the normal cycle started up again.

In fact life in general had been calmer. It had been over a week since the day Nicoli found out about Dimitri and nothing too terribly exciting had happened since then. He had had a few more lessons with Gavin and Ethan, which were rewarding in their own way. He had made some improvements, but it was slow going. He still could not keep Ethan fully out of his mind if the vampire put some effort into it nor could Nicoli break into Ethan’s mind, but he was getting better all the time. On the plus side Nicoli and Ethan were becoming much more adapt in banding together to keep intruders away from the mind link. Gavin had even pulled in the others to test Nicoli and Ethan’s resolve and they faired well against the multitude of attacks.

Then there was the fact that there had been neither hide nor hair of Omen skulking about. He had been told by the others that Omen was still in Whixton, but the man was keeping to himself and not bothering them one bit. Nicoli was sure Omen was simply biding his time and plotting against them. He doubted that the wall incident would be the last time Omen would meddle with them.

The only disheartening aspect of the last week was that they hadn’t been successful in getting any closer on learning how to open the book. It was really starting to piss Nicoli off, but not as much as it seemed to be affecting Conrad. In fact, the clan leader seemed to be on edge more than usual. He hardly spoke to anyone and, every time Nicoli had visited, he was either holed up in his study or out of the house, saying he was researching.

Nicoli brought this up with Ethan and the two agreed that Conrad was acting especially peculiar. Even Cora confided with them that she was noticing the odd behavior, but no matter whom else Ethan or Cora asked, no one else seemed to know why or even notice. It was as if Conrad was almost desperate to get the book open now than before. This was proven when he went against his untrusting ways and hired a witch to come and open the book.

It was someone the clan had loose ties with, but that was more than willing to come and help. She lived quite a ways from Whixton and said she had to wrap up some business before she could head off. They were expecting her any day now.

Nicoli was excited by this news, but he was also very confused that Conrad had chosen this route. He had been sure that the clan leader wouldn’t accept any form of outside help, but Ethan pointed out that maybe Conrad had finally faced the fact that they had run out of options. Nicoli supposed he just had to wait and see how everything turned out.

“Oh, you have no idea how warm and fuzzy I feel inside to know that I have someone who will wait at my locker for me like a good boy,” Amelia’s voice said, drawing Nicoli out of his thoughts and back to the real world.

“If you pull out a dog treat and pat me on the head I am never speaking to you again,” he said with a playful smile as Amelia came beside him and began opening her locker.

“Awe, well phooey. I guess that means you don’t want the collar I had especially made for you,” she teased as she began switching the items she didn’t need for ones that she did for homework.

“Only if you have ‘Stud Master’ engraved in it, then no.”

Amelia laughed as she finished up and the two made their way out of the school.

“Hey, do you want to walk to the bookstore with me?” she asked when they reached outside to the place they usually parted way.

“Sure, I’ve got nothing to do,” Nicoli said with a shrug. “What do you have to get there?”

“Preston ordered some books and they arrived yesterday, so I’m gonna go get them for him.”

Nicoli blinked at her and ran the words through his head several times to see if he got them right.

“Wait, you’re going to do something nice for Preston? Are you okay?”

“Of course I am,” Amelia said with a laugh. “I occasionally throw Preston a bone and do something nice for him. If I was mean and bossy all the time he’d most likely snap sooner or later and I’d rather not be stabbed in the middle of the night by a homicidal cousin.”

“Ah, I see your logic.”

The two headed off to their destination, talking and laughing the whole way. The air between them had been very pleasant since their talk in the woods when they were searching for Beethoven. Nicoli wanted to kick himself for not even noticing how tense things had become between them, or how high-strung Amelia had actually been. He had been so wrapped up in his activities with the clan that the subtle stress had gone by without regard.

He was very happy now that Amelia seemed much more at ease with everything. He knew she still had some reservations about his involvement with Ethan, but it didn’t seem to be causing the same strain it was. He felt bad that he had put Amelia through that and that he was still technically lying to her about what he was up to. But there was nothing he could do. He didn’t want Amelia to get caught up in the mess he had found himself in. That wouldn’t be fair to her and it would only complicate his affairs with the clan. That had to be his little secret, no matter how much he didn’t like it.

“Hey, Amelia, you okay? You’re shivering a lot,” Nicoli said as they traveled down Main Street. He could see Amelia’s arms shaking every so often and how she would rub them from time to time.

“I’m fine. I thought I’d be fine with this light jacket, but I didn’t realize how cold it was going to be today. The sun tricked me.”

It was a perfectly cloudless day, but since the days had been getting increasingly colder the absence of clouds only made the air crisper and stung much more.

“Here, hold on.” Nicoli stopped and set his backpack down in order to unzip his own jacket.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he said as he slipped off the article of clothing before putting it around Amelia’s shoulders. He chuckled when he saw Amelia’s face reddened, and it wasn’t because of the cold.

“But what about you? You’re going to become a Nic-sicle,” she said.

“Oh, come on, if I can play out in the rain with hardly anything on this will be nothing,” he told her, pushing the jacket to her when she tried to give it back.

“Are you sure?” she asked uncertainly.

“Just put the damn thing on, will ya?”

“Fine, fine.” She relented and put her side bag down in order to slip the larger jacket over her own. “You know, if you keep doing stuff like this people are going to start thinking we’re dating,” she said as she zipped it up.

“And since when do I care what idiots think? Now come on.”

They both picked up their bags and continued on their way. Amelia looked much toaster now and her smile was brighter.

************************************************************************

The door to the store chimed as it swung open and Nicoli and Amelia sighed simultaneously at the warm air that rushed over them.

Nicoli gave a quick glance around the book store. He hadn’t visited the place yet and it looked like any other bookstore. Shelves and stands littered the area, displaying books with various colored covers that called and beckoned the passerby’s to come and pick them up for a quick read. The smell of new and old books clung in the air and wrapped around his head like a veil.

“Ah, Amelia, so good to see you,” a man behind the counter greeted upon seeing them. Age and wear was this man’s friend. He was quite possibly in his sixties, maybe even seventies, and his face showed every wrinkle of those years. His gray hair was surprisingly full and he stared at the newcomers through thick glasses.

“Hi, Mr. Grange,” Amelia said with her big smile as she trotted up to the counter, Nicoli following after.

“Hmm and who might this young man be? It’s been a while since a new face wandered into my humble store,” Mr. Grange said as he adjusted his glasses to get a better look at Nicoli.

“This is my friend, Nicoli. He moved here a little while ago,” Amelia explained. “Nicoli this is Mr. Grange, Mr. Grange this is Nicoli Vurkeshaun.”

“Hello, sir,” Nicoli said with a nod of his head.

“My that’s a mouthful of a name,” the bookstore owner said with a wheezy laugh. “Welcome to Whixton, my boy. It’s about time we got some new blood around here. I suppose you’ve come to collect Preston’s order, haven’t you, Amelia my dear?”

“That’s right.”

“They’re here somewhere. Give me a minute.” Mr. Grange disappeared behind the counter and Nicoli vaguely wondered if the old man was going to be able to get back up or if they were going to hear his hip or spine snap like a dusty old twig.

“Ah-ha, here we go.” He reappeared with a stack composed of three thick books. When they were placed on the counter they gave an audible thud. “I swear that cousin of yours could keep me in business all by his lonesome the way he goes through books. This is the eighth order this month.” Mr. Grange said as he patted the stack tenderly.

“Don’t I know it?” Amelia said with a shake of her head. “Well, I’d rather his drug be books than some kind of narcotic.”

“No truer words were ever spoken. Oh, speaking of orders, I just got a shipment of books in by that author you’re so enthralled with. Patricia Devon, correct? And I’m more than certain her latest book was in there.”

Amelia gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth.

“Really? “The Dark Beast” is finally here? Oh my God!” She spun on her heel and her eyes raked over every bookshelf in the store. “I have to see it.”

Mr. Grange gave a gravely laugh as he lifted a panel out of the counter and stepped over onto the other side.

“Then by all means let me escort you there. It makes my old heart warm to see a youngen so enthused over a book.”

“I’ll be right back, Nicoli. Just hang on for a few minutes,” she told him.

“No problem, take your time. I’m in no rush,” he replied with a shrug.

He watched Amelia take up Mr. Grange’s arm and the two walk away into the maze of shelves, all the while Amelia chattering on like an over zealous motorboat. He leaned his elbows back on the counter as he glanced about the store with no real interest. Books weren’t his thing and he never saw what was so great about them. He couldn’t even remember the last time he read a book willingly that wasn’t assigned in school.

As he waited his eyes slid over to the books meant for Preston. He cast a wary glance in the direction the other two had gone before rifling through the stack. The first book was nothing too exciting. It appeared to be some murder mystery and Nicoli snickered when he imagined Preston dressed up as a detective. The next book caused him to groan. It was a book on the biology of plants.

“Way not to let your nerd show, Preston,” he muttered as he lifted it up to get to the third and final book. His brows perked and he set the other two aside to get his hands on the third and pick it up.

“An Alchemists World,” he read and he couldn’t help but wonder why Preston would order such a book. He thought that maybe it was some kind of fantasy novel, but when he turned it over to read the back he realized that it was a history on alchemy. Before he could think too long about the strangeness of such a book Amelia appeared at his side.

“What are you doing?”

Nicoli gave a start and the book almost slipped out of his hands. Luckily he was able to keep hold of it as he glared at her.

“Do you have to sneak up on me like that?” he asked.

“Yes, because it’s fun,” Amelia said, combating his glare with a grin. “So, whatcha doing going through Preston’s stuff?”

“I was curious and wanted to see what he was into,” Nicoli answered as he held up the book. “Is this some kind of mistake? What is Preston doing with a book like this?” he asked.

“No, that’s right. He’s into a lot of things, why?”

“Well, it just seems kind of odd. I thought Preston was a very logical person. He doesn’t seem the kind of guy that would be into something as silly as magic,” he said as he thumbed through the pages of the book. “Ow!” he yelped when Amelia whacked him in the back of the head. “The hell was that for?”

“Don’t you dare start that insulting, non-believer bull crap again,” she told him with a threatening finger. “Magic is just as part of the world as you or me and alchemy is a type of magic that is extremely science based, so Preston finds it very interesting. He’s not narrow-minded like you,” she snapped as she snatched the book from him.

“Okay, fine, down Kitty, put the claws away,” Nicoli grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. “No need to get into such a tizzy, I was making an observation.”

“Oh-ho, are we having a little lovers-quarrel over here?” Mr. Grange’s voice asked as he reappeared and made his way behind the counter.

Both the teenagers flushed at the comment and huffed at each other.

“There’s nothing loving about her,” Nicoli said.

“Nor is there any about his attitude,” Amelia retorted. “And we’re just friends, Mr. Grange.”

“All right, all right, whatever you kids say. Now let me just ring up your book for you, Amelia, and you can go about your way.”

*********************************************************************

With a bag of books in hand Nicoli and Amelia leisurely strolled around town. They had no set plans on what to do and neither did they have the desire to return home yet. They went from store to store, window shopping and going in if they felt like it before going to a small restaurant to grab something to eat and something warm to drink.

Finally, after whittling away as much time as they could, they started heading home.

“Oh, I just can’t wait for Thanksgiving,” Amelia gushed. “You’re so gonna have to come over for leftovers on Friday. Mom makes the best pumpkin pie ever.”

“Ha, as much as I believe that anything your mom touches is heavenly my mom’s pumpkin pie is the best ever.”

“Oh really? Well then, looks like we’re going to have to have a pie off. On Friday we’ll both bring each other a piece of our mom’s pies and see which is better,” Amelia said, puffing out her chest in challenge.

“Oh, you are so on,” Nicoli agreed, punching his fist into his hand. “Come Friday you won’t even be able to look at another pie after tasting my mom’s secret recipe.”

“We’ll see about that.”

They stopped at the corner of the sidewalk they had been walking on. They had come to the point where they had to part.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Nicoli. I’m gonna go stick my nose in my new book and probably not come out,” Amelia said as she lifted the bag of books with an excited grin.

“Heh, you go do that. I’ll go take an afternoon snooze followed by some web surfing.”

With final waves and goodbyes they went their separate ways.

Nicoli rubbed his arm as he looked up into the sky. A few clouds had come back, but it was still nippy at best and his bare arms were starting not to appreciate being left uncovered. He had realized a little too late that he hadn’t retrieved his jacket from Amelia, but he wasn’t going to fret over it. He had plenty of other jackets that he could use in the morning.

He still didn’t really have the desire to go home and played with the idea of going and bothering Ethan and the others. He decided against it, though. They were probably sleeping, except for maybe Conrad. Nicoli didn’t know when that guy slept. If by some chance any of them were sleeping he didn’t want to disturb them. They had been forcing themselves awake during the day several times lately and Nicoli was sure that couldn’t be healthy for them. He would leave them be until he was called over, just to be safe.

He had just reached Lakeside Lane when a noise stopped him. He could only describe it as a sort of angry chattering. He couldn’t find the source of the noise until he looked up. A tree was growing beside the sidewalk and its branches hung over Nicoli like a canopy. On one of those branches was a grey squirrel bounding about too and fro and only stopped enough to chitter at Nicoli before going back to its kind of angry pacing.

“The hell is your problem?” he asked as the little rodent skittered about the branch, throwing squirrely insults at him. “Don’t you start with me. I’m still pissed at one of your relatives for almost getting my dog lost,” he told it, placing his hands on his hips. The squirrel just kept up its antics and Nicoli shook his head as he made to continue, but the furious chatter only increased.

“What? I’m not doing anything,” he said. He perked an eyebrow when a piece of bark went sailing passed his head. “Did you just throw that at me?” he asked. He couldn’t believe a squirrel had actually sent a projectile at him. “What? Are you afraid I’m gonna take your tree or something?”

Since he was starting to get ticked at the vermin he strutted right over to the trunk of the tree and placed his hand on it.

“Ooooh I’m touchin’ your tree. Whatcha gonna do now?” he taunted it. “Ow!” he yelped when something pelted him in the head. It bounced off his forehead and hit the sidewalk, stopping before it rolled off the edge onto the street. When he examined the object his own anger flared.

“An acorn? Really? All right, no more Mr. Nice Guy.” Nicoli dropped his backpack on the ground and went to the acorn and picked it up. He was going to pelt the stupid squirrel with it and hope it fell out of the tree so he could get his hands on it.

He pulled back his arm, ready to use his years as a pitcher to be as accurate as possible, but before he could let loose his throw a new noise made him stop. It was the sound of tires crunching on asphalt. He quickly deducted it was a car, but what made him pause was that he heard, and even felt, it stop behind him.

“Huh?” Nicoli lowered his arm, momentarily forgetting about the squirrel, and turned. He met a dark version of his own reflection, and it shared his confused stare. A big, black van was the cause of his bewilderment. It appeared to be new, if the shine from the paint was anything to go by, and he couldn’t help but notice the windows in the head of the vehicle were tinted.

A bad feeling had only begun to bubble up when the sliding door opened. From the bowels of the black beast hands shot out and grabbed Nicoli’s arms and shirt in iron like grips. He had no time to cry out or try to jump back before he was yanked into the van and the door closed behind him.

Nicoli was plunged into suffocating darkness and consumed by fear. He was slammed down onto his back on the cold metal floor and he felt the van lurch from its stilled state and jerk roughly as it turned. That was the least of his concerns at the moment.

There were hands everywhere; grabbing him, pinning him, smothering him. He didn’t even know how many there were, but it seemed like thousands. The hands were so strong. He thrashed and twisted, trying to get away from them, but the hands were unforgiving and unrelenting.

He was screaming out words of terror, but his own ears couldn’t even decipher what he was saying. All he knew was that he had to keep fighting. If he stilled for even a second those hands would win. He kicked his legs as fiercely as he could and victory burst into his chest when the grip on one leg slipped. With the opportunity he kicked out with all of his might and there was a sickening crunch as it connected with the attacker.

“Fuck!” a man’s voice cursed. “The little fucker broke my fuckin’ nose!”

“Calm yourself, Van,” another voice said, a woman’s voice. “Just hold him down until I can subdue him.”

“Oh, I’ll hold the fucker down, all right.”

The hands were back on his legs and he cried out as they gripped him with such bruising force. The other hands were busy as well and his arms were yanked above his head when they were finally caught. He could now only twist his body like a flailing fish.

A gasp tore from him when his face was caught between two hands and then there wasn’t only darkness anymore. Two eyes bored into his. They were a golden brown, the color of honey in the sunlight. They were warm and inviting, but right then they filled Nicoli with nothing but cold fear.

The eyes stared unblinkingly into his and a peculiar sensation started going off in his brain. A force was circling around his mind, like a waiting predator searching for the weakest animal in the herd. He could feel the pressure of that force trying to breech his defenses and enter his mind. He wasn’t sure what happened, whether it was the natural barrier now around his mind, the training from Gavin, or pure unfiltered panic, but he pushed back with all the strength in his mind and the presence retreated from the show of force.

“Something is wrong,” a voice said, the woman from before, as the hands left his face and the eyes disappeared. “I can’t restrain him. There is something preventing me from getting in. He’s even fighting me.”

“Huh, looks like they’re not as dumb as we were hoping,” another voice said. It was another woman. “Good thing I brought plan B.”

For one moment Nicoli’s arms were free. The hands left them unrestrained, but before he could use them to punch, scratch, or do anything a cloth was clapped over his mouth and held there with fierce force. He let out a muffled yell as he struggled harder than ever; clawing at the hand to get it away, but his movements and thoughts began to become sluggish and slow.

A smell was radiating off the cloth and entering through his mouth and nose and assaulting his brain. It curled around his skull, drowning his mind in its intoxicating vapors. Through the haze he could hear the first woman speaking to him softly.

“It’s all right, child, let go. Don’t fight it. Just close your eyes and drift away. Just drift.”

His body was so heavy. Each limb weighed a million pounds. His arms were the first to stop the fight, then his legs and then he was completely still. His eyelids began to descend. He willed them to stay open, but they refused and he sank into a different kind of darkness. Before he lost touch with everything in the waking world he called out to the one person who might be able to save him from his descent into the dark abyss.

“Eth…an.”

================================Ch. 45 End