Page 23 of Creatures of Chaos

“This is wild, isn’t it?” Sol asks. He’s a short fae a year younger than Ensley and me, with green spiky hair that sticks up all around his head like a porcupine. According to her, he plays the drums like he has a vendetta against them, which I guess is a good thing.

I press back into the shadows as Ensley laughs and catches up with her bandmates. Crossing my arms, I lean against a large stalagmite that connected with a stalactite to form a pillar, wishing I’d stuck to my guns and avoided this whole event altogether. Becks is nowhere to be seen and the flashing lights are starting to give me a headache.

As I wait in the shadows, a strange awareness brushes over me, pebbling my skin, and when I glance to the side I realize I’m not the only person taking refuge in the darkness.

Slowly, a figure steps forward, his body shape and features becoming recognizable in the darkness.

“Freckles,” he says, his familiar tone washing over me. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Seven

Talon’sdeep voice sinks past skin and bones, embedding itself in my core. When an involuntary shiver passes through me I tell myself I’m just chilled from the damp cavern air.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, and he quirks his mouth into a lopsided smile.

What a stupid question. In the short time he’s been at Nightlark, Talon’s already one of the most popular guys at school, so of course if there’s a big party he’s going to be there.

“I suppose the same as you. Attending the party of the century,” he says, but his tone is mocking as his gaze travels past me and slides over the mass of partygoers holed up in the cavern. “Dancing. Drinking. Debauchery. The trifecta of teenage rebellion.” He sighs, looking suddenly weary, like this whole thing is tedious and he’d rather be anywhere but here tonight.

“Right. The trifecta. I guess I’d have to experience it at least once before graduation.”

Talon’s brows wing and he tilts his head. “Don’t tell me this is your first party?”

“First and last, if I can help it.”

“Ah, well, don’t let my jaded soul taint the experience for you.”

I shake my head. “It won’t. This just isn’t my scene. My idea of a fun time is a night in bingeing my favorite show with a pint of cookie dough ice cream.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth I want to face-palm myself.Why did I say that?Could I have made myself sound any more pathetic?

The corners of Talon’s mouth curve up. He’s probably trying not to laugh at me. So of course I continue to word vomit and make it worse.

“I mean, that’s not all I like to do. Hanging out with friends is cool too. But I don’t really get invited to parties, so it’s not like mythingor whatever.

Stop talking, Locklyn. Please stop talking. But I can’t seem to keep my mouth closed. The words keep spewing, each sentence worse than the last.

“It’s just that you get judged for everything at Nightlark. What you say, what you do, what you wear, even what friends you hang out with. We all sort each other into different categories just to try to figure out where we belong. It’s exhausting, and I don’t see the point to subjecting myself to all that after hours as well.”

Groan. Would the ground please open up and swallow me whole . . .

I glance around, wondering why he’s even lurking in the shadows with me right now. Surely there’s someone else he’d rather be talking to. Probably someone leggier and a lot less awkward.

“I get that,” Talon says, and I make myself look back at him. “No one likes feeling judged. But it will get better. High school isn’t forever, and it’s rough for a lot of us.”

“You seem to be sailing through pretty easily.” I’m not trying to be a jerk, it’s just true. He’s only been at Nightlark Academy a couple of weeks, but he’s certainly not hurting for friends.

“You’d be surprised.”

I take a moment to study Talon as his gaze moves past me to scan the crowd. He looks off tonight. Not aesthetically speaking. His ripped jeans and black t-shirt are simple enough, but the darkness of his clothes combined with his black hair makes his muted blue eyes pop. There’s something different about his demeanor tonight. He might be dressed the part, but he doesn’t seem like a high schooler out for a good time. There’s an unusual edginess in the way he’s holding himself; his muscles are tense and rigid, and his hands are curled into fists. It feels like he’s here for a purpose that has nothing to do with teenage rebellion or chasing a high. The intense look in his eyes makes me think he’s searching for someone, or something.

“Looking for someone in particular?” I ask, and he jerks his attention back to me, his gaze dark.

He shoves his hands in his pockets as he shakes his head. “No. Just staying alert.”

I shoot him a look.Staying alert. That’s a weird thing to say. I’m about to comment on it when Talon changes the subject.

“You look amazing,” he says, his shoulders relaxing and an easy smile melting on his face, but I can’t help but feel like he just slipped on a costume to hide some of his truth from me.

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