Behold the Bones by Natalie C. Parker

Author:Natalie C. Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-12-25T16:00:00+00:00

14

I WAKE TUESDAY MORNING HEAVY with dread. It puts me in a foul mood. I prefer emotions with a sense of movement like courage or desire or fury. Dread is useless and sloppy, like walking across a carpet in sopping-wet jeans.

Not even my peppiest of playlists lightens my mood, so I dress to match it—thin black leggings, slouching blouse, bulky necklace, and lips dressed to pout.

It feels like it’s been more than two weeks since my birthday. So much has changed since then. I’ve seen a ghost, discovered I’m a barren husk of a girl, and will soon be an unwilling television star. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that all I wanted from my junior year was a set of straight As, a taste of Clary hooch, and to demolish some boy’s innocence.

Now I dread facing my mother, I dread my next ghost encounter, and I dread whatever threat the Kings represent.

And I’d like to remove at least one of those from my plate as pronto as possible.

Nova King sits in front of me in Euro history, looking as severe and intentional as ever. At once, Sterling and Abigail lean in on either side of me like wings. But Nova beats me to the opening parry. Spinning in her seat, she presses her hands on my desk and without any sort of preamble, jumps right in.

She says, “We need to talk.”

“No shit.”

If Nova is fazed by my sharpness, she doesn’t let on. “After class.”

We all nod as Mr. Berry pulls us into the months leading up to World War I. He likes to be dramatic and starts with a poem by Siegfried Sassoon about ghosts and soldiers and fields of bloodred poppies.

The lunch bell rings along with a clap of thunder so loud it may as well be the first sign of the apocalypse. Within minutes the hallways are thick with the smell of rain and the constant squeak of sneakers on tile. Nova follows us to Sterling’s locker.

“You don’t need to ask,” she says. “I know I messed up last night. And I know you know.”

“It was you? And you know you dosed us with Shine?” Sterling spits, almost forgetting to whisper.

“Shine is what you call the magic here, right? Yes.” Nova’s admission is far from remorseful. “But you have to understand—”

“That’s not exactly how you want to start this,” Abigail interrupts, causing even me to take a small step back.

“Sorry,” Nova says, raising her hands in what is now a true apologetic gesture. “I’m not usually around people who know much of anything, and Shine just tends to be the fastest way to get at any real information, and I really am sorry I did it, but Candace . . .” She pauses for breath, her eyebrows lift so high her bangs nearly obscure her eyes. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“Anyone like me?”

“Someone who wasn’t affected! You weren’t, were you? And you can’t see Shine? And it’s repelled by your touch? I know what you are!”

Her excitement is specifically unnerving.

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