Dead by Morning

Rituals of the Night Series Book One

Kayla Krantz

Copyright © 2016 Kayla Krantz

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews—without written permission by the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-945392-98-6 First Edition May 2016 Rambunctious Ramblings Publishing Inc. Norristown, Pennsylvania 19401, USA www.ramrampublishing.com

To anyone harboring a secret of their own.

Acknowledgements

For my friends and family, for standing by my side through my writing endeavors and tolerating the many, many horrible drafts they’ve had to wade through over

the years.

For Aaron Hughes, for giving Luna and Chance’s harrowing tale a home at Rambunctious Ramblings

Publishing.

For Crystal Burton, for shaping my ramblings into the amazing final product contained in these pages.

Finally, for anyone who’s ever felt like an outcast. Keep

striving for your goals because anything is possible with the right mind frame.

Chance salutes you!

Chapter One

UNA NOTICED HOW sweet the air seemed as she stuck her

hands in her pockets. She took a deep breath, enjoying the

feeling. Her walks always gave her a sense of freedom that she

missed during the routine of her weekly activities. She let the

feeling engulf her as she headed around the grass lining the park.

It was her favorite part of town—quiet with less traffic. She could

hear the birds in the nearby trees as she stepped into the park.

Like every Monday, a group of teenagers surrounded the

swing set, talking and laughing amongst themselves. Luna bowed

her head to avoid making eye contact. A normal teenager would

have been excited to see her classmates out of school; Luna felt

anything but. She scurried past them like a rodent, hoping with all

her might that none of them would notice her.

But one did.

One always did.

His excitement showed as he jumped off the swing he had

been sitting on. The last words spoken by the brunette beside him

fell on deaf ears as he focused on Luna.

L

“Hey, there,” he said, smiling as his stride fell into step with

hers.

Luna clenched her hands in frustration. I need a new route,

she thought blankly as she glanced at him through glassy eyes.

He raised his eyebrows, exaggerating the scar on his left

cheek. “Nothing for me today?”

“No. I don’t wanna waste my breath, Chance.”

“Telling me you’re not gonna say anything is still saying

something,” he pointed out.

Luna glared at him. She would give anything to have him

leave her alone, but history said he wouldn’t. “Are you gonna follow

me again?”

The cocky smile made another appearance. “I prefer to

think of it as walking you home. It’s too dangerous for a girl like

you to walk around town alone.”

“Chivalry? Really?” Luna rolled her eyes. He was anything

but a gentlemen. His string of girlfriends at school was proof of

that.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“Please leave me alone.”

Chance yawned. “Nah, I don’t think so.”

Luna gritted her teeth. Einstein’s definition of insanity ran

through her mind. There was no reason that day would be any

different from previous ones.

Chance didn’t seem to mind the silence. He strode beside

her, his stance tall and lithe as he pretended to be her guardian. He

walked close to her as if prepared to protect her from some unseen

threat, and Luna hated the feeling of intimacy the forced walks

created between the two of them.

People probably thought more of them than they really

were. They weren’t even friends, but Chance’s attitude could easily

convince someone otherwise.

Why does he push this so much? she wondered. Their social

statuses at school lie at opposite ends of the spectrum. They had

nothing in common…yet every day she was forced to face him.

That was a question for which she was sure she would never

get an answer.

Luna peered at him from the corner of her eye. “Can I ask

you something?”

Chance seemed surprised as he looked at her. “Yeah, sure.”

“Why do you make me walk with you?”

“Why do you always walk the same route if you hate this so

much?” he countered.

Luna didn’t blink as she broke the gaze, once again

reminding herself to change her route during her next walk. In her

small hometown, it would be impossible to avoid him forever.

“I should be able to walk wherever I want,” she said as they

closed in on her block.

“And you can,” he said. “I’m merely watching out for you.”

Luna didn’t respond as she focused on her house. Twenty

more steps and she would be free. Chance would surely stay one

step behind all the way to her door. His dark clothes seemed to

exaggerate her shadow as she opened the door and went inside

without a parting word.

“See you at school!” he called a moment before the door

slammed shut behind her.

THE NEXT DAY, Luna walked up the steps of Shawnee High School

and stopped by her locker before making her way to class. In the

back of her mind, she wanted to make sure she didn’t run into

Chance.

Her classmates stared at her as she moved through the

hallways. She tried to ignore the fact that she was an anomaly to

them. Because of Chance, she was constantly on their radar though

it was unknown if she was one of them or someone to be avoided.

He never led them one way or the other, and Luna thought the

control he had over their classmates was astounding. She

wondered if she was the only one who was free from his spell. She

thrust a lock of hair from her eyes, too preoccupied to watch where

she was going. She crashed into someone with a heavy thud,

stopping dead in her tracks.

Rubbing her forehead to get rid of the pain, Luna blinked.

“Hey, watch where—” the girl began, stopping when she

noticed Luna.

Luna let out a sigh of relief. At least she had crashed into her

best friend, Violet. Maybe good things happen to unpopular people

too, she thought.

“Hey, Luna, what’s up?” Violet asked.

Luna was silent for a moment. “Not much.”

“I can tell that’s a lie, something’s on your mind.”

“It’s not really a big deal, I guess…it’s just Chance again.”

“Why? What’d he do this time?” Violet asked, rolling her

eyes.

“Just…never mind,” Luna said quickly. She knew she talked

about him a lot—more than she cared to admit.

“He’s just trying to talk to you, you know.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to talk to him.”

“You could at least give him an opportunity to see what he

wants,” Violet pointed out.

“Why? So he can pull some mean prank in front of the entire

school? I’ve seen what happens when people in my position try to

blend in. No thanks.”

“Suit yourself…don’t let him get to you or else he wins,

okay?” Violet sympathized. “It can’t be all bad.”

“He doesn’t bother anyone the way he does me,” Luna said.

“I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat,” Violet gushed.

Luna frowned. She was sure half the girls in their school

would.

Violet caught sight of her expression. “Even though it seems

impossible, ignore him.”

Luna clenched her teeth together and looked away. Violet

was right—nothing Luna tried worked. As she walked toward her

next class, neither of them spoke. Luna glanced at Violet to see a

mask of emotions heavily clouding her face. That wasn’t like

her…she guessed she had something on her mind. Luna shrugged;

when her friend wanted to talk about it, she was sure she would.

“Are you going to the dance this weekend?” Violet asked her

suddenly.

“There’s a dance this weekend?” Luna replied, wishing

Violet had decided against talking. “What for this time?”

Luna felt something touch her shoulder and she turned. Her

gaze locked onto Chance’s blue eyes as he swiped at his shaggy

blond hair and smiled at her. She cringed, instantly looking away.

“Yeah, there is. It’s Homecoming this weekend,” he said. “If

you looked up more instead of at the ground, you’d see the posters

all over school.”

“It always seems like it’s time for something,” Luna

grumbled.

“That’s a no then?” Violet guessed.

“You already know my answer.”

“I take it you’ve never gone?” he inquired, raising an

eyebrow.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I haven’t. I don’t

have the time.”

“How do you know you wouldn’t like it?” Chance asked.

“I’d rather study. You know, make productive use of my

time.”

“Work’s good, but it’s nothing without some fun,” Chance

said with a wink. “Keep that in mind.”

Luna frowned at him, and he smirked as he parted ways to

disappear down the nearest hallway.

“I think it’s cute,” Violet said.

“Huh?” Luna turned to look at her.

“It’s cute the way he teases you,” she replied, shrugging.

“If you were me, then it wouldn’t be ‘cute’,” Luna said,

feeling the blush line her cheeks.

Violet sighed. “Luna, you’re being a drama queen, you know

that?”

She frowned. She didn’t think so, but convincing Violet

otherwise would be a losing battle. Luna gave up. “If you say so.”

Violet nodded. “Well, I’m going to class.”

“Bye,” she replied instantly, and part of her was glad for the

break.

Luna kept walking down the hallway with her head bowed

to avoid the looks from the kids she passed. She wasn’t in the mood

to look into their hostile eyes; she wanted to be left alone. She sat

down on the stairs, convinced she had found a place to study, and

opened her textbook on her lap.

She heard somebody clear their throat beside her and she

jumped, not realizing anyone had been standing so close. She

looked up nervously into the gaze of a girl with blonde hair and a

face twisted in disgust. Luna winced; it was Kate Red. She was a

cheerleader—captain of the squad, in fact—and she was deeply

popular. And because she was popular, she was a friend of

Chance’s, and because she was a friend of Chance’s, Luna hated her.

Automatic high school rules…to Luna at least.

“Stop blocking the stairs, you freak,” Kate said in her shrill

voice then laughed.

Luna growled at the sound. “You can go around me.”

Luna heard Kate scoff as she turned her attention back to

the book. Kate walked away without another word, and Luna let

out a small sigh of relief. She was used to Kate’s constant taunts;

they didn’t bother her anymore like they had at the beginning of

high school. Luna knew Kate only did what she did because of

Chance—it was why half the people in school treated her as they

did.

It was a chain she couldn’t break.

Luna heard the bell ring, and she closed her book, chewing

on the inside of her cheek as she stared at the cover. Her first class

was with Chance.

***

VIOLET WALKED THROUGH the halls, leaving Luna behind. She

had to admit…she was jealous of her. Chance was interested in her,

yet all Luna could do was crawl further into her shell. The frown on

Violet’s face deepened; she would do anything, anything, to talk to

Chance. He had never said two words to her even though she and

Luna had attended the same elementary school.

She had been Luna’s shadow as long as she could remember.

Would he listen to her if she brought up her best friend? She

wanted to finally be able to talk to Shawnee’s infamous king; she

wanted him to notice her too. He had made it obvious he wanted

Luna as a date, but would it be possible to set them up? She knew

it was incredibly selfish of her to use her best friend as a pawn, but

a small part of her thought it might be good for Luna to actually go

to a dance—to socialize. She was too young to be as stressed as she

was.

Violet was sure she’d be able to get Chance to ask her friend

to the dance in a heartbeat—all it would take was a shove in the

right direction. Luna had pride, and Violet knew that. Luna was

vibrant when it came to defending what she believed in—the root

of most of her arguments with Chance.

Violet stopped walking and turned back to look where she

had last left Luna, but there was no sign of her tiny best friend. She

guessed that Luna was well on her way to class and wouldn’t notice

her sneaking back through the halls. She took the hall Chance had

disappeared down, hoping to find him.

She saw him instantly. He was leaning against the lockers as

casual as ever. A few girls from the cheerleading team surrounded

him, but Violet wasn’t intimidated.

He looked at her momentarily before returning his

attention to the cheerleaders without another glance.

“I need to talk to you about Luna,” Violet said, stridently

breaking into their conversation.

The girls turned to her through judging eyes. Violet was

pleased to see, however, that Chance’s face didn’t mirror theirs; it

shone with interest. He shooed the girls away almost at once and

they walked off with their shoulders slumped in defeat. Chance

looked Violet full in the face—it was the first time he ever had—

and she didn’t care how those girls felt as her knees went weak.

“What about her?” he asked.

“Well, she’ll be mad at me for telling you this”—that part

was true, she knew—“but she has a crush on you and was hoping

you’d ask her to Homecoming. She’s too shy to ask you.”

Chance’s forehead crinkled in thought. “Are you sure? We

are talking about the same Luna, right?”

“Yeah, my best friend, Luna Ketz,” she said. “And I’m

positive she likes you. I mean, she gives you a hard time because

she absolutely adores you. It’s difficult for her, showing emotion.

Her mother’s a strict business woman, after all.” Violet knew if

Luna had ever heard her say that, she would’ve murdered her on

the spot.

Chance smiled and Violet felt as though she would pass out,

but she had to focus and remember her mission.

“I knew it,” he said, almost to himself, and Violet hated that

she felt invisible to him again. “She’s just hard to get.” He laughed

and turned his attention back to Violet. “Well, I will certainly

handle the matter. Thanks for letting me know, Violet. It’s

information I’ll put to good use, I promise.”

The sound of him saying her name was almost as sweet as

honey, and it took all of her effort to not tell him that she liked him

herself. This is for Luna, she told herself, but inside she wasn’t

feeling convinced.

“No problem—and if she asks, I wasn’t here,” Violet said.

He laughed again and the sound was better than any music

Violet had ever heard. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.” He winked at her,

and with that he walked down the hall toward his next class

without looking back once.

Violet watched him go, feeling giddier than ever. In the back

of her mind, she knew if Chance did act on what she had told him,

Luna would be nothing but angry.

Chapter Two

UNA SHIFTED HER heavy backpack on her shoulders and

closed her locker door. It had been a long day, and she couldn’t

wait to get home. She pushed through the halls of Shawnee High

School, easily squeezing her small body through the gaps between

students.

She wove through the thickest part of the crowd as fast as

she could—she had never been so desperate for fresh air. She

almost felt as if she were suffocating in the mass of her classmates.

She closed her eyes as she tried to get through the crowd, and once

again, she felt herself crash into somebody. Luna looked up and

went to apologize, but the words caught in her throat as she

realized it was Chance.

“What are you in a rush for?” he asked, looking down at her

through glowing sapphire eyes.

“None of your business,” Luna replied as she pushed past

him.

He grasped her shoulder, and she jumped from the

unexpected contact. “Hey, wait up. I want to ask you something.”

L

She turned to look at him, uninterested. “Yeah, what is it?”

“Do you want to maybe go somewhere sometime? Like, the

dance this weekend? I’d love to take you.”

Luna glared at him for a moment, completely speechless.

Before she realized it, she started to laugh. Without answering him,

she shrugged off his hand and went back to weaving through the

crowd.

Luna had to admit that his joke had actually lightened her

mood. Once the crowd thinned out and she had reached the

building’s front entrance, she ran until the school was out of sight

far behind her.

***

CHANCE STOOD FROZEN in place, staring dumbstruck after Luna.

Had she rejected him? Laughed in his face in front of everyone? She

had rejected him, the king of the school, person of the year, the

most wanted date of the century? He had never—and he meant it

when he said ‘never’—been rejected before, never in his entire life.

He had always gotten girls, even all the way back in

elementary school during the whole “cooties” epidemic. Even his

incarceration in juvenile hall hadn’t been able to stain that record.

Violet had lied to him. He frowned as the realization hit him.

What purpose did she have for it? Had he given her some reason to

want revenge? He pushed the thought away—he really didn’t care.

Luna was the only thing on his mind. No one had ever

resisted his charms before. He needed her even though she wanted

nothing to do with him. That was fine, but he was running out of

time; it was senior year…their last year together before graduation

would permanently separate them. He was sure she would be

shipped off to some fancy four-year school, and he’d never see her

again.

He would change her attitude before then. He was confident

in himself.

He could feel himself sliding into that mind frame. The one

no one knew about, the one he kept to himself. But he couldn’t help

it. The mere thought of Luna put him into it, despite everything.

Somebody bumped into him, and he was brought back to

the reality of the hall. Brought out of that mind and back into the

normal one. Everyone around stared in shock—even they couldn’t

believe he had been rejected. He composed himself as best he

could.

“It was a joke,” he said, feigning a laugh and pushing quickly

out of the crowd.

The thought that his reputation could be on the line didn’t

enter his mind.

He emerged onto the steps of Shawnee High in time to catch

a glimpse of Luna’s dark raven hair as she ran from the school and

presumably from Chance himself.

He growled. She could run, and she could reject him, but

they were only temporary hiccups. He’d get her to go on that date

with him—one way or another.

***

LUNA EXHALED CONTENTEDLY as she set the cup down on the

counter. The music in the background of the restaurant was oddly

comforting as the smoothie soothed her throat and cooled her

down from her run. She crossed her legs, kicking once at her

backpack, which sat at the base of the stool. She ignored it and

wiped her face as she resumed reading her copy of Hamlet. Her lips

whispered the words silently as she dove into the story.

She was so engrossed in her reading she didn’t hear the

chair beside her pull out. Chance set his hand underneath her book

as he reached over and closed it, tipping his head to observe the

cover.

“Hamlet, huh?” he asked, looking her in the face as she

flipped her book back open in annoyance.

“Yep,” she replied, reading over the line he had interrupted.

“Talk about a dysfunctional family.” He laughed.

She glared at him over the top of her book before she closed

it and set it on the counter. “Did you need something?”

“I think I’m owed an apology.” He laced his fingers together

as he set his hands beside her book.

“Not happening,” she said, tucking her book into her

backpack and throwing a few bucks down for her drink.

Chance smirked at her as he followed her out the door.

“What’s the deal though, really?” he asked. “I heard through

the grapevine you have a crush on me. Why reject me like that?”

Luna froze in place as she turned to look at him. “That

grapevine must be rotten, because your information is wrong.”

She whisked away to carry on her journey home, and he

continued to walk at her side. Luna frowned, feeling her irritation

biting at her. She didn’t know what he planned, but the shadow

across his eyes was enough for her to know he was planning

something.

“Why continue to follow me?” she demanded. “Most people

back off when they’re rejected.”

“Yeah, but I’m determined,” he announced. An amused glint

replaced the mysterious one that had lurked in his eyes a moment

prior.

Luna lifted her hand to press the place in her forehead

where she could feel the beginning of a headache throb to life. She

consoled herself with the information that only a few blocks

separated her and home.

“You only have four contacts in your phone? That’s kinda

sad.”

She turned to look at him and recognized the small black

flip-phone in his hand. She patted her back pocket and realized

hers was gone.

“What? Give it back!” she said, swiping instantly for the

device.

He raised it out of her reach as he continued to snoop. “How

old is this thing anyway? Is it even capable of texting?”

With a huff of annoyance, she leapt up and pulled it out of

his fingers, snapping it shut and tucking it away into the safety of

her front pocket. “No, it’s not, it’s for emergency calls only,” she

said, taking a slight step backwards.

Chance’s eyes widened. He wrapped an arm around her

shoulders and pulled her out of the road a moment before a car

sped past. Luna lost her balance and tumbled to the ground, feeling

her knees rip open with the impact. She looked up at him

accusingly through a mess of black hair.

“That shit right there is exactly why I insist on walking with

you.” He folded his arms over his chest.

“You didn’t have to push me,” she said.

“Either that or let you get run over.”

She ignored him as she sat back and observed the fresh

wounds on her knees. They stung, and she knew her father would

not be happy with her for ripping her pants.

“Here, let me help you.” The sneering tone had vanished

from his voice.

Luna looked at his pale hand as it hung by her face and then

smacked it away. For all she knew, he’d push her down again. “I can

do it myself.”

She stood up and brushed herself off, all the while staring

at him hatefully as he looked up at her from the crouched position

he had taken. His mouth parted slightly, like he was surprised she

had rejected him again. Luna snorted. Moron.

As she stared back at him, she noticed the sun glinting off of

a silver object that stuck out a bit from the pocket of his black pants.

She squinted her eyes as she looked at it. What was that?

Chance looked back at her and saw her expression had

changed. He noticed where she was staring, and he stood up

straight; the silver object disappeared into the depths. He set his

hand in his pocket for a minute before he pulled it out again.

What is he hiding?

“What are you looking at?” His voice actually

sounded…nervous.

“Nothing.”

“Am I that captivating?” His teasing tone had returned.

“No, you’re not,” she told him, quickly losing interest in the

topic.

Luna took a step away from him as they stared at each other.

Neither of them had a single thing to say.

“Just leave me alone,” Luna said to him finally before she

turned and walked away.

Her speech had been said before, but Chance wasn’t worth

the effort it would take to come up with a new one. Besides, the

more time she spent there, the less she could spend at home in

peace.

Chapter Three

HANCE DIDN’T MOVE. He couldn’t move as he watched her go.

The look in her eyes when she had gotten herself up had been

pure hatred. He had never seen that expression aimed at him

before.

He thought his act of bravery would’ve done something to

melt the ice in her heart, but it didn’t work.

He reached into his pocket to reassure himself that his

favorite knife still waited there, tucked into the depths. Had she

seen it? He couldn’t tell for sure. Nobody knew about his knife, and

it needed to stay that way. It was his favorite sidekick when he was

in that mind.

Even when he was okay, he kept it with him. He never knew

when he’d need it—his time behind bars had proven that—so he

had it always. He tried to convince himself Luna hadn’t seen it. If

she had, she would’ve said something…questioned it. Yes, he was

positive of that.

He looked to the ground where Luna had fallen and noticed

the grass blades bent in a peculiar pattern. He knelt down and

C

noticed blood streaked across a handful of blades. He picked two

of them and tucked them into the pocket with his knife.

A sudden thought caused him to worry—what would Luna

tell her parents about him when they asked how she had injured

herself?

Rose, Luna’s mother, was an uptight business woman and

expected nothing less than perfection from her daughter. Luna’s

father, David, wasn’t as overbearing, but he was protective of her.

Chance knew that if Luna decided to say he had pushed her down

then he’d be in big trouble. He didn’t doubt her father would try to

strike up a harassment charge against him, which wouldn’t be good

for his record.

He had to fix the situation he had created, and he had to

make sure he did it brilliantly so no one could ever suspect his true

motives.

***

FOR THE REST of the walk home, Luna wondered what had been

hidden in Chance’s pocket. He had been so eager to hide it from

sight the moment her eyes had drifted to it…why? She frowned,

feeling like maybe it didn’t matter—it was his business.

She dragged her feet and groaned under her breath as she

finally pushed open the door to her house. She threw down the

backpack she had been carrying, already feeling better for the loss

of its weight, and sat down in the soft black armchair in the corner

of the living room.

Luna bent forward to start untying her shoes. Her father,

who had been sitting on the couch watching a sitcom, turned to

look at her as he noticed her arrival. His face looked a little bit

horrified.

“Luna, something happen at school?” he asked.

She looked up at him, surprised by his tone. “No, it was

same-old. Why do you ask?”

“You’re bleeding. Are you sure things are okay?”

“It’s fine. I fell is all,” Luna replied through gritted teeth as

she returned to untying her shoes. There was no way she’d tell him

about Chance. “You know how clumsy I can be, Dad, and when I’m

in a rush, it’s worse. It’s fine.”

“Did you get into a fight?” he questioned. “Or did you get

beat up?”

“No, Dad, why do you think that?” She didn’t look up at him.

“You seem agitated. Are you hiding something from me?”

“I’m not hiding anything.” Luna snorted.

He was silent for a moment, and she peeked up through the

strands of her dark hair to see him frowning at her. ”I wish your

mother were here. She’d know what to say to you right now. I’ve

never been good at talking to you about problems.”

“I don’t have a problem,” she said slowly. Could her dad hear

her, or did she only imagine speaking?

“Something seems off with you. If it’s female related, I

understand. I’ll let your mother know,” her father said, his voice

distant.

“Then why not call her? Bother her just to let her know her

daughter is a klutz?” Luna asked absently as she tossed her shoes

aside. With her mind wrapped in her plans for revenge against

Chance, she wasn’t worried.

“She said she’d be busy all week. I don’t want to interrupt

one of her meetings on accident.”

She scoffed quietly. “Then e-mail her if you’re so

concerned,” Luna uttered, getting up to walk past him. She couldn’t

be bothered by his nonexistent problems when she had real ones

to face.

He didn’t answer her, and she could tell he considered it;

that worried her. Luna’s mother wanted her to be perfect, and she

would extract the full truth from her at all costs. For the past year,

Rose had been stationed across the world in China and she

wouldn’t be home again until Luna graduated, which was months

away. David was a lot easier to deal with on a daily basis, but when

something concerned him, he always involved his wife before he

decided to do anything.

And that could be bad news, especially in times when he

persisted things which weren’t true. Luna knew her mother would

take his side, and she’d be helpless to defend herself.

She went into the bathroom. Frowning, she looked at her

bloody knees. They seemed even uglier in comparison to her white

bathroom floor.

There had to be some way she could get Chance to leave her

alone. It seemed as if every time he made an appearance,

something bad happened. She grabbed a washcloth off the nearest

rack and ran it under the water before she dabbed away the blood,

wincing as she did so. With a grimace, she slammed the washcloth

back onto the counter and left the bathroom.

Once she stepped into her room and sat down on her bed,

she realized nothing she could do would better her situation.

Chance had an annoyingly optimistic demeanor and that meant he

didn’t give up…no matter how bleak the situation.

“LUNA! COME HERE for a minute!” her father called.

Luna sighed and set Hamlet down once again. Hours had

passed since she had gotten home, and she wondered if her

‘problem’ still weighed on her father’s mind. She stood up and

peeked into the living room.

She didn’t see him from within the room. Luna left her

bedroom to go into the kitchen and saw him frowning at her almost

instantly. He stood with his arms crossed, and next to him, Chance

sat at the kitchen table. Rage filled her from head to toe at the sight.

He was everywhere.

Luna narrowed her eyes at him as she wondered why he

was in her sanctuary. He looked back at her. He wore a long-

sleeved black shirt, and the sleeves hid his hands as he peered at

her from under his long, bright blond, curtained hair with the

expression she hated most—his best innocent look. Panic struck as

she realized it could work on someone gullible like her father.

Chance was trying to cause trouble for her…again.

Chapter Four

HAT ARE YOU doing here?” she growled at him, forgetting

her father was there.

“Luna, he says you’ve been giving him a hard time at school,”

her dad said, sounding a bit unsure.

“Wh...What?” she asked in disbelief as her eyebrows pulled

together. “He’s the one giving me a hard time at school. I don’t do

anything to him! Every day he harasses me. He has his friends pick

on me too! I’m a total outcast because of him. If you don’t believe

me, you can even ask Violet. She’s seen him do it.”

“That’s not what he says. He said you always start things

with him, and he tries to stand up for himself is all.”

“What? No way. He starts things with me!” Luna growled,

clenching her hands into fists. “That’s why he’s here right now.”

“No, he says he asked to take you to dinner or a dance this

weekend and you tried to hit him.”

“That’s not what happened at all. He’s lying to you,” she

blurted out, glaring at Chance with all of her hatred. She couldn’t

believe he had come to her house and lied to her dad’s face. “Tell

“W

him the truth!”

Chance’s face remained calm, but she caught the twitch at

the corner of his lips as he fought back a smile.

“Tell me what really happened, Luna,” her father said,

tapping his foot as he waited for her response. By his tone, she

could imagine the accompanying eye roll he must’ve fought back at

the last minute. Proof he didn’t believe her.

“Look, I got too close to the road, and he pulled me back, but

I lost my balance and fell,” Luna babbled with a glance at the scabs

on her knees.

“Thank you for helping my daughter,” David said to him,

lifting his chin in an almost haughty manner.

Chance dipped his head. “You’re very welcome, Sir.”

“So…what? I’m off the hook?” she questioned hopefully as

she watched the exchange.

“No, you’re not, young lady. I want you to apologize to him.”

“No.” She jutted out her chin as she looked at Chance.

“Luna!” David tapped his foot again, slightly this time.

Luna’s lips pursed in a pout as she cast a sideways glance at

her father. “Dad, you know that doesn’t sound like me. Why believe

him?”

“Why would he come over to explain the situation if he

were lying? That doesn’t make sense, Luna.”

“He’s a sociopath who will do anything to get what he wants

because he’s twisted in the head. He’s trying to make me look bad.

Probably out of spite because I refuse to date him.”

Her father ignored her. “Luna, you’re on thin ice. I believe

him, and you insulting him in front of me doesn’t help your case

any.”

“Aw, Dad, come on. You don’t know a lie from the truth,” she

breathed, looking down at the ground. She felt so much betrayal, it

was heartbreaking.

How could he take Chance’s side over his own daughter’s?

It wasn’t right. Chance was too good at playing puppet master.

“And I called Rose too,” he tacked on as if he had just

remembered.

All her feelings of anger, betrayal, and hurt dissolved away

and were replaced with fear as her attention snapped to him. “You

called Mom? Why?”

“At first, I thought you had gotten into a fight. I didn’t want

her to be left out so I called her. I called her again after talking to

Chance for a bit, but I think you need to update her on what’s

happening now,” he said. “Rose always seems to know just what to

do.”

“I never tried to hit him!” she exclaimed. “I was trying to

mind my own business, but he just won’t leave me alone! Like right

now!”

“I don’t know why she keeps lying about this, Sir,” Chance

protested. “What I told you is the truth. I only wanted to be her

friend. I didn’t realize she had such a temper.”

“Just shut up!” Luna yelled at him. She was so tired of his

face, his voice, his lies…everything! Every day, he managed to make

her life a little bit worse and nobody believed her.

“Luna!” her father scolded her.

She winced as she realized she probably hadn’t helped her

case any by yelling at him in front of her dad.

“That’s a rude way to talk to guests, and you know it. I think

you owe him for putting him through all this trouble and not even

trying to apologize. You didn’t even tell me about this!”

“That’s because it never happened!” She emphasized her

words. “I don’t owe him anything.”

“Enough.” Her father shook his head. “This is getting

ridiculous.”

“You’re telling me,” she scoffed.

“Apologize to him now.”

Luna gritted her teeth as she looked at Chance. He lifted his

head, raising his eyebrows as the slightest smirk showed on his

face.

“I’m sorry,” she forced herself to say.

“Well, thank you,” Chance said, and she could hear the

smugness of his tone.

“I talked with Chance about it, and I think it’d be fair if you

went with him to get dinner tomorrow and then accompanied him

to the dance this weekend,” her father said.

“I think that’d be fair too, Mr. Ketz,” Chance added softly.

Luna’s eyes flicked to him for a minute, but she ignored him

as she looked back at David. “Come on, Dad,” she groaned as she

felt the last bit of strength slip away. She tried to keep her

composure, but her shoulders slumped despite herself. What a

nightmare. “Just ground me or kill me now. Whatever you have to

do, but don’t do this.”

“This is an order, Luna,” he demanded. “You are to do it, end

of discussion."

“Fine, whatever.” She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight

to one side. She could tell he had sided with Chance and there

would be no changing that.

“Good. Now, Luna, you need to call your mother back, then

straighten things out with Chance,” her father ordered, walking out

of the kitchen.

Luna watched him go with a handful of emotions coursing

through her. She wanted to follow him, to continue the argument

in the hopes of finding a way out of her punishment, but she forced

herself to stay in place. She clamped her eyes shut and took in a

deep breath through her nose as she reminded herself that it was

too late—nothing she could do would change her fate.

Chance leaned against his chair and looked fully smug as his

innocent expression disappeared completely.

“What a transformation,” she commented.

“What can I say? I got my apology after all, and whaddya

know? It looks like we have a date tomorrow,” he declared, a

haughty smile on his face. “And this weekend. What fun.”

“What is your problem? You know none of that happened!”

she growled. “Bothering me at school is one thing, but to come to

my home to start things is a whole new low…even for you.”

“Didn’t it?” he asked innocently.

Luna ground her teeth; his acting was good, she’d admit. She

turned away from him as she looked at the phone that hung on the

wall.

She would worry about him later. At the moment, she had

more important things to think about. She picked it up, staring at

the phone in her hand as the dial tone buzzed loudly. She knew her

mother wouldn’t be happy.

“Well, are you going to call her or aren’t you?” Chance

remarked. “Or are you too scared to call Mommy?”

She ignored him as she thought of her mom’s cell phone

number and dialed it into the phone slowly. She’d rather listen to

her mother’s lecture than Chance’s sarcasm. Luna stared at the

floor, chewing on her lip as she held the phone to hear ear. The

phone rang a few times, and finally, Rose answered.

“Hi, Mom,” she mumbled.

“Luna, I am very upset with you,” her mother said without

even a greeting. “I’ve only been away a few months, and you start

fighting other kids?” Rose asked, continuing in her rant with a

disapproving tone. Luna frowned; she felt ashamed, and she hadn’t

even done anything wrong! Her mother had a knack for that.

“Mom, I didn’t fight anybody. It was a misunderstanding…I

fell! That’s the honest truth,” she sputtered, taking a hesitant step

in desperation.

“Well, your father didn’t think so. He said that boy was

telling the truth. What was his name, Chance?”

“Yeah,” Luna uttered in defeat as she realized her mother

would probably take Chance’s side as well.

“Well, he sounds like a very nice boy in my opinion,” she

said. “Pulling you out of the road like that? You were lucky he was

there. He sounds like he could be a good friend for you.”

Luna rolled her eyes toward the ceiling—she wouldn’t

waste her breath mentioning the fact that she wouldn’t have been

in the road if he hadn’t been there. “I don’t want to be nice to him.

He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Luna! You were raised better than that,” her mother

countered, shocked at her words. “Did your father decide a

punishment for you yet?”

“Yeah, he said I have to go to dinner with Chance tomorrow.

That’s a fate worse than death.” She glared at him as she spoke.

He sneered back at her, but for once, didn’t speak.

“Now, don’t say things like that. I’m sure he’s a real nice

boy,” she said again. “And that sounds as if it’s a fair enough

punishment.”

“You haven’t met him. There’s something off about him.”

“You better be on your best behavior. I don’t want another

call like this, okay?” her mother scolded. “I have an important

meeting this week, and I don’t want distractions on my mind.”

Luna sighed. There was no point arguing with her…there

was no point in arguing with anyone, it seemed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” Her voice was firm. “Now, that’s a much more

pleasant attitude. I have to go. I love you.”

“Yeah, I love you too, Mom,” Luna replied, her voice

monotone. “’Bye.”

She hung up without listening for the reply and turned to

look at Chance. He smiled at her, and she felt her anger rise once

again. What was he so happy about?

“What?” she snapped as she crossed her arms over her

chest.

“Your mom didn’t disagree with David’s idea, did she?” he

asked, still smiling.

“I don’t know what you said to get them to believe you, but

their minds are set. You’re a special kind of evil.”

“Charm can be deadly,” he agreed. “Or at least mine can be.”

Luna ignored him and turned her back as she walked to her

room. Behind her, she heard a set of footsteps and knew he had

chosen to follow her.

“So much to do in such little time. I’ll have one of my friends

take you dress shopping before the weekend. And where are we

going to go tomorrow?” he inquired sweetly. “Any ideas?”

Luna laughed once. “You may have gotten my father to make

these crazy arrangements, but I’m still firmly on no.”

“You don’t have a choice…remember?”

“Why don’t you just go by yourself tomorrow? And for now,

why don’t you just go home? You already got me in trouble. You’re

done.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he pointed out.

“Because I don’t care where you take me. I hate you either

way,” she replied. “Hanging out with you for an entire night will

only make that much, much worse. Don’t think I’ll forget about

today anytime soon.”

“Hmm, I think you’re just shy,” he teased. “Since you’ve

never gone to a dance, I’m assuming you’ve never been on a date

before, either. That’s okay; I know you don’t have many friends. I

can take care of the planning—I already have a place in mind.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Are you nervous about being around me? You don’t have to

be.”

“No, right now I’m sitting a little south of nervous at pissed

off.”

She took a few steps into her room while Chance stayed just

outside the doorway. She clutched the handle of the door and

slammed it in his face, reveling in the feeling.

Her father would probably be mad about her rudeness

again, but she couldn’t care less. She was already stuck going out

with Chance for an entire evening…nothing her dad could do would

possibly make things any worse than they already were.

Chapter Five

HANCE STARED AT the door Luna had slammed in his face. She

wasn’t happy with him. He hadn’t expected her to be, but it

didn’t matter at the moment because his plan had worked to

perfection. He nearly beamed with excitement; he had won those

dates with her anyway, even though she had turned him down.

He was Chance Welfrey—he always got what he wanted.

He turned away from her door; he’d leave her alone. In the

meantime, he had something else he needed to do. He knew Luna

wouldn’t dress up for the dates, and that was fine for dinner, but

not for the dance. Not when he’d be with her in front of the entire

school.

She’d need to be flawless. He’d have to find some girls

willing to make her over, but who would do it? He frowned,

wracking his brains for the perfect people to ask, and his mind

finally selected someone.

He smiled to himself, knowing she wouldn’t refuse as he left

the Ketzes’ home to get in the black Honda Ridgeline waiting

silently for him outside.

C

“WHAT? YOU’RE TAKING her to the dance?” Susan asked, nearly on

the verge of a pout. “Why of all people would you take her?”

Chance looked at her, unamused—not the reaction he had

been hoping for. Susan was a rather popular girl—pretty, with a

heart-shaped face and waist-length brown hair—and was a

cheerleader on the same squad as Kate Red. Susan usually had a

beautiful, lacy white ribbon tied in her tresses. She didn’t look so

pretty now; her emerald eyes glittered with jealousy and her face

twisted in disgust.

“This is utterly ridiculous,” Kate said from across the room,

obviously siding with Susan.

“Yes, I’m taking her to the dance. Does it really matter why?”

He scoffed at Susan, ignoring Kate.

Maddie, a girl with dusty blonde hair and dark eyes, spoke

up from her spot on the bean bag chair on the floor. “I think it

matters a lot, Chance. I mean, she’s a loser. Do you want to put

yourself through that? You know everyone there will be judging

you for it.”

Susan’s sister, Sarah—a quiet girl with bright eyes—sat

beside Maddie on the floor, nodding in agreement.

“I’m taking her because I am,” Chance snapped, rubbing his

temples and trying not to let himself slip into that mind. There

were too many people around for that. He needed to keep himself

calm. “Now, will you help me with her or not?”

If not, this has been a colossal waste of time, he thought.

None of the four girls in the room spoke up, though they all

cast disbelieving glances at each other.

“So, what? You’re all gonna join up against me because you

don’t like what I have to say? C’mon, Susan, didn’t you say that you

wanted to be a makeup artist when you get out of high school?

Think of this as your greatest challenge yet, don’t shy away from

it.”

His words cut through Susan’s position, and instantly, she

changed her mind. A light seemed to push away the darkness of the

jealousy that had clouded her eyes a moment prior. Her mouth

parted slightly as she smiled. With girls like her, it didn’t take much.

“Hey, Chance, you’re right! I can do this…oh, now that I think about

it, it’ll be so great! We can find her a stunning dress and give her

some blush. Oh, she’ll look so pretty!”

“Now, that’s the attitude I was looking for,” Chance said,

proud that he was beginning to change their minds. He turned his

attention to the other three girls in the room. “What do you three

think? Pitch in? I’m sure Susan will want some help.”

She nodded. “As a matter of fact, I might need a tiny bit of

help.”

Maddie sighed, slumping her shoulders as she ran a hand

through her hair. “Yeah, I guess I’ll do it”—she said reluctantly—

“for Susan.”

“Me too,” Sarah piped up and looked down at her hands,

honestly not caring much either way.

Chance looked at the three girls, pleased they had agreed.

He knew they would’ve eventually. He was charming and

persuasive—girls were putty in his hands. He remembered that

Kate hadn’t spoken up yet, and he guessed it was time to put the

charm on her.

He turned to look at her. “Well, what about you? Are you

going to help?”

She stood up from the plastic pink chair she had been seated

on. “I’m not helping with any part of this plan. It’s absolutely

mental.” With that she turned to leave the room. Chance stared

after her in disbelief, feeling his jaw clench slightly.

Susan seemed to sense the tension between Chance and

Kate. She visibly struggled to find something to say. “Hey, I’ve got

the taste for a smoothie. C’mon, girls, let go get one.”

Maddie and Sarah agreed quickly and together they hurried

out of the room, leaving Chance alone. He hardly noticed them

leave.

He was focused on Kate.

He walked from the room and out the front door. Susan’s

pink car had already disappeared into the distance. Down the road,

he could see a small figure walking alone. It wasn’t quite dusk so it

was harder to see, but the way the shadows spilt across the grass,

he knew it was her. She didn’t have a car; she depended on guys

and her friends to drive her places.

He ran up to her and trotted beside her. She took no notice

of him as she kept storming along.

“You aren’t really this mad over me taking Luna to

Homecoming, are you?” Chance asked her, chuckling. “This is a

little ridiculous, don’t you think?”

She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled on him. “It isn’t

ridiculous. You’re Chance, and I’m Kate. The two most popular

people in the school. We’re supposed to go together and be the

Homecoming King and Queen! Now, we can’t! We’d have to end up

competing against each other and only one of us could win. Oh, it’s

all so wrong!”

There it was—the center of the maze, the shining light of his

problems. She lusted after his popularity…just like the rest of them.

“A little competition never hurt anyone,” Chance said,

shrugging, hoping she hadn’t seen him tense. “Now, will you help

me out with Luna?”

Kate growled angrily in her throat, the sound as fierce as a

wild bear, and stormed away down the road. “Men never

understand,” she called back.

He stared after her, feeling himself losing control. She

couldn’t turn him down…not after the day he had had. Like it or

not, he was slipping into that mind and it couldn’t be stopped.

Anger fueled him, and he charged over to her. He grasped her wrist

in one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist with the other.

“What the Hell are you doing?” she screeched, panicking

instantly, but he wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t. He ripped off the end

of one of her sleeves and crammed it into her mouth to keep her

quiet.

He dragged her toward his black Honda Ridgeline, which he

had parked a few doors down. When he reached it, he thrust her

inside and climbed in himself before locking all the doors. He

drove, and Kate let out a muffled shriek in the seat beside him. She

ripped the cloth from her mouth and turned to him to yell.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“Shut up, bitch,” he said to her without remorse.

He wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t. Kate must have sensed it, and

she gave up trying to reason with him through words. She clawed

at the car door, obviously desperate, but it wouldn’t open. He didn’t

care though because he knew she couldn’t get out. If she did, the

results would be more deadly than he was. He kept driving,

heading out of the city, ignoring Kate’s hysteric sobs—he had heard

many like them in the past.

Outside, trees flashed by, and he grew closer and closer to

being away from the town.

“Chance, please don’t do this!” Kate’s sob rose up.

He ignored it, noticing the trees which surrounded him. He

had reached his end destination and Kate’s final one. She screamed

a loud, piercing sob of desperation, too deep into her hysterics to

do much else. He stopped the car, and Kate clutched his arm, her

bright pink nails digging through his shirt and into his skin.

He slapped her hand away, knowing she wouldn’t give him

the chance to make a proper ritual of her death. And of course he

couldn’t let her go…not when she had been exposed to that mind.

No, he had to get rid of her, and he would do it quickly before she

got away.

He grasped for his trusty knife and pulled it from his pocket.

Her eyes widened at the sight. She threw her back against the door

but it didn’t budge. She knew what was coming—he had seen that

look in a lot of people’s eyes—but he didn’t give her the chance to

speak. He hated when they asked him “why” as if he had to explain

himself. He tangled his fingers deep in her hair, pulling back and

leaving her throat bare, then sliced the white skin.

She gurgled as blood poured from the wound, cascading like

a broken dam of crimson. Chance clicked off the locks in the car and

kicked open the door beside her so she would fall to the ground.

She lay there in the dirt, bleeding but not moving. Shock had taken

her over. He stared at her for a moment to make sure she wouldn’t

run. Even if she did, she wouldn’t get far. She reached up to her

throat, the crimson smearing onto her hand as she desperately

tried to slow the bleeding.

Chance climbed out of the truck on the driver’s side. He

walked around the truck and stood over Kate. With his fingers, he

etched a quick five-pointed star into the dirt beside her, making

sure to dig it as deep as possible. It wasn’t his best work, but it

would have to do. He grabbed Kate and pulled her toward the mark.

She left a bloody trail from the truck to the pentagram,

turning the dirt a mud color that didn’t quite look maroon in the

rapidly-fading light. She still had enough strength in her to kick at

him when he tried to move her, but her attacks were weak and

feeble.

They would stop soon.

He dropped the body onto the pentagram, and her blood

quickly filled the wells. He noted how the wounds in the dirt

seemed to weep with her blood before he went to the back of his

truck. He pulled up the tarp, which revealed a few white garments

of clothing, a tank of gasoline, and a toolbox that contained nothing

but a small box of matches. He pulled out a pure white dress and

went back to where he had left Kate. She was dead, lying stiff with

her own blood staining her in a thick river from her throat all down

her torso. Her wide eyes stared at nothing. He set the garment

down and dropped to his knees beside the pentagram, cautious of

landing in any of Kate’s blood.

“Forgive the improper ritual, my lord,” he whispered. “But

regardless, I give you her soul to take.” When he finished chanting, he turned his attention back to Kate

and pulled out his blood-soaked knife. Some of it had wiped off

onto the inside of his pocket. He’d have to be sure to burn his

clothes later. He turned the knife toward Kate, ready to finish his

work so he could dump her body and go back into his phony mind

frame again before anyone noticed he was gone.