Chapter 1

I had to get to my dorm because otherwise, my headache would get worse. It was late, the street was empty, and I acted paranoid. I moved from one streetlight to the next, paying close attention to my surroundings. There was traffic on the street behind me, crickets and cicadas sang in the park ahead of me, and no one seemed to be nearby. Yes, I was new to the city, but I was in pain and only sleep could offer relief.

I turned the corner and the lights of my dorm came into view. Unlike the surrounding buildings, which had dark windows and ground-level spotlights that drew attention to the building’s name but did little to make a new student feel safe, Trinity House was brightly lit, offering a glimmer of relief that I would soon be curled up under my blankets and drifting off to dreamland – not to mention, release from pain.

The pressure in my head grew noticeably. I closed my eyes, held my head, and stumbled to a stop. The pain didn’t ease any, but when I could think again, I tried to reason out what had caused the change. I hadn’t hit my head, and nothing seemed any different from every other time I’d had a headache. Even when my headaches had been at their worst, I had never noticed a sudden increase like this. So, what caused it?

I didn’t get an answer to my question, but I suddenly knew someone was nearby. I knew it as well as I knew I was still standing. I looked around. The streetlights seemed to point out shadows rather than chase them away. I didn’t see anyone. Whoever was there, they were very quiet, very still.

I walked out onto the street and continued toward the dorm. There was plenty of traffic on South Cooper, but West Nedderman was barren of vehicles. I looked around again and thought my decision was a good one. If anyone came after me, I could make a mad dash for the dorm. I ran cross-country in high school. I wasn’t the fastest, but if I had a good head start, I could out-distance anyone.

Once I was clear of the building, I spotted the person who had come to my awareness. It turned out to be two people standing in the shadows around the corner of the same building. How did I know? How could I tell it was two people if they were standing in the shadows? By their auras.

Headaches weren’t the only thing I had suffered from for the last several years. For as long as I’d had chronic headaches, I had also seen clouds of color around people. It took me a while to conclude that I was seeing everyone’s auras. I read plenty of books on the subject and none of them described what I saw. I had considered talking to someone about it on several occasions, but who would believe me? Therefore, I kept it a secret. Besides, it could be very useful at times, like now.

For a moment, I slowed down and watched the couple. I watched how their auras pressed against one another. I had seen a lot of aura mingling in high school and thought I had a good handle on when a couple was really into one another and when they weren’t. These auras were pressed against one another, but not blending. The couple may have been attracted to one another physically, but certainly not emotionally. With that thought, I understood what was happening. The couple was kissing, making out. I was sure it was just a one-night stand in progress. They simply hadn’t moved on to a more comfortable and less exposed location for their final act yet.

I shook my head and turned away. Here I was, thinking something was wrong. Well, in a sense, something was wrong — with me. My friends took me to a party. At first, I didn’t think I’d have a good time, but then I met Rachel. We talked and I thought there was something more between us than a simple conversation, but my friends realized I had a headache and knew, as well as I did, that I needed to get back to my dorm to sleep. That could have been me in the shadows, with Rachel, but no. My condition had to intervene and ruin things. I wasn’t jealous of the couple in particular, but of what they had, what they enjoyed, what I had never known.

I took a deep breath, looked up at the sky and all the missing stars, and let out that breath slowly. My feeling of frustration left with that breath, replaced by something better, something good. I had friends, but it wasn’t the same thing. I loved my family, but again, that was different. If Rachel liked me, then this headache may have only ended the night, but it didn’t necessarily mean the end of what could develop.

I looked at the dorm again, ready for sleep, ready for the night to be over and morning to arrive. I was looking forward to tomorrow and began walking, but only three paces later, a startled yelp brought me to a stop. From the sound of it alone, I knew it was the man by the building. It could have been anything. It could have been something simple. The woman could have been too rambunctious and bit his lip too hard. However, something about his tone wasn’t right.

A longer, deeper groan made it to my ears.

I turned back around to see what was going on and found the man alone. He stood with his back against the wall, his head rolling side to side, and a hand clutched at his chest. I watched his other hand stretch out along the wall, his nails digging into the bricks. His head turned my way. I couldn’t see his expression, but I could see his aura. Fear streaked through it, like miniature boats leaving wakes in the water. I had never seen shifts like that before, not so extreme. Whatever scared him so much frightened me as well.