"Hey, I did nothing! I didn't even pull my bear forward this time," he said defensively, holding his hands up.
"Hey! Pictures, come on!" Aeson called, pulling me away from Lach and dragging me to the photo backdrop. A photographer stood in front, waiting for us to all get in place and directing us to stand closer.
"Alright, say an animal on three! One, two, three!" he shouted as Tristan and Aeson each kissed my cheeks. I started cracking up as soon as he lowered his camera. "Pickup is over there!" We followed his directions to the nearby booth, Aeson handing over his card and asking for six copies. He handed them out to each of us, letting us see before tucking them back in the envelope for safe keeping. The picture was perfect. My smile was huge and genuine as they kissed my cheeks. Calev had a small smirk on his face, Evander a bright smile, and Lachlan with his boyish grin. It was perfect.
"Alright, let’s go see the chimps, and then the otters. Then we should probably get back before dinner. I don't want to drive in the dark and not be able to see our shadow," Calev said, and nobody bothered to argue.
"You had me at otter," I joked, happily walking ahead. We spent the next thirty minutes laughing as the zookeepers showed us the tricks they’d taught the chimps to perform, rewarding them with fruit. Then, I finally managed to drag the guys away to the otters. They had their own little river that they lazily floated around in. Surprisingly, the viewing window was empty, giving us the perfect spot to see them. I sat on the edge and watched them swim, squealing as the otters came to play with me. If I tilted my head, they'd mimic me, even swimming up and studying me or showing off for me.
"Why is she so adorable?" Evander groaned, smiling down at me as I twirled for the otters and watched them swim in little circles to mimic me.
"Don't be jealous I'm a badass sea witch, and you aren't," I said with a peal of laughter.
I finally let them drag me away with the promise of a stuffed animal from the gift shop. By the time we walked out of there, I had a big stuffed otter, a new t-shirt that said 'Otterly Amazing', and a cute water bottle. Despite my protests that I could pay for it myself, Evander insisted, handing over his card before I could.
Just as we passed the zoo gates, my guys a few steps ahead while I adjusted my hold on my souvenirs, a hand clamped around my wrist and yanked me away. My new gifts dropped to the ground, the bottle clattering loudly and causing the guys to turn as I was pulled around the corner. I tried to pull away, but the cold grip on my wrist felt like stone.
"Don't fight me, I'm saving you from them," the man grunted, pulling me into a nearby set of trees, obscuring us from view. My panic surged through my body as flashes of Alistair flooded my mind.
"Let me go, now," I said, trying to use my siren song, but my panicked mind was not letting me. I took a breath, knowing he wouldn't get far with me. I had a vampire and a tracking bear on my side. With that thought, a sense of calm washed over me. I wished I had powers like Calev, then I could escape, since my siren powers weren’t working for me. At that thought, a thin cloud of shadow surrounded me, leaving the guy sputtering awkwardly, but still not letting go. Using his surprise to my advantage, I brought my fist to his wrist, forcing him to drop my hand. Once I was free, I started to sprint back in the guys’ direction, running straight into Aeson’s arms.
"Lennox?" he asked, confused. Realizing the issue, I mentally let go of the shadows I was apparently still using to cloak me.They dissipated as easily as they manifested, and I looked up to find Aeson's relieved eyes meeting mine.
"Did you just control shadows?" Calev asked, his eyebrows furrowing. "And what the fuck just happened?"
"A man dragged me away, saying he was trying to save me from you guys. My song wasn’t working, so I wished I had powers like Calev, and then I did. They weren't very strong, though," I explained as I tried to calm my breathing.
"Let's go, but someone stay behind for Evander. He ran after you, but the crowd got in the way," Aeson explained, leading me to the car. The others joined us a few minutes later, Evander's fangs in full view as the silver danced in his eyes.
"Who was he?" I wondered aloud, not really expecting an answer. "And what am I?"
Nobody had an answer for me, all of us still shaken from the attack. The fact that they did it in a crowded place, and in broad daylight, baffled me. The reality of the situation hit me then, that I was no longer safe without the guys. I know they’ll argue if I say it out loud, but I really hate the idea of being a burden on them.
"Can we just talk about why she has fucking shadow power now?" Evander said, looking pointedly at Calev, who refused to take his eyes off of the road.
"We connected, that's probably why. It's not like I could have done it before. Plus, I tried to use speed and nothing happened, so it's not like it’s a latent power of mine. I've wanted to disappear plenty of times, trust me," I rambled on, taking the heat from Calev.
"So, eventually you'll be able to control all of our powers?" Lachlan asked, looking from me to Calev.
"I didn't feel a drain of power or anything, so it has to be something she's capable of on her end," Calev said quickly, pressing down on the accelerator and making a quick turn.
"That's interesting. I wonder if you'll be able to shift?" Lachlan's voice was full of excitement now, but I just felt relieved they didn't call me a freak, or too much trouble to deal with, before kicking me out of the group.
"We. Aren't. Going. Anywhere," Tristan said slowly, giving me an exasperated look. "Evander was just trying to figure it out."
"I was. Sorry, Doll. It's just so odd, you're like a puzzle we can't figure out. A piece is missing or something," he said distractedly, running a hand through his messy black hair.
"I don't know if that man was with the Citrine Knights, or not. What if he was sent by her parents or something?" Aeson asked as he bounced his leg up and down. Clearly, they were all freaking out a bit, but so was I.
"There are just so many damn questions surrounding me. This is crazy," I mumbled, staring out at the town passing by as we made our way back to campus. "Is that car still following?"
"No, I lost him at the traffic light with a well-timed turn. Don't leave campus without us, though, please," Calev said. He sounded more shaken up than I’d expected, which only made my nerves worse. "But now more than ever, we need to stay here and figure out your powers."
"Agreed," we all said in unison. A shudder shook through me at the thought of strangers running tests on their newest mystery. Fuck that, I'd rather stay here and figure it out... and we will figure it out.
"My otter!" I cried out, shuffling through the coats and bags around me. "Tell me someone grabbed him!"
"We did, on our way back to the car," Evander said, grabbing the bundle of items off of the floor and tossing it back to me.