Fractured Light Read Free Page A

she had insisted on telling me the same story over and over until I had it memorized. Even my father had asked her once, “Can’t you tell her a different story, Ella?”
    “No,” my mother answered. “Llona needs to know Light’s history. The truth.”
    “She will know the truth because she has us.”
    “Let’s hope so.”
    Their hope had been in vain.
    *     *     *     *     *
    Cries rose in the darkness, but they were no longer the angry voices of a mob; they were cries of surprise. The doors on both sides of the gym opened, spilling light from the hallways into the blackened gym and onto the basketball court. This time when a teacher yelled to exit, students listened.
    “Was that insane or what?” May asked.
    I didn’t answer. Mentally shutting the lights off had weakened my body.
    May touched me in the darkness. “You okay?”
    “Yes,” I mumbled.
    Students on our bench stood up to leave. “Let’s get out of here,” May said.
    She followed the Stoners out, but I remained still, allowing some time for my strength to return. A tall male form stepped up the bleachers. He looked like a muscular shadow, floating gracefully toward me. His movements seemed so fluid I was surprised to hear the bleachers shake from the weight of his footsteps.
    “Are you all right?” a voice in a heavy English accent asked. Suddenly my weakness returned tenfold. Apparently I had a thing for men with accents.
    He touched me on the shoulder when I didn’t immediately respond. “Do you want help down?”
    I shook my head, unable to speak, but I did manage to stand. Just barely.
    “Can you see okay in the dark?” he asked beautifully and perfectly.
    “I think so.”
    “Good.”
    I followed him down the bleachers as if walking a tight rope. When we entered the crowded hallway, the man, probably a teacher, turned from me and disappeared into a sea of students. I never saw his face, but judging from the back of him, I knew he had to have a nice one.
    After a few deep breaths, I turned the opposite way and slowly headed toward my locker. Like always, I kept my head down and followed the steadily moving line of students. All of a sudden, for a reason I couldn’t explain, I glanced up. Standing against a row of lockers was the same boy who had saved me earlier. My SEAL. He stared at me with a confused expression, probably just noticing how strange I look.
    I knew my appearance was different, shockingly so. My ghostly pale skin appeared to melt into my blonde, almost white hair, making my eyes stand out like the blue of an Arctic wolf’s. The only half-compliment I’d ever received (other than from my parents) was from one of Jake’s friends. He said I was really pretty, in a freakish, Tim Burton sort of way. I guess there are worse things than being compared to a ghoul, but I couldn’t think of one.
    Just then his brow furrowed and his mouth turned down. What was that all about? I’d done nothing to him. I quickly looked away, but when I thought I’d walked far enough past him, I turned back around. The boy still stared, appalled, like I’d killed his dog or something. Was it possible that he could’ve known what I’d done back in the gym? I thought about it the whole way to my next class and well into Mrs. Simmons’ lecture on Shakespeare. Impossible. No one could have known. He must be mad for some other reason; maybe he was upset I’d fallen into him. I shrugged it off. Oh well. One more person who thinks I’m mentally deranged.
    Mrs. Simmons, who always wore too tight of clothing for her bulging frame, said, “Shakespeare wrote, ‘So, ere you find where light in darkness lies, Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes.’ Can anyone tell me what you think he was trying to say?”
    For the third time in my school career, I raised my hand. I couldn’t help it. This was one of my favorite quotes.
    “Yes, Llona?” The whole class turned and looked at me.
    “It means you can’t find light