Dark One- The Khiara Banning Series Book 1

Fourteen

“Are you kidding me?” I say as I get to my locker. It’s open again, and as I search through its contents I find that though nothing’s been taken, as usual, something has been added instead. On the little hook I usually keep my mirror on (I took the mirror off recently because it was dirty, so I wanted to take it home to clean) is a necklace pendant. The design is simple yet beautiful, intricate brass wings wrapped around a ruby heart as if protecting it by simply cradling it.

“What on earth?” a whisper escapes my mouth without my permission. I don’t know how long I stand there before Cara nearly stops my heart by tapping my shoulder.

“Uh,” she says as I turn around and slap her hand away while simultaneously stuffing the necklace in my pocket with the other hand, “everything okay over here?”

We seem to be at a standstill until she frowns and looks down at my pocket. “Wanna explain what’s in there?” My cheeks heat up something terrible and I shake my head. 

Cara reaches out slowly and panic builds in my chest, “It’s nothing, Cara seriously stop.” Her eyes narrow, “Khiara, with you…with you it’s never nothing. Now explain.”

Sighing, I reach into my pocket and produce the necklace. “This was on my mirror hook. My locker was open again, nothing was taken as usual…but,” I clear my throat, “I don’t know why they’d leave this only now? Why break into a locker repeatedly, take nothing every time, and then finally decide to leave me with this?” I dangle the necklace out in front of us and Cara takes hold of it. 

“This is beautiful,” she breathes as she examines it. “But it’s also really sketchy. I mean I’m all for secret admirers but the whole breaking into your locker thing is like, out of hand. And then just poof, they decide to give you a little gift. I don’t know, Ki-ki, I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I,” I murmur as she hands it back to me. Placing it in my pocket I turn around and reach into my locker for my books just as the warning bell rings.

“Let’s just get to class,” I say. “I figure we can talk about this later.”

~*~

By the middle of the school day, we still haven’t had any time at all to talk about the necklace. It has been burning a hole in my pocket all day and as I sit in History class, I can’t help but reach into my pocket as Mr. Burnette drones on in that annoying voice of his about nothing to do with the lesson. As soon as my fingers touch the necklace, something strange happens.

Everything in the room completely stops. It’s like suddenly, everybody but me is frozen in place. From the seat next to me, Jake Pellinger’s finger is halfway up his nose. Mr.Burnette is in the middle of gesturing towards the board where there’s a crude drawing of a cat walking under a ladder right next to a list of some of the most influential people in history. Most of the students have a bored look plastered to their faces, and as I look around the room, I can actually make out the dust motes in the light of the window; frozen as if mid dance. I find that I am hyper aware of everything; every breath that fills my lungs every blink of my eyes. 

And then it all goes back to normal as if nothing’s happened and I’m left with a very confused and probably hysterical look on my face. 

Mr.Burnette stops gesturing at his ridiculous drawing. “Miss Khiara,” he says, concern colouring his voice, “is there something the matter?”

I can only blink up at him and whisper, “There’s very something wrong with me.”

~*~

“So,” says Lucille, the school’s guidance counsellor from the chair across from the couch I’m sitting on. “Tell me why you’re here today. I’d like to hear your feelings before I give any input.”