Tala Prophecy: The Complete Series Read online

  Laying the last of the folded clothes to the side, Reagan headed to the break room to gather her things. She pulled her purse and phone out of a small locker. Four messages from Dex. She really did need to get back to him, but it could wait until tomorrow. She was exhausted, but she was also avoiding him.

  When she arrived to work earlier that evening, she parked farther away than usual. None of the other employees were walking in the same direction she was. Many times she’d ventured out into a dark parking lot and never thought a thing about it. But so much was different now. There was probably no need to be scared, she was in the middle of suburbia not out in the wilderness, but the darkness bothered her more than it used to. She reached into her pocket for her keys. Panic started to set in as she dug through her purse. Her heart beat faster with every second. Still no keys. Then it dawned on her; they were in her coat. Unfortunately, her coat was back in the break room. With a sigh and drooped shoulders, she turned to head back in.

  Max, the security guard, recognized her. “What’s up, Miss Reagan?”

  “I left my coat, which has my keys. I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Good thing you caught me. I was about to lock up.”

  Reagan grabbed her coat, relieved to find the keys in the pocket. Max offered to walk her out, but she declined. More than ready to be home, she jogged to her car. Within feet of it, she sensed something. Nothing specific, more like the feeling of someone gently brushing her face with a feather. Chills ran down her spine. She fumbled for her keys, almost dropping them, and tried to hit the button to unlock her doors. Something akin to Spidey-sense overwhelmed her, and her breathing was reduced to short gasps.

  Swiveling her head from side-to-side, she swore she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Scrambling to unlock her doors, she accidentally hit the wrong button. Hearing the beep of the trunk popping open startled her. She ran to the back of the car to slam it back down, but fear and adrenaline took over and she dropped the keys. She dove to the ground, feeling around for her only way out. With trembling fingers, she reached under the car and retrieved them. By this point, she was shaking so hard it was all she could do to push the small unlock button. Focus, Reagan, push the damned button! she screamed in her head. Then she heard the click.

  She jumped into the car, slammed the door, started the engine, and peeled out of the parking lot. Needing to feel less alone, she picked up her cell phone and tried home. No answer. Desperate, she dialed Dex.

  He answered on the third ring. “Finally, I wondered if you’d ever call.” Judging by the snarl in his voice, she guessed he was irritated.

  “Sorry, I’ve been busy. Would you talk to me until I get home? I got a little spooked in the parking lot at work.”

  “Talk about what?”

  “Anything.”

  “Okay,” he said, stumbling. “When do you have a night off? We haven’t been together in a long time.”

  “A lot happened during that time,” Reagan said, sorry she called him. It was great his only problem was the last time he got laid, but she had bigger issues to deal with.

  “Why don’t we go to the movies or something?”

  Reagan exhaled. She knew she couldn’t avoid him forever, and his suggestion was innocent enough. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’m off tomorrow night, actually.”

  “Damn, I’m not. I always seem to get the Friday shift. What about Saturday?”

  “Nope, I’m working. Sunday afternoon?”

  “Good. Let’s do it,” Dex said. “I’ll pick you up at four. We’ll grab something to eat and head to the movie. What do you wanna see?”

  Reagan knew her answer would shock him. “Something funny or maybe a romance.” She had no need for action, suspense, or violence. The only thing she wanted was a light escape.

  “Wow. Really? Okay, I’ll check out what’s new and text you later. Are you almost home?”

  Reagan was turning onto her street. “Yes. Thanks, Dex.” It was sincere; she’d needed to hear someone’s voice to distract her from whatever she saw back in that parking lot. She parked the car in the driveway and headed inside.

  The house was dark, and everyone seemed to be asleep. She tapped on her parents’ door. Mom called out, “Reagan, is that you?”

  “Yes, I just wanted you to know I was home,” Reagan answered. Before she finished the last word, her mom was opening the door.

  “I’m so glad you’re home.” Mom enveloped Reagan in a huge hug that lasted a long time. “I’ve been worried with both you and your dad out.”

  “Where’s Dad?” Reagan asked. Being out late wasn’t like him.

  Mom walked back over to her bed and sat down. She leaned back against her pillows and let out a sigh. “He’s out. Don’t worry, he’ll be home soon. I’m tired, and I’m sure you are, too.”

  Feeling dismissed, Reagan backed out of her mother’s room and gently closed the door. After the disturbing evening, Reagan didn’t want to sleep. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something, or someone, was watching her—maybe following her. Her mom was incapable of offering support, but Nana would. Reagan stopped by the kitchen for a snack and then headed to the guest room in the basement.

  As soon as she rounded the corner of the stairs, she saw the light seeping from under the door. Before she could get there, Nana opened it. “Glad you’re home. I feel better when you and your mother are here.”

  “Nana, I don’t wanna go to sleep yet. Do you mind if I hang out with you for a bit?”

  “I’ve got one better. Why don’t you change into your pajamas and come back down? We’ll have a sleepover like we used to.”

  Reagan started to protest, knowing she was too old to crawl into bed with her grandmother, but needed the comfort and safety. “Great. Be right back.”

  Once upstairs, Reagan brushed her teeth, grabbed a pillow, and changed into her Hello Kitty pajamas within a few minutes. She figured the Hello Kitty pajamas were a wink back to her childhood. She went back downstairs.

  Nana was watching a cooking show. Reagan went around the side of the bed, pulled back the covers, and got in. She laid her head on Nana’s shoulder. “I love you, Nana. I’m so glad you’re here.” Should I tell her about tonight? Reagan wondered. Before she could decide, she slipped off to sleep. As she faded, she swore she heard strange mumblings from the little old lady lying nearby.

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  Sunshine filtered into the room, and Reagan started to wake. She threw an arm over her eyes to help with the adjustment. It was the first really good sleep she had in ages, one without any medication or dreams. Pulling her arm off her eyes, she looked over to find the bed empty. Nana was already gone. Reagan sat up and looked around. On the bedside table was a picture of a young couple. Reagan wasn’t sure who it was, but the younger lady looked a lot like her mom. She picked it up but almost dropped it when Nana’s voice rang through the room.

  “That’s me and your Papa, back in the day,” Nana said from the doorway.

  “He’s handsome, and Mom looks so much like you,” Reagan said.

  “As do you. Did you sleep well last night?”

  “Yes,” Reagan said. Why did she feel like she should be thanking Nana for that?

  “Sweetie, I have two things I want to give you. They’re both special to me, and I hope they’ll become very special to you.” Nana handed over a small gift bag with pink tissue paper sticking out.

  Reagan took the package and pulled off the top layer of paper. Inside were two wrapped items. She opened the biggest first. It was a candle with a strange symbol carved on its side. She rubbed her finger over the image. It looked like a bird’s footprint but with a longer line coming down from the center. “What does it mean?”

  “I’ll tell you once you open the second one. Go ahead.”

  In the second package, Reagan found a silver chain with a silver medallion dangling from it. The same symbol was emblazoned on the metal. She looked up at Nana for answers.

  “It’s call
ed Algiz, and it’s a symbol for protection. Put the candle by your bed and wear this for me. They’ll bring you, well, let’s call it good luck,” Nana said.

  “I’ve never heard of it, but I love it.” Reagan made sure the symbol was facing the right direction and put the necklace on. “Thanks so much, Nana.” She put her candle back in the bag, got up, and kissed Nana on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re staying around for a while.”

  “I’m not leaving until I know you and your mother are doing okay. Your dad, too,” Nana said. “Now, head on upstairs. Your Nana’s got some things to do. I’ll check in with you later today.”

  Reagan did as she was told. She was hoping she’d run into her mom, but it didn’t happen. Checking the kitchen clock, Reagan realized it was just past ten o’clock in the morning. She picked up her phone from the charging station in her parent’s office and checked her messages. Serena and Aspen had invited her out for some shopping and a movie, and Dex had texted several times to check on her. She decided to give him a buzz.

  After two rings, he picked up. “Why didn’t you get back to me last night? I just wanted to know you were okay.”

  Maybe she hadn’t given Dex a fair shake since she’d been back. He was trying to be a good boyfriend, more so since her brother died. “I’m sorry. I was exhausted.”

  “Are we still good for Sunday?”

  “Sounds good,” Reagan said.

  They talked for a few more minutes. Mom walked into the kitchen and stared, so Reagan wrapped things up with Dex. “Good morning, Mom.”

  “Who gave you that?” Mom asked as she reached out to touch Reagan’s new necklace.

  “I did,” Nana said. Reagan wasn’t sure when Nana had come upstairs.

  “Mom, you know how I feel about these things,” Mom said.

  “Yes, I do, dear. But, you also know how I feel. I think we both want the same outcome. You have your ways of praying, and I have mine.”

  Reagan was confused again by the open hostility. She hesitated, and did a mental eeny-meeny-miny-moe to decide whether she should ask questions or not. Not won.

  “I’m going upstairs,” she announced. The two women seemed to be having a mental standoff, both of them unmoving, staring at each other with intensity. “Mom, do you mind if I go out shopping with Aspen and Serena this afternoon? We might even head out to a movie. I don’t work tonight, so it would be nice to hang out with friends.” She knew she was talking too much, but wanted to ease the tension in the room.

  “Sure, just be home early. I don’t like you out too late.”

  “Okay.” Reagan headed upstairs and pulled out her phone.

  A quick text to Serena and Aspen: SHOPPING & MOVIES A GO.

  Reagan went to her closet and pulled out some super-short denim shorts and one of her favorite Hollister t-shirts. Then she headed into the bathroom. Looking at her arm, she was astonished to find the scars were barely visible. It was nearly impossible to tell she’d ever been attacked.

  “Did you hear about the new kids?” Serena asked as they were walking around the mall.

  “New kids?” Reagan couldn’t remember the last time there were new kids at their school.

  “I met the boy the other day. So cute! He has a sister in middle school, but he’ll be a senior with us. I think his name is Rafe,” Aspen said.

  “Guess I’ve been in my own world. Where do they live?” Reagan asked, shocked at her need to know more. Granted, it was rare to have new kids in their neighborhood, but something more scratched at the back of her mind.

  “Up on Snowmass,” Serena said. “And I agree, Aspen, he is scrumptious.”

  “I didn’t say scrumptious,” Aspen said with a giggle. “But he is! By the way, I love your necklace, Reagan. Where’d you get it?”

  “Nana gave it to me this morning.” No sooner had Reagan said the words than she felt an odd discomfort.

  “Oh my God, that’s him!” Serena grabbed Reagan’s shoulders and turned her toward Dairy Queen and Old Navy, but Reagan only saw people she didn’t recognize.

  “Which one?” she asked.

  “Him, the guy with the plaid shorts and dark hair,” Serena said, adjusting Reagan’s angle.

  How did she not see him the first time? He was gorgeous—tall with dark, wavy hair and bronze skin. He had a magnificent body. “Oh, him.” Mesmerized, Reagan started heading in his direction. As she drew close, she saw he was looking at her. When she got within touching distance of him, an intense nausea hit her like a wayward truck. Realizing she was right by the women’s bathroom, she ran in, fell to her knees in the stall, and threw up. When she was done, she sat on the floor, exhausted and breathing heavily.

  Serena knocked on the bathroom stall door. “Reagan, are you okay?”

  “Yes, just give me a minute,” Reagan said. She stood up and all she saw were stars. She put a hand out to brace herself. A few seconds later she edged the door open. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened. It must’ve been that ice cream we had.”

  She went to the sink, grabbed a paper towel, and soaked it. Putting it to her forehead, she finally started feeling better.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Should we skip the movie?” Aspen put a hand on Reagan’s arm.

  “No, really, let’s walk over there. Getting outside will help, and sitting and watching a movie sure won’t make anything worse. Plus, I’m already feeling better,” Reagan said. She shook her head at the oddness of the situation; the nausea left as quickly as it came. It was hard to believe she was throwing up her guts a moment before.

  ↄↄↄↄↄ

  As Reagan settled into bed that night, she remembered her new candle was still in the gift bag in her bathroom. She’d put it there earlier when she was looking at her arm. When she went to get it, she caught the intense red of her arm. It looked like she had a fresh sunburn, yet she hadn’t been in the sun. In addition, hive-like bumps ran up and down the scarred areas. She twisted to get a closer look. Weird, it didn’t look so irritated this morning. She considered going downstairs to show her mom or dad, but didn’t want to worry them. Maybe I just did too much today.

  Reagan took her candle and placed it next to her bed on the nightstand. Realizing she still had on her necklace, she took it off and laid it beside the candle. She turned back the covers, and sat down. Needing distraction, she picked up her Sarah Dessen book. After a few minutes of reading, she decided to get up, open her window, and pull out her rotating fan. Her cheap parents hated turning on the air, especially at night, and she was burning up.

  Crawling back into bed, sans covers because of the heat, she turned out the light, put her head on the pillow, and wondered why she had such an odd reaction at the mall earlier. The last image in her mind before she fell asleep was the new boy.

  ↄↄↄↄↄ

  Darkness. Screaming. Searing pain.

  She tried to fight off the beast, but it only seemed to get stronger. It was definitely a wolf, but much bigger than any wolf she’d seen. At first, the golden eyes freaked her out, but the longer she stared, the more human, and mesmerizing, they were. Like no other eyes she’d ever looked into.

  “You will join us. It’s only a matter of time, Reagan.”

  Hearing the voice speak was bad enough, but listening to the wolf say her name was terrifying. She scrambled backward on the hard ground. When she got up to run away, she felt teeth sink into her neck. Agonizing pain caused her to fall again.

  “You can’t run from this. You’re one of us now.”

  ↄↄↄↄↄ

  Waking up to a pillow soaked with sweat, Reagan shuddered when she discovered it was still the middle of the night. She turned on the bedside lamp and allowed the light flooding through her room to calm her breathing. But her heart was still racing. With no intention of going back to sleep anytime soon, she went to the bathroom. When she passed the open window, a movement in the bushes caught her eye. Leaning closer to the glass pane, she swore she saw something run away. Turning back towar
d the bathroom, she heard something distant, like howling. That was the last straw. Something was happening to her—wolves in her dreams, ones that could talk to her no less; throwing up at the sight of some random boy in the mall; and eating her weight in bacon. Nothing made sense anymore. She ran down to the basement to find Nana.

  Reagan opened the door, not even taking the time to knock, and walked over to Nana’s sleeping form. Tapping her lightly on the shoulder, Reagan whispered, “Nana, are you awake?”

  “I am now, dear. Is something wrong?”

  “I had another terrible dream. Can I sleep with you?” Reagan asked, as she started crawling into bed.

  “Sure, sweetie. Where’s your candle and necklace?”

  “Upstairs, on the nightstand,” Reagan said.

  “You should always wear the necklace, and you must light the candle before you go to bed.”

  “Okay. Sorry, Nana, I didn’t know.” It all sounded a bit strange, but Reagan would try anything to get her life back to normal. Nana stroked Reagan’s hair as she snuggled under the covers. She found sleep a few minutes later.

  ↄↄↄↄↄ

  The next day, Reagan decided to ask her dad for a ride to and from work. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d asked him to do that, but she knew she’d be getting off late and didn’t want a repeat of the last night she worked.

  “Hey, Dad, do you mind taking me to work and picking me up?”

  He looked at her for a few seconds, head tilted and eyebrow raised, before answering, “Is something wrong with your car? If it needs gas or something, I can run and take care of it.”

  “No, my car’s fine. I just wanted . . . I don’t know. It’s no big deal if you don’t want to,” she said. She couldn’t explain her need to herself, much less to him.

  “No, you asked. I can do it. What time do we need to leave?”

  Reagan gave him the particulars and went upstairs to get dressed. She grabbed her necklace and threw on some clothes. Stopping for a quick scan in the mirror, she noticed her arm seemed less irritated and the redness had lessened.