Perfidious Read online

“Know what?” Greyson asked. He scratched the back of his head, but his face relaxed and his mouth opened slightly.

  I stared into Greyson’s green eyes, full of questions. But if he really didn’t know, I didn’t want to be the one to tell him, dragging him into the same situation as I was in. Telling him would split his world in two and bring him more danger than not knowing would. I had just started hanging out with him. I didn’t want to ruin his life. He was too good of a person for Perfidious.

  Greyson took a step towards me, and I found that I couldn’t remove my gaze from his eyes. Their green color reminded me of the moss that covered the trees in Perfidious. A wave of calm washed over me.

  Should I tell him? He really doesn't know about all this. I could just—

  Someone cleared their throat next to us. I took a step back from Greyson, and Noah took a couple hesitant steps forward.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Noah apologized. “Elisia, can I borrow Greyson for a moment? It will be quick. I promise.”

  I gladly took the escape. “No problem,” I said, forcing a smile.

  When I turned to head back to the party, Greyson took a couple steps to follow me, but Noah put his hand on his chest. I rounded the corner, out of sight, and pushed back my hair.

  Why did Noah intervene? Did he know? They did live together. Maybe Greyson confided in him.

  I didn’t intend to eavesdrop. It just happened.

  “Hey!” Noah shouted at Greyson, then softened his voice with concern. “What was that all about?”

  “She was asking me about my birthmark, Noah.” Greyson sounded confused.

  “What exactly does Elisia know?” Noah said, as if me knowing was a bad thing.

  “Something.” The hopefulness in Greyson’s voice broke my heart. “She thought I knew too, but…” Greyson paused. “But how would she know what it is?”

  There was silence for a couple seconds.

  “Do you think she has one?” he finally asked.

  “If she does, it’s covered, or it’s not on her shoulder. I didn’t see one there earlier,” Noah said. Noah’s voice grew louder, more confident. “Don’t worry, Greyson. If she knows anything, I’ll find out.”

  It didn’t exactly sound like a threat—more like a promise.

  I quickly returned to the crowd before they realized I was listening to the conversation.

  I spent the next hour talking with people about school and football, but I really didn’t pay attention to any of it. Most of the time, I just listened.

  My mind spun with so many thoughts.

  What would I do if he cornered me? I couldn’t lie to another half-breed, though I found it hard to believe he didn’t know. Was he lying to me?

  How would something like that happen anyway? It wasn’t like monsters could really hide what they were. Most of them stayed within the borders of Perfidious. They all knew they’d be outnumbered if another war started up. All monsters would be wiped out for sure.

  I shook my head and took a sip of punch. To calm down and distract myself, I started a conversation with one of the football players I met during lunch the day before. He started talking about his muscles, and I kept nodding like I was listening, but my mind was more focused on keeping Noah in my peripherals. It concerned me that he said he would find out, and I wanted to be ready if he tried something.

  A couple hours later, I realized Noah had done nothing to find out what I knew. He never talked to me after that, and Greyson barely even looked at me. He was also a host, so I guess he had to make the rounds along with Noah.

  Overreacting. I was just overreacting.

  I made the quick decision to talk to Kalvin about Greyson before I made any rash decisions. He would probably know a better way to approach the situation.

  When other people began to leave to go home, I began to look for Noah or Greyson to let them know I was leaving and to thank them for the party. However, as I walked around a crowd of people, an elbow pressed into my arm, pushing me back. My feet connected with the edge of the pool.

  I gasped.

  For a moment, my body seemed suspended in mid-air.

  I hit the water hard, my bare back stinging from the impact. Consumed by the water, I instinctively held my breath and closed my eyes, flailing my arms and legs to get out. Breaking through the surface, I coughed as I tried to take in too much oxygen at one time. I moved to the stairs.

  Noah stood on the third step of the entrance into the water. My shock faded.

  "You okay? I saw you fall in,” Noah asked, concern written on his face…along with something else.

  “I’m fine,” I said, wringing out my hair as I got out of the pool.

  He smirked. "Follow me. You can use one of my beach towels."

  I followed him into the house. Noah put his hand on my left shoulder as he led me up the stairs to a closet near a bathroom. He handed me a towel, and I wrapped it around me, glancing at my shoulder. My Anchor was becoming visible. I made a mental note to get some waterproof concealer and turned around.

  Noah just stood there with his arms crossed.

  In that moment, I realized Noah might be more clever than I gave him credit for. His hand on my left shoulder flashed through my mind. He had thought to try to wipe off any makeup that might have been there. He probably pushed me into the pool, too. I seriously underestimated the guy.

  “So, I overheard you talking to Greyson about his tattoo. You’re acting like it was the key to a secret club or something.” He spoke accusingly, yet he acted like he was telling a joke.

  “I mistook it as something else,” I said, trying to play the game. “Thanks for the towel. Do you mind if I borrow it? I only live down the road.”

  “Sure,” he said, frowning. I turned to walk away, but he spoke up before I could descend the stairs. “Elisia?”

  I turned around to see his face, more serious than before.

  “Let’s cut the crap,” he continued. “You hid a tattoo with makeup, asked Greyson strange questions about his tattoo. I’m assuming you know something, and if I’m right, you should tell him. It’s been driving him crazy his entire life.”

  A risky move. He was outright confronting me. Did they even know anything about the Anchor? I imagined how I’d feel if I never knew about my elf side, or if I was born with a strange tattoo no one was able to explain. I could have played the dumb card, but I felt very conflicted about not telling him.

  “You’re his friend. What if it’s something he’d prefer to not know?” I countered. It’d be a lot for him to carry on his shoulders. His life would no longer be normal. “What if it put him in danger?”

  “Knowledge isn’t harmful. What people do with it is. Either way, he deserves to know.” Noah stood tall, a glimmer in his eye. It was the first time I ever saw Noah that serious. He knew he was right.

  So did I.

  I bit my lip as I stopped to think. Whether I told him or not, I knew I’d regret whatever decision I made. I just hoped he could handle the truth.

  “Fine,” I exhaled. “I’ll talk to him later.”

  Noah didn’t like my answer. “No, after the party. All three of us can sit down, and then you can fill in the gaps for us.”

  It would probably be a while until everyone left. That would give me plenty of time to figure out what I can say. Or what I should say.

  “Okay. Fine. But only after everyone leaves. I don’t want anyone overhearing us.”

  Noah’s toothy grin mocked me as he turned and started making his way down the stairs. I didn’t like the look he had on his face, so I followed him through the maze of people crowding the living room in front of the stereo. Noah turned the dial that controlled the music, and the room fell into a hushed quiet. Noah got on top of a chair and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered to him.

  Noah ignored me and spoke to the crowd. “Sorry, everyone, this has been an awesome party, but I have to cut it short.” He paused. Everyon
e started speaking at once. “I just got a call from my parents. They finished work early and will be here in an hour.”

  I watched the different reactions to the impending arrival of the parents. Some people immediately started for the door while others just looked disappointed.

  Noah got down from the chair and joined me.

  “What are you doing? I said after the party,” I whispered to him.

  “I know. And the party's over. Now, about that tattoo?”

  6

  It didn’t take long for Greyson to find us.

  “What’s going on?” Greyson asked as a wave of partiers moved around him, heading for the door.

  Before Noah could reply, someone came up behind us. Muscular, blonde hair, cute. Anthony from gym class carried a stack of dirty cups.

  “Noah, where’s the garbage bags?” he asked.

  Noah never dropped his everything-is-fine look. “You guys don’t need to help. Greyson, Elisia, and I can take care of it. Elisia lives closer than you guys, and I don’t want you involved if my parents show up earlier than they said.”

  A guy to the left of Anthony made a face. “Yeah, your mom can be pretty scary when she wants to be. Are you sure you can clean it all up in time?”

  “Yeah, we’ve got it handled. See you on Monday.” Noah said goodbye as he pushed them out of the house.

  Greyson was still dumbfounded, waiting for an answer. “Elisia, what’s going on?”

  “Noah’s being a sneaky jerk,” I answered as I watched Noah rush the last of the partygoers out the door.

  The house fell silent besides the whispered conversation between Greyson and Noah. I sat in a chair as I thought about what I would say. My entire life, I had been learning things about the world of monsters, but Greyson and Noah didn’t need to know everything right then. I needed to keep it to the point and answer as many questions as I could without scaring him.

  They walked over to join me in the living room. Greyson still looked unsure as Noah spoke. “Tell him.”

  They sat down, but Greyson’s eyes stayed locked on me, a mix of emotions in that one look.

  “How long have you had your ‘tattoo’?” I asked him, just wanting to clarify.

  Greyson’s eyes looked strong, unwilling to give up his secret that easily, but I continued to look at him with soft eyes, so he knew that I meant no harm.

  He sighed and his body visibly relaxed. “I’ve had it all my life. Noah thought it might have been genetic, but I don’t remember my mom having one.” His voice lowered. “Not that I remember much about her.”

  “Okay. Um. You’re not that far off. It’s a type of birthmark called an Anchor.” I paused. How could I explain? It wasn’t like I was trying to tell him he was secretly German or Irish or something. I leaned forward. “Everyone…like us…has one.”

  My lips thinned. Way to go, Elisia. How stupidly cryptic of you.

  “Everyone like us? But I didn’t think you had a tattoo…or Anchor…or whatever it is,” Greyson said, still confused.

  Noah scooted closer to Greyson and put his hand on his shoulder. “I asked some girls from our gym class. Cassie saw it the other day. She covered it up with makeup for the party.”

  To confirm what Noah was saying, I turned around in my seat and rubbed off what remained of the makeup covering my Anchor. I heard Greyson inhale sharply and could tell by the look in his eyes he knew it was different.

  “Our Anchors are formed when human blood mixes with monster blood in the womb. The mark signifies you’re not all human.” I paused, allowing Greyson to process what I was saying, but his facial expression didn’t change.

  “If I’m not human, then what am I?” he asked, looking down at his hands as though they weren’t his anymore.

  The flatness in his voice shocked me. He was taking in all that I was saying, listening fully. That cemented my decision. I wouldn’t hold back any information, no matter the truth. He would believe me, or he wouldn’t.

  “I don’t know. It’s not an exact science. Anchors can have similarities between species, but other than that, all Anchors are different. It’s hard to tell unless you show it to someone that knows all about Anchor designs.”

  “Is there really no other way to know?” Greyson asked, slouching against the couch, sinking into the cushions.

  He still wasn’t making eye contact with Noah or me.

  “I mean, the Coalfell Elders might have more information? I’m sorry, Greyson. I’ve never dealt with anything like this.”

  I felt bad. He came to me, thinking I would have all the answers, but I was only bringing him more questions. I shook my head. He probably didn’t know what I meant by Elders either.

  “There’s a panel of half-breed Elders that run a nearby village called Coalfell, just inside Perfidious.”

  “Perfidious? Coalfell?” Noah scoffed, acting like it was all a joke. He leaned forward with mocking eyes. “Where is this magical land? I would love to visit. Is it nearby?”

  My hands clenched as I moved to the edge of my seat. “This isn’t a joke, Noah. I’m telling the truth.” And also getting mildly irritated. “Why do you think so many people go missing in the Dead Zone? It’s because they’re killed by the monsters. They enter through the gates and can’t find their way back.”

  Greyson finally brought his head up. He looked over at Noah, whose grin lessened but didn’t completely fall.

  Noah raised his hands palms-up. “What? I’m sorry, Greyson, but she’s lying. I thought she could’ve told you something useful. I guess I was wrong for once.”

  Greyson opened his mouth to say something, but Noah cut him off. “I’m just saying I don’t believe her. She says you and her are part monster?” He turned to glare at me. “You both look human to me.”

  “It depends on the genes, dumbass. I’m half-elf, which means I would appear mostly human anyway. I just didn’t inherit my father’s looks, like the pointed ears.” I was getting really annoyed with Noah, so I turned my attention to Greyson who looked deep in thought. “It’s a lot to process. I know.” I stood, ready to leave. “But if you choose to not believe me, that’s on you.”

  Greyson stood up next to me. He smiled, but it seemed more nervous than excited.

  “‘Nothing is impossible.’ It’s the only thing I remember about my biological mom. She always told me that before she died.” He scratched his head and snuck a peek at Noah before looking back at me. “Will you take me to see the Coalfell Elders? If they have the resources to answer more of my questions, then I want to speak to them. Is there a way we can talk to them tonight?”

  I hesitated, still unsure if it was the best idea to bring him into my world. “Possibly…? We’d have to see if they’re available. Or we could always just go tomorrow. Coalfell isn’t too far away, about fifteen minutes on foot.”

  Greyson shook his head. “I want to speak with them tonight. If they aren’t, is there somewhere we can stay the night? That way we can talk to them first thing in the morning.”

  “It’s really not far. We wouldn’t have to stay the night.” I countered, taking a step back.

  But Greyson was persistent. “I’d rather talk to them as soon as possible.”

  Noah got up to stop us from going anywhere. “Not without me you’re not. I want to see proof that you’re telling the truth.”

  I snapped my head in his direction at his suggestion. “No. You’ll attract too much attention.”

  Noah crossed his arms and looked down at me. “What? Are humans not allowed in this fantasy world of yours?”

  “I didn’t say that, but only a handful of humans know about monsters and how to enter Perfidious. It’s not exactly safe—”

  “Then, I’m going, and you can’t stop me.” Noah crossed his arms.

  I took a step forward, ready to show him just how wrong he was, but I stepped right into Greyson.

  “Elisia, he’s coming with us. He’s like my brother, and he’s helped me figure this out so far. I want him
there.”

  I peered around Greyson at Noah’s smug face, then looked back to Greyson. His expression was soft, but his stance was strong. Neither one of them backed down.

  “It’s his death wish. Perfidious isn’t safe for humans.” I started walking to the door. “Anyway, I’m gonna go home to change and come right back. Then, we’ll leave.”

  I went home to change into jeans and a sweater. Mom caught me as I was heading out for the second time.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, her arms crossed.

  “It's really important, Mom,” I begged. “I don’t really have time to explain.”

  “That didn’t answer my question.” Her foot tapping echoed down the hallway.

  “To Coalfell.” I called back to her as I put my shoes on. “I’m going with a friend to talk to the Elders, then probably staying at Kalvin’s. Is that okay?”

  Mom was silent for what seemed like forever. “Fine. As long as you are with Kalvin. Text me if anything changes.”

  I nodded and was out the door before she could change her mind.

  Noah and Greyson were sitting on the front porch waiting for me. I motioned them to follow, and Greyson practically skipped down the stairs to my side.

  Shadows consumed the forest behind Noah’s house, but there was plenty of light to see where we were going. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have a path to follow or a compass to guide me. I knew where I was going.

  “Hey, Greyson,” Noah whispered, breaking the silence. “Did it ever cross your mind that she’s taking us out here to kill us?”

  “No, why would it?” Greyson snapped back. He kept his eyes forward, stepping over underbrush and broken tree limbs.

  Noah shrugged. “I’m just saying. We’ve been walking for almost five minutes now, and we’re heading to the area that’s impassable.”

  I grinned at Noah’s comment. “That’s because it’s spelled. People can only get into Perfidious if they go through a gate. Otherwise, it just seems like extremely thick foliage.”

  “Wait,” Noah chuckled, “you’re telling me there are wizards now too?”

  I glared at him. “No, I’m saying it's spelled. Druids used to exist that could perform some sort of magic, but druids haven’t been seen since Perfidious was created.”