Bastien

My lips could still remember the taste of Rell, my hands the feel of the curve of her waist pressed against mine. Has she only kissed me as a way to say goodbye?

We both tore through the forest, leaving the trail far behind as we followed the sound of the scream. Thorns and briars ripped at my clothing, and I watched as Rell struggled to make headway. I stopped for a moment, searching for that deep, thick pulse that I sometimes felt in the forest.

Normally I fought it, but today it swept over me, overwhelming and powerful.

My breath came easy and I turned to the left, the moon suddenly lighting a small path I hadn't seen until now.

"Rell, this way, I found a path!" I felt the pulse of the magic again, stronger this time, and looked to the horizon. There, just over the treetops, I could see it.

The Blood Moon. Not quite yet full.

One more night still.

One more night to change everything. . . Or to say good-bye forever.

I pushed myself faster, and finally burst out into a clearing, where Cat and Lorcan both stood. I could hear Rell just behind me.

"What happened? Did you see The Beast?" I spun in place. The clearing was quiet. I turned to Cat, whose eyes were huge, and her tights were ripped in places, a bit of blood streaming down her leg. Rell burst out of the trees behind us. Lorcan held his sword aloft, a bit of black blood staining the blade.

"Not the beast, just a gargoyle...." Lorcan said. He pointed to a creature half concealed in the bushes, smoke already dissipating up into the sky as it disappeared. "More creatures are beginning to come through, the Realms must be fully open. We should get to the dance."

I nodded, and turned back to Rell, resisting the urge to ask her if she were okay. Unlike Cat, who trembled, Rell had drawn the dagger at her waist and strode around the clearing.

I hesitated, wondering if I should comfort Cat, but someone beat me to it.

"Are you alright Cat?" Lorcan asked, his voice gentle.

Cat turned to him, and then suddenly reached up and planted a kiss full on his lips. Rell turned and our eyes met, both of us fighting down a smile at Lorcan's shocked expression.

"Well, umm, Rell and I are going to scout out the path back to the car," I tried to keep the laughter from my voice as Rell and I turned and started down the path back to the car. Behind us Cat and Lorcan exchanged soft words, but neither Rell and I turned or stopped to see.

Rell let out a low giggle that I'd never heard her make. "Did you see his face?"

"He looked like he swallowed a frog," I paused, and then, before I could stop myself, and because I'd seen the way Lorcan looked at Rell sometimes, I blurted out, "Were you and Lorcan ever together?"

Rell looked up at me in surprise, but I noticed that she didn't immediately deny it. Something churned in my stomach. Jealousy? It felt like an eternity of our footsteps on the forest floor before she spoke again.
"Not in the way you're asking. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. I was an orphan in the castle, but he always made sure I got fed and had a place to sleep. Then when we got older..." Rell paused again, looking up as a bird flushed from the woods and flew into the sky. "... he wanted more, and I didn't."

Now she looked over at me, something almost devious in her eyes. "We were never together like you and Cat were."

It was my turn to blush and stumble over my words. "Cat and I were never right for eachother."

"And do you think you'll ever get back together?"

"No," I said, without hesitation. "We are friends, and only that."

Rell bumped into my shoulder, and then looked back, to far behind, where Lorcan and Cat walked, talking in whispers. "Well, maybe each of our old friends have found a new friend." She winked at me.

"Maybe," I said with a smile. But at the same time, something clenched within me. I'd pushed Cat away, both because we never should have been together, but because being with me was too dangerous. And yet here I was, with Rell, walking through a darkening forest, and on the way to the dance.

I'd told myself we were partners, seeking out the Blood Rose together.... But when we'd kissed, I'd destroyed my ability forever to believe that lie.

Rell was going to get hurt if things kept going this way.

The forest seemed to fall dark too quickly, a chill settling over the woods. Though Rell's outfit wasn't nearly as revealing as Cat's, I still wondered if she felt the cold against her bare legs. I quickly looked out into the forest, suddenly realizing I'd been staring at her legs.

We walked two by two down the path, the crunch of our feet too loud. Even though the sun was gone, The Blood Moon cast a reddish glow over the night. When Rell shivered, I untied the cloak around my neck.

"Here, take this." I slung the cloak around her. For a moment I paused, my hands on my shoulders. In the moonlight she seemed even more unbearably beautiful. I wanted to lean forward and kiss her again. Instead I looked away.

Lorcan and Cat finally caught up with us, neither showing any embarrassment. "Rell, Bastien, come on, I'm freezing my tail off." Cat wriggled her bunny tail at us and continued to stride ahead.

Lorcan stopped, looking back at us, and I saw a sort of darkness pass in his eyes.

"We should go," Rell said, breaking the awkward moment of the three of us together. "Don't wanna miss the ball."

We made our way together back to the car, and piled back in. Cat's teeth chattered as I turned the heat on high, and then drove out of the forest and back to civilization.

Twenty minutes later we pulled into the high school parking lot. The parking lot was already half full. Pulsating music and flashing lights came from inside the gym.

Lorcan looked alarmed staring at the gymnasium. "Are you sure that it's safe to go in there? It looks dangerous. Why is the music so loud? Aren't they worried about harming our hearing?"'

Cat laughed, "Stop being such a princess! Batman isn't afraid of anything."

"Batman prefers darkness and hiding in shadows..." Lorcan said, still staring dubiously at the gym. But in the end Cat who out, dragging Lorcan away from us.

I held out my hand to Rell, and she laid her hand on mine.

"Shall we?" I asked.

"We shall." Her answering smile sent warmth through my entire body.

We made our way into the gymnasium. Ahead of us Cat had pulled Lorcan onto the dance floor, and Rell laughed, and pulled me into the throng after them. We were surrounded by witches, monsters, celebrities, cheerleaders. For a moment I wanted to ask Rell if it were anything like The Dark Realm. There was a group of Power Rangers on our left, a Teletubby on the right that Rell seemed fascinated by, and a vampire, construction worker, and police man.

We danced a couple songs, Rell's eyes bright, dancing wild and unashamed, and I laughed. thrilled by the closeness of her body. Finally, I yelled over the music, "I'm gonna go get drinks!"

"Me too!"

We pushed our way out of the students, and made our way over to the refreshments table. The punch bowl was being guarded by a suspicious looking chaperone, who glared at me as I ladled us both drinks. Guess no one was spiking that drink.

I leaned over to speak in Rell's ear. "Want to sit on the bleachers for a bit? It's high school tradition." She nodded.

But when we made our way to the far side of the gym, I suddenly noticed Marissa.

Tears streamed down her face, and her fists were clenched at her side. She looked totally freaked. And totally not like Marissa.

"Rell," I said, and then nodded to the corner, following some deep instinct. I made my way over to Marissa. She didn't even seem to notice me until I was almost standing next to her. But then when she did she jumped, and almost ran.

"Marissa... everything okay?"

Her eyes slowly met mine, something dark there. "Bastien... I... I did something terrible."

I exchanged a look with Rell. Marissa shuddered before me, and I looked around. The glowing lights of an Exit sign caught my eye.

"How about we talk outside where it's quieter?"

She acted as if she hadn't even heard me, and I put a hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her outside. Rell followed, and the door latched behind us, the pounding music of the dance suddenly muffled. Outside it was cold, a chilly breeze running over us, and the cold seemed to bring Marissa to life.

"Marissa. I need you to tell me what's wrong."

Her eyes met mine, and she shifted from foot to foot, back and forth. "I heard about it from Tom, before he disappeared. He said if you go down into the tunnels, it'll give you what you want... I didn't know it was real... I didn't know the cost..." She finally burst into real, wracking sobs, and Rell stepped forward wrapping her arms around her.

And all the while a horrible, terrible realization hit me.

Unfilled desires. Secrets. Longing. Darkness.

It didn't describe the movie theatre at all.

There was one place in Rocksprut, more than any other, that was filled with secrets, unfilled desires, longing, and people desperate enough to trade anything for what they wanted. Shadowglen High. Only now did I remember something a teacher had told us once in class: The school had been built as a bomb shelter. There were tunnels underneath it. Tunnels I'd thought had been sealed off ages ago.

"Marissa," I took her by her shoulders, an almost manic energy filling me. "Did you see it? Did you see the Blood Rose?"

She trembled, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what it was called. But... Bastien... it said I would finally get what I wanted, into Harvard... but the cost... I didn't know..."

"What did you trade, Marissa?" Rell voice was low and urgent.

"Another student's life," she whispered.

Cold flooded my stomach. My mother had warned me about the Blood Rose, that it would trick you, and take far more than you bargained for. But she'd also told me that I should do anything it took, anything to find it. And do anything to trade for a single petal, even if it meant sacrificing another.

Even if it meant leading on a girl I was falling for.

"Marissa," I took her shoulders in my hands, forcing her to meet my eyes. "Tell us how to get into the tunnels."

She trembled, shaking her head. "I can't Bastien, it'll hurt you too."

Rell cut in, her voice kind but urgent. "Marissa, I came here, to this school, specifically to find The Blood Rose. I know how to contain it. And we're going to stop all these bad things from happening. But I need you to trust us, and tell us where to get in."

She nodded through the tears, "It's over by the cafeteria, behind the big tree, there's an entrance to the tunnels in the ditch."

Lorcan and Cat weren't here... which meant this might be the only chance I would get to make things right.

I stood up at once, "I'm going to fix this. I promise. Rell, can you take Marrissa back inside?" I made to run, but Rell caught my hand, her grip so tight it was painful.

She glared at me. "The hell do you think you're doing?"

"You can't come with me, Rell. It's too dangerous. You can't—"

Then she stepped forward, all the way up to me, and kissed me on the lips, before she whispered, looking straight at me. "Just try to stop me."

Time is ticking, Bastien. I glanced up at the moon, not yet full, and then swallowed.

If Lorcan came out here...

"Alright," I whispered, looking back to Marissa. "Get back inside," I said, and then I took off into the night.

"And tell Lorcan and Cat where we went!" Rell called out after Marrissa.

We raced through the dark night, and I came to the big tree, where Rell and I had sat for lunch countless times. Not twenty feet behind it, there was a ditch with a grate in the side. I leaped down into the ditch, and then lifted the graft. It swung open. I stared down into the darkness. I'd have to bend almost double to walk, and there was no other light source. I pulled out my phone, shining it down the long tunnel.

Together we stepped in the tunnel and I let the grate slam closed behind us. The clang eoched down the tunnel with a feeling of finality.

"I should have realized..." I said, shaking my head, staring ahead. "What if... what if the students are still down here?"

Rell drew a vicious looking dagger, and then turned to me, no hesitation in her voice. "Whatever is down here, we face is together."

And just like that, she walked deeper into the tunnels. The bravest, craziest girl I had ever met. And one that I was totally and completely falling for.

One that I hadn't told the truth to.

You still have one night. One night left to tell her everything. One night left to make things right. But first, the Blood Rose.

I drew my sword and followed her.