Chapter 12

A week later, Jade opened her locker to find a portrait of herself among her textbooks. She picked up the small paper, a close-up of her face framed by a halo of light curls. The artistry was unmistakable—it was from Benjamin. Turning it over, she found a note scrawled in cursive on the back:
“Meet me in the auditorium at lunchtime.”
He didn’t sign his name, but he didn’t need to. He knew she’d been waiting for him, and he was right. She had been waiting. But still, the audacity! Did he think he was the only guy who could leave her a note? Despite the annoyance, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill. Just like in Savanha, Benjamin had been the one to break the silence, which meant he couldn’t resist her either.
“What’s that?” Lacey’s voice cut through her thoughts as she appeared behind Jade, unnoticed.
Jade spun around, clutching her chest. “Good lord, you just gave me a heart attack!”
“Sorry,” Lacey replied, though her mischievous grin suggested otherwise. She leaned in, trying to get a glimpse of the paper Jade had quickly tucked into her binder. Jade wasn’t ready to share Benjamin’s drawing but couldn’t resist hinting at the note.
“Let’s just say our little scheme worked, and I won’t be at lunch today,” Jade said, trying to sound casual, though her excitement was barely held.
“Ooh, scandalous. Was that a love note?” Lacey’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“I don’t know, but I’m willing to find out,” Jade replied before slamming her locker shut. She followed Lacey to class, where their gossip was soon overshadowed by the need to focus on the teacher’s lecture on differential equations.
When lunchtime finally arrived, Jade slipped away from the bustling crowd and headed toward the auditorium on the opposite side of the school. She arrived before Benjamin and wandered up to the stage, where the set for the December musical White Christmas was being prepared. It was only mid-October, but the drama crew was already deep into the holiday spirit, singing carols as they worked. Her school in New York had only allowed secular performances, so this was a new experience for her. She could already imagine how festive the school would be after Thanksgiving.
On stage, a half-painted Christmas tree stood amidst boxes cut out like presents, awaiting decoration. A piano sat in the corner, and a rack of 1940s-style costumes added a touch of nostalgia to the scene. Jade climbed onto the stage and weaved through the fake pine and tinsel, admiring the work in progress.
“Mistletoe?” Benjamin’s voice echoed from behind her. She turned to see him effortlessly leap onto the stage.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Jade replied, trying to keep her cool. Benjamin reached into his pocket and pulled out a strand of green plastic leaves with a mischievous grin. “I knew there had to be a reason you wanted to meet here. But you’ll have to catch me first.” Jade teased, slowly backing away.
His grin widened into the half-smile she adored, a dimple appearing on his cheek. With a confident stride, Benjamin advanced, but as he got closer, she darted behind the fake tree, using it as a shield. She moved left and right when he did, laughing as his frustration grew. Seizing the moment, she bolted from behind the tree, aiming to leap off the stage and continue the chase.
But Benjamin was faster. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in circles.
“You’re mine now,” he whispered into her ear, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She couldn’t tell if it was excitement or fear. As he gently set her back on her feet, she turned within the circle of his arms.
“Changed your mind about that ‘we-can-never-be’ nonsense?” she asked, a triumphant smile spread across her face.
“Not completely, but you’re doing a great job convincing me,” Benjamin murmured, a faint smile lifting the corner of his mouth. Jade reached out, her hand brushing against his cheek, capturing the dimple in her palm before sliding her fingers into his hair, pushing back his chocolate bangs to see his eyes more clearly.
“You have to tell me something first,” Jade said, her voice softening as she paused. Benjamin’s expression shifted to one of concern, with a trace of dread flickering in his eyes. She bit her lip, searching for the right words. “What happened when you looked at me before, in class? I swear I couldn’t move, and then something happened to me that I didn’t understand. And I know you know.” She held his face steady, ensuring he couldn’t look away and hide his secrets again.
Benjamin hesitated, his face frozen in a grimace—the look of someone with nowhere to run.
“I do know,” he finally admitted, his voice heavy with resignation. Jade thought he sounded as though a weight had been lifted, even if only slightly. “There’s something about me… about who—no, what—I am that you need to know. Aiden can fill you in on the rest. I’m so tired of hiding, Jade.” His face was etched with anguish, and she let her hand fall to his chest, over his heart, trying to offer some comfort as he prepared to reveal his truth. “I’m—”
A sudden clapping sound interrupted Benjamin, causing them to spin around, searching for the source. The noise came from the back row of the auditorium, where Skye, Owen, and Shaun sat, grinning. As Jade and Benjamin spotted them, the three stood and strode down the aisle with deliberate slowness, their confidence clear in every step, clapping leisurely as they stared directly at Benjamin.
Fear trickled down Jade’s spine. She didn’t understand what was happening, but the looks on their faces were unmistakable.
“Well done, Benjamin. You even had me believing that little performance,” Skye said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she gracefully jumped onto the stage with a smoothness that shocked Jade. Shaun and Owen stopped clapping and followed suit, their eyes locked on Benjamin.
“Don’t listen to a word they say, and please, stay behind me,” Benjamin whispered urgently to Jade as he turned to face his friends. “This isn’t what it seems,” he said, his voice steady, though Jade couldn’t help but hope he wasn’t faking his confidence.
“And what is it, then?” Shaun’s deep voice reverberated off the auditorium walls.
“I brought her here to talk, and that’s it,” Benjamin replied, positioning himself protectively in front of Jade as his friends closed in on them.
“To talk? And what, if I may ask, do you have to talk about?” Skye sneered, stepping closer until she was barely a foot away from Benjamin. Owen and Shaun flanked her, forming a united front that made Jade feel even more isolated.
“You may not ask,” Benjamin replied coldly.
“Then I demand,” Skye hissed, her voice sharp.
Tension radiated from Benjamin as the seconds ticked by in strained silence, until suddenly, he started laughing—a harsh, mocking sound that echoed through the auditorium. Jade watched in disbelief, thinking he must have lost his mind. There was nothing funny about this situation, and the anger darkening his friends’ faces only made her more anxious.
“Demand? Skye, you’re getting ahead of yourself. You know you can’t threaten me,” Benjamin said, using his height to tower over her, asserting his dominance.
“Maybe I can’t, but even you can’t take on three-to-one odds,” Skye shot back, stepping back slightly so that she, Shaun, and Owen formed an impenetrable wall.
Owen and Shaun shifted their stances, preparing to move at a moment’s notice. Jade’s heart raced, hoping desperately that this wouldn’t escalate into a fight. She hadn’t expected Benjamin’s friends to react so harshly to seeing them together. Doubts began to creep into her mind—had she made a mistake in pursuing him? Would it have been better to let him draw her in secret and move on, never knowing what might have been? But it was too late for that now.
The fight Jade feared didn’t break out. Instead, Owen placed a calming hand on Skye’s shoulder. “Perhaps we should let him explain,” he suggested, easing some of the tension in the room.
Skye didn’t break her gaze from Benjamin. “Can you explain, Benjamin? Why are you here with this girl when we agreed to kill her—together or not at all? When we said we would wait and watch to see how much she knew?”
Kill? Jade sucked in a sharp breath. They thought he intended to kill her? They had all planned to kill her?
“I was greedy, I admit,” Benjamin began, his voice laden with regret and something darker.
Jade could hardly believe her ears. He couldn’t have meant to kill her. They were here because he wanted to be with her—or at least, that’s what she’d thought. She instinctively backed up a few steps, putting distance between them. How much did she know about Benjamin? What if he’d been fooling her all along, luring her into falling for him so she’d be easier to catch? But why? Why would he want to catch or worse, kill her? Nothing made sense.
Benjamin started speaking again, and Jade forced herself to quiet the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind to listen. “I wanted the power for myself, for that, I apologize. Let’s leave this place and forget this ever happened. We can go somewhere else without Seraphina to confuse and turn us against each other.”
Seraphina? The word struck her like a bolt. What were Seraphina, and why would they try to drive a wedge between Benjamin and his friends? And what was this power he spoke of?
Jade glanced at Skye and saw the skepticism on her face, her eyebrow arched in doubt. It wasn’t the mention of killing or Seraphina that Skye questioned—it was Benjamin’s belief in his own words.
For the first time since moving here, Jade wasn’t sure she wanted to know all the answers, especially the truth about Benjamin’s real intentions. She couldn’t believe the kiss had been a lie, but what if he was just a good actor? She’d seen it in his voice during class—he could play the part of Romeo flawlessly. So why not the role of a seducer?
“Benjamin?” Jade’s voice wavered as she broke the silence, her fear overtaking her need for answers. She was scared of his friends, and maybe of him too. She needed reassurance, some sign that she could trust him, that she would be safe.
Benjamin turned to her, his eyes pleading for her to stay quiet. But Jade knew she had made a grave mistake. All eyes shifted toward her, and she saw hunger, raw and predatory, etched in their expressions. She watched in horror as their eyes, even Benjamin’s, shifted to a cobalt black, their pupils dilating, their upper lips curling into something inhuman. It was the same look Benjamin had given her in the classroom—but now she understood its true intent. Back then, it was to keep her away. Now, it was to kill. Fear surged through her veins, a primal terror she had never experienced. She had never felt so much like prey.
Time seemed to slow as Skye took another step closer to Benjamin, her gaze never leaving Jade. She leaned in, whispering into Benjamin’s ear as her hand slid down his arm, “If you came here to kill, then by all means, take the first bite.”
Benjamin’s eyes fluttered shut, and Jade saw the pain in his expression. But beyond the pain, she caught a glimpse of something that made her blood run cold—a flicker of hunger. How much control had Benjamin lost? Not just over his friends, but over himself?
Skye, Owen, and Shaun stared at Benjamin, their bodies tense, ready to pounce. The challenge was clear, and so was the fact that Benjamin was losing the battle within himself.
Jade couldn’t process everything fast enough—killing, biting, Seraphina. It was as if she were on stage in a play but had forgotten all her lines. Instinct urged her to back away, to flee, but her heart anchored her to the spot, refusing to leave Benjamin behind. She could see his lips making a silent word, and at first, she couldn’t decipher it. But when he repeated it, she understood: Run.
In the next heartbeat, Benjamin turned and shoved Skye with all his strength, his hands driving into her stomach. Jade gasped as Skye flew through the air, crashing into the seats below the stage. But almost instantly, she was on her feet, unharmed. With an impossible leap, she was back on stage, facing Benjamin.
Benjamin wasn’t waiting for her. Jade struggled to keep up with the flurry of movements, her eyes darting from one impact to the next. She barely registered Shaun flying into the stage curtain and Owen slamming into the wall, the force of the blow causing the brick to crack and crumble. Only seconds had passed, but by the time Skye returned from her first strike, Benjamin was already in position, his fist connecting with her sending her hurtling toward the back of the room.
To Jade’s right, Shaun tore through the curtain, his icy black eyes blazing with murderous intent. He charged at Benjamin, but Benjamin was quicker, seizing him by the shoulders and driving him headfirst through the stage floor. The wood splintered around Shaun’s impact, creating a jagged hole. But instead of being a bloodied wreck, Shaun pushed his way back up, emerging unscathed, as though the brutal landing hadn’t affected him at all.

Jade was paralyzed.

Unable to move.

Unable to tear her eyes away from the chaos unfolding before her.