Strangers in the Night ▸ Javi Rivera

PROLOGUE

The first time Luna Ramos found herself in the middle of a tornado's vortex at the age of sixteen, she screamed bloody murder. Sure, it was a tiny EF1 that didn't even have enough power to properly shake their car, but still... It was the most terrifying and simultaneously exhilarating thing she'd ever done. And once it was over, she realized it was so much fun that not even the mocking jabs of her brother or their best friend could dull that joy.

Nor could the scolding of their parents once they got home, directed at all three kids even though one of them wasn't even their own. As usual, the boys got blamed for dragging Luna into yet another one of their dangerous stunts. But the truth of the matter was, Tyler and Boone never had to drag Luna into anything. She was just as wild and adventurous as her brother.

There was the time when they were ten and she climbed the tree in the backyard, claiming she could jump down from the great height without hurting herself. She'd been wrong and the cast wrapped around her broken arm served as a reminder for the next seven weeks. Or that time she and her brother went to watch Tyler at the rodeo when they were seventeen; the two boys daring her to try her own hand at riding the bull without ever realizing she'd goaded them into doing it because she wanted an opportunity to try. The concussion which she got a result wasn't a fun one.

But that was the thing about Luna... She loved adventure, loved the memories made during them and never feared the consequences. She didn't mind the bumps, bruises and cuts, she didn't mind the occasional hospital stay or the scolding of their parents who couldn't for the life of them understand where the twins got their wild sides from. As long as the thrill was there, and a memory was made, the consequences were worth it.

And then everything changed...

They were a couple of weeks away from their eighteenth birthday, seniors in high school, and eager as hell to become 'adults' which, just like any kid, they thought would happen the moment the clock struck midnight on that date. But that particular weekend, while still waiting for it, Luna was feeling like absolute crap. There wasn't any fever, or sore throat, or sniffles, she just felt absolutely and utterly exhausted, after weeks of already feeling that way. So, thinking it was just school stress, Tyler and Boone decided a swim in the fresh air would do her good.

And that was exactly what they did. They drove out to Lake Ouachita and their usual spot there and spent the day in the great outdoors. Sure, Luna still felt crappy, but it was fun. Splashing around in the cool water on a hot day, talking about their plans for the future which were meant to kick in as soon as they graduated. They wanted to go out there and chase storms, see the rest of the world, explore life.

Sure, she had the grades and SAT scores, and even a wish to go to college, unlike her brother, who'd long ago given up on the idea. But she knew she didn't want to go straight to studying after one summer again. She wanted a bigger taste of the fun and the adventure before settling down for her education again. But that day never came...

Because it was that lake that had indirectly changed her life, spun it around like a twister had gone through and landed her in the hospital. And this time, it wasn't even because of their parents freaking out over a little scratch, it was because of Boone losing his mind. How could he not though? Having to drag his sister's body out of the water when she suddenly dropped from the dock. Even when she woke up a few minutes later, he still felt like he'd have a heart attack any second, and Tyler wasn't far behind him.

Luna tried to say it was the fact that their parents had finally brainwashed him with all of their worry that was making him overreact. But even then, and in all the years since, Boone knew that wasn't it. Neither he nor Luna ever believed in that whole twin telepathy thing, even if they had spent their lives hearing how creepily in sync they could be sometimes. At least, he didn't believe it until that moment. Because in that moment, and in the weeks leading up to it, he'd known... He'd just known something was wrong with his sister.