the Stirring || Book 1 of the Amatori Chronicles

Chapter 2

  Ever so slowly I eased open the door to my house. The windows were dark, and the only sounds were of that of an owl hooting and the rustling of leaves on the gravel driveway. The door clicked shut softly and I let out a breath of relief when I heard no movement. As I quietly slid off my shoes and tip toed towards the stairs, the lights went on and I froze with my right foot hovering over the first step. I winced as I heard my aunt's voice bark from the family room, "And just where have you been young lady?" Guiltily I turned back around and stepped into the light of the family room with my head bowed down.

  "I was at the library Aunt Mari," I answered her truthfully. "I was coming home though. I swear!"

  My aunt stood from a chair and blew a strand of her curly auburn hair out of her face. She stared me down angrily and then looked over at the couch next to me. "Sit."

  I sat and twiddled my thumbs, trying to avoid eye contact. But that was nearly impossible. Throughout my seven years of living with her, Aunt Mari had always chilled me with her brown eyes. Yes, they were brown. But there was something about them that chilled me to the core.

  When I was younger, maybe twelve or thirteen, I broke a beautiful, Victorian, blue vase. Of course it wasn't on purpose. I had merely been kicking around a soccer ball in the house. And when Mari found out I could have sworn I saw her eyes glow. I know that sounds weird but it's true—her eyes glowed. It was only for a split second, but I was positive they glowed and ever since then, I knew not to mess with my aunt when she was mad.

  "I'm sorry, Mari. I was unaware of how late it was," I apologized softly.

  "Cora, it is one o'clock! You have a cell phone; doesn't that have a built in clock?" Mari cried exasperatedly. "You're eighteen now, you should act like one."

  "Yeah well, not all eighteen year olds act like adults, okay?" I argued even though I knew this argument couldn't be won. "Some eighteen year olds go out, party, drink, get high and do other things! You can't expect me to change immediately now that I'm a legal adult."

  "I expect you to act responsibly. Staying out till one a.m. is not acting responsibly," my aunt said sharply. She turned on her heel and marched into the kitchen. I followed her.

  There was a long silence as my aunt stood with her back turned towards me. One of her hands was placed on the counter and the other was holding a glass of water. She took a sip.

"I was attacked...tonight," I confessed quietly and slowly. "That's one of the reasons why I came home so late."

  Mari whirled around and set her drink down on the counter loudly. Her eyes were wide in alarm and she looked very pale. "Who? Who attacked you Cora? What did they look like?"

  "A gang," I answered softly. "I was so scared."

  My aunt's shoulders sagged in what strangely almost looked like relief and then she let out a long whoosh of air before bringing me into a tight hug. "Oh Cora, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You're here now—safe—and that's all that matters."

  When we separated I looked at her seriously. "Mari, there was this boy—a young man...he saved me from the gang. It was weird— I didn't even get to say thank you. And he knew how to fight too, like really fight. It was as if I was in a movie. But I didn't get to see his face." I tried to remember anything about him. "Oh, and he sounded almost like he was British."

  Mari pursed her lips and looked very troubled. But then she smiled, although it seemed somewhat forced. "Well, if you ever see that boy again, I think you owe him your gratitude. Now get up to bed. You have school tomorrow and I don't want you cranky during the assembly tomorrow. Didn't you tell me that the student body president has to make a speech?"