The Devil's Heir Page 4

  Everyone breaks into a conversation about tonight and I interrupt to ask an obvious question. “Uh, guys? What exactly is the Barn?”

  Becca groans. “God, you’re so new.”

  Daisy winks at me. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fun.”

  “Like I told Luke, it’s just a place we like to gather to let off some steam.”

  “Nothing weird is going to happen, right?”

  “Just your routine blood ritual to get the party going and then nothing weird after that.”

  I shudder.

  “She’s kidding,” Tyler says.

  Becca rolls her eyes. “Okay, so nothing weird. Unless Luke comes up with a better plan. Show us the way, oh Devil’s Son.”

  Tyler raises his eye brows. “Really? Devil’s son?”

  “Come on, you’ve got to admit it’s a good story. Hale Manor is supposedly home to the Devil, and then all of a sudden, a guy hotter than Hell itself emerges from the house? You can’t deny the connection.”

  “Hey,” Freddie mutters around his bite of taco salad.

  “Sorry, babe.”

  “Well I for one think Luke Hale just got a little more interesting.” Daisy rubs her hands together.

  Tyler stands. “Freddie, we got to go, man. Practice starts in ten.”

  The two boys gather their things and rise from the table to leave for soccer practice. Becca pulls Freddie down for a kiss before he leaves and murmurs something about hating to see him leave but loving to watch him walk away. He winks at her in response and leaves just us girls at the table.

  If Luke Hale is the Devil’s son, I’m surprised I’m still alive after our first encounter.

  I think about it and shake my head. Don’t be absurd.

  My belief in God dissipates when I discover I have last period history with Luke.

  And it quickly comes to my attention Luke Hale is a terrible classmate.

  He saunters into class and takes the last empty seat in the room. Which, of course, happens to be right in front of me.

  He sets his backpack on the small, individual desk and just sits there all period. He looks like he might be made of stone. I’m not even positive he’s breathing.

  It doesn’t bother me that he’s just another rich kid who thinks they can get away without doing the work; there were plenty of girls like that at St. John’s. What does bother me is the fact it bothers me at all in the first place. I planned to be indifferent; cool, calm, and collected like Aunt Polly is. Anything to keep from drawing further attention from him or his sister.

  Mr. Riley announces to the class there will be a surprise presentation due by the end of the month. Everyone, me included, groans in absolute dismay. Apparently, he miscalculated how much all of the assignments total were going to be worth at the end of the semester, and we’re missing an odd five percent.

  “And, to top it all off and make all of our lives easier, we’re going to be working in pairs.”

  He claps his hands and we know by “our lives” he means only his.

  He starts naming off pairs, going row by row, putting together students with the person behind them.

  I don’t bother to remind myself how truly cursed I am because there’s no escaping it.

  “Mr. Hale, Miss. Jones, congratulations. You two are going to research Diablo’s local history and how the rumors shaped the town we all know and love today.” He smirks to himself and snickers at the rest of the class. “Should be easy enough considering we have the Devil himself.”

  Luke doesn’t seem to take offense to the accusation.

  He still hasn’t bothered to turn around and acknowledge me. Instead, I stare at the back of his head until the bell rings, dismissing us for the day.

  Luke disappears down the hall, but I know I should talk to him about the project, like all of the other pairs are doing. I sigh and speed up.

  When I manage to catch up, he spins around in time to avoid my touch. “What?” he asks.

  I try to calm my nerves by taking in a large breath, but it sounds like I’m panting. “When do you want to work on this?”

  He raises a brow. “It’s not due tomorrow, right?”

  I rack my brain about what Mr. Riley said earlier. “Not for a few weeks, I think.”

  “Perfect,” he says. “See you in a few weeks.”

  He walks away.

  Daisy insisted she come to my place after school to help me get ready for the Barn. Why it’s an occasion one needs to “get ready” for, I’m not entirely sure.

  The walk to the apartment complex from campus isn’t very long; it leaves us no choice but to walk by the street leading to Hale Manor. My feet move a little faster when we pass.

  “This is where you live?” Daisy asks when we arrive and climb the rickety stairs to my apartment.

  I lift a shoulder. “This is where we sleep. Aunt Polly is hardly home.”

  After I push open the door and step back for Daisy to walk in, I scan the room, unsure what to do with myself. Should I offer her water? Go to my room?

  I never had friends over when I lived with Grandmother because she didn’t enjoy company. This is the first time someone is seeing an intimate part of my life. And this isn’t exactly the best time of my life for them to witness.

  But Daisy, bless her heart, doesn’t comment on dim lighting or lack of furniture.

  Instead, she turns around and puts a smile on her face. “You know, I think some new paint would really brighten the place up. Then it wouldn’t be so sad and dreary in here. No biggie though, I’m into the lone wolf kind of vibe.”

  She points down the hall and I nod. “On the left.”

  Daisy sits on the edge of my bed and I lean against the closed door when we enter. “What’s your vision, Calla Jones?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She motions around my room. “Your vision. For what you want your life to look like because, fun fact, my mom’s an interior designer. And not to toot my own horn, but I know a thing or two.”

  I take a look at my barren room and think about the question. There’s nothing on the walls. White sheets. Black dresser. Only two pillows. “Not to sound like a broken record, but I don’t really know. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had my life planned out for me. This whole freedom thing is a bit new to me.”

  Daisy smiles sadly and nods. “Listen, why don’t you come sleep over at my house tonight?”

  Anything sounds better than having to sleep in this room alone and have another nightmare. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  She sits up a little taller. “Good. My mom always said a happy life starts at home.”

  “I’ve never seen one of those.”

  Daisy laughs and asks, “A nice home?”

  “A happy home.”

  Her smile falters. “Then you have to come over. My parents are so in love it’s sick.”

  I fake a smile. “I’m inclined to say I’m jealous.”

  She lifts a shoulder and glances at her nails. “They’ve definitely set a high standard. I know I’m destined to live happily ever after but I feel like I need to have a heart wrenching breakup first. You know, with a bad boy who will make me realize I deserve more blah blah. Like Twilight. But not the whole Bella gets eaten from the inside out by her vampire baby. Blood and guts? Ek.”

  I understand the reference but have never seen it.

  Grandmother.

  This time it’s my turn to laugh. Upon meeting Daisy, I could tell she’s dying to live anything but the small-town life. “Is that why you’re so fascinated with the Hales?”

  She winks at me. “Never mind my fascination with them. What about you? What was up today?”

  I swallow thickly, try to feign ignorance. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Don’t play dumb with me. This morning and at lunch the sister was so interested in you.”

  “I really don’t know what is happening, honestly. Okay, yes, I’ve met them before today but your guess is as good as mine.”


  “My first guess is going to be the rumors are true and they’re the Devil’s kids.”

  I tuck a strand behind my ear, awkwardly laugh. “As fascinating as that is, it still doesn’t answer the question of what I have to do with it.”

  “Maybe they sense your innocence and are ready to pounce.”

  “To what? Kill me?”

  She shrugs a shoulder, winks. “Maybe.”

  “Calla, who are you talking to?” Aunt Polly calls out.

  I freeze. My bedroom door opens, forcing me to stumble forward. Aunt Polly is wearing her usual ensemble, tight jeans and an even tighter shirt underneath a jacket. Her black hair is pulled into a high ponytail, leaving her slim face in full view.

  “Oh, you again,” Aunt Polly says, recognizing Daisy. “So, what are we girls talking about?”

  She saunters into my room and takes a seat on my bed.

  “Oh, nothing—”

  Daisy interrupts. “We were talking about the Hale siblings.”

  I’ve never seen Aunt Polly snap like she does. Her entire body goes stiff and she looks to Daisy with a scary eagerness. “Did you say Hale siblings? At school?”

  Daisy leans away from her. “A brother and a sister. They both enrolled in school today.”

  “Out in public, interesting. What are their names?”

  “Luke and Lily.”

  Aunt Polly releases a strained laugh. “Of course, they are…did they say anything?”

  Daisy, the traitor, tells Aunt Polly exactly what she wants to know. “The sister seems to have a weird obsession with Calla.”

  “Oh, yeah? Like what?”

  “Don’t know. Just super interested in her while her bother doesn’t seem to care at all. No offense, Calla.”

  Aunt Polly raises a brow. “Really? Luke shows no sign of interest in you?”

  “Not really. But Lily seems to think we’re meant to be great friends.”

  Aunt Polly hums. “Well, is he cute?”

  I’m taken aback by where the conversation turns to. “Why does it matter?”

  “That woman really did a number on you, didn’t she?”

  I swallow the lump in my throat.

  “You can’t miss what you don’t know.”

  My aunt makes a ticking sound with her tongue. “Nonsense. I promised you normalcy. So, like I asked, is he cute?”

  “I…” Am afraid of him, I want to say.

  She repeats the question to Daisy who answers, “Smoking hot.”

  “It’s settled then. I approve.”

  “Of what? There’s nothing to approve of.”

  “You are so sheltered, it’s frustrating. I approve of you making a move on the Hale boy, of course.”

  “I thought we were just discussing the fact he shows no interest in me,” I say.

  Aunt Polly places a hand on my bed to support herself as she leans toward me. “Let me let you in on a little secret, Calla. Boys hardly ever know what they want right away. Give it some time, and you’ll have him eating out of your hand.”

  “But what if I don’t want his attention in the first place?”

  “Don’t be absurd, of course you do.”

  “Um, no, I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

  “You’re saying that now, but trust me, you will. The best love is a slow burn.”

  “He’s a freaking Hale, Calla. Of course you want him! Half of the girls at school do,” Daisy says.

  “I don’t care if he’s a Hale or not. What’s that mean to me, anyways?”

  Aunt Polly looks as if I’ve personally offended her somehow. “Calla, don’t say things like that. You might not know it yet, but the Hales are everything around here.”

  “Do you know the Hales, Aunt Polly?”

  She opens her mouth but snaps it shut to clear her throat. “I’m saying, if an affluent family comes knocking on your door, you open it.”

  “Play it by ear. Maybe you’ll end up seeing him tonight?” Daisy offers.

  “You girls go ahead and have fun. I have some things I wanted to attend to tonight anyways.”

  Then she’s gone. But not before reminding us to not do anything she wouldn’t do.

  Daisy laughs. “I hope this isn’t offensive but there doesn’t seem like much your aunt wouldn’t be willing to do.”

  “Yeah,” I agree, “that’s what scares me.”

  There’s a pause before Daisy says, “Your aunt is hot.”

  I look at her and we both laugh. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

  Much to my surprise, the Barn is in fact just an old abandoned barn somewhere in the middle of the woods. It gets incredibly dark very fast in the Pacific Northwest, so by the time we arrive, it’s almost pitch-black. There are a few cars parked out front. As soon as we exit the car, we can hear music coming from within the building.

  It stands tall and has the exterior of an average barn, but from what Daisy tells me, it’s anything but average. It’s obviously often occupied because the path leading toward the building is clear while the surrounding area is filled with shrubbery.

  There’s an orange hue coming out from underneath the door from the fires Daisy promised would keep me warm. I settled on a pair of tight jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, cut low in the front. Daisy said it was equal parts hot and not slutty. I took her word for it.

  Daisy pulls open the barn doors, and I’m surprised at the scene before me. The interior is gutted, leaving a large open space. Groups of people crowd around multiple fires burning in pits. Unfamiliar music blasts through multiple speakers spread around the room. Daisy shuts the door behind us and leads me toward one of fires in the back corner.

  “You made it!” Becca yells out as we approach.

  She unwraps herself from Freddie’s arms and approaches us. As she hugs me, I lean away from the intense smell of beer. “Whoa, seems like you guys started without us.”

  Freddie lifts his hand with a beer in it. “Don’t expect us to wait all damn night.”

  Daisy and I take a seat on a large piece of wood acting as a bench on either side of the fire.

  Tyler bumps my shoulder with his. “I was starting to think you decided to ditch us.”

  I laugh and point to Daisy on the other side of the flames. “I don’t think she would have let me.”

  He looks at me and smiles. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  His blue eyes are dimmer in the dark, and the shadow of the flames dances within them. “Me too.”

  “Kiss or back up.” Becca laughs at us from the comfortable seat of Freddie’s lap.

  Tyler coughs around a chuckle and leans away from me. “Do you want a beer?”

  I hesitate but tell him no while Daisy orders Tyler to hand her one.

  “Don’t worry, just one,” she tells me.

  “So,” I say, “this is the Barn?”

  Drunk Becca is more brazen than normal. She lifts her beer high in the air and shouts out, “Upperclassmen only!”

  The rest of the Barn goers all holler out in agreement.

  “It’s like a sacred right around here,” Tyler tells me. “It’s something we all wait for as freshmen and sophomores.”

  “So, there’s no exception?”

  “Nope,” Freddie says, “no underclassmen would dare to try to enter these sacred walls.”

  “Apparently, this place used to be used as some sort of Devil-worshipping grounds. They even say human sacrifices happened inside these very walls.”

  I search the vast opening and can only imagine what type of slaughter happened here. Human or not. “For such a small town, there’s a lot of rumors.”

  “Did you really think you’d be moving to a town named Diablo and there wouldn’t be some sort of lore?”

  “After my grandmother died, I wasn’t really sure what was up and what was down.”

  “You can be sure about us.”

  I can only smile.

  “Yeah, yeah, we all like each other. No need to get all mushy,” Freddie says.


  Becca slaps his chest. “God, you’re so rude. Let the girl have her moment.”

  I laugh and shake my head. “Moment done.”

  The volume of the Barn escalates as the night goes on. Time doesn’t matter. Each group acts as if they’re in their own bubble. Around the perimeter of each group are discarded glass bottles. Laughter fills the air. Couples make out in the dark corners of the room, but I glance over them.

  It’s the most carefree I’ve ever felt.

  But my sense of ease is short lived. A shiver runs down my back.

  “Hey, you okay?” Tyler asks. “You froze up.”

  I rub my arms. “Yeah, I just got a really weird feeling.”

  My chest tightens again and I struggle to take a solid breath. A shock runs through my sternum and I straighten just as the barn doors screech. It slams open. The entire barn quiets. Even the music seems to silence.

  Luke Hale searches the room until his eyes fall on our group. With no apparent effort at all, the sliding door closes under his touch. His long legs carry him to our end of the barn. All eyes seem to follow him. My heart beats faster.

  “Holy shit.” Becca sobers quickly. “He actually came.”

  Daisy nudges me. “Come to momma.”

  The girl from lunch approaches him before he reaches our group and places a hand in the center of his chest.

  I frown without meaning to.

  “Sasha Warren, ladies and gentlemen,” Becca groans.

  Daisy grunts in agreement while Freddie looks over his girlfriend’s shoulder, “Lucky bastard.”

  Becca twists in Freddie’s lap. “Excuse me? Why don’t you say it to my face?”

  She holds her beer bottle like a weapon.

  “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Not my type, right, Tyler?”

  The man in question coughs and gives Becca a thumbs up. “Totally.”

  “You guys are the worst,” Daisy says.

  Sasha’s short skirt doesn’t reach her knees. She leans in to whisper into Luke’s ear. She’s everything the girls at St. John’s would never be, and the reason none of the local boys bothered with us despite the whole pleated skirt fantasy we were always reminded of. The fantasy was nothing if we weren’t willing to play the role bestowed on us as “good Catholic girls.”