HALFBLOOD DANCER

1. TREPIDATION

If there's one thing I'm certain of, amid all my distress, is that no matter what happens today, no matter in which direction the wind carries me, I'm doomed either way.

My head is now throbbing. My heart is drumming inside my chest. And the heat in my lungs is becoming unbearable as they desperately fight for air.

My entire body is begging me to surrender.

But I refuse to stop, wiping the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hands and forcing my aching legs to keep moving as fast as they can.

After weeks of waiting for this day to come, all I want to do now is run.

I want to run away from everything and everyone. I want to run until I can't feel my legs anymore, until my whole body becomes numb, until I finally forget what it's like to be afraid.

I shake my head, as images from my dreadful nightmare insist on making their way back into my mind, raising every hair on the nape of my neck.

In my efforts to ignore them, I pick up my speed and try to focus on the stunning view in front of me—Central Park at dawn.

Breathing in the scent of damp grass and the pungent aroma of cloves, I watch how the last amber streaks slowly disappear in the horizon. The sky turns into an endless canvas of blue, gray, and white, the rising sun peeking diffidently through smoky clouds.

Something hits me on my back, startling me to a halt. And I hear a soft thud on the floor behind me as I try to keep my balance not to fall.

I turn around, panting. "Augh...Nina!" I grumble when I see my best friend striding toward me. "You...scared me." Bending down, I place my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath, the blood rushing to my head. "You threw a...rock at me...seriously?" I protest between heavy breaths, glancing at the tiny assaulter near my feet.

"I had to get your attention somehow. Your feet were on the ground, but your head was in the clouds," she retorts, closing the distance between us. "You passed me by and didn't even notice me. I called you but you didn't hear me," she complains. "And running after you with this hot cup of coffee was not an option," she adds, causing my head to swing up with interest, my eyes targeting the drink. "By the way, Luna...why didn't you get me so we could go for a run together, eh?" She waves her free hand back and forth in the space between us.

I straighten up, uttering a groan. "And deprive you of your beauty sleep? No, thank you. I do value my life," I tease, lifting my right leg to stretch it. "You would've killed me."

The truth is I needed to be alone.

Nina heaves a sigh of resignation, her shoulders dropping. "I found your phone on your dresser. I have it in my pocket," she tells me, patting on the side of her thigh, her hand skimming along the hem of her lucky shirt. It's a worn-out jersey she wears before any special occasion, but its faded purple still agrees beautifully with her dark honey skin and golden-brown curls. "Did it hurt you, the rock?" She bites her lower lip, a glimpse of guilt surging across her face.

"Nah, you're not that strong." I switch legs to repeat the stretching process, pressing my heel against my buttock. "Good aim, though." I wink at her. "Hit me dead center."

"Good," she says with a smirk. "Here, I brewed your favorite." Extending her arm, she prompts me to take the coffee. "I'm sure you were running on low fuel, if not empty."

I take the cup, my fingers warming up as they fold around it. "What would I do without you..." Lifting the lid up, I let the steam out and breathe it in, the seductive aroma of cinnamon taking over my senses. "This is just what I needed." Moaning, my empty stomach agrees.