Into the Spiral (The Spiral Defenders Series: Book One) Read online

Into the Spiral

  Spiral Defenders Series: Book One

  by Erin Danzer

  Into The Spiral

  By Erin Danzer

  Copyright 2014 Erin Danzer

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty One

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Defending the Spiral

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “Happy birthday to me,” seventeen-year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Lambert whispered to herself. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth as her eyes fell on the picture of a black triple spiral on the wall. The spikes and barbs decorating the spiral marked it as Gary’s work; everything he drew was tribal in some way. She sensed someone over her shoulder and grinned when she looked up to find the artist of her chosen design. Gary stood a few inches taller than her, hovering around six feet tall. She would have found him cute if she was into the bald, tattooed and wiry type—and if she hadn’t known him her entire life.

  “I want this one,” she declared with a finger on the drawing.

  “I knew you’d choose that one,” he admitted with an easy smile. “Come on back.”

  Ronnie followed him to his station in the corner, glancing around at the other patrons while they walked. Oak Street Ink was busier than usual; at least a dozen other people waited to get inked. Ronnie felt lucky Gary had the time to do this for her.

  “Do you have the slip?” he asked when they reached his chair. Ronnie dug into the pocket of her white shorts and pulled out the folded permission slip. He opened it, looked at her mom’s signature and glanced at her. Her stomach dipped to her toes as she waited for him to speak. The last thing she needed was for him to go to her brother, Brian, or even her parents to validate the signature.

  “Is this real?” he asked with a cocked eyebrow. Ronnie bristled, anger coloring her cheeks as she realized he was trying not to laugh. There was nothing funny about this situation. Even though she was only a year away from not needing that piece of paper, she knew her parents would yell and grumble if they found out about this.

  “Does it matter?” she snapped at him. He raised his hands in mock surrender, his brown eyes twinkling with mirth. Her anger quickly vanished, replaced by embarrassment as she remembered all the times Gary teased her since he and Brian met when she was six.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered a moment later, her brown eyes on her toes.

  Gary sighed. “Whatever. It’s real enough for me. Have a seat,” he finally told her, reaching out to tug on a strand of her black hair, another thing he’d been doing since she was six. Ronnie lifted her head and offered a tentative smile as she straddled the black leather and chrome chair. She glanced around again before quickly removing her shirt and covering her chest as she leaned against the back of the chair. She was still a minor and wasn’t even supposed to be in here without a parent; flashing some of the other customers would just make more trouble if anyone found out.

  She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, willing herself to relax. Gary promised her a hundred times it wouldn’t hurt that much, and that it would be more like an annoying hum against her skin. Unfortunately, hearing about it and experiencing it were two completely different things.

  “You sure about this?” Gary asked as his latex gloves snapped into place. Ronnie draped her hair over her left shoulder, looking back at him over her right. She knew he was just looking out for her, probably as part of his allegiance to Brian, but she was tired of having this conversation. She knew what she wanted.

  “Yes, I’m sure. I haven’t been haunting this place all summer for my health.” she stated. “My body; my mind; my life.”

  As she said the words, Ronnie realized the triple spiral was the perfect symbol for her new beginning. Getting this tattoo was the first step to regaining control over herself, her mind and ultimately, her life. Brian was finally off to college, out of the house and her school. No more would she only be seen as Brian’s little sister. Her parents and everyone around her would have to see her as the young woman she was becoming. She bit her lower lip, hiding a smile as she settled against the back of the chair again. If everything worked out the way she wanted, she’d have a new boyfriend soon, too.

  Gary sighed and then nodded. He knew what Mrs. Lambert was like, always deeming what was appropriate for Ronnie to say, wear and do. He looked at her now, at the fierce determination in her brown eyes, and was almost surprised it took her this long to come up with getting the tattoo. With another nod, he set about gathering what he needed.

  Ronnie placed her head on a rolled up towel and tried not to flinch a moment later when Gary swabbed something cold onto the skin between her shoulder blades, where she wanted her tattoo applied. She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax as Gary began. She found the hum of the needle oddly relaxing and didn’t move when it touched her skin. Her mind raced with what was happening. She became hyperaware of her back as Gary worked on the tattoo, the needle scrawling across her skin. Before she knew it, he stopped working and sat back. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder as he slathered something cool over the irritated skin.

  “How is it?” she asked Gary.

  “See for yourself,” he replied and handed her a hand mirror. He held a second mirror up behind her and Ronnie held hers up to see her tattoo. The black triple spiral sat in a sea of red puckered skin between her shoulder blades, glistening with whatever had been put on it. She didn’t want to stop staring at it but all too soon, Gary took the mirror from her, put both aside, and bandaged her new mark. Giddiness bubbled up inside of her as she pulled on her t-shirt and stood a minute later.

  “Let me wash up and then you can pay and get out of here,” Gary said. Ronnie nodded, continuing to grin like a fool. She reached back to feel the gauze covering her new mark, unable to believe it was real. She had a tattoo. Her best friend, Andi Gillespie, was going to freak when she saw it. A small squeal escaped her lips, making Gary chuckle as he led her towards the register to pay.

  After emptying her pocketbook of a considerable amount of her birthday money and giving her all the instructions to care for her new mark, Gary hugged Ronnie and wished her a happy birthday before letting her go. After chec
king how much money she had left, she glanced at the clock on her phone and decided some shopping was in order. She needed a new outfit to showcase her new tattoo.

  Her cheeks flushed and a huge grin stretched across her face when Ronnie saw she missed a text message from Shawn Lockhart, another best friend and the boy she hoped would be her boyfriend soon. He wished her happy birthday. She texted him back while she walked down the street, her feet knowing their way around the small sporting community of Wind Lake without her brain having to tell them where to go. She asked him how he liked being in Florida. Her phone chimed a moment later with his response;

  It’s great. I even got you a birthday present, he’d written. Ronnie tripped over her feet as she read the message. Her mind whirled with possibilities as she wondered what he got her; usually he only bought gifts for her when she could point them out in advance. Anticipation rushed through her as she wrote back that she couldn’t wait to see it.

  Located downtown a few blocks from the lake, The Shop Stop was Ronnie’s favorite place to find the latest fashions. Bells tinkled overhead as she entered the shop and Ronnie was thankful for the cool, dimly lit interior. Brenda, the store owner, greeted her from behind the counter. Ronnie grinned and waved as she crossed to a wall of new merchandise.

  “Hey, birthday girl,” Brenda greeted Ronnie as she met her by the new clothes.

  Ronnie grinned. “Hey, Brenda.”

  “Here to spend the last of your money?” Brenda’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

  “I hope so.”

  An hour later, after trying on several pieces, Ronnie left the shop with two bags of treasures. A white halter top and ruffled black mini skirt would show off her new tattoo perfectly on Monday, the first day of her junior year at Wind Lake High School. A grin stretched across her face. Everything was going to be different this year.

  Ronnie walked to her car at the curb outside The Shop Stop, where she parked before walking the two blocks to get her tattoo. She unlocked the green Camry and stowed her bags in the backseat before sliding in behind the wheel. As she started the car, she squealed and the giggled, stomping her feet on the floorboard and shaking her head. So far, this birthday rated the best ever. She couldn’t wait to go to school Monday and show off her new mark. She couldn’t wait for everyone to realize Ronnie Lambert was her own person.

  The short drive down Long Lake Road ended at the two-story log cabin her parents built five years ago. She parked next to her parents’ minivan and climbed out. After grabbing her bags from the back, she headed inside. Sounds of chaos reached her ears as she neared the front door. She frowned as she shifted her bags to one hand and walked inside. Her dad yelled something from somewhere deeper in the house as her mother rushed around the living room. Her mother’s blonde hair, usually perfectly coifed, dangled around her face, half out of pink curlers.

  “I found it!” her dad called out. Ronnie’s mouth fell open as her mom squealed and ran from the room, not even acknowledging Ronnie’s appearance. She headed up the stairs to her bedroom, shaking her head. Her parents were weird.

  Ronnie yelped when she walked into her room and found Andi sitting on her bed waiting for her, looking perfectly at home amidst the light yellow walls, flowers on the desk and frilly white eyelet comforter perfectly spread across her bed.

  “Happy birthday!” Andi yelled as she wrapped Ronnie in a stifling hug. Ronnie tensed and tried to wiggle out of her strong grasp.

  “Ow,” she said. Andi finally stepped back, a grin still on her face.

  “Can I see it?” Andi bounced on the balls of her feet. Ronnie grinned, turned around, and pulled up the back of her shirt.

  “Just be careful. It hurts,” Ronnie told her. Her skin pulled as Andi slowly removed the tape and then lifted the gauze Gary had put over her tattoo. A new smile stretched across Ronnie’s face when Andi gasped.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Andi declared.

  “Thanks. Now cover it up before it gets infected. I’d hate to waste all that money.”

  Andi did as she was told. Ronnie straightened her shirt and turned back to her best friend. Andi’s eyes fell on the shopping bags now at her feet.

  “Looks like you’ve been busy,” Andi commented. Ronnie shrugged as she sat on the edge of her bed. Andi bounded over and sat next to her, smoothing her short blonde bob back into place.

  “I had some money left over from my tattoo,” Ronnie admitted.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Andi pouted, somehow managing to keep the hurt out of her voice. Ronnie felt a little guilty but then pushed it aside. She had a right to do things on her own, too. Even if it was her birthday, she didn’t need to do everything with her best friends.

  “Because I wanted to do this on my own,” she told Andi, who considered this a moment and then smiled as she nodded.

  “Okay, but I could have saved you some of your money. I was going to take you shopping this afternoon.”

  “Sorry.” Ronnie pushed aside more guilt and changed the subject. “What’s going on with my parents?” The sound of her mom yelling something carried up the stairs.

  “I don’t know; it was pretty chaotic when I got here, so I just snuck upstairs,” Andi admitted with a shrug.

  “Where’s your car?” Ronnie asked as she bent down and rummaged through the clothes in one of the bags at her feet.

  “At home. We live three blocks apart and I’m not driving tonight, so I didn’t think I would need it. Of course, if I had known you were going shopping, I would have met you at The Shop.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you. We’ll go next weekend. ” She lifted a light blue sun dress from the bag. The asymmetrical skirt fluttered around her knees and empire waist emphasized her chest. She grinned as she held it up for Andi’s inspection. “This is what I’m wearing tonight.”

  “Oh, it’s perfect!” Andi exclaimed and both girls giggled. Ronnie agreed and they jumped to their feet to get ready for dinner.

  An hour later, Ronnie and Andi were ready to go. Ronnie paired the light blue sun dress with a white shrug and white sandals. She left her hair flowing down her back, brushing it until it shone in the sunlight filtering in through the open window. Andi borrowed a long, black skirt and layered teal and fuchsia camisoles to wear with the white and teal sandals she wore everywhere. By the time Ronnie’s dad called them down to go to dinner, both girls were anxious to get going.

  “Happy birthday, Pumpkin,” her dad said, giving Ronnie a one-armed hug and a peck on the cheek. She tried not to tense as his arm brushed over her tattoo. She would really have to be careful until it healed; the last thing she needed was for her parents to find out about it.

  “Still ready to go stargazing after dinner?” her dad asked as he released her. “Neptune is going to be visible.”

  Ronnie smiled and nodded. Her dad was a total geek when it came to the stars and had been teaching her and Brian about the different constellations and how to spot the various planets that came into their view throughout the year since they were both barely out of diapers. She enjoyed having the time with him, even though she thought she was getting a little old for it now.

  “As long as Mother Nature cooperates,” Ronnie agreed. It rained the last three nights. She hoped the clouds would clear to see Neptune tonight.

  “Happy birthday, dear,” her mom added, also giving her another hug. “Is that new?”

  “Yeah, I just bought it today with some of my money,” Ronnie replied and looked from one parent to the other, thinking they both looked anxious, maybe even a little nervous. She wondered what was going on. She’d gotten her present from them at breakfast. What surprise could they have in store for her now?

  “It looks nice.” Her mom’s eyes roamed her new dress, making Ronnie squirm and wish she could show off the new tattoo underneath. Instead, Ronnie exchanged a quick eye roll with Andi and thanked her mom.

  “Well, let’s get going,” her dad said. The girls cheered as they followed him out to the gara
ge.

  Her parents drove to The Lake House for dinner, an upscale restaurant situated right on the shore of Wind Lake. The restaurant boasted high ceilings with dark exposed beams and wagon wheel chandeliers with crystals and hundreds of real candles. Every table was set with white linens, flowers and candles and had a great view of the lake. There were even tables outside for those who wanted to eat out on the lake when the weather was good.

  “Right this way; a member of your party has already arrived,” the hostess said as she picked up a handful of menus and led them into the indoor seating area. Ronnie’s heart thumped as she thought about Shawn. Maybe this was the present he told her about. Maybe he flew home early to surprise her. She glanced at Andi and grinned. Her grin faltered when they arrived at their table and found Brian already seated. He stood up when they approached and immediately stepped forward to hug Ronnie.

  “Happy birthday, little sis,” he said as he hugged her. She grimaced as she halfheartedly put her arms around him. All of her hopes for dinner flew out the window as her mom pulled Brian out of her arms to give him a hug. Ronnie stood there woodenly, ignoring the chair her dad held out for her, staring at her mother fawning over her brother like Brian had been gone a month instead of only a week. This was supposed to be her dinner, her time with Mom and Dad—not her time with Mom, Dad and her super-wonderful-can-do-nothing-wrong brother.

  Ronnie jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up at Andi, who mouthed I’m sorry and had sympathy in her blue eyes. Andi knew this was the last thing Ronnie wanted for her birthday. Just once, she wanted to be the center of attention. Ronnie blinked tears out of her eyes as she gave her best friend a slight nod. None of this was Andi’s fault.

  “Come on, let’s sit down,” Andi said gently. With her lips pressed tight in a barely concealed scowl towards her mom and brother, Ronnie threw herself into the chair her dad still held out for her.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Ronnie grumbled as she crossed her arms. This was becoming the worst birthday ever. The only thing that could make it worse was if it stormed again tonight and she got struck by lightning.