Gray Island by J.C. Aster

Evernight Teen/69k
Teen Romance/Paranormal/Shifters

Synopsis

Sage Murdock has always felt different from the other students at his high school in Boston, and being bullied and ostracized has become a way of life he accepts…but at the same time, he worries that the whispers are true and that he is, in fact, mentally abnormal.

After a bullying incident at school provokes Sage to violence, his mother and stepfather tell him he is being sent to live with his biological father on Gray Island, a small weather-beaten island off the coast of Maine. There, Sage encounters many strange people who all seem to be hiding something.

A single bright spot is Cadi, a free-spirited girl about his own age. Unfortunately, Cadi is a member of a strange cult-like group that lives on the opposite side of Gray Island. Before long, Sage learns that his relationship with Cadi must end or the consequences will be catastrophic.

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Excerpt

“I was out walking,” she answered, to his relief. She shook her head, sending a cascade of glistening raindrops from her honey-brown hair. The droplets seemed to descend in slow motion, twinkling like stardust.

“In the rain?”

“It isn’t raining anymore. Besides, I don’t mind. Rain is part of nature. We’re part of nature. It all fits, right?”

“I guess. I prefer to stay dry.”

“Oh? I can’t help but notice you’re out here, same as I am.”

“I…uh, yeah. I couldn’t sleep. And then I spotted you from my window.” He paused, fumbling for his next few words. “I…um…I saw Ivar tonight.”

Her rosy lips thinned. “I heard. I’m sorry he tormented you.”

Sage shrugged self-consciously. “It’s a public place. I guess he had a right to be there, same as I did.”

“Stuff like that happens because we have only one restaurant on the island. I know he goes there with his friends once in a while.”

“Do you ever go with him?” Sage asked hopefully.

“No. My parents won’t let me go anywhere that serves alcohol… besides, that place is a little noisy for my tastes.”

“I know what you mean.”

They fell into step together as they trudged through the sodden forest. The water dripping on her skin didn’t seem to bother her at all, nor did the chilly air. She was used to it, Sage supposed. Maybe he’d get used to it one day, too. But, no—he had no idea of staying that long.

Cadi did make it tempting to stick around a while, though.

“What’s the deal with you and Ivar, anyway?” he finally asked, unable to keep a note of strain from his voice. “You said once he wasn’t your boyfriend. But is he…I mean, are you and he…?”

She didn’t wait for him to finish. “I don’t like labels, personally. Do you?”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to tell what’s inside the can without one.”

She laughed, a genuine and easy sort of laugh that banished the cold from his body. He smiled too. They walked on, side by side, not touching but enjoying the moment. At least, he was. And she seemed happy enough to stay beside him.

“I’m glad you have a sense of humor,” Cadi said. “Not many people around here do.”

“The weather makes them that way, maybe. No sun. I’ve been feeling kind of strange myself.”

“Not because of the weather. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” She stopped and looked at him intently.

“No. What do you mean? Figured what out?”

“Sage…you don’t know your father very well, do you? Or much about his life here?”

“Nah. Why would I? My parents split up and he took off when I was less than a year old. I haven’t had much contact with him since. Then, all of a sudden, my mother got this bright idea to send me out here to live with him.”

“She didn’t tell you why?” Cadi seemed genuinely concerned.

“Not in so many words. I figure she couldn’t handle me anymore. You know, hormones, bad temper, the usual teenage stuff.”

“No, Sage. It wasn’t the normal teenaged stuff. Trust me.”

“What do you mean?” He scowled and started walking again. “Are you trying to tell me my father is a serial killer or something?”

“No! No, Jeremy’s all right. I admit, my parents aren’t crazy about him, but they live on the other side of the island, so that’s to be expected.”

Sage scowled. “Don’t you come over to this side for school?”

“No. We have private lessons in the compound. Ivar’s father, Laurent—he’s sort of like our governor—appoints teachers for us. Sometimes he lectures to us, too. We can study at our own pace. I kind of like it that way. I don’t think I’d do well in your kind of school.”

“You’re kidding. That sounds like something from another century!”

“No, it’s modern enough. We have electricity and everything.” Her sardonic laugh ended in a sigh. “There’s a lot about this place you don’t understand, Sage.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that.”

She took his hand. He squeezed back. “You’ll find out a lot, soon enough. Too soon, and I hate thinking about it. I want to remember you like this: just a normal guy from Boston, taking an innocent walk with me through the forest. I wish it could stay like that.”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean? I’m lost.” He looked around at the dark trees that hemmed them in on all sides. Nothing looked familiar. “In more ways than one.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t be for long. Don’t try to answer these questions too soon. Let some things be a mystery. Once you look for answers, everything gets complicated.”

“I guess so. But I’d still like to know the truth.”

“And I like mystery. Maybe we’re not so compatible after all.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Then let some things stay unsaid. Don’t ask me things. Let’s just spend time together and enjoy it.”

“Okay. If that’s what you want.”

“I do, and I want things between us to be special. Like magic.” She grasped his hand, pulling him to a stop. Then she leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. Startled, Sage responded awkwardly at first. Despite what he’d seen in movies and TV shows, he wasn’t quite sure which way to tilt his lips, and at one point his front teeth knocked against hers. When she didn’t move away, though, he decided to let instinct guide him. That worked out better, as their mouths began to slide together in a balanced and highly enjoyable rhythm.

Magic was an understatement.

Character Interview: Sage Murdock

What word best describes true love? Elusive

© Finish this sentence: Then I think of love, I think of ___.

Pain…though hopefully that will change now that I have met Cadi.

© What’s your ideal romantic evening?

Gray Island is surrounded by deep, choppy water, but that gives it a certain idyllic quality once you get past the mist and the overall creepiness. Watching the sun set over the water or escaping the cold by hanging out in front of the fireplace, just the two of us, sounds perfect to me.

© What’s the perfect Valentine’s Day gift?

You know, I’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day, but I think for my first one I am going to write Cadi a letter telling her how happy I am that we’ve found each other. She saved my life…literally.

© What are the ideal traits you’re looking for in a forever love? I think I’m too much of a realist to trust in any kind of abstract “ideal”…but if there’s one thing I desperately need, it’s to be accepted for who I am. As I recently discovered after arriving on Gray Island, I have some pretty unique issues. Luckily, Cadi understands all that. Heck, she helped explain what was wrong with me! If not for her I might still not know the whole truth. That kind of honesty counts for a lot as far as I’m concerned.

© What song title best describes your relationship track record: “Nothing but a Good Time,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Shot Through the Heart (You Give Love a Bad Name)”, “Money Talks/Material Girl”, “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places”?

I’d have to say “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen, and I suspect that was Cadi’s theme song too! Hopefully, though, things are about to change for both of us.

© What first attracted you to each other?

The first time I saw Cadi, I had just arrived on Gray Island and met my dad more or less for the first time—after all, I hadn’t seen him since I was a baby. As we were leaving the ferry boat, which is the only way to get to the island, I spotted her walking with a guy I later found out was her sort-of boyfriend, Ivar. I’m not sure why, but even then I was jealous. And to make matters worse, my dad warned me to stay away from both of them.

I’m sure I don’t have to explain why that made me more determined than ever to meet her. I later found out she felt the same way when she saw me. So I guess there was just something in the air that night.

© What’s the best thing about the two of you together?

Now that we’re officially going out (not that there are very many places to go on Gray Island—there’s only a coffee shop and a diner, though we’ll have to make the best of that), I feel like we can really open up to each other and ask one another the hard questions, both about this place and its effect on our lives and about how we plan to face the difficult times ahead. Because I just know there are going to be some.

© What are you most looking forward to as a couple?

Just supporting each other and trying to fill some of the blanks about our pasts. We’ve both heard some pretty shocking news recently, namely that neither of us is exactly who we’d grown up believing ourselves to be. We’ve got a lot to work through, but I’m confident we can do it.

© What could stand in your way?

Without going into too much detail, or revealing anything too personal, the fact is that neither Cadi nor I are like other teenagers—psychologically, physically, and certainly not genetically. Whether we can use those differences to our advantage, or whether they’ll ultimately destroy us both is anyone’s guess.

About the Author

J.C. Aster is a teacher and freelance writer who is a huge fan of young adult fiction, especially stories with a paranormal twist (they sure didn’t have cool books like that when she was a kid or she might have had a more exciting childhood!).  GRAY ISLAND started as a National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) project and quickly took on a life of its own.  She is currently at work on new projects and hopes to visit the magical shores of Gray Island again soon.

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