throughout my body. That jolt along my spine. The heat hardening heart and mind.
I must admit that I did like it. At that moment it was a feeling of power I had secretly lost when my father had been taken from us. It felt good to replace it. Even if it was anger that replaced it, I had never felt so strong.
"I don't believe so. I saw your face, your eyes." He was searching for something, maybe a denial. I gave him none.
"She and I are fine now. But you. Are you going to answer my question now?"
"Yes." He exhaled very slowly before continuing. "I saw how angry you were becoming and was afraid for you and your friends."
"Afraid for us? What, that we might start fighting right in front of Crystals?" I laughed, dismissing the notion. There was some nervousness to that laugh too. This sounded like something I didn't want to hear. And yet I knew that whatever he was going to say I needed to hear.
"That your anger would become a fury. That fury would carry a storm. I had to stop it before anyone was hurt. Not from hands or words at least. So I did what I thought would distract you, calm the anger before it was too late."
He was speaking in riddles, his words making absolutely no sense. Of course, not much of what had happened since my father's death made sense.
"Just give me a straight answer. Keep it simple, Galead," I hissed.
"It is simple. I told you, you're special. Gifted. You are not like them, Thera. And you can just as easily be their enemy as their friend."
Wait. What?
He might have said more, but the girls came bouncing out from Leary's before we could continue.
"Break it up you two. It's time to get going," Lily teased. She spun Anna's keys around a finger for emphasis. "And I'm driving."
"She's right. It's getting late. I will talk with you tomorrow." Galead leaned over to place his lips lightly on the side of my face. We still had to keep up the act for everyone apparently.
It was fine, the kiss. Short and sweet to anyone watching, if rather distant. Chaste. Yes, that was the word for it. And completely unconvincing.
Without thinking, I reached up and grabbed Galead on both sides of his head. I pulled his face to mine. My lips crushed against his in a passionate kiss.
"That is how you convince the others of our little lie," I whispered as we broke apart. I didn't add that it is how you convince yourself in the truth of the lie. At least how I did.
We left him standing, looking dumbfounded, on the sidewalk under a lamplight's glow and the half filled moon.
CURSEFELL
CHAPTER SEVEN
By the time Anna dropped me off at home we were done apologizing to each other. Fast friends once again, although I had promised to spill all the details about Galead and I in the morning as part of the deal.
Anna drove away before I reached the front door. I was glad she was gone because there was something wrong. My mother's car sat in the driveway, but all the lights were out, even the porch light. She never turned off that light no matter if it was day or night. My hand was trembling as I approached. It moved in slow creeping inches closer to the brass door handle. Hovering a mere hairsbreadth above the mechanism, I snatched it back as the neighbor's dog started whimpering. Old Duke was a German Shepherd. He might bark, but he never whined. My unease was taken to the next level.
Turning around without entering, I meant to run across the street to the neighboring house. They were friendly enough, especially Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, the elderly couple on the corner. They would let me stay awhile or come back with me if I asked. But it seemed so foolish. If mom was home she might have just fallen asleep early. Or she might have gone for a
I must admit that I did like it. At that moment it was a feeling of power I had secretly lost when my father had been taken from us. It felt good to replace it. Even if it was anger that replaced it, I had never felt so strong.
"I don't believe so. I saw your face, your eyes." He was searching for something, maybe a denial. I gave him none.
"She and I are fine now. But you. Are you going to answer my question now?"
"Yes." He exhaled very slowly before continuing. "I saw how angry you were becoming and was afraid for you and your friends."
"Afraid for us? What, that we might start fighting right in front of Crystals?" I laughed, dismissing the notion. There was some nervousness to that laugh too. This sounded like something I didn't want to hear. And yet I knew that whatever he was going to say I needed to hear.
"That your anger would become a fury. That fury would carry a storm. I had to stop it before anyone was hurt. Not from hands or words at least. So I did what I thought would distract you, calm the anger before it was too late."
He was speaking in riddles, his words making absolutely no sense. Of course, not much of what had happened since my father's death made sense.
"Just give me a straight answer. Keep it simple, Galead," I hissed.
"It is simple. I told you, you're special. Gifted. You are not like them, Thera. And you can just as easily be their enemy as their friend."
Wait. What?
He might have said more, but the girls came bouncing out from Leary's before we could continue.
"Break it up you two. It's time to get going," Lily teased. She spun Anna's keys around a finger for emphasis. "And I'm driving."
"She's right. It's getting late. I will talk with you tomorrow." Galead leaned over to place his lips lightly on the side of my face. We still had to keep up the act for everyone apparently.
It was fine, the kiss. Short and sweet to anyone watching, if rather distant. Chaste. Yes, that was the word for it. And completely unconvincing.
Without thinking, I reached up and grabbed Galead on both sides of his head. I pulled his face to mine. My lips crushed against his in a passionate kiss.
"That is how you convince the others of our little lie," I whispered as we broke apart. I didn't add that it is how you convince yourself in the truth of the lie. At least how I did.
We left him standing, looking dumbfounded, on the sidewalk under a lamplight's glow and the half filled moon.
CURSEFELL
CHAPTER SEVEN
By the time Anna dropped me off at home we were done apologizing to each other. Fast friends once again, although I had promised to spill all the details about Galead and I in the morning as part of the deal.
Anna drove away before I reached the front door. I was glad she was gone because there was something wrong. My mother's car sat in the driveway, but all the lights were out, even the porch light. She never turned off that light no matter if it was day or night. My hand was trembling as I approached. It moved in slow creeping inches closer to the brass door handle. Hovering a mere hairsbreadth above the mechanism, I snatched it back as the neighbor's dog started whimpering. Old Duke was a German Shepherd. He might bark, but he never whined. My unease was taken to the next level.
Turning around without entering, I meant to run across the street to the neighboring house. They were friendly enough, especially Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, the elderly couple on the corner. They would let me stay awhile or come back with me if I asked. But it seemed so foolish. If mom was home she might have just fallen asleep early. Or she might have gone for a
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