I noticed Ash’s aura had shrunk into a concentrated
rainbow with red outlining her body.
As if reading my mind, she said:
“Earlier you mentioned my aura. Are you a psychic? I’ve read about
that stuff…”
I cut her off. “I’ll make a
deal with you. I’ll come out Saturday and help you find out what
your soul is. If we do figure it out, I will tell you everything
about me—what I am, what I know…” I smiled at her, while
thinking: Why not just put a bullet in
your head before the Quatre does, Verloren. For an instant I saw Sara’s child-like face. I
shivered.
She gave me a blushing smile. “Ok. I’ll
take the weekend off, and we’ll see if we can figure it out on
Saturday. I feel like I need to know you better. I don’t know why,
but it feels like you’re…important to me.”
Her words were both thrilling and
scary. I tried to look stern, and said: “You can’t confide this
information to anyone. There are other things you need to
know.”
She nodded.
I sat looking at the floor, hoping she
didn’t think I was a nut case. “Some people believe that once you
find out what your soul is, you can shape shift to that entity at
will.”
She laughed, then stopped when she saw
I was not laughing with her. “You’re not kidding, are
you?”
“I’m not.”
“And it’s true that I could be one of
these…uh…beings?”
“We can start trying to find out on
Saturday.”
“Saturday,” she breathed. She looked up
at me. “Right. Well, we’ll do that. I’ll make sure I have off.
Speaking of which, I have to go to work soon. I work graveyard
shift at a crappy factory.” She laughed again, this time to relieve
the tension. She stood up, took my mug, and walked into the
kitchen. I got up to leave. I inhaled deeply. The whole place was
filled with her scent. She sat the mugs on the kitchen table. I
walked to the door, keeping my gaze fixed straight ahead. I was
afraid of what would happen if we made eye contact
again.
She followed, then reached in front of
me and touched the doorknob. She swung around and faced me. I kept
my eyes averted, and assumed she was opening the door for me. I
almost ran into her, and had to grab her shoulders to keep from
knocking her down.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to run
over you.” I looked into her eyes. What am
I doing? I thought. Her magnetic pull was
tearing my insides apart. Her scent seemed to pulsate in time with
my heart, and I heard the pounding in my ears. I should’ve let go,
but I couldn’t.
She raised her hands and took off my
sunglasses. I squinted, mostly from habit. The lights weren’t
bright by the door. I kept a hold on her shoulders. Why didn’t I
let go? I looked into her eyes—that pulse again. My breaths came
fast and loud.
She put one icy hand on the side of my
neck, leaned into me and pressed her cold lips to mine. The flash
of images startled me, and I lurched into the kiss. The last image
was of Kale hunched over Ash. Then I saw nothing. She squeezed
me.
Jason was right. This is what I wanted.
Her. All of her. Everything about her.
Her whole body felt cold, lips, hands,
face, even her breath. Her kiss was like mint on my tongue. I
brought my trembling hands to her face and gently pushed her back.
I rested my forehead against hers.
My breathing was out of control, and my
heart was beating so fast I thought it might explode. The pull in
my chest went beyond ache; it was searing pain.
She looked straight at me,
but I could not bring myself to look back at her. The kiss had
proved too much for me. I can’t do
this , I thought .
She’s not a vampire. I’ll end up having to kill her. As I tried to push away she kept her arms around
me.
“We can’t do this,” I said, stepping
back. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to upset you.” It was all I could do
to keep from running out the door.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t
normally do that. You probably have a girlfriend.” She blushed,
dropping her hands, but they stopped at
rainbow with red outlining her body.
As if reading my mind, she said:
“Earlier you mentioned my aura. Are you a psychic? I’ve read about
that stuff…”
I cut her off. “I’ll make a
deal with you. I’ll come out Saturday and help you find out what
your soul is. If we do figure it out, I will tell you everything
about me—what I am, what I know…” I smiled at her, while
thinking: Why not just put a bullet in
your head before the Quatre does, Verloren. For an instant I saw Sara’s child-like face. I
shivered.
She gave me a blushing smile. “Ok. I’ll
take the weekend off, and we’ll see if we can figure it out on
Saturday. I feel like I need to know you better. I don’t know why,
but it feels like you’re…important to me.”
Her words were both thrilling and
scary. I tried to look stern, and said: “You can’t confide this
information to anyone. There are other things you need to
know.”
She nodded.
I sat looking at the floor, hoping she
didn’t think I was a nut case. “Some people believe that once you
find out what your soul is, you can shape shift to that entity at
will.”
She laughed, then stopped when she saw
I was not laughing with her. “You’re not kidding, are
you?”
“I’m not.”
“And it’s true that I could be one of
these…uh…beings?”
“We can start trying to find out on
Saturday.”
“Saturday,” she breathed. She looked up
at me. “Right. Well, we’ll do that. I’ll make sure I have off.
Speaking of which, I have to go to work soon. I work graveyard
shift at a crappy factory.” She laughed again, this time to relieve
the tension. She stood up, took my mug, and walked into the
kitchen. I got up to leave. I inhaled deeply. The whole place was
filled with her scent. She sat the mugs on the kitchen table. I
walked to the door, keeping my gaze fixed straight ahead. I was
afraid of what would happen if we made eye contact
again.
She followed, then reached in front of
me and touched the doorknob. She swung around and faced me. I kept
my eyes averted, and assumed she was opening the door for me. I
almost ran into her, and had to grab her shoulders to keep from
knocking her down.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to run
over you.” I looked into her eyes. What am
I doing? I thought. Her magnetic pull was
tearing my insides apart. Her scent seemed to pulsate in time with
my heart, and I heard the pounding in my ears. I should’ve let go,
but I couldn’t.
She raised her hands and took off my
sunglasses. I squinted, mostly from habit. The lights weren’t
bright by the door. I kept a hold on her shoulders. Why didn’t I
let go? I looked into her eyes—that pulse again. My breaths came
fast and loud.
She put one icy hand on the side of my
neck, leaned into me and pressed her cold lips to mine. The flash
of images startled me, and I lurched into the kiss. The last image
was of Kale hunched over Ash. Then I saw nothing. She squeezed
me.
Jason was right. This is what I wanted.
Her. All of her. Everything about her.
Her whole body felt cold, lips, hands,
face, even her breath. Her kiss was like mint on my tongue. I
brought my trembling hands to her face and gently pushed her back.
I rested my forehead against hers.
My breathing was out of control, and my
heart was beating so fast I thought it might explode. The pull in
my chest went beyond ache; it was searing pain.
She looked straight at me,
but I could not bring myself to look back at her. The kiss had
proved too much for me. I can’t do
this , I thought .
She’s not a vampire. I’ll end up having to kill her. As I tried to push away she kept her arms around
me.
“We can’t do this,” I said, stepping
back. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to upset you.” It was all I could do
to keep from running out the door.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t
normally do that. You probably have a girlfriend.” She blushed,
dropping her hands, but they stopped at
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