teachers, but hey—the job was now done. It was the weekend, and school started back on Monday. No sweat.
Gilles dropped Seth and Josie off at Inksomnia, and Eli pulled next to the curb. Before my ass even cleared the bike’s seat, the front door of my ink shop flew open and Nyx bounced out like some crazed Jack Russell on crack, an excited, barking Chaz on her heels. My heart nearly popped, I was so excited to see my friend and my dog.
We all prepared for hugs and licks.
“Riley! Seth! Oh my God, you’re finally home!” Nyx said. Even with a pair of chunky Goth Mary-Janes, striped stockings, and black leather miniskirt, she was freaking fast. She launched herself first at Seth, and hugged him so tightly, I thought my brother wouldn’t breathe for a week. But Seth wrapped his lanky arms around her just as tightly. In theory, they hadn’t truly seen each other in almost two months—ever since Seth began the early stages of quickening.
“Wow—look at you,” Nyx said, physically turning
Seth around. He good-naturedly allowed her to spin him several times. Finally, she stopped and stared at him in awe. “You’re . . . buff, dude. And tanned.”
Seth grinned. “Right? Crazy, huh?” He flexed his biceps. “Check this out.”
Nyx grasped it and squeezed. Her eyes widened. “Gullah magic did you good, boy.”
Seth glanced at me, then grinned widely. “Absolutely. And Nyx”—he wrapped his arms around her again and buried his face in her neck—“I missed you.”
Nyx’s big blue eyes, always full of every emotion she was feeling, misted with tears. She hugged him tightly, then pulled back; she pushed his hair off his forehead. “I missed you, too, Bro. It’s great to have you home again.” She grasped his face gently and peered into his eyes. “I don’t ever want you to leave again.”
Seth’s cheeks turned red. “I won’t, Nyx. Promise.” He pulled away and knelt down. “Hey, boy!” he said to Chaz, and scrubbed him hard between the ears. Chaz licked his face and wagged his tailless rump.
My brother always could melt a heart—even a dog’s heart.
“And look at you!” Nyx said, turning to me. Her eyes widened again as she checked me out. She pulled me into a big tight hug. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you tanned!” She pulled back and held her pale arm next to my now-browned one. She grinned. “It looks good on you, Ri.” She gave me another hug. “Gosh, I missed you guys! It’s been so lonely here without you.” She immediately turned to Josie and gave her a squeeze; then she turned to Eli and hugged him, too. “Hey, Eli, it’s good to see you again.” She gave him a broad smile. “Thanks for returning my family to me.”
Eli returned the smile and nodded. “My pleasure.”
Nyx’s face suddenly froze; then she turned. “Oh my God—I have a guy in the chair!”
We all watched Nyx hurry inside Inksomnia.
“She’s a great friend,” I said, really to no one.
“You’re lucky to have her,” Eli said, then touched my elbow to lead me inside. I whistled for Chaz, who hurried in ahead of us. The moment the scent of my ink shop hit my nose, I inhaled. It truly was great to be home.
For three straight days, all was perfect; quiet, without the first dream, or further trespassing of my thoughts by Victorian Arcos. Ned Gillespie (the guy with tendencies who’d been bitten by Josie many years before) had nothing to report in regard to any vampiric activity in the Savannah area. Seth and the guys started back to school, and not surprisingly, Seth did so with enthusiasm. He’d always liked school, loved learning, and was a freaking wizard at science. For all of three solid days and nights, my world was settled. God Almighty, I wished it could have lasted. Deep down inside, I’d known better.
Standing at my station, I cracked my neck, rotated it a few times back and forth to loosen up the muscles, and patted the bench. “Hop on,” I instructed an older ranger, maybe
Gilles dropped Seth and Josie off at Inksomnia, and Eli pulled next to the curb. Before my ass even cleared the bike’s seat, the front door of my ink shop flew open and Nyx bounced out like some crazed Jack Russell on crack, an excited, barking Chaz on her heels. My heart nearly popped, I was so excited to see my friend and my dog.
We all prepared for hugs and licks.
“Riley! Seth! Oh my God, you’re finally home!” Nyx said. Even with a pair of chunky Goth Mary-Janes, striped stockings, and black leather miniskirt, she was freaking fast. She launched herself first at Seth, and hugged him so tightly, I thought my brother wouldn’t breathe for a week. But Seth wrapped his lanky arms around her just as tightly. In theory, they hadn’t truly seen each other in almost two months—ever since Seth began the early stages of quickening.
“Wow—look at you,” Nyx said, physically turning
Seth around. He good-naturedly allowed her to spin him several times. Finally, she stopped and stared at him in awe. “You’re . . . buff, dude. And tanned.”
Seth grinned. “Right? Crazy, huh?” He flexed his biceps. “Check this out.”
Nyx grasped it and squeezed. Her eyes widened. “Gullah magic did you good, boy.”
Seth glanced at me, then grinned widely. “Absolutely. And Nyx”—he wrapped his arms around her again and buried his face in her neck—“I missed you.”
Nyx’s big blue eyes, always full of every emotion she was feeling, misted with tears. She hugged him tightly, then pulled back; she pushed his hair off his forehead. “I missed you, too, Bro. It’s great to have you home again.” She grasped his face gently and peered into his eyes. “I don’t ever want you to leave again.”
Seth’s cheeks turned red. “I won’t, Nyx. Promise.” He pulled away and knelt down. “Hey, boy!” he said to Chaz, and scrubbed him hard between the ears. Chaz licked his face and wagged his tailless rump.
My brother always could melt a heart—even a dog’s heart.
“And look at you!” Nyx said, turning to me. Her eyes widened again as she checked me out. She pulled me into a big tight hug. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you tanned!” She pulled back and held her pale arm next to my now-browned one. She grinned. “It looks good on you, Ri.” She gave me another hug. “Gosh, I missed you guys! It’s been so lonely here without you.” She immediately turned to Josie and gave her a squeeze; then she turned to Eli and hugged him, too. “Hey, Eli, it’s good to see you again.” She gave him a broad smile. “Thanks for returning my family to me.”
Eli returned the smile and nodded. “My pleasure.”
Nyx’s face suddenly froze; then she turned. “Oh my God—I have a guy in the chair!”
We all watched Nyx hurry inside Inksomnia.
“She’s a great friend,” I said, really to no one.
“You’re lucky to have her,” Eli said, then touched my elbow to lead me inside. I whistled for Chaz, who hurried in ahead of us. The moment the scent of my ink shop hit my nose, I inhaled. It truly was great to be home.
For three straight days, all was perfect; quiet, without the first dream, or further trespassing of my thoughts by Victorian Arcos. Ned Gillespie (the guy with tendencies who’d been bitten by Josie many years before) had nothing to report in regard to any vampiric activity in the Savannah area. Seth and the guys started back to school, and not surprisingly, Seth did so with enthusiasm. He’d always liked school, loved learning, and was a freaking wizard at science. For all of three solid days and nights, my world was settled. God Almighty, I wished it could have lasted. Deep down inside, I’d known better.
Standing at my station, I cracked my neck, rotated it a few times back and forth to loosen up the muscles, and patted the bench. “Hop on,” I instructed an older ranger, maybe
Similar Books
