Read Online Paranormalcy by Kiersten White - Free Book Online Page B

other powers? Super strength or anything?”
    I laughed. “Oh, yeah. Absolutely. That’s why I nearly got killed by a room full of vamps yesterday. Because I’m such an awesome fighter.” He looked confused. I rolled my eyes. “No, I don’t have any powers. I’m normal, I can just see a little better than your average person.” I didn’t explain that I could see through all glamours, since that was classified information.
    â€œHow did they find you?”
    â€œLong story. Or not so long. Just boring. I’ve been heresince I was eight. There’s this whole international treaty that I’m pretty much the star of.”
    â€œSo they own you.”
    â€œNo! They don’t own me.”
    â€œSo you can leave any time you want?”
    I gave him a funny look. “Why would I want to leave?”
    â€œI don’t know—it just seems like you aren’t very…happy.”
    â€œI’m plenty happy!” I said, frowning. “Besides, I do a lot of good. I’ve neutered—” He looked horrified, and I quickly corrected. “Neutralized! Like, made hundreds of vampires harmless over the last few years, identified werewolves before they could hurt themselves or others, helped track down a troll colony, and done countless other things to make the world a safer and more organized place.” Had I just said I made the world a more organized place? Wow. Lame.
    â€œCould you leave if you wanted to?”
    I shrugged, uncomfortable with the topic. I had been pretty happy here for a long time, but ever since Reth, I’d been wondering more and more what my options were—and kind of worrying that I didn’t have any. It was easier not to think about it. No one else ever brought it up, and hearing it so bluntly from Lend made my stomach clench. “I don’t know. It’s safer for me here.”
    â€œSafer for you, or safer for them?”
    â€œJust drop it, would you? This is my job, my life. I’m fine with it.”
    He held up his hands. “Sorry. It just seems to me like you’re more of a possession than an employee.”
    â€œThey can’t hold humans,” I snapped. “Under international regulations they’re only allowed to detain or monitor paranormals.”
    He gave me that look again, the one he was so good at. I watched his water eyes; they were sad. “Evie, you aren’t exactly normal.”
    Standing up in a huff, I gathered my magazines and pulled my mini-video player from his hands. “At least I know what I look like.” I stormed out of his room, furious.
    Halfway down the hall I slumped against the wall, barely able to breathe. He was exactly right.

THERAPY BILLS
    S tupid , stupid, stupid,” I muttered as I stomped down the halls. I wasn’t sure what exactly was stupid, but it seemed like a lot of things were lately. Lend, for one, with his dumb questions, making me think about stuff I’d rather not. I stopped in front of Raquel’s office. She needed to believe me about Reth, do something about the command I’d given him. She still thought that faeries didn’t care about humans at all. Sure, she knew the histories, how they kidnapped mortals to take to their realm and dance (yeah, it’s as weird as it sounds), but since IPCA gave their faeries a named command not to, they figured it was a non-issue now.
    I knocked and the door slid open. Raquel was standing at her desk, gathering papers and looking tired and stressed out. “What is it, Evie? I’m due back in five minutes.”
    I walked in and sat down, scowling at her desk. I was all set to tell her about Reth, using as evidence the creepy comments Fehl had made about me being his, but when I opened my mouth the first thing that came out was, “What if I want to leave?”
    She looked surprised. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, what if I quit? What if I’m tired of