introductions. “Sierra, Ember Blaylock.”
Honestly? I hated her on sight. Why? The fact that she was wrapped around my boyfriend’s arm like a poison ivy vine the first time I saw her was probably the reason for that.
Oh, she looked pleasant enough, don’t get me wrong. Actually, she was kind of stunning. Her waist-length hair was a combination of honeys and mahogany with just a touch of auburn in the right light. She had the kind of slim, athletic—yet very feminine—build that most of the girls I knew would sell their souls for. Her face was perfect, with high cheekbones and a wide, full mouth that probably drove the guys nuts. But it was her eyes that really mesmerized you, a startling combination of blue that looked silver.
She was dressed completely in white. White coat, clingy white silk top, white slacks that looked like they’d been painted on. White, fur-trimmed boots completed the ensemble, molding to her calves like they’d been made for her.
She looked beautiful and perfect, everything that I wasn’t —which only made me hate her that much more.
“Hi,” I said curtly before turning a burning look in Nathan’s direction. “Who is she, and why is she here?”
“I’m your new babysitter,” she said calmly before Nathan could answer, dropping a bulging duffel bag next to her feet. “You’re not at all what I expected, I have to tell you. Rumor has it you’re like dynamite—a lot of power in a small package. Personally, I don’t see it. You seem kind of docile to me. More scared little girl than badass witch.”
My spine went so rigid that I was surprised I didn’t hear a crack to let me know it had broken in two. Docile? Seriously? People like me—you know, the opinionated loudmouths of the world—don’t really take well to being called ‘docile’. Actually, that was one term I could honestly say had never been applied to me.
“Give me time,” I hissed through my teeth. “I’m sure I’ll live up to the hype when you get to know me better.”
The smile she directed at me in response was one of pure patronizing amusement. I decided then and there that I would rather be alone. I consider myself a pretty good judge of character and I just couldn’t see us being friends anytime in the near future.
Or ever, really.
“Sierra is here to help you,” Nathan said, looking a little nervous. This chick might not know me, but Nathan did, and he could see the angry storm brewing behind my eyes. “She’s a darkling, like you. She’s here to teach you control.”
Tutors for dead chicks. Who would have thought it?
“I don’t know if I thanked you for coming, Sierra,” Nathan said, turning his attention back to his arm candy when I just looked at him like he was crazy. “I can’t tell you how much Ember and I appreciate this.”
I could. I’d be more than happy to tell her that I didn’t appreciate her being there at all .
“Oh, I could never deny you , Nate,” she crooned, smiling up at him. I suddenly found myself wondering how beautiful she would be without lips—because I was seriously tempted to rip them off of her face.
“Can I?” I demanded, my voice so cold that I was surprised when it didn’t start snowing right there in the room.
“Excuse me?” Nathan said, turning his full attention to me again.
“Can I deny you?” I clarified. I almost blurted out the truth—that if he stuck me with Sierra I was probably going to commit my first murder—but, I managed to clamp my mouth shut just in time.
“Em, you need help,” he said, taking a step forward. He stopped just as suddenly as he’d started, though, when I instinctively backed away. Really, getting too close to him wasn’t in my best interest. Or his. “Sierra can teach you how to control your hunger. She can help you be you again.”
I flinched like he’d slapped me. I was me. Okay, so I had some kind of demonic
Honestly? I hated her on sight. Why? The fact that she was wrapped around my boyfriend’s arm like a poison ivy vine the first time I saw her was probably the reason for that.
Oh, she looked pleasant enough, don’t get me wrong. Actually, she was kind of stunning. Her waist-length hair was a combination of honeys and mahogany with just a touch of auburn in the right light. She had the kind of slim, athletic—yet very feminine—build that most of the girls I knew would sell their souls for. Her face was perfect, with high cheekbones and a wide, full mouth that probably drove the guys nuts. But it was her eyes that really mesmerized you, a startling combination of blue that looked silver.
She was dressed completely in white. White coat, clingy white silk top, white slacks that looked like they’d been painted on. White, fur-trimmed boots completed the ensemble, molding to her calves like they’d been made for her.
She looked beautiful and perfect, everything that I wasn’t —which only made me hate her that much more.
“Hi,” I said curtly before turning a burning look in Nathan’s direction. “Who is she, and why is she here?”
“I’m your new babysitter,” she said calmly before Nathan could answer, dropping a bulging duffel bag next to her feet. “You’re not at all what I expected, I have to tell you. Rumor has it you’re like dynamite—a lot of power in a small package. Personally, I don’t see it. You seem kind of docile to me. More scared little girl than badass witch.”
My spine went so rigid that I was surprised I didn’t hear a crack to let me know it had broken in two. Docile? Seriously? People like me—you know, the opinionated loudmouths of the world—don’t really take well to being called ‘docile’. Actually, that was one term I could honestly say had never been applied to me.
“Give me time,” I hissed through my teeth. “I’m sure I’ll live up to the hype when you get to know me better.”
The smile she directed at me in response was one of pure patronizing amusement. I decided then and there that I would rather be alone. I consider myself a pretty good judge of character and I just couldn’t see us being friends anytime in the near future.
Or ever, really.
“Sierra is here to help you,” Nathan said, looking a little nervous. This chick might not know me, but Nathan did, and he could see the angry storm brewing behind my eyes. “She’s a darkling, like you. She’s here to teach you control.”
Tutors for dead chicks. Who would have thought it?
“I don’t know if I thanked you for coming, Sierra,” Nathan said, turning his attention back to his arm candy when I just looked at him like he was crazy. “I can’t tell you how much Ember and I appreciate this.”
I could. I’d be more than happy to tell her that I didn’t appreciate her being there at all .
“Oh, I could never deny you , Nate,” she crooned, smiling up at him. I suddenly found myself wondering how beautiful she would be without lips—because I was seriously tempted to rip them off of her face.
“Can I?” I demanded, my voice so cold that I was surprised when it didn’t start snowing right there in the room.
“Excuse me?” Nathan said, turning his full attention to me again.
“Can I deny you?” I clarified. I almost blurted out the truth—that if he stuck me with Sierra I was probably going to commit my first murder—but, I managed to clamp my mouth shut just in time.
“Em, you need help,” he said, taking a step forward. He stopped just as suddenly as he’d started, though, when I instinctively backed away. Really, getting too close to him wasn’t in my best interest. Or his. “Sierra can teach you how to control your hunger. She can help you be you again.”
I flinched like he’d slapped me. I was me. Okay, so I had some kind of demonic
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