Read Online The Seventh Sister, A Paranormal Romance by Z. L. Arkadie - Free Book Online

able to answer that question. “Yes,” he finally says.
    “Alright, fine,” I say to put him at ease. “So you’re not being able to pick up on the other three vampires, is that bad?”
    “I don’t know.” He looks off. “They were different than the average Selell, and that’s not good. There’s something going on, but we’ll figure it out.”
    “But what about the one that was hurt?”
    “I think you had something to do with me not being able to get a read on him.”
    “Me?”
    “This school has protection and so does your house. And he went undetected under your place of protection.”
    “But so did the other three.”
    “Yeah, but not because of you.”
    I nod my head, trying to process all of this information. I don’t understand how I’m the reason the vampire that was hurt couldn’t be sensed by Derek, the Wek, which reminds me of something else I’ve wanted to ask him. “Oh, who did that to his neck?”
    “They were trying to drink him, and Selells will die if they drink another Selell, which means those three creatures have to be another species of vampires.”
    “Wow,” is all I can say because I have nothing to add to the facts.
    He nods down at my salad. “Do you eat meat?”
    I think about that. I’ve never made a conscience decision not to eat meat. “No, I guess I don’t,” I answer.
    “Interesting,” he says.
    “What’s interesting about it?” He keeps his mouth shut tight. “Can’t tell me,” I guess.
    “Not at this moment.”
    I’m learning not to push him. Instead I unwrap my salad and take the first stab into the vegetables with the plastic fork.
    Then something strange happens. When I look up from my salad, Derek reaches a hand across the desks and slides the back of his fingers down my cheek. I’m immobilized by his touch and wonder what he’s thinking.
    “What? Why did you do that?” I ask unfiltered.
    “I don’t know.” And he does look confused. “You’re just a very beautiful creation.”
    “Oh,” is all I can say as I stare into my salad.
    I can’t believe I’m falling for someone who calls themselves a Wek, and although I don’t know what being a Wek is entirely, I know liking him in a romantic way couldn’t be that smart on my part.
    It’s like because of what he did, we ran out of words to say to each other, although in reality we hadn’t. I have so many other questions to ask him, but I can still feel his hand on my cheek although he’s no longer touching me. This moment is beyond awkward and he hasn’t even started eating yet.
    “Don’t like the pizza?” I ask between bites.
    “I don’t eat human food.”
    “But you ate the candy apple.”
    “It’s not that I can’t eat human food. I just don’t. But the candy apples…” He nods continuously. “They’re good.”
    I sniff a chuckle. “We all have our vices, don’t we?”
    “What’s yours?” he asks.
    “A large, hot mochaccino at Macchiato Espresso Bar off Forty-Fourth and Lexington,” I answer with a faraway look in my eyes. “And Abraco too, they make a great cappuccino.” I sigh longingly. “Gosh, I miss New York. You know? The convenience of it.”
    When I look at him again, he’s smiling at me and I smile back at him. “But now that I’m here in Moonridge, I’m with you. All it took was one bite into that candy apple, and now I’m addicted.”
    We both laugh at that just as the bell rings.
    I ask Derek not to walk me to my next class because I don’t think I can put on an indifferent face while he chats it up with every single person in the school. Once again, he looks at me like he doesn’t understand why that bothers me so much and truth be told, I don’t really understand myself. Only that when it happens, I don’t feel like I’m being authentic.
    “I mean there are just some conversations I’d rather not have or listen to because I’m not interested,” I try to explain.
    “But it doesn’t hurt to listen.” He sounds too sensible.
    I roll