by Julia Crane
Not bothering to wait for the other girls, Lauren took off at a slow jog towards the two-mile loop around campus. The concrete path was almost never empty, day or night, even though Lauren wished it would be. Today was no different. As she stepped onto the loop, she hit the timer on her small black sports watch and took off in a sprint, weaving around a group of light joggers and settling into her own speed.
Lauren focused on her breathing, maintaining a steady rhythm. The air smelled of freshly cut grass, reminding her of home. She was supposed to be doing a recovery run, slow and steady, but with so much tension building inside her, Lauren pushed herself harder and faster. She lost herself in the feeling of her feet hitting the solid ground, the wind against her skin, and the clean scent of spring. It was just her and the ground: nothing else mattered.
The sight of her coach jolted her from her reverie. She had made it around the track without even realizing it. Lauren skidded to a stop and hit the ‘end’ button on her watch, surprised to see her time was a little over twelve minutes. Not bad.
Coach Parker looked up from behind her clipboard. She shook her head slowly, her voice wry as she said, “I guess you missed the ‘recovery’ part.”
Lauren caught the hint of a smile on her coach’s lips. Coach Parker, barely five feet tall, was the most intimidating coach Lauren had ever worked with. Hard to please, she pushed the girls relentlessly. It was always nice to get a nod of approval from her.
Lauren smiled and swiped the back of her hand over her forehead. Sweat soaked through her bright teal tank top and gym shorts. “Just letting off some steam, Coach.”
“Get out of here.” Coach Parker smiled and tossed a towel at Lauren.
Lauren caught the towel and headed to the locker room. She was the first one in; she’d left the other girls in her dust, and not even on purpose. In the cool and quiet inside, the hum of the fluorescent lights comforted her in the still room.
She crossed the open floor to the plain, wooden bench in front of her locker, and twirled the code into her combination lock until it clicked open. She threw off her workout clothes, wrapped the towel around her body like a toga, and grabbed her shower things.
Lauren hung her towel and stepped into the shower. Closing her eyes, she let her shoulders relax as the hot water beat down against her skin and the steam built around her. It felt wonderful on her achy muscles. She pumped the citrusy-smelling gel into her hands and scrubbed her body clean. She didn’t want to reek when she saw Tristen.
Lauren sighed as she rinsed her hair. Thank the gods, she somehow made it through the day. Getting through her classes had been a struggle. She’d been unable to focus with Calvron’s words echoing in her mind. Whatever was going on with her, it was not Tristen’s fault—that much she knew for sure. She just had to try harder with school and get better at time management, that was all. Nothing more.
After her shower, Lauren threw on a skirt and a peasant top, and took her brush to the sink. She sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her light brown eyes looked tired, and her curly, dark hair was a frizzy mess. Not exactly the look she was going for. She ran the brush through the whole mess in an attempt to tame it, and then rummaged around in her purse until she found a large tortoiseshell clip. She twisted her hair up, still wet from her shower.
After quickly packing away her things, Lauren checked the locker one more time for stray belongings, and then hurried into the evening. With the sun nearly gone, it was getting chilly. Before she reached for her keys, she pulled a sweater out of her bag and shrugged into it.
Lauren turned on her headlights and eased onto the road, heading towards Tristen’s place, her heart already beating faster at the thought of seeing him. She had been dating him for a few months, and things had gotten pretty serious. They had recently talked about moving in together. Her mother would totally flip out, so Lauren hadn’t pushed the issue with him. She felt pretty content with the way things were now.
Lauren pulled over on the side of the road just before the turn for Tristen’s house. She flipped the visor down to check her hair—still behaving, thank goodness—and pinched her cheeks to add a little color to her alabaster skin. Not much of an improvement, but it would have to do. A little fairy dust would be great, but unfortunately that was yet another myth.
Shoving the visor back up, she put the car into drive. Her heart fluttered. It had only been a few hours, but it felt like a lifetime since she saw him last. She seriously felt addicted to that boy. Lauren turned right into the large, gated entrance.
Tristen lived in one of the largest, nicest gated communities in the city. The gatehouse, as big as Lauren’s home back in Tennessee, had a red tile roof and adobe walls that wouldn’t look out of place in Mexico…except for the shiny, expensive sheen and the extensive landscaping.
Lauren handed her ID to the security card. “Hey, Jonas. Did your wife have the baby yet?”
The guard shook his head. A handsome older man with ink-black hair and Mediterranean skin, he glanced at the card and handed it back. “Not yet. Maybe tonight, as long as she waits till my shift’s over.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed.” Lauren held up her hands, fingers crossed.
Jonas laughed and tipped his hat. “See you tomorrow, Lauren.”
She waved and drove through the large, cast iron gates. Another myth—iron and fey. Since the speed limit was only ten miles per hour beyond the gates, Lauren crept forward, just as struck by the beauty of the community as she had been the first time Tristen brought her home with him. The condos all looked alike on the outside—the same red tile roof as the gatehouse with the almost yellow exteriors that mimicked Spanish architecture. But Lauren knew they were all different inside, some of them shaped like boxes, and some sprawling like the letter “J.” In every perfectly green lawn, nearly every driveway sported a giant fountain backlit by spotlights or a huge statue of a sea animal or nude. Palm trees everywhere offered shade during the day, giving the whole place a look of paradise.
Tristen lived at the end of a cul-de-sac. His two-story condo was built around three sides of a courtyard with a tiered fountain in the center, surrounded by leafy ferns and exotic, brightly colored flowers that his yard crew worked hard to maintain. Lauren slid into the driveway behind Tristen’s vintage red Corvette and shut off her engine.
She opened the car door, swinging her long legs out. Standing, she smoothed out her short, flowing skirt, then made her way up the stone pathway to Tristen’s condo. Fully dark now, the spring night had grown chillier. Lauren pulled her charcoal cardigan tighter.
Tucking a flyaway strand of curly hair behind her ear, Lauren reached out and rang the doorbell. Within seconds, Tristen opened the door and grabbed her hand, pulling her to his chest. Lauren giggled with delight as Tristen kicked the door shut and pushed her against it. Her heart skipped a beat or two as his lips came crashing down on hers.
Chapter 3
“I’ve been going crazy waiting for you.” His voice, low and husky, sent chills down her spine. As she slid the fingers of one hand through his soft black hair, his eyes coasted over her appreciatively. The sage shirt he wore made his olive skin oh-so-touchable. He really was the most beautiful man she’d ever met—high cheekbones, thick, full lips, and that amazing body….
“Cheering practice ran late. I got here as soon as I could.” Lost in his pale green eyes, she had to remind herself to breathe. She pulled back and kicked off her shoes, placing them on the shoe rack. Tristen was a fanatic about cleanliness. Everything had a place, and he got annoyed when things weren’t where they were supposed to be.
Lauren didn’t care for messes herself, but, since meeting Tristen, she paid more attention so she could meet his standards. She flashed back to the broken lamp she left at her apartment, glad she’d come to his place so he wouldn’t see that mess.
Tristen reached up and undid the clip from her hair. “You know I like your hair down.”
Lauren blushed and ran
her hand down her hair. “It’s frizzy.”
“It’s beautiful.” Tristen took her hand and pulled her across the wide open room. The foyer opened through a grand archway into a living and dining room combo, with three shallow stairs leading down to the couch and television, and another set of steps leading up to a dining room that looked out through glass windows over the lush, green backyard. The marble floor felt cold on her bare feet as she followed Tristen past the table.
“How was your day?” Lauren asked.
“Fine,” he said shortly, shooting her an irritated look. The look disappeared almost as fast as it had come, and his lips curved into a wry smile. “I need your help with something.”
Lauren fought to keep her feelings to herself. It always threw her when he refused to go into details about his life. No matter how many times she asked him about work, he refused to elaborate. His moods sometimes made her head spin.
His parents, who were loaded, bought him everything he wanted, including the beautiful condo. At nineteen, Tristen wasn’t even in school. Apparently, his father, who was grooming him to take over their family business, believed in hands-on learning rather than a degree. Lauren still wasn’t sure exactly what the business did. Tristen had mentioned importing and exporting, but he never told her what they transported. Whenever she asked, he brushed it off, telling her it was too boring, or that he liked to leave work at work.
It just made him more mysterious and sexy in her eyes. He had the sexy part down in spades.
“Oh, really? And what would you need my help with?” Lauren asked coyly.
He raised an eyebrow and flicked the kitchen lights on as they passed through the open doorway. “My computer crashed.”
“Oh. Well, that’s not much fun.” Lauren crinkled her nose. She had the lamest fairy gift of all—technopathy, the power to control electronics or machinery. Mind control over robots. Big whoop, she could fix electrical problems.
She’d always longed for a cooler power, like Tristen. He had an awesome power, the power of illusion. He could make a person believe anything about their surroundings. If he wanted her to feel a huge spider crawling on her, he could do that with ease, though the thought made her shudder. He could even make a person feel sunshine in the middle of a blizzard. She was green with envy over his gift.
“Fine. Where is it?” Lauren pouted. She could think of a thousand other things she would rather do than conversing with electrical equipment. But Tristen didn’t like to leave things hanging, so she’d take care of it quickly. Then they could get back to enjoying their evening alone.
“You’re the best.” Tristen kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s in the study.”
Lauren padded behind him across the beige slate kitchen floor into the back hallway. She admired the artwork as they made their way towards his study. Tristen had exquisite taste—or a very good interior designer. She never asked him which, but probably the latter.
She ran her hand down a white marble statue of a naked woman; she looked like a Greek goddess. Curvy, the way women should be. Lauren glanced down at her own narrow, athletic body with a wince. She’d always wanted a little more in the chest and hips department. Unfortunately, with her fast fairy metabolism, that would never happen. “Where did you get this?”
Tristen turned to look. “I don’t remember. I think I picked it up in Rome.”
“Rome?” Lauren realized how much she didn’t know about her boyfriend.
“I’ll take you there someday.” Tristen grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
The study was huge, like every other room in the house. The twelve-foot ceilings and the wall of windows opening onto the courtyard made it seem even larger. She had no idea why anyone needed so much space.
She walked across the plush mocha carpet close behind Tristen. He led her to a wall covered in mahogany bookshelves with rows of leather bound novels and pictures of Tristen doing everything from skydiving to rock climbing. A large glass desk sat in the middle of the wall, the chair facing the doorway. Tristen liked privacy; he didn’t want anyone startling him or reading behind his back. Lauren had her desk the same way, but for different reasons. It was good feng shui to be able to see the doorway from your desk.
“So what’s it doing?” Lauren twirled a crystal paperweight around with her fingers. When she realized what she was doing, she put it back in the correct spot and clasped her hands in front of her. If it annoyed Tristen, he didn’t let on.
“Why don’t you ask it yourself?” Tristen chuckled and rolled out the black leather seat.
Lauren sank into the soft leather and stared down at the Mac Pro. “It’s a her.”
Everything in existence had a spirit—or energy, to better explain it. People and animals had souls, while inanimate objects like rocks, trees, and yes, household appliances had energy, much like that of a sentient being, and definitely had a gender.
At least my boyfriend has the good sense to own a Mac, she thought wryly.
Tentatively, Lauren placed her hand on top of the laptop and closed her eyes. It was the strangest feeling, and she was glad she didn’t have to do it too often. She seemed to shrink down inside herself, then actually go into the computer.
Her mind ran through all the circuits, trying to find the cause of the problem. Talk to me, baby. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the inside of the computer clearly. She zeroed in on a spot that felt empty and cold. The motherboard had shorted. That’s strange. She willed herself to dig deeper. Ah, there was the cause—the fan had blown, causing it to overheat. But how? It was a relatively new computer. Lauren gasped.
Her eyes opened wide and she turned towards Tristen. “Why would you do something like that to such a gorgeous piece of machinery?”
He took a step back. A look of surprise crossed his face. “What are you talking about?”
“You smothered this poor thing.”
Tristen opened his mouth to speak, then closed it as if he’d thought better of it. His beautiful face broke into a huge grin. “I’m impressed. I didn’t realize your power was that strong. You could actually tell the cause of damage?”
“Of course I could.” Lauren stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. “That is seriously not funny. What was this—another of your stupid tests?”
The first time had been on an old toaster that had croaked years before, and the second time was a moped. A rush of anger filled her; his tests were getting old. And annoying.
“Come here. Don’t be mad.” He gripped her by each arm and tugged her closer. “I just like to see your skills in action. I’ve never met anyone with your gift before. Besides, it’s just a hunk of metal, and you can fix it.”
Lauren stared at him, her mouth agape. “There is energy running through this machine. You essentially shut down its life force. It’s much more than a ‘hunk of metal.’”
“Good thing you can patch it right up.”
Her shoulders slumped. He obviously didn’t get it. Even though she thought her gift was lame, she still felt a connection with all things electronic. Lauren turned her back to him and placed both hands lovingly on the computer. She felt the energy leave her body and surge into the computer. Within moments, the computer booted back up.
A slow smile spread across her face, and she whispered, “You’re welcome.”
Chapter 4
They made their way back to the living room in silence.
Lauren walked away from Tristen to stand in front of the huge fish tank near the fireplace. She tried to let go, but his complete disregard for the living being inside the Mac rankled her.
The only sound in the room was the hum of the tank’s filtration system, steady and zen-like. She watched the eight brightly colored koi swim back and forth, surrounded by lush living plants, in dizzying flashes of orange and white. After a few moments, her breathing returned to normal.
She felt his still presence behind her, as if he were waiting for her to sift through her emotions. Her shoulders relaxed
a bit as his warm hands encircled both of her arms, though he didn’t come any closer.
It wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t understand her connection to electrical machines. Half the time she didn’t understand it herself. Hopefully, he wouldn’t try a stunt like that test again. Besides, he had apologized. It really wasn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
As if he felt her giving in, he closed the space between them, one arm snaking around her waist to pull her back close to his chest. His breath tickled her ear.
They only had a few hours to be together. Lauren squeezed his arm where it rested against her abdomen; why stay angry? She turned, stepping away from his embrace to stare up into his chiseled face. He smiled softly and any anger she still felt melted away like an ice cube on a hot day. It was a little disarming, the effect he had on her.
“Tell me about your day.” Tristen ran his hand down the side of her face and took a step closer. With his body so close, she could feel the warmth of his skin through his clothes. Whoever called dark faeries cold-blooded was seriously mistaken.
“Not much to tell. The usual—school, cheering practice, and then I hightailed it over here as fast as I could.” Lauren slid her palm up his tanned, muscular arm and sighed. When she was with him, she didn’t want to think about anything other than enjoying their time together. She didn’t want to talk about the trivial parts of her day.
Tristen tilted his head and asked, “Did you take your test?”
“Of course. You didn’t really think I would turn off the power to miss a test, did you?” It appalled her that he seriously thought she would do something like that. It was her fault she hadn’t studied. Her parents had drilled it into her; she needed to take responsibility for her own actions. “Besides, the teacher probably printed out the test days ago.”
