by C. D. Gorri
My breathing grew deeper. I felt flustered and more than a little bit foolish. I had just had a temper tantrum of epic proportions. It was so stupid. I felt like an idiot. I tried to quiet my mind and to concentrate on Ronan and what he was doing with my hair.
I had to hand it to him. The comb didn’t snag once. I almost wished it did. I hadn’t worn my hair loose since the dance and I think maybe it’s because I felt too open this way. Vulnerable.
Ronan’s left hand hung down by my knee and I reached out and brushed it with mine. He stopped moving for a second. He didn’t even breathe. Neither did I. I looked up and saw his emerald eyes glowing.
“It’s all out.” His voice was rough.
“Thank you.” I meant it too. Not just for the hair, but for everything. Everything he had ever done for me. It’s funny, but all the things I was worried about, Sebastian being in danger, Nonna being disappointed in me, my mother hating what I’ve become, and so on. All of that just disappeared when I was with him.
“Maybe I could crash here tonight.” I couldn’t believe what I was saying.
“And why would you want to do that?”
“I could always fib and say I’m afraid of the dark.”
“Sure, you could fib, but we’d both know better. You don’t have to lie when you’re with me.”
He pulled me up by my hand and leaned into me. For the first time I was grateful for my height. I still had to look up to him, but we seemed to fit. Ronan brushed my hair back away from my face and closed each hand on either side of my neck. Anticipation filled me.
“I have had this dream so many times, Maria.”
“What do you mean?”
“I say your name over and over again, like a prayer, waiting for you to notice me. Dying to get this close. And here you are, a whisper away.” I gasped at the depth of feeling his voice betrayed. Mesmerized I reached up and touched his face.
He was so close, so serious. I could just make out one or two stray freckles on the bridge of his nose. His hair was thick and glossy. His face, honest and sincere, had the softest bit of copper fuzz on his cheeks. He lowered his head and his full lips touched mine so softly I didn’t think it was real.
Time stopped. My heart thundered in my ears. I exhaled softly and breathed him back in. Mmm. The kiss deepened. As if it was a living thing, cognitive and in charge of its own destiny. I clung to him and that was my last coherent thought.
Ronan’s lips were full and warm and soft. His arms were tight around me as our bodies melted into one. His scent filled my nostrils. Forest, spice and something else. Something familiar and enticing. Any objections in my mind were ignored by my Wolf and my heart.
This was not a peck on the mouth. I’ve seen kisses like this in movies. With actors and special effects. They always looked spectacular. But I never truly understood the fireworks and the swelling music that accompanied those scenes.
But now, with him. I was on fire. All of my tension, my confusion and grief, gone. Slipped through my fingers like water. They no longer existed. Nothing did, just us.
A knock on the door broke us apart. He held onto me, as if he feared I’d disappear. I knew how he felt. I tried to slow my breathing. Think, Grazi, think. Our hearts were beating in time. As one.
I had never felt so complete and so conflicted all at once. Like I was losing myself to something bigger than me. Bigger than my Wolf. Bigger than my teenage mind could grasp.
“Yeah. What is it?” His voice was harsh. Unsteady.
“Is Grazi in there?” I knew my uncle’s question was born of politeness. He was a Werewolf. He knew I was there.
“Yes, Uncle Sean?”
“Meet me in the study, five minutes. We’ve something to discuss.” I nodded and looked down. Now what? Ronan turned away from me and started throwing his dirty clothes into the hamper.
“I guess I should go.”
“Guess so.” He didn’t look at me. Ah, here comes the anger and embarrassment. For a second, I forgot I was a teenager and a weirdo too. I left his room quietly and tried not to wince when I heard a loud bang come from behind the door.
Monday started a new week for me. I had gone back home the night before and both of my uncles had managed to clear out all the broken glass from the bathroom. They cleaned up the mess I had made. I was ashamed of myself and vowed to do the rest of the yard work myself after school. Just a few leaves to rake and then winter would officially settle in.
“Great work on your research paper, Grazi.” Mrs. Theodore said to me as she started handing out grade assessments to the class. I got an A. Cool.
“Freak girl got an A, like whoop dee doo!” Lizette’s faux whisper was heard by all. It was followed by the usual snickers and whispers. Thank you, supernatural hearing. Really, thanks
Ronan didn’t show up at lunch. I waited for him, I was even late to my next class. I really wanted to see him.
I didn’t even know if he was at school. I had music next and knew if he was anywhere, he would show up there. He could hardly stay away from a piano.
“Hey.” Sebby looked around tentatively. I moved my things over.
“Want to sit?”
“Oh, yeah, thanks. I was wondering if I was still welcome.” He looked pale and a little sheepish.
“Sure. Why wouldn’t you be? By the way how are you feeling?” We chatted a bit about nothing really and I only half answered his questions when I felt eyes on me.
I looked around and saw a boy with long, dark, curly hair pulled into a low ponytail staring at me from across the cafeteria. He had golden skin and dark brown eyes. He smiled. He had straight white teeth. I could see an earring in each ear and a piercing in his nose too. Hmm. Sr. Diane must be remiss in her duties regarding uniform.
“Who is that?” Sebby squinted in the direction where I was pointing and his lips formed a frown.
“That’s Alessio. He’s visiting today from Christ is the Savior. It’s an athlete exchange. Tomorrow I’m going over there.” That was a rival school of ours. The dark haired Alessio walked over to our table.
“There you are De La Cruz. I’m shadowing you, remember.”
“Yup, how could I forget,” Murmured Sebby. Something was off about Alessio. My nose told me that immediately.
His eyes laughed as he held out his hand to me.
“And who is this beauty? Please tell me she’s your sister.”
“Um no, this is my girlfriend.” Okay, now I’m really stumped. Girlfriend? Since when?
“Does she have a name?”
“Hi, I’m Grazi.”
“Alessio Kristos.”
The boy with the dark eyes sat down right between me and Sebby. He leaned in and sniffed the air next to my neck making me scoot back a little.
“You smell good.”
“Ookay. Thanks. I guess.”
“Let’s go, Alessio.” Sebastian looked annoyed and stood up clearing his tray. Alessio leaned over again. I was seriously going to smack this creep.
“Meet me by the bleachers after school, Dreamwalker. I’ve got things to tell you.”
I froze. Dreamwalker? How did he know? What was he? He did smell off. He was definitely something more than just a teenage boy. My Wolf came forward and I closed my eyes fearing someone would see.
By the time I opened them, Alessio was gone and the lunch bell rang. I jogged over to music class. No Ronan. Where the heck was he? I sat in the back and ignored everyone. I even missed a question. I don’t think that has ever happened to me before. I shook it off. There were bigger things at stake here. What’s a little minus in class participation anyway?
At the end of the day I waited behind the bleachers. It was too cold for outdoor practices. Dark gray clouds hung in the sky. Smelled like rain. It would be the first time in months since we’d seen rain. Too late to save the crops. Even if it did fall. Which was unlikely.
No one was around. The bitter air filled my lungs. It was too cold for this time of year. Unnatural. My Wolf agreed.
The deciduous trees were bare of leaves, the evergreens having lost so many needles during the cruel summer where scrawny and off in their color. The grass was barely there anymore. What remained were nothing more than a few scraggly frozen clumps on the hard brown earth.
The school decoration committee, mainly Julianna and her clones, planted hardy mums outside every year during Halloween and they usually lasted through Thanksgiving. Not this year. They were all frozen and dead. The landscape was almost hard to look at. Especially now that I knew why it looked this way.
I always loved living in New Jersey because I got to experience the awesome change of the seasons. Nature always interested me. I don’t know if I could live somewhere where it was always cold or always tropical. I looked forward to the changes, but since last summer nothing has been right. The color and vitality seemed to be leeching away. Nature was definitely out of balance.
It was the dark Witches I knew. I was making the distinction now. Sherry was a Witch, but she was good. A White Witch. She had always been kind to me. And at least she told me real things. Uncle Sean always hinted, but never explained. I was getting awfully tired of that.
I was beginning to sweat under my coat. I should have taken my sweater off before putting it on, but there were too many people in the hall when I was packing up. I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to myself by taking off layers when everyone else was bundled up like it was a blizzard or something. Fifteen minutes more, then I’m outta here.
I closed my eyes and focused. Use your senses, little one. I breathed and noted a slightly irregular scent. There was a change in the breeze coming from my right. I moved my right hand instinctively. When I opened my eyes I held a dagger inches from my face.
A few yards behind it stood Alessio, poised after his throw. He was smiling. I’ll kill him. I crouched down ready to attack when he raised his hands in surrender.
“No, it’s okay. Now I know. You are what he said you are.”
“Are you freaking nuts?” I yelled at him and turned just in time to see Ronan leap and tackle Alessio. He threw them both a few feet off the ground before landing back down. His long fingered hands wrapped tight around Alessio’s throat.
The strange boy was turning an unhealthy shade of purple when I reached them. I put my hand on Ronan’s shoulder. I couldn’t let him kill the guy. Hurt him a little. Maybe. That was a nasty trick with the knife.
“Ronan. It’s okay, let him go.” He eased up a bit. Alessio choked and grasped at his neck. Once he caught his breath, he laughed again. The boy was a lunatic!
“Hot damn, son! Real live Werewolves! Unbelievable!”
I stood there arms crossed. Ronan tilted his head towards me.
“Is this one daft?”
“I don’t know? Where were you all day?” He ignored me and stood up off the ground in one graceful movement. Boy, he really was beautiful to watch. I shook my head. No time for that.
“And you! What the heck were you trying to do?”
“Answer her, boyo, or you’re dead meat.”
“Hey, I always got answers for a pretty lady. Which one do you want to hear?” Ronan lifted Alessio off the ground easily and shook him hard.
“What’s that you said? I don’t think I heard you?”
“Okay, okay. My teeth! Jeez, you are strong! All the makings of an Alpha with this one, huh babe? I can’t wait to catch you guys on the full moon!” Ronan growled and Alessio turned a shade paler.
“Okay, enough of this. You called me Dreamwalker before. What information do you have? And who sent you?”
“Look. I’ll tell you anything you want to know with those beautiful brown eyes of yours, my bae, but is there anywhere we could go for a bite?”
CHAPTER 7
“I could use a meal.” Ronan looked at me and shrugged. I rolled my eyes completely exasperated. Well, of course you could. Boys. Ugh!
We headed over to CyberSodas and sat at a booth. Derek, my favorite waiter, came over grinning. He frowned when he saw who I was with and I realized he didn’t see Angela. Oooh, I so have to tell her he was looking for her!
“Hi there! Today’s special is a vanilla cola fro-yo explosion and an order of bacon chocolate fries with an organic cilantro strawberry chutney for $8.99. What can I get you guys?”
“Double bacon burger with broccoli slaw and those fries that were on the special, yeah? Okay good, and an Oreo shake with two shots of protein.” Ronan shrugged at the look I gave him.
“Wow, sounds good. I’ll have a grilled chicken BLT on rye with apple potato salad ooh, and, a coffee soda fizz.” Alessio was practically drooling.
“And for you?” Derek asked me and smiled. I scanned the menu. I could eat.
“I’ll have the organic turkey wrap with avocado and a water.” Sure, I have fast metabolism, but last time I was at the house, my uncle showed me a picture of my cousin Gertrude. She was huge. Six foot five and about three hundred and fifty pounds, not all muscle. I was so not taking my supernatural metabolism for granted.
Derek left with our order and I waited for Alessio to begin. He just kept looking around, a big goofy grin on his face while Ronan watched him speculatively.
“You’re Romani?”
“Yeah, that’s right?”
“What’s that like a Gypsy?” I asked. Alessio glared at me, but quickly averted his eyes.
“Hey, that’s really not so PC anymore. People hate Gypsies. We prefer Romani.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know. For the record I don’t hate anyone without reason. Look, just tell me what you know.”
“Well, for one thing SilverWolf is one freakish dude. I mean he’s been coming to visit my grandmother since my father was a boy and he never, ever ages! So freaking weird!”
Ronan narrowed his eyebrows then looked at me. Okay so the guy knew SilverWolf. Maybe he sent him to us? I tried asking but, he was distracted by the computer at our table and went to type into the keyboard. I interrupted him.
“We didn’t order a WiFi connection. It won’t work.”
“Oh yeah? Well, lookee here. Access granted, baby! I don’t always do things by the book, you know.” He said a few words under his breath I didn’t quite catch, possibly because they weren’t quite English. Then he clicked the mouse a few times.
His hands were long, shorter than Ronan’s but that was an unfair comparison. He moved them elegantly over the keyboard. For a moment I pictured Ronan when he played.
The flat screen monitor lit up and I snapped out of my reverie. Thinking about Ronan must have distracted me. I have got to get my head on straight.
Alessio brought up a screen with Native American art and he clicked on a picture I was actually familiar with.
“So do you know what this is?”
“Can’t say that I do.” Ronan looked closer at the object. It was circular, made of bent wood, thread was woven in the middle making an intricate pattern. Like a spider’s web. Feathers and beads dangled from the bottom of the hoop from thin, hand woven strings. This one was particularly beautiful. I sighed.
“It’s a dreamcatcher. I used to have one when I was little.”
“Looks like you should have kept it.” He clicked on the description and gave Ronan a chance to glance it over.
“All caught up, big guy?” Ronan narrowed his eyes and Alessio turned his head down.
Even people who aren’t Werewolves knew enough to not make eye contact with a dominant. And Ronan’s Wolf was getting more and more dominant. I guess that came with the maturation process.
“Okay, look, no disrespect. So, the Dreamcatcher is a snare, a trap. Here I made one during geography for you.” He held out a small dreamcatcher about the size of my palm. The handiwork was quickly, put together and the thread was plain, but it was still handsome. The web he wove was as intricate as the one on the screen before us.
“I don’t understand? Aren’t you a Gypsy?” I cringed at my faux pas. Oops. My bad.
“Technically yes. But you hav
e to understand, the Romani are wanderers. My ancestors have been wandering this land for almost two hundred years. I have a lot of mixed blood flowing through these veins. Eastern European, African, Mediterranean, Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, Cherokee and some Lakota too. I’m a real American, a human melting pot.” He smiled.
In that smile I saw an image of an older looking Alessio with straight black hair riding a horse. He was bare-chested and his stern face was smudged with paint. A warrior’s spirit. I shook my head and focused on the Alessio who sat in front of me.
“Dreamcatchers are powerful magic. Most people think they’re just a dumb tourist thing. Hang that up on the ceiling over your head when you go to bed tonight. It should keep the dreams at bay until I can arrange a scaping with my puri daj.”
I looked to Ronan for a hint at what to do. He shifted his shoulders. The movement so small I’m not sure I would’ve caught it if not for my keen eyesight. It was up to me. Ronan had my back. Always.
It looked like I’d be making this decision myself. Alessio may be telling the truth. I didn’t smell a lie, but I was unfamiliar with how well my sense of smell stood up against people with magic. And he had magic. That was one thing I was totally sure of.
“Puri daj is what I call my grandmother.” He explained.
“Your grandmother? Okay, I mean, I guess it’s okay then. You know, you kind of smell like cinnamon. Like someone else I know.”
“Oh, you must mean Sherry. She’s sort of my Aunt. That is, my great-great grandpa had a fling with her mom, and anyway, you get the picture. Don’t mention her to my puri daj or we’ll never hear the end of it.” His great-great grandfather? Wow. She must age like a Werewolf.
“Anyway, my sweet, sweet scent is actually my anima magicae. It’s like the heart of my powers. Sexy, right?” I rolled my eyes at him. Ronan bared his teeth. White, long, and sharp looking even in human form. Alessio gulped.
“So magic powers smell like cinnamon?” I asked.
“Not all powers no. But white magic, you know, good magic usually smells that way. Like familiar spices and pleasant fragrances. I can smell you too, you know.”
