by Abra Ebner
“And not just what?”
Emily let go of my dress. “And not just find a new friend, like that Navia girl to confide in. She doesn’t know you like I do. Frankly, the chick gives me the creeps.”
I couldn’t help but laugh and nod. “She is a bit different.”
Emily nodded along with me. “And I know what you’re going through with the whole… intimacy issue.” She was suddenly acting modest about it.
I laughed. “Like you and Wes have any issues,” I teased.
Emily snorted, her eyes wide. “We do when I’m too chicken to even do it!” She blushed a deep crimson.
“What?” I tilted my head and snorted. “With your history, how are you scared?”
Emily bit her lip, shifting her weight on one foot. “I don’t have a history, Jane. You just assume that I do.”
I let the idea sink in, finding it impossible. “No way.”
Emily laughed nervously. “I’m not joking! It was just comfortable having you think I was a moral-less person. Allowing you to believe I was someone else kept you at a distance. It kept you from finding out about my mindreading.” She tapped her head.
Flooded with relief and happiness, I pulled her into me, unable to control my need to hug her. I was full of pride and guilt at the same time, pride for her chastity and guilt because I’d assumed the worst from her for so long. She pushed me away gently.
“Maybe you should listen more,” she dared. “Like I do,” she added with a grin.
I giggled. “I promise to try and ask more…” I was nodding and smiling, but Emily’s face had suddenly drained of all color, her eyes fixed over my shoulder and behind me, searching frantically. My happiness quickly faded. “What?” I felt a flutter of nerves in my stomach at that look, knowing it couldn’t be good.
Emily narrowed her eyes, ignoring my question. I turned and looked in the direction she was, behind me and through the rooms of the house toward the kitchen. There were more guests now than there had been when I arrived a few moments ago, the hall overflowing, but not with anything out of the ordinary.
“What?” I repeated, looking back at her and giving her a little nudge.
Emily’s eyes pried away from where she’d been looking. She shook her head as though shaking away an image. “Nothing. I just thought…” she stopped herself, pressing her lips together as Wes returned, balancing four cans of beer.
“Want one?” he asked, looking proud to be serving us.
I scowled at Wes for cutting short Emily’s answer. “Emily, I thought we just promised to tell each other everything? You can’t just do that and expect to avoid an explanation.”
Emily frowned and reached over me, snatching a beer from Wes’s hand. She snapped it open and began drinking. Seeing that Wes was now struggling to balance the remaining beers in his hands, I quickly assisted him, grabbing two cans that were about to fall to the floor. Wes regained his balance. Emily’s abrupt change in attitude was confounding.
“What’s gotten into you?” he barked at Emily.
Emily had her eyes shut, her head tilted back as she drained the can. She crushed it in her tiny hand, looking brutish doing so. “Just anxious is all. Thanks for the beer.”
My brows were drawn together. I once again looked over my shoulder, but there was still nothing to warrant her strange and unexplained behavior. What in the world had just happened?
Emily:
I gave the empty can back to Wes. He took it with a confused look that rivaled Jane’s. I nervously glanced back across the house where I had seen it—seen him. Greg. It had to be a figment of my imagination, but what if it wasn’t? My lack of sleep the last week had been hard on my already flawed concentration. I wouldn’t be surprised to find I was seeing things now, too. Then again, if Greg really was in my room, then he could really be here and I wasn’t seeing things at all. My spine steeled, body shaking.
Where was Max?
If Greg were really here, there was no way Max would not know about it. Lover’s quarrel or not, Max was still sworn to protect Jane for the rest of her life including those she cared about, like me… at least that’s what he claimed the night he invaded my room. Now, more than ever, I actually missed having Max around—he would be able to tell me the truth—was Greg really here or not?
I know it seemed a stupid thing to obsess over, but no one saw what Greg did to me—what he made me do. I was trapped in my body, his every wish my duty to fulfill. Granted he didn’t take advantage of me, at least not to that degree, but he did make me kill a man. My hands sliced the heart right out of his poor soul, the blood forever staining my skin. I could never forget the way the man looked at me, my face the last he saw.
What Jane and Wes knew about my abduction was vague and loose. I hadn’t been able to open up about it yet. Given that, being terrified by the simple possibility of Greg’s proximity at this party made my reaction at this moment understandable. I certainly wasn’t about to foot my burdens of that experience on them here and now. This meant leaving Jane with unanswered questions, though I had promised not to.
Wes seemed to shrug it off rather quick, idly sipping his beer. “I brought one for Navia, too. Where is she?” I was glad Wes was changing the subject away from my weird and sudden behavior.
Jane stood still, holding the two extra beers and staring at them with a frown on her face. “I don’t know.” She looked around for a place to leave them, finding a side table in the corner behind her. I watched her maneuver the mass of yellow sateen fabric, setting the beers on two coasters—always the polite one.
“Well, did she go to mingle?” Wes pushed.
Wes’s pressing interest in Navia’s whereabouts sent an irritated twitch down my spine. On top of everything else I had to deal with, now I had to deal with the fact that Wes clearly had a thing for Navia, even if it was a superficial attraction to her super model looks. He thought I didn’t know, but he wasn’t as great at hiding it yet as he thought he was.
Jake approached then, and my whole body tingled with his nearness, hungering for the relaxation the veiled light could provide. Given the ape suit, however, there wasn’t so much as a glimmer.
“Hey, man.” Wes put a hand on his shoulder. “Got a beer over there for ya, on that little table thingy next to Jane.”
Jake groaned dramatically. “Oh, you’re a god!” He practically lunged for it, popping the top and chugging it down, finishing with a flagrant ‘ah’. “Now that’s good.”
I rolled my eyes away from them, leveling my gaze across the room where the same, dark figure I’d seen before now leaned against an arched passageway—closer now. I felt my heart stop, my eyes lingering on the figure: undoubtedly a man, undoubtedly Greg. His face was shadowed by the overhang of the arch, his pose somehow coy and confident at the same time. I allowed myself to open my gaze to him, hoping that by doing so, he would disappear. He didn’t.
Black leather jacket and dark jeans—all the smoldering, dark romance he possessed was put on display. A sick part of me enjoyed it.
I shut my eyes hard this time, trying to quell the emotions that were mixing inside me—hatred, love, murder, and lust. Opening my eyes with the emotions haltered, I saw he was gone. Though he had once again disappeared, one thing was for certain. This was real this time. This was not just a figment of my imagination anymore.
What did he want?
Jake reached for the last beer. Leaning back into his place in our circle he snapped it open, but before he could bring it to his lips, I snatched it out of his grasp. I slammed the fizzy amber liquid down my throat once more. I would not let this scare me. I was poison to Greg, and I needed to remember that.
Tilting my head back, I choked on the beer, surging forward in a fit of coughing. Jake caught me in his arms, patting my back.
“What in the world?” he remarked, aiming the question toward Wes. “What’s wrong with her?”
I stood up straight, wiping my chin.
“What’s your problem?” J
ake asked me directly, looking from Wes and back to me. He squeezed my arm.
I yanked myself out of his grasp. “Nothing,” I hissed. The beer was already beginning to get to me.
“We already tried that question,” Jane filled him in. “It doesn’t work.” Her dry sarcasm was annoying.
The three of them were staring at me like a sick person.
“What?” I barked.
They just shook their heads. Navia approached with a look of concern on her face. She sidled alongside Jane. “What’s wrong with your sister?”
Was it that obvious? I felt my teeth grind together, wanting to rip her perfect little head off. She did not belong in our group. She did not deserve to fit in with us. And most of all, she did not deserve to know my problems.
“Maybe we should go.” Wes wrapped his arm around my waist, gripping tight. I gave up and allowed myself to sink into him, though my body didn’t want to. My weeks of clean living made me more receptive to the poison of alcohol, and right now, I was feeling not only overly emotional, but easily persuaded.
I saw Jane nod in agreement. “I’m not sure she’s ready for this type of scene just yet.”
I hated her for saying that, as though I couldn’t control my actions. Then again, I couldn’t control my thoughts, either. Greg had invaded them the moment he’d arrived, and he was laughing at me.
: : :
I woke with a start, gasping for air. I sat up fast, looking to the chair in the corner of the room. My faerie wings from the party were crumpled in the seat. It was as though they’d been sat on, the chair still rocking. I’d tried to stay awake and wait for Greg to come, but that hadn’t lasted long as the beer forced my eyes closed. Now, though, I was definitely awake, and he was definitely here.
“Greg?” I stammered. “I know it’s you.”
The words were hard to say. Lips trembling, I cursed myself for admitting it out loud. I knew that once those words left my lips, there was no turning back.
The floor creaked, opposite from the still rocking chair. I drew in a sharp intake of breath and shot my gaze in the direction of the sound. I could barely see a thing, my eyes straining against the darkness.
“Greg?” I foolishly asked again.
The air was thick and warm, so warm that any movement encouraged perspiration. I heard another subtle rustling, like a mouse, or perhaps a figment of my imagination. I pressed myself back against the headboard, pulling the covers up to my chin. Something in the room shifted then, and the shadows began to move. My eyes had to be deceiving me, but as the warm humidity melted to a cold chill, deception turned to reality.
The shadows crept across the floor toward the foot of my bed, snaking up and over the covers. I tried to stay within the little light the moon provided, but the shadow did not seem to care about the safety of my light. It stretched endlessly toward me in billowing waves. Ringlets of cold air tickled the skin on my face, like a door left open in the middle of winter. I’d been holding my breath, my lungs now stinging. The shadow halted and I exhaled, a cloud of steam releasing from my mouth and falling upon it.
“Who are you?” I tried again, my voice shaking.
The smoky shadow blew away like sand in a wind storm, revealing what was hidden beneath. “Just me.” Greg had been discarded in the receding wave of sand, his mouth twisted into a wicked grin. “Did you like the entrance? I’ve been working on it for a while.”
I stopped breathing as I jolted back, my head smacking against the headboard.
He laughed. “I wanted to impress you, and give you a start. I succeeded.”
Collecting myself as fast as I could, I sat up, hands in front of me and ready to defend. “What do you want?”
His brows were sewn together. “I could ask you the same thing.” His footfalls echoed across the wood floor as he took a few steps back and stood straight, hands resting at his sides. I could see he was avoiding getting too close, telling me that what Max had said about my poisoned blood was definitely correct.
“Why do you keep watching me?” I lunged forward a little, testing the theory. Greg jerked back, avoiding the burn.
He was nimble and unfazed, but careful nonetheless. “I’m not watching you.”
I grew more confident. “Yes. You are.”
Greg shook his head. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“Everyone who?”
Greg moved and sat at the end of the bed. “You…” his eyes met mine. “And Avery…”
His icy chill crept over the comforter, falling upon me. “Avery? You know her?” I gasped.
Greg bounced on the mattress, leaning back on his elbows. He looked at me, his eyes amused. “Avery was almost kin to me. Of course I know her.” His sarcasm wasn’t welcome. “But now she’s my new partner in crime.” A delighted half smile spread across his olive skin. “You may know her best as sweet Navia.”
My mouth fell open as the name sank in. I saw her face in my mind, puzzling together the various clues to her distant attitude at lunch the other day. “Navia is… Avery? But…” Why hadn’t I guessed that? It suddenly made sense.
“I can’t believe you didn’t pick up on that. I thought that you were smarter.” Greg sighed long and hard. “She’s gorgeous, though, isn’t she?” He traced his finger over the pattern on my bedspread. “Though I still like you better. You’ve got a certain spark I crave.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Too bad we didn’t work out, but… luckily for you… it seems we’ll get a second chance.”
My hands felt cold and clammy. “There are no second chances with us, Greg. So leave me alone.”
He sat up, looking hurt, though I knew it was all for show. “Aw, don’t say that! We had great times, remember?”
Images suddenly invaded my head, images of murder, lust, and greed. The images were attached to a carnal need to be close to him, a need to feel our bodies intertwine, breath becoming one. My stomach lurched, trying to push this demon out. He was brainwashing me.
“Leave me alone,” I seethed through clenched teeth. I was stronger than him, and pushing hard, the images disappeared.
He laughed. “I’m impressed! You’ve grown strong.”
“Stop coming here. Stop watching me sleep!” I yelled, feeling the release of his wicked energy inside me.
He stopped laughing. “I haven’t been watching you sleep,” he said again, annoyed. “That’s far too cliché for me.”
I wrinkled my face, confused. “You haven’t?”
Greg snorted. “No. If I wanted you that bad, I’d just come and take you.”
My back steeled. “Then who was it? Avery?” If he hadn’t been the one in my room, then who was left?
“Avery? You think she has time to watch you when she’s busy ruining Jane? You’re not that important.” He laughed once. “Yeah, right.” He thought for a moment, looking infuriatingly confident. “But, listen…” his weight shifted closer to me. “I really do have to take you now.”
I felt my heart rate quicken. “But you can’t touch me.”
He inched his way over the sheets. “Yes. I can… if I have to.”
“Why?” I spat.
Greg traced his finger down my arm. The touch sizzled, making him wince. “You’re supposed to be bait. If you haven’t already guessed, Avery wants to see your sister dead. The best way to lure her in is with you, as we’ve seen before.” There was a look of envy on his face. “I guess Avery knows how to take jealousy to the next level.”
My throat was tight, and I found myself at a loss for words. I looked around the room, looking for a way to escape. Knowing Greg’s agility, however, there was no point in trying.
“I’m sorry I have to do this again, my dear.” He tilted his head and leaned into the curve of my neck, just under my ear. His breath singed the hairs that were standing there. “I promise that this time, though, I won’t let anyone take you away from me. This time, we’ll be together forever,” he whispered, the very mention of it felt like cold lead en
tering my ears. He brushed his nose against my skin, wincing again as he leaned back, angered by the reaction between us. Grasping the edges of my sheets, he pressed me against the backboard. “There’s something enticing in this, isn’t there? A forbidden pleasure, perhaps?” His teeth flashed and he winked, the green halo of his eyes glowing. “I must say, our connection sure has a new flash to it that it didn’t before.”
I wanted to scream, but my voice had frozen. I tried to wriggle free, but Greg only pressed harder. He was laughing softly, mockingly, the way he did when he’d forced my hand to murder.
Mustering all the strength and concentration I could, I spoke forcefully. “Please,” I pleaded. “Please just let me go.”
Greg wrapped the sheet around me, hands careful but fast. He tucked me into a cocoon, and just as he was about to lift me from bed, he lurched suddenly. Looking at him, I saw his eyes were wide and surprised, his arms around me releasing. I was flung from his grasp and I fell back onto the mattress. Rolling onto my side, I was quick to detangle myself from the sheets.
Breathing hard, the room was too dark to see what was happening to him, but I could hear Greg struggling. I rubbed my eyes, trying to regroup. When my eyes at last began to accept the shadows, I pieced together what darkness I could, surprised when I saw Jake’s soft veiled light floating amongst it. I drew in a sharp breath of air, the safety the light offered like a shot to the heart. The struggling continued, and sitting there, with my breath held tight, I traced the broad outline of Jake’s arched back. His hands flailed at Greg’s face, swift and silent, his ability to see in the dark far surpassing Greg’s.
