His face stayed the same, but I felt his panic like a slap to my face. Having his blood down in the lab would raise all sorts of questions. As a hellhound, Sam has an extremely high white blood cell count, which he believes is the reason that he heals quickly and rarely gets sick. If his blood went down to the lab and they saw how unusually high his count was, they would want to study his blood further which would lead to the discovery that he has an extra chromosome (which is what I learned enables him to change into a hellhound). These kinds of discoveries would only lead to more questions…questions that Sam (and I) didn’t want to answer.
Thinking fast I moaned and caught the nurse as she brushed past me. “I don’t feel well.”
She stopped and turned to me, her face softening. No doubt I looked horrible, so my lie appeared true. “Did you get some pain meds yet?”
“Yes, they made my stomach upset,” I gagged and lurched forward at her.
She jumped back, stumbling a bit. “I’ll get the trash can.” She hurried over and grabbed the bucket and thrust it at me.
“Thank you,” I responded weakly. “Could I have some ginger ale and some crackers? It might settle my stomach.”
The nurse patted my hand and ran from the room. I tossed the trash can down and looked over at Sam. He lifted an eyebrow. “Pretty convincing.”
I shrugged. It wasn’t all an act. The thought of anyone finding out he was different made me nauseous. He appeared before me and I blinked.
You have to go. The idea really made me feel like barfing.
No, I don’t.
The nurses are going to want to check you out.
I’ll handle it.
Just then Grandma ran into the room. “Oh, Heven, honey, what happened?”
Sam went back to where he’d been sitting before. “I’m sorry, Grandma, I wrecked your car.” Seeing her made my eyes fill with tears. Up until this point I think shock kept me from feeling overly emotional about everything that had happened tonight.
“Don’t worry about the car. How are you?”
“Okay, a little shaken up. I’m not hurt too bad.” I sniffled. Lucky for me most of my injuries were healed when Airis brought me back to life. I was still bruised up and my body really hurt, but at least I was alive. Thankfully a good amount of the blood that I lost had been washed away with the rain. Having that much blood all over me would have looked suspicious considering my lack of injuries.
She grabbed my face and kissed me, brushing the hair away from my face. I looked up to smile and reassure her, but her eyes went wide and she gasped.
“What?”
Your scars are gone. They disappeared when Airis brought you back to life. Sam hurried to say.
“What happened to your scars?” Grandma whispered.
My hand flew to my face. It was smooth and flat. I felt around again and again. I looked up at Grandma. “They’re gone?”
She nodded.
“I want to see.” I jumped down off the gurney. My legs felt like Jell-O and wouldn’t hold me up, but Sam appeared, slipping his arm under me for support.
“You have good reflexes,” Gran murmured.
You didn’t tell me! I told Sam as I headed for the bathroom and the mirror.
I forgot.
How could you forget this?
I never see your scars when I look at you.
When I was in front of the mirror, I took a breath and looked up.
They were gone.
I wasn’t disfigured anymore.
I burst into tears.
“Bring her out here,” Grandma told Sam from the bathroom door.
“Wait!” I cried. Lifting my head from his chest, I stared back at my reflection. He kept a hand at the small of my back as I stepped closer to the mirror. My skin was splotchy from all the crying I’d done in the past few hours…but the scars were gone. I stared at myself, at the face I’d wished for since the accident, the face I’d always had – except it wasn’t me anymore.
What’s the matter?
I looked in the mirror at Sam who stood behind me. I don’t recognize myself.
I do. You’re beautiful.
I burst into tears again.
“Come lie down,” Grandma ordered.
Sam led me out of the tiny room and all but lifted me onto the gurney. Instead of going back to his chair, he sat beside me. His body heat and scent calmed me. I loved him so much that I would go through everything we’d just gone through again just to be here with him.
“What happened?” Grandma asked from the foot of the bed.
“It was raining really hard, and the car just hydroplaned. It was dark, and I ran off the road.” After Airis had sent us back to the scene of the accident, we called the police, and the ambulance brought us here to the hospital. While it hadn’t been raining when I wrecked the car, it did start right after, so I didn’t have to stretch the truth too far. “I called Sam while I was waiting for the ambulance, right after I called you.”
“Well, thank you for coming, Sam.”
“Anything for Heven.”
The nurse bustled back in carrying some crackers and a ginger ale. Her eyes bounced back and forth between me and Sam.
“Hello,” Grandma said, drawing her attention away from us. “Is that for Heven?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I turned to Sam, “Would you mind getting me some ice for my soda?”
He frowned. I stay with you.
It will get you away from nurszilla over there for a minute.
He looked like he might protest.
I’ll be fine.
He nodded and rose from the bed. “Could I get you some coffee?” he asked Grandma.
“Well, yes. Thank you, Sam. Decaf, please.”
His eyes returned to me before he ducked out, and they flashed gold. I’ll be right back.
I smiled and waved. When he was gone I turned to my grandma and the nurse. “How much longer do we have to be here?”
The sooner we got out of there the better.
“If you could have any super power, which one would it be?”
“Uh…”
I giggled, “I guess you already kind of have a super power.”
“I wish I was normal.”
“I love you the way you are.”
He shifted beneath the covers in my bed to face me. It was late and I didn’t think we’d ever get here. It took me awhile to convince everyone I was fine, and then I’d had to ride home with Gran and Sam was left to find his own way (Grandma thought he had his truck at the hospital, and we let her believe it). I know it made him crazy to let me go off with her alone, but there was no other choice. Once we got home I took a quick shower and then stood in front of the mirror staring at my new face. The face I had to die and then be brought back to life by an angel to get. It was all so unreal, and every time I caught a glimpse of myself, I did a double take. I didn’t recognize myself. How could I not? I looked like this all my life and only spent ten months disfigured, so how did that girl become more familiar to me than this one? It wasn’t like I was unhappy to have this face back because I was happy. It just felt strange, to get back something that I lost, something I had learned to accept.
Sam shifted beneath the blankets, bringing my attention back to him. “I didn’t think I would ever hear those words from you.”
“I love you,” I whispered. Just saying those words spread joy throughout my body.
“I love you, too.”
I scooted forward, and he wrapped me in his arms. It’s like my body knew exactly where to go and where each part of me fit perfectly against him. My eyes drifted closed at the familiar safety I felt only with him. For the first time all day I relaxed. “Sam? I’m not sure I want super powers or to be a Supernatural Treasure.”
“According to Airis you have always been a Supernatural Treasure, so it shouldn’t be anything new.” I heard a smile in his voice and looked up.
“Do you think this is funny?” I couldn’t help but smil
e.
“No,” he said, running his fingers through my hair. “But I can’t bring myself to be upset that you are a Supernatural Treasure, if you weren’t you might not be alive.”
“When you put it that way…” I said, tucking my face into his neck. He smelled good.
“What kind of power do you think I will have?” I said after a minute of us just lying there quietly.
“I don’t know.” Then he laughed. “Maybe you’ll get x-ray vision.”
“You might want x-ray vision, but I don’t.” I said, grinning.
He lifted his head and looked down at me, wagging his eyebrows. “You never know what you might see.”
I laughed. He pulled a pillow over our heads. “Shhhh.”
I giggled. “Sorry.”
It felt so good to laugh and just be together, especially after dying then coming back to life. We lay there for a while in our own little bliss, and I prayed nothing would break the moment. Of course, it did. I had almost forgotten about the after effects of Airis ‘awakening my abilities’ until another tremor licked through my body. It started in my legs and worked all the way up through my head, and then it was gone. It made me a little queasy and a little dizzy. I pressed closer to Sam.
“What was that?” he asked, pulling back to look at me.
I clutched at him, bringing him close once more. “I’ve been feeling them all night. It’s like an after effect of whatever she did to me.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” His was voice concerned.
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“I’m supposed to protect you.”
“It’s like your official job now.” I giggled.
“I wasn’t so good at it tonight.”
“But Airis didn’t hurt me,” I protested.
“I’m not talking about Airis.”
“You mean China.” A little bit of fear burned in my belly, and the image of Gran’s smoking car flashed in my head.
“Did you kill her?”
He made a sound in his throat. “No. She ran off, and I let her go because I was worried about you.”
“She’s still out there?”
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, “she’s not coming back tonight. She’s injured pretty bad.”
“But she will come back.”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do?” I anticipated his answer and it made me nervous.
“Kill her.”
While I didn’t mind so much about her dying, I did mind that Sam would be doing the killing. I didn’t want him to have to do something like that for me.
I will do anything for you.
I can’t believe that God wants you to kill someone to protect me.
Maybe that’s why I was chosen. Hellhounds don’t have a problem with sin.
I gasped out loud and my hands gripped his shirt. “Don’t say that. They chose you.”
Because I love you and would do anything for you.
Yes. But you’re a good person, Sam. I yawned loudly.
Sleep, you’re exhausted.
But I haven’t asked you about what we’re doing now.
Talking through our thoughts?
Yes. Do you know how?
China told me about it once. She thought it was a myth associated with being a hellhound. It’s called a ‘Mindbond.’ Hellhounds can only do it with one person during their lives. It is very strong and even distance cannot break this communication.
You mean we’ll be able to do this forever, no matter what?
Yes.
Pleasure bloomed in the center of my chest. You can’t do this with anyone else?
I felt him smile. No.
I can sleep now. I was smiling too.
Sweet Dreams.
I love you
We slept
Chapter Twenty-Four
Heven
The sheets felt rough against my skin. Even though they were made of fine cotton, every movement I made against them felt like sandpaper. I moved again, looking for something to ease the feeling, and brushed up against something not as soft as the sheets; its rough texture surprisingly something I wanted more of. I moaned, but the sound was instantly swallowed by a pair of soft, moist lips capturing my own. Again and again they moved against mine, eliciting a delicious ache in the center of me. Curious and hungry at the same time, I reached out to touch more of this sensation, to pull it closer. I encountered more cotton – sandpaper to my skin. In protest I tried to rip it away and soon it was gone and a delicious warm weight settled over me. My lips moved deeper, my tongue traveling out, finding something to dance with. I pressed my body closer, moving with rhythm against the only thing that could make this ache inside me go away.
We have to stop.
Lips left mine, and I was bereft. The delicious weight started to pull back. Don’t leave.
I pulled him back down and my lips found his shoulder; the taunt muscle was straining against his skin, and I scraped my teeth over the firmness. I heard him groan, and then he was gone.
“Sam?” I sat up, opening my eyes. He was across the room beside the window, pacing. It took a minute for a full thought to form in my head because it was fuzzy, and the tantalizing dream I’d just had wanted to hold on. As he paced I watched him; he was beautiful, and he was shirtless. Abruptly he paused in his pacing to turn and look at me. There was a red mark on his shoulder…oh boy, it wasn’t a dream. Sam and I just got majorly hot and heavy, and if I he hadn’t pulled away…
You thought that was a dream? He seemed exasperated and let down at the same time.
I just know that it felt really good, and I didn’t want it to stop.
He groaned again and resumed his pacing. I felt a little rejected.
Did I do something wrong?
He swung toward me. God, no. But your grandmother is right down the hall!
I guess it wasn’t the best time to get busy.
I want to take my time with you. Things right now aren’t really…
I know. I scrubbed my hand over my face, my eyes felt like they had sand in them. We should wait. I’m sorry.
The bed dipped with his weight when he sat next to me. “Don’t ever be sorry, not for that.”
I nodded. “What time is it?”
“Late.”
I looked at the clock and gaped. Half the day was gone! So much for going to school. I went to the window, pulled back the curtains and lifted up the blinds, releasing the cord, and looked out at the sunny day. I gasped and stumbled backward, my hands coming up to shield my eyes.
“What’s the matter?” Sam asked, coming to stand at my side.
Close the blinds, the blinds!
He ran to the window and pulled them down, yanking the curtains closed as well. “They’re closed.”
Tentatively, I opened my eyes and blinked. They were watering and stinging, but I could see fine. Even worried, Sam’s face was beautiful to me, which was good because it was super close to mine.
“What’s up?” he asked.
I shook my head. “It’s so bright out. My eyes hurt.”
“The sunshine hurts your eyes?”
“Yeah.” I blew out a breath. “Tell me, do they look bad?”
He came even closer and took my head in his hands and tilted it this way and that. I waited through his scrutiny, preparing myself for news of some new disfigurement. “They look fine,” he declared.
“I want to see.” I looked in the mirror above my dresser. He was right, everything looked normal. I turned back to Sam and shrugged. “I guess I just wasn’t fully awake yet.”
“Are you awake now?”
I nodded.
He went over to the window and lifted the shade. My eyes burned and watered when the light bounced around the room, but it wasn’t as bad as before. “It still burns.”
He closed the blinds again, frowning. “Are you feeling okay?”
I took a moment to take inventory of my body; everything seemed fine. “
My muscles are sore, but the accident and then whatever happened with Airis…”
He nodded.
“But otherwise I feel okay.” Then I remembered something. “Except for those tremors I was getting last night.”
“Had one yet this morning?”
“No.”
“You should take it easy today.”
“Yeah. I’m starving though, want to eat?” I went over to the bedroom door.
He appeared beside me and placed his hand over mine as I reached for the doorknob. “I can’t just waltz downstairs with you.”
“Oh. Right.”
He smiled. It was crooked and playful and my heart turned over.
His smile faded and he skimmed his knuckles down my cheek.
“Maybe you could come visit me? You know – to see how I am feeling after the accident.”
He nodded. “I’m going to run home and shower first, change my clothes.”
I didn’t like the idea of him going to the home he shared with China and the other hellhounds. Will she be there?
Nah, she’s probably hiding.
He said this just to make me feel better. I could feel that he hoped she was there so that he would get a chance at her. Anticipation coiled inside me and my body was ready to jump into a fight. I frowned. I was scared of China; I did not want to see her.
It’s the Mindbond. It’s called bleeding. The mental state of one can ‘bleed’ to the other and affect their mood.
All emotion, all the time? I asked and frowned. While I loved having this Mindbond with Sam, I didn’t exactly like the idea of him hearing and feeling every thought I had. Some things were just meant to be private.
No, honey. The bleeding would only occur when we are standing this close to each other. Unless it is very intense emotion, like if you were hurt or something bad was happening to you, then I would feel it. It’s the same for you and feeling my emotions.
I nodded, warming to the idea of bleeding.
The Mindbond means we can talk like this, through our thoughts, no matter the distance between us. We can only hear the thoughts we project out to the other, and again, unless of course you were thinking very loudly or forcefully, then I might be able to pick up on them.
I understand. But then I had a thought. Sam? If China thought this was all a myth, then she must have never experienced this or known anyone who has either…who’s to say the stuff she told you is true?
Masquerade Page 29
