Awaken: Book 1 of the Dark Paradise Trilogy

by Isadora Brown

  For whatever reason, Henry looked surprised, like he was seeing her for the first time. He looked at Reese as though she had a really gross, puss-filled zit between her eyebrows. Reese actually reached up to brush her fingers across her brow to make sure nothing was there, curling loose strands of hair behind her ear so the action was justified rather than paranoid. For the first time since she had met him, he looked uncertain, which was … disturbing. Wasn’t he supposed to be sure about everything?

  “Let’s not change the subject, Reese,” he said, his nostrils flaring. “Why are you following me?”

  Reese knitted her brow together. “Why are you saying my name like that?” she asked.

  More shock on his face, but then something resembling resignation, expectation warmed his dark eyes. “Like what?” he asked, loosening his grip on her. If Reese was being honest, she didn’t even think he knew he was touching her.

  “Like it’s some kind of spell.” She hadn’t even thought about it until her mouth spoke for her, but she realized it was true. The way he said her name tenderly in his silky voice was like some kind of incantation that nobody knew except him. If they were a couple, she could imagine him murmuring it that way during an especially intimate moment. Not that they would ever be together.

  “A spell, hmm?” he asked. He sounded like he was humoring her, but Reese wasn’t insulted. His eyes were twinkling in the same way they had at Phillip’s party when he caught her watching him in the study. “Let’s not deflect anymore, dear.” He tilted his head to the side so some of his hair fell into his face. “Why are you following me?”

  “I feel like I know you from somewhere,” she murmured. Her grey eyes narrowed as they sculpted his face, ran down his crooked nose, slid down his cheekbones, gathered at the base of his round chin. She took in his dimples, his lips, his teeth, but, as always, returned to his eyes. For whatever reason, she was always brought back to his eyes. They drew her to him. They were the reason she felt compelled to follow him, learn more about him, and figure out just where she had seen him before that would make the most sense.

  He probably thought she was crazy. Hell, she thought she was crazy. There was no way she could know Henry from anywhere since she had never been to Onyx before her accident and had only met him the first day of school. Yet she couldn’t deny something was there, no matter how one-sided it was.

  “I’m flattered,” he said, a smirk breaking out onto his face. There were those dimples, shining like the star on top of a Christmas tree. “But I assure you, you and I have never met until that day in the office.”

  There was something about his words, something he wasn’t saying …

  “Why are you here?” she asked him, tilting her head up in order to lock eyes with him.

  “Pardon?”

  Did he just say pardon?

  “Here,” she repeated. She lifted her arms up in order to gesture, causing him to drop his hands from her arms, releasing her. “The Spirit Museum. Are you religious?”

  “You’re very direct.”

  “You’re very evasive.” She paused. “Will you show me around?”

  He gently pushed his brows together. “Where?” he asked.

  “Here.”

  “If I were to show you around,” he said, the smile back on his face, “it would take up quite a lot of our time. You wouldn’t want your friend to wait that long for you, do you?”

  Reese’s mouth dropped open, the sight causing Henry’s smirk to deepen. “How could you possibly know that?” she asked. “There is no possible way you saw us drive in. You were already out of your car. You were already walking to the building.”

  “You’re not as stealthy as you assume,” he teased.

  But Reese didn’t believe him. The hint that he knew she had been in a coma as he was showing her to her first class, the fact that he seemed to know she was in the library even though she and Gabe were all but silent and hidden, and now, the fact that not only did he know Reese hadn’t come here alone but that Piper was waiting for her in the car had to be more than just a coincidence. Maybe the fact that she thought she knew him wasn’t as crazy as she thought. She still needed to learn about him though, and he was being difficult. She’d have to work for it, which was fine since she always loved a challenge.

  “It’s okay,” Reese said, her lips curling up. “Piper has to finish up some Art History reading. She told me to take my time.”

  “Really?” he asked, raising his brow as he looked down his nose at her.

  “Really,” she said with a nod. “You can show me around, explain things to me. I’ve never been here before so I’d love to get some kind of tour. You can show me your favorite room or relic.”

  “You know,” he said, taking a step toward her so the folds of their clothing were the only things preventing their bodies to fully touch. “That little cute act you’ve got going on where you bat your big grey eyes and bob your head so your blonde hair floats around you like a halo might work on people like Gabe but it doesn’t work on me. Like I said, I know you’re smarter than that. I actually know a lot about you, Reese, which means I know when you’re lying, even when you camouflage it behind your sorority voice and good looks. Also, I happen to be in Piper’s Art History class and I know there is no reading for the week.”

  Reese wasn’t offended by his blunt words. If anything, they intrigued her and maybe scared her just a bit. What did he know about her? How did he know that she was smarter than she appeared? Was he complimenting her? Reese got the feeling that Henry wouldn’t waste his time with trivial words meant to flatter; if he said something, she believed he meant it.

  “Why won’t you show me around the museum?” she asked.

  “I have things I need to do,” he replied.

  “Fine. You go do whatever it is you need to do and I’ll show myself around.”

  The look on his face was serious but his eyes sparkled with amusement. “You’ll understand if I don’t believe you won’t try to follow me,” he said. “I’d much rather prefer to walk you to Piper’s car and make sure you get there safely, especially since it’s raining.”

  Reese wasn’t ready to leave just yet, not without some kind of information. She refused to let this be a waste of time. Then an idea popped into her mind and she smirked.

  “What about a deal?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips. “I get to ask you three questions and you have to answer honestly. Then I’ll go to the car and leave you to your business.”

  “You want to make a deal with me?” he asked, his face lighting up at the prospect. “I’m certain your friend has warned you against doing such a thing.”

  “I’m willing to risk it,” she said. She wished she had had time to put on her trusted red lipstick to enhance the curl in her lip.

  “And if I can’t answer a particular question?” A quirked brow.

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  He continued to stare at her without saying anything but Reese found she could read his eyes with relative ease. His smirk was present, the dimples, the sparkle in his eyes. He was an enigma, and while in this instance she could read his eyes, she had the feeling she would probably never be able to figure out what he was saying or thinking or doing.

  “You can pass,” she finally said, “but that means I get to ask you another one.”

  “And what do I get in return?” Henry asked, his eyes continuing to look at her through strands of his dusty brown hair.

  “I already told you. If you answer three questions honestly, I will leave you to your business and won’t try and follow you for the rest of today.”

  His dimple winked at her. “Interesting choice of words,” he said. Was it her imagination or did it sound like he admired her in that instant?

  She shrugged her shoulders. “My mom’s a lawyer,” she explained.

  “How do you know I’ll answer honestly?”

  “I trust you.” It was true. She didn’t know him, didn’t understand him, didn’t underst
and the pull he had over her, but for some reason she trusted him. If he was so intent on ensuring that his deal was seen through, Reese had a feeling he would fulfill his end of the bargain.

  Her statement caught him off-guard. His brow pushed together and he tilted his head to the side as his brown eyes took her in, trying to figure her out. It would seem that she puzzled him the way he puzzled her. He was trying to tell if she was lying to him, and he either couldn’t figure it out or realized she was telling the truth. A wrinkle marred the bridge of his nose. He was frustrated; it was the first trickle of emotion that she had seen on his face other than confident self-assurance. She wasn’t sure if she should feel flattered or worried at her ability to inspire such emotion in him.

  “That’s a dangerous thing,” he warned her, his tone silkier, darker.

  Reese swallowed. “I’ll take my chances,” she repeated, but her voice wasn’t as strong as she wanted it to be.

  “I’m not sure if that makes you a fool or extraordinarily brave,” he said.

  “Take your pick.”

  He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. He flicked his wrist as though beckoning her before taking a step back. “Ask away,” he said.

  Reese inhaled sharply, taking advantage of her newly acquired ability to breathe. Her thoughts raced as she tried to pick the three questions she wanted him to answer, especially knowing that this might be the only chance she had to get some answers.

  “Am I crazy?” she asked. “Do I know you from somewhere before we met at school?”

  For whatever reason, this seemed to amuse him to the point of flashing his teeth in a cocky smile. “No,” he said smoothly. “You are not crazy. We have met in a different context before your first day of school. You have one question left.”

  Reese’s eyes widened when she realized her mistake. How could she have been so stupid to ask two questions when she had meant to ask only one? She couldn’t even argue with him since she knew she screwed up, and Henry didn’t seem to be the type of person to forgive her stumble. She had one question left and she’d be damned if she was going to waste it. Since she now knew she wasn’t crazy, there was only one thing left she needed to know.

  “Where do we know each other from, before our official meeting at school?” she asked. This time, Reese made sure she was careful about her wording so he wouldn’t have the opportunity to deflect or be cute. She had him and in a manner of seconds, she’d know where she recognized those eyes from.

  “Pass.” His voice was nonchalant, the look on his face lazy.

  “What?” she all but yelped.

  He smiled. “Did you know, Reese, that you have a very expressive face?” he asked her. “It’s quite refreshing, actually, to see what you’re thinking in those grey eyes of yours. Now do you want me to answer your question about what your pass means or do you want to ask me a different question?”

  He was giving her a chance, she realized. He wasn’t the type to give chances either so she didn’t spend too much time questioning it. Instead, she tucked the thought away just in case she found herself in this position with him again. What else could she ask him, though? It had to be something important, something telling, something that revealed something about him, something nobody else knew. Which, for him, was a lot.

  It came to her as fast and as obvious as a bee sting.

  “Why are people afraid of you?” she asked him, keeping a steady hold of his eyes.

  “You should probably ask them.”

  “I have. I want to hear your side.” A pause. “Is that your answer?”

  “Before I give it, I want you to answer my question,” he said.

  “That wasn’t part of the deal.” She clenched her jaw, taking a step toward him. Maybe he wasn’t as honest as she thought he was.

  “It is my price,” he hissed, that wrinkle crinkling his nose again. He tilted his head down so his long crooked nose nearly brushed her own smooth, small one. There was only a ghost keeping their lips from touching. She could feel the soft strands of his hair whisper against her face. She could not breathe but would not relent eye contact. She said nothing but hoped he could read the permission in her eyes.

  “Tell me, Reese, are you afraid of me?” he asked, his warm breath caressing her skin.

  “No.”

  There it was again, that frustrated look at her honesty. It was like he was surprised someone wasn’t actually afraid of him.

  “You’re probably the only one,” he said. She could detect the bitterness in his voice though he masked it quite well.

  “Then I’m in good company.”

  He smiled again. It was still strained but his eyes shimmered. “I like you, Reese,” he murmured, more to himself than to her. “You are a fool but at least you are a brave one. To answer your question, people are afraid of me because they don’t know me, because I make deals and see to it that people keep their end of the bargain, because I know things nobody else knows. So, dear.” He tilted his head so he could whisper in her ear, making sure he wasn’t touching her. “Have you changed your mind about me?”

  “No,” she replied after taking the time to swallow.

  “A brave fool.” He said it the way he said her name, like a spell, like an unfulfilled promise. Henry took a step back and then another. The look on his face was dazed, as though he hadn’t realized how close he had been standing to her. When he was a safe distance away, he looked back at her.

  “I have answered your questions,” he said. “My part of the deal is complete.” He stopped speaking but she heard his silent words.

  Throwing her hands up in surrender, she took a step away from the wall. “I’m going, I’m going,” she said. “This was … nice.”

  He smiled at her—this one real—with his dimples and his eyes, said nothing, and turned, heading into the museum. She watched him leave but didn’t follow. She intended to keep her end of the bargain as well.

  16

  Andie was so furious she couldn’t speak. As she gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles felt like icebergs and she could taste the blood in her mouth from biting the inside of her bottom lip. She could not believe her mother hadn’t told her about Keirah. Judging from her talk with Commissioner Jarrett, Keirah was stabbed in the morning, probably just after Andie left for school, which meant she had been sitting in school the entire day, stressing about Keirah and staring at her phone for no reason. She had made a fool of herself in front of Jack Phillip by blubbering all over his suit, her eyes rimmed red and snot dripping from her nose. None of that would have happened if her mother had called her immediately after finding out what happened.

  When Andie pulled into the parking lot to the hospital, she clenched her jaw and forced herself to breathe through her nose. She sounded like a bull ready to charge.

  Calm down, Shepherd. Calm down. You’ll talk to Mom later. Right now, you need to focus on Keirah.

  When she got to a point where she could walk without stomping, she got out of the car, slammed the door shut, and crossed the lot to the five-story Onyx General. She curled and flexed her fingers continuously as she walked past the valet parking, past the three hour parking, past the pick-up/drop-off driveway, and into the lobby. She asked one of the elderly volunteers where Keirah’s room was and found herself in the elevator on the way to the third floor. She checked her phone, but her mother still hadn’t called. Hot angry tears burned her pale green eyes and they managed to escape down her face before she could stop them. Not only did her mother not tell her about Keirah, but she had to find out from the police commissioner. She wasn’t sure which was worse.

  Andie stepped out of the elevator, hastily brushing her tears away. She headed past the nurse’s station, down the long, carpeted hallway then hailed a right before stopping in front of room 351. Two police officers stood in front of the door and Andie had to show photo identification before they let her go in. She didn’t stop to knock; she opened the polished wood door, pushed past the drawn blue curtain, and found
Keirah lying in a bed by herself. When Keirah looked up at her sister, all of Andie’s anger at her mother vanished for the time being. It probably had to do with the fact that her mom was nowhere to be found at the moment, but Andie refused to dwell on that. She came here to see Keirah.

  “Oh my God, Keirah.”

  In all honesty, Andie had meant to stay composed. Keirah was injured and Andie had wanted to stay strong as not to worry her. Upon seeing Keirah looking so beautiful in her ugly, baggy hospital gown, she noticed her dark brown hair messy and tangled as it fell around her sickly face, her darker eyes shining. If anything, Keirah was the strong one. Because the moment Andie’s eyes fell on her sister, she crumbled. The tears, the snot, the blotchiness all returned to Andie’s face, and she all but collapsed in the chair next to the bed.

  “Andie?” Keirah asked. Her voice was raw and she took a sip of lukewarm water in a plastic white cup that rested on the plastic table next to her. “What is it? What’s the matter?”

  “What’s the matter?” Andie asked in disbelief. She sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “You’re in the hospital, Key, because some crazy lunatic stabbed you. I shouldn’t have let you leave last night.”

  “You wouldn’t have been able to stop me,” Keirah murmured. “You may be blunt, And, but I’m much more stubborn than you.”

  “What happened?” Andie asked, locking eyes with her sister. “Where’s Mom? Why did Noir stab you? I mean, shouldn’t you be dead? No offense, but he never leaves his victims alive. How injured are you? I mean, you’re going to live, right?”

  Keirah surprised her by laughing. At least, she tried to laugh. After the first couple of chuckles, she cut herself off with a hiss, her face contorting in pain.

  “Andie,” she said, “you’re doing that thing where you overanalyze everything. Calm down. Mom’s in the cafeteria grabbing food for herself. I think she feels guilty about her little quips about my weight right before this happened. She’s been here since eight o’clock this morning.”