John sighed again, an unhappy sound he couldn’t suppress. “Okay, let’s work with this. You might be able to save her if she returns your feelings.”
Honi blushed a little and quickly interrupted, “I’ve only spoken to her a few times. I have no idea how she feels about me and I’m not going to push her.”
“You may not have a choice. That boy who was killed? Remember I told you about him last time we talked?”
Honi nodded. After a second he realized that John couldn’t see him, so he quickly added, “Yeah, I remember.”
“Dan’s grandfather told a story about the spirit animals growing angry if they were ignored by the few chosen who could see them. If that happened, they would eventually attack and… well, I think that’s what happened to the poor kid.”
Honi sniffed in disbelief. If that was true, how come this didn’t happen all the time? As if John could read his thoughts, he continued, “In the olden days, people believed more. Nowadays, with fewer and fewer people able to see them, the spirit animals are more vicious when they finally find somebody with the gift who denies it.”
Honi still listened intently. When John stayed silent for a moment, he asked, “So you believe Adi is one of the few, even though she isn’t Mekui’te? And because she doesn’t believe, the spirit animals are going to attack her eventually?”
They had certainly been acting very strangely over the last few days. Then another thought occurred to him. “John, I can’t tune them out anymore. I see them everywhere, and no matter how much I try to control them, the dreams get worse.”
“Do you still dream of her?”
He admitted in a low voice, “A few times. Only the first one was a nightmare though. The others were… not.”
“Well, what were they about?”
Honi felt his ears go hot. How old was John anyways? Did he have to spell it out? When he didn’t say anything, the shaman eventually got it.
“Oh.” He laughed. “It’s like that, is it?”
Honi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever.” He quickly changed the subject. “So what do you want me to do?”
John sounded serious again. “Befriend her. Stay close to her, she’ll need your help soon enough. Waiting for me to come back is only going to waste time you don’t have. And Honi…” He sighed again. “Don’t get too attached. It may already be too late.”
And with those comforting words, the shaman hung up, leaving Honi staring at his phone. Images of bleeding eye sockets and a lifeless body swam through his mind for a second before he rubbed his forehead vigorously to get rid of them. He stood up resolutely, eager to find Adi and try yet again to convince her of something most people would consider fairy tales and legends.
After storming out of the coffee shop, Adi had gone straight home. She was determined to spend a few hours catching up on reading and studying. As an added benefit, there were no hallucinations in her digs other than unopened books staring balefully at her. No hallucinations, but the ravings of the guilty mind of a student who had fallen behind pitifully.
With a sigh, she grabbed her cup of oolong and settled down for a solid session of reviewing the rules of German grammar. Even native speakers confused Dativ and Akkusativ, and she really didn’t want to give that asshole Diepger another reason to pick on her. Grammar had an unfortunate effect on Adi. It made her fall asleep in no time.
She started when a motorcycle backfired outside her window. Wincing, she turned her head first right, then left in a futile attempt to loosen up a bit. With both elbows on the desk, she rubbed her eyes with both palms before an enormous yawn made her cheeks hurt.
It was still bright outside, but she knew it must be late afternoon by the way the indirect light hit her window. After the last months living in the tiny space, she could tell the time of day by the way the light fell through the opening into her room. The morning sun unmercifully showed the streaks and dirt on her window. Not that it ever made her clean the glass. After all, a few hours later, the sun had moved on and so had the reminder that she was really not a great hausfrau. Pity the poor bastard who thought she’d clean and cook for him, she thought smugly.
Her stomach suddenly cramped and growled. She thought back to when she’d last eaten. Had it really been early morning? That would explain why she felt a little cranky as well. She stood up, brushed her hair back into a tight ponytail, grabbed her wallet and headed out. There was a little place not far from campus that served cheap food and large portions.
It was still early for dinner, and Adi had no problem finding a table towards the back of the restaurant. She stared at the small menu and tried to make up her mind between salad and pizza. Her eyes darted between the two items until she sighed and dropped the menu. What the hell, YOLO and all that. Besides, she was starving.
When the waiter came back, she ordered both, plus a Diet Coke. The young man looked at her while taking the order, and she stared back firmly, challenging him to say something, anything. Of course he didn’t, and Adi exhaled in exasperation with herself. For goodness’ sake, she had to stop projecting her own hang-ups onto others. Just because she thought it was ridiculous to order Diet Coke with greasy pizza didn’t mean everybody else did.
“Diet Coke? Worried about calories?”
Her head shot up, and a smirking Honi dropped into the second chair at her table.
“This chair taken?” he asked, still grinning. Adi glared for a moment, then returned his smile tentatively.
“No, I’ve only just ordered. Wanna eat with me?” she replied.
Honi quickly called the waiter over and ordered pizza as well. While they waited, they chatted about inconsequential things—the weather, the workload, TV series they were into. Adi realized with a start that she enjoyed his company. Talking to him was easy, and he was certainly nice to look at.
She admired his long dark hair and imagined running her fingers through it. Would it feel silken, or were the strands thick like cotton? How would it look falling over his shoulders? And those shoulders… Adi sighed dreamily, then tried to cover up the sound by clearing her throat.
Honi’s left eyebrow rose, obviously not fooled by her maneuver. Adi fidgeted under his gaze. Her eyes darted left, then right. This was so embarrassing. One minute they were talking like buddies, then her mind wandered where it had no business wandering to. Maybe if she got out from under his knowing gaze for a moment. Staring straight at him, she pretended to reach for her napkin and whoops, pushed it off the table.
With a sigh of relief, she dived under the table to avoid Honi’s amused expression. With her head stuck under the tablecloth, she closed her eyes and groaned quietly. Why was she acting like this? She wasn’t usually all googly-eyed around guys. She slowly came back up and held up the linen square in her hand.
“Here it is,” she explained, slightly out of breath.
“You could have just asked for another one, you know?” he said drily.
Damn that boy. Adi quickly changed tack.
“Never mind that. What are you doing here anyway? Did you follow me?”
Now that she’d said it, she was growing suspicious. Had he followed her? Good grief, was he a stalker? She moved her chair an inch away from him, staring at him. His brows slowly drew together as he returned her glare.
“Seriously? You’re accusing me of stalking? Just so you know, I’ve been coming to this place for the last year!”
His voice didn’t sound flirty or amused anymore. There was steel in his tone, and Adi didn’t like it directed at her. She’d done it again, hadn’t she? She’d accused him of something just because of her own fears. She suddenly felt an urge to explain.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” She took a deep breath. “It’s just… with all this stuff going on, these visions, those… those spirit animals as you call them… I feel scared all the time now.”
Honi’s eyes softened as he watched her stammer her way through an explanation. He slowly reached across the table and put his larg
e hand across hers. Adi looked up at his eyes that had been so angry a moment ago. Now they were warm and looking at her with concern.
“Go on,” he said softly.
“I dream every night now. They’re terrible dreams, full of blood and terror. I wake up and feel more tired than when I went to sleep. It’s wearing me down, I can’t concentrate in class, and every little thing sets me off.”
Adi drew strength from the warm weight of his fingers on hers. She turned her hand over, and when her palm touched his, the feeling made her gasp. A flash of arousal ran through her, and she quickly withdrew her hand. Before it became awkward again, their orders arrived.
For the next twenty minutes, they ate quietly, only talking when offering slices of pizza to each other. Adi finished the whole meal and savored every bite. Spicy salami, gooey cheese, thyme-flavored tomato sauce—the pizza was everything she had hoped for. The salad made her feel a little healthier, but only just. Finally she slumped in her chair and moaned happily while rubbing her belly.
“Man, that hit the spot.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen a little girl like you eat so much so quickly. I’m impressed.”
“Hey, I’m not little,” Adi protested. “I’m petite!”
“You are that,” Honi smiled. “I’m not criticizing. I think it’s cool. Most girls I’ve taken to restaurants nibble on a lettuce leaf and call it a meal.”
Adi rolled her eyes. “I don’t eat like this all the time. I bet if those girls you were with had eaten lots and gotten fat, you would have dumped them in no time.”
Honi leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “You think I’m that shallow?”
“I don’t know you well enough,” Adi replied drily.
Honi called for the check, then turned back.
“Okay, tell you what. It’s Friday night and there’s a Latin party not far from my digs. Wanna come?”
Adi hesitated. She felt food-drunk and not particularly in the mood to party. Honi’s face looked so hopeful though. And really, she had hardly lived the student life since she’d moved here. One night of letting her hair down wouldn’t hurt, surely? And spending more time with the handsome Mekui’te wouldn’t exactly be a hardship either.
Her mind made up, she smiled at Honi. “Pick me up at nine. I really hope you can dance. I love salsa.” And with that parting line, she got up and left him to deal with the bill.
Adi looked at her bed and frowned. She had pulled out every item of clothing she possessed and the selection came woefully short. Jeans with T-shirt said, “I’m a student slob.” The only dress she’d bought some years ago looked frumpy and not sexy at all.
That thought brought her up short. Sexy? Was that what she wanted to project? She was going to go Latin dancing after all, and even if she wouldn’t look as gorgeous and curvy as half the girls there, she still wanted to make an effort. Honi’s eyes had lit up when she’d agreed to come along, and she wanted to see that expression on his face again.
Heaving a huge sigh, she turned back to the heap of clothing in front of her and pulled out the tightest pair of jeans she owned. With a look of concentration, she pulled the stretch fabric up her legs and only had to wiggle a little to make it fit. She turned around and ran her hands over her butt. She might not be curvy, but her ass looked great in those pants.
She was still looking critically in the mirror when a knock sounded on the door. It was nine on the dot, and why the hell was he on time? Who did that? Quickly she walked towards the door, then stopped when she realized she was in her bra. Shaking her head at herself, she shouted, “One moment,” and pulled on a tight stretchy top. Nothing special, but it looked good on her and accentuated her nonexistent boobs. She quickly checked herself in the mirror and sighed. It’d have to do.
“I’m sorry, I’m not quite ready yet,” she said to a smiling Honi. “Come in for a moment.” His eyes widened when he saw the contents of her wardrobe all over the room. “Wow, what happened here?”
Adi scowled at him. “Never mind. Have a seat,” she said and swiped another load of clothes from the chair to her bed. “I’m nearly done.” When she saw his incredulous face as he looked around her tiny room, she sighed. Yeah, alright, so she was a slob. Better he found out now than later. Whatever.
She applied lipstick with a little too much determination and popped in contacts before adding eye makeup. When she turned around again, Honi’s eyes widened.
“Wow, girl, you look…” He stopped himself.
Adi waited, then prompted in slight irritation, “Well? Good, bad, indifferent?”
“Gorgeous.” And with a smile, he stood up and held out his hand to her. Adi was so surprised, she took his hand and didn’t let go until they’d walked the few blocks to the party. She kept looking at him sideways and loved what she saw.
A denim-blue button-down, his hair pulled back smoothly, wrapped up in leather. A necklace made of large turquoise stones interspersed with off-white shells accentuated his heritage as much as his sharp features and black eyes. He noticed her looking and squeezed her hand, grinning. It certainly felt like a date, and she suddenly really looked forward to the night.
Gloria Estefan was singing her heart out when they arrived. It was still early enough that they could get drinks quickly. Leaning against a wall, they watched more and more students arrive. It was going to be a full house soon.
Adi loved the way the hall was decorated. Posters of well-known Latin performers, piñatas strung high above the heads of the dancers, Mariachi hats on the walls. Clichéd, sure, but also colorful and fun. Adi sniffed at the air and caught a mingling of perfume, cigarettes, clean sweat and, occasionally, the distinct whiff of grass.
The song sped up and Adi felt the hard, driving reaggatón beat from her head to her toes. Honi put his cup down and shouted in her ear. She couldn’t hear what he said, but his outstretched hand and smile made the meaning clear. She weaved through the crowd and soon they had carved out a small area on the dance floor.
The music changed from a driving staccato to a more melodious Cuban salsa tune. Adi had always loved salsa and swung her hips like a pro. After a little while, she allowed the rhythm to swallow her enough to raise her arms and do little twirls. Honi looked at her with something like respect. It ticked her off a little—did he think she didn’t know how to dance?
She held his gaze, tilted her head and smiled suggestively. His eyes turned a little darker. He put his hands on her hips and turned her. She twisted to look at him in surprise, and he shouted something into her ear. There was no way she could hear it, but his breath and the wispy touch of his lips made her shiver. She shook her head and continued swaying her hips from side to side.
His hands pulled her closer to his body and she found herself pressed against him. His body heat added to the excitement. He copied her rhythm and swayed with her. Honi pressed so tightly against her that there was no doubt what the hardness was. she felt against her lower back. She grinned over her shoulder, happy to have that effect on him. This time his lips caught hers for a moment and for once she knew what he thought. He found her attractive, sexy, and she turned him on.
When she looked down, his hands looked huge on her hips. The size difference between them was such a turn-on, the way his chin rested on her shoulder, his hands controlling her movement, the power in his body pressed against her. Adi felt hot all over, her movements becoming more sensual as she pressed back against his erection. She felt rather than heard his growl. The vibration traveled through her body and made her moan.
Then his hand moved to her chest. Her head swimming with music and heat, she surrendered to his touch. The tips of his fingers rubbed gently over her nipple, and it felt like lightning hitting her groin. She moaned and pushed back against him harder. This time his lips pressed firmly against her mouth. Adi felt wanton, her ass sticking back, her chest pushing forward, her neck twisting to allow his tongue to enter her mouth. He tasted so good, a groan worked its way from the back of her
throat, and she pushed the tip of her tongue against his.
With surprising suddenness, Honi turned her towards him and took control of the kiss. Their tongues caressed and slicked over each other. The heat in Adi’s groin made her knees tremble. The pounding of the music, traveling from the dance floor into her body, the fragrant darkness, the bodies pressing them against each other, made Adi’s head swim, all her problems far away. There was only Honi and his hands all over her.
It couldn’t last, and when Honi pulled back and took her hand, Adi followed him outside in a daze. She hadn’t been that turned on since, well, ever. Honi looked at her with so much want, Adi’s whole body felt weak.
“Do you want to come to my place?” he asked. She nodded and he took her hand again. The walk to his dorm felt full of excitement and promise. They giggled like kids, and Honi stopped to kiss her again and again. He kept his hands to himself, but Adi felt his desire every time he pulled her close. It kept both of them riding an edge of arousal that demanded release sooner or later.
Honi could barely open the door, his hands shook so much. His tight jeans made him ache. This slip of a girl turned him on so badly—the way she’d danced against him in her stretch pants and tiny top—that he’d lost it for a moment. Her small breasts had felt perfect in his hands, and the way her luscious ass had pushed against him… he was glad he hadn’t embarrassed himself right there on the dance floor.
And now she was in his room, looking both excited and nervous. He sat down on his bed and gestured for her to sit next to him. She hesitated, searching his room for an alternative, but there was really nowhere else to sit other than a single chair pushed in close under the table.
Eventually she lowered herself onto the mattress and glanced nervously at him. He scooted closer and lifted his hand to brush back her loose hair. It was a little sweaty around her forehead, and she looked sexy as hell while still glowing from the party.
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