But he’s told me what I need to do here. Just like with sparking the car to life, I need tobelieve. And let’s face it, if I have any real super-power, it’s gotta be embracing pipe dreams, right? And this particular flight of fancy isn’t even that hard. The making out, the smiles, the strong embrace—none of it feels like some hallucination. It all feels completely real. And of course, Iwantto believe that a kind, smart, and totally cute guy could actually like me.Doeslike me. It’s been part of almost every fantasy I’ve hadsince I was twelve. It’s something I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember.
So, if I’m going to believe any lie during my last moments on Earth, sure, let it bethatone.
Collin’s breath tastes like mint and fennel, and he sure knows how to kiss. It’s like he’s massaging my lips with his—hard one moment, soft the next—but somehow it’s still easy to follow his lead and kiss him back the same way. Like we fit together perfectly. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
But what really feels good right now is actually happening much lower than my mouth. Not around my cock (sorry!) but instead somewhere in the center of my chest. We’re hugging super close, and as we make out, there’s, like, this happy little balloon inflating somewhere behind my solar plexus, just behind where his body presses against me the most.
Or maybe it’s more like music. A beautiful note of music. Ringing out, high and pure inside me.
And it keeps growing, becoming more and more moving, until it feels like I’m about to burst with joy. All just from sweet kisses… Maybe what we’re doingisless intense than the sex, but in some ways, without all the erotic distraction, it’s even better. And whether it’srealreal, or just in my head, I can’t deny how it’s making me feel. How it makes me feel abouthim. This handsome, caring boy in my arms who drinks me in like he just can’t get enough of me.
I break away and draw in close to his ear.
“I like you, too, Collin.” I huff the words out, unableto keep them in, letting myself get caught up in this impossible dream. “I really like you, too!”
He pulls back, and there is this look of surprised delight in his eyes. Like he’s been waiting his whole life to hear that. And I have to tell you, to have someone look at me that way, like I’m someone worth waiting for, like I reallymatterto him-—
Well, that does it. My lips plunge against his, needing all of him now. I kiss him fiercely,deeply, and I can feel my heart literally opening up. Letting Collin in. All the way in.
Then some dam breaks, and an ocean of delight rushes out from him into me. My whole body becomes flooded with vibrant, gooey, honey-sweet pleasure. It’s totally sex-level intense—morethan that, even—but it’s not sexy. Not exactly.
It feels like love.
I’m feeding on love.
A bunch of things start to happen at once. Most of me stays focused on this beautiful kiss with this beautiful boy, and the thrill of everything he’s giving me right now. (He’s even making little whimpers as I suck on his lips—happywhimpers!—which is crazy awesome to hear.) But I also feel the poison burning out of my system. Whatever damage it did is being healed, and all the sickness that my endorphins kept me from focusing on is lifting away.
I also feel myself getting stronger.A lotstronger.
After what must be a solid minute of sensuous necking, of taking him in, Collin pulls back his head, and then I’m no longer hugging him, away from the arbor. I’m back, trapped against the lattice, feeling the bite of roughbark against my wrists, forehead, and neck. It’s where I’ve been all this time.
“Jaysus,” Collin says, his voice husky, breathing heavy. He’s in front of me, floating just a few inches above the ground. He wipes his lower lip with the knuckle of his thumb, wantonly. “Thatwent better than I expected. I really don’t want it to stop. But we’re out of time.”
Nothing is blurry anymore. I can see Tara over his shoulder. She’s dragged one of the chairs and the big table in front of me on the lawn and is finishing grinding something up on its flat wooden surface using a stone mortar and wooden pestle. She immediately notices me looking at her.
“Ah, you’re finally back, are you?” she says. “That fever wasbad, buddy. You’ve just been muttering pure nonsense for over an hour. I’m sure you still feel pretty crummy, and I’m sorry about that, but I will give you the rest of the antidote—onceyou agree to give me the watch, that is.”
She starts walking up to me with the mortar in one hand and the blunt wooden pestle in another. It’s got a lump of pale pink paste on its tip.
“Of course, maybe you’ll still not want to do that since, for whatever reason, you seem to have decided the Avatar spirit is your pal. But I’m sure once I apply some of this lotus tree fruit to your skin, you’ll soon see things my way.”
She smiles at me. It’s not at all kind or maternal.
It’s the smile of a monster. Because of course it is. She’s one ofMom’sfriends.
I glance back at Collin, who’s slid to the side so I can see Tara clearly. He doesn’t say anything. He just floats atmy level, beaming at me. With confidence. With love. The same love that’s now filling the muscles of my arms and legs with boundless energy.
My head is crystal clear. My thoughts are sharp. As she comes closer, I take note that both of Tara’s hands are full. She is so sure I’m completely helpless, she’s not takinganyprecautions.
Which makes sense, because without having fed, I’d just be a regular human boy, right? Hell, aweak-asshuman boy, all tied up. She doesn’t think I’m capable of doing anything at all to her. Not anything that would actually matter.
But she’s wrong about me—at least right now.
Which means it’s high time to show her what arealmonster can do.
19
To make this work,I’m going to need to be both hella strong and hella fast. Luckily for me, I know I’m both right now.
