Page 44 of Into The Light

“I heard screaming. Is everyone all right?” Mark’s voice shocked us back to reality.

She pulled from my arms and stood standing in front of me, shock worn plainly on her face.

“There you are! Everyone okay? You didn’t eat her did you, Aiden? She’s my friend too, you know.”

Our eyes remained locked as Mark appeared around the corner. Never had I wanted to snap a neck more than I did at this moment. I waited for Emilia to look away, but her eyes remained fixated on mine, her mind likely reeling as hard as my own.

“We’re fine, Mark,” I said, barely containing a growl.

“Good. I was on my way to the kitchen and heard Emilia screaming. What were you two doing?” he asked, his eyes moving between us, his face now registering his faux pas. “Oh. I’m sorry. I just... I’ll head in. Good night.”

He spun on his heel and started back to the house.

“No! Mark! Stay!” Emilia called after him, her gaze finally breaking from mine.

I scowled. Why would she want Mark to stay?

He looked to me for direction, fear widening his eyes. My own narrowed, but I nodded my head he should do as she asked. He walked tentatively to the side of the pool and slid his feet in the water. “So?” he asked, as he sucked his cheek and nodded his head staring up at the sky.

Emilia glanced over to me. Confusion filled her eyes. “So...” she said, her voice fading off.

“Emilia? Didn’t you say you had a birthday coming up soon?” he asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Yes. It’s tomorrow. Or if it’s after midnight, I guess that means it’s today.”

“What?” Mark and I said in unison.

“Mmmhmm.” She slid to the edge of the pool.

“It’s your birthday? Why didn’t you say so?” I asked, feeling guilty I hadn’t known and didn’t have a gift for her.

“It’s not a big deal. I haven’t really ever celebrated my birthday. It just comes and goes each year.” She shrugged.

“Not a big deal?” Mark slapped his leg. “The birth of Miss Emilia is a huge deal! How can no one have celebrated your birthday before?”

“My parents didn’t have a lot of money for presents and they worked so much we didn’t get time for many parties. Then Jeff was always off touring or busy practicing, so I just kind of never really cared. It’s no big deal guys, really.”

“Happy birthday, Emilia,” I said, my eyes searching hers. She said it was no big deal, but I heard her heart beat faster with the lie.

She smiled back at me with pursed lips. “Thank you. I... I’m getting really tired. I think I’ll head off to bed if you don’t mind?”

“Of course not.” I tried to contain the disappointment in my voice. I wanted her to stay, for us to pick up where we’d left off.

“Happy birthday, Emilia,” Mark said while he watched her pull herself from the pool and grab a towel from the chair.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Watching her leave filled my heart with pain. I didn’t want to be away from her. Something had happened here tonight and, while I couldn’t explain it, I knew she felt it too. After she was out of earshot, I turned my attention to Mark. “I’m going to need you to do something for me.”

“It had better have something to do with celebrating the birth of that amazing creature.”

“Of course, it does.”

“Then I’m all in.”

“Do you have your phone handy?”

Mark pulled it from his pocket and nodded.