Page 24

“Oh, I’m not.” He lifted a brow and held his hands up into a triangle. “I mean, come on!”

Still laughing, I excused myself, heading to the closest restroom.

I had taken maybe five steps down the hallway that led to the women’s restroom when the carpet began to squish with liquid under my gold flip-flops. I stopped, cursed, looked around, and began to run back the way I’d come.

Of course that didn’t work.

I was already caught.

What should have been the pool area was a forested Grove. It tried to give me a harmless show for maybe ten seconds before it switched from a pretty atrium and into straight creepy, the trees going black, the soil red, the pools turning dark with what I knew was blood.

“What the fuck?!” I called out, pissed.

I didn’t have time for this, and I was agitated that I was caught, when I knew that was supposed to be impossible. I had deduced that it had only caught me before because I was carrying a half-druid child at the time.

The white thing, that odd, wrong, creepy as hell presence, was out of the water and nearly to me in the strangest move. It never looked like it was moving fast, but it covered ground between one blink and the next.

I really, really hated that.

“You aren’t supposed to be able to do this,” I told the thing. “You’re going to get yourself into trouble, and I know why you were able to trap me before, but that should not be a possibility anymore.”

Its mouth opened, showing me its disturbing teeth that looked more like tusks. “I got you before because you carried a powerful druid child inside of you,” it hissed in its dissonant screech of a voice, its words reaffirming my suspicions. “That connection never ends, you know. You’re mother to a half-druid. That has bonded you here as though you were born to it.”

I cursed. “You think that explanation will save you from your guardian when he finds out?”

It threw back its head and began to make a noise out of nightmares that I suspected was supposed to be a really fucked up laugh. “I do not. He will punish me. That is why I have a deal for you.”

“Fuck your deal,” I said with no hesitation. There was no way in hell I would bargain with this thing.

“Blood for knowledge,” it continued.

“Fuck your knowledge,” I said.

I tried to walk, to move, but I was caught fast. “I say no to whatever you’re offering, now let me go.”

It was in touching distance with a breath. “It’s not so simple as that. I can give you a taste before you refuse me. You see, I have knowledge that you want, not for its value to me, no, but for your own sentiment, which may be very valuable to you.”

I opened my mouth to speak when it touched one long, bone white finger to my forehead.

The world dropped away.

The first time I saw her I thought she was an angel. I’d never seen one before, but I knew they were ethereal creatures with a golden glow that surrounded their bodies. The way the sun was shining cast a perfect halo over her chin length, pale golden hair.

I didn’t know much about angels. Few did. They rarely graced this realm with their presence. But I had heard that one glance at their perfect faces would strike your heart with pure love. I knew at once that I was struck. I began to follow the golden apparition as she glided slowly and smoothly down the street.

I felt no qualms about jumping the fence from the elite private school I attended, ditching class. I rarely missed school, and the ones who taught me and my kind didn’t reprimand us without a better reason than disappearing for an hour or two. But even fear of getting in trouble wouldn’t have stopped me.

I trailed behind her for several blocks as she strolled leisurely. She wore all black, with a high necked lace blouse, and one of the plain pencil skirts that were in fashion. Her silky hair fell in perfect waves against her jaw. She wore flat-soled, sensible shoes that seemed out of place with the fashionable outfit. At a glance it looked like she was in mourning.

She walked with a large picnic basket hooked on her elbow until she reached the lake. She found a nice spot on the grass, spread out a blanket, sat down with her basket and opened it. She pulled a book out and started reading.

I watched her for hours as she read and ate a few bites of food absently, moving as close as I dared without being detected.

Her pace was much brisker after she packed up and started walking again, but I had no trouble keeping up. I followed her for over a mile, watching her back intently, picking up every nuance of her walk. My goal at that point was only to hear her speak and have her look at me. I wanted to hear her voice, to see her eyes.

Finally she stopped at a small café, going quickly inside. I tried to wait five minutes to follow, but didn’t last more than two.

As I entered the the café I noticed right away that it’s simple, elegant decor was at direct odds with the rowdy shouting coming from some room off to the left of the main dining area.