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“Oops,” he said, picking some things up off the floor before I could see them. “Sorry, I've never had a girl in my room. ” He smiled sheepishly as he shoved them in a dresser drawer.
I gave him the best smile I could manage. “I've never been in a boy's room, so we're even. ” It was great, with sketches and band posters tacked up all over the pale blue walls. I wanted to just stand there, looking at how he defined himself through his room. That way I wouldn't have to think or be alone.
“Oh, here's a sweatshirt. ” He pulled a dark green hoodie out of the messy closet. I put it on; it was nice to have my wrist covered up again. Plus, it smelled like Lend. It was a fresh, cool scent, like what you'd expect by a cascade or waterfall. I hugged my arms around myself, trying to get warm again.
The bed was the only thing that didn't quite fit the room. It was a four-?poster, and the headboard and footboard were elaborate, scrolling metal. It didn't go at all with the simple, soft-?looking blue comforter. I put my hand on one of the poles. “Iron. ” I smiled in relief. Obviously Lend's dad knew his faerie lore. It made me feel a little bit safer--at least as far as Reth was concerned. Iron couldn't protect me from nightmares, though.
“I'll be downstairs if you need anything, okay?”
I turned and smiled. “Thanks. ”
He stood there for a moment, looking awkward, then leaned in and gave me a quick hug. “Thank you,” he said, then left, closing the door behind him.
I held my breath. I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to call out, ask him to come and stay with me until I fell asleep, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'd already spent the entire night bawling in front of him.
I turned off the light, but as soon as it was dark I could see spots that reminded me of Fire Girl. I flipped the lights back on. No dark for me tonight. Climbing into bed, I curled up to get warmer under the covers.
In spite of my best efforts, I couldn't keep my mind from drifting to exactly what I didn't want to remember. Here in this warm house with a family, I was alone. I could never go back to my home at IPCA, never tell Raquel just how much she meant to me. Oh, please, I prayed to the silence, let Raquel be okay.
But my poor, sw
eet Lish was gone forever. In her place was the terrible beauty of Fire Girl, walking death in the sterile hallways of the Center. In my mind, she was still gliding through the rooms, cheerfully sucking the life out of anything and anyone she found.
I hoped she would never get out.
Chapter Twenty-Three
GIRL TALK
I walked through the Center hallways, blinking against the white. The place was empty. I kept expecting to find bodies, but it was pristine, abandoned. I stood in front of my unit, then walked through the door without it opening. That was strange.
She was already there, sitting on my purple couch. “There you are. ” She smiled pleasantly at me. We definitely had the same eyes, but her lips were a little wider than mine. She looked like she was a few inches taller, too.
“Why aren't you on fire anymore?” I asked. “And, hey, that's mine!” She was wearing the zebra print dress.
“Oh, chill out. ” She rolled her eyes.
“Where's the fire?” I looked down at my wrist--mine was gone, too.
“It's right there. ” She gestured toward the corner, where the liquid flames pulsed and shimmered, spherical with constantly shifting edges. I held out my hand toward them. For the first time I realized they were beautiful. I wanted them.
“You can't get them yet,” she said. “Have a seat. ”
I sat down on the far end of the couch, narrowing my eyes. I knew I should be scared of her. I wasn't. “What is this?”
“A dream, you dork. ”
“Oh. ” I frowned. Weird. “Are you going to kill me?”
“I might have earlier, by accident. Sometimes I get carried away. ” She flashed an impish grin. “It's kind of hard not to get lost in the rush. But now that I know who you are, I would never. ”
“Who are you?”
“Oh, sorry. I'm Vivian. ”
“You killed my best friend. I thought I'd have nightmares. ”
She shrugged. “That wouldn't be very nice of me, coming in here and scaring you. I just want to talk. I've been trying to get through to you for a while now. ”
