by Carly Marino
My ears heated. Had he read my thoughts? I straightened the fashion magazine on the coffee table. More than likely Nora’s … Or Drake’s, I guessed. He did strike me as someone who—
Cole cupped my face and raised my chin. I forgot where we were. I forgot that I was here to learn how to protect myself. All I saw: perfect dimples and Caribbean blue-green eyes. His hair fell naturally around his face, softening the hard angle of his jaw.
His knuckles brushed my cheekbones. My mouth parted, and I leaned in toward him. Cole’s eyelashes drifted closed as his head tilted opposite mine.
A shadow moved from the corner of my eye. I froze.
Drake leaned against the column behind Cole, staring with a pinched expression. His arms crossed, and his upper lip curled. A chill swept up my spine. I swallowed and scooted from Cole.
“What?” Cole asked, his voice hushed, sexy.
I flicked my gaze toward Drake still in the entryway. “Hey.”
Cole rotated.
Drake smiled. The tension I thought I saw washed from him. He appeared calm and full of care. Had I imagined the look on his face? The rigidness of his body? I couldn’t have. Could I?
“How’s the lesson going? Well, I take it?” Drake smoothed his suit coat.
I gave a crisp nod. That was all I could do. Nod like an idiot.
“I thought you and Nora had to go?” Cole snapped.
“Canceled. I thought I’d help Thea with her emotional mask. We can accomplish them all in one night.”
Cole darted his gaze to me. “I think we should take it slow. Make sure she’s got the hang of it.”
“I can do it!” I didn’t like them talking about me as if I wasn’t sitting in the room.
Drake glided in a confident, cat-like motion. His shoulders squared.
The muscles in Cole’s cheeks twitched. “No. We wait. Work on this and see if you can hold the mask. Then we take it up a notch.”
“Can I talk to you for a second, mate?” Drake swiped his finger across the decorative table behind the couch. He studied his finger as if pleased with the lack of dust. “I think I have some … news.”
Cole exhaled. “Thea, my room is downstairs. Down the hallway, last door on the left. I’ll meet you there.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but Nora charged in. “I can’t believe they canceled again. This is bollocks, if you ask me.” She whipped open a glass bottle sitting on a silver tray and poured the caramel-colored liquid in a small crystal glass. She took a big swig and glanced at me. “I’m planning on getting piss drunk tonight, luv, so you might want to run along. I can’t control my temper when I’m sloshed.”
I sighed and faced Cole. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Okay.”
I hurried to Cole’s bedroom, happy to get away from Nora. I flicked the switch at the bottom of the stairs, and the fluorescent lights flickered before they illuminated. His room was more like a studio apartment, equipped with a full bathroom, queen-sized bed, flat screen TV, tiny fridge, and … I chuckled … a red-felt pool table. He had enough to keep him busy. Tall oak shelves stood on either side of his bed which, to my surprise, was made.
A dark-blue and white comforter draped over the sides of the mattress and cozy throw pillows aligned at the headboard. I assumed this was their maids’ doing, not his. I perused the shelves.
Photos. Not paintings, strange art sculptures, or professional photographs of landmarks and flowers. Actual, smartphone-taken pictures. The silver frames contained ones of him all over the world. He, Nora, and Drake as children standing on the Great Wall. One of him and an Asian guy in the center of Times Square with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
Although my new Inflexaen buddies were tangible, for some reason, these photos proved to me they actually existed. I set down the frame and climbed over his bed to the other shelves.
This side had a photo of Nora, Drake, and Cole with an attractive older couple. I assumed they were Nora and Drake’s parents. They stood in front of another large mansion, looking happy and normal. No one would ever know they came from another star and stole essence to stay alive.
He had displays of sporting event tickets and framed baseballs with signatures scribbled across the front in black ink. A shiny glint of silver caught the light from behind a glass-cased, autographed football. Nestled in the back corner was a small circular jewelry box with a star on top. I wanted to touch it. The stairs creaked. I withdrew my hand and dropped on the edge of the bed.
Cole trudged in. A curtain of brown hair concealed his face. “All right, let’s finish this lesson.”
“I’m ready.”
Without even the slightest glance in my direction, he sat and held my hands. “Thea, you have to hold this armor.” His grip tightened. “It is so important. Do whatever you need to.”
“Are you—”
“Just do it.”
“O—okay.” I breathed in and held the air. Starting at my toes, I rebuilt my figurative armor. Although invisible, I could almost feel something coating my skin. As if someone dipped me into a bubble. The rubber hugged tightly to my body. Now I had to hold the protective layer.
Hold the armor? Here goes.
I pictured myself tiny. So small that I could fit inside my own safe. Within the steel box, I moved about how I pleased, unafraid of invaders. This safe contained my memories, my thoughts, and my secrets. I could protect them here.
“Your thoughts are becoming static. That’s good. Keep me out. You can do this. When you feel you’ve done it, think about something else.”
I floated within my mind and slammed the door on the safe. I returned to the present. Where were you really the past three days? Why did you lie to me? And what is going on between you and Drake?
I waited. Neither of us spoke. The grandfather clock upstairs bonged, and I counted as the bells chimed. 7:00 PM.
“Have you thought anything yet?” Cole asked.
“You didn’t read me?”
His dimples peeked through the hair shielding his eyes. He was grinning.
“Awe-yeah. I did it.” Pride swelled in my chest, and I refrained from pumping the air with my fist.
“You did. Nice work. You’ll need to be very conscious of the mask and keeping it in place at all times.” Cole rose and walked toward the stairs. “Let’s finish this up tomorrow? Okay? Can I pick you up around noon? Unless you have Saturday plans?”
His avoidance of my gaze made me uncomfortable. “That sounds fine.”
“See you then.” He turned his back on me.
What was wrong with him? Why wouldn’t he look at me? I grabbed his arm. His head jerked in my direction.
Our eyes met and my breath caught in my chest. I gasped, stumbling backward. Yellow light swirled around his pupils. He shook his head in warning.
My pulse jittered at immeasurable beats. “What happened? Who was upstairs? Did someone come after me? Who did you erase? Nora? A Resparé found us. Didn’t they?” I trembled. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
His gaze dipped to the plush, cream carpet. “I’m not hurt. It’s nothing you need to worry about. No one found us. Everything is fine upstairs. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
My mouth gaped. “Whatever. Thanks for the lesson.”
I slogged up the steps, my legs heavy and weak. Sweat beads tickled my forehead. I quivered at the thought of what I might find upstairs.
Chapter Eleven
I peeked into the dark hallway. The grandfather clock ticked a steady beat. I breathed deeply and felt my way around furniture, careful not to break something expensive. Faint silver light bled through the glass panes in the front door. I tiptoed outside and nudged the door closed.
I’d made it.
“Where you sneaking off to?” My shoulders slackened at the sound of Nora’s slurred voice. She sat on the top stair with a lit cigarette in her hand. She waved the smoke out of her face after she exhaled.
“I’m going home,” I mumbled and hurried ar
ound her.
“He can’t be with you.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “What? Who?”
She extinguished her cigarette on the stone step, and then tossed the butt into the manicured bush next to the railing. “Come, have a seat. We can chitchat.”
“I should go. My aunt is expecting me.”
“You’re a terrible liar, Thea. We’ll have to work on that.” She hiked up her gown, gathered the fabric to the side, and stumbled barefoot down the steps. “I’ll at least walk you to your car.”
“It’s five feet away. I think I can handle.”
“Fine, have it your way. I was trying to do you a favor. I don’t have to be Fectorus to know you fancy Cole. Your emotions pour out of you. It’s very unattractive.”
“I don’t—”
She put her hand up. “Oh, that’s rubbish, and you know it. You can’t hide your feelings from me, or my brother, for that matter. I’ll save you the heartbreak. Cole’s taken.”
I swallowed and averted my gaze. The lump I hoped would subside, expanded and weighed on my shoulders. Tears burned my eyes, threatening to embarrass me once again in front of Nora. I felt stupid. Of course a guy like Cole would have a girlfriend. He’s handsome, sweet, funny … freaking out-of-this-world… Literally. I clenched my eyes shut.
Nora touched my arm, and my sadness lifted slightly. I opened my eyes to catch the blue swirl in her irises. I pinched my brows to the center, angry she’d stolen my feelings but decided to allow her a free pass, for now at least. I needed to concentrate on getting home, and not on the ache in my gut.
“Is it you?” I choked out.
She cackled. “Oh God no! He’s too much of a wuss for me. I need a man full of tattoos and bad choices. No way in bloody hell would I date a guy who enjoys saving humans. No offense.”
“Then—”
Nora draped her dress over her forearm. “I should’ve taken this blasted thing off.” She sighed. “Inflexaens are like penguins. God-awful analogy but the only one I can think of that you can relate to. We search our whole lives for our Yuanfen.”
I arched my brow. “Yuanfen? Is that Japanese or something?”
“Chinese. Buddha actually stole this term from our language, but whatever. The word basically means your soulmate. The Inflexaen you’re predestined for from birth.
“Inflexaens have a fated connection with another of their kind. Finding them enhances our abilities and completes the missing part in us. Kind of hard to explain to someone like you.”
I picked a violet leaf from the bush and tore it into tiny pieces. “How do you know when you’ve met this, Yuanfen? I can’t imagine you’ve never once felt something for someone that’s not your Yuanfen.”
Nora leaned her back on the stone post. She released the hem of her dress and crossed her arms. “Puppy love, I suppose. Sure, we shag in-between and have a few toys here and there, but they never touch us the way our Yuanfen does. Love with your Yuanfen is much stronger. Beyond anything one could ever feel. Our light ties our souls together. Literally. It’s quite beautiful. I’ve only witnessed it once.”
“Really? Who?” I wished I hadn’t have asked. I had a sick feeling the person was Cole.
Despite her upheld posture, her eyes turned down and sadness flickered from behind them. Nora’s hard exterior melted. “A friend of mine. Her Yuanfen died shortly after. Resparés sucked him dry.”
I pressed my lips together. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Nora waved her hand. “It was two years ago. She’s come to terms with being forever alone. Plus, she’s too hot to settle for one bloke. Who needs a soulmate, anyway.”
“Can’t she just meet another one?”
“What about soulmate don’t you get? Soulmate, uno, one. That’s your one shot. Whoever you end up with you’ll never love as much as them.”
I thought about myself. The entire process sounded complicated. “What if you never find yours? I assume there’s a lot of Inflexaens out there, right? If you’re here, and yours is in Europe somewhere, then—”
“It’s in your gut. Whether it’s today or fifty years from now, you’ll find them. You’re drawn to each other. At least … that’s what she told me.” She hitched her gown and withdrew another cigarette from a garter around her thigh. The gold fabric also held her cell phone, a lighter, and a small wallet. She waggled the cigarette between her fingers but didn’t light the end. “But, enough about my friend. Cole met his at age eight. Wild, right?”
My stomach turned.
“That’s young. How would you even have feelings like that?”
“Well, you don’t really. Very rarely does it happen that young. You can touch that person several times and then one day, bam! Everything changes. It’s amazing.” She stared into the distance again, as if recollecting a memory. “Cole’s Yuanfen disappeared straight after, and he’s spent his life looking for her. He knows she’s alive. He can feel it in his gut. So he says, anyway. But every time he thinks he’s gotten close the feeling fades.
“Honestly, these past few weeks have been the first time I’ve seen him not obsessing over finding her. He appears content, which worries me. It’s like he’s channeling all of his feelings to helping you find your, inner Inflexaen or whatever. I…” Nora fiddled with her hair pin. “I didn’t want you to get hurt or the wrong idea. That sucks, and woman to woman, it’s bull.”
Whether this compassionate side of Nora came from the bottle she drank or her heart didn’t matter. At that moment, I wanted to hug her.
Unfortunately, I did.
She jumped and shoved me. “Good Lord, Thea. Keep your gushy emotions to yourself. When I drink, I have a hard time with my mask.” She shuddered. “I just thought you should know, and I doubt he’ll tell you,” Nora scoffed. “Cole’s a great guy. But he’s also a guy. If you catch my drift.”
I nodded.
She scooped up her dress and started up the front stairs. Glancing over her shoulder, she said, “I’d appreciate it if you kept our chitchat to yourself. If he wants to tell you, that’s his business. I shouldn’t have interfered. Safe drive, luv.”
She disappeared into the house without giving me a chance to respond. With my heartache numb from Nora’s emotion-controlling ability, my anger fumed. Cole and I were friends. I hadn’t known him long. However, he had flirted with me, at least, I thought he had.
I got into my car and slumped as I drove to the gate. I turned up the radio to a catchy pop song and rolled down the windows. The music and wind helped to drown out my thoughts of Cole, and his strange soulmate. What kind of bull was that? Inflexaens didn’t get to select who they spent their lives with? Some ancient light-binding crap chose their partners. As deep and wonderful as it sounded, it also seemed unfair.
My stomach rumbled, and I pressed my hand to my belly. I hadn’t eaten since lunch. There was a tiny, secluded burger place about a mile from here. Aunt Karen and I had eaten there weekly since freshman year. After my memory-reading breakdown, we’d go for lunch once a week to indulge in fattening vanilla milkshakes, juicy bacon cheeseburgers, and a pile of greasy fries.
I looked forward to our weekly lunches. We didn’t talk about memory reading, my therapy, or my nightmare. One hour strictly to enjoy each other’s company. Every time I sank my teeth into one of these delicious burgers, I let my worries drift away.
I forced a smile and parked in the back. This part of the lot was dark, but all of the front spots were taken. I sighed and slid from my car. The scent of seaweed and damp sand hugged my senses, and I closed my eyes to listen to the waves crashing on the shore.
“Help,” a male voice screeched from across the street.
I lifted onto my tiptoes to look over the dunes that sloped to the beach. I couldn’t see a thing. I turned toward the entrance to the restaurant. I should go inside, get help, and—
“Help! Somebody!”
I sprinted across the street, and my feet skidded on the sand dune as I climbed. When I reached the top,
I crouched. A woman, maybe twenty or so years old with wild curly locks of red hair pinned a guy to the ground. If he hadn’t yelled for help, I might’ve mistaken this for a beach make out. But when her lips pressed to his, he struggled to free himself.
How strong was this woman?
She glanced in my direction, and I scrunched, praying she didn’t see me. The yellow light glowing and swirling around her pupils sent shivers up my arms.
Resparé.
Chapter Twelve
“It had to be a freaking Resparé.” I spied over the slope of the hill to get a better look at the man’s condition. My stomach rolled over. I gasped and crouched further. Shit.
Matt. My moral compass teetered.
I wanted to run to my car, speed off, and go straight home. Matt deserved this. He made the last three years of my life hell. Plus, I wasn’t strong or trained enough to help him. The last time I came in contact with a Resparé I almost died.
But, if I allowed her to kill Matt, no one except me would know the truth. He’d go missing. Matt might not get person-of-the-year-award, but his family shouldn’t be punished for his behavior.
Matt coughed. “Help.” His voice had weakened. I didn’t have a lot of time left.
I yanked my phone from my back pocket and dialed 9-1-1. My hands shook as the phone rang.
“9-1-1. What’s your emergency?” the man asked on the other end.
The Resparé woman combed her fingers through Matt’s hair, and he whimpered. She was toying with him like an animal with its prey, taking bits of essence at a time, causing him pain.
“Hello?” the operator asked.
“I’m across from Betty’s Burgers. Please, hurry.”
“Help will be there soon.”
I hung up, a shiver climbing my spine. At least someone would find our bodies. I crept on my stomach like a soldier. Then I popped to my feet. “Hey!”
She whipped in my direction. Spirals of apple-red hair splashed across her fair face. Her peach-colored lips pursed. Yellow eyes devoid of emotion pierced into me, and icy shivers drew my limbs tighter to my body.