by Kristie Cook
After she finished, she dried herself off, put on Mason’s clothes, and headed for the king size bed.
Looking around the room, bad memories of Remus crashed through, and when she heard the door creak open, she gasped. Seeing Mason, her nerves quickly calmed.
“Your clothes are drying. I’ll get them for you in the morning,” Mason said.
“Thank you.”
“You should go to bed. Do you have early morning classes?”
“No. I have one in the late afternoon.”
“Okay, that’s good. You can sleep on the right side. I’ll sleep on the left. It’s a king size bed, so I’m sure we can both fit.”
“Of course. Thank you.”
Mason moved closer, making Skylar’s heart flutter euphorically. The way he came toward her, with such an alluring look, overpowered her desire and emotions. While stroking her hair, Mason spoke softly. “We should be thanking you. You came for us. You came for me. Why?”
“Because … because I know you would do the same for me,” Skylar expressed, closing her eyes, enjoying Mason’s caresses. What she wanted to say was that she cared for him, and she needed to know he was safe. “You were gone so long. At first, I thought you … I mean I couldn’t just wait around. I had to make sure you were … I mean, everybody was safe.”
“Let me see your wounds.”
Skylar peered up and turned her head slightly so he could examine her. Unsure if it was purposely done, his touch was pleasant, making her feel excited and sleepy at the same time. She didn’t know how long she could control herself. Any minute now her knees would buckle.
“They’ve healed nicely. You can’t tell.”
Under normal circumstances, she would probably still be bleeding or have a big gash. Instead, her cut had healed as if she’d never had one. “The pain was already gone when we were almost out of Olympus.” The pain was gone when you touched me, she wanted to say, but couldn’t.
“You were pretty awesome back there. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“My mom made me take a self-defense class. You know, just in case.”
“I better remember not to piss you off.”
Skylar giggled shyly, but then became serious. “This isn’t over, is it?”
“I think it is for now, but she’ll be back. We’ll have to keep our guard up. At least we know who the vultures get their orders from. When we see them, we’ll know she’s around. No more talking. You should go to bed.”
After tucking in, Skylar scooted to the edge of her side of the bed. Lying next to Mason was not her idea of comforting sleep. Being next to him made her stomach flutter with nervousness and happiness. Feeling restless, she curled her legs in, then out, and then back in. Her arms did the same. She wanted to turn her body to him to see if he was asleep, but she couldn’t.
“Sky. Stop moving and go to sleep,” Mason said. He sounded groggy.
Skylar froze. She was trying not to disturb him, but the questions she had were eating at her.
“You can ask me one question,” he said, as if he knew she was itching to ask.
“I can ask you one question?”
“Yes, Echo.”
Skylar giggled to herself. Though she claimed she didn’t liked being called that, it had become their inside joke. It was a special nickname, and she didn’t mind it so much. Recalling his tattoo, she was dying to ask him the significance of it. “Why do you have the lightning tattoo on your arm?” She heard him sigh softly, seeming to hesitate before he answered.
“It’s very personal, but I’ll tell you,” he mumbled softly. “I got that tattoo shortly after my mom passed away. In a way, it helped me to accept who I am, and the powers I possessed, though I didn’t have a choice. It is a reminder for me to use it wisely, responsibly, and to protect others who can’t defend themselves against evil. You know, something corny like ‘with great power comes great responsibility’, like how they said it in the Spiderman movie.”
Wow! She did not expect that at all. How beautiful his words were. How beautiful he was. Knowing it was personal and knowing he had shared it with her, she was simply stunned, but she could only think of one lame word to say, “Oh.” Then she remembered how it radiated when he used his powers. “Your tattoo glowed when you used your powers. I saw it light up.”
“I always glow,” he said matter-of-factly with a note of arrogance in his tone, not wanting to answer the question.
She would have agreed, though she wasn’t quite sure what he meant, but she didn’t want to fatten his ego even more, so she said nothing. Then she changed the subject, hoping he would answer more of her questions before he decided not to. “Are you afraid of me?”
“If I was, do you think you would be in my bed right now?”
Skylar thought about what Mason said and realized she’d asked a stupid question. “Do you like me? I mean … could you like me as a friend, with the dark side and all?”
“I said only one question. That was three, but I’ll answer. Yes.”
“Do you think I’m evil?”
“No. Now you’ve asked four. No more.” He exhaled an irritated sigh. “Sky, turn around.”
When Skylar turned, Mason was inches away. With his elbow on the pillow, his fist under his chin holding up his head, he looked down at her. Trying not to look into his eyes, she focused on his lips instead—not a good idea.
“What do I have to do or say to convince you that I don’t think you’re evil?”
“I … .” Skylar couldn’t speak, let alone concentrate on her thoughts. He was so close that if she raised her head just an inch, his lips would be on hers. She couldn’t stop the heat tingling throughout her body. She wanted to be mad at him so she wouldn’t have these feelings, and it didn’t take long. He started acting rude again.
“Next time, don’t come to my rescue. It could’ve all gone wrong. You could’ve gotten yourself killed.”
The ‘I want you’ tingles shot away as he spoke. “What do you mean? You would rather I had ignored the note I got and just let bad things happen to you?”
“Yes. You should care about your own life and not mine. If anything happened to you … .”
With both of her hands on his chest pressing lightly, Skylar was just about to push him away when she realized he’d said something sweet—‘If anything happened to you’—but he never finished. “You would what?”
“Why did you come?” he continued.
“Because … because … .” Smoothly, as if her hands had a mind of their own, they ran up his muscular chest, over his shoulders, and down to the curve of his biceps. She couldn’t believe what she was doing.
Lost in Skylar’s touch, he blinked when she stopped and snapped out of his daze. “Because you care? Well, you shouldn’t.” Suddenly, his soft tone sharpened. His eyes fluttered with pain, sorrow, and anger under his eyelashes. “You shouldn’t care. I’m no good for you. I won’t return the feeling.” He snatched her hands, pinned them against the pillow with both hands on either side, and fixed his eyes on hers sternly. “No matter what you do, I won’t care. My walls are too thick, sealed up tight. No one can break them. Not Nick, not Everett, not Amanda, and certainly not you. So don’t waste your time. I’m broken, and you can’t fix broken people.”
Skylar was extremely hurt by his words, but his actions and his eyes told her otherwise. She knew at that moment that there was hope. Amanda had accidentally told her Mason felt guilty for his mother’s death. Afterwards, he wasn’t the same. Now she understood why he was always so protective. Now she understood when he got mad at her for coming to his rescue. Perhaps he does care, but he won’t admit it. Maybe with time and patience, she could help him heal. He could be free of his guilt and hurt.
“To answer your question, you’re not evil,” he continued. “I knew that the moment I saw you.” Then his eyes became soft. “There is something sweet and innocent about you. Perhaps that can be part of evil, who knows? But you can’t be.” Mason’s tone tr
ailed off when he brushed his face into her hair. “You’re not evil, Sky. You smell sweet and your cheeks are soft. Evil doesn’t feel good like you.”
Skylar thought she was having a heart attack. No guy had ever made her heart beat so fast. No other guy had ever made her feel that way before, not even her ex-boyfriend. Then she realized what she felt for her ex was nothing in comparison to how she felt about Mason.
Slowly, Mason inched his way closer and closer to her lips. She couldn’t believe Mason was finally going to kiss her. Her whole body ignited with heat and want. When his lips touched hers, instinctively, she pressed both hands on his chest. “Stop.” Remembering Remus, she got really scared and became protective. “What if something bad happens to you?” She’d ruined the moment, but she didn’t care. His life was more important than a kiss. Though she knew it was swallowing her blood that had killed Remus, she couldn’t take the risk.
“How many times must I tell you? I guess I’m going to have to show you.” Without warning, he dove in and planted his lips on hers. His kiss was soft and perfect, and much more than she imagined it would be. Though it wasn’t very long, it left Skylar wanting more, sinking deeper into the mattress, swallowed up in his succulent kiss.
When he pulled away, he fell on his side of the bed. With both of his hands on his neck, he made gagging sounds as if he was choking.
Skylar was horrified. “Mason? Mason!” she called, sitting up, placing her hands on his arms.
Suddenly he stopped and pulled her in. Her legs swung over his hips and her body pressed to his chest as he embraced her tightly. “Just kidding. I was joking. See? I’m fine.” It was his way of apologizing for being a prick.
“Ugh … jerk!” Skylar tried to pull away, but she couldn’t budge from his hold. She was mad, but she couldn’t stop giggling from his sense of humor. For a second, she remained still, enjoying her position, enjoying this tender moment as they exchanged an undeniably passionate gaze. In his arms, she felt comfort. In his arms, she was just a normal girl being held by a normal guy.
“You got me,” Skylar said when Mason released her.
“Now, go to sleep. It’s almost time to get up.” Mason became distant again, turning his back on her.
With her eyes on his back, she wanted to reach out and touch him, wanting to help him forget his pain.
“Don’t stare at me,” he mumbled.
“I’m not staring,” Skylar said, recalling when he said these words the last time, making her laugh.
“Oh, yes you are,” he chuckled lightly. “I can feel your stare.”
Skylar giggled and shook her head. “Fine, you got me again.” She’d made a small dent in his wall tonight, and slowly she would try her best to chip it away. Holding onto their first kiss, not knowing if it meant something to him or not, she fell asleep peacefully.
THIRTY
When Skylar opened her eyes, she knew it was late. She turned to Mason, but he was already out of bed, out of sight.
There was a note on his pillow:
Sky,
Lunch on the table. Taking care of business. Manager out sick at Bella Amore.
Till then,
Mason
It was already lunchtime? Skylar got out of bed and saw the clothes Mason had washed and dried for her. He was so thoughtful that way. She changed, ate, called home to her mom, got into her car and headed back to her dorm.
On her way, she got a text from Kayla. She and Nick had made up and things were back to normal. Kayla had decided to attend the local state college. She commuted from home and continued to help her mom at the diner. Though they texted often, with school schedules and Kayla working, it was difficult at times.
***
A week had passed. Disappointingly, Skylar had not heard from Mason, not even a text or a phone call. Wanting to take a break from studying, she texted Kayla.
Hey, what you doing?
Trying to study.
Miss you.
Miss you, too. Hope you can visit soon.
I will. Things are crazy. I have an exam tomorrow.
Have you seen Mason lately?
No. It’s been a week. I’m not counting on it.
I’m sorry.
No worries. Till then.
Skylar couldn’t believe she’d used Mason’s words, “till then.” Maybe his wall was too thick. Maybe it was hopeless. Not wanting to think of him, she poured herself into her studies. After an hour, she picked up her phone, hoping she’d missed a text or had a missed called from him—nothing. She thought about calling, but lost her nerve. Placing the phone back down on the table, she dove right back into her studies. Then a few minutes later, she was startled by the vibrating phone and picked it up. She was so excited to see it was a text from Mason she could hardly contain herself.
Hi, Echo
With a beaming smile, Skylar texted back.
Hi
What are you doing?
Studying
Good. You’re home. Are you alone?
No. Roommate.
Remember, stay around humans. Don’t go anywhere by yourself, and always bring your
phone. If you don’t return my text then I’ll know something is wrong.
Okay. Stay near humans and not aliens.
Haha. You made me laugh.
Is it even possible to get a laugh from you? Just kidding.
Haha. I miss that.
Miss what?
Thinking of you. Till then.
Miss what?
He didn’t answer and Skylar knew he’d done that on purpose. After the text, it was difficult to study again, especially when he texted he was thinking of her. A part of her felt guilty. She’d lied to Mason about her roommate being home. Since there had been no signs of vultures or other strange occurrences, she figured things were back to normal.
Not wanting to worry him, she didn’t want to tell him the truth. Though she thought about texting him back and letting him know she was alone, hoping he would spend time with her, she knew better. He was busy with work and she didn’t want to bother him.
Her phone vibrated again. Surprisingly, it was her roommate. Emily had never texted her before, but she had given Emily her cell number.
I need help. I’m at the bio lab. Can you come now?
Room #
Biology building, first floor, room 110
I’m coming.
No questions asked, Skylar grabbed a sweater, placed her cell phone in her pocket with her keys, and walked out onto campus grounds. It was just after eight. The night sky was merciless and the cold breeze stung her face. She walked quickly, passing the dimly lit parking lot. Seeing a couple making out in a car, she looked away, but somehow it gave her comfort that humans were around.
Farther along, the campus got darker since there weren’t many late night classes. Hardly ever going out this late, she hadn’t realized how fast fall had crept in. Crossing her arms, she hugged herself closer for warmth. When she passed by the small cafÉ, she knew she was almost there.
The campus was huge, but during the day, it didn’t seem so big. Perhaps it was the anxiety building in her. The darkness made the beautiful campus look gloomy, and she was almost positive she saw two pairs of small yellow lights following her as if they were watching her every move.
Finally, the biology building was in her sight. She just needed to cross a path and she was home free, but the path was so dreadfully dark, she didn’t know if she could do it.
Out of the blue, Skylar jolted straight up. With a huff, she took out her cell phone, and turned off the vibration mode, but kept it on silent. It was another text from Emily.
Where are you?
I’m almost there.
Hurry!
What’s so urgent?
There was no response.
Having a sudden idea, Skylar used her phone to shine a light along the path. It wasn’t as dark anymore. In no time, she was through the double glass doors. Being inside, the cold breeze disappeared, and wi
th plenty of light, she was able to put her cell phone in her back pocket.
The floor squeaked under her feet from her sneakers, making contact with the shining laminate floor, and for several feet, that was all she heard. Looking at the door numbers, she knew she was almost there. Room 107, 108, 109. Finally, room 110.
Skylar pulled the door open, expecting to see a room full of students wearing white lab coats and experimenting with test tubes, or hovering over microscopes, but that wasn’t the case. In fact, Emily was the only student there. She stood all the way in the back, behind a lab counter, looking terrified. Trembling, she continued to stand there staring at Skylar, shaking her head as if to tell her something. Then tears flowed down her checks.
“Emily, are you okay?” Skylar started toward her, suddenly realizing someone else might have texted her from Emily’s phone. She looked too distraught to be texting. Whatever the reason, Skylar was glad she had come to her rescue.
Just before she reached her, the door she had just entered made a loud, slamming noise, and then a “click.” Skylar instantly realized who was behind this, and terror crept up her back. Though she had known Alena would come for her, she didn’t think it would be this soon. She was glad Mason wasn’t around. She wouldn’t want to put him or his family’s lives in danger too.
“Hello, Skylar,” Alena said, looking pleased. “It’s so nice to see you.” Her lips slowly curved up wickedly. “You probably didn’t expect to see me so soon, but you see, I have an agenda to follow.”
Without hesitation, Skylar took several steps toward Emily, holding her hand to calm her down. Emily was trembling so much, she didn’t know if she could get her do what she wanted her to do when the time came—namely, run. “I knew you were coming. Let her go. She is nothing to you.”
“I know she is your roommate and that her name is Emily. You see, my dear cousin, I’ve been following you for quite some time. I know when you sleep. I know your class schedule, and I know where you like to eat lunch.”
“That’s enough.” Skylar clenched her fists. Though she was afraid, she wouldn’t show it. “You’re sick, stalking me like that. Get a life. Just let her go and I’ll give you what you want.”