"Geeze, Hare. Try relaxing a little." She looks over at me. Her eyes trail up and down my body and then stop at my nose. "I'm Hannah: Hare's better half."
"You're siblings, right?" I ask. I guess I just assumed, since they're very similar looking, but I want to confirm it now. Both have dark hair and light eyes. Both are tall and thin. I guess their snark and the way they talk to each other made me think that, too.
"Twins," Hare answers, hip checking her.
"Oh, cool." I answer, unsure of what to say.
"I guess I'll see you around," she says in leaving, as her brother has made it painfully clear that she's not welcome here.
"Sure," I answer, shrugging my shoulders.
"Sorry 'bout her. She's a jerk sometimes." Hare sways from side to side uncertainly. "I heard you guys took down a Demon. That's awesome."
"My first time."
"How old are you?" he asks.
"I'm eighteen," I tell him. I'm not sure why I feel the need to lie. I keep replaying Micha's words in my head. Despite the fact that I trust the Nephalem, I want to be safe at all costs. So I guess I'm eighteen to everyone now.
"Me too. They just let me start hunting a few months ago. I've already taken down five Demons, though," he claims, proud. His chest puffs out a little and he stands a little taller, more confident.
"That's pretty impressive." Luckily, Luke comes over to us and breaks the awkwardness between Hare and I. Don't get me wrong, he's super nice and the first person to talk to me, but I don't know what to say to him.
"You met Hare?" Luke asks, looking between the two of us.
"Re-met him." I clarify.
"Come, I've made you a surprise," Luke says, taking me by the elbow and steering me around. I look over my shoulder at Hare and smile at him. He waves and then goes in the other direction, towards where I'm guessing his sister is.
As Luke and I walk around the room, I try to take it all in. I idly wonder how everyone who's hanging around can afford to just relax out all day. Micha said most people work. But I decide to save the question for another day.
"So, I spoke with the chef in the cafeteria and asked to make me a sampling of all the best foods," he tells me as he pushes open a set of doors. Immediately, a smell wafts into my nose. I actually have this weird urge to sneeze. "And here they are." He lets me walk in first, and I just look between all of the full plates.
"Where do we even start?" I ask him.
He smiles down at me. "Not we. You."
"I'm eating all of this?" I ask him again.
"Yes, and I'm going to watch." Luke walks over to the table and sits in the black chair. He scoots in and rests his arms on the tabletop. I take a spot across from him, where at least five overfilled plates sit, begging to be eaten.
"Which first?" I ask him as my mouth starts to salivate involuntarily. Since being on Earth, I've tried a few things, but nothing on the table looks familiar so I'm at a loss as to what I'm about to eat.
"Why don't you try that?" He leans across the table and points to a weird yellow and red and orange looking triangle. I lift it up with one hand and a trickle of something wet—like water, only orange tinted and slippery—slides down my arm. I frown, but continue to move the thing towards my mouth.
The first bite is euphoric. It's not sweet at all—purely the opposite. It's salty and hard, yet chewy. After the first bite is all in my mouth, I put the slice down and really savor everything I taste. I shut my eyes and attempt to differentiate the smells and tastes. With just one bite, my stomach feels full, bloated.
"Wow, that was really good," I say to Luke as I finish chewing. I moan and shut my eyes as I continue to taste more and more with each bite. I can't stop, and I don't ever want to. I just hope my stomach can keep up with me.
"Keep making that noise and you're in big trouble," Luke says, grinning across the table at me. I smile, but really I can hardly focus on his words. The amazing taste in my mouth is too much to handle. But I'm nowhere close to done. "Now this," Luke says, pushing a plate of something green towards me.
I try food after food after food and luckily my stomach lets me. I eat salad and chocolate and banana and pie and banana pie. I drink soda and orange juice and a milkshake—which is my favorite of the night. Luke constantly feeds me until I've tried at least a bite of everything in the room.
"You're quite impressive," he tells me, his eyes smoldering. He looks behind me and snaps his fingers twice. My eyes droop with tiredness, my body exhausted. A man in an apron comes out from the kitchen and starts to clear the table of my mess. I smile at the man for helping us, but his eyes never leave the table. He's like a slave—Domineer.
"Now what are we going to do?" I ask Luke, feeling sleepier than ever before.
"I have work to do for the night, and I can't entertain you. Unfortunately." He pauses and looks around the room. "But, you're welcome to stay. I'm sure you can show yourself around."
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable staying yet. Maybe I'll go home." I shrug my shoulders.
"I'll only let you leave if you promise to come back," Luke says, suddenly serious.
"What are you going to do? Force me here?" I laugh, trying to joke with him.
"Of course not, Angel." He jokes back—that stupid name coming up again. "But I like you, and I'd hate to never see you again because I have to do work."
"I'll be back tomorrow," I promise, smiling at the fact that he wants to see me again. We both stand up from the table at the same time. My legs wobble beneath me from sitting for so long, and I feel like I'm gained a lot of weight. Luke takes my hand in his and leads me back towards the elevator. It's now very dark on the recreational floor, the lights dim.
Most of the people who were hanging out before are now gone. Some of the rooms have a little stream of light coming from under the doors but they're shut so I can't see much. I prefer it like this.
We stop just outside of the red elevator doors. Luke drops my hand. I suddenly feel cold, instantly feeling the loss. I stand, unable to move, because it oddly is like a goodbye. A more permanent one, I mean.
"So, you'll come back?" Luke asks me, turning so we're face to face. He touches my shoulders and holds me in front of him. The heat comes back, and I love it.
"Yes," I breathlessly say. My voice is almost foreign to me.
"I don't want to be forward, but I really would like to kiss you." My heart springs to life in my chest, like it's been zapped. It pumps extra blood through my veins, making my body hot. I don't know what to say to that. I've only been kissed by Tab before. It's not like we're still dating, so I don't see the harm.
Instead of answering, I nod my approval and step towards him, closing the space between us. It's like time freezes, because I swear everything moves in slow motion. At first his hands touch me, lightly. One rests on my shoulder while the other comes around behind my neck. His fingers travel into my hair and goosebumps rise across my body in a swarm.
He looks down at me with hooded eyes that show his want for me. My stomach flutters. I'm scared that all the food in my stomach will come back up. I look up from under my lashes and silently beg him to kiss me already. My nerves jump on high alert.
My brain starts freaking out. I don't know if I'm a good kisser. I don't know if he really likes me.
Finally, he leans down and presses his lips over mine, silencing my thoughts. At first, it's just a barely there touch. A quick peck on the lips. After a second passes, it intensifies. His hand tangles in my hair, and he pulls me so close to him that his chest presses against mine. I can feel our hearts sync, matching each other's rapid paces.
I shut my eyes, living in the moment, loving the moment. I wrap my arms around his torso and cling to him, like this could all be some sick dream I've fantasized. I feel the muscles ripple in his back as we sway together, kissing and touching. It's something I've never experienced before—this attraction.
But just as it gets intense, Luke pauses and pulls back from me. I open my eyes to see wha
t's wrong, but his are still shut. He rests his forehead on mine and breathes with me. His hands loosen in my hair, but they refuse to let me go.
"You're amazing," Luke says between bated breaths.
"You are too," I awkwardly answer back, smiling.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He steps back and when I look up, he's gone. I quickly press the button and the red doors open to let me in. I stand alone in the elevator with the biggest smile on my face. I can't stop replaying the most amazing kiss in my mind.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Hare Fight
My apartment is only a few blocks from the sanctuary. My brain runs a mile a minute as I recap my day with Luke. I try to focus on other things, such as the cool air or the light breeze or the way the stars sparkle in the sky. I watch people walk by me and hardly notice that I even exist. But my mind keeps trying to conjure up Luke.
I take the steps up to my apartment as fast as I can, my feet pounding against the pavement. I still have yet to find an elevator in this building, but it doesn't bother me too much. I quickly unlock the door and re-lock it behind me like I'm supposed to. I lean against the back of the door and sink down to my butt.
To say my day was a whirlwind would be an understatement. I can barely recollect everything that's happened to me thus far: from the Demon hunting to exploring the sanctuary to that kiss. It's just too much to take in. Suddenly, my stomach rolls around unpleasantly.
I press my hand to my abdomen, and it feels like little bubbles are floating around in there. My head spins, and I can't really focus on anything at all. My head pounds against my skull, and I don't know what to do with these pains. I've never been sick before, but suddenly I feel like my stomach beats me down.
Before I can do anything, I turn to the side and every single thing I ate comes out the wrong way. I knew I would have to relieve myself in the bathroom, but this feeling is like nothing I've experienced. Nobody warned me about this. I can't move now, so I just lean to the side while my stomach has a mind of its own, beating me down and hating me.
My throat burns and aches as more and more comes out of my mouth. I can't control it. I hate not controlling anything. When I think I'm done, I quickly run to the bathroom but with each pounding step, my head throbs like it's being punched. I lean against the wall in the bathroom and sit across from the toilet.
I throw up one more time, but I make it in the toilet and flush it down before I can see the revolting image. It's disgusting, a smell I've never experienced before and never want to again. You'd think it would come up smelling the same as it went down. But that's not true. My stomach hurts after its gone through that torture and my throat aches. When I conjure up enough energy, I walk to the kitchen.
I drink a quick glass of water and lean against the counter. I'm never eating food again. I swear to myself that I will never touch that much food for the rest of my long life. I lie on the couch and meditate, so I can regain some of the energy I lost from getting sick.
I wake in the same position as I started on the couch. I feel a lot better than before. My stomach and throat are back to normal. I don't feel sick anymore. When I sit up, I realize that it's light out. I must have slept through the entire night without meaning to. My body must have craved the rest.
My stomach rolls, except in a good way. This is a blessing, because I can go back to the sanctuary and hang out with Luke all day. I jump up from the couch and plan to just run over there, but I feel icky. There's digested food still on the floor that I need to clean up, and I think I actually smell, which is a first for me.
I grab the cleaning supplies that Micha stocked the kitchen with and get on the ground to clean up my mess. My mind travels to Micha while I mop up the puddles of vomit. I wonder if he really will check up on me or if that was just something he said to make me feel better.
Micha's probably up in the Veil, flying around and living the Angel life. He's probably forgotten about me down here, struggling with life on Earth, struggling to fit in. He's lucky that I found Luke, or else I'd probably hate him more than the low simmer of hate I harbor now. So much for checking up on me. It's been almost a week, and he has yet to show his face.
When I finish cleaning, I throw it all in the trash can and then go into the bathroom. I turn the water on in the shower to really, really hot and then hop in once I rid myself of my dirty clothes. The hot water feels amazing on my tight muscles and sweat-covered body. I should do this more often. I guess I'm just used to the clean air in the Veil still.
I shut my eyes and let the water cascade down my body. I use some supplies Micha got me and lather up my hair and wash my body in an explosion of white suds. Earth is a very dirty place. I hate walking on the street, because there's dust everywhere and when a car drives by the dirt flies right in your face.
The water below me turns brown as I use a bar of soap to clean my arms and legs. It's disgusting. I definitely need to shower more. When I'm done, I grab the black towel off of the rod and wrap it around me. It's warm and snuggly, and I moan into it, savoring the cleanness.
I walk into the bedroom and sift through the closet to find an appropriate outfit. I want to look attractive for Luke, but I also want to be prepared if we're going to hunt a Demon. So I pick a pair of black leggings that are comfortable, formfitting, yet durable, and a clean tank top. Since it's cold, I grab the leather jacket again and throw it over my shoulders.
Lastly, I grab a pair of black boots and slip my sock covered feet into them. They're my favorite fashion accessories since coming to Earth. Plus, they're comfortable. I look around the apartment and when everything looks to be in place and neat, I head out. I remember to lock the door behind me, and then I jog down the metal stairs.
The walk to the sanctuary is swift, and I say hello to the doorman when I get there. I push the button for the red doors to open and step through and hit the recreational floor. I don't know where Luke is, but I feel like that's as good as any spot to start.
When the doors open, I step out as someone else steps in, causing us to collide. Luckily, it's a familiar face. "Hey there, Angel," Hare says with a smug grin on his face.
"Hey, Hare," I say as I try to maneuver out of his way. I want to find Luke as fast as possible. I kind of miss him, as strange as that sounds.
"Want to come train with me?" he asks, raising his dark eyebrows.
"Uh, I was going to meet Luke. But—" Before I can finish my thought, Hare grabs my arm and tugs me into the elevator with him. I laugh at his friendly forwardness. Hare clicks a button for level thirty when the red doors close in on us.
Thankfully, the elevator moves fast, because we're in the training center in no time. The doors open to a foyer, and I step into it hesitantly. Hare rushes past me. "You gotta keep up!" he yells back, sticking out his tongue and laughing. I jog after him.
After going trough a long hallway, we're dumped into a huge training center. It's not like a regular gym. It's more similar to the Veil training center, but with more colors. It feels a bit like home. There's a hanging track around the room in an oval, and I can see three people racing from here—it's the only thing that stands out.
The floor is wooden, at least it looks to be, and it's a deep brown. I push up onto my tiptoes and the ground pushes back against me, hard. It's still hard to get used to the heavy air.
"Who's ready to spar next?" A man in a ring in the center of the room asks. He looks to be older than most of the people here. His head is bare and he's got a stocky build instead of a long and lean body like most of the Nephalem I've seen. He's smiling next to the ring as if he enjoying seeing people beat each other up.
"Want to fight?" I ask Hare, a mischievous gleam in my eyes.
"Seriously?" he asks back as he starts to tape up his hands. I don't understand why he's taping, but I watch with curiosity.
"Sure," I answer back, shrugging back. I don't see the big deal.
"Well, get ready to get beaten up," he says, smiling ear-to-ear. I walk over to the bald
man and tell him that Hare and I will be fighting next. He looks at me like I'm crazy, but I don't care. I'm used to the looks from the Veil. I stand on one side of the box and take off my jacket. I take off my shoes, too, when I see Hare do the same.
"Come on, guys. We don't have all day," Baldie says from the middle of the ring. I throw my hair into a tight pony tail, and then bend to get into the arena. I grab onto the rope and use it to swing myself onto the raised platform. Hare does the same from his side. I never stop watching him.
We both step into the middle of the ring where Baldie is waiting for us. He looks between the two of us and shakes his head disapprovingly. "You sure you want to do this, girl?" he asks me as a last ditch effort.
"Of course," I answer back, my eyes never leaving Hare.
"You ready?" Baldie asks.
"Yes," both of us answer in union.
"Go to your sides," Baldie instructs us, pointing behind me. I walk to the left and Hare turns and walks to the opposite side. I lean in the corner and try to talk myself up. I know how to fight. Granted, in the Veil we could only fight dummies and not real people, but still. I'm confident in my skills, despite the heavy air and tough ground.
A whistle is blown, and Hare steps towards me. I match his movements and step back towards him. His hands are raised, as if he's covering his face; my hands mirror his, but instead of holding them high, I like to fight a little lower, since I'm short. I lean from side to side, watching his body, not his feet. He tries to get me to move left by playing with some fancy footwork, but I'm too skilled to fall for that cheap trick.
I jab my right hand towards him, but he dodges it easily. I just wanted to test him, see his skills. He's good, but I know I can take him. I spin and whip my leg around in a high arch, landing a nice roundhouse to his ribs. But instead of knocking him down like I wanted, he just takes the blow and steps to the side.
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