Some roses grow only in certain parts of the world. Alejandro had a few rare roses growing in his greenhouses. But he didn’t have a Turkish Halfeti rose. It’s the only rose in the world that naturally blooms pitch black. Not only that, it will only bloom black at certain times of the year. Otherwise it bloomed dark red. I’d been searching for a way to get one for my greenhouse. If I succeeded, I think I might kiss the delivery man right on the lips for bringing it. That’s how bad I want one.
I DROPPED MY PACKPACK IN MY ROOM and threw open my closet door. I would kill for Ginny to be with me, but I had to be careful about contacting her. Alejandro was a known leader among the Guardians; if I got caught contacting him, it could impact not only my cover but Kai’s position as well. Puck gave me strict instructions to not contact any of them except in emergencies. This wasn’t an emergency.
A real date. I’d never done one of these before. Puck and I always hung out, and Kai and I mostly kissed before. What if we found that we had nothing to talk apart from Destroyer problems? This could be a disaster.
The weather tonight was supposed to be cool, so I settled on a pair of skinny jeans and a sweater Ginny bought me in Vegas. It was bright green and brought out the color in my eyes.
I looked in the mirror and sighed. I missed my colored hair. Until Ginny got married, I’d had different crayon colors at least accenting my hair. The rich brown was getting old. It was better than blonde, but not what I wanted. It was chin length, a bob, and I couldn’t find anything fancy to do with it.
I did my make up the way Ricki taught me, using darker colors than normal because I was going out. After I got dressed, I slipped on a pair of knee high black boots and heard a knock on the front door.
Odd, no one knocked on the door out here. We were too remote. If someone came to the house, they normally just walked in because they were expected.
I opened the door and found Kai holding an enormous leafy green rose bush. He peeked his head over the top of the leaves. “I know it’s traditional to bring cut flowers, but I thought you’d appreciate this more.”
I smiled and touched his hand. “What is it?”
“A Turkish Halfeti.”
Oh, no freaking way. I could fall in love with him for this reason alone. Before I could think about it too much, I pulled him close and kissed him. He eagerly returned it. After a few seconds, I pulled away.
“I’ve always wanted one of those. Where’d you get it?”
“I have connections. Should we put it in your greenhouse?”
He followed me out to the greenhouse and set the plant on a table next to me. “How long before you’ll be able to get it bloom?”
I grinned. “Depends if I use my powers or not.”
He closed the distance between us and slid his arm around my waist. My heart began to race. I was used to him holding me at night, but there was something different in this embrace. He pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear. “I miss having full access to that power.”
I pulled back a bit. “What do you mean?” My voice was breathless. I didn’t mean for it to be. I shouldn’t be surprised that I desired him, even if I was totally in love with Puck.
“It seems like the only time I kiss you is when you’re in trouble or upset. That’s not the same as it was before. You don’t give up your power so willingly since you’ve learned how to control it.”
He was right. I kept shields up all the time now. “I’m not sure how to behave around you anymore. This is different than before. Before, you were all I had and so I gave you everything. Now I don’t know how to do that anymore.”
He rested his forehead on mine and whispered against my lips. “Can you try, just for tonight? Please.”
My entire body was buzzing. I wanted him. But the guilt. Puck. He knew I’d be doing this. He wanted me to. Without answering, I pressed my lips against Kai’s and wrapped my arms around his neck. I concentrated on lowering my shields. All of them. Even the ones I didn’t put up consciously. I concentrated on letting go, releasing myself into him. His lips moved urgently against mine and every time another shield fell, he moaned against my mouth. I, too, thoroughly enjoyed the kiss. It tasted of cinnamon and smelled of coconut and salty beaches.
Then the energy shifted and I could feel my mother’s power rise in my head. Whatever shield I had used to keep her power at bay had been released, and that energy influenced the kiss. The unbidden thought came into my head to bite his lip. So I did, just a little nibble.
He responded immediately. The whole kiss changed. It tasted of dark chocolate and spice. Kai pulled me closer to him and his hands roamed into areas they shouldn’t have. I should’ve pulled away, told him to stop, but I liked it.
His hand slid underneath my sweater and his fingers were cool against my ribcage. I shivered at the touch. Everything Kai and I had before seemed so innocent compared to this. We slept together every night but he never even kissed me. It was just holding. This opened up new territory.
I reached up and wove my fingers into his thick hair and his hand moved up my ribcage. His thumb brushed the edge of my breast and I came back to myself.
He quickly pulled away.
“Sorry about that,” he muttered. He scowled a little and my stomach tensed.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Your shields went back up.”
“Sorry, I have little control over them. Puck said I was really good at making them.”
His frown deepened. “Puck say you were good at anything else?”
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the rose bush he brought me. There were a few buds. With a little coaxing they could bloom tonight.
“He was my teacher,” I finally said.
Kai leaned forward, catching my eye. “Right. You mean to tell me Puck never kissed you like that.”
I blushed. I thought about denying it, letting him think what he wants. My feelings were all confused. The relationship Puck and I had was different than the relationship Kai and I had. I liked kissing them both, but only Puck held my heart.
Kai grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him again. His heart beat fast against mine. I tried dropping my shields again, but it wasn’t working.
“I’m sorry. I just get jealous when you say his name. You were mine first and I resent that I have to fight him for you now.”
I raised my head; this was progress. He needed me. “Am I not worth fighting for?”
“Of course you are, that’s what makes this so damn difficult. The idea that I might lose.”
My heart clenched. I didn’t want to tell him that he would lose. Not until he was safe in the fold of the Guardians. Tonight I’d let him think that there was a real possibility for our future.
“Let’s forget about Puck for now. It’s supposed to be just you and me right? A date. I’ll work on lowering my shields.”
He smiled. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“What shield did you lower last while we were kissing? Everything changed for a few moments.”
“That was the shield I put up to keep my mother’s power at bay.”
His eyes widened for a second and then he nodded.
“That explains it.”
“What?”
“The reason I felt my own Destroyer energy react to it. You know what this means, don’t you?”
I shook my head.
He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. “It means we can kiss in front of other Destroyers.”
He was right. Before, our kisses reeked of Guardian energy, all sunshine and warmth. Now they tasted like Destroyers, dark and seductive.
The different colors of roses always fascinated me. Especially flowers that would change color as they bloomed. One of my favorites is the Fighting Temeraire. It starts as a bright orange bud but then blooms yellow, with only the tips of the petals retaining the orange color.
THE FOOTBALL GAME WAS LOUD and crazy. Tiff was down in the field with
the other cheerleaders so I sat with Kai about halfway up the middle of the bleachers. I found myself not watching the game as much as watching the students around us.
I’d gone to school with all of them for years, but none were my friends. My mother’s oppressive upbringing made that impossible. A lot of these kids I knew before things changed in my house. I wondered what their reaction was now that I was back, but different once again.
I’d stuck pretty close to Kai, so I didn’t have much of a chance to interact with others. Tiff was a nice but mostly superficial friend. I suspected her friendliness had more to do with Kai than me.
“You cold?” asked Kai.
“Not really, but you can put your arm around me anyway.” I grinned up at him. He smiled and pulled me close to him. He hadn’t let go of me all night. This was exactly what we needed to make this work. He trusted me now. I’d ride this train all the way back to the Guardians if I had to. He wouldn’t be stuck here forever. I was able to suppress most of my guilt and enjoy the ride. For the moment, the world was nice.
Until an annoying ass sat right next to me.
“Seriously, you could sit anywhere and you choose this spot.”
Jason shrugged. “It was easier than climbing over you to sit next to Kai, besides I have a perfect view of Tiff from up here.”
“What is it with you and my friends?”
“You have a good taste in friends, though I can’t say the same for them.”
I looked at Kai. “What do you see in him?”
Jason interjected before Kai could respond. “I was around long before you came. Seriously Kai, you could have any girl in this school. Why are you wasting your time with her?”
I waited for Kai’s reaction. His face revealed nothing.
“Maybe you should go sit somewhere else, Jason, and we’ll catch up tomorrow.”
Jason opened his mouth then closed it again. “Fine. I see where I stand.” He stood up and stomped away. Kai sighed. I decided to change the subject.
“The bonfire tonight should be fun.”
Kai shrugged. “Maybe. I’d rather go home and just watch a movie or something. But you want to go, so we will.”
A twinge of guilt settled in my stomach. “Why don’t you want to go?”
“It’s hard for me to go to these silly things when I have so many other things to worry about. I’m eighteen, but I have the responsibilities of a forty year old.”
I bristled. “Am I just a silly thing?”
“Of course not. You’re the reason I’m doing it all. When it’s over, maybe then I can relax. I wish you and Jason would get along better, though. That would make everything easier.”
“Did you forget what he did to me?”
“You mean Dwayne and your mom?”
“Yeah.” What else?
“You could just let it go. Jason will be nice to you if you are nice to him.”
“Right. He doesn’t like me any more than I like him.”
“That’s understandable.”
I pulled out of his arms. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Look, you turned his girlfriend against him and now you are trying to do the same thing with me. All of which he was willing to overlook, but you’ve been nothing but mean to him. That’s not like you.”
I started to argue but our school scored a touchdown and everyone stood up and cheered. Kai pecked me lightly on the lips. “I’m going to get a coke, you want something?”
“Popcorn would be good.”
“I’ll be back in a sec.”
I looked down at the game. The cheerleaders were right in front of us. Tiff saw me and waved, then returned her focus to her routine.
A rotten fish smell filled my nostrils. I couldn’t tell if it was a legit smell or a Destroyer one. Then a voice I never wanted to hear again whispered in my ear.
“I thought he’d never leave you alone.”
I spun around and recoiled. Dwayne Yerdin sat directly behind me. He wore a sweat stained wife-beater and dirty jeans. His greasy hair went in all directions. He had a coke in one hand and toothpick in his mouth. I wrinkled my nose. Disgusting.
“What are you doing here?”
“I live here. And I enjoy watching football.”
I scooted over into Kai’s spot. The smell subsided a little, but I couldn’t go far.
The boy next to him smirked. “You mean you enjoy watching the cheerleaders.”
Dwayne gave the boy a fist bump. Then he turned back to me, gripped my shoulder, and leaned over. I gagged a little at the smell of fish and onions he had for dinner. I pulled away, but not before I heard what he whispered in my ear.
“I didn’t think you’d come back to me. We have a score to settle. You stole all my power and I want it back.”
I shrugged and tried to pretend like he didn’t scare me, even though my hands were shaking. “It’s all gone. Sorry, Dwayne.”
His face turned a bright red. “What’d you do with it, bitch?”
“None of your business. The only thing that matters now is that it’s gone. You’ll have to settle for a normal life.”
He closed his grip around my bicep. The Bulldogs scored another touchdown and the crowd went wild. No one noticed what he was doing. The funny thing was, I wasn’t scared. Not now, not after what I’d been through. I could defend myself now. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I thought of the things I could do to make him miserable.
Before I had a chance, Kai was at my side. He saw Dwayne and the fingers that curled around my arm. He dropped the coke and the popcorn and slammed his fist into Dwayne’s face. That would be the second time he broke his nose for me.
This time Dwayne fought back. He swung and missed. Kai shoved his fist into Dwayne’s gut and Dwayne fell backwards into a group of people. Unfortunately for both Kai and Dwayne, he fell right onto the vice-principal’s wife.
First Love blooms all kinds of pink. The base of each petal is deep and dark and it fades to the tip with a soft baby pink. The smell is subtle and sweet. Several flowers will bloom all at once and then die. It’s sad to watch the petals fall. But then, just when you think it’s all over, a new bud appears.
“NAOMI, WAKE UP,” Kai whispered into my ear. I smiled and rolled over. I kissed him without opening my eyes. He pulled me close. None of my shields were up and I could let all of my energies flow freely. So did Kai. It was hard to describe the sensation but I imagine it was a little like an out of body experience, I was there but I was somewhere else, too. I finally opened my eyes.
“Good Morning.”
He smiled. “It is a good morning, isn’t it?”
I reached over and touched his eye. “It’s turning green.”
He grimaced. “That one hurt. The things I do for you.”
“Sorry.”
He kissed me lightly. “Anytime.”
The fight hadn’t lasted long. The vice-principal and a few other adults hauled Kai and Dwayne into the locker room. Kai was suspended for a week and Dwayne was banned from school property.
He climbed over me and out of bed. He padded toward the door and as he slipped out, I sighed. I’d never get tired of looking at that boy. And last night. Wow. Not that we did anything too bad, the kissing was just kicked up a notch.
My chest tightened as I replayed the events of the night. If Puck had seen us, he’d pull the plug on this whole thing. If I didn’t enjoy it so much, then I wouldn’t have to feel so bad about what I was doing. I wished I could call Puck and talk to him about what was going on. Then he could reassure me that I was doing the right thing.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” I called, sitting up.
My dad poked his head in the door. “You want to come help me with the animals? I’m turning several over to the shelter today.”
I nodded.
“Sure, give me a few.”
“Okay, I’m heading over now with Kai. I’ll leave you the keys to the four-wheeler.” He creased his
eyebrows together. “Do you know how to drive it?”
“Yeah, dad, I know how to drive it. I still had to get around the farm even when you weren’t all here.”
He frowned and retreated.
I dressed quickly, and then found the four-wheeler parked in the garage. I really hadn’t driven it that much, but Mother used to have me fetch Dad from his clinic quite often and it was a long walk.
I found Kai and Dad loading cages onto the truck. Most had dogs and cats, but there were a few rabbits too.
“Where are you taking them?”
“There’s a no-kill shelter that has agreed to find homes for all of them. Since the story broke about what that son of a bitch did, people are begging for them. The shelter agreed to screen potential owners and make sure the animals all get good homes. I still have quite a few that will need long-term care. We’ll take another trip to the shelter next month.”
I climbed into the trailer and took a cage from Kai. It held a terrier of some kind. His left front leg was missing and there were a few scars along his ribs, but he looked far better than when we found him. He licked my fingers through the metals bars.
“Someone’s gonna love you,” I told him and set the cage down on the floor.
For the next fifteen minutes Dad and Kai brought up cages for me to arrange inside the trailer. Some of the animals were friendly, but mostly they were scared. So scared. I wanted to take them all out and cuddle with them.
When Kai brought me the final cage, I walked out of the trailer with him.
“I’m going to go with your dad. Do you wanna come?”
I shook my head. It was hard enough for me to load them up after taking care of them for the last couple of weeks.
“I think I’m going to do some weeding and pruning.”
He removed his gloves and leaned against the truck.
“We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
The Thorn Chronicles-Books 1-4: Kissed, Destroyed, Secrets, and Lies Page 31