I clenched my hand, instantly putting out the flame, aware I was capable of setting the car on fire if my emotions got out of control. “If you want to see more, you’ll have to meet up with me after school.”
“Um…” She frowned. “I can’t. My mum’s expecting me home straight after school.”
“I can give you a lift there,” I replied, pretty sure she was making an excuse not to see me. “I want to talk more with you.”
She didn’t reply, her expression now turning uncomfortable.
“Please,” I said softly, not ashamed of resorting to begging again, though I wasn’t used to it. Girls usually fell over themselves to be with me. But Catherine was different, and that difference fascinated me.
“Okay,” she said, breathing out as though it pained her to agree.
I smiled, thinking that went easier than I’d expected. “What about lunch?” I asked. “We can meet up then, too.”
“I’ll probably be in the small art and photography room. My best friend always meets me there.”
“Cool.” I hopped out of the car and quickly moved around to Catherine’s door. I pulled it open for her, getting an amused look in return.
She stepped out of the car, her lips quirking up at the corners. “I wouldn’t have picked you as someone who opens doors for women.”
“That’s because you know nothing about me.” I closed the door behind her.
“Well, I guess I should say thank you.”
“No, thank you.” I took hold of her hand and lifted it to my lips, giving it a kiss.
She whipped it away, her expression surprised. “What did you do that for?”
“Being a gentleman, like you said.” I took hold of her hand again, giving it a squeeze. “So, let’s go to class.”
She tugged her hand free once more. “Without holding hands. I’m not your girlfriend.”
“For now.”
“Forever.”
I shrugged. “We’ll see about that.” I started walking towards the buildings, stopping when I noticed she wasn’t following. I glanced back at her. “You coming? We are going to the same class.”
She let out a sigh and moved forward. I fell in step with her, happy I’d made a breakthrough.
Chapter 10
~ CATHERINE ~
I walked into form class with Christopher, instantly attracting Stephen’s attention. He raised his blond eyebrows at us, a questioning look crossing his stupid face. Kylie was also watching us, or more accurately, she was watching Christopher. Her eyes were locked onto him, seemingly unconcerned that we were heading for our desks at the same time. Though, I was sure her eyebrows would’ve shot up like Stephen’s as soon as Christopher pulled out my chair for me to sit down.
I slipped into the seat, muttering, “I do have hands.”
He inched behind me, taking the seat next to mine. “Are you a feminist?”
“No, why?”
“You seem to object to me opening doors and pulling out chairs, not to mention kissing your hand.”
“I’m not objecting to it; I’m objecting to you doing it. I still don’t like you.” Not entirely true, but he didn’t need to know that.
“I bet you’d suddenly like me if I kissed you.”
“Oi!” Stephen snapped, cutting in. He leaned over his desk, glaring at his cousin. “You’re not kissing her, so back off, arsehole!”
Christopher turned to face Stephen. “What will you do if I don’t?”
“Smash the shit out of you. I told you she’s mine.”
“I’m not yours,” I snapped. “I thought you would’ve figured that out by now, but I guess you need a few more brain cells for that to happen.”
He threw a glare at me, his violet eyes practically glowing. It made me wonder whether he was a Merge too, even more so since he was related to Christopher.
“So, you want my cousin?” he asked, brushing a loose strand of hair off his face. His long blond hair was pulled back by a leather tie, revealing chiselled features.
“No,” I replied, glancing at Christopher, realising the two cousins were unnaturally good-looking. It wasn’t as though I hadn’t noticed before, but finding out what Christopher was... It put their good looks in a new light.
“Didn’t feel like a no when you kissed me,” Christopher said, cutting through my thoughts.
I scowled at him. “You kissed me.”
“While you reciprocated. With tongue.” He waggled his at me, then went right back to smirking, obviously thinking he’d one-upped me. “You also called me beautiful, and if you deny it, you’d be lying.”
I grimaced. “Guess you’re back to being a dickwad.”
“No, just not letting you walk all over me.” He pointed a finger at me. “You like me, so admit it.”
The class went silent as though all the sound had been sucked out by a sonic vacuum. I turned my head, expecting to see Mr. Stanton entering, but instead everyone was watching us. Like Stephen, Kylie also didn’t appear happy, the cow thinking she had a monopoly on all the good-looking guys in the school. While a few other girls also looked annoyed—unlike the boys. They were sniggering under their breaths, one of them telling Christopher what he should do to me. It was Greg, one of Stephen’s rugby buddies, a moron with only a fraction more brain cells than Stephen.
I flicked the sexist pig the finger, then turned back to Christopher. “I don’t like you, so stop getting on my wick or…” I lowered my voice to a whisper, “I won’t meet up with you at lunch.”
He gave me a self-satisfied smirk. “So, you want to have lunch with me?”
“Lower your voice,” I hissed.
He leaned his head towards me. “Are you agreeing to meet me for lunch?”
I glanced around again. Everyone was still listening, not even trying to hide the fact. For once, I wished our teacher was already here, Boss Hogg obviously running late today.
“Ignore them,” Christopher said, “they’re not important, only you are.”
I looked back at him. He was staring at me as though he meant it. No smirk, only a serious expression gracing his beautiful face. He reached out and caressed my cheek. Warmth washed over me, making me sway a little. I leaned my cheek against his hand, forgetting where I was, only concerned with what his touch was doing to me.
“So,” he said, still looking serious. “Can we meet at lunch?”
I nodded, wondering what his warm hand would feel like moving over my body. The thought made my cheeks heat up, Christopher lighting a fire behind them.
“You’re a complete prick,” Stephen snapped.
Christopher removed his hand from my cheek. “Not denying it,” he replied, his eyes moving past me as Mr. Stanton’s voice filled the room.
I continued to look at Christopher, drawing his gaze back to me. He raised an eyebrow in question, snapping me out of my daze. I blinked, not sure what had come over me. It had been so sudden. One second I was rejecting him, the next I was craving his touch. Like in the car, but with his attention instead. I hadn’t wanted to be there, then it was the only place I wanted to be—sitting right next to him, asking questions and flirting like some idiot. I seemed to run hot and cold around him, my reaction never predictable.
Even to me.
I cleared my throat and turned to face the front of the class, now scared to be alone with him, because the way he affected me...
It definitely wasn’t natural.
***
I drummed my fingers nervously, jumping a little in my seat at the sound of the lunch bell. I was in the small art room, where I sometimes went during my sculpture class—a subject Christopher didn’t take. A large table took up most of the space, with chairs framing it. Behind me, off to my right, was a door to the dark room for the photography students.
The other two sculpture students continued with their work, not appearing to have noticed the bell. A mousy-haired boy called Rodney was painting a mould of a dragon, every so often pushing his glasses back up the ridge of h
is nose. Gloria, a tall redheaded girl at the opposite end of the table, stared at a collection of boxes she’d stuck together as though it was a masterpiece in the making. After a few heartbeats, she nodded her head decisively and brushed a thick stroke of green paint across one of the boxes, as if it would make her disastrous sculpture better.
Totally ignoring my work, a 3D rendition of the New Zealand flag done in boxes, I continued drumming my fingers, growing more and more anxious about having lunch with Christopher. Yeah, I was incredibly attracted to him. Who wouldn’t be? He was drop-dead gorgeous, but... He made me nervous, even a bit scared.
Gloria looked up from her sculpture with a scowl. “Will you stop doing that? Your tapping is driving me insane.”
“Then leave, it’s lunchtime,” I replied, not interested in being nice to her. She was one of Kylie’s friends, a stuck-up cow who thought everyone was beneath her, including Kylie. I couldn’t argue with the last part, but that was only because Gloria was a rat, while Kylie was a flee on a rat.
“Or stay,” I added. “Do whatever you like, I don’t care.”
Although I did.
I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest, my gaze shifting to the main door. The idea of being alone with Christopher was definitely scaring me. And not because I was worried he’d hurt me. I was more concerned that he would kiss me. The memory of his lips on mine returned, of how I’d lost control, kissing him back even harder. But what bothered me more than losing control was all this Merge, angel, demon talk, the unexplained, illogical supernatural side of things. I didn’t want to be connected to all of that weird crap—regardless of whether it was real. It was doing my head in. Which meant I had to cut Christopher out of my life, no matter how hard he was trying to pull me into his.
I pushed out of my seat and grabbed my bag, feeling bad for standing him up, but knowing it was the best thing to do. If I didn’t want the rosary, there was no reason to want him either, because, like the rosary, he was trouble.
I headed out the back way, making sure I didn’t bump into him. I slipped between the students filling the corridor, hurrying down it as fast as I could go. I emerged into the bright light of day, almost wincing at the sun’s intensity. Shielding my eyes, I ran towards the gymnasium, slowing down as I neared it. But instead of hiding behind the large green and cream-coloured building, which was what I’d intended on doing, I continued across the field, not knowing where I was heading—or why.
Chapter 11
~ CHRISTOPHER ~
I smiled as I pushed the small art room door open. But the smile disappeared at the sight of a lone boy sitting at the communal art table, Catherine nowhere in sight.
I stepped inside the room. “Where’s Catherine Lovich?”
The boy’s speckled gaze lifted to me, appearing startled. “I-I d-d-don’t know,” he stuttered. He was from my art class, a quiet kid who I’d never heard speak before.
“Was she here earlier?”
“Sh-she left a-a-a few seconds ago.” He exhaled, seemingly relieved he’d managed to answer me, his quietness now making sense.
“I didn’t see her leave.”
The boy pointed to the other door. “She w-w-went th-th-that way.”
“Do you know where to?”
He shook his head, looking like he just wanted me to go away.
Agitated, I headed for the door, finding a corridor full of students on the other side. There was no sign of Catherine or any restroom that she could’ve gone to. Realising she’d ditched me, I headed down the corridor, emerging into the Arts quad. I glanced around, hoping to catch sight of her, but only saw humans.
Needing to choose a direction, I aimed for the field, hoping she’d gone that way, although I was starting to question whether it was worth looking for her. Sì, I wanted to be friends with another Merge. I was also unnaturally attracted to her, but... She’d bloody stood me up, and I was still trying to find her? Merda! I was as bad as Stephen, panting over a girl who didn’t give a damn about me.
A hot girl with a chest that defied gravity, smiled at me. She was standing under a tree with another girl, blatantly eying me up, her smile a definite come-on. But I continued on my way, annoyed with my taste in females. I’d had plenty hit on me since I’d started Agnaru High, yet here I was, sulking over being stood up rather than taking the opportunities presented to me on a platter. But they were all humans. Okay, some were attractive, just... They weren’t as beautiful as Merges, plus they didn’t have the same magnetism. I was naturally drawn to my own kind, even more so to Catherine. I’d never felt magnetism this strong before. I wondered whether it was because Catherine was a Stella.
A tiny redhead walked past me, also giving me the eye, though this one I recognised. She was Catherine’s friend from confirmation class. I made a beeline for her, wanting to ask if she’d seen Catherine, because no one stood me up and got away with it.
As I neared her, a lone figure on the far side of the field caught my attention. Recognising the long white hair, I bolted past Catherine’s friend, accidentally knocking her bag to the ground. Throwing back a “Sorry” I sprinted towards Catherine, yelling out her name. She didn’t respond, instead disappearing down a walkway.
Chapter 12
~ CATHERINE ~
I entered the walkway, almost in a trance, not knowing why I was heading this way, other than feeling an overwhelming urge to do so. As I stepped out into a small cul-de-sac, my gaze landed on a black BMW parked across the street. Reprebus Rosario was sitting behind the wheel, grinning at me. He looked almost wicked, the total opposite of the pleading man I’d seen at Sister Cecile’s house the day before.
He beckoned me over. I shook my head and went to turn back, going still all of a sudden...
Like I had in my first dream.
I tried to rip my feet away from the concrete footpath, but couldn’t budge an inch. It was almost as though they were cemented in place.
Reprebus’ grin grew wider than the Joker’s smile, his expression almost obscene. He pushed his car door open, the red rosary around his neck unconcealed. Sparks were coming from it, the large jagged ruby above the cross glowing the brightest. He held his arms out, as though he wanted me to walk into his embrace, like a long-lost relative welcoming a loved one home, or a lover that had missed me dearly. But unlike his wide-open arms, his expression was far from welcoming, deadly closer to the mark.
Terrified, I yelled out, screaming for help. He swiped his hand in front of him, silencing me, my mouth now screaming soundlessly. He indicated for me to come closer. My feet started moving against their will, the man somehow pulling me towards him. I struggled against the pull, but no matter how hard I tried, I continued to walk towards his car with jerky, uncontrolled steps.
He opened the back door, reaching out for me as I drew closer. His smile faded as a young male voice hollered, “No!” For a second, the hold over my body disappeared. I turned to escape, seeing Christopher emerge from the walkway. Realising he’d set me up, I went to run from the both of them, but froze in place again, Reprebus regaining his hold over me.
Christopher shot across the road. “What the hell are you doing?” he yelled at his grandfather.
“Dispatching the Maris siren,” his grandfather replied.
“She’s not a Maris, she’s a Stella.”
His grandfather’s dark eyebrows quirked up. “So, that’s why you were asking about Stellas?”
“Sì, and she’s one.” Christopher indicated to my face. “Obviously, because she doesn’t have blue eyes like a Maris, so let her go!” he barked, seemingly unconcerned about pulling attention to us. And rightly so. The street felt like a ghost town, not even the distant sound of cars or the tweeting of birds reaching my ears. It was almost as though everyone but the three of us had vanished from the face of the planet.
“No, Chris, she’s coming with me,” his grandfather answered.
Reprebus indicated to his car, making me jerk towards it, causi
ng me to fall forward. He lifted his hand, stopping me from landing on my face. My body wavered, leaving me staring at the road, knowing if he let go of the hold I would face-plant against the tarmac.
“You can’t do this!” Christopher yelled, his defence of me coming as a surprise. Maybe he hadn’t betrayed me.
“I can and I will, boy,” Reprebus growled. “So, either leave or help me.”
“No. She’s an angel, not a demon, one of the Pure.”
“You can’t know that for sure, and we can’t risk it, especially after the last time. You almost died.”
“She had plenty of opportunities to hurt me, yet hasn’t.”
“Like Levy had. That girl fooled you too, pretended to be your friend, while all the time leading you to the Maris demon. This girl’s likely doing the same, tricking you into believing she’s an ally while leading you into a trap.”
“I don’t think—”
“That’s the problem! You don’t think. Well, not with the right head.” Reprebus indicated towards Christopher’s groin. “You only think with that.” His hard eyes shifted to me. “And I can see why. She’s beautiful. But you have to remember, she’s just a carrot dangled in front of you, drawing you to whatever Maris demon is after you.”
“That’s not true,” Christopher said. “She’s not even wearing a rosary and wants nothing to do with me.”
Reprebus grimaced. “She’s playing hard to get, the type you fall over yourself to get at. You’re easy to read, boy, so leave. I’ll send this siren back to the depths of the sea—as fish food.”
The veins in Chris’ neck grew taut, his hands clenching. He stepped closer to his grandfather, looking like he wanted to hit him. “You’re. Not. Killing. Her,” he growled low, so low I almost didn’t hear him.
“You don’t get a say after you almost got us killed!”
Reprebus pushed Christopher aside and went to grab me. Christopher shot in front of him again, shoving his grandfather back. I screamed out as the hold on me disappeared, sending me falling towards the tarmac. But my descent stopped a few inches from the road. I looked up, seeing Christopher holding his hand out, his expression strained. He lowered me the rest of the way, gently placing me on the road, sweat beading his brow.
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