I nodded, not looking at him. I was supposed to be the daughter of this big shot Iri council member. Supposed to be a big-deal demi-angel—whatever that was—and I was scared of a nightmare. Worse, he knew it. And if he knew, everyone else probably did too. So they’d see me as a failure—weak and unfit to be a demi-angel.
He cleared his throat and leaned close to me. His mouth near my ear, he said, “We all have them, you know.”
I looked at him. His expression was soft, his eyes liquid—the blue and green seemed to swirl together. The instructor started class, but I held Chay’s gaze a few seconds longer before I gave him a small smile and turned to face the front.
My heart rate had nearly doubled and I felt light-headed from breathing too quickly, but looking into his eyes… I didn’t see the smartass, know-it-all Chay I thought I knew. I saw someone else. Someone who understood. Who knew what I was going through. Someone who maybe even cared. I saw, for just a second, behind his mask. And what I saw there was magical.
After the instructor explained the lab exercise we’d complete in mind-numbing detail, going over the safety procedures and warnings at least five times, Chay and I started to work on the assignment. Heads close together, we consulted the lab form, measured, mixed, and recorded our results. I could smell his cologne, fresh and clean, like the outdoors. His warm breath skimmed the side of my face and sent chills down my spine.
What is wrong with me? I don’t even like him.
But when we both reached out to turn the page in the book we were sharing, our hands grazed and electrical currents zinged up my arms. I jerked my hand back, glad I wore long sleeves so he couldn’t see the goose bumps that dotted my skin.
I’m losing it. This is messed up. I can’t fall for him. I’m in love with Jake. Besides, there are probably rules about DAs dating each other.
When the torture of chemistry was over, I grabbed my book, shoved it in my messenger bag, and slung the strap over my shoulder. I hurried to the door, embarrassing myself by stumbling over the leg of my chair.
“Milayna.”
I sighed. I just spent an hour with him. What did he want now? “What?” I looked at him over my shoulder.
“Wait for me. I’ll walk you to class.”
“It’s okay. Muriel’s meeting me.” And I need a breather from you.
“Safety in numbers and all that shit.” He didn’t look up from putting his book in his bag.
“Fine.” I let my bag fall from my shoulder, and it hit the floor with a thud. “Hurry up.”
The corner of his lips tipped up.
Muriel arched a brow when Chay and I walked into the hall together.
“Yeah.” I nodded my head toward Chay. “We have chemistry together now. Isn’t that fantastic?” I rolled my eyes.
Muriel looked between me, who no doubt looked irritated, and Chay, who looked amused. She shrugged and walked between us to calculus.
The rest of the day went smoothly. Thankfully, Chay didn’t make any more surprise appearances in my classes.
***
I sat at the kitchen table, eating a sandwich and talking with Muriel on the phone, when the vision hit. My stomach clenched; I gagged on my sandwich, ran to the sink, and spat it out.
“Milayna?”
“I have to go. I’ll call you when it’s over.”
Who is it? No one is here for me to protect. Oh, geez, maybe it’s a neighbor. Or the red rugrats are coming. Then what do I do?
“I’ll be right there.” She slammed the phone in my ear.
My stomach roiled, and my mouth was filled with the rancid taste of stomach acid. My breathing came in gasps, like I was running. My head and heart pounded in time with each other like a pair of drums. The sound bounced through my head.
I heard Muriel come in the back door just as the first of the vision appeared.
Mom’s building. She’s leaving work, walking to her car in the parking garage.
“Call my mom,” I said.
“What’s the number?”
I jumped when I heard Chay’s voice. “Speed dial two on my cell. On the table.” I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes and focused on the vision.
The parking garage is dark. I see our car. I smell damp cement and exhaust fumes.
“I’m here, Milayna,” I heard Muriel tell me.
My breathing grew faster. My heart beat so hard it hurt, and I rubbed my chest with my hand.
“Your mom is on the phone, Milayna,” Chay said quietly. I could barely hear him over the blood rushing behind my ears. “She wants to know what’s going on.”
“Has she left work?”
“No.”
“Tell her to call a cab. Don’t go into the parking garage. It’s dangerous.”
Sulfur. Coughing. Hobgoblins.
“Wait! It’s not her. The vision hasn’t changed.”
The smell of sulfur is stronger. Red high heels.
“Red high heels. Tell her to look for someone wearing red high heels… and… and… red nail polish. I see her fingers. She’s holding a black notebook. “
A force jerked me forward, and I screamed. Tears pushed behind my eyes. I tried to pull away, but it squeezed my wrist so hard it was painful. I tried to jerk away. But I couldn’t. I tried, I really tried, but it was too strong. Much stronger than me. So big, too. How could we do it? How could we win against something like that? I jerked again and again, but it held me easily.
A manhole cover moved to the side. The hole is open. A gray face… horns.