“A touch for a night with me.”
“That doesn’t seem like a fair trade. You can already touch me.” He didn’t smile or look away. Whatever. If he really wanted it, I didn’t mind. “Fine. A single touch in return for a single night, the night of the dance, with you, Morik,” I said his name just so I wouldn’t be stuck dancing with the girl he currently inhabited.
He laughed eerily and moved quickly to cup my cheek. A scream tore from my mouth, raspy, desperate, and full of pain it stopped all movement around me as a spark ignited at the base of my spine where I knew the link already marked me, and burned upward.
The girl’s eyes flashed glowing green during the brief concentrated pain. I panted to catch my breath. What had I done? How could I have mistaken Ahgred for Morik? He’d used Morik’s voice under the girl’s and played out his trick. How bad was the deal I made?
The girl dropped her hand with a triumphant smile. Her stance deflated, and the smile faded as she burst into tears.
“Oh my god, what was that?” she sobbed.
The pain lingered unlike each time before. Ignoring it, I focused on her, aware of everyone’s attention. I couldn’t have another Clavin or Brian on my hands.
“It’s okay,” I assured her, grabbing her arms and steering her through a gawking crowd. Tugging her into the nearest girl’s bathroom door as the bell rang. I eyed the empty stalls while she cried. Someone was bound to tell a teacher. I didn’t have much time.
“Morik!” I called softly. He appeared in front of me and the girl began crying harder. “I don’t have much time.” I said in a rush. “I accidentally made a deal with Ahgred - I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, I need to make a deal to wipe her memory of it.” I nodded to the sobbing girl who, when hearing my plan, made a beeline for the door.
Morik disappeared and the girl stopped moving.
“What deal?” they asked in a single discordant voice.
“Ahgred cannot use any more humans during the day to interact with me or watch me. And I want any memory of him wiped from her.”
“The price will be steep.”
“How steep?”
“It must have value to you,” they said apologetically.
I already knew that, but having him say it again made me nervous. “What is it Morik? What’s the price?”
“Your family’s chant. You must abide by it until you turn seventeen.”
My freedom. The key to spending more time with him. Would I have enough time to choose him without it? “Not until seventeen. A week before, I want it lifted in case I need to spend more time with you.” Whether out of desperation to make the connection or to say good-bye, I wanted a few days.
“A deal. Their protection for yours until a week before you turn seventeen. Your grandmother will come and pick you up shortly.”
Then he left her.
She blinked at me in confusion then clapped a hand over her mouth, rushing for a toilet. I stayed with her as she emptied her breakfast. As expected, a teacher came in questioning our lingering presence in the bathroom. My new friend took that moment to heave into the toilet again. Enough said.
I walked with them to the office after grabbing my things, explaining my grandmother would be pulling me from school early, but forgot to write a note.
A stubborn Beatriz stood in the office waiting for a hall pass. I’d forgotten Ahgred sent her away. When she saw me with the girl who’d misled her, her eyes narrowed on the girl.
“Ashley! What the heck? Why did you send me down here?”
Poor Ashley, her skin still horribly tinted green moaned and shut her eyes as if that would remove Beatriz’s irritation. I didn’t need to say anything. Bea did a head to toe sweep of Ashley and then looked at me. I had no doubt I looked pale.
“She got sick and didn’t want witnesses,” I explained hoping Ashley would go with it. I wondered what she did and didn’t remember. Her reaction to Morik’s tampering made me believe the experience had been less than tolerable.
Gran strode into the office a few minutes later looking pale and shaken. No one questioned her when she told me to hurry up and held the door for me. Bea waved good-bye while the rest of the office faculty rushed to get Ashley a wastebasket.
Morik waited for us by Mom’s car. She and Aunt Grace typically took the new car, leaving Gran a means of transportation.
He politely opened the door for Gran with a quiet apology. She patted his cheek, a little firmly in my opinion, and said he forgave him.
“For what?” I asked when he opened my door.
“My driving.”
I could just image.
Gran waited until he pulled away from the school before asking for an explanation.
“Can we talk about it when we get home? I don’t want to distract Morik from driving.” His white knuckled grip on the steering wheel conflicted with his sedate driving.