“Got there first? It attacked me!”
He rubs his eyes. “Maybe there are more Shades around; something weird is going on. I’m worried about Lizzie; she should be home by now.”
“Maybe she went out for the evening?”
“Maybe.” He looks doubtful. “I need to look for her but I can’t. I’m a danger. I need to wait for a Shade to come through.”
“A danger? To who?”
“People. Why do you think I don’t leave the house much? I live here so I can feed off the Shades who come through. If I - we - don’t feed off them, we have to take the energy from humans.”
“Like a vampire takes blood...”
“Exactly.”
“Isn’t feeding off Shades dangerous? Shades can take your energy if they attack you first.”
“So, you think killing humans is better?” he asks wearily.
“Killing? But you said...”
“Like the Shades do to us; if we’re desperate, we can take all the human’s energy at once.”
Like a vampire.
Alek slumps onto the top step and rests his head on the wall.
“I’m sorry I did this to you,” I say
He fixes me with a tired smile. “Yeah, felt good though. Well, up until the point you got carried away.” Even as my face heats, I’m relieved he’s back to teasing me; at least he’s still Alek. “Because there are no Shades and I don’t want to be a threat, I’ll sleep it off.”
Fear greater than when the Shade attacked washes over. “But you can’t sleep, Alek. I remember you freaking out when I wanted to, after I was attacked. You told me we go somewhere?”
He sighs. “I’ve been there before, and I can get back again. I can find some energy when I’m over there.”
The invisible band around my chest tightens. “Me. Take some back from me. I have more than I need because I took some from the Shade as well as from you.”
A muscle twitches in Alek’s face. “Oh, no, no I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I won’t stop.”
“You will. I’ll stop you.”
He laughs at me in a way that irritates, patronising like the old Alek. “You wouldn’t know how.”
Alek pulls himself up and walks into his room. Is he too proud? The old Alek arrogance stopping him using the easy option? I follow him. His room is larger than mine, with an unmade bed; the blue duvet scrunched and clothes hung over a wardrobe door. The room smells of him, leather and spice. Alek sits on the edge of the bed and looks round at me in surprise.
“Rose. Go away.” He slumps forward, head in his hands.
“You’re scaring me,” I say quietly, perching on the bed next to him.
“Why?”
“What if you go and don’t come back? What do I do?” My voice cracks, and so does my wall against this whole situation. The realisation that this house and Alek are fixtures of my life terrifies me. Without him, I’m alone with what I am. This house holds Alek and now the walls surround me, too. Unless he comes with me, I can’t leave.
Tears push into my eyes and when Alek notices, he touches my cheek. Energy jolts across my face, but not as strong as before and his fingers are cooler. Now that I’m closer, his pallid skin is more apparent, and I know now Alek’s worse than he’s admitting.
“I won’t go, Rose. I told you, I’ve waited a long time to find someone else like me. I’m okay, I’ll come back.”
“No!” I grip his hand, curling my fingers tightly around his. “I just got attacked by something and it could happen again! I’m scared, Alek; you’ve dragged me into this confusing reality, and you’re going to leave me?”
Where our hands touch, the buzzing sensation begins, travelling along my arm. I snatch my hand away, aware this is coming from Alek again.
“I’m taking more from you, aren’t I?” I say, hoarsely. “Will this happen every time we touch?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t got this close to another one of us before.” He inhales, and his breath is shallower.
“You gave me energy! Take from me!” I repeat, panic rising.
“I don’t know...” He runs his hands into his hair and grips. “What if I take too much?”
“I said I won’t let you!”
Alek turns to me, his face paler. “You’re probably right, but I don’t want to risk...”
I’m not sure if it’s desperation for him to stay, the desire re-triggered by our touch a few moments ago or just frustration with Alek, but I grab his face and lock my mouth on his.