Voodoo Kiss

Chapter 12



I woke up in a bed, feeling completely dehydrated. The dry sensation in my mouth made me cough once or twice before I pried my eyes open. A groan escaped my throat as I tried to push up on my elbows. My blurry gaze focused on the people around me. And lots of them. Where did they all come from?

"You're seeing double, mate," Cass said from the window. Next to her, Amber was leaning against the wall. Aidan and Clare weren't around. I scanned the room with its flowery wallpaper and antique furniture. If it wasn't for a jacket draped over the back of a chair and lots of magazines and toiletry items cluttering the surface of the dresser, I could've sworn I was in a hotel room.

"Stop reading my mind." My voice sounded raspy. I tried to clear my throat only to start coughing again. Thrain sat down next to me and raised a glass of water to my lips. I gulped it all down and leaned back against my satin pillow, only now realizing someone had covered me with a thin blanket. I looked down. Thankfully, I still wore my clothes.

I felt so plain and weak compared to the others who seemed to take the whole situation so much better than I was. Hopefully, my powers would be making their grand entrance soon because inferior wasn't the kind of adjective I wanted to use to describe me. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Thrain said, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. My breath caught in my throat as our eyes met. My attraction to him drew me in again, pulling me close and refusing to let me go. For a moment, we just stared at each other, lost for words. I felt so comfortable around him, and yet I wanted to run away. I had never been so drawn to someone. It was bizarre, as though we had met before and were connected or something. Like on cue, the air around us started to shimmer like tiny, faint stars on a clouded sky. I stared in awe, wondering whether the others could see it as well, or whether my imagination was playing a trick on me.

"It's the bond you share with him," Cass said.

"They share a—" Amber asked. Her voice betrayed surprise, as if it was a big deal.

"Let her rest," Thrain interrupted her sharply. I glanced at their cryptic expressions. It was obvious they tried to keep something from me. Maybe they thought I knew nothing about their world. But I did. The strong attraction between Thrain and me wasn't natural, and certainly not something I had ever experienced before. A bond. It sounded strange, and yet it made sense. At Madame Estevaz's house, I had felt his emotions. Since I wasn't particularly perceptive and Thrain couldn't read my mind, it could only be the result of our connection—our bond.

"You must be starved." Cass winked and pulled Amber behind her. "Thrain will bring you something to eat, and then you can get some rest. Or not." I watched them close the door behind them, aware that Thrain and I were alone. Suddenly, the large room seemed too small. He cleared his throat and turned to face me. I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out.

"When this is over I'd love to see you again," he said. I nodded stupidly. There were like a million things I could've said, clever things, something that could've made me seem more attractive in his eyes, and yet my mind remained blank.

Thrain inched closer. I watched his fingers move across the sheet toward my hand, stopping an inch away. The poor guy was probably waiting for a sign from me. The knowledge was there, and still my mind couldn't come up with anything. I kept staring at him. A soft smile crossed his lips. "Okay. I'll bring you dinner."

He stood and hesitated. I sensed he had something to say but couldn't bring himself to do it. My fingers touched his skin gently, and I marveled at how smooth his skin felt. "You know I said I had a boyfriend?" A frown crossed his dark brows. I smiled. "It was never anything serious."

"Right." He nodded, grinning, then left. I buried myself into the soft bedding and pressed my hands against my burning cheeks. Gosh, the guy was gorgeous! Granted, demons had never really ranked high on my dating list but there was something about him that made me forget what he was. Besides, I didn't need to marry the guy. With my music career about to take off, commitment would only hinder me. I smiled at the air as my mind conjured up his image. White teeth gleaming as he shot me that easygoing grin of his. Strong arms scooping me up in his arms and pressing me against his strong chest. I remembered the unbuttoned shirt at the airport and the tattoo slithering down his entire chest and wondered whether it'd seem desperate if I asked to see it. Being shy wasn't usually my thing, but I didn't want to come across as cheap, so I decided it was for the best not to mention that I knew about it.

A few minutes later, Thrain returned carrying a tray with a ham and cheese sandwich, and a cup of luke-warm tea. He placed it on the bedside table and pointed at the sandwich. "Sorry, there was nothing else in the fridge. I don't think anyone here's ever going shopping, what with them being vampires."

"It's fine, don't worry. I'm not usually spoiled for choice." I eyed the white bread hungrily, waiting for him to leave again, but he didn't seem to harbor that thought.

"Mind if I stay?"

I peered at him surprised, not sure that I really wanted him to watch me eat. "Sure."

"Great." He slumped down on the other side of the bed, leaving a bit of distance between us, for which I was grateful. As much as I fancied him, pushy guys always put me off. I grabbed my sandwich and started chewing, paying attention to doing it slow and graceful. The cheese tasted old but it was still edible. In fact, hungry as I was, I thought it was the most amazing meal I had lately.

"You know what really bugs me?" Thrain continued without waiting for my answer. "I think you know way more than you let on."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his gaze to the ceiling as though the answer might just magically appear. "I've spent my whole life among humans and know they're usually more careful and distrusting than you. You strike me as—" He waved his hand about, searching for the right word.

"Accepting?" Smiling, I took another bite of my sandwich.

"I was thinking more in the line of reckless."

"That's my middle name. How did you guess?"

Propping up on his elbow, he rolled on his side, grinning. A glint appeared in his green gaze. His long lashes threw moving shadows across his cheeks. I bit my lip as I took in the soft contour of his mouth, wishing he would kiss me. Then I realized, kissing wasn't an option when I knew nothing about him. "Do you have a surname?" I asked.

"We don't have one. But when I mingle with humans I tend to call myself Thrain Harnett."

I stared at him, mesmerized. "My name's Sofia Romanov."

He nodded, amused. "I know that, Sofia. I also know that you were born in Moscow on the first of May and that you turned nineteen last spring. You have the most amazing voice I have ever heard, but you want to go to drama school before making it big."

Gee, the guy knew a lot about me. I wondered how he had found out. "Stalking much?" The thought should've scared me, but it didn't. Coming from him, I found it flattering. It meant he was interested.

He laughed. "Just once or twice."

"You were at my last gig." I sat up, the sandwich forgotten. I remembered the guy with the hood covering most of his face. He had been there for an instant, and then disappeared right before my eyes. I had no idea how he had done it, but he was good, I had to give him that.

"I loved Harried. Maybe you'll sing it for me one day."

"Maybe." I looked away shyly. I was glad I didn't see him in the crowd because I might have ended up forgetting my lyrics. "Why didn't you talk to me?"

"I—" His hand inched closer until our fingers touched. A tiny spark flew between us. He laughed but didn't pull back. "Did you see that?" I nodded, ready to insist he give me an answer. "Okay, why didn't I? I don't know."

My brows shot up. "You don't know?"

"I didn't think this would ever go beyond being just a job. And then I heard you sing and I forgot everything else." His fingers closed around mine. The warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach grew stronger. I felt strangely lightheaded but tried to maintain my cool. He continued, "Your voice impeded all sense of reasoning. Cass was—busy, and I figured I'd find you later. But you left for Brazil. Once there, I couldn't pick up your trail."

"I wonder why."

"I'm thinking magic. Something concealed your presence, until it broke."

My thoughts wandered back to the hotel room. "Maybe something inside the room."

He shook his head. "No. It was on you, otherwise I could've tracked you once you left the room."

"Like something to carry around?"

"Maybe jewelry?" Thrain asked.

My mind started to put two and two together. Realization dawned on me. He gave me a silver pendant recently, but I didn't bring it with me. And the clothes I wore were my own. Except for the scarf. Gael specifically asked—no, demanded—that I keep it on at all times. I had found it strange, but it was a gift. I had trusted him.

"You know what I'm talking about," Thrain whispered, inching closer.

I shook my head. Gael? Of all the people in the world, it couldn't be Gael. Was it really the scarf? Something broke inside of me, and a cold sensation crept up my chest. "Just a coincidence," I muttered. "It has to be a coincidence." I knew I was fooling myself because my mind was telling me one thing, and my heart another. It was clear my heart wasn't willing to believe it when Gael had been the one to take care of me all those months.

Gael and I had known each other for a while. We had been friends ever since I visited my father to spend Christmas with him and his family in New York. Theo and I had been ice-skating in Central Park when Gael and his brother, Derrick, bumped into us. We had a great day and decided to meet again. And we did, almost every day for the entire vacation, until Theo died. While I wasn't in love with him, I trusted him and knew he would never betray that trust. Most of all, I felt safe with him. He never treated me badly, he always tried to help me and make me feel better about myself and my music. He was always there for me. I could hear my heart screaming, protesting, becoming hysterical. It couldn't be Gael. Maybe he was just a victim. For all I knew he could have received the scarf from someone else who claimed it'd keep me safe. Knowing Gael, he fell right into that trap because he cared so much about my wellbeing.

I brushed a hand over my face as I listened to my mind's arguments. Why did he take me to see a fortuneteller? Why had he been so irritated recently? I turned to Thrain. "Do you think I could make a call?" He shook his head. "A text?" I winced at the thought of breaking up with Gael via SMS. He deserved better than that.

"Not happening. It could be traced. But you can send an email if you want to."

"That can be traced as well," I said.

"Luckily, I know a thing or two about computers." He jumped up and reached down to help me. The way his hand wrapped around my fingers felt natural as though it had always belonged there. Barefoot, I let him lead me downstairs to an old-fashioned library with huge black couchs and bookshelves leading up to the ceiling. Cass, Aidan and Amber were gathered around a fireplace where flames leapt at two logs. Their conversation stopped the moment we entered and all eyes turned on us.

"I think I'm having a déjà vu, only now I'm not the mortal feeling completely out of place. Funny how life can turn out," Amber said. Under the harsh light, I caught a glimpse of tiny lines around her eyes, something I hadn't noticed about the others, and for the first time the thought that she might've been mortal once entered my mind.

"We need to use the computer," Thrain said.

"Is it safe?" Aidan asked.

"I'll make it safe," Thrain replied. His grim expression betrayed his willingness to challenge anyone who dared defy his wishes. I squeezed his hand, only now realizing he was still holding me tight. I wondered what the others would make of it.

Amber shrugged and pointed at a notebook on the table in front of her. It was already switched on. "Help yourself. Just don't mess this up." She stood and left the room with a smiling Aidan following suit. Cass trailed behind but not before shooting us a doubtful look.

Thrain started typing on the sleek, black device. I peered over his shoulder as he closed the last browser window and caught the title 'Voodoo and South American practices of black magic'. Black magic—that didn't sound like something I ever wanted to try.

"Ready," Thrain said, pushing the notebook toward me. "You can send your email from here. Do not navigate away from his site. I'll wait outside."

I shook my head. "No, don't. I want you here. Just turn away."

"As you wish." He turned his back on me, so I began typing. By the time I finished the paragraph my back was slick with sweat. For some reason, I felt as though I had just sealed my fate forever and signed over my soul. Whatever flicker of hope I had felt inside me was now gone, blown out like a candle. I didn't even know what I had been hoping for, only that once I pressed the send button, it would be gone. My index finger hovering over the key, I took a deep breath and pressed it. When it was done, I turned to Thrain with a smile, feeling guilty but not enough to stop myself from placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

He raised his hand to touch the spot. "What was that for?"

"Just so." I shrugged and got up, eager to return to the solitude of my room. I had defied my mother's wishes of marrying a rich guy. I had done the exact opposite of what everyone expected of me. How could I possibly tell him that for the first time in months I felt free? Lost but free. And it was so worth it because I was ready for something new. I was ready for him because I was about to fall in love—with a demon.