Shadowfever
Page 70
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He took his time giving me his name, letting the impossible syllables work tenderly, slowly, into me, until at last they settled and I exploded, shuddering against him. I stood in the alcove of BB&B, kissing him long after his name was mine again.
I was still glowing when I climbed the stairs and fell across my bed.
Dude, what happened in here?
I leaned my broom against a fallen bookcase and turned to see Dani framed in the open door of BB&B, cramming a protein bar in her mouth. Her eyes narrowed as she absorbed the destruction. Morning sunlight shafted into the alcove, framing her auburn curls with a halo of fire. Though the day was bright, nearly windlessa whopping sixty degrees after the recent snowI couldnt get warm, even with both gas fireplaces on.
Close the door, will you? I said. Id dreamed of the Cold Place all night. Repeatedly, Id been jarred to near-waking by some frighta slip into a treacherous drift, a nameless terror stalking mebut each time the nightmare had sucked me back down.
Id scaled icy cliffs, searching for the beautiful, sad woman, calling out, certain I would find her just over the next ridge. But at the crest of each summit, the only thing Id found were dozens of hourglasses, with fine black sand rapidly trickling to the lower half. Id raced from one to the next, frantically turning them over, but theyd kept emptying again in seconds.
Moments before Id awakened for the final time, I realized the reason I couldnt find her was because Id waited too long. Time had been of the essence and I was too late. She was gone. Hope, like the fine grains of trickling black sand, had vanished, too.
Id blown it.
Id showered and dressed, failure weighing heavy on my bones. Desperate to make progress, to see accomplishment of any kind, Id attacked the debris in the demolished bookstore with a broom and a vengeance. Id been at it for hours, beating sawdust and splinters from Barrons rugs, sweeping broken glass into neat piles.
Dani swaggered in and closed the door. Vlane said you wanted to see me. Dont know what for, but seeing I aint too busy this morning, figured Id give you a listen. But it better be different kinda stuff, cause last time I saw you, you werent talking like no friend of mine. She preened. He brought me chocolate. Dudelike Im his Valentine or something. Me and him, we had a talk. Told him Im almost fourteen and Im gonna give him my virginity one day.
I groaned. Shed actually told him that? Before Id sent him for her, Id made him swear to turn off the lethal eroticism. Were going to have a long discussion about your virginity and Vlane, as soon as things calm down.
News flash, Mac, they aint never calming. World is. What it is. This is lifenow. Despite her casual swagger, her flippant tone, her eyes were cold. Wary.
Tough words. Tougher truth to swallow. I never would. Its not staying this way, Dani. Were not going to let it.
What can we do bout it? Worlds too big. Sides, aint so bad. Til you go and get all pissy. Thought you and me were, like, peas in the Mega pod and there aint no other veggies on the plate. Then you go playacting youre humping the Lord Monster. Pissing me off. She shot me a glare crammed full of the words she would never say: You abandoned me. Left me alone. Im here, but this better be good. She pulled an apple out of her pocket and began munching it.
Last night, before Vlane left, Id asked him to find her this morning and tell her Barrons had never been dead, that Id been undercover, and I was sorry for the deception. But no apology-by-proxy could replace the real thing. She needed to hear it from me. And I needed to say it.
Im sorry, Dani. I hated hurting you.
Dude, get over yourself. Didnt hurt me. Itd take way more than that. Figured you were PMSing. No big. Just wanted to hear you say you were a dick.
I was a dick. And it may not have bothered you, but it drove me crazy. Forgive me?
She jerked and gave me an uncomfortable look. The precocious, gifted teen had been treated one of two ways at the abbey: ordered around or ignored. I doubted anyone had ever bothered to apologize to her for anything.
Saying youre a dick was nuff, already, jeez. Getting all touchy-feely like a grown-up. Gah! She stepped around the wreck of the cashiers counter and tried to flash me a grin, but it came out lopsided. So, what gives? Mini-tornado blow through?
Lose the coat, I evaded. I could hardly say, After I killed Barrons, he was so pissed off at me that he trashed the bookstore.
Right. Forgot.
She shrugged out of it, left it in a puddle of black leather on the floor. Beneath it, she had on skintight black low-ride jeans, a tight sweater, and black high-tops. Her green eyes sparkled.
With the Book hitching rides, hiding on people, guess were all going to be dressing like skanks for a while, huh? Skintight or skin. Dude, everybodys everythings gonna be hanging out, and some o those fat chicks at the abbey are gonna gross my eyeballs right outta my head. Muffin tops and camel toes, gah!
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. That was Dani. Not an ounce of tact. Like the world around her, she was what she was, no holds barred. Not everybody has superspeed metabolism, I said drily. And what I wouldnt give for it. Id eat chocolate for breakfast, pastries for lunch, and pie for supper.
I was still glowing when I climbed the stairs and fell across my bed.
Dude, what happened in here?
I leaned my broom against a fallen bookcase and turned to see Dani framed in the open door of BB&B, cramming a protein bar in her mouth. Her eyes narrowed as she absorbed the destruction. Morning sunlight shafted into the alcove, framing her auburn curls with a halo of fire. Though the day was bright, nearly windlessa whopping sixty degrees after the recent snowI couldnt get warm, even with both gas fireplaces on.
Close the door, will you? I said. Id dreamed of the Cold Place all night. Repeatedly, Id been jarred to near-waking by some frighta slip into a treacherous drift, a nameless terror stalking mebut each time the nightmare had sucked me back down.
Id scaled icy cliffs, searching for the beautiful, sad woman, calling out, certain I would find her just over the next ridge. But at the crest of each summit, the only thing Id found were dozens of hourglasses, with fine black sand rapidly trickling to the lower half. Id raced from one to the next, frantically turning them over, but theyd kept emptying again in seconds.
Moments before Id awakened for the final time, I realized the reason I couldnt find her was because Id waited too long. Time had been of the essence and I was too late. She was gone. Hope, like the fine grains of trickling black sand, had vanished, too.
Id blown it.
Id showered and dressed, failure weighing heavy on my bones. Desperate to make progress, to see accomplishment of any kind, Id attacked the debris in the demolished bookstore with a broom and a vengeance. Id been at it for hours, beating sawdust and splinters from Barrons rugs, sweeping broken glass into neat piles.
Dani swaggered in and closed the door. Vlane said you wanted to see me. Dont know what for, but seeing I aint too busy this morning, figured Id give you a listen. But it better be different kinda stuff, cause last time I saw you, you werent talking like no friend of mine. She preened. He brought me chocolate. Dudelike Im his Valentine or something. Me and him, we had a talk. Told him Im almost fourteen and Im gonna give him my virginity one day.
I groaned. Shed actually told him that? Before Id sent him for her, Id made him swear to turn off the lethal eroticism. Were going to have a long discussion about your virginity and Vlane, as soon as things calm down.
News flash, Mac, they aint never calming. World is. What it is. This is lifenow. Despite her casual swagger, her flippant tone, her eyes were cold. Wary.
Tough words. Tougher truth to swallow. I never would. Its not staying this way, Dani. Were not going to let it.
What can we do bout it? Worlds too big. Sides, aint so bad. Til you go and get all pissy. Thought you and me were, like, peas in the Mega pod and there aint no other veggies on the plate. Then you go playacting youre humping the Lord Monster. Pissing me off. She shot me a glare crammed full of the words she would never say: You abandoned me. Left me alone. Im here, but this better be good. She pulled an apple out of her pocket and began munching it.
Last night, before Vlane left, Id asked him to find her this morning and tell her Barrons had never been dead, that Id been undercover, and I was sorry for the deception. But no apology-by-proxy could replace the real thing. She needed to hear it from me. And I needed to say it.
Im sorry, Dani. I hated hurting you.
Dude, get over yourself. Didnt hurt me. Itd take way more than that. Figured you were PMSing. No big. Just wanted to hear you say you were a dick.
I was a dick. And it may not have bothered you, but it drove me crazy. Forgive me?
She jerked and gave me an uncomfortable look. The precocious, gifted teen had been treated one of two ways at the abbey: ordered around or ignored. I doubted anyone had ever bothered to apologize to her for anything.
Saying youre a dick was nuff, already, jeez. Getting all touchy-feely like a grown-up. Gah! She stepped around the wreck of the cashiers counter and tried to flash me a grin, but it came out lopsided. So, what gives? Mini-tornado blow through?
Lose the coat, I evaded. I could hardly say, After I killed Barrons, he was so pissed off at me that he trashed the bookstore.
Right. Forgot.
She shrugged out of it, left it in a puddle of black leather on the floor. Beneath it, she had on skintight black low-ride jeans, a tight sweater, and black high-tops. Her green eyes sparkled.
With the Book hitching rides, hiding on people, guess were all going to be dressing like skanks for a while, huh? Skintight or skin. Dude, everybodys everythings gonna be hanging out, and some o those fat chicks at the abbey are gonna gross my eyeballs right outta my head. Muffin tops and camel toes, gah!
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. That was Dani. Not an ounce of tact. Like the world around her, she was what she was, no holds barred. Not everybody has superspeed metabolism, I said drily. And what I wouldnt give for it. Id eat chocolate for breakfast, pastries for lunch, and pie for supper.
