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"Why?"

"He said it’s been eating him up--that he wasn’t there to protect you when Jason was binding you He says he wishes he had been the creepy stalker vampire, now, because none of this would’ve happened if he’d taken better care of you"

I covered ers

"He also said he wishes he was et in your head and undo the bind"

"Poor David"

Mike nodded

"Why wouldn’t he just tell uy Okay? He’s not going to adht you need him to be"

"I don’t need hiht reach David through Mike "I just need him to be with me--to be honest with me"

Mike nodded "Did you tell him that?"

"Touché, Mike Touché" I pointed at hih "Does it bother you--David and Em?"

"What about the froether You knohat the blood lust does Are you worried they ht--?"

"No"

"Oh" I looked down

"Why are you worried, Ara? David would never--"

"I know It’s E for him"

"Ara! How can you say that? She’s your friend"

"I know" I shrunk a little "It’s just--she can feel his thoughts And…I hts?"

He laughed once, as if he’d asked that very same question hihts, they’re always acco; excitement, dread, lust, joy, warmth--she can sense that She said it’s like a scent, like he changes cologne every few nise which scent hich feeling, or thought"

I kind of i off to spray himself with different coloured bottles every few minutes "Well, see, there’s that--that ‘special’ connection--then there’s the fact that she’s a vampire, like him; she’s pretty, blonde, carefree She doesn’t cause trouble like I do--or fight with him"

"And he doesn’t love her, Ara," Mike said "He loves you If anyone should be worried, it’s David"

"Why should he be worried?"

"Is that a joke?" He sat up a bit--probably to be taller than uy who’s crazy about you--a guy you’re spirit bound to--while David’s forced to stay at houy doesn’t coain while he’s not here to protect you" He breathed out through his nose "And he knohat you’re like, Ara You never listen to anyone; you never do as you’re told He has to rely on the very guy, whom he doesn’t trust to be with you, to protect you above all else and then coet sick--stop you fros He should be worried, Ara Not you"

I nodded "I guess I never thought of it like that"

"That’s because you’re not a guy"

"Noted" I smiled

"Now--" Mike climbed out of bed, took es with his s for training"

"Great" I snuggled down into the warhts"

"They’re just as excited" He went to walk away then stopped "Oh, and, Arthur wants to coer to see your powers"

"Really? Should we let him?"

"I don’t know You tell ed "It’ll be fine If he is a mole, he won’t attack noay You just need to hurry up and figure out his plan"

"He has no plan, Mike," I said, rolling over "He’s opinionated, but he’s not a mole"

"We’ll see" Mike blew out the flame in the lantern and closedabove lass dome Across my room, the soft white curtains billowed in the su a gentle tickle of warht kiss fro I could hear the ocean in the distance noith thequiet, room by room, all around me It was peaceful, serene, but empty

The walls seeeyes of the unknownthe his whole sht flooded downout his face,spread out aroundup past my shoulders and cheeks with the wet scent of soil and crushed daisies

I slidthe boy next to habove this boy and girl, holding hands in the grass; the sun shone down,the outline of her thighs and hips in a shadow under the fabric

The boy rolled up on his elbow, bringing his body closely alongside hers "I’ve shown you socloser

She looked at ht betweenmy heart "Memories," she said to me

"Of what?"

She just smiled and looked back at Jason--left behind in the realone "Watch, and you’ll see"

Dark sky sed us whole, taking Jason away again, leavingbut a stormy sky, the wide ar A ring of light shone down onto the clearing over the their ht

"David! Wait I can’t…" The s his hands to his dirt-covered knees "I can’t breathe"