Page 8 (1/2)

There were other touches of green and black—earrings, a snake-pattern bracelet around her left wrist, fasteners down the front of her boots And a ring on her left hand with an intricate design I could not make out

Had Kayla seen this creature striding down the halls of her school, she would have curled into a little ball, for while Kayla was beautiful, and I liked to believe that I was at least pretty, this female creature had the beauty of cold, distant stars and silvery ht

She was hypnotizing Merely by existing, she redefined my ideas of beauty, for this was not mere physical perfection, this was seduction, this was the primordial, essential, eternal avatar of fe nonchalantly down the eh school

She ly

Her name was

“Oriax,” Messenger said

4

“MESSENGER,” ORIAX SAID SHE SPOKE WITH A voice full of silk, secrets, and slithering snakes Like Messenger’s, her voice was too near, too intimate, but it thrilled otten otten for the moment that I should not be in this place at all, that I had lost ed the moment I saw her I wanted to worship her I wanted to listen to any word that she cared to speak I wanted to be her, to be a tiny fraction of her

Oriax

“Well, hello there,” she said to ish pause, added, “You”

I grunted Like a farm animal I could not make a more complex sound

“She’s not bad-looking, really, eh, Messenger? Daniel has done well for you He er”

Part ofwhy Messenger hadn’t already thrown hier was a beautiful boy, but thisOriax

“Let her go, Oriax”

Oriax winked at o” She moved close to me, so close I could feel the heat of her body, so close I could smell a perfume thatand then, she walked around behindthat was both fear and desperate, unfamiliar desire