and one in Canada. We’ve heard that Damien has taken in a lot of the Forgotten. He won’t confirm that though.”
“Who’s Damien?”
“Damien is the leader of the Feeders. The Feeders are like us somewhat. They have their humanity—difference is, they choose not to follow it. They believe they don’t have to, that we’re evolution. Humans are no more than cattle.”
“So they eat people. Does that make them stronger and faster than us?”
Nate appraised her with a slight smile. “Yes. However, we have more in our Haven House that possess extra abilities. So we equal out pretty well—not that we would ever want to test that theory.”
“They don’t have anyone in their family with extra abilities?”
“Evaine.” He actually chuckled. “We aren’t at war with them. Let’s just say that we have agreed to disagree and leave it at that. We don’t mingle unless necessary. There have been times when our family members have joined theirs and theirs have joined ours. They don’t dine in our area, and we keep tabs on them, but that’s about all.”
So if she wanted to leave here, she could go to one of the other havens, but what else was there? She remembered the feeling from feeding. It was so irresistible; she had barely been able to contain herself. But…she had killed someone. A person. A real person. Possibly with a family and a dog and—no! She had to lock it away. She couldn’t think of that. She’d never feed on human again. It wasn’t an option.
Her fingers tingled. She cracked her knuckles and rubbed her fingertips together, trying to massaging the sensation away.
“It won’t help.” Aron watched her sympathetically. “It won’t get any worse, but it’ll spread to your toes next. Then in an hour or two your arms and legs will begin to tingle. When your head starts to hurt, it’s almost over. Tomorrow morning you’ll be a bit lethargic. By the next day you’ll be fine. It’s the human feeding finally leaving your system. If you continued feeding the high you experienced wouldn’t last as long so you would need to feed more and more frequently to achieve the same results. And the itching would get worse. You get a high for a while, but it wears off.”
“So that’s why they eat off diet,” she mused to herself.
Nate leaned back and gave her a sideways glance.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” She crossed her legs and wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that your taking all of this very well. Most don’t. It takes weeks and sometimes even months before they are able to control themselves or accept what they have become.”
“I’m used to having to adapt.” She spoke without thinking. “My whole life has been nothing but shifting around from place to place. Trying to adapt, trying to fit in. Being what others want or expected me to be.” Nate and Aron stared at her unblinkingly. It made her uncomfortable. “What now? I wish you would all stop staring at me like I’m a car wreck.”
“You remember?”
She thought for a moment about what she’d said. “Yes and no at the same time. It’s more impressions than actual knowledge. Like adapting is something that I have had to rehearse, practice even. Something I had to teach myself until it became habit.”
“I think we should start testing right away, if you feel up to it,” Aron said.
“Will it hurt?”
“Uncomfortable would be a better word.”
“But no physical pain?”
“Not if we can avoid it.”
“OK, let’s get going then.” She jumped down up from the bed. “The itching is going to drive me cuckoo bananas if I sit here any longer.”
“It’ll take a couple of hours to set everything up. Why don’t you try to lie down for a bit.”
“There’s no way I can rest with this itching going on.”
“I can help with that.” Aron pulled a vial out of a cabinet and came toward her. “This will help you till it’s over.”
A flashback of the guy
“Who’s Damien?”
“Damien is the leader of the Feeders. The Feeders are like us somewhat. They have their humanity—difference is, they choose not to follow it. They believe they don’t have to, that we’re evolution. Humans are no more than cattle.”
“So they eat people. Does that make them stronger and faster than us?”
Nate appraised her with a slight smile. “Yes. However, we have more in our Haven House that possess extra abilities. So we equal out pretty well—not that we would ever want to test that theory.”
“They don’t have anyone in their family with extra abilities?”
“Evaine.” He actually chuckled. “We aren’t at war with them. Let’s just say that we have agreed to disagree and leave it at that. We don’t mingle unless necessary. There have been times when our family members have joined theirs and theirs have joined ours. They don’t dine in our area, and we keep tabs on them, but that’s about all.”
So if she wanted to leave here, she could go to one of the other havens, but what else was there? She remembered the feeling from feeding. It was so irresistible; she had barely been able to contain herself. But…she had killed someone. A person. A real person. Possibly with a family and a dog and—no! She had to lock it away. She couldn’t think of that. She’d never feed on human again. It wasn’t an option.
Her fingers tingled. She cracked her knuckles and rubbed her fingertips together, trying to massaging the sensation away.
“It won’t help.” Aron watched her sympathetically. “It won’t get any worse, but it’ll spread to your toes next. Then in an hour or two your arms and legs will begin to tingle. When your head starts to hurt, it’s almost over. Tomorrow morning you’ll be a bit lethargic. By the next day you’ll be fine. It’s the human feeding finally leaving your system. If you continued feeding the high you experienced wouldn’t last as long so you would need to feed more and more frequently to achieve the same results. And the itching would get worse. You get a high for a while, but it wears off.”
“So that’s why they eat off diet,” she mused to herself.
Nate leaned back and gave her a sideways glance.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” She crossed her legs and wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that your taking all of this very well. Most don’t. It takes weeks and sometimes even months before they are able to control themselves or accept what they have become.”
“I’m used to having to adapt.” She spoke without thinking. “My whole life has been nothing but shifting around from place to place. Trying to adapt, trying to fit in. Being what others want or expected me to be.” Nate and Aron stared at her unblinkingly. It made her uncomfortable. “What now? I wish you would all stop staring at me like I’m a car wreck.”
“You remember?”
She thought for a moment about what she’d said. “Yes and no at the same time. It’s more impressions than actual knowledge. Like adapting is something that I have had to rehearse, practice even. Something I had to teach myself until it became habit.”
“I think we should start testing right away, if you feel up to it,” Aron said.
“Will it hurt?”
“Uncomfortable would be a better word.”
“But no physical pain?”
“Not if we can avoid it.”
“OK, let’s get going then.” She jumped down up from the bed. “The itching is going to drive me cuckoo bananas if I sit here any longer.”
“It’ll take a couple of hours to set everything up. Why don’t you try to lie down for a bit.”
“There’s no way I can rest with this itching going on.”
“I can help with that.” Aron pulled a vial out of a cabinet and came toward her. “This will help you till it’s over.”
A flashback of the guy
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