go of…”
“Gretchen?” He took another step in.
“Yes?”
“ Stop talking and kiss me.” He moved toward her.
She stiffened. A flame ignited at his words. She wasn’t sure if it was fueled by anger or desire, but she sure wasn’t going to kiss him after he avoided her at every turn the last few days. “Take one more step toward me, and I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
His eyes widened, and a slow smile spread across his face. “You are not like any other woman I’ve ever met.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“I shouldn’t want you,” Kyros said, his voice as smooth as silk , “but I do.”
“You can want all you wish. You won’t be getting anything more from me.”
“Gretchen…?” He paused. What he was waiting for, she had no idea.
“What?”
He traced his fingers over her jaw and down her neck. She trembled at his touch. “Your body betrays you.”
Stiffening, she clenched her fists. She’d like to see how well he could kiss with a fat, bloody lip. Instead of giving in to her violent impulse, she turned on her heels and walked away. Before she reached Xanthus and Drakōn, she shot Kyros one more message over her shoulder. “Do what you want. I hope he shoots you through your black heart.”
T he sound of the surf outside penetrated Gretchen’s consciousness as she lay in bed. Worry assaulted her. Worry for Kyros, worry for Sara, and worry about her world coming to an end. But finally a troubled sleep found her, and unbidden, another reality thrust itself upon her. Another life, another girl, another place, a place that held memories that only served to torment her.
“It’s okay ; you’re safe,” Ambrosia said. Her voice was the sweet voice of a child. It was the type of voice that loosened tongues, emanated kindness, and made you want to pour your heart out.
“What’s your name?” Ambrosia asked.
There was no response from the young girl at her side—only a blank stare. She was shaking. Her teeth chattered in her mouth.
“Don’t you have a name?”
Still no answer.
“ Are you hungry? I could catch you a fish or a sea urchin.” Still nothing.
“Why are you shaking?”
Silence.
“ Here, maybe you just need to sit and rest.” Ambrosia tugged the girl, pulling her to the back of the cave. Pointing to a pile of seaweed, she said. “This is my bed. It’s softer than it looks.”
Despite the friendly overtures, the girl stood, unblinking.
“L et me show you.” Ambrosia pulled her down to sit on the weeds.
“See? Nice and soft.”
Ambrosia frowned at the girl. She didn’t seem happy. Perhaps a little song would help. Ambrosia sang a simple tune, a song about rainbows and jellyfish. It was light, and it was soothing. A song one would sing to a friend. When her song was through, she tried again. “What is your name?”
“Gretchen,” she finally answered. Ambrosia smiled; pleased she was now speaking to her.
“Do you like being human?”
“Um, I guess so.”
“What is your favorite game?”
“Mario Party.”
“It’s a party? Do you play it on the beach?” Ambrosia asked.
“It’s a video game.”
“What’s a video game?”
“It’s a game you play on a TV.”
The questions poured from Ambrosia’s lips, but the answers seemed to only multiply the questions in her head.
“Do you live with other humans?”
“I live with my mom, dad, and brother,” Gretchen answered.
“Do you love them?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Do they love you?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“They tell me.”
Ambrosia noticed tears leaking from the girl ’s eyes. “Are you sad?”
“Yes.”
“Why? I haven’t hurt you. Aren’t I being nice to you?”
“I miss my family.”
Ambrosia didn’t ask any more questions. The answers only made her heart ache.
Ambrosia laid Gretchen down to sleep. She couldn’t ignore the tears streaming down the girl’s cheeks.
Tears of her own began to fall when she realized she couldn’t keep
“Gretchen?” He took another step in.
“Yes?”
“ Stop talking and kiss me.” He moved toward her.
She stiffened. A flame ignited at his words. She wasn’t sure if it was fueled by anger or desire, but she sure wasn’t going to kiss him after he avoided her at every turn the last few days. “Take one more step toward me, and I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
His eyes widened, and a slow smile spread across his face. “You are not like any other woman I’ve ever met.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“I shouldn’t want you,” Kyros said, his voice as smooth as silk , “but I do.”
“You can want all you wish. You won’t be getting anything more from me.”
“Gretchen…?” He paused. What he was waiting for, she had no idea.
“What?”
He traced his fingers over her jaw and down her neck. She trembled at his touch. “Your body betrays you.”
Stiffening, she clenched her fists. She’d like to see how well he could kiss with a fat, bloody lip. Instead of giving in to her violent impulse, she turned on her heels and walked away. Before she reached Xanthus and Drakōn, she shot Kyros one more message over her shoulder. “Do what you want. I hope he shoots you through your black heart.”
T he sound of the surf outside penetrated Gretchen’s consciousness as she lay in bed. Worry assaulted her. Worry for Kyros, worry for Sara, and worry about her world coming to an end. But finally a troubled sleep found her, and unbidden, another reality thrust itself upon her. Another life, another girl, another place, a place that held memories that only served to torment her.
“It’s okay ; you’re safe,” Ambrosia said. Her voice was the sweet voice of a child. It was the type of voice that loosened tongues, emanated kindness, and made you want to pour your heart out.
“What’s your name?” Ambrosia asked.
There was no response from the young girl at her side—only a blank stare. She was shaking. Her teeth chattered in her mouth.
“Don’t you have a name?”
Still no answer.
“ Are you hungry? I could catch you a fish or a sea urchin.” Still nothing.
“Why are you shaking?”
Silence.
“ Here, maybe you just need to sit and rest.” Ambrosia tugged the girl, pulling her to the back of the cave. Pointing to a pile of seaweed, she said. “This is my bed. It’s softer than it looks.”
Despite the friendly overtures, the girl stood, unblinking.
“L et me show you.” Ambrosia pulled her down to sit on the weeds.
“See? Nice and soft.”
Ambrosia frowned at the girl. She didn’t seem happy. Perhaps a little song would help. Ambrosia sang a simple tune, a song about rainbows and jellyfish. It was light, and it was soothing. A song one would sing to a friend. When her song was through, she tried again. “What is your name?”
“Gretchen,” she finally answered. Ambrosia smiled; pleased she was now speaking to her.
“Do you like being human?”
“Um, I guess so.”
“What is your favorite game?”
“Mario Party.”
“It’s a party? Do you play it on the beach?” Ambrosia asked.
“It’s a video game.”
“What’s a video game?”
“It’s a game you play on a TV.”
The questions poured from Ambrosia’s lips, but the answers seemed to only multiply the questions in her head.
“Do you live with other humans?”
“I live with my mom, dad, and brother,” Gretchen answered.
“Do you love them?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Do they love you?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“They tell me.”
Ambrosia noticed tears leaking from the girl ’s eyes. “Are you sad?”
“Yes.”
“Why? I haven’t hurt you. Aren’t I being nice to you?”
“I miss my family.”
Ambrosia didn’t ask any more questions. The answers only made her heart ache.
Ambrosia laid Gretchen down to sleep. She couldn’t ignore the tears streaming down the girl’s cheeks.
Tears of her own began to fall when she realized she couldn’t keep
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