could stop them.
“You were at Hades the other night!”
He rapped his fingers on the table. “I was wondering when you
would remember our dance. Usually I’m a little harder to forget.” I ignored the comment. I wasn’t about to be distracted by his
ego. “Kind of weird, isn’t it? That we meet again today.”
“Isn’t it,” was all he said, completely unfazed.
I curled my hands around my coffee and started to lift it to my mouth, trying to buy time. I stopped short when I felt a hum of energy pass through my body. It was the same as when I’d held
Lincoln’s wristband. It passed, but just as quickly my mouth watered the way it does sometimes before I’m sick. I quickly put the coffee down and scanned the room for the bathroom. As I did, the sensation passed and was replaced by the taste of…apple, rolling through my mouth like a current. I swallowed and it was gone.
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“Violet?” Phoenix asked, watching me curiously.
I took a few moments before I gave a pitiful attempt at laughing it off. “Sorry. I just had this kind of déjà vu.”
“What kind of déjà vu?” His eyes narrowed.
“Don’t laugh, but I felt like I just had a bite of an apple. Weird, huh?” I said, giving a shaky laugh.
He smiled a smile of secrets that made me shiver. “I’ve been
known to have that effect sometimes.”
I didn’t know if he meant the apple or if he’d noticed my shiver.
Either way, my stomach suddenly twisted with unease.
I shook my hair away from my face and sat up a little, forcing a smile. “Can you give me your hand? Just for a second.”
I had tried for nonchalance but it came out a little pitchy. He stiffened. Something wasn’t right. He tried to cover it with another smile, but it wasn’t the same easy, relaxed smile; it was nervous. I’d made him nervous.
“Sure…if you give me your word to be gentle.”
“What?” Odd was not a strong enough word for this guy. But he
sat there and waited patiently, hands in his lap.
“Why do you want to hold my hand?” He almost sang the
words.
I gritted my teeth. “I promise to be gentle.”
He smiled as if he had won some small victory. He put his
right hand on the table, palm up. There was little explanation for why I felt a compulsion to touch him. It wasn’t sexual, despite the fact that I could barely breathe in the thick mist of sexual 100
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tension surrounding him. It was something else, a suspicion I
couldn’t explain.
I slowly moved my arm toward his waiting hand. I lowered my
hand flat like his. I felt it the instant we connected. The same hum flowing from his hand into mine, the taste of apple so sweet it almost made me gag, trickling down the back of my throat.
I snapped my hand back, accusations flying from my mouth.
“Who are you? Are you one of them? Did Lincoln send you?” My
still raw anger toward Lincoln rose to the surface. Did he have people following me now?
Phoenix smiled, also taking his hand back and rubbing it on his jeans. “One of them ? You will have to be more specific; there are so many ‘thems’ these days. But no, Lincoln did not send me, of that you can be sure.” I was getting sick of his condescending smirk. I didn’t find any of this funny.
I got more specific. “Are you a Grigori?”
“No.” He casually leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs at the ankle and stretching them out.
“But I felt you.” This time I whispered.
He sighed. “Is it truly Grigori you are supposed to have the
ability to sense?”
Fear wrapped around me like an old enemy that knew me well.
My voice dropped until I was barely mouthing the word. “Angel.” He stared straight into my eyes with a frightening calm, his smile gone. “Once. One who is here only as a friend. I am no threat.” Oh. Sure. I feel so much better.
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“You were at Hades the other night!”
He rapped his fingers on the table. “I was wondering when you
would remember our dance. Usually I’m a little harder to forget.” I ignored the comment. I wasn’t about to be distracted by his
ego. “Kind of weird, isn’t it? That we meet again today.”
“Isn’t it,” was all he said, completely unfazed.
I curled my hands around my coffee and started to lift it to my mouth, trying to buy time. I stopped short when I felt a hum of energy pass through my body. It was the same as when I’d held
Lincoln’s wristband. It passed, but just as quickly my mouth watered the way it does sometimes before I’m sick. I quickly put the coffee down and scanned the room for the bathroom. As I did, the sensation passed and was replaced by the taste of…apple, rolling through my mouth like a current. I swallowed and it was gone.
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Jessica shirvington
“Violet?” Phoenix asked, watching me curiously.
I took a few moments before I gave a pitiful attempt at laughing it off. “Sorry. I just had this kind of déjà vu.”
“What kind of déjà vu?” His eyes narrowed.
“Don’t laugh, but I felt like I just had a bite of an apple. Weird, huh?” I said, giving a shaky laugh.
He smiled a smile of secrets that made me shiver. “I’ve been
known to have that effect sometimes.”
I didn’t know if he meant the apple or if he’d noticed my shiver.
Either way, my stomach suddenly twisted with unease.
I shook my hair away from my face and sat up a little, forcing a smile. “Can you give me your hand? Just for a second.”
I had tried for nonchalance but it came out a little pitchy. He stiffened. Something wasn’t right. He tried to cover it with another smile, but it wasn’t the same easy, relaxed smile; it was nervous. I’d made him nervous.
“Sure…if you give me your word to be gentle.”
“What?” Odd was not a strong enough word for this guy. But he
sat there and waited patiently, hands in his lap.
“Why do you want to hold my hand?” He almost sang the
words.
I gritted my teeth. “I promise to be gentle.”
He smiled as if he had won some small victory. He put his
right hand on the table, palm up. There was little explanation for why I felt a compulsion to touch him. It wasn’t sexual, despite the fact that I could barely breathe in the thick mist of sexual 100
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Embrace
tension surrounding him. It was something else, a suspicion I
couldn’t explain.
I slowly moved my arm toward his waiting hand. I lowered my
hand flat like his. I felt it the instant we connected. The same hum flowing from his hand into mine, the taste of apple so sweet it almost made me gag, trickling down the back of my throat.
I snapped my hand back, accusations flying from my mouth.
“Who are you? Are you one of them? Did Lincoln send you?” My
still raw anger toward Lincoln rose to the surface. Did he have people following me now?
Phoenix smiled, also taking his hand back and rubbing it on his jeans. “One of them ? You will have to be more specific; there are so many ‘thems’ these days. But no, Lincoln did not send me, of that you can be sure.” I was getting sick of his condescending smirk. I didn’t find any of this funny.
I got more specific. “Are you a Grigori?”
“No.” He casually leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs at the ankle and stretching them out.
“But I felt you.” This time I whispered.
He sighed. “Is it truly Grigori you are supposed to have the
ability to sense?”
Fear wrapped around me like an old enemy that knew me well.
My voice dropped until I was barely mouthing the word. “Angel.” He stared straight into my eyes with a frightening calm, his smile gone. “Once. One who is here only as a friend. I am no threat.” Oh. Sure. I feel so much better.
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