Seth’s eyes I’m staring into. “What?” I ask.
“Can we talk?” he replies. “Alone.”
I shrug. “Fine by me. Let’s go.”
Seth’s eyes lock on to mine for several seconds, then he turns and heads to the back of the shop. Nyx must be on a retro kick because she changes the tunes and The Monkees’ “Daydream Believer” blasts through Inksomnia and follows me upstairs.
I walk straight to the fridge, open the door, and grab a beer. I’ve got half the bottle drained by the time Seth speaks.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asks, and he doesn’t ask it nicely.
I stare at him as I drain the rest of the bottle. “What do you mean?”
Seth rakes both hands through his hair and thengrasps his neck. For a moment, he closes his eyes. When he reopens them, his stare is hard. Hurtful. To him, not me.
“You’re not the same, Ri,” he begins. “You’re…different. Hateful. Mean.”
I laugh. “No shit, bro. I’ve got two fucking sets of strigoi DNA inside me.” I shake my head. “What the hell?” I’m irritated now. He called me up here for this?
“I watched your face when I told you about Capote’s niece,” he says angrily. “Your expression didn’t even flinch, Ri. It’s like you don’t care.”
“You’re still a kid, Seth. What do you know? Grow up and have some responsibilities and
then
tell me about my lack of care and expression, okay?” I answer.
Just then the door swings open and Eli walks in. His gaze sweeps over me and Seth. “Am I interrupting?” he asks.
Seth shakes his head and keeps his eyes on me. “No.”
The silence inside the apartment is a live, palpable entity.
Eli walks to me and grasps my shoulders. “I have to go with Preacher and my brothers to Da Island,” he says quietly, evenly. “I hate leaving you, but this is unavoidable. Did Seth tell you what happened?”
I simply nod.
Eli grasps my chin and tilts my face to look up intohis. “I hate leaving. I hate that Phin, Luc, and my father have to go, too, but we do. This is big. And it has to stop.”
Again, I nod and remain silent.
“My mother and Josie will be here. Seth, Zetty, and Riggs, as well.” He lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me. When he lifts his head, those cerulean blue eyes almost take my breath away with their intensity. They nearly pierce the anger subtly bubbling below the surface of my being. “For now, the night runs stop, and I mean that, Riley. It’s too dangerous to go out alone. You’re strong but not against a dozen newlings. Wait for us to return.” He kisses me again. “They’re waiting for me. I’ll be back soon.”
“Bye,” I say, and with a final glance, he leaves. Fast. I follow him to the door but he’s already gone.
“Listen to him, Ri,” Seth says, and he’s closer to me now. Like right behind me, crowding my space. “I don’t know what’s up with you lately, but please.” He grabs my arm. “Listen for once.”
I snatch my arm from Seth’s grasp and glare at him. His sluggish heartbeat resonates in my head. “I don’t need you telling me what to do, Seth. So chill the hell out and stop talking to me like I’m a kid.”
Seth’s face falls. Blanches, even. Suddenly, he’s seven years old again and looking at me as I trip and fall up the steps to our apartment. Drunk. I vaguelyremember those days. But I totally remember his expression. I’m not sure why it doesn’t affect me, but it doesn’t. I turn and head for my room.
“Where’re you going?” Seth calls after me.
I don’t look at him. “I need to work out,” I say, step into my room, and shut the door.
Minutes later, I hear the apartment door open and close. Finally, alone.
Nervous energy simmers under my skin, and for a split second I feel as though I’m on fire. I claw and peel out of all my clothes except my bra and panties. Without bothering with a warm-up, I start kicking the bag suspended from the corner ceiling of my bedroom. I kick. I punch the bag, and I don’t
“Can we talk?” he replies. “Alone.”
I shrug. “Fine by me. Let’s go.”
Seth’s eyes lock on to mine for several seconds, then he turns and heads to the back of the shop. Nyx must be on a retro kick because she changes the tunes and The Monkees’ “Daydream Believer” blasts through Inksomnia and follows me upstairs.
I walk straight to the fridge, open the door, and grab a beer. I’ve got half the bottle drained by the time Seth speaks.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asks, and he doesn’t ask it nicely.
I stare at him as I drain the rest of the bottle. “What do you mean?”
Seth rakes both hands through his hair and thengrasps his neck. For a moment, he closes his eyes. When he reopens them, his stare is hard. Hurtful. To him, not me.
“You’re not the same, Ri,” he begins. “You’re…different. Hateful. Mean.”
I laugh. “No shit, bro. I’ve got two fucking sets of strigoi DNA inside me.” I shake my head. “What the hell?” I’m irritated now. He called me up here for this?
“I watched your face when I told you about Capote’s niece,” he says angrily. “Your expression didn’t even flinch, Ri. It’s like you don’t care.”
“You’re still a kid, Seth. What do you know? Grow up and have some responsibilities and
then
tell me about my lack of care and expression, okay?” I answer.
Just then the door swings open and Eli walks in. His gaze sweeps over me and Seth. “Am I interrupting?” he asks.
Seth shakes his head and keeps his eyes on me. “No.”
The silence inside the apartment is a live, palpable entity.
Eli walks to me and grasps my shoulders. “I have to go with Preacher and my brothers to Da Island,” he says quietly, evenly. “I hate leaving you, but this is unavoidable. Did Seth tell you what happened?”
I simply nod.
Eli grasps my chin and tilts my face to look up intohis. “I hate leaving. I hate that Phin, Luc, and my father have to go, too, but we do. This is big. And it has to stop.”
Again, I nod and remain silent.
“My mother and Josie will be here. Seth, Zetty, and Riggs, as well.” He lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me. When he lifts his head, those cerulean blue eyes almost take my breath away with their intensity. They nearly pierce the anger subtly bubbling below the surface of my being. “For now, the night runs stop, and I mean that, Riley. It’s too dangerous to go out alone. You’re strong but not against a dozen newlings. Wait for us to return.” He kisses me again. “They’re waiting for me. I’ll be back soon.”
“Bye,” I say, and with a final glance, he leaves. Fast. I follow him to the door but he’s already gone.
“Listen to him, Ri,” Seth says, and he’s closer to me now. Like right behind me, crowding my space. “I don’t know what’s up with you lately, but please.” He grabs my arm. “Listen for once.”
I snatch my arm from Seth’s grasp and glare at him. His sluggish heartbeat resonates in my head. “I don’t need you telling me what to do, Seth. So chill the hell out and stop talking to me like I’m a kid.”
Seth’s face falls. Blanches, even. Suddenly, he’s seven years old again and looking at me as I trip and fall up the steps to our apartment. Drunk. I vaguelyremember those days. But I totally remember his expression. I’m not sure why it doesn’t affect me, but it doesn’t. I turn and head for my room.
“Where’re you going?” Seth calls after me.
I don’t look at him. “I need to work out,” I say, step into my room, and shut the door.
Minutes later, I hear the apartment door open and close. Finally, alone.
Nervous energy simmers under my skin, and for a split second I feel as though I’m on fire. I claw and peel out of all my clothes except my bra and panties. Without bothering with a warm-up, I start kicking the bag suspended from the corner ceiling of my bedroom. I kick. I punch the bag, and I don’t
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