Rua (Rua, book 1) by Miranda Kavi Page A

then was beside her in a second.
    She held her finger up to her lips. “My parents are here.”
    “You called?” He sat on her bed, her unmade, rumpled bed. His eyes roved around her room, taking in her the old, scratched dresser and vanity, the overflowing bookshelf, and her open closet with its mountain of clothes and shoes spilling out.
    “Yeah, I called you. You could pick up the phone and answer instead of showing up. I haven’t even showered yet.”
    “You smell fine to me,” he said.
    “Um, thanks.” For some reason that made him smile.
    “It’s just as easy for me to show up as it is to answer the phone, usually.”
    “Why is that?”
    “Why did you call?” he countered.
    She sat at the foot of the bed. “What did you do to my parents?”
    He scooted to her headboard and rested his back against it. “I didn’t hurt them, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
    Her brain had gone all frazzled again because he was in her bed. “Answer my question.”
    “Fine. I made them forget,” he said.
    “That, I know. Can you be more specific, please,” She focused on him.
    “I can change people’s memories.” He paced over to her window. “I’m descended from Mares.”
    “Mares? Like Horses?” she said.
    “No. Mares are a type of Sidhe . Like the mare in nightmare? I can make people sleep, then get into their heads through their dreams.”
    “So, you made my parents sleep, then got into their heads, and …?”
    “Helped them forget. It didn’t hurt them, I promise you,” he said.
    “That’s good.” She moved until she stood next to him, shoulder to shoulder in front of the window. “Did you ever send me bad dreams?”
    He faced her. “No, I would never do that, nor would I ever interfere with you in that way. I only do it when it’s absolutely necessary, and I would never be so cruel as to give anyone nightmares.”
    He moved closer to her, causing her heart rate to rise perceptively. He took a strand of her curly, red hair escaping from the pack, and tucked it back into place.
    The doorbell rang. “That’s got to be Tink,” she said.
    He scooted away from her. “Good. I’d like to talk to him too.”
    “Fine, go hide in my bathroom please.” He obeyed, silently gliding away.
    Her mom’s voice greeted Tink in the living room. As soon as the bathroom door closed behind Rylan, she dropped her robe, took off her pajamas, and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. She slapped on some deodorant and pulled her beyond manageable hair into a loose bun.
    She went to the living room to rescue Tink from her mom.
    “Hey, Tink.” She breezed into the living room. She grabbed his arm and steered him away from her mom. “Girl talk!” she called over her shoulder. She pulled him into her room and shut the door behind them.
    “Oh, my God, tell me everything. You look tired. Are you okay?” he said.
    “Um, first off, Rylan is here,” she said. She pointed at the closed bathroom door. “But my parents don’t know so we need to keep it down.”
    Tink’s eyebrows rolled up so high they almost disappeared into his hairline as Rylan came out of the bathroom. “Um, good morning. I hope you weren’t here all night.”
    Rylan managed a small smile. “Not quite.”
    “So, what happened?” Tink said.
    “You’d better sit down,” she said.
    He sat on her desk then listened quietly while she filled him in on the events of the night before. He was poised on the edge, legs crossed, hands folded under his chin. His eyes had a faraway look, and for once he was silent.
    “Well?” she asked. “Are you freakin’ out on me?”
    He blinked, and his eyes refocused on her face. “Nope, just thinking. That’s actually kinda cool, I mean bad and cool.” He toyed with the brightly colored rings on his fingers. “Sorry I have verbal diarrhea. I’m trying to take this all in.”
    “Okay. Let me just put this out there.” She sat next to him. “If you don’t want anything further to do with me, I