Seduced by Innocence by Alex Lux Page B

look like hell. Second, call Derek and ask him to pick you up on the south side of the property. You can sneak out the back and no one will know you're gone. I'll say I have to stay with you in case you need anything. With your mom putting all this pressure on your magic, everyone will want to make sure you get your strength back."
    I hugged her hard. "You really are the best friend I could have ever asked for."
    "I know." Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, not after the horrors of the dead puppies, but her support still lightened my burden some.
    Sandy hadn't moved from her bed all day, and I'd had to force her to eat and go outside. I'd need to make sure Ocean gave Sandy extra attention while I was gone. I sat next to her on the floor and rubbed her head as I dialed Derek's number.
    My call to him lasted longer than I'd planned, as I shared with him the pain of what had happened last night. When I hung up, I felt witnessed in an intimate way.
    I couldn't say whether it was the abiding friendship of Ocean, the new connection with Derek, or several hours of sleep that finally brought me back to life, but by the time I left for my secret rendezvous I was ready to fight.

F IFTEEN
     
The Nightingale
     
D EREK
     

     
     
    Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day:
    It was the nightingale, and not the lark,
    That pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear;
    Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree:
    Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.
    — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
     
     
    ROSE LOOKED READY to kick ass when she snuck through the woods to my car. She slunk in and ducked down. "Hurry, before someone sees me."
    "Should I start driving a car with tinted windows?" I asked, trying to keep the mood light.
    I hated seeing her so scared of her own family. For all of my family's flaws, they always supported me in my life choices, even if they didn't like them. Rose looked a cross between terrified and angry, and I wanted to confront someone, anyone, and tell them to let go of the control they had over her, but I didn't yet have that right.
    Maybe I never would.
    The blistery winter day had stayed dry so far, but heavy clouds heralded rain in the near future. Tall trees stood as green sentinels on either side of us as we bumped along dirt and rock until we reached the main road.
    Silence lingered, stifling all the unspoken words between us.
    That morning I'd confided in my mother about Rose. She too had shared the story of how she met my father, and talked about how he patiently and persistently won her over.
    "Did you not like him at first?" I had asked.
    Mom's green eyes softened as she seemed to peer into the past. "I liked him very much, but I was scared. I'd never been in a serious relationship, and your grandparents had always encouraged me to explore the world before settling down. I didn't want to be like those other girls who jumped into bed, and into marriage, with the first handsome man who swept them off their feet."
    Could that be what scared Rose? "What changed your mind?"
    "Love changed my mind. When you find the one, when you share that spark of kismet, then it becomes inconceivable to walk through life with anyone else. More than that, it's impossible to imagine life without them. I made him work for that "yes" because I didn't want to be a pushover. But I knew from the beginning that he would be mine forever."
    The talk left me cautiously optimistic that, despite such a shaky beginning, Rose and I might yet find our way through the obstacle course of this new passion.
    I snuck a glance at her and heat rose inside me at her loveliness. "Do you want to talk about what happened last night?"
    She smirked. "Which parts?"
    "Any of them? All of them?"
    "I'm not sure what to say about it. I feel like a fool for acting like I did on our date and putting us both in danger. You were really incredible, you know. Thank you for… everything."
    I placed my hand on her gloved one, and wondered once again what