in water. As I fell to the ground, I heard a gasp and the clatter of the gate hitting the brick wall. I spun to see Shoko fall back against the gate, her hands clutching her head. I lunged forward to catch her.
Her eyes snapped open. “I warned you not to do that again!” she yelled through clenched teeth.
“I … what did I do?” I backed away in case she was planning to attack me again.
She let out a deep sigh and her hands dropped to her sides. Then she looked toward the sky. “Why me?” When no one answered, not that I could hear anyway, she looked back at me, her anger gone. “Well, after all that I hope you found him. With that much energy, you could knock the gods off their clouds.”
“Find who?”
“That man from the cable car. Was that not what you were doing?”
To my shock, I realized I had an answer. “I … he’s still out there, but he’s nowhere near us.”
“Good.” She pointed a finger at my chest. “I swear to the gods, I will rip your heart out if you do that to me again.” Then she crinkled her nose and smiled up at me. “Now it is time for hot chocolate!” She turned and walked across the courtyard towards Ghirardelli’s.
I watched her march into the chocolate shop. After a long moment, I got my feet to cooperate and I arrived in time to hear her order a hot chocolate and a hot fudge sundae—in perfect unaccented English. She turned to me with raised eyebrows. “Are you getting anything?” she asked, again in English. “My treat.”
The chocolate factory had long since moved to another location, and the huge brick building had been converted into a trendy shopping complex. All that remained of Ghirardelli’s was a busy chocolate shop with memorabilia covering the walls.
Shoko said it was too dark inside and she wanted to enjoy the sun. She walked out and sat on the bottom step of an old iron staircase. I followed and stopped in front of her. “Why did you pretend you couldn’t speak English at the library?”
She looked up from her sundae and licked fudge off her spoon, her eyes expressionless. “I think it worked out better.”
“So that’s twice you’ve lied to me. What else aren’t you telling me?”
She eyed me with curiosity. “Do you like hot chocolate?”
I stared at her, holding my cup. “What does that—”
She smirked. “You liar, you never told me that. And you certainly never told me you could do that .” She pointed her spoon toward the gates.
I dropped onto the step next to her and put a hand to my head. “I’ve got a brain tumor, I know it.”
“You have something .” Then she held out her spoon and offered me a taste of her sundae. The ice cream sent a chill through me and I wrapped my hands around my cup of hot chocolate and tried to soak up its warmth.
“You are cold?” She put her hands over mine around the cup. “I will return the favor from last night.” Her hands were warm and soft. I stared at them, studied the color, the curves, every line. Then I looked into her dark brown eyes. My heart fluttered along with my brain.
I gave myself a mental shake and pulled my hands away, spilling hot chocolate onto the step. I jerked my thumb toward the gates. “That’s the same thing you did the first time I saw you!”
“You are right.” It seemed to be the first time it had occurred to her. “You struck me with energy like nothing I have felt before.”
I cringed. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head. “How can I explain this?” She paused, eyebrows together. “To me, it was like a great noise, deep and vibrating. It overcame me.”
I looked down at the step. “But why is this happening? These messages, this energy—I don’t want any of it.”
“Does a landslide ask our opinion before it sweeps us away?” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you regret hearing the message to help me last night?”
“No,” I said without hesitation. “But I’d rather this stuff wasn’t happening to me.”
“Once awareness comes to
Her eyes snapped open. “I warned you not to do that again!” she yelled through clenched teeth.
“I … what did I do?” I backed away in case she was planning to attack me again.
She let out a deep sigh and her hands dropped to her sides. Then she looked toward the sky. “Why me?” When no one answered, not that I could hear anyway, she looked back at me, her anger gone. “Well, after all that I hope you found him. With that much energy, you could knock the gods off their clouds.”
“Find who?”
“That man from the cable car. Was that not what you were doing?”
To my shock, I realized I had an answer. “I … he’s still out there, but he’s nowhere near us.”
“Good.” She pointed a finger at my chest. “I swear to the gods, I will rip your heart out if you do that to me again.” Then she crinkled her nose and smiled up at me. “Now it is time for hot chocolate!” She turned and walked across the courtyard towards Ghirardelli’s.
I watched her march into the chocolate shop. After a long moment, I got my feet to cooperate and I arrived in time to hear her order a hot chocolate and a hot fudge sundae—in perfect unaccented English. She turned to me with raised eyebrows. “Are you getting anything?” she asked, again in English. “My treat.”
The chocolate factory had long since moved to another location, and the huge brick building had been converted into a trendy shopping complex. All that remained of Ghirardelli’s was a busy chocolate shop with memorabilia covering the walls.
Shoko said it was too dark inside and she wanted to enjoy the sun. She walked out and sat on the bottom step of an old iron staircase. I followed and stopped in front of her. “Why did you pretend you couldn’t speak English at the library?”
She looked up from her sundae and licked fudge off her spoon, her eyes expressionless. “I think it worked out better.”
“So that’s twice you’ve lied to me. What else aren’t you telling me?”
She eyed me with curiosity. “Do you like hot chocolate?”
I stared at her, holding my cup. “What does that—”
She smirked. “You liar, you never told me that. And you certainly never told me you could do that .” She pointed her spoon toward the gates.
I dropped onto the step next to her and put a hand to my head. “I’ve got a brain tumor, I know it.”
“You have something .” Then she held out her spoon and offered me a taste of her sundae. The ice cream sent a chill through me and I wrapped my hands around my cup of hot chocolate and tried to soak up its warmth.
“You are cold?” She put her hands over mine around the cup. “I will return the favor from last night.” Her hands were warm and soft. I stared at them, studied the color, the curves, every line. Then I looked into her dark brown eyes. My heart fluttered along with my brain.
I gave myself a mental shake and pulled my hands away, spilling hot chocolate onto the step. I jerked my thumb toward the gates. “That’s the same thing you did the first time I saw you!”
“You are right.” It seemed to be the first time it had occurred to her. “You struck me with energy like nothing I have felt before.”
I cringed. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head. “How can I explain this?” She paused, eyebrows together. “To me, it was like a great noise, deep and vibrating. It overcame me.”
I looked down at the step. “But why is this happening? These messages, this energy—I don’t want any of it.”
“Does a landslide ask our opinion before it sweeps us away?” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you regret hearing the message to help me last night?”
“No,” I said without hesitation. “But I’d rather this stuff wasn’t happening to me.”
“Once awareness comes to
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