blind.”
“What about Laylen?” I asked. “Can you blow your little dusty stuff in his eyes?”
“No need to.” She looked at Laylen in a way I had never seen her look at him before—with a look that I wondered if I sometimes gave Alex. “He already has night vision.” Laylen gave her the same look back, but quickly blinked it away. “Well, we should go.” He carefully picked up the sword and handed it to me. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with this thing?
I gave Laylen an uncertain look, but Alex said, “She’ll be fine.”
Laylen had his own sword tucked away in the pocket of his black jeans; one that wouldn’t kill a Death Walker, but would temporarily immobilize it. It would, however, kill Stephan.
I took Laylen’s hand again and took a deep breath. My heart raced insanely as I casted one last glance at Alex, and a thought crossed my mind. Would I ever see him again? I shook the thought from my head—I would not go into this with such thoughts—and shut my eyes.
I saw the lake, the forest, the castle…Then I was falling.
Chapter 13
I landed in Classic Gemma Style, tripping over my own feet and plummeting for the grassy ground. Laylen was still holding onto my hand, though, and pulled me back up before my face hit the ground.
“Thanks,” I told him, breathless.
He gave me a small smile. “No problem.”
Wait a minute. I could see his smile as if it were day time.
Was it day time? I glanced up at sky. The full moon beamed down amongst the silver speckles of stars. No, it was not daytime. It just looked that way, thanks to Aislin and her awesomeness.
“Amazing,” I muttered, touching the corner of my eye.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Laylen asked and I nodded.
I purposely had taken us into the forest because, from there, we could see the castle without being seen. That way we could get an idea of what was going on, before we actually went inside.
Laylen and I started through the tall trees, heading for the castle. The grey-stone tower poked out from the tips of the trees, like an arrow. Twigs and leaves crunched under our shoes and the air was chilly. For a while neither of us spoke, but then, suddenly, I had to know something.
“Why did you go to Stasha’s?” I blurted out and then quickly lowered my voice. “Why did you go with her to her house?”
He considered this for what seemed like an eternity. “I was standing outside of the…Red Dragon…debating whether I wanted to go in or not, when she showed up out of the blue. I think she hangs out there sometimes, but she didn’t want to admit it, so she pretended to be wandering around the area. She asked me if I wanted to go back to her house.” He paused. “I went with her because the only other option I had was going inside the Red Dragon.” A club where evil hung out…yeah, I could see a girl like Stasha hanging out there.
I tugged the sleeve of my thermal shirt down, trying to cover up the ugly permanent lines on my arms. “I’m glad you left with her then, even if she is sort of crazy.” He laughed and for a split second, some of his pain vanished from his eyes.
“You know, Aislin was freaked out the whole time you were gone,” I told him, dodging around a bush. “She cried practically the entire time.”
“Aislin always cries,” Laylen informed me, karate-chopping a low branch that was in his way. “She’s been that way basically forever.”
“Yeah, but do you think…maybe….it would help if you forgave her for what happened between you two.” I had no idea why I was saying this, and I worried I might have crossed a line.
He didn’t answer, staring straight ahead through the darkness. “Did you cry while I was gone?” I blinked up at him confusedly. “What?”
He met my eyes and tension clasped the air. “Did you cry while I was gone?”
“Oh, yeah, I cried until my tears ran out,” I joked, trying to break the tension.
He smiled and shook his head. “I knew you were secretly pining
“What about Laylen?” I asked. “Can you blow your little dusty stuff in his eyes?”
“No need to.” She looked at Laylen in a way I had never seen her look at him before—with a look that I wondered if I sometimes gave Alex. “He already has night vision.” Laylen gave her the same look back, but quickly blinked it away. “Well, we should go.” He carefully picked up the sword and handed it to me. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with this thing?
I gave Laylen an uncertain look, but Alex said, “She’ll be fine.”
Laylen had his own sword tucked away in the pocket of his black jeans; one that wouldn’t kill a Death Walker, but would temporarily immobilize it. It would, however, kill Stephan.
I took Laylen’s hand again and took a deep breath. My heart raced insanely as I casted one last glance at Alex, and a thought crossed my mind. Would I ever see him again? I shook the thought from my head—I would not go into this with such thoughts—and shut my eyes.
I saw the lake, the forest, the castle…Then I was falling.
Chapter 13
I landed in Classic Gemma Style, tripping over my own feet and plummeting for the grassy ground. Laylen was still holding onto my hand, though, and pulled me back up before my face hit the ground.
“Thanks,” I told him, breathless.
He gave me a small smile. “No problem.”
Wait a minute. I could see his smile as if it were day time.
Was it day time? I glanced up at sky. The full moon beamed down amongst the silver speckles of stars. No, it was not daytime. It just looked that way, thanks to Aislin and her awesomeness.
“Amazing,” I muttered, touching the corner of my eye.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Laylen asked and I nodded.
I purposely had taken us into the forest because, from there, we could see the castle without being seen. That way we could get an idea of what was going on, before we actually went inside.
Laylen and I started through the tall trees, heading for the castle. The grey-stone tower poked out from the tips of the trees, like an arrow. Twigs and leaves crunched under our shoes and the air was chilly. For a while neither of us spoke, but then, suddenly, I had to know something.
“Why did you go to Stasha’s?” I blurted out and then quickly lowered my voice. “Why did you go with her to her house?”
He considered this for what seemed like an eternity. “I was standing outside of the…Red Dragon…debating whether I wanted to go in or not, when she showed up out of the blue. I think she hangs out there sometimes, but she didn’t want to admit it, so she pretended to be wandering around the area. She asked me if I wanted to go back to her house.” He paused. “I went with her because the only other option I had was going inside the Red Dragon.” A club where evil hung out…yeah, I could see a girl like Stasha hanging out there.
I tugged the sleeve of my thermal shirt down, trying to cover up the ugly permanent lines on my arms. “I’m glad you left with her then, even if she is sort of crazy.” He laughed and for a split second, some of his pain vanished from his eyes.
“You know, Aislin was freaked out the whole time you were gone,” I told him, dodging around a bush. “She cried practically the entire time.”
“Aislin always cries,” Laylen informed me, karate-chopping a low branch that was in his way. “She’s been that way basically forever.”
“Yeah, but do you think…maybe….it would help if you forgave her for what happened between you two.” I had no idea why I was saying this, and I worried I might have crossed a line.
He didn’t answer, staring straight ahead through the darkness. “Did you cry while I was gone?” I blinked up at him confusedly. “What?”
He met my eyes and tension clasped the air. “Did you cry while I was gone?”
“Oh, yeah, I cried until my tears ran out,” I joked, trying to break the tension.
He smiled and shook his head. “I knew you were secretly pining
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