you.’
‘Your
job
?’
‘Well,’ he says, ‘it’s not an official title. Just something I swore to do once. Even if you don’t remember it, I’m still determined to keep that
promise.’
I run my tongue over my front teeth as I try to control my temper. This boy, despite his ability to crawl into the deep back pockets of my mind and stay there, is really getting on my nerves. I
sigh. ‘Protect me from
who
? These people who are supposedly looking for me but whom I’ve yet to see?’
‘Yes.’ His face turns solemn. Like a cloud has passed over it. He gestures towards my left wrist. ‘The same people who gave you that.’
With a sharp inhale, I glance down at the razor-thin black line and try to conceal it with my other hand. ‘Just because you know about my tattoo doesn’t mean—’
‘It’s not a tattoo.’
I’m fairly certain I already knew that.
‘It’s a tracking device,’ he continues.
I shake my head. I know I should keep walking. Turn my back on this boy forever and keep trying to forget he even exists. But something compels me to ask, ‘Who are you?’
‘My name is Lyzender.’
Just as I suspected. This means nothing to me. ‘I don’t recognize that name,’ I say flatly.
I expect his face to drop. I expect to see disappointment in his eyes.
But I don’t.
He appears as determined as ever. He moves towards me, takes my hand, holds it, squeezes it. Despite my impulse to flee, I don’t pull away. His touch is warm. Comforting. Almost . . .
familiar.
‘You
wouldn’t
recognize that name,’ he consents. ‘You always called me Zen. You said it was because I brought you peace.’
A shiver runs up my legs. It weakens my spine. My body starts to crumple. I fight to stand upright.
Lyzender. Zen.
Z
.
Seraphina. Sera.
S
.
S
+
Z
=
1609.
My breath quickens. I try to speak but no words seem able to take shape. My mouth feels dry. Rough. I rub my tongue against the roof until I feel saliva start to form again.
I think of my conversation with Cody – the one we had on the bus to Los Angeles – and I manage to ask, ‘Are you . . . uh . . . were you my boyfriend?’
His almond-shaped eyes squint as he smiles. He squeezes my hand again. ‘I’d like to think I was more than that.’
‘What do you mean?’
I watch the colour of his face change. It doesn’t turn the same shade of red that I’ve witnessed on Cody’s skin so many times, but there is a clear tint of scarlet flushing his
cheeks. He casts his eyes downward. ‘You told me I was your soulmate.’
The way he says
soulmate
, I realize it means something. Something important.
Mate: one member of a pair.
Soul: the principle of life, feeling, thought and actions in humans; regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body.
I glance anxiously down at his hand on mine. ‘I don’t know what that is.’
He chuckles softly. Knowingly. ‘I had to teach it to you the first time too.’
The first time?
Has this happened to me before?
My mind flashes to the note. The one currently stuffed inside my top dresser drawer.
Trust him.
‘You had to teach me a word?’ I ask.
‘I’ve had to teach you a lot of things.’
‘Why?’
‘Sera,’ he urges, tugging faintly on my hand, ‘come with me. Right now. I promise to answer your questions. But it’s not safe here.’
‘Why?’
I repeat adamantly, ignoring his request. ‘Why did you have to teach me things?’
He rubs at his chin and looks over his shoulder. Then finally he sighs deeply. ‘They were very selective about what vocabulary you knew. I think it was how they attempted to control
you.’
‘
Who
?’ I demand, ripping my hand from his grip. My rage has finally boiled over. It’s taken control now. ‘Who are you talking about?’
He seems to have lost control of his emotions too. Because when he answers, his voice is much sharper. Commanding. Not to mention louder. ‘I’m talking about the people who made you
like this!’ He gestures to all
‘Your
job
?’
‘Well,’ he says, ‘it’s not an official title. Just something I swore to do once. Even if you don’t remember it, I’m still determined to keep that
promise.’
I run my tongue over my front teeth as I try to control my temper. This boy, despite his ability to crawl into the deep back pockets of my mind and stay there, is really getting on my nerves. I
sigh. ‘Protect me from
who
? These people who are supposedly looking for me but whom I’ve yet to see?’
‘Yes.’ His face turns solemn. Like a cloud has passed over it. He gestures towards my left wrist. ‘The same people who gave you that.’
With a sharp inhale, I glance down at the razor-thin black line and try to conceal it with my other hand. ‘Just because you know about my tattoo doesn’t mean—’
‘It’s not a tattoo.’
I’m fairly certain I already knew that.
‘It’s a tracking device,’ he continues.
I shake my head. I know I should keep walking. Turn my back on this boy forever and keep trying to forget he even exists. But something compels me to ask, ‘Who are you?’
‘My name is Lyzender.’
Just as I suspected. This means nothing to me. ‘I don’t recognize that name,’ I say flatly.
I expect his face to drop. I expect to see disappointment in his eyes.
But I don’t.
He appears as determined as ever. He moves towards me, takes my hand, holds it, squeezes it. Despite my impulse to flee, I don’t pull away. His touch is warm. Comforting. Almost . . .
familiar.
‘You
wouldn’t
recognize that name,’ he consents. ‘You always called me Zen. You said it was because I brought you peace.’
A shiver runs up my legs. It weakens my spine. My body starts to crumple. I fight to stand upright.
Lyzender. Zen.
Z
.
Seraphina. Sera.
S
.
S
+
Z
=
1609.
My breath quickens. I try to speak but no words seem able to take shape. My mouth feels dry. Rough. I rub my tongue against the roof until I feel saliva start to form again.
I think of my conversation with Cody – the one we had on the bus to Los Angeles – and I manage to ask, ‘Are you . . . uh . . . were you my boyfriend?’
His almond-shaped eyes squint as he smiles. He squeezes my hand again. ‘I’d like to think I was more than that.’
‘What do you mean?’
I watch the colour of his face change. It doesn’t turn the same shade of red that I’ve witnessed on Cody’s skin so many times, but there is a clear tint of scarlet flushing his
cheeks. He casts his eyes downward. ‘You told me I was your soulmate.’
The way he says
soulmate
, I realize it means something. Something important.
Mate: one member of a pair.
Soul: the principle of life, feeling, thought and actions in humans; regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body.
I glance anxiously down at his hand on mine. ‘I don’t know what that is.’
He chuckles softly. Knowingly. ‘I had to teach it to you the first time too.’
The first time?
Has this happened to me before?
My mind flashes to the note. The one currently stuffed inside my top dresser drawer.
Trust him.
‘You had to teach me a word?’ I ask.
‘I’ve had to teach you a lot of things.’
‘Why?’
‘Sera,’ he urges, tugging faintly on my hand, ‘come with me. Right now. I promise to answer your questions. But it’s not safe here.’
‘Why?’
I repeat adamantly, ignoring his request. ‘Why did you have to teach me things?’
He rubs at his chin and looks over his shoulder. Then finally he sighs deeply. ‘They were very selective about what vocabulary you knew. I think it was how they attempted to control
you.’
‘
Who
?’ I demand, ripping my hand from his grip. My rage has finally boiled over. It’s taken control now. ‘Who are you talking about?’
He seems to have lost control of his emotions too. Because when he answers, his voice is much sharper. Commanding. Not to mention louder. ‘I’m talking about the people who made you
like this!’ He gestures to all
Similar Books
