“What are you doing here?” I say, trying to distract her attention.
“Claire called me.” Her eyes pull away from Peter's face and focus back on me. I can almost smell her unease. I was so hoping they would get along.
Peter was right. She does smell like honeysuckle and bricks. The honeysuckle I knew about. It's her favorite scent. And she lives alone in an old brick house that she calls her castle.
“Did she tell you?” A weight presses on my chest, making air a precious thing. I try to take a deep breath, but it's not easy. Peter is concerned, sending soothing vibes my way. They're not working.
“Yeah, she did.” Her arm holds tight, as if she'll never let go. Eyes, absent of tears, search mine again.
“We should probably go in,” I say. Dad's at a charity golf tournament, so Peter's allowed inside.
The smell of blackberry jam cake fills my nose, tamping down the smell of blood. I trail my hand in the air behind me, and Peter briefly touches my fingers. Letting me know he's there and that I should stop freaking out. I really don't understand why I'm so stressed about Aj being here.
“Hey baby, look who came to see us!” Aj laughs and Mom plants a kiss on her cheek. They look like they could be sisters. With her dark brown hair and similar height, Jenny and Mom are two peas in a pod. Except for the eyes. Jenny's are a lovely brown. They remind me of chocolate with gold swirled through it.
“I know. How long are you here for?”
She rolls her eyes. “Just today. I have to get back to work, but I'm going to come more often. I miss you. I miss knowing what's going on in your life.” This is a direct jab at Peter, who lurks in the doorway. He's out of place in this situation, but I don't want him going anywhere.
“Who wants cake?” Mom says.
Peter
“Don't you want some cake?” Ava's Aunt asks.
“No thank you, I am lactose intolerant.” It is the line Ava and I agreed on when my eating habits came up. Ava's energy is frenetic and panicked, but also she is happy to see her aunt. It is hard for me to follow as she flits from one emotion to the next. Her panic continues to rise, escalating with each second.
“Oh really? That must be horrible.” She takes a bite of cake and I am reminded of Ava and her earth-shattering cheesecake. Ava toys with her fork, trying to calm down. I brush my fingers on her back, giving her reassurance. She will be fine. We are fine.
“I am used to it,” I say. I am used to not eating.
She takes another bite with relish.
“So, how did you two meet?” Ava looks at me, and I take the lead from her.
“I went to a party with my brother that Ava was also at. Our eyes met across the room and I knew I had to speak to her.” I meet her eyes and try a smile. She chokes a bit on her cake, so I must have done it right. The flash of desire also indicates I have done well.
“And then I spilled a drink on you,” she says, blushing.
“How romantic.” Jenny's tone is such that I can tell she doesn't find it romantic at all. She does not like me. And it is not simply her natural reaction to a noctalis. Even if I were human, she would not like me.
“It was,” Ava says, swirling her fork over the surface of the cake. My presence is intrusive and disruptive to their family gathering. But I worry about leaving Ava. Her soul yanks at me, making it impossible to even move away from her.
“Peter's an honor student at Galdon Academy. He had the day off so he came over to see Ava. Isn't that nice?” Ava's mother makes another valiant effort. I have nothing but admiration for that woman. It is such a shame that human lives are so short. So fleeting. Claire's is a soul that should live on. I was sure that it would.
“Sure.” Ava's Aunt is more involved in her cake than the conversation. Her blood smells similar to Ava's. But I do not desire it.
“I'll be right back,” Ava says, getting up from her chair. I wait to see if she wants me to follow. She pulls me with her, and I am forced to move, trailing after her like a lost sheep. Her power over me grows with every second.
I follow her upstairs, my hand on her back. Her breathing is uneven, jagged.
Once she thinks we are out of earshot, Jenny speaks to Claire in a hushed tone.
“You're letting her go up to her room with him?”
Claire smiles. “I don't think there's much they can do in a few seconds. I trust her.”
“That's your first mistake.” Jenny snorts and licks her fork.
Ava brings me into her room, closing the door behind us.
“I'm sorry I needed a second.”
“I can tell. You are upset.”
“No shit. I just can't deal with this right now on top of everything else.” She walks from one side of the room to the other, hands tearing through her hair and heart racing.
“Calm down.”
“That's easy for you to say, you're always calm.” Her fingers twist together and it is all I can do not to seize her and make her look at me so I can calm her with my eyes. I try not to do that to her anymore. It is no better than tricking her.
“I am not. Your distress makes me distressed. And then it rebounds back to you, like light and mirrors. If you do not relax it will get worse and I am not sure if one of us will burst with it.”
She gives a little laugh.
“Yeah, that would be great. Okay, calm, calm.” Her eyes close and she shakes out her arms, taking deep breaths and rolling her shoulders. It does not look like a relaxing activity, but I stand by the door and wait. Her emotions continue to swirl, but at a slower pace. I do my best, trying to slow them further. Like ripples in a pond that spread out, it takes time.
“Okay, okay.” She rolls her head on her neck. “I'm good. I think. I don't know why I freaked out.”
“It was a surprise.”
“I know, I know. I just thought things were going to calm down and now I'm freaking out again.”
“You never have to be sorry for what you feel. Ever.” I do not touch her, as much as I want to. My touch has done nothing but make her emotional today.
“They're talking about us, aren't they?” She turns her head to the side, as if she is trying to hear.
“Yes.” I have been listening while she calmed herself. The majority of the talk was about males of my age and what they expected of girls and how those expectations could be met in only a few moments alone. I also learned that Jenny had been promiscuous when she was younger, and was concerned about Ava. Claire defended me.
“I can't quite hear them.”
“I can.”