Maybe Fate: A Novel (New Adult Paranormal Romance) (31 page)

I'd
taken her to her dorm, then escaped away from the energy inside that
frail human body that begged to pull me closer.

My
thoughts were in a fog; it was the first time I regretted the
inability to sleep. Perhaps that would have been some relief from my
aching hunger for more of the girl.

Am
I becoming obsessed? Or am I already wallowing in it?

Sitting
on the roof of her campus' library, I watched the red-head as she
wandered through the bitter-chill. Ducking in her jacket, darting
between buildings whenever it was required, I never let her out of
my sight.

Especially
not when I saw her with Ethlyn. I liked that least of all.

What
is the Corpse King's servant doing with Gale, I wonder?

Like
a gargoyle, I sat on the roof, awaiting her appearance. Eventually,
Gale slipped through the doors of the food court, heading towards
her dorm on quick feet.

Her
head was down, pushing into the strong wind that tugged at her wild
hair.

I
could have sat there, waited for a better moment to ask her what had
happened. That wasn't what I desired, though.

I'd
lost my patience somewhere on the path of becoming ravenous for the
girl.

Flickering
out of existence, I jumped through the thin walls of human reality.
Bouncing into my own, it only took me a second of wandering in the
grey before I shifted into Gale's room.

Her
back was to me, arms sliding from her jacket as she let it fall to
the floor. Before it landed, I caught it.

The
lack of sound drew her attention, those baffled eyes landing on me
with bursting shock. “Nethiun!” she cried out, freezing
in place.

I
lifted her jacket high, planning to tease her about being so sloppy.
I never managed it, not when she spun around to throw her arms
around my neck.

That
kiss, the soaring, consuming ball of her hot emotions; it overtook
me. Closing my eyes, I pulled her close, sinking into the moment I'd
been hoping for since the last had ended days ago at sea.

“
Nethiun,”
she said again, breaking away enough to speak. “I thought—for
a moment, I expected you to be Ethlyn.”

“
Did
you?” I asked, debating on acting dumb. But I was too curious,
I didn't want to play games about what the servant was up to. “I
saw him following you. What did he want?”

She
fell back onto her heels, hands sliding down till they rested on my
forearms. The guilt that surrounded her, it was sour and made me
uneasy. “Ethlyn was... he was sort of trying to tell me to
keep away from you, only this time, I don't think it was
just
about how 'dangerous' you are. I mean, I know it was about more than
that.”

Canting
my head, I smoothed the frizzy bits of hair on her forehead. “Do
tell, what was it about then?”

“
Ugh,
saying it is hard,” she laughed nervously. “Um, Ethlyn
sort of admitted that he had feelings for me. It was really weird.”

That
information surprised me, but what surprised me more was the immense
twisting of hot jealousy that raged in me. Gale saw it, or perhaps
sensed it; I couldn't be sure. “Are you mad?” she asked.

“
Anger
isn't quite right,” I mused softly. “I'm a little
surprised at him for being so blunt, though.”
Does
he sense it, too? The energy in Gale, the pulling temptation? He
must... how could he not?

“
Well,”
she shrugged, “I sort of got it out of him. He was being
strange.” She trailed off, looking to the side. “He did
something that bothered me, actually.”

Stroking
my thumb over her cheek, my mind fought down the image of hunting
down Ethlyn right then. Warning him away from the girl who, if it
wasn't clear to him yet, I'd already decided was mine. “Go
on.”

Gale
pulled back, sitting on the edge of her bed and looking up at me.
“Nethiun, how would a twaelin get money?”

“
Money?”

“
Yeah.
Money, identification, stuff like that. Would they just steal it?”

Ah.
Now I understand.
“He
didn't tell you, then.” Reaching up, I scratched at my temple
with a tiny smile. “He's so misguided, that one.”

“
What
do you mean?” she asked.

“
You're
talking about Ethlyn, obviously. He went so far to try and show you
how 'human' he is, correct? I'd been thinking about it for a bit,
how he's going around calling himself 'Ethan' and such. Tell me,”
I said, moving closer to her, “that was what his ID said,
yes?”

Biting
her lip, she made a tiny noise. “Honestly, I didn't get a good
look at it. Why, would it be bad if it did?”

“
Bad
isn't the word, more like... expected?” She stared at me, so I
continued. “You don't know how twaelin change their
appearance. I never explained it to you fully.”

That
lovely face of hers, it twisted with an anxious grin. “You're
starting to weird me out here, Nethiun. What are you trying to say?”

Sitting
beside her on the bed, I sighed quietly. “I didn't really want
to tell you, if I'm honest. Gale, if a twaelin wants to change their
whole appearance, to become someone else, we must...” I waved
a hand, thinking of the right word. “Consume that human.”

She
gaped at me, unmoving. “Nethiun, what the hell do you mean,
consume?
”

Wincing,
I sensed the flux in her emotions moving to something more full of
fear. “I mean what it sounds like. If my guess is correct,
Ethlyn consumed a human boy by the name of Ethan, thus getting his
body, as well as whatever the contents of his wallet would have
been. He's essentially become whoever Ethan was.”

Gale
bent over, hugging her middle. “Oh god, it's like invasion of
the body snatchers.”

“
It's
what, now?”

“
I—nothing,
it's a movie. Please tell me you're kidding, you guys... you
eat
people? I thought you just ate emotions or whatever, human energy?”

Shaking
my head, I set my hands on the edge of the mattress. “We don't
need
to consume humans, not at all. But if Ethlyn was trying to
infiltrate as deeply, for whatever reason, as he is... then it would
make more sense to take over someone's skin.”

“
Please
don't call us skins,” she muttered. Abruptly, she coursed with
a streak of disgust, aimed right at me. “You told me before,
your Mistress made you like you are, right?”

Lifting
my hands like she might attack me, I nodded quickly. “Indeed.
I've never had to consume a human in all my years, my form has been
more than fine for what she has asked of me.”

“
So...
I still don't get it, why would Ethlyn bother with all of that?”
Her face was pale as cheese, she still seemed to be fighting the
urge to be sick. “I can't—are you sure he killed
someone, is that what it had to have been?”

“
No,
I can't be entirely positive. It's unlikely he'd get a body like
that any other way, though.”

“
It
just seems so... so needless.”

Yes,
it does. I'm still not grasping what would make him bother with it.

We
sat there, the air around us uncomfortable. “I'm sorry to have
to tell you about all of this,” I whispered.

Gale
kept staring at her lap, like there was an answer there for her to
find. “It's not your fault. I'm glad I do know, even if it's
disturbing. I won't lie... I'm glad you told me you didn't get your
body by 'consuming' someone or whatever.” Glancing at me, she
gave a weak smile. “I'd feel awful, knowing I'd been kissing a
corpse.”

Grinning,
I reached out to take her hand. “Ah, but kissing a 'demon' is
just fine?”

“
You're
not a demon. You said so yourself.”

“
Yes,
but perception is everything.” Chuckling, I placed my lips on
her temple; quick, soft. The blush it left on her was divine. “Have
you eaten yet?”

Shaking
her head, she coiled her fingers tightly in mine. “Not really,
and my appetite isn't so great right now.”

“
No?”
I asked, my tone burning with feigned shock. “Is there a
chance you're not Gale, but some skin-snatcher yourself?”

Laughing,
she bumped her shoulder into mine. “Stop, don't tease. I don't
have any money for dinner, not for both of us, anyway.”

“
You
know I don't
need
to eat,” I said. “But, I had a better idea anyway. Would
you like to come with me and get something without worrying over
money? I do owe you, after all, for the snack you got me at the
festival.”

Glancing
at the door, like someone might walk in, she nodded. “Alright,
you're on. Where are we going?”

“
That,”
I whispered, curling her into my lap with ease, ignoring her small
gasp of argument, “is a surprise.”

With
that, we vanished from the room, leaving her jacket behind. Where we
were going, she wouldn't need it.

Gale
Everette

When
you lose the sense of smell, of anything, you notice the world much
fuller when it comes back.

It's
even better when the things you smell are fresh, bright and
wonderful.

Nethiun
held me close, the two of us standing in the middle of a field. The
scent of citrus was so strong, it made me moan in delight.

All
around us were tall orange trees, swollen fruit hanging off in
clumps. It was a glorious sight; it made my stomach rumble. “Where
are
we?”

“
Does
it matter?” he asked, setting me on my feet.

No,
I
thought in a daze,
I
guess it doesn't.
Turning in a circle, I stared up at the fresh food and laughed.
“This is amazing, you weren't kidding. This is a fantastic
surprise, Nethiun.”