figure in my life.
I lock the door behind us, then push the dresser completely over the entry and give a mock smile. Now that I know they’re Counts I realize they can bust through, easy as toilet paper.
“You’re in deep.” Gage wraps his arms around me. A soft rumble of laughter ripples through his chest.
“They’re not my parents. Do you think there’s some kind of youth hostile on the island I can hole up in?”
“No, I don’t, nor would I send you there.”
“Can I live in the doghouse with Charlie? I won’t even eat food.”
“Charlie doesn’t have a doghouse. He’s an indoor dog, and you have to eat food. You were designed to be filled with delicious hot meals.” His dimples ignite on either side, and my stomach bottoms out.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“For?”
“For making me feel safe.” I pull him over to the bed, and we sit down. Everything about my room feels foreign now as though it belonged to another girl—a girl who believed anything anybody told her. I feel lost, like the whole planet is swaying, and Gage is the only anchor to keep me from flying out into the atmosphere.
“I’ll always be here for you.” He tucks his head into my shoulder and gives my neck a string of soft kisses.
“Oh, hey.” I pull back a notch. “Did you have a sister?”
“Did I have a sister?” He gives a quick blink. “Yes,” he says, looking confused. “She died when I was five.”
“And she was three.” A surge of tears brim to the surface. “I’m sorry.”
“What about her?”
“I was at Marshall’s and this girl, she looked at lot like you, she came to the door and said she was your sister.” I tell him about the bizarre encounter. “And I think it really was her.”
His eyes glitter as fresh crimson tracks explode.
“I wish I could have been there,” he whispers.
“Yeah well, I have this distinct feeling she’ll be back. Don’t leave my side, and you won’t miss her.” I pull him up towards the headboard with me. “You know when I said I thought it was good idea to slaughter all the Counts?”
“No, but go ahead.”
“OK, so I may have been thinking it. Anyway, I had no idea it was going to include just about everyone, but you.”
“Do you really think Tad and your mom are aware of this? That they’re after you?”
“I don’t know what to think. For sure I don’t want to find out the hard way. Chloe arranged for us to end up on Paragon. Maybe Tad’s in on it—that I’ll believe every day of the week. And to be honest, it might explain some of Mom’s strange behavior. Anyway, I don’t want to call her Mom. She’s not my mother. I’m going to take a nice little light drive one day soon and visit my dad. He’ll explain things to me.”
Gage looks away briefly and scratches at his cheek.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Yes, it’s something.”
“It’s just that I got stuck the last time we were there.” He gives a wry smile. “I’m not letting go of you.”
“Deal.”
A rumble erupts in the hall. Voices escalate—Tad and Mom’s.
“How dare you say that,” My mother’s voice muffles through the wall, “when your son also happens to be locked up in his bedroom with his girlfriend!”
“For your information, they’re watching TV,” Tad booms back.
“Yeah, well you know what we do when we’re watching TV.” Her voice is hard.
“I trust my son.” I can hear his footsteps stomping down the hall towards their bedroom.
“And I trust my daughter!” She storms after him.
“See?” Gage nudges me. “She thinks of you as her daughter. She’s sticking up for you. That’s perfectly acceptable behavior.”
“It’s probably just an act.” I shrink into his arms. “And by the way, some creatures find it perfectly acceptable behavior to eat their young.”
Chapter Nine
Dinner with the Devil
I barely escape the grasp of my faux parents as Gage and I head over to the Bishop’s for dinner.
I lock the door behind us, then push the dresser completely over the entry and give a mock smile. Now that I know they’re Counts I realize they can bust through, easy as toilet paper.
“You’re in deep.” Gage wraps his arms around me. A soft rumble of laughter ripples through his chest.
“They’re not my parents. Do you think there’s some kind of youth hostile on the island I can hole up in?”
“No, I don’t, nor would I send you there.”
“Can I live in the doghouse with Charlie? I won’t even eat food.”
“Charlie doesn’t have a doghouse. He’s an indoor dog, and you have to eat food. You were designed to be filled with delicious hot meals.” His dimples ignite on either side, and my stomach bottoms out.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“For?”
“For making me feel safe.” I pull him over to the bed, and we sit down. Everything about my room feels foreign now as though it belonged to another girl—a girl who believed anything anybody told her. I feel lost, like the whole planet is swaying, and Gage is the only anchor to keep me from flying out into the atmosphere.
“I’ll always be here for you.” He tucks his head into my shoulder and gives my neck a string of soft kisses.
“Oh, hey.” I pull back a notch. “Did you have a sister?”
“Did I have a sister?” He gives a quick blink. “Yes,” he says, looking confused. “She died when I was five.”
“And she was three.” A surge of tears brim to the surface. “I’m sorry.”
“What about her?”
“I was at Marshall’s and this girl, she looked at lot like you, she came to the door and said she was your sister.” I tell him about the bizarre encounter. “And I think it really was her.”
His eyes glitter as fresh crimson tracks explode.
“I wish I could have been there,” he whispers.
“Yeah well, I have this distinct feeling she’ll be back. Don’t leave my side, and you won’t miss her.” I pull him up towards the headboard with me. “You know when I said I thought it was good idea to slaughter all the Counts?”
“No, but go ahead.”
“OK, so I may have been thinking it. Anyway, I had no idea it was going to include just about everyone, but you.”
“Do you really think Tad and your mom are aware of this? That they’re after you?”
“I don’t know what to think. For sure I don’t want to find out the hard way. Chloe arranged for us to end up on Paragon. Maybe Tad’s in on it—that I’ll believe every day of the week. And to be honest, it might explain some of Mom’s strange behavior. Anyway, I don’t want to call her Mom. She’s not my mother. I’m going to take a nice little light drive one day soon and visit my dad. He’ll explain things to me.”
Gage looks away briefly and scratches at his cheek.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Yes, it’s something.”
“It’s just that I got stuck the last time we were there.” He gives a wry smile. “I’m not letting go of you.”
“Deal.”
A rumble erupts in the hall. Voices escalate—Tad and Mom’s.
“How dare you say that,” My mother’s voice muffles through the wall, “when your son also happens to be locked up in his bedroom with his girlfriend!”
“For your information, they’re watching TV,” Tad booms back.
“Yeah, well you know what we do when we’re watching TV.” Her voice is hard.
“I trust my son.” I can hear his footsteps stomping down the hall towards their bedroom.
“And I trust my daughter!” She storms after him.
“See?” Gage nudges me. “She thinks of you as her daughter. She’s sticking up for you. That’s perfectly acceptable behavior.”
“It’s probably just an act.” I shrink into his arms. “And by the way, some creatures find it perfectly acceptable behavior to eat their young.”
Chapter Nine
Dinner with the Devil
I barely escape the grasp of my faux parents as Gage and I head over to the Bishop’s for dinner.
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