“You leave them alone, all of them,” Aidan said, and I assumed he meant the shape-shifters. “And you even get near her, and I’ll—”
“I won’t, I swear,” he blubbered.
“Get out of here.” Aidan tipped his head toward the gym, and the jock stumbled to his feet and took off in that direction without a backward glance.
Aidan took my hand, cold as ice now, and we continued on. “Don’t you have gloves?” he asked, rubbing my hand between his palms.
“I forgot them,” I said with a shrug.
Neither of us said another word till the dorm came into sight.
“I’m sorry,” he said at last, stopping and taking both my hands in his. “I’m usually in such control, but this. ” He trailed off, shaking his head. “It’s because of you.” He looked down at me with darkly shadowed eyes. “I would have ripped open his neck.”
“But you didn’t,” I said, my voice a little shaky.
He dropped my hands and raked his fingers through his hair. “This is getting dangerous, Violet. These. protective instincts, I’ve never had to deal with something like this. I don’t even understand it.”
“Maybe you should talk to Dr. Blackwell.”
“Maybe,” he agreed. “You should go in; you’re freezing.”
“Yeah, I guess. Hey, you’re coming to the tournament Friday night, aren’t you? This is the big one, the All-Ivy tournament.”
His lips curved into a smile. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You know Patsy’s going to be there, right? She’s going to want to meet you.” I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that, but I figured I might as well get it over with.
“Of course,” he said softly. “I’ll try and leave the beast at home that night.”
“That’s not funny.” My voice was sharp.
I’m sorry. As usual, when he spoke in my mind it felt more intimate, his voice a secret caress. Forgive me?
I wasn’t sure if he meant for the self-deprecating comment, or for what had happened earlier. Either way, it didn’t matter.
“Always,” I said, rising up on tiptoe and pressing my lips against his.
His arms went around me, holding me tight, his kiss stealing away my breath. Finally, he pulled away, pressing his forehead against mine. Our breath mingled, and gooseflesh rose on my skin — but not from the cold.
“Good night, Violet,” he said at last, stepping away from me.
“Good night,” I replied with a sigh, closing my eyes. When I opened them, he was gone.
Twenty minutes later I had showered and changed into my pajamas and was just climbing into bed when my vision began to tunnel. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it was no use. The images came anyway.
It was the same as I’d seen before — dusk, the sky almost purple. This time I forced myself to glance around, looking for clues. Daffodils. I saw yellow daffodils in the fading light. We were somewhere on Winterhaven’s grounds — I could see the administration building off in the distance.
“Julius, now!” someone called out. A woman’s voice, and I didn’t recognize it. Everything was fuzzy, going in and out of focus, but I realized that my friends were there — some of them, at least. Marissa and Kate. But someone had them, was holding them. “Now, Sâbbat,” someone said. A man, and he was speaking to me. Calling me by some other name. “Now, or your friends die.” I shook my head, my vision blinded by tears.
Aidan was there. I called out his name. They wanted me to hurt him, to kill him. I had something in my hand, something smooth, something sharp. “Do it, now!” someone screamed. Marissa. It was Marissa, urging me on. No!
Suddenly I was back in my dorm room, sitting half on the edge of the bed, clutching the sheets. “No!” I screamed it over and over again, and Cece came rushing into the room wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around herself. Her hair was dripping wet as she leaned over me, calling my name.
“Violet! Oh my God, what happened? Violet, talk to me!”
I looked around wildly, my vision slowly coming back into focus.
“No!” I whispered, my throat aching.
“Another vision?” Cece turned and reached for her robe, putting it on over her towel.
I just nodded, my breath coming so fast that I thought I might start to hyperventilate.
“Was it your mom again?”
“No. Aidan,” was all I could say, my voice strangled.
“Does he. did you see him get hurt?”
“There were. I saw daffodils.”
“Springtime,” Cece said. “Do you want to call him?”
“He’s at the lab, he won’t have his cell.”
“Do you want me to. you know. Go find him?” she offered. “I mean, project to him? I’m kind of tired, but I think I could do it.”
She had no idea that I could talk to him anytime I wanted to, telepathically. I shook my head. “N-no. I can. it’s okay. I’ll. later.” God, I was so messed up, I couldn’t even string together a sentence. My hands were shaking and a bead of cold sweat dripped between my breasts.
Later. In New York. I’d talk to him when we were home, when I’d had time to think about it. Any minute, he’d speak to me; he’d know something happened, he always did when my visions terrified me like that. But I wouldn’t talk it about now — I couldn’t. Not tillHe was there. Outside my window. I had to get rid of Cece, and fast. I took a deep, steadying breath. “I’m fine now, Cee. Really. I just want to go to sleep.”
“You sure? Do you want me to get Mrs. G.?”
“Definitely not. I’m sorry I dragged you out of the shower. Go on, you’ve still got conditioner in your hair. I swear I won’t start screaming again.” I tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a squeak.
For a second she stood there watching me, clutching her towel around herself. Then she nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure. Oops, I’m dripping all over the floor.”
“It’s my fault; I’ll wipe it up. Go, before you catch pneumonia.”
She nodded and scurried out, and as soon as her footsteps disappeared down the hall, I turned the lock on the door. Hurrying to the window, I pulled aside the curtains and lifted it open, trying to be quiet, trying not to draw any attention to my room.
In a flash, Aidan was beside me. I’d known he was there, but still, the shock made me suck in my breath. My room was on the fifth floor. “What happened?” he asked, putting his arms around me. “I sensed your fear; you seemed terrified.”
“Nothing. A vision. This is crazy, you’re going to get caught.” Still, I was so glad to see him.
“I’ll be gone before Cece gets back, and no one will see me. Don’t worry.” I felt his lips on my hair, and my heart slowed to a near-normal rate.