I jumped as the door opened, yanking my shirt closed. The doctor smiled at me. “Everything okay?”
“I, yeah, everything’s fine.”
“I’m going to put some aloe on your burn and then wrap it up. Since it seems mostly healed, I don’t think you need to keep it covered for more than a day. Now, I was talking with Raquel, and I’ll admit I don’t know much about faerie magic or wounds. Are you experiencing any other strange symptoms?”
“No.” Besides the fact that I was glowing and for the first time could see myself like I saw paranormals. I knew I should mention it—tell Raquel that it was more than just a burn, that Reth had done something, changed me somehow—but I couldn’t. I wasn’t looking for an ankle tracker or to be some sort of freaky test study. Visions of being dissected ran through my head. I didn’t think they actually did that, but I wasn’t going to risk telling IPCA anything.
I looked down at the wrap the doctor put on my wrist, relieved that I couldn’t see the flames anymore.
“I’m going to take your temperature; you feel very cool, and I’m worried it might be a side effect.”
She put a thermometer in my ear. After a few seconds it beeped. She pulled it out, and there was that surprised frown. Again. It was almost as bad as Raquel’s sighs. “This is way too low. The thermometer must be broken. Do you feel okay?”
I jumped off the table, terrified that they would figure out something was seriously abnormalparanormal—here. Aside from a complete physical when I first arrived and the ankle thing, I’d never been in here, never been sick that I could remember. I chalked it up to that whole living in nearseclusion thing. I didn’t want her to start poking around and figure out I was even weirder than they thought. “Yeah, I’m fine, really. I’m always a little bit cold; the thermometer must be broken, no big deal.”
“Okay. If that wrist bothers you, or you have any strange symptoms—anything at all—let me know.”
“Will do.” I walked out with Raquel following me.
“Why don’t you go get some rest?” she asked, hurrying to keep up with my fast pace.
“I want to be there when Lend wakes up.”
“I don’t think—”
“Raquel,” I said, giving her a flat look. “He saved me. He freaking electrocuted himself to save me.
I’m gonna be there when he wakes up so I can tell him thanks.”
After a small I give up sigh, she nodded. “Just be careful, okay? We still don’t know anything about him.” They didn’t know anything about me, either. “And if he tells you where he’s from or what he’s doing, tell me immediately.”
Yeah, right, I thought. “Yup,” I said. She walked me to his room and stood in the doorway as I walked straight in.
“Okay—I’ll check on you later then.” She hovered for a moment, then left.
Lend was still out cold. I sat on the edge of the bed next to him, wondering how long it would take him to wake up. I felt horrible. It was my fault—yet again—that he had been zapped.
I stared, glad he had the shorts so I didn’t have to feel guilty. He was amazing. He had the faintest luminescence about him, centered in his chest. I studied his face. When he was wearing other people I could see hints of his features underneath, but now that it was just him it was a little easier. I leaned closer and closer, trying to memorize the way he looked. It was kinda weird having a crush on a guy who was different every time I saw him, and I wanted to have this face, Lend’s real face, in my mind. He was the most strangely beautiful guy I had ever seen—even more than the faeries, because his face was human.
I leaned in so far I almost fell on top of him. Rather than risk that again, I got off the bed and knelt, propping my elbows on the side of the bed and resting my head on my hands. Still curious, I reached out a hand and ran my fingers through his hair. It was the softest, smoothest texture imaginable. I was so busy trying to see his hair and playing with it that I didn’t notice him wake up until the hair I was playing with turned black.
“Oh!” I said, moving back so fast I fell on my butt. “You’re awake!” He was wearing the standard dark-haired, dark-eyed hottie and regarded me with a puzzled expression. Before he could ask what
I was doing playing with his hair, I started babbling. “Are you okay? How do you feel? Can I get anything for you?”
He moved to sit up, then stopped and put a hand on his forehead. “Man, I hurt.”
“I’m so sorry! This is all my fault.”
He looked at me, frowning. “How is this your fault?”
“I got you electrocuted again.”
“I think we can safely blame the crazy faerie.”
I shook my head. “If you hadn’t—I don’t—Thanks.” I smiled and took his free hand in mine. “Really, really thank you. I’m pretty sure you saved my life. Or at least my soul.”
He sat up, not letting go of my hand. I liked that. A lot. “What was he doing to you?”
I sat on the bed next to him and stared at the floor. “I don’t know. It was kind of like what he used to do—with the heat. But it was different this time—stronger. It was like he was burning me up on the inside, forcing it into me. And it didn’t—” I stopped. I couldn’t tell Raquel about what I saw in myself now. Could I trust Lend with it?
“It didn’t what?”
I took a deep breath. “It didn’t go away this time.” Taking my hand from his, I pulled off the wrapping and stared at the red handprint and liquid flames underneath. Lend drew his breath in sharply and I looked up at him, shocked. “You can see it?”
“Of course I can see it!”
HAGTASTIC
L end could see the flames under my skin. I couldn’t believe it. Maybe they weren’t paranormal, after all. “Really? How can you see them?” I asked.
“It’s bright red! How could I not see? He must have burned you really bad.” Lend took my hand tenderly, looking at the burn. “Hand’s still freezing, though.”
My shoulders slumped in disappointment. “You can’t see it, then.”
He looked up, confused. “Is there something else?”
I bit my lip, then shook my head, avoiding his eyes. “No, nothing.”
“Evie. What did he do to you?”
“I don’t know.” That part was the truth, at least. I had no idea what he’d done to me, or what would have happened if he hadn’t been stopped.
“You can see something there, can’t you?”
I shook my head again, then closed my eyes and nodded.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s like—it’s like the fire I felt from him, it’s still there, right under where the handprint is. Just swirling around, all golden and creepy. I’ve never been able to see anything under myself before.”
“Not even when he was doing this to you earlier?”
“I don’t know. It was different.” I tried to remember; I knew it made me feel warmer, but it always faded after he left. “I never bothered looking because it wasn’t permanent. The feeling always went away. Back then it was as if he was letting me borrow the warmth. This time it was like he was forcing it into me, making me take it.”
“Maybe this will fade, too?”