You will want the fire, you will want to be filled. It is your nature. I hope you do not fall, but she is much stronger than you are.”
She smiled at me, reaching out as though she would wipe away my tears. “Cling to what is good in your life. Be good to my son.” Then the water tumbled down, losing its form as she returned to the pond.
I walked back, feeling very cold and alone. She hadn’t given me much to go on. I still didn’t understand what the Empty Ones were or why I was one. I was depressed, wondering if I shouldn’t just go find Vivian right now. She seemed to be the only one who knew what was happening.
But then I thought about what Cresseda had said—Lend and I were the same, stuck between two worlds. And even though she knew what I was, she didn’t try to kill me, or tell me to stay away from her son. My step lightened as I dwelt on that. Cresseda didn’t think I was dangerous, and I would take what I could get. The rest of the Vivian and faerie crap could play itself out without me.
I didn’t care.
Okay, I cared a lot and was still worrying obsessively over it, but I wasn’t going to get involved. My connection with Vivian didn’t matter. I wasn’t like her; I didn’t care about being empty. The only things I wanted to fill me were happy thoughts of holding Lend’s hand.
LIAR, LIAR, WRIST ON FIRE
M y eyes flew open in panic—the whole world was shaking. Lend laughed, still jumping on the end of the bed. I grabbed my pillow and threw it at him. He caught it and sat cross-legged on the bed, facing me.
“Lazy,” he said.
I sat up, narrowing my eyes. “Hey, this is the first vacation I’ve had since I was eight. Give me a break.”
“Fine. But school was boring without you there. No one was freaking out over the lockers or anything.”
“They’re all fools.”
He looked down at the bedspread. “I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with some people tonight? A bunch of my friends are going to go out for pizza.”
I sat up even straighter. “Oh, my gosh, like a real date? With real teenagers?”
“I’m afraid so.”
I threw myself across the bed and wrapped my arms around his neck. “It’s like a dream come true!”
He put his arms around my back. “You’re really easy to keep happy, you know that?”
“But—oh no!” I pulled back so I could look at him; he didn’t move his arms. “You’re grounded!
Are you gonna climb out the window and steal a car?”
“Yes, because I’m insane and this is one of your television shows. I already asked my dad. He said it was okay.”
“Gosh, harsh disciplinarian, huh?”
“I think he’s glad I’m finally doing normal things. He always worried that I was too isolated.”
I smiled, sad that I didn’t have anyone worrying about whether I was social enough in my life. I mean, sure, Raquel worried whether or not I died, or if my French homework was done (maybe not in that order), but as far as emotional stuff, she was always kind of distant. I hoped David knew what he was talking about when he said she was okay.
“What?”
“What do you mean what?”
“You’re worried about something.”
I looked into his real eyes, trying to smile. I didn’t want to talk about Raquel right now. I knew I should, but it was easier to focus on the happy stuff, which definitely didn’t include wondering how
Vivian had gotten Raquel’s communicator. “I worry about a lot of things lately.”
“Can I help?”
“Maybe. We’ll talk about it later, okay? I’ve got a date to get ready for.”
“It’s gonna take you three hours to get ready?”
“I don’t know. My date’s pretty freaking hot—I’d better look good.”
He laughed, letting go of me and climbing off the bed. “Yeah, mine too. Maybe I should change?”
He shimmered, switching to blond hair and blue eyes. “What do you think? Does this face make me look fat?”
I laughed. “Maybe go Asian tonight?”
He shimmered again, switching to the cute Chinese boy. “Better?”
“Hmm. I don’t know, not quite my taste.”
“What’s your taste?” His voice shifted with every different form he took. It bothered me, as usual.
“I like guys the color of water.”
He looked down at the ground. “You really like the way I look? It doesn’t, I don’t know, freak you out?”
I stood, putting my hand on the side of his face and concentrating so that I could see under his glamour. “I really like the way you look. None of these faces you wear compare.”
He gave me a nervous frown. Then he shimmered and the color drained out, leaving just him. I hadn’t seen him like this since he was unconscious. I forgot how amazing it was. I smiled, keeping my hand on his face. The texture had changed—it was even softer and smoother, if that was possible. “There you are.” If I focused on his eyes I could make out his whole face in my peripheral vision; it was when I tried to look at anything else that it seemed to slip away.
“Here I am,” he said softly—in his real voice. It was like his mother’s, but richer and with more of a human tone to it, making it far warmer and more familiar. Just like slipping into a steaming bath when you were cold all over; I couldn’t imagine a better voice.
“I think you should know,” I said, pretending to frown, “I’m not going to be happy with your other voices now that I’ve heard the real one.”
He laughed and I went weak in the knees. Reth spreading his warmth through me was nothing compared to how I felt about Lend, how that laugh made me feel.
“You’re kind of incredible, you know that, Evie?”
“I kind of figured.” Grinning mischievously at him, I moved my hand from his face and wrapped both my arms around the back of his neck.
He put one of his hands behind my back, pulling me in closer, then traced his fingers along my jaw.
I was on the verge of hyperventilating, almost scared now that the kiss I’d dreamed of for so long seemed like it was going to happen. Our lips were only a few inches apart. Then his face went serious, and our lips weren’t any inches apart at all.