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  “Not that I know of, no. But your father wasn’t a Soul Seer either. So, I’m not sure.”

  “Hmm.” Thinking about all the wonderfulness that Jonah was made up of, I wondered what was so special about us to make our abilities stronger after sleeping together. Mmm… sleeping together. I couldn’t help the smile that crept up on my face with the memory of lying naked in Jonah’s arms.

  “You’re blocking me,” my mom stated, effectively bringing me out of my reverie.

  “Yes, well—”

  “You can block me,” she stated again, interrupting me and making me laugh.

  “Yes, I can. I told you. It’s like a switch was flipped. Everything is easier. Everything just makes sense now.” Just as that last line came out of my mouth, I thought about it. There was still one thing that didn’t quite make sense. “I take that back. Jesse still doesn’t make sense.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Propping my ass on the arm of the couch, I tried to explain my suspicions. “Well, she’s hiding something, that’s for sure. And we know she was sent from the Sideri to keep an eye on us. But, something has been nagging at me since we saw her earlier today.”

  “Wait a minute,” my mom said as she placed her hand on my leg. “You saw her again today?”

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “She came by Lavendine to talk with us, yet she really didn’t say much of anything. But, something tells me this is much more personal than she’s letting on.”

  “Personal how?”

  “I don’t know. I am definitely going to find out, but I don’t want her to feel attacked. So, I’m going to let her walk into my dreams again tonight,” I said as I looked into my mother’s worried eyes.

  “Ella, that’s very dangerous. And plus, if she wanted to walk into your dreams, there’s nothing you could really do about it other than wake up.”

  “That’s another thing I haven’t told you yet,” I responded with a little bit of a smug attitude. “I’m a dream walker. I’ve been visiting Jonah’s dreams since the accident. Even though I haven’t tried yet, I’m fairly confident I can block people from my dreams as well.”

  “That actually explains a lot,” she said, looking away briefly as she thought about something. You were always so distant when you were unconscious, yet I knew you were active. I could just tell.

  As she looked back into my eyes, I nodded, fully aware of just what she meant.

  After several long, silent moments, my stomach pierced the silence with a grumble. “Well, I better grab a snack and get showered if I plan to have a dream date with Jesse.”

  “Just be careful, Ella. If she’s been dream walking her entire life, she’ll know more than you,” my mother warned.

  “That’s why I’m letting her come to me—so I can control the dream,” I clarified. “Plus, I don’t think she wants to be threatening. I think the threats are just a defense mechanism… and I plan on finding out why.”

  Chapter Four

  Driving home from Ella’s house made me feel empty—like something was missing.

  “Oh yeah, my heart,” I said to no one in particular.

  Christ, I was such a sap. I was acting like I couldn’t go five minutes without her. The truth was, I didn’t want to go five minutes without her. But, I knew I had to. She still lived with her mother and that kind of stuff can get a little messy. Plus, we haven’t technically been together for very long. A little time apart is good for us, right?

  “Yeah, whatever you want to believe,” I said, chastising myself again.

  It didn’t take long for me to get to my apartment. Before I climbed out, I looked over and noticed Ella’s little sweater sitting on the passenger seat. Picking it up, I brought it to my nose and sniffed.

  Yes, I was being weird, but I know any girl fanning herself over some boy would do the same thing.

  The sweater smelled just like her.

  “Jasmine,” I whispered.

  Balling the thin fabric into my hand, I locked up the Charger and headed for my door. Before reaching the top step, I could hear Jay’s thoughts while he flipped through the TV channels.

  “Hey, Jay. Whatta’ya say?” I rhymed as I entered the door.

  “You know I hate it when you do that,” he seethed, while still clicking the remote with vigor.

  “That’s what makes it funny,” I said, making my way to the kitchen. God, I was starving.

  “Where’s your girl?” Jay asked.

  With condiments for a sandwich cluttering my arms and a piece of cheese hanging from my mouth, I peeked over the fridge door and looked at my friend. He still sat on the couch, staring at the boob tube like a zombie, waiting for me to answer his unnecessary question.

  His attraction to Ella was beginning to get on my nerves. Yeah, she was beautiful, but that didn’t give him a reason to be gawking after her and asking about her whereabouts.

  Tossing the stuff for my sandwich on the counter, I bit through the cheese slice and asked, “Why does it matter where Ella is?”

  “Slow your roll, Jonah. I was just asking because I have my girlfriend coming over soon and Ella kinda jumped down her throat the other night for no reason. I just didn’t want any more issues,” he explained with his hands up in a defensive stance.

  “Ella is at her house and won’t be coming over tonight,” I answered quietly. “And Ella didn’t mean anything by that. She thought she heard you say something to her and things were misunderstood. That’s all.”

  Jay just nodded, accepting my weak story. It only took me a minute to scarf down my sandwich so I could get the hell out of dodge before his girlfriend came over.

  Damn, I couldn’t even remember her name.

  “Kay, Jay. I’m taking a quick shower and crashing. I have to pull a double at Lavendine tomorrow now that Eve is gone,” I said with a wave.

  “I already made plans tomorrow, otherwise I’d help.”

  “I know, man. It’s all right. I want to show Ella the ropes anyway.” Before he could respond, I made my way down the hall.

  Jay’s mind stayed fairly quiet as he remained comfortably numb in front of the television. It was a good thing too because after stuffing my face, I seriously needed to crash.

  Texting Ella was in the forefront of my mind before I hopped in the shower.

  Jay has his girl coming over in just a bit. Hope I fall asleep before she gets here so I don’t have to listen to any of their mind games.

  Hearing the phone buzz with a message, I hurried up with my two-minute shower so I could check it.

  Eww. Well, my night has been eventful so far. My mom could tell.

  Her mom could tell? What did she mean by that?

  Just as I typed the words, She could tell wh—, it hit me. Ella definitely looked stronger and more vibrant ever since this morning. She had a newfound confidence about her that was truly stunning. And, I’m only guessing her mom could tell there was a change.

  Erasing the text before I could send it, I sent her a different inquiry.

  And how’d that go?

  I didn’t even want to put the phone down as I slipped on some boxer briefs.

  Very well actually. She said she was happy for us.

  Huh. Well, not the response I was expecting, but I couldn’t exactly argue with the woman. I was happy for us too.

  Really? That bad, huh?

  Grabbing my charger from the table beside my bed, I plugged in my phone and looked up at my drawing of Ella on the horse. My phone buzzed on the wooden surface, bringing my attention back to the real world.

  LOL

  I guess she couldn’t think of anything better to say to my corny joke.

  I love you. I’ll pick you up at 9 tomorrow if that’s okay?

  The vibrating response was almost immediate.

  Can’t wait. Love you too.

  Placing my phone back on the nightstand, I grabbed the light remote and plummeted myself into darkness.

  Chapter Five

  Sleep eluded me.

/>   After texting Jonah, I was hoping to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. No such luck.

  The neighbors’ thoughts were rattling on about inane things, causing an ache to form between my ears. The lady who lived behind us was mentally bitching about how she had to cook and clean up the mess, while her husband propped his feet up and watched the ballgame. A little boy next door thought loudly how much he hated his sister and wished she would let him into her room. I could hear him plot an attack by laying various Lego blocks outside her door.

  The thoughts rambling around in my head were just too much for me to handle as my mind continued in overdrive.

  Peeking over at the clock, I noticed it was nearing midnight. The glowing digits seemed to laugh at me, taunt me, while I struggled to break free from the insomnia that held me hostage.

  Just as I felt myself sinking into the plush pillow top, deeper with each passing moment, I suddenly jerked awake with the feeling I was missing something important. Each time my heart began to slow, I would suddenly jolt and its rhythm would increase its pace once again.

  I considered the possibility that I was apprehensive about the uncertainty of what would happen once I crossed over into my dreams. The worry continued to occupy the back of my mind, allowing the night to take sides and war with my need for rest.

  I had to be confident I could keep control—otherwise my nerves would clearly be the death of me. Deciding I no longer wanted to be held captive by the fear that clouded my mind, I talked myself into letting go of the uncertain.

  “Calm,” I coaxed to myself. “Breathe and block.” Closing my eyes, I counted to five. With a deep inhale, I tried to hold my breath and push all the negative thoughts away, focusing solely on my inner core. Exhaling helped me cleanse my battered brain of all the clutter and allowed me a moment of peace so I could attempt sleep once again.

  My foggy thoughts wandered. Space. Stars. Illuminated darkness.

  Warmth settled around my body—the exact opposite of what I expected to feel. As the feeling of muggy heat continued to surround me, I examined my surroundings.

  Hearing water and feeling the humidity increase, I realized I was near a waterfall deep in the jungle. No city lights drowned out the bright stars overhead.

  “What are you doing here?” a voice demanded from behind me.

  Even though I didn’t hear her approach, her presence also didn’t alarm me. I knew who I was following and I felt a bit of relief I had tracked her successfully.

  “I would have come to you,” Jesse said as I turned to look at her.

  “This place is beautiful. Where are we?” I asked. I knew we were in her dream, so she either imagined this place or had experienced it in the past.

  “Costa Rica. I remember my grandfather bringing me here when I was younger,” she answered, while making her way over to a set of rocks. Settling down on top of one, she continued to explain her dreamscape. “This waterfall is my strongest memory of our trip.”

  Sitting down on a rock next to her, I examined the girl who I once thought of as my friend.

  “You do understand why I’m so confused, right?” I asked, knowing darn well she knew how hurt I felt over her betrayal.

  Nodding, she didn’t speak a word at first. She just sat with her hands beneath her legs and stared down at the water trickling past our feet below the rocks. I let her sit and think for a moment, knowing she was attempting to choose her words wisely.

  “At first it was just an assignment,” she finally blurted out. Looking in my direction, her eyes begged for me to understand. “Then I got to know your mom and eventually you. Now my concern is even more prominent because I actually care for you all.”

  “That’s what I don’t get. What’s to be so concerned about?”

  “Now I know you’re not dumb, Ella. You know that blood transfusion is the whole reason I was assigned to stalk you and Jonah. You may not want to admit to it, but it was a huge mistake for Divinus to make that decision,” she deadpanned.

  “So, he was supposed to just let me die? Is that it? The Sideri would rather a Soul Seer die than for our own kind to rescue each other?” I waited for her to answer, but instead watched her grab her head and run her fingers through her long, dark hair. Her face grimaced, almost as if she was in some sort of pain.

  “You just don’t get it,” she whispered, while continuing to hold her head in her hands and shake it back and forth.

  “No, I don’t get it. That’s why I need you. I need you to explain…” That seemed to strike a nerve. She sat up and looked at me, an imaginary light bulb going off above her head.

  “Okay. I’m going to tell you a story—a story that has completely changed my life and the lives of many Soul Seers,” she said, before pausing as if she needed to gather some strength to tell me what was on her mind.

  “About a century ago, a male Soul Seer decided to start a blood bank comprised of only Soul-Seer blood. His initial reasons seemed very legit because there were so many unknowns with the human to Soul-Seer blood ratio. When a Soul Seer donated blood, their information was categorized based on age, ethnicity, health, blood type—pretty much everything that humans use. The only difference was Soul Seers had the additional abilities category. The abilities also had to be factored in when matching up donors and patients.”

  Taking a deep breath, Jesse continued. “Unknown to all the donors, this man was using some of the blood on himself as an experiment… to see if his powers would increase. He became stronger, and with that strength came corruption. He was blood hungry and began seeking out other Soul Seers who had abilities he wanted. If they didn’t willingly donated, he took extreme measures to make sure he got his hands on their blood. His desperation for power consumed him, making him a very dangerous, immoral man.”

  “Does the Sideri think I will turn into a monster because of this?” I asked, knowing that was what she had been getting at and confident she was wrong on so many levels.

  “Just wait. I’m not done yet,” she said, holding her hand up as if to gesture for me to shut it. I nodded for her to continue. “So, after this man was eliminated, the Soul Seer Blood Bank was destroyed and the Sideri forbade blood transfusions between our kind, even when they knew it was the only choice in dire situations. Even though they did ask me to keep tabs on you and Jonah because of their suspicions, I have more personal reasons for my involvement in this.”

  Leaning over, Jesse wrapped her arms around her midsection as if she was trying desperately to hold herself in one piece. I could tell she was in pain—an emotional pain so deep, it was hard for her to even consider speaking it out loud.

  “God, this is so hard,” she whispered as a tear trickled down her milky-white cheek. To let her know I was here for her, I placed my hand on hers, hoping to show her the friendship we had developed over time. I didn’t say anything because I knew my words would be nothing but unnecessary promises to someone so consumed with emotional turmoil.

  “My grandfather suffered the same fate as the man who started the blood bank,” Jesse blurted out. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she looked at me with such sorrow my heart ached. “The same thing happened to him—a hunting accident left him in need of blood. Unbeknownst to me, a doctor friend of his decided his life was worth saving and, knowing his blood type matched that of my grandfather, he transfused him with his own blood. He healed up nicely, but the blood was like a drug to him. He began to crave it like his life depended on more in order to survive. The doctor refused to help him any further and ended up losing his life because of it.”

  Jesse’s hands shook as she continued with her heartbreaking story. “When my grandfather came after me, I had no choice. It wasn’t even him anymore. It was a rabid version of him—a monster stuck inside his skin.”

  She then looked deep into my eyes, and with a sob, said, “I had no choice. I had to defend myself.”

  I awoke only to find my lungs empty. Gasping for air, I couldn’t help but let out an audible cry. Nearl
y breaking down into a fit of tears, I composed myself quickly and sprang out of bed. Wearing nothing but my little night shorts and a tank, I ran out the front door and sprinted to Jesse’s house next door. Considering it was now three in the morning and Jesse’s parents weren’t home yet again, if they even were her parents, I knew I wouldn’t be bothering anyone but her.

  Before I had a chance to beat down the door, it swung open, revealing Jesse’s startled form.

  “Ella!”

  “Jess!”

  We both spoke simultaneously, saying each other’s names with breathless exclamation. Not hesitating in the slightest, I sprang forward and grasped onto her with all my strength. Friend or foe, no one should have to go through the emotional torment she had to face with the death of her grandfather. A hug felt so inadequate in comparison, but I knew it was all I had to offer.

  “Now do you see why I’m so worried?” she mumbled as she backed away and wiped vigorously at her tear-stained face.

  Yeah, I understood her worry. I also had a ton of questions that I wasn’t sure she was composed enough to answer.

  Chapter Six

  My phone’s vibration pounded angrily against the wood table next to my head and startled me from a deep sleep. Noticing it was nearing four in the morning, I sprang into a sitting position and looked at the caller ID.

  Seeing Ella’s beautiful face on my screen made my heart nearly leap from my chest.

  What could be going on at this hour?

  “Hello?” I mumbled. Even though my heart and mind were now wide-awake, my lips obviously weren’t.

  “Jonah…” she sighed.

  “Ella, what the hell? Are you okay?” I asked frantically.

  “Yes, I just can’t get back to sleep now. My heart is racing. There’s so much to tell you.”

  “Okay, I’m here. Tell me.” Wiping at my face, I forced myself to wake up so I could concentrate on her beautiful voice.

  Ella’s words filled my ear as she told me all about Jesse’s story and her personal reasons for involving herself in our lives. My heart weighed heavy as Ella uttered the words, “She had to kill her own grandfather, Jonah.”