Wicked Secrets Page 16

  She stared at him for a moment, biting her lip, a fire roaring inside her and demanding she kiss him again right now. Swallowing the nerves fluttering in her throat, Ember slid onto his lap, and looked into his face. His expression was surprisingly complicated, full of uncertainty and guilt and lust and something else…something she didn’t recognise. She didn’t understand it, not really.

  He opened his mouth, his lips getting ready to shape words, but all he managed was, “Ember, I…” Then he looked away, sighing shakily. She wondered what he’d been about to say, but before she could ask, he tipped his head back, lifting his hand to curl it around the back of her neck, and kissed her again, almost savagely, as if to obliterate the words that had been forming on his lips. His tongue slid along her lower lip, teasing, and she made a soft sound of delight, forgetting to ask about whatever he’d been about to say. His hands skimmed down her bare sides to her hips, tugging her closer, and he groaned when she shifted against him. Her heart skipped a beat, her stomach knotting and dipping, and she wondered why she hadn’t done this before – wondering why the hell she’d pushed him away so many times, smacked his hands away, broken their kisses when she really wanted to keep going. Self-respect? Nervousness? Whatever the reason was, it wasn’t worth losing this feeling. This time, she didn’t break away and she didn’t try to smack his hands away when they wandered, his thumbs brushing her skin just above the waistband of her pyjama bottoms, raising goosebumps. She felt dizzy and drunk and drugged from his touches, from the taste of his lips. His hands slid up her back to the clasp of her bra, his mouth hesitating on hers with a silent question on his lips…

  And then a raised voice echoed through the quiet library, over the sounds of their gasps and heavy breathing, and they froze, listening.

  “Hello? Is someone here?” the voice called, too loud.

  Oh, no, Ember thought, pressing her forehead into Reid’s shoulder. She wasn’t sure what to do; move now and risk making a noise, or stay where she was and risk getting caught in this intimate position…?

  “Hello? I can hear you.” It was a guy’s voice, and he was probably telling the truth. Her heart was beating so hard it sounded like a drum to her own ears, and she it wouldn’t have surprised her if it was audible in the near silent, echoing library. Footsteps, barely discernible above the thudding of her heart and her ragged breathing, warned her that whoever was there was coming in their direction. Crap!

  She scrambled off Reid’s lap. The footsteps were getting closer. She needed an idea, like, now! She scanned the little corner they were in and spotted the foot-and-a-half wide gap between the wall and the tallest bookshelf. She tapped Reid, who was looking past her into the darkness with a dangerous look in his eyes, and pointed to the gap. He got the message and hid, easily slipping sideways into the gap. Ember grabbed her grey cardigan and pulled it on frantically. She turned and started pulling books from the nearest shelf, stacking a few on the table and then grabbing one to hold against her chest, hoping to muffle her insane heartbeat. The footsteps were so close now that the intruder couldn’t have been more than a few seconds away.

  Ember sent up a quick prayer and began running her fingers over the spines of the books on the shelves, pretending she was looking for one she couldn’t find. She could see the titles quite clearly with her enhanced night-sight and she tapped on one that looked like a good option: Jane Austen’s Emma.

  “Hello? Oh, Ember! What’re you doing down here?” Now she recognised the voice, and she wanted to bang her head on the bookshelf in front of her. She had the worse luck ever. The universe was probably laughing at her right now.

  Slowly, reluctantly, she turned around and forced a smile at Owen. “Oh, I’m trying to find a book to do a report on for English. I totally forgot I was supposed to hand in an essay on a classic romance novel like a week ago and I figured I’d better do it now since I can’t sleep. Best to get it out of the way so I can relax for the next two weeks, right?” She laughed nervously, a little breathless.

  He looked at her oddly, as if he didn’t quite believe her, but he nodded anyway. “Hey, well, you should get back to your room. You shouldn’t be wandering around at night, it could be dangerous. You never know who’s lurking in the shadows.” His words sent shivers down her spine for some inexplicable reason. Did he know who was currently hiding in the nearest shadows? She didn’t dare look over at Reid’s hiding place, fearing it’d attract Owen’s attention.

  “Yeah, I guess. Wait, what’re you doing here?” she asked as she started piling books back on the shelf quickly, desperate to get out of here before Owen spotted her boyfriend in the corner – she could feel Reid’s simmering annoyance from here. It would be humiliating beyond words, especially after her earlier dream…Oh, crap, was that why he’d come to find her? To ask her about that? Or to continue where the dream had broken off? Ember felt her heart hammering against her ribs and she felt a bit dizzy. No, no, no.

  “Couldn’t sleep either. Had things on my mind…” Owen said with a tiny smile. Oh God. She swallowed nervously. “So I thought I’d go for a wander. I just happened to hear voices in here as I walked past. Were you talking to yourself again?” Owen smiled.

  Glad for the convenient excuse, she nodded. “Yeah, you know I’m like. Anyway, we’d better get out of here. I don’t know what the rules are for breaking into the library in the middle of the night.”

  She grabbed a couple of books, not bothering to look to see which ones, and started walking away. Owen agreed and placed his hand on her back to lead her out. She flinched away from his touch but he didn’t seem to notice. She let him lead her out of the library and back to her room through the darkened hallways. And the whole time she was tense, expecting him to ask about the dream.

  *

  They reached her room at last and he hadn’t said a word. But when she said goodnight to him and started to turn the handle, he grasped her wrist.

  “Wait a sec, Emy,” he murmured. Oh, hell, she thought, biting her lip and trying not to look panicked. He was going to ask now. She was sure of it. “You know what I said before, about…Soulmates and stuff…” he said, and she froze. He went on in a soft voice, “Look, I didn’t mean to freak you out. I mean, it could’ve been anything really. It could’ve just been the combination of adrenaline and shock. I could be wrong. And don’t worry, I’m not expecting anything. You’ve got Reid.” The way he said Reid’s name told her he was about as fond of her boyfriend as Reid was of him.

  Realising she needed to say something, Ember nodded. “Uh, yeah, I was a little freaked out. But it’s okay. Really. If we can just…pretend it never happened, that would be really good.”

  For just a second, something dark flickered through Owen’s eyes. But then he smiled, and nodded. “Yeah, of course. Sure.”

  Anxious to get away, Ember put her hand on the door handle. “Well, I should go. I’m feeling tired now. Um, I’ll see you…tomorrow,” she lied. She would be avoiding him as much as possible all day tomorrow.

  “Sure. We still have to work on your powers.” He winked, touched her shoulder gently, and walked off down the hall. Ember slipped into her room and closed the door.

  Damn. She’d half-hoped he wouldn’t want to train more after what had happened today. Ember sighed, and dropped down on her bed, exhausted. She pulled back the covers and curled up under the cosy duvet.

  Ten minutes later, she was staring at the grey shadows ghosting on the ceiling of her darkened room, listening to Sherry’s soft breathing and wondering if Reid was back in his room yet. Then the skin at her temples started itching, and she absently reached up to scratch at the itch before she realised what it was.

  Reid’s voice spoke in her head, sounding soft and clear as if he was murmuring in her ear. Hey, are you back in your room? he asked, and Ember shuddered, still not quite used to telepathy.

  Ember started to nod before realising how stupid that was. She thought back to him, Yeah. I can't believe that just happened. Aloud, s
he groaned, covering her face with her hands though there was nobody to see it. Sherry slept on comfortably, oblivious.

  When she heard Reid’s voice again, she could hear the grin in it. Neither can I, he said, I'm still not sure I wasn't just dreaming.

  Rolling her eyes, Ember snorted quietly. I'm not talking about the making out, Reid. I mean, Owen.

  There was a pause, and she could just feel him sighing from four doors down the hallway. Yeah, I know. I owe that punk a bloody nose for interrupting us. His mental voice had taken on a sharp edge, and Ember had no doubt he meant it.

  She laughed aloud, and then buried her face in her pillow to stifle it so she wouldn’t wake Sherry. She replied, I'd kind of like to see that at this point.

  Honestly, she would. She half wanted to punch Owen herself – not necessarily for interrupting her and Reid's library rendezvous, though that might have been part of it. But mostly she wanted to punch him for a multitude of other things, some of which she couldn’t even put a name to. Intangible stresses that buzzed about inside her head, that she was too tired to try and understand.

  Reid chuckled, and the sound stroked at the inside of her skull with silky fingers. I can make it happen. Just say the word, he said, but the edge in his voice was gone and she knew he was grinning again. She smiled into the darkness, clutching the edges of her pillow and holding it to her chest. She bit her lip, wishing just for a moment he was in the room so she could see his face, see his grin.

  Not sure what the fluttery feeling in her chest was, Ember sighed, closing her eyes. In the darker blackness behind her lids, she felt braver, and a thought began to form in her head. Reid, I...

  Suddenly uncertain where the rest of that sentence was going, Ember opened her eyes and sucked in a breath, cutting off the thought. But Reid had heard it, and he murmured back, sounding confused, what is it, Emz?

  With her heart beating a little too hard in her chest, she shook her head, even though she knew he couldn't see it. Nothing, she sighed, just...nothing. Goodnight, Reid.

  There was a beat of silence inside her head, and then Reid's voice whispered, so low and warm she could almost feel his breath on her ear: sleep tight, Firefly.

  Grinning, she tucked her pillow back behind her head and rolled over, hugging her duvet. She closed her eyes, exhaustion pulling at her limbs, and wondered if her next dream would be about Reid’s hands on her and his devilish smile in the dimness of a silent cave of pages and ink.

  Chapter Twelve

  ** Ricky **

  Keeping an eye and an ear out for potential witnesses, Ricky quickly and easily picked the lock on the door in front of him, and twisted the handle. The door came open with a click, and Ricky peered cautiously into the room. He’d seen the person who was staying here leave five minutes ago, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be something nasty set up for intruders. He didn’t trust the occupant of this room, didn’t like him at all – he was just very at hiding his disgust. But there was something about the boy with the purple eyes and too-charming smile that made Ricky’s fangs itch. He knew Reid sensed it too – hell, maybe even Ember sensed it, but she hadn’t been a vampire long enough to recognise her instincts.

  Seeing that it was clear, Ricky slipped into Owen’s room and closed the door behind him. Now, he thought, casting his gaze about the place, Let’s see what you’re hiding, you slimy little rat.

  Owen’s room was the standard for guest housing, with two single beds, a wardrobe, a dresser and a bedside table. Pale green wallpaper pasted the walls, and the cream floor tiles in the en-suite bathroom always reminded him of dull art galleries. The place was neat, with all the clothes on hangers in the wardrobe, the shoes lined up together, the bed made, and a couple of thick books piled on the dresser. It was all a slightly less expensive, less tasteful version of the permanent student rooms.

  But that was to be expected; Acorn Hills Academy was not an ordinary school and rarely let just any old riff-raff in. AHA was a school for those with lots of money, brains, talent, or, though you’d never see it in the pamphlets, supernatural origins. He knew which one Sherry was – talent; he’d seen her in Drama class, and word was that she’d be picked for a main role in the Christmas play. Ember, though, he hadn’t been sure of – brains, he’d thought, or talent for her drawings. But now he wondered if her supernatural heritage was the real reason for her entrance to the exclusive school.

  And apparently, Ricky thought as he glanced at the cover of the top book on the nightstand and frowned, she isn’t the only one. The title of the book read: Dream Walking for the Established Witch or Warlock. The words were printed in bold gold letters on the black leather cover of the book. He lifted it carefully and read the title of the book underneath, Spells, Potions and Charms – Includes Blood Spells and Lust Charms. That didn’t sound like something any reformed ex-criminal teenage boy ought to be reading.

  Damn. Ricky grimaced, a thick knot of anxiety forming in his gut. So Owen was a warlock. That explained the sliminess of him, and the way Ricky instinctively wanted to rip his throat out. It was also very bad news.

  Ricky ran a hand through his dark hair and dropped to the floor, peering under the beds for anything out of place. All he saw was dust. He got up and checked the top of the wardrobe, the drawers of the dresser and the bedside table, and under the mattresses of both beds. Nothing. Either this guy was great at hiding vampire-killing weapons, or he had none to hide. If he wasn’t here to kill vampires, why was he here? Warlock or not, Ricky was sure he wasn’t just visiting to get back in touch with Ember. The timing was too coincidental – so soon after she’d discovered her own witchy blood. And while they were already being hunted by a coven of witches? No, he was here for something less leisurely than a friendly visit.

  Ricky sighed and scanned the floor, resorting to looking for loose floorboards; there were always a few removable boards under the carpeting in these rooms. Great for stashing things like money, a diary…or a wooden stake. But before he could find a peeling edge of carpet, he heard footsteps in the hallway, heading in his direction, and voices, too. He listened carefully.

  “Hey, are you and that Ember girl, like, together? I saw you and her outside her room last night.” It was some random girl, obviously looking for gossip, probably one of Kara’s tagalongs. Ricky scowled, inching closer to the door.

  “Oh, I was just walking her back from the library. That was all,” Owen replied smoothly, but the tone of his voice was hinting at more.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” the girl whined. “And what were you two doing in the library so late, huh? Does Reid know you were with his girlfriend?”

  “We weren’t doing anything...inappropriate. I don’t know if Reid knows but I don’t see why he should.” Owen was most definitely a slimy little snake. The words themselves were almost innocent but in that context, with that sly tone, he might as well have been saying he and Ember were having sex in the library. Because that was exactly how this girl would hear it, and exactly how the rest of the school would hear it…and possibly how Reid would hear it.

  “God, I’d love to punch that bloody jackass in the face,” a voice hissed beside him, making him jump.

  Ricky whirled. “Holy hell, Reid, don’t sneak up on a guy like that! You’ll give me a heart attack.” He glared at the fuming blonde boy next to him. “How long have you been standing there?” he asked, suddenly a little worried about what Reid might’ve heard. Ricky was sure Ember wouldn’t cheat on Reid, definitely not with Owen, but Reid was known to make hasty conclusions, especially when it came to people he cared about.

  “Long enough,” Reid muttered shortly, his glare burning holes in the wooden door.

  “Reid, you know she isn’t–” Ricky started, putting a hand comfortingly on Reid’s shoulder, but the blonde boy cut him off sharply.

  “I know she isn’t cheating on me. I know for a fact because she was in the library with me last night when that asshole came in. I had to hide and let him take
her back to her room, but I would’ve loved to punch him. I’ve had a bad feeling about the guy from the minute I saw him.” Reid’s voice was cold, his eyes flashing dangerously.

  Ricky was about to show Reid the books and explain his suspicions about Owen, but then the door handle began to rattle, and the boys exchanged a coded glance. Time to go. The vampires fled, diving smoothly out the window that Reid had silently climbed in through, and falling gracefully to the concrete below.

  Landing in a crouch, Ricky looked around to make sure they hadn’t been spotted, thankful that the drizzly weather kept everyone inside. His heels stung from the impact with the ground, but he knew they needed to move before Owen found his window open.

  Standing and brushing off his jeans, Reid glanced at Ricky and asked, “Hey, why were you in there anyway?”

  Ricky shrugged. “Had the same bad feeling about the guy as you did, I guess. I wondered if there was some hidden agenda up his sleeve or something so I decided to check out his room. Why were you there? And don’t say you were going to jump the guy in his own room, please.”

  Reid nodded, pushing his hair out of his eyes with one gloved hand. Ricky couldn’t understand his friend’s obsession with his ratty fingerless gloves, but Reid refused to throw them away. “I wanted to make sure he wasn’t stalking Ember or something,” Reid said. He shook his head, grimacing. Then he glanced at Ricky, his brows pulling down. “Does he have a hidden agenda?” Reid asked, as they walked back to their own dorm.

  The clouds overhead were gunmetal grey and churning uneasily across the sky. A damp breeze swept clammy air across Ricky’s neck and he tugged up the collar of his jumper. “Well,” he said, “I think he’s a warlock. He had books about spells on his bedside table. If that doesn’t scream magic, I don’t know what does.” Ricky frowned and saw Reid grind his teeth.

  “A warlock, huh? I knew there was something creepy about the guy. Bloody vamp-hunting freak.” The blonde boy shook his head in agitation.