head back.”
Arianna silently followed Turner back to his bike. Turner was lost in his own thoughts, and she didn’t want to interrupt them. The ride back to Turner’s home was faster than Arianna wanted. She still wasn’t sure how much she wanted to see Devin, knowing that he had allowed her to be an experiment. Always a gentleman, Turner walked Arianna to her bedroom door where Devin was waiting inside. Turner leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.
“ Happy birthday,” he added as Arianna opened the door to her room.
Devin , as usual, sat on the couch reading. He didn’t look up as she entered.
“ Are you feeling tired?” he asked, setting his reading glasses down on top of the latest stack. For eighteen, he was much more mature than his age suggested.
Arianna wanted to be mad at him , but, as always, his assessment was correct. She plopped down on the couch next to him. “A little.” She was still mad, just too tired to actually care.
“ Do you want to sleep some?”
“ No,” she replied. Devin waited for her to continue. She stared across the room before looking back at him. “ Why?” Was the only word she could squeak out before the tears came. Devin pulled her onto his lap. The feeling of his heart beating calmed her a bit and stopped the tears. Arianna caught her breath again and asked, “Why would you let them experiment on me?”
“ Oh Ari,” he said, gently stroking her head, which was now resting against him. Her eyes became heavy as the sound of his heart amplified. Arianna felt the lull of sleep pulling at her, and after being sick so recently, she was too tired to refuse.
SIX
Arianna lifted her head from Devin’s bare chest with a start. He quickly sat up also and looked around the room for danger. He was ready to pounce. In an instant, Devin could go from quietly sleeping to cutting down an unknown enemy. He had trained for years, and it showed in every moment of his life. He was the best guardian she could ever have. He always put her safety first and was the first to stand up and defend her from anything.
“ Did you hear something?” he asked.
Arianna never woke unless she sensed something. In the past year, Devin never failed to be one step ahead of her in everything. He knew when she was hungry or needed to feed. He knew when she needed to sleep or needed a break from her new life. He knew everything one moment before she did.
Arianna rubbed her eyes. “Why are we in here?” she asked, looking around the bedroom more. She remembered waking up at the Winter estate, but her last memory was of sitting beside Devin in the front room. Over the last six months, more and more of her memory was gone. It started with only minutes to hours missing, but now, she would wake to now find days were completely gone.
“ I thought you were out again, so I decided we could go to bed.” Devin relaxed as the sense of danger passed.
“ Again?” Arianna knew something was missing.
“ Like after the last council meeting.” Devin pulled on her to get her to lay back down too.
“ Oh,” Arianna replied. Her face reddened as she looked at her clothes and realized she was now in pajamas.
“ Molina changed you for me,” Devin replied in response to her embarrassment.
“ But I thought I didn’t sleep unless with you or Turner. How could she change my clothes without waking me?” Arianna had been having trouble sleeping since the first night she turned. She had too much power, which included super-sensitive hearing that only had gotten better in the past year.
“ Lately you’ve been sleeping very soundly once we get you to sleep,” Devin replied.
Silence stretched on as neither talked. Finally Arianna asked, “Is that how you could take my blood to study.”
Devin ’s controlled exterior melted. “Oh, Ari, I’d never do that to you. We used some blood left over from last year after you healed everyone. There was a pitcher that had less than a glassful
Arianna silently followed Turner back to his bike. Turner was lost in his own thoughts, and she didn’t want to interrupt them. The ride back to Turner’s home was faster than Arianna wanted. She still wasn’t sure how much she wanted to see Devin, knowing that he had allowed her to be an experiment. Always a gentleman, Turner walked Arianna to her bedroom door where Devin was waiting inside. Turner leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.
“ Happy birthday,” he added as Arianna opened the door to her room.
Devin , as usual, sat on the couch reading. He didn’t look up as she entered.
“ Are you feeling tired?” he asked, setting his reading glasses down on top of the latest stack. For eighteen, he was much more mature than his age suggested.
Arianna wanted to be mad at him , but, as always, his assessment was correct. She plopped down on the couch next to him. “A little.” She was still mad, just too tired to actually care.
“ Do you want to sleep some?”
“ No,” she replied. Devin waited for her to continue. She stared across the room before looking back at him. “ Why?” Was the only word she could squeak out before the tears came. Devin pulled her onto his lap. The feeling of his heart beating calmed her a bit and stopped the tears. Arianna caught her breath again and asked, “Why would you let them experiment on me?”
“ Oh Ari,” he said, gently stroking her head, which was now resting against him. Her eyes became heavy as the sound of his heart amplified. Arianna felt the lull of sleep pulling at her, and after being sick so recently, she was too tired to refuse.
SIX
Arianna lifted her head from Devin’s bare chest with a start. He quickly sat up also and looked around the room for danger. He was ready to pounce. In an instant, Devin could go from quietly sleeping to cutting down an unknown enemy. He had trained for years, and it showed in every moment of his life. He was the best guardian she could ever have. He always put her safety first and was the first to stand up and defend her from anything.
“ Did you hear something?” he asked.
Arianna never woke unless she sensed something. In the past year, Devin never failed to be one step ahead of her in everything. He knew when she was hungry or needed to feed. He knew when she needed to sleep or needed a break from her new life. He knew everything one moment before she did.
Arianna rubbed her eyes. “Why are we in here?” she asked, looking around the bedroom more. She remembered waking up at the Winter estate, but her last memory was of sitting beside Devin in the front room. Over the last six months, more and more of her memory was gone. It started with only minutes to hours missing, but now, she would wake to now find days were completely gone.
“ I thought you were out again, so I decided we could go to bed.” Devin relaxed as the sense of danger passed.
“ Again?” Arianna knew something was missing.
“ Like after the last council meeting.” Devin pulled on her to get her to lay back down too.
“ Oh,” Arianna replied. Her face reddened as she looked at her clothes and realized she was now in pajamas.
“ Molina changed you for me,” Devin replied in response to her embarrassment.
“ But I thought I didn’t sleep unless with you or Turner. How could she change my clothes without waking me?” Arianna had been having trouble sleeping since the first night she turned. She had too much power, which included super-sensitive hearing that only had gotten better in the past year.
“ Lately you’ve been sleeping very soundly once we get you to sleep,” Devin replied.
Silence stretched on as neither talked. Finally Arianna asked, “Is that how you could take my blood to study.”
Devin ’s controlled exterior melted. “Oh, Ari, I’d never do that to you. We used some blood left over from last year after you healed everyone. There was a pitcher that had less than a glassful
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