every two or three days a muffin with said coffee on the veranda. Unless of course, it’s raining, then you like the table at the front window.” He tilted his head closer to her. “I’m an artist. I notice things.”
“When do the Overtons get up?” she asked, surprised he knew so much of her habits.
“The who?”
“The other renters. So it’s just me you’re spying on?”
“Just you. And I’m not spying. I’m observing.”
She patted his arm, smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Tomorrow morning.”
“Eight o’clock?”
“Eight o’clock. Sounds good.”
“Until then.”
She walked through the gate, stopped at the curb to let the traffic go by. Damned tourists.
“Be careful,” she heard him say.
She didn’t look back until she had walked across the street. He still stood there, at the gate, a half grin on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Maybe the man had his own thinking to do.
Then he gave her a little salute and closed the gate. She looked through the window of the coffee shop and thought about going in, but decided to head on up to her room instead. A customer shifted and she saw two of the sons behind the bar washing and drying coffee mugs. Alyssa sat laughing at the counter.
Alyssa.
From here, the girl’s aura shimmered brighter than it had in a long time. Really shimmered, so many layers, the colors all mixed into a kaleidoscope of rainbows. Which wasn’t unusual. Most people had different colors or shades of colors in their auras, even as one was dominant. It all depended on the person and their experiences.
But Alyssa’s was literally all the colors, layered and interwoven.
Chills slithered down Lake’s spine and she rubbed her arms.
“That girl needs guidance, or protection.” What had made hers shimmer from dull muted colors to this bright?
Then Lake looked closer.
The aura was undoubtedly brighter, more pronounced, but, she saw something else.
Ice skittered over her skin. Terror fluttered in her heart.
Jagged scars ripped along the edges of Alyssa’s aura. New scars. These were clear, colorless breaks in the aura.
Lake stepped closer, focusing.
Only one thing caused that.
Draining. Being around something or someone that drained a person’s energy.
The scars were scattered, rough gouges that the surrounding colors seemed to slowly fill. Slowly healing themselves.
Lake had never seen anything like it.
She blinked and shook her head, trying to focus. How long had she been zoning? Alyssa now sat alone at the counter, the boys gone.
How long had she been standing here staring?
She knew she could lose time reading, trying to understand. She’d done it before. And this powerful girl—someone bumped into her.
“Excuse me,” the voice said.
And she knew.
Don’t turn around.
Don’t turn around.
Darkness floated around her, enveloped her, reaching past her towards…
Lake stared into the coffee shop and just like that, Alyssa’s head jerked up and her face paled. Then she shoved off the chair and strode towards the door.
No. No! Stay inside. She had to stay inside.
Lake all but stumbled into the door and caught Alyssa, who didn’t even seem to see her.
“Hi, Alyssa,” Lake said, her hand firm on the girl’s arm.
Alyssa tried to jerk away.
“No,” Lake said softly to her. “He’s strong, whoever the bastard is. Let him go. He’s…he’s…”
“Dark,” the young woman finished, then relaxed as a shudder danced through her small frame. Her eyes still stared out into the night. “Dark and…and…”
“Evil.”
Alyssa finally turned to Lake, her eyes glazed and haunted. “He is. Very evil. I sensed him before.”
Then she blinked, looked around and jerked her arm free. “I want to go home. I just want to go home.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“I can walk myself,” the young woman said, with the slight belligerence youth seemed to have stamped on itself.
“You can, yes, I’m sure, but I wanted to ask you
“When do the Overtons get up?” she asked, surprised he knew so much of her habits.
“The who?”
“The other renters. So it’s just me you’re spying on?”
“Just you. And I’m not spying. I’m observing.”
She patted his arm, smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Tomorrow morning.”
“Eight o’clock?”
“Eight o’clock. Sounds good.”
“Until then.”
She walked through the gate, stopped at the curb to let the traffic go by. Damned tourists.
“Be careful,” she heard him say.
She didn’t look back until she had walked across the street. He still stood there, at the gate, a half grin on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Maybe the man had his own thinking to do.
Then he gave her a little salute and closed the gate. She looked through the window of the coffee shop and thought about going in, but decided to head on up to her room instead. A customer shifted and she saw two of the sons behind the bar washing and drying coffee mugs. Alyssa sat laughing at the counter.
Alyssa.
From here, the girl’s aura shimmered brighter than it had in a long time. Really shimmered, so many layers, the colors all mixed into a kaleidoscope of rainbows. Which wasn’t unusual. Most people had different colors or shades of colors in their auras, even as one was dominant. It all depended on the person and their experiences.
But Alyssa’s was literally all the colors, layered and interwoven.
Chills slithered down Lake’s spine and she rubbed her arms.
“That girl needs guidance, or protection.” What had made hers shimmer from dull muted colors to this bright?
Then Lake looked closer.
The aura was undoubtedly brighter, more pronounced, but, she saw something else.
Ice skittered over her skin. Terror fluttered in her heart.
Jagged scars ripped along the edges of Alyssa’s aura. New scars. These were clear, colorless breaks in the aura.
Lake stepped closer, focusing.
Only one thing caused that.
Draining. Being around something or someone that drained a person’s energy.
The scars were scattered, rough gouges that the surrounding colors seemed to slowly fill. Slowly healing themselves.
Lake had never seen anything like it.
She blinked and shook her head, trying to focus. How long had she been zoning? Alyssa now sat alone at the counter, the boys gone.
How long had she been standing here staring?
She knew she could lose time reading, trying to understand. She’d done it before. And this powerful girl—someone bumped into her.
“Excuse me,” the voice said.
And she knew.
Don’t turn around.
Don’t turn around.
Darkness floated around her, enveloped her, reaching past her towards…
Lake stared into the coffee shop and just like that, Alyssa’s head jerked up and her face paled. Then she shoved off the chair and strode towards the door.
No. No! Stay inside. She had to stay inside.
Lake all but stumbled into the door and caught Alyssa, who didn’t even seem to see her.
“Hi, Alyssa,” Lake said, her hand firm on the girl’s arm.
Alyssa tried to jerk away.
“No,” Lake said softly to her. “He’s strong, whoever the bastard is. Let him go. He’s…he’s…”
“Dark,” the young woman finished, then relaxed as a shudder danced through her small frame. Her eyes still stared out into the night. “Dark and…and…”
“Evil.”
Alyssa finally turned to Lake, her eyes glazed and haunted. “He is. Very evil. I sensed him before.”
Then she blinked, looked around and jerked her arm free. “I want to go home. I just want to go home.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“I can walk myself,” the young woman said, with the slight belligerence youth seemed to have stamped on itself.
“You can, yes, I’m sure, but I wanted to ask you
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