Waking Sebastian by Melinda Barron Page A

figure into the conversation. Except she’d already told Marta that she and Sebastian had kissed.
    This dialogue was dangerous, and could lead places Michelle didn’t want to go. An about face was needed right now. “Do you know where Sebastian’s body is?”
    “Yes.” Marta worked at the stove and counter, her back to Michelle.
    “Will you show me?”
    “No.” This time she turned to face her. “I am his guardian. I am entrusted to his care, and leading you there without your agreement to try and help him would be foolish on my part.”
    “I didn’t say I wouldn’t help.” Michelle ogled the plate of food Marta put in front of her. Eggs, bacon and toast. It made her mouth water and she picked up her fork, eating faster than she should have. When she was partway through, she paused to take a sip of the juice Marta had given her. “Listen, falling in love isn’t easy. And if you expect to have someone just pop in and save this guy, I think you’re living a pipe dream.”
    Marta put her own plate down, then sat. She didn’t touch any of her food, though. Instead she kept her gaze on Michelle. “Tell me, then, why you are the only one who has ever seen him? In one hundred and eighty six years, no one—not me, not any of my ancestors—has ever seen him. And we are his guardians. If there is not a bond between you, why did this happen?”
    “She is right you know…” Charles’ voice drifted off as Michelle held up her hand.
    “I’m sorry, I simply don’t believe I can fall in love with someone I just met. Maybe I’m only the catalyst to get the ball rolling. Maybe now that he’s out of the dark, so to speak, you’ll see him, too. Come to the cove in the morning.”
    Marta ran her fork through her eggs. “I’ve been to that cove many times, as a child and as an adult. I’ve never seen him. Not once. I’ve never felt an inkling of his spirit, or witnessed a glimmer of his presence. If I had not seen his sleeping body and the bochio, I would think him nothing more than a myth handed down from generation to generation.”
    Michelle wasn’t quite sure what to say. She wanted to help Sebastian, she truly did. But she’d made a promise to herself to never fall in love again until she was one hundred perfect certain it would last. Forever. Since she’d only known Sebastian for three hours, technically, she couldn’t come to that conclusion. There was no telling what would happen if she did let herself go and then released him.
    She stood quickly, glancing down at Marta. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you later this afternoon.”
    Michelle marched out of the room, hurrying so she didn’t have to answer any questions. But she didn’t have to worry about that. The woman remained silent, and Michelle was almost to her room before Charles spoke up again.
    “You are a fool, you know. You deny yourself happiness.”
    “How do you know?” She slammed into the room, noticing her empty desk. Her laptop and papers were still at the beach. She needed to go and get them, in case an afternoon rainstorm visited the area. “Stay here, Charles.”
    She was almost to the beach before Charles sounded in her head again. “Are you not the same woman who helped Hannah overcome her fear of my cock?”
    Everything was exactly where she left it, and she gathered it into a pile, stuffing the stack into the huge bag that was her constant companion. She put her laptop on top of the papers. “It’s not the same thing, Charles. Just leave it alone.”
    “It seems to me as if you are allowing Justin to control your life, even after he made it clear that he had no more interest in you.”
    Anger mixed with pain flowed through her. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “Don’t I? Look at it this way. I am your muse, yes, but I am not real. The things I think come from you. Somewhere down inside you have budding feelings for Sebastian. I am telling you to listen to those feelings. So in essence, you are