Page 17 of Tainted Gifts
“Really. I’m sorry, but I dress like a hybrid. Get over it.”
I hold up the small, almost sheer fabric of the red shirt she has brought out, and I growl as I stare at the very revealing wardrobe she has assembled.
Definitely going shopping soon.
With a severely begrudged motion, I walk into the bathroom to change into the clothes - or what little clothes there are to change into.
“I’ve got to get back to my girl. She has to leave soon, but I’ll be back after while,” Rex says through the door.
“Okay, I’ll see you later.”
I hear the door shut, and then I feel that odd pulling in the pit of my stomach as though I’m forgetting something.
“You going to be a diva and take all day to change, or what?” Simone teases through the door.
I wobble as I turn the shower on, stumbling into the wall when I lose all bearings. I feel sick, dizzy, and so frigging confused. It’s like I have to go somewhere, but I have no idea where the fuck I’m supposed to be going. I feel the desire to have someone with me, but I don’t know who.
Jase? Ace? I don’t know what’s going on.
“Hey,” Simone says more worriedly when I don’t respond. “You okay?”
“I… I don’t know. Can you check my blood?”
The door creaks open, and she walks in with a troubled grimace.
“What’s going on?”
“I just don’t feel right. Can you see if anything is going on that shouldn’t be?”
She nods, and then I close my eyes as she pulls out the uranium tipped knife from her makeup bag. I don’t flinch as it breaks the surface of my flesh, and I plop down on the ground as she draws out the blood to mingle with the steam from my hot shower.
Chapter
Unmasked
“It’s been four days, Aria. How do you feel?” Simone asks as I step through the room, wearing of her racy ensembles.
Worse.
“A little better,” I murmur while ignoring the terrible feeling that is only growing in the pit of my stomach.
I feel so lost right now, and a sinking abyss is trying to swallow me whole for every breath I take.
The door opens and my stomach jumps to my throat when Jase’s face comes into view along with his traveling entourage. He smiles softly, though his eyes radiate his true pain.
Dogs, cats, frogs leaping through the air.
He smiles bigger when he hears my mind’s desperate attempt to steer clear of the thoughts I know would only betray me.
“We’ve caught a fresh trail on Maverick. I want you to be the one to lead the way. We’ll have more gifted with us than usual for protection purposes, Ms. Banner.”
Ms. Banner? What the hell?
He stifles a devious grin when my mind’s big mouth runs amuck, and I tighten my lips as though it’ll help shut down my damn rogue brain.
“I’ll be down shortly. You could have just called.”
His eyes burn into mine, and his entourage starts to walk out as if they’re giving us some privacy. Simone deserts me as she follows them, and Jase takes several steps to become dangerously close to me.
