Page 160 of The Black Witch

I’m interrupted by a tentative knock at my door.

Setting down my pen, I get up and open the door to find Aislinn, her eyes red and puffy.

“Aislinn, what’s the matter?” I ask, surprised.

“I—I need to talk to you,” she stammers.

I let her in and close the door behind us. She plops down onto my bed, her arms clasped protectively around herself, and begins to sob.

I sit down and put a comforting hand on her heaving back. “Aislinn, what’s wrong?”

“Jarod kissed me!” she blurts out, her tone deeply anguished.

My eyes fly open in surprise. I know how much Aislinn dislikes kissing.

“Did he force you?” I ask, a protective edge rearing up, along with strident disbelief that Jarod could be capable of such a thing.

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “No. It just...happened.”

Relief washes over me. “Then why are you so upset?”

“Because...I...” She doubles over as if in pain. I try to calm her down by shushing her and rubbing her back. She turns to me, her face soaked with tears. “Ilikedit!”

I blink at her, baffled. “That’swhy you’re crying?”

“No,” she sobs, her voice stuffy. “That’s a lie. I didn’t just like it. Ilovedit. We kissed for over an hour,” she chokes out. “It was like heaven. I never knew. I’ve never felt that way before! I thought it was all made up. All those silly romantic ideas. I thought no one ever really felt that way. Oh, Elloren, my life is ruined!”

I shake my head vehemently. “It’s not ruined—”

“How can I ever be happy with Randall now? Now that I know what it’s like with Jarod? Why can’t Jarod be a Gardnerian? He’sLupine, Elloren! Do you know what my family would do to me if they knew I’d spent the last hour kissing a Lupine? They’d disown me! I’d never see my mother again! My sisters! My nieces and nephews! I’d be all alone! I’m going to hell, Elloren! I’m an abomination!”

“You are not going to hell. You don’t really believe Jarod is evil, do you?”

“No!” she cries. “I just... My whole world is upside down. I shouldneverhave taken that class with him. Oh, Elloren, what am I going todo?”

“What happened,” I ask, “after he kissed you?”Ancient One, this is a complicated mess.

“I started crying,” she sobs. “And I ran away.”

I let out a long breath, dismayed. “Oh. Poor Jarod.”

That only makes her cry harder.

“What if your parents actually met him?” I venture, grasping for some hope. “Remember howwewere scared of Jarod and Diana? Maybe if they saw how nice he is...”

“You don’tunderstand! You have no idea how strict they are!My father is Gardneria’s ambassador to the Lupines. Hehatesthem. He has all sorts of...ideasabout them!” She shakes her head vehemently. “I can’t be around Jarod anymore. I’ll just stay as far away from him as I possibly can.” Her head falls into her hands, her slender body racked with violent sobbing.

A knock at my door pulls my attention away. I get up and open the door to find Jarod standing in the hallway, not in tears, but still looking distraught.

“I need to talk to Aislinn,” he says.

I step out into the hallway and close the door. “I don’t think she wants to talk to you right now.”

“Can I talk to you, then?” he asks, his brow deeply furrowed. “She probably told you what happened.”

“She did. Jarod, she can’t be with a Lupine. She’d be disowned.”

“I’m in love with her, Elloren.”

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