Page 17 of Pieces of Halves

“Izzy, it matters if it is important to you, and it seems like it is,” he says, his tone soft. “I know a watching angel. I’ll see how hard it is to get ahold of him once we get to the castle. He can help you with the angel side of things.” He sighs and presses a kiss on my forehead.

“You know an angel? Who do you not know?” I frown at him.

Then again, I watched him sweet-talk a few vampire hunters into giving him the maps that he needed. The man knows how to make friends, that’s for sure.

“I’m charming.” He winks.

That is true. I cannot argue with that.

“Why do you want to find your mother so much?” I find the courage to ask as we walk along a thin, overgrown path.

He exhales sharply, and I immediately regret asking.

“Being a halfling comes at a cost,” he starts, his gaze focused on the trees ahead of us. “My father kept a lot to himself, but there are certain things about my power that I believe are hurting me. No one knows what it is. My mother might have something for me.”

“How is your power hurting you?” My forehead scrunches as I look up at him.

“The headaches.” He tilts his head down. “I think that it’s just the start of it.” One side of his lips curves up weakly.

My insides squeeze and twist. How can he be so calm about something like this? If it is just the start then it will only get worse. Pinching my fingers together, I dig my nails into the skin, creating a small sting.

This is serious. I may be ignorant to my own power, but I know that sometimes certain powers can cause damage to the being. Everyone is different. That is why it’s important to know everything about the source of strength. His mother would know where she originated and what type of demon she is, giving Jacob a chance to find a way of stopping his pain – and potential death.

A very powerful witch could help, but those are hard to come around. On top of that, they are selfish and cannot be trusted.

Unsure what else to do, I step in front of him. Slamming my body into his, I wrap my arms around his torso and squeeze him tight.

“I’m okay,” he whispers, his arms around me.

“I know.”

If I could give him answers or take away his pain, I would. The least I can do is offer him my arms, the way he has done for me so many times.

Falling.

Chapter Seven

JACOB

zzy leans low to look at something. I watch her for a moment, then walk around her. She is intently staring at a tiny white flower, her eyebrows brought together, and lips in a thin line. The plant has three petals and large green leaves. Unsure of what is so fascinating about it, I wait.

“I don’t know that one,” she says, her lips moving to the side in contemplation.

“Hmm.” I look at the plant in thought. “Yeah, I’ve got nothing as well.” I pretend to think about it some more.

Honestly, I don’t know how she remembers the big names for everything. As it turns out, a poppy is not a poppy; it belongsto something called a genus and is given a Latin name. Then, it is given a Latin sub-name. It’s the most boring thing in the world, but when she explains the concept with so much thrill in her voice, it becomes fascinating.

“Stop it.” She laughs at my teasing, and a strand of hair falls over her eye when she looks at me.

I expect her to tuck it, but she stares at me, waiting. My lips twitch up a little. I lift my hand to her face and delicately move her hair out of the way, letting my fingertip graze against her skin. Her eyelashes flutter, and she looks down, a hint of pink tinging her cheeks. She is so delicate and beautiful that I get lost in simply observing the little details about her; the way only the top of her cheeks color, or how her lashes have some brown mixed in with the black, or how she bites the inside of her cheeks when nervous.

Movement in the distance, somewhere among the trees, catches my attention. I focus, paying attention to the smallest sound or smell, separating animals from something out of place. Last I scanned the area, there was no one for at least a mile around us. Right now, among the tall swaying trees, a few bodies move our way, and they are getting close quickly.

Fuck.The vampires found us. There is no way I am letting them take her.

“Do you trust me?” I whisper.

She has no reason to say yes. Her eyes widen, and she looks around the forest. They are a minute away. Unfortunately, there is only one sure way of escaping them.

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