Page 37 of Norah

“And I won’t… try to hurt her, will I?”

“No. You’ll be a bit weak for about a day. But you shouldn’t feel violent.” He settles onto the floor and I sit across from him. He gives me an actual smile, instead of his practiced one. “You’ll be fine. And this will be good for Norah, even though she won’t believe it initially. She chose well when she picked you. You two will do great things together.”

“I’ll take care of her.” Forcing back my fear, I lock eyes with Frederick. As he bends to my wrist, I tell him, “I’ll protect her, always.”

As the pain pricks, and darkness invades, I hear his response. “I know you will. We’re counting on it.”

NORAH

I blink into awareness, feeling the couch beneath me and seeing Frederick hovering above.He’s still here! Oh my God! Where’s Ethan!My heart kicks into high gear as my pulse speeds up, fear flooding my body.What’s happening?

My brain orders me to get up and assess the situation; to figure out the next step towards escaping with Ethan.Please, let him be OK!When I try to move, my muscles defy me, remaining limp as wet noodles on the upholstery. Panic becomes a living thing within me, clawing to the surface, but unable to break past my useless body.Why can’t I move? Why can’t I talk?

“Relax, Norah.” A cool hand comes down on my forearm. The touch is soft, instead of the roughness I was expecting. “You’re fine, and so is Ethan. I just want you to calm down a bit. Once you’ve settled, I’ll release you, and we’ll have a talk.”

Words try to force themselves through my lips, but come out as small gasps of air. I try to focus on the sharp angles of Frederick’s face, hoping to gain some sort of insight into his intentions.Has he hurt Ethan? What does he plan for me? What is he thinking?

His voice is oddly soothing, gravel beneath a softly running stream. “I said I wouldn’t hurt either of you, and I meant it. I need to speak with you about some things before I leave. If I let you go, you need to stay here and listen to what I have to say. Can you promise that?”

How am I supposed to promise anything when I can’t move or speak?I meet Frederick’s deep brown eyes, my unspoken thoughts shooting towards him like daggers. He chuckles- yes, chuckles, the arrogant jerk- and all at once I can move again.

Hauling myself into a seated position, I scan the room, looking for Ethan. “Where is he?” I move to lunge forward, to search for him, but I’m held in place once again. “Let go of me,” I hiss, glaring at the hands wrapped around my arms like shackles.

He sighs. “Norah, I thought we talked about this. You need to stay here so we can talk.”

“No,youtalked about it. I couldn’t speak because youparalyzedme.” My initial fear of Frederick is rapidly changing to anger, which is infinitely more useful.

“I didn’t paralyze you. I just didn’t completely release you from the effects of the sleep I put you in earlier.” His mouth quirks into something that might be a smile, if he had the ability. Which I doubt. “Anyway, Ethan is fine and unharmed. He’s in the bedroom, resting.”

“I want to see him. Now.”

Frederick stands up, pulling me up along with him, still holding my arms. I try to tug away, but his grip is iron. “I’ll show you, then we talk. Agreed?” I realize that I’m beaten, so I nod in agreement.

He walks me into the bedroom and I see Ethan lying on top of the bed cover, eyes closed.Is he sleeping? Or worse?I tremble as we approach the bed, at once eager to touch Ethan, but also beyond terrified of what I might see.

Frederick releases one of my arms, and I reach out, searching for signs of life. There’s no blood I can see, no injuries, and when my fingers search for a pulse, it’s steady and strong. Relief comes upon me like a tidal wave, sending me slumping over as the tension flows from my body.Thank God.“He’s… really OK?” My voice is soft, tremulous.

“I told you he was.” I’m raised from my slump and an arm comes around my back, lifting me. Before I can speak, Frederick has zipped back into the living room and deposited me on the couch, taking a seat next to me. “Norah, you’ve seen that I kept my word. Now it’s time to talk.” I open my mouth to reply, but he shushes me with an abrupt gesture.Rude.

“I have some things to explain to you, but first… I owe you an apology.” My eyes jump to his, and there’s genuine regret there, his voice deepening with emotion. “Your Ethan made me aware of how poorly I handled your transition. I won’t make excuses, but I will tell you it was a bad time for me. I thought only of myself back then. It’s not a good reason and is no excuse for the pain I caused you.” His large hand clasps over mine and his expression is full of sorrow. “But I want you to know that I’m sorry.”

Wow. This is… unexpected.And while my usual courtesies include accepting any apology, I’m not sure if I’m quite ready for this one yet. Unsure of how to respond, I nod at him and meet his gaze, sending a silent message of acceptance. Understanding, Frederick removes his hand from mine and continues. “As for the matters at hand… there’s a reason I came to you today. There are some events that have been foretold, and this is one of them. As was changing you into a vampire.”

What?“Foretold? What do you mean?”

Brow furrowing, Frederick pauses as if trying to figure out what to say. “I am not the one who sees. I am the one who watches. So I wait, watch, then find when instructed.”

“Um, you’ve beenwatchingme?” An icy chill runs down my back.

His hand waves dismissively. “Not like that. I watch many, but only the ones I’ve been told to observe. And it’s not what you think. I don’t spy on anyone. I have the ability to see what someone is doing and where they are. It’s my skill, just like you have the skill of truth.”

“How do you… never mind. I guess I know how you know.” I shake my head as thoughts tumble around in my head. “So you watched me, and turned me, and now you are here to turn Ethan? Well, too bad. I refuse to do it. And you promised not to hurt either of us, so there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“It’s already done.”

What? No!Fury mixed with a healthy dose of guilt explodes out of me, and I lunge at Frederick, slapping him across the cheek. He doesn’t move, just regards me calmly, even though I just hit him with all of my strength. “You promised! You said you wouldn’t hurt him!”

Browneyes stare at me, so intense that I go silent at once.Oh shit.My hands twist nervously in my lap, as I fluctuate between waves of fear and anger. “I didn’t hurt him. This was his choice. While you were sleeping, Ethan and I had a serious talk, and he wanted to do it this way.”

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