Page 15 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

Suddenly I feel very awake—like I did when I wore the fancy pjs, so this means nothing tonight.

‘What the fuck?’ I gasp. ‘Who are you?’

The man startles, too, like I caught him doing something he shouldn’t be. I mean, obviously—he doesn’t live here, so what’s he doing in my house? But dreams are irrational like that when you don’t control them, which definitely isn’t happening tonight.

I clear my throat, which is still dry as sand paper. ‘Who are you? Why are you in my house?’

It’s time I remembered that my dreams don’t control me. I can take at least some control back by asking him what he signifies.

He has the audacity to look angry with me, like I’m the intruder here.

‘You’ll regret that!’ he says.

I’m about to ask him what he means, if he’s a nightmare or maybe a suppressed fear, but I blink and he’s gone. The next moments are a blur, too: I drink that glass of water, I slink back into bed, then the sun falling through my curtains wakes me.

That last dream especially left me with a weird feeling in my gut, so the first thing I do is take a cautious walk through the house. None of the locks or windows are broken. That’s how I know it was just a dream. That, and I’d like to think I wouldn’t just have gone back to bed if there really was a stranger in my house. Come to think of it, Lady was right there and she didn’t react. We didn’t exactly train her to be a vigilant guard dog, but at the very least she’d have been curious about the new person.

If it still seems important tonight, I’ll ask Mischief about it.

Case closed.

I’m sitting on the low wall halfway up our garden, gazing up at the clouds, when Bonnie finds me.

‘Hey,’ she says. ‘What are you doing?’ I don’t need to see her face to hear the grin in her voice. ‘Daydreaming about your date?’

I can’t help grinning, too, but I really wish I could. This isn’t a date. It can’t be. And hoping it is won’t make it so; therefore, the mature thing to do is to expect absolutely nothing. Besides, I’ll meet more Veiled and other humans in the know at this gathering. I don’t need to get anything else out of it.

And date or not, I do get to spend the whole evening with Leverett. If I thought being alone with him in his flat was like a final exam, I don’t know what this’ll be. My graduation ceremony? If I can’t be normal around him then... we’ll be surrounded by other Veiled. I was worried before that Leverett could smell it when I’m aroused, but I also think he has the decency to not point it out. What about everyone else? What about those Veiled who see humans as little more than toys? I blush fiercely. If I don’t get a hold on myself before then, I’m doomed. Although, I’ve no idea how to control my body’s natural responses to being close to him.

Bonnie giggles and sits next to me. ‘I take that as a yes. Your face is all red.’

I look at her, my eyes no doubt full of fear or just plain embarrassment. ‘What if they’ll know?’

She gives me an innocent look. ‘Know what? Didn’t you say Leverett told his friend about you?’

I grit my teeth. I can’t believe she’s making me spell it out. ‘You know what I mean.’

She giggles again. ‘Then we’ll just have to make sure you’ll look so gorgeous that it won’t matter.’

I squint at her. ‘How does that make sense?’

But I know it’s too late. Once my sister has a plan, she gets severe tunnel vision.

‘We’ll go shopping, I’ll do your hair, and you’ll look so stunning that he just has to fall in love with you,’ she says like it’s the easiest thing in the world. ‘Ooh, maybe Kate knows a love potion!’

‘No,’ I say, maybe a little too forcefully. I know nothing about it, but it doesn’t feel right. Maybe I’m wrong, but in my head, using a love potion would take his decision away from him, and not only could I never do that to anyone, I also want whatever we might have to be real, not the result of magic. And that’s saying nothing of the horrible consent issues. ‘If he...’ I blush again. ‘If he falls in love with me...’ Fuck, just the words make my heart race. One week isn’t enough; I need longer—to get used to this, to know if that’s what this is. ‘I don’t want it to be because of some magic. I want him to love me for me.’

Those last words come out so quietly that I blush deeper. Why do they feel like a confession? I suppose they are, in a way, but it’s nothing new to Bonnie or myself.

Her eyes sparkle. ‘What if you’re destined to be together? Would that be magic?’

I sigh. ‘You sound like Mischief, and you read too many fated-mates novels.’ I never really cared about the trope, but oddly enough, it seems very romantic lately. Funny, that.

Bonnie clasps her hands before her mouth like she just had the epiphany of the century. ‘But what if you are? Think about it—he could have moved anywhere in the world. Why here? Why near you?’

‘Stars, just like Mischief.’ I sigh again. ‘Because Eastport is unassuming? Out of the way? The perfect place for a vampire to hide for a decade or two?’ I whisper the word vampire just in case anyone is listening. I think I’m getting the hang of this. ‘Besides, a vampire and a human destined to be together? Does that sound likely to you?’

‘Buffy and Spike did it.’

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