Devour (29 page)

They left and after a couple hours of building blocks and play dough, I put all the babies to bed. I then went to my room and got ready for bed myself but it wasn’t sleep I was ready for. I was nervous, I realized. I hadn’t seen Eli all day and I was about to see him in the Reverie. I lay down and the second my eyes closed he was there. And we were in the sunshine, in the park.

“Finally, Clara,” he said and hugged me to him tightly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Sorry. I had to watch the babies for Pastor and Mrs. Ruth. I do it once a month.”

“No, it’s ok. I was just worried. And I missed you.” He pulled back and then pulled me down on the grass next to him. I lay my head on his stomach and looked at him as he leaned back on his elbows. “Tell me all about school today.”

So, I did. Even the Tate stuff as I said, “And so Patrick came up and was going to defend my honor but it turns out, I could handle it myself.”

“Tate is testing the limits of my patience,” Eli growled, flopping back in the grass and running his hand through my hair. “I thought we only had to worry about the Horde and Angelina. But no, your idiotic ex has to rock the boat when I’m not there.”

“I handled it.”

“But don’t you see? You shouldn’t have to handle it. I should be there to protect you.”

“But you can’t always be and I need to learn to do things for myself. I’ve always let people do my deeds for me my whole life. It’s liberating and exhilarating to tell someone to screw themselves,” I said through a grin. “I feel all girl-power right now.”

He laughed in an exasperated and indulgent way that told me he didn’t like it but was going to let me have it this once. I thanked him with a smile and ran my hand over his chest. I felt something. I lifted his shirt up to his chin. He started to back away but I stopped him with a hand on his arm. It wasn’t like I could physically stop him, but I was asking him to let me. He did with a heaved breath that meant a conversation was coming.

I saw the scar over his heart, the one I’d seen that day he gave me his shirt in the bathroom. I’d been curious about it ever since. I rolled to my stomach and ran a tentative finger over the large circular brand. The skin was raised and although it was healed it looked angry; like it once had been a very ugly wound.

“What’s this from?”

“A parting gift from my parents,” he muttered.

“What?” I asked horrified.

“I’ll tell you,” he said and nodded as if to talk himself into it.

“You don’t have to,” I said but he spoke anyway, his voice haunted and shadowed with ghosts of his past.

“My parents were pretty angry at my lifestyle choices. After I left and ran away, they found out I wasn’t forcing emotions to feed anymore. Angelina told them about a Sage, or a shaman priest, who performed exorcisms, but he performed them on those of us who are evil who may have been swayed or cursed by good.” He laughed like it wasn’t funny at all. “He called it Demoralizing. Funny right?” He shook his head and put his hand over mine over the scar on his heart. “They caught up to me, dragged me back to one of our homes in Amsterdam and chained me upright to an oak tree. Angelina, Enoch, Mara, my parents…they all just stood and watched as he burned and branded me over and over. We heal fast, so he’d wait for my skin to stop bleeding and then start again. It went on for days. Finally, he said there was nothing he could do, that I was a lost cause. My parents said that I shamed them and my mother actually spit on me. They left me there, chained to a tree in the valley of the mountains near our home, hanging by my wrist for five days. Then someone…found me. He got me down and I left but was able to evade them for a few years before they found me again, but not my parents. They gave up on me becoming the prodigal son.”

“Eli, that’s-“ I sighed. “That’s terrible. No one should have to go through something like that.”

“It was a long time ago,” he said and waved my fears away. “I’m over it.”

“Really? I remember some guy telling me once that it was ok to be vulnerable with him. Well, I repeat that sentiment.”

He let his smile cause me difficulty in breathing before pulling me up to lay on his chest. He stroked my hair, and inhaled long and deep before exhaling in a groan.

“You even smell good in my Reveries.”

I let it go, he apparently wanted to change the subject. So I just said, “Eli, I just want you to know that they are the worst kind of scum for doing that to you. You and me, we’re going to leave all this behind soon and you’ll never have to think about it ever again.”

“You’re very set on leaving,” he musing. “You won’t miss it here? The Pastor and his family?”

“Of course, but I can’t stay with them forever. The court agreement was only until I graduated high school anyway. And as far as this town? No, I won’t miss it. The only good thing about being here was my parents and they aren’t here anymore.”

“Where do you want to go first?” he asked quietly.

“I’ve never been anywhere. Where do you want to take me first?”

“As long as I’m with you, it won’t matter where we are,” he answered and pulled my chin up as he seared me with a promising kiss.

Nineteen

“
S
o who was the person who saved you?” I asked as he walked me back to my house. In the Reverie it was daylight but we were all alone and the temperature was perfect. I marveled that I had the best dates with Eli, though we never actually went anywhere.

“Hmm?” he asked distractedly.

“You said someone saved you from the tree that day. Who was it?”

“Oh. No one. We’ll save that part of the story for another night, ok?”

“Ok,” I answered. “So…the carnival is tomorrow night.” I produced a pout that would put Shirley Temple to shame. He laughed loudly and shook his head as he sat on my porch steps and pulled me into his lap.

“You’re very good at that.”

“At what?”

“Pouting,” he said pointedly.

“Oh. Well, yeah.”

“I would be here if I could. You know that.”

“I know. I’ll just go by my lonesome.”

“No, you will not Miss Hopkins. You are on house arrest until I get back,” he ordered sternly.

“Eli, I can’t just sit at home. This is the last time I’ll get to go. I’ll go with the Pastor and his family.”

“Oh, they go to the carnival too? That should be fine then. Just stay with them at all times.”

“What are you so worried about? Didn’t Enoch and Angelina follow you out of town?”

“Yeah, they did. I just don’t want to take any chances. I don’t want you alone.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“CB,” he chided. “Don’t worry so much, love.” I gulped at that word and then took a deep breath. He slid his hand up my spine and back down again as I stared at him. “It’s my job to worry.”

“I thought I saw someone following me today,” I said but his hand stopped moving on my back and I regretted bringing it up. “Something…I don’t know. It may be nothing but I could’ve sworn I saw something white moving and following me in the bushes.”

“Well, more reason to be extra careful. Please, Clara.”

“Sure,” I said and was a little confused at how he didn’t flip out about it.

“I better go and let you sleep.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m not going to say, just in case. But not too far. I couldn’t go very far from you.”

“Aha. Will I see you tomorrow night? When I get back from the carnival?”

“Yep, I’ll be right here waiting . Be careful.”

“I will. You too.”

He leaned down and kissed me, his fingers circling my wrist lovingly. His thumb rubbed my skin as his mouth moved and took mine deliciously. He then lifted me from his lap and with one final kiss to the top of my head, he turned to go.

He stopped to call over his shoulder.

“Have fun tomorrow night, why don’t you?”

“I’ll try,” I shot back. “My boyfriend’s out of town so it kind of sucks.”

He smirked and waved as he said, “Bye, Clara Belle. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Then I opened my eyes to the plaster ceiling above my bed. After a few minutes of sulking, I fell asleep.

~ ~ ~

The next school day was pretty much the same, minus the lunchroom Tate scene. I talked to the Pastor and he said they were going to the carnival and I was welcome to tag along. He was surprised I wasn’t going with my friends. I said I was looking for a quiet night out.

On the way to the carnival as we walked, I could have sworn I saw that white thing again in the bushes as we passed. I looked closer but never saw anything and it would have been suspicious to go check, so I let it go. Reluctantly.

The Sweet Grass Carnival was in full swing when we arrived. The Ferris Wheel was the main attraction as always, with the line all the way back to the funnel cakes. I followed them around for a while before needing a break from the begging for more cotton candy. I went and got myself a diet soda and leaned against the side of the booth as I sipped it.

“Hey, Hopkins.”

I turned to see Ariel and Patrick sidling up to me. It was dark by now and the pavement under our feet looked as black as dark water under the dim lights of the booths and rides.

“Hey! What are you guys doing?”

“Waiting for the Ferris Wheel to open up a little,” Patrick explained. “They really should bring two. It’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah,” I answered, “I know. I didn’t get to ride at all last year.”

“Well, come with us. Where’s Eli?” he asked looking around for him.

“He’s not here.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Nah. He just had some things to do out of town,” I said quietly and decided to change the subject. “So, does Mrs. May have a booth? I could chow down on some sweet potato fries right now.”

“Yeah she does,” Ariel said and looped her arm through mine, “and they’re just as good as last year.”

Patrick flanked my other side and we laughed at some mimes who were horribly impersonating a cheerleading squad. I guess that was the point. Then we passed Mike, Dee and Sarah. The dance must have been over already.

Mike was throwing rings onto glass milk bottle necks and cursing every time he missed one…which was every time. Dee and Sarah saw us and I knew an altercation was inevitable. I sipped my soda and looked away but that only made it worse.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Dee yelled and slammed down her drink. “Really, Clara? You’re taking this whole revenge thing a little too far I think.”

“Excuse me?” I said, removing my arms from Pat and Ariel’s and made my way to stand in front of her. “Revenge?”

“We all get it, ok? You want revenge for what happened so you’re trying to embarrass us all by hanging out with freaks to diss us.”

“And what exactly was it that happened, Deidre?”

“You and Tate. That doesn’t have anything to do with the rest of us. We were your friends,” she said too softly and slowly for effect.

I laughed. Actually laughed. Patrick smirked in an ah-man-you’re-gonna-piss-her-off-so-bad way. Ariel just watched with a curious expression.

“Are you joking or are you really that delusional?” She started to speak but noticed my eyes then. She squinted and leaned in a little. “Contacts,” I muttered to her.

“So now you changed your eyes color too,” she mused to herself. “Where’s Eli?” she asked her voice sweet. “Did he get tired of you already?”

“He didn’t want to run into you,” I said and smirked to goad her. It worked as she then took to yelling instead of sweet talk.