Wisteria (Wisteria Series) (16 page)

She grimaced at him briefly. “The name of your country or wherever you’re from. No country I know has people who can do that. Are you like an alien or vampire or something?”

“I am from—France.”

“
France
? Now that, I wasn’t expecting to hear.” She chuckled. “Exactly what France are we talking about here?”

“Home, that’s the easiest way I can explain it. We live… near the Jade Ocean. It is very far from here.” Talking about his home helped him to feel better. Still, nothing was better than actually being home, and he hadn’t been there in 701 days.

“The Jade Ocean,” Wisteria echoed, obviously confused.

“My people, my Family, are not human and we are not from Terra. We came here fifteen hundred years ago.”

“So you’re one thousand, five hundred years old? You look very good for being one and a half millennia.”

“I’m eighteen, Wisteria.” He laughed and it surprised him that she could make him laugh.

At his laughter, she looked surprised and then she grinned. “What’s the name of your family?”

“It is just the Family. We do not use a name, the way you do.”

“So, you just call yourself family?”

“A name is sacred and we do not see the reason to name everything and everyone.”

“So, you’re all from the same family?”

“Yes, one family, but different pillars. I am from the Third Pillar of the Family.”

“So, if you don’t use names, why do you have one?”

“I have accepted that I am called Bach. Otherwise, conversations would be difficult.”

“So, what’s your real name?”

That was a very personal question. The first and last time he’d ever asked a Famila their real name, it had earned him three slaps. Pausing to think of an answer, he took out his faycard. “You really want to know?” He flipped the card over. He was so tempted to use the card on her. He somehow wanted to keep her near to him and if he renewed her, he could have that.

“I mean, you know my name. It’d be nice to know yours. It’s just fair.” She looked as if she’d just realized something important. “Wait, hold on! That’s why you didn’t tell those people your name in the dungeon?”

He ignored her outburst and lifted the card. “Right now, if I could give you one thing, you would want that? To know my name.”

Her dark eyes were fixed on the object in his hand.

Renewing her felt like the right thing to do, but yet again, he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not like this. He couldn’t sort out why she made him feel all these things and he knew that he wanted to be angry all the time at her, because then he wouldn’t want her.

“The ace of spades. Enric also carries one of these around. His is the nine of spades.” She reached for his faycard. “What does it mean?”

He put the card in his pocket before she could touch it. “It is lucky.”

“So, what is your name? You real name?”

“No, I cannot tell you my name. You can guess if you want, and I will give you a clue.”

“A clue? To guess a name from another language?” she retorted while looking amused. “Okay.”

“It will take me three hours to say it, and it would get you into a lot of trouble,” he teased. He found that he liked the banter with her.

“Trouble? What kind of trouble?”

“You do not want to know.” The corner of his lips curled up.

Suddenly, Wisteria looked uncomfortable and she tugged the top of her dress up and muttered something.

Bach could tell that she was becoming self-conscious because of him. Well, that was good, she’d often invoked feelings that he was not comfortable with.

“The four of you? You are from the same family?” she asked. “Enric, Piper—”

“Piper is not one of us,” he cut in sharply. “She is Terran
like you
.”

Wisteria flinched at Bach’s last statement. “Don’t call me Terran, please?”

“But that is what you are.”

“I don’t know what a Terran does, but it sounds a lot like a mud person or something and I’m not that. And I don’t want you calling me that.”

“We have called your people Terran for centuries.”

“I don’t care,” she stated firmly. “You don’t like being called
different
and I don’t want to be called Terran.”

“Sorry.”

Wisteria nodded. After a short pause she asked, “And that’s why the flesh eaters don’t bother you the way they do people? Because you’re not human?”

“Normally, I can sense and influence the biters to stay away from me. The poison in me made it hard to keep them all way,” he explained.

“So, you know where all the biters are around here? At any given time you can sense them?”

“Unless I am distracted by other things. There are always infected around and I am used to their constant buzz.”

“Are we safe here?”

He nodded.

Wisteria looked troubled and she frowned.

“What?” This should have been good news to her.

“This will sound strange to you, but I’m not crazy. We’ve met before haven’t we?” She sounded puzzled.

Bach froze.
Yes.
And he knew right then, that he wanted to kiss her.

“I think you burnt my arm with your pulse when we were little.” She showed him a scar on her shoulder.

“You remember me, too?”

“Too? You did know me then?” she asked while looking bewildered.

Without giving an answer, he examined the dark mark on her skin. “I’m surprised there is a scar. Something must have gone wrong.”

The scar looked as if a child had held on to her arm and tried to renew her by force. The Family’s children don’t have that kind of strength. He knew if he’d even tried something so dangerous it would probably end up killing both him and the Thayn.

“Bach, do you know me?”

“No, I do not Wisteria. You simply remind of someone.” Admitting that her image echoed in his mind was uncomfortable for him. “Very, much so.” Maybe that was true, he thought. It would explain his strange feelings for her.

“Who?” Searching his eyes for the truth, she grabbed his shoulder. “You’re lying to me.
Ow
! You shocked me.” She smacked his blue tipped fingers away from her torso.

“What?” He raised his hands. “My hand slipped. Sorry.” He rolled his eyes while teasing her again.

“Very funny!”

To his happiness, she laughed. He loved the sound of it and was glad that he had brought it from her.

“You said it wouldn’t hurt.”

“That was a different light. This one stings a bit.” He reached to touch her. “The healing light does not hurt. This light does. Can I demonstrate the difference?”

“Hey, get your hands away from me!” She laughed while forcing him back. “I saved your life. You owe me.”

“You seemed like you wanted to know. You had so many questions. I’m just trying to help,” he joked.

“Yeah, but you could just tell me. Stop, we can’t hear Garfield, anymore.” She cried in laughter as he tried to touch her face and she attempted to open her door with her foot.

“So, you are done with your questions?” he taunted, holding the door closed.

“Bach, wait!” She stopped moving; her voice had turned serious.

Looking around, he saw that he’d practically climbed on top of her to stop her from leaving. He was shocked by this. He’d never willing or intentionally touched a free Terran before.

“You’re heavy.” Nervously, she fidgeted, while straightening out her hair and clothing. “Maybe we should…” She bit her bottom lip hard.

Not thinking, he gently tugged her lip free of her teeth. He’d taken note of the endearing habit and he adored it as well. Once it was free, he rested his thumb on her bottom lip. Her plump lips reminded him of a juicy burnfruit that needed to be eaten.
Terran, dirt people,
echoed angrily in his mind, causing him to recoil. How could he descend as low as kissing a Terran? That was truly disgusting.

“We…” Wisteria looked troubled.

Fixing his hands firmly on the steering wheel, he faced the road ahead. This was going too far, he must resist. He must keep his distance for both their sakes.

* * * * *

What the hell is the matter with you, Wisteria?
Is this really your priority right now?
Scolding herself, she was grateful the awkward moment had passed. Getting carried away like that was idiotic. Sure, the guy seemed to have gotten a sense of humor and was incredibly hot, but she didn’t really know him. He’d always been rude and moody at best, and here she was, hoping he’d kiss her and feeling rejected when he didn’t.
Wisteria, get a grip.
And why would he even want to?
She wasn’t the kind of girl that boys went for.

“Where’s Garfield?” Breaking the uncomfortable silence, she noted they hadn’t seen him in a while. “I’ll go and look for him.”

“Stay in the car.” Giving her an unsettling look, he left.

For good measure, she locked herself in and took hold of her sword. Then, she waited and waited, but after more than ten minutes, no one showed up. Sweat started forming along her palms, and her hands started trembling. It wasn’t unusual for her to lose someone within seconds. Then, there were times when you’d have to make the decision to leave without them.

The car was in good condition and he’d left the keys in the ignition, so—then she saw Bach return, but he came alone. Alighting from the vehicle, she went up to him. “Where is he?”

“Gone.” He took her arm and ushered her to the SUV. “He ran into one of the infected. I am sorry.”

“What? Why didn’t we hear anything?”

“We have to go,” he said calmly.

“No, no.” Refusing to move, she studied his emotionless face.

After staring at her blankly for a second, Bach turned and walked away, apparently undisturbed by this horrible revelation. “Hurry.”

“You don’t even care. How could you let anything happen to him?” she demanded as she grabbed his arm angrily. “If you could sense the biters, why didn’t you warn him? You should’ve done something!”

“Can you let go of me?”

“Did you—cure him?”

“Cure?” This question appeared to surprise him as his green eyes darkened. “You mean did I shoot your friend? No. I tied him up on a tree.” Getting behind the wheel, he started the engine. “He will be fine for about five to ten years.”

“I shouldn’t have let him go alone. He helped us. We’d both be dead if Garfield hadn’t been there.”

“We are leaving. The infected do not travel alone.”

“I want to see him!” she demanded. Garfield had been a friend to her and she couldn’t just leave him here.

“No, because then I will have to worry about protecting you and while we are sightseeing, someone might steal this car. Then you might expect me to carry you back to your island. We need to go now.”

The words cut right through her heart because they were cold and unfeeling, but right. But she was going to see Garfield anyway. Spinning around to face the direction the boy had gone, she was startled to see Bach standing inches in front of her. “Why did you let this happen? You said you could sense the biters. Why didn’t you stop them?” She was crying.

“This is not my fault.” He grabbed her shoulders. “It just happened, but I do not get why you are determined to go back there and die with him.”

Wisteria stopped crying and suddenly she was clenching onto her sword.

“Ugh,” a biter growled. It was Garfield. The flesher shuffled forward. He looked more or less normal, but his eyes were dead looking.

“You said you tied him up!” she shrieked.
Bach had lied to her.
Running back to the SUV, she picked up the nearest gun and aimed at Garfield’s head. Curing someone she cared about was hard and she’d never done it before. She hesitated, as the biter that was now her friend ambled toward her.

“Wisteria, wait.” Bach lifted her hand up as she squeezed the trigger and the gun clicked in the air.

Before she could respond, she heard laughter.

“You never use a gun!” Garfield exclaimed jovially, seeming to be in full control of his mind. “You’ll attract the biters from miles around.”

“You were just joking? Are you mad?” Scowling at both boys, she couldn’t believe this.

“I wanted to see if you cared,” Garfield teased. “Come on, it’s a little funny.”

“He wanted to see if you would try to put him down. I told him you would,” Bach added.

They might’ve found the joke funny, but Wisteria was more upset now than ever. The thought of losing someone—anyone—still hurt, even though she barely knew him. Attempting to get a hold of her emotions, she closed her eyes.

“You don’t ever pretend. What if Bach hadn’t been fast enough to stop me from shooting you in the head?” she stated sternly.

“It wasn’t loaded.” Taking the weapon, Garfield pulled the trigger and the gun clicked. “It’s a toy. Good for scaring off opportunists.”