“Well, good morning sleeping beauty,” he said, after I open the door and climbed out into the sunlight. “Sleep well?”
“Surprisingly, yes.” I stretched out my legs and arms. “How long was I out?”
“For about eight hours.”
“Eight hours?” How the heck had I slept for eight hours with everything that was going on.
“Yeah, you were really out, too.” He flashed me a grin. “Snoring and all.”
“I don’t snore,” I protested. At least I think I don’t.
He gave me another teasing smile, before sliding the debit card into the machine.
“Wow, you seem like you’re in a good mood,” I remarked with a curious tone.
He shrugged, glancing over at a tall woman with long black hair walking across the parking lot. “As good a mood as any, I guess.”
He was acting a little…off. “Are you feeling okay?”
He shrugged again, rubbing his lips together, and then looked at me. “I’m fine.”
I stared at him, picking up on something. I couldn’t explain it, but after the whole first-time-biting thing, I had to worry a little. But before I could press him further, Alex strolled up, carrying a plastic bag.
“If you need to go inside for anything, then you’d better do it,” Alex told me, tossing a bag of food and drinks onto to the front seat of the SUV.
Seeing him made what he said last night replay in my head, along with the hurt feelings I felt. “Okay.” I headed inside.
“Make it quick,” Alex called after me. “We don’t want to be stopped for too long.”
I nodded, shocked he was even letting me go in by myself.
***
The gas station was fairly packed, which made my senses go on high alert, especially because I stood out like a sore thumb. My clothes were filthy, I had no shoes on, and my hair was a tangled mess—well, at least more of a tangled mess than it usually is—so people couldn’t help but gawk at me as I walked by them. I made my way down the candy aisle, past the drink cooler, and stepped into the restroom. I splashed my face with cold water and washed my hands. Wherever we were, the air felt humid and hot, making my skin feel gross.
I glanced up in the mirror and let out a groan at my reflection. My violet eyes. The one thing that was always going to make me stand out—deem me different. I was painfully realizing that no matter how much I wanted a normal life, it just might be impossible, and maybe I needed to start accepting that I was a star carrying, vision seeing, violet-eyed Gemma.
And that my life might not be long lived.
After my light vision, and my light dream, I had to wonder. They both might have been showing me a part of my future. The thought was scary, but I had to hold onto the fact that not everything I saw or dreamt had played out exactly as I had seen it. Things changed.
For the moment, I really needed to focus on figuring out how to get a hold of the Ira so I could go into The Underworld and save my mom. The problem was I couldn’t just walk into a store and purchase an Ira. The only person that I knew of who had one was Nicholas, and now that he might be working with Stephan, getting one from him seemed more impossible than it did before.
“Stupid faerie.” I kicked the wall, frustrated. Of course, kicking a tile wall while wearing no shoes was not the grandest idea, and I ended stubbing my toes. “Ow.”
One of the bathroom stall doors opened up and an old lady, wearing a long green dress and tan shoes, and looking really alarmed, scurried out of the bathroom.
“Whoops,” I mumbled to myself. I guess it was time to go back anyway. Standing in a bathroom wasn’t doing me any good. And I was supposed to be hurrying.
I headed for the door, hearing one of the stall doors squeak open. Instinctively, I glanced behind me, and then stopped when I didn’t see anyone. The door was swinging, and I wondered if I scared someone else enough that they were afraid to come out.
I sighed. It was definitely time to leave. I turned around, and then stumbled backward because standing right in front of me was a very obnoxious faerie with golden eyes and sandy hair.
“Well, I have to say that this is not where I pictured us meeting up again,” Nicholas said, glancing around the Women’s Restroom. “Although it’ll do, I guess.”
I backed away from him, knowing full well that I was cornered. “Stay the heck away from me.”
He moved for me, a sneaky smirk spreading across his face. “You seem afraid of me Gemma.”
My back hit the tiled wall. “I know why you’re here. I know you’re working with Stephan.”
“You do, do you?”
“You were at the City of Crystal with the Death Walkers,” I said heatedly. “And I heard you talking to them…how can you talk to them?”
“I can’t,” he said and I shook my head. Let the running around in circles begin.
“Yes you can,” I snapped. “I heard. And I heard you talking about capturing me for Stephan. Why would you do that? Don’t you know what he wants to do with me?”
I was hoping he would say that he did, and then we would have one of those moments where the villain unleashes all his evil plans.
“Why would you think I was helping Stephan? I can’t stand him as much as I can’t stand his son.” He moved in front of me, leaning in close. “And honestly, if I captured you, I’d rather keep you for myself. There’s so much…” He sniffed me. Yes, actually sniffed me, like he was smelling a flower or something. “Power flowing off you.”
My mouth dropped. He could feel the electricity.
“Your Foreseer gift…it’s absolutely breathtaking,” he said, moving back a little.