Chapter 3: Deja Vu

Mateo was silent as he walked to my right.

I wanted to ask him questions. So many questions, actually, that they were practically fighting to escape my mouth.

Unfortunately, I couldn't seem to form a single coherent word in his presence.

A cat had my tongue.

My grandmother's favorite saying.

She'd used it my entire childhood because I was always talking and almost never quiet. Whenever I suddenly found myself with nothing to say—or simply couldn't find the words—she'd smile and ask, Cat got your tongue?

I hated when she said it.

Usually, it ended with a complete meltdown because I hadn't understood that she was joking.

Now, though?

“Cat got your tongue?”

The deep voice beside me made me jump.

I slowly turned my head toward him.

Um, hello?

Can he read my mind?

All right, Amara. Form a sentence. Any sentence. Before the silence goes on too long and he starts thinking you're a freak.

We still had a decent walk to our next class, and I didn't need to make myself look any more ridiculous than I already did.

“Sorry,” I finally managed. “This is just a little shocking and unexpected. But thankfully, you have the best tour guide one could ask for.”

I sounded nothing like myself.

Mateo didn't respond.

He simply nodded, almost as if he were contemplating whether or not I'd just lied to him.

I tried not to stare.

Instead, I surveyed his clothing from the corner of my eye.

Dark clothing hugged his body in all the right places, making the muscles beneath it impossible to ignore. His black Levi's fit perfectly around his hips and ass.

Damn.

His long-sleeved shirt covered nearly everything else, but somehow made his physique even more noticeable.

Five rings decorated his fingers.

Small gold hoops pierced his ears, matching the gold nose ring that somehow made him look even more dangerous.

His black curls reached his neck, framing his face and contrasting beautifully against his caramel-colored skin.

He was easily the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.

And apparently, he knew it.

He glanced at me.

Then chuckled.

His lips parted, revealing a row of perfectly straight, white teeth. Dimples appeared on either side of his cheeks.

I froze.

Déjà vu.

There it was again.

That strange, impossible feeling.

Like I'd seen that smile before.

Like I'd known those dimples.

I couldn't place it.

Whatever.

“Like what you see?”

His smirk widened.

God.

I was going to melt into a puddle of hormones right here in the middle of campus.

I turned toward him and returned his smirk.

“So what if I do?”

He shook his head, laughing under his breath.

He liked that I challenged him.

Hell, I liked that I challenged him too.

We stopped walking.

Neither of us seemed to know why.

We simply turned toward each other and stared.

I really did know him from somewhere.

I could feel it.

Every time I tried to grasp the memory, though, it slipped through my fingers like sand.

And then there was that buzzing sensation.

It had returned with a vengeance.

The closest thing I could compare it to was being ridiculously high—like I'd smoked way too much weed and my entire body had forgotten how to function normally.

I didn't realize we were moving closer until there were only inches between us.

His eyes dropped to my lips.

My breath caught.

I could have kissed him.

I wanted to.

I desperately wanted to.

Then someone rudely cleared his throat.

Sora.

I jumped back like I'd been caught committing a crime.

Sora stood a few feet away, staring between Mateo and me with an enormous grin spreading across his face.

Sora was part of my massive friend group.

He'd moved here from Japan in second grade and knew very little English at the time. He'd been bullied relentlessly, which had resulted in me getting into more trouble than I care to admit for defending him.

I had a horrible temper back then.

Still did, if we're being honest.

People eventually learned to stop messing with him.

Mostly because having a short, quick-tempered friend who wasn't afraid to fight someone twice her size apparently served as an excellent deterrent.

From there, our friendship grew.

Then our friend group grew.

And somehow, all these years later, we were still inseparable.

Sora took one look at how close Mateo and I were standing and his grin grew wider.

“He's been here for not even a full school day, and you already found the hottest guy to exist in town.”

One thing I should mention about Sora:

He's gay.

Like, really gay.

He once told our entire friend group that if he absolutely had to choose a woman to be with, he'd pick me.

Only because he knew he'd be safe.

Otherwise, he was interested in any man who happened to make himself available.

The perks of being a vampire, apparently.

I knew exactly what he thought of Mateo judging by the elongated fangs peeking over his upper lip.

“Sorry, Mara,” Sora purred, licking his lips before winking at me. “I already met him in the office during my T.A. period.”

His eyes traveled over Mateo.

“Absolutely delicious.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You may have met him first, but I'm the one designated to show him around the area. During and after school.”

I gave him a challenging look.

It was nothing serious.

Sora and I did this all the time.

Friendly competition.

I wasn't looking for hookups the way he was, but that never stopped us from going back and forth over who could get what they wanted.

Usually, I won.

Then I'd point the guy in his direction.

He got the rest.

It was a strange arrangement, but we made it work.

“I'm not sure it matters, Sora,” Liz said from behind Mateo.

Sarah walked beside her.

Liz gestured between Mateo and me.

“The chemistry between these two is practically radiating. You don't stand a chance in hell.”

Everyone laughed.

Even Mateo.

His laugh was deep and hearty, sending heat straight through my body.

My cheeks burned.

And, unfortunately, so did everything else.

I'd never reacted to a man like this.

Sure, I wasn't a virgin.

That had been more about need and teenage curiosity than anything resembling an emotional connection.

But this?

Mateo felt different.

Everything about him felt familiar.

Like I'd spent my entire life missing him without ever knowing who I was missing.

“Mateo,” I said quickly, hoping to distract myself from the increasingly dangerous thoughts invading my head. “Excuse my manners. This is Sora, and the two behind you are Sarah and Liz.”

I gestured toward each of them.

I hoped I was hiding what I was feeling.

Judging by the way Mateo's eyes remained fixed on mine, I probably wasn't.

I needed to steer this conversation somewhere else before I decided to drag him into an empty classroom and find out exactly what those lips tasted like.

The thought barely finished forming when Mateo's eyes darkened.

My breath caught.

Did he hear that?

There was no way.

Right?

Apparently, my face betrayed me because Mateo turned toward the others.

“It's very nice to meet all of you. Thanks for helping Amara get me acquainted with everyone.”

He nodded politely, flashing that devastating smile again.

Then his attention returned to me.

“Where to next?”

“English,” I answered far too quickly.

I pointed across campus.

“It's on the other side. See you three later at Oliver's.”

I waved toward my friends before motioning for Mateo to follow.

He didn't hesitate.

We started walking again.

The campus was huge, which meant we had a decent distance to cover.

I had a habit of being late to English.

Apparently, today wouldn't be any different.

We walked in silence for several minutes, both of us stealing glances at the other.

Neither of us seemed willing to break the silence.

Of course, it was going to be me.

I could never shut the fuck up.

One of my many talents.

“I'm sorry if this seems weird,” I finally said. “But I have this strange feeling like I know you from somewhere. Almost like—”

He stopped.

I stopped with him.

Mateo turned toward me.

His eyes locked onto mine.

“Like déjà vu?”

My heart skipped.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

And suddenly, the buzzing beneath my skin intensified.

I swallowed.

“How did you know?”

He didn't answer.

He only continued looking at me.

Like he knew something I didn't.

And somehow, that scared me more than anything.

“Terra, you cannot do this.”

Solis's voice echoed through the chamber.

“She is a human infant. Both of them are.”

He looked between his siblings, disbelief and anger mixing across his face.

“Please tell me you're not actually on board with this, Selene.”

Terra ignored him.

Instead, she turned toward Selene.

Selene stared at her sister, uncertain whether she should speak.

She hated when her siblings fought.

But this time, she was on Terra's side.

The two infants lying before them had been specifically bred to become human sacrifices. At least to her knowledge since that was what she was told.

Born to appease Mortem and Vita.

Selene hesitated before finally speaking.

“Solis, you know what they plan to do. They will devour them and discard their bones like they're nothing.”

Her voice shook.

“This isn't what Life or Death wants. It isn't what we want either.”

She looked toward Terra.

“Do it.”

Selene extended her arm.

“And I will give you my blood.”

Solis's jaw tightened.

He was angry.

But he wasn't irrational.

He understood exactly what this meant.

They had been tasked with protecting humanity.

With helping humans create more of themselves.

The supernatural had been placed upon the Earth to protect the weak.

To protect those who were once like them.

For generations, humans and supernatural beings had lived in harmony.

Then fear had taken root.

Fear became hatred.

Hatred became violence.

And violence turned them against one another like a spreading sickness.

“Terra. Selene.”

Solis sighed.

“I understand the urgency and seriousness of this, but what we're about to create could be an abomination to the powers that be.”

He looked toward the infants.

“Would Vita and Mortem even agree to this?”

His voice softened.

“What happens if they don't?”

He wasn't only worried about the infants.

He was worried about all of them.

Creating something like this could mean certain death for everyone.

Was it worth it to save two innocent lives?

None of them knew.

Then a familiar laugh echoed through the chamber.

“Ah, our children bickering once again.”

Vita's voice was warm with amusement.

She stood beside Mortem, watching the three siblings with unmistakable pride.

The trio turned toward their creators.

They were startled at first. Then relaxed.

Parents. Comrades. Gods.

Whatever they were, they had created them.

Terra stepped forward.

“Will this upset the balance of nature?”

Her voice was quiet.

She hoped the answer would be no.

Mortem shook his head.

“No.”

Vita smiled beside him.

They had foreseen this moment long before the three standing before them had even existed.

This was always meant to happen.

Mortem stepped closer.

“They will protect what you cannot.”

His gaze moved from Terra to Selene to Solis.

“They will balance what you cannot.”

He paused.

“And they will succeed where you cannot.”

The three exchanged uncertain glances.

“They are mates.”

Silence.

“Both were born at the same time, but in different places. They will always find each other.”

Mortem's eyes darkened with something almost resembling sorrow.

“They will fight for each other. Love each other.”

He paused.

“There will come a time when they will need to find each other again.”

Terra frowned.

“When?”

“Not for many thousands of years.”

Mortem looked directly at her.

“Do it, Terra. Now, before it is too late.”

He glanced toward the entrance.

“Fear is coming for them.”

His voice dropped.

“The Forgotten are coming.”

Terra immediately cut her palm.

Blood welled from the wound.

She passed the blade to Selene.

Selene did the same.

Then Solis.

One by one, their blood dripped into the swirling mixture before them.

Each drop hissed as it struck the liquid.

The spell was working.

Vita and Mortem brought the two crying infants forward.

Terra began speaking in an ancient language, the words flowing from her tongue as naturally as breathing.

When she finished, she turned toward the mixture.

Ready.

Mortem and Vita placed the bottles into the infants' hands.

Each child drank.

Their cries slowly faded.

The three supernatural beings could feel the infants' life forces strengthening.

Then—

A howl pierced the chamber.

Vita's head snapped toward the sound.

“It is done.”

Her voice echoed through the darkness.

“You are too late.”

She smiled.

“The Trinities have been brought forth.”

Howls erupted from every direction.

Then—

Silence.

Mortem and Vita turned toward the three siblings holding the newly transformed infants.

Small smiles appeared on their faces.

Pride.

Perhaps even relief.

Then their forms began to fade.

Before disappearing completely, Mortem's voice echoed through the chamber.

“Hide them.”

Vita continued.

“Train them.”

Mortem's voice followed.

“Teach them everything you know.”

Vita's final words were almost a whisper. “Do not let Him get them.” The three siblings froze. Mortem's final words echoed through their minds.

“Because that would be the end of all of us.”