STORM Lucy darted glances between I and Justin after Justin ‘s statement. Her gaze lingering on me the more. She was obviously waiting for any one of us to tell that it was all a joke. Well, it was not. “Are you both serious? Storm has really woken up to her senses?” Lucy asked, causing me to groan. Like seriously, girl? Must you throw me under the bus too? I thought, gawking when she high fived Justin. When did the two begin to shake hands?The duo were usually on opposite sides, for reasons I’ve never been able to decipher. I had met Lucy before Justin, and so when I had incorporated Justin into the friendship circle, she had actually taken it the wrong way, a bit jealous that her position would be taken no matter how much I had tried to convince her that it wasn’t so. It had taken a long while before she had even allowed him to eat on our table in high school. Justin was good and patient to have endured all her shortcomings. Seeing their interactions now was a huge relief even t

STORMI almost took up Justin’s offer. For a minute after he had asked the question, I had nearly said yes. It was enticing, you know, to know about the man that had somehow, in a short time frame held the reins of my heart. “Don’t bother about it. Nothing is truly hidden under the sun. If he is the one, that would be revealed soon.” I muttered, while internally I was shouting and clamouring that Justin would ignore my answer and go ahead to dig up information on Kaden. This was another fact that you should know about Justin. He was very good with computers. As I had pointed out before, he is so good at many things that he could decide whatever he wanted. He was favored by nature that way to the detriment of others who would unfortunately be on his bad side. I thought. But of course, I was happy that he was so talented, for on more than many occasions he had come through for I and Lucy with his so many talents. “You sure?” Lucy asked, winking at me, causing me to chuckle and look aw

STORM I got home around some minutes past five in the evening, to find Miranda being chatty with Doctor Jack in our sitting room. Hope she wasn’t trying to seduce the doctor? He might be middle aged but he was handsome and sturdy in a cute way. He wasn’t married either. I greeted him curtly, deciding not to join in their conversations, but Jack was having none of it. “Storm, how are you feeling now?” he asked me just before I got to the staircase. “I am fine.'' I replied, looking at his smiley face with a smile of my own before turning around and walking upstairs. But when I got to the door, I realized with a jerking speed that Jack’s voice was similar, too similar to the voice of the man that had been in the bedroom with Jess last night. Could Jack be the…”? No, no, that was impossible! But the more I thought about it, the more I believed it and the more dreadful I became. If he really was the one, then he probably had a hand in my father’s death since he was the family doctor. Co

"Swing with us, El," Daniel called. At fifteen, he was tall and gangly, his form just beginning to show the promise of who he would become. Elina knew he had great courage, as well as love for his siblings. He'd kept them together after their parents had died, and when the girls were taken by the monstrous men down in the labyrinth beneath whatever city they were in, he had gone after them. She couldn't help but admire him. "Not right now, but I have a plate full of warm chocolate chip cookies. And, Jane, I also have fresh cranberry and pistachio biscotti dipped in white chocolate."From what she had heard from Jane, Tensel had taken the children in, become a foster parent of sorts, until the adoptions came through, protecting them with his friends and unique security system--just as he protected her. Elina was grateful to him, but she knew she couldn't stay much longer.Daniel raced to the porch first, leaned down and brushed the top of her head with a kiss, scooped up a handful of

Elina nodded, agreeing because it was the truth. She wouldn't. Couldn't. But she agreed because she knew Jane was right. "Tensel and Clarissa tell me that as well. I don't want to relive one moment of it, not ever again, not even to talk about it."The incident. That's how she thought of it, trying to minimize those hours in her mind. Make the entire thing just another moment in her history. She pushed at her tangled hair with trembling fingers. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. The pain in her body increased until she writhed on the chair, a low moan escaping. At once Jane leapt to her feet and came around the small table toward her.Elina held up her hand, palm out, desperate to stop the other woman. "Please. I can do this. I have to do it my way.""Clarissa told me a healer was coming, and would be here any day. He's powerful. Also, Damonq is reputed to be a tremendous healer--" Jane broke off. "Okay, I can't recommend him. Everyone seems nervous around him, including Tensel, and