Chapter 3: The Fate of the Sisters

Chapter 31

Lorraine2

“—twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven—”3

I kept going, the cold froth freezing its way past my throat. Their voices were loud, cheering screams in my ears, but I didn’t care. These people didn’t care. Not that I was too young, too bold, too reckless…4

“—thirty-eight, thirty-nine—”5

I risked cracking my eyes open to look around. The people encircling me looked so funny upside down, I noticed. Like a room has been turned over, or reality inverted…6

“—sixty-eight—”7

Oh, man. I didn’t mean to wait that long. I pulled the hose out of my mouth and they flipped me back to my feet. The beer hit me too quickly. My feet wavered, my knees threatened to buckle—8

Hands caught my back and pulled me up. I felt their warmth, the way they enveloped me, and a giggle burst from my mouth unhindered.9

Whoever caught me came around to my front, keeping their arms around my waist. Without glancing up, I put my hands out and pushed them away. “Look, buddy, I’m not that kind of girl,” I began.10

“Woah,” the guy said, backing up. “I didn’t mean it like that.”11

I peeked up at his face and I could feel the grin splitting my face in two. Cute. Way too cute. Black thick hair, pale blue eyes, a head taller than me, and shoulders twice as wide. 12

“Well, hey there, handsome,” I purred before I could stop myself. Okay, I was too drunk for my own good.13

His bright white teeth flashed and I wanted to melt. “Do you need to sit down?”14

“That’d be great.” My words, I realized, were dragged out and nearly slurred. The only tinge of regret is that maybe I’d forget about him tomorrow—but that wasn’t going to stop me.15

My savoir led me past a table in the kitchen, where a group of kids were playing drinking games. Normally, I’d join them, but I didn’t want to risk going comatose on Mr. Hottie. 16

He settled on a circle of couches connected to the kitchen. Through one side there was a sliding glass door while the other held a high-tech entertainment system. 17

“Call me Kris,” he said, leaning back into a red and white patterned couch. 18

I pushed a bleached blonde strand of hair behind my ear. “Call me Raine,” I mimicked his tone. 19

“So, are you here with someone, Raine?” he asked. His eyes were milky blue and stood out brightly against his complexion.20

“Nope,” I admitted. I peeked up at him, knowing my green eyes were just as pale as his against my eyeliner. I could just picture how he thought of me: some eighteen-year old having some fun after grad night. Too bad he didn’t know that wasn’t until next year. Whatever. “Are you?”21

He was looking towards the backyard while I answered and that bothered me. I glanced in the same direction.22

Crap.23

His head snapped in my direction so quickly I wondered if I said it aloud. I kept my expression blank hoping he couldn’t see how shocked I was. 24

Why did Kassie have to come? 25

I could see her talking to Amanda and someone else, but his back was to me.26

I grabbed his hand and jumped up. “Let’s go dance.”27

It was easy to take up this act, especially as buzzed as I felt. We went to a darkened room with a large group of girls and several couples moved to hip hop from the loud speakers. Kris easily led me through the group and into a corner, where we swayed for song after song.28

No matter how drunk I got, I was determined not to forget that night.29

Around midnight Kris pulled away from me. “Let’s go somewhere.”30

“Okay,” I agreed. “You know, this is a beach house.”31

We found our way out of the house and onto the beach. I kicked off my high heels and jumped into the sand. It was cool and slid between my toes like water. Under the half-moon, the beach resembled an endless pasture of clouds.32

The music from the house faded into the roar of waves as they crashed along the shoreline. Overall, the scene was absolutely gorgeous, and it thrilled me.33

“How often do you come here?” Kris asked. Without a word, he had picked up my shoes and dangled them in one hand. His other hand was extended towards me.34

I accepted it, feeling his cold hands as they dwarfed mine. “Whenever I feel like it,” I said. “Honestly, the owner of the house is a friend of mine.” Amanda O’Roark’s parents house—except that they were always away on business trips. “Isn’t it pretty?”35

He didn’t respond and I regretted my choice of words.36

“I mean, it’s just amazing,” I babbled on.37

Finally, he answered. “Can you imagine owning all of this?” His voice was husky with emotion. “The seas, the sky, the earth… Having control of it all.” He turned to me, his eyes shadowed but I knew they were focused intently on my face.38

No, I wanted to say. Part of the beauty was its freedom. Endless, infinite freedom.39

I had a feeling that he wouldn’t like my answer, so I smiled at him instead. “I bet that kind of power would corrupt.”40

His laughter sent chills down my spine. He turned and kept walking along the beach. There, south of Amanda’s beach house, was a cliff. As the beach sloped upwards, the sand turned into dirt and rocks, then finally into grass flattop. The drop was straight and steep to the rocky shallows of the Pacific below.41

“So what’s up there?” Kris asked, as if he followed my gaze.42

A memory flashed in my mind quickly. I saw Kassie, my mother, and myself—and a slim golden man. Gold eyes, gold skin, gold hair, and a golden heart. He hugged me but even as a child I could feel the stiffness in his arms, the regal bearing of his straight posture.43

I shook my head, hoping to clear away the last memories of my father, and shrugged. “Some monument someone built a long time ago.”44

“Let’s go up there,” he suggested.45

That idea prickled my nerves in a way that made me uneasy. I could almost feel that hairs on my neck raise. And I could smell something in the salty air that wasn’t there before—something that left a touch of copper on my tongue and made my stomach roll. Blood?46

That thought sobered me quickly. “How about we go down to the water?” I asked, already dropping his hand and turning towards the shore.47

A hand grabbed my bicep and spun me around hard. If it weren’t for that grip, I would have fallen into the sand. While earlier I had appreciated Kris’ help, now I was wondering if maybe I had finally gotten myself into trouble.48

The eyes glaring down at me from within Kris’ face were silver they’re so blue. They seemed to glow from his shadowed eyes, fathomless twin flames glowing from above me.49

“How about we don’t.”50