Somewhere Over the Freaking Rainbow - By L.L. Muir Page 0,33
he’s also surprised us. I’d rather be sure.”
“It is your call to make. You still have the odd awareness of him?”
“I do. I still don’t understand it.”
“Ours is not to question.” Lucas nodded sagely.
“I try not to.”
“Don’t give him reason to suspect you again...if possible. That is all the advice I have.” Lucas dropped his hands from his hips, a sure sign the conversation was over.
“I may be quite late.”
“Time is a mortal concern.” Lucas waved away her comment.
“Just staying in character.”
“Oh, all right, then.” Lucas lowered his brow and propped his fists on his hips. “Don’t let me catch you sneaking in here at four in the morning, young lady.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
She kissed him on the cheek and laughed her way out the door. That had been easy, but she supposed she hadn’t really expected much of an argument. As far as the general population knew, they were mild mannered eco-nuts, not polygamists. If a Somerled teen was out past dark it didn’t mean he or she would be cast out of their society.
Skye tried to control her imagination as she drove off. Her foot tended to lay a bit heavy on the gas pedal, even when she was in no hurry. Time, as Lucas had just reminded her, was a mortal concern, but when her tasks involved mortals, time was also a concern of hers.
If she was late for the bonfire, would he leave? Would another girl distract him? Was he as easily distracted as many other boys in their school?
Oh, here comes the mental demolition derby again.
She tried to pay attention to the speedometer. Already she was well over the limit. She lifted her foot, but by the time the car reacted there were red and blue lights flashing in her rear view mirror.
Wonderful. She’d be even later, and the sun was also speeding—toward the horizon.
“Give me a warning,” she whispered into the mind of the deputy as he walked up to her window.
“Wow, Skye Somerled. Surprise, surprise.”
“Sheriff Cooke?” She smiled her coyest smile and added a blush just in case.
“How many warnings have I given you, honey?”
“Some.”
“Oh, now don’t try to lie. How many?”
As if she could lie!
“More than a few. Less than a hundred.”
If he asked if it was more than twenty, she was in trouble.
“How many tickets have I issued?”
“To me?” Her voice squeaked.
She didn’t have the ability to remove memories, but she could strongly suggest people remember, or not. Suggestions were her specialty, but at the moment, she couldn’t come up with a pleasant one.
“How many tickets have I issued, to you, for speeding?”
“None?”
“Wrong.”
“Wrong?” Was his memory faulty, or was hers?
“The answer is ‘one.’”
“Really? When?”
“Right now, sweetheart. You’re going to get your first ticket. Congratulations.” The man started writing on his little clip board. “And I’d bet it won’t be your last, but no one would cover that bet.”
Skye sat in shock while the sheriff took his time writing her up. He’d seen that license and registration so much since she’d started driving, he should have the numbers memorized, but that didn’t seem to make things easier. As she watched him in the mirror, it looked like he wasn’t doing anything but staring at his computer screen.
Probably playing a leisurely game of chess, making her wait the equivalent of all the tickets he never gave her, but should have. She was so going to miss the bonfire.
***
What seemed like an hour later she was headed off toward the high school, sending the sheriff a strong suggestion to head in the other direction for the rest of the evening.
She passed the west side. No flames yet.
She found a parking space and headed over. No breeze. Less danger. Good.
The dirt and grass of the field made for uneven footing and she was forced to watch where she walked. Only when she joined the crowd closing around the huge pile of wood was she able to look at the people.
A blond head. Too short. Another, but that one was female. So many hats!
She closed her eyes and tried to focus on Jamison. That link between them was growing stronger by the second. He was coming.
She turned to look at the parking lot behind her.
Nothing.
Then she faced the school.
There. Coming from the football field. Dressed in black. It was impossible to tell from the distance, but he seemed to have picked her out of the crowd.
Oh, yeah. White clothes. Duh.
She, the angel, and he, the devil.
Something deep inside shivered, but she ignored it.