Lailah (The Styclar Saga) by Nikki Kelly Page B

his fingers up and down the scar, which was protruding out of my skin, feeling it stretch from my lower back to the nape of my neck in anything but a straight line.
    He was silent and when he pulled away from me, fury filled his expression. “I asked you who did that to you?” His voice roared, bouncing off the bare walls.
    I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I was uncomfortable; the scar was hideous and I was embarrassed that he had seen it. I needed the cardigan. I wanted it hidden. I snatched for it again, but he raced over, seizing it from my clutch.
    “Cessie,” he pushed on, deadly serious, and I had no choice but to answer.
    “I told you I had known a Vampire once and the acquaintanceship hadn’t ended well.” It was the truth.
    Jonah’s eyes flashed from his usual hazel color into deep red infernos. He looked ferocious. His whole body stiffened, appearing ready to erupt. “You’re still alive?” He hesitated, a quizzical look spreading across his face.
    I guess it was unusual to get out of the grasp of a Vampire with your life intact.
    “Yes, and he, Frederic,” I stammered, “is not.” My eyes started to well up. I didn’t want to think about this, about him. It was a painful memory and one I had no desire to revisit.
    Jonah’s muscles started to loosen and his eyes seemed less hard.
    I wiped angry tears with the back of my hand, which now felt like ice. I was shivering—a mixture of emotion and the freezing cold. Jonah seemed to calm down and walked toward me. He rested the cardigan back around my shoulders over the top of my hair. I slipped my arms through it silently and then backed away from him. I was beyond mad, my cheeks flushing scarlet.
    “I’m sorry,” he offered guiltily.
    I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I stumbled through the door, out into the woods. I stopped in my tracks as Gabriel stood directly in front of me.
    What did he do? His thoughts filled me quickly.
    I bowed my head, holding back the tears that threatened once more. Gabriel’s eyes ran up and down my body hurriedly; I could feel him examining every inch of me and quickly his eyes set upon my wrist, which was bruising a lovely shade of purple. He looked to me again but still I didn’t answer him.
    Go back to the house and wait for me on the patio. I need to speak with Jonah alone.
    I did as I was told and made my way back up the slate path slowly, to avoid falling on the slippery surface and to gain time to pull myself together. I didn’t want to cause tension between them, but I was upset with Jonah. However, I felt more emotional over the memory of that Vampire, of that evening.
    Reaching the patio, I sat down and waited. I remained there for what felt like a long time, when finally Gabriel returned and took a seat beside me. “I’m sorry about Jonah,” he sighed. “He’s curious about you, but that doesn’t give him the right—”
    I cut him off. “I’m fine, honestly. Let’s just forget it.”
    Gabriel nodded dubiously before continuing. “I’ve spoken to everyone who resides here and they’re all comfortable to be around you. They have sworn to me that they’ll treat you as family. I trust them to look out for you, to help keep you from harm. I know it’s difficult for you to be here, but I need you next to me while I try and work out…” He trailed off.
    “Work out what? What I am? I’m just a girl! Okay, maybe I’m a tad on the immortal side, but I am still human—I can die.”
    “Yes, but you come back to life, and that’s not exactly ordinary. It concerns me that not one but two Purebloods have come to seek you out. We need to know why.”
    I knew Gabriel was holding something back.
    “They might have been tracking Jonah and I was likely a coincidence,” I lied. It was me they were chasing. I knew this for certain after observing them in the vision.
    “Jonah drank your blood and he was able to end a large number of Second Generations with his bare