The Violet Line by Bilinda Ni Siodacain Page B

I wanted more; I wanted him here in front of me so I could study every detail, every line of his body, the details of his face. I wanted to hear his laugh, his voice. I needed him here safe with me.
    The rain had begun to fall outside and soft grey mist enveloped everything on the other side of the window. It felt as though the dawn would be coming soon; I had grown accustomed to knowing the feeling it left in the air and now was no exception. It was still dark outside but instead of being the blackness of night, it had developed a slightly navy blue colour, allowing the mist to become clearer.
    The dawn would be later today, I thought, rising stiffly from my place on the couch. It seemed I had been sitting there longer than I had realised. Crossing to the window, rain splashed against the glass growing heavier with each drop and I pulled the heavy curtains against the onslaught. Walking into the bedroom, I grabbed Sam’s jumper up from where I had left it folded on the bed this morning and pulled it on over my head before crawling under the duvet. Closing my eyes, I prayed for sleep to find me – anything to take me out of this waiting and uncertainty.
    A noise stirred me under the duvet and I felt the bed dipping under the weight of somebody else.
    “ Sam?” My voice was groggy and hoarse.
    “ I’m here.” His voice was like music; it filled me with warmth and happiness and I struggled to escape from underneath the blankets.
    “ Oh god, I’m so happy you’re back. I was so worried and I thought you’d never come back to me. Where were you? I was sure something had happened and when you didn’t answer...” He pressed his fingers against my lips, cutting off my landslide of questions and garbled concerns.
    “ Jade, I’m ok. I’m here, see?” he said, spreading his hands wide. Looking at him sitting on the side of the bed in a dark shirt and black jeans, I flung myself against his chest, pulling him in tight against me. The tears flowed hot down my cheeks. Whispering against his shirt, my voice was still hoarse.
    “ I thought you were gone, that I’d never get to hold or see you again.” Even though my words were muffled against him, I knew he heard me. Untangling my arms from where I clung tightly to him, he pushed me away and looked down into my face.
    “ I told you I’d come back and I have, but Jade we need to talk. Something very serious has happened.” His voice held the gravity of the situation, causing me to sit up and look closer at him.
    “ What happened to your face? You’re black and blue, and there are scratches all over your hands. Sam, what did this to you? Because I know it couldn’t have been human.” I stared at him as he looked down at his battered hands that were holding me.
    “ This is what we have to talk about. The council caught up to me the other night when I was hunting. They sent their best tracker, Raphael, and his partner, Marianne; those two never go anywhere without each other. Marianne has a gift; she can look into your head and tell if you’re lying. Even if you don’t really know it yourself, she will; it’s just what she is. The council likes to use her to question those they suspect of going rogue; or if they just want some sort of particular information, Marianne is the girl to get it for them.”
    “ But I don’t understand what this has to do with you. I mean, you certainly haven’t gone rogue and you don’t know anything that they might want.”
    Sam stared at me hard, his face held a look of incredulity. “Jade, think about it! What might the council want that I know about and love?”
    His question triggered a thought in my head. “You mean they want to know about me?” It was my turn to look incredulous.
    “ They know all about you; they weren’t interested in asking me about you. They want me to bring you to them.” His words hung in the air between us.
    “ So you came back to get me?” My voice held no emotion but the lines of my body