Waiting by Kiahana Page A

saw what just a drop of my blood did to your ankle, and to Brian's forehead."
    We sat in silence for a bit, me trying to come up with more questions without being annoying.
    "Why di d you never get close to anyone? You let me right in when others have tried and tried and you turn them away without so much as a second glance." I thought he knew everything about me, but I guess not.   I buried my head against his chest, too embarrassed to actually reveal the reason out loud. "Please. I'll answer all your questions honestly, and would like you to do the same."
    Like I even had the strength to try and lie to him.
    "No one ever compared to you. It was frustrating. I'd try to let guys kiss me, even made the first move sometimes, but they didn't have anything on you. It's pathetic, I know." My head remained buried against his chest, too afraid to see his reaction.
    "I'm glad, though it pained me over the years to see you sad. I'd told myself that if you did find someone, then I'd be happy for you. I even let Brian keep his feelings for you, rather than make him think otherwise, in hopes tha t maybe he could make you happy if I didn't return to you in time."
    My head shot up, searching his eyes to see if he was joking. He wasn't.

"You've always been mysterious. I made it my mission, the night of our last part y at Brian's house, to kiss you. A nd even though it went horribly wrong, I still can't regret it. You opened my eyes and showed me what I could of had, and ultimately what I didn't want to live without. No one's been able to compete on even a minute scale."
    Why was I still talking? I'd answered his question, now it's my turn.
    "You said yo u've been watching me for years.  W here were you last week when Francis said he saved my life?"
    "The Pulpa s made a grand entrance a few cities over and I was meeting with a friend to get information. There have been some disappearances among some of my friends and I wanted to find out what I could, in h opes to end the questions. P ulpa s are behind it, and I have to have proof before I take it to the Council . They are more powerful than any, and their word is law. To question them is instant death. Even the Pulpa s fear them."
    It just kept getting weirder .
    "How many make up the Council ? Do you have a president?"
    "The Counc il acts like the president, making a decision as one. There's ten total. They get more done, but we are also a more violent species."
    I turned to lay on my back, trying to figure out which question to ask next.
    "How exactly are you planning on using Quinn to save Francis? I know you said 'the law', but does that mean Quinn will keep his mouth shut and keep Francis from being hunted, so that he doesn't get killed himself?"
    "Mostly," h e nodded. "Francis will give him the option to live under circumstances, and under a blood oath. Quinn is second in command to the largest Pulpa group and with his word, Francis can be considered dead and a non-threat, effectively clearing his name and leaving him un-harmed.   Un wanted . " His eyes darkened again. "But if he does the blood oath and turns b ack on his word, he dies anyway , a slow painful death, brought on by himself. If he manages to escape before the blood oath is made, then we'll have a problem.  E ven bigger than just Francis."
    My lips twitc hed. He could say all he wanted but he really did love his brother and it showed, no matter what he said.
    "Francis said you were both created, turned, or whatever by the same woman and that you're really brothers. How did this all happen?" I turned back on my side and found myself eager for his answers. This was a pretty important question and I can't believe it took me this long to ask it.
    "We were born from the same mum and turned by the same mum. She was turned without any warning and disappeared for a few months, leaving us to beg and fend for ourselves. She showed back up when I was twenty two and Francis was t wenty four, had her friends creep us out of the