Empath (Book 1 of The Empath Trilogy)

  Ch. 22

  Monday morning. I had an escort to my Psychology class and, though I believed the guard was unnecessary, I have to say, I didn’t mind the extra attention from my super sexy escort, looking very mysterious in his ever present shades and dark coat. James drove me to campus, parked the car and walked hand in hand with me to the door of my classroom. To all appearances we were just like any other dating couple, except we had the responsibility of trying to prevent a brewing vampire war from erupting so that free human beings wouldn’t be wiped out. Still, today, life was perfect.

  After class, Stephen picked me up and we walked to work. He had some studying to do in the library anyway he said, and once I was there, I would be Henry’s charge. Heidi and Ben had become suspicious of all of Henry’s extra attention. To placate them, I told them both that I had confessed to Henry my wish to be a librarian so he was putting some extra time into me. Fortunately, they were very sweet about it. Ben was going to be a finance guy so he thought my wish to work with books was a waste. Heidi didn’t know what she wanted, even though she was halfway through her junior year. She said she was just jealous of my decision-making ability. I figured it wasn’t a lie on my part since I hadn’t ruled it out as a possibility, although it no longer felt like my only option.

  On our way to the library, we had a long walk across campus, which led us through the park. Augsburg’s campus housed Minneapolis’ oldest park across the street and down a flight of stairs from the main part of the school. We were halfway through the park when Stephen hopped sideways closing the small gap between us fast until our arms nearly touched. I barely kept my feet as I looked up expecting him to make a joke.

  But the look on his face was severe. I had never seen him look dangerous. He did now. His changed demeanor had me searching around us for the threat that had to be nearby. It didn’t take long to find her. Gina stepped around a large oak tree just to our left and blocked our path on the walkway. We could easily have stepped around her, which would have left our backs open to her. We stopped.

  “Stephen,” she crooned not taking her hate filled eyes from mine. “I see you are still doing as you are told like a good kitty. Does your Master pay you well to babysit?”

  A familiar tingle raced up my arm making my hair stand on end. I recognized the sensation of him changing forms. “Stephen, no.” I warned hoping to distract him and unwilling to risk putting a hand on him in such a volatile state. It wouldn’t help matters if I lost it and just ended up making him twice as mad. I wasn’t sure of the rules, but I figured it probably wasn’t okay to turn into a mountain lion on a college campus in front of dozens of witnesses in broad daylight.

  Stephen snarled at her. “I have no Master. Can you say the same?”

  Her eyes narrowed yet she ignored his question. “Yes, Stephen, do as you’re told. You know what happens to bad kitties.” She stood just feet from us, and closed the space in one gliding step. Gina put her clawlike hand on Stephen’s cheek and stroked it, putting her face to his. I half expected her to kiss him. “I heard what happened the last time you misbehaved for your old Master. Maybe we can arrange something like that for you again to serve as a reminder of who is the stronger species.” Turning on her heel, she sauntered off, calling over her shoulder as she did. “See you soon, dears.”

  From my nearness I could feel him shaking, I wasn’t sure if it was anger or his effort to remain human. “Damn it, I hate that woman already.” He was angry, not afraid.

  Curious, I asked him. “Stephen, how did your old master punish you? You’re so strong.”

  His jaw was so tight I was sure I would hear a tooth break soon, but he breathed a few deep breaths and pulled me along. Resuming our walk to work, Stephen was silent for a while. Eventually, he answered me. “Silver.” I didn’t understand, so I waited patiently for him to continue. “Silver hurts and temporarily paralyzes supernatural creatures. The entire time it touches our skin, it burns and will give us scars. Given enough time it will burn through until it touches blood. Then it kills.”

  “I’ve never seen scars on you. Where did he touch you with silver?” We stopped walking and I turned to face him so that I could see his expression. His eyes were full of remembered pain.

  Without speaking, Stephen grabbed his pants at the knees and lifted his jeans. He was wearing low socks and I could clearly see the skin at his ankles. I gasped in horror. The flesh just above his socks was forever marked by wide bands of melted white skin, so thin in parts they were nearly transparent.

  “Oh Stephen, I’m so sorry.” I shored myself up enough for a short hug. He squeezed me back.

  His voice was choked as he pulled away roughly and spoke. “Come on, we’ll be late and I need to let Henry know they’re following us. At least they can’t do anything to us in public like this. Even Bradley isn’t that bold. Yet.”