AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why would you think I’d leave you?” Sophie asked, her words a bit muffled because her face was buried on chest.
“I was—I was afraid I forced myself on you last night,” he mumbled into her hair. “Did I hurt you, Sophie?”
She pushed back from him with an indignant look. “No! You did not force me. Who knew drunk sex could be so erotic?”
Derek felt his heart and something in his nether region swell. Sophie reached up and pinched his cheek affectionately. “Next time, honey, drink a little less. Drunk sex is great, but it would be better if you stayed awake long enough for the afterglow.”
“Minx,” Derek muttered.
“Hey, I’m still upset with you for taking off when we had some serious discussion going on,” Sophie said as she pulled out the bagels and cream cheese.
The reason for his drunken binge last night came rushing back. He and Jack had gotten nowhere with that discussion as the scotch flowed fairly quickly.
“What you said cut deep, Sophie,” Derek admitted. “It made me feel worthless when all I wanted to do was protect you. I wanted to lash out. I had to leave before I said something I would regret.”
“I should have phrased my words better,” Sophie said softly. “You did not deserve what I said. Especially after all you’ve done for me.”
“What kills me is there’s some truth to your statement. But I’m not letting you go without me. That will never happen.”
“So you’re okay with me going?”
“Of course not. But there’s no stopping you. Might as well help you prepare.”
“Training starts tomorrow.”
“Maia’s helping with the training,” Derek replied. “There’s no one better to prepare you. We’ve got three days before we leave.”
* * *
“So,have you told him you love him yet?” Beth asked.
They were hanging out at the same spot as the other day in front of the DC Tattler building. The August heat beat down on them, the humidity was thick and suffocating. Not a gentle breeze relieved the stagnant air.
“Not really. No.” Sophie sighed. She watched the condensation trickle down her cold fountain drink.
“What’s stopping you?”
“Besides the fact that I could become a mass murderer. Oh nothing,” Sophie replied sarcastically.
Beth winced. “About that, Sophie—”
“It’s fine. Forget it.”
Just then a little girl with light shimmering blonde hair walked up to them. She was about eight-years old and looked faintly familiar. She held out a cell phone to Sophie and said, “He told me you should do it.”
Sophie frowned as she reached for the phone. “He? Do what?” She looked around expecting Derek to suddenly jump out and say “psyche.”
It was then she stared into the girl’s gray eyes and noticed how similar they were to her own. The girl smiled sadly, took a couple of steps back and walked away.
Sophie rose from the bench to go after her, but her eyes were inexplicably drawn to the phone. The screen flickered oddly, and she was prompted in some trance-like state to punch in some numbers and press send. Sophie glanced up at the little girl’s retreating form. Silver light engulfed her tiny body, turning it as black as charcoal with fiery embers shooting out from within.
Filled with horror, Sophie wanted to scream, but she had gone mute, so she reached out only to see her hand turn red and slowly dissolve.
Beth stood up to shake her, but her best friend was nothing more but deformed flesh, like a figure made out of wax and thrown into a fire, melted just like she was.
“Oh god, oh god!” Her mind screamed.
“Sophie!”
