Reaping Me Softly

nothing would ruin her enjoyment of Niko’s company. She’d face her feelings in time. Carrie and Ben would certainly have to answer for keeping their relationship a secret. But for now, Arianne concentrated on the present.

Traffic stayed moderate on I-75, considering the time of day. Usually, it would be a bumper to bumper mess. Arianne couldn’t believe the highway they were on was the site of so much tragedy. She felt apart from it: concerned for those who’d lost loved ones, but not exactly able to relate with their suffering. Shooing away morbid thoughts, Arianne looked askance at Niko. The interior of his car smelled of lemons, yet she couldn’t tell where he hid the air freshener. The air conditioner blasted welcome coolness, banishing the heavy heat that prevailed even if summer was over. Arianne cursed her choice of a mini-skirt that day. Her thighs stuck to the black leather seat like Velcro. It was all she could do to keep from shifting, embarrassed of the potential sound the movement would make.

“I didn’t know you had a car,” she said.

Niko lowered the volume on the latest Yellowcard single blaring from his dash and said, “I don’t have much use for it. But I do love taking a drive once in a while.”

“Eyes on the road, mister.” When Niko obliged, she continued, “I would think you’d just will yourself anywhere.”

He chuckled. “I would, but I have an image to maintain.”

“Oh right, the whole being human thing.”

“So, any guesses?”

“Warlock.”

“What makes you think that?” Niko gave her a sidelong glance followed by a grin.

“Well—” Arianne fiddled with her fingers “—you certainly have powers, so it seemed like the logical first choice. Not that anything about me trying to guess what you are is logical. Humor me and my research skills.”

“Nope, not a warlock.”

“Okay, that significantly narrows things down. I decided to stay away from vampires and werewolves since you don’t fit the mythology.”

“What if I wanted to suck your blood?” He failed at an imitation of a Transylvanian accent.

Arianne suppressed a laugh by mashing her lips together. “From what you told me about getting energy from souls, you don’t need blood to stay alive. And you can consume human food.”

“Touche.” He took his attention off the road for a moment. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Ever since I started seeing dead people, I’ve always wondered what else could be out there.” She bit her lip. “If everything in books was real.”

Niko tapped at the steering wheel. “Some are real, most are not. What’s your next guess?”

“Some kind of Faerie. Your looks could be glamour and I wouldn’t know what you really looked like unless you showed me.” She reached out and poked his cheek. “For all I know, you could be some tentacled thing.”

“Would it matter to you if I was?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I like looking at you. But the more I get to know you, the more I realize I wouldn’t be in this car with you if you were a jerk, no matter what you looked like. A girl’s got to have standards.”

“Good to know.” Niko eased the Mustang onto the exit ramp that led to Blackwood. “And no, I’m not one of the Fey. No tentacles.”

“Then that leaves some kind of celestial being. An angel, maybe?”

“No dice.”

“Really?” Arianne rubbed her chin. “I could have sworn…but what else is there?”

“Well, you can continue your research. I’m sure you’ll eventually find something.” He shifted gears then squeezed her knee. “Or you can wait for the time when I tell you.”

Arianne turned to the window. Her other limbs sizzled with jealousy while her knee rejoiced. “I think I’ll keep looking.”

“I thought so.”

Chapter 15 SECRET MEETINGS

NIKO’S FINGERS STAGED A MASS PROTEST by spreading a serious case of pins and needles across his palm and over his ten digits. The reason? His refusal to reach out and touch the girl seated beside him like a delectable feast. Just one touch, his fingers begged. He wanted to delay his gratification, which his obstinate fingers didn’t seem to understand. When he’d seen her exit the hospital and cross the road without a second thought to oncoming traffic, a fierce protectiveness almost claimed his composure. His heart flat-lined and only resumed beating when she’d reached his side. He thought about his previous conversation with Tomas. He couldn’t let himself believe that what he felt for Arianne would be in any way fleeting. With each day that he spent in her company, he only grew more enamored by the way she smiled or the animated way she spoke or how much she cared for her sister and best friend.

As he drove through Blackwood, she’d lapsed into stories of her adventures with Carrie and Ben after she’d run out of guesses as to his identity. He wanted to tell her, then and there, but he needed to confer with Tomas first. Bringing a human consort into the fold wasn’t uncommon, but it was a delicate process. The trust level alone…Niko pushed the thought away. He had time, and he knew in his heart of hearts that Arianne would take it well. She could already see the dead. From his perspective, it was only a matter of time until she figured things out. He admired the cool collectiveness she exhibited. She knew he wasn’t human, but she didn’t shun him or feel fear. She’d explained that it stemmed from being able to see souls. That she’d grown used to the unknown. But to Niko, he saw it as an unparalleled open-mindedness. Humans usually feared what they didn’t understand. Arianne endeavored to find answers to her questions instead of being swallowed up by fear.

Listening to her animated chatter, he eased the Mustang into the garage of his home. Her story of Carrie jumping into a river died.

“Your garage is underground?” She’d asked after all the king’s horses and all the king’s men put her slack face back together again.

“I thought it would be practical,” he said as he parked the car beside a black Yamaha.

“You have a motorcycle too?” Arianne didn’t wait for him to open the door for her. She jumped out and walked around his bike, admiring it like someone would a large guard dog. She reached out to touch it, but yanked her hand back as if an invisible electric fence prevented her from making contact with the polished chrome. “Why don’t you ride or drive to school if you have them?”

Niko closed the car door she’d left open. “Sickleton believes it’s more human to ride the bus. The less attention I get, the better I blend in.”

“Tough. You hang out with Darla. And with your looks—” she circled a finger in front of his face “—attention is all you’ll get. You’ve got half the school drooling over you. And you not joining any clubs or teams makes you even more mysterious. If blending in is your goal, I’d say you’re not doing such a good job at it.”

“You think I’m handsome?” He bent forward enough that she flushed.

She pushed him away playfully. “Keep walking, mister. Who’s Sickleton again?”

“My Caretaker. The one who met us at the door the other day.”

“Transparent sour puss? He’s not a ghost, or at least I don’t think he’s like the souls of the dead I see. He has clothes, for one thing. But he said something interesting. He said he couldn’t go near you or you’d drain him.”

Smirking at the term Arianne used for Sickleton, he finally answered the call of his fingers and took her hand. The lunar landing had nothing on how his fingers rejoiced at the contact. A smile brightened his features as he guided her to one end of the garage.

“He’s a guardian spirit. Not human. And he’s pure energy, so if I did get near him that day, I would have taken everything he had.”

“Whoa!” She yanked at his arm. “You have an elevator in your house?”

Niko thumbed the button and the doors parted. They entered, and he pressed another button on the panel. “The elevator is probably one of the few normal things in the house.” He cupped her face with both hands. “You