Charade (Heven and Hell #2)(71)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“Wow. That must be really scary.” I didn’t know what to say. I felt sorry for Logan, so young and to have all this happening to him. He must be so confused. It’s no wonder Sam is so worried about him. “You think it’s because his body is rejecting the hellhound gene?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.”

He seemed weary, with worry lines crinkling his forehead. I reached out and fisted a handful of his hair, right in the front and lifted his head a little. “What can I do to help?”

The side of his lips raised in a lopsided smile. “You’re already doing it.”

“Pulling your hair?” I grinned and tugged his sun-kissed locks a little harder.

He laughed and grabbed my hand and held it against his chest. I liked the feeling of his heartbeat against my palm. “Being with you like this, it makes the hard times easier, you know?”

“Yeah,” I whispered. “I know.”

He tipped my chin up with his knuckles. “Hopefully, after today we will be able to concentrate on just having a good time here and when we get home, I’ll concentrate on Logan.”

I looked down at the scroll and nodded. Today we would go into the catacombs and return the scroll to where it belonged. Our promise to Airis will be filled and Sam and I could get on with our lives. So why did I feel a little sad to see it go?

“It’s been a stressful couple months. It’s normal to feel nervous,” Sam murmured, brushing the hair back from my face.

I did feel nervous.

Sam pulled me against him and kissed me thoroughly, completely and thrillingly. When he pulled back, I could barely think at all. “I have to go,” he whispered.

I nodded.

“I’ll see you…” He glanced at the clock. “In thirty minutes.”

I nodded, staring at his mouth.

He laughed. “Did you hear anything I just said?”

I blinked. “Uh, yeah. Breakfast.”

He shook his head, got up, and threw on his T-shirt. Before slipping out the door, he kissed my forehead.

When he was gone, I looked over at the empty bed where Kimber should have been. I hoped she was feeling better and I would see her at breakfast. If I didn’t, I was going to have to find a way to sneak into her room so I could see her for myself.

I grabbed my shower bag, the scroll and some clean clothes and took advantage of the fact I actually got to use the bathroom. Halfway there, a thought speared me and I stumbled. I told Henry about our visit to Via Appia Antica today and the planned bike ride. I hadn’t told him about the catacombs. How did he know we were going there… and why did he tell me to be careful?

Chapter Eighteen

Heven

Kimber wasn’t at breakfast. I watched the door the entire time we were eating, pushing the oatmeal around in my bowl, my heart leaping every time someone walked in the room, only to be let down when I realized that it was not her. Mrs. Britt sat a few tables away with Ms. Merriweather, and neither teacher acted as if anything was wrong. All the students chatted and laughed, no one seeming to notice Kimber’s absence.

Because of this, I noticed it more.

That and the fact that everyone’s auras were all very good-natured and peaceful this morning. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it wasn’t right either. An entire room full of people, rarely—if ever—has the same general feelings. It hadn’t been this way at all during the trip till now. Usually, there were lots of different feelings flooding the room: homesickness, jealousy, curiosity, even nervousness at being somewhere so foreign without a parent. Of course, good-natured and happy auras were always present also.

But today, it was almost as if they felt fake.

It wasn’t something I had really thought about before.

“How are you feeling today, Cole?” I asked, leaning toward him.

He shrugged and sat down his glass of orange juice. “Fine.”

His aura looked like it always looked, which was usually filled with blues and greens. Of course, the magenta was there, a burst of vibrant color around his head. “Never mind.” I sighed. Even if everyone’s mood was being influenced, who’s to say it would work on Cole? He is a Supernal Being, after all. Plus, if everyone else’s auras were being manipulated, wouldn’t that mean mine would be too? Wouldn’t I be feeling calm and happy like everyone else?

I didn’t feel like I was being influenced, so maybe I was just being paranoid.

“What is it, Heven?” Sam murmured.

I pushed my oatmeal away, done with even pretending to eat. “Everyone’s aura looks a lot alike this morning.”

Sam frowned. “You think it’s a charade?”

An interesting way to phrase it. Could an entire room full of people’s aura’s be disguised and replaced by something more favorable? I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know.”

Without thinking about it, my eyes went back to the teachers’ table and I remembered what I saw when Ms. Merriweather thought no one was looking. Her aura blanked out to be replaced with a cloud of black for a few moments…

“I’ll be right back.” I pushed away from the table and walked across the room.

Mrs. Britt looked up from her plate. “Heven? Is something wrong?”

“No, Mrs. Britt. I was wondering about Kimber. Is she all right?”

“She’s still under the weather, I’m afraid. Ms. Merriweather checked her this morning.”

I turned to the teacher’s aide. She smiled up at me and I couldn’t help but notice that the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Kimber vomited until the early hours of this morning. She is just too weak to join the class today.”

Her aura remained exactly like everyone else’s.

“I want to see her.”

Tabitha Merriweather narrowed her eyes just a fraction at my words, but otherwise remained still. Mrs. Britt drew my attention away. “We have to be on the bus in just a few minutes, Heven. Kimber’s probably sleeping. I will take you to her room this afternoon when we get back from the Via Appia Antica and you may see her then.”

If I put up a fit, then Ms. Merriweather would know that I suspected something. There was nothing I could do but agree and go back to where we were sitting.

“Hev?” Cole asked when I sat back down.

“Something isn’t right,” I murmured, hating the fact I didn’t know what it was.

Sam covered my hand with his. “You’re just nervous that we’re returning the scroll today. Once it’s where it belongs, you’ll feel much better.”