Fate and Fury (50 page)

The stylist waved Amber’s comment aside. “‘Course Clara mentioned it. She’s very excited for y’all. But she realizes this is just the first step. You and Gabriel are headed to college. You both have jobs and will probably want to find a place of your own soon.”

That caused Amber a bit of a jolt. Lulu hadn’t said “places of your own,” but the singular “place of your own.” Did Mrs. B think that Amber and Gabriel would get a place together because they were both going to attend Georgia State University? Their plans hadn’t progressed that far yet.

She had to admit that the idea held great appeal to her. She certainly hadn’t dwelled on what would happen when college started in the fall. But there had been more than a few moments when she had lain awake in her bedroom wondering what she would do when Gabriel, who always made friends easily with his natural affability and charm, inevitably got involved in college activities that didn’t include her and their lives turned down their separate paths. Those private thoughts always left an unmistakable hole in her heart.

Of course, with her birthday approaching, she knew there was every possibility that their parting of ways could come even sooner than that.

Every three years since she’d been born, she experienced what she had come to call an “incident.” The incidents, being bizarre, unexplainable and just plain creepy, had resulted in much upheaval in her life. And she admitted to herself that she was worried—okay, terrified—that the next incident would be the one that finally severed her relationship with Gabriel, the only friend she’d ever had. Sure, he’d stuck with her after the incident three years ago, but why remind him of her freakishness? Thus, she was working very hard this year to try and prevent it by keeping her stress under control.

“You kids have been with her so long, it’ll be hard for the big goodbye,” Lulu continued, ignorant of Amber’s racing thoughts. Seemingly satisfied with whatever she saw during her examination of Amber’s hair, the stylist turned to study her face. “You could use a facial.”

While her expression was probably not the equivalent to utter horror, Amber was pretty sure it came close. But Lulu got her way. Before Amber could argue, she was lying back in a padded chair with cold goop covering her face and a ridiculous cap on her head to keep the other goop on her hair contained. She imagined if Gabriel saw her now that he would not only check her pulse, but would howl with laughter that would make her want to punch him in the head.

In an effort to keep her stress contained, she closed her eyes and allowed the hum of the machines and the senseless chatter to calm her. When she slipped into sleep, she once again had The Dream.

She opened her eyes, and he was there. The handsome male with dark hair and intense gray eyes. The one who loved her.

Saraqael
.

The unusual and seemingly powerful name floated through her mind…though Amber knew it wasn’t truly her mind experiencing this encounter. This memory belonged to another.

He reached out and took her hand where it rested on her sickbed. “Did the doctors have any news?” he asked.

She shook her head. It took tremendous effort. The battle against her rare genetic disease had been long and arduous, and she was tired. So tired. But she made the effort of bringing forth a smile for him. He had stood by her for more than a year now, offering her support first through his position as a deacon at the community church, and then as her friend.

For a long moment, he didn’t speak. He simply stared at her. His emotion was obvious. Then he gently brought her hand up. He brushed that hand with his lips before holding it against his cheek. It was as though he knew she would have caressed that cheek if she had only possessed the strength to do so. The tender action had tears flooding her vision.

“
I love you more than it should be possible to love another,” he said, his voice hoarse now as he battled his grief. “You know that, right?”

She nodded and communicated with her eyes what she was unable to speak.

“
I know you feel the same, my dearest heart.” He gave her a brief smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There are many things that I wish I had told you before. But now, because I believe it is possible the truths I hold could save your life, I would tell you everything.”

Her breathing quickened. Hope and fear of the unknown had her blinking back more tears. She managed a nod. She had to know.

So, holding her gaze, he spoke his first truth…

“Amber?”

Blinking as The Dream faded, Amber looked up and caught Lulu’s stare. The stylist was using a special puff to remove the facial goop. Amber made a noise in her throat to indicate she was awake.

But her heart drum-rolled in her chest as the last words spoken in her sleep state echoed in her mind.

“
I am not human.”