LITMIR.BIZ

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you and I have merged you know that there are many things I want to tell you but are obliged not to.

      She was right. Through the bond she and I now shared I knew it was imperative that I find the answers on my own. I also knew that Eliana would be there to help me every step of the way. That being said there were things that she could tell me. Like what exactly she was.

      “I’m a nahash.”

      “A na—what?”

      “A nahash,” she repeated emphatically, “A descendent of the Serpent Seed.”

      “The what?”

      “The Serpent Seed isn’t a ‘what,’ but a ‘who.’ ”

      “Okay then,” I said with a crooked smile, “who is the Serpent Seed.”

      “No one special,” she said with an enigmatic smile. “Just my ancestor.”

      “And my false mother?” I pressed.

      “She, too, is a nahash.”

      Though I was relieved to finally have that particular mystery solved, the resentment I felt for my false mother hadn’t lessened in the slightest.

      “Nor should it,” Eliana agreed.

      I stared into her eyes and recalled with vivid clarity the change that had come over them while we were merging. But before I could even string together a question about this, Eliana already had an answer.

      “That’s just one of the side effects of merging with someone like you,” she said with another enigmatic smile.

      I knew that there was more to it than that. But I also knew that now was not the time to inquire further. Of course I still wanted to know why she felt the need to masquerade as a boy. For I knew from the bond that we now shared that Eliana hadn’t transformed into a girl but had always been one.

      Eliana gave me another enigmatic smile.

      “It’s important for the world to see me as a boy for the time being.”

      “And I’m the only one who can see you as you now are,” I said slowly reading her thoughts as though they were my own.

      “Correct.”

      “What about Victoria and the others?”

      “I will use my magic to ensure that they still see me as a sickly boy.”

      “Your magic . . . ?” I breathed, “Then does that mean—”

      “Yes,” she nodded. “Thanks to you I can now wield my magic again.”

      “But,” I said slowly, “doesn’t using magic hurt you?”

      “Only if I use it extensively,” she said unconcernedly, “But now that you’re here I can simply merge with you when the pain becomes too much.”

      “And like everything else,” I said, going a little red with embarrassment, “I’m going to have to find out what you mean by that on my own.”

      Eliana smiled sympathetically.

      Figures.

      I yawned. I hadn’t realized until now how tired I was.

      “Get some rest,” said Eliana’s voice within my mind.

      I blinked and looked at her but she was gone. Perched in the very same spot she had just been in was a crow. Peering at it I saw that it was the very same bird that was tapping on my window not too long ago.

      A sudden thought occurred to me.

      “Eliana?” I thought slowly.

      “Yeah, it’s me,” she thought back cheerfully.

      “You can shape shift?”

      “I can do many things.”

      My closet door suddenly swung open and I watched wide eyed as my bloody sheets, clothes, and tears floated out only to hover just above my head. In almost the same instant the tears that were on the floor also lifted into the air.

      Whoa.

      Before I had time to blink, the items caught fire and were reduced to ashes.

      I made a motion to duck, fearing that the ashes would fall on my head. But I needn’t have bothered because seconds later a gust of wind sucked the ashes right out of my window.

      My eyes widened in surprise.

      “Was that all you?” I asked.

      “Yep.”

      I thought about that for a moment.

      “The cat,” I said slowly remembering the black cat that had frightened Victoria, “That was you too, wasn’t it?”

      “Yes.”

      Spreading her wings, she suddenly took flight and soared out of my open window.

      “Where are you going?”

      “Back to my room.”

      “But what if I want to talk with you?”

      “Don’t worry,” she thought assuredly, “I will never be more than a thought away.”

      Lying down on my bed I closed my and eyes and tried to process all that had just happened.

      I looked at the palms of my hands, wondering once again what these markings meant. It was a little irksome that I was only able to gleam a small amount of information from Eliana when I had been expecting to have all my questions answered. I let my hands fall and wondered how I was going to pass the time.

      Apparently I wasn’t as tired as I thought because try as I might I couldn’t fall asleep.

      “Why don’t you text Nyssa and Camilla with the cell phone I left you?” suggested Eliana in my head.

      So this is what she meant by just being a thought away.

      “You’re the one who left me that cell phone for me to find?” I asked in amazement.

      “Yep,” she thought brightly, “Consider it a welcome to Eden Prep gift.”

      “Thanks,” I thought back.

      “You’re welcome.”

      I hurried to find the phone but I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t kept the piece of paper on which Nyssa had written her number. And looking at my hands I noted that Camilla’s number had faded considerably.

      “Don’t worry,” thought Eliana reassuringly, “I see their numbers in your mind.”

      With her help I was able to recall both of their numbers; however I was unprepared for just how much texting would ensue after I sent them each a message. These girls texted with me for hours on end, and even gave my number to Lindsey and Stephanie who joined in the conversation immediately. Even when darkness fell these girls were still going strong.

      Did they ever go to sleep?

      It was a well after midnight when the texting finally came to an end. Exhausted I fell asleep without delay

      Eliana was right. The texting had helped.

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      After yesterday’s extraordinary events, school today was pretty boring. I had a different set of classes, all of which were far too easy for me. I spent lunch listening to gossip and stealing glances at Victoria.

      Now that I could see Eliana for what she was, I couldn’t help but notice that Eliana was much better looking than Victoria. And this was odd because Victoria was far more attractive than any girl I’d ever seen. But while Victoria possessed a human sort of beauty, Eliana’s was best described as inhuman. With all that being said I was still more drawn to Victoria than I was to Eliana.

      Seeing

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