After that first run in, I couldn't have followed those boys better if I had been trying. Everywhere I went they were either already there or came quickly after. The first time was the library. I was returning the novel I had been reading at the restaurant. It was only the tall one, Sam, who I ran into here.
"Hello Leah, did you finish already?" Mina asked taking my book from my hands.
"Yeah, did you get the next one in yet? They're ridiculously addictive," I said with a smile. I heard the breezeway door open.
"Oh, don't look now, but we have a live one," Mina practically squealed her delight. "I have never seen a more handsome man in my entire life. Though, since I've left Clearwater all of twice in my adult life, that would make sense."
"Oh, Mina," I said. "I've been plenty of places and let me tell you none of them are really that different as far as men are concerned."
"Yeah, but you have not looked at that one. He's taller than me," she said awed. She was around six foot, so I supposed that was a pretty impressive feat. "I could wear heels." Now she was practically drooling.
"Oh, that stuff's all superficial. Once you find the one how tall he is isn't going to matter to you," I said.
"Yeah, you're right, but you should seriously look at him, he's gorgeous. I'm going to go see if he needs any help. You never know he could be that one you're talking about and his impressive height won't matter at all," she said. I smiled and shook my head. Human's were so strange when it came to things like mate choice. I guess I didn't have room to talk though. My kind selected mortal mates to inspire and slowly drain of all life. There was only one man in town who called me, a sweet little nobody with the mind of a genius.
"All right, just be safe, and don't forget that his personality should matter more than those broad shoulders," I said as I turned and caught a glimpse of the man she was referring to. She was right, he was a fine physical specimen, tall, lean, broad in the shoulders, everything a girl could ask for. And trouble. It was Sam, the brother from the diner.
I hurried to browse the shelves and let Mina handle Sam. I would have just hurried out of the library, but Mina was my best friend and she'd want to gush over his hotness to me over the book counter. I knew eavesdropping was wrong, but Sam and Mina had moved to a row of books situated in a place that made it too easy. So I wound my way over to the next row of books, telling myself it was to see how Mina faired with her flirting.
"So, that girl you were talking to when I came in," Sam started and was cut off by a loud sigh from Mina. She was used to being ignored for me and a terrible pang of guilt raced through me. I hated my nature. Everything about me made friendships and legitimate relationships a near impossibility.
"Her name is Leah, but I'm going to tell you not to waste your time. She's not ready for dating. You'll try anyway and you'll find out the hard way, but seriously, give her a break. She's got a taser," Mina said and I had to cover my mouth with both hands to keep a giggle from escaping and giving away my hiding spot. I was forever lamenting my terrible luck with men to her and she was right, I did have a taser I was not afraid to use.
"Oh, I wasn't interested. What I meant was, does she seem normal to you, does she have a lot of boyfriends? Who then, I don't know, lock themselves away for months without eating and then mysteriously die," Sam said. I wished I could see Mina's face.
"What? What kind of whacka-doo are you? Leah hasn't had a boyfriend in ages and certainly none of her past one's have died. She did see that Thomas Boode once or twice for some reason, but they were never serious," Mina said.
She was wrong about that one. I was crazy for Thomas. So crazy I'd broken my own rules and gone on exactly one and a half dates with him. He was polite, funny, and an insanely talented musician and artist. It was like the gods were taunting me by placing such a perfect target so close. I'd had to cut our second date short just to make sure I didn't ruin everything for him. He'd called a couple of times since. He claimed in his messages that after our dates he's had sudden bursts of creativity and he needed to see me again. I'd had to work extremely hard to stay away from him, but I had managed so far.
"No one else though? What about William Jacobs? Were he and Leah close?" Sam asked. He was the most recent victim.
"William Jacobs? No, he'd tried to get her to go on a date with him a couple of times, but she always claimed he wasn't her type," Mina replied. She'd grown a little sullen with Sam's line of questioning. She didn't want to talk about my love life.
"All right, sorry. But nothing else strikes you as strange about her?" Sam asked desperate for any evidence.
"She doesn't date. She's my age and all I ever think about is dating and settling down soon. Guys ask her out all the time. Most people if they heard tell of the amount of attention she gets would say she's a brag, but whenever we go do anything together there are men all over her, asking for her number, offering to pay for stuff, it's ridiculous. She hates all of it though. Says she'd rather be single any day and I think that's a little strange," Mina says this last part a little meanly and it hurts my feelings a little, but I also understand. I also want her to stop talking. Everything she's saying is textbook Sidhe. Sam is sure to figure out what I am at this rate. I consider talking to him, telling him everything. Telling him he's right, I am Leanan Sidhe, but I'm not a murderer. That I fight every day not to murder Thomas because he's brilliant and beautiful and he's going to spread so much beauty in the world. But Mina has given him Thomas's name and maybe Sam will visit Thomas and maybe he will see how creative he is and then he'll see how Thomas is not being slowly killed by his own creative process and he'll know that the murderer cannot be Sidhe. And maybe, I'll somehow manage to come out of this one alive.
