Part 4
"Earth to Tania! Anyone home?"
Tania blinked focusing on the voice of her best friend, Daybreak witch Neona Harman. "I don't know," she answered. "Try again in a few minutes."
"Very funny. What's up, Tan? You've been out of it all day," Sheila Abforth said.
It was lunch period and they sat in a secluded classroom eating their lunch. Rain was pouring outside, and the sky was thick and grey. It was depressing, and seemed fitting somehow. Tania couldn't understand why she felt like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"Something weird happened with my sister's boyfriend last night," she admitted finally.
"Woo-hoo!" Talasai Blackthorn cheered. "Go Tania! That'll piss that bitch off!"
"No, no, not woo-hoo," Tania snapped annoyed. "Parker's a *vampire*. I hate him."
"Is he cute?" Shelia asked.
Tania stared, feeling her annoyance rise. "God, do you think of anything else?"
"Cute and powerful, what more could you want?" Shelia said with a shrug, tossing her orange hair over her slender shoulders. Tania sighed and shook her head. Sheila was a witch, but could be quite dim sometimes.
"What happened?" Neona asked.
Tania frowned. "I don't know how to explain it, he came in to pick up Phoenix last night, and pissed me off when he started changing the TV channel without being invited. I hit him and started a fight, and then when his bare hand touched mine something...something happened. Got, it was almost like he fried my circuits. The room turned pink." She shuddered at the memory. It wasn't any clearer now than it had been back then. She didn't understand.
But Neona was smiling a little, her blue eyes were shining with something like hidden amusement. "It sounds a little like soulmates to me."
Tania stared, disgusted. "Oh please. That's just a story."
"It's not!" Talasai protested. "If you ever get a chance to go to Daybreak headquarters you should see some of the people there. About half of the important people are all soulmates. It's unbelievable."
Tania snorted. "In my opinion, it's soppy crap. I won't believe it until it happens to me."
Neona smiled. "It looks like it might have already happened, but you just don't want to believe it."
Tania glared, but didn't say anything, because a sinking feeling inside her was telling her the same thing. She didn't understand. Soulmates were supposed to be perfect for each other, they were supposed to be the ultimate love of your life. She hated Parker's guts. Plus, he was Phoenix's boyfriend. If Phoenix even suspected something was going on, and she might already, then Tania would regret it. She wasn't sure if her adopted parents would even try and stop Phoenix from hurting her. She couldn't tell if they were Daybreak or Night World. Sometimes they seemed like they might be Daybreak, other times it seemed not. She kept her own actions and ideals to herself, just in case. She knew without a doubt Phoenix would fight for Night World without having to be asked.
"If the boy pisses you off so much, why don't you just kill him?" Shelia suggested.
"I might have to," Tania said. She didn't say anything else the rest of lunch break. She couldn't seem to get Parker out of her mind. The sooner she got rid of him the better. Yes. That was the solution. She was starting to feel more cheerful already. Get him before he got her, then everything would be over. Wouldn't it?
* * *
Part 5
Parker was annoyed. That little human had been in his mind ever since his strange encounter with her. He couldn't understand it. When Tania had touched his bare skin it had been almost like an electric shock...but there had been something sensual about it too.
He didn't know what to do. Phoenix was suspicious and he knew she'd raise hell if she thought there was something going on between him and Tania. Quite literally, unfortunately. He shook his dark head angrily. What the hell was he thinking?
He stretched leisurely, then leant against the tree he'd been hiding under, as he spied on the girl. Phoenix had decided that the only way he could prove to her that it was really her he wanted, was to kill Tania. Tania was human. Vermin. Even if she did look like a Harman.
He watched as the door to the house he'd been spying on opened. Tania and another girl came out. They talked for a few minutes, then Tania waved and started walking home. Parker dropped his cigarette and snuffed it out and started following her at a safe distance, trying not to focus on the nice view she provided.
She really was pretty. That pale gold hair looked like a waterfall cascading down her back. Her hips were nicely curved, her legs long and slender. She wore jeans, sneakers and a sweater, but somehow managed to make just that casual outfit look incredibly attractive.
He groaned aloud. What the hell was happening to him? Falling for vermin? This was a disaster.
Tania stopped then, turned around and saw him. She frowned, not pleased to see him. He was well aware she hated him. If nothing was ever going to happen between them why waste time with her? He had a lot of questions that didn't seem to have any easy answers.
"Parker?" she asked. "Why are you following me?"
Parker opened his mouth to lie, then figured he might as well just tell her the truth. The sooner it was out in the open the better. "I'm in love with you."
The look of shock on her face in other circumstances would have been comical, but for some reason he wasn't laughing. He remained frozen in horror. What *was* that? What the hell was wrong with him? That was *not* the truth he'd been planning on telling her. He was there to kill her...not woo her.
But...who the hell was he kidding? Of course it was the truth.
Tania's eyebrow had raised. "You're...in...love...with me," she said slowly. She chuckled. "Well, stranger things have happened."
He felt himself flush with anger and embarrassment. He had made a total fool of himself and she was *enjoying* it. She didn't believe him. "I didn't mean it," he said quickly.
She smiled, her head tilting. "Yes you did. You're a lousy liar. I can see it in your eyes."
He smiled at her, feeling his canines lengthening, He knew his eyes were turning to molten silver and his hole face taking on a predatory look. Tania didn't look impressed at all. She was without a doubt the most infuriating person he'd ever met. Well, with one exception. Phoenix wasn't any better. He only put up with Phoenix because she was so hot.
"You're going all vampy why?" Tania asked.
He grinned savagely. "I'm going to kill you. That's why I'm here."
"Oh." Her gaze darkened slightly. "Phoenix sent you, didn't she?" Tania was looking around. The road they were on was surrounded by dense forest and woods. The next house was about a twenty-minute walk away. They were nicely isolated, and not a soul was in screaming distance. Perfect.
"Yeah, Phoenix told me to kill you," he admitted.
Tania was frowning. "Why does she hate me so much?"
Parker shrugged. "Cause you're vermin, that's why."
Her lip curled. "I may be human, but you love me."
He scowled at her. "Can we just strike that from the record, please?"
Tania grinned at him. "Where's the fun in that?"
Fuck loving her. He was going to enjoy digging his fangs into that perfect, swan-like neck so much. It would be such a pleasure to suck her dry. His gums tingled at the thought and his vision was staring to sparkle with red at the thought of the tasting her blood.
He started advancing.
* * *
"Earth to Tania! Anyone home?"
Tania blinked focusing on the voice of her best friend, Daybreak witch Neona Harman. "I don't know," she answered. "Try again in a few minutes."
"Very funny. What's up, Tan? You've been out of it all day," Sheila Abforth said.
It was lunch period and they sat in a secluded classroom eating their lunch. Rain was pouring outside, and the sky was thick and grey. It was depressing, and seemed fitting somehow. Tania couldn't understand why she felt like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"Something weird happened with my sister's boyfriend last night," she admitted finally.
"Woo-hoo!" Talasai Blackthorn cheered. "Go Tania! That'll piss that bitch off!"
"No, no, not woo-hoo," Tania snapped annoyed. "Parker's a *vampire*. I hate him."
"Is he cute?" Shelia asked.
Tania stared, feeling her annoyance rise. "God, do you think of anything else?"
"Cute and powerful, what more could you want?" Shelia said with a shrug, tossing her orange hair over her slender shoulders. Tania sighed and shook her head. Sheila was a witch, but could be quite dim sometimes.
"What happened?" Neona asked.
Tania frowned. "I don't know how to explain it, he came in to pick up Phoenix last night, and pissed me off when he started changing the TV channel without being invited. I hit him and started a fight, and then when his bare hand touched mine something...something happened. Got, it was almost like he fried my circuits. The room turned pink." She shuddered at the memory. It wasn't any clearer now than it had been back then. She didn't understand.
But Neona was smiling a little, her blue eyes were shining with something like hidden amusement. "It sounds a little like soulmates to me."
Tania stared, disgusted. "Oh please. That's just a story."
"It's not!" Talasai protested. "If you ever get a chance to go to Daybreak headquarters you should see some of the people there. About half of the important people are all soulmates. It's unbelievable."
Tania snorted. "In my opinion, it's soppy crap. I won't believe it until it happens to me."
Neona smiled. "It looks like it might have already happened, but you just don't want to believe it."
Tania glared, but didn't say anything, because a sinking feeling inside her was telling her the same thing. She didn't understand. Soulmates were supposed to be perfect for each other, they were supposed to be the ultimate love of your life. She hated Parker's guts. Plus, he was Phoenix's boyfriend. If Phoenix even suspected something was going on, and she might already, then Tania would regret it. She wasn't sure if her adopted parents would even try and stop Phoenix from hurting her. She couldn't tell if they were Daybreak or Night World. Sometimes they seemed like they might be Daybreak, other times it seemed not. She kept her own actions and ideals to herself, just in case. She knew without a doubt Phoenix would fight for Night World without having to be asked.
"If the boy pisses you off so much, why don't you just kill him?" Shelia suggested.
"I might have to," Tania said. She didn't say anything else the rest of lunch break. She couldn't seem to get Parker out of her mind. The sooner she got rid of him the better. Yes. That was the solution. She was starting to feel more cheerful already. Get him before he got her, then everything would be over. Wouldn't it?
* * *
Part 5
Parker was annoyed. That little human had been in his mind ever since his strange encounter with her. He couldn't understand it. When Tania had touched his bare skin it had been almost like an electric shock...but there had been something sensual about it too.
He didn't know what to do. Phoenix was suspicious and he knew she'd raise hell if she thought there was something going on between him and Tania. Quite literally, unfortunately. He shook his dark head angrily. What the hell was he thinking?
He stretched leisurely, then leant against the tree he'd been hiding under, as he spied on the girl. Phoenix had decided that the only way he could prove to her that it was really her he wanted, was to kill Tania. Tania was human. Vermin. Even if she did look like a Harman.
He watched as the door to the house he'd been spying on opened. Tania and another girl came out. They talked for a few minutes, then Tania waved and started walking home. Parker dropped his cigarette and snuffed it out and started following her at a safe distance, trying not to focus on the nice view she provided.
She really was pretty. That pale gold hair looked like a waterfall cascading down her back. Her hips were nicely curved, her legs long and slender. She wore jeans, sneakers and a sweater, but somehow managed to make just that casual outfit look incredibly attractive.
He groaned aloud. What the hell was happening to him? Falling for vermin? This was a disaster.
Tania stopped then, turned around and saw him. She frowned, not pleased to see him. He was well aware she hated him. If nothing was ever going to happen between them why waste time with her? He had a lot of questions that didn't seem to have any easy answers.
"Parker?" she asked. "Why are you following me?"
Parker opened his mouth to lie, then figured he might as well just tell her the truth. The sooner it was out in the open the better. "I'm in love with you."
The look of shock on her face in other circumstances would have been comical, but for some reason he wasn't laughing. He remained frozen in horror. What *was* that? What the hell was wrong with him? That was *not* the truth he'd been planning on telling her. He was there to kill her...not woo her.
But...who the hell was he kidding? Of course it was the truth.
Tania's eyebrow had raised. "You're...in...love...with me," she said slowly. She chuckled. "Well, stranger things have happened."
He felt himself flush with anger and embarrassment. He had made a total fool of himself and she was *enjoying* it. She didn't believe him. "I didn't mean it," he said quickly.
She smiled, her head tilting. "Yes you did. You're a lousy liar. I can see it in your eyes."
He smiled at her, feeling his canines lengthening, He knew his eyes were turning to molten silver and his hole face taking on a predatory look. Tania didn't look impressed at all. She was without a doubt the most infuriating person he'd ever met. Well, with one exception. Phoenix wasn't any better. He only put up with Phoenix because she was so hot.
"You're going all vampy why?" Tania asked.
He grinned savagely. "I'm going to kill you. That's why I'm here."
"Oh." Her gaze darkened slightly. "Phoenix sent you, didn't she?" Tania was looking around. The road they were on was surrounded by dense forest and woods. The next house was about a twenty-minute walk away. They were nicely isolated, and not a soul was in screaming distance. Perfect.
"Yeah, Phoenix told me to kill you," he admitted.
Tania was frowning. "Why does she hate me so much?"
Parker shrugged. "Cause you're vermin, that's why."
Her lip curled. "I may be human, but you love me."
He scowled at her. "Can we just strike that from the record, please?"
Tania grinned at him. "Where's the fun in that?"
Fuck loving her. He was going to enjoy digging his fangs into that perfect, swan-like neck so much. It would be such a pleasure to suck her dry. His gums tingled at the thought and his vision was staring to sparkle with red at the thought of the tasting her blood.
He started advancing.
* * *