Part 16
Zach didn't want to believe it. Typical of David to get in the way with his stupid Daybreak morals and try to ruin everything for him. Evangeline wasn't just any girl he was having a fling with. She was so much more than that,
He'd never really believed in that type of thing before. He enjoyed playing the field, going from one girl to another. As a rare boy-witch he was always very popular with them. They would do anything he wanted...
Of course, it never hurt to use a little magic to enhance his pleasure. He had been expecting nothing more than a brief fling, lasting no longer than a week. Only...He hadn't said the word out loud yet. Neither of them had said it, for that matter. But they both knew. That spark and shock of lightning and silver cord couldn't be anything else.
Only David had to ruin it. He couldn't stand not being the one it happened to first. He had to drop the bombshell. He'd heard of Ashael Redfern. The name of Evangeline hadn't really struck him. He'd never gotten on with his parents, hence why he'd chosen to leave with Dusk. He was tired of being stuck in the middle, even though he was the oldest boy. He wasn't a goody-two shoes like David and Hawk had been. Both studied hard, had good grades, lived up to the expected Daybreak standards and what was expected of a rare male Harman.
Ugh. Why couldn't they loosen up and let him have some fun. He hadn't exactly been too broken up when he'd learned his parents and Hawk had been killed. But he had been surprised that the killer was Ashael Redfern. He knew she was after the whole family.
Now this. He was more than a little in love with Evangeline, Ashael's twin sister. He could bet money that Ashael wouldn't be too thrilled when she found out that Zach and Evangeline were...were...
~Go on~ he told himself. ~Say the word out loud.~
Soulmates.
There. It was out. It didn't make him feel any better. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe there were *two* Ashael Redferns. ~Right~ his inner voice sneered. ~Two sets of identical twin lamia belonging to the Redfern family named Ashael and Evangeline.~
~It could happen~ Zach thought, always preferring to keep an open mind to the weirdest possibilities and coincidences.
~And you'll sprout wings and be elected President~ his inner voice sneered at him.
He had to find Evangeline. School was over and kids were everywhere, chatting in groups, leaving to go home or heading for after school clubs and activities. He saw Evangeline and her crowd of admirers coming down the hall. Not caring if he was being rude or insensitive he shoved through them and over to Evangeline.
Zach grabbed her arm, bracing himself as the skill-unfamiliar shock of electricity ran through his body and his vision filled with pink haze. "We need to talk. Now." He pulled her away from the crowd.
Evangeline came with him, not protesting or anything, not until they were in his car, driving away from the crowds. "What's this all about?"
"Is your sister *the* Ashael Redfern? Psycho-lesbian assassin?" he asked bluntly, not caring if he sounded rude or offensive. "Is she?" He was yelling.
Evangeline frowned. "Yeah. Why?"
Zach sighed. Great. Just fucking great. The one good thing he'd had going for him....
"What?" She sounded a little a little annoyed. Because he hadn't recognised her?
"Your sister has a hit out on me."
Evangeline frowned. "She was working on some secret task for Hunter Redfern. She didn't tell me what it was."
"Did you ask?"
"No. We had a fight. I haven't spoken to her since."
Zach's eyes rolled. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they stopped at a red light. So Ashael Redfern had been hired by Hunter Redfern to kill him. Evangeline's hands touched his. This time the sparks weren't so painful. The light was soft and white and soothing.
"She's *not* going to take you away from me."
Zach wished he felt as confident as she sounded. "Has she ever not killed anyone she's hired to."
Evangeline looked away.
"Didn't think so. So. Could you kill her?"
Her head snapped round. "*What?*"
"If it came down to a choice between my life or hers, who would you pick?"
Evangeline didn't say anything. "You can't ask me to answer that," she whispered.
"Well sometime soon you may have to."
* * *
Zach didn't want to believe it. Typical of David to get in the way with his stupid Daybreak morals and try to ruin everything for him. Evangeline wasn't just any girl he was having a fling with. She was so much more than that,
He'd never really believed in that type of thing before. He enjoyed playing the field, going from one girl to another. As a rare boy-witch he was always very popular with them. They would do anything he wanted...
Of course, it never hurt to use a little magic to enhance his pleasure. He had been expecting nothing more than a brief fling, lasting no longer than a week. Only...He hadn't said the word out loud yet. Neither of them had said it, for that matter. But they both knew. That spark and shock of lightning and silver cord couldn't be anything else.
Only David had to ruin it. He couldn't stand not being the one it happened to first. He had to drop the bombshell. He'd heard of Ashael Redfern. The name of Evangeline hadn't really struck him. He'd never gotten on with his parents, hence why he'd chosen to leave with Dusk. He was tired of being stuck in the middle, even though he was the oldest boy. He wasn't a goody-two shoes like David and Hawk had been. Both studied hard, had good grades, lived up to the expected Daybreak standards and what was expected of a rare male Harman.
Ugh. Why couldn't they loosen up and let him have some fun. He hadn't exactly been too broken up when he'd learned his parents and Hawk had been killed. But he had been surprised that the killer was Ashael Redfern. He knew she was after the whole family.
Now this. He was more than a little in love with Evangeline, Ashael's twin sister. He could bet money that Ashael wouldn't be too thrilled when she found out that Zach and Evangeline were...were...
~Go on~ he told himself. ~Say the word out loud.~
Soulmates.
There. It was out. It didn't make him feel any better. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe there were *two* Ashael Redferns. ~Right~ his inner voice sneered. ~Two sets of identical twin lamia belonging to the Redfern family named Ashael and Evangeline.~
~It could happen~ Zach thought, always preferring to keep an open mind to the weirdest possibilities and coincidences.
~And you'll sprout wings and be elected President~ his inner voice sneered at him.
He had to find Evangeline. School was over and kids were everywhere, chatting in groups, leaving to go home or heading for after school clubs and activities. He saw Evangeline and her crowd of admirers coming down the hall. Not caring if he was being rude or insensitive he shoved through them and over to Evangeline.
Zach grabbed her arm, bracing himself as the skill-unfamiliar shock of electricity ran through his body and his vision filled with pink haze. "We need to talk. Now." He pulled her away from the crowd.
Evangeline came with him, not protesting or anything, not until they were in his car, driving away from the crowds. "What's this all about?"
"Is your sister *the* Ashael Redfern? Psycho-lesbian assassin?" he asked bluntly, not caring if he sounded rude or offensive. "Is she?" He was yelling.
Evangeline frowned. "Yeah. Why?"
Zach sighed. Great. Just fucking great. The one good thing he'd had going for him....
"What?" She sounded a little a little annoyed. Because he hadn't recognised her?
"Your sister has a hit out on me."
Evangeline frowned. "She was working on some secret task for Hunter Redfern. She didn't tell me what it was."
"Did you ask?"
"No. We had a fight. I haven't spoken to her since."
Zach's eyes rolled. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they stopped at a red light. So Ashael Redfern had been hired by Hunter Redfern to kill him. Evangeline's hands touched his. This time the sparks weren't so painful. The light was soft and white and soothing.
"She's *not* going to take you away from me."
Zach wished he felt as confident as she sounded. "Has she ever not killed anyone she's hired to."
Evangeline looked away.
"Didn't think so. So. Could you kill her?"
Her head snapped round. "*What?*"
"If it came down to a choice between my life or hers, who would you pick?"
Evangeline didn't say anything. "You can't ask me to answer that," she whispered.
"Well sometime soon you may have to."
* * *