The Den of Shadows Quartet - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes [34]
It had not hurt to die …
Why did it hurt so much to live again?
Her vision went black as her heart beat for the first time in more than thirty years. She drew a slow, painful breath.
The heart in her chest labored, unaccustomed to its task. Her lungs burned with the constant intake of oxygen, which seemed to sear her throat. All the muscles of her torso cramped each time she inhaled.
Finally she fell into blissful unconsciousness.
Jessica woke, gasping for breath.
That same dream had frequented her sleep for years, but she had yet to become used to it. The pain was always so vivid.
She turned on the Lava lamp and let the glow of magenta light calm her. The clock read 6:13 A.M. Though it was less than an hour after she had fallen asleep, she was no longer tired. As always, that dream had forced fatigue far away.
After showering and dressing quickly, she paused to study herself in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom. Jessica well knew she had a body and face to die for. At five feet, five inches tall, she was slender but not bony and had well-toned muscles despite the fact that she rarely worked out. Her skin was naturally fair and had been kept that way by her aversion to sunlight. Unlike those of many girls her age, Jessica’s complexion was flawless and always had been. Her long jet-black hair tumbled around a face with high cheekbones, full lips, and expressive green eyes.
Yet despite her attractive appearance, Jessica had never so much as had a date. Occasionally that fact bothered her, though she usually had plainer insults to deal with than oblique dismissals from the boys in her grade.
Annoyed, she finally turned away from her reflection. Again she’d been unable to find the flaw that made people hesitate when they saw her on the street or in the hall.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Anne was finishing a batch of pancakes.
“Morning, Jessica,” Anne said as she slid two of the pancakes onto a plate. “Sit.”
Jessica sat. She was in no hurry this morning, and the pancakes smelled delicious. She realized that she had eaten very little the day before.
“Smells good,” she offered.
Anne smiled. “Thank you. I do try.”
By the time she left for school, Jessica was in a good mood. She even had the heart to smile at Mrs. Katherine when she saw her in front of the building, and the teacher returned her gesture with a nod. Then Caryn walked by, and Jessica’s cheer vanished.
CHAPTER 5
AS SHE ENTERED THE BUILDING, Jessica came upon a group of girls who had gathered near the main office.
“Nice body,” she heard one of them whisper, referring to someone in the office.
“Who is he?” another girl asked.
“No idea,” the first one answered. “But you’ve got to admit he’s cute.”
“Cute?” a third girl repeated. “He is totally hot.”
Jessica couldn’t see the subject of this profound conversation. Probably some handsome blond substitute who will turn out to be the most hated teacher in the school, she thought pessimistically.
“Who are you looking at?” she asked the three gawking girls.
The quietest, a senior named Kathy looked over her shoulder, recognized Jessica, grabbed her friends’ arms, and pulled the girls away.
Jessica scowled as she watched them go. At least most people were subtle about moving away from her.
She quickly forgot the girls’ behavior, however, when she glanced into the office and saw the object of their admiration.
His face could have been modeled after the portrait on a Roman coin. Hair the color of raven feathers contrasted with his fair skin, and when he turned a bit she saw that a few strands had fallen across his eyes, shading them. He was dressed entirely in black, except for a gold chain around his neck. The pendant on the chain looked like a cross, but Jessica couldn’t be sure from where she was standing.
A shock of recognition struck her. Aubrey.
Aubrey was, without a doubt, her favorite character from the books she had written. He had been the villain in Tiger, Tiger and the