Routine.

We must continue it, lest we lose any chance of flushing this murderer out.

And so, I went back to school the following Monday.

I entered the hallways, my clothing typically slouchy, wrinkled, and far too large for my frame. I walked towards my locker...and Clara met me halfway.

"Will told me." She said. At least she was talking to me, again.

"Did this guy have anything to do with your...fainting spell the other day?" She whispered.

"What would make you think that?" I said, passing her, continuing on towards my locker.

"Honestly?...Because you looked like you were having a sex-dream."

"Well, I can assure you, that’s not what it was."

"Uh-huh." She definitely wasn’t buying it.

"...Of course, I would hope it was about my brother, except...Well."

She sighed. "There’s a new guy here. Hotter than any guy I’ve ever seen. I bet he’s your Stephen..."

"Mine?...No, I really don’t want him."

"Well then...Can I have him?" She said, her eyes widening as Stephen walked down the hallway towards my locker.

It was just as I’d predicted, every girl’s eyes followed him, completely under his spell. His hair had been spiked up in the fashion the kids seem to like, his clothing style slightly rebellious in all black.

I rolled my eyes.

"Ibis." He said in greeting. "It’s good to see you again."

"I promise, I’m not here for you." he said, as I stubbornly ignored him, going about organizing my things for my classes.

"...That’s just a bonus."

"Both Tess and Sylvia, insisted....So, you see I had no choice, really. I’m the one who looks young enough to fit in here."

"Sure." I said, watching all of the girls. Some glaring at me. Others staring at him. "You’re fitting in wonderfully."

"I’m Clara." Clar’ said, stepping forward. "And you’re gorgeous."

He looked up at her briefly and then back to me.. "Another one of your charges, I presume?"

"Why don’t you ask her? She speaks for herself just fine...." I made a step to go to class and he side-stepped, blocking me.

"Move." I said, shoving him out of my way.

I could hear him chuckling behind me.

"...I could be her charge, if you’d like..." I heard Clara say.

****

He sat next to me in study hall and I could hear the whispers all around...

He leaned in and whispered "They all wish they could be either one of us..."

"You see? We match."

"The only match for you is your own reflection."

I moved to another chair.

He followed. "I could reach right in and touch the most private part of you, if I wished..."

"You mean that borderline mental-rape, shit you pulled on me, before? Trust me, that’s really not enduring you to me."

"You’ll come around...when you realize you can’t deal with certain limits of his human-ness."

Of course, I knew what he was referring to. Our strength. We’re built for preying on humans not...the other thing. It would be next to impossible for my connection with Will to go into anything really physical.

Heck, I was having enough trouble with just barely touching the guy, with his unique...attraction.

I moved again. He made another move to follow me, but I flashed him my best evil-eye, before I went back to my studies. He stayed where he was, this time.

****

Will sat next to me at lunch. He knew it was tough on me, but he didn’t want Stephen anywhere near me.

We couldn’t really talk about the outside drama around Clara’s friends, so we just contributed to the school chatter.

Kirk talked about his last game...While Nelli, Gail, and Clara too, on the sly, ogled Stephen.

"Holy, shit...That new guy? Has got my name written all over him."

Nelli said, tossing back her long dark locks. She angled her face and did her best sexy-side pose.

She didn’t even mind that Will and I seemed to be an item now. That was the one and only plus of Stephen attending Shadow.

He sat alone, a sarcastic smirk played across his face, his legs splayed out in front of him.

"Jesus," I thought. "Act your age."

We chatted about inconsequential stuff, and I welcomed the break from my problems. Gail was dying to dish about the latest team to be voted off the Dance Team show.

"God, I loved the Old School Lockers" she said. "They had the most girls too."

The whole table broke up over her attempt to lock her arms.

...And then Stephen had to spoil it.

"May I join you?"

Nelli practically knocked her seat over standing up to usher him to empty one next to her own.

"Please..." She smoothed hair down in the front, her signature flirt move. "I’m Nelli."

"Stephen." And he flashed a dazzling grin, that literally made the girl swoon...Ugh.

He sat next to her and made big show of his mock interest. More games.

"So, Stephen..." Will began.

"Are you staying in Shadow long?"

"Well, my family moves alot...but Shadow is a decent place. Nice people."

He said, looking at Nelli.

"...My mom is working on a local project."

"And when it’s done, you’ll move on." Will said, leaning forward a bit.

"...There’s no hurry, of course." Clara said, then jumped.

Will had pinched her arm.

"Maybe. There are other projects." he said, smoothly glancing my way.

The rest of lunch was a tense event. I would have to have a serious talk with Tess when I got back. I just didn’t know if I could deal with this for much longer before I gave us all away, by kicking his ass in school.

****

Will offered to drive me home that day and I happily obliged him. It was one way for him to feel as needed, as he truly was by me.

I slammed his door and apologized, shaking my head disgustedly. I hadn’t meant to... He was lucky I hadn’t shaken the door off it’s hinges. I was relieved the day was over, but I braced myself for more like it.

"I’m happy to see it pisses you off, just as much as me that he’s at Shadow High." He smiled.

"...Maybe more." I whispered under my breath.

He rolled his lips and trained his light-blue eyes on me.

"Ibis. ...We do sort have a thing, now, right?"

"Yeah. I’d say so."

"Then will you level with me? And tell me what’s up with you two?"

I took a deep breath. He did deserve to know. "...A few weeks ago, I had a waking dream."

He gave me a confused look.

"-No, we don’t sleep...but this was as close I’ve gotten to it."

"In my dream he was there...Trying. Trying to seduce me."

"Trying."

"More like, plying me for when he arrived....As you can see, it didn’t work."

"I’d ask what he did, but I don’t think I’d really want to know the answer to that."

He slid his hand through the front of his side-swept locks.

"Nothing major...Just whispers, cliched movie shit."

He laughed.

"It fits with the rest of him."

"Yeah, he thinks he’s Kiefer Sutherland." We both laughed.

He made a right turn.

"...Do you think you can trust them?" he asked, as casually as he could manage.

"I trust Tess." I said.

"...She trusts Sylvia...As for her friends?" I sighed "-She trusts Sylvia."

I unconsciously began to pick my teeth...Will started to reach over to take my hand, but paused mid-motion.

"This is gonna be hard." He said. "I need to touch you."

"You can." I said.

"You just have to warn me first, so I can..."

"Brace yourself? I’d rather you wanted me to."

"No, Will." I said, genuinely hurt that he would think that.

"So, I can prepare to pull back the hunger and enjoy your touch...I do want you to touch me. We wouldn’t be together, despite all of this, if I didn’t."

I trained my eyes on him, hoping I was getting through.

"...Believe that."

"Stephen can, whenever he wants...Whether you like it or no-"

I put my hand on forehead frustrated. "Haven’t you been listening? He’s an ass! He won’t be touching any part of me."

"Unless he forces his way in...Through your dreams."

"I’m prepared for him, now. It won’t happen." I said with a finality that let him know I was done talking about it.

****

After he dropped me off, I made a point of coming around to his side of his truck. I leaned in through his opened window, closing my eyes...He froze.

I brushed my lips against his cheek. The ache was excruciating, but it was worth it.

...Just for the look on his face.

****

Tess was waiting for me at the door. I could see Sylvia inside.

I stepped in through the threshold and sat down.

"The others will be here, soon, but I wanted to speak to you alone." Sylvia said.

Her straight black hair hung in long shiny curtains down past her small breasts. It seemed to halve her petite size.

"...I know you’ve been having some issues with Stephen. But you must understand. He won’t harm you. He can be a jerk, but he’s not evil. I promise. He will only protect you and your friends from now on."

"Did you know he preys on girls of his kind?"

"Yes." she said smiling... "...But the others didn’t see it that way." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"You spurning him, is probably not helping your cause...He’s never gotten that."

I folded my arms across my chest.

"Well, now is as good a time as any."

"I agree. But you must understand this.-"

...She said, leaning forward.

"-He’s lonely. He’s been in my group for just over a hundred years. Before that he roamed alone for fifty. He’s not found anyone to be with. No mate. No one. I know him, well...He’s as close as I have to a son."

She frowned seriously.

"His gift is seduction. He’s only using it to obtain a poor substitute for true companionship."

She tipped her head back allowing a few strands to slide past her shoulders, down her back.

I shook my spiky head.

"He gets no pity from me for that...I too have been alone, in that fashion. I’ve never felt wanting enough to take from those who have not given."

Sylvia seemed to look at me in a new way.

"I can see why he wants you, so...And perhaps, not just in the way he normally does. Though he doesn’t know it, yet."

I looked away at that.

"It’s all show. When you get beyond it, you’ll see why I’ve taken him on."

"I’d rather not."

Sylvia smiled. "No matter. ...You will."

****

Tess disappeared and the front door opened. Holt and Stephen came into our front room and sat down.

Tess politely offered them synthetic which they turned down.

Holt crossed a great muscular arm over Sylvia’s small shoulders, while Stephen made a point of sitting in the chair furthest from me.

He still looked smug, but confusion radiated from him. He truly didn’t know how to deal with a female of his kind rejecting him.

Perhaps, we’re all lonely... For our long lives, it seems unnatural for us to be alone in it.

...Unless we’re lucky enough to find that love bond. Our sensitivities would make us much more receptive when it comes to that. We know the real thing when we come across it.

Tess never spoke of Lawrence, but she must have loved him. We did it take to shatter that bond?...A whole century. They even sought to take on another together, like myself.

I watched Tess, fascinated. She’d shown so little emotion since her initial discovery of Lawrence’s demise.

*****

"Are we certain it is one of our own?" Sylvia asked.

"I neither felt nor smelled any but yourselves and none at the time of his death. The place where I found him should have at least had a residue..." Tess replied.

"...Not since the old days, have humans hunted us. Even then they rarely succeeded. Only the very old or the very young bested by them. Burned, beheaded with special metals, ...the art of making, long since lost."

She lowered her head.

"His murderer was careful. There was an attempt to cover it up...but he had been beheaded."

Tess said quietly.

Sylvia turned to her group and an understanding passed among them. So, it’s not just Tess and I. When we live together for extended periods of time, we become sensitive to unspoken communications.

"There have been rumors..." Sylvia began. "A boogie-man story. None truly believed."

She shook her lustrous locks. "There is a hunter among us. One who hates their own kind."

"Would we not sense their activities?" Holt supplied. This was the first time I’d heard him speak. His voice was a deep clear timber...He could have a career narrating, which if he’d had time, he no doubt had.

Tess spoke up. "We have many talents. Cloaking is one of them." She said, frowning.

"What does that mean in our search?" Stephen said, leaning forward.

It means we should never leave each other’s senses, never go more than a heartbeat away from each other. It means we should not just look for smell but any unnatural movements, tints on the eyes and skin...This person could have any number of disguises at his disposal.

Lucky, for us a heartbeat is further away than you’d think. Will suddenly jumped to mind and then Clara.

"Do you think this traitor would have interest in harming humans?.."

Sylvia frowned. "I don’t know. It is so rare for us to have any dealings with them...and your...relationship is practically unheard of."

"It is not natural. You aren’t even able to consummate such a thing." She said, frowning. Stephen shifted in his chair.

"There is but one solution." She’d vocalized what I’m sure Tess herself had been thinking, as well as Stephen. They all looked at me expectantly.

"No. NO." I said more emphatically.

"It is the natural progression...What we must do." Tess said, her eyes pleading.

"But he may not survive....I can’t chance that."

She let the subject drop. It should not have come up.

Tess sighed. "Nonetheless...we must continue to keep our eyes open. Expect anything."

****

As I lay in my bunk that night, my mind traveled more then usual...I needed to see Will.

I slipped out of my bed...barefoot, wearing my favorite yoga pants, and a thin tank-top. I decided to check on him.

It was frighteningly easy to get into his room. I slipped in through an open window, stealthy as a cat, light as a feather.

He stirred in his sleep. And sat up rubbing his eyes...

He should not have heard me.

"Ibis?"

I crept forward in the moonlight.

"You didn’t hear me."

"No...I just...felt you."

The humans have a saying. A belief in the ability to "feel eyes on the back of their heads."

What they don’t know is a few can actually do this. It is a part of what they would call a sixth sense. Apparently, Will has it. If I were to...but it’s best not to think on that.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Frightened. We believe one of our own is responsible, that he has the ability to disguise himself from us."

"So you came to check on me..." He said, rapidly blinking the sleep from his heavy eyes.

"Will you stay?"

It was a such a nakedly open question, like I held a tiny piece of his heart in my hands and I had but to say ‘no’ to crush it.

"Of course."

I stepped forward.

"Do you...I mean can you?"

"You want me to lay with you?" I said completing his thought, a small smile playing on my lips.

"Yes.. I mean, nothing else. I just want to be close to you."

I was exceedingly gratefully for the copious amounts of synthetic I’d taken that evening with Sylvia’s group.

"I think, I can handle it tonight."

"I thought so..." He said. "Your eyes...They’re lighter."

He watched me, fascinated.

I crept to the side of his bed and sat down.

"Will. You know, I have to leave before dawn..." I said.

Not that the sun could ever harm us. But it would make us more conspicuous. Even as quick as we are, I’d go by like a signal flash, in full sunlight. And though full sunlight, was rare here...I couldn’t chance it.

"Yeah, I know...but I’ve been worried about you...I think I’ll actually get some real sleep with you here."

I felt a warmth within at the thought that his concern for me, had kept him awake.

I lay back on top of his comforter and turned over...my back to him.

I whispered. "You can hold me, if you like, I’m probably too cold-"

"Not for me."

His movements were tentative. He wanted to make sure I could indeed handle it.

He slipped a hand over my hip and I felt his warmth close behind me...all along the back of my body. His breath at my neck.

After a time, he let out a held breath...He relaxed against me and fell asleep.

For me, though, the whole night was a battle in my head between bliss and instinct.