Lacrimosa Read Online Free PDF Page B

sound of laughter as I die over and over again.
    The visions pulse in and out, changing into something new.
    A hand in mine… hot .
    Breath on my neck… sweet .
    The feel of lips on my own… forbidden .
    I pull back from the boy in my dreams.
    Black spiky hair. Tall, lean silhouette. Penetrating amber eyes.
    Aydan.
    I rip myself from the dream, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
    “Dreaming of me already?”
    I feel the color rise in my cheeks. Azryel’s Wings . I pull the fragmented pieces of my mind together. Consume my feelings. Orient myself: last period, Study Hall, library.
    “You know, Mr. Presley hates it when people fall asleep in class. You’re lucky he didn’t catch you.” Aydan pulls out the chair across from me and sits.
    “Yeah, well, it happens.” I can’t hide the anger in my voice. What the heck is wrong with me? Sentinals don’t sleep—especially when they’re on the job. “So, where’s your friend? The way you guys talk, I assumed you went everywhere together.”
    “He had someplace to be.”
    Good. Time to finish this before anything else can go wrong .
    “I guess it’s just you and me then.”
    The corners of Aydan’s mouth twitch. I stare too long, remembering the taste of his lips. Focus, Nesy. Focus . “So, what are you doing after school?” I ask.
    “Hanging out with you.”
    “Interesting. And what exactly are we doing?”
    “You asked me to walk you home.”
    “Funny, I don’t remember asking.”
    “Yeah, but you want to.”
    Yeah, something like that.
    I smile and take his hand in mine.
    We leave campus as the bell rings. Cars and people fill the streets around the school. Goth boy is nowhere. Neither is Lori. Finally, a chance to vanquish in peace.
    The bustle of the city makes it impossible to hear, so I step closer to Aydan.
    “So?” Aydan asks. “Where do you live?”
    I lean into him, painting a confused look on my face. I seem open, vulnerable. The perfect victim.
    “I said, where do you live?”
    “Oh! Chelsea. I usually take the train,” the lie flows easily from my mouth.
    He smiles, his eyes radiating hunger. “Sounds good. But, let’s not go there. Maybe the park. I know some out of the way places I think you’d like.”
    Out of the way places? Just what I had in mind.
    Aydan places his arm around my waist and steers me up the crowded streets. My body reacts too strongly to his touch. Inhale…Release…Inhale…Release… I continue the breathing mantra with every step. I refuse to mess up this time.
    The walk uptown is long, punctuated by the everpresent pulse of the city at the end of a day. Aydan’s hands never leave my body, as though he’s afraid to lose me. On the way to the park, we talk about school, music, his band. He’s easy to be around. And nothing like I expect. Not that I’d actually spent any time with the UnHoly. The thing is, I could like Aydan. A lot. If it wasn’t for the whole soul-sucking thing.
    I find myself wanting to hear about his life, the things that make him happy, the things that annoy him. Each moment draws me closer. He’s nothing like the monsters I’m trained to kill.
    Not even close.
     
    The park is unusually quiet by the time we arrive. Sunlight glistens off the nearby skyscrapers, casting pink and orange hues across the sky. We walk through the grassy hillsides, past the lake and reservoir. Parents play with young children, couples lock in tight embraces. I need to get Aydan alone.
    “I want to show you something.” He tightens his hold on my hand.
    The groups of people thin with each step. As does my commitment to my duty.
    “Here.” Aydan points to the bridge in front of us. “My favorite bridge in the city.”
    I look at the smooth architecture of the cast iron bridge, carved to look like Gothic windows in a cathedral. There is a delicate beauty and strength to the bridge, and I find myself again surprised by this UnHoly. “It’s beautiful,” I say. “Why is it your favorite?”
    “I