serious conversation. Erynâs face lights up and she throws her arms around Brion. He hesitates for a moment, his face turning a bright shade of red, and hugs her back. I turn away, smiling to myself.
I head back downstairs and lie down on the sofa in the living room that acts as my bed. I shut my eyes as I hear Jae come down and prop himself against the sofa. He reaches up and takes my hand. I smile and drift off to sleep.
âCome on, little girl. Scared of me?â
âGo away,â I shout. âIâm not afraid of you. Go pick on someone your own size!â
âNo way. Iâm not going to let you steal from me again.â
I jerk awake, gasping for air. Jae looks up at me sleepily.
âWhatâsgoingon?â he mumbles.
âI know how Iâm gonna find out who I am! The Tattoo Guy! He knows me!â
Suddenly awake, Jae bolts to his feet. âYes! He recognised you, didnât he?â
He grabs me into an unexpected hug and I just stand there in surprise, thankful for the darkness that is concealing the blush on my face.
âWe should go now. Before they all wake up. Iâll tell Kyl.â He rushes off without giving me a chance to reply.
âLetâs go,â he says when he comes back. He is holding a length of rope in one hand. He slips his other hand into mine.
I realise how natural it feels and I squeeze his hand and smile up at him. Those familiar green eyes stare back at me. I wish I could remember where I had seen eyes like these before.
CHAPTER 31
We slip out the front door. I am creeped out by the darkness. No street lamps, no light shining from peopleâs houses, no people anywhere. The weak moonlight just about gives us enough light to see by. I wonder where the Eaters have gone. We jog back towards our old house hand in hand, looking out for Eaters and Tattoo Guy.
I look up at the gates of our old house. They look all battered and bruised now. One of the front gates hangs off its hinges. I peer down the street but donât see anything. I shiver as a gust of wind blows against me. Jae puts his arm around my shoulder and smiles at me.
âItâll be okay,â he says quietly.
We creep inside. My senses are on high alert. My imagination is going crazy and every shape I see looks like an Eater waiting to pounce on me. But thereâs no one there. We creep into the kitchen. There is a stench of rotting flesh. The whole place is covered with slime and I almost slip and fall. We look out into the backyard.
âThereâs nothing there. What happened to all the bodies? The ones I knocked down?â I ask. âI donât think they were dead.â
âThey were eaten, werenât they?â Jae whispers.
âBut thereâs nothing left. Not even bones.â I shudder.
âCâmon. Letâs stop freaking ourselves out,â Jae says.
We go back inside and sit alone together in a corner of the living room. Waiting.
âAre you okay?â he asks.
I nod. âA little scared, I guess. You think Tattoo Guy will come? What if heâs come and gone already? Or what if he came, and was caught by the Eaters? What if heâs dead?â
I am stressing out. I want to know who I am. I need to know what Tattoo Guy knows about me.
He puts his arm around me and pulls me to him. I lean against him. Itâs nice. Except for one thing.
âYou stink,â I say.
âExcuse me. You donât smell so great yourself, honeysuckle,â he retorts.
âDonât honeysuckle me, you pumpkin pie.â Oh, I am so witty today.
âYou want to play Face-Off with me? Really?â His tone is challenging.
âWhy not? Itâs not as if you can think of anything better to do.â
I give him a defiant look. I am ready for whatever insult he can hurl at me. Iâve got some good insults Iâve been crafting in my head since I saw the three of them go at each other.
âWho says I