Free Amaranthine (Willow Shadows Book 1) by Lanie Jacobs Page A

blushing from the embarrassment she was trying to hide.
     
    They must be talking about the whole I tried to eat Luke thing.
     
    This room was Khalida’s favorite in the house. It was Josephine’s office/library. Everything was antiquated and king-sized. It was like stepping back in time. The best part of the room was the bookshelf that covered the whole back wall, holding hundreds of books. Khalida could spend all day in here with a blanket and a good book. The sound of the door opening broke her from her thoughts, startling Khalida who looked up to see Luke walking into the room. He was back to his usual calm and confident gait, strolling past Khalida with his sly smile.
     
    “I’m not missing school, or graduation,” Khalida said stubbornly, letting Luke know right away she was not giving in on those demands.
     
    Luke shot Khalida a look of feigned dissatisfaction as he placed his fore finger to the center of his lips.
     
    Oh, no, you did not shush me! AGAIN!
     
    A smile swept across the edges of his mouth, and he winked.
     
    Geez, you think you’re so funny don’t you?
     
    This time he nodded his head in affirmative, laughing quietly.
     
    Oh, my God! Can he hear me ?
     
    Again he nodded.
     
    No freaking way! Prove it .
     
    Khalida felt a little silly testing him, daring him to answer the mental questions only he could answer.
     
    Luke walked over to Khalida, bent down on one knee, and whispered, “I quit swapping secrets with your mom when you asked. I think you’re cute when you’re embarrassed, and you slept for three whole days and called it a nap. FYI, I’d call that one lazy. I could absolutely come up with a dozen reasons pertaining to your craziness. That really wa s Vega you saw outside, and I totally agree that Carey d eserve d to have his car smashed,” Luke said smugly.
     
    The fish look came back. Khalida couldn’t believe it, she could hardly breathe. Everything she thought since waking up today, he knew. He heard. She quickly looked away knowing exactly how round her eyes were. Khalida sat still. She was thoroughly shocked.
     
    She could hear Luke laughing at her passing thoughts as he walked over and sat in the bay window, reclining back, apparently amused by them and even more with him.
     
    “That is not cool. Stay out of my head!” Khalida snapped as she roughly folded her arms across her chest and kicking her feet in an apparent temper fit.
     
    “Didn’t I mention to you that I could do that?” he laughed, still amused and now getting on Khalida’s nerves.
     
    “No. No, you didn’t. I would remember something like that. It would be nice to know these things though! You know, ‘Hey, Khalida. How are you? Oh, and by the way, I can hear your damn thoughts!’ Are there any other tricks you might have? I’d like for you to tell me before performing them! You could say something like, oh, I don’t know, ‘Hey Khally, you’re going to be a vampire, and oh, in case I forget to tell you, I drink blood’ along with ‘I know what you’re thinking!’ ” she snapped hastily.
     
    “Don’t be such a drama queen. Instinct was trying to show you what you didn’t already know. You really should listen to it more, Khally,” he smirked.
     
    Just then, she heard Josephine laughing at them and looked over to her.
     
    “The reading-your-mind-thing is really going to start to annoy you,” she said as she rose out of her seat and walked around to the front of her desk, sitting on the edge of it.
     
    “It already is,” Khalida grumbled under her breath.
     
    “Just so you know, Toot, I try not to intrude for the most part, but sometimes it’s hard not to.”
     
    “Okay, you two, let’s not fight,” she said sternly, “let’s talk. Khalida, I’m guessing your mother feels the same way you do. She doesn’t want to hide, but there is a difference between being careful and being safe. You can be careful out in the open while you’re in public, but you’re safe as