Free Upon Waking (Youngling Series) by Ashley Mason Page A

of hair fell past her thin shoulders, a red sundress flaring out from her equally small waist to accentuate her long legs. The woman was undeniably pretty but there was something off about her as well. Though her lips were curved upwards in an apologetic smile, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
    “I'm sorry, what was that?” The girl laughed quietly at Tessa's confused stare, slender fingers reaching up to brush her bangs back from her face.
    “I was apologizing for not looking where I was going and nearly spilling your drink all over you.”
    “Oh, right. No worries, it didn’t spill at all. I, uh, have pretty quick reflexes. Like a cat…” Tessa laughed nervously, flicking a look at the door to the café. Something about this girl was really off and it was making her anxious to leave. Suddenly, the girl tilted her head to the side, squinting.
    “I'm sorry but you look so familiar. Do I know you?” Tessa shoved her sunglasses up her nose again, forcing a bright smile on her face.
    “Sure don’t. I'm new to town so I'm afraid there I don’t really know anyone here. Look, I was actually just getting ready to-“
    “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Suddenly, the girl looked nervous, almost contrite in her second apology. “I sometimes have that effect on people. My mother says I am much too forward, always putting my nose into other people’s business and not respecting personal space. I just think I'm being friendly. I'm Deyanira, by the way. Most people just call me Nira, though.” She stuck her hand out and, for a moment, Tessa just stared at it. It was a perfectly normal hand. The skin was a lovely olive color with nicely polished nails. Finally, Tessa shook herself out of whatever had taken her over for a moment and shook the girl’s hand and smiled, for real this time.
    “I’m Tessa. It is very nice to meet you, Nira. Deyanira was the name of Heracles’ third wife, right? The one that killed him with poison after the centaur tricked her?”
    “A woman that knows her Greek mythology; be still my heart.” Nira laughed and slid in the chair opposite Tessa, who merely quirked an eyebrow then shrugged it off.
    “Yes, well it happened to be one of my favorite subjects back when I was in college. I think it had something to do with all of the hopeless love triangles and affairs. It was just too interesting to pass up.” The warning bells going off in Tessa's head had started to dim and she began to relax a little.
    “So, are you still in school or did you graduate?”
    “Oh, uh well, I didn’t finish, not really. I had some things come up and my life just…didn’t quite follow the plan. Not that I'm complaining, and I could always go back to school. It’s just a little difficult to, right now.”
    “Right. I'm here on vacation, actually. I'm in my third year as an ASNC Major at Cambridge.”
    “ASNC?”
    “Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic major, to be specific. It’s a small group of study, but it’s my passion. But enough about me; tell me more about you. What did you stop going to school?
    Nira sat there with her chin in her hand, staring at Tessa with intrigue. The warning bells gave one last peal for good measure then went completely silent. Just like that, Tessa could not recall what it was about this woman that had made her so nervous before. She was only being friendly. It was what polite people did, right? But she couldn’t possible tell her the truth of her complicated home life.
    Could she?

 
    The club was busy, as always; the bouncers merely glancing Tessa's way before opening their respective doors to let her in. The crush of bodies would have at one point in her life made Tessa anxious to quickly leave. But tonight, dressed in a silver mini-skirt and loose marigold tank top, she felt comfortable and confident. She held her head up and smiled, careful not to make eye contact with anyone seeking her attention. Although she had shown surprising control over her blood