Free Seraphina: Initiation by Sheena Hutchinson Page A

out.
    “Sera, did Jack tell you what he is?” he
asks me curiously.
    “Yes, that ’ s what
he was telling me the night I was attacked at the coffee house.” I
admit to him shivering when I think about the arrogant Blonde Demon
that haunted me for days.
    “What exactly did he tell you?”
    “He told me that he can speak to spirits and
that the spiritual world is up in arms about me. Oh, and he told me
that Lucifer tried to convince him to bring me to the ‘ dark side , ’” I state
dramatically in a deep voice.
    “I figured as much, I got a bad vibe from
him but I couldn’t put my finger on it until they tried to possess
you.” he informs me.
    “So, why can ’ t he
see what I see?” I ask desperately trying to believe that
it ’ s not because Jack is evil.
    “Because he would also be on a different
plane than us. He works on a spiritual plane. We can sense some of
what is going on but we can ’ t exactly see
it as he can.” He enlightens my now content face.
I ’ m happy that there ’ s hope for Jack after all. “ Sera, I still don ’ t trust
him…”
    My smile fades, “Why not?” I sit up offended
and cross my legs Indian style on the couch facing him.
    “Because he ’ s not
on our side . His gifts, they are
not pure.” He tells my conflicted eyes. I somehow knew the moment
Jack had told me, but something in me believed in Jack.
    “He said that he didn’t know they were evil?
He said he ’ s not!” I combat unable to
come to terms with things.
    “ I just don’ t
trust him.” He tells me and I don ’ t know
if it ’ s because he had to watch me flirt
with him for months and it ’ s more like
jealously or if he ’ s just being
Protective-Nate. I somehow can ’ t believe
it or I don ’ t want to believe that Jack
would hurt me. Somewhere in my processing this new information I
let out a yawn. I don’ t even notice, but
Nate does.
    “You ’ re tired,
let ’ s not talk about this anymore…”
He ’ s on his feet helping me up before I
have time to respond. We walk up the stairs together and once we
reach my door I pause.
    “Would you like me to stay?” He asks me as I
turn to face him. I want him to, but I don ’ t want to make a habit of us sleeping together. I
open my mouth to respond, but my common sense is insistent on
taking it slow, so instead I shake my head and wish him goodnight.
Closing the door behind me I lean my head against the back of it, Ugh, Get a grip Sera!

 
     
     
     
     

Chapter 11: Craving Coffee
     
    I climb into bed, pull the sheets up to my
face and roll over. Staring at the cell phone sitting on my
nightstand I feel a lump beginning to form in my throat. I roll
over onto my other side to try and put it out of my mind. You
moved in with him didn’t you? The question continues to haunt
me. I don’t trust him , Nate’s words from earlier are in my
other ear. I tumble onto my back and face the ceiling, trying to
get my mind ready to sleep. The linens above me form ripples that
remind me of the foam in my lattes. Suddenly, I’m sitting up and
throwing the covers off of me. I have to speak to him.
    *
    I’m whipping past trees and streets as fast
as my little legs can go before Nate inevitably catches me. I
dressed and snuck out as quietly as possible, but you never know he
probably has a secret tracking device on me or something. My heart
is pounding for reasons I’m pushing out of my mind right now. All
that is keeping me going is the thought of getting to explain
myself to Jack. That and my thoughts of trying to retain my
friendships in spite of all that is happening. My old town is a
blur now as I pass through the streets I once called home. I’m
afraid to stop anywhere on my journey because I don’t want to bring
harm to any more people, so I quickly tread on towards my
destination. I’ve only been gone for a few days and already it
seems different to me. It’s as if there is a cloud around my little
town of Angelica. I slow to a walk as I