Free Darker Shade of Pale - HER FREEDOM by Mandi Rei Serra Page B

The dreams aren't scary or freaky, but I can't control myself from making the noise. They always strike before something in huge changes in my life."
    "When was the first time you had one?"
    "Two weeks before I got ran off the road. In my dream, I was putting a tent and duffle bag of supplies under a berry bush off the road a bit. Had that dream six nights straight. Ended up tooling down the road and finding that bush. The next day, I hauled out the tent and supplies, hid them, just like in the dream. What do you know? Like a week later, no more than twenty feet away from my wrecked car, was that berry bush with my stuff. Took it as a cue. I listen to those shitty dreams. They haven't steered me wrong, yet."
    "That's like the second-sight." I was amazed. Didn't know stuff like that could really happen.
    Tyb shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It is what it is."
    "You told Zamara that you had one the night before she called you."
    "Yeah, I did." His voice grew quiet.
    "Can I ask what the dream was?"
    He looked at me, with a mixture of dread and tiredness in his voice. "You don't want to know, Izzy. Suffice it to say it involved you coming into my life."
    I looked at him, wanting to know what he wasn't telling me. "Did your dream tell you that you were going to get laid like crazy?"
    He chuckled. "No, that was a pleasant surprise."
    "There's more to it, isn't there?" Dammit, I want details.
    "I don't want to lie to you, Izzy, but I don't want to corrupt things, either. Please don't ask questions I can't answer." He shook his head, as though it would reinforce his words.
    "But you  can  answer. You chose not to, and leave me in the dark."
    Tyb gave me half a smile. "I like you, Izzy. I don't know you much, but I know you have a good spirit. Maybe all these years alone have taken a toll on my mental state where women are concerned. Or not." The smile left his face, and I missed its sunshine. Even his eyes seemed to grow distant. "But I can't let you always have your way, not at this moment. Please accept that there are something's people aren't meant to know." His tone softened. "If I didn't think that you knowing would impact the future, I would tell you. After we deal with Haytham, if you're still interested, ask me again. You'll get a straight answer, I promise."
    I nodded, content that he'd tell me. You know, if we survived shit hitting the fan and stuff. I stood up and leaned over quickly to brush a kiss to Tyb's cheek. "Goodnight." Not sure why, but he didn't seem to mind.
    Blood flooded his face, and he smiled again. "Goodnight to you too."
    I walked to the door and said, "If glittery zompires where going to attack us, and we only had minutes to live, would you tell me then?"
    Tyb's eyebrows were jacked to the sky as a bemused smirk took hold on his lips. "Maybe. Guess we'll have to find out, eh?"
     

 
     
    Chapter Twelve
     
    Two days passed in relative quiet. I settled into my new schedule. Up before the sun, milk the goats, filter and cool the milk. Feed chickens, collect the eggs and avoid Gene Simmons, the rooster.
    That fucking rooster.
    "You named him after the KISS singer?" Could not hide my disbelief.
    Tyb 's arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned against a tree, waiting to see me scatter a mixture of seeds and grains for the chickens to attack. "Look at him, Izzy. He's black and silver with some red. Tell me he doesn't look like a member of KISS. He's the showman, the front man. That's why he's  Gene ."
    I'll admit , the first couple days were weird. I felt like an intruder in Tyb's domain, although he never gave the impression that I wasn't welcome. It was just odd, this transition from continual walking on egg shells to being roommate to a guy who seemed pretty laid back. Since the incredible night of sex, he hasn't made a move toward me, nor I him. It was like we just needed to get that over and done with so we could move on.
    As much as I wish it weren't so, my inexperience with men made it