Calling Carter.

The next day back at school saw me really nervous. Kala was the same as normal, maybe too much. But I didn’t complain. I wasn’t exactly normal today. I saw Caidan at lunch. He was the same as normal, and I stayed between him and Kala. He knew how much he scared Kala. I could tell.

At lunch I saw another note on Kala’s bag. She hadn’t noticed it yet, and I pocketed it before she did. This time, it was a poem. The writing was different, messier. But still creepy. I felt my face twist in disgust as I read it, as I read the barely hidden desire in it.

“Skin like snow, deliciously soft
Just waiting to be marked.
You start to run; I see your fear,
You scream, and now it starts.

I watch you laugh, you sound so free
You’re begging to be owned
A collar tight around your throat
I’ll prove your joy is loaned.

A bruise to put you in your place
Your collection begins now
‘No’ is just another breath
Another pain-filled sound.

These tears are more than useless
Not a proper way to plead
On your knees and eyes downcast
Or then you’ll start to bleed.

And no-one here will save you
They cannot hear your screams
Women were always too weak
You are such noisy things.”

WHAT?! What the hell? Who wrote something like this?! Someone had major problems. Either that or he was born a few hundred centuries too late to have a woman as a belonging. Now, all he was gonna get was a hard punch in the face. And stomach, and then I was going to stab him in the kidneys and… I ended the bloodthirsty visions there. I knew my face was more than grim when Gemma walked past me and stopped dead in her tracks, staring at me. Then, she whispered something to the friend behind her, who giggled.

I looked at her, and the laughter died away. I was suddenly very angry, and now I had a target. But I would not waste my energy on her, no matter how fun it would be. I was going to use it on Caidan.

My eyes drifted down to the crumpled paper when a shadow fell across it. I looked up and nearly gasped when I saw Carter. I knew my anger still showed on my face, and I hid behind it as I kept eye contact with him, balling up the paper so he couldn’t read it.

“Carter! What are you doing here?” Kala asked, mock surprise making her voice bright. I smiled in amusement and looked at her. She had organised for him to come over here, and by the looks of it, he was going to talk to me. Kala was bursting with happiness.

“Came to talk to Silah.” He muttered. He barely looked at me as he gestured vaguely for me to get up and follow him out of sight and earshot. I looked at the ground as I got up and followed him.

“Yes?” I asked coolly, when he finally stopped, quite a distance away. I would not show him how much his anger had hurt me; he wouldn’t care anyway. But even so, my voice was cold.

Something in his eyes changed, and then he said, “Give it to me.”

I frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Give me that piece of paper.”

I crossed my arms. I have heard that when I’m being stubborn I stick my chin out and wear an expression that says, ‘Make me, bitch.’ I felt that expression as I said, “No.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. He almost peered down at me, trying to figure me out. I refused to break eye contact, and I stared him down. In the distance I heard some guy yell, “Oi, just kiss the girl already!” but we did not move. We just kept staring at each other until he finally, finally looked away.

A second later he looked at me again, and his puzzlement shone out through his beautiful eyes. “Why?” He asked simply. I was taken aback at the softness in his voice.

I fought to keep my own under control as I said, “Me giving you something I have found would be classified as helping. You will not allow me to help, so I can’t give you the paper. You said so yourself.” I knew he understood the logic in my words, kinda, but I told myself there was nothing in those eyes as Carter studied me. He frowned.

“I guess,” he said, “but you are not supposed to be finding things. If I let you help, what happens then?”

“We nail this bastard, together, and then Kala will be safe. What else is there? Caidan is after her, and I’ll kill him to make her feel safe if I have to.” My voice ended in a low hiss of anger, and I realised we were now standing very close together. Straightening, I stepped away. My voice broke as I said, “she’s my best friend, and you won’t let me help.”

Slowly, I turned away.