The Night House by Rachel Tafoya Read Free Book Online

I could give.

Bianca
     
    Waves lap at my feet, inviting me closer. A fine mist of salt water coats my body. The sea murmurs a lullaby in another language. The night is warm. Right now, right here, it’s perfect. I could sink into this sand and never think twice. I spread my arms out in front of the endless ocean in front of me. It almost looks like fabric instead of water, gently rising and falling. Breathing. The possibilities are infinite.
    Then I see the boy in the water. He’s waiting for something. He turns to me, and his eyes are the same color as the sea that’s swallowing him up. Nothing about him is recognizable, except those eyes. It’s that boy who saw me on the street.
    My blood runs cold, like I’m already dead.
    The boy just stares.
     
    ***
     
    Some driver lays on the horn and jolts me out of my dream. Headlights blind me as I try to wake up. I rub my wrists, to make sure I’m not bleeding. The familiar pain soothes me into wakefulness.
    I don’t know if that dream was a nightmare or nothing at all, but it sticks with me and I need to get it down before I forget. I open up my bag and pull out my sketchbook filled with the skeletons of my most vivid dreams. I do a rough sketch of the boy standing in the ocean, water pawing at his legs. I screw up when I try to draw his mouth. My face heats up. I can’t believe I kissed him. I’ll fix the drawing up later. I shut the book and slip it back into my shoulder bag. Then I make my slow journey back to the Night House. I need food and sleep.
    It’s barely daytime, but Finn meets me at the door.
    “You’re up late.” I try to slip past so he doesn’t notice the inevitable dark circles under my eyes.
    “Yes, well, it was a busy night. I received a message from Jeremiah’s officers. He’ll be returning tomorrow night.” Finn watches me, trying to gauge my reaction. I study him back. I don’t know if it’s exhaustion or if this news has gotten to him, but he seems a little on edge.
    “That soon?”
    “He also wants me to cancel all your other appointments tonight and tomorrow.”
    It’s hard to keep my face straight. This is a power play by Jeremiah. The more appointments he cancels, the closer he gets toward exclusivity. I don’t want to be his pet.
    “How far are you going to let him go? I swear, he’s just going to kidnap me one of these days.” I try not to let my real fear of that show on my face.
    “He won’t.” The ease of his response makes me feel marginally better. “Jeremiah may be important, but he is not above me. You don’t work for him. But if you’re really worried, you could always stop leaving the Night House after dark.”
    Sometimes it feels like Finn likes me. Other times, he treats me like a product he’s selling.
    “I suppose you have the night off,” he finally says, drifting down the hall.
    I let my breath out slowly. Fatigue leads me back to my room. I am a zombie.
    When I reach it, I crawl into my bed. A feeling of helplessness presses into me. The Night House always feels so inescapable.
    Like Jeremiah.
    It doesn’t make sense. Why does he keep coming back? Surely, there’s some other AB neg girl he can coddle. Fear teases me for a moment, giving me chills. This could get ugly for me. Especially if he takes as much as he did last night.
    Three short raps on my door make my head ache. It feels like the sounds are on the inside of my skull.
    “When’s the last time you ate?” It’s Alex.
    I don’t answer, so she opens the door. Her face falls. “Where did you hurry off to last night?”
    “Nowhere,” I say a little harsher than I mean.
    “You really need to eat something.”
    She looks worn, but more like she spent the night at some swanky party instead of at the arm of some vampire. The shadow of poorly wiped off makeup haunts her pale skin. Short black curls surround her face.
    “I don’t want to move,” I mumble.
    “What do you want?”
    I know better than to object. Alex loves to be the