“I thought Lottie said you all had found matches?” Rhuyin said.
I shrugged.
“Some of them seemed to tingle a little when I touched them, but it was kind of chaotic. It—it wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“What were you expecting?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
“I don’t know. Something…more. My brother matched with a Soma at the Machi, and what he had seems so different from what I saw at the Touchpoint. This seems so…sterile, in comparison.”
“Not every Bond is the same. My best friend looks like he might have made a match with one of your friends,” Rhu said. “The tall girl with the dark hair and pretty smile. Deliah?”
“Yeah, that sounds like Deliah. She’s an amazing woman. Your friend is very lucky. “
“Maybe we’ll be seeing more of each other,” Rhuyin said shyly. “I’ll teach you sign language, and we can talk behind everyone’s back, and they won’t even know it.”
“I’d…I’d like that,” I said, grinning conspiratorially.
Rhu stood, brushing off his pants before reaching out to me to help me to my feet.
Time seemed to slow as I took his hand. The skin of Rhu’s hand was hot and strong and reminded me of the heat I’d felt emanate from Helios when they’d sat near each other. Maybe it was a Soma thing? I’d have to remember to ask Hel if all Somas ran hot. Maybe an enhanced metabolism came with being a Soma?
Rhu’s gaze caught mine, and all thoughts of research fled as I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe, but in the very best of ways. Rhu’s eyes had looked dark and mossy green before. Now they glowed like emeralds, as if lit from within by fire. His mouth was shaped into an O of surprise, then his thumb brushed across my wrist.
It was like lightning exploded from their hands. Both of us were thrown backwards, our bodies slamming against opposite walls. The smell of ozone was strong in the air and I felt a distant rumble from the earth beneath us as I brushed hair back from my face.
“What the fuck was that?” I demanded in astonishment.
The stood against the far wall, his hair had fallen across his face, covering his green eyes for a moment before he pushed it back. He reached out to me.
“I’m not exactly sure. Want to try again?” he asked.
I nodded, bracing himself but strangely energized by the touch. When our hands brushed together this time there was only a warm, humming sensation.
All trace of sadness had been erased from Rhu’s face, and his smile seemed to light up the hallway.
“I think it’s a sign we’re going to be spending alotof time together,” he said, laughing.
Chapter 12
Rhuyin
I knew I was looking at the blond Mageia with something just short of wonder on my face.
The sheer power I’d felt when I took Luke’s hand had been frightening and exhilarating in equal measure. In all the Mageia I had previously matched with, none of them had generated a response as powerful as what I had just felt with Luke. Even with Deliah, who had probably been the strongest response I’d had before Luke, it had been nothing like this.
“You sure you’re okay?” Luke asked, shaking his hand as if it still pained him.
I nodded, rubbing my own still-tingling fingers.
“Was that—” Luke asked, pausing as if he was leaving a question unasked.
“Sure felt like it,” I said. “I thought I felt something odd when you brushed by me at the Touchpoint. Did you—Did you match with anyone else at the Touchpoint?”
I held my breath slightly, waiting for Luke’s response.
“Yeah, I guess I matched with a couple of different people, I think. Toward the end there, I was— well, I guess, I was, um, a little overwhelmed,” Luke said, ducking his head and avoiding my gaze.
I felt a pang of disappointment when he told me he had matched with other Somas. I’d been in this kind of situation before, and there seemed to be a lot more going on than just being overwhelmed, but I didn’t want to push the younger man.
