The second he entered the forest, she straightened. Her hands smoothed down her new jeans, and she hoped her new sweater fit nice. She’d received both for her birthday the day before. The blue of the sweater matched the prophesy marking on her neck.
When he strode out of the trees, she straightened. Wow. He was a lot taller than she’d expected. Even so, she stood bravely to meet him.
His head swiveled left and right, and he crouched low as if waiting for a strike.
“Um, you’re safe here,” she called out.
He glanced up at the sun, which shone off his black hair and brought out the many strands of red woven throughout.
“The sun won’t burn you.” She clasped her hands together, wondering if she should’ve waited another year before meeting him. But seven was a lucky number, and she’d just turned seven. “I promise.”
He frowned and stalked toward her like one of the shifter boys about to pounce on each other. When he reached her, she had to stop herself from stepping back.
“You’re super tall,” she breathed.
He looked down. “I’m seven.”
“Me too”.
He shook his head. “You’re too small for seven”. His voice was nice, and he smelled like the trees. This close, she could see the purple ring surrounding his dark green eyes. Pretty. Very pretty.
“I’m seven,” she repeated. Maybe she should stand on one of the rocks.
He glanced at the sun again. “Am I dreaming?”
She sighed. “No. I mean, not really. Well, you’re kind of asleep, but not completely.” She didn’t understand how it worked, but someday she would. When she was older and studied all those big books of Great-Uncle Kane’s.
“Okay. Who are you?” the boy asked.
Oh yeah. She held out a hand like her teacher, Sarah, had taught her. “I’m Hope. I’m a vampire”.
He blinked. “You’re a girl”.
“Yes.” She smiled. He was quite smart.
He scratched his chin and then shook her hand, keeping his grip super gentle. “I’m Drake, son of Dayne. I’m a Kurjan”.
“Oh. I’m daughter of Zane.” She hadn’t learned that way of saying her name. “Hey. Our daddy’s names rhyme.”
He smiled and let go of her hand. “Yeah”.
What a very nice smile.
He pointed toward a big rock in the center of the stream. “What’s that?”
She didn’t need to look to see the large green book lying on the rock. “That’s my book”.
“What’s in it?” he asked, squinting to see better.
“Dunno.” Someday the book would open for her, but she wasn’t ready yet. “Maybe it’s our book”.
He coughed. “I doubt it. We’re enemies”.
She shook her head, her hair flying. “Only if we want to be. I don’t wanna be.” She patted his big arm.
He looked at the book, then at her hand on his arm, and finally at the sun. “Then what are we?”
A bird screeched in the forest, and he jumped, putting himself between the noise and Hope. A waddling cockatoo slid out from behind a tree, and Drake relaxed.
