But the pain doesn’t last. The moment he starts taking blood from me, all those feelings rush in. The ones that make me like what we’re doing. The ones that make me crave it.
I close my eyes and enjoy it. Because why not? There’s no way to change what’s happening.
But before I can even do that, it’s over. Too soon. Ryet pulls away and falls back asleep.
The phone rings again, so I open my eyes and get up. I grab a flannel shirt off the floor and put it on as I walk out of the bedroom. The ringing is coming from a landline phone in the kitchen. I pick up the handle and put it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Oh. My God! Syrsee! What the fuck! I’ve been calling there for hours!”
“Zusi?”
“Are you OK? I’m coming to see you.”
“No.” Normally Zusi is the not the kind of girl you can deter with a simple objection. She is a bulldozer. She plows right through simple objections. But this one is not simple, nor is it an objection.
It’s a command.
“You will not come see me. Do you understand me, Zusannah?”
This stops her too. She hates when people call her Zusannah. Only Tristin calls her Zusannah and that’s only when he’s trying to make her listen to him by pissing her off.
She blows out a breath on the other end of the phone. “Why? Because you’re mad? I didn’t betray you. You have to know that. If you’re my best friend, then youdoknow that.”
She’s right. I do know that. After the dreamwalk I just came out of, it’s very,veryclear that everything is need-to-know and Paul is the one who decides who needs to know.
He would never think of telling Zusi his plans. Or the Guild, for that matter. I don’t care what kind of deal they have going, there is no way the Guild knows more about what is happening to Ryet and me than we do. Or I do. My part, at least.
“I have to go. Do not call back. I mean it.” Then I slam the phone down and start trying to make sense of the kitchen.
The phone rings again and I answer it through clenched teeth. “What?”
“Syrsee?”
I sigh, closing my eyes. Because it’s not Zusi, it’s Tristin. “What do you want?”
“Listen, you know how Zusi is. When she wants something, she does not give up.”
“I don’t want to see her, or talk to her, Tristin. I don’t have time for this shit.”
“Which is why I’m calling.”
“Explain.”
“There are things you need to know. And if you’re not going to listen to us, will you at least take a look at some of the research?”
“What research?”
“It’s a project that Zusi has been working on in secret since—I dunno. Grade eleven, I think.”
“Aproject?”
“Will you at least write down the URL? It’s all on a website.”
“Hold on.” I’m so annoyed right now. “I need to find a pen and paper.” I start opening drawers, finally finding one withwhat I’m looking for. Then I pick up the receiver again. “Go ahead.” He gives me the URL, then the log-in credentials, and I write it down. “Is that it?”
“Will you promise to look at it?”
“Fine, Tristin. I’ll look at it. Please don’t call back. And pass this message along to Zusi as well. Tell her…” I sigh, frustrated. “Tell her we’ll talk soon. But only if she gives me my space.”
