Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1) by Kathryn Jayne (ebooks that read to you .TXT) 📕

exhausted as she felt. Jack sat staring at her, the cookie motionless between his teeth as he paused in mid-bite, a faraway expression drifting across his eyes. “Jack, you okay? Jack?”

“What? Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, pulling the intact cookie from his lips. “I just had the weirdest daydream, sealed tombs and gasoline. I’d ask what you put in them but I don’t think anything is that strong.” He gestured to the cookie, taking a bite before shuddering.

“You hadn’t even bitten it.” Tess briefly turned her gaze towards the ceiling, shaking her head in amusement, causing the two perfectly curled locks left loose from her impressive up-do to swing.

“Exactly,” he muttered around the mouthful of cookie. “Nana said I’m descended from psychics, maybe it’s a secret power,” he jested, pulling out his sketchpad and digital notebook.

“Okay, oh oracle, who’s going to come through the door next?” Tess teased.

Jack closed his eyes. “The devil!” He waved his hands, reminiscent of the flamboyant gestures of the carnival fortune tellers, yet there was something serious about his expression as he turned to the door, waiting expectantly, his hands autonomously sketching.

“A handsome devil maybe,” Tess teased lightly, nudging Ashley as Conrad entered.

The comment chased fire into her cheeks she couldn’t hide, almost making her wish she hadn’t confided her interest to her best friend. Not that she hadn’t realised for herself. Tess said she had never seen two people so obviously compatible trying so hard to keep their relationship platonic. Her words had made her realise that was exactly what she had been doing, that she didn’t want to miss out on something that could be extraordinary. She was determined to wait for him to realise what she had, that there was a pull between them that was impossible to ignore. She had waited too long. Her fantasies of what could be no longer mattered.

He circled behind them, tracing his hand across her back lightly, the gesture barely kindling a smile as she silently mourned what could never be. She attempted to hide the bitter regret that looking upon him caused. She had recently committed herself to telling him everything, and now there was no point, no reason to see if their kiss would ignite the fires promised by her dreams. His touch caused heat to rise as if her body welcomed him, and more than anything she wanted to have one kiss, one real kiss that was her own choice, and it needed to be with him, the only person who had stirred such thoughts and longings. But that couldn’t happen now. It was better she simply disappeared silently rather than creating further complications that would only make her decision more difficult.

“Are you staying behind again tonight?” he questioned, drawing his chair opposite, as had become his habit. She could see the concern in his eyes and was more than a little relieved that Tess had shown her how to cover her bruise. It was one less thing to explain.

“No, I’ve got an early shift at the home,” she lied. She had already decided not to cause her friends any more worry than was needed. Tomorrow, she planned to speak to Tess about visiting her brother. That way, when she didn’t return they would just assume she had chosen to stay closer to him. She had no intention of living as a vampire, so her only option was entombment followed swiftly by a fiery death. She already had the details planned, and her friends would be none-the-wiser. She glanced at Jack, his words about sealed tombs and gasoline weighing on her mind. There was no way he could know.

“I have to stay late tonight, but you’re welcome to borrow my bike. You have to be careful. My dad was saying another person went missing yesterday. You should try to avoid walking alone, especially since the number of Atelís is on the rise across the country.” The three friends exchanged a quick glance, not unnoticed by him. “Don’t tell me you were buying into the PB malarkey?”

“Not at all, but we didn’t think anyone else had realised its cause,” Jack interjected, before anyone could stop him.

“They tried to pass it off as PB in my last academy, too. I don’t see why anyone would fall for it. I mean, you just have to look at the tongues.” He licked his out as if in demonstration. Without pause for thought, the three of them mirrored his gesture. Ashley saw his face pale and drew her tongue in quickly, her eyes growing wide as they locked fearfully with his. She felt heat chase through her as his eyes smouldered with anger.

“You okay, Ash?” Tess questioned, seeing the sudden change in her friend’s demeanour. Flustered, Ashley moved quickly, cramming her belongings into her bag, her elbow colliding with her drink, sending its contents spilling across the tabletop. Jack produced a bundle of tissues from his pocket, frantically mopping up the expanding mess.

“I just need, I… erm… excuse me, I’m not feeling so good,” Ashley whispered, snatching up her bag as she rushed from the class.

As Jack mopped up the spilt drink, Conrad grabbed his things, hurrying after Ashley. He questioned how he could have failed to notice. All things preternatural had a scent or a pressure about them which made them easy for him to identify, but he had sensed no change in her, none at all. It hadn’t taken long for him to realise Ashley only ever wore make-up to the academy when she was exhausted. It was her way of hiding some of the more obvious signs of her fatigue. This week, she had worn it every day, but that had not been all he noticed. She had been quieter than normal, withdrawn, and now he knew why.

He could hear her footsteps in the stairwell and quickened his pace. Reaching the landing between floors, he grasped her wrist, invoking a startled yelp as she turned to face him. There was a fear in her