Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy 1)

BURN, BABY, BURN

I stared at my arm. Underneath the red handprint golden tendrils swirled, warm and living. “What did he do?” I whispered, crying. What had Reth put inside me?

Raquel, thinking I was talking about Lend, stroked my hair. “He tried to run away. ”

I looked up, shaking my head. “No, he didn't. When Reth--Lend couldn't--He threw himself over the threshold to trigger the alarm. It was the only way he could help. ”

“Oh,” Raquel said, her voice soft. She looked into the hall at Lend's unconscious form, or at least what she could see of it. He was wearing the shorts I'd given him; to Raquel's eyes it probably looked like a pair of shorts and an ankle tracker floating in the hall.

Raquel called on her communicator and a couple of guards came, bringing Lend in from the hall. I moved to the end of the bed, clutching my arm. After they set Lend down, I put my uninjured hand on his chest, surprised as always that it was firm and warm. “He's breathing. ” I was so relieved I started bawling.

“It's okay. ” Raquel put an arm around my shoulders. “How did this happen?”

“How did it happen? Are you kidding me? How long have I been telling you that Reth was crazy, that he was doing this to me? How many times have I told you that you guys don't understand faeries, that you can't control them?”

“I'm sorry. I should have listened. But it must have been the 'I need you' named command you gave him--somehow he twisted it. ”

I rolled my eyes. “You think? That's what they do. ”

“Still, he can't touch you now, so that's taken care of. ”

She really thought it was that simple. She had no idea.

“Let's take you to the infirmary so the doctor can look at that burn. ”

I looked down at my arm; the gold glow hadn't faded. I couldn't believe she didn't see it--it was like I was lit up from the inside. “What about Lend?” I put my hand on his cheek.

“He'll be fine once he wakes up. It wasn't a lethal amount. ”

I let her take my good hand and walk me to the infirmary. The doctor was a pleasant werewolf in her midforties. I hadn't been in here since I sprained my ankle two years ago. And, no, it wasn't in some exciting way, being chased through a graveyard by a vamp or anything. I sprained it while rocking out to my iPod alone in my room. Apparently hip-?hop is not my calling. Remembering how embarrassed I was then was a stark contrast to the terror I felt now.

Raquel explained what happened and had me hold out my wrist for the doctor to see. She frowned; for a moment I was overwhelmed with panic, thinking she, too, could see what seethed under the skin. If IPCA was already watching me and considered me a paranormal, there was no telling what they would do if they thought I was changing.

“That's odd,” she said. “It's a burn, but it doesn't look like it happened five minutes ago. It looks older, mostly healed now. ” My skin felt so hot to me I expected it to burn her as she ran her finger over it, but she just shook her head. “Still feels quite warm. ” She put her hand to my forehead and looked up. “You're freezing. ” If she gave me that concerned frown one more time I'd freak out. I didn't feel any colder than normal. In fact, I felt warmer. Especially inside my heart.

“Can I talk to you in the hall?” Raquel asked and the doctor followed her out. Trembling, I got off the table and walked over to a mirror hanging above the sink. I took a deep breath and unbuttoned the top three buttons of my shirt, pulling it wide. I sighed, relieved. My reflection was completely normal; just my pale skin, barely-?there cleavage, and pink bra.

Then, buttoning my shirt, I looked down. “Oh, no,” I whispered. Right where I could feel my heart racing in my chest the same liquid gold burned. It pulsed with life in time to my heartbeats.

I jumped as the door opened, yanking my shirt closed. The doctor smiled at me. “Everything okay?”

“I, yeah, everything's fine. ”

“I'm going to put some aloe on your burn and then wrap it up. Since it seems mostly healed, I don't think you need to keep it covered for more than a day. Now, I was talking with Raquel, and I'll admit I don't know much about faerie magic or wounds. Are you experiencing any other strange symptoms?”

“No. ” Besides the fact that I was glowing and for the first time could see myself like I saw paranormals. I knew I should mention it--tell Raquel that it was more than just a burn, that Reth had done something, changed me somehow--but I couldn't. I wasn't looking for an ankle tracker or to be some sort of freaky test study. Visions of being dissected ran through my head. I didn't think they actually did that, but I wasn't going to risk telling IPCA anything.

I looked down at the wrap the doctor put on my wrist, relieved that I couldn't see the flames anymore.

“I'm going to take your temperature; you feel very cool, and I'm worried it might be a side effect. ” She put a thermometer in my ear. After a few seconds it beeped. She pulled it out, and there was that surprised frown. Again. It was almost as bad as Raquel's sighs. “This is way too low. The thermometer must be broken. Do you feel okay?”

I jumped off the table, terrified that they would figure out something was seriously abnormal--paranormal--here. Aside from a complete physical when I first arrived and the ankle thing, I'd never been in here, never been sick that I could remember. I chalked it up to that whole living in near-?seclusion thing. I didn't want her to start poking around and figure out I was even weirder than they thought. “Yeah, I'm fine, really. I'm always a little bit cold; the thermometer must be broken, no big deal. ”

“Okay. If that wrist bothers you, or you have any strange symptoms--anything at all--let me know. ”

“Will do. ” I walked out with Raquel following me.

“Why don't you go get some rest?” she asked, hurrying to keep up with my fast pace.