But no one has ever mentioned Hunter being a vampire. Then again, no one will tell me what Porter is, always saying me he needs to be the one to do so. I could ask Foster about Hunter, although then I’d have to explain the dream I had, which would be beyond uncomfortable. And I honestly doubt he’d tell me since he won’t tell me about Porter.
“I’m fine.” I try to convince both him and myself. “I mean, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night because I have a nightmare, but it’s not a big deal. And after a while, I go back to sleep.”
The frown remains on his face. “Maybe we need to do something about it.”
“Like what?”
“Like… I don’t know.” He wavers. “I’ll make sure to ask my mom about it when she checks in tonight. Maybe she knows a way to block out nightmares for a bit.”
“Okay, thanks,” I tell him, but doubt weighs in my mind.
Foster once told me he struggled with nightmares and thoughts of darkness for quite a while before he finally gained control over them enough to block them out. If there was some sort of magical cure that could completely block darkness out of an elemental enchanter’s mind, his mom probably would’ve used it on him a long time ago.
He places a hand against my cheek. “I promise everything’s going to be okay. Easton and me will do everything in our power not to let darkness get to you. You know that, right?”
I nod. I do know for a fact Foster and Easton will do everything they can to protect me, because the link will make sure of that. Plus, they already did when darkness tried to get me that day we were at the school.
That’s not the only reason, though, that I know they’ll protect me. I can feel it through the link. Feel that they care about me. I still can’t quite understand why. We barely know each other. But ever since the incident when I was locked up in the room of darkness and it momentarily took over my mind, the link has felt different. Foster told me it has been slightly altered because of what happened, but he’s been pretty vague on the specific details as to how. All he’s told me was that some of my power leaked into him and his brothers and it’s making their powers energized. But it feels as if there’s more to it than that, like there’s something he isn’t telling me.
Sparks flutter across my skin as he skims his finger along my cheekbone, appearing sort of dazed.
“Can I ask you a question?” I say.
“You can ask me anything,” he murmurs distractedly.
What’s got him distracted is beyond me, but I focus on asking my question.
“What exactly is going on with the link? I mean, I know you said it’s altered, but sometimes I feel like… Well, it’s almost like when we first created the link and I could feel what you guys were all feeling. It’s not as intense, but still… It’s weird.” I contemplate whether or not I should confide in him about the feelings of guilt I experience, especially when he’s kissed me. But I worry it might upset him—
Panic abruptly zaps through the link.
“You’re worried,” I state, eyeing him over. Dark strands of his hair are a bit askew and his lightning blue eyes are crammed with worry. “What is it?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I promise,” he tries to promise but the panic increases, sizzling under my flesh.
I slowly shake my head to the side as I study him. “You’re lying to me about something.”
Remorse mixes with the panic, his fingers sliding across my arm and lacing with my fingers. “Sky, I’m really not. I swear.” The panic in the link simmers down to a lull. “I’m just… This whole thing with the altered link… It’s complicated.”
“I know. I can feel that it is.”
“What exactly do you feel? I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
I hesitate. “I feel what you guys are feeling sometimes.”
“Yeah, I figured you did.” He pauses, nervousness creeping across his features. “Is there anything else going on?”
I don’t want to answer, don’t want to tell him about the guilt I felt when he kissed me a handful of days ago. But as if my mouth as taken on a mind of it’s own, as if a spell has been cast over me—or maybe the link is forcing me to admit the truth—my lips part.
“When you kissed me… I felt kind of guilty about it. It was almost like I was cheating on your brothers.” I fidget with the hem of my damp shirt. “I’m not sure why. It’s not like I think of them like that... I’m just confused.” God, I’m the worst person in the worlds.
His expression softens as he skims his finger along the inside of my wrist. “I’m sure it’s because of the altered link. It’s probably messing with your emotions. From what my brothers have told me, it’s messing with theirs too.”
My lips form an o. “Why, though? Because I feel like I know nothing about this altered link other than it was altered.”
“Honestly, no one is sure exactly what’s going on. I mean, we know that ever since it was altered, my brothers and I have felt more connected to you, like the link is amplifying mine and their feelings for you and it’s messing with some of my brother’s heads, like Porter’s.”
“I remember,” I say, recalling how… Well, hungry is the word that comes to mind when I think of the look the oldest Porterson had in his eyes when he drove me home the day the link became altered.