I watched Giovanni give of himself to that little girl. It calmed her, seemed to make her happy. Was that what Ina was doing? Taking a little “hit” off me? Getting what Giovanni said everyone in the world wants most: to feel good? Her knowledge of auras and energy must have taught her that she could do it consciously. I placed my hand over my racing heart. I needed to stay calm.
I should leave this place tonight. Maybe I could go to Giovanni and then find a room at another hostel in the morning. But it was night. I had no real idea how or where I was going to go, dark roads, foreign country, whispering ghosts, and all that…and I was still really concerned that someone with an ugly soul had been in my room in Dublin. I had no idea if the person had been there for me, but if so, who was to say they wouldn’t find me again? Staying put for the night behind a locked door seemed the lesser of all evils. I’d call Giovanni first thing in the morning and break away.
I remembered the stash of hard candies at the bottom of my purse and dug for the bag. I leaned back on my pillows and swirled the cherry flavor in my mouth. I kept my clothes on, even my shoes, and packed everything back into my duffel. That took all of five minutes.
I’d managed to calm myself enough to let sleep drag its heavy hand over my eyes, but one thought kept me from giving in to it. What did Ina mean when she said she could see the blackest hole in every heart?
A rattling sound startled me. I lay in the darkened room with the flavor of old candy on my tongue and listened. My hand was throbbing. The doorknob rattled again. A light flipped on outside my door.
“Jaysus!” It was Finn’s voice. He banged on the door, causing me to startle. “Cora!”
“Yes?”
“There’s blood on your door.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to apologize. No. I wanted to see you. I couldn’t lie there another minute knowing you were so close and not come to you.”
I tiptoed across the plank floor to the door. I kneeled down and peeked underneath. I couldn’t see Finn’s aura, only his bare feet poking out from beneath his jeans. I stood and put my hand to the door, trying to absorb the warmth of him through the wood.
“What happened to you? Why is there blood?”
“I-I slipped. I’m okay.”
“Want me to kiss it?”
I smiled. Yes, so bad. “I’m not dressed.”
“Even better.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
“That’s okay,” I answered. “I’m not mad at you for wanting me.”
“I still want you.”
Silence and longing.
“I’m so tired,” I finally answered. It was true, but I was unsure why I made an excuse not to see him. I think I was afraid that if he came in, I’d find myself spilling every detail of my eavesdropping. How do you tell your boyfriend that you can see auras, that your own aura is rare and coveted, and that you think his mother is a nasty, aura-snatching thief?
“Can we talk tomorrow?” I asked through clenched teeth, knowing I was going to have to give him a good reason for leaving.
He sighed. I’m sure he had the same thought I did. How many tomorrows did we have?
Thirty-Five
I couldn’t get back to sleep. I spent the whispering hours between night and day reading Grace. Much of it didn’t connect together at all. There were articles about the existence of auras, newspaper clippings of people who disappeared, and her handwritten notes.
Dr. M spoke about “categories” of humans, as though there are delineations beyond our known differences such as ethnicity and blood type.
He thinks this difference in certain humans directly relates to a measurable output and exchange of energy. He theorizes that there has been crossbreeding of two groups of humans over thousands of years, resulting in an energy “soup” where some people drain energy from other people. Then there are transmitters—natural givers of energy.
He is seeking “pure” examples of both for genetic testing.
A mysterious doctor sought people like my mom for some kind of genetic testing? I wondered how I could find this doctor and whether she had. I wondered if Dad or Giovanni would know of him.
Through my window, a pink sliver of sunrise crested the horizon. I put the journal in my bag. I hoped Giovanni wouldn’t mind my calling so early. I had to get out of this house, and I wanted to talk to him. My mother’s note seemed to confirm what he’d told me about different breeds of humans, and I had promised to tell him what I learned. I wished there was more to go on than the cryptic “Dr. M” in her notes.
I tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen to use the phone. Giovanni answered on the first ring.
“I’m sorry to call you so early,” I said softly.
“Miss Cora.” His voice sounded groggy, his accent more pronounced. The word Miss came out like meeees. “I hoped you’d call.”
“Though probably not at sunrise.”
“Anytime. Come to have espresso with me. This man does not wake without espresso.”
I could easily imagine him right now: blue eyes, half-lidded from sleep; blond, tousled hair; long body stretched out… I stopped, a fist of guilt punching my stomach. I should never think thoughts like that about Giovanni.
“Okay,” I said, “coffee sounds insane right now. I’m going to go to Christ Church after.” Guilt stabbed me again. Finn wanted to go with me. I supposed I could leave him a note to see if he wanted to meet me there.
“I will take you.”
“I’m not sure. See, Finn and I—”
Giovanni sighed impatiently into the phone. “I know about Finn and you. You don’t need to tell me. I could see it.”
I switched the phone to my other ear. God, he was being irritating. “Good. So, I’ll see you soon. I want to ask you some more questions.”
“I will answer your questions. Of course.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“If…”
“If?”
“You meet me at the church without him.”
“What’s your problem?” My voice sounded too loud to myself, bouncing around the empty kitchen. I whispered, “You don’t even know him. I don’t even know you, for that matter.”
“Have you told him what you are?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No, okay, I haven’t told him about us.”
“Then I’d say you and I know each other on a whole other level.”
I faltered, irritated because it was true. It suddenly seemed wrong that I hadn’t told Finn anything about my ability or my strange aura. What was my problem? Nervousness about Faye’s warning, yes. But if I were being brutally honest with myself, it had also been fear that he might think I was really strange. Too different. Would he, this beautiful guy who had his pick of girls, have still fallen for me if he had known? My insecurity would look like distrust from Finn’s perspective.
I should tell him.
“We’ll be meeting at a church, Cora. I think you know you can trust me. I have nothing but your safety in mind, which is why I’d rather he not be there. If you want coffee, come to my hotel at eight. Otherwise, I’ll be at the church at nine.” He hung up. The bastard actually hung up! I stuffed the phone in its cradle.
“Making plans?”
I jumped. Finn stood in the doorway of the kitchen with his guitar hanging from his hand. Fatigue rimmed his eyes and tinted his aura a deep twilight blue. “You’re up early,” I said, trying to sound casual.