Blood of A Seeker

Blood of A Seeker -26-

He smiled against my lips, twinkling eyes boring into my own. I felt a blush creep up my face, so I quickly dropped my hands and stepped back.

“D-Dinner.” I placed a hand over my mouth, shocked at how weak and pathetic my voice had come out then felt my face redden further. What was more embarrassing was I hadn’t had the courage to reply back with the same three words. I knew I was going to regret it later.

I could have sworn he rolled his eyes when he jumped down onto the small balcony in front of the French doors and held up his arms for me. I hesitantly jumped down, feeling him catch me around my waist and averted my gaze.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t get a seat,” I mumbled and felt his fingers intertwine with mine as I hastened for the door. “Come on, I’m starving.”

We ran down the stairs, a giggle bubbling in my throat when I realised the rest of the floors we passed by were barren. Obviously everybody had reached the ballroom earlier than us.

“Oh good,” I breathed, slipping through the doors and was relieved to find that others were only just beginning to find their seats on the many tables set around the vast room. I was surprised at how fast the place had been set up but then remembered that anything seemed possible with the powers of a Chroma. “Come on.”

“What’s the hurry?” he murmured into my hair, clenching his hand around mine and smiled at my flustered state.

“I want to eat.”

“Attractive.”

I gave him a sharp look then found Rosemarie’s striking red dress among many black suits and red and green dresses. “Now you choose to tease me?”

“When have I ever stopped?” Tucker joked and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. He acted like nothing had changed between us – and I liked it. Just for a moment, it was like he was never a Seeker.

“You all right?” I asked softly and caught up with Rosemarie, following her to a cluster of seats surrounding a large table that would seat at least ten, if not fifteen.

“Just fine,” he said quietly through clenched teeth, his arm tightening.

I fought the urge to squirm and flashed a smile to Rosemarie whose gaze trailed along Tucker’s arm around me. “Hey, Mary.”

“Hey,” she replied, never taking her eyes off the arm even though it slipped from my shoulder as we sat down. “Evening, Tucker.”

“Evening Rosemarie,” he responded politely and smiled. I brushed off the weird tension in his body before we took our seats. I couldn’t help the niggling question at the back of my mind: what was he thinking about?

“Alexi!” Katherine’s slender arms wrapped me in a hug around my shoulders while her voice whispered in my ear. “Nice to see things worked out.”

She knew? I gave Tucker a questioning look when she released me and sat next to Tucker before Oliver could make a move for it. Grateful for Katherine’s intervention, I turned to Rosemarie, Tucker’s fingers wrapped in mine again.

“So there’s dinner, some dancing, some hanging out and home?” I questioned.

“It’s Christmas Eve you dummy,” she said with in a ‘duh’ tone. “The past two months have flown past and you’ve aced your studies! Just relax, lay back and have fun and don’t make a schedule out of these things!”

“Almost six months since they died,” I murmured and clenched a fist. “It didn’t seem that long ago . . . but at the same time, it does.”

“Hey, no depressing thoughts,” Rosemarie said gently and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear with a warm smile. It didn’t help that her gesture was like a mother’s touch. “Enjoy yourself. We’ll have a countdown until Christmas then a whole load of fireworks will go off to celebrate it. In the meantime, just be on the lookout for any stray kids and Seekers.”