Juliet Immortal

reminding me that I’ve yet to eat a meal since I entered this body.
    I lead the way across the red and white tiles to the counter, scanning the pastries in the brightly lit glass, searching for something that will stick with me through the morning.
    And then I turn back to Gemma and I forget about food, forget about my long night, forget my exhaustion and fear, lost in the rosy glow surrounding her chest. It was too dark in the car, but in the glaring fluorescents there’s no missing it. Her aura is stained such a vibrant pink it makes the bright blues and purples of her shirt look dull in comparison.
    Seeing the auras of soul mates is one of my Ambassador-given gifts, a way to know when first love has become forever love. The energy of soul mates on the cusp is usually some shade of pink—light or dark, depending on how certain their feelings. Once my soul mates’ auras both glow deep red, nothing can destroy their bond, not Mercenary interference, not the hardships of life, not even death. When that happens, my job is complete and I return to the mist with a victory for my side.
    But I’ve never found a soul mate on my own. I’ve always needed Nurse’s help.
    Yet here she is, Ariel’s best friend, one of the lovers I’ve been sent to protect.
    A spark of hope flares to life inside me. Maybe
that’s
why Nurse didn’t come to me last night. Maybe she knows that Ariel is already intimately connected to one of the soul mates I’ve come for, maybe—
    “Ariel. Wake up.” Gemma snaps her fingers in front of my face. “What do you want? Nancy’s waiting.”
    “Don’t rush her, Gemma. I’ve got time, and school doesn’t start for twenty minutes.” The woman behind the counter—an older woman with finely wrinkled skin and a long gray braid coiled around her head so that it looks like a crown—smiles. “How about an egg and cheese croissant, Ariel? You look like you could use some protein.”
    I smile. I remember Nancy now. Ariel has a soft spot for her, and her croissants. “Yes, please. That sounds great.”
    “And a coffee for her too,” Gemma adds. “She needs it.”
    Ariel doesn’t drink coffee, but I don’t disagree. It’s definitely time to wake up. Gemma is the girl I’ve come for, and the sooner I figure out the identity of this mystery guy she’s seeing—and why their relationship is “a mess”—the closer I’ll be to accomplishing what I’ve been sent here to do.
    “Dude.” As we step to the side to wait for our order, Gemma gives the burned side of my face a long, hard look. “Your face really does look awful today. Maybe we should ditch homeroom and go back to your house for your makeup.”
    I bite my lip, refusing to give in to anger. Gemma’s my job, and Ariel’s friend. I’m not required to like her. Still, I can’t help but wonder—not for the first time—why people like Gemma are lucky enough to get soul mates. It seems like it should be a privilege reserved for people who suck less.
    “I mean, seriously,” she continues, tapping one finger against her chin. “Your mom said she was going back to sleep so—”
    She breaks off, eyes going wide. Her ringed hand whips out to grab my arm. “Oh my god. There he is. That’s him. The guy.”
    My other soul mate, delivered faster than my breakfast. The thought nearly makes me smile. I try to turn to get a look at him, but Gemma squeezes my arm until I flinch. “Don’t turn around! He might still be pissed.”
    “Why is he—”
    “I don’t know.” She shrugs, lowers her voice. “He said I was confusing and left in the middle of dinner to go drive around and think or something. He’s like a girl. I swear.”
    Confusing. Drive around. Think.
    A horrible suspicion curls in my gut, killing my hunger. A part of me knows who I’m going to see, even before I turn around.
    “Crap. He’s seen us. He’s coming over.” She drops my arm. “Don’t be weird, okay?”
    Don’t be weird. How can I not be weird when I know … I
know
 …
    I turn and my eyes meet his, and that feeling of connection sizzles through the air between us, just like it did last night. But now I know the connection isn’t just unwise or impossible, it’s forbidden. I see the rosy glow burning through his red and black striped sweater and there is no room for doubt.
    Ben is the other soul mate I’ve been sent to protect.

EIGHT
    I want to run and hide. I want to jump over the counter and cower down behind the pastries with my arms