Muse (Descended From Myth) (5 page)

I finally got Anna safely locked inside her room and managed to get her to promise that she would text or call me before she went anywhere, but I still couldn't shake my nervous tension. I had already gone through the whole hotel and checked for any security issues, then pulled everything I could find out of Henry's rental car.  I should have been settling in to review all of his paperwork, but my mind just wasn't able to focus. Too many questions kept rattling around in my brain, too many to concentrate properly.

I knew that I should call and check in with Mom and Kaitlin. What was I going to tell them though? “Oh yeah, by the way, even though I promised I wouldn't get wrapped up in this Talent and end up obsessed like Dad did, I'm dangerously close to throwing that promise out the window.” I mean, I'd even held her hand! Sure, at first it had been just to keep her from running away from me, but after that? I'd been thinking how lucky I was to end up with Anna instead of one of the other Talents. How I would have worked even harder to become a Watcher if I'd known that she was out there being neglected by Henry. Why was she so different from the other Talents? Maybe it was because she'd been raised away from any of the others, she just hadn't learned their biases. So did that mean she would change once she did find herself surrounded by them?

I alternated between pacing back and forth across the narrow strip of open floor space in my room, doing pushups, and staring off into space. But the entire time, I was thinking. Always thinking. Henry may have really screwed me over by not making contact with Anna, but at the same time he may have done me a giant favor. He hadn't been able to determine much about Anna's talent from a distance so he'd downplayed it. I suppose he couldn't bring himself to get attached to another Talent, so he just avoided this one all together. I would need to watch Anna carefully over the next few days, see her in her natural element and figure out what direction her talent took and how much strength she really had. My mind kept playing back the push of warmth I'd felt at Henry's accident. Anna hadn't even been consciously trying then, and that was a massive amount of power for a Talent so young. Well, for
any
Talent, really. She was going to need training, and a lot of guidance. My family has been guarding Talents for generations, though. I may be young, but I have a lot of knowledge to draw from and I'm damn sure motivated.

I moved the stacks of paper into a single briefcase and organized everything so that we'd be able to make a quick exit if necessary before climbing into the hard hot
el bed for a dream-riddled nap.

Anna was true to her word and called me before venturing out of her hotel room. I had just enough time to change into clean clothes, gargle some mouth wash, and run my hands through my hair before she tapped softly at my door.  Today her soft blonde hair was smooth and left down to brush her shoulders, the hints of red in it glowing. Her clear green eyes were lined with a light touch of makeup. I'd thought she was pretty in cut off sweatpants, but in her blue jeans and a gauzy blouse she was simply beautiful. I must have stared at her like an idiot for just a little too long, because she started to blush and fidget in the doorway.

“Do I look okay?” she asked nervously. “I wasn't really sure what a designer's assistant is supposed to wear. I went with the most 'artsy' shirt I own, but I'm afraid I look more like a gypsy than a designer.”

I felt like I needed to roll my tongue back up like a cartoon wolf, but managed to stammer, “You look great, very designer-ish.” Designer-ish? What a maroon! Anna flashed me a bright smile, as if I'd managed a real compliment and not one that sounded like I needed to ru
n out and purchase a thesaurus.

We planned to follow Anna's day as it was originally scheduled, and hope that she would find a way to nudge me into some menial background spot with the production crew. By the time breakfast was over, Anna had already made arrangements for me to join the sound and lighting crew on set. I was amazed by how easily she'd made it all happen. Sh
e really was a natural at this.

The rest of the day I tried to stay within a twenty foot perimeter of her. The difficult part wasn't keeping tabs on her, but maintaining my distance. I worked outside the meeting room where she and the design team were going over plans, straining to hear the conversation. I could only hear bits and pieces, but Anna's laughter floated out of the room often. I really wanted to know what was making her laugh, and how I c
ould make her laugh like that.

During a production segment where the lead designer, Tylinda
something-or-other, was talking about the demolition process and some of the plans they had for the renovation, I was toying with empty lighting boxes and watching Anna. Keeping an eye on her was my duty, but it was also quickly becoming a bit of an obsession. I
needed
to know where she was and that she was safe.

Two of the production guys were standing off to the side going over scheduling notes with her. They had that “I work in television” look about them, dressed all trendy in clothes they couldn't really afford and $200 haircuts. The guy wearing glasses that looked like the kind the military issues during boot camp kept inching closer to her, leaning in and whispering to her. My jaw hurt because I was clenching it so tightly, and I had to keep reminding myself to focus on signs that she was using Influence, not on signs she was flirting. I'd felt a low level of tingling warmth from her most of the day, as though it just flowed out of her constantly while she was interacting with people. When she got excited about something, the temperature climbed a bit and the hairs on my arms stood up. Specs was leaning in against her again, both their heads bent together over a clipboard. It made my temperature rise in a completely different way as I watched them together. I didn't like it, not a bit. I didn't like him, or the way he kept trying to find a way to touch Anna. I sat one of the boxes down just a little too forcefully a
nd caught the trio's attention.

“That guy keeps staring at you,” I heard the one I'd dubbed Specs say to Anna. “Do you want me to go have a chat with him?” Oh, I'd like to see him try. Anna laughed, glanced over my way and said sweetly, “Not necessary, Chad. That's Daniel, my boyfriend. He's just being protective. I'll introduce you to hi
m at lunch.”

Specs looked back over my way while Anna shuffled some papers, and I may have gone out of my way to puff up my chest a bit and flex my arms more than necessary as I moved another piece of equipment. I know for certain that there was one heck of a grin on my face, especially when he took a step away from Anna's side.
Hell yeah, back off, Specs. The girl is spoken for!

Anna's position had her involved with most of the crew on set, and while she marched around taking and giving orders, she seemed to be oozing charm as well as Influence. By the time lunch rolled around, everyone on the set seemed to know her name and have something they wanted to talk about with her. They also knew from the wildfire spread of gossip that she had a boyfriend. We hadn't talked about that at all, but it sure was making my life easier. Anna finally broke away from another cluster of admirers and found her way over to the crate I'd arranged as a makeshift
bench under a massive oak tree.

“I'm really sorry about the boyfriend comment,” she whispered, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. “It just popped out of my mouth. I knew I cou
ldn't say bodyguard so I just—”

“Hey!” I protested, catching her hand in mine. “I'm not upset. That was the best compliment anyone has ever paid me. It's okay. Come here, sit
down, and have lunch with me.”

She slipped onto the crate next to me, her knee brushing mine and I handed out the sandwiches and chips I'd snagged from the commissary tables. I wasn't sure what Anna liked to drink so I'd grabbed two bottles of water and figured I could always go get her something
different if she wanted me to.

We sat together, eating our food and enjoying the view of the river below when Anna nudged me with her elbow. “So?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Have I been doing it? I didn't feel anything different, but I've been trying to pay attention to the way people have been reacting to me.”

“Yeah, it's been coming out. More when you get excited about something, or interested. I think you do it subconsciously. We can work on that. There's no harm in it, though, at least not in this setting. Plus it's giving me the chance to try to figure out what sphere you have the most strength in.”

Anna gave me a look like I was crazy. “Yeah, it disturbs me that you seem to know more about me than I do. We need a serious tutoring session very soon. I'd like to have some specifics, maybe try to use my new found sup
er powers on purpose for once!”

At least I seemed to be making some positive progress. Anna was starting to trust me and willing to accept my help. That's hugely important for a Guardian. I just needed to get my head away from the boyfriend idea and back where it should be. Anna could be a very important Talent, which would mean she'd be a target for corruption and she'd also be giv
en the choice to ascend sooner.

Anna leaned in, brushing her shoulder against mine. “So, does it work on you?” she asked, her voice sounding all breathy and flirtati
ous. Uh yeah, that works on me.

“Huh?” I asked oh so eloquently, “Does what?” I was distracted by the smell of her hair and the fact that her knee was
now resting on top of my thigh.

“Can I use Influence on you? Or are you immune to it or something? I just thought that since you could feel it, then you could tell me if I'm doing
it right,” she said innocently.

There was a voice in the back of my mind that was screaming something along the lines of, “Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” but I was trying hard to block it out. It's pretty common for those of us who can sense Influence to allow younger Talents to practice on us. I've done it for four or five others when I was assigned to their details for whatever reason. There were always other Guardians around, though, and their Watcher. But this time I was alone, so it could be dangerous if I was pushed to do the wrong thing. There were a lot of variables to consider, but I'm fairly resistant to Influence, and it would take Anna finding something that I really wanted to do anyway for it to work. I glanced around at the crew members still lingering in the area. Nobody was especially close to us and none of them seemed to be paying us any particular attention. Plus, Anna was still sitting so close, and she was still looking at me with those green eyes that made me want t
o agree to anything.

I laid out the ground rules, for safety's sake. Nothing that would be dangerous, for her or for me.
Nothing that would expose any of our secrets or call too much attention to us. Okay, that last one was mostly so that she wouldn't try to force me into doing the chicken dance or something. Then I gave her the go ahead, and braced myself for the sensation of being Influenced.

Anna looked nervous, but turned to face me fully. I felt the first rush of tingles over my arms and a very faint warmth roll over me.

“You're going to have to push harder than that,” I chuckled. “That just tickles. Maybe picture what you want to happen. Try to add as much detail as possible and then sort of push the image towards me.”

“Do I have to say something?” Anna asked anxiously.

“You can if you want to, but try it without saying anything first,” I answered, thinking back to other training sessions with other Talents. The feeling of intense pins and needles pulled me back to the present, but the sensation was strangely pleasant rather than uncomfortable. I felt myself focus on Anna's face, the shape of her nose, the faint dusting of freckles, the brightness of her eyes and the pink hue of her cheeks. Her lips. My heartbeat sped up, my skin felt hot. I felt like I was falling forward, being pulled towards her, but I couldn't bring myself to pull away. All I wanted to do was touch Anna's lips. There was a reason I wasn't supposed to do that, but I couldn't think of it right now. I let myself lean in all the way, to give in—just this once.

I wasn't sure this was a good idea. I really wanted to test out just how far I could Influence someone,
if
I really could. But part of me was just looking for a reason to keep Daniel closer to me. It had been comforting having him watch over me all day, but also a little exciting. I'd paid attention to his whole spiel about what not to push him to do. Like I was going to ask him to go play in traffic or jump into the river? Come on. But there was one thing that had been on my mind the whole time we'd been sitting here. I
really
wanted to know what it would be like to be kissed by Daniel. If we were pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend anyway, this seemed like a good chance. If he knew that I was open to the possibility of a romance between us, then maybe it would grow naturally after I gave it a little nudge.

Daniel suggested I picture what I wanted to happen, in detail. Well, that wasn't hard. I conjured up the image of him pressing his lips against mine. A simple, soft and sweet first kiss. Anything more would be pushing things a bit more than I was comfortable with. I wanted to give him a hint, not molest him with my brain. I closed my eyes, imagining. Once I had the picture firmly in mind, I pushed it away from me like I was exhaling. When I opened my eyes, Daniel's face was inches from mine, his chocolate brown eyes focused on my lips. Yes! He leaned even closer, his forehead furrowing like he was upset about something. Shit! What was I doing? I couldn't
force
him to kiss me! This was so, so wrong. I dropped the mental image, letting it burst like a water balloon.

Daniel's eyes went wide, and a shu
dder moved over his whole body.

“I'm so, so, sorry,” I began, so embarrassed that I was almost ready to cry. “I shouldn't ha—” the rest of my sentence was cut off by Daniel's lips closing over mine, his hands coming up to cup my face and brush through my hair. My horror slipped away, replaced by a much more pleasurable sensation. I let myself kiss him back, enjoying how goo
d it felt to be held by Daniel.

Slowly, the hooting and catcalls in the background seeped into my consciousness. Oh good grief! I was actually making out with someone in public on my first day of adult employment. This is so not how I usually act. I pulled away from Daniel, noting that the expression on his face looked almost a
s shaken as mine probably did.

Chad stepped away from the group and yelled over at me, “Come on, Juliet. We've got work to do. You'll have to tear yourself away from Romeo for a few more hours.” What a creep. It was his clingy flirtation that led me to blurt out the boyfriend thing in the first place. Now I kind of wan
ted to break his ugly glasses.

I turned sheepishly back to Daniel, who was gathering up the remnants of our lunch as if nothing had happened. Should I apologize? Explain myself? I twisted the hem of my gauzy blouse, trying to decide what to say. Daniel finally met my eyes and smiled. I needed to apologize for taking advantage of his trust and to talk to him,
but now might not be the time.

“Can we talk after we get back to the hotel?” I asked hurriedly, before I chickened out or said anything stupid. Daniel cocked an eyebrow, and put the bag of sandwich wrappers and such back on the mak
eshift bench.

“I can probably answer at least one of your questions right now,” he answered, stepping close enough to be able to touch my hair again. “You didn't make me do anything I didn't want to. I didn't kiss you because you forced me to. I kissed you because I wanted to and because you chose not to push me into doing it.”

Relief poured over me, along with a slightly giddy feeling. He actually did like me enough to want to kiss me! I grinned and nodded.

“Okay, well then that's good to know. I will just go get back to Tylinda then, but I'll talk to you tonight. Okay? Okay.” On impulse, I pecked his cheek with a quick kiss and then
dashed back to my next meeting.

The next few hours moved quickly, but I felt like I was only semi-present during the design team's prep meetings.

I was torn between daydreaming about Daniel's kiss, wondering what else he had to tell me, and what questions I needed to ask him, plus worrying about the whole Muse thing. I wasn't very well versed in Greek mythology, but I was pretty sure that's where the term came from. I decided to Google it on my phone as soon as I could sneak the chance. Tylinda and I were supposed to be going over the layout for the windows in the new addition. I realized that I'd missed something when she was staring at me expectantly, but I had no idea what my response was supposed to be. I couldn't even remember there
being
a question.

“I'm sorry, I was thinking about something else,” I apologized. “Could you repeat that?”

Tylinda laughed. “Thinking about something or someone?” she teased. “I'm wondering if you aren't thinking about the same someone that those two are.” She gestured toward the existing window behind me, where Sara and Ginger, two of the other design assistants were standing and giggling.

When they noticed me, Sara elbowed Ginger and burst out lau
ghing. “Busted!” she exclaimed.

“Did you already know him or did you just latch on to him as soon as you saw him?”

Ginger fanned herself with her hand and added, “I don't blame her, if either of us had the good fortune to spot him first we would have snatched him up so fast he'd still have bruises!”

“Mmmm, I don't se
e any bruises,” Sara chimed in.

“Jus
t muuuuuuscles,” Ginger sighed.

That was about enough for me, now I had to see who the heck they were ogling, though I had a sneaking suspicion that I already knew. Tylinda and I both walked over to the window, even though she had been able to see most of the vie
w from where we'd been sitting.

Out in the yard, one of the big trucks had pulled up and was in the process of being unloaded by some of the guys from the crew. The thing was packed with building supplies and since it was a warm day, most of the guys had stripped off their shirts. Including Daniel, who had just jumped out of the back of the truck with another load of materials. Holy crap! My mouth went dry and I realized I was gnawing on my lower lip like it was made of chocolate. Swoon. Daniel wasn't a huge guy, but he was clearly sculpted by a master. I'd had an idea of that earlier, but that was different fro
m actually seeing the evidence.

“Is that a tattoo?” Ginger asked, “Annie, he is so hot!”

“Anna,” I corrected her automatically, only my Dad is allowed to call me Annie. I hated the inevitable orphan jokes, sometimes they hit a little close to home. But she was right, even if she didn't know my name. I nodded dumbly. There did seem to be a tattoo on Daniel's chest, just over his heart. He also wore a silver dog tag or medal on a chain around his neck that caught the sunlight, sending sparkles our way.

“You are sooooo lucky,” Sara cooed. “So what's the tattoo of?”

“I actually don't know,” I admitted. “But I have every intention of finding out!” The others laughed like that was the most hilarious thing they'd ever heard. Outside, Daniel paused and looked up toward our window, wiping sweat from his forehead with the shirt he had tucked in his waistband. I fought the urge to duck and pretend that I hadn't been caught staring at him shirtless, but as soon as his eyes caught mine, I decided I didn't care. He grinned and raised a hand in greeting, so I gave a timid wave back. The girls laughed like maniacs again, and we all decided it was time to get back to work before we looked like total stalkers.

“That guy keeps tabs on you like you've got a GPS tracker in your jeans,” Tylinda commented as we sat back down. “He's certainly nice to look at, but are you sure he's not going to be too controlling? I can tell you that having a guy who keeps that close of tabs on you isn't always a good thing.”

“It isn't controlling so much as protective,” I protested. Ha, if anything I was the one who would be capable of being controlling. Literally controlling! “But I do appreciate your concern. I'll be careful,” I promised. Obviously, my impromptu make out session had put our relationship under a spotlight. Everyone had an opinion now, and they had no qualms about sharing it with me and anyone else who would listen!

By the end of the day, Tylinda had decided that the entire river facing side of the structure should be windows so that they could take in the majestic view. I had pointed out that having a wall of windows in a bathroom wasn't the most private of situations. It might be nice to appreciate the view while taking a relaxing bath, but I can't imagine sitting on the toilet in f
ull view of anyone floating by.

Tylinda took my opinions in stride, and was busy working on some sort of “privacy” glass idea with the contractors. Day one wrapped when darkness settled in. Most of the necessary demolition had been completed and we were pretty close to being on schedule, so it was
generally considered a success.

I finished up one last conversation with the contractors and headed back outside. Most of us shuttled back and forth from the hotel to the work site on a minibus. A crowd of people stood waiting for it to return. I wandered towards the group, looking for Daniel. I didn't have to go very far before he stepped i
n beside me, his shirt back on.

“Have
a good day?” he asked casually.

“Yeah, it was a very good day,” I replied, trying not to think about what he looked like with his shirt off or our brief kiss. I could a
lready feel my face heating up.

“I thought we could pick up some dinner from one of the restaurants and bring it back to the hotel. We can e
at and talk about some things.”

I quickly agreed and we climbed onto to the minibus together once it pulled up. I squeezed in next to Daniel as spots filled up quickly. He made a face and said, “I hope I don't stink. I'm pretty dirty. Actually, I better take a shower before we go anywhere.” We watched as everyone tried to cram onto the bus now rather than wait for the return trip. I ended up sitting on Daniel's lap to make room for others.
It was awkward, but nice at the same time. I snuggled into his arms for the short trip, his chin resting on my shoulder. At first I worried about being too heavy, but Daniel didn't seem to mind, so I allowed myself to relax. Some of the others were making plans to go out for drinks once we got back to the hotel, and they hounded Daniel quite a bit to go with them. I couldn't see his face, but his arms tightened around me when he told them that since I wasn't old enough to hit the bars yet, he'd pass and stay with me. Then there were some jokes about him robbing the cradle that I
really
hoped he wouldn't listen to. After all, I'm a very mature nineteen year old. People tell me that all the time! Of course it's usually when they're trying to get me to babysit their kids.