Voltage

Chapter 19

If my skin hadn't turned into a live wire I would have missed him.

I'd bailed out of the house before anyone got home, needing to stretch my legs despite the pain rattling through my body. For nearly a whole 10 minutes I'd debated whether to buy a cheap pair of clothes or not, but discarded it. Now, I wish I had taken the money.

The legs of my pants are soaked, the ends heavy with mud, and soon the rest of me will be weighed down by water as the sky is churning, rolling with thick clouds just waiting for me to wonder too far from shelter to break. Halfway down a shabby street my skin started to tingle, and just two meters later it turns to a full blown electric current burning through me.

Holding my breath, I try to act nonchalant as my eyes flick over the almost empty road, over my shoulder and up the close alleyways. I don't see anyone suspicious at first, and rub my arms subconsciously. The blue and red lines that appear after I use my powers are almost completely faded, thankfully vanishing faster than the first ones did.

My eyes seek him out automatically when I get closer.

A ruined house-the only really bad one on this street- has a tree crawling out of it. Where a window was once is just a jagged hole which limbs have pushed out to drape shaggy, dull leaves all over the place that swallow the front of the house.

Standing in the shadow of the building are two figures, one obviously male, familiar despite the few encounters. He seems to have found his shirt today, but I wish he hadn't so I could make sure the dragon tattoo still curls over his back. His companion is female, tall and lanky with skin so dark she fades into the shadows all but for eyes which are blood red, glowing like rubies in the darkness.

At the sight of them I almost freeze, but the scarlet eyed dragon blood girl suddenly turns, stalking down the thin path between the buildings and like a chain holding me has snapped, I turn directly for the male.

Although he doesn't turn to me, I have a feeling he knows I'm following him as he shoulders open a broken door with surprising ease.

What am I do? I panic inside my head, but the controls to turn around and walk in a different direction are broken. Stop, leave, jeez, Kaz, don't follow a murder into a decrepit house!

A growl rises to my throat, so animalistic and inhuman I don't have time to force it down as I'm so shocked.

I'm nothing but a spectator in my own body as I stalk to the half closed door and throw it open with enough force the wood around the hinges splinter. My feet carry me into the first room, where the man stands at the doorway to another room, lazy, comfortable, and unconcerned.

The snarl works through. It's a feral sound, but he doesn't even flinch. "You've been following me," I bark. Flailing inside my own body I try reaching for the reins, slap for the big 'abort' button that lying around somewhere-anything to gain control and pull the sudden savageness inside me to a halt.

An irritant breaks over my skin so ferociously that I have to scratch my arms. He doesn't reply, just tilts his head as he glances at the roof. My skin burns hotter and the itch becomes unbearable. My nails scour the flesh harshly, leaving red lines and dots of broken skin where blood starts to bead. "Hey!" I shout. I can't stop it, can't trample the aggression into submission. "Don't ignore me!"

The male turns, eyes indifferent, almost bored. For the longest time he seems to just stare, content to show me in his green eyes that he doesn't give a shit about anything that comes out of my mouth, until he turns to survey the room again.

The insult hits me hard in the chest, but instead of deflating me, it makes me wilder. The air hisses between my teeth as I stalk closer. Stop, I cry inside. My feet keep moving.