Part 6 (1/2)

Just like himself.

Something unfurled inside him, like a little shudder of awareness. A soft, slow understanding that settled into a question that would not be dislodged: But who am I? But who am I?

As if feeling his attention on her, Selena glanced in Theo's direction. Perhaps their eyes me; perhaps she merely skimmed her gaze over him. Regardless, she stood, easily, suddenly, looking away from him and the audience.

Not so very tall, but deliberate and curvy in those lean blue jeans and loose tunic. With long, thick dark-brown hair that was now sun-tipped with pink and bronze. And even from here, he could see bare feet.

”When the princess climbed out of the teacup, she found herself in a world of bright-colored houses. Blue and yellow, pink-shuttered and green-roofed houses. Everything was a splash of color, as if it had been painted with the happiest rainbow. And the houses were sweet, big and bright cottages with heart shapes cut from the shutters and plate-sized poppies and daisies springing up along the walkway. Everything was bigger than life, and so happy that the princess couldn't help but smile as she walked along the street.”

Theo's attention was drawn to Vonnie and something tickled the back of his mind. Why does this sound familiar? What story is she telling? Why does this sound familiar? What story is she telling?

”There was a place where she could play, with a little airplane that swooped through the air on a track so she didn't need to be scared. It soared and dipped and whizzed around, through a happy red barn and back out into the suns.h.i.+ne. The princess sat in the front seat behind the blue propeller and looked down at large, bright rows of corn as she flew above them.”

Jen leaned away to whisper something to a friend, and Theo saw them pa.s.s something between them. A twine bracelet with beads, followed by the bottle of wine. Jen drank and with sparkling, laughing eyes, offered it to Theo with a little huff of vintage-scented breath.

He drank, too, and by the time he lowered the bottle to pa.s.s it on, he saw that Selena had disappeared from her spot on the hill. And that the sun had sunk more than halfway. Shadows were lengthening. He had more than a mild attack of disappointment that he wasn't going to get back to Blizek Beach tonight; he'd had visions of spending all night in the arcade, playing Bruce Wayne.

But there could be other benefits to hanging around here in Yellow Mountain tonight. A quick scan around the makes.h.i.+ft arena told him that Selena was gone from there as well, and his interest sharpened.

Out to hunt zombies again? Sneaking off into the coming night while everyone else was occupied? Crafty woman. Crazy, crafty woman.

While part of him could understand the exhilaration of doing dangerous things, the biggest part knew she must be crazy.

Theo tried to extricate himself from Jen and stood.

When the young woman looked up at him and made as if to rise, he gave her a little ”stay-put” gesture with his hand. ”Be right back,” he said, leaning down to whisper so as not to interrupt the story.

”The princess walked on”-Vonnie's voice followed Theo as he walked off-”past the bright-colored cottages where the famous mice lived and soon came to a new part of the land. It was called the Magic Kingdom. And there she would ride on a flying flying elephant. And she would meet another princess-a mermaid with red hair.” elephant. And she would meet another princess-a mermaid with red hair.”

Theo paused to look back over his shoulder, comprehension dawning. That was why the story had seemed so familiar. The princess was visiting Disney World.

As the story continued, Theo carefully picked his way through the seated people. It reminded him of the outdoor rock concerts he'd attended when he was no longer a poor college student, where half of the audience spread out on the gra.s.sy hills beyond the stage and arena. They'd lay out blankets and drink beer and the sweet smell of pot would weave in and out of Coldplay or Kings of Leon and the summer breezes.

He scanned the fringes of the crowd, looking for a standing silhouette that was edging off into the growing darkness. The cl.u.s.ter of little houses around the McDonald's-some of them had been trailers, or a gas station, and a couple seemed to have been constructed from remnants of buildings-was enclosed by a wall built of old cars, pieces of billboard or rooftop, and other large remains from the devastation.

Theo focused his attention on the wall, looking for the crazy woman, the Death Lady, who apparently was trying to get herself killed by leaving safety when the day ended. The gangas gangas would be out, with their glowing orange eyes and murderous claws, as soon as the sun slept. would be out, with their glowing orange eyes and murderous claws, as soon as the sun slept.

Vonnie's story had become absorbed by the distance and the rustle of a breeze through trees and bushes so that it was little more than a rising and falling murmur.

When he thought about the monsters beyond the walls, waiting for someone like Selena to walk into their hands, he wished he'd brought the makings for a bottle bomb. But the knapsack he'd left Envy with was long gone, and he hadn't had the time or resources to think about replacing it.

Idiot.

Theo walked more quickly, feeling an unusual urgency he didn't understand. Where had she gone?

”Looking for the john again?”

He stopped and fairly spun around. ”Selena,” he said. Her hair gleamed, rich and thick and dark. He wondered if it was as soft as it looked. He wondered when she slept, being up all night and with her patients all day ... and how she would look, tousled freshly from sleep.

”It's over there,” she said, pointing ... in the direction from which she appeared to have come. ”The Tendys' house, with the blue shutters.” Next to the overgrown McDonald's parking lot.

”I wasn't-” He stopped and reengaged his brain. ”Where are you going?”

Well, d.a.m.n. That came out wrong too.

And when her full lips pursed, he realized she thought so too. ”I think I'm old enough not to need looking after,” she replied.

The slanted-eye glance that accompanied the low hitch to her voice was almost flirtatious and he smiled back.

She looked up at him for a moment, her lips half curved. She had a wide mouth that looked as if it would be amazing to kiss-full and mobile and dark red.

Speaking of red . .. ”Your toes,” he said, yanking his eyes away from her mouth. ”They're ... painted. Red.” . .. ”Your toes,” he said, yanking his eyes away from her mouth. ”They're ... painted. Red.” Gee-sus, Theo. Engage your brain. Gee-sus, Theo. Engage your brain. Could you sound any more ridiculous? Could you sound any more ridiculous?

”I didn't think guys noticed things like that,” she said, still smiling a little. It was written all over her face: fascination, contemplation ... tinged with a little bit of horror.

He hoped the fascination fascination would win out over the horror-whatever it was-because he realized he was definitely wanting to kiss her. ”Well, they're bright red. Kind of hard to miss. Where did you get nail polish?” he asked. would win out over the horror-whatever it was-because he realized he was definitely wanting to kiss her. ”Well, they're bright red. Kind of hard to miss. Where did you get nail polish?” he asked.

The fascination, contemplation, and horror dissolved into confusion and surprise. ”Nail polish?”

It just dawned on Theo: no one had had nail polish for fifty years, at least the kind you bought from the drugstore in a little bottle. Maybe they called it something different. ”Nail paint?”

Her brows had drawn together, and now they eased. ”I know what nail polish is. I just haven't heard anyone use that term ... in a long time.”

Yeah . ..forget the nail polish then. So where were we? ”What were you saying about needing to be looked after?” he asked with a grin. Then he stepped closer and reached to touch the swath of hair brus.h.i.+ng the front of her shoulder. ”What were you saying about needing to be looked after?” he asked with a grin. Then he stepped closer and reached to touch the swath of hair brus.h.i.+ng the front of her shoulder.

Fascination was back in her eyes, and he took advantage, sliding his hand around to the back of her shoulder and drawing her closer. Remembering her ganga ganga slashes, he was careful in his movements. slashes, he was careful in his movements.

The corners of her eyes crinkled a bit. ”I don't think I-ah.”

He'd covered her mouth with his, and caught the little huff of surprise just as their lips met. As kisses went, it was an easy one, a tentative Am-I-really-doing-this Am-I-really-doing-this sort of kiss. And when she tasted good, sort of kiss. And when she tasted good, really really good, of heat and sweetness and wine, he stepped in closer for another, deeper sample. good, of heat and sweetness and wine, he stepped in closer for another, deeper sample.

Now, both of her shoulders were under his gentle hands, her hair, silky and warm, trapped beneath his fingers, her mouth parting just enough so their lips fit together. She made a soft little noise against his lips, a little mmm mmm, which sent a surprise flash of response shuttling through his body. Whoa. Whoa.

He sunk into her a bit deeper, taking more-still a gentleman, but one now with serious intent.

And then, she pulled gently away. Her hand had ended up on his chest, and he liked the feel of that solid warmth there, leeching through his thin T-s.h.i.+rt. That was, in fact, about the only thing he was aware of-besides the throbbing of his well-kissed lips and other very attentive parts of his body that were demanding more of the same.

”Well,” she said, a little breathless. ”Not bad for a guy who was dead three days ago.” And she smiled, a free, s.e.xy smile that did almost the same thing to his insides as red-painted toenails and ankle bracelets.

”At least you didn't say it was 'nice,' ” Theo said, remembering Sage's reaction the first time he'd worked up the nerve to kiss her. That had been the first warning that it was going to be bad.

Selena smoothed her hand over his s.h.i.+rt as if to straighten away a wrinkle, and all thoughts of Sage scattered as his skin leapt and p.r.i.c.kled beneath her touch. Sage who? Sage who?

”Nice?” Selena replied. ”That's not the word that comes to mind.” Her eyes narrowed as her smile became a little flat. That tinge of horror was back in her face. ”You're a d.a.m.n good kisser-for a youngster,” she said, and before he could reengage his brain from where it had gone to mush, she turned away.

He could have gone after her, but he was still a little shaken by how much that kiss had ... well, shaken him. And not only that. He'd only taken a single step when, suddenly, there was Jen, coming from around the corner of one of the houses.

Talk about a youngster.

Selena made herself move with casual slowness even though her knees were weak and her mind was reeling.