The Ember In The Dark novel Chapter 18

A full blooded siren. I had never met one before, but it explains why I feel so weird. Sirens mess with your head and your emotions and usually you're not even aware it's happening or that it has been done. A real mind fuck.

I nodded my head and linked Ash letting him know. Rachel apparently already knew, which makes sense since she's seen this band many times before. I wonder if the crowd goes even crazier for their band because Dex is on stage.

I kept my gaze averted from Dex the rest of the evening.

"So do you guys go to the same high school as us?" Ash asked, making friendly conversation.

"Dex goes to our school, he's just absent a lot. Tris is homeschooled, and Killian here goes to a school for the gifted." Josh answered him. Killian gave me a little smirk, being boastful about where he goes to school.

"That's cool. So how did you guys meet then?" Ash was being very curious.

"Online." Tris answered. "Josh posted tryouts for a band."

"Really? That's cool." Ash took a drink of the beer he'd been holding a while. He fought the grimace as the bitter taste hit him.

"Hey why don't you guys go and get us all a new round of drinks?" Dex asked Killian and Tris, staring deeply at them.

"Yeah, sounds good." Killian said melodically as he stood with Tris closely behind.

"Ash, you wanna help me? If you come, we'd have an easier way of getting to the bar." Killian asked him.

"Uh, yeah sure." Ash looked at Rachel unsure, since he's supposed to be her buddy all night.

"I'll come too. I feel like dancing a bit. Josh wanna join me?" She smiled at him, holding her hand out.

Josh looked at me for a moment before he took Rachel's hand. Just like that Toni and I were left alone with Dex. I am not sure how things turned out like that.

"How about we go dance too?" Toni asked me. He clearly didn't like the idea of us being left alone with Dex.

"And leave me all alone here?" Dex asked, feigning offense.

Toni tensed up and grabbed my hand. Dex raised an eyebrow, curious for a moment.

"You two a thing?" He asked Toni.

Toni was silent for a moment.

"Not yet." He answered through gritted teeth. He really didn't want to tell him that for some reason. Dex hummed in response.

"Hey Ember?" Dex called my name and I couldn't help my involuntary reaction of looking at a person when they call my name.

My eyes met his and I knew I had just fucked up. Something felt strange in me. I couldn't place it, but the more I tried to place it the more normal it felt. In fact, I think it was in me all along.

I was lost in a sea of gray. My mind felt foggy, but nice all at the same time. I could feel myself moving, but I am not sure where I am going. Everything felt different and yet totally normal all the same time.

A hand reached around me and placed itself on my lower back, fingers grazing the top of my ass. Another hand wrapped around the back of my neck, a large thumb at my jawline. I don't remember telling him to touch me and yet it felt like something I had asked for.