I woke up and sighed. The warmth of the blanket on me made me smile. Somehow, Damien had come into my room again at night and tucked me in. My room was barely lit. It was still raining outside. I got up and went to the window. I felt my stomach clench and I only had time to sneak into the bathroom. I threw up what little I had left of dinner. I wanted to sit up but a sudden dizziness left me lying on the ground for several minutes. What was happening to me?Another morning, the same. Only half an hour later did I have the strength to return to my bedroom. Luckily it was Saturday, so I collapsed in bed for a while longer.
   Saturday. So Monday was still missing. An eternity to see Damien again! And I was dying to see it again! It was incredible the fascination that had been awakened in me for someone I barely knew. Because, although I already knew by heart the color of his eyes and the way the smiles formed on his mouth, or how he frowned when something seemed to worry him, Damien was still a stranger.
   I was listless. And reluctance was never good. I already knew him. When one of those days enveloped me, it became a dark, heavy mist. Monotony took over everything. The activities became boring.
   I sighed and decided to go to the kitchen. I didn't care about getting ready or changing out of the old, faded clothes I wore as pajamas - several sizes bigger than mine. I furtively glanced at my reflection in the wall mirror as I opened the door to my bedroom. My face was haggard and haggard, with my cheeks swollen and bruised. And tangled hair. It always dawned like this. I went down the stairs yawning. I rubbed my eyes to wake up.
   "Good morning!" my mother's cheerful voice came to me from the kitchen.
   I grunted, like every morning greeting.
   "Good morning!" I heard next.

   I was immediately startled. I opened my eyes as much as I could. Standing near Alice, holding some cups, and with his dark, impish, cheeky eyes on me, was Adam Alexander.
   "Your friend Adam just arrived. And I invited him to have breakfast with us. I was about to go up to wake you up."
   I didn't even bother to stop myself from blushing. He was very conscious of my appearance. But it was too late. And Adam looked at me smiling. There was no way to sneak to my room. Not at least for Adam. Of course, if Damien Blanc had appeared in my kitchen instead of Adam, I think he would have run away. And the shame would have lasted me for years!
   And suddenly, I was terrified. I scanned the entire room and then the hall, wishing Damien wasn't there. They were related, after all, and if Adam had come, maybe Damien would be with him. The fact that Adam was here meant that the family reunion was over.
   To my relief, Adam was alone. I approached a little shyly. And I stretched out my hand to greet him. He gave me a warm squeeze. And he smiled sweetly at me. There were no electric shocks. “Thank goodness,” I thought.
   "Adam was telling me," Alice began to explain, while she finished her cup of coffee, " that they have a History exam on Monday…"
   "Yeah?"
   My mother looked up and fixed her gaze on me."
   “I mean, yes, of course!” I said, trying to fix my tone of voice.
   "I told you, Mrs. La Rue, Emma had forgotten about the exam. That's why I had given him my notes. Since she joined in the middle of the week, it occurred to me that she should catch up.'
   "What a good companion you are, Adam!" Alice exclaimed happily." Well, I have to go to work."
   " Ah, in that case..., I better go," Adam said taking his backpack from a nearby chair.
   "No, no!" my mother said suddenly. "Don't worry, you can stay. Eat breakfast and make sure Emma studies for the test. My daughter has never really liked History."
   "Mother!"
   "It's true…," she told me, lowering her voice.
   She seemed to enjoy watching me blush even more. She greeted me with a warm hug, she winked at Adam cheekily and walked away. Suddenly I found myself standing in the kitchen, my mind blank and not really knowing what to do.
   "Why… don't you go change your clothes… while I finish preparing our breakfasts?"
   I appreciated the proposal. It seemed like Adam wasn't nervous about the whole thing. I even thought he was enjoying it.
   "That's a very good idea," I said.  "I'll be down in five minutes."
   "Of course, I'll wait for you here…"
   I looked Adam in the eyes. His words seemed to me to be wrapped in a very special, very sweet tone of voice. And that same sweetness now appeared in his eyes. I couldn't help but smile. Definitely, that young man was earning a place in my heart. Although of course he didn't provoke me the same way Damien provoked me when he looked at me or spoke to me. Those same words: “I'll wait for you here”, pronounced in that same way by Damien Blanc would have caused me to collapse.
   I went upstairs and changed my clothes: simple brown sports pants and a blue t-shirt - two sizes bigger than what actually corresponded to me - and the same gray jacket as always. I scrubbed my face with water, trying to remove the red stains that the pillow had left on me. I tied my hair. I brushed my teeth and made sure I didn't have bad breath again. Bad breath? And since when did I care about those things? Had he planned to kiss Adam?
   And immediately Damien's face crossed my face, leaving me blank for a few seconds. He didn't remember what he was doing or why he was standing in the bathroom with the toothbrush in his hand. It took me almost a minute to collect myself.
   How much power Damien Blanc had over me!
   How was it possible that just imagining his face made me forget everything else?
   I sighed. And I remembered - almost painfully - that I had to wait until Monday to see him again. I felt my stomach tighten. And I tried not to go blank again. I forced myself to finish what I was doing and almost ran down the stairs.
   "Let's prepare breakfast," I said. "What do you prefer? Tea or co…?"
   I stopped dead when I reached the kitchen. Somehow, Adam had managed to make breakfast by himself. The dining room table was set. There were two cups of latte topped with tantalizing layers of foam. The aroma was enveloping. There was also a jug of freshly squeezed orange juice (there were still some peels from the fruits on the counter) And there was also a plate with several slices of toasted bread, with butter and blueberry candy - my favorite candy!
   Adam tossed the orange peels into the trash and looked at me expectantly.
   "Shall we have breakfast?" He asked with a broad smile.
   He pointed me to a chair. I walked over to her, mouth still open in surprise, and sat down. And he adjusted the chair for me. He was a true gentleman!
   "Oh!!! How have you done all this in such a short time?"
   "You have taken too long."
   " I'm sorry," I blushed again.
   " I'm kidding. It only took you a couple of minutes," He told me smiling while he filled me a glass with juice. "But for me it was an eternity…"
   My cheeks flushed a little more and Adam smiled very sweetly again.
   With the first sip of juice I felt comforted. And before he knew it, I had drunk almost the entire glass.
   "This is delicious!" I said.
   " I'm glad you like it. Nothing better than orange juice to replenish lost energy,” he answered while offering me toast with butter and blueberries.
   For some reason – and although we had only met a couple of days ago – being there with Adam, having breakfast and listening to his funny stories, seemed like an everyday occurrence. As if we had done it before. He didn't feel like Adam was a stranger. I tried to understand the reason for that feeling. I looked closely at his eyes and then at his lips as he spoke. I just realized that he had a very pretty mouth. And I think that for a moment I looked at him too intensely, forgetting about the cup of coffee with milk that he had brought to my lips, because he suddenly stopped talking and fixed his gaze on mine.
   I don't know how long we were like that, looking at each other, without even blinking. It seemed like an eternity to me. And I think it would have been like that if a strange sound had not broken that fascinating exchange of glances.
"What is that sound that sounds?" I asked as if coming out of a trance.
   " I think… it's the phone," Adam told me, blinking several times, making a visible effort to return from wherever he had been.
   The phone kept ringing. I stood up, a little confused, and walked to the little table in the corner where the phone was. It was an old device with a short, tangled cord, so I picked up the receiver. I replied as I tried to untangle the knots.
   "Hello?" I said in a not very confident voice.
   Who could it be? It had to be Alice. Who else else? And then, that voice that I liked so much, made me vibrate:
   "Don't mention me," I heard. "Is Adam with you?"
   "Hello…mom," I stammered, looking askance at Adam, who looked at me and smiled. "Yes, we are having breakfast."
   I heard what sounded like a growl. I recognized it because it was practically the same sound I made when something was bothering me.
   "Mother? Are you there?"
   "Yes," He answered me and added in a sweeter tone. "Are you okay?"
   "Yes, yes," I answered.
   I looked back at Adam who was no longer looking at me but was making more buttered toast.
   "What time are you coming back?" I decided to ask.
   "As were. I'll pick you up early on Monday," Damien replied. "I wish I could go back right now but I can't. I have business to finish," His voice became sweeter with each word. "Emma, ​​I want to ask you something: don't leave your house this morning. Have you heard me?"
   "Yes, of course," I responded without understanding too much.
   "And don't tell Adam I called you."
   " I won't do it."
   "See you soon…"
   "See you soon…," I said, wanting not to end the call but I couldn't think of anything to say. And a few seconds later I felt that on the other side they had already cut.
   “It was… my mother,” I said, trying to put on a casual voice. “To tell me that… she will stop by the supermarket after her work.” Since it is raining..., she prefers that she not go out.
   "That seems very good to me. We will stay here all day,” said Adam. He seemed delighted with the idea.
   He had to find a topic of conversation. Something that would get Adam talking and give me time to recover. I sipped my latte, trying to clear my head. Had Damien called me? Or had he imagined it? How did he get my number? Well, that was easy to answer. His mother worked in real estate. But how did he know Adam was there with me? Clear! That was easy to answer too: Adam had been with him until the day before. And he saw Adam return to Crescent City. But did returning to the village mean to Damien that Adam would come to see me? Was he that sure of that? And why had he told me to stay home?
   "Emma, ​​do you want another toast?" Adam asked me.
   "Yes, thank you," I didn't take long to respond. I preferred to keep my mouth busy so I didn't have to talk.
   Adam watched me silently, intently, as he ate his own toast.
Think, Emma, ​​think,” I told myself urgently. And I automatically stood up.
   " I'll bring your notes. That's how we started studying,” I said.
   "Sure," Adam said without stopping to look at me.
   I walked a few steps towards the stairs. But I stopped and went back to the table. Adam looked at me curiously.
   "I would like to ask you something…"
   "Whatever you want…," Adam looked at me again in a smiling and extremely sweet way.
   "What are saccubi and incabi?" I asked expectantly.
   Adam laughed.
   "What? What did I say?" my face turned red like a tomato.
   "The succubi and incubi…"
   " Ah…," and I also laughed.
   Adam looked at me once more. But that time it was an enigmatic and brilliant look. And he seemed not quite sure what to say.
   " Because you want to know?"
   "You wrote it to me in the note you left me."
   Adam smiled.
   "Did you like my note?"
   "Yes, and also the candies."
   Adam blushed. I looked at him surprised. He thought I was the only one who blushed at anything. I smiled at him. And I saw that Adam made an effort to stop looking at me.
   "Will you tell me…? Why do I have to be careful with succubi and incubi?" I mentally reviewed my words to make sure I had said them correctly.
   "It's just an old legend. And you don't like History..."
   "Not Traditional History, but legends, yes."
   Adam took some time to respond. Finally, he looked at me again and said:
   "They are demons that were expelled from Paradise and came to Earth…"
   "Demons? But what were demons doing in Paradise?"
   Adam laughed.
   "Well, when they were in Paradise they were not demons. They were angels..."
   "The Fallen Angels…," I said in a low voice.
   Adam looked at me seriously for a few seconds. Then he blinked and continued with his story:
   "They were angels who rebelled and were thrown to Earth. That was his first conviction," Adam's voice sounded a little tense.
   I looked at him and noticed that his features had changed. His characteristic smiling expression was gone. When I saw that he remained silent, I said:
   "And what happened to them?"
   "They married humans…"
   I opened my eyes wide.
   "Wow!" I exclaimed, fascinated.
   Adam seemed to scrutinize me with his gaze.
   " So…, can I see some succubus or incubus on the beach…?"
   Adam smiled but barely.
   "No, that was thousands of years ago. Although it is said that…," Adam was silent and turned his black eyes on me again.  "They have left descendants…"
   That fascinated me even more. He had always interested me in everything that was paranormal. Queer. Different…The spiritual world. He had always been certain that reality was not limited to what my five senses could experience. There was something else. There had to be. Something spectacular. Something magical waiting to be discovered.
   Somehow it seemed to me that Adam glimpsed something of what I was thinking at that moment because he leaned toward me and stared at me.
   " Don't tell me that you believe in… those things…?"
   "Of course! You do not?"
   Adam smiled. And he shrugged, returning to his place without answering.
   "I would like… to be able to meet some descendant of those angels," I said.
   "The legends say they are ugly, deformed and evil…"
   " I don't think so,"  I answered resolutely. "If they are descendants of fallen angels, they must be exceptionally beautiful," And as I said that, the image of Damien crossed my mind again like a bolt of lightning. I made an effort not to go blank again. "Besides," I continued. "I wouldn't mind if they were ugly…"
   After all, I could understand ugliness very well.
   Adam was staring at me. There was something in his look. Something strange but deeply attractive, which made me feel a burning heat. I lowered my eyes and the image of Damien interrupted my thoughts again.
   "They are condemned. They are not recommended to have as friends," Adam said seriously.
   "Condemned for rebelling? They must have had reasons for starting a rebellion, putting everything they had up there at risk and being condemned."
   Adam was now looking distractedly at his empty cup. After a few seconds, he frowned and said:
   "That was his first conviction. The second sentence was the mixture."
   "Mixture?
   "They were expelled but with a mandate. An order. They were not to mix, much less have offspring. If they did not comply with that order, they lost all right to be tried and redeemed when their sentences ended. A part of them, he fulfilled him. They are called Penitents."
   I immediately remembered that I had read something about them on the Internet, in computer class.
   “His shadow or nemesis is the Dark Ones,” I said suddenly.
   Adam looked at me in surprise but then his face took on his usual smiling expression. And his eyes seemed to twinkle.
   "I see that… you have done your homework.," he told me mischievously. "I congratulate you. What else do you know?"
   "That here in Crescent City there is a settlement," I remembered what I had read. "It is a secret order to which its members are recruited by blood."
   "Do you know anything about the ritual?" He suddenly asked me in a low voice.
   "Ritual? What ritual?"
   Adam smiled mischievously. He shook his head as he stood up and carried his mug to the sink.
   " Adam!"
   He laughed amused.
   "I can not tell you nothing…"
   "Why?!" My disappointed voice made him laugh again.
   "Because…it's secret…"
   "Tell me…," I put on what I considered a begging face.
   Which made Adam approach me. He stopped a few centimeters away and stared at me. He was so close that I could even feel his breathing. And for the umpteenth time that morning, Damien's serious gaze crossed my face. I moved away from Adam, with the excuse of taking my cup to wash it. But I didn't want to give up, so while rinsing my cup, I insisted:
   "Tell me, Adam. I won't say anything to anyone. Tell me about the ritual."
   The knocker on the front door suddenly rang. I was startled and had to hold the cup tightly to keep it from falling out of my hands. Adam looked at me curiously. I shook my head as if wondering who it was that was knocking at the door. He walked to the window and looked out. Then he turned to me and said:
   " I should have imagined it."
   "What…? Who is it?"
   For a moment I felt paralyzed. What if it was Damien? He had called me on the phone. And perhaps knowing that Adam was with me would have caused him to leave his family gathering and arrive unexpectedly. I approached the door trembling and threw it open.
   "Hello!" Jack and Amber greeted me in chorus.
   They were standing on the porch, with several packages in their hands, backpacks and smiles from ear to ear. I looked at Adam and smiled. But I didn't miss his expression of displeasure. Although he immediately seemed to change his attitude and greeted the two young people with what seemed to me to be a sincere smile. Jack and Amber entered. And when Adam was going to close the door, a voice came to us from outside:
   "Wait!"
   I looked curiously. Maggie came running with other packages in her hand. I looked at Adam to see his reaction. Her lips pursed slightly when he saw her. But he quickly smiled again and took a few steps to help her with the packages. Maggie came in dripping water. In reality, they were all wet. It seemed like it had been pouring rain outside but I hadn't noticed.
   The new visitors advanced to the kitchen. Adam was left behind with me and, as he closed the door, he whispered to me:
   "Then we continue with our talk. But let it be a secret..."
   "Yes, of course," I said.
   I shivered again having him so close.
   " Can you give me your cell phone?" I asked him in a low voice.
   He smiled. He reached into her pocket and gave me his phone.
   "No, I mean… your number."
   He laughed and nodded, putting the device away again.
   To my surprise, the next Monday's exam had not been Adam's invention to visit me. And, contrary to what I had always believed, studying in a group turned out to be absolutely fun. And quite effective. Well, by mid-afternoon, I had already learned an entire semester of history.
   Another big surprise had been that the packages the visitors brought had turned out to be lunch.
   Between jokes and laughter, my companions began to say goodbye.

“I'm with the car,” Jack said, pointing out the window at an old white pickup truck. “Shall I take you?”
   "No, thanks. But...I'm going with my girlfriend..."
   The others looked at him. And then, as if they had agreed, all eyes were on me. And of course I turned red as a tomato. I noticed that Maggie had suddenly turned pale. It hadn't escaped my notice that she had followed Adam with her eyes all day and that she was always looking for conversation with him. But it had also seemed to me that Adam wasn't interested in her, although he didn't seem to openly reject her either. And that had disconcerted me. Maybe she did it because they were friends and he didn't want to hurt her? It also didn't escape me that Adam had stayed away from me most of the time and had barely looked at me a couple of times.
   I was still embarrassed so I looked at Adam as if asking for help. He looked at me mischievously for a moment and then said:
   " I mean my bicycle."
   Laughing, everyone left. Adam was left behind a little.
   "I have a gift for you. But I have it in my house. Then I'll bring them to you…," he whispered to me very close.
   Feeling his breath shook me.
   "Then…, shall I bring them to you?"
   Adam just smiled. He winked at me and left. But I took him by the arm and he looked at me again.
   "Give me your cell number?"
   It was difficult for me to ask him again. He felt very embarrassed, because he had never asked any boy for his phone number. Adam smiled. He took my hand and handed me a piece of paper with another wink.
   I stood at the door until I lost sight of the bike and the truck. I looked at the sky. It had stopped raining. But the clouds were still dark and it was getting colder. I shivered, went inside and closed the door. I unfolded the paper Adam had given me. Beneath a series of numbers, he said:
   "I will be waiting for your call…"
   I bit my lip. How long should she wait to call him without seeming annoying? I couldn't wait for him to continue telling me about the Dark Ones and the Penitents. I plopped down on the couch and looked at the phone that was nearby.
   I weighed the possibilities. I would wait a while until Adam got to his house. Although I didn't know where he lived. That made me impatient. Was he far or near? If he was far away, I had to wait long enough for him to arrive. But it was almost six o'clock and my mother could return at any moment. I wasn't sure what time she left work. But if she came back I wouldn't have a chance to talk to Adam, at least not in front of Alice. For some reason, I knew I wouldn't make me comfortable. What if I waited until the next day? It was Sunday. Alice wouldn't work that Sunday. And the Monday? Damien was coming back on Monday. I wouldn't have a head for anything else on Monday.
   And before the image of him completely took over my mind, I picked up the receiver and dialed the numbers, feeling my fingers tremble. Almost immediately I heard Adam's voice, telling me:
   " Do you miss me already?"
   I smiled and felt him blush.
   "It's just...I wanted you to tell me more...about what we talked about this morning. But...if you're busy...we'll leave it for another day," I felt completely embarrassed.
   "Come out and we'll talk," Adam told me with an extremely manly voice.
   It took me a few seconds to understand those words. And then I jumped to my feet. I looked out the window. A few meters from the porch, under a leafy tree, Adam was looking at me, riding his bicycle. He had his cell phone up to his ear and a big smile that lit up his face and made him very handsome. I hung up the phone and practically ran out of the house.
   "Adam!? What are you doing here?"
   "I was coming back… when you called me," He explained to me, putting his phone away. "But… I was undecided. He didn't know whether to knock on the door or not. I don't want you to think I'm a bore."

" That's what you must think of me!" I said very shyly. "You only left five minutes ago."
   He looked at me intently and remained silent. He only saw me but in such an intense way that for a moment I forgot everything else. But then Damien's face - clearer than ever - appeared to me again. And I blinked in confusion.
   Adam cleared his throat and said:
   " I tell you everything I know about the Dark Ones and the Penitents with one condition."
   "Which one?"
   "That you accompany me to a place."
   I smiled. I felt myself blushing again but I still quickly agreed, completely forgetting about Damuen's request that I not go out. To my surprise, Adam left his bike hidden behind the tree and took me by the hand. And a little shock made him smile.
   " I'm sorry," I said again, red as a tomato.
   " I don't…,"  he answered me.
   We walked hand in hand through a line of tall trees and entered the forest that bordered the house. Feeling my hand in his gave me a strange emotion. It was the first time a boy held my hand. I felt so much determination, but at the same time so much gentleness, in the way I was led that I felt able to follow him wherever he went. And as soon as I was aware of that thought, my whole body shook with fear but also, and I don't know how, with pleasure.
   After a few minutes of walking, we emerged into a clearing that ended in a beach. It was a small but very cozy place. The sunset plummeted over the sea that opened in front of us, dyeing the sky red and violet. But those hues could be seen in the distance because the black clouds above us continued to threaten a big storm.
   I thought we would make our way to the rocks near the churning water but we stopped behind a leafy log.
   "We arrived just in time…," Adam whispered to me.
   " In time for what…?"
   "To see...the ritual…"