shrank back
as Devlin’s glare turned on me. The last thing I needed would be
for him to run and spill Breandan was on Temple grounds. I did tug
my hand away this time and fisted it on my lap. I felt annoyingly
bereft that he had released me. “I want him here,” I added in a
rush.
Breandan went still beside me, and I felt his
focus shift to my face.
It grew cold. The lights flickered and
ominous silence draped over me. A weird feeling crawled over my
skin, so I tensed. The lights blacked out. The room temperature hit
rock bottom, and an icy gust of air lapped at the back of my neck.
I clutched Breandan’s hand tight in mine again. Was it him doing
this? He needed to stop because he was making it a little too
obvious that he didn’t belong. I squeezed the hand I held. The
moisture in my eyes stung, and the pores on my skin shrank. Then
‘it’ passed and the lights came back up. The air warmed.
“Power outage,” I said tactfully.
My mind was not able to deal with the concept
of anything other than that. It was an easy lie. Breandan snorted
and rested an arm over my shoulder. He made soothing circles on my
wrist. It was nice, the lazy soft brushes against my skin.
“Rae,” Devlin said slickly, “Would you like
to come with me? Somewhere private.” He smiled, nice and slow. The
kind of smile that suggested not much talking would be going on
once he got me alone. “We could get to know one another some
more?”
Confused at his sudden suggestive undertone,
rejection was on the tip of my tongue. I had a vampire to get back
to, so my plan was to extract myself from this conversation as soon
as I could and leave. Who knew what Tomas would do if I was not
there when he woke up. All of this had passed through my mind in a
split second then flew out as quick. Breandan’s reaction to the
invitation was explosive. Snarling, he moved startlingly fast and
blurred into a dark streak, a shadow.
Chests heaving and eyes blazing the boys
faced off nose to nose.
I was confused and stared at the vacant spot
the fairy-boy was moments ago. My reactions caught up and I made a
noise of alarm. I jumped up to push Breandan back a few paces, with
difficulty since he packed a truck-load more muscle and height than
me. I tugged his chin down to look him in the face. Tense seconds
clicked by as I looked into the eyes of someone alien to me.
Breandan glared at me with traces of disgust and disbelief. I felt
bad and annoyed because I wanted answers from him, but I couldn’t
have him butting heads with other Disciples. If Devlin told a
Cleric I’d let a strange boy into Temple, I’d come under question.
Hell, if Devlin threw in he knew I was hiding a vampire in my
wardrobe, I would never see the light of day again. They would
probably lock me away for the rest of my life. Or kill me if they
could prove I was a demon and a threat.
“I think you should go,” I said wearily.
The horrible moment passed and Breandan’s
face gentled into exasperation and impatience. The shift was so
fast; I floundered, unable to account for the sudden change.
Chuckling to himself, his arm propelled me towards the door picking
up my bag as we went.
“Walk me out,” he said cheerfully, he even
had a spring in his step.
Wasn’t I doing a dandy job of extracting
myself from this situation? I was meant to be in my room by now,
waiting for my guest to wake up so I could answer his questions and
get rid of him. Instead, I was walking out a fairy that seemed
happy to be in mortal peril, for that was the situation for any
demon on Temple grounds.
“You have my word no harm will ever come to
you that will be of my making,” a voice said in my ear. I turned to
look Breandan in the eyes, sincere and warm. “I will always protect
you. Even when you don’t me to,” he added after a small pause.
“I’m not afraid,” I said tartly and took a
half step before drawing deep and taking another larger one. I
lowered my voice, “And I can take care of myself.
as Devlin’s glare turned on me. The last thing I needed would be
for him to run and spill Breandan was on Temple grounds. I did tug
my hand away this time and fisted it on my lap. I felt annoyingly
bereft that he had released me. “I want him here,” I added in a
rush.
Breandan went still beside me, and I felt his
focus shift to my face.
It grew cold. The lights flickered and
ominous silence draped over me. A weird feeling crawled over my
skin, so I tensed. The lights blacked out. The room temperature hit
rock bottom, and an icy gust of air lapped at the back of my neck.
I clutched Breandan’s hand tight in mine again. Was it him doing
this? He needed to stop because he was making it a little too
obvious that he didn’t belong. I squeezed the hand I held. The
moisture in my eyes stung, and the pores on my skin shrank. Then
‘it’ passed and the lights came back up. The air warmed.
“Power outage,” I said tactfully.
My mind was not able to deal with the concept
of anything other than that. It was an easy lie. Breandan snorted
and rested an arm over my shoulder. He made soothing circles on my
wrist. It was nice, the lazy soft brushes against my skin.
“Rae,” Devlin said slickly, “Would you like
to come with me? Somewhere private.” He smiled, nice and slow. The
kind of smile that suggested not much talking would be going on
once he got me alone. “We could get to know one another some
more?”
Confused at his sudden suggestive undertone,
rejection was on the tip of my tongue. I had a vampire to get back
to, so my plan was to extract myself from this conversation as soon
as I could and leave. Who knew what Tomas would do if I was not
there when he woke up. All of this had passed through my mind in a
split second then flew out as quick. Breandan’s reaction to the
invitation was explosive. Snarling, he moved startlingly fast and
blurred into a dark streak, a shadow.
Chests heaving and eyes blazing the boys
faced off nose to nose.
I was confused and stared at the vacant spot
the fairy-boy was moments ago. My reactions caught up and I made a
noise of alarm. I jumped up to push Breandan back a few paces, with
difficulty since he packed a truck-load more muscle and height than
me. I tugged his chin down to look him in the face. Tense seconds
clicked by as I looked into the eyes of someone alien to me.
Breandan glared at me with traces of disgust and disbelief. I felt
bad and annoyed because I wanted answers from him, but I couldn’t
have him butting heads with other Disciples. If Devlin told a
Cleric I’d let a strange boy into Temple, I’d come under question.
Hell, if Devlin threw in he knew I was hiding a vampire in my
wardrobe, I would never see the light of day again. They would
probably lock me away for the rest of my life. Or kill me if they
could prove I was a demon and a threat.
“I think you should go,” I said wearily.
The horrible moment passed and Breandan’s
face gentled into exasperation and impatience. The shift was so
fast; I floundered, unable to account for the sudden change.
Chuckling to himself, his arm propelled me towards the door picking
up my bag as we went.
“Walk me out,” he said cheerfully, he even
had a spring in his step.
Wasn’t I doing a dandy job of extracting
myself from this situation? I was meant to be in my room by now,
waiting for my guest to wake up so I could answer his questions and
get rid of him. Instead, I was walking out a fairy that seemed
happy to be in mortal peril, for that was the situation for any
demon on Temple grounds.
“You have my word no harm will ever come to
you that will be of my making,” a voice said in my ear. I turned to
look Breandan in the eyes, sincere and warm. “I will always protect
you. Even when you don’t me to,” he added after a small pause.
“I’m not afraid,” I said tartly and took a
half step before drawing deep and taking another larger one. I
lowered my voice, “And I can take care of myself.
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