Page 4 of Burned

Lord’s expression hardens. “Are you always so unappreciative about having your life saved?”

“First time I’ve needed it.” I take another sip of the tea.

I study his very handsome face for a moment, aware of his deflection but intrigued just the same. There’s no sense of danger coming from him, but maybe he was doing something he shouldn’t have been there. Making moonshine? Meth lab? Burying one of his many murder victims? Anything is possible.

“Thank you,” I say through gritted teeth, “for saving me. But I can’t tell you why I was there.”

He nods, glancing at his hands for a moment before lifting his gaze to me. “It seems we both have secrets.”

“Sounds like it.” The pain returns suddenly, slicing through my torso to the point that my eyes tear up. “Fuck.”

“As I thought,” Lord says. “The injuries are significant, but you won’t die. Not anymore.”

The comment seems veiled, as if he knows something I don’t.

“Drink a little more. Finish the cup.”

I nod without arguing, desperate for some relief. Lord moves to the foot of the bed, sitting next to me, and weirdly, his closeness seems to soothe some of the pain again.

Oh.Maybe he’s a mage. I’ve read plenty about their powers. It would make sense that he would have some kind of healing potion he’s insisting I drink. Or a vampire. I’ve been told they can have a strange effect on mortals… although that one makes less sense than a mage.

Sipping my tea, I search his face for supernatural clues, but he looks like a regular human if you don’t count the otherworldly good looks.

“Are you… by any chance…” If he’s not aware of the world beyond the veil, I’m about to sound like a crazy person, but I could always chalk it up to my injury.

“What?”

“Are you a vampire?”

Lord pulls his head back as his eyes widen briefly, then he sputters a laugh. “A vampire? Why would you ask such a thing?”

He didn’t deny it. “I feel strange. Like you’re doing something to me. Something… not human.” I eye him suspiciously again.

Lord tilts his head, his dark eyes focused on mine. “And what would you know about things that aren’t human?”

My chest thrums with energy, but it’s not fear or apprehension I feel. It’s something much harder to name.

“More than most people,” I hedge, feeling like we’re in some kind of complicated dance, neither of us wanting to show our hand before the other one. “I’ve seen… things.”

Lord’s expression turns neutral, like he’s put a mask on right before my eyes. “I’m not a vampire.”

“A mage then? You’ve used magic on me.”

Lord stands suddenly, turning his back to me as he crosses the large room to a window. He gazes out with his arms folded across his chest, and that strange tugging pulls at my insides again. It’s uncomfortable but not painful, and it’s definitely weird.

“I am not a mage either.”

His voice is low, but somehow, I hear it clearly even with the distance between us.

“But you’re not human.” It’s not a question. I don’t know how I’m so certain, but I can feel it in my bones.

Lord glances over his shoulder, but turns back to the window quickly. He doesn’t say anything for so long that I’m questioning whether this conversation is actually happening or if I’m in some weird coma, imagining the handsome but mysterious man.

“Whatthingshave you seen?” he finally asks.

He’s obviously aware of, or at least interested in, the existence of the supernatural, so I’d bet I’m pretty safe admitting what I know.

“I watched a man turn into a wolf once.”

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