Page 31 of Blood Secret

I found myself watching him, looking for his reactions. The way his eyebrows rose when he saw something that interested him. The way his forehead creased when something challenged him. The quirk of a half-smile.

I wondered what made him smile.

He looked up from the pages and caught my eye. “What is it?”

“Nothing. Just… wondering what you thought about what you were looking at.”

“I have to admit, it doesn’t make much sense to me.”

“Abstract art doesn’t make a lot of sense to many people.” I went to the shelves. “Let’s see how you feel about impressionism.” I flipped to one of my favorite paintings and handed the book to him.

His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Ah, yes. I know this one. The Starry Night.”

“You know it?” I couldn’t believe how glad I was that he did.

Like there was one thing we could relate on.

“My last charge, Larissa, was quite well-traveled. We toured Europe together, and she haunted numerous art galleries and private collections. This was before things became dangerous there, of course. I never saw the end of the Great War. My time in The Fold started before then.”

“The good guys won,” I offered.

“There were no good guys. Not really. Having a long view of history helps one understand this.” He closed the book. “Thank you. It’s nice, remembering that trip. I enjoyed it.”

“I didn’t know you were allowed to enjoy things.”

“It’s not against the rules,” he pointed out. “No, there aren’t many opportunities for me to enjoy my existence, but it’s all right if I do when possible.”

“I see. What do you enjoy?”

It looked like he was at least thinking it over. “I don’t remember. Seeing new things, experiencing life in its many forms. That’s one comfort about living for so long. Not everything is…”

“Dark? Depressing? Violent?”

He nodded with what almost passed as a smile. “Correct.”

I tapped my forefinger against my chin. “I think you need an enjoyable day.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I grinned. “And you saved my life last night. I had a lot of time to process everything while I was asleep and it’s obvious that I owe you.”

“You owe me nothing.”

“Just let me do this, all right? Besides, I can’t hang around here all day. It’s stifling.”

He weighed his options, then nodded. “So be it. I’m in your hands for the day.”

I couldn’t help but grin.

Yes, he was.

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