Page 10 of Pieces of Halves

Chapter Four

ISABELLA

peel my eyes open slowly, still feeling tired. I must’ve had another bad dream. They always make me feel exhausted. Someone is always chasing me, but I can never remember who or what they want.

Turning my head, I find Jacob lying on the other side of the bed. His arm is extended, and hishand is wrapped around mine. I blink. I should pull away, but I like the way his warmth feels against my skin, so I don’t move. Instead, I watch his sleeping face from an arm’s length. His dirty blonds are messily spread over his brows, but he still looks so handsome.

The white sleep shirt lost a few buttons, exposing his chest. Gods, his muscles are tight. My body heats up, and Iswallow a lump as I find myself wishing I could touch him. He is a halfling of all things. Yet, he is so gentle and kind. I’ve only heard of beings like him in stories. According to records and gossip, there has not been a halfling born for at least a century.

I should’ve run when I found out. He is dangerous. But he asked for my help, so I stayed. If he needs me, I can use that to get his assistance. With his power, I will be practically untouchable.

He stirs a little, my eyes go wide, and I snatch my hand away from his. With his eyes still closed, his eyebrows scrunch, and he pats the place where my hand was.

He is looking for my hand.My chest swells at the thought.Why?

With a grunt, he moves a little more, so I shut my eyes, pretending to sleep. He can't know I was watching him; that would be embarrassing. He sighs – as if relieved about something, but my heart is hammering in my chest. I almost got caught gawking at him.

A stray strand of my hair that never wants to stay in place falls on my face, tickling my skin, and I have to restrain myself from wrinkling my nose. The mattress moves a little, and I am relieved that I get to itch my face soon, but his fingertips brush against my cheek. I almost shudder at the touch.

Oh, dear saints.My chest flutters when he tucks my hair behind my ear.

Because Jacob bought me breakfast – ham and eggs – my tummy is full, and I couldn’t be happier. Even though I had a good meal previously, I have a buttery biscuit in my hand as wewalk towards the forest. The green trees welcome us into their embrace, and maybe there is a small part of me that is still thinking about the way he held my hand in the morning. Maybe I cannot get his touch out of my mind. Stupidly, his delicate actions make me smile.

I am a foolish girl. He is a halfling, and I am a vampire. Vampires are hated by all the other kind; we are violent and bloodthirsty. For the most part, the stereotype is not true. There are people like my father who give us a bad reputation. As halflings, on the other hand, are feared out of respect; they are a powerful rarity. Nothing can come of this. Whatever this is. But I like the way he treats me. Delicately, politely, and respectfully.

“So, which way are we going?” he asks and looks down at me.

I am tall, but he still towers over me. I tilt my head to look at him. It’s still baffling that a being like him is so easygoing.

“We follow the trail for about a day, then we will camp by the river. In the morning, I will tell you a little more,” I say, and I look ahead at the thickening brush.

“Are there bears by the river?” He chuckles.

Bears?

I remember it being dark when my father’s men took me to the witches. It was quiet, besides the sound of flowing water and soft wind. Unwanted memories rush in, but I stop the images and tuck them away again. I don’t need them. I read about the forest in history books and encyclopedias. Bears are not common there. The area has not had any for over two hundred years.

“No bears, maybe wolves though,” I tell him, losing interest in my strawberry-filled biscuit.

Memories are coming back. I hate them. I worked too hard to forget that week of my nineteenth birthday.

It is dark, we have a fire going for warmth, and the river lazily flows behind us, reminding me of that night. I lay on the ground, curled up into a ball, staring at the grass and the fallen leaves on the forest floor. My father’s men chatted, but I heard nothing. Feeling numb, I didn’t care that they were taking me to the witches. I hate that day. I worked so hard to forget it, and I did – for the most part. This trip is forcing them to surface. I can’t let that happen. I will not let those few days ruin the rest of my life.

My last birthday does not define me. It was not my fault.

I shiver. Terrible things happened, but I chose to forget them. No, I didn’t choose, I made myself forget. I read and read, filling my mind with information about bugs, leaves, and animals until I no longer remembered that day. Unfortunately, my dreams do not want to listen to me. Those monsters still find a way to terrorize me.

“Are you cold?” Jacob asks, leaning his back against a thick trunk of an oak.

I look up at his sitting form. His legs stretched out in front of him, the flames dancing on his face.

He is stunning. A thought passes through my mind before I realize it has invaded my brain.

“A little.” I lie and look down at the fire.

Lies make me feel dirty, but I do not want to talk about the things that scare me. Plus, what does it matter? We will not know each other for much longer. I will help him with thewitches, and he will help me get on the ships. He is powerful enough to keep me safe from my father. That’s all that matters.

“Come.” He spreads his arms, encouraging me into his embrace with a warm smile.

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