Page 6 of Dragon Slayer

2

VAMPIRE

“If you’re not really here, then where are you?”

Val sat on the end of her kitchen island – at least he appeared to, swinging his booted feet and frowning down at them in contemplation. He’d left off the cloak and velvet coat this time, was dressed in a simple shirt with a vest over it, the cuffs trailing laces. His hair caught the evening sunlight that slanted through the windows, rivers of gold spilling over his shoulders. “In a cell,” he said, and his voice had lost all the bright spark it had held only moments before, when he’d asked what she was making for dinner.

It had been a week since he first appeared in her apartment, and he’d returned every day since. Shortly after she arrived home from the barn, once she’d showered and changed, he materialized in the living room, beautiful and smiling.

On the first day, she knew this was a bad sign. At the very best, she’d gone batshit crazy and invented herself a handsome imaginary friend to combat the quietly crushing loneliness she refused to acknowledge. At the worst…

She couldn’t think about the worst.

By the third day, when Val appeared between the turning of two pages, cross-legged and splendid on the rug, she’d felt a traitorous swooping in her stomach. She was looking forward to his impossible visits. To his questions about her books, and her favorite TV shows, and her job. Learning she was a horse trainer had lit his face up like Christmas morning. “Are youreally?” She’d ended up pulling down one of her horse albums, full of photos chronicling her equestrian journey from the days of jodhpur straps all the way to last year’s regional win.

He’d tried to touch the album page, divot marring his smooth brow when his fingers passed through. “But you sit the horse so well,” he’d murmured. “You’re a natural.”

She’d blushed at the quiet praise.

So far, they hadn’t talked about anything serious. Why waste a good imaginary friend on mundane drama? But he looked tired today, shadows like soft indigo paint smudges lingering beneath his eyes. So the question slipped out.

Mia stood at the island chopping veggies, and she set her knife down. “A cell?”

“Yes.” His boot heels drummed soundlessly against the cabinet face.

“Val,” she said carefully, moving around to the end of the island so she could see his face. “Are you in jail?”

He didn’t answer a moment, gaze still trained on the floor, chest lifting as he took deep breaths through his mouth. When he spoke, his voice was almost a growl, bitter and hurt. “Does that matter? Are you one ofthosepeople?” He lifted his head, eyes flashing; his fangs were more prominent than normal. “Do you take incarceration for guilt without knowing the circumstances?”

She’d spent her whole life communicating with creatures who couldn’t speak; learning the little body language tells.

Val bared his teeth in a challenge…that was also a way to brace for rejection. His words taunted, but his eyes begged. And doubted.

“No,” she said, simply, and returned to her vegetables. “If you’re innocent, you shouldn’t be locked up. But thanks for making assumptions about me.”

It was silent a beat save the clean slice of the knife through bell pepper.

Then Val turned to look at her over his shoulder, mouth gone soft, eyes wide. “Oh.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not…especially.”

“Okay. So don’t.” She scraped the peppers over with her knife and started in on the squash.

Silence stretched for so long that she thought he might have fritzed out. Every evening, after she’d loaded the dishwasher and her eyelids started to flag, he would always say, “You’re tired. I’ve kept you long enough.” He would bow, smile one final time, and then disappear. She’d nearly jumped out of her skin the first time, but by now it was normal.

This whole thing was becoming alarmingly normal.

She really needed to call her doctor and set up an appointment.

Finally, she said, “Did I tell you how Brando’s tempi changes are coming along?” and was ashamed to admit to herself how badly she hoped he was still here.

He said, “No, you haven’t.” Clear relief in his voice.

Mia smiled.

~*~

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