Page 68 of Starve
“Tyler found me when I was in the park with Moro.” That makes him stiffen, though he glances up at me with a sallow-eyed look that lacks any real surprise.
“He hurt her,” he states without question.
“Yeah, he wanted to kill me. He said he’s tired of this game you’re playing. He said…” But I trail off, shaking my head. “Obviously, he didn’t kill me. And Moro will be okay. She protected me.”
“She’s how you got away from him?” Cairo guesses, but immediately I shake my head.
“No, he hurt her pretty badly, and she couldn’t get up. Then Hattie was there. It was so strange. He should be stronger than she is, right? So why could she pin him down like she did? Was it just that he didn’t want to hurt her?” Already Cairo is shaking his head, a wry grin on his face.
“I suppose I should be grateful to her, since she’s apparently so attached to you.” Smoothly he gets to his feet, and pulls me up with him before I can protest that I amnotbroken and can definitely do it myself. “She’s new,” he adds when I look at him askance. “For the first month or so, when we’renew,we’re strong. Stronger than we should be. Apparently strong enough to take down Tyler for a little while. It’ll fade.” He sighs, turning off the water and nuzzling against my jaw.
“What does he want from you?” I try not to protest as he carries me in his arms out of the shower, only to wrap me in a towel and set me down on the counter again. “Also, I really can walk, Cairo.”
“And I really like to carry you.” He leans on the counter again, kissing me sweetly, until my hands come up to play with his wet hair and run through the strands. He lets me, purring against my lips, and finally leans in to nose at my jaw like an affectionate cat.
When I shift a little, ready to ask again, he sighs against my skin and licks teasingly at the water trailing below my ear. “I know you won’t be denied tonight, little bird. You can at least let me brood a little.” After a quick nip to my jaw, he pulls away, his eyes finding mine in the dim light from the bedroom on the other side of the semi-open door.
“Everything,”Cairo tells me in an empty, echoing voice. “He wants everything from me. And there’s only one way to get that.” His hand comes up, fingers wrapping around my throat.
My blood goes cold, and already I know I won’t like the answer, though I can’t guess what it is, except… “He wants to kill you?” My voice is soft, barely a whisper. Like admitting it out loud will make the idea more real somehow.
But Cairo chuckles. “But he doesn’t just need to kill me for that to happen, Fern. He needs to devour me, down to my marrow. He wants to take everything I am for himself, and only then will he be satisfied with what he has. Or at least, he thinks he’ll be satisfied.”
Chapter 27
He doesn’t knowI’m awake.
It’s obvious, judging by how quiet he’s being. If I weren’t already up and going over his words and Tyler’s in my head, I never would’ve known that he’s trying to sneak away from me. But when he leans over and brushes his lips very gently on my cheek, I can’t stay silent anymore.
“Where are you going?” I murmur, reaching up to grip his arm before he can pull away. I’m warm and perfect, though less perfect now that he’s removed himself from our blanket cocoon on my bed, and I don’t want to get up.
Cairo sighs and kisses me in earnest.
The bed dips, and he lifts the arm I’m holding to run his fingers through my hair, affection in every motion. “You should be asleep.”
“Yeah. But so should you.”
He gives a soft scoff at that, and tugs teasingly at the roots of my hair. “I’m only up in the daytime for you, little bird. And I don’t need as much sleep as you do.”
“Still doesn’t answer my question. Where are you going?” I roll onto my back to look up at him, to study his face. Evenbefore he opens his mouth, I have a feeling I won’t like the answer.
“To make sure this doesn’t get even more out of hand. Don’t ask me again, little bird.” His fangs flash in an unfriendly, dry grin. “Because you’re not going, and I’m not bringing you along. Stayhomethis time. This isn’t for humans. Especially mine.”
Mine.
I wonder if he knows how possessive he sounds when he says it. How intimate, and absolute. My stomach flutters with a cloud of butterflies at the word, and when he kisses me again, his low purr tastes better than any milkshake I’ve ever gotten in town.
Again, I almost say it. The words get stuck in my throat, though, and I can’t say anything at all when Cairo stands up. “I’ll be back later,” he promises, and turns to leave without another word, and certainly without hearing mine.
I think I love you, Cairo.
I only last an hour lying in bed and doomscrolling on my phone. And that’s an overly generous estimate. The storm has finally passed, and the silence is deafening with Moro so completely asleep on the bed, instead of worming her way up to ask for affection.
Once midnight hits, I can’t do it anymore. The blankets and the bed are oppressive without Cairo. Especially when I’m so worried about him and a little indignant with curiosity. If I’mhisthen he’smine.That’s how it works in my head, and how I justify it as I yank on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie to fight the post-rain chill of the mountains.
While I’m not sure where to go, I certainly have an idea of where to start, though it’s quickly becoming my least favorite place to be.
Nothing good ever happens at Bluebone Ridge, after all. And I doubt tonight will be any different.
