Page 9 of Wishing Upon a Monster
Kenton was, quite possibly, the last hurdle holding me back from embracing who I really was.
“Sure, let me show you around.”
We walked through the house, me hesitantly showing him what would also be his space. We went through the rooms, lingering in my little library where I booted up my computer for his use later. I showed him how to use our magical, Google-powered search engine, then played a few kitten videos to show him how videos worked. MagiTube had a section about the modern world for vampires; I left that tab open for later.
My stomach reminded me that it still had not been fed, and we made our way back to my kitchen––where I currently havea god sitting at my counter as I put together a basic beef and vegetable stew.
“––and the fire is inside the glass?” Olan asked, watching me stir the soup in a bulbous green pot.
“Sort of. This is a ceramic-top stove, and there is a heating element underneath. I like it because it keeps food and other scraps from falling into the element, making it easier to keep clean.” I explained as I sprinkled a little more salt into the stew.
“It pleases me to know that some things are still the same. Soups are still being made, and humans continue to work in a way that makes their lives easier, inventing such ingenious devices.” His ruby-colored eyes watched my wooden spatula as I stirred.
“Did you live with humans––before you moved to your land in the preserve?” I asked lamely, not sure exactly how to broach the topic.
He propped his chin up on his fist, looking at me in a way that made me turn to quickly grab a loaf of Italian bread to slice and hide behind. I didn’t feel unsafe, but the amount of measuring I felt with every question I asked made me feel like I shouldn’t have drawn so much attention to myself.
A predator versus prey response, I suppose?
Olan chuckled, “Perhaps it is,min skat.I will teach you now how to block your thoughts? Then I can answer your questions?”
I felt a blush rush to my cheeks, knowing he heard my last thought. “Yes, please.”
He unfolded his large form from the stool gracefully, joining me behind the counter. I held the Italian loaf between us like a shield.
“First, you must picture a hat—a helmet, a crown, some sort of headpiece that surrounds your mind. Picture it wrapped around your skull. It is strong, adorned with whatever youbelieve will help keep your thoughts hidden, made of whatever material you believe is impenetrable.” His voice was low and rumbly, relaxing me with its worn-out timbre. He reached between us, taking the loaf of bread out of my hands. “Focus on what it will do, keeping your thoughts inside and others’ thoughts out.”
My eyes fluttered closed as his voice wove a crown in my mind. It was made of tungsten, with a center piece that swooped low over my third eye. I envisioned glossy black tourmaline crystals for protection and amethyst for setting boundaries, with a few obsidian stones to reflect negative energy back on anyone who would try to probe my thoughts.
“Good,” he whispered, his hands ghosting up my arms, “imagine that the headpiece is constant. Only you can dismantle it; only you can put it on and take it off when you choose. Now a test?” He murmured.
His hand gently tipped my face up. I focused, not allowing the crown in my mind to waver, adding decorative swirls and etchings into the metal. His lips brushed my forehead, and I was prepared, my crown holding strong as his lips fell on my cheek next, his lips soft but not lingering. I felt goosebumps erupt along my flesh and focused, holding my crown firmly in place, until he did not take advantage of my lips as I assumed he would. As any man in this situation would.
But I had forgotten Olan wasn’t a man, and with a startling, light kiss on my nose, my crown wavered as my eyelids opened in shock.
He just chuckled, enjoying the strange mix of confusion and disappointment as it flashed through my mind. Followed by instant embarrassment, which I could feel blazing across my face. “Oops,” I whispered, trying to solidify the crown before I gave more away.
“It will take time,min skat,but your first attemptwas impressive. I think the crown was an excellent choice, and the stones––”
“You can see it?” I asked, caught off guard. “I didn’t know it would be visible to other people!”
“Do not worry, I can see it because we are linked,” he said, raising the arm with his golden bracelet made of my hair and gold between us. “You will be able to block me out eventually, I promise. With practice, you may find you can also see mine.”
I closed my eyes again, focusing on Olan.
“Just follow the sound of my voice and picture me in your mind,” he said, his hands returning to my arms, stroking gently. I envisioned Olan. He looked different in my mind; he wasn’t solid but made of shadow, with two red flames where eyes would be.
“Yes, that is what my people look like where I am from, our world is without solid form as you know it.” He pulled me closer, and I took a step into his pleasant coolness. I looked in my mind’s eye above where his brow would be and saw a thin gold circlet wrapped around his forehead. It wasn’t ostentatious or littered with jewels, and yet it seemed to signify something hardier than the crown that I had constructed.
I stayed there, in this place in between, enjoying the cool of Olan’s arms and the feeling of contentment I felt there, until the smell of scalding soup interrupted my thoughts.
“Oh, hells bells,” I cursed, pulling away from the safety I felt and moving my soup to one of the unused burners.
He let me go, walking back to his seat on the other side of the counter.
I pulled my crown to the forefront of my mind, making sure it was in place before the feeling of loss, which made no sense to me in this context, could overpower the panic of burnt stew.
I quickly transferred the steaming liquid into one of my enchanted serving bowls, the enchantment designed to keepthe contents fresher longer, and scooped up a bit of the vegetable and meat blend, using a tasting spoon that was enchanted not to burn the taster’s tongue. I might not have been magical myself, but I happily used enchanted items throughout my home.
