Page 10 of Twi-Flight
“Fine,” I mutter around the digit I slipped into my mouth to numb the pain.
“Let me see it, Mina.” He tugs gingerly at my wrist, urging me to show him.
“I’ll be okay.” I insist but the dark eyes glittering under his cape are locked on me. It feels like I have no choice but to show him. I hold out my hand and he turns it tenderly, so he can look at the injury.
“Not too bad.” His voice is a calming tone. “We’ll have you fixed up in no time.”
“Rosalie left antibiotic cream and a bandaid earlier.” I chuckle. “Now I know why.”
Eggward pulls a first aid kit from under the desk and sets to work. Retrieving tweezers to pull the splinter free of my skin, I watch as a bead of bright red grows on my finger. I flinch, worried Eggward’s blood lust, or whatever it is vampires experience might overtake him. How tempted will he be to hurt me—can he handle smelling, or even seeing my blood?
“You should be more careful.” He says easily, while his warm fingers wrap the bandage around my thumb. My heart thuds loudly in my chest.
“Why bother when I’ve got you?” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear with my free hand. Should I be offended that he hasn’t tried to attack me? That my blood isn’t driving him mad?
I know it’s trouble, being into my boss like this, but the way that he holds my hand, takes care of me, encourages me, praises me, trusts me—I know that my feelings are at least partially reciprocated.
“I can’t afford a worker’s comp claim.” The smile on his face might not be visible, but the light teasing tone in his voice is unmistakable. His hand lingers on mine, even once the bandage is secured. “Better?”
“Much.” I tilt my head to the side so my neck is exposed and lean forward a little. “Thank you, Eggward.”
He doesn’t move away and I decide to take my chance.
“Do you ever leave the chicken sanctuary?”
His head jerks back a little at the question. “Of course I do.”
“I rarely see you around.”
He gives a half-hearted shrug and finally releases my hand.
“I only wanted to say,” I add quickly. “My roommate, Lucy, and I are going to see a concert later tonight. The free one, in the park. It’s the Los Cupacabros.”
He turns away from me and takes a moment, I’m certain that he’s going to say no before I’ve even properly asked.
“Are they any good?” He finally breaks the silence.
“They are a local band for a reason.” I offer him a small smile. “But the crowd is always fun. It’s nice to be with people. Maybe you’ll be around?”
His foot scratches idly at the ground and we are both distracted by a ruckus amongst the chickens. “I’d better go check on that.” He says before he heads back outside to his work.
Chapter Four
“Oh my god, he’s here. Look!” I whisper to Lucy. It’s just starting to get dark. Of course Eggward appears now.
“Do I even need to ask who?” She begins to turn around.
“Don’t actually look!” I exclaim as quietly as possible.
“You know, when you yell ‘look’ that your companion’s first inclination is going to be to turn and look,” Lucy responds dryly.
“Okay, fine, look, but…be less obvious about it!” I point my body completely forward toward the stage, but I keep my eyes to the side, trained on Lucy. She casually adjusts the thick sun blocking parasol she insisted on bringing, using this movement as an excuse to crane her neck toward the back of the crowd.
The summer is great in Ghostlight Falls, the community is small, weird, and close knit. There’re plenty of public events like this summer music concert. Los Chupacabros, a local rock band, are on the stage this afternoon. The slightly disharmonic beat of their local hit ‘Troll in the Hole’ wafting through the crowd.
I pretend I’m not thinking about him, keeping my eyes trained on the stage. But the heaviness of his gaze hangs on my shoulders, I can picture his silhouette brooding behind us. Leaning, all casual and sexy, against a tree. Tall, dark, andlooming right behind us. The night is just beginning to settle, the ground cooling under us, but the heat of his attention is practically burning a hole in the back of my head.
“No one’s not there.” Lucy says.
