Page 17 of To Kill a Vampire
The stillness of my heart becomes so loud in my ears that it’s all I can hear even as he walks away. I exhale the breath I was clinging to, and my hands begin to shake until I wrap them around myself, hugging myself. I stand like that, alone in the dark, for so long I begin to think I might never move again.
The door creaks, scraping against the floor as it’s pushed aside, shaking me from my solitary thoughts. I blink a few times, realizing how wet my cheeks feel against my lashes before Asher’s striking features clear through the shadows around me. The sunlight filters down from the deck up above, dancing through the darkness, daring me to cross the room and touch it.
My fingers dig into my arms as I hold myself even tighter, my breath catching once again. Sharp teeth cut into my lip as I bite back all the things I threaten to say to him to get him to leave.
With heavy and cautious steps he comes to me. His strong arms wrap around me, enveloping me in his warmth.
I tilt my head into his chest, refusing to take the comforting breath I need, choosing the safety of his presence over the air my lungs crave. His hands drift up and down my spine, calming me the longer he holds me.
I should tell him to leave before I hurt him. Selfishly, I curl into him a little closer. My arms stiffly untangle from myself as I run my fingers down his solid chest, my nails biting into his hips as I pull his hard body against mine. My eyes drift close as I settle in against him.
Just like I used to.
“You should go,” I finally say in a clipped and defeated voice.
One reluctant second passes before he nods, his palm smoothing down my messy hair before pressing a soft kiss against my temple.
And then I’m alone again.
Nine
Jealous
Asher
The moment we reach the safe, rocky shore of our homeland, Fallon settles back into her basic routine of ignoring me once again. This time it isn’t just me. She’s ignoring everyone now. I haven’t seen her in two days.
Which brings me to my dangerously stupid hike through the Wanderer’s forest at two in the morning. Anything could be out here, especially after our less than friendly meeting in the Capitol recently. Fallon could be out here.
A growl scratches through the quiet air, and I’m unsheathing the sword before the source even comes into view.
In an instant Kaino pulls away from Shane, the two of them breathing hard as they look at me with the Crimson Sword pulsing red, a beacon signaling my presence. Their hair is disheveled, and a thin claw mark adorns the commander’s shoulder.
Awkwardness hangs in the air so thickly it even clings to the leaves around us. Kaino pushes his hair back, clearing his throat as we all wait for someone to say something. My breath begins to build in my chest.
I should probably… leave.
“Fallon’s staying with the witch near the Emerald Ocean,” Kaino finally tells me.
I lower the sword, nearly letting it thump to the ground as I nod.
“Sorry,” I tell them, my eyes travelling the darkness to avoid their hooded glares. “Thanks,” I add before turning stiffly away, concluding the most uncomfortable moment of my life.
* * *
Her lips part as soon as her big eyes settle on me in the doorway of the Infinity witch’s home. A bright orange robe is tied loosely at her waist, something the witch must have loaned her. The only thing that crosses my mind is how good the color looks against her warm complexion.
Her mouth is still slightly open. It’s as if she has too many thoughts she wants to say, but none of them are enough.
“What are you doing here, Asher?”
Apparently one of them is enough.
“I –” Just like her, I have too many mixed emotions running through me. I want to say whatever will make her look at me like she used to. I want to say whatever will make her come with me to find Atticus. I want to say whatever she wants to hear.
Instead I tell her the truth. “I miss you.”
Swiftly her arms cling around herself, wrapping the robe closer to her curves, keeping her body safely away from me. She doesn’t say anything, her eyes grazing the old wooden floor beneath her bare feet.
