Page 21 of Curses and Cornstalks
She looks so vulnerable and weak on her knees, a harsh juxtaposition to the way she carries herself. And I can't deny the flicker of desire that sparks through me seeing her like this. The way her perfect lips are slightly parted, the way her chest heaves with every breath.
She's perfect. Flawless.
If only I was still a man…
I shake my head and the nonsense from it. There's no point in entertaining thoughts like those. Not while I’m likethis. No one, especially a beautiful woman, could ever see me as anything other than a monster.
When she doesn't make an effort to move, I offer her my hand. For a moment, I think she might decline. Her eyes shift between my face and my glove-covered fingers like she’s still trying to decide if I’m still a threat.
I could be.
Now that I’m free from my restraints, I can do whatever I want. I could chase her, torture her, kill her.
But I won’t.
Cassie isn’t like the other villagers who come to make a spectacle of me, who try and fail to destroy me. She’s the only person to show me a glimmer of kindness in over one hundred years.
And I am a man of my word.
Finally, she reaches for me and allows me to haul her to her feet. She pauses mere inches away, her eyes locked with mine. I can still see the curiosity and fear reflected in them, and a twinge of guilt twists in my chest.
I’ve never cared what others thought of me. I reveled in the fear of the other townspeople who came to terrorize me.
But I don’t want Cassie to be afraid…
Not anymore.
“Thank you,” I say, not moving from the spot. I’m still getting used to supporting my own weight, my legs a little wobbly with the effort. Even in the dimming light, I can swear her cheeks flush pink.
“You’re welcome,” she breathes.
“A hundred years and you’re the first person to treat me with any kind of decency.” I’m still reeling with disbelief; after being tied to the post behind me for a century, I never thought I’d be able to move freely again. I owe her, possibly more than I’ve ever owed anyone in my long life. “I may never be able to repay you, but I will lead you out of the cornfield.”
“That's repayment enough.” Her features light up, her eyes glimmering despite the darkness threatening to swallow us. The sun will be completely set soon, and without any kind of torch or light source, it’ll make navigating a little more difficult.
For her, not me.
My soul is tethered to the field. I know exactly how many rows of corn and individual stalks there are, and I know the moment when someone steps foot inside. I might not have seen every inch of this cornfield with my own eyes, but I know it, instinctively, as well as I know myself.
“Come.” I jerk my head toward the edge of the clearing and step around her to lead the way. “It’ll be pitch black soon; it’s best if we get a move on.”
She follows without a word.
Foliage rustles beneath my boots with every step, and I fight the urge to look back over my shoulder at the red-haired woman on my heels. Her presence presses down on me like an invisible weight, but I do my best to ignore it.
She is nothing to me.
I am only returning a favor.
Just returning a favor?—
For several minutes we walk in silence.
“How does it feel?” Cassie’s voice drifts around me, and I'm unable to fight the compulsion any longer; I glance at her over my shoulder.
I take the opportunity to admire the curve of her jaw and the way her hair falls around her face. The freckles flecked across her skin, and the way her throat bobs with a swallow. The longer I look at her, the less I want to look away.
I clear my throat. “To leave that clearing behind?”
