Page 23 of Did It Have To Be Gnomes?!
Miles was an empath.
That was why he never wanted to be touched. It was why he always wore gloves. It was why he was always so careful with his emotions around everyone.
Why hadn’t I put that together sooner?
Empaths were rare, yes, but everyone knew they couldn’t be touched. Everyone knew to never touch their skin without permission. Everyone knew you could overwhelm them, especially if you touched them without warning.
And everyone knew they could reflect their own emotions back onto you.
Many people feared empaths for that reason.
Many people avoided them.
But I had a secret of my own, and I knew I could help.
After flicking three more of the pests off of him, I ripped my own gloves off and quickly cupped Miles's cheeks, whispering, “Shh. You’re okay. You’re okay, Miles. I’ve got you.”
The effect was immediate. The tension in his body released, and he sighed and sank into my hold, rubbing his cheek against my palm.
“I’ve got you.” When I saw a gnome getting ready to jump on his chest, I sent it a glare, kept one hand on Miles's cheek, and used the other to flick it away. I was done caring whether I hurt them because these little bastards were hurting Miles on purpose. They’d obviously figured out he was an empath and had attacked him.
How they knew what he was and why they’d attack him when he was the only one in this city trying to save faeries, I didn’t know. But we could figure that out later.
Right now, I needed to get Miles out of here, and I needed to get him some medication before his migraine got worse—I knew how bad an empath’s migraines could get after an episode like that.
So without thinking too hard about it, I dug into his pocket for the keys, then scooped Miles into my arms and stood. It wasn’t easy. He wasn’t a super small man, but thank fuck he wasn’t big either. He was a lot smaller than me weight-wise—he was thin but still had some sharp muscles—but it wasn’t exactly an easy feat to carry him down the stairs and all the way out to the truck.
But I did it anyway.
I set him in the passenger seat, and when I walked around to the driver’s seat, the butler was standing in the back doorway.
“Hey,” I called over to him. “Miles is injured, so I have to take him home. We got most of the back rooms done, but he’ll have to call the homeowner to figure out next steps.”
The butler gave a nod. “Alright. Take care.”
With a nod back, I hopped in, started the car, and drove around the giant mansion to the road. Miles was curled up in a ball, his head tucked in his arms on top of his knees. Even from here, I could see his trembling.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I whispered. “Do you have your migraine meds in the car?”
I could only assume he had some. Empaths were given migraine meds without question.
Miles gave a short nod that ended in a groan of pain, but he managed to nudge the glove compartment with his foot.
I pulled the truck over to the side of the road, parked it, and opened the glove compartment, searching for his medication. Luckily, it was easy to find. When I glanced around for a water bottle, I was relieved to see one in the cup holder. Miles had brought two with him, so hopefully this one was still full because I’d forgotten to grab ours from the house before we left. I wasn’t even sure which room I’d left mine in—a worry for later.
“Here.” I passed him the medication after I read the label and took one pill out.
He ripped a glove off and held out his hand without opening his eyes. His gloves were filthy, and there was no way he’d be able to put the tiny pill in his mouth with them on. He looked tense and scared, but I understood not to touch his skin, so I dropped the pill into his palm. He took the water bottle with his still-gloved hand, then swallowed the pill without opening his eyes before tucking himself back into a little ball.
I wasn’t sure what compelled me to do it, but I put my hand on the back of his neck, squeezing lightly. He tensed up, and I could tell he was about to yell at me, but then he slowly relaxed into my hold.
His confusion showed on his face when he glanced at me, but he tucked himself back in and didn’t move for a while, simply soaking up the peace I was bringing him.
I rubbed my thumb along his skin, letting him relax further. I wanted to get him home, but this would help him more than anything, and it’d give the meds a chance to work.
“How are you doing that?” His whispered voice was rough and raspy, sounding like he’d been screaming for a long time. It made me wince. How long had those gnomes been attacking him? When I didn’t respond, he said, “Winter?”
Well, it looked like it was a day for secrets, and Miles was about to find out my biggest one of all. I didn’t want to lie to him, and as soon as his migraine went away, he might be able to figure it out anyway. “I’m a null.”
