Page 30 of Wicked Ties
She screamed and I shoved her to the ground slamming her face onto the cobblestones. The smell of blood filled the air. We were out in the open and I couldn’t have that. I grabbed her and dragged her into the nearest ally. The food was mine, and she needed to give it up. There was nothing else. Only the instinct to eat and move. It was cold, distant, and unfeeling.
She pulled free and I hissed. She swung the bag of food and it connected with my shoulder. The sound of shattering glass filled the air and the bagful of contents exploded wide open, littering the area with food and glass. I fell to the ground, but it was all ruined. Anger exploded inside me, and I lunged out with my fist, connecting with her chest. She flew across the alley and into a wall. Her arm went through a window and more blood spilled from her. Just as I was about to finish her off, a low rumbling growl came from just beside her.
My head snapped up and my heart stopped . . . a lion.
I woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. Sweat covered my body and matted my hair. One of Maze’s loose-fitting T-shirts was soaked and clinging to my body. I kicked the blankets off and fell back onto the pillow, sucking in deep breaths. I pressed my hand to my forehead and waited for the hammering in my chest to stop.
What the hell was that? A dream? A memory? Did I really hurt that girl?
“Bad dreams?” Maze’s deep rumbling voice broke the silence of the room.
I peeked over at him in his own bed. He lay there with the sheet barely draped over his bare torso, covering only his hips. He turned to the side and propped himself up on his elbow. Strands of his dark hair fell over the side of his face and eye. His dorm room was quiet and dark with only the hint of light peeking through the shadows. Outside, the hustle and bustle of students filled my ears. But here, in this very small room, it was just the two of us and I couldn’t hide a thing from him.
“Yeah.” I pressed my hand to my forehead. “Real bad.”
“Wanna tell me about it?” It was a simple question, but what would he think if I told him I thought I hurt an innocent person?
“I . . . um . . . I dreamt I hurt someone.” I glanced up at him, his face remained smooth and impassive. “An innocent person walking down the street.”
“Was it a dream or a memory?” He sat up a little more and the sheets fell away from his flat stomach and pooled in his lap. I’d never seen Maze this . . . exposed before. But the sight wasn’t unpleasant. The old Tilly might’ve even found joy in this.
“I think a memory. I think I hurt someone over a bag of food.”
Odin yawned and stretched at the foot of Maze’s bed. “Who hasn’t?”
“Shut up.” He nudged Odin off his bed, then turned to look at me. “Did you hurt them, or kill them?”
I flinched from the thought of her cracking her head against the brick wall and slumping down to the ground in a ball. “I honestly don’t know.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Let’s focus on getting your spirit back and then we’ll find out what demon-you did, all right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, all right.”
Part of me didn’t want to know if I killed her, but the other part of me had to know. What if she had family, friends, or even pets? I kicked my legs out from under the blankets and headed over to our shared dresser. Maze lay back on the bed and put his arm behind his head, watching me. I didn’t have an inherent shyness around him. I didn’t care that my legs were bare, or that he’d see my underwear. When I opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of pants, I glanced at him over my shoulder, and he was already looking up at the ceiling. He always did that, gave me space, even if I didn’t ask for it.
I slid my legs into a pair of black jeans, then pulled a bralette and one of his black T-shirts over my head. I tucked the long hem into my jeans, then shoved my feet into the combat boots that I didn’t lace up.
“I’m good.”
“You’re leaving.” He turned to face me once more.
I nodded while I shoved my arms into his trench coat and rolled the sleeves up, so it fit me. The bottom of it dragged on the ground around me like I wore some kind of cape or something. “I need to see Astrid.”
His lip twitched like he fought a smile. “Good.”
“Are you coming?” I didn’t realize how I’d gotten used to having him with me all the time, but here I was anticipating him being with me, wanting him with me.
“I’ll catch up.” He ran his hands through his hair tugging at the strands. “Promise.”
I gave him one nod then headed out the door. I stood in the middle of the hall for a moment, stuck there, feeling like I was missing or forgetting something. I glanced back at the door. Was it Maze? I shook my head and began walking down the hall. Students jumped out of my way and pressed themselves up against the wall. After what I dreamt about last night I could understand why.
Just as I thought they couldn’t get any farther away from me, they began to part in the opposite direction coming toward me. Then when the last few kids cleared away, Ophelia stood before me. She had a cherry-red lollipop pressed to her lips and was wearing her black dress with that white collar. Complete with black tights, black shoes and weapons strapped to her legs, arms, and across her back.
“Tilly. How are we, my demon friend?” She sucked on the lollipop.
“Looking for Astrid.” I gave a side eye to the students watching us like we were some kind of show.
Ophelia turned and hissed at them. They collided into each other and began to run in all the directions leading away from us. She waved them away. “Don’t pay attention to them.”
