Page 17 of Bound By Destiny

“To the grocery store.”

Despite my surprise, I take a turn towards the nearest supermarket. “I still have plenty of food at home, even if I did have to get rid of the eggs.”

Dane’s eyeroll doesn’t escape my notice. “You’re a young phoenix–”

“Hey, I’m thirty-three years old,” I huff, straightening my shoulders indignantly.

“Which is painfully late to shift,” Dane retorts without missing a beat. “I was nineteen when I became a phoenix, and that was already a stretch. Your transformation is nothing short of an aberration.”

My fingers drum across the steering wheel, more nettled than I care to admit. “What’s your point, aside from making me feel like an old maid?”

His gaze meets mine, and I’m taken aback by the desperation lurking in there.

“You know I think you’re gorgeous,” he says in that soft voice, the kind he spoke with that magical, disastrous afternoon. “I wish you weren’t half as pretty, though I’d probably still not be able to look away.”

My jaw drops as my pulse picks up. Again the dark, wistful look…

“Careful!”

Dane’s hands shoot to the steering wheel before we drive straight into a lampost.All because those eyes of his make my mind go blank, I realize with worry.For someone who never ran over even as much as a squirrel, this is pretty bad.

I gawk in horror at the metal pole that nearly cost me my life… only to realize things aren’t so simple anymore.

“Well at least we wouldn’t have died,” I point out in a small voice, still struggling to breathe at a normal pace.

“It doesn’t mean you can’t feel pain,” Dane growls. “This is exactly what today’s lesson is about!” He adds, punctuating his words with a tap to the dashboard that makes me jump. A honking car drives by, and Dane points to it. “Do you think you can just regenerate in front of a bunch of mortals? So typical of a young phoenix!”

I drop my head on the wheel, fully aware I deserve his lecture even if it doesn’t make it any less annoying.

“So what am I supposed to do? Choose the place where I run into a fatal disaster?”

Dane’s brows furrow into a scowl. “In this case I think we can both agree it was just a matter of paying attention,” he scoffs. “But even if accidents happen, there are a few precautions you need to learn to avoid getting exposed in public.” Jerking his head towards the supermarket ahead, he adds. “And that’s where we’re going to practice.”

Still shaken, I back out and drive more cautiously than ever towards the store. It feels good to suck in some fresh air when we finally exit the car.

“Are you okay?”

Dane’s hand approaches but he stops mid-air. With a nod, I go and fetch a shopping cart.

“Follow my lead,” he instructs as we walk through the automatic doors side by side.

We’ve barely made it through the entrance when a vendor blocks our way forward.

“You look like a strapping young man who needs a healthy dose of meat,” the salesperson says. “With this coupon, you can get two lamb chops for the price of one!”

“What a great deal,” Dane says in an oddly artificial voice while making a great show of lifting his hands to avoid touching the flyer. He gives me a pointed look, but I only shrug, no less confused than the vendor.

“Always avoid paper near mortals,” he mumbles into my ear. “It doesn’t take much to get a paper cut, and then you’ll flame up in front of their very eyes.”

I nod but Dane continues to peer at me expectantly, while the vendor still stands stiffly between us.

“Hey!” someone calls from somewhere behind us as we clog the entrance. “Are you two going to move on?”

“Okay,” I murmur to Dane, “but shouldn’t we be inconspicuous about it?”

“Of course,” he whispers solemnly. “Peculiar behavior is a dead giveaway for any kind of supernatural being. That’s why I complimented him on the deal.”

“So, are you two going to take the coupon, or…?”

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