Page 26 of A Touch Of Death

"Yeah, that counts," Spencer answers, writing it down on the paper. "Zayn plays, too. Or he used to. It's been a while since he sat at a piano."

I smile slightly at the revelation, finding myself enjoying learning things about these men. The more I learn, the more comfortable I get around them. Though, I don't seem to be having much trouble being comfortable around them as it is.

"Next, what's your favourite colour or colours?" Nix asks.

"White and grey." Spencer looks up from his pad questioningly, and Nix tilts his head with a bemused smile. "What? They're pretty together. I like the contrast."

Spencer nods, but Nix snorts. "I would have pegged you more for a purple girl. Or pink."

I must pull some sort of face to showcase my distaste because Nix outright laughs while Spencer shakes his head with a grin and looks down at his paper.

"Alright then. Not a pink or purple girl. Someone should probably tell Zayn because he filled the bathroom with a bunch of bright pink shit." Nix grimaces. The idea that Zayn went to the trouble of getting me girly stuff for the bathroom has my heart warming, but the thought of him piling anything pink he finds into a basket has me laughing.

"I like yellow, so that would come a close second to white and grey," I tell them with a shrug.

Spencer looks up again, and says, "That's my favourite colour."

I smile. The colour of his aura is gold with small specks of yellow, so that doesn't surprise me. It's still nice to learn though.

"Mine are blue and green since we're all sharing," Nix announces. When my gaze moves to him, he's already staring at me with a crooked grin. Blue and green. Uh-huh. I roll myblue and greeneyes, and his grin only grows.

Focusing back on Spencer, I watch as he draws an outline of a room on the paper, adding things in certain places. "Need anything else from me?"

"I think that's about all I need. It'll take a couple of hours for me to construct the room. After that, I'll fill it with the necessities," Spencer answers, leaning away from the island counter. "After that, we'll take you somewhere to pick out furniture and bedding and whatever else you need or want to make the room yours."

My heart warms again, while my chest constricts. How did I find myself saved by these guys? They're too good to be true. I haven't been shown this level of kindness by anyone before, only my father and sister before our imprisonment. It's as overwhelming as it is appreciated.

I give him a nod, worried that if I open my mouth to speak, I'll once again find myself crying. I've done enough of that lately. I'm beyond done with tears, so I give Spencer a smile instead and hope that's enough to convey my gratitude.

He gathers the sketchpad from the counter and turns to leave. "Alright, I'm going to get this done. Be back in a little while."

He leaves, walking down the hallway to his room and disappearing inside. Once he's out of sight, I turn to Nix. "So... what now?"

He shrugs. "We wait. It'll take him some time to finish the room. He hasn't used a lot of power in a while, so it'll be a stop and start process. Want to take a walk with me to waste some time?"

I frown briefly at the comment about Spencer not using much of his power. Why wouldn't he use much of it? I'd have thought a mage would use his power regularly. I mean, I think I would if it made life easier.

Nix snaps me out of my internal musings. "Novia? Want to take a walk?"

The idea of being outside sets my teeth on edge. The feeling of nails scraping across a chalkboard is the same feeling I have about leaving the safety of the walls that surround me. I've always been an outside girl.Always. But Davis and quite possibly other guards are on the outside now. What if they're still searching for me? What if they find me? I resent that I fear for my life, confining myself indoors in case I'm found and dragged back to that place, but I'd rather stay safe than be captured again.

Nix must see the panic on my face. He steps closer and rests his hands on my shoulders. "I'll keep you safe, I promise. No one will get close enough to touch you, okay?"

I can sense the honesty in his words. It's enough to calm me down some, and I slowly nod my head. "Okay, sure. Let's go for a walk. Let me just get dressed."

"Sure. Your stuff is still in Zayn's room, so you can change in there." Nix squeezes my shoulders once more before giving me a smile and heads to the living room.

Just as I turn and walk towards Zayn's room, I hear Nix ask, "What the fuck is your defect today? You didn't even acknowledge her."

I walk away before I hear a response, deciding I don't want to be privy to whatever conversation they're having. Nix has a point, though. I feel thoroughly ignored by the incubus. Not even a morning greeting or just a look of acknowledgement. Did I do something to upset him?

Shaking my head, I close the door to Zayn's room, seeking out my new clothes. I find them all folded in stacks on the desk and chair, so I pull out a loose-fitted white shirt, a pair of jean shorts, and a red pair of chucks. I find the paper bag that holds underwear and yank out a matching bra and panties. I drop everything to the bed and change out of Ezra's clothes.

Just as I'm tying the laces to my chucks, the door opens, and Zayn walks in carrying a stack of books. "Hey. How did your research go?"

"It was somewhat informative. I didn't find much of what I was looking for, but I have enough to carry on researching at home instead. Are you going somewhere?" he asks instead of seeking answers from my head. I want to ask him about his research, but he changes the topic of conversation too quickly for me to ask. "Nix mentioned taking a walk. Are you joining him?"

"Yeah. We're waiting while Spencer constructs my room, so Nix suggested a walk. Want to come with us?" I ask, finishing up lacing my shoe. I stand from the bed and make my way over to the small tower of snapbacks Spencer bought me, and pick a red one to match my chucks. I slide it onto my head, leaving my hair loose, and turn to Zayn who watches me intently.

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