Page 121 of All Your Bloody Lies

“Can I?” When he looks at me, I take a sip, “Maybe learning about you will help… loosen me up.” I give him a playful wink.

“Sure, anything you want. Tonight is your night.”

I can’t help but bite my lip and look down at my glass. This feels so strange, but I don’t hate it. “How old were you when you were turned?” Suppose that is an easy one to start off with.

“Thirty-two, freshly.”

“Unwilling, I take it by the way you reacted to my comment about your creator before.” I aimlessly grab something from the board in front of me, a cubed piece of cheese, and quickly plop it into my mouth.

“Correct. Like I said, I don’t hate immortality, and I’ve come to terms with what I am. How and why I’m here doesn’t matter.” He takes a sip of his wine, and I nod. “You said you were in the foster system, right?” Another nod confirms his question, and he continues, “Why?”

“The woman that birthed me, Tali, placed me into it when I was six. I’m not sure why, really. According to the court documents, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has anger issues, violent tendencies, so it was likely for my own good.” I can see him edging to make a joke, but he stifles it, which I’m thankful for. The last thing I need to be is compared to that woman. “She tried to kill me when I was fourteen. Because of that, she ended up in Eldritch and has been there since she was found guilty of attempted murder.”

“Shit.” He places his nearly empty glass onto the coffee table. “Why would she try to do that? Was she not aware of what you could be?”

I shrug my shoulders, “Because she’s crazy, but no, I showed no signs of being anything other than Mundane. My father was the Incubus, and she wasn’t even sure I was his. With him being ‘dead’ – as far as ‘dead’ could be, I couldn’t just go ask him.”

“Do you know what happened to him?”

“Tali said he angered the wrong people, and was sunk to the bottom of the sea to die for eternity.” His eyes widen, but I am indifferent. I didn’t know him at all, and could care less. “She said she tried to find him, but something tells me she didn’t look too hard.”

“I’m sorry.”

I grimace, “It is what it is.” I take a sip. “Let’s move to another topic.”

He nods, “Have you ever been to a movie theater?”

I nearly spit my wine out, “That was quick.” I wipe my thumb against my lip, letting out a soft laugh. He reaches across and brushes the back of his hand against my cheek, “Yes, of course I have.”

“To enjoy a movie, little demon, not to spy on or kill someone.”

“Oh,” I laugh sheepishly, “then no, no I haven’t.”

He lifts his knee and props his elbow onto it, leaning into his palm, “So shocking.” The sarcasm in his tone makes me roll my eyes, but when my gaze returns to him, he’s giving me a gentle smile.

I wonder if this is that fluttery feeling all girls rave about. The one that makes them swoon, because I feel lighter in these moments. As though nothing beyond the two of us, and the cat that is purring gently on the couch, exists.

Swallowing, I shift my gaze away, “Why do you have a tattoo of a scar over your eye?”

A soft hum comes from his lips, “I’ll be returning to the movie theater comment later.” He pauses, which prompts me to look back at him. “I got into a knife fight when I was a teen, and I missed the scar.”

“Did you win at least?” I ask.

“No, unfortunately, lost it and my sight in this eye.” He runs his hand down his right eye. “Obviously, when I became a Vampire, I regained my sight and the scar was gone. I got it as a reminder I lost more than just the fight… but also my little sister.” He shifts his left arm and taps on one of the skulls. “This is her.” Now that I look closer, I can see that it is smaller than the one that sits beside it. Before I can ask, he drags his finger to the other, “And this is the one for her killer.”

I pull my eyebrows together, “Why are they next to each other?”

He gives me a smile, “Because, it’s a reminder even after getting my revenge… she is still gone.”

My lips press together to try and stifle the tremble. I try to take a breath, but it gets stuck in my throat.

“Funny how coincidental my tattoos are to your life.”

I swallow, “Yeah…”

“Speaking of,” he tilts his head, “I lied to you.”

There is no doubt he can hear how rapid my heart is beating. “Oh? Another lie, huh?” I try to make my tone as playful as I can. The nerves running through me feel lethal.

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