Page 16 of Whispers of the Dragon
Ryu smiled. “Magic.”
9
Who’s Kenji?
“Eira, you’re still sick. Get back in bed.”
She slumped down on the kitchen table in defeat. She was so tired but couldn’t stand her bed for another second. “Please, no.”
“Look at you; you look like crap.”
Gee, thanks.One thing about her grandmother … she was way too honest at times.
“You didn’t sleep at all, did you?” she continued.
“I—ahchoo—couldn’t after sleeping all day!” Eira snapped, a bit from irritableness, and the sneeze didn’t help. Truth was, she couldn’t after that last dream she had about the man with those blue-green eyes. He was different than the first man she had dreamed about. That one had, for some reason, reminded her of the devil, like he dripped pure evil out of every pore and was just a straight-up psychopath with a knife. But this new one … was different altogether. He lookedalmostperfectly normal, alluring even, and definitely too handsome for his own good. It was like you wouldn’t recognize he was crazy unless he had a reason to show you. Those were the truly scary ones, because you’d go out of your way to cross to the opposite side of the streetso you wouldn’t cross paths with the first one, but the one with the weird-colored eyes, you’d walk right past him and hope you caught his attention. That and the fact he beat a man in cold blood with a bat was what made him so dangerous.
It also felt as if she strangely knew him, or maybe he just reminded her of someone … She just didn’t know who or why she was having someone else’s dreams.
“Please don’t make me go back to that room. I just need …” Eira didn’t know what to say to get out of returning to her room, afraid that the next time she accidentally fell asleep, her dreams would be worse. “I need …”
“Some fresh air?” Ryu suggested, entering the room.
“Yes, some fresh air would be nice,” she agreed, grateful for the suggestion. And if she hadn’t been so grateful, she’d ask why the hell he was still here.
Grandmother shook her head, looking at the state of her, which made her only feel weirdly self-conscious in front of Ryu. “No, you need rest.”
Eira abruptly stood, ready to storm out.
“I think some fresh air might be what she needs. It’s sunny, and some vitamin D would do her some good. I can go with her and make sure she’s back soon.”
Grandmother thought about Ryu’s offer for a few moments. “Fine. You can walk to the market and get more root for your sleepy tea thatI willbe making for you as soon as you get back,” she scolded.
Already?Either Kenji really had been stingy this time, so she’d come back, or Grandmother had been putting it in her medicinal tea.
“Thanks, Grandma.” She picked up her tote off the counter, feeling better already to be released from the confines of the house.
She was almost out of the kitchen when her grandmother opened her too large mouth.
“And tell Kenji I said hello.”
It wasn’t necessarily what she’d said but how she’d said it. Her tone and smile felt awfully mischievous. There was something there that Ryu undoubtedly picked up on.
“Who’s Kenji?”
Ryu’s question appeared totally harmless as he led on to be cool, calm, and collected, but for some reason, she could feel the heat beginning to radiate underneath his skin. It was like a fire had suddenly been set ablaze in the room, and all Eira wanted to do was run from it.
“Oh, just a cart boy at the market who has a big fat crush on Eira,” Grandmother revealed with a wink at her granddaughter.
Ryu picked up an apple out of the wire basket that sat in the middle of the kitchen table and inspected it before shining a dirty spot out on his shirt. “Oh, really?”
“No, he does not!” Eira snapped back at her grandmother, feeling her cheeks get hot out of embarrassment, or the continued heat that radiated from Ryu’s direction.
“Hush.” Grandmother waved her off. “He does, too, and you know it.”
Okay, fine, she did know it, but for some reason, she didn’t want Ryu knowing it. She just wanted the fire that was rising inside of him to be smothered.
This time, her voice was a bit smaller as she helplessly lied, “Does not.”
