Page 14 of Little Wing
His eyes were dark; what light he had was extinguished when I awoke from my first slumber. Since then, he was the only one allowed to leave the barn where he kept me hidden. He’d bring back animals or flasks, or bowls of warm blood that I once gagged at the sight of. Now all I wanted was to bathe in it and let it cover every part of me, as if it would ease the ache for the life I had lost. But the makeup? Why?
“If you are going to go out, which I know you do,” he quickly said, shooting me a scathing look, “you cannot and will not go out looking like this. Youwould not last a day before they drag you by the hair and throw you onto a pyre.”
The image of our bodies burning was the threat he spoke of repeatedly. And yes, I did go out, but it was to enjoy the sunset and to watch the stars light up the sky, because now daylight was to live in our memories. But I never came across another person. I was always safe.
“Wear it or I will make sure you do not leave here without me,” he hissed.
The venom in his words demanded I nod my head and do as I was told. Though we were once born minutes apart, I felt the change distort our once sacred connection. It seemed this new life took much more from us than it gave.
I blotted a small sponge from my compact case along my cheek, examining the wear from my shift at the store. Ever since the midnight release a few weeks ago, the number of regular patrons gradually increased. Reina loved seeing new people come in and appreciate all the other books we had in stock, not just the popular romantic fantasies. The extra traffic was worth it to see my best friend smile.
Once I finished adjusting my makeup in the bathroom, I gathered my things and walked back out where Reina was already setting out new bookmarks on the display beside the checkout counter. Since she was going to be closing the store with Heather, I figured that I’d make the most of a free evening and go see Kait for a drink or two. Before I could be free, Reina looked up from the display and curled her finger towards me—a summoning.
“Anything else I can help with before I go?” I asked, clutching my bag close against my chest.
“I forgot to ask you today,” Reina began, smiling sweetly. “Did you finally put that poor hunky vampire out of his misery and rock his world?”
I was happy that I wasn’t drinking anything in that moment, because there was no doubt that I would have spat all over her. Talk about a bloody scene.
But of course, how could I forget? The hunky vampire, Silas, who showed up at the bookstore day after day, and then did the same at the bar. He wasn’t disrupting us, but I couldn’t shake the way I felt when I could feel his eyes on me.
“What are you talking about?” I replied, not wanting to bring more attention to how uneasy he made me feel. It wasn’t fear that kept me on my toes, but the thrill that came with anticipating the next time I’d see him out of the corner of my eye. I had no reason to feel this way and I hoped that Reina couldn’t see through me.
“You know, the guy with the curly hair and the come-hither eyes. Silas?”
“Oh! Him.” I shrugged. “I thought that he maybe got your number or found you on one of those apps.”
Reina pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose as she reached to drag me back to the concrete pillar. It was an intentional move, bringing us back to where we first saw Silas that night. She made a motion to the pillar then glared at me. “You sweet, but silly woman, did you not notice how he was practically undressing you with his eyes?”
What I could see was the way he was trying to invade my mind, but that certainly wasn’t what Reina meant. I never denied him being handsome. Frankly, I did toss a few images of him into my mentaleye candy bank, but… no. What Reina was talking about was out of the question. Silas was a vampire, and I made the decision to distance myself from others like me. All it would take was one quick scent and he would find a trail back to Luca, and that was a mess I didn’t want in Fairhaven.
“Listen, Reina—”
“Lo, I like vamps. I think their dick game is hella strong, but I know when someone isn’t looking to snack on my cookie, okay? That delicious man was all about you. Maybe it was that sexy librarian look you always seem to have going on. Kinda matches that sexy professor vibe he has.”
“You mean my work clothes? That I wear slight variations of?” I scoffed. “Come on, Reina.”
She could have gone on about how many orgasms she'd had with vampires versus humans, but before things could get even more “not safe for work”, I gave her a quick wave and walked out of the store, promising to text her later that night.
If anyone was going to be satisfied at the hands of a vampire, it would sooner be her than me. I might have been like Silas in nature, but that effortlessness that he carried in his presence; I didn’t even have a fraction of it.
By the time I got to The Royal Nomad, the place was more packed than usual. The crowd was mainly human, which made my throat itch at the intense fragrance of human blood. The music playing helped keep my senses distracted long enough to make it to the bar where Kait’s warm smile greeted me.
“Hey, you—long day?” she asked, setting out a napkin in front of me before she placed a glass full of the crimson liquid. Apparently, I didn’t even need to say a word for her to see how badly I needed adrink. I quickly slipped her my credit card and wrapped a hand around the chilled glass.
“Reina was just saying some ridiculous things involving vampires and orgasms, so I needed to change the scene for a bit.”
“Ah, yes,” Kait chuckled, wiping down the bar top with a rag. “Our dear friend whose love life could be either a teenager’s wet dream or a cautionary tale.”
I tipped the glass into my mouth and sighed happily at the taste of synthetic blood on my tongue. “She is a wild one, but she’s stuck with us. At least she’s someone you can count on for wishing you many good orgasms. I dare say that’s an admirable quality in a person, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Now if only her words promised said orgasms, then I’d think she was a witch.”
“Are witches real?” I asked, leaning forward.
“Honey, vampires are real, aren’t they?” she winked.
“True.” I lifted my glass in cheers before spinning around in my seat to get a better look at the stage. I completely forgot—it was open-mic night. Now I was certain I would be in for a treat, listening to performers of all levels of talent. Before I could bring my focus completely to the musician plucking his guitar strings, I allowed my gaze to wander. As if bewitched, my gaze settled on a pair of eyes staring directly at me.
