Page 3 of Crossing Between
I froze at the deep voice and looked up. And up. A handsome oni stood before me.
“Miss?” The tone was gruff but still filled with concern. “Did you hit your head?” A large hand with sharp claws appeared in front of my face.
“Uh. Y...yeah. I mean, I’m okay.” I placed my hand in his and gave a soft yelp when I was pulled up like I weighed nothing. “Thank you. I’m a klutz.” Swallowing, I touched my nose, feeling the blood still falling, and winced. That’s when I remembered my paperwork and started scrambling to pick up the loose pages before the wind could come to blow them away. “Shit!”
The oni crouched next to me, grabbed up the half of the papers I hadn’t managed to get to and handed them to me silently. I could feel myself blushing as I met his gaze.
It was silly. I was still bleeding, probably looking a mess, and I had just realized the heel of my shoe had broken, but it felt like time stood still for several seconds as I finally got a good look at the man who’d stopped to help me.
He was tall, even in his humanoid form I had to look up at him. His skin was a deep maroon that seemed to absorb the sunlight around him. His hair was short, clipped close to his head and a startling white. He had sharp black horns that curved slightly backward. Yet it was his almond-shaped eyes that caused me to suck in a breath. They were the color of a clear blue sky in the middle of the day. I had an idea that if I stared into them long enough I would fly.
“Miss?” His lips curved into a smile, flashing a hint of fang. “You okay there?”
That brought me back to the present and out of the daze. My shoulders jerked as I looked at the papers in my arms before shoving them into my book bag. “Yep! I’m good. Thanks for your help again!”
“Yo! Kenji, the captain is waiting for us. Why are you just standing around?” Another male voice practically yelled from behind the oni, making him turn slightly to address who had spoken to him.
“Haruto, do you have to be so loud?”
Haruto, the one who had appeared, flapped large beautiful blue onyx wings on his back. He was a head shorter than the oni, who had to be Kenji. Another yokai, which surprised me. Most yokai stayed in Japan, but some traveled if they were powerful enough.
I couldn’t help but stare at Haruto’s wings. They reflected the sunlight, the feathers ruffling slightly against the wind that blew gently around us. His wings were the same color as his long hair that was up in a high ponytail.
“I’m just normal. You’re the one who thinks I’m loud.” He tossed his hair over his shoulder before he glanced at me. “Oh? Did you make a friend? She’s bleeding, please tell me you didn’t hit a civilian!” His wings snapped out in agitation as he stepped around the oni and gripped my chin in his hand, turning my face up as he looked down in concern. “That’s going to cause some bruising. We should take her to see Elias, he should still be at the clinic.” He still had my chin in his hand and some blood started to drip onto his hand, but he didn’t seem to care. His warm chestnut eyes ran over my face with a calculated look.
“I didn’t hit her, you idiot.” The oni stepped up beside his friend as he shook his head at him. “She fell and I was helping her up. What do you think of me- saying that I’d hit a female, not to mention a human at that?” He pulled Haruto back, looking at me apologetically. “Please excuse him. He doesn’t usually think before he acts.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine.” I glanced down the street when the bus I was due to take home came into view. “Oh shit! I’ve got to go. Thank you for your help again.” For the second time that day, I was running. I barely managed to get on the bus before the driver pulled away from the curb.
Chapter 2: Zoey
The ride took about forty-five minutes to get to the stop near my home, in the part of town everyone called "bad town," since it was one of the older, poorer areas of the city. It was run down, and the rumors made it seem like a dangerous place to be. The only problems I ever had were from human thugs, though. Otherwise, people were pretty friendly.
This was where most people lived when they couldn’t afford much. Ryan and I lived in a small triplex where our landlord, Ruth, occupied the middle apartment. She was an elderly woman who relied on our rent. She was a sweetheart, and I often made dinner for her a few nights a week — not just for her, but for myself too. I enjoyed her company. Most of the time, I would eat alone because my brother was out causing trouble or gambling somewhere.
Ruth sat outside on a small chair she kept on her front steps, a pipe in one hand and a can of cheap beer in the other. She might have looked old and frail, but her mind was still sharp as a tack. Her hair was shaved close to her head, and she wore bright, neon, mismatched clothes just to mess with people. I loved it.
“Zoey, my dear, what happened to you?" She leaned forward as soon as she noticed me walking up the sidewalk, setting her beer down before struggling to her feet.
I quickly climbed the steps to stop her from having to wobble down them. “I just had an unfortunate meeting with the concrete on my way out of the interview. I’m okay, though. It looks worse than it is.” At least I hoped so. My face throbbed, and my nose felt like someone had shoved a sharp poker up it and tried to scramble my brains, but I kept a smile on my face. No use worrying the old woman when she couldn’t do anything to help. I had a first aid kit in my bedroom anyway. “I got the job!”
Ruth threw her hands in the air, her pipe flying somewhere down the street in celebration. I’d grab it for her later. Ruth was like the eccentric grandmother I had always wanted.
“That’s wonderful news, girly!” She pulled me into a hug, then grimaced faintly as she pulled away. “Why don’t we have a celebratory drink tomorrow? Tonight, you need to take care of yourself. Don’t worry about dealing with Ryan — he headed out about thirty minutes ago with those ruffians he calls friends. We both know he won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.” She huffed. “Do you need anything?”
“Nah. I’m just going to clean myself up and have a glass of wine. Did you eat today?” I gave her a level stare. Ruth was known to lie if she thought she was being a burden.
She let out a husky laugh, coughing at the very end before taking a long draw from her beer. “I did, don’t you worry your pretty head about it. Now go on and take care of that blood.” She settled back into her chair. “It’s a beautiful evening. I’m going to enjoy the rest of my beer before heading inside to watch my nightly shows. Now, shoo.”
Just like that, I was dismissed. Shaking my head in amusement, I went back down the steps to my side of the house. It was an old townhouse, the faded light green paint chipped and dying vines climbing the sides, but it was home.
Inside, it was only slightly warmer since none of the windows had been open. That was the first thing I fixed, dropping my bag on the coffee table and working to wrestle the stubborn living room window open. It took a few grunts and one wince, but fresh air finally flowed through the room. The AC hadn't worked in two years — neither Ruth nor I could afford to fix it.
I kicked off my broken heels and pulled on my well-worn slippers. I set the sad shoes on the table near the door — I'd try to fix them after my first paycheck. Who knew when I’d need work heels again?
I was about to collapse onto the beat-up old couch when the throbbing in my nose reminded me that I needed to clean up first. How could I have forgotten the fall? I was more tired than I realized. It had been a long, eventful day.
The fourth stair made its usual squeaky protest as I headed upstairs. The bathroom light had been left on — thanks, Ryan. Sighing, I stripped off my clothes and assessed the damage in the mirror.
