Page 14 of My Dark Obsession
I was so hungry.
“When did ye’ last eat Wee one?” There it was again, that tick tick at his jaw line.
I shrugged and slowly sipped more, trying hard not to create loud obnoxious slurping noises. I’d seen someone dip a crispy, perfectly grilled cheese into this type of soup before. The twins and I had had our faces smushed up against the glass of the diner, mouths watering at the sight. I promised them we would try it one day.
Before I knew it my bowl was empty, and my stomach was now so full it could have popped. Looking out the window I couldn’t see much. The dark night was clouded and not one streetlight was in sight. The bright cherry of a cigarette glowed as it was lifted to the invisible owner’s mouth.
“Where ye’re from, ye’ didn’t get a chance to eat much?” The giant—Rí-I should start calling him Rí-said.
I nodded, “Not really; what little food we got I gave to them. I have to get back.”
“Ye’ will.” He growled, “I’ll make sure of it.”
***
I had never been so clean, the term ‘squeaky clean’ was an actual thing. Who would have thought? Rí’s shower was amazing. The hot water never ran out and the shampoo smelled of him, like warm freshly baked cake.
I used half a bottle.
Rolling up the work out shorts he had given me; I tied the waistband with a hair tie I found in one of his bathroom drawers. Before I had swiped it, I had stared at it with gritted teeth at the thought of another female being around all of his things, being around him.
Mentally slapping myself for being stupid, I finished tying the shorts and ran my hands through my freshly washed hair. The long silken strands slid along my back and ended at the curve of my butt. I couldn’t even remember it looking this nice before. I had taken the kitchen scissors to it when it had gotten too knotty and tangled but it had always grown back unusually fast.
I wiped the steam from the mirror then yelled, “the fuck?”
Because why the hell were my eyes purple? Leaning in to get a closer look, I could clearly see the brown receding.
How many more surprises could I mentally take before I snapped? What would snapping entail? Would I actually give in and act upon my fantasies? Would that be such a bad thing?
I held my breath as I rose to my tip toes, turned around and twisted to see my lower back.
There it was, that godforsaken mark he kept rambling about, the very thing that had been causing the insistent itching all night long. Four rope-like shapes twisted and wound around each other before linking at the top where a purple swirling link joined them all together. Each rope glided along my skin, searching for something. One rope contained a red glow, standing out against the others. Rí’s mark. I didn’t know how I knew that I just…knew.
Fuck.
The black mist floated in the corner of my eye, taunting me and the mark as if this was some kind of joke.
Adjusting the too big shorts, I looked at my pale bare legs and sighed, Circle Mates, new worlds, magic and the assumption that I wasn’t human. Great.
I rushed to the living area to question the giant about my eyes but I saw Rí sat patiently waiting. I should have felt bad that he slept there the entire night giving me his huge cloud bed. But I didn’t. The bed was amazing. Not that I slept, because thoughts of Elfyn and Elyas swam through my noisy head constantly.
My stomach gave its usual cold churn. Too many hours had passed without them.
“Mo Chridhe..” Rí looked in awe. He ran his gaze across my face before sliding it down my body, creating a heat withing my core that almost chased away the cold churning. Almost.
“What is Mo Chridhe?” I tried to pronounce it with the roll in the ‘r’ as he did, but I knew I butchered it. It hadn’t been the first time he called me it. I then remembered why I left the bathroom.
“My eyes—”
“Are changing colour; we will find out why. Until we know why, it’s best ye’ avoid looking at anyone directly.” Right, of course. Show them nothing, give them nothing and expect nothing. No change there.
“My heart.” Bright red eyes racked me as I shoved my feet into the scuffed-up converse. I actually hated how much they were going to ruin the thick white socks Rí had given me.
“It means my heart.” He cleared his throat and ran his hands through his already messy, thick hair.
“Come, we have someone to meet. He’s going to help us,” he rumbled as we trailed out of his living area and down the darkened stairs. Silence greeted us as he held the swinging doors open for me.
The bar was empty, only dimly lit by the scattered lamps and candles on each small table. The smell of strong liquor tickled my nose.
