Page 58 of Of Poison & Pumpkins
Okay, this is happening. Elias peels off his suspenders and shirt. Fuck.
“Wait, put your suspenders back on.” I grapple for them unsuccessfully. “Over your chest.”
“Anything for you, Sunflower.”
I never expected someone putting clothes on to be such a tease. Slower than eternity, he drapes the black suspenders over his bare shoulders and reconnects them to his pants. The way each strap runs down his muscles makes my mouth dry.
He lowers onto his knees, in the most pristine position for me to run a finger along the curves and dips of his chest. Don’t mind if I do.
“Can I?” I ask.
“You never need to ask, love.” He stretches both arms out wide. “Take me. I’m yours.”
My phone pings in the familiar tone that represents Tinsley. Damn it. If it were anyone else, I’d ignore the call, but we’ve been waiting all day to hear from her.
“Sorry.” I roll out from under Elias and snatch my phone from my pocket.
She’s already mid-sentence when I answer. “ … I only collected three. You’re gonna need to find more. Forgot to call you earlier … Maya, put that down! … I’ll give you the location. But it’s in the middle of Enox Forest and may take a while to find the nest if there are a hundred trees in that exact spot, so be prepared. By the way, we’re downstairs, about to come up, so... wait … what’s that?” She pauses. Muffled sounds come from the background, then escalated shouts. “Maya! Don’t touch the fountain!”
“Tinz? You okay?”
Something clatters, then I hear a scream from the other line.
“Tinsley!!” I leap off the bed and run to the window.
On the street below, in the town square, the lanterns shine an eerie glow on the few pedestrians by the fountain. People lay at odd angles on the cobblestone, seemingly unconscious. From the edge of the fountain, purple liquid pours like a waterfall onto their bodies. I scream and scream and scream.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Rynn
“What is it?!” Elias roars, rushing to my side, eyes bulging. “What’s wrong?”
My breaths turn raspy, and my whole body shakes as I point down at the unmoving victims on the street. I crumple under the window so I can’t see, covering my face. My skin turns clammy as I try to explain.
“Rynnlee, you’re talking in jibberish, slow down.” He’s by my side, trying to peel my hands away from my eyes. “Babe, stop moaning. I’ve got you. Take a deep breath.”
I hold myself tightly, arms wrapped around my knees. Might faint.
“Tinsley. Mmm-Maya. Tinsley.”
“Rynnlee, what are you saying? Look at me.”
My heartbeat thrashes in my ears and the walls of my apartment are closing in on me. Every sound is amplified, from a bug fluttering against the window to the silence outside. People should be talking outside. Tinsley should be hollering at me through my phone when I dropped it. Why can’t I hear her?
What seems like hours later, I look up at Elias, whose nostrils are flaring as his face carries a wild, harried appearance.
Then comes a tap tap tap at the door.
“Don’t move.” Elias tries to jerk upright, but I refuse to let go of him. “I’ll be right back. Stay here.”
The door swings open before he can turn the handle and Tinsley stands on the other side, with Maya under her arm. Fresh tears streak both their faces.
Tears well behind my eyes and an unexpected release of tension flows out of me like a giant tsunami.
Tinsley runs to the windows and yanks all the curtains closed, tripping over random objects and calling out, “People fainted after they touched the water.”
Before I know it, Elias is sitting by my side again, rubbing slow circles on my arm until I simply crawl into his lap. I don’t dare take my eyes off Tinsley as she guides a sleepy Maya to my bed and tucks her in. Her shaky voice sings a soft lullaby and all I can manage is to rest my head against Elias’s chest. He’s got me. Solid and present. In his arms, a wave of calm washes over me. I trust him fully, with my whole heart.
