Page 4 of Fleshbound
Quill leapt from the bed and spun.
A man lay in his bed, curled up on one side. He was lean and long, with red hair tinged in black—the same colored scruff covered his cheeks and chin. His eyes were red, and they glowed like fire, almost serpent-like.
Quill took two steps back, searching the man’s face. He was handsome, in a peculiar way. One not many would claim good looking, but he was pleasing to Quill’s eye, none the less.
And somehow, heknewwho it was, as improbable as it was.
A man just for me…
“C-Corven?”
The man rolled out of the bed onto the side Quill stood, bowed deeply, and grinned on his way up. In the deepest of Scottish brogues, he replied, “In the flesh, ma dear.”
Quill searched the man over from head to foot, trembling at the sight of him. He wore a well-worn, faded Sex Pistols t-shirt that had once likely been black, tight black denim pants, black boots Quill was quite sure he’d heard described as‘shitkickers’before, and a black velvet sports coat, tailored to fit tightly along his leanly muscled frame.
“No,”Quill said, shaking his head. “There’s no way you’re Corven.” He waved a hand at the man’s attire. “You’re ancient. You wouldn’t show up here wearing…that.”
“Dae ye expect me tae come sportin chain mail an a mace?” Corven asked, his eyes sparking with what appeared to be mirth, though it was hard as bright as they glowed. “Wearein modern times, laddie. Are we no?” Corven crossed his arms over his chest and then lifted a finger to his lower lip. “Though—does chain mail everreallygo out o style? A dinnae think it daes.”
Quillam lifted a hand to his forehead and felt warmth there. “Maybe Iamsick. I feel feverish.” He grinned to himself. “Then it wasn’t a lie I told. Brilliant!” He glared at the man between him and his bed. “I’m hallucinating.” He considered that for a second.“Wasthe book spelled? One so strong I can’t fight it off?”
He charged past Corven and lifted the book. Examining it, he found absolutely no hint of a spell upon it, nor had he before. Had it somehow bypassed his skill at curse detection? No… not possible. He would’ve feltsomething.He spun again, eyeing the man claiming to be Corven.
“Who are you?”
“Corven o Evonium,” the man in black said, bowing deep again. When he lifted, he took a step closer. “Ye know wha I am. Ye read ma book, love.”
Quillam gazed at the book in his hands. Flipping open one of the pages to test his knowledge, he gasped.
The pages were once again blank.
“Ye read them all,” Corven said. “They live inside yer head now.”
“And that’s where you are. In my head,” Quill said, firmly, slamming the book shut and tossing it onto the chair near his bed. “A hallucination.”He stalked out of his bedroom and into the living room. He pulled a pitcher of cold water from the refrigerator and poured himself a glass.
After, he swept to the bathroom and searched the medicine cabinet, finding an old bottle of cold medicine. Once he’d taken the pills and drained the glass, he splashed cold water on his face, scrubbing it to wake himself fully. He searched the mirror, looking for signs of illness.
There were none visible.
“Maybe it’s simply exhaustion,” he said to his reflection.
Or maybe you’re so incredibly lonely you conjured another spirit to ravage your body without even realizing it.
He spun and faced the door, nervous to walk out of the bathroom and find the figment of his imagination sitting on his bed. Or maybe he was just as scared Corven would be gone.
Slowly, he pushed the door open. He saw no Corven or any other specter anywhere in sight. With a sigh of relief, he carried and deposited the empty glass to the kitchen before walking to the bedroom, a deep yawn coming from him.
No Corven.
Thank heavens.
Quill slid under the sheets with a satisfied sigh and closed his eyes, even as a hint of sadness took hold.
“I'm glad ye listened tae the wee skunk. Ye need yer beauty rest.”
Quill’s eyes popped open, and he fought a smile. Once he’d beaten it down, he turned his head to the left and found Corven in bed with him.
“You’re not real,” he said, rolling to his side with his back to the hallucination. “I’m ignoring you and going to sleep.”
