Page 36 of Aleko
“I just don’t know what I’m allowed to ask,” she said. “About…” She looked around. Negosi had put partitions between the booths, and there weren’t many people anyway, but she still lowered her voice. “Magic stuff.”
“Whatever, you want. I feel like you should have more questions about the Supernaturals,” he said.
“Mostly I just feel annoyed that no one told me magic was real and I’ve been going along acting like it wasn’t. I feel like an idiot.” More unfortunate truth.
He laughed. “Why? The general idea is to convince the humans that magic isn’t real.”
“I’ve seen lots of weird things,” said Lia, trying not to think of the hospital again. Somehow seeing ghosts was less weird than the living people at the hospital. She tried to block it out. Most of the time she was successful. She didn’t mention the wand that was now hidden at the Kavala Art Museum. He hadn’t mentioned it either, so maybe it was fine.
“I feel like I should have figured it out,” she added.
“Well, being a Polyglot does seem like it might have made you stop and think a little bit.” She bristled for a moment and then realized he was teasing again. She tried smiling, and his smile widened.
“I really don’t think that’s a thing,” said Lia, shaking her head. “I swear anyone can learn languages once you understand how languages work.”
“I’m not arguing right now, so I’ll just say, uh-huh.”
Lia watched his face. She wanted to run a finger along his jawline down to his throat, where she would be able to feel his pulse. She tried to remember the last time she’d touched anybody intimately, let alone sexually, and couldn’t. She’d had boyfriends once upon a time. She’d even slept with Billy at the hospital. It wasn’t like there was anything else to do, and Billy had at least tried to care about her, between the medication doses anyway.
“I also feel like I should have more questions,” she said hesitantly.
“Tell me what they are, and I will answer them,” he said, and Lia felt oddly relieved at the assurance.
“I don’t know what the questions are. Every time you or Sebastian say something I think… oh, that makes sense. And then I don’t know what to ask as follow up. I guess if you’re so certain I’m magic or whatever, then how did I get that way?”
“Usually, gifts like yours run in families.”
“That seems really unlikely,” said Lia thinking of her mother’sparents. “I guess it could be in Dad’s family. He said his dad died in Vietnam. Maybe I got it from him. Although, personally, I always assumed his mom lied and she just got knocked up by someone and didn’t want to admit it. That may be unjust, but she was always mean to me, so I wanted it to be true.”
He chuckled. “But,” he said, “doesn’t any of it seem… strange?”
Lia was at a loss for how to explain her thoughts on the subject of strange. “It’s Thursday,” she said at last, with a shrug. “And the wind is southerly.”
He tore apart a piece of the injera bread that was delicious. “And if the wind were Northerly?” he asked before popping a piece in his mouth.
“Then it would be Tuesday, and that is also strange. At the rate I’m going, only normal is odd. But,” she said, remembering another passage fromAlice in Wonderland, “there’s no use going back to yesterday. I was a different person then.”
“Mm,” he said with a nod. “Very well then.” He looked like he had further thoughts on the subject, but he simply shoved more bread in his mouth and smiled. “Let’s get the leftovers boxed up and go home.”
“I’m not going home with you,” she said, bracing herself. It had been pleasant but it would be over now. “I’m going to go find a new hostel.” She waited for his temper to flare and the yelling to start, but instead he rolled his eyes and let out a grumbly growl.
“I don’t want to sleep in a hostel. I want to sleep in my bed.”
“I said what I was going to do,” she replied, trying not to sound confused.
“You are in danger. If you go to a hostel, I will have to go with you. I don’t want to go to a hostel. I have a very nice bed at my home. You also have a nice bed at my home. It doesn’t even have vermin.”
It was such a low bar for a bribe, and she still wanted it. Also, he was very clearly stating that her bed was separate from his. That should have been reassuring. Instead, it made her feel small.
She found him frustrating and attractive in a way that made her squirm. She was trying not to think about the attractive part because it was the kind of sticky hot feeling that was all about sex, which he was obviouslynotoffering her. In one way, that made his offer to return to his house feel like a safe decision, but Lia also found it insulting. She’d spent a year fending off half the dicks in the city, and this one wasn’t interested. And then... didn’t he think about that kiss at all? Nothing? Nada. It had felt like fire and he wasn’t even going to mention it?
“I just want…” she said tiredly. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted.
“I want one translation job,” he said suddenly, and she blinked at him.
“What?”
“That’s what I charge for a week’s rent.”
