Page 35 of Splintered Shadow
“Now is not the time for jests.”
“I dunno. You ever heard of dark humor? Seems like having a murdery shadow puppy sitting on my chest is a pretty good time to crack some jokes.”
“I do not understand you,” he said.
“Same.”
Vekele
Eventually, the beast allowed him to approach the security terminal. The karu perched on the pillar, watching as he negotiated in small increments with the beast. Releasing Sarah was as simple as pressing his thumb to the scanner. Reaching the security pylon took a quarter of an hour.
Once the chain released, he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to her feet. The beast yipped and growled, but Vekele ignored it. He turned Sarah around, looking for injury. Other than scrapes on her back and arms, she was unharmed.
Relieved, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and pressed his forehead to hers. This close, he relished the scent of crushed grass, fresh earth, and sweat on her skin, all the aromas of being alive.
Then, only then, did he relax enough to retract his wings.
“Your eyes,” she said.
“It is nothing.” Releasing his grip on the shadows within himself proved more difficult than he anticipated. This female attracted trouble. He needed to be ready to protect her.
Sarah scooped up the beast, cradling it in her arms. It was too big to hold and squirmed until she set it down. Bits of leaves and grass clung to her clothing and hair, giving her the appearance of a wild forest spirit.
Despite his appreciation for the aesthetic charm of her current appearance, he plucked a stray leaf from her hair.
“The medic will be here shortly,” he said. If the bond could be severed, Harol would know.
“We’re not severing the bond,” she said, sensing his thoughts. “Traveler is hungry. Feed us.”
“Do not name the beast,” he said, marching back to the house. The karu landed on his shoulder, digging her talons in.
She considered the beast at her side, reaching down to touch his head—itshead. Her soft ways were corrupting him.
“Fine, not that name, but he has a name. I’ll find it,” she said.
“Beasts do not have names.”
“Right, just like Pitch on your shoulder does not have a name.”
The karu responded with pleasure. Pitch was a good name. She liked it.
Dammit all.
In the kitchen, he ordered her to sit at the work table. She twisted her head around to take in the room.
“Two eyes are so inefficient. I am amazed you see anything at all,” he said. He opened the cooling unit, freshly stocked with a delivery that morning. His food preparation skills were unremarkable, but he could put together something palatable. He did not know what the beast would consume. Innocents and hatchlings, presumably.
“You seem to get by with two,” she said.
He tensed, holding onto the door of the cooling unit. Her words had been harsh but had not been spoke with malice.
“You noticed,” he said. Of course Sarah noticed. She noticed everything he wished to keep hidden. He did not understand the reason he withheld that information from her. Perhaps he did not wish for her to regard him as less capable.
Foolishness.
“Sorry,” she said. “Is that another thing we’re not supposed to talk about? I can’t tell. You have so many rules.”
“I do not haveso manyrules. Two. Two rules, and you violated one today. You were not to leave the house’s grounds.”
