Page 27 of Nightmare For Hire
He crawls around until he’s comfortable, then holds out his hand. “All ready for you.”
I smile as I join him, noticing the way Nox's face lights up at my happy demeanor. The ground is a little cold, but I’m sure it’ll warm up. I throw my hands behind my head and he snuggles against me.
“Is this okay?”
“More than okay.” I wrap my arm around him and pull him closer. “Do you know much about the stars?”
“Not really. I just know they’re pretty and smell like steak.”
I snort. “There are apps that will tell us exactly what stars we’re looking at if we want to know.”
“There are?! Let’s do that! Or—” He taps his lips with his finger. “We can make up constellations ourselves and make up stories. That would be more fun, wouldn’t it?”
“It would.”
Nox shoots his arm into the air. “See these five? I’m going to call them Cy’s Smile. They got into the sky because I kissed you.”
My heart flutters. Has anyone ever said something so romantic to me? “Maybe you should kiss me again to solidify their place in the heavens.” What are words and why am I saying them?
“Really?”
I nod. “Yep. See how it falters? I think you need to—”
He presses his lips to mine. It’s like the world just stops around us. Only Nox and I exist. Electricity zaps me where his fingers rest on my side. Where his lips connect with mine. Where his nose presses to mine.
When he leans away, I pull him back. “Maybe there are five points because you kiss me five times.”
“I think you’re right.” He kisses me again and again and again. Making it five total kisses we’ve shared between us.
He flops to his back and throws his arm over his eyes. “I could kiss you for eternity and never get bored.”
My cheeks heat. “Same,” I whisper.
We spend the next several hours making up silly little stories and kissing. Nothing more, we don’t need anything more.
Chapter 13
Nox
Day seven of watching Mick. I’m high above the town in my shadow form. The slimy asshole is up to something shady. I just can’t figure out what. Aside from making Cyrus miserable every chance he gets.
On our last date, Cyrus said Mick finds a way to cross paths with him every time they work the same day. That just won’t do.
The usual two armed humans guard the monster portal. They’re decked out in military grade riot gear as if that will save them if a truly heinous monster tries to break through. Makes me laugh every time I think about it.
Mick has been meeting someone at the diner for the last several days. Yesterday I followed the other person, and they went through the portal. The guards didn’t heckle them, so it’s either a human or a monster with portal rights. I just can’t tell, because there are monsters like Mick and I that have fullyhuman forms. The guards know who I am, since I’ll watch the portal if I need to when one of the designated guards is out. But I don’t know if they know Mick is a merman.
I’ll do pretty much anything, but going through the portal is a hard limit at the moment. I’ll do what I can from this side unless things escalate.
Mick power walks towards the hospital with a paper bag in hand. What the hell could he be taking into the hospital? Is it something bad?
He picks up his pace and clutches the bag to him as he looks around.
“I know you’re out there, Nox,” he shouts. “Come out! Come out!”
When I don’t appear—because why would I respond to his crazy?—he spins in a circle before sprinting to the hospital. I blend with his shadow and stay in the corners of the hallways as we descend into the hospital basement.
I’ve never been inside, never had any need to, but I should probably keep an eye on Mick here as well, since he’s antagonizing Cyrus. I leave shadows wherever I go. Just little tendrils to keep track of Mick’s coming and going. If this is his usual path, they should track him with no problems.
