“I’m overwhelmed, but I think I would like to be your friend,” she said in a rush, not meeting his eye. If she did, she would lock up and push him away because that’s what she always did.
“In that case,” Bas said, pulling the napkin back and scribbling on it. “That’s for you too.”
Bridget took the napkin from him when he offered it, the tips of her fingers touching his. His phone number was written underneath the sigil.
“Thank you for this. Especially after I was so defensive and threw a book at you in the astral,” she said, carefully folding the napkin and putting it in her pocket.
“Don’t worry about it. I want to be your friend too,” Bas said and then looked at his watch. “Well, I’ve hit my three-hour ‘being around people’ limit, so I’ll be off.”
“Yeah, I need to go lie on my floor and stare at my roof for the rest of the night,” Bridget replied and laughed even though she wasn’t joking.
“There’s nothing that a good lie on the floor can’t fix.” Bas wasn’t joking either.
Is this what they mean by the perfect man?Bridget couldn’t help but wonder.
Bas opened the door of the coffee shop for her again, and Bridget paused in front of the bookstore.
“It was nice meeting you…outside the astral I mean,” she said, smiling a little and hoping she didn’t look deranged.
There was a buzz in the air, a pause, like she wasn’t sure if she should kiss him good night or not. They both felt it because Bas was staring and hesitating as much as she was. The wind off the river blew hair in her face, and Bas’s eyes tracked her hand as she brushed it back. His eyes weren’t just their twinkling blue anymore. They wereglowing. Was that magic too?
Bas quickly looked away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Sweet dreams, Hawk Girl,” he said, walking away.
“You too…Bas.” Bridget stared after him, her chest doing a strange, tightening squeeze that didn’t loosen until he was out of sight.
When Bridget returned to the shop, Marge stood in the open doorway. “Now,that,my girl, is aman,” she stated.
Yes, yes, he was,Bridget thought and suddenly regretted not kissing him after all.
7
Bas woke to his phone flashing beside him. He had fallen asleep the previous night, willing Bridget to message him. She hadn’t.
He knew he had overwhelmed her, but he contained his excitement at finding her as much as he could.
The phone flashed at him again, and he fumbled to open it. It was a photo of his sigil that had been drawn with blue chalk on bare wooden floorboards.
No bad dreams, but I felt that weird shadow creature trying to pick at whatever barrier this thing made.
Ps. This is Bridget.
Bas rolled back on his pillows and smiled like an idiot. His dragon was happy that she had taken his advice and that he could protect her from afar.
Bas saved her contact information under Bridget HawkGirl and messaged her back.
Happy to hear that it worked. Nice chalk work.
He didn’t like that the creature had another go at her consciousness when he wasn’t there. He was climbing out of bedwhen his phone started ringing. His hopes were dashed when he saw it wasn’t Bridget but Ironwood Manor.
“That can’t be good,” he murmured before answering. “Bas Greatdrakes speaking.”
“Good morning, lad. I’m glad you’re awake. Do you have some time to come see me today?” Kenna Ironwood asked. Her tone suggested she wasn’t really asking. As the matriarch of the Ironwood family and boss of all the hunters being trained on their estate, Kenna didn’t casually request anything.
“I’ll make time. Is everything okay?” Bas asked.
“Family is fine,” Kenna grunted, a sound that could mean anything. “But workwise, we have a problem. I don’t know what I’m looking at, and I’m hoping that you do.”
“I’ll shower and come around straight away,” Bas reassured her.
