Chapter Seven
Rhys
Iwatched asSavannah moved around her kitchen with her cell phone pressed to her ear. She seemed to float rather than walk, her steps light and quick. With her multi-colored aura pulsing around her like a halo, she looked like an ethereal being, as though she belonged in another plane of existence. In my long life, I’d never seen the Goddess, but there was something about Savannah that made me think of the deity.
Then there was the dress she wore. The purple fabric was opaque in the sunlight that poured in from the kitchen window. I could see the shadow of her legs beneath the skirt. The sight distracted me, bringing up thoughts I had no business entertaining.
I didn’t listen as she ordered the pizza, instead focusing on the movement of her hair against her bare shoulders and the light flush of pink on her cheeks. I knew she was attracted to me and I felt the same, but I would never act upon it. She didn’t understand what I truly was. It would be wrong for me to take advantage of that.
I remembered the moment in her driveway when her fingers clasped my hand and the soft skin of her palm rested against mine. She hadn’t believed me when I told her I was evil. She didn’t understand that I was dangerous.
I shouldn’t even be near her, but I couldn’t stay away. The light that emanated from her soul was warm and bright and it drew me in despite my attempts to resist.
“Pizza should be here soon,” she said, setting her phone on the counter. She glanced at me. “Do you want some salad with it?”
“You eat salad with your pizza?” I asked.
Savannah laughed and I relished the sound. I liked her laughter. It was vibrant and warm, much like her. “Not usually,” she answered.
“Then don’t worry about the salad.”
She shrugged. “Fine with me.” She moved to the fridge. “Do you want wine, soda, water, or something else?”
“Soda is fine,” I answered.
Savannah smiled and took a bottle of wine and a can of soda out of the fridge. “More for me.”
After she poured the soda into a glass and added ice, she handed it to me. “Thanks. Do you want me to open the wine?” I offered.
She laughed again, her face and eyes lighting up. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a screw top.” Then she twisted the cap off the bottle and poured a glass for herself.
A delicate tap on my calf drew my attention down. Savannah’s small grey cat looked up at me with expectant blue eyes, her paw suspended in the air in front of her. Understanding what she wanted, I reached down and lifted her in my arms. I’d always enjoyed the company of animals. They were simple creatures that typically wanted nothing more than a meal or attention. I’d never considered getting a pet before because I was constantly looking over my shoulder. Perhaps in time I could change that.
“Hello, Satchel,” I greeted the animal.
She curled up against my chest, a rumbling purr emanating from her small body. Savannah studied us while she leaned a hip against the counter and sipped her wine. “Why did you say you weren’t a good…creature?” She hesitated. “Do you think you’re a creature rather than a person?”
I stared down at the glass in front of me. I didn’t want to discuss this but she deserved to know. “I am a creature, Savannah. I may have begun my life as a man, but what I am now…I was created. I’m not human any longer. I haven’t been for a long time.”
She stood completely still and kept her gaze locked on mine. “Then what are you?”
“It’s complicated,” I evaded.
She leaned forward. “Rhys, I’m not going to judge you for something you have no control over.”
“I don’t understand.”
Savannah put aside her wineglass. “Did you ask your creator to make you what you are?” she asked.
My only response was to shake my head.
“Did you want him to do this to you?”
“Of course not,” I answered.
“Then what you are now is not of your doing. You had no control over this and what kind of person would I be to judge you harshly for it? I was born an empath. Do you know what that means?”
I nodded, wondering why she was bringing this up.
