She was gone as quickly as she appeared, disappearing into the crowd. Off to the side, I could see a line was starting to form as people waited for tables. Actually, that line had probably already been there. Daniel had ignored it just like the locals usually did. Tourists were the ones who waited in line.
I tried really hard not to bounce in my seat, but I’d had no coffee or food for hours. And it was beignets and liquid-life – aka coffee – from Café Du Monde, a running fantasy of mine for the past eight weeks straight. My excitement could barely be contained.
“You’re not as worried about your mom as I would’ve expected.”
A flash of anger cut through me, wiping away those tendrils of excitement I’d stupidly allowed to build. I leaned forward on the table, my eyes no doubt flashing my fury at Daniel.
“You know nothing about my feelings.” My rebuke was low and forceful as I emphasized each and every word. “My relationship with my mother is complicated. I don’t want to see any harm come to her, especially not at the hands of a Daelighter. But just because she’s my mom by blood, doesn’t mean she’s ever acted like a true mother.”
Because we were so close, our faces only inches apart, I saw every emotion that crossed Daniel’s face. His eyes blazed with gold, and judging by the angle of his jaw, he was clenching his teeth. There was a darkness in his gaze, and just like I’d known he’d been to war, in some way I also knew he understood what I was saying about family. On a personal level.
“Who in your family?” I asked, most of my anger gone now.
There was a long pause; I didn’t think he was going to answer. Then, as the waitress reappeared with our order, he said, “The ones who cared are long gone. The rest are blood only. Not family.”
That made sense considering he was related to a psycho like Laous. Another chink loosened in my cold, dead chest – my heart actually hurt for him. His confession had been matter of fact, like it didn’t affect him, but I saw deeper. The wounds were still raw.
We were quite the pair.
Still, there was no way to be truly sad when I had coffee and beignets sitting in front of me. So why couldn’t I take my eyes off Daniel? It was like for the first time in my life I felt camaraderie with someone.Damn him!Why did that someone have to be from an alien species that had been hunting me my entire life?
“I’m going to need you to tell me more about this world that I’ve been dragged into.”
He nodded. “I will tell you everything you need to know, but not here.”
I accepted that and was finally able to turn my attention to the food before me; the scent of coffee could no longer be ignored. Leaning forward, I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled the rich, dark aroma. When I picked up my cup and took the first sip, a low moan actually escaped from my mouth. I was no longer in control; my senses were firing, and this was probably the best coffee I’d ever had.
The plate of beignets, topped with their white powder, was my next focus. Reaching forward I lifted one, careful not to disturb the sugar. I really wanted to inhale as well, taking in their unique scent, but a nose full of powder was not my idea of a good time.
As I took my first bite, my next moan was much louder. Movement from across the table drew my attention, and I was surprised to find Daniel just staring at me. His coffee remained untouched in front of him, and he had not started on a beignet.
That was worrying – no one ignored these fluffy clouds of delicious. Had he seen something that I missed? Was Laous here somewhere?
“Everything okay?” I asked as I swallowed the last of the ball of magic.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I’ve just never seen someone quite so passionate about food before.”
For a brief moment, I contemplated letting the embarrassment that was trying to well up take over. I didn’t though, mostly because I sensed Daniel wasn’t insulting me. There was … interest in his gaze. I’d surprised him.
“Does your kind eat food?”
Since I was struggling not to shove the entire plate of beignets in my mouth, the only explanation for his reticence was that they didn’t eat. Maybe Michaels’ menus had just been for show. Or for the human girls they brought back from the Quarter.
Daniel answered by reaching forward and snatching up a beignet and popping it into his mouth without spilling a drop of the white sugar.
Well, okay then.
A waiter passed by our table, his hand snaking out to grab my almost empty coffee cup. Quick as a flash, I latched onto his forearm. Narrowing my eyes on him, I said, “The only reason you should be touching my cup is if you plan on refilling it.”
His mouth dropped open as he looked between me and my mug. “So … so sorry,” he stuttered, before quickly releasing the handle and hurrying away.
Shaking my head, I was reaching for my coffee – before another overeager staff member tried to remove it – when Daniel let out a low rumble across from me. The sound drew my attention, and as he tensed, so did I.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” I asked, no louder than a whisper.
Daniel inclined his head ever so slightly, and without another word, I quickly ate another beignet, because I knew this was going to be my last chance. Laous was here.
It was time to get my mom back.
