“Yes,” I snapped back, pushing past him.
When he caught up to me at the door, he wore a half-smile, which only annoyed me more. Once he unlocked the door, he pushed it wide open and stepped back to allow me to exit first.
Just as I walked out, his hand wrapped around my arm. I tried not to react, but the heat from his palm branded me, along with the buzz of energy he sent into my blood.Non-human bastard.
“Don’t run,” he said slowly. “It’s going to annoy me if I have to chase you.”
I shrugged his hand off. “I want to find my mom. You’re my best chance of that. I will stick around until that part of my life is resolved.”
Keeping my word was important to me. I had so few things in my life that I could control; my moral high ground was one of them. Even these Daelighters would receive the same treatment. As we started along the street, I saw a sign. I’d been right before, Michaels lived on Esplanade Avenue, the street that bordered the Quarter and the Marginy. I had walked past it multiple times over my months here. No wonder I kept running into him.
Daniel was silent and predatory as we walked along. He constantly checked out the scene, keeping track of everyone and everything that moved around us. He scared me in ways – which I would never admit to out loud – I could not explain. There was just something sootherabout him, and yet at the same time, he looked human. Ish.
“How long have you been in New Orleans?”
His question took me by surprise, but it was an easy one to answer. “About two months. The longest I’ve ever stayed in one place was four months; Laous was lucky to catch us when he did.”
We pushed through a large group of people stumbling home from a bachelorette party. They were very intoxicated, singing, dancing, falling down. It had been the usualhugenight in the Quarter. The streets were filled with empty cups and trash, which we kicked out of the way as we walked.
“I know you hate my kind,” he said, taking me by surprise again. “And I don’t blame you for that. Sometimes life just deals us a shit hand. Trust me, I understand.”
Something told me that he did. I’d known it from the first moment I stared into his eyes. Not to mention the wariness he wore like a cloak. It didn’t matter how highly-trained a person was, they didn’t act like they were in a warzone unless they had been in a warzone before. I didn’t know what sort of battle it was, but Daniel had definitely been fighting for his life at one point or another.
Sympathy bloomed within me and I hated the connection that was there between us. I wasn’t naïve enough not to recognize it. Whether it was that I was born in House of Imperial … or something else … there was no denying it any longer. Daniel stirred emotions inside of me and it was confusing as hell.
As soon as we stepped into Jackson Square, he closed the distance between us.
“Don’t wander off,” he told me.
Pressing closer to his back, I fought the urge to reach out and grab his shirt. I accepted I was human, vulnerable, especially compared to these creatures, but I was not weak. I would not rely on Daniel, but I could be cautious.
“Café Du Monde works for our cover,” he decided. “Maybe we can drag Laous out from whatever shadows he’s hiding in.”
From my observations, it wasn’t always that easy to get a table there, especially during one of the busy times. Right now, it would be filled with people looking for some early morning pick-me-ups after a big night. Somehow, though, the universe loved Daniel, because we walked straight into an empty double-seater.
“Sit,” he told me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted my head to the side as I waited for him to realize that I was not a pet for him to order around.
He let out a grumbling sound. “Could you please sit down, because if the server passes us by, we won’t see them for another hour.”
He’d said please … good enough. Pulling out my chair, I dropped into it. Daniel took the other chair, sliding his massive frame in gracefully. I spent the next few minutes observing my surroundings, cataloguing exits, watching the people who sat around us.
My eyes ran over each and every individual, because even though I had no idea what Laous looked like, I felt like I would know him when I saw him. In my head, he was an evil, ugly asshole, and I should recognize that without any trouble.
A waitress skidded to a stop beside our table. “Ready to order?” she said.
I swung around to face her. She was tiny, her wild dark curls springing up on her head. She was lithe, built like a dancer, with huge blue eyes. There was no immediate accent – she didn’t sound like a local, but clearly already had the swing of this busy job.
“We’ll have a dozen beignets,” Daniel said without preamble. “And I’ll have a café au lait.” He paused and turned toward me. “Do you drink coffee? Would you like something else … tea … or maybe hot chocolate?”
I snorted, managing to keep it low and under my breath. But if the arch of his eyebrow was any indication, he still heard me. “If I don’t have coffee I’m inclined to turn into a raging psychopath. Literally.” Especially after being knocked out and waking with the headache of all headaches.
“That explains a lot,” Daniel said with a half-smile.
Ignoring him, because it did actually explain a lot, I returned my gaze to the pretty waitress. “I’ll have the same as … him. Make it large.” I jerked my hand in Daniel’s direction.
“No problem,” she said in a harried way. “Be right back with your order.”
