What just happened?
He returns with a damp washcloth, kneeling in front of you. What is he—
“Humans,” he mutters, gently lifting your left leg. And—oh God.
Glass.
Your knees are embedded with shards of glinting glass.
How did you not feel it!? You must be in shock.
“You’re so easily breakable. Is this going to kill you?” He asks, like he genuinely thinks it might. “Hold still.”
“I think I’ll live,” you manage, grimacing and glancing away, expecting it to hurt.
But it doesn’t hurt. There’s a slight sting when he removes each piece, but other than that, you can barely feel it.
It’s the kind of thing you’d have expected to take several minutes, but he’s finished in seconds.
“Done,” he says, standing up. “But don’t move yet.”
He tosses the glass in the trash, gently cleaning the wounds with your washcloth. At any other time, you might have protested that he’s staining it, but you can’t bring yourself to care.
It’s all so overwhelming.
And you’re relieved just to be alive.
Slowly, the events of the evening are starting to arrange themselves in your mind, and your head spins all over again. You feel shaky and cold and hungry and like you might fall over.
The feeling of free-fall still rises up around you, even though you’re on solid ground—well,table.
“You’re shaking,” Hot Book Guy observes, turning your arms over to check them for stray glass. “How do I fix it?”
“I don’t know. Time, I guess.” You slide down from the table, kicking your high heels off and heading to the kitchen to boil water for tea. “I think I just need to wind down for a bit. Maybe take a shower, get in my PJs.”
Hot Book Guy
Damn it all.
I hate this.
She’s back in those insane little pajamas that I actually don’t hate even though I should, and now she’s just sitting there shivering with a blanket wrapped over her shoulders.
And I hate not being able to fix it.
And I hate that I hate it.
I shouldn’t care.
Idon’tcare. It’s just that my life is tied to hers. My magic is getting all confused.
That’s all.
And I thought I’d have more time before my past caught up. But looks like all those years I spent locked away, my enemies were just waiting for a chance to strike.
And to make it worse—
How the hell did I get myself bound to such a weak, trusting, naive little human?!
