“I am listening,” I said slowly, my arms crossing once more over my chest. For all the world, I pretended as if I wasn’t in my birthing suit.
“There is something wrong with that,” he started off, “and I’m not saying that like I'm jealous or nothing. That shit is… an arm.”
“This is not the leveling,” I reminded him. Humor filled me but I gave him a scowl.
“Look, I’m here on a… a mission, you could say, and I’m not supposed to be spilling my guts like this, but the swirly tattooed fucker made an excellent point.”
“Which would be?” I cut in as he began to cough a little, like he had an underpants hairball or something.
“I can help you with your Queen’s problem.”
“And how would that be, little doggy hell man?” I loved to talk slowly and mangle names. It was always worth the annoyed looks and the humor it filled me with. I got my kicks where I could. My mistress’ Lady Katarina’s mate was especially susceptible to the pain in his tail when I teased him.
“You got a Vamp problem? I could always use me a Vamp. Untie me, put on some pants, and let’s get this issue ironed out, huh?”
“You will be telling me how you came to be here in the first place,” I warned him.
Rez grimaced, looking like he meant to argue, but as my eyes began to glow and my shoulders started to spark, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Hanging his head, he sighed heavily. His face mashed into the soggy ground and he grumbled miserably, “Whatever, man. Getting sick of this job anyway.” Then, a moment later he groaned. “She’s gonna kill me… I’m going to lose my damned jobs for this…”
“But you are desperate,” I guessed. The smile on my face could be considered ghoulish. That was fine. I meant to intimidate.
“Yeah, you could say that.” A growl left the male, but it was not directed at me.
“I thinkyoucould be saying that,” I shot back, though my voice lacked any humor.
“You are a really weird dude,” he remarked as I untied him and he sat up, but he was careful to keep his tone respectful, as he should. I could kill him in seconds and never regret it, no one the wiser, and we both knew it.
“Come, my new hell doggy companion.” Turning, I lifted my hand, gesturing for him to follow. “We have things to discuss. We will make the sandwiches of sun butter and bacon and drink tea!” Without waiting for him, I lumbered back inside the house in search of pants, ready to prepare once more my newest favorite meal. I would think of my Queen whenever I ate it. I had plans to stuff myself sick on it until we reunited once more. It made me feel close to my Queen. I hated that she was so far away in the other realm, left unprotected, even if my bond to her did offer her some protection.
“Sun butter and bacon? Do what now with your Blanka from Street Fighter lookin’ ass?” Rez barked.
Chapter 5
Vivienne
Even hours later, my heart still pounded fiercely in my chest. And it wasn’t exactly from my trek back to the house after I’d ditched Segrid’s van on the edge of Mordenne’s boundary, either. My Troll would find it, I knew he would.
My hand went to my chest, to that spot right between my breasts that fluttered funnily whenever my beloved came to mind. He loved me in some crazy, meant to be, fated instant attraction kind of deal that I wasn’t totally up to speed on but I was getting there, and I loved that he loved me. I could feel it, his affection, a strange connection to him. He’d let me in. He was like another presence within me, as sure as I knew myself. There went my heart pounding heavily again, right before that sinking feeling that followed crept up on me once more.
And I’d hurried off and left him.
But I needed to keep him safe! Or so I kept telling myself. Lifting my hands to stare down at them, I swallowed thickly.
My heart leapt, to dip, and on and on this rollercoaster I went. I loved him but I couldn’t be with him, hot, cold, hot, cold, until I wanted to scream.
One look at my hands, even after a long bath because I was afraid I might suddenly turn liquid in the shower and wash down the drain, I was still creature feature looking. What kind of creature, I had no clue, but I was… odd.
How could he love me looking like this? My mind raced, every lopsided scenario my brain could conjure up tormenting me, until I grabbed a couch pillow where I sat on the sofa, smothering it into my face to groan into it. I’m a mutant, a freak. How could Segrid ever be expected to lovethis?!
Worn out but too afraid to close my eyes, I snagged the remote up and turned on the TV. My gaze kept going to the door as I channel surfed. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting on a certain Troll to show up. It both terrified and thrilled me, the idea. A part of me insisted he’d love me no matter what, while the other half wondered how I could possibly expect him to keep his wagon hitched to a veritable Human puddle, part time sea hag. The latest development: I hadn’t gone liquid in the bath. Nope. I’d gone hoof-footed. I had no idea how or why, or what the hell other kinda critters my Selkie sperm donor, the whole reason I was dealing withhimin the first place, the first-born-promising loser, was also part, but I’d gone horsey feet footed and an enormous fish tail, like a mermaid’s but smaller, had flexed right outta the top of my ass. I still shuddered in remembered butt waggle swivels. I’d never screamed so loud or often in my life. As a result of my new operatic tendencies, I also needed to buy new mirrors in the house. Yet another fun freakishness to add to mydon’t take her, she’s a mutant, man,resume.
The house was eerily silent and weirdly clean. It was like it hadn’t been ransacked not so very long ago. The urge to call Pen hit, but it was late at this point and I really didn’t want to bug her. Biting my lip, I glanced at the phone.
No. What if I got emotional and went liquid Viv on her? She still had no clue I had any Other anything in me to begin with.
Flicking channels until I Love Lucy popped onto the screen, I smiled at one of her many antics. This was my childhood right here. Stretching out along the couch, curling the pillow under my arms to rest my head on it, I tried to lose myself in the show.
∞∞∞
