I lie back on the cushions, letting the weight of my disappointment drag me down further. At least there's forty-five minutes for the queasiness in my stomach to go away before I have to go and pick up my dinner. I should have ordered a double serving of the spicy veggie rolls. Fried spicy deliciousness is definitely going to be needed to appease my ego tonight.
Fried spicy deliciousness doesn’t work. Well, not alone anyway. Fried spicy deliciousness, a phone call with Lusce and Jax, a movie, and clearing out the storage cupboards in the classrooms downstairs—that’s what works.
By the time I’m taking the big bag of rubbish I’ve collected to the bins outside, I’m feeling much less embarrassed about Nikolo’s apathy towards me. And Jax somehow knew how to create a completely new, fake identity. So I always have that in my back pocket if I need it.
Yawning so wide I nearly crack my jaw, I make my way from the alley to the front of the store. Something tingles at the back of my neck, and with my hand on the door handle and one foot on the step, I pause. Considering it’s just after midnight, it’s dark on the street. The shops are closed, most of the residents are in bed. The street is empty.
And yet…
Slowly I turn my head, checking down one end of the street. There’s only street lights and foggy mist. Kinda creepy actually. Reminding myself I’m an adult, and a skilled mage to boot, I force myself to look towards the other end of the street.
I’m almost convinced there is nothing there, either, when I see a shadow of movement in the rolling mist. My knuckles tighten around the door handle, but I can’t seem to twist itandremember the ward to allow me to open it.
The shadow keeps moving, clinging to the darkness on the other side of the street, getting bigger. Closer.
Fuck, fuck, fuckI chant—quite possibly out loud, I don’t know, but I hope not. I’m trying to project an image of powerful calm here. The tingling awareness that something or someonedangerous is watching me only grows until the feeling makes all the little muscles and tendons in my spine spasm painfully. I know it’s my body's fight-or-flight reflex, but Gods, it’s making it hard to do either.
“You ‘right there?” Nikolo’s laughter breaks through the otherwise quiet night. And my panic.
Great Astal Spider and all her many thousands of babies. Are you fucking kidding me? All that panic for a fuckingvampire? Now I feel like a giant assholeandan idiot. I lean forward, closing the small distance between me and the door and knock my forehead on it repeatedly.
The fucking ward unlatches and the door pops open.
It must be a failsafe Egbert enchanted. Honestly, tonight can get in the bin already.
“Yeah, just fine, thanks.” I repress my sigh and roll my neck as I turn to face him, an unnaturally bright smile on my face.
In the shadows I can see Nikolo’s head tilt as he looks me over from head to toe, making me incredibly aware that rather than my usual oqic—the black coat most of my clansmen wear—I’m in a ratty old pair of track pants and an oversized hoodie. Meanwhile, he’s looking just as hot as usual. I mean, it looks like he’s stolen someone’s grandmother's woollen sweater and with jeans that baggy you can’t see just how fine his ass is, but somehow he makes it work. Because ofcoursehe does.
“You sure about that? Because your heart rate is goingfast.”
Not a lie. For more reasons than one, my heart is going a million miles an hour. I kind of forgot that he can hear it. It’s one of those annoying tricks most hunter type beings can pull off.
“Yeah, totally fine.” As quietly as I can I try to draw in a deep breath to calm myself down. The shape of Nikolo’s head cocks to the side.
“Seems like it.”
My nervous laugh shatters the night air. I can almost see the mist recoiling from me in second hand embarrassment. Cringing, I clear my throat, trying to regain some control, but I only set off a bout of coughing which draws Nikolo closer.
“Do you need to go in and get a glass of water?” He stops at the bottom of the steps, abruptly shoving his hands in his pockets, not wanting to get closer to my doubled over hacking and gagging form.
I manage to draw a full breath and stand up, even though it would be much more preferable to sink to the ground and become one with the concrete.
“Nope. Fine.” I rasp and cross my arms over my chest. Partially as a protective stance, but also now that my heart isn’t going a million miles an hour, I’m freezing cold. Usually, I’d do something about that, but I don’t trust myself with magic right this second. “What are you doing around here? Not that youcan’tbe around here. You totally can; it's a free country. But I’ve never seen you around here and—” I snap my mouth shut. Thank the Gods I can’t see Nikolo’s face.
“I, uh, was just coming from up there at the Flimsy Sheath.” When he’s sure I’m not going to continue whatever insanity I’ve started, he turns and points to the vintage clothing store a few doors down on the other side of the road.
“I thought you said you were hanging out with friends?” Did that sound accusatory? Or just curious?
“Yeah, Kroy, the owner. We’ve been friends a while now. I come in when I can and help him out with the stock.”
“Oh.” I blink at the shadow of Nikolo a few times, letting his words settle in.
He wasright there. Often. Regularly. The silence grows long as I process the information. It takes me a while to rearrange all the things this new piece of information stirs up.
“Uh, well, yeah. Good night.” Nikolo lifts a hand to wave goodbye and steps back.
“Wait!” I’m really not ready for him to go yet. “Did you want to come in for a bit? See the shop?”
