Nightmare, of course, has more thoughts on the woman.I bet her blood tastes sweet. Don’t you think? Maybe like honeysuckles? Or perhaps like sugar itself. Ahhh, she smelled sweet. Do you think she braids her hair? Would she let me braid it?
Don’t be ridiculous.
You’re right.It thinks for a moment.She seems more like the chignon type.
I sigh, loudly, and step out onto the path as I get a whiff of her perfume—vanilla and something else. I can’t quite place it.
Morning dew,Nightmare says.
That is not morning dew.
And how would you know? Do you go around smelling grass in the wee hours?
I drag my fingers through my hair.What is wrong with you? Don’t you want to get back to death and destruction?
There’s a long pause before it says,Maybe I’ll take a break.
My knees go weak, and I grab hold of the bush to keep from falling, but the damn thing pokes me in the eye, so I break the branch and toss it to the ground. Fury streams through my veins as I spit out,Five minutes ago all you wanted was revenge and now all you can think about is braiding that woman’s hair.
Very quietly it replies,You want to braid it, too.
No, I don’t.
Yes, you do. You’re looking for her.
I am not.
Then why are you staring off in the direction she just walked?
Because I…I’m curious, is all.
Is that right?
Yes. I have a right to be curious. We could have killed her with that spell.
It sighs.And what a waste of perfect breasts that would have been.
I know.
Aha! I knew you liked her.
My words come out clipped, like I’m talking between chewing up nails.Let’s get one thing straight—I don’t have time for romance or whatever she might bring into my life, and neither do you.
Ugh! I’m so stupid.
A small smile flits across my lips. This is more like it. This is better. This isn’t strange blood-bound magic that wound around my wrist and intrigued me. This isn’t a woman wearing sparkly sneakers.
My God. She wore sparkles like she’s a damn pixie.
She pulled it off, too.
See?
I think,Exactly. We don’t have time.
Yes, I’m so stupid,it repeats.We didn’t get her number.
Wait. What?
