He stared at me with scrutiny then and I looked away quickly, afraid he might be seeing thatwehad similar eyes, the color and shape. Truth was that striking blue color he had, just on the verge of teal, it stared at me in the mirror every day… the way the corners of my eyes tipped up the slightest bit… it seemed to be a Paladin thing.
“So you’re not going to kill me?” I gestured to the gun, changing the subject.
He seemed to forget it was in his hand and set it down on the floor beside me. “Not today.” I waited for him to wink to show me he was kidding, but he didn’t. This dude wasveryserious.
“Well, on that note, I think I’ll try to get some rest,” I said, feeling the grogginess pull at my limbs and just being grateful this dude wasn’t going to kill me.
He nodded, still watching me funnily. “Where are you going? If you’re banished, shouldn’t you be kicked out of Magic City?”
Crap. This dude was smarter than I gave him credit for. “It’s a long story, but yeah. I’m headed to Delphi Academy in Spokane, Washington, where I grew up with my parents.”
Not exactly a full lie.
He frowned. “You grew up in the human world yet you were taking a class in Werewolf City and fell down Waterfall Mountain?”
Fuck.He looked like he might want to kill me again.
“I got un-banished for a few months, now I’m banished again.” I peeled the leather back to show my metal shackles and the angry red skin there.
He frowned, eyes suddenly hardening. “They hurt you? Those poisonous city wolves!”
My eyes widened. “No. This was from vampires. Well, this is my second set. The first one the wolves put on.”
He looked confused. “You’re complicated,” he stated.
I shrugged. “Ain’t that the truth.”
He reached into his waist pouch and came away with two fingers slicked wet with blue paint. Reaching out, he wiped them across my cheeks and then down the bridge of my nose. “There. Now you might pass for a Paladin trader if you tie up and cover that hair.”
This was a very kind thing to do. Maybe paying me back for telling him the alpha’s death story. I didn’t know, but I suddenly felt emotional.
“Thank you. Where are you headed?”
It’s probably like 3 a.m. and I’m tired, but sure let’s do small talk.
He nodded to the left, the way I came. “To Vampire City. They have a job for me.”
Chills broke out onto my arms. “Job? You… work with the vampires?”
He looked down his nose at me. “I work with anyone who pays. We in the Wild Lands don’t have the luxury to choose alliances.”
I shut my mouth, only nodding. I clearly knew nothing about his struggles.
He stood, seemingly done with me. “Goodbye, Mara.”
“It’s… Demi actually,” I told him. “I lied because I was scared you would kill me.”
I didn’t want to start off my only friendship with a Paladin on lies. His face didn’t change when I’d given my real name and I was pretty sure that like the trolls, the Paladin didn’t do TV or have phones.
He nodded. “Goodbye, Demi. I hope you make it home.” Turning, he crept to the edge of the platform and I suddenly didn’t want to be alone in the middle of the night anymore. It was nice to have a friend, or acquaintance, or whatever we were.
“What’s your name?” I asked, as he peered over the edge of the platform, the muscles in his back straining under his tight dark skin.
“Arrow.” He tipped his head to me, and I tipped mine back, and then he jumped, disappearing into the night like a bird, causing me to scramble to the edge of the platform and peer over the side looking for him.
Showoff.
I had no idea if it was 1 a.m. or 4 a.m., but I felt so tired, it had to be closer to one. With a sigh, I lay back down, trying to fall asleep, but I kept replaying what he’d said in my mind.
