Page 18

Chapter Eighteen

The morning came far too soon. It was also too bright, and frankly, a little too chipper for my liking, given my emotional hangover. I’d managed two hours of sleep before my alarm started blaring, reminding me that I had to drag my ass to my dreaded day job today. After this early morning’s misadventures with the vampires, the unexpected use of my powers after a decade of not touching them, and Rathiel’s bite, I was exhausted. The last thing I wanted to do was slog through an eight-hour shift battling caffeine-deprived monsters—especially with Rathiel sitting nearby.

I’d tried—rather unsuccessfully, I might add—to convince him to stay behind at my apartment. He’d responded as expected, and merely glared at me until I sighed and motioned for him to get his ass out the door. Now, we sat together on the bus, both of us freezing without our winter jackets. But since boarding, he’d barely said two words to me, choosing instead to imitate a brooding statue. He did it well, at least.

I glanced sideways at him. His expression remained as closed off as ever, his eyes focused on the front of the bus. Though, from the look of his twitching jaw, he was quite aware of my stare, and it seemed I was making him uncomfortable. Me. Making him uncomfortable. The very thought was laughable.

Just about as laughable as whatever happened between us last night.

Between the couple hours of sleep I’d managed, I’d decided that I’d imagined everything. That he was right. The bite didn’t mean anything. I’d heard vampire bites could be seductive. Addicting, even. Like Rathiel said, it kept their prey coming back for more. Why hunt when your victims could come looking for you?

That had to be it. Or rather, it was the only explanation I would accept.

Of course, it was easier to convince myself of all that when he wasn’t sitting right beside me. My neck still tingled from last night, as was my stupid traitorous body. Parts of me actually ached for him. It had to be the bite.

Right?

The bus squealed to a stop, and I snapped out of my thoughts. This was our stop. Someone else had pulled the bell, thankfully. But it left us scrambling to disembark before the doors shut and the bus continued down the road.

Rathiel followed suit, his movements fluid and controlled, like he had all the time in the world. I’d noticed with venomous envy this morning that he didn’t look the slightest bit tired, unlike me, with my puffy, bruised eyes. It made me hate him a little.

I continued down the sidewalk, toward the coffee shop. The silence between us stretched long and heavy, each step filled with questions I didn’t ask. Why bother when I knew he wouldn’t answer?

We reached the door of the coffee shop, and I hesitated, my hand on the handle. Rathiel stopped beside me, his gaze fixed on the door, but I could feel his awareness of me, of the tension between us. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, the familiar scent of coffee and baked goods washing over me like a balm.

Inside, the shop was quiet, the early hour ensuring a slow trickle of customers. I tossed my bag into the back room and grabbed my apron, tying it around my waist with practiced ease. Rathiel moved to the same spot as yesterday, settling in with the air of someone who had all the time in the world to watch and wait. His eyes, though, were on me, tracking my every move with that unnerving intensity that made my skin prickle.

After learning that Jazz had called out for the day—much to my dismay—I busied myself with the morning prep, grateful for the distraction. Grinding coffee beans, setting out pastries, wiping down counters—mundane tasks that kept my hands busy while my mind spun in circles. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the job at hand, my thoughts kept drifting back to Rathiel, to the questions that still hung in the air between us.

I just wish I knew how to get him to give me answers. Maybe I could pin him down and force him to talk. No, my body liked that idea a bit too much. A training session, then? Obviously, we hadn’t sparred in a very long time. Maybe I just needed to get his blood pumping to get the words flowing. It was certainly an idea, one I found myself actually entertaining.

The morning rush began to pick up, and I threw myself into the work, forcing myself to smile and chat with the customers as if nothing was amiss. But every time I glanced over at Rathiel, I found him watching me, his gaze never wavering. At least it didn’t bother me anymore—apparently, I was adjusting to his presence. Lucky me.

By the time the morning rush began to slow, I was running on autopilot, my body moving through the familiar motions of serving coffee and handing out pastries. I leaned against the counter and let out a breath. It would pick up again around lunch, when people needed their second dose of liquid caffeine. But until then, I could take time to regroup.

I had to mentally prepare for my date with Jack tonight. I hadn’t explicitly told Rathiel about it, but one could assume he’d overheard me and Jazz discussing it yesterday. I’d been hoping for Jazz’s help to pick out a dress. She wasn’t here, though. Which left me one option—an option I was hesitant to explore after last night. But what choice did I have? Rathiel refused to leave me unsupervised, and I needed another dress.

Sighing, I tossed a dirty rag into the nearby sink, then strode toward him.

His gaze tracked my every step, but his expression didn’t so much as flicker. Not even a pleasant smile. Personally, I preferred his dark and brooding expressions. Gave me a wonderful shiver I would never admit to out loud.

“I need to buy some things after my shift. A new phone, for starters. But also, a dress,” I said unceremoniously.

Rathiel merely lifted an eyebrow.

“And you’re going to help me find one.”

His eyebrow arched just a fraction higher, his piercing gaze never leaving mine. “And why exactly do you need a dress?” His voice was low and skeptical.

I hesitated, knowing full well that my answer would hit a nerve, even if he wouldn’t show it. “I have a date tonight.”

A brief flicker of emotion crossed his face, but it was gone an instant later, replaced by the same unreadable mask he always wore.

“With Jack,” I added, my voice quieter than I intended.

Rathiel’s jaw tightened, just enough for me to notice. “A second date,” he stated, the words clipped. Finally, he let out a slow, controlled breath and shifted his gaze away from me, staring out the window instead. “And you think this is a good idea? With everything that’s going on?”

His tone was flat, devoid of the emotion that had briefly flickered across his face. It was almost as if he was trying to detach himself from the situation, to keep whatever he was feeling under tight control.

“It’s just a date, Rathiel,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m not going to let my life come to a screeching halt because of everything that’s going on.”

His gaze snapped back to me, sharp and probing. “Because of what, exactly? Because your father knows where you are? And wants you dead? And has started sending hellspawn here to kill you?”

I scanned the immediate area, relieved to find no one overheard his last remark. “Nice,” I bit out, rolling my eyes. “Announce it to the whole freaking world, why don’t you? Look, I like Jack. And he likes me. So, I’m going to go on this date with him, regardless of your opinion on the matter.”

Rathiel’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression hardening. “This is reckless.”

“Maybe. But that’s not your call. The only choice you have is whether or not you accompany me shopping. You can go back to my apartment and wait for me there, if you choose to.”

Anger flashed in his eyes, but he quickly blinked and centered himself. “Fine,” he said, his voice quieter. “I’ll help you find a dress .”

There was no enthusiasm in his tone, no warmth. Just a cold acceptance that made my chest tighten with a mix of guilt and something else I didn’t want to name. I hadn’t expected him to be thrilled, but I also hadn’t expected his reaction to cut this deep.

“Thank you,” I said, though the words felt hollow, as if they weren’t nearly enough to fill the growing chasm between us.

Without another word, I turned away and headed back to finish the rest of my shift, trying to ignore Rathiel’s presence. A damn near impossible feat. At least for me.

By the time my shift ended, I was even more exhausted. I only hoped I could find a dress quickly and return home with enough time to nap before my date tonight.

I untied my apron and hung it up, happy to have one less thing to worry about. I headed back to Rathiel, who stood and silently made his way to the door, holding it open for me.

We took a small detour to my bank’s closest branch to replace my debit card, then hurried to the phone store. Once I booted up my new phone, a text message from Eliza came in telling me that she’d already managed to recruit a few more people to guard the portal. Impressed with her efficiency, and relieved to have a few less items on my to-do list, I ushered Rathiel to the nearest clothing store.

Rathiel kept a steady pace beside me, his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants, his expression still unreadable. It was unnerving—this silence. I was used to our banter, to the push and pull of our interactions. But it felt like something had broken between us, and I wasn’t sure how to fix it.

“Welcome!” a saleswoman greeted us as we entered. “Can I help you find something?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Rathiel stepped forward before I could speak. “We’re looking for a dress,” he said, his voice calm and authoritative. “Something for a special occasion.”

The saleswoman’s smile widened, and she motioned for us to follow her deeper into the store. “Of course. We have a lovely selection of evening gowns and cocktail dresses. What sort of event will you be attending?”

“A date,” I blurted before Rathiel could reply. His jaw clenched at the word, but he said nothing.

The saleswoman’s eyes sparkled with interest, clearly thinking Rathiel was the date I spoke of, and she began pulling a few dresses from the racks. “Let’s see. You have such a lovely figure. I think something fitted would be perfect. Maybe a deep blue or black, to complement your dark hair color and eyes.”

I nodded. As the saleswoman held up a few options for me to consider, I stole a quick glance at Rathiel. His expression remained blank, but I saw the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes seemed to darken whenever the word “date” cropped up.

I sighed inwardly, realizing that shopping with him might not have been the best idea after all.

“Why don’t you try this one?” The saleswoman held up a sleek, black dress with a plunging neckline both in the front and the back, and a slit up the side. “It’s elegant, but with just enough edge to make a statement.”

“Ah. Uh, no exposed back, please,” I commented.

Rathiel’s head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing. But his expression cleared the second his attention jumped to my back. The weight of his stare made me itchy, but rather than cower, I lifted my chin and met the saleswoman’s confused gaze. After a moment, she said, “Of course,” and continued searching her racks.

“How about this one?” she asked, holding a lovely black dress with a boat neck and, once again, a slitted side.

“Much better,” I said.

I took the dress from her and headed to the fitting room, my heart pounding a little harder than it should have been. I didn’t want to think about Rathiel’s reaction when I stepped out wearing the dress. I also didn’t want to think about the strange tension between us, or the way his presence seemed to wrap around me, making it hard to breathe.

But as I slipped into the dress and caught sight of myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but wonder what he would think. Would he approve? An image suddenly flashed in my mind, and it was not of Jack ripping this dress off me, but rather a certain vampire standing just outside my change room.

Gathering my courage, I stepped out of the fitting room and faced Rathiel. His gaze swept over me, lingering on the curves of the dress, the way it clung to my body like a second skin. An almost hunger flashed in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual guarded expression.

“What do you think?” I asked, my voice more tentative than I intended. I cleared my throat and tried again. Shyness wasn’t me.

Rathiel didn’t answer right away. He seemed to be struggling with something, his jaw working as if he were holding back words that wanted to spill out. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and gravelly. “It’s good.”

I rolled my eyes. This dress went far beyond good . But I had a feeling that was all he would give me.

I forced a smile and turned back to the mirror, trying to hide the confusion that was swirling inside me. “Great. I’ll take it, then.”

“Wonderful,” the saleswoman said, a smile lighting up her face. Maybe I should have checked the price tag first. She seemed overly eager for the sale. Luckily, my bank account had plenty of zeroes in it now, and money was no object. A weird notion for me.

I changed back into my clothes, then paid for my dress and yet another pair of shoes that apparently cost a quarter of my rent. Afterward, I found the nearest department store and bought Rathiel and I brand new winter jackets. They weren’t needed, but we would attract less attention wearing them. And less attention was a good thing.

Once we had everything we needed, we grabbed the next bus back to my apartment. With luck, everything would go well tonight.

But when was I ever that lucky?