When the morning light hit my eyes, I groaned and turned my head to burrow into Morik’s shirt. His fingers threaded through my hair in slow, gentle strokes, much like they had the morning before. It soothed me from my slightly surly mood because I’d wanted to sleep in.
Sighing, I enjoyed the heat of his skin against my palm and pressed closer. Wait. Skin? More awake, I concentrated on my position, too afraid to look.
I lay against his side with only a thin blanket over us. My hand had found a way under his shirt to his skin. And, at some point during the night, I had casually tossed one of my legs over his thighs.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, quickly untangling myself and sitting up.
I caught sight of his eyes as the hand he had in my hair fell to the bed. Onyx pools stared back at me. At least, I thought they did. I couldn’t tell the direction of his gaze when they solidified to one color like that.
“I didn’t mean to practically lay on you. I must have gotten cold after kicking off the covers.”
“I didn’t mind.”
Something about the way he held himself so still made me nervous. I averted my gaze and saw my hand hadn’t just been under his shirt. I’d pushed up his shirt, and his stomach was now exposed. I couldn’t look away. I liked the warm color of it and the texture.
Realizing I stared, I forced my eyes to focus on the door.
He’d told me he wouldn’t draw any lines for me, but I didn’t want to do things that would make him feel uncomfortable, either. He wasn’t a toy to be played with.
“I’m going to get ready,” I said softly and scrambled over his legs.
I stopped at the door, my arms full of clothes, and looked back at him, unsure of what I was getting ready for. “What are we doing today?”
He rose gracefully from the bed.
“Your grandmother came in a few minutes ago. She covered us up and asked if we’d go shopping with her once you woke.”
I glanced at the bed and mentally cringed at what she’d likely witnessed. Better her than Mom, though.
Feeling Morik watching me, I focused on him again. His eyes were still obsidian pools as he folded the blanket in his arms and waited for me to open the door. Even with black nails, the sight of him barefoot in my bedroom started butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
“Do you mind going shopping?” I asked, trying to ignore my reaction to him.
He shook his head.
“Okay.”
Leaving him in my room, I used my time in the bathroom to calm down. It wasn’t often I could shower in the morning. It gave me time to think. I liked sleeping next to Morik. Maybe a little too much. Would I like doing that for the rest of my life? Would he?
My fascination with him continued to grow each day, and I knew I wouldn’t be looking for someone to choose anymore. I wanted Morik as my choice but didn’t know how to make it official. Yet, some part of me wasn’t in agreement with the rest. Was it my heart or my head? Maybe a little of both.
Though I knew his loneliness inspired the original deal, I wanted Morik to have a choice, too. I wanted him to want to be with me, not out of desperation but because he didn’t want anyone else. That part really worried me. What if I was the wrong choice for him? What if we didn’t work out? Would he and I be trapped together? Once I chose him, would I still be able to talk to my family or other humans, or would the rules that prevented his interaction then apply to me as well?
I had so many questions, but they all circled back to what I meant to him. And that would be the hardest question to ask. Would his answer change my decision? Selfishly, I didn’t think so. I’d take Morik over anyone else just because I didn’t want a death on my shoulders, but I still worried about sacrificing his happiness.
After taking some time to apply a little makeup, I stepped out of the bathroom in search of Morik and Gran. The aroma of fried bacon greeted me.
It wasn’t often Gran made a big breakfast, but when she did, it was hard to miss. She went old school in the kitchen and used the bacon grease to fry the diced potatoes and onions. When those finished, she put that in the oven and used a little of the grease she’d set aside to cook scrambled eggs. Plated, the potatoes went on the bottom of the pile, topped with the eggs, shredded cheese, then crumbled bacon. My mouth watered.
Inner turmoil forgotten, I followed my nose. Instead of Gran at the stove, Morik stood there, using a fork to scoot the bacon around the pan while he carefully avoided the popping grease. He’d changed clothes while I’d gotten ready, but he left off the hat and glasses. Gran sat at the table, a cup of coffee cradled in her hands as she gave him pointers.
I crossed the tile and peeked over Morik’s shoulder. The sight of the browning bacon made my stomach rumble, and he looked back at me. His eyes were normal again. Well, what I thought might be normal for him. Silver with strands of brown swirled in their depths. Without a word, he handed me a piece of cooled bacon from the plate beside the stove.
“Thanks.” I broke a piece off and popped it into my mouth.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled at me then turned his attention back to the bacon.
I sat next to Gran so I could face the stove and watch Morik.
“Did you know he’s never had bacon?” she asked as if I were the one responsible for his food options. “Or meatloaf?” She turned her focus back to Morik. “What about a casserole? Ever had any type of casserole?”
I caught the quick quirk of Morik’s lips before he answered that he hadn’t. He found Gran and her questions amusing.
Gran pushed a pad of paper and pen toward me.
“Write that down, Tessa. We need to get him some variety.” She tapped the paper in front of me with an authoritative finger. I dutifully made note of the ingredients we’d need and kept my worry about the cost to myself.
“Morik, set aside a little bit of the grease before you add those potatoes.”
I looked up in time to see Morik put down the bowl of dice potatoes he’d been about to dump into the hot, grease-filled pan. Without switching off the burner, he used a spoon to scoop out some of the grease.
“Be careful adding the potatoes,” I said just as he again lifted the bowl.
He dumped the cool, wet potatoes into the grease. It popped and sizzled. A large glob of grease flew from the pan and landed on the side of his face and ear.
I didn’t think; I reacted. I flew out of the chair, grabbed the towel from the drying rack, and rushed over to him. He calmly put the lid on the pan as I gently turned his face toward me with the tips of my fingers.
Grimacing at the shiny spot on his cheek and ear, I carefully blotted the grease away. However, neither place turned red nor began to welt. I reached out and touched his cheek. It remained his normal warm temperature.
Puzzled, I shifted my attention to his ear and carefully ran my finger along the outer shell. He made a pained grunting noise, and I quickly pulled my hand away.
“I’m so sorry. I’ll get you some ice.”
He caught me before I could move away. I looked up, worried about him. His eyes had become a void again.
“I’m going to brush my hair,” Gran said from behind me.
“I’ll help you,” Aunt Danielle said, moving to join Gran.
Confused, I watched them both leave the room then looked up at Morik.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” He took the towel from my hands and set it on the counter. “You did everything right. Thank you for worrying about me, but I’m fine. The heat doesn’t bother me.”
“Oh.” I felt more than a little silly but still wondered what part of what I’d done had caused the change in his eyes. My concern? I wished I had the courage to ask.
He studied me for a long moment and then asked, “Can you crumble the bacon?”
We worked together to finish breakfast, and Gran came back into the kitchen in time to help serve. We ate together in silence, everyone enjoying the food.
Since Mom and Aunt Grace had arranged for a ride to work, we could use the car to get the supplies we needed for our big holiday meal. Gran insisted that Morik drive, and she sat in the backseat so I could sit next to him. The differences in attitude between my mom and Gran contrasted like night and day.
At the store, Gran tore the list in two and handed us the top half so we could shop faster. Morik studied me as I price-shopped. When he continually glanced at the pathetic small pile of food in the cart, I wondered if I bored him.
After I found the last items at reasonable prices, we met Gran at the register and checked out. There weren’t many bags, but Morik loaded everything into the car.
We made it home and helped Gran unload groceries before I packed a bag for Beatriz’s house. I didn’t plan to spend the night or anything. I just needed normal clothes to wear because Morik had thoughtfully brought the insulated pants for the ride. And, I knew from the last party, it would be too hot to wear them the whole night.
The pants made a huge difference, though. The ride was much more enjoyable when I wasn’t freezing.
Beatriz, alerted of our arrival by the noise of the motorcycle, threw open the door and welcomed us with a smile. She told us that Jay and Tommy were already starting to set up in the basement. Brad came upstairs while I changed and enlisted Morik’s help outside to clear the snow from the deck.
Beatriz and I worked in the kitchen to prep the food that would be put out in stages throughout the party. My gaze often drifted to the windows to watch Morik as he worked. He and Brad talked a lot, and I saw Morik smile a few times. Did he enjoy spending time with Brad? Was I a means to an end or something more? That question, more than any other, was eating me alive.
The group took a break for a late lunch—takeout pizza again—before continuing with the party preparations. Finished outside, Morik and Brad went downstairs to help the other two. After the last snack was prepped and ready in the kitchen, Beatriz and I joined them so we could check on their progress.
The bar was already stocked with the liquor Brad had somehow managed to purchase, and they were carrying in ice from outside. Since there wasn’t anything left for us to do, Beatriz and I took a break on the bar stools closest to the stairs. Brad asked Morik to help Tommy carry down a keg. Morik waved away Tommy’s help and said that he’d manage on his own.
Beatriz stared after Morik before turning to me. “Tell me how he kisses.”
I couldn’t keep the confusion from my voice. “I thought you already kissed him.”
She grinned at me. “I kissed him, but he didn’t kiss back.” She sighed dramatically. “His bottom lip…it’s got this little pout to it. I just want to bite it.”
I couldn’t decide if I was shocked or amused by her openness.
She laughed at my expression. “So tell me, how is it when he kisses you?”
“It’s not like that,” I said, referring to our relationship.
“Are you kidding me? It is like that. I see how he looks at you.” She studied my face seriously for several moments, and I squirmed under her scrutiny. Dawning lit her expression. “Don’t tell me you haven’t kissed him yet.”
“It’s complicated,” I said, feeling a little harassed.
“How can it be complicated?”
I looked around the room. Jay was straightening the cue sticks and Tommy was checking the air hockey table. Brad was busy wiping down the soda dispenser behind the bar. The music was loud enough to completely mute our conversation.
“It’s new for me,” I admitted quietly, looking at her again.
Her mouth popped open for a moment before she snapped it shut. “Seriously?”
I nodded, and a grin spread over her lips.
“That is so damn cute!” She said it loud enough that Brad glanced up from his bottles. I gave her a look, but she didn’t pay attention to it. “If you want practice, Brad would be happy to help.”
“What’s up?” he asked, walking over.
A blush crept into my cheeks, and I gave Beatriz a warning nudge with my foot. She seemed to take it as prompting, though.
“Tessa wants a kiss.”
Just then, Morik walked around the corner. The music had masked the sound of his descent on the steps. With his jaw clenched tightly and a keg set over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing, he stopped just inside the room. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Had he heard only the last part of the conversation?
His blazing red and orange eyes didn’t meet mine. They focused on Brad. I glanced at Brad, who gave his sister an exasperated look. Beatriz winked at her brother. Neither saw Morik’s eyes.
I glanced back toward Morik, but he had vanished. Only the keg remained on the floor, standing on its end.
Brad noticed the direction of my gaze. “Awesome. I didn’t even hear him bring it down.” He waved Tommy over to help him get it into place behind the bar.
I leapt from the stool and raced up the stairs. Beatriz called after me. She hadn’t noticed Morik at all. When I made it to the front door, I yanked it open. The motorcycle was still parked where we’d left it, but he was nowhere in sight. He’d obviously just popped out of the basement.
Beatriz caught up to me as I closed the door.
“What are you doing?”
“Morik heard you.” I wasn’t mad at her. She’d only been playing around, but I was worried about him.
“Oh my God…I’m so sorry, Tessa.”
I nodded, accepting her unnecessary apology. I couldn’t put off talking to him any longer. I needed to know where we stood. Was he upset because he still thought I was entertaining other choices, or was there more?
She looked out the window and saw the bike as I had. “He couldn’t have gone far. Just let him cool off. Maybe this is a good thing. It might help move things along.”
She had no idea. I just hoped Morik wouldn’t direct his anger at Brad. As we stood there in the entry, the first car of partygoers pulled into the drive. Distracted, Beatriz yelled down the steps to warn her brother then rushed to prop open the door.
I moved back from the cold blast of air, listened to the heat kick in, and hoped the motorcycle meant that Morik would be back. Soon.
Two hours later, I weaved my way through the crowded rooms, still hoping to see Morik. There’d been no sign of him since he’d vanished, and I was worried.
I decided to head upstairs for a drink and some space. The partiers were annoying me. Too often, I accidentally bumped into someone and caused a vision of a future I couldn’t care less about. It slowed me down and gave me a headache.
Before I made it to the sink, Brad caught my arm and pulled me through the French doors. When he closed the door behind us and shut in the noise of the party, he sighed heavily. His hair was messed, and his cheeks were flushed.
“You looked like you could use an escape as much as I do.” He sat on a chair and ran his hand through his hair. The move explained why it looked so messy.
“Not having fun this time?” I asked, looking away to scan the woods behind the house. Was Morik out there watching, waiting for his temper to cool? His bike still stood parked in the driveway.
“Not really. Bea told me what happened, and I wanted to catch you to apologize for her.”
“It’s okay, Brad. I know Beatriz didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Good.”
He stood, pulled me into his arms, and before I had a chance to react, he pressed his lips to mine. I stiffened in shock. However, the brief, light touch ended before the kiss really began. I fought to keep all emotion from my face as he pulled back to look at me with a wry grin.
“I just wanted you to know that I’d be happy to help.”
He let me go and held the door for me. I moved robotically and struggled to maintain an air of indifference as the vision triggered by the kiss lingered in my mind.
Inside, he winked at me then jogged down the stairs again, probably to take up post behind the bar before things got rowdy.
Once he was out of sight, I went upstairs. There was a sign on Beatriz’s bedroom door. In bold, hot pink marker, she said her room was completely off-limits to everyone. The word everyone was underlined several times. After Tommy barfed in her bathroom, I didn’t blame her, but I needed a quiet place and didn’t think she would mind.
I slipped inside and shut the door behind me. Light from the hall spilled under the door but only enough to see vague shadows. So, I stayed put.
The vision of my future with Brad shook me. He’d be wonderful, of course, but it was my future relationship with Beatriz that truly captured my attention. We would become very close. I’d confide in her before Brad’s death, and we’d do impossible things to try to keep him alive. I’d even confide in Brad. He would comfort me and tell me he didn’t regret any choices we made as he looked at our two children.
Beatriz would stay by my side through it all. She’d be the best friend I would ever have.
It tempted me so much…and scared me. I’d not only ruin Brad’s life but hers as well, trapping her with my choice as securely as my family.
So, I stood there in the dark and gathered my courage. I couldn’t play with lives through my inaction anymore. I needed to actively try to make the right choice.
“Morik,” I called softly. My palms began to sweat.
“What did you see?” he asked from somewhere in the darkness.
I jumped slightly, and the ninja-kicking butterflies returned. His gravelly voice seemed strained. I couldn’t answer his question without hurting him more, and I didn’t want to lie. Not to him.
“I need to know something,” I said. “Do you want to be with me just because you’re lonely or because you truly like being with me?” Silence answered me. “I know you see me as your last choice, but I know what limited choices feel like and don’t want that for you. If there’s someone else, I’ll do everything in my power to help you get the companion you want.”
There. Two small pools of rage glowed from the nearby darkness. Slowly, I moved toward them and hoped that nothing stood between us.
“But, if you do want me as a companion, I need you to tell me what exactly that means.” I stood right in front of him. He remained focused on me, his eyes glowing with their unnatural light. “Will I still be able to see my family? What happens if you grow tired of me? What will you do when I grow old and die?”
I reached out my hand and gently touched his cheek. His eyes closed briefly, and he covered my hand with his own. I lifted my other hand and set it on his chest, just over his heart.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” I whispered.
“A kiss.” His breath whispered across my skin, telling me how close we stood.
Heart pounding, I leaned forward and closed the gap. Our lips met, and my stomach flipped. Then, a tingle started at the base of my spine, beneath the beltline of my jeans.
He tilted his head and increased the pressure on my lips. His hands slid into my hair and cradled me gently. I didn’t breathe as new sensations swamped me. The smooth, warm texture of his lips. The hot and cold bursts in my chest. The tingle on my spine. I frowned as the tingle grew to an unnatural flare of heat. It scorched my skin until I gasped and pulled away in shock.
“What is it?” he asked, not letting me move too far away.
“Something was burning—”
The door suddenly opened, and before the light from the hallway reached where we stood, Morik disappeared without me. I quickly let my hand drop and looked over my shoulder toward the blinding light.
“There you are. I was looking everywhere for you.” Beatriz stood in the lit hall, her expression suddenly curious. “Since when do you have a tramp stamp?”
In the vanity mirror near the door where she stood, I saw the reflection of myself and caught a glimpse of a mark under my shirt. I tugged the material out of the way for a better look. Sure enough. Right where the tingling had been, two thick lines, one strand black, the other a silvery grey, twined twice on their climb up my spine. It looked slightly tribal. Holy crap.
“Uh, it’s not something I think about,” I said as I turned toward her and tugged my shirt over the new mark.
“I love it! Can we show it to Brad? I want to get one just like it. He’s promised to take me.”
Morik would just love that.
Beatriz kept talking without waiting for my reply, for which I was grateful.
“What are you doing up here anyway?”
“Just needed some quiet time to think,” I said, leaving the room with her. She carefully closed the door behind us. “Hope you don’t mind. Nice sign by the way.”
“Like it? I had Tommy make it.” She grinned cheekily, and I laughed.
After our kiss, I thought Morik might join us again, but he didn’t. Back in the basement where the rowdiness of the drunks intensified by the minute, Beatriz started challenging pairs of Brad’s friends to a pool game. Jay and Tommy accepted, and she pulled me into the game as her partner. We took turns when it was our team’s go.
Jay had too much to drink and kept messing up his shots. After last weekend, Tommy played it cool with the alcohol and presented more of a challenge. That meant Beatriz started to play dirty. She’d stand close to him and talk to him during his shot, pointing out each girl in the room with a short skirt or a low-cut top. For the most part, he ignored her. Then, she talked some of those girls into leaning over the table opposite his shots. He started to lose focus fast.
After we beat Tommy and Jay, she challenged another pair who were too drunk to even hold a cue stick. That game never really got started, so she gave up on them. While she worked the room, looking for another group to challenge, I escaped upstairs again.
Passing the kitchen window, I thought I caught a glimpse of Brian just inside the circle of light on the back lawn. I did a double-take, but he wasn’t there. The moment reminded me of my trip to the mall. But this time, I went outside to look.
After the hot basement, the cold air felt good on my face as I stood on the porch and scanned the darkness. At first, I was alone with the wind. Then, I heard faint, racking sobs from the direction of the woods. Girls who went alone into the woods on a dark creepy night usually died. But those girls didn’t have Morik.
I quickly stepped back inside to grab my shoes and jacket. No one paid attention to me as I left again. The snow crunched beneath my feet as I stepped off the porch and walked toward the trees, following the distant sound of crying.
I found Brian in the snow at the base of a large oak. There sat the cocky senior who tried to bully me into a date. His knees were drawn to his chest, and his head rested on his crossed arms. Instead of feeling disdain, I felt pity. Without him, I would have never met Morik in time.
Brian lifted his head when he heard me. Enough moonlight filtered through the barren branches to glitter on his tear-streaked cheeks. When he saw me, his tears started falling in earnest.
“Clavin was right. Oh,” he moaned slightly as if in pain. “They put him in a hospital because he was talking about demons.”
Brian sobbed harder, and I took a step toward him, ready to comfort him. I wasn’t sure what to say, but he looked so hopeless.
He saw me move and started to squeal.
“Don’t come near me! They’re here for you. If he has you, he’ll leave me alone.”
I stopped my advance and squatted down to Brian’s level. He watched me closely.
“Who’s here for me?” I asked in a soothing tone, hoping he wouldn’t start to freak out again. Was he talking about Morik? I couldn’t believe Morik had shown himself to Brian. It didn’t make sense.
Brian didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze shifted to a place just behind me. Then he ducked his head and began to talk to himself. “This isn’t real. This is just a dream. It’ll be over soon, and I’ll wake up.”
“Brian,” I said, trying to get his attention. “Who’s here for me?”
“I am,” a voice rasped. A shiver of fear coursed through me at the sound.
I turned as I stood, one fluid motion. There stood the black apparition that had chased me to my front door so many nights ago. A part of me knew it wasn’t Morik, but I still had to be sure.
“Morik?”
It threw its head back and laughed, revealing a mouth illuminated by its burning tongue. Its laughter stopped as quickly as it started. With those glowing, green eyes fixed on me, it glided forward on hazy double columns of shifting smoke.
“No,” it said. “I am Ahgred.”
The name sounded familiar. Then I recalled why. The second deal Belinda had made.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“You, of course. Morik was clever to find a way into this world. I deserve the same chance.”
“Hardly,” Morik said as he appeared beside me.
I jumped, and Brian’s muttering increased in volume and intensity.
Ahgred turned toward Morik. His flaming tongue snaked out of his mouth in agitation. I kept my gaze locked on Ahgred and again remembered the close race down the driveway of our old house. What would have happened if he’d caught me?
“You can’t save both of them,” Ahgred said.
When had this turned into a question of saving either of us? Brian whimpered behind me when he heard he wasn’t as safe as he’d thought.
Morik spoke calmly as if Ahgred’s threat was of no importance.
“I don’t need to. I’ll save her. If you want any chance, ever, you’ll leave the boy alone. She doesn’t like us damaging them.”
Ahgred whipped his head back and forth angrily.
Morik used his ability to disappear and reappear right behind me. He wrapped his arms around my torso. Ahgred had no time to react before we were gone.
One minute, we stood in the snow under the skeletal oak; the next, we stood in my living room. Gran and Aunt Grace sat on the couch, staring at us with round eyes as their movie played forgotten in the background.
“Chant her to sleep. Now.” Morik disappeared as abruptly as we’d appeared.
Before I could protest, Aunt Danielle flew from her chair, her words howling through the house. There was no time for me to say anything, to beg them to stop. My eyes immediately grew heavy as Gran and Aunt Grace quickly joined in.
I had enough time to think two things: What the hell had just happened, and would Morik be able to save Brian? Then, all thought stopped.
