The sound of Morik’s steady breathing erased the remnants of sleep and roused my curiosity. Unlike the last few mornings, I lay in my own space because of the bigger bed. But I wasn’t alone in the guest room like I’d feared I would be. Morik lay next to me with his eyes closed, actually sleeping. He hadn’t needed any more of an invitation to join me in his home than he had in mine.
Carefully, I rolled to my side and studied him. He looked so human, until I spotted his horns peeking through his hair. The sharp tip of one of them rested against the pillow, and I wondered how many pillows died because of them.
My gaze searched for what really interested me, but his ears were completely hidden under his dark hair. I checked the time to make sure it wasn’t too early to wake him then reached out to run my fingers through the silken strands. I liked the feel of it. But that wasn’t my true purpose. I wanted to find his ear. My fingers found the tip of the one closest to me.
“Good morning.” His voice was deep and rough, and he didn’t open his eyes.
I paused but didn’t remove my hand.
“Morning,” I whispered, trying to keep my smile from my voice.
Continuing my exploration, I traced my fingertip along the outer shell to the tip then followed that ridge to the place where the top of his ear joined his head. I repeated the move in reverse. He seemed completely fine with my touch until I reached the tip and began to run my fingers along the outer shell.
His eyes popped open, black voids. I couldn’t actually tell if he looked at me but assumed I had his attention. A fine tremor shook him for a moment as I continued.
“Let’s get you home before we upset your mother.” The words sounded a bit choked.
A moment later, I lay alone on my bed, a smile still lingering on my lips. I looked up at Morik as he stood over me. He shook his head at me and disappeared.
The phone rang.
Muffled through the closed door, I heard someone say, “That girl is driving me crazy.”
Curious, I got out of bed and drifted to the living room. A pile of yarn at her feet, Gran sat on the couch. She was far from relaxed, though. Her knitting needles clicked and clacked with her agitated movements.
She looked up from her work when I entered.
“Oh, Tess! I didn’t know Morik brought you back. Beatriz has been calling. She called yesterday, and we forgot to tell you to return her call before you left.” The phone continued to ring. “Oh, just answer it.”
I picked up the kitchen phone.
“Hello?”
“Tessa, what happened to you? You just disappeared. We were so worried.” Beatriz sounded more annoyed than worried, though, and I bit back a groan. I’d completely forgotten how we’d left the party.
“I’m sorry for scaring you. Morik found me, and we decided to leave. I should have said good-bye.”
A moment of silence carried over the line, and I opened my mouth to apologize again, but she spoke first.
“Brad told me what he did. He thinks that’s why you left. Don’t get me wrong, I like Morik. But it’d be cool if you liked my brother.”
I closed my eyes and felt the lingering pull of our friendship from the vision with Brad. Oh, I knew she wouldn’t mind me liking him at all.
“Brad is great, and what he did wasn’t the reason I left. I hope he finds someone wonderful, but it won’t be me. I like Morik.”
“Yeah, I figured.” She gave a sad sigh. “What are you doing today? Do you two want to come over?”
Morik still hadn’t reappeared, and I began to wonder where he’d gone. Actually, there were a few other people missing, too. I glanced at Gran but didn’t want to ask her about Mom or going to Beatriz’s while Beatriz was listening.
Aunt Danielle opened an eye to look at me with a large, knowing smile on her face.
“I don’t know what we’re doing today,” I said, answering Beatriz. “I just woke up. Let me talk to my mom, and I’ll give you a call back.”
She groaned. “It takes forever for you to call back.” With that, I knew she’d forgiven me for disappearing.
I laughed, said good-bye, and she unwillingly let me go. Gran’s knitting quieted once I hung up.
“Gran, where are Mom and Aunt Grace?”
“Grace is sleeping in, and your mom is still at Stephen’s.”
Admittedly, the news that Mom went to stay the night at Stephen’s took me by surprise, and I stared at Gran for a moment. She returned my look, watching for my reaction. There was none to give.
“Beatriz wanted to know if I could come over today. Do we have any plans here?”
Gran said we didn’t and told me to make whatever plans I wanted, assuring me she’d pass them along to Mom. Now, I just needed to figure out what Morik had planned. I debated calling him but decided to leave him alone for a bit. He would show up when he was ready.
After I showered and dressed, I did a load of laundry. Aunt Grace roused herself before the spin cycle finished.
I’d just switched the clothes to the dryer when I heard a car in the driveway. I peered out the kitchen window but couldn’t see much because of a sudden gust of blowing snow. A car door closed. Immediately following that, a knock on the door sounded. I smiled and rushed to get it. Only one person could move that fast.
Morik stood in the swirling snow, a small smile on his face. I reached to tug him through the opening and closed the door behind him.
“Where were you?” I asked, taking his things.
“I had to get something for your aunt,” he replied, his gaze finding Aunt Grace in the living room.
Having woken up late, she had wet hair from her recent shower and still sipped her coffee on the couch while she watched a talk show. However, when Morik said “Aunt,” she looked up and saw his eyes on her.
“Me?” she asked with a startled expression.
“Yes, you.” He strode toward her and dropped keys into her hand. “That belongs to the car outside, Tessa’s price for a very important promise.”
All eyes turned toward me.
“I promised to stay inside last night when he came back for the snack mix.” I shrugged as if it weren’t a very interesting topic. “What kind of car did you find?”
“Let your aunt look. It’s her surprise.”
Aunt Grace popped off the couch and hurriedly tugged on her things. Her bare feet slid into her runners. The door loudly clicked shut in her rush.
I went to the window. Between gusts, I spotted a shiny, cherry red car in the driveway with my aunt draped over the hood, obviously in love. I watched her rush to let herself into the driver’s side door and listened to the muffled sound of an engine start. She eased the car forward, veering toward the left of our two-car garage.
“It looks kind of new,” I said, stepping back.
A moment later, Aunt Grace flew into the house like a lunatic and launched herself straight at Morik.
“I love you!” she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He stood stiffly in her embrace while I stared at them both in amazement. Though Aunt Grace had never shown the open hostility Mom had, she hadn’t made an effort to interact with him like Aunt Danielle or Gran, either.
“What was it?” I asked her.
She rattled off something that I didn’t understand, but the year caught my attention. The current year.
“That’s new, Morik.” I frowned at him.
“Technically not. The car has a prior owner, making it used.”
“But I said a beater.”
“Hey,” Aunt Grace scolded, removing her arms to give me a quick frown.
Morik looked relieved she’d released him until she focused on him once more.
“You did good,” she said to him as if her enthusiastic hug hadn’t already confirmed that.
I continued to scowl at him.
“If she chooses to beat it, she may,” Morik said helpfully.
“Best Christmas ever,” my aunt said to herself with a silly grin on her face as she shuffled back to her bedroom.
Mom came home before Morik and I decided what to do for the day. She looked slightly dazed when she walked in the door.
“Saw the car, huh?” I lounged on the overstuffed chair with my feet dangling over the edge as I waited for Morik to come up with a better idea than Beatriz’s house.
“Hmmm?” she said absently.
I frowned and watched her hang up her jacket and kick off her shoes. The motions were right but the attitude all wrong. I called her name. Twice. She answered with another noncommittal noise as if her hearing had suddenly ceased to function overnight.
“Gran,” I called, getting up and going to Mom. Gran came up from the basement, a basket of laundry in her arms.
“Tessa, you don’t need to yell,” Gran scolded.
Worried about Mom, I ignored Gran.
“Clare,” I said, loudly right in her face.
Mom pulled back as if I’d slapped her. “Tessa! What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with you? Did you get in an accident?” Despite her now angry frown, I was still worried.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Stephen dropped me off.”
When she said his name, she smiled a little. That’s when I noticed the glint on her ring finger. I grunted at the sudden pain in my stomach. It felt as if I’d been hit.
“Engaged?” I whispered.
She nodded, her smile growing. Gran gasped, and Aunt Grace squealed for Mom to show the ring.
Backing out of the way, I stared at Mom as an alien feeling gripped me. Morik congratulated her quietly then strode toward me. Our gazes locked. How could she do this? Less than five months to go, and I struggled to find the answer to make the choice to set them all free. I was trying. Very hard. She couldn’t wait? Didn’t she want to know if I’d live with Morik or die as Aunt Danielle had before she threw herself at Stephen?
I pushed away those thoughts along with the angry, bitter feelings that burned my throat. Then, I moved toward her, took my turn to hug her and congratulate her, and listened to her story of how romantically Stephen had proposed after dating a year. A year? I pushed down more bile.
Since it would be Stephen’s first marriage, he wanted to go big. So Mom wanted Aunt Grace to be her maid of honor along with Stephen’s sisters and me as bridesmaids. Given their age, they wanted a spring wedding. The upcoming spring. My cheeks stung with a sudden, horrible flush. I swallowed hard.
“What do you think of May?” she asked the room with a happy glow.
I quietly went to my room. Morik followed. I waited until he cleared the door and closed it with a click.
“I’m not in the mood for a quiet day. Can I call Beatriz from your house and see if they want to meet for bowling or something?”
He pulled me into his arms as an answer. I felt the temperature change immediately but stayed in his arms for a moment. He tightened his hold minutely, the gesture assuring me that he knew I struggled with something. That he didn’t pester me to explain it endeared him to me further.
We passed the remainder of the day at the bowling alley, enjoying the company of Beatriz, her brother, and a few of Brad’s friends. When Morik brought me home, I snuck to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
Morik waited for me when I returned. Remembering his warning about my family’s chant being stronger, I went to ask Aunt Danielle if she’d help chant me to sleep. She didn’t ask why. We both heard the conversation coming from the back of the house. Excited female voices discussed wedding details.
The soft murmur of Aunt Danielle’s voice blended with Morik’s as they worked together. He lifted me gently into his arms, their touches knocking me out.
The day definitely did not rank in my top-ten-best-days-ever list.
I shivered awake, the space next to me empty and cool.
“Morning,” Mom said as she sat, claiming the vacant mattress real estate. “Tessa, I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t think how it would sound to you.”
It sucked that she wanted to discuss this topic before I could even brush my teeth.
“Mom, it’s fine. You’re doing exactly what I’d want you to do.” I sat up and brushed my hair back from my face. “If Stephen makes you happy, then it sounds perfect.”
She pulled me into a hug, sniffling ominously.
I quickly pulled back, telling her I had plans with Morik and needed to get ready. She felt guilty enough for yesterday that she didn’t quiz me on the details and left.
Once I had clothes on, I whispered his name. He popped into the room just inside the door.
I didn’t bother asking where he’d come from. Instead, I asked if the snow had stopped enough for a bike ride to the Coffee Shop. He took us to his house with a touch and handed me my leather jacket as an answer.
Minutes later, the bell above the Coffee Shop’s door rang as we walked in. Its familiar smells greeted me. Mona called hello and hurried behind the counter to take our order. A few older men sat at tables, reading various sections of the shop’s single paper.
We ordered one of the shop’s specialty drinks and grabbed our own table. The drink warmed me after the ride, but it didn’t quite take care of the hungry grumble my stomach kept emitting.
When Mona moved around the tables to fill cups for those who had plain, old-fashioned coffee, I asked if she served anything quick for breakfast.
“I tried making muffins and a few baked things, but the oven and I aren’t on friendly terms. Things don’t come out looking like the pictures. And ordering from a baker means a minimum for delivery or picking it up myself. Too much hassle for just a handful of people who’d be interested.” She changed topics abruptly. “Nice ring, Morik. Someone special give it to you?” She didn’t wait for his answer, just winked at me and moved along on her rounds.
I stared after her with a growing respect for her astuteness. Then, I began to contemplate her reason for not offering breakfast items.
“We could do it,” I said to Morik. “Gran and I. Well, more Gran than me since I sleep so late. But she could bake, and I could bring it here for her. I think Mona’s right about the weekday needs being small, but I bet once people tasted Gran’s baking, there’d be a demand for it on the weekends.” I slugged back the rest of my cooled coffee and insisted we go back home.
Gran loved the idea when I explained it to her and started to pull out cookbooks. I sat at the table with her and helped calculate ingredient prices, prep time, and baking into estimated costs for her favorite recipes.
The next morning, Morik and I borrowed Aunt Grace’s car with promises to return it in an equally pristine condition. We needed it to deliver eight beautifully plastic-wrapped blueberry muffins to Mona. Before we left, Gran insisted we test one of the remaining four that hadn’t made the cut. They were delicious and still just barely warm.
When I walked into the shop, carrying the muffins, Mona laughed at me.
“Gran wants you to taste one of these and let her know if you’d consider a partnership with a bored, home-baker,” I said, setting the platter of muffins on the counter.
Mona groaned in anticipation while unwrapping a muffin. Since I knew how it tasted, I grinned when she took a bite and her eyes rolled back dramatically.
“We’ll see how well they sell. If not, I’ll just gain weight having this stuff here. How much per muffin?” she asked.
We discussed the price for a moment, and I left feeling giddy on Gran’s behalf.
“You’re giggling,” Morik commented on the way home.
“I’m so happy for Gran. This is a perfect way for her to contribute. Maybe they can start to put some money away so it won’t be so hard when I—” I stopped myself, stunned by my thoughts. So it wouldn’t be so hard when I had babies. But I wouldn’t need to worry about that.
Deep down, I found that hidden part of me that denied the possibility of accepting Morik and squashed it with my thumb.
The sudden burning sensation along my spine took me by surprise, and I hissed in pain. As soon as it started, it disappeared.
Morik pulled the car into the garage, watching me while he did it, which made me cringe. He did his blink thing to move us into the bedroom as soon as he cut the engine.
“What happened?” Concern laced his voice.
“I don’t know. When I kissed you that first time at Bea’s house, a mark kind of burned my back,” I said. His brows drew down in a troubled frown. “I forgot about it, but it just happened again in the car.”
I unbuttoned my pants, turned away from him, and tugged down the waist of the jeans low enough so he could see the start of the mark. I bent forward slightly and lifted my shirt a little. He moved close and ran a finger over the black and silver twisted lines that decorated my skin.
And that was the sight that greeted my mother when she opened the door. Me, bent over in front of Morik with my pants loose and Morik inches behind me, running his hand down my back.
If I had to guess, I would also add black eyes to the picture.
“Out!” she screeched at Morik.
Wisely, he disappeared and left me to deal with my extremely livid mother.
“Well, there goes my source of a possible explanation for this.” I turned and gave her the same view while she still sputtered, trying to piece together a coherent thought.
She gasped when she finally saw the mark. “What is that?”
“Dunno. Morik might know, though. That’s why I was showing him…in the privacy of my own room. Didn’t want to freak anyone out unnecessarily.”
“How long has it been there?”
“A few days,” I hedged.
“Why didn’t you tell me about it right away?” She tentatively touched it with cool fingertips. I straightened and pulled my shirt back over it.
The distraction of Ahgred and Brian in the woods and then Christmas had wiped it from my mind. But that’s not what I told her.
“Why didn’t you tell me a year ago that you were dating?”
She remained silent as I buttoned my pants. Tears gathered in her eyes.
“So it’s really not okay,” she said in a subdued tone.
I sighed. “Mom, Stephen’s fine. You getting married is great. You keeping secrets from me for a year while preaching to me the virtues of honesty is not okay. Ever.”
“I’m sorry. I thought it would be too much pressure on you if you knew…”
“That you are all looking forward to having a life again? Maybe. Or maybe I would have realized much sooner how important this choice is for the rest of you.” Swiping a hand over my face, I said, “If we don’t have plans, I’ll stay at Morik’s for the rest of the day.”
She nodded and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
“Morik?” I whispered. He reappeared in the same spot. “If you can hear me call you, how did you not hear my mom coming?”
His cheeks reddened. A first. “I was a bit distracted.”
Understandably. I hadn’t heard her either. ‘What does it mean? The mark.”
“It signifies a link we’re forming.” He said it absently, looking at me but not seeing me. “Once complete, it binds you to my plane of existence and your own. Time will not affect you. Through you, I will have unlimited access to this plane and the people.”
‘Is this part of choosing you?’
He shook his head, a slight frown marring his brow. “I sought you for companionship. As my companion, once you leave this life, my purpose will vanish, as will I.”
“So what’s on my back is something different?”
“Yes. According to several of the oldest of my kind, there is a way to form a link, such as what you wear now, that will allow us freedom to interact with humans and a way to maintain our existence after our chaos is no longer necessary. Most do not pursue it.”
“Why not?”
“Many heard of the deal I made with Belinda’s father and now seek similar deals. But they are having more difficulty. Because I am so close in appearance to humans, humans still willingly deal with me for simple things. However, those who seek a permanent link are not trying to negotiate simple deals for simple things. In order to form the link, the human must willingly give a piece of themselves in exchange for whatever it is they want.”
Like giving up a piece of their soul, I guessed. I could understand why a person wouldn’t do that with a creature like Ahgred. Why then had Belinda traded with him? Had she been marked like me?
“Wait. That doesn’t make sense. Neither time the mark grew on me was related to a deal.”
“Correct.” He finally focused on me, and the frown cleared. “While I don’t understand its existence, I don’t see the mark as a bad thing. Once complete, it will protect you from Ahgred and time.”
“I thought choosing you would protect me from Ahgred. Once we choose, we no longer carry out the chant to protect us at night.”
“I’m no longer sure,” he said quietly, his voice laced with apology.
To be bound to the same limitations I now faced for the rest of my life…the idea devastated me. I had thought choosing Morik would gain me more freedom.
“So if we complete this link, then what? How do we know when it’s complete?”
“It runs from base to crown. When it’s complete, by pact, none of my kind shall harm you.”
I sat on the edge of my bed, thinking. Not only did I need to choose with my heart and head, but I needed the link to remove my limitations. That the link would also give Morik free access to my world didn’t cause me a moment’s concern. Despite his violent possession of Clavin before he first introduced himself, violence didn’t live at the core of his nature. Curious and thoughtful, he observed us and learned.
No, Morik wasn’t the reason for my thoughtful mood. My pensiveness stemmed from the cause of the link.
“If it’s not growing because of deals, then how am I supposed to finish it?” Part of me feared that my inability to choose directly related to the link’s growth. Without the link’s completion, I was still under my existing time limit.
“I’m not sure.” He reached out and ran a hand gently over my hair. “We’ll figure it out. We have time.”
But how much?
