Monday morning, I woke curled around Morik, who had opted to sleep next to me without a shirt. Peeling my cheek from the skin of his arm, I grinned at him.
“Nice look,” I said, sitting up.
“Your mother didn’t appreciate it when she checked on you,” he said.
Both my brows shot up. “I imagine not. Though I’m not opposed to it, maybe we shouldn’t push her.”
“You kiss me in your sleep,” he said with a slight smile, placing his hands behind his head. The move brushed back his hair, exposing his ears and horns. Black and brown swirled in his silver irises.
“Seriously? I thought I just lay there all night. I never remember dreaming.”
He shrugged guiltily. “Sometimes, when Ahgred’s not around, I lift the spell slightly to check on you.”
I shook my head at him and tossed back the covers. “And when you lift the spell, I animate enough to start kissing?”
“Sometimes,” he said with a boyish grin that tripped up my heart.
Trying to ignore him, I gathered my clothes and went to the bathroom to get ready. He met me in the kitchen when I finished.
Gran had a quick breakfast waiting for me, which I wolfed down while I put on my coat.
“Morik, can you take the car today?” Gran asked him while I quickly finished my milk. “The temperature dropped further, and I don’t want Tessa to get sick.”
Morik’s eyes slid to mine. I returned his earlier shrug and left the decision completely up to him.
We drove the car.
Beatriz waited for me when Morik dropped me off on the school steps.
“I showed Brad my dress last night.” She spoke with a barely contained laugh.
“I thought he went back to school.” We made our way to my locker. The first bell rang, and I hurried to switch out my books.
“Video chat,” she clarified.
“What did he think of it?”
“He might come home from school that weekend. Want to take him to the dance so I can go with Morik?”
I laughed, shook my head, and closed my locker. “Sorry, not this time. Who are you taking?”
She grew a little serious. “I was hoping I could tag along with you guys and be a third wheel.”
“Of course,” I agreed as we walked into our first hour class.
Each time we met throughout the day, we talked about the dance.
And again on Tuesday…
And Wednesday…
By Thursday, I begged Morik to help me ditch school. Since he knew Beatriz and her endless chatter about the dance was behind my attitude, he laughingly shook his head no.
At lunch, the boy who firmly believed Bea and I were an item walked over to our table. He didn’t say anything, just handed her a note and walked away. Beatriz read it then handed it to me. It simply asked her to the dance. She wore a huge smile when I looked up.
“It’s probably to see whether or not we’re really lesbians, but I don’t care. He asked me, and I’m going.” She looked at the boy who sat a few tables away and called back her answer. He flushed pink, but smiled and nodded.
After that, Beatriz spent most of her day catching him in the hallway. I enjoyed the reprieve. We met at my locker after the last bell.
“So, what’s his name?” I asked. I quickly pulled out the things I needed for homework and shut my locker.
“Ted Brinnet. Do you know what I like best about him?”
I shook my head as we merged with the other students flooding toward the main doors.
“He doesn’t know who my brother is.” At my puzzled look, she continued. “Brad graduated last year. That’s why most of the boys here won’t give me the time of day. He just about threatened bodily harm on them all. Ted’s new. He doesn’t know.”
“Poor Ted,” I laughed.
“Poor me,” she cried with a smile as we walked outside.
I spotted Morik leaning against Mom’s car and said good-bye to Beatriz.
Moving to my side of the car, he held the door for me. “She liked Ted asking her to the dance, then?”
“That was you?”
He didn’t answer until he sat behind the wheel. Heat blew from the vents, and I was grateful. The temperature really had dropped.
“Technically, no.” We pulled out of the chaotic school traffic, and he smoothly navigated the neighborhood roads to my house. “I caught him watching the two of you walk into school this morning and spoke to him. He just needed a friendly nudge to ask her out.”
“I thought you couldn’t interact with others.”
“I wasn’t sure who he watched, so I intervened.”
Ah. Protecting me. This time from human interference rather than Ahgred. Morik was a master at finding loopholes.
Friday morning, Mom stood by my bed with toast like she used to before Morik appeared in our lives. I smiled at her and accepted the plate. She sat next to me.
“Morik’s in the kitchen. I just wanted to let you know that Beatriz’s mom called and asked if she could come here and get ready with you tomorrow evening. I checked with Morik, and he thought it should be fine, but we’ll let you decide.”
Beatriz at my house after dark? “Has there been any trouble after you knock me out?”
“A few times, we’ve heard voices outside, but nothing too bad.”
“Recently?”
“This week,” she said.
I thought back to my vision. Beatriz had accepted me. Could she still, even without me choosing Brad?
“I’ll think about it.”
Mom nodded but didn’t move to leave. “I also wanted to let you know I had a talk with Stephen.”
Crunching on a bite of toast, I studied her. She looked happy. “And?”
“He met Aunt Danielle.”
My mouth dropped open. “No way!”
She grinned shakily. “He was a bit shocked but kissed me before he left last night. I didn’t tell him everything. I figured I’d start small before working up to Morik.”
She gave me a quick hug and left me to scrounge up some clothes for the day.
I looked at the clock, wishing I had time to ask Aunt Danielle what she thought of the introduction last night. Her blunt practicality typically amused and enlightened me.
Sighing, I dressed and headed to school with Morik.
Beatriz waited for me on the steps as usual. She called a cheeky good-bye to Morik then dragged me to my locker.
“So, what did your mom say?” she said. Excitement lit her eyes.
“She said it was up to me.”
She clapped and bounced on her feet until she saw my serious expression. “What? Seriously, why wouldn’t you want me to come over?” she said with a hurt look as she hid her hands behind her back.
Taking her by the shoulders, I hugged her tightly. Of course, Ted walked by. Quickly letting her go, I turned her toward Ted and busied myself in my locker.
“See you at the dance?” he asked Beatriz, his voice laced with uncertainty.
“Absolutely.”
Hearing him move away, I stood and smiled at her. “Why is it always him who notices us?”
She watched his retreating form and shook her head, wearing a small smile. “So, about Saturday?”
“You can come over on one condition.” She arched a brow at me. “You have to promise not to go outside after dark without me or Morik.”
She gave me an are-you-serious look.
“It’s important,” I said.
Throwing her arms up in surrender, she agreed to my terms.
Despite Beatriz’s continual begging throughout the day to spend all of Saturday together, I went to work the next morning. Morik didn’t order a coffee or linger. He carried in Gran’s boxes then left.
“You two fight?” Mona asked, setting out the baked goods.
“No,” I said while I watched the car pull away from the curb. “We’re going to a school dance tonight. Maybe he needs to get ready or something.”
“He probably forgot to order the corsage,” Mona said cryptically.
I hung my jacket to hide my panic. We hadn’t talked about the dance in those terms. He hadn’t tasted meatloaf until Gran made it for him; why would I think he knew anything about a school dance? I barely knew anything. Would he know how to dress? I didn’t want him to feel out of place.
Before I went back out to the storefront, I calmed myself. We had plenty of time to find him something to wear after Mona closed. No worries.
My self-assurance evaporated hours later when Beatriz tapped on the glass of the locked door. She smiled hugely and waved to me, motioning for me to hurry. Brad’s car idled at the curb.
I quickly unlocked the door to let Beatriz in. “I wasn’t expecting you. I just have to finish up a few tables.”
“Morik asked if we could give you a ride home. We can wait,” she said, looking around the shop.
My stomach dipped in understanding. I wouldn’t get a chance to see Morik before the dance.
“No, you go ahead,” Mona called, stepping from the back. “I know how long it takes to get ready for a dance. Have a good time.” She tossed me my jacket and shooed us out the door with a laugh.
Beatriz stopped me from getting into the car.
“Tell him he can’t stay,” she whispered quickly. Then, she opened the back door and slid all the way in so I had room to sit in the back with her.
Confused by her request, I got in and said hello to Brad. “Didn’t think you were due to come home until spring break.”
Bea reached over and pinched me. It hurt. If she kept that up, she’d witness Morik popping into the car.
“I had to come home for my sister’s first date,” he said, glancing at Beatriz via the rearview mirror. “I want to meet her mystery man.”
“Oh. That’s going to be kind of hard since she’s meeting him at the dance.”
“I was thinking of hanging out with you guys,” he said as he turned onto my street.
Ah. Now it made sense. Brad wanted to put some fear into Ted.
“I know what you’re up to, Brad.” He pulled into the driveway and arched a brow at me. I put an arm around a pouting Beatriz, leaned over, and kissed her cheek. “You see that? Ted keeps witnessing stuff like that and thinks Bea and I are a couple. He’s curious about Beatriz. Seriously, he’s no threat.”
“You’re both ridiculous,” Beatriz cried theatrically and stormed from the car.
Smiling, I winked at Brad. “I promise to keep an eye on her.”
He watched her let herself in the front door then gave me a small smile. “She means the world to me. She escaped the house after just learning to walk. Barely a year old. I didn’t close the door tight. My parents found her a few minutes later in the snow, crying. No harm. No permanent damage. But Dad sat me down, and we had a talk about protecting Beatriz.”
He turned to look at me. “I took it very seriously.”
The intensity of the moment caught me off guard. Would she be safe tonight?
“You have nothing to fear from Ted. I promise.” You just needed to fear everything else, I thought.
Brad nodded, and I escaped into the house. Beatriz stood at the kitchen window, peeking through the curtain to ensure he left.
“Is he coming back?” she asked, letting the curtain fall back into place.
“Nope. I promised to keep you safe from Ted. So behave tonight.”
She snorted and picked up a bag from the kitchen table. Just one of the many that created a small mountain on the wooden surface.
I eyed the bags. “Are you moving in?”
“I wasn’t sure what I’d need, so I brought my whole room here.”
My mom called from her bedroom that we should bring everything back there. I helped Beatriz carry a few bags and tossed them onto Mom’s bed. Everyone sat back there. Even Aunt Danielle. She looked corporeal as long as no one touched her, so I guessed it made sense.
After I introduced everyone, we hung our dresses in Mom and Aunt Grace’s bathroom and started talking shoes and hairstyles.
Three hours later, my stomach growled. Gran heard it and ran to get us both something to eat. Mom and Aunt Grace had taken over our preparations for the dance and used us as pre-wedding guinea pigs.
Tweezed and powdered, I rolled my eyes at Beatriz in the mirror. She winked at me. She, at least, didn’t mind the attention.
“I saw that, Tessa,” my mom said, twisting the curling iron to roll up a length of my hair.
“Are we almost done?” I asked, not trying to mask the whine.
“We have two more hours before Morik said he’d pick you two up.”
I glanced at the clock and groaned. Mom playfully tugged my hair. Two hours meant after dark.
“Maybe we can take a break?” I said.
“Sure,” she said, giving me hope. “In two hours.”
Gran returned with a few crackers and cheese. I scowled and munched my meager portion.
Forever later, my stomach still grumbled as I sat in the kitchen and tried to strap on my shoes all while feeling overdressed and makeuped for the dance. The scary high heels I wore were compliments of Aunt Grace. She wanted us to wear the same ones to the wedding, so she got me a pair for tonight to try them out. Guinea pig.
The doorbell rang, and I stood with relief. Thirty minutes early. Inside, I cheered.
Mom raced to the door and gave Stephen a quick kiss when he walked through it. Inside, I cried. The torture needed to end.
Teetering on the thin heels, I smiled at Stephen and introduced Beatriz, who stood beside me in svelte perfection. She smiled a greeting, her china doll face lighting up.
We did look amazing. After so many hours of prep, how could we not? They’d tweezed our brows, added some light penciling, outlined our eyes, and dusted us with blush and shadow before finishing with several coats of mascara. Then, the sister stylists had agreed both our dresses called for up-dos. For Bea, Aunt Grace had twisted her hair up smoothly to give further elegance to the dress, which currently shimmered softly in the kitchen lights. For me, Mom had created a mass of curls at my crown and allowed several to strategically escape and cascade toward my back, drawing attention to the view.
My back had proved to be a challenge. Aunt Grace had run to the drug store and purchased several varieties of concealer. We’d used them all. With dim lighting and no touching, it should stay intact. I wondered about the car ride to the dance, though.
“Give a spin,” Mom encouraged.
She whispered to Stephen as I turned, so I took my time with the spin. He needed proof we could hide the mark. With my back to the door, someone else knocked. I looked over my shoulder to see Gran open the door for Brad.
Beatriz groaned. She didn’t need to though because her brother didn’t even look at her. With a camera loosely held in his hand, he stared at me. His gaze swept down my back. I blushed and faced him.
“Here for pictures?” I asked.
He didn’t respond immediately, and Bea giggled. It jarred him from his daze.
“Yes. Pictures. My mom sent me,” he said to the room.
I put an arm around Beatriz’s shoulders, and she carefully wrapped one around my waist, trying not to smudge the makeup.
“Bet you half of me is cut off of each of these photos,” she murmured from the side of her mouth as Brad snapped several shots.
I suppressed a laugh as I too noted the canted angle of the camera. Mom ran to get her camera and joined in the clickfest. While we posed for her, Brad moved to the side. I heard a click and glanced over at him. He pretended to look down at the camera.
“I think he just took a picture of my back,” I whispered to Beatriz.
“Probably. I’ll check the digital for makeup smudges,” she promised.
Another knock sounded at the door.
“If that’s not Morik, I’m going to scream,” I mumbled close to her ear.
Gran opened the door for Morik. He stepped in, wearing a dark suit. His red tie perfectly matched my dress. The yellow tinted glasses again perched on his nose, and the backwards baseball cap adorned his head. He held my gaze as he walked toward me.
Beatriz moved away to speak with her brother.
“Well?” Morik asked quietly when he reached me
“Perfect,” I whispered, leaning toward him. Mom cleared her throat, and I pulled back, trying not to frown. She was right. Too many people for that.
He quirked a smile at me and reached for my hand. He slid a beautiful finger corsage on my third finger. A red jewel lay embedded in the center of the miniature white carnation. It sparkled in the light.
“That is so pretty,” Beatriz said, once again beside me.
I nodded in agreement, smiling softly at Morik. Pretty and unique. From a man who created beautiful shell combs thousands of years ago and helped me with the jewelry I made for Christmas, I should have anticipated he would know what to bring.
“Ready?” he asked.
“No,” my mom cried. “Pictures first, please.”
I turned to her, not believing she said that.
She caught my look. “Just real quick. You can keep your hat and glasses on,” she said to Morik but meant it as an assurance to me.
“I’m sure he won’t mind taking off his hat for you, Clare,” Stephen said.
I opened my mouth to protest, but Brad came to our rescue. “When is the dance supposed to start?”
“It already did, technically,” Beatriz said helpfully. “We’re fashionably late.”
“Okay, stand together and then just one of Morik and Tessa,” Gran said, issuing orders.
Stephen didn’t have a chance to protest further. I flicked a glance at him. He didn’t seem to mind. He adoringly watched my mom.
Morik moved to stand between us and put an arm around each of our shoulders. Beatriz giggled. Brad scowled. Mom snapped several photos then Beatriz moved away.
Morik looked down at me, and Mom snapped a picture. He leaned in and kissed my temple. She caught that, too. He winked at me and turned to the camera for the last picture.
I wrapped my arm around him and smiled even though I worried about what was to come.
After the pictures, I’d need to go outside. In the dark.
