He gave an exasperated sigh. “I regret that completely.” When I said nothing, he explained further. “I saw your face, felt your pain, and was angry. Until you choose someone else, I consider you mine to protect.”
Wasn’t expecting that. If he considered me his, how did he not get mad when he lost me to someone else? I didn’t want to push that point further though, so I redirected my thoughts. He regretted hurting Clavin, but hadn’t explained why. “Do you like hurting people?”
“I protect what is mine. What I like comes second to your safety.”
So he didn’t like hurting people, but did what he had to do. And his attitude made some sense. He only had access to Belinda’s line. If any of us died and failed to have a baby, it limited his chances. Now that he was down to just me, well, I guessed I would be pretty important to him.
“Okay. I’m important to you as a potential companion. I get that. What else is important to you?” This was the part of the conversation I really cared about.
“Nothing.”
I fought not to wrinkle my nose at his answer. “There has to be something you think about. What about the things you would do once you have a companion?”
“We’re out of time. Tomorrow.” He left as quickly as he’d appeared.
I looked around the cafeteria. There were still students lingering over half eaten lunches. We’d had plenty of time. I scowled at my food. The chicken had run. Whatever was important to him, he didn’t want to admit. That made it harder to make a deal with him, but not impossible. I’d just have to lay the cards on the table and see what price he demanded. If the price was too steep, I’d walk away.
Decided, I finished my lunch chatting with Beatriz who didn’t seem to notice the gap in time.
He stayed away for two days. I hadn’t realized how interesting he’d made my life until he stopped appearing.
During his absence, my highlight in excitement occurred when a boy stopped me in the hallway to ask if I really preferred girls. Beatriz, right by my side, had laughed so hard she’d cried.
By lunch on Thursday, I couldn’t decide which emotion ran stronger. Annoyance or boredom.
When he finally took over Beatriz after she finished eating, I’d just about given up hope that I’d seen him.
“It’s about time! You’re a liar, you know that?” Beatriz’s eyes rounded in surprise and I wished I knew how he’d look if he were in front of me and not in her. “You said tomorrow. That was two days ago.” He opened her mouth to speak, but I didn’t give him a chance. “I’d been trying to have a serious conversation with you. You can’t just take off in the middle of it.”
Taking a slow calming breath, I closed my eyes and rolled my shoulders. Definitely annoyed. Bored went out the window as soon as he showed. Crabbing at him wasn’t the way to open for a deal.
I met his gaze and started again. “I’m sorry for jumping down your throat.”
“You’re right. I apologize for leaving like I did.”
“It’s okay. We all have things we don’t want to talk about. If I hit a nerve, just say so. I’ll back off. Since we have limited time to talk, I’d prefer if you didn’t just take off.” His apologetic expression faded to a carefully blank mask so I quickly changed subjects.
“But I do have something I want to talk about.” He nodded encouraging me to continue. “I was asking what was important to you because I was hoping we could make a deal.”
He frowned and I quickly assured him, “Nothing big like my ancestors. They made enough of a mess. I just…” I looked down at my hands busy turning with my unused spoon in the silverware trench of the tray.
Forcing myself to stop, I looked at him pleadingly. “I want ten days where I can pretend I’m normal. I want to go to a friend’s house and not worry about when it’s getting dark out. I want to see the stars before…” I left the rest unsaid.
Whether I chose him or someone else, that choice would set into effect a chain reaction I couldn’t stop. “I just wanted to know if there was something I could help you with, something you value as much as I would ten days freedom.”
He bowed Beatriz’s head for a moment deep in thought. When he looked at me, his intense gaze drew me forward. Whatever he had in mind meant a lot to him. “Ten days. I can release you from the chant, but not from our bargain or the touch.”
I nodded. I could live with that. The idea of no curfew really appealed to me. “Your price?”
“See me… touch me, as I am without fear.”
Through our interactions, I’d gleaned bits of knowledge of him as a person. I still struggled to think of him as a person though. But, the memory of the shadowy green-eyed creature frightened me less after our time together.
“Just one touch?” I needed to be sure I understood the scope of the bargain, the basic thing that Belinda had failed to do.
“Yes, but for each day, you must spend an hour with me as I am.”
“Okay, but how are we going to do that without people freaking out?”