As the sound of Clavin’s care faded, Morik slowly turned around. I dropped my hands and stared up into his carefully blank expression.
“No, I don’t think you’re holding me prisoner,” I assured him. “Clavin needs help though. Giving him a far-fetched story to go to the police with will give them a reason to look at Clavin closely. Maybe he’ll get the help he needs.” I sighed heavily and dropped my eyes to the zipper of his jacket before admitting the downside. “Or he might come back and be worse than before.”
He remained quiet and I looked up again to gauge his reaction. He looked slightly amused. “Are you ready for school?”
I couldn’t help the slightly crazy laugh that escaped me. School? My hands still shook. “Not, really, but I don’t have much of a choice. If we don’t hurry I’ll be late.”
Leaning to look around him, I didn’t see another car parked on the street. The garage did limit my view a little, though.
Morik pulled a baseball cap from his front jacket pocket. Worn and soft, he fit it over his horns and the tips of his ears. If I looked close, I could see the outline of both, but to the casual observer, it would mask them. The bill also hid his eyes a bit.
He motioned for me to follow and we walked out of the garage side by side. Any of the neighbors watching would wonder how he’d gotten in there with me without them noticing. It occurred to me that I didn’t know how he got into my room last night either.
“So you can just pop into places? Just like you pop into people?” Snow crunched under our feet as we walked down the driveway. I still didn’t see a car.
“Yes.”
He didn’t expand on it. He seemed unusually reserved this morning.
“So, why didn’t you pop in sooner?” Previously cool air felt frigid, now. I tucked my mittened hands into my pockets and dipped my chin into my jacket trying to stay warm.
He turned to walk on the sidewalk, away from the school. I stayed by his side. “Because I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to interfere. When you said he scared you, I considered it then. But when he moved toward you…” He didn’t say more for a moment. “Who’s Brian?”
I missed a step and stumbled. He reached out a hand, clasping my arm briefly until I righted myself. As soon as I gained my feet, he let go tucking his own hands into his pockets. Our breaths puffed out in little clouds as we walked. I knew he waited for my answer, but I hesitated.
He stopped walking and turned toward me tipping the brim of his cap up so I could clearly see his eyes. I didn’t say anything. We stood at the end of the block having a silent standoff.
Finally, I gave in. “I don’t want anyone else hurt. Look at what happened to Clavin.” A snowflake drifted in the air between us. “Promise you won’t hurt him for something that’s in the past and forgiven.” More snowflakes drifted down, settling in my hair, on our shoulders and his hat. He didn’t answer immediately.
He reached up and gently ran a finger over my cheek then down along my jaw, just as he’d done when he’d controlled Mr. Jameson. The heat from his fingers created a trail of warmth. He watched me thoughtfully.
Finally, he dropped his hand. “Were there more involved than Clavin and Brian?”
I shook my head slightly.
“If Brian continues to absence himself from your presence, I will do the same from his. I can’t promise more than that.”
He turned away and walked toward a motorcycle parked around the corner, snow rapidly covering its seat. When he lifted a helmet toward me, my mouth popped open.
“Morik! You can’t be serious… I’ll freeze. Is it even legal to drive those things in winter?”
He flashed a smile. “You’ll be fine. The school is just a few blocks away. I promise you won’t be cold.”
How could he possibly promise that when I was already freezing? “This isn’t a winter jacket. It won’t protect me from the wind, or the snow.” Though the snow drifted lazily now, I knew it’d bite into any exposed skin once we moved.
Undeterred by my argument, he stepped close and put the helmet on my head closing the visor. Then, he took a scarf out of his pocket, doubling it up to loop around my neck and tuck into my jacket. I took over the tucking part. He tested my bag making sure it sat secure crossing my body.
I waited on the curb while he dusted off the seat and got on. He held out a hand and I swung my leg over, biting my lip as cold air gusted up my pant leg. I would be a popsicle before we ever started moving. The cold leather seat started to sting my skin through my pants. This would never work.