touch

My heart skittered from his touch and his words. The tingle spreading up my spine surprised me. Not an extension to the mark, just a good feeling. I smiled at Morik, darting forward to catch his lips. “Thank you.”


We both heard the car in the driveway and broke apart.





Chapter 16


Saturday approached with painstaking deliberation. Ahgred’s mark on my back mended slowly, its healing itch increasing each day. Mom’s wedding plans grated on my nerves. And Beatriz’s daily questions about dress styles and color preferences tested my patience. It didn’t help that I spent very little time with Morik again. At least, time where I maintained consciousness. A few minutes while he drove me to school and less than two hours after school. I couldn’t wait for the weekend.

Saturday morning, Morik and I rushed to the Coffee Shop with boxes from Gran. Gran’s baked goods really took off. Mona celebrated the increase in business and started talking about extending her hours again. I declined as usual, which didn’t seem to bother her. She mentioned bringing in another part-time student while assuring me I’d keep my weekend hours.

The workday flew. After clean up and prep for the next morning, Morik drove me home where Beatriz already waited, an excited member of the dress hunting party. We rode in Aunt Grace’s new car for an hour to reach the first of three shops they wanted to visit before dark. Gran took responsibility for clock watching. Discreetly of course.

While Aunt Grace and Mom dug through white dresses, Beatriz and I dug through bridesmaid dresses and winter formals. After seeing a few price tags, I happily let Beatriz take the lead on picking out and trying on gowns.

Soon I found myself sitting outside of two dressing rooms. Mom came out with a first option, which we all agreed wasn’t ‘the one’.

As soon as Mom went back in, Beatriz quickly slipped on an option. She stepped out in a strappy dress that fell in a silky cascade to the floor. Silver threads woven into the material caught the light as she moved giving the dress a subtle elegant sparkle. I nodded my approval. She enthusiastically decreed she would not try on the others in the room with her. She found her dress.

Grace and I wandered over to the bridesmaid dresses while waiting for the next round of admiring. We agreed nothing on the racks tempted either of us. We both favored floor length, but neither of us favored the prices.

Gran called out a gentle reminder to mom, “Don’t forget we need to eat dinner.” Code for, ‘we need to get Tessa home so keep it moving.’

Mom hurried out with her third option. She glowed in the dress and we all agreed it at least made the list. The sales associate wrote down the dress information in their register so Mom could return at another time if she wanted to look at it again.

Fifteen minutes later, we stood in a new store. Beatriz, now that her own dress for the dance rested in the trunk of Aunt Grace’s car, decided to pester me into trying on a few. Aunt Grace found several bridesmaid options for me to try on as well.

Standing in a small dressing room crowded with more dresses than I had patience, I did the unthinkable.

“Morik,” I whispered.

“What’s that?” Gran called from outside the dressing room.

“Nothing.” I wrinkled my nose and reached for the first dress. He probably couldn’t have helped me out anyway. If I blinked out of the dressing room, Beatriz would notice and Mom would flip. No, I needed to endure and just pick some stupid dresses.

The zipper resisted following its track. I struggled to pull it more than halfway up. Twisting in the mirror trying to identify the problem, a hidden pin jabbed me deeply in my side.

I swore.

“Do you need help, Tess?” Gran called.

“No. There’s a stupid pin in this stupid dress and it’s trying to kill me.”

The zipper wouldn’t ease back down. Trying to tug the dress up over my chest only made the poking worse. Biting my lip to keep from swearing prevented a scream from escaping when Morik appeared.

Staring at myself in the mirror, he stood just behind me eyes swirling with yellow and red. When he saw the dress, and the fitting room, the red faded from his eyes. I quickly held a finger to my lips and motioned to the zipper. He expertly eased it down. Motioning for him to turn around, I pulled the pin from the dress’s lining. After a nudge, he helped zip the dress again. I leaned close to whisper my thanks and asked him to wait in the room.

No one liked the dance dress when I presented it those waiting outside the dressing room. Mom stepped out from her own dressing room to shake her head. All that pain for nothing. Schooling my disgruntlement, I stepped back into the dressing room and presented my back to Morik.

Understanding his role, he unzipped me and turned to give me privacy. The next dress didn’t pose as much of a problem, but I hesitated to dismiss him.