touch

“Nice look,” I said sitting up.

“Your mother didn’t appreciate it when she checked on you,” he murmured placing his hands behind his head. The move brushed back his hair exposing his ears and horns. Black and brown twirled in his silver irises.

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 added with a slight smile.

“Seriously? I thought I just laid 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 putting 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 leaving 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?” she teased.

I laughed and shook my head closing 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 first hour.

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 an item, walked over to our table. He didn’t say anything, just handed Bea a note and walked away. Beatriz read it and 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 while tossing books in and pulling out the things I needed for homework.

“Ted Brinnet. Do you know what I like best about him?”

I shook my head as merged with the other students flooding toward the main doors.

“He doesn’t know who my brother is.” At my puzzled look, she explained. “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. The temperate 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. He was a master at finding loopholes.



Friday morning, Mom stood by my bed with toast like she used to before Morik. 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 will 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?”