Chapter 5 Chase #2
“What exactly did you say to me earlier? That you’d handle it?” Cygnet sneered. “You turned your back for one second, and he’s already trying to escape.”
I tried to interject. “Hey, wait, that’s not—”
“Be quiet!” the exorcist brothers snapped at me.
I shut my mouth.
“He’s our guest, and he was hungry. Do I not have a responsibility to feed him?” Sagitta argued.
Cygnet scoffed. “He’s possessed by a demon and you bought that excuse?”
“Ooh, I love it when siblings fight,” Faust chirped.
I wished he would shut his mouth, too.
“If I hadn’t been here, a powerful demon would be loose in the city right now, and it would be all your fault,” Cygnet said. “You should be begging for my forgiveness.”
Sagitta’s nostrils flared in genuine anger. “I won’t be spoken to this way. Don’t interfere with me or my client again. Chase, we’re leaving.”
After pulling me to my feet, he stormed off in a tizzy. I stayed close to him in case Cygnet decided to throw the sword across the hall like a giant dart.
Within moments, we’d returned to the room I’d just left. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t have a chance to talk to Sagitta about the mix-up. Even if it was the wrong room, I breathed a sigh of relief when we were safely inside.
“Geez, that was—”
Sagitta’s hands clenched the front of my shirt and he slammed me against the wall.
“You are, without contest, the biggest idiot I have ever met in my life,” he growled, his face dangerously near mine. “I gave you instructions so simple a monkey could’ve followed them. Stay put and don’t wander. Was that so difficult to understand?”
I was too dazed to respond. Not just because he’d assaulted me, but because he was so close. Close enough to kiss. We were breathing the same air. His knee was shoved between my legs, and if his fists hadn’t been in the way, our chests would be touching.
And although his mouth was twisted into a fox-like snarl, I couldn’t stop thinking about how handsome he was.
“Uh,” I said, trying to get my brain working again. “Sorry.”
A fresh spark of anger flickered in his black eyes. “That’s all you have to say for your stupidity?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. My racing heart blocked my throat, making it difficult to breathe, let alone string a damn sentence together.
When I didn’t respond, Sagitta pushed away with an angry grunt.
Barely a second passed before I missed the feeling of his hands on my chest, the warmth of his proximity.
The realization made my stomach lurch. What was wrong with me?
Normally I didn’t get so flustered when dudes got all up in my face to rail at me and push me around, but Sagitta was. ..
“Hot?” Faust suggested.
I frowned, but didn’t argue. Because he was right.
“Eat your lunch,” Sagitta ordered as he plopped the fabric pouch on top of the desk. The furious aura surrounding him had dissipated, but he was still annoyed. “I’ll be back later to drop off your dinner. Don’t disobey me this time.”
“Okay.” Cogs turned in my brain. “Um...”
But the cogs were too slow, and Sagitta left the room.
Sagitta didn’t speak when he dropped off a second meal—and my requested slice of cake—in the evening.
His posture was tight and stiff, as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Tension radiated off him in waves, but strangely, it didn’t feel directed at me. He seemed more distracted than angry.
I thought it was weird that he was that stressed over Faust—who, so far, just wanted to eat sweets. But Sagitta was a professional exorcist. He probably knew stuff that I didn’t.
I unwrapped the fabric knot to unveil my boxed dinner. A sticky note was stuck on top of the lid. Apparently, half our communication was misunderstandings, and the other half was via sticky notes.
It read: I hope you’re not allergic to nuts. And no, that is not an innuendo. – SS
I snorted. Good thing I wasn’t allergic to nuts of either kind.
“This meal is absolutely adorable,” Faust remarked, cooing over the bento-style box in front of us.
I didn’t know about adorable, but it looked incredibly appetizing. The lacquer box was separated into compartments filled with different foods. The scents of jasmine rice and peanut curry made my mouth water.
“Do you think he cooked this, or is there some kinda temple chef?” I asked as I picked up the accompanying fork.
“I know which option you’d prefer, darling.”
My cheeks flushed and I rolled my eyes. Stupid demon couldn’t go five minutes without bringing up my crush.
Wait.
Crush?
Faust cackled. “You said it, not me.”
I slowly shut my eyes.
Shit.
After eating dinner, I washed off. It took me a few minutes to work up the nerve to use Sagitta’s shower, but I managed. The worst part came after: sleeping in Sagitta’s bed.
I swallowed as I stared at it. It looked comfortable and clean, but that wasn’t really the problem.
After a few minutes of uncertainty, I sighed. It wasn’t like I was going to sleep on the floor, so I worked up the guts to pull back the covers and slip inside.
It was soft. And cozy. And it smelled unmistakably like him.
My cheeks turned warm. I tried not to think about it, but when every breath brought his scent to my nose, it was impossible not to.
“Which do you prefer? His bed, or yours?” Faust asked.
“Dude. It’s been a long day. Can you just let me relax?”
He pouted audibly, but didn’t speak. Thank fuck.
I stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling for a while. Eventually, I got used to the weirdness of it all. But I couldn’t fall asleep as easily as I could in my own bed. Questions raced through my mind.
What was going to happen tomorrow? Was this second exorcism going to work?
And most importantly, where the hell was he sleeping if I was in his bed?
After an hour of sleeplessness, I gave up. But there was nothing to do in the room. I’d forgotten my phone at home and had no entertainment. If I was in my room, I’d just stare at Demetrius until I got calm and sleepy.
Rooting through Sagitta’s stuff was not an option. Despite what he thought about me, I wasn’t an asshole.
I rolled out of bed and strode towards the door. I wondered if it was locked from the outside. I’d probably warranted it by “escaping” earlier.
Curious, I tested it. I expected the handle to stay rigid, but unexpectedly, it eased under the pressure. The door would open if I pushed any harder.
My brows shot up in surprise. It wasn’t locked. Did Sagitta trust me to stay put even though I’d disobeyed him once already?
“And now you’re going to do it again?” Faust asked. “Not that I’m opposed, mind you. I do love a little mischief.”
My mouth pulled into a grimace. I didn’t want to piss Sagitta off. I just felt trapped and restless, like an animal pacing my enclosure. And speaking of animals, I’d been away from Demetrius all day. I hoped he was all right by himself.
I sighed and rested my forehead against the door.
Suddenly, the door flew open from the opposite side. I stumbled back and caught my footing so I didn’t fall again. Once today was enough. My butt still hurt from when Cygnet body-checked me with a damn sword.
I blinked, shocked to see Sagitta standing there. I imagined he’d retreated somewhere to study, or polish his bow, or do whatever exorcists did in their spare time.
“You opened the door,” Sagitta said curtly.
“I was checking to see if it was locked,” I explained, hoping that sounded as innocent as I meant it. “Were you just... standing on the other side?”
Sagitta’s brow twitched, but he looked exhausted. “Planning another escape attempt?”
“No, dude. Will you listen to me for a sec?”
“I’m listening.”
I frowned. This wasn’t going well.
“Look, I’m sorry for bolting earlier,” I murmured. “I promise I wasn’t trying to run away. I was just trying to find you so we could talk.”
“About?”
I thought it was obvious, but I guess not. “Uh, the room mix-up? This is obviously your bedroom.”
Suddenly, Sagitta looked flustered. “N-no, it’s not. These are the guest quarters.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I know you think I’m dumb, but I’m not that stupid. Your clothes are literally in the dresser, and there’s a notebook with your name on it in the desk.”
“You looked through my drawers?” Sagitta exclaimed.
I was confused as to why he was confused.
“Don’t you, when you’re in a hotel?” I asked, my voice nearly shrill with bewilderment.
“No? I’ve never stayed in a hotel.” His mouth scrunched up like I was the one acting weird. “I’ve been in cheap motels, but rummaging through the drawers was the last thing on my mind.”
“Okay, well, I’m sorry,” I said, flushing. “I didn’t mean to invade your privacy, but I feel like you brought it upon yourself when you forced me to sleep in your bedroom.”
Sagitta let out a heavy sigh, as if a new layer of fatigue was crushing him. “It’s fine. Is it comfortable, at least?”
I didn’t expect that question. The warmth tinging my cheeks grew hotter.
“Yeah, I guess,” I mumbled.
“Good. You should go back to sleep. Your body needs rest.”
“I can’t.”
His tired eyes told me that was a problem. I was starting to feel like a petulant child under the care of a weary caretaker.
“What will make you go to sleep?” he asked listlessly.
When I had trouble sleeping, I watched Demetrius swim around for a while. The tranquility of his underwater paradise always calmed me down. I remembered the many outdoor ponds I’d seen in the courtyards.
“Do you have any pond fish?” I asked. “It sounds weird, but I find them soothing to watch.”
As if a switch was flicked, Sagitta’s expression changed. He looked excited and boyish, but only for a second before he composed himself.
“You want to see pond fish?” he asked.
“Yeah, if there are any.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “Come with me.”
“Um... I thought I was under room-arrest.”
“It’s only for five minutes, and you’re under my supervision. Come on. Unless you’d rather stay here.”
I leapt out of the room and fell in beside him.
Sagitta strode out to one of the outdoor courtyards. Although the temple stood in the middle of the city, the bustle and noise felt so far away. It was oddly peaceful here.
I recognized the courtyard with the manicured shrubs and waterfall installation.
Small solar-powered lights along the ground lit our path.
It wasn’t the first pond I’d seen, but my time here at the temple had been too chaotic to investigate.
But now, Sagitta kneeled in front of the pond and nodded for me to join him.
As I crouched beside Sagitta, his beauty caught my eye. The moonlight bounced off his blue-black hair, casting it in a pale sheen that glowed like a halo. I only allowed myself a couple seconds of staring before forcing myself to gaze into the pond instead.
The surface was carpeted with lush floating plants: water lettuce, red-roots, frogbit... Some of them were even flowering.
Wordlessly, Sagitta brushed his hand against the plants to expose more of the water’s surface. Even in the dim light, I noticed the water’s rich amber tinge. A burst of excitement unfurled within my chest.
“Tannins?” I asked.
Sagitta nodded. “Lotus pods and almond leaves to lower the pH.”
My heart beat faster, lurching like a revved engine. I couldn’t believe he’d just said those words.
“Does anything else live in here?” I asked, almost tripping over my tongue.
He smirked like he had a surprise for me. “Why don’t you take a closer look?”
I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Putting my hands against the stone rim, I peered into the amber water. When I saw a glimpse of shining blue scales, I gasped.
There, swimming gracefully past the plant roots, was the betta we’d rescued from the frat boys.
In my wild excitement, I dipped my fingers into the pond. It was warm; the perfect temperature for our fishy friend.
“Did... you set this up?” I asked Sagitta, my eyes wide with wonder.
Sagitta suddenly seemed a bit shy at the attention. He cleared his throat softly and shrugged. “Yes. I didn’t do much, really. This pond was empty, so I just added an underwater heater and plants.”
I stared at Sagitta like I was seeing him for the first time. Really seeing him. Not the strict exorcist, not the serious man who hunted demons, but a guy who liked fish.
Just like me.
“Oh, kiss him already,” Faust declared.
Faust’s voice took me so off guard that I started. Yelping, I nearly toppled into the pond. If Sagitta hadn’t caught my arm and yanked me back to solid ground, I would’ve been drenched in the same tannins I’d just been gawking over.
A growl rumbled in my throat. I thought I was used to Faust’s stupid, jarring interjections, but apparently not.
“What was that?” Sagitta asked.
“Nothing,” I muttered, ignoring the rush of heat to my cheeks. As much as I would’ve liked to un-hear it, I couldn’t get Faust’s comment—and the mental image of it—out of my head.
“Is the demon speaking to you again?” Sagitta asked.
I huffed a frustrated sigh. “Yeah.”
His eyes hardened before he stood up and dusted off his hands. It was clear our little moment was over and he was back to being a big, serious professional exorcist.
“Get some rest,” he ordered. “We start at dawn.”