Chapter Nine #3
Just as we made it to the front door, a loud, deep, confident knock sounded. I glanced at my phone in my hand, noting the time.
“He’s early!” I screeched, suddenly panicked, almost as if I believed this was a real date and not just make-believe.
Sara-Kate rolled her eyes, reaching to open the door. “Oh my God, Mari, he’s five minutes early. That’s a huge green flag.”
Before I could say anything or possibly fling myself off the balcony, Sara-Kate threw open the door.
Alaric stood casually, one hand in his suit jacket pocket, the other holding a large bouquet of dark red roses, white lilies, and anemones.
My mouth went dry as I took him in. His long dark hair was pulled back in its usual bun at the nape of his neck, not a hair out of place.
He was wearing what looked like an expensive, dark gray suit with a deep emerald green tie that brought out the already vibrant green of his eyes.
And his eyes hungrily took me in as I stood there, mute.
“Well, I’m off.” Sara-Kate awkwardly finally spoke after Alaric and I just stood there for who knows how long, just staring at each other like idiots. “Have fun, you two.”
“Come in.” I finally found my voice, moving to the side so Alaric’s tall build could walk in.
He cleared his throat, not moving, his grip on the bouquet becoming so tight I could see the white of his knuckles. “You’re beautiful, Mari. Truly.”
I blushed. “Thanks. You clean up nicely too. Come on in so we can put those in some water.”
He looked confused for a moment, and it took me nodding my head to the too large bouquet in his hands for him to even remember he was holding them.
“Oh, right?” he chuckled, walking into the apartment. “These are for your aunt. A sort of apology for the other night.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Smart man.”
“I can be sometimes.” He chuckled, stepping through the entryway.
“Sometimes,” I repeated, rolling my eyes as I led him into the apartment.
We walked into the living room where Tiffany was still poring over her renovation plans. She looked up, eyebrows raised in surprise to see Alaric and the flowers. She stood quickly, holding her hand out.
“I’m Tiffany Pollard. It’s nice to finally meet you, Alaric.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” His deep British voice was all charm and allure as he reached out to shake her hand. “And these are for you. An apology for keeping Mari out so late the other night and a thank you for a second chance at a first impression.”
Tiffany’s cheeks flushed as she took the bouquet, clearing her throat. “Well, that is very sweet of you. I know you two have reservations, but I look forward to talking more at brunch on Sunday.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Alaric beamed, his bright smile almost blinding me. He turned to me, offering his arm. “Ready to go, Mari?”
I took it tentatively. “Yep.”
We walked back towards the front door where my jacket was hanging in the hall closet. Alaric helped me into my jacket, his fingers skimming the golden death mark lightly, his brow furrowed in worry for a moment.
We were silent as we rode the elevator down and even as we got into Alaric’s car, his driver waiting out front with the engine running.
My stomach was in a million knots, my pulse thrumming in time with the ring that seemed to almost glow.
I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets, willing myself to calm down. This wasn’t a date. Not even close.
But it sure as hell felt like one as soon as we walked into the restaurant.
It was dark and intimate in the small Italian restaurant, just across the street from Central Park, not far from where I had seen the Bosnian man.
I pushed those thoughts aside as the ma?tre d’ led us to our table for two in a quiet corner.
The table was lit with candles and already had complicated table settings with utensils that I had no idea what to do with.
I felt my stomach flip as I took in the multiple glasses and the tiny forks and spoons.
The ma?tre d’ walked away, leaving us with the menus. I opened mine immediately, desperate for something to keep myself occupied. But I immediately closed the menu when I saw the prices. The cheapest thing was $50. I was way over my head.
“You know what you want?” Alaric asked, looking over the top of his menu as he noticed I slammed mine shut and placed it on the table.
“Um, I’m not that hungry so I’ll just get a Coke or something,” I mumbled, pulling at my skirt.
Alaric chuckled, clearly finding my discomfort funny. Asshole.
The waiter assigned to our table appeared ready to take our order. Just as I was about to order my solitary coke, Alaric jumped in.
“We will both love a bottle of sparkling water, and then we’ll start with the calamari appetizer followed by two chicken and mushroom truffle risottos.” He ordered, exuding all confidence and aplomb, handing the waiter both our menus.
“Very good.” The waiter nodded, turning to put our orders in.
“I didn’t order that,” I accused, irritated that he would just order for me.
“It’s excellent. You’ll love it,” he replied, taking a sip of the tap water that was already sitting at the table. “You’re going to need protein and something warm in you.”
I sighed as I looked around the restaurant, taking in the intricate stone architecture, my gaze focusing on a mural of the Tuscan countryside.
Alaric noticed my gaze. “Italy is beautiful. Ever been?”
I scoffed. “Not a chance. Until two weeks ago, I’d never been on a plane before.”
He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Well, you should go one day. Once you’ve mastered certain things. You’d love it.”
His words surprised me, but really shouldn’t have.
It made sense that going to somewhere old and ancient like Europe would be a breeding ground for the Stonebound and death echoes.
If I ever wanted to travel safely, I’d need to gain a deeper understanding of what being a Bloodwright meant and how to properly use my powers to protect myself.
“So, what exactly is on the agenda for this evening?” I asked, eager to get this dinner over and continue what we started last night. I thought about bringing a bag of clothes to change into but realized there was no way I could get that past Tiffany. I guess I’d have to train in this fancy getup.
“Right now, appetizers, then dinner, and maybe dessert if you’re up to it.” He smiled smugly.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I meant after all this.”
He took a sip of the sparkling water the waiter had brought over, looking at me over the candlelight.
“Tonight, we’re just having dinner, Mari.
Training can wait until tomorrow. Besides, we need to get to know each other properly.
If I’m to be your mentor, there has to be mutual trust and respect between us.
That’s the only way this is going to work long-term. ”
I nodded, taking in his words, trying not to be disappointed that there wouldn’t be any training tonight. “Well, what do you want to know?”
He smiled. “Tell me about your Nana. The one who ignited your awakening.”
I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. “That’s pretty deep.”
“We don’t have time to beat around the bush, Mari.” He folded his hands, resting his chin on top of them. “If you want, I can go first.”
I perked up at that. Up until now, I realized I didn’t know anything about Alaric, at least nothing that was truly meaningful. I nodded, urging him to continue.
He cleared his throat. “My mother was the one who ignited my awakening when I was ten years old. We were living in London at the time, and it was just my mum and I that weekend while my father was off on a business trip to Zurich. Everything was fine that day—we had gone to the zoo and had ice cream for dinner.” His voice hitched as he continued, fighting unshed tears.
“She went to bed smiling. I kissed her goodnight, and in the morning . . . she just didn’t wake up. ”
I stared in disbelief; his grief for his dead mother was palpable. “What happened?”
He shrugged, as if the physical motion would push the weight of his grief away. “The coroner said it was a heart attack in her sleep. Rare, but apparently prevalent in her family history.”
I reached my hand across the table, taking his hand in mine, the same electricity moving between us. “I’m so sorry, Alaric.”
He nodded, squeezing my hand. “Dad came home and realized as soon as the headaches started what it meant for me. He gave me that ring,” he indicated the one on my finger, “and began training me. He saved me in more ways than one.”
At that moment, the waiter arrived with our appetizer, and we began to eat in silence, the somberness of his grief still weighing down on us. But instead of feeling awkward, I felt a kinship building between us, like the small embers of a fire, slowly gaining life.
When the waiter cleared our plates and brought our entrees, I finally spoke up about my own grief.
“Well, my Nana raised me down in Georgia ever since I was a toddler after my parents died. I don’t remember them, but I remember her.
The late nights catching fireflies in the backyard.
The lazy summer afternoons lying in a hammock while she read to me.
It never even occurred to me that one day she could just not be there anymore. ”
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, and I pushed the risotto around on my plate.
“At least her death was peaceful.” I continued, glancing up to find Alaric’s intense gaze on me, taking in every word I said. “She also died in her sleep. The hospital said it was a stroke. I was also the one to find her the next morning.”
The memory of walking into Nana’s room with her morning cup of tea still seared into my memory like a burn.
“It was a Sunday morning, and she was usually up by 8am. But that morning, it was 11am before I got worried. Sometimes I wondered if I had checked in on her sooner, maybe I could have saved her . . .”
He reached over, cupping my face in his large hand, forcing me to look at him. “You can’t do that to yourself. You can’t think like that. It will only drive you crazy. Trust me. I’ve been there.”
I nodded, surprised to feel a few stray tears falling. Alaric wiped them away gently before they could ruin my makeup.
“You know,” I admitted. “I haven’t talked to anyone about that day.”
He smiled sadly, knowingly, about to respond when his gaze locked onto something over my shoulder, his entire being growing tense, green eyes wide in shock. He quickly recovered, grabbing my hand tightly.
“You need to do exactly what I say without question,” he commanded, his voice low and grave.
I felt the blood drain from my face. “What’s going on?”
“Can you promise me, Mari? Can you trust me?”
It didn’t take me long to come to an answer.
“Yes.”
“Good, then you are going to stand up when I tell you and you are not going to turn around. You are going to walk out of this restaurant with me, and I will take you home.”
I nodded mutely, my heart hammering in my chest, the ring on my finger growing hot. Just as it did in the church. The urge to turn around and look behind me was strong, but I stayed where I was, eyes on Alaric as he flagged the waiter down and paid the bill.
He stood, casually offering me his arm. “Good, keep your eyes on me. Laugh like I just said something really charming and funny.”
I laughed a moment too late, and a little too loud, my brain trying to catch up with what he was asking me.
I took his arm and let him lead me toward the exit.
But what Alaric didn’t count on was the line of mirrors at the front of the restaurant that lined the wall.
As we were walking, I caught a glimpse of what had caused Alaric to make us leave so suddenly.
In the reflection, following us out of the restaurant at a slow but steady pace was a creature from my nightmares.
Its body was tall and vaguely human, but stretched too thin, its limbs just a little too long, as if someone had pulled a person like taffy.
Its skin—or what passed for skin—was made of bone or stone, but dark gray and threaded with veins of dull, ember-red light that pulsed faintly with each slow step.
Its head was wrong—featureless except for a maw that split too wide across its face, full of needle-like teeth that glinted when it turned its face toward me.
No one else in the restaurant reacted. Waiters walked by carrying trays of food; guests laughed at their tables—but the thing’s gaze was locked on me and Alaric through the reflection, unblinking, relentless.
Its movements were silent, deliberate, almost curious, like a predator that had no need to rush.
It was a Stonebound. And it had found us. It had found me.