20. Redd
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck. This was not good.
I had been planning to make my escape, feeling raw and ragged after finally explaining the truth to Fiella, and now I was stuck.
Apparently, the unlucky streak hadn’t broken yet.
My stomach, sensing that I was already at rock bottom, decided to knock me even lower. It let out a loud growl that was echoed by the feeling of molten nails dragging down my throat. The sensation was almost enough to knock me onto my knees. My vision tunneled, darkening around the edges.
I had to get out of here.
I yanked the door open, hoping to the fates that my escape would still be possible, but all I did was let in a massive pile of snow that refilled instantly. I couldn’t even see where it had come from.
My heart sinking past the floor, I realized that there was no way I was getting out any time soon.
Grumbling, I scooped out as much snow as I could, kicking at what I could reach, and slammed the door shut. The soon-to-be puddle on the floor was the least of our concerns at the moment.
I turned slowly to find Fiella watching me, wringing her hands in front of her. Her shimmery nails glinted in the lantern light. She looked anxious, in a way that made me want to comfort her. It was unsettling. I hated it.
“Well,” She stated awkwardly. “Maybe it’ll clear soon?”
“We both know that’s not happening tonight,” I snapped, unable to control my temper. My throat was disintegrating, my nerves fraying one by one. It was agony.
“Okay, okay, well… I’ve got some extra pastries that we can share, so at least we won’t starve.” She held her hands up placatingly.
Pastries. Pastries! While pastries would help the growling of my stomach, they wouldn’t touch the growing inferno in my throat that was slowly taking over my every thought.
I still hadn’t gotten my hands on any thirst tonic, and I had planned on ordering a blood ale (or four) at the diner with my evening meal to take the edge off. Well, I’m screwed.
I gritted my teeth, my fangs abrading the inside of my mouth. I could ignore the mind-numbing agony in my throat for one more night.
I had to.
Fiella grabbed her sack of pastries from under the counter, along with a canteen of water, and guided us to the newly repaired sitting nook. She hesitantly handed me a croissant.
I tried to ignore the tense, awkward atmosphere, but after dropping the truth bomb I had earlier, that felt almost impossible.
We just had to make it through the night, and then we could go our separate ways.
I shoved the pastry into my mouth so hastily I hardly tasted it. It could’ve been boysenberry, or dirt, for all I noticed. It sat like lead in my stomach, offering no satisfaction except for the fact that it took up space. At least the chasm was no longer empty.
Fiella handed me a cookie that I inhaled just as quickly.
“So…” She said to break the silence. “What should we do now? Should we get some more work done? Continue discussing how you could’ve possibly been the cause of the disaster we have been working to repair for weeks?” Her voice was sharp, but not unkind.
We had already worked ourselves ragged today, and I could tell by the way she was subtly flexing her fingers and rubbing her lower back when she thought I wasn’t watching that her body was exhausted. Not to mention the hollows settling in under her eyes.
I couldn’t even determine how I was feeling, the incessant thirst overwhelming all my senses. I was in Hell’s Realm.
I clenched my jaw, shoving my fists into my eyes and massaging, trying to relieve the pressure radiating from my fangs throughout my skull. “Anything. Something distracting, please,” I gritted out.
“Well,” she tapped her chin in thought. “When I need a distraction, I always pick up a book. Diving into another world, another story, is the best way to keep your mind off your own.”
I dropped my hands to my side, glancing at her face. Though her expression was still tense, she was staring at me hopefully.
“That’s… that’s a great idea, actually. I love reading.”
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “You do?”
I scoffed. “Don’t look so surprised. I’m offended.”
She waved her hand. “No, no, I just didn’t expect it. You’re such a big, burly, gruff vampire, I can’t imagine you curled up on a comfy cushion with a book in your hand and a cup of tea beside you.”
“What do you think I do in my spare time? Smash rocks?”
“Honestly, yes. Something like that.”
I shot her a glare, surprised to find that she was gently smiling, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Very funny. I have quite the collection of books back home in Sunhaven.”
Fiella leaned her hip against the counter, crossing her arms in front of her. “What kind of books do you like to read, mister sophisticated literature man?”
I rolled my eyes. “Mysteries, mostly. Anything with adventure and suspense. I like to see how mysteries unfold, and how they’re solved.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, that seems like you.”
“And how about you? Where do your book tastes fall?”
She barked out a laugh, her cheeks reddening slightly. “Romance, mostly. Anything with a love story.”
I nodded sagely. “The raunchy stuff or the family-friendly stuff?”
She laughed again, the sound more endearing this time. “Raunchy, of course. Though I’ll pick up anything if it’s got love in it. I’m a hopeless romantic.”
“I think I remember seeing a box of newer books that had survived the collapse, where did we put those? Think there are any romantic mysteries in there?”
“Of course, who do you think I am? I keep only the best in my inventory.” She fumbled around for a bit before triumphantly lifting a box from the ground.
The books in the box had survived the collapse relatively unscathed, only earning a few bends and scratches. We situated ourselves on the chairs in the sitting area, prepared to read the evening away and pass the time. I ended up with Murder on the Mountain Pass, while Fiella selected The Siren and the Sorcerer, which depicted a kissing couple on the cover.
The tale was surprisingly riveting, and it ensnared my attention quickly. I would have to purchase this one.
Sometime later, when I noticed Fiella nodding off while sitting upright, I decided we could at least try to get some sleep. She was too stubborn to make that call herself.
Or at least she could get some sleep. There was no way I was going to be able to get any significant rest while my throat was shredding itself apart.
We pulled the cushions from the comfy chairs, laid them flat, and gathered a few throw blankets to cover up with.
It was lucky that this shop seemed to have every item under the suns, even after most of it had been destroyed.
Fiella extinguished the lantern and darkness descended upon us. The silence was tense and awkward–every rustle of fabric a disturbance and every breath deafening.
“Goodnight, Fiella,” I murmured, just a few feet away from her in the darkness.
“Goodnight, stranger,” She mumbled back sleepily.
I couldn’t help the pained smile that tugged at my mouth. Luckily, she wouldn’t be able to see it with her eyes closed.
As her breaths evened out and she eventually drifted off to sleep, I braced myself for hours of misery. My thoughts were beginning to slow, feeling strangely heavy. And my fangs hurt.
I caught myself wondering where in the realms that cat had wandered off to–I could have sworn she was here a few hours ago.
This gods damned snow better clear out soon.