24. Fiella
When I woke again, I could only tell it was morning by the thin streams of light creeping in through the window over the mountains of snow. My eyes felt gritty, not wanting to open. I rubbed the drowsiness out of my them as I slowly sat up.
My head swam dizzyingly before I steadied myself again.
Redd was sitting in the chair, his ankle propped up on his knee, reading the same book he had started last night. Something about murders. He glanced at me, casually, as though nothing had happened last night. Even his hair was tucked back into its usual tidy shape.
Was that a dream?
I hesitantly reached for my throat, and sure enough, there was a sore spot right above my jugular. His eyes tracked my hand, and his jaw clenched. His cheeks reddened slightly.
He cleared his throat. “Good morning,” he gritted out, dragging his eyes away from my throat and back to the book in his lap.
Oh, so we were playing it casually, huh? Great. Two could play that game.
“Good morning,” I mumbled, smoothing down my snarled hair and pulling myself up off the ground. “Sleep alright?” I glanced at him as I gathered the cushions and placed them back onto the chair.
“Oh, yeah, like a baby,” he said.
I just hummed in response. Infuriating creature.
I freshened myself up in the washroom, split another pastry between Redd and I, and busied myself with organizing a box of tiny seashells.
“So… are you okay?” I asked awkwardly, unsure how to broach the topic.
Redd cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the book in his lap, though I did notice the flush spreading to his ears. “Yes. I’m fine. Thank you, by the way.” His eyes flitted up to meet mine for just a moment before they danced away again in embarrassment.
“You’re welcome. You would’ve done the same for me if the situations were reversed. We don’t have to make it weird or anything.”
“Right, right. It’s not weird.”
“Not weird at all.”
“Nope.”
I forced a tense smile to my face and returned my attention to the idle task at hand. After working in awkward silence for what felt like hours, I heard something that sounded like a voice.
“Woah! Did you hear that?” I asked Redd, leaping to my feet.
“Hear what?”
“That!” I was positive that I heard it that time.
“Fiella! Fi are you in there! I went by your cottage, but you weren’t there! Oh, gods, you better not be dead!”
Kizzi! I had never been so relieved to hear the witch’s voice. My heart leapt into my throat. We were saved!
“I’m here, Kiz! Not dead, just a little stuck!”
“How does it look out there?” Redd yelled behind me.
Kizzi let out a squawk. “Redd! You’re in there too? Oh, how interesting!”
My cheeks flushed scarlet. I avoided looking in Redd’s direction like my life depended on it. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered when he was playing it so cool.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, just answer the question! How does it look out there? If you were able to approach the shop, I’m guessing it’s starting to melt?” I asked.
“Oh, right! I’ve been working with the other witches to melt paths through town, this whole situation reeks of dark sorcery. We’ll get you out of there in a jiff!”
I couldn’t hear her footsteps fading away, but I was pretty sure she had left.
Thank the gods, we were getting out of here.
I turned to see that Redd was already looking at me. He quickly looked away, clearing his throat.
“Well, that’s that,” he murmured. “Thank you, again. I mean it. My thirst has never gotten that bad before.” He finally met my eyes.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better.” I winked to lighten the tension in the air.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “Oh yes, much better.” He licked his lips, his eyes flicking back to my neck. “You’re delicious, by the way.”
That startled me. I mean, of course I was, but I was not expecting him to come out and say it like that. My jaw dropped.
His mouth lifted into a full-blown smile, flashing his sharp fangs that had been embedded in my flesh just last night. He was unfairly handsome. It was distracting.
This time I was the one clearing my throat. “Thank you? I’d say it’s my own personal recipe, but I don’t think that would make any sense.” I was trying to rein in my reaction as much as possible. I consciously tried to slow my heartbeat, breathing in slowly through my nose and out through my mouth. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of hearing my heart rate pick up.
He let out a low laugh. “I couldn’t help myself; it was low hanging fruit.”
Was he picking on me? I was definitely rubbing off on him. Figuratively and literally. I snorted at my personal silent joke.
Our conversation was interrupted by a loud meow from the unfinished loft.
“Sookie? Sookie! Where in Hell”s Realm have you been?” I asked the cat as I scooped her up and snuggled her into my chest. “I thought you must have made it out before the snow shut us in, I haven’t seen you in ages!”
She glanced at the back door, purring softly. Ah. Smart cat.
Sure enough, the tenacious creature had dug her way through the snow and entered through the back door, a trail of wet paw prints betraying the path she had taken.
“Well, I guess if the cat can do it, we can too,” Redd stated. He wasn’t wrong.
I shrugged. It was the best plan we had come up with so far, and I was itching to get out of here.
We grabbed a few stone bowls, bundled up into our cloaks, and got to work, digging our way free.
I didn’t recognize the strange pang in my chest I felt at the thought of getting out of here. Surely that wasn’t disappointment.