13. Iris
Iris
One moment I’m speaking to a rational, seemingly confused man, and then the next I’m talking to what I could only describe as an entity.
Adam vanishes, along with his dark brown eyes, and suddenly I’m staring at the Slayer, his eyes an inky black as he stares at me.
“Sorry about him, I know he’s annoying,” he says in such a deep voice it rattles me at my core.
When I glance over at Scarlett, she’s back to bouncing on his chest.
“What a beautiful creature,” he says to the fox, and she preens.
“I like him. We should keep him,” she says cheerfully and the Slayer grins.
He’s still clearly weak, but he doesn’t pull at his restraints, his depthless gaze just boring into my own.
“You are more beautiful than in my memories. I’ve waited so long, my Iris.”
“Your…memories?”
“Yes, you are my prize,” he says, and Scarlett nips at his arm.
“You do not tell women that they are a prize. It’s rude,” she chastises him.
“But she is my prize. We are fated. If I was a good slayer, if I killed enough vampires, I would finally meet my mate. It’s been so many cycles. I’ve waited so long and you’re here and you’ve invited me to your bed.”
I gawk at him.
“Wait, wait, wait. First off, I did not invite you into my bed. You were bleeding out in the shop, and this was the only place I could bring you. Second, I’m a witch. We don’t have mates.”
I swear his eyes sparkle at the word witch.
“Of course you wouldn’t be a mere mortal.
I’ve been blessed by the universe entirely.
You are my mate, I can feel it, right here.
” He goes to touch his chest, but can’t because of the restraints.
He isn’t phased in the slightest though, just shakes his head.
“I’ve been searching for you for many cycles, my sweet Iris. ”
“Cycles?” I repeat his phrase, rubbing my temples. A brutal headache is forming right behind my eyes with all of this madness.
“Yes. Cycles. I’m brought to the mortal lands by the humans, given a vessel to slay vampires. When that vessel fails, I wait until they give me a new one.”
“So Adam is your…vessel?” I question, my heart kind of breaking for the man trapped inside him.
“A very annoying, opinionated vessel, yes. It is unfortunate that we will have to deal with him, but I can work harder to push him back into the recesses of my mind.”
“Don’t do that,” I say too quickly, and the Slayer’s eyes narrow.
“You like Adam?” he asks, clear displeasure in his voice.
“No. I don’t like anyone. I’m just trying to figure out what the fuck is going on.
A giant tattooed man landed on my doorstep bleeding out, claiming I’m his mate, and now I find out he’s not just one person but two?
Not to mention I haven’t slept in months because I thought someone was coming to kill me. ”
“I’d rip out anyone’s throat who dared to touch you,” he says, and well, I shouldn’t like the way he says that.
I’m just tired, and glad I’m not dying tomorrow. Now, I need to figure out what to do with Adam/the Slayer.
“No one’s throat is getting ripped out,” I say, grabbing a chair and sliding it over to the bedside.
“That’s false. There will still be many vampires who are in need of killing.”
“A hunter? I’m an excellent huntress,” Scarlett says, and the Slayer smiles at her, showing off his canine teeth that seem sharper than the average human’s.
“I’d love to see your work, little fox.”
I swear my familiar somehow blushes as she plops down on his chest, her head resting on her paws as she stares at him.
Great, she’s completely lost the fucking plot, and a murderer is sitting in my bed and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Adam’s pleading still sticks with me, and I know I need to help him.
Maybe if I figure out the spell of how the Slayer was sent here I could possibly send him back? Maybe that would get him out of my hair and give Adam his body back? There’s no way that this being could possibly be my mate. No fucking way.
The Slayer’s eyes grow heavy, though he never stops looking at me.
“Worth the wait,” he says before passing back out.
“He’s so handsome, we should keep him. We could go on hunts together and you’d finally have a boyfriend. You’d be like one of those girls on Love Island with two boyfriends…Well, one boyfriend? Hmm…I’m going to workshop this.”
“Scarlett, no one is getting a boyfriend. We’re sending him back to wherever he came from.”
She slightly growls at me, catches herself, and sits back down on his chest. “Don’t you think it’s curious that he can speak to me? Seems like something only a mate could do.”
“Walter can’t speak to Silas,” I remind her.
“That is because Silas is clearly not a powerful ancient being like this one.”
“You don’t even like men.”
“That’s because they’re usually terrible on all these shows I watch. This one is different. He’s waited cycles for you. Cycles, Iris! Cycles.”
How is this my life? Arguing with my fox over keeping a blood thirsty something tied to my bed?
“I don’t have patience for this. I need to get some rest. Watch after him and we’ll figure everything out in a few hours.”
“Fine,” Scarlett says sharply, staring at…I’m just going to call him Adam?
After a few hours of sleep, I can come up with a plan, a good plan. I’ll get my life back along with Adam’s while getting rid of all these horrific visions.
I’ve got this.