Chapter 2
Kate
I lead him into the living room and set up the old couch with some sheets, blankets, and a pillow. He stands listening to me patiently as I lecture him about staying in the building and going nowhere else.
“Not my bedroom, not outside. Understand? Just, just stay right here.”
He only nods.
I turn away and am almost at my bedroom door when a sudden thought enters my brain, and I turn around to ask him a question and realize that he has materialized in my kitchen, peering into the herb pots growing on the windowsill.
“Uh, Zera? Do you need to use the restroom at any point?” I decided not to ask about how he got from my living room to the kitchen in the blink of an eye.
He turns to me with an odd look on his face. “Rest room? What is a rest room?”
“Uhm, a bathroom? I didn’t know if you needed to pee, or…other stuff.” God, why am I so lame? Literally the lamest person ever. Ughhh, he still looks confused. I try again. “Does your body, uh, excrete liquids or solids?”
His face smooths with understanding. “Oh, right. I forgot humans do that. No, my physical form does not excrete anything.” He turns back to my herbs, gently fingering the rosemary, and inhaling its scent. “But thank you for asking.” His voice is soft with a touch of intrigue.
I hesitate at my bedroom door, not sure if I need to give more detailed instructions on not going anywhere, or if I should just drop it.
“Right then, well, you're all set. So, I’m going to bed and I’ll see you later.
In the morning.” I open the door and shut it quickly, locking it behind me.
I tuck myself in the covers and will my body to relax enough to sleep, but instead, I lie awake for at least another hour with my ears straining for any sound coming from the living room.
It is completely silent.
???
MORNING RAYS FLIT across my eyelids, coaxing me awake. I’m on my belly, my sleep shirt hiked up around my waist, my bare thighs cool in the early morning air. I will myself to sleep more, but I smell coffee, bacon, and something sweet.
I sit bolt upright in bed, heart hammering in my chest. Everything from the previous night comes back to me in a rush, and I am up and off the bed in a split second, yanking open my door.
Zera is by the stove, my apron wrapped around his waist, his perfectly rounded ass firmly in my eyesight, tail gently flicking with concentration.
I try not to stare. I see eggs sizzling in the old cast iron, a stack of pancakes on the counter dripping butter, and a baking sheet with crispy bacon. Well, I’ll be damned.
“Good morning, Kate. Please, sit. I will bring you everything.”
I have to remember to close my mouth. Arguments chase each other in my brain, but instead, I shuffle over to the old pine table and sit.
Zera stacks the pancakes, bacon on one arm, and a plate full of fried eggs on the other, holding the coffee pot securely by his tail.
The muscles of his arms are barely straining; it should be impossible to hold all of this at once, but he is making it look easy.
I do a double-take at his tail, elegantly holding the heavy coffee pot.
He begins to dish everything out on my plate, with the final act of pouring me a cup of coffee with one sugar and a splash of milk. Then he sits, perching his head on his hands, watching me closely.
Like I’ve always done since I was a kid, I place two slices of bacon into one of my pancakes, fold it in half, and take a big bite.
The salty sweetness bursts over my tongue.
I close my eyes in pure pleasure, and a moan escapes me.
It has been so long since anyone has cooked for me, and sadly, it has been several days since I have made a hot meal for myself.
Normally, I would be more dainty when eating in front of the opposite sex, but something about Zera makes me think he doesn’t care in the slightest if I stuff myself silly.
The hot, creamy coffee wakes me up, and I am struck with ravenous hunger, devouring everything. Before I know it, I’ve inhaled three pancakes, five slices of bacon, and four fried eggs. That’s when the thought stops me in my tracks, coffee cup mid-air.
“Zera, where did you get the bacon and the eggs?”
The happy smile that he’d had as he watched me eat slips off his face. A sly grin takes its place. “I have my ways.”
“Did you leave this apartment?!”
“No! You commanded me not to. I must obey.” He seems upset that I would even think it.
“Well…now I’m confused, bacon and eggs didn’t just magically appear in my apartment. I haven’t gone food shopping for days, so what–” I stop mid-sentence. Zera is chuckling at me. Chuckling. And then it hits me, the word I just said - magically.
“Oh my god.” The realization that I am dealing with magic washes over me, and I instantly regret eating so much as my stomach turns with anxiety and guilt.
It is Zera’s turn to frown at me now. “What do you mean you did not go food shopping for several days? Is that why I could barely find anything to make you?”
I sigh. “I didn’t have time. I can make do and get food later. You don’t have to magic it into the house.” My brain catches up with what he just said. “And I never asked you to make me anything. I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”
His hand moves as though to pat mine, but he stops, remembering my command not to touch me. Instead, he says, “Of course, Kate.”
I nodded glumly, staring off into space. Then, that’s when I noticed my living room was sparkling. Dust bunnies are gone, shelves tidied, plants pruned and watered. Even the windows are clean.
“Zera - did you clean my apartment last night?” I ask, incredulous.
“Yes.”
“Why?” I had been meaning to clean for months. Okay, more than months. It's been a very long time since I deep-cleaned. I’ve just been busy. And maybe slightly depressed. Plus, nobody visits me, so what’s the point?
“I wanted to.” He shrugs. “Also, I do not sleep much anymore.”
He sees my mug is empty, refills it, and then stands, stacking empty plates.
“Wait!” I cry. “You’re not eating?”
Another shrug. “I don’t need to eat often either.”
I decide to let this go and start getting ready for work, closing my bedroom door firmly behind me and locking it.
The last thing I need is a nosy demon (or angel?) barging into my room and spying on me as I shower.
As per usual, I put not a shred of effort or thought into my appearance, tying my long, thick, curly hair up into a big bun.
With just enough energy left, I slather on some moisturizer, throw on my Owl & Lantern Books branded polo, some jeans, and the thick, sturdy shoes I need to get me through nine hours of constant standing.
As I am getting ready to leave, I notice that Zera is still in the kitchen, puttering around. I don’t pay attention to it too much, and call out from the door as I grab my bag, “I’ll be back later tonight. I usually don’t eat lunch. But stay here, don’t go anywhere outside this building!”
As I turn to grab my bag, I feel a slight breeze behind me and turn to see Zera has somehow made it from the kitchen to me in a split second. I hear myself yelp.
“Don’t do that!”
He ignores my outrage. “You do not eat midday? Why?”
I shake my head. “I don’t have time to explain, Zera. I have to go, I’m sorry. Just promise me you will stay here.”
He nods solemnly. “I must obey.” His soulful black eyes crinkle in concern at me, hands on hips as though he cannot believe I am leaving.
Regretfully, I close the door behind me, take the stairs two at a time, and enter through the back of the bookstore.
In no time, I am consumed by the day’s work, helping customers find books they are looking for, and hosting a morning children’s read-aloud hour.
There are slow moments when I wander the store putting books back onto their proper shelves and rotating the ever-growing inventory of brick-a-brack that Luc loves to have out.
Throughout the morning, I briefly think of Zera upstairs and wonder what he is doing and how he might be occupying his time.
This feeling is strange, of needing to carry on as normal when something so cosmic has completely shifted my entire world upside down.
Regardless, I smile and help customers as I normally do.
Being that I am the only employee of the store, there are 45 minutes in the day when we are supposed to close down so I can go have my lunch and a quick break.
I can count on one hand the number of times I have ever actually locked the doors and closed down for that time.
The sign stating this is even painted on the front window, but somehow word got out that I willfully ignore this on a daily basis, and now lunch has become our busiest time of day, with locals on their lunch hour coming in for a cozy reprieve.
It also means that my least favorite regular comes in as well.
My stomach is in knots as I watch the minutes tick down to 12:02.
Sure enough, I see Travis through the windows, carrying the coffee he picks up on his walk over.
Before he can find me, I scurry over to the far corner of the store and hide amongst the shelves, pretending to rearrange some gothic decorative plates that Luc found at an antique store years ago and decided to sell.
I hear the bell over the door sound and the thuds of his footsteps.
He seems to pause at the doorway, and I know he is looking around the store for me.
I close my eyes and will him to just go sit down somewhere and read a book, but I know it's no use.
Every single day, he finds a reason to come find me.
“Hey, Kate!”
I jump. “Oh, hey, Travis.”
“So, I finished that book I got the other day at the gym, the one about cryptocurrency?”
I nod my head. The less I say, usually the better, and he ends up giving up and leaving me alone, but lately he has been taking to following me around and trying anything to engage me in some conversation.