Fingertips
Alex
After Irene shut the door, I wanted to call her back and ask her to stay with me. Forever.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of what had happened.
Had I made progress? Yes, but I had let Irene go without telling her how I felt. At least she needed to know I felt hopeful and happy for the first time in years. Or maybe I was simply looking for an excuse to spend more time with her, but what if I kissed her? Properly. Would she let me?
My fingers tingled after I’d touched her skin, and it was a lively sensation. I was undead, but Irene gave me back my life.
I pulled the door open and came to a quick halt. Graves stood right outside my room. To avoid touching him, I staggered backwards, and the move was neither graceful nor dignified. I hit the wall, my legs quivering.
He cast a long glance at me. Disgust was obvious in the set of his jaw. “I need to talk to you about the deal you struck with Knight.”
“Not this again.” My voice lacked its usual commanding tone. “I explained my motivations to you, and they’re non-negotiable. Besides, the deal is done.” I sidestepped him, but he blocked my path.
He stretched out an arm as if to touch me, and I jumped back, shivering. The moments with Irene had made me enjoy touching again, but they’d left me exposed, and I had no intention of enduring Graves’s touch.
He hounded me. “I see you now for what you are. You fooled me. Not anymore.” With those mysterious words, he walked away.
It took me a moment to compose myself before going to Irene’s bedroom.
She was wrapped in a light blue dressing gown, and her long hair was styled in a thick golden braid. Her radiance stunned me. It reminded me of when I’d enjoyed the sunshine without worrying about burning.
“Yes?” She didn’t pull the lapels of her dressing gown closer.
I checked the corridor. “May I talk to you?”
“Yes.” She flushed as she opened the door. “Did something happen?”
“No. Yes. I’m going to visit the Moon Court tomorrow with Darius, and you should come.” That was a sudden inspiration. “One of his people might talk to us about Sean, and you can tell me if someone is lying.”
“Of course.”
With anyone else, I would have got to the point and been done with it. But Irene understood my fears closely. She didn’t urge me to speak though.
“I appreciate your help,” I finally said. “After what I did to you, I thought you wouldn’t care for me.”
“You saved my life.”
“Myrtha did. I would have turned you into a vampire, which isn’t something you want. And I didn’t express myself well when you were in my room.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wanted more, but what I want and what my body allows me to do are two different things. I want to be close to you, to hold you, and I’m fighting against my fear and pain. But you’re worth every struggle.”
“I hope to make the struggle less hard.” She sat in front of the stove, and the glow from the fire ignited her profile with gold. She chuckled. The sound was like silver bells in a spring breeze. “You and I are an odd pair.”
I wouldn’t want to be paired with anyone else, but instead of saying it, I nodded. “We are.”
“I’m glad we found each other.”
“So am I.” I couldn’t sound dafter.
The crackling of the fire was the only sound.
I scrubbed the back of my neck. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When I shut the door behind me and found myself alone in the dark hallway, I didn’t find the usual solace darkness gave me. But I couldn’t live in the light either.