New Horizon [Morganville]

Chapter Twenty-Six

If there was one thing Claire was certain of, it was that Granma Katherine Day did not like Myrnin. At all. Granma Day’s lips turned up into a bright smile when she saw Claire at her front door, but it quickly turned into a scowl when her eyes rested on Myrnin. He wasn’t allowed in, of course. Myrnin had to wait outside while Granma Day happily handed Claire a container filled with chocolate chip cookies.

“Now you be careful, girl,” Granma had warned Claire. “That man out there is a psychopath. You’d be best sticking with Collins, all right?”

Claire liked Granma Day. It proved to every single vampire in Morganville that no matter how old or young a human was if you had the right spirit and attitude, you could survive anything.

Katherine Day was living proof.

Myrnin, on the other hand didn’t like her too much. Claire could accept that, after all, Granma wasn’t so nice to him either. Apparently Myrnin had even stole her car one night and returned it with a damaged engine and battery. How that had happened, Claire had no idea. She hadn’t realized how much time they’d eaten away – literally – because by the time she glanced up at the round wall clock, it was already half past seven. Myrnin must have already known how late it was, but decided not to say anything to mess with Claire.

They left, and Myrnin even walked her home. That gave her a sense of safety, which was stupid because it was Myrnin. The last time she’d taken a night-time stroll with Myrnin, she’d been picked up and dropped to the floor as Naomi changed them in hot pursuit. That wasn’t a pleasant memory to think about. Claire could only image Eve’s speech when she got home. God, she already had Shane’s lecture playing out in her head. Claire wasn’t the only one engrossed in thought, Myrnin walked silently next to her with his set in front of him. As if feeling her eyes on him, Myrnin gave her a sideways glimpse. His eyes caught the moonlight causing them to shine abnormal and shiny, reminding Claire that Myrnin wasn’t as human as he seemed. Claire looked away, and her eyes moved down to her converse high-tops. She kicked a few pebbles across the sidewalk, and risked another glance at Myrnin. He was looking up at the sky now, watching the burning stars. Claire followed his gaze at a collection of bright, vivid stars.

“That’s Cassiopeia, ‘Queen of the Night Sky,’” Myrnin stated. He must have seen Claire’s puzzled expression, because he stopped and pointed to the constellation. Claire tilted her head as she watched Myrnin draw out the shape with his index finger. The constellation looked sort of like a flattened out M or W, titled so it sat on its side. It looked like a stretched out zigzag, if anything else. “It was the first constellation I spotted when I arrived in Morganville, but I was slightly mad so I kept forgetting about it.”

Claire remained quiet for a few long moments, and then she started to walk again. Myrnin took two long strides, and he was already next to her. Claire ran her hands over her jeans pockets, and then she pulled off her backpack and rummaged through it. She flipped through thick books and random papers; she even flicked a few stakes out of the way. She heard Myrnin snort, and she glanced up at him.

“Hey,” She exclaimed as she stuck her nose back in her bag. “It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially in this town.” Myrnin waved his hand, which showed he really wasn’t that bothered, but he watched Claire dig through her bag as they walked.

“Why do you carry so much nonsense in that bag of yours?” Myrnin asked.

“Half of it is the stuff I need to take when I see you. Besides, if I didn’t take all of this with me, you’d probably find a way to punish me for not bringing it.”

“Then leave it at the lab.”

“Why? So you can meddle with all of my notebooks? No thank you.”