Mathias appeared at the closet door in a pair of sweats and a loose t-shirt. He could make anything look good. I whined and he sat down in front of me rubbing my neck with his thumb. The action reminded me of how I rubbed the necklace. Then he produced said piece of jewelry from behind his back. I got the picture without him even saying anything and nodded my head at him.
He didn’t leave, only scooted around so he was facing the door, giving me privacy. Having him sitting there, knowing I would be naked only a step or two from him didn’t help me to relax but I figured I better get to it. Do it quick. Rip off the band-aid. Okay, yeah, I was stalling.
I imagined my fingers and how they felt rubbing back and forth across the wood, the grain was smooth in one direction and textured in the other. I focused entirely on the sensation, letting everything fall away. There was no demanding Elizabeth in the other room or tantalizing Mathias in front of me. It took me a minute before I realized there was carpet pressed against my skin. I let out a sigh of relief.
“That was good,” Mathias said, sounding proud. He was right though, it was good. I hadn’t felt a thing. I scrambled into sitting position and snagged clothing from the racks above me, pulling them on before I stood up.
“Decent.” I said and Mathias stood up and turned to face me in one fluid motion. He moved like liquid, startling yet beautiful. He took a step toward me, then another, his dark eyes capturing me, holding me in an intense gaze. I stopped breathing as he closed the miniscule distance that remained between us.
He lowered his head toward mine, my vision swam and I realized I still hadn’t taken a breath. Wasn’t I just pouting about never getting the chance to have my first human kiss? And I was going to pass out before it could happen?
Mathias turned his face at the last second, his hot breath spilling down my back. “You said you trusted me.” I nodded, unwilling to speak with him standing so close to me, our chests touching, his lips brushing my ear. “I need you to do something for me.” I nodded again. “Don’t ever let anyone else see you change, please?”
His lips lingered a moment longer, sending chills down my spine, the kind that made me weak in the knees. His hands came up to my neck and he brushed my hair out of the way, off to one side. I knew then if I didn’t pass out I’d burst into flames, my skin felt feverish. He clipped my necklace in place and I finally let out my breath. He pulled back turning his hypnotizing gaze on me again. I hadn’t responded yet and I just stared into his eyes, searching for the cause of the sudden desperation I’d heard in his voice.
“Okay,” I whispered, unsure of why he asked it of me but meaning it when I told him earlier that I trusted him.
“You never told me the crucial lesson the branch taught you,” he said, touching one of the beads, snapping me out my trance.
“Every action, even the most noble, have consequences.”
“You recognized this when you were nine?”
“Yep, I loved that tree and it made me sad that I cost it a limb because I was being stupid and proud. Even now when I’m upset I go there and think and commiserate with it, hidden in its branches. I take much more care where and how high I climb, though.”
“How is it I don’t already know this?” The look on his face said someone would be answering for this slip.
“Like I said, It’s where I go when I don’t want to be found. And now you know all my secrets.”
YOU ARE READING
A Tail of Stars
FantasyThere is nothing average or ordinary about Casey Miller's life. She has no illusions about that. She's been having visions since she was six. At seventeen these waking dreams have become so intense and overpowering they have put her in danger, lu...
