BREATH . OF . LIFE . ~ { ReGenisis Chronicles Book I }

Chapter Three [Part 5/5] Haven Built From Hell

I nodded and went over to the side, I could feel his grey eyes on me whilst I fished in the overhead cupboard for sugar. Once I'd found the jar I heard him tutting behind me when I went to pick up the spoon he'd just used.

"A fresh one." He growled under his breath.

I swallowed, making a random guess on which drawer to pull open. I closed my eyes and slid open the drawer in front of me hearing a slight clatter of silverware. Opening my eyes I smiled and grabbed out a clean spoon. Once I'd finished with the spoon I heard him clearing his throat behind me, and so I put the sugar back in its place and went straight over to the sink across the room to put the spoons in it.

"Now, that wasn't so hard was it." He muttered sarcastically.

I turned to him, narrowing my eyes. "Are you always so condescending of people you don't know?"

He took a deep, deep breath, puffing out his chest as thoughts flashed across his face. "Yes, especially people I don't trust." He let the breath out, his grey eyes wide as they flicked towards my face.

My frown deepened. I didn't quite know what to say against that. Obviously with the people I'd met today I wasn't so sure I could disagree with his caution. But It wasn't really caution, it felt more like persecution. "It's not like I know you either. I guess I find it easier to put faith in people, at least enough to give them a chance." As righteous as I felt, I was also lying. At least, until today with Griffin. That was mostly based on necessity.

"What a petulant facial expression you have there. Like a toddler who can't get its way. Really," he shook his head, "you must be what," then he sniffed in through his nose, "twenty?"

My eyes widened. "How could you possibly tell that?"

He tapped his nose, a slight smirk coming to his face. "Miss, you have fallen into a dangerous playground, that I don't think you're cut out to play in. In this playground there are many who can tell more about you on a glance, on a breath, than those who may have known you for years."

"I think I've realised that... I just didn't know..." I stopped myself from talking by taking a sip of my coffee. The second sugar was too much I realised, everything about this drink was richer, sweeter, deeper. "This is really good..." My eyes widened on the mug, it was true, even despite my usual dose of glucose being a tad overkill now.

"Perhaps it's the brand... perhaps the fact all of your senses have been altered." He took a sip of his own drink. "If you hated sprouts before, you won't be able to stand them now."

I nodded, "so we, we still eat normal food?"

The old man's eyes closed, his expression flitting between bemused and amused. "Yes," he hissed.

"So we're not the undead who feed on flesh and blood, right?" I had to clarify after that Scavenger had mentioned fresh blood being better and mine having to do.

Now the man laughed a little. "If we wanted to I'm sure our metabolism would support it. But no, we eat, for the most part, like most humans. Perhaps we do up our protein, but I assure you other humans are not on the menu here." He shook his head then, still holding back chuckles. "You are a funny thing, read too much I suppose?" His eyes had softened when he looked back up at me.

Embarrassment colouring my face,  I glanced down at my feet. "Probably just a little too much. I had time for it."

"Well there won't be much time here for reading, girl." His voice was still light.

I frowned up at him. "You know, I do have a name... in fact, I'm pretty sure you do, too. Only I keep thinking of you as old man. So..." I raised an eyebrow at him.