“Again?” Eliot sounded annoyed.
“Mhmm,” Alazzdria mumbled. “Actually make that several someones. Though I won’t say who or why—just know that they seem very, very serious about making me very dead.”
Miriam went stone-still, though the woman, Alazzdria, didn’t seem very bothered by the fact that people wanted to murder her. Miriam couldn’t help thinking that instead, she just sounded…amused.
Eliot released a sharp breath. “What did you do this time?”
“Nothing,” Alazzdria said innocently. “But my little comatose rouse only seems to have thrown them off for a little while. They’ll be on my tail any day now…”
“Which means?” Eliot demanded.
“I need protection,” the woman said while Eliot cursed. “Say you’ll guard me! Pretty please?”
“You put yourself in a coma and dragged me all the way across the country for…protection?”
Alazzdria scoffed. “Well, when you put it that way, it sounds just plain silly!”
“No.”
“Eliot—”
“No.”
“Pretty, pretty please?”
“Why should I?”
Alazzdria seemed to mull his words over. “I’ll make it worth your while, darling,” she said finally with a smack of her lips. “Pinky swear.”
The man sighed. “Sage and Hazel won’t like it.”
“Ugh, God!” Alazzdria groaned. “You brought them? I told you not to bring them—”
“It would have raised too many questions if I left those two behind,” Eliot said simply. Miriam could almost picture him shrugging—a faceless figure of shadow to match that dark voice.
“Whether you like it or not, they’re part of the coven. Besides, you’re not the one who had to travel with them…”
Alazzdria didn’t seem very sympathetic. “Thosehorrid twins,” she hissed. “I’ll never understand why you left everything behind to play bodyguard to those two spoiled little—”
“This isn’t about me,” Eliot said. “This is about you, and why you think I owe you a damn thing. Especially after—”
His tone was like a blade cutting through her—down to her very soul. The sound of it made Miriam’s body clench. Her nose pressed harder into the thick wool of her sweater, unintentionally breathing in a cloud of lint and…she couldn’t help it.
She sneezed.
The sound cut through the man’s words like a knife and an instant hush fell over the room.
Miriam squeezed her eyes shut, and tucked her head lazily into the arm of her chair, still pretending to sleep until finally she heard Eliot say, “Who is that?”
“Oh,” Alazzdria said. “That’s Miriam.”
She drew the name out in strangled vowels; Marrriiiiiam.
“She’s my sitter.”
Her sitter, Miriam wondered? She was there for Lizzie…
“About damn time you realized you needed supervision,” Eliot grumbled.
“Haha, touché,” Alazzdria quipped. “She’s to keep me company, actually. The people at this hospital supply all the coma patients with sitters to ‘improve the patient experience.’”
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Taint (Formerly Claimed) Dark Midnight 1
ParanormalAs a suffering epileptic with uncontrolled siezures, Miriam always knew she was different. For her, it's better to be invisible--but that all changes when He comes to town; a boy with murder in his eyes, and blood on his soul. He's different too...
Chapter 5
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