The Night Children

Chapter 31

I regarded him icily, however his eyes were trailed on the hood of the car. "So are you going to tell me?"

At this Isaac rose his head. It made the snowflakes fall out of his curls to trail around him. There was a rosy tinge to his nose and cheeks, however there was no other indicator he was cold.

I felt a shiver go through me. Isaac caught the movement, his eyebrows furrowing. "I'll explain once we get you in the heated car."
I didn't object, but instead slid into my car. Isaac copied the movement, pushing his door shut. Hastily chucking my bag in the back, I saw Isaac's eyes slide over it as it made a clicking noise in the back seat.

I knew what he was thinking. A gun was hidden in the backpack. Not only that, but a kitchen knife. I spared him the details.

Isaac nodded towards the keys that remained in the ignition as I started the engine. "I could've stolen your car," he observed.

I shot him a dark look. "Why didn't you?"
Isaac shrugged. "It's not worth stealing a tin bucket on wheels."
The engine starting cut out the angry snort I gave him, however his lips were curling into an amused tilt. I watched it carve at his face, lightening his eyes. The familiar feeling stirred in my chest and I quickly shoved it away to press the clutch down.

Isaac was nothing to me. I was nothing to him. We were two strangers who shared secrets among us. That was all.

Once the headlights were flicked on and the car had warmed up enough so my fingers didn't shake against the steering wheel, I glanced over at Isaac. He was staring off in the distance as he always does, his smile having disappeared into a swift frown.

"I would appreciate if you told me what a tunid is," I said, breaking the silence.

Isaac sighed. "You're going to bombard me with questions on this car trip aren't you?"
I didn't look in his direction. "Is that even a question?"
He sniffed. "Predictable." I saw from the corner of my eye as his gaze slid over to the dirt road in front of us. His lips were beginning to seep back to their regular colour. "A tunid is the Parades term for a human."
I scrunched my nose up at this, trying to comprehend the weird terminology. "Why not just call us humans?"

Isaac gave another careless shrug. "Makes us seem more mythical I s'pose."

I allowed my gaze to revert back to his. It was hard to comprehend him, his presence, his shadow. He looked every bit as human as I was. And yet, I had seen him with those yellow eyes, clawing at the bullet in his chest feebly. I had seen his wounds stitch over, the blood drying on his scissored chest. Do I tell him my own wounds had healed? Do I explain how quickly my torn ribcage had scarred?

But he would've been too injured to remember the way the shewolf had torn through my chest. He didn't even remember what he had said to me in his dying state, let alone what I had gone through alone.

Some demons are best to be fought unaccompanied, I reminded myself.

"So let me get this straight," I said, my gaze flickering back to the road. Isaac made an impatient noise but didn't interrupt. "You're a Parade member. You have yellow eyes and fast healing and you protect tunids," I felt stupid saying the word but continued anyway, "from the Forsaken."

He nodded. "Correct."

I swiped him a quick glance, admiring the way his curls brushed the nape of his neck as he sat. "So what are you then?"
His lips titled into a frown. His eyes seemed to narrow into slits as he stared. "Supernatural."

The only sound that filled the car was the blare of the heater. My heart drummed in my chest. It was enough to assume the worst, but nearly unbearable to hear the word aloud.