me. If I had just kept in touch, they would have known how to reach me. I keep going because I’ll cry if I don’t. “I don’t even know what this Eli guy looks like or how old he is or if he’s good to her.”
It’s quiet so long so I look up. He’s watch ing me again. Just watching. His lips smile, just barely. “Eli is a good looking guy. I can tell you that much.” I squint, confused, but before I can ask he continues. “And he’s good to her, by human standards I’m sure. By devourer standards, it makes me want to puke. As for how old he is, I don’t think that really matters. Love is love, right?”
“I can’t imagine her in love. Not really. She was so…shallow and all over this stupid meathead from school. For this turnaround, so quickly…it scares me. It makes no sense for Clara to act this way. This isn’t my sister at all. Which leads me to wonder…what the hell did this Eli guy do to her?” I ask softly.
His lip curls a little. “He fell in love.” He looked me in the eye. “And he took her down with him. It’s true. Honest to God. I saw it for myself. All the barf-inducing, sugary sweet crap. It was all real.”
“Why did they have to move into the freaking woods in the middle of nowhere? What has she gotten herself into?” I whisper to myself, but look up at him. “Does this have something to do with your kind?”
“Not just my kind.”
“There’s more? ” I whisper in a small shriek. He leans on the table, sighing and closing his eyes for a second longer than normal. “Fay,” he groaned. “Please.” He opened his eyes. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’m going to get you to your sister. That’s a promise.”
“Why?” I leaned on the table, too, and into his space. “Why are you helping me? It’s obvious you don’t like me. Is it Clara? You and Clara had a thing and you’re going to break them up or something?”
He scoffed so loud and glared. “No,” he boomed. “Absolutely not. Clara Hopkins ruined my life.”
I sat back in surprise. “Um…”
“She is the reason that I can’t feed the way I need to,” he bit out. “She is the reason my brother was taken from me. She is the reason the Horde is chasing us all.” He shook his head. “No, no. I’m closer to hating Clara than loving her.” I sighed and swallowed. “Sorry,” he said and shrugged, “but you asked.
“I don’t think I did, ” I muttered and blinked at the waitress as she brought our food.
“Maybe not,” he conceded, “b ut you don’t have to worry about Clara. You don’t need to be jealous because there is absolutely no love there.” I gave him droll look. “And I won’t hurt her either, because…she married my brother.”
I gasped, sucking coffee into my wind pipe. While I coughed, he came and sat beside me. Rubbing a small, forceful circle in the middle of my back, he patted and turned my face to look at him. When he saw that I was okay, he asked, “Do you need mouth to mouth?” He grinned, tilting his head a little. “I’d be very obliging.”
I coughed and shoved at his stomach. “All right, Casanova. Let’s take it down a notch.”
He lifted his hands as he returned to his side of the booth. “Hey. Just trying to save a life.”
“You already did. I don’t think I thanked you for that, by the way.” I made sure to look at him and not be a coward.
He smiled and looked like he was about to make a joke, but then he thought better of it. “You’re welcome, Fay. And it appears it was fate that brought us together.” I lifted an eyebrow. “Brother and sister-in-law.”
“Oh, right. That’s not a coincidence. Can’t be.”
“No,” he agreed. “It’s not. We’re going to find out soon enough what’s going on. I’ll get you there. I’ll get you to Clara. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded his head and took a big bite of pancakes.
“So…Eli is your brother?”
He grinned. “Don’t
It’s quiet so long so I look up. He’s watch ing me again. Just watching. His lips smile, just barely. “Eli is a good looking guy. I can tell you that much.” I squint, confused, but before I can ask he continues. “And he’s good to her, by human standards I’m sure. By devourer standards, it makes me want to puke. As for how old he is, I don’t think that really matters. Love is love, right?”
“I can’t imagine her in love. Not really. She was so…shallow and all over this stupid meathead from school. For this turnaround, so quickly…it scares me. It makes no sense for Clara to act this way. This isn’t my sister at all. Which leads me to wonder…what the hell did this Eli guy do to her?” I ask softly.
His lip curls a little. “He fell in love.” He looked me in the eye. “And he took her down with him. It’s true. Honest to God. I saw it for myself. All the barf-inducing, sugary sweet crap. It was all real.”
“Why did they have to move into the freaking woods in the middle of nowhere? What has she gotten herself into?” I whisper to myself, but look up at him. “Does this have something to do with your kind?”
“Not just my kind.”
“There’s more? ” I whisper in a small shriek. He leans on the table, sighing and closing his eyes for a second longer than normal. “Fay,” he groaned. “Please.” He opened his eyes. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’m going to get you to your sister. That’s a promise.”
“Why?” I leaned on the table, too, and into his space. “Why are you helping me? It’s obvious you don’t like me. Is it Clara? You and Clara had a thing and you’re going to break them up or something?”
He scoffed so loud and glared. “No,” he boomed. “Absolutely not. Clara Hopkins ruined my life.”
I sat back in surprise. “Um…”
“She is the reason that I can’t feed the way I need to,” he bit out. “She is the reason my brother was taken from me. She is the reason the Horde is chasing us all.” He shook his head. “No, no. I’m closer to hating Clara than loving her.” I sighed and swallowed. “Sorry,” he said and shrugged, “but you asked.
“I don’t think I did, ” I muttered and blinked at the waitress as she brought our food.
“Maybe not,” he conceded, “b ut you don’t have to worry about Clara. You don’t need to be jealous because there is absolutely no love there.” I gave him droll look. “And I won’t hurt her either, because…she married my brother.”
I gasped, sucking coffee into my wind pipe. While I coughed, he came and sat beside me. Rubbing a small, forceful circle in the middle of my back, he patted and turned my face to look at him. When he saw that I was okay, he asked, “Do you need mouth to mouth?” He grinned, tilting his head a little. “I’d be very obliging.”
I coughed and shoved at his stomach. “All right, Casanova. Let’s take it down a notch.”
He lifted his hands as he returned to his side of the booth. “Hey. Just trying to save a life.”
“You already did. I don’t think I thanked you for that, by the way.” I made sure to look at him and not be a coward.
He smiled and looked like he was about to make a joke, but then he thought better of it. “You’re welcome, Fay. And it appears it was fate that brought us together.” I lifted an eyebrow. “Brother and sister-in-law.”
“Oh, right. That’s not a coincidence. Can’t be.”
“No,” he agreed. “It’s not. We’re going to find out soon enough what’s going on. I’ll get you there. I’ll get you to Clara. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded his head and took a big bite of pancakes.
“So…Eli is your brother?”
He grinned. “Don’t
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