She sucked on her finger where blood welled from a paper cut.
The red on her pale skin was alarming. The droplet on the paper looked frightening. She was fine with blood when it was in a pipette, but not like this – fresh and raw. If she ever got to really use a sword on someone, she’d likely faint.
Chapter 6
“Willow?”
Someone shook her. No one called her that anymore, except for him. Alarmed, she blearily opened her eyes. “Ally!” She smiled at her cousin. “Just you.”
The morning light streamed in through the window and silhouetted Ally. As she leaned in, wisps of her long hair shifted against the glaring white. White on white. No one had blond hair as pale as Ally’s. “Yes, just me. I was worried. It’s late.”
“What time?” Her arm ached when she turned to see the clock. She hissed. Also hurting was her neck.
“It’s nine. You’ve got bruises, Willow.”
“Will. Remember? Willow isn’t me anymore.”
“No. I’ve decided I like it again.”
“You’ve decided?” Shit. The little frown on Ally’s face said she wasn’t changing her mind. When her cousin got an idea, it stayed got.
“I’ve made you coffee. It’s in the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” She was such a sweet thing. “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
“No, you won’t.” Ally stood, determined written all over her face. “Turn over. I’m going to massage you. It’ll make you feel better.”
Though she considered protesting, she gave up and rolled over, sighing when Ally’s long fingers began their work. The girl knew how to fix muscle aches like no one else.
Willow now, hey? She played with the syllables in her mind. Funny how she had two people wanting to use the old name. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea? It was pretty. She didn’t need the name change to prove her toughness anymore.
Ally’s fingers reached a knot high on her shoulder and she groaned in relief as the pain ebbed.
“I hit the right spot?”
“Yes. Wonderful.” She tucked her head deeper into her pillow.
“What happened?”
Oops. How much could she say? She didn’t want to upset her. Ally was so innocent of the outside world. She received a government payment for looking after her and that, with her wages, helped them both keep the house, pay rates, live. But there wasn’t anything that could make Ally lose her fear of what was out there. People scared her to bits. Crowds ditto and parks and open spaces in the city. Open spaces in the country were strangely okay; the one time she’d tried taking her camping had proved that. But they couldn’t afford to go camp out in the middle of nowhere forever.
Her psychiatrist had resorted to drugs and a few checkups a year, once it was clear they couldn’t afford expensive treatment.
“Who gave you these marks?” Her delicate fingers trailed cool and comforting over Willow’s neck. “It wasn’t the man who came to our door, I know that.”
“What?” She turned back over and sat up.
Ally shifted down the bed and waited, wide-eyed, her hands curled in the lap of her green dress, and looking like some ethereal creature who’d been caught casting a spell.
“How’d you know about him, about Stom?”
She sucked on her lip for a moment or two. “He’s different, isn’t he?”
“You saw him through the front window?”
“No. I heard you talking, just a little. Then I went back to sleep once I knew he was safe. He likes you.”
Every so often Ally surprised her with some conclusion that didn’t seem possible. Willow sat back against the headboard. “Likes?”
She thought about that. He had saved her from rape and assault, told her he wanted to rescue her from evil, and given her a great orgasm. Likes summed it up, pretty much. Then he’d hinted at claiming her, ohmigod.
Ally poked out her tongue. “Was I right?”
“Little smartass.”
“See! Come get coffee and tell me about your new boyfriend.” Then she bounced upright and pranced down the hallway. “I like him
The red on her pale skin was alarming. The droplet on the paper looked frightening. She was fine with blood when it was in a pipette, but not like this – fresh and raw. If she ever got to really use a sword on someone, she’d likely faint.
Chapter 6
“Willow?”
Someone shook her. No one called her that anymore, except for him. Alarmed, she blearily opened her eyes. “Ally!” She smiled at her cousin. “Just you.”
The morning light streamed in through the window and silhouetted Ally. As she leaned in, wisps of her long hair shifted against the glaring white. White on white. No one had blond hair as pale as Ally’s. “Yes, just me. I was worried. It’s late.”
“What time?” Her arm ached when she turned to see the clock. She hissed. Also hurting was her neck.
“It’s nine. You’ve got bruises, Willow.”
“Will. Remember? Willow isn’t me anymore.”
“No. I’ve decided I like it again.”
“You’ve decided?” Shit. The little frown on Ally’s face said she wasn’t changing her mind. When her cousin got an idea, it stayed got.
“I’ve made you coffee. It’s in the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” She was such a sweet thing. “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
“No, you won’t.” Ally stood, determined written all over her face. “Turn over. I’m going to massage you. It’ll make you feel better.”
Though she considered protesting, she gave up and rolled over, sighing when Ally’s long fingers began their work. The girl knew how to fix muscle aches like no one else.
Willow now, hey? She played with the syllables in her mind. Funny how she had two people wanting to use the old name. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea? It was pretty. She didn’t need the name change to prove her toughness anymore.
Ally’s fingers reached a knot high on her shoulder and she groaned in relief as the pain ebbed.
“I hit the right spot?”
“Yes. Wonderful.” She tucked her head deeper into her pillow.
“What happened?”
Oops. How much could she say? She didn’t want to upset her. Ally was so innocent of the outside world. She received a government payment for looking after her and that, with her wages, helped them both keep the house, pay rates, live. But there wasn’t anything that could make Ally lose her fear of what was out there. People scared her to bits. Crowds ditto and parks and open spaces in the city. Open spaces in the country were strangely okay; the one time she’d tried taking her camping had proved that. But they couldn’t afford to go camp out in the middle of nowhere forever.
Her psychiatrist had resorted to drugs and a few checkups a year, once it was clear they couldn’t afford expensive treatment.
“Who gave you these marks?” Her delicate fingers trailed cool and comforting over Willow’s neck. “It wasn’t the man who came to our door, I know that.”
“What?” She turned back over and sat up.
Ally shifted down the bed and waited, wide-eyed, her hands curled in the lap of her green dress, and looking like some ethereal creature who’d been caught casting a spell.
“How’d you know about him, about Stom?”
She sucked on her lip for a moment or two. “He’s different, isn’t he?”
“You saw him through the front window?”
“No. I heard you talking, just a little. Then I went back to sleep once I knew he was safe. He likes you.”
Every so often Ally surprised her with some conclusion that didn’t seem possible. Willow sat back against the headboard. “Likes?”
She thought about that. He had saved her from rape and assault, told her he wanted to rescue her from evil, and given her a great orgasm. Likes summed it up, pretty much. Then he’d hinted at claiming her, ohmigod.
Ally poked out her tongue. “Was I right?”
“Little smartass.”
“See! Come get coffee and tell me about your new boyfriend.” Then she bounced upright and pranced down the hallway. “I like him
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