different. I sighed as Kian dragged me up.
My heart skipped a beat when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. My body must have stiffened because he looked at me to explain.
“It will look strange if I have to carry you onto the airplane,” he said. I nodded, but the walk onto the plane still had my heart beating a little faster than normal, and I had the embarrassing feeling that Kian knew it.
My first flight in many years went by with little excitement. My head was still pounding and after Kian practically pushed me into my first class seat, he promptly fell asleep and I began buzzing the attendants for some Aspirin. My body felt like a punching bag. It was like all I had done after seeing Kian for the first time was fall down.
It surprised me a little that Kian slept, or ate for that matter. He had eaten a cinnamon bun and was now snoozing with his mouth slightly open. Fast asleep, leaning his head against the window, he looked more statuesque than ever, but more human as well. It was a strange juxtaposition.
We were airborne by the time a young flight attendant came around, asking what I needed. She eyed Kian, smiling, and came back with my Aspirin in less than a minute. I cradled my head and envisioned the Aspirin dissolving, its magic bringing me back to life a little. Annoyingly, the flight attendant came back. She dawdled in front of our row for a moment before finally leaning over to me.
“Hey,” she whispered, as if we were long-time confidantes, her bright blue eyes shining. “Between you and me, that guy is really, really cute.”
Pause.
She looked from me to Kian, and then leaned over to me again. “Is that your brother?”
I raised my eyebrows at her and looked as stern as I could. “Between you and me,” I said flatly, “no.”
She smiled again, politely, and walked away. However, not before looking me up and down again, most definitely wondering what I had that others didn’t. My sandy hair and plain, dusty eyes; I didn’t look all too spectacular.
“ You be a descendant of the gods,” I muttered smugly into my airline pillow, and promptly fell asleep too.
I awoke on my side, my head in Kian’s lap. Realizing where I was made heat flood into my face, and by the time I sat up, I was blushing insanely. The sun was rapidly setting and the people around us were putting on their shoes and hiding their books and laptops. I noticed Kian had put a blanket over me and felt a fresh pulse of heat in my face.
“Please put your seatbelt on, miss,” the flight attendant from before said to me. Her eyes drifted over Kian then settled onto the aisle. I was trying to hide my face from him.
“Gwen, would you like to look outside?” he asked.
I did. I pretended to be searching for my seatbelt while I pressed my cold hands to my face, trying to get the red out. Mustering my best neutral expression, I looked out the window onto New York City.
My eyes widened with all there was to take in: the brilliant lights shimmered like a galaxy, while tall buildings rose like giants from the landscape. Darkness had fallen while we flew and the night made the Hudson River glisten, an enormous snake slithering through the city. It all shone like a jewel against the dark of the Atlantic Ocean. I could think of no other word for what I was seeing than a miracle. A conclave of happenstance and opportunity had created this mammoth, living city. And I was about to set foot in it.
Giddily, I noticed my headache had gone and I was actually very excited to be in New York. I had always dreamed of coming here. My thoughts of leaving home, school, and running away with Kian dissolved as I looked out the tiny window.
Kian touched my arm and I was brought back to the present.
“Have you been here before?” he asked.
“No. Have you?”
He shook his head.
Even with the visions, this stranger, and magicians threatening my life, I took a chance.
“Let’s go do tourist things tomorrow,” I said.
The words came
My heart skipped a beat when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. My body must have stiffened because he looked at me to explain.
“It will look strange if I have to carry you onto the airplane,” he said. I nodded, but the walk onto the plane still had my heart beating a little faster than normal, and I had the embarrassing feeling that Kian knew it.
My first flight in many years went by with little excitement. My head was still pounding and after Kian practically pushed me into my first class seat, he promptly fell asleep and I began buzzing the attendants for some Aspirin. My body felt like a punching bag. It was like all I had done after seeing Kian for the first time was fall down.
It surprised me a little that Kian slept, or ate for that matter. He had eaten a cinnamon bun and was now snoozing with his mouth slightly open. Fast asleep, leaning his head against the window, he looked more statuesque than ever, but more human as well. It was a strange juxtaposition.
We were airborne by the time a young flight attendant came around, asking what I needed. She eyed Kian, smiling, and came back with my Aspirin in less than a minute. I cradled my head and envisioned the Aspirin dissolving, its magic bringing me back to life a little. Annoyingly, the flight attendant came back. She dawdled in front of our row for a moment before finally leaning over to me.
“Hey,” she whispered, as if we were long-time confidantes, her bright blue eyes shining. “Between you and me, that guy is really, really cute.”
Pause.
She looked from me to Kian, and then leaned over to me again. “Is that your brother?”
I raised my eyebrows at her and looked as stern as I could. “Between you and me,” I said flatly, “no.”
She smiled again, politely, and walked away. However, not before looking me up and down again, most definitely wondering what I had that others didn’t. My sandy hair and plain, dusty eyes; I didn’t look all too spectacular.
“ You be a descendant of the gods,” I muttered smugly into my airline pillow, and promptly fell asleep too.
I awoke on my side, my head in Kian’s lap. Realizing where I was made heat flood into my face, and by the time I sat up, I was blushing insanely. The sun was rapidly setting and the people around us were putting on their shoes and hiding their books and laptops. I noticed Kian had put a blanket over me and felt a fresh pulse of heat in my face.
“Please put your seatbelt on, miss,” the flight attendant from before said to me. Her eyes drifted over Kian then settled onto the aisle. I was trying to hide my face from him.
“Gwen, would you like to look outside?” he asked.
I did. I pretended to be searching for my seatbelt while I pressed my cold hands to my face, trying to get the red out. Mustering my best neutral expression, I looked out the window onto New York City.
My eyes widened with all there was to take in: the brilliant lights shimmered like a galaxy, while tall buildings rose like giants from the landscape. Darkness had fallen while we flew and the night made the Hudson River glisten, an enormous snake slithering through the city. It all shone like a jewel against the dark of the Atlantic Ocean. I could think of no other word for what I was seeing than a miracle. A conclave of happenstance and opportunity had created this mammoth, living city. And I was about to set foot in it.
Giddily, I noticed my headache had gone and I was actually very excited to be in New York. I had always dreamed of coming here. My thoughts of leaving home, school, and running away with Kian dissolved as I looked out the tiny window.
Kian touched my arm and I was brought back to the present.
“Have you been here before?” he asked.
“No. Have you?”
He shook his head.
Even with the visions, this stranger, and magicians threatening my life, I took a chance.
“Let’s go do tourist things tomorrow,” I said.
The words came
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