I dreaded the thought that he might come into the sandwich shop and find me avoiding him.
I didn’t believe what Stark had said about him. At least, I didn’t think I did. The longer the words sank in, the more they seemed to bleed across the line into believability, regardless of the source.
I knew that he was trying to get under my skin. He was succeeding.
“Is that guy bothering you?”
I looked up to see the young woman who had taken my order, and she nodded toward the street. I looked again, and he was there.
Stark had decided to follow me home. He stood beneath a streetlamp that had just switched on in the impending dark, leaning back against the concrete underpass that lead to campus.
I knew that he couldn’t hurt me, and Lyssa’s protections on my apartment were still firmly in place, but his presence unnerved me.
“Yes,” I said, accepting my wrapped sandwich from the clerk. “He’s bothering me.”
When I saw that she had a second sandwich in her hand, I did a double take, and was about to tell her that she must have gotten my order wrong. She shrugged before I could say anything, and explained.
“It’s my break,” she apologized. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”
The place was empty except for the two of us. She had a point; it would be awkward if we didn’t sit together.
“I’m, um…” If I said that I was waiting for someone, it would be rude when no one showed up. It wasn’t really a reason for us not to sit together in the meanwhile, either. I decided to go for the truth. “I would, normally, but that guy out there is kind of bent on ruining my life, and he’s taken some shots at my friends recently, so I really wouldn’t want you to get mixed up in it.”
She looked down at me and smiled kindly, and her eyes flashed to Stark once more. I hadn’t noticed before, but there was the slightest hint of crows’ feet starting to show at the corner of her eyes. I had never seen someone so young with wrinkles, and I imagined it took some stress to earn them. I was probably well on my way, too.
“I think I can manage.”
She sat down, and I shifted restlessly in my seat as my stomach did a flip.
She opened her sandwich and took a bite, pointing at me. “Did you get that in Stonefall?”
I looked down, and my hand was already reaching for the sumac pendant that Charlie had made for me. I wore it everywhere without even thinking about it.
A question rose in my mind, because it could have been an innocent inquiry, but it felt like she was asking me something more. I knew that Stonefall was an area that magical folk frequented, but I didn’t know how to code anything back to this stranger. Even if I did, I wasn’t sure if it was wise to do so.
My silence seemed to confirm something for her, because she pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, flashing a bracelet. It was a simple silver circle set with a single brilliant ruby.
“Reminded me of mine.” She shrugged. “That’s all.”
Before she had finished speaking, the gem on her wrist and the sumac in my pendant had started to flicker and glow.
The stranger’s face lit up. “Oh, I guess they like each other!”
I tried not to panic. Wordlessly, I opened my sandwich, and took a bite.
“I’m Martha.”
She offered her hand, and we shook. When she looked back over her shoulder, I followed her gaze. Stark was gone.
“Pervy demon,” she muttered. “Why’s he following you?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, fearing that the next step in Stark’s plan was underway. Martha was too distinctively styled for me to have missed her. I had never seen her working in the sandwich shop before, and it couldn’t be a coincidence that she showed up while Stark was present.
“What do you want?” I asked in a low whisper, searching the restaurant for an escape route.
Martha looked bewildered, pulling the hairnet from her brow and fixing her hair with a hand as she considered me. “Nothing. I just assumed, you know, because of the
I didn’t believe what Stark had said about him. At least, I didn’t think I did. The longer the words sank in, the more they seemed to bleed across the line into believability, regardless of the source.
I knew that he was trying to get under my skin. He was succeeding.
“Is that guy bothering you?”
I looked up to see the young woman who had taken my order, and she nodded toward the street. I looked again, and he was there.
Stark had decided to follow me home. He stood beneath a streetlamp that had just switched on in the impending dark, leaning back against the concrete underpass that lead to campus.
I knew that he couldn’t hurt me, and Lyssa’s protections on my apartment were still firmly in place, but his presence unnerved me.
“Yes,” I said, accepting my wrapped sandwich from the clerk. “He’s bothering me.”
When I saw that she had a second sandwich in her hand, I did a double take, and was about to tell her that she must have gotten my order wrong. She shrugged before I could say anything, and explained.
“It’s my break,” she apologized. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”
The place was empty except for the two of us. She had a point; it would be awkward if we didn’t sit together.
“I’m, um…” If I said that I was waiting for someone, it would be rude when no one showed up. It wasn’t really a reason for us not to sit together in the meanwhile, either. I decided to go for the truth. “I would, normally, but that guy out there is kind of bent on ruining my life, and he’s taken some shots at my friends recently, so I really wouldn’t want you to get mixed up in it.”
She looked down at me and smiled kindly, and her eyes flashed to Stark once more. I hadn’t noticed before, but there was the slightest hint of crows’ feet starting to show at the corner of her eyes. I had never seen someone so young with wrinkles, and I imagined it took some stress to earn them. I was probably well on my way, too.
“I think I can manage.”
She sat down, and I shifted restlessly in my seat as my stomach did a flip.
She opened her sandwich and took a bite, pointing at me. “Did you get that in Stonefall?”
I looked down, and my hand was already reaching for the sumac pendant that Charlie had made for me. I wore it everywhere without even thinking about it.
A question rose in my mind, because it could have been an innocent inquiry, but it felt like she was asking me something more. I knew that Stonefall was an area that magical folk frequented, but I didn’t know how to code anything back to this stranger. Even if I did, I wasn’t sure if it was wise to do so.
My silence seemed to confirm something for her, because she pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, flashing a bracelet. It was a simple silver circle set with a single brilliant ruby.
“Reminded me of mine.” She shrugged. “That’s all.”
Before she had finished speaking, the gem on her wrist and the sumac in my pendant had started to flicker and glow.
The stranger’s face lit up. “Oh, I guess they like each other!”
I tried not to panic. Wordlessly, I opened my sandwich, and took a bite.
“I’m Martha.”
She offered her hand, and we shook. When she looked back over her shoulder, I followed her gaze. Stark was gone.
“Pervy demon,” she muttered. “Why’s he following you?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, fearing that the next step in Stark’s plan was underway. Martha was too distinctively styled for me to have missed her. I had never seen her working in the sandwich shop before, and it couldn’t be a coincidence that she showed up while Stark was present.
“What do you want?” I asked in a low whisper, searching the restaurant for an escape route.
Martha looked bewildered, pulling the hairnet from her brow and fixing her hair with a hand as she considered me. “Nothing. I just assumed, you know, because of the
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