76: My Bleeding Lip, His Fangs Out

The walk home after my shift takes an unexpected detour. My feet lead me to the mouth of an alley. A very particular alleyway that holds every type of demizen. An alley that holds a market. Maybe I could pick up a few things. I do have a king to repel.

A couple of feet into the alley the scene changes from a homeless ridden mess to a never ending sprawl of shops. Everything a witch could desire is sold here and everything my hungry stomach could want is served here.

I pass the haggling shop owners trying to draw people in. There’s only one little shop that I go to that I trust to keep my secret. If vampires or even werewolves were to find out that I created a repellent, they’d be furious. Her shop is fairly close to the mouth of the alley and she sees me coming.

“Ah, Hazel. I didn’t think I would be seeing you tonight.” Madame Franceska is in her usual brightly colored, patterned layers. Tonight she has a few extra bangles on her wrists, a couple more chained belts around her waist.

“My hungry stomach lead me here, so I might as well pick up a few things along the way.”

“The usual?” She asks.

“Yes, please.” I dig into my purse for some mineral bottles I got from the shop. I had a different use in mind for them, but I know Franceska will enjoy them.

There’s a flash of smile on her face as she examines the bottles. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen some of these.”

“You should get out more.” I tease as I take the bag she packed with my usual ingredients. “Have a safe night.” I give her a wave as I leave her behind to walk deeper into the market.

But the deeper you go, the darker it gets. I’ve never made it past a certain point. Once the tables start selling cursed objects or offering sacrifices for sale it’s time to turn around. Thankfully, I only need to go halfway to the ‘food court’.

I spot the familiar food truck with a decent line forming. The aroma of his enchanted food smells like heaven. My feet stumble out of the crowded shopping section bouncing between bodies. It feels as if I’m stuck between people for eternity, but once I emerge...that’s when that eternity feeling really starts.

I spot Gabriel in line and my heart comes to a halting stop. What the hell is doing here, in a food truck line? He doesn’t eat. My mind clears and I sharply turn around and head for the city streets. I can find something to hold my stomach over at home. I refuse to acknowledge that it wasn’t my stomach that led me here and was really me gravitating to Gabriel.

As if my retreat can go easy. It’s well past midnight and the alleyway now has lingering demons in it’s entryway. They weren’t there when I got here, so they had to have just arrived. Must be the magic hour of striking up deals.

There’s no denying the panic that engulfs, but I keep my head down and weave through without trying to draw attention. Or at least I thought.

“Hey there little witch.” The demon that stands before me is unfamiliar. As if I hang out with demons to know, but as I stare at him, I have that feeling again. An uncalled for familiarity to a stranger. Except this feeling is full of hate.

I shrug it off. Of course I would feel distaste when looking at a demon. They are vile creatures.

“Demon.” I snap back.

“Aren’t you a cute little thing. Ever been with a demon before?” Repulsive.

“Not interested.” I shove my shoulder into his body that blocks me, which isn’t the smartest thing to do. The heat that comes off of him is unbearable. And when his hand wraps around my arm, the thin fabric of my cardigan doesn’t provide enough protection.

I clamp down on my lip to keep the whimper trapped in my mouth. He can see through it, on my face, the pain. It makes him smile along with the rest of his devilish friends that start to crowd around.

“So fierce...and terrified.” He leans in close. “It’s intoxicating.” He inhales deeply, his nose running along the curve of my shoulder, up my neck and stopping at my cheek.
And then relief comes over me so quickly that I nearly fall to my knees. It takes a few seconds to compose myself and gain my senses back. Then I hear it. That charming voice, except right at this moment it doesn’t sound so sweet.

“She said she wasn’t interested, Felix.” Gabriel hisses in the demon’s face. He has him by the collar of his jacket.

“And she’s interested in you, vampire?”

“She can choose for herself and right now it’s not you. Sadly, I don’t think it’ll ever be you.” Gabriel taunts back.

“We’ll see.” Felix replies, prying himself out of Gabriel’s hold. His eyes fall to me. “I’ll see you again, little witch.”

Gabriel is by my side in three seconds flat, his arm wraps around my shoulders before he starts pushing me down the alley. It’s only once we’re out onto the city street and a block away that he stops and grabs a hold of me. I flinch when his hand wraps around the same exact spot that Felix burned.

“I’m fine.” I mutter before he has a chance to ask.

“No, you’re not.” He says through clenched teeth. “I’ll take a look at it when I get you home.” Which was several blocks away, but before I can reject the offer, he scoops me up in his arms and dashes down a nearby alley.

He keeps to the shadows, staying away from human eyes as he speeds down empty streets. When he finally puts me down on my feet, at my apartment door, the hallway is spinning and I wobble on my feet. Those semi icy hands of his grab me once again to help me stay upright.

He doesn’t let go while I fumble with the lock and not even once we enter. The door slowly clicking closed has my heart pounding. It’s almost hard to breathe when those golden eyes meet mine.

“Take the sweater off.” He’s so serious when he says it that I’m thrown off guard and go completely blank to what is going on. “You’re arm. Let me see it.”

I’m sure I become so flushed from my stupidity. What the hell was I thinking, thinking he was asking me to undress? “Really, I’m fine. Nothing a little witchy magic can’t fix. Thank you...again, but I’ll take it from here.”

“Hazel, let me see it.”

“Why do you care so much?” I shout completely confused at his sudden intense interest. “I mean, what, I ran into you a couple of weeks ago and saw you maybe one, two more times since then. Why are-”

“Do you find it that hard to believe that someone finds you to be the most beautiful person they have ever seen.” His rambled words cut me off.

If wasn’t blushing before, I am now. He has to sense my nervousness, but he takes a step toward me, slowly. “Just show me your arm. Please.” He’s almost begging and I find myself peeling the cardigan over my shoulder.

I’m too scared to look at it. I’ve heard about demon fire burns. Awful. Gruesome. Scarring.

“It’s not that bad. Could be worse.” He pulls the cardigan back over my bare shoulder. “I should’ve been paying close attention.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shakes his head and I know that I won’t get anymore out of him. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You have…” His words die off as his mouth snaps shut only to fall apart seconds later to finish saying whatever it was he was going to say, but nothing comes out.

The sound of my heart has to be filling the room with how hard it’s beating. As if a pulsing heart is vampire lure, he steps even closer, his hand skimming the side of my face. Time falls away again and it’s just us.

“Don’t be mad.” He mutters.

I barely have the chance to question him before his hands brace my neck, cradling my head in his palms. Seconds later his lips touch mine and whatever words I was going to say die away. There’s a rush of anger, but it too fades away and I melt into him. It feels right. It feels like this is exactly where I should be. In his arms.

My hands don’t waste a second before they bury themselves in his grown out, messy hair and a groan escapes his mouth. I’m completely lost in him until a sharp pain shoots through my bottom lip. We jerk apart. My bleeding lip, his fangs out.

“I didn’t-I’m sorry-it just happened-did I hurt you?” His words all blend together as he speaks so quickly, horrified with himself. He grabs my chin, jerking my face upwards, so he can see it.

Should I be as horrified as he is? Because I’m not. And that should scare me.

I lick at the small puncture mark. “It’s just a scratch.” I mumble. I wiggle out of his grasp, thankful to not have my neck craning anymore. “You know I’m tougher than you think I am.” My tongue still dabs at the wound.

I haven’t given him much evidence to back that up on. First I fall flat on my ass from running into him. Then I get helplessly attacked by demons.

“I don’t doubt it.” He replies through a half cocked grin.

“Was that you’re one chance?” I ask, changing the subject.

“It did work in my favor, but I would have preferred my one chance to impress you not involve you getting attacked by a demon.”

“Sometimes we can’t always get what we want, but sometimes things just work out.” A rush of heat attacks my cheek for the umpteenth time tonight. “I should get some rest.”

“Of course.” He walks himself to the door. Before he steps over the threshold, he stops. “I have some vampire related business I need to be present for tomorrow, but the following day...I’ll stop by.”

My mouth doesn’t speak the word ‘yes’ that vibrates so loudly inside my skull, but my head bobs up and down relaying the message. He reaches out taking my hand. He brings it to his lips and places the softest kiss across my knuckles. “It will feel like eternity.”

I’m more than grateful I don’t have to reply to that, because he quickly leaves after dropping my hand. Once again I become lethargic after an encounter with him. The feel of his lips remain on my hand, the blood on my lip already stopped.

Shit. I am desperately losing the battle with The King.