Read Online Jaded Touch (Vesper) by Nola Sarina - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nola Sarina
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down. “You should make her not afraid of you, if you’re going to continue seeing her.”
“I’m not sure how to accomplish that. She knows I kind of want to eat her, too.”
I sighed. “You’re sure you can hide this from Levitiqas?”
Sychar stopped pacing and his shoulders sank a little bit. “I have to. He’ll kill her if I don’t. It’s not like he’s dealt with his Gents taking a human mistress before, but I’m sure it wouldn’t end well for any of us if he found out.”
I ground my teeth together at the way he spoke. How damaged the minds of the Gents were, thanks to Levitiqas’ cruelty. Sychar didn’t even remember Nycholas, or the brutal chase that ended in his death.
But it wasn’t my place to tell him. My Lady ensured we understood that… that their burden to bear was life with Levitiqas, and we could not interfere with the way he chose to discipline his subordinates. All I could do was support him, my best friend, who needed me as a friend more than anything else. I reached into my pouch and pulled out a two-layered brown leather cord with jade beads stitched into it – the same shade of jade that reminded me of Jack’s eyes - and tied a quick slip knot. I held it out to Sychar. “Here. Start with this. Give her a few nice little things, show her you care about her for more than the sex, and the fear of your fangs will dwindle away.”
Sychar blinked at my generosity and took the bracelet. “You think it will help?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a boyfriend. But that’s how they do things in movies and books...” I trailed off.
Sychar watched me for a moment, his eyes narrow. But he didn’t out me on the lie, didn’t mention that I’d had a lover once – almost a lover, anyway - so long ago it was dust in history. He knew it would set me into a foul mood if he brought it up, so he kept quiet and tucked the bracelet into his pocket. Then, he reached out and took my fingers in his. “Thanks, Three. For everything. Your support, your friendship… I’d be lost in this life, without you.”
I shrugged and squeezed his hand, and then let go of him. “It’s nothing, really. Tell me how it goes though, okay?”
Sychar nodded and slipped his hood back over his head. “I will. See you at transfer duty?”
“Yep,” I said with a smile I hoped didn’t convey the feeling of melancholy that settled into my soul. “See you tomorrow night at the Defensor.”
“Later, Three.” Sychar nodded his head at me, a little bow, and sprang out of the train door, vanishing into the night at a speed my eyes couldn’t catch.
“Later, Sychar,” I whispered as he was gone.
Sychar had a secret. A dangerous secret. And he couldn’t even remember how dangerous it was because Levitiqas was such a sick overlord. It was so unfair to my friend that a familiar rage brewed with my frustration, my surprise, and my own personal solitude. I stuffed the beading pouch into the cargo pocket on the side of my pants, and rose to my feet, shaking, red peeling across my vision.
And then I ripped the cots from the floor of the train and swung them high over my head, smashing them into the floor, the walls, denting the train car itself, crushing the frames of the cots into crumpled balls of steel. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I destroyed the lounge car – screamed until my throat hurt and my jaw unhinged with the hunger for violence - my frustration bubbling over into a mess of fury and fear. I raged until no inch of the lounge car remained undented by the cots, or my fists, or feet… blind with wrath, I lost track of the damage. I didn’t bother to clean up my mess. I just dove headfirst out of the train and ran with feet pounding furiously on the ground toward home.
Sychar had a secret girlfriend. And though she was an innocent human, she would probably get my best friend killed.
And here I dared to judge him, with the taste of a human man still upon my lips. Low, Three.
“I’m not sure how to accomplish that. She knows I kind of want to eat her, too.”
I sighed. “You’re sure you can hide this from Levitiqas?”
Sychar stopped pacing and his shoulders sank a little bit. “I have to. He’ll kill her if I don’t. It’s not like he’s dealt with his Gents taking a human mistress before, but I’m sure it wouldn’t end well for any of us if he found out.”
I ground my teeth together at the way he spoke. How damaged the minds of the Gents were, thanks to Levitiqas’ cruelty. Sychar didn’t even remember Nycholas, or the brutal chase that ended in his death.
But it wasn’t my place to tell him. My Lady ensured we understood that… that their burden to bear was life with Levitiqas, and we could not interfere with the way he chose to discipline his subordinates. All I could do was support him, my best friend, who needed me as a friend more than anything else. I reached into my pouch and pulled out a two-layered brown leather cord with jade beads stitched into it – the same shade of jade that reminded me of Jack’s eyes - and tied a quick slip knot. I held it out to Sychar. “Here. Start with this. Give her a few nice little things, show her you care about her for more than the sex, and the fear of your fangs will dwindle away.”
Sychar blinked at my generosity and took the bracelet. “You think it will help?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a boyfriend. But that’s how they do things in movies and books...” I trailed off.
Sychar watched me for a moment, his eyes narrow. But he didn’t out me on the lie, didn’t mention that I’d had a lover once – almost a lover, anyway - so long ago it was dust in history. He knew it would set me into a foul mood if he brought it up, so he kept quiet and tucked the bracelet into his pocket. Then, he reached out and took my fingers in his. “Thanks, Three. For everything. Your support, your friendship… I’d be lost in this life, without you.”
I shrugged and squeezed his hand, and then let go of him. “It’s nothing, really. Tell me how it goes though, okay?”
Sychar nodded and slipped his hood back over his head. “I will. See you at transfer duty?”
“Yep,” I said with a smile I hoped didn’t convey the feeling of melancholy that settled into my soul. “See you tomorrow night at the Defensor.”
“Later, Three.” Sychar nodded his head at me, a little bow, and sprang out of the train door, vanishing into the night at a speed my eyes couldn’t catch.
“Later, Sychar,” I whispered as he was gone.
Sychar had a secret. A dangerous secret. And he couldn’t even remember how dangerous it was because Levitiqas was such a sick overlord. It was so unfair to my friend that a familiar rage brewed with my frustration, my surprise, and my own personal solitude. I stuffed the beading pouch into the cargo pocket on the side of my pants, and rose to my feet, shaking, red peeling across my vision.
And then I ripped the cots from the floor of the train and swung them high over my head, smashing them into the floor, the walls, denting the train car itself, crushing the frames of the cots into crumpled balls of steel. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I destroyed the lounge car – screamed until my throat hurt and my jaw unhinged with the hunger for violence - my frustration bubbling over into a mess of fury and fear. I raged until no inch of the lounge car remained undented by the cots, or my fists, or feet… blind with wrath, I lost track of the damage. I didn’t bother to clean up my mess. I just dove headfirst out of the train and ran with feet pounding furiously on the ground toward home.
Sychar had a secret girlfriend. And though she was an innocent human, she would probably get my best friend killed.
And here I dared to judge him, with the taste of a human man still upon my lips. Low, Three.
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