Read Online Why Are All the Good Guys Total Monsters? by De-Ann Black - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: De-Ann Black
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forever.’
‘What if I don’t want you out of my life forever? Can’t we
still be friends?’
‘You’d want to be friends with monsters?’
‘I thought you were the good guys.’
‘We are, but all the good guys are still monsters.’
I felt the sting of the cuts on my legs as I sat up on the
bed. ‘Ouch!’
Daire saw the cuts. He hurried over and gently touched the
skin. Each cut healed into a silver scar, fine as a spider’s web. His fingers
moved along my legs from my ankles to my knees which were grazed from
scrambling through the forest. His touch felt soothing and exciting, stirring
in me feelings that made the colour in my cheeks warm.
He pulled his hands away as if his fingers had been burned,
realising our closeness could be something more.
‘The scars will fade in time,’ he said, standing over by the
fire, gazing at the flames, looking so tall and such a gorgeous monster.
‘Are you okay?’ I said. He bore no wounds that I could see
from the recent battle. ‘Were you hurt in the fight with Archer?’
He turned and looked at me, an expression of surprise revealing
he wasn’t used to anyone asking if he was okay. Maybe no one ever had. I seemed
to have taken him aback.
‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘No injuries from the battle. No more
than bruises.’
I smiled. ‘I’m pleased you didn’t get hurt.’
I sensed him bite his lips with what he’d like to have said.
Instead he murmured, ‘The fight didn’t hurt me.’ His words had an undertone,
letting me know that I had hurt him. I’d let Sabastien kiss me.
A noise sounded outside the cabin.
Daire and I exchanged a wary glance. He put his finger to
his lips, telling me to hush. He crept over to the door, listening. No sounds.
Carefully he opened the door. No one was there.
He stepped outside and looked around. I peered out behind
him. Only the trees and shadows could be seen, and yet…I sensed that I was
being watched.
Daire closed the door and secured us
inside the cabin.
I stood beside the fire, shivering from the chilling thought
of being hunted…and of monsters.
‘I won’t let anyone hurt you,’ Daire said, looking fit and
strong and capable of ensuring I was safe.
‘It was probably just the wind,’ I said, remembering how
Orlaith and I had felt that night in the garden when neither of us believed
this was true. Daire nodded as Orlaith and I had done.
I wrapped my arms across my chest. ‘My mother and Orlaith
will be worried about me.’ Orlaith would’ve phoned to see if I was okay on my
own while she was away, and on getting no reply she would’ve no doubt called my
mother.
‘We’ve taken care of that.’ To his credit he seemed to feel
a pang of guilt.
‘More spellbinding.’
‘You’d rather they were worried?’
‘No, of course not, but I’d prefer them not to be under any
spell or false illusion.’
‘It won’t be long until you’re back in Edinburgh.’
‘What about the job my mother’s been offered in New York? I’ll bet that was just to keep her out the way, as was Orlaith’s trip to Glasgow and then London.’
‘The job still stands, if your mother wants it.’
‘But it wasn’t real. No one was going to offer her that
job.’ I didn’t feel comfortable about her being fooled.
‘She’s capable of doing it. We just presented her with the
chance.’
I sighed. I knew she was capable. Mum was a great
journalist. I didn’t want them to take it back because she deserved a break.
And Orlaith was a wonderful artist.
‘We can put things back,’ he offered.
‘No. They were both so happy. Just don’t do any more.’
He nodded. Another promise he had to keep.
‘I’m sorry, Vesper.’
‘For what?’ The list was getting longer.
‘For everything.’
I sighed again. I could see he meant what he said.
‘When can I go back to Edinburgh? I’m ready now.’
A sadness fell across his features. ‘I’ll take you.’ He held
his hand out and I clasped my hand in his.
‘What if I don’t want you out of my life forever? Can’t we
still be friends?’
‘You’d want to be friends with monsters?’
‘I thought you were the good guys.’
‘We are, but all the good guys are still monsters.’
I felt the sting of the cuts on my legs as I sat up on the
bed. ‘Ouch!’
Daire saw the cuts. He hurried over and gently touched the
skin. Each cut healed into a silver scar, fine as a spider’s web. His fingers
moved along my legs from my ankles to my knees which were grazed from
scrambling through the forest. His touch felt soothing and exciting, stirring
in me feelings that made the colour in my cheeks warm.
He pulled his hands away as if his fingers had been burned,
realising our closeness could be something more.
‘The scars will fade in time,’ he said, standing over by the
fire, gazing at the flames, looking so tall and such a gorgeous monster.
‘Are you okay?’ I said. He bore no wounds that I could see
from the recent battle. ‘Were you hurt in the fight with Archer?’
He turned and looked at me, an expression of surprise revealing
he wasn’t used to anyone asking if he was okay. Maybe no one ever had. I seemed
to have taken him aback.
‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘No injuries from the battle. No more
than bruises.’
I smiled. ‘I’m pleased you didn’t get hurt.’
I sensed him bite his lips with what he’d like to have said.
Instead he murmured, ‘The fight didn’t hurt me.’ His words had an undertone,
letting me know that I had hurt him. I’d let Sabastien kiss me.
A noise sounded outside the cabin.
Daire and I exchanged a wary glance. He put his finger to
his lips, telling me to hush. He crept over to the door, listening. No sounds.
Carefully he opened the door. No one was there.
He stepped outside and looked around. I peered out behind
him. Only the trees and shadows could be seen, and yet…I sensed that I was
being watched.
Daire closed the door and secured us
inside the cabin.
I stood beside the fire, shivering from the chilling thought
of being hunted…and of monsters.
‘I won’t let anyone hurt you,’ Daire said, looking fit and
strong and capable of ensuring I was safe.
‘It was probably just the wind,’ I said, remembering how
Orlaith and I had felt that night in the garden when neither of us believed
this was true. Daire nodded as Orlaith and I had done.
I wrapped my arms across my chest. ‘My mother and Orlaith
will be worried about me.’ Orlaith would’ve phoned to see if I was okay on my
own while she was away, and on getting no reply she would’ve no doubt called my
mother.
‘We’ve taken care of that.’ To his credit he seemed to feel
a pang of guilt.
‘More spellbinding.’
‘You’d rather they were worried?’
‘No, of course not, but I’d prefer them not to be under any
spell or false illusion.’
‘It won’t be long until you’re back in Edinburgh.’
‘What about the job my mother’s been offered in New York? I’ll bet that was just to keep her out the way, as was Orlaith’s trip to Glasgow and then London.’
‘The job still stands, if your mother wants it.’
‘But it wasn’t real. No one was going to offer her that
job.’ I didn’t feel comfortable about her being fooled.
‘She’s capable of doing it. We just presented her with the
chance.’
I sighed. I knew she was capable. Mum was a great
journalist. I didn’t want them to take it back because she deserved a break.
And Orlaith was a wonderful artist.
‘We can put things back,’ he offered.
‘No. They were both so happy. Just don’t do any more.’
He nodded. Another promise he had to keep.
‘I’m sorry, Vesper.’
‘For what?’ The list was getting longer.
‘For everything.’
I sighed again. I could see he meant what he said.
‘When can I go back to Edinburgh? I’m ready now.’
A sadness fell across his features. ‘I’ll take you.’ He held
his hand out and I clasped my hand in his.
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