Demon Day Penelope Fletcher (which ebook reader TXT) 📖

Then he was gone and I was groping theair, legs cocked skyward. I must have looked like an upturnedbeetle. He was sitting up face a dull shade of red and body strungtight like a bowstring.

“I apologize,” he saidquietly. “I should not have let things get so out ofhand.”

Annoyed, I rolled onto my stomach andsnatched up a twig. I scratched sharp, jagged shapes into the dirt.Stabbing and prodding the earth in front of me with my hand balledinto a fist.

“Rae….”

“Just don’t,Breandan.”

The ache was still there. Was there anoff switch? Why did I still feel all squirmy and warm?

Sighing, I threw the twig away andtwisted into my back so I could see the sky. A few birds zippedpast and I saw something small and furry clambering its way up atree trunk. I closed my eyes and rubbed my face on the grass,wishing it were something else … rather someone else. The grassprickled my skin making me itchy and released a nutty fragrance asthey did so. I stretched, enjoying the feeling of the muscles in mylower back and arms popping. I had been scrunched up so tightagainst him, locked in a bubble of breathy moans and hushedwhispers, that lying there felt ungainly.

Already the niggle I felt whenever hewas not touching me became uncomfortable. Ana the white witch hadwarned what could happen if we were separated for too long. I wasnot sure I was ready to put her words to the test. That and thestory of the couple that had bonded before us had scared the crapout of me. The last time the nexus had opened between Breandan andI, there had been intense light. We had only been apart a matter ofminutes. Only the gods knew what would happen if it was to openwhen we had been apart for hours. Surely we needed to practicebeing apart to gain some kind of control over this connectionbetween us.

I inhaled through my nose and exhaledthrough my mouth. I remained still and focused on being calm. Thiswas a new feeling – the want – but I had spent years controlling mynature without knowing what I was doing – that I was repressing thefairy in me. This was just another urge to control.

Breandan touched my ankle lightly. Theache lessened and the annoying niggles telling me to seek him outfaded. Gritting my teeth I ignored him.

It was true what Conall said. I didfeel stronger, healthier when I was near woods. Here was my naturalhabitat. Here, I could let my senses roam and relax the constanthold on my fairy nature. I could be as feral and strange as Iwanted.

I blinked slowly and my lids took along time to lift back up. The second time my lids closed andstayed closed. I blinked them open slowly. I was tired and withthis admission, I felt disgruntled. Breandan did not look tired atall and I was sure he’d been up much longer than I had. And he’dexpended more energy. My eyes felt heavy and I pinched my leg butit did nothing but to leave a pain dulled by sleepiness. Then Inoticed that the sun was winking out of sight, and that my suddensleepiness may not be entirely natural. Was the dark was calling tome? I shot up and swayed when my body fought for me to lie my heavyhead back down. I did not want to sleep. I wanted to stay awake,but the dark called, I was certain of it. With a small sense ofshock, I realized I was frightened. I immediately reached to placemy hands on Breandan’s shoulders and held on tightly, my pastresolve to not touch him forgotten.

With a soft sigh of relief, he pulledme onto his lap and held me close. “Let your body rest,” hemurmured.

“I don’t want to. The lasttime I slept I dreamed of,” I paused briefly, “I dreamed of Tomasthen when I woke he was there.” I was not afraid of my vampire, butof what happened to me whenever he was near. He confused me, spunme about, and it was easier if he was elsewhere.

“That will not happenagain. I have you, rest.”

Pressing a kiss to my temple Breandangathered me closer in his arms, happy to openly show his affectionnow we were alone. I noticed that he did not like to be all over mein the company of others. I wondered if that was a fairy thing or aBreandan thing.

Resting my head of his warm, bareshoulder my eyes fluttered closed. I listened to his steadybreathing, felt the solid pounding of his heart under my palm.Weariness wrapped round my limbs and tugged. The tentacles of sleepslithered into my mind and a wave of fatigued pulled me under,tumbling, tumbling into the inky depths of darkness.

Then I raced through theforest. I did not the wind on my face or the earth beneath my feet.That was the trouble with being dead; you could not feel anythinganymore. How had she managed to warm my heart when it had been coldfor over a century?

My stomach clenchedpainfully. I was hungry, starving. My throat burned and my mouthwas dry as ash. Without thinking, I honed in on a heartbeat,strong, pumping thick hot blood through veins.

I breathed in deeply andscented the trail.

Then I saw her, pickingsome berries. I laughed darkly to myself. One so young and prettyshould not be left to gather food by herself.

I quickly and quietly treadcloser, so careful. She was not human and would be able to hear orsmell me if I made too sudden a movement.

Closer still, Imoved.

Her heartbeat sounded likethunder.

She smelled delicious andmy mouth watered. My stomach cramped, squeezing tighter. The hungerwas so acute I thought it would drive me mad.

My fangs ran out and Ilicked the sharp points. I hummed with anticipation of burying myteeth into her neck and ripping away the flesh. Drinking, slurping,and licking until the burning ache was satisfied. My handsshook.

I needed tofeed.

Hand poised to pick anotherberry she paused, stiffened.

I stood still and silent.She would not hear me, I did not breathe, nor did I sweat. Icarried no