We took a small detour to my bank’s closest branch to replace my debit card, then hurried to the phone store.Once I booted up my new phone, a text message from Eliza came in telling me that she’d already managed to recruit a few more people to guard the portal.Impressed with her efficiency, and relieved to have a few less items on my to-do list, I ushered Rathiel to the nearest clothing store.
Rathiel kept a steady pace beside me, his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants, his expression still unreadable.It was unnerving—this silence.I was used to our banter, to the push and pull of our interactions.But it felt like something had broken between us, and I wasn’t sure how to fix it.
“Welcome!”a saleswoman greeted us as we entered.“Can I help you find something?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Rathiel stepped forward before I could speak.“We’re looking for a dress,” he said, his voice calm and authoritative.“Something for a special occasion.”
The saleswoman’s smile widened, and she motioned for us to follow her deeper into the store.“Of course.We have a lovely selection of evening gowns and cocktail dresses.What sort of event will you be attending?”
“A date,” I blurted before Rathiel could reply.His jaw clenched at the word, but he said nothing.
The saleswoman’s eyes sparkled with interest, clearly thinking Rathiel was the date I spoke of, and she began pulling a few dresses from the racks.“Let’s see.You have such a lovely figure.I think something fitted would be perfect.Maybe a deep blue or black, to complement your dark hair color and eyes.”
I nodded.As the saleswoman held up a few options for me to consider, I stole a quick glance at Rathiel.His expression remained blank, but I saw the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes seemed to darken whenever the word “date” cropped up.
I sighed inwardly, realizing that shopping with him might not have been the best idea after all.
“Why don’t you try this one?”The saleswoman held up a sleek, black dress with a plunging neckline both in the front and the back, and a slit up the side.“It’s elegant, but with just enough edge to make a statement.”
“Ah.Uh, no exposed back, please,” I commented.
Rathiel’s head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing.But his expression cleared the second his attention jumped to my back.The weight of his stare made me itchy, but rather than cower, I lifted my chin and met the saleswoman’s confused gaze.After a moment, she said, “Of course,” and continued searching her racks.
“How about this one?”she asked, holding a lovely black dress with a boat neck and, once again, a slitted side.
“Much better,” I said.
I took the dress from her and headed to the fitting room, my heart pounding a little harder than it should have been.I didn’t want to think about Rathiel’s reaction when I stepped out wearing the dress.I also didn’t want to think about the strange tension between us, or the way his presence seemed to wrap around me, making it hard to breathe.
But as I slipped into the dress and caught sight of myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but wonder what he would think.Would he approve?An image suddenly flashed in my mind, and it wasnotof Jack ripping this dress off me, but rather a certain vampire standing just outside my change room.
Gathering my courage, I stepped out of the fitting room and faced Rathiel.His gaze swept over me, lingering on the curves of the dress, the way it clung to my body like a second skin.An almost hunger flashed in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual guarded expression.
“What do you think?”I asked, my voice more tentative than I intended.I cleared my throat and tried again.Shyness wasn’t me.
Rathiel didn’t answer right away.He seemed to be struggling with something, his jaw working as if he were holding back words that wanted to spill out.Finally, he spoke, his voice low and gravelly.“It’s good.”
I rolled my eyes.This dress went far beyondgood.But I had a feeling that was all he would give me.
I forced a smile and turned back to the mirror, trying to hide the confusion that was swirling inside me.“Great.I’ll take it, then.”
“Wonderful,” the saleswoman said, a smile lighting up her face.Maybe I should have checked the price tag first.She seemed overly eager for the sale.Luckily, my bank account had plenty of zeroes in it now, and money was no object.A weird notion for me.
I changed back into my clothes, then paid for my dress and yet another pair of shoes that apparently cost a quarter of my rent.Afterward, I found the nearest department store and bought Rathiel and I brand new winter jackets.They weren’t needed, but we would attract less attention wearing them.And less attention was a good thing.
Once we had everything we needed, we grabbed the next bus back to my apartment.With luck, everything would go well tonight.
But when was I ever that lucky?
ChapterNineteen
The building buzzer sounded,adding a jarring note to the chaos already brewing in my apartment.I glanced at my little dilapidated intercom and sighed.Jack was downstairs, waiting for me, and I should have been tingling with excitement.
Instead, I was standing in the middle of the kitchen, decked out in my new dress and shoes, wondering when, exactly, my life had turned into a supernatural sitcom.In the living room, there was a sulking vampire sitting on my couch, while Purrgatory dozed in the moonlight at his feet.And in my kitchen was my mischievously endearing imp who had recently embraced a newfound passion for disaster flicks.
It was my fault, really.I’d let Vol watchArmageddonwhile I napped.And now, Vol sat atop my toaster, dramatically reenacting the scene where Rockhound rides the nuke like a deranged cowboy, whooping and hollering as though he was saving the world from utter annihilation.
Like I said, my fault.
