I rolled back to face him again, my face showing my perplexity. “You're not gonna scold me for running away from mybabysitteragain?”
“I thought I was your watch?” he said sarcastically, smiling as he crouched down at the side of my bed, putting us eye to eye. “And what's the point of scolding you when I know you won’t listen to me, anyways?”
“Now you're catching on.”
“I'm very quickly learning that you don't take well to beingtold what to do, and that's something I'm going to have to work with.”
“Good. Because you'll also learn that I don't take well to not getting my way.”
His ocean eyes locked with mine, shades of blue swirling throughout his irises. It didn't matter how many times I saw them, each time I was more amazed at their beauty.
“I told you before that I don't need to be with you every second of every day, but I need to know where you are,” he began.
“Ah, here comes the lecture.”
“It's not a lecture. I'm just saying that I know you don't think that you need protection, but when word gets out of what your powers are, you will.”
The deepness of his voice sent shivers down my back. My focus drifted to his lips, and I hoped he didn't notice the way I admired the fullness of them—and how I imagined what they’d feel like against mine.
Stop it, Maeve. You barely know him.
Refocusing on what he was saying, I nodded in response. It had only been a few days since we apologized to each other, but I already felt as though I was getting to know him. Something about him just made me feel comfortable, and although I didn’t need a protector, he did make me feel safe.
“Now don’t make me ask again.” Sebastian rose to his full height and walked back to the armchair. He slouched into it sideways, putting his legs over one of the arms. I marveled at him from afar, taking in the way he looked so dashing without even trying.
I sat upright, pulling my quilt up to my neck. “It went okay, I guess.” I scratched my head. “I was able to control a crab to do a few simple things. But then it died so?—”
“Are you saying that you commanded it to commit suicide?” Sebastian snickered.
“Of course not. I simply told it to jump out of my palm,but it landed on a rock and…crack.” I imitated the sound of the crab’s carcass.
Sebastian bit his lip to prevent a huff of laughter.
“It's not funny,” I scowled.
“You didn’t do it on purpose,” he assured me when he sensed my change of attitude.
“I know, but that’s the problem. I wasn’t trying to hurt it, but it’s dead now, anyways. What’s to stop that from happening with someone else?” I raised the question, which didn't receive a response right away.
His pause was not reassuring. “You’re going to learn to wield more effectively and accurately. You have only known of your powers for half of a day, cut yourself some slack.”
“I guess…but you told me that I wouldn't hurt anyone unless I wanted to,” I teased, giving him a fake pout.
“I meant mortals, not sea creatures.”
“Good save.”
Sebastian's eyes lit up. “Oh, before I forget, here.” He rummaged through his rucksack on the floor, then pulled out a roll of parchment along with some quills and ink. He waved them in the air, then put them down on my desk.
“Oh my gods, thank you,” I exclaimed, jumping out of my bed.
“Not a problem.” He smiled as I approached the desk. “So, you like to write?”
I picked up one of the quills, running the feather through my fingertips. “I wouldn't say that Ilikeit as much as I would say that Ineedit.”
Sebastian’s eyebrow raised in confusion.
“It helps me…deal with…life? I guess.”
