“True story.” I peer at the desk. “Is this your office? Because I think you could do better.”
“Wait, if you didn’t know the wards were there, why did you even go through them? That’s what the wards are designed to do: keep people away.” Gunnar flips a deadbolt on the door.
I narrow my eyes on him and open my senses, but just like the day he woke up at my house, he’s somehow blocking me. Interesting.
I lean my upper body toward him and whisper, “Do you really want to know?”
He takes a slow step in my direction and his eyes dilate. I know I have his attention. “Yes.” He nods.
“Then tell me what you are,” I demand in my normal tone, leaning back again.
“You can’t tell yet?” He seems almost surprised. A small grin lifts one side of his mouth before he smothers it with a frown.
“I thought you were human when you were all bloody.” I shrug my shoulders as I remind him that I’ve seen him when he was vulnerable. “But it’s obvious you’re not. You healed too fast.” I tap my finger on my chin thinking. “You don’t taste like one of my baddies.”
“One of your baddies,” Gunnar repeats, dumbfounded. “What are your baddies, and how many do you have?” His voice is deeper.
“Oh, lots. Tons,” I confirm.
“Tons?” He swallows.
“Well, not tons really.” I roll my eyes. “But lots.”
“And what do those baddies taste like?” Gunnar lifts his chin and crosses his arms over his chest.
“Like darkness and nightmares.” I smile.
He blinks at me for several moments. Eventually, I frown. He seems really weirded out. “So…” I prompt, trying to encourage Gunnar to talk again.
He shakes his head like he was lost in thought. “What do I taste like?” He turns his head to the side and waits for my response like he’s scared to hear it.
“I can’t get a good read on you. When you were injured, you tasted like pain.” I purse my lips. “You must be blocking me somehow now.”
He stands up a little taller. “Oh, well, okay then.” The middle of his forehead wrinkles over his nose. “And the baddies?” he asks again.
“I already told you about my friends.”
“Your friends,” he repeats slowly.
I throw my hands in the air. “Why are we talking about this? It’s not like I go around tasting my friends for sins.”
“You brought it up,” he defends.
I glare over at Gunnar. Should I just ask him why he’s having someone watch me? No, this is entertaining. “What are you?” I inquire again, reminding him if he wants me to talk, he has to give me information first.
“Human…mostly,” he hedges.
“Liar,” I singsong. Even if I don’t know what he is, I still know a lie when I hear it.
“I was… a long time ago.” Gunner opens and closes his fists several times.
“That explains a little, but what are you now?” I tilt my head, examining him.
“A Berserker,” he grumbles out quickly.
Chapter 9
“ABerserker?” I roll the word over my tongue. I’ve only heard that name once before, when Grim was talking to the man outside my house. I’ll have to ask Aeson for details, she’ll probably know. I’m sure not going to ask him.
