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“Yes. I had something earlier with Daisy, but it…wasn’t much.” I straighten my shoulders, feeling defensive of my appetite.
Kieran steps in. “Tania, let me make something for her. Besides, we could use the chance to talk.”
Tania forces a polite smile and excuses herself.
“Night,” Kieran calls after her, then guides me toward the kitchen.
“I’m sorry,” I say, trailing behind him. “It’s late, I know. I would’ve just found something myself.”
He waves me off and opens a large freezer, hidden behind wooden panels and begins to pull out prepared meals. “Tania cooks for the week because I work late. And you are not intruding. You actually arrived exactly when I planned to eat.”
Clasping my hand in front of me, I simply nod. There is no reason for me to meander around a basic necessity for survival.
His abyssal blue eyes sweep over me sending a shiver racing down my spine. His nearness feels…charged. As if my nerves are tuned to his presence, prickling to life whenever he is close.
He places the frozen food beside us and I don’t know if it’s a trick of the lighting, but it flickers for a moment. It might be the same darkness I fell through two days ago, reaching for me again. It might be something else entirely; I might be slipping into madness.
“So, Marisa, remembering anything new?” he asks, stirring what smells like herbs and tomatoes into a pot. The scent is intoxicating, coaxing another rumble from my stomach.
“I learned I can sort of play piano,” I say, leaning against the kitchen island. “Daisy showed me the ropes today. She’s actually…nice.”
His brow draws together. “It seems Daisy has been very present these last two days.”
“She’s been helpful. I like her.”
“That’s good,” he murmurs, though his words carry a feeling I can’t decipher.
He remains silent as he prepares our meal and I drift toward the wide windows overlooking the forest. The trees are a black mass, the night behind them deeper still. “Is there anyone else out there?” I ask, curious to know what lay beyond this estate.
He drops his utensil and comes to stand beside me. “Nothing but silence. Do not wander the woods at night.”
My heart lurches with excitement at the command.
Dr. Lazarus returns to the stove, and I return to the kitchen island, sliding into a wooden chair. The open hallways at my back press cold against me as if shadows are observing me, waiting to see my next move. Even the candles seem reluctant to push their glow too far.
“Does your home not have working electricity?” I ask, bluntly.
His soft chuckle does not answer the question.
The dark behind me ripples again. The candlelight jerks. My skin prickles. Mindlessly, I stand and move closer to him. He gives me a sidelong glance. “Are you alright?”
Heat blooms up my neck. “I’m fine. I just needed to…stand.”
He studies the hallways, then whispers, “I’m sorry about the house. It can be quite…lively.”
I aspire to be fearless in seeking the thrill of the unknown, but this—this is something else. Swallowing the knot in my throat I ask, “Is this the reason for the salt at the thresholds around the house? Some nighttime ritual?”
He doesn’t respond. Instead, he leans toward the darkness, listening. I wave a hand in front of his face, breaking his concentration. He blinks a few times. We stand face to face. So near, I can feel the chill radiating off his chest.
Up close, his ocean eyes are adrift with fatigue and a distant emotion I can’t quite name; dark circles mar the undersides and his hair is tousled. “Are you okay, Doctor?” I ask, searching his eyes.
“Please call me Kieran,” he replies.
“Kieran,” I allow the letters of his name to wander across my tongue.
His eyes close for a second before he opens them again.
In the pocket of silence, I study the clothing adorning his tall, well-developed form. His sweater frays in random places, his slacks are crinkled, and the soles of his boots are covered in dirt. I catch the way he mimics my actions; his eyes pass over my body, lingering in places a man I’d only known for a few days shouldn’t be. I meet his gaze with curiosity, wondering why it feels like I know him.
