Page 16 of Leviathan's Song
He glanced up, and I realized I’d taken too long to answer. “Oh, sure. Yes. Sometimes. Are you looking for something specific or do you have something to sell?” I asked.
He pursed his lips and glanced down at the shelves again. “I have some things I wouldn’t mind parting with.”
“Oh, well, sure. I can take a look. Would you like to bring them in? Or are they very large?” I made my tone more business-like, which seemed to put him a little more at ease.
He uncrossed his arms and stuck my card in his back pocket. “They aren’t particularly big, but there are a few of them, and I’d prefer not to handle them myself if possible. You’re welcome to stop by my place whenever you’re not busy, it’s not far from here,” he shrugged.
The pull of his enchantment returned, and I had to work to block it out this time. It felt too inviting, too comforting, like hiding under a warm blanket on a cold morning, like coming home. I shook it off and thought back to what he said about contacting him.I live here in the Void.
What?“Did you say you live here in the Void?” He nodded and I felt my eyes widen. “Why? Why would you do that?”He’s going to die.Okay, that was dramatic, so I tried to rein it in. He was obviously part human so he wouldn’t die immediately.
But even those of us with mixed human heritage could lose decades from our lifespan if we spent all our time in the Void. In addition to being cut off from the life-giving effects of the magic in the Boundlands, human governments as a whole didn’t place a high priority on limiting pollution. Since we lived, on average, two to six times as long as humans, depending on one’s genetic mix, we had a lot more time for pollution to build up in our systems. Because of this, technology was much more limited in the Boundlands, with the burden of safety resting on developers. It was simply a healthier environment overall.
Okay, so he probably wasn’t going to die tomorrow, or even next week, but I still felt the urge to grab him by the scruff of his neck and drag him to the nearest Gate so he couldbreathe. The side of his mouth quirked up, and I wondered how much of my internal panic was showing on my face.
“I get back into the Boundlands often enough, and my roommates aren’t terribly concerned about the whole ‘shortened lifespan’ spiel. We each have our own reasons.” His smile turned a bit brittle.
I wondered what the story was there. “Well, I don’t have any plans after work. Since you’re close by, I could stop by when I’m done here. I’m not sure when Sidney will be back, but I should probably wait for her in case any of those guys are lurking around.”
He frowned and cast a glance behind him out the plate-glass windows to the street.
“How about I give you my number and you can text me when you’re done? I’ll come to walk you over. No one would dream of messing with you at my place. It’s quite safe.”
At my nod, he took a receipt from the counter and scrawled his number on the back. I smiled. His penmanship wasn’t great, but it certainly wasn’t terrible.
We made our goodbyes, and he left, pausing on the sidewalk in front of my shop to look around. He looked a little predatory as he cast his gaze around, jaw set, arms loose, and fingers clenching and unclenching.
I expected him to leave, but he didn’t quite disappear, instead stalking down the street past my field of vision and settling just at the edge of my magical perception. Was he… guarding me?
I tried to focus on finishing my third wasp, but by the time four o’clock rolled around, I felt like I was coming out of my skin. I was too wound up, antsy from being able to feel his magic just down the block, nervous at the idea of spending more time with him, getting to learn more about him, see where he lived. I was definitely in crush territory.
The afternoon had been slow with no customers, so I reasoned it wouldn’t hurt to close things up a little early. It was one of the perks of being self-employed. Besides, I was still being productive, scouting for resale items. My heart thrilled a little bit at the thought of genuine mer articles, and I wondered what he had squirreled away.
Mind made up, I hurriedly closed down the shop. I left a note for Sidney and texted Levi that I was done. Feeling impatient, I donned my jacket, quickly glanced in the mirror to make sure all my amulets were in place, grabbed my purse, and stepped outside to lock up the front door. I restrained myself from sprinting down the block like a dork. Barely.
I looked up to find him strolling toward me with his thumbs in his pockets, apparently uncaring about the fine mist landing on his bare arms and thin t-shirt. His smile was genuine, if a little dim.
“I would have come to get you,” he said gently. His words were a caress, an embrace, his stance aloof. Did everyone feel this confused by him?
“I couldn’t wait. I was too excited,” I admitted.
His smile warmed. “Don’t get too excited. You might think it’s all a bunch of junk,” he said, thankfully misconstruing my meaning. I followed him as we passed the turnoff to the coffee shop and approached one of the large, blocky, vinyl-sided buildings so popular in north Seattle.
Levi let us into the lobby of the building, and we mounted the stairs before I froze mid-step. I felt the most powerful, deadly, all-consuming magic I’d ever encountered in my life. It was dark and ancient, not necessarily evil, but harrowing in the way one might feel when standing on the edge of a deep, black abyss. He made it to the landing before he noticed I was no longer behind him, and when he turned to find me, I scrambled to catch up.
My heart was pounding in my ears as we left the stairs and made our way down the hall. Maybe the magic was coming from somewhere else in the building?Please let the magic be coming from somewhere else in the building.We stopped in front of a door on the left with a simple black doormat and no other adornments. The magic was definitely coming from his apartment.
Levi unlocked the front door and cast me an odd look as he turned the knob and pushed it in. I realized my breaths were coming in little gasping pants. He probably thought I was exceptionally out of shape and climbing the stairs had done me in, but I couldn’t help it. I’d never been confronted by magic of this type or magnitude before, and I had no idea what was behind that door.
He stepped inside and held the door open for me, giving me a confused smile as I followed him in. “Here, let me take your jacket,” I heard him say. As soon as I was in, instinct took over and I backed up against the wall by his door.What in the world am I doing!?
Chapter 6
“Dude,could you not?I don’t know what you’re doing but I feel like I’m choking.” My attention snapped to a man sitting on a barstool, hunched over a kitchen island with a bowl of something and a pained expression. I noticed belatedly that he was coughing, very pale, and exuding blood magic.
A vampire, then.
Oh.
