Page 88 of Ruby Red Sky

He knew. He knew how I felt. I wasn’t sure how, without me saying it, but I could feel it with every stroke of his tongue, the tiny tremor of his hand at my waist.

After a moment, he gently pulled away and stared down at me. His eyes shuttered and then softened in the corners. He pressed his lips to my forehead and then said, “Let’s get you something to eat.”

My pulse slowed after I took a couple deep breaths. I left him standing there and he put his hands in his pockets and strolled over to the sideboard.

* * *

Maybe it was his vampire powers, or maybe he explored the castle while I slept, I don’t know, but Lukas knew just where to take me, as if he’d been here a hundred times before.

The kitchen and dining area was sunny and bright, with large windows overlooking a lawn that could have been featured in a fertilizer commercial. There was a table in a nook, with food already served, and Lukas held his hand out, directing me to sit.

I grabbed a toasted bagel and slathered it with cream cheese and Lukas set a steaming cup of coffee in front of me before sitting at the other side. He leaned back and sipped a cup, watching a couple of men walk along a path in the grass.

“So, what are we doing? We can’t go back home, right?” The coffee was perfect. Not acidic, not too sweet. I made a mental note to get the name of the beans. While I’d always drank Matcha, I’d developed a taste for the liquid breakfast food.

He set his cup down gently on the saucer. “No, that would be unwise.”

Wiping a glop of cheese from my finger and onto a napkin, I asked, “Are we stuck here? I kinda like it. So far, anyway. Selena’s cool.”

Lukas thought for a moment. “There are other places we can go, but there are things I need to take care of first. Elijah’s graciousness is unexpected, and perhaps temporary.”

“I assumed so, I just wanted to know what we’re doing next.”

He glanced out the window and then back at me. “I have things to do before I can tell you where we will be, where we’ll end up. First of all, a discussion with Elijah.”

The pretty red sky of the First Realm and its tooth-like peaks came to my mind, the severe and dark beauty I had gotten used to. The thought of not returning there, or never seeing it again, left a hollow in my chest.

“I am sorry, Cassia,” Lukas said, his voice barely above a whisper. My bagel landed cheese-side down on my plate, and I grabbed it, coating my fingers again. “We may never be able to return.”

When I collected myself, I replied, “It’s not your fault, not really. He knew the laws and just did whatever, anyway.” Much like Lukas was, now.

The novelty of hearing Lukas apologize for something made my head buzz and my fingers clumsy. I set the bagel down.

“If you’re nice to Elijah and don’t blind him or stick him to a ceiling like there’s a fly trap or something, maybe he’ll let us stay until we figure things out.” I paused. “Probably don’t mute his voice, either.” Lukas leveled a gaze at me and I shrugged my shoulders. “Just sayin’.”

He stared at me, and after a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched. Then he smirked and glanced down into his cup of coffee. “Noted,” he replied.

After I drained my own beverage, I wiped my face with a clean corner of the napkin. “I think since I’m here, I want to explore the grounds. I want to paint, too. Especially everything I remember of home, before it fades.”

Lukas’s shoulders stiffened, and his mouth opened a fraction. Then he said, “There may be some place in town where you can pick out whatever you want for supplies for while we’re here.”

Standing, I placed my hand on his forearm and he got up. “That sounds good.”

He buttoned his jacket. “You will go with Selena.”

“Hey, I heard my name,” a feminine voice called out.

When I turned around, Selena was at the entrance. “Yeah, are there any art supply places around here?”

“There is. There’s lots of stuff. Want to go?” She asked, pouring herself a coffee. She held the cup in the air. “It’s a three cup day.”

I smiled at her. “Yeah, and I want to look around out there.” I pointed at the window.

“Take guards with you,” Lukas ordered.

Selena narrowed her eyes at him. “Like Elijah would allow me to free range.”

“You know what happens to chickens, right?”