Soul Keepers (Editing) #Wattys2020

09|

She woke in her room, with a blanket thrown over her and no headache. She stretched, shifting the material over her skin and inhaled deeply, the feeling here less congested than in the library. It was better than she had felt in days, although she didn’t remember coming to bed last night. A glance at the bedside clock told her that it was three—and by the amount of sunlight streaming in the room—three in the afternoon.

She contemplated not moving from her place but decided that she couldn't,  there was too much to do. After a quick shower she changed into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and Keds, eager to get back to her reading even if it was beginning to become a chore. The house felt empty and she wondered where everyone had gone. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she pressed her hand there, thinking that a detour to the kitchen before she went back into the library would be wise.

She stopped short with a gasp when she saw that she wasn’t alone, unease creeping up her spine. She took a step back feeling her leg for the dagger that she usually kept. It wasn’t there. She cursed herself, she was becoming to comfortable here and comfort was leading to carelessness.

“You can come in, I don’t bite,” the voice was ripe with humor “Well only literally.”

He turned and Millie could see that he was Asian, Korean if she wasn’t mistaken, and extremely handsome. His eyes were like obsidian crystals and his smile revealing a dimple in his right cheek. His hair was pin straight and inky black that fell across his forehead, partially obscuring the view of one eye.

“I was just,” she started timidly.

“Hungry,” he finished setting a plate on the counter before instructing her to sit. “I’ve been away the last couple of days, but Kit caught me up on most of it. And well Drake added his opinion to all of it. And then Vincent had his ass handed to him by you. I’m Joon-Ki Seo, but everyone mostly just calls me Jay. Sit, eat. I’m not going to poison you.”

“It wouldn’t work even if you did,” she murmured walking further into the room and taking a seat at the counter her mind suspicious of him, because even now she couldn’t sense him, and she was looking directly at him.

He grinned at her over his shoulder. “True. I like to cook, even if I can’t eat it. Shame huh, I was a chef before I was turned and now I can’t eat food.”

“Seems like a punishment to me,” she answered deciding that she was hungry and the food did smell and look appetizing. “Being around something you love and not being able to have it.”

“Yes but isn’t that the human condition,” he answered with a smile, his dimple winking again in his cheek.

“If you were a human, but you’re a—Oh my God! This is amazing!”

Pleasure crossed his face. “That is also why I still cook. I get that reaction and it doesn’t matter if I can taste the food I cook, I know that the people I cook for enjoy it.”

“So how is it that I can’t sense you,” she said deciding that the best way to reassure herself of him was to just ask. “I can usually tell if there are Vampires around, but I didn’t even know you were here. I still can’t sense you.”

He tipped his head to the side and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. It was then like mist clearing she could feel him and then suddenly he was gone, disappearing again.

“You have cloaking Talents, like Kate.”

“The leggy blonde,” he deduced and she nodded. “Somewhat. I developed it by necessity you could say. I just can’t do it with anybody else. Just me.”