Shadowglass

Over sunset-splashed rooftops we dived, fluttered, dipped, only his warm hold stopping me from falling. Bricks hit my ankles, scraping my skin away. Dizziness swirled my brain to sickness, and glass and roof iron and colored concrete tiles scattered in my vision like an upended slide show.

His glamour rattled the wind with static. Warm drafts pressed my wings, up and down and sideways until I didn’t know which way was which, and my inner ears sloshed. I felt sick. I felt wonderful. And when we finally skidded to a halt on cracked black tar, a solitary streetlight burning above, I collapsed on my butt on the median strip and let my hands sink gratefully into rough gravel.

Sharp pebbles poked my bottom and stung my bare feet. A car cruised by, oblivious. Some dim suburban neighborhood, dull gray houses and dead gardens, no trams or traffic or people. Dry air crumbled in the smell of dirt and hot concrete. Somewhere far away, lightning flashed, and a few seconds later thunder rolled in like a distant ocean wave. Tension zinged excitement into my skin. A storm on the way.

Andy wobbled down next to me, catching his breath and wiping sweaty hands on his ass.

I grinned weakly, my cheeks sore like a bride’s. “Here, let me do that.”

His pale skin looked damp and drawn, his face tight. He plopped down in the dirt beside me, leaning his forearms on his raised knees, and wrinkled his nose in a little smile as he swallowed a few times. “Guess you’re okay, then.”

My popped ear gurgled like a plughole. I wiggled my finger in it. “Oh, sure. Never better. You?”

He turned his hands over, showing his dark blue palm burned raw and silvery with blood. “Been worse.”

I winced. “Ouch. That looks sore. But . . . hang on. Wasn’t it your right hand you burned on that pistol?”

He shrugged, holding up his scorched left palm, titanium wrapping his wrist. “Guess not. Sizzle, steam, ouch.”

The same old suspicion gnawed me, and urgency nibbled my toes like bugs. I fidgeted, unsure.

“No. I saw. And that bangle was definitely on your right wrist the other night. Doesn’t look like it comes off in a hurry. What’s up with that?”

He swallowed again, and looked away.

I swallowed. Must be something in it. But I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that mirrors switched things from left to right, and that he wasn’t being honest with me. “Okay. Fine. Aren’t you going to scold me?”

He picked ripped skin from his palm, frowning. “What for?”

“Well, y’know. Giving lip to an insane murderer. Making you burn your hands to pulp. Nearly getting us killed. That sort of thing.”

His brow wrinkled. “Why would I scold you for that?”

“Well, if ya don’t mind me saying, you’re a scolding kinda guy. And it’s dangerous, right?”

“I guess. But you were amazing.” He ducked his head shyly to rub crisp hair on my cheek, his dark iron gaze flickering to mine.

The sharp sensation dazzled me. I shifted, nervous. What was he playing at? “Yeah? I mean, yeah, sure. Thanks.”

He wouldn’t look away. “I mean it, Appolonnia. You’re brave and strong and smart like . . . like a little tigress. Only prettier.”

Delight shocked me rigid, and I ached deep inside with longing. Left hand, right hand, whatever.

What did I care, if it softened him up like this? I shrugged, trying to keep it casual, trying not to show that the merest brush of his gaze on my skin made me hot. “Thought you’d never notice.”

“Oh, I notice.” He shuffled his butt closer. Now his hard thigh pressed against mine, tempting.

My voice lost itself somewhere in my throat. “Yeah?”

“All the time.” He dropped his chin on my shoulder, tension in his whisper that made me shiver.

“Truth, Appolonnia. You’ve waited all your life to say those things. I know how hard it is to let go of fear.

Don’t you feel . . . free?”

Giddy hormones jumped and giggled in my brain. His shadow covered me, dark and exciting, and the sheer size of him awakened dark tingles of desire in my belly. Daring, I rested my head lightly against his. His fine metal hair sliced into mine, sharp ends teasing my scalp. My insides warmed. “Yeah. God, yeah. It felt great. But what if—?”

“What if nothing. We’re still alive, Apples. We got away. You shed your fear, and the sky didn’t crumble. Did it?”

“Guess not.” Cautious hope shone. We’d escaped, after all. Peter hadn’t killed us. Maybe this madness would be okay.

Especially if Andy understood.

Not that he would. He didn’t have a nasty magic mirror chewing his ass, making him say weird things. Did he?

I snuggled closer, his warm metal scent wrapping me in delight and lazy desire. I wanted to purr. I wanted to throw him onto his back and kiss him, make him wild with desire for me. Yeah.

I’d even slide down his body and peel his clothes away, drink in that coppery blue skin, smell his sweet metal arousal. Go down on him, taste his hardened flesh in my mouth, lick him and swallow him and make him remember me.

Or not.

He sniffed at a stray wisp of my hair, and sparks danced between us like fairylight. “And you know the best part?”

I caught a spark on my tongue, and it sizzled. Tingles swept my mouth, shivering warm all the way to my fingerpads. “Mmm. I’m liking this part right here, but go on.”

“The best part was, you laughed. And not at yourself. You should do that more, Apples. You glowed. You looked so beautiful, and you sounded happy.”

Notes

Part One for today, enjoy :)

Stay Weird Baby Bats
- Grimm