Shadowglass

It’s amazing just to walk with her, unafraid, watching her skip and laugh and splash happily through puddles as they thread their way through gritty black streets toward the city. Shadows loom tall, split like razors with neon-bright iron light poles. Humidity thickens, distant thunder growing closer. Indigo’s metalsense flickers, tormenting him, and that black ache whispers cruelly in his skull, but he doesn’t care. He can’t take his eyes off her.

Memorize her. Drink her in. Consume her, before she vanishes like breath on a mirror.

Ahead of him, Apples twirls like a tipsy ballerina, wings fluttering crookedly, her fruity hair trailing shimmering droplets behind her. Her crystal laughter shines in the air like starlight. The lacy frills of her skirt tease her slim golden thighs, mesmerizing. She’s chattering, telling him something, her enthusiasm bubbling like a waterfall, and he longs to listen, to let her voice wash the dirt from his skin.

But Dennis-ache blurs his vision, and the sneering black velvet whisper deafens him.—You’re weak, Andy. Cold and crunched up inside like tinfoil. You heard what she said. It’s me she really covets. The part you despise. Don’t dare think you can do this without me.—

I can, he wants to scream. I can, and I will. But pain crunches his teeth, slashing bright blood into his mouth. His muscles spasm, and he staggers in a metalbright blur, his wings scrabbling at the air to keep him upright. She’s ahead, dancing crookedly in a puddle, and she doesn’t see. He rakes stinging claws through his hair, fighting the horrid impulse to claw his own eyeballs out.

Determination stings his bones. Dennis can’t have her, not now. Taking her to this view, high above the city to his favorite solitary place, is insane. He should leave her, push her away like he’s always done, keep her safe in case Dennis returns.

But his smitten heart wails at the thought. He wants to show her. Can’t leave her now, just when he’s getting it right. He swallows on iron bile, fighting a rush of warm quicksilver mischief. Not now, Dennis. Not ever.

Appolonnia halts and turns, her precious amber eyes bright with concern. “You okay?”

“Uh-huh.” Rich black giggles slide in Andy’s blood, but he forces them silent, and when she wiggles her delicate yellow fingers, he ignores the warning throbbing in his skull and takes her hand.

The elevator crunched and hummed, sweeping us upward in the soft lemon scent of detergent. Cool air-conditioned air fanned me, drying my sweat. I giggled, my eyelids itching under his warm hand. “Can I open them yet?”

“Nope.” He pressed against my back, hard fae muscles shifting like curved metal parts as he moved, and I could feel him sniffing my hair, scenting me, inhaling my perfume.

Not that I was wearing any. I hadn’t anticipated this. At least tonight I didn’t stink like a whore.

At least, not yet. “How about now?”

“Nope.” He teased my wings with crisp metal hair.

I rubbed back, and he rewarded me with a lick, spreading hot shivers all the way up to the tip. I giggled. “Now?”

“Nope nope. Keep ’em closed.”

“Where we going?”

“Somewhere special. It’s a surprise. You’ll like it.”

The elevator pinged, and slid to a halt. I squirmed in pleasure and excitement. A surprise.

Goody good. Maybe he’d brought me to his place. Even better.

His hand slipped from my eyes, and I squeezed them shut, enjoying the game. Elevator door, sliding closed behind us, another lock clicking open. More cold air, my wings stinging dry, the lost warmth of his body a seductive echo. Slippery warm tiles under my bare feet. His knobbly fingers strong and slick in mine, leading me on. The warm smoothness of metal around his wrist, brushing my arm. A door whispered aside, heated air rushing on glass, and we flittered up a few steps onto sun-warmed concrete.

Summernight breeze whipped my face, the smell of rain and nighttime and warm city streets.

Distant traffic noise whispered. Sparse raindrops stung pleasantly cool on my cheeks, and I opened my mouth, letting the fresh bitterness catch my tongue. Happiness flushed me. I wanted to run and twirl and jump until I was soaked. I laughed, stretching out my arms blindly.

“Rain, rain, I love the rain. We there yet?”

“Just a bit farther.” He guided me forward, rough concrete scraping my toes.

“Where we going?”

“Stop right there.” He pulled me to a halt. My feet slicked on smooth steel. Breeze lifted my hair, spiraled warm fingers around my bare legs, dragged my skirt against my thighs. He slipped his arms around my neck from behind and covered my eyes again. His close whisper warmed my ear. “Do you trust me?”

My body started to ache all over again, longing for him to touch me the way he had in my dreams. “Gosh, you feel so nice. Sure I trust you. Can I look now?”

“No, I mean d’ya really trust me?”

“Umm . . . I guess. Sure. Some reason I shouldn’t?”

A soft coppery chuckle. “Well, you did just let on that I’m your weakness, Appolonnia. Apart from sparkle and fat juicy diamonds, that is.”

Disquiet crept in on insect feet, worrying my high. “Uh-huh. Guess I did.”

“And you did just admit we’re in competition. For the shiny, I mean.”

“Guess we are.” His body against mine made me shiver, for more reasons than one.
“And there’s the whole left– right bangle thing. That gives you the creeps.”

“Uh-huh.” The wind rose, threatening, whipping my hair in my face. Worry caressed my lungs with silent black fingers. So there was something to that bangle business after all. Which wrist was it on now? And this was just a balcony, right? In some skyscraper apartment? Alarm sparked, and I strained to open my eyes.

But he clenched his fingers tighter, his claws digging into my temple. My pulse skipped. He rubbed his crisp hair in mine, that cute little gesture I’d liked so much. Now, it seemed a wicked tease. He slid his open mouth across my cheek in a possessive kiss I wasn’t sure I enjoyed, even if pleasure did shiver all the way down inside me. “And you did just tell me who owns that ruby necklace.”

My heart thudded, too fast for comfort. “Uh-huh. Andy, you’re creeping me out now—”

“So the fact is, Lady Appolonnia, you shouldn’t trust me, because . . .” I felt his lips curve in a smile against my ear, and he whipped his hand away from my eyes.

I teetered, and looked down.

Empty space lurched at my feet. My toes curled on the steel edge of a rooftop, a hundred floors of nothing looming below.

Shock jerked my limbs, and I overbalanced.

The air gripped me like sucking octopus tentacles, dragging me inexorably over the edge. Sour terror splurted into my mouth, and I screamed.

My wings pulled against swirling air, useless. My arms flailed in circles, reaching for anything to hold me back, my only solace Andy’s warm hand in the small of my back. He knows I can’t fly.

He’ll catch me. “Andy, help me!”

A sly metallic laugh, mocking. “Because I don’t need you anymore,” he finished coolly, and gently but firmly he pushed me off.

Notes

Please don't hate me....

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhahaha (cough cough) hah haha (cough)...


You must suffer!!!!!!! I think i will leave the story here for now. I wasn't originally going to update this tonight but i wanted to ruin your lives just after Andy and Apples got close and because I'm an arsehole, this is only just for a week or so though }:‑)

I hope i ruined your lives... see you in a few weeks.
- Grimm