Animism

Full English Breakfast

It was almost six in the morning and the sun was warm on their faces as they stepped out of the terminal. It was cool but seemed like it might turn into a lovely fall day. Darric had been right, a man had his name on a placard and they were escorted to a luxurious looking car just outside the doors. "We'd like to stop somewhere for a meal Cederick." Darric said as the man opened the door for Mona. "It has been a long day. Is there some place local that you could recommend?"

The driver was a tall, slender man with a sharp jawline and black, wavy hair that fell to his shoulders. The top portion was pulled back and his features were striking. His gestures were rather graceful as he opened the door and packed their bags in the trunk. Mona almost wondered if it was a woman until Darric had said his name. "Of course, Sir." Mona caught his eye in the rearview mirror as he arranged himself in the driver's seat. So dark that she could not see his pupil but, somehow, they still managed to seem soft and kind. He was truly beautiful. It took her a moment to realize that she had been staring longer than seemed polite. "There is a small café, if we are going into the city, that has the best coffee and their breakfast is quite good as well. It is not exactly on the way but at this hour we could get in and out pretty quickly, I think. Do you fancy a full English breakfast Miss?"

She had never had a 'full English breakfast' but her stomach was not about to be choosey as it felt like it was trying to eat her from the inside out. "I fancy coffee and I am not too picky about the rest. If you like it, I'm sure it will suit me just fine. Thank you."

The early morning lights of London painted down the car windows in golds, blues and silvers as they drove through the city. Mona had always dreamed of traveling to London and now would only be passing through. At least if they stopped for food, she could soak a little more of it in. There was a little sadness to the thought, but she pushed it away and tried to be thankful for even being able to travel there to begin with.

The car pulled over in front of a building with warm light glowing out of the wall of windows that made up most of the front of the little bakery cafe. There were a few little bistro tables outside and a sign above the awning that read 'Gail's' in subdued lettering. Cedric spoke to them with eye contact through the rearview mirror. "We may be a little early but I think she'll let us in.

Mona caught the smell of coffee as soon as Cederick had opened the door for them. The little cafe was all gold and red in the sparkling sunlight and a staff member shouted a greeting as soon as they crossed the threshold. "Sit anywhere you like loveys. Be with you in a bit." The server was peppy and alert even at an early hour, and was bustling about with a tray of napkin dispensers; placing them here and there on the tables. She seemed to be middle aged (although Mona was a horrible guess when it came to ages) with dark curly hair and a reasonably nice figure. Judging by the way one of the bakers kept watching her lean over the tables, Mona thought they were either a couple...or he really wished they were.

They all got coffee but when Cederick got his to go and went back out to the car, Mona was left to try to make conversation until their food arrived. This was definitely not her strong suit but what's the harm in trying right? "Have you always lived in Europe? I can't place your accent but you speak English perfectly so I wasn't sure." There, that should be enough small talk to lead into a long story and she won't have to say anything else.

"I have lived a little bit everywhere actually." With that Darric seemed content to sip his coffee and enjoy the quiet.

Mona thought he might just be teasing her and not elaborating on purpose. So, she prodded a little more. "And...Why is that?"

Darric gave a soft shrug and seemed to mull it over for a few seconds before replying. "Well, it is sort of the way our people live. We are a rather nomadic sort and go where the magic seems to want us. Our abilities are sought out by the earth. So, we go where she needs us. There are places that are more in need of magic or more receptive to it than others but I grew up all over the world." He sipped his coffee, leaning back in his chair and not making direct eye contact for more than a few seconds at a time. It seemed a world away from the day before and the diner. She was no longer anxious or frightened in his presence.

Mona had a similar posture as back then. She still had her hands wrapped around her cup and there was still a small measure of nervous energy flowing through her. This nervousness was different though. She was not worried for her safety or confused about this man's intentions. She didn't have that suspicious gut feeling that made her palms clammy or her mouth dry. Her hands were cold when they left her cup though, they ached for the warmth of the coffee and the server had been quick to refill when she had noticed Mona shivering and let her know that there was a self serve coffee station near where they were seated. She had shifted off her coat and sweater when they sat down at the table. She now pulled her sweater back on and hugged her mug closer. "It's not that cold out yet, and it is nice and warm in here. Why do I keep feeling this chill across my skin?"

"I could only guess. Although, I feel it too. It's strange and new. Everything is new with you." He sighed softly and continued. "Our magics do not react to each other in ways that I have experienced with others from our line. These feelings are odd and I am not sure I can answer your question to your satisfaction. Hopefully our mother will have more information for you." He remained leaning and sipping like he had no care in the world. It annoyed her a bit that he always seemed perfectly at ease in every environment. He had said that he had traveled all over the world while growing up. Maybe that was a benefit of having been almost everywhere, that you were just more comfortable almost anywhere.

Mona tried to think about when the chills started and what she'd been feeling or doing at the time. She had felt it in the cave but that was surely just the damp environment. She had felt it in the diner but that could've been nerves or anxiety. After all, she'd been a ball of anxiety then. She had felt it in the airport as he held her hand and led her through the sea of people. Something occurred to her but she needed to test the theory to be sure. "May I try something? I might have an idea of what is causing this...well, at least the cold part," she said.

Darric's pose remained the same but he replied "Of course, do as you wish."

She reached out a hand and brushed it along his forearm. He flinched, like she had given him a small shock, but he was still careful not to look at her. Her fingers feathered down his arm and across the back of his hand. He had not realized that he had closed his eyes until her movement stopped and he looked to see why. That was the first mistake. She had been looking directly at him and their eyes connected. She laced her fingers through his and drew his hand to her face. Letting her do it was his second mistake.

Something was drawing her to him, making her feel like touching him or being closer was perfectly natural. Mona placed his hand on her cheek and breathed in the smell of him. He smelled like forest after a cool fall rain. Moss, wet leaves, a woody and intoxicating scent. Her mind filled with pictures, no words, what she wanted from this man. His thumb ran gently across her bottom lip and goosebumps ran up her arms. She licked her lips and suddenly wanted to taste his skin. She turned, brushing her lips across his palm and she heard him catch his breath. When she turned to see his face, his eyes had turned soft. The gold had spread through his iris and he was relaxed in her hands. Her brain was pleased...but then, a second later, it did not want him to relax. She turned again and kissed his palm. The salty musk made her pulse race. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back. She had a brief moment to think 'I want more', before she felt him close the distance between them. When she opened her eyes, his face was moving slowly towards her. There was no rational thought...every molecule of her body seemed to want to reach out to him. She wanted...no... she needed more.