Moon-marked 3: Quintessence

Chapter 5

"Did it have to be shaped like a coffin?"

Becky chuckled as she glanced down at her new amulet ring. Seth might have been the first one to say it out loud, but she had wondered the same thing. The ring was nice enough, she supposed, but not really her style. Paige had been eyeing it enviously ever since they had left Emily's and if it wasn't keyed to her particular malady, Becky would have happily traded with her. "It doesn't mean anything," Becky said firmly. Then she looked at Paige, who was suffering through yet another human meal. "It's just another 'hiding in plain sight' thing, right? If a vampire dresses like a Goth, then if they do anything... vampire-y, people will just roll their eyes and figure it's drama."

"Drama." Paige let out an inelegant snort as she sipped at her coffee. "Do the Irish not have a word for fashion, Bex?" Then she waved her fork at Seth. "And he's just embarrassed that a woman gave you a ring before he did."

Becky forced herself to focus on her blood supplement. Since she had already had so much—the bottle she had drained when Paige first arrived and then half a cup before heading to Emily's—she was trying to ration the rest. Thankfully Cesaro had given Seth some small espresso cups for Christmas the year before, and they were the perfect size for small doses of the blood substitute; she just hoped that the gloopy red liquid didn't stain the cups or their matching saucers. When she glanced up at Seth, she shook her head slightly. "I was just hoping for more of a bracelet, really," she said, hoping her voice sounded level. "Easier to wear, especially during matches. Rings have to be silicone if you want to wear them, and necklaces are dangerous—"

"Doesn't stop Jeff," Seth pointed out. "Or Damian. Or Champa." Whether it was because he was a guy or Emily simply didn't have any rings in his size, Becky didn't know, but his suppression amulet was on a knotted leather bracelet. It rasped against her forearm as he leaned over and tilted her ring to the light. "Why are you wearing it on your right hand?" he asked. "You're right-handed, so it's just going to get in your way."

The coffin-shaped part of the ring—a thick piece of highly polished hematite—was raised and Becky had already caught it on her shirt a few times. She wasn't used to wearing rings or earrings, which was another reason why she had wanted a bracelet: the new piece of jewellery was bound to draw attention, and if she had worn it on her left hand, then a lot of people would have automatically assumed it was an engagement ring, even if it wasn't on the third finger. "It's not for long," Becky insisted. "Finn will be here tomorrow." She twisted the ring nervously. Emily had opted for gold, just in case her werewolf nature returned unexpectedly. "So hopefully we won't need them for that long...."

Paige reached for her hand and brought it closer so she could admire the ring. "Dibs on your ring," she announced. "Gold's not really my thing, but I'll make it work. The polish on that hematite is amazing."

Becky tried to catch Seth's gaze, but he was already clearing the table. "As soon as I don't need it, it's yours," she promised, draining her cup and trying not to wince. After that first dose of the blood substitute, when her body had been craving blood without understanding the urge, the sense of euphoria hadn't returned when she drank it; now it tasted sour and vaguely metallic, and she had to chase it down with a cup of very strong coffee. She rose to take her things to the kitchen while Paige was still struggling to finish her food, and she stopped just behind Seth as he was loading the dishwasher. "Hey," she said softly, setting her cup and saucer on the counter and stroking his back. "You okay?"

Seth stood and straightened, turning to face her. When he licked his thumb, she frowned in confusion until he wiped at the corner of her mouth. "Not quite the same as having coffee for breakfast," he noted dryly. Then he leaned in to kiss her, and Becky hoped the blood substitute didn't taste as sour to him as it did for her. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about tomorrow, that's all. Figuring out times and stuff."