The Trip

Chapter 12 Seeing Red

Amara POV:

I sat at the bar where a seat had been set for me with a glass of water next to it. A big, juicy steak was on the plate along with some shrimp.

"On my God, Ted, this looks delicious!" I said with excitement, my mouth already beginning to water.

"Well thanks, darling," he said while wiping down the bar.

Without another word, I dug in. The food was so good. The steak practically melted in my mouth, and the shrimp was perfectly savory.

"That tasted like a little slice of heaven, Ted," I told the tavern owner.

He smiled at me while I was wiping my mouth with a napkin. "Now that's a compliment I like to hear!" He smiled and took my plate.

"So, do you run this place by yourself?" I asked, making conversation.

"Not totally by myself," he said, "my daughter helps me run the place," Ted told me with a smile. "I'll be back darling," Ted said, grabbing the tray of dirty dishes he had been loading and heading through a door that led into the kitchen.

I turned around on my stool and noticed the tavern emptied quite a bit. There were only a couple people here and there, and most of them looked to be Custos.

"Hey, can I sit here?" a man's voice asked.

I turned to my right and there stood the man that had been staring at me earlier. His eyes were still bright red.

"I...uhm, that is, I..." I stuttered.

"Don't worry I won't hurt you," he said, taking a seat on the stool next to me.

I gave him a small smile and turned back to the bar and tried to ignore his gaze. If I was being honest, his red eyes were scaring me a little.

"Are you here all by yourself, squirt?" he asked casually.

I turned to look at him. I hadn't realized it, but he had moved to the edge of his stool and was leaning toward me, still staring intently. Now that he was up close, I could see all his features in detail. His skin was darker than Kara's and judging by how he seemed to be towering over me while he was still sitting, he was probably just as tall as Sonya, if not taller. He had no facial hair which made him look young. A vertical scar was etched on his face along his right eye. He had an undercut with short black dreads that complimented his bright red eyes. The tips of each of his dreads were a dark, ash grey. He had golden earrings in both of his ears along with a gold chain that hung around his neck. Just like all the other Custos, he was dressed in all black. As I stared at him, his face remained expressionless; not a smirk or smile showed itself while he waited for a reply. I felt like he was studying me and my every move.

"No...I'm waiting on someone," I finally said. Nervously, I looked up into his eyes and couldn't help but feel relaxed when I saw that they were now gold instead of bright red.

"Seems like you have a sorry excuse for a Custos if you ask me," he scoffed. "If your guy doesn't show up, then what?" he asked, his eyes never leaving mine.

"He...will," I said nervously.

"If he doesn't..." he said gently, grabbing my hand, "I'll get you back home." Though I tried to ignore it, I couldn't help but admit that his gold eyes were putting me at ease, and the feel of his warm hand gripping mine was comforting. As I stared back into his eyes and started to lean toward him, I felt an arm snake around my waist and the presence of someone next to me.

"Who's your friend Amara?" a familiar voice asked.

"Gabriel?" I said, surprised, quickly looking away from the other man.