You Can't Run From The Dark

{Part 12}

~Zaire~

The moment the girl entered the parlor room, Zaire felt her presence. He shouldn't have been able to. She wasn't close enough for him to taste her emotions, but he felt her somewhere behind him, all the same. His shadows shifted under his skin, and he wanted to look over his shoulder, but he didn't. Instead, he strolled over to The Den's library and took his sweet time selecting a book. He knew he wouldn't be able to focus on actually reading it, but it would keep his hands busy. Once he chose one, he flicked a glance in her direction. When his eyes met hers for that brief moment, she flinched. Zaire turned away to hide his smirk as he went back to his table. As the girl breezed past him with her shoulders set in determination, the taste of her feelings surprised him. There was only a sliver of bitter hunger, and the most dominant flavor was her annoyance. He couldn't stop himself from chuckling out loud. She was annoyed with him, and he found it amusing. She must have heard the sound because she tossed a glare in his direction and huffed while she kept walking. Zaire was prepared this time for his shadows to misbehave, and immediately clamped his hold down on them as she moved away from his vicinity.

The silly little mortal wasn't pleased about his sudden return. He cracked open his book, and settled in for a long night. He read a few paragraphs before he felt Colette's misguided jumble of emotions washing over his taste buds. She was excited to see him most of all, more than a little upset that it had taken so long for him to come back, and possibly a little angry that he had stood her up.

"Leave me be," Zaire dismissed her, without looking up from his book.

"But - " Colette's disappointment and hurt was obvious in the tone of her voice, as well as in the taste on his tongue.

"Go on." Zaire said firmly.

And she did - her anger carrying her away from Zaire's table. He couldn't care less. He was far  more interested in annoying the other waitress. Two hours went by while the girl waited on other tables, and every time she came close to him, he couldn't hope to read a single word. She never allowed her eyes to meet his again - instead, she looked right through him like she had that night in her front yard. Only this time, it was willfully done. While the girl was serving the table just next to his, his shadows trembled and he did his best to stifle them.

She was taking an order from a Fae male, unbeknownst to the lust that was radiating off of him as he looked at her. Zaire went rigid, his shadows bristling as the male caught her wrist before she could leave to place his order. Her fear burst on Zaire's tongue, and it was more potent than any fear he had ever tasted. His own lust rivaled the other Fae's because of it, and along with it, a strange surge of rage came over him, seeing some other Fae touching her soft-looking flesh.

"You are coming home with me tonight."

Zaire's head made no movement, but his glare pierced in the male's direction as he snapped his book shut. The lecherous Fae was smiling at her viciously, drinking in her lovely fear of him. He was so focused on her that he didn't notice Zaire's volatile emotions or his shadows, until they stabbed through his rib cage. He instantly let go of her wrist to clutch his side, and bit back a hiss of agony. The girl stumbled backward, taking her chance to escape the situation, and Zaire reeled his shadows back in.

"Fuck you," The male spat at Zaire, while he staggered out of the parlor room.

Zaire smirked as he sat his book down and pulled out his unopened pack of cigarettes. The Fae was lucky that it wasn't a killshot. Zaire wasn't opposed to spilling some blood today, and the patrons weren't allowed to harass the waitresses like that. Talon would be too overjoyed by Zaire's return, and he would probably thank him for keeping the peace in his establishment, even if he had  delivered a deathblow. Killing (or maiming) was also something that wasn't allowed inside, but bending the rules once or twice wasn't cause for much concern. Especially if it meant protecting the mortal that Talon seemed to favor. Although, it would be a bit embarrassing if the Fae decided to complain to Talon about it, considering it was a possessive move on Zaire's part, and it was terribly uncharacteristic of him. Talon would certainly enjoy rubbing it in his face that he had reacted so rashly. Over her. The girl must have asked a different waitress to serve the table, because Nina approached it with a platter of food, and frowned when she noticed its vacancy. She clucked her tongue and went to return the platter to the kitchen, since the brutish patron had abandoned his table.