Foolish Mortals

Chapter 14

toc-sin

täksən

noun

an alarm bell or signal

synonyms: alert, signal, warning, sign, horn, siren

Though I was exhausted, I did find comfort in the routine of getting to work early and sneaking one of the pastries before beginning to set up. As I worked I avoided pondering the strange events of this morning. I had always been good at rising to the occasion and rolling with the punches, and this was no different. Well, maybe a little different. But it was okay.

Instead I thought about Liam and his kiss. No wonder he had been so tentative at first. I couldn't imagine completely forgetting what a kiss was like. And he had said he'd never touched a human. Who had he touched, then? The Vassal people? I shuddered at that thought. They were all so creepy, I couldn't imagine wanting to sleep with one. 

"Something wrong?"

I jumped and let out a shriek as I looked up to see the amused gaze of Percy, the new hire, fixed on me.

"What the hell!" I clutched my chest and took a deep breath. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he said with an unapologetic smirk. "Am I late? Or are you early?"

"A bit of both." I glanced at my watch. "Open the doors, will you?"

"Certainly," he said and gave a tiny bow.

I blinked as I watched his broad shoulders moving towards the door. What on earth? He had bowed exactly like Liam. Both of them did it in this way that made me think it was long habit that prompted it, but then they caught themselves part of the way down and jerked back upright.

Nobody bowed nowadays, right? Maybe in England? I crossed my arms and watched suspiciously as Percy made his way back to the counter. Maybe my recent experiences with Liam were making me twitchy and paranoid, but there was definitely something different about Percy. And it wasn't paranoia if it was justified.

"Where are you from?" I asked abruptly, peering up at Percy.

He waved his hand. "Here and there, here and there. I was just in Greece for a while, but the Seattle climate appeals to me."

"Uh huh." I studied him, but he looked guileless, wiping down machines with the air of a man who has nothing to hide. "Do you have an eidetic memory, by the way? I meant to ask last week, but I forgot. You learned everything so fast, it was amazing."

"Oh, it's possible," he said with a grin over at me. "But I've never been officially tested."

"Uh huh."

I closed my lips on my next question when the door swung open and our first trickle of customers began arriving. His answer hadn't assuaged my curiosity in the slightest. I continued watching him as we worked, and I was so absorbed in it that when I glanced up to see Liam entering the front door, it was a total shock. I noted the time and was startled to see that indeed, I had just spent three hours focused on not trusting someone.

Jesus, is this what I was turning into? I snatched up a glass and a pitcher of water, then gave a last look to Percy.

He was staring at Liam. Watching his every move as he went to the corner and deliberately took his normal seat, folding his ankles and stretching out his long legs. I glanced from Percy to Liam and back, and swallowed hard.

Noticing my own staring, Percy blinked and his customary smile returned to his lips. "Looks like your nine o'clock is here."

"Sure is," I said with a small frown. "Be right back."