Wraith

Dark Stirrings Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

When Wraith woke, it was to the most wonderful aroma of eggs and bacon and toast. She stretched luxuriously and almost fell out of bed. That's when she opened her eyes and discovered that she wasn't in her bed at home. She sat up abruptly and stared around at the unfamiliar furnishings. It wasn't until she caught sight of her arm and noticed that she was still dressed in her costume that memory came flooding back. I spent the night at the Captain's because it's not safe to send Olive home yet.

She looked around and saw that her host's back was to her as he cooked in the kitchen. She had no idea what the time was, but the Captain was dressed in his uniform. Does that mean he is going to go into the University as the Captain and change on site, or does that mean that he has already been to work and back? She stretched again and guessed by the empty feeling in her stomach that it was the second case. At that moment, the Captain turned around and caught sight of her.

"Good morning, Wraith." He smiled and she couldn't help but smile back even though she knew that he wouldn't see it.

"It's morning then?"

He shook his head. "For us it might as well be, but actually it's getting on for early evening. Have you taken Olive to see Volcano yet?"

She shook her head. "You have a really comfortable couch. I slept right through." She tried not to look at the plate the Captain was holding as she added. "I'd better go do that right away."

It was his turn to shake his head. "You won't gain anything by leaving now. If I know Volcano, half an hour more or less at this point won't make much difference; you might as well eat and freshen up first." He brought the plate over to her along with a mug of fresh tea. He set it down on the coffee table and added. "Don't worry, I'll eat at the counter."

Wraith frowned in confusion for a minute, then she remembered the last time that the Captain had fed her breakfast and blushed beneath her mask. "Captain." He had been walking back into the kitchen, but he half turned at her voice. She firmed up her courage and said. "I'll feel more comfortable if you eat with me."

He hesitated. "Are you sure? I understand the need for secrecy. You're one of the most powerful Users in this generation; if anyone is going to have their Normal life targeted for being a User it's going to be you."

Wraith nodded. "Like you said, Dan. I trust you. You won't give me away to Abusers." She laughed slightly. "Besides, I'll just flip my mask up; you won't be able to identify much anyway." He nodded and went to get his plate.

While he was gone, Wraith quickly flipped the bottom half of her mask up to free her mouth and did her best to tuck her hair up into the rest of it. Without a mirror, she wasn't sure that she had gotten it all, but she felt that what she had done would be sufficient. Then she waited self-consciously for the Captain's return. It was silly, but with such a simple part of her disguise gone she felt exposed and vulnerable. She kept on having to fight the urge to pull the mask back into place.

The Captain set his plate and tea down next to hers, then sat down and started eating. "Dig in; it's good even if I do say so myself."

Wraith returned his smile and then tried a bite. Soon she had forgotten her table manners and was lost in deliciousness. When she had finished, she scraped her last piece of toast around the plate, popped it into her mouth, pulled her mask back into place and sat back with a sigh.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a fantastic cook? That was delicious."

He laughed and finished clearing his own plate. "I've had a lot of practice." He looked at her over the edge of his mug. "I take it that you still haven't heard anything from Magnoss."