Graze Her Heart

Chapter 9

She was exhausted.

Quin slept through half the flight on her lap and used the remaining time to annoy her in any way he possibly could.

She'd nodded off not long after him but around four hours in flight, they hit mild turbulence.

The plane shook and Greya jolted awake with a small yelp.

She'd flown before when she was very young.

When the Jenkov stole her, she'd experienced her first flight from Ceylon to Germany.

It was horrible.

Greya had flown as an acrobat before, but there was a huge difference between piloting your own body and trusting a complete random to pilot a large tube hundreds of miles above an acrobats platform.

Pushing herself as far into the seat as humanly possible, she grit her jaw and clenched her fists so tightly she could feel blood prick from the indented crescent moons in her palm.

She didn't dare close her eyes. If she was going to die, she'd die aware of the world around her.

Another round of quaking erupted through the aircraft and Greya exhaled harshly, biting back a scream.

At the small sound, Quin looked over from his seat next to her. Scanning over her rapidly for any injuries, he slowly lifted his arm around her shoulder and tugged her gently, signalling he wanted her to lean into him.

Greya pressed her lips into a hard line and shook her head violently no.

"Come 'ere", he said.

"I'm good Quin, watch a movie or something," she mumbled, as if speaking any louder would bring the turbulence back.

Quin grunted and leaned over her seat. Through the panic, Greya's senses were invaded with Quin. Mint and his unique earthy smell relaxed her enough that she was able to unclench her fingers and smear the few drops of blood against her dark pants.

He undid her seatbelt, the next minute she was on Quin's lap.

She understood there wasn't any sexual intent in the action. He was comforting her.

He positioned her sideways on his lap and tucked her head under his chin.

His fingers found their way under her shirt and Quin's borrowed jacket over it, and he started drawing his little patterns on her spine.

Greya began to recognise some of them. There was one repeating symbol. An upside down 'T' through three rings. He repeated the symbol in the airport in  Austria, and in the alley the day she'd first met him.

Quin was drawing it over and over and over again.

Unable to help her curiosity, she asked. "What's it mean?"

"What's what mean sweetheart?"

Greya took his palm and drew the symbol lightly.

Quin sighed and Greya jolted slightly feeling sparks along her finger.

It was like the sensation of when trying to walk when your feet are numb. Pins and needles.

She retreated it quickly, but before she could examine her finger further, Quin grabbed it and pulled her closer.

"I'll explain it later baby," he whispered into her ear.

"Why not now? We've got time," she questioned.

"Not here. There's too many ears, too many eyes."

Greya leaned back a bit and scanned his face.