Lily of the Shadows

Chapter 14

"Khashmyr, you, me, store, NOW!" Leif said, giving the cat one last shove out the door.

"But! But! But!" Khashmyr started, without being allowed to finish.

Leif winked at Vaskin on the way out, and he gave her a confused look.

"Go talk to her! She's got to be awake by now, and it's Saturday, so no school!" Leif replied to his expression as she slammed the door behind her and Khashmyr.

"Oh, right." Vaskin mumbled, standing there dumbstruck. Suddenly the door opened and Leif called to him, "And for heaven's sake please put a shirt on or you'll embarrass yourself!"

Vaskin just stood there, looking at the floor. He then looked over at the counter, where sitting there was a plastic case of cupcakes. He was starving, especially since Khashmyr had insisted on cooking until Leif had convinced the cat that despite what she thought, she was not the world's best cook. Vaskin heard the engine of the car in the garage, and he decided he would try and figure out how to work the television while snacking on the cupcakes. However, the plastic box containing the cupcakes was not as keen on his plan as he was, and it simply refused to open. Vaskin pulled and pulled at the box, seeing the loot gleaming at him inside, and he felt his stomach growl. He just couldn't give up on those cupcakes, perfectly frosted and ready to eat. He heard a door open upstairs, and he figured it was too late to put a shirt on now. Manx would be down the stairs in any minute, and Vaskin wanted to open the cupcakes even more now that he knew she was awake and she could share in the spoils. He heard her footfalls on the stairs and he desperately pulled at the clear cupcake prison, hoping he would be able to get it open before she saw him struggling with it. Vaskin yanked and pulled at the edges of the plastic box, and finally it was open! But just as he was about to exclaim his victory, he saw the cupcakes fly up into the air in slow motion, propelled by the force of the opening of their plastic prison. Vaskin leaned back to try and catch them, but he leaned too far back and fell on his back. And then, to his horror, the cupcakes came back down, just as Manx turned a corner and walked into the kitchen. And there she found him, on his back, shirtless, and covered in cupcakes. Vaskin blushed and sat up, and then he stuck his finger in the frosting of the cupcake on his head and asked, "You want some?"

Wide eyed, Manx tried not to look at his bare chest, but she couldn't help staring at his slim, muscular frame, until she was interrupted when a cupcake slid down his face and into her field of view. Manx wasn't sure what she felt, and she shrank back in embarrassment, still not used to seeing him without a shirt on.

"Mmm! These whatchamacallits are really good! You wanna try some?" Vaskin asked.

Manx twirled a stray hair around her finger and looked at the ceiling and mumbled, "Y...ye...no!"

Vaskin looked up at her face, light streaming in through the window and catching her golden hair in a dreamlike haze. She hadn't bothered to wear the amulet that day as she knew in advance that she wouldn't have to leave the house. There she was, beautiful and serene, but he couldn't quite read her expression. She looked thoroughly embarrassed and seemed extremely tongue tied. He thought she looked adorable in the outfit she had chosen, a cozy green sweater with a skirt that came down to her knees and a pair of long stockings. Manx shook her head and took off her sweater, revealing a light pink tank top that perfectly accented her slender frame. She looked so delicate and fragile, like a soft lily in the spring. She stooped down slowly and began wiping up the cupcake mess on the floor with her sweater, avoiding eye contact. Vaskin reached out his hand to lift her chin so he could see her face to see if she was upset. They locked eyes, and for a second the whole world and all of existence faded away. And then she bit him, hard, on the hand.

"OW! What was that for?" Vaskin asked in surprise.

"My hands were occupied cleaning up your mess." Manx replied in annoyance.