yn's
m just a huma
sly. Unaware of the danger
ce was deep, smooth like midnight, and his eyes-God
, but that was the ni
s old, born and raised in London-the
priced coffee, and the kind of loneliness that
sign firm and spend most of my nights either cu
ve in monster
... I
tories. Not the sweet kind with princesses and fairy god
'd say, "Stay away from the forests, Evely
y wore human skin, but inside... they w
in plai
urse. Or maybe I just stopped
I me
edge of Southbank, glittering with lau
life" or some dramatic nonsense like that. She ran off moments after we got t
the carousel like some half-sketc
when I
belonged to him. Tall. Composed. Wrapped in a bla
children. He did not flinch at the sudden b
llness with sharp cheekbones and a gaze t
looked away
of grace that didn't make sense-too fluid, to
ed when he stoppe
ked. "
tched in my hand. "You're holding it
, surprised. "
" he
I said
ghtly. "And how's t
e popcorn's the hi
yson,"
then repli
e like it meant something. Like he'd heard it
ere" I
ly deciding to. He asked me about myself-smal
reading tragic love stories like they were survival manual
, but really listening. Like every word out of my mouth w
looked at his
funhouse, the mirrors flickering with disto
erving,"
are you observing?
he repli
laugh. "That's n
I didn't say
definitel
hen asked. "Can I
" I an
rd of the Forbidde
y stif
round us like it
y did you ask?"
ual, but there was something... watchful in it. "They were
ped wa
eally?
He r
r used to tell me about
id about it?" he
ere stronger, faster. That they could smell lies and rip
react. J
evil," I continued. "But that
shed. Just f
urns
was the reflection of
to calm my racing heart. "D
a step
things that make us fee
d my
ld already see every piece
mething that carved
what I expec
re you," I
he noise of the carnival faded into silence. My breath misted in the co
now him. But somehow, I felt safer in the quie
scare
gh to make m
real," I said, br
with something unreadable. "Eve
me somethin
pa
irty,"
"You don'
lied with a smirk, a
are you
s if he needed to search f
here being different c
tened. "That s
said. "Unt
ir sh
oomed and trembled
eally looked. "Why are y
I've been told all my life that your kind hat
ed. "My
Smiled, quick and
my skin prickled. "You say th
ng mine in the shadows. "You th
art s
hin. "Is this where you tell
he gap between us sh
threading through me like smoke. "But I'm still
t work properl
ally, but... energetically. Like he hummed with
" I said, but
ither. "Do
I whis
I di