Part 3
Ash tried to keep his smile straight as Mary-Lynnette came into the lounge, followed by a girl he wasn't sure why she looked familiar. The girl was trying to not say something as she stared at him. She looked absolutely terrified. Rowan and Jade were peering in, trying to see what was going on.
"Who's your friend?" he said finally.
"I - I have to go," the black haired girl got out. She turned and ran out the front door, not looking back.
"Who's that?" Jade asked.
Mary-Lynnette glanced after the girl. "Her name is Midian Galena," she said. "She's just moved here." She looked at Ash curiously.
"What'd you do to her?" Kestrel asked with a smirk.
Ash glared. "I didn't do *anything*. And I *don't* know what her problem is."
He looked at Mary-Lynnette earnestly to protest his innocence. She frowned at him. He held a hand out to her. ^Come on,^ he thought. ^I haven't done anything this time.^
She took his hand. A shock of electricity ran up his arm, making him shudder. Not as painful as when they had first met, but...he couldn't find a word for it at the moment. He would at some point.
"Oh no you don't."
"But I want to *see*..."
"No buts. Give them some privacy."
"It looks like you'll get your Carter/Redfern crossbreed after all."
Ash tried to ignore his sisters. He didn't exactly know what Kestrel's remark was meant to be about.
"Mark and Jade are getting too serious for Rowan's liking," Mary-Lynnette explained.
"Still together?" His youngest sister was doing better in a relationship than he ever had. He had been completely faithful this past year. No more flings. Sure, he'd been tempted, but he wanted to prove himself. He'd helped save that lost witch Gillian, and put a number of nasty vampires out of commission with Rashel and Quinn. No dragons yet, but he was working on it.
"So," she said, when they were seated on the porch,
He smiled lopsidedly. "So." He felt like a kid who had just discovered what girls were for. He picked at a week growing between the rotten wooden planks of the ancient farm house. "I really didn't do anything to that girl. I'm sure of it."
Mary-Lynnette looked at him, head tilted to one side. "Then how come she freaked at the site of you?"
Ash frowned. He'd noticed the more timid Night People doing that a lot. He'd always found it fun before, that people knew his name and feared it. Now it made him feel bad, and a little defensive. He threw the weed down. "I don't know," he said, starting to get annoyed.
"So...um...what have you been doing with yourself this past year?"
"Oh...this and that. Rescued a few maidens in distress, killed some bad guys." He shrugged and grinned. "This and that. Good guy stuff, you know."
Mary-Lynnette had brightened a little. "So...um...any...."
"No." He caught her hand and brought her chin up to meet his eyes. "No one else. Just you." He moved to kiss her - when they were interrupted by the high pitched ringing tune of a cell-phone.
Mary-Lynnette smiled ruefully. "Damn cell-phones. I didn't even want one, but Dad insisted I had one for emergencies..." She pulled out a small blue phone with a cover pattern of moons and stars. "It's home," she said. "I have to go. See you later?"
Ash nodded and watched her go. He sighed and stood up, turning back into the house. He hadn't even been able to kiss her once! Had *she* met someone else and just wasn't telling him? He had to do better than this,
* * *
Ash tried to keep his smile straight as Mary-Lynnette came into the lounge, followed by a girl he wasn't sure why she looked familiar. The girl was trying to not say something as she stared at him. She looked absolutely terrified. Rowan and Jade were peering in, trying to see what was going on.
"Who's your friend?" he said finally.
"I - I have to go," the black haired girl got out. She turned and ran out the front door, not looking back.
"Who's that?" Jade asked.
Mary-Lynnette glanced after the girl. "Her name is Midian Galena," she said. "She's just moved here." She looked at Ash curiously.
"What'd you do to her?" Kestrel asked with a smirk.
Ash glared. "I didn't do *anything*. And I *don't* know what her problem is."
He looked at Mary-Lynnette earnestly to protest his innocence. She frowned at him. He held a hand out to her. ^Come on,^ he thought. ^I haven't done anything this time.^
She took his hand. A shock of electricity ran up his arm, making him shudder. Not as painful as when they had first met, but...he couldn't find a word for it at the moment. He would at some point.
"Oh no you don't."
"But I want to *see*..."
"No buts. Give them some privacy."
"It looks like you'll get your Carter/Redfern crossbreed after all."
Ash tried to ignore his sisters. He didn't exactly know what Kestrel's remark was meant to be about.
"Mark and Jade are getting too serious for Rowan's liking," Mary-Lynnette explained.
"Still together?" His youngest sister was doing better in a relationship than he ever had. He had been completely faithful this past year. No more flings. Sure, he'd been tempted, but he wanted to prove himself. He'd helped save that lost witch Gillian, and put a number of nasty vampires out of commission with Rashel and Quinn. No dragons yet, but he was working on it.
"So," she said, when they were seated on the porch,
He smiled lopsidedly. "So." He felt like a kid who had just discovered what girls were for. He picked at a week growing between the rotten wooden planks of the ancient farm house. "I really didn't do anything to that girl. I'm sure of it."
Mary-Lynnette looked at him, head tilted to one side. "Then how come she freaked at the site of you?"
Ash frowned. He'd noticed the more timid Night People doing that a lot. He'd always found it fun before, that people knew his name and feared it. Now it made him feel bad, and a little defensive. He threw the weed down. "I don't know," he said, starting to get annoyed.
"So...um...what have you been doing with yourself this past year?"
"Oh...this and that. Rescued a few maidens in distress, killed some bad guys." He shrugged and grinned. "This and that. Good guy stuff, you know."
Mary-Lynnette had brightened a little. "So...um...any...."
"No." He caught her hand and brought her chin up to meet his eyes. "No one else. Just you." He moved to kiss her - when they were interrupted by the high pitched ringing tune of a cell-phone.
Mary-Lynnette smiled ruefully. "Damn cell-phones. I didn't even want one, but Dad insisted I had one for emergencies..." She pulled out a small blue phone with a cover pattern of moons and stars. "It's home," she said. "I have to go. See you later?"
Ash nodded and watched her go. He sighed and stood up, turning back into the house. He hadn't even been able to kiss her once! Had *she* met someone else and just wasn't telling him? He had to do better than this,
* * *