Hazel knew there was something keeping Duke on edge. He was tense as he showed her how the navigation system worked. She found it simple, soothing even.
"Gah." Duke jerked his hand away from the panel. "Musta been a sharp edge on the panel." Duke opened his hand to reveal glistening red blood.
"Duke!" Unthinking, Hazel went to grab his hand. Her fingers brushed the blood. They both saw what happened next. The blood was absorbed and Hazel's eyes went the classic silvery-blue. For Duke, it was the last thing he needed. But for Hazel, it was something else entirely.
Hazel thought that nothing would feel better. It set every nerve on fire, urging her to action. She felt powerful and deadly.
In the same instant, she was afraid. Afraid that it would take over and control her. Afraid the the family curse would take over. Afraid that she would be driven mad by the desire to have more and more blood.
It lasted for less than a minute, but it was all they needed. The confirmation happened the instant the blood was absorbed.
"Just for the record, Nut, we are not telling Nathan quite yet." Duke did't want this getting out.
"Nut?" Hazel looked at Duke, confused.
"Yeah. Nut as in hazelnut, and in 'you're nuts'."
Hazel shook her head. "What's next? Audrey as Blondie? Vince and Dave as Tweedledee and Tweedledum? Nathan as Stoic?"
"Hey, that last one might have merit."
"Puh-leez. He's more like a robot."
"You never know. Maybe, if we cut him open, he'll show wires instead of nerves." Duke grinned.
"Maybe in your dreams. You know, the ones with the mermaids." Suddenly, Duke sobered up. Hazel frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Duke looked out the window. "My childhood wasn't the best. And dear old Dad did nothing to help that. Sometimes, he would come home with cuts and bruises that I now know were probably from the fights he would get into killing people. And, of course, I had to take care of them because he was too unconscious to care, and Mom was never around." Duke sighed. "Sometimes I wish that I didn't even know what this town was. You know, why am I even telling you this?"
"Because you know that you can trust me, even though you just met me." Hazel said quietly.
Duke looked at her carefully. "Yeah, I guess I do, Nut."