Dark One- The Khiara Banning Series Book 1

Five

(Song, Patience, by Low Roar)

We sit in silence for a while as the cab drives around town, trying to find Valour Street, building number 667. I giggle to myself, knowing what Cara would say if she were here with us, "667, the neighbour of the beast!"

"What's with the giggle?" asks Cael, who seems to be feeling a little better- I still feel dizzy, but I push it aside.

I reply honestly, "Cara. She'd say something silly about the apartment you live in; you know 667, the neighbour of the beast."

He thinks about this for a second, "I guess it's fitting," he says almost inaudibly.

I shake this off, as I've been able to do with his strangeness before, and the cab pulls to a stop in front of his house. It's a large duplex, the first reading 665 and the one above, his, 667. I undo my seatbelt and get out of the car to go around to his side. Cael beats me to it, as he opens the door and walks out.

"You don't have to," he yawns loudly, "come in. It's kind of a mess, and I'm sure you want to get home, too."

I shake my head, "No. I want to make sure you get to bed; I don't trust you. I'm sure you'll go right to whatever instrument you play and play it all night or something equally as distracting."

"How'd you know I play an instrument?" he asks as we walk up the steps to his door.

"Just a guess that I hoped I'd get right."

He smiles and waggles his eyebrows, half-heartedly, "Aye, you're right."

When he opens the door he looks over at me and gestures towards it dramatically. I don't understand what he's getting at. Is he asking me to come in?

"Well, since you're here, you might as well come in..." he says awkwardly, covering up for the strange flailing arm display he just put on.

I walk in and to my surprise; it's not a bit messy. "You said it was messy," I say, laughing as I take in the crisp black furniture, the wood floor and the plasma screen TV.

He shakes his head, "It's a mess. I've never had it this messy before! Don't you see the clothes on the floor?" All I see is a pair of socks and a shirt.

"Oh, so you're like that." I tease.

He shoots me the look of death, which just makes me laugh even more. What is it with this guy that brings out such impulsiveness in me? I'm laughing like I've never laughed before in my life, or like I'll never laugh again, and I just met him.

He leads me to his couch so I can sit down and "Make yourself at home." He knows I won't get up from where I'm sitting. It's funny how we're acting as if we've known each other forever now, while at the same time, we can't forget that we've just met.

Cael disappears in what I assume to be his bathroom and comes out a minute later wearing red tartan PJ bottoms and a large white shirt.

"I'm dressed for bed." He says to me as if I'll kill him if he's not, and I just might've if he weren't ready for bed. He needs sleep if he's sick and so do I.

"I'll be going to bed now Miss Khiara Banning. Would you like to accompany me to my room to make sure I don't somehow get distracted while lying in bed with my eyes closed, presumably snoring as soon as my head hits the pillow?" He announces.

I hop up and slap him on the arm, "Jackass."

As I follow him into his room, I notice that there's poster of Beethoven on his door. I smile to myself thinking about my like of all things musical. I love Beethoven.