as the bleach towel in my hand goes flying.
“Maggie still wants the surface on this table for tomorrow, so I figured I better stop you now before it’s gone.” His tone is flat, bored even.
Collecting the towel, I hang it over the side of the sink. Maggie gives me a wave and a smile. She knew he was coming to get me, so it’s time to go. When I turn, Ares is waiting with his eyebrow cocked up like he thinks I might make an excuse to stay longer. Untying my apron, I pocket the cash then roll up the fabric with the coins still inside, I’ll sort through those another time.
“See you tomorrow,” Maggie calls as Ares leads me out the door. I’m being a brat, but I feel stupid.
“See you,” I mumble back.
He walks me to the passenger side but doesn’t open the door. “Laura.” My back stiffens. The flat tone is gone, replaced with what sounds like a trace of sadness.
“Yeah.” I don’t turn to look at him, but he has my full attention.
“I wish I could be with you all day. There are times when I want to drop what I’m doing and go to you just so I can see you, to feel you close to me.” I look down at the ground, my lips in a tight line. Ares steps up closer and his front molds to my back. “It makes me happy you feel that way, too,” he whispers, his chin resting on my head.
“I thought you were making fun of me,” I confess, feeling even more like a brat for avoiding him.
Ares sighs. “I wish you knew that I would never make fun of you, especially for something like that. Now, if you manage to trip up the stairs again…” He lets the words hang, lightening the conversation.
Jutting my elbow back I connect with his side, he grunts but I know I didn’t hurt him. He’s teasing me. Wrapping his arms around my upper chest he rocks us back and forth. “As much as I’d like to keep you to myself for a little while, Dante told me you asked to see him shift?” I nod, Ares’s chin, still on the top of my head, follows along with the movement. “All right. I told him we’d meet him out near the house.” A bubble of excitement flares to life in my stomach. I’ve been curious about what Dante shifts into from the moment I actually believed any of this was possible.
The car ride home seems to take longer than usual, I know it’s from anticipation. “What does he shift into? What’s it like? Does it hurt?” The questions burst from me as we get closer.
Ares turns his head, gazing at me. “You don’t know? Why didn’t you ask him?” His tone is full of curiosity.
“Well, he seemed so secretive about it, it felt like I shouldn’t pry.”
Ares chuckles. “This might be fun,” he mutters under his breath before adding, “I’m not going to ruin the surprise.”
Huffing, I cross my arms over my chest. “How come your gifts are so different? It seems like since you guys are real brothers your abilities would be the same.”
Ares nods his head a little. “We aren’t as different as you might think. I have an ability to shift, but I don’t become something else. I’m able to shift with the shadows. I can even shadow walk, but it uses a lot of energy, and I have to know the place I’m going very well. If I can’t create an image up here,” Ares takes his hand from the wheel and points to the side of his head, “I can’t get there. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
Curious about his last statement I ask him, “What happened when you tried?”
“It just didn’t work, no matter how hard I tried.” He doesn’t seem bothered by the limitation, if you could call it that. “We’re here.” Ares stops the car, but leaves it running. When I reach for the door handle, he stills me by taking hold of my arm.
“Shifting to an animal form isn’t very common, even in our world.” I let my back rest against the seat, it seems like he has more to say. Ares runs his hand through the front of his hair. “Some people have a hard time reconciling the fact that Dante is the animal, and the animal is Dante.” Scrunching up my nose I remember Dante saying something similar. “He wouldn’t hurt you anymore