07. Bed

The stranger smells like cinnamon, elderberry and plant leaves, and probably some medicine. His breath is strange too, like he's chewing tobacco, smoking or something.

The girl is about to cringe, telling him to stay away from her, but the stranger's blue eyes change for a second... Showing the true color of fire that makes them so beautiful and intense.

Sam.

Shandra opens her mouth, completely shocked. He had changed completely! How had he done that?

Immediately she cracks a smile of recognition, hugging "Uncle" tightly.

"Hi, Uncle! I'm glad you got here so quickly. My parents are in the emergency room!"

She explains to him what happened, repeating the story of the call. It's amazing how well she can lie, even though she was following specific information.

"Let's go see your parents right away. Let me just talk to the receptionist."

Shandra had no idea how he managed to pull off that incredible physical transformation, much less how he got an ID card. After a few minutes of filling out a form, Sam finally came back to her.

"Let's go."

In a protective manner, the now middle-aged man holds the shoulders of his "niece" and they both walk through the halls.

They speak to the paramedic who attended them, who instructs them to speak to the nurse in charge. The nurse, in turn, passes along that the doctor responsible for them is in a specific room.

When they finally manage to find the door to that room, Sam says:

"I don't think they're going to let you in."

"What? Why not?"

"You're a minor."

"But you're my legal guardian. Of course they have to let me in."

Before they can continue their argument, the door opens. A bald doctor with glasses looks stressed as he looks at the two of them and silently makes a rude motion with his chin, asking them to come in.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Shandra turns the key in the lock, opening the door to the house. It is almost six in the morning.

Tired, the girl barely manages to lock the door once more. The steps she takes on the stairs, the same stairs where a disaster happened a few hours before, are slow and heavy.

Her parents were in serious condition.

The father had a severe concussion.

The mother had an old brain injury that had never been treated before, and by a horrible and tragic coincidence, the consequence of such negligence decided to arise exactly at that moment of despair.

The condition of both of them was practically irreversible.

Shandra didn't cry when the rude doctor said this in so many words. Sam played the perfect role of the helpless uncle, even rehearsing a kind of cry.

After they were dismissed and told about visiting hours, Shandra asked for some time alone. Sam did not seem offended by the request.

As if by magic, his physical form simply evaporated, leaving a smell of smoke and sulfur behind. The medallion was warm after that.

Opening the bedroom door, she almost sighs and rolls her eyes when she sees Sam sitting on the bed. But it was no surprise that he was there, to tell you the truth.

His thick voice echoes through the walls:,

"Before you say anything, you said you needed some time alone, but you didn't specify how much."

That argument was practically invincible, but Shandra didn't even bother to contemplate the challenge as she made a hand gesture, as if to say she didn't give a damn about him being there.

The demon had returned to his original form, or what she thought was his original form. Now, however, instead of wearing just pants and nothing else, he chose to wear a black social shirt and dark jeans.

It was strange to assimilate that that dark creature looked more attractive dressed than practically naked, and Shandra's thoughts quickly changed as soon as she noticed she was imagining inappropriate things.

Standing up, Sam smoothed the lapel of his shirt as he asked:

"You're going to sleep now, aren't you?"

Shandra replied with a positive nod of her head.

"Very well. Allow me to keep you company."

That caught the young woman's immediate attention.

"I don't understand."

"I will only lie beside you, nothing beyond that. There's nothing to worry about."

"I'd say I have a hundred things to worry about."

The tone of her voice carries not just sleep, but pain and sadness. Sam seems slightly stunned to detect those feelings in her.

"Just lie down and sleep. I'll do something that might help you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have many tricks up my sleeve. Do you really think I can't get you a good night's sleep?"

She shrugs her shoulders and starts to take off her shirt, but stops at the same moment, looking at Sam. He smiles.

"Go on. The view is very beautiful."

She makes a sound of displeasure before putting one of her hands on her waist and complaining:

"You're rather cheeky, aren't you?"

"Please don't waste your time with compliments. You need to rest."

"I'm not going to change in front of you."

"Need I remind you that I have seen you do far worse things than just wearing a bra and panties?"

The mention of the fact causes the girl to turn red as a tomato again. Shandra grunts, looking down at the floor:

"I don't mind. But please, if you're really going to lie next to me, let me at least change."

"Don't you usually lie down wearing only your underwear?"

"I'm not going to stay on your side wearing only underwear."

He raises one of his eyebrows, loving every second of that provocative interaction:

"Good. How about no clothes?"

The girl tosses her shirt at him. Sam catches the clothes with ease, sniffing them and emitting a startling sound with his throat, a deep growl that reverberates on Shandra's skin.

"Delicious," he murmurs.

When he notices that she is starting to get really angry, the smile fades. Then he closes his eyes.

"Go on, get dressed. I swear I won't peek."

That was the best she could get. The girl opens her wardrobe and pulls out the most modest and behaved pajamas she can find. After getting dressed, she says:

"There."

She thinks Sam will laugh at seeing her in that, but instead he seems to be enjoying every detail of the garments, a blue pant with a matching long-sleeved shirt.

He extends his hand to her in an inviting gesture.

Then, with gentle, hesitant steps, the girl moves toward the demon in her bed.

When she gets close to him, Sam stands up. Her heart races.

His face comes closer to hers.

And she is sure that he is going to kiss her.