Page 33 of His Little Devil
“He will be okay. He just misses me and has a temper,” I say, then reach for a slice of pizza and add it to her plate.
She ate a good portion of her salad, so now she can have some grease.
We eat quietly until there is a knock on the door. Grabbing a napkin, I wipe the grease off my fingers, then drop it onto my plate and stand.
Mylie stares at the door hard. Her eyes have glazed over and she's gripping her fork tight.
“You okay?”
I move forward to go see who it is when she grabs my arm, digging her blunt pink-painted nails into it.
“No,” she whispers, shaking her head. I look back and forth between her and the door, but for some reason, I listen to her warning.
It's like my brain is forcing me to agree with her, but that's crazy. The only time I have experienced this is when my dad used dark magic on me to obey.
When she lets me go, my mind clears and she gives me a smile.
Shaking my head, I finally head for the door and open it, but no one is there.
I can smell a burning ash scent in the air though. A package sits on the stoop, and I don't pick it up without mumbling a spell to check the contents.
It seems harmless, so I bend over, pick it up, and bring it inside.
Mylie is now sitting on the couch, watching a movie, but I think we need to have a small chat.
Dropping the package on the kitchen counter, I shut the door and flick the lock, then move into the living room.
Mylie won't look at me. She's nervous.
“Want to tell me what happened back there?” I ask her softly and she shakes her head, letting her hair fall into her face, hiding her from me.
“Hey, there is no reason to be scared,” I say softly, then crouch in front of her.
“I'm not supposed to talk about it,” she whispers and I nod, understanding.
“Okay, can I ask you a question?”
Slowly lifting her head, she nods. Her blue eyes are shimmering with tears, and all I want to do is wrap her up tight in my arms.
I don't know what it is about this little girl, but I feel connected to her.
“Mylie, do you have magic?”
Her eyes widen and she shakes her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Taking a deep breath, I stand and conjure a small fireball in my hand, leaving it there for her to examine.
“You're… you're like me,” she gasps and I smile. “My mommy told me that no one can ever know. She said that people will hurt me. Take me away.”
Extinguishing the flame, I move closer to her and make a promise. “I will never let anyone hurt you or take you, squirt.”
Mylie jumps from off of the couch and wraps her arms around me tight.
I may have only known her a short time, but I meant every word of my promise. I will keep this little girl safe…
I think it's time Myah and I had a chat though.
I spendthe rest of the night getting to know all about Mylie's favorite Disney princesses, and why her mom moved them here.