In a flash of movement, he slams his gloved hand against my mouth and shoves me back.
My spine hits the wall with a jerk and I yelp, but it’s muffled. The sound echoes in the air with the spookiness of a haunted lullaby.
The mask rests a few inches from my face like an episode from my deepest, darkest nightmares.
It’s accentuated by the proximity of his body against mine and the strong leather smell.
It’s all I can breathe.
And he’s all I can see. His eyes are indeed blue, but they’re black-rimmed.
Like a mythical creature.
I’ve seen these eyes somewhere. But where?
Is it wrong that I want to see what’s beneath the mask? To just pluck it off and find out if he’s the crying or the smiling half? Maybe both?
The longer I watch him, the more my breath hitches and his warmth seeps into my bones.
No. It can’t be.
It’s simply not who I’m thinking about.
Just to make sure, I lift a hand to his mask, fully expecting him to swat it away.
To my surprise, he doesn’t make a move. My fingers slide over the edge of the frozen smile. But I don’t see it as petrifying anymore—it’s just a cover for someone.
A monstrous edge.
A conundrum of feelings.
Is it you?I ask with my eyes, and his slightly narrow in return.
So I try to peel off the mask, but before I can do so, he shoves my hand away. It falls limp by my side, but I’m almost sure my hunch is correct.
I don’t know about anything else, but I would recognize these eyes anywhere, including in an alternative universe.
A bang comes from outside.
We both go still.
It comes again, and I realize it’s on the door of my room.
“Miss, are you awake?”
A guard.
The Russian-accented voice comes again, coupled with another bang. “There has been a breach in security. Are you okay?”
I meet the masked stranger’s eyes.
No, not a stranger.
He’s way more than a stranger.
I’m still shaking, but it’s for a completely different reason.
“Mmm,” I let out a small, muffled sound.