Page 6 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

I narrowed my eyes at her. “How is it that you remember you are a scientist when you don’t remember anything else about yourself?” Even with my arms hooked under her back and legs, I motioned air quotes with my fingers. “Allie.”

Laughing again, she pinched my cheek. “Are you always this surly?”

Flinching in horrified protest, I recoiled away. “Stop that!”

Allie was much too delirious. She looked around, seemingly only then noticing where we were. “Oh, we’re flying! Look, I’m a bird! I can see above the trees!” She threw her head back. “How am I so high up? Where are my feet?”

Fuming in my chest, I gritted my teeth.

My god, she was so annoying.

I was severely tempted to shove her away and toss her against the rocky mountain peaks beneath us to her certain death.

I imagined the feeling of satisfaction at watching her fall, the symphony of her cracking bones, the vivid red gushing of blood from her eyes, her mouth… Not that I enjoyed death. I was rarely capable of enjoying things to begin with. But it would likely be a relief to be discharged of this responsibility.

If only her entire existence wasn’t potentially the answer to my biggest problem.

Out of the corner of my eye, the dark shadow behind us was beginning to engulf Tulgey Woods. Howling animals and stampeding creatures tried to outrun the monstrous wave of sludge that was undulating from beneath the ground as the Jabberwocky’s massive head prepared to emerge to gobble everything up.

In Allie’s hypersensitive state, it was difficult to know what would set her off, especially if faced with such a horrifying view, so I clasped her head against my chest so she wouldn’t see.

Keeping my grip around her, I waved my fingers to cast a spell, blanketing the entire forest with fog before coasting faster on the wind. In the distance, where the forest greens gradually faded into the stark brown of my desert, I could finally sight the top of my clock tower.

Allie’s voice was muffled in my chest. “Wow, you’re like really protective considering we’ve only just met. Are you in love with me or something?”

Glancing down to meet her gaze in ridicule, I groaned inwardly. “Please tell me you took a piece from the other side of the mushroom too.”

“Of course I did.”

“Eat it then,” I ordered.

She mocked-mouthed the same words back before popping the morsel in her mouth.

Before long, I was touching down on the balcony outside the top of my clock tower.

I set her on her feet and pulled my arms away, but she was still clinging around my neck. I pursed my lips. “You can let go now.”

Allie’s face was tilted up toward mine. She was no longer laughing but her cheeks were still flushed. Her body was pressed against mine, and despite the cold wind, her warmth wrapped around me.

I had to blink a few times to keep my wits. My head was getting a tad bit fuzzy as well. Meeting her gaze steadily, I glared down at her. “What?”

She swooned up at me. “My hero.”

Ugh. That was the last thing I was.

Allie regarded me with an appraising look. “I just realized I never caught your name. Do you have one?”

My response was more of a grunt than a word. “Rabb.”

Her honey-colored eyes glazed over as she searched my face, her voice hushed as she proposed, “You know…it’s okay if you want to kiss me, Rabb. I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ve been kissed before, so you can if you want.”

I couldn’t help another roll of my eyes.

With her wavy hair fluttering in the breeze, marble-smooth skin, elegant nose, and full lips, I would imagine normal men would have considered her pretty, even beautiful. Her clothing lacked style, which didn’t flatter her figure at all, but her soft, inviting curves indeed rivaled those of my regular companions.

But I had no time for tenderness like kissing or, indeed, love. I did require companionship now and again but I’d never felt anything for those women.

A heartless assassin for the Queen would only be so effective if he had been indeed rendered incapable of feelings.