Making conversation

Their faces were now just a hairbreadth apart. Emma could see every one of his perfect black eyelashes.

She studied the man's handsome features more closely, and the more she looked the more handsome he seemed to become. She felt that inexorable pull towards him again. Maybe she was more shallow than she thought, being swayed by a good looking face, but she instinctively felt that this man would never harm her.

How she knew, Emma could not say, but it was ingrained deep in her heart.

Seeing her lying like a docile lamb in his arms, a warm adoring smile spread across the stranger's lips.

This roused Emma from her dazed state and she recollected herself. She sat up and moved a good meter away from the stranger. No matter what inexplicable warm feelings she had towards this man, she must be smart about this and not blindly trust based on feelings.

She had done that before to disastrous consequences.

Also he could turn into a flesh-ripping, bone-crushing beast, so best be on her guard.

Having put some distance between herself and the stranger, Emma took in the space around them.

They seemed to be in a spacious apartment, located high up judging by the view visible through the large floor to ceiling windows. However, it appeared to be in inhabited at the moment, not even containing any furniture.

Emma wondered how they had come to be here, but put the matter aside for now.

While she was looking around she could feel the stranger looking at her intently. She tried to act nonchalant, but still felt jittery under this intense scrutiny.

Finally, Emma turned to meet the stranger's gaze. He sat against one of the pristine white walls of the flat, looking at her with longing, like the small distance she had put between them was as wide as an ocean.

As a person who generally didn't like close contact with people she didn't know or trust, Emma was surprised to find herself subconsciously drawing closer to the man again, as if her body was acting on its own, craving to be close to this mysterious man.

She mentally slapped herself. 'Get a grip! Just because he saved you last night, and happens to be handsome and mysterious, you can't just cuddle up to him,' she told herself sternly.

The silence between them stretched on for a few seconds. She cleared her throat in embarrassment, but seemed unable to form any meaningful sentence. Meanwhile he simply continued gazing at her, with an obvious adoration etched on his face that made her a bit uncomfortable.

She started to wonder at the man's continued silence. Was he perhaps a bit simple-minded? He had after all transformed from a black beast into a man, maybe he was more animal than human?

Feeling like they must start somewhere, Emma made an attempt at conversation.

"You saved me last night. Thank you," she simply stated.

The stranger smiled widely at her, indicating that he had heard her, but made no reply. Changing tact, Emma sat down cross-legged on the floor right in front of him, and made another attempt.

"Who are you?" she asked gently, looking seriously into those green eyes.

A look of sadness flashed across the man's face at her words, but was quickly wiped away, and Emma thought she might have imagined it. He considered her question for a while, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Ying," he replied simply, and reached forward gently to brush away a strand of hair from Emma's face. She was a bit taken aback at his sudden gesture, but didn't flinch away.

"Ying?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Ying as in 'shadow'?"

Another nod.

"I'm sorry if this is rude to ask, but... what... what are you?" she whispered.

He grinned.

"I'm not offended at the question, but it's not easy to answer in a way you understand." He thought for a moment. Emma was taken aback at the sudden transition from one word replies to a whole sentence. Then he continued: "You could say that I'm your guardian spirit."

This reply gave Emma more questions than it had answered. 'Guardian spirit'? What the hell did that mean?

"I don't understand. What do you mean by 'guardian spirit'?" she asked in confusion.

"I'm here to protect you."

Emma was quiet for a few minutes, mulling over his reply.

A sharp jab of pain stabbed at her head. She sighed, and brought a hand up to rub her temples. A look of concern creased the man's perfect brow.

"You are hurting," he said.

In a careful and deliberate movement, as if not to spook her, the man brought a hand up to rest on her head. Emma felt a comfortable warmth spread across her scalp, washing the pains and aches away. Emma was surprised as her headache dissipated. Had he just somehow magically removed the pain? She shook her head experimentally, but the pain was completely gone.

Her confusion increased. What the hell was going on here? This whole situation was just too absurd.