Present Day, London

A chill raced down my spine as soon as I met Thom’s eyes and I knew immediately that despite his seemingly human appearance, he was not human. Was Britain saturated with Unseen? Or was I developing a knack for attracting them? Although I knew he was from the world of myth, I had no idea what he actually was, so I decided to play dumb. Tall and thin, Thom was dark in every sense of the word, skin, hair, clothing and an air of brooding that seemed darker than everything else combined. Other than a white streak in his hair that began at his left temple, his eyes were the only thing about him that was light, the irises a shade of hazel that shifted from green to gold in the light.

“Who’s this?” Thom demanded, bristling when he reached the table and saw me.

“Maybe your new roommate,” Mason said brightly, either unaware of Thom’s attitude or so accustomed to it that he had learned to ignore it. “Thom, meet Sang Kyu. Sang Kyu, Thom.”

Grimacing a little at how tone deaf Mason was to introduce a stranger as a possible roommate, I held out a hand toward Thom and summoned the charming smile Yun Seo had trained me to make when I was trying to win someone over. “Nice to meet you,” I said, bowing my head politely.

Thom glanced down at my hand and hesitated before reaching out to give it a firm but brief shake. His palm was cool and dry but his fingers were shockingly strong, his nails scraping slightly at my skin as we parted. Nudging Mason on the shoulder and taking a seat on the bench across from me, he looked as if he were positioning himself for a quick exit, his perch both uncomfortable and a little precarious. “Let me guess,” he said dryly. “You two just met, but Mason thinks you’ll be the perfect replacement for him.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I shifted my attention to Mason.

“Thom,” Mason said with a nervous laugh. “You don’t think I would try to match you up with just anyone, do you? Sang Kyu here is a good guy.”

“We did just meet,” I admitted, folding my hands on top of the table. “Why don’t we get to know each other a little bit before we talk about any possible living arrangements?”

Thom remained silent, and Mason, as I was learning, was unable to do the same. He filled the quiet with stories, relaying what he’d learned about me in our short time together with shocking accuracy. People who truly listened were hard to find, and I hadn’t expected someone as bubbly as Mason to be one of them. Thom, on the other hand, immediately struck me as someone who missed nothing. He watched me closely as Mason rambled, and I met his eyes without flinching.

“What about you?” I asked Thom when Mason stopped speaking long enough to take a long draft from his beer. “Mason mentioned you’re an artist.”

“Thom is working on a huge mural in Shoreditch right now,” Mason jumped in before Thom could reply. “It’s gonna be amazing, like you’re seeing right through the building. This absolutely fucking huge illusion the size of an apartment complex.” Shaking his head with a grin, Mason finished off his beer. “Anyone want a refill?”

I nodded at Mason, thinking that I could use any assistance I could get to make it through the rest of the conversation. 

“Not for me,” Thom said. He had ordered some kind of exotic spirit on the rocks and he’d been nursing it slowly as if savoring every sip. I couldn’t read Thom’s expression. He didn’t say much, but his eyes were always watching, sharp and focused as if nothing passed his notice. 

When Mason got up to fetch our drinks, Thom slid to the other side of the bench, staring at me all the way. I finished my pint off and decided to make an honest attempt to connect with him, but he spoke before I could think of anything to say.

“You know what I am, don’t you?”

I shook my head slowly. “I don’t. Not exactly. But I know you’re not human.”

A faint smile curved his lips, and the subtle nature of it reminded me of Yun Seo. Never one to waste emotion, Yun Seo was often sparing with his expressions, sharing only hints of what he was feeling without giving too much away. “But you are, aren’t you? Human, I mean.” 

I nodded, afraid to say more for fear that he would jump to the wrong conclusions.

His smile softened. “Not many humans who can recognize the difference. Mason certainly can’t.” Gaze flicking toward the bar, he rolled his eyes when Mason waved enthusiastically back at him. “He’s dumb, but in a kind way. You? I can’t figure out what you’re after.” He took a sip of his drink.

“I don’t really know,” I said honestly. “You could say that figuring out what I want is actually the thing I’m after.”

Eyes narrowing, Thom studied me silently. “You’ve lost yourself, then. I know something about that.”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever found myself in the first place.” I took a shaky breath. “I’m good at supporting other people. At being what they need.”

“I don’t need anyone.”

“That’s not what I…” I began, unsure how to finish the sentence, but Mason returned with our drinks and saved me from finishing.

“Can you believe that line?” Mason asked as he slid a pint toward me. “This place is crazy busy for this time of day.”

Taking a few swallows to soothe my dry throat, I avoided Thom’s gaze and tried to think of a way to extricate myself from this situation. I wasn't interested in getting more involved in Unseen affairs than I was already, and Thom clearly saw me as a threat, someone from the outside who knew about the world of myth without being a part of it. When I returned my attention to the conversation, I realized Mason was sharing a joke he’d heard from the bartender, but he was the only one laughing. Thom was still staring unwaveringly at me like a predator who had identified its next prey. 

“I should get going,” I said, fishing some bills from my wallet and tossing them on the table. “It was nice meeting you both, but I think we all know this was a bad idea.”

“Wait.” Thom’s hand darted out to cover my own, his head cocked curiously at me. “I actually think you might be perfect.”

“Yeah,” Mason agreed, but I couldn’t look away from Thom’s eyes and barely noticed what he was saying, my attention entirely focused on a gaze that almost glowed in the dim light of the pub. “We’ve got a couch you could crash on until I leave town. Just test things out for a few days if you’re afraid of commitment, but I think it’s all going to work out great. I’ve got a good feeling about you.”

I was hypnotized as I leaned back in my seat and took another drink. I didn’t know what Thom was, but he was compelling in a way I didn’t know how to defend against. And on some level I was curious. I wanted to know what he was even if it turned out to be dangerous. I had clearly been living my life too safely of late because the faintest hint of danger was making me feel more alive than I’d felt in months. 

Remembering that this kind of feeling was what had first drawn me to Yun Seo, I tried to tell myself to refuse, but then I heard myself say, “Fine. I’ll give it a try.”