Chapter 4 - 04 - Forked Tongue

I was adamant about letting Curtis get too close to Nivi. No matter what tactic he tried, I always made sure I was between them. I didn't want to waste too much energy trying to fight him, and decided to recover a bit before attempting anything.My eyelids began to feel heavy, begging me for the final bow so they could finally rest. Yet, the foreign place kept me on edge, especially the occasional flick of Curtis' forked tongue ─ slender, nimble, and startlingly swift."What are you staring at?" Curtis's voice sliced through my trance."Your tongue," I blurted to stay awake and engaged, "It's... different from mine. Does it... I mean, does having a tongue like that change things for you?"Curtis flicked his tongue out once again, almost as if relishing in the curiosity sparking within me. "It can taste the air," he replied, "detect changes in temperature, and even sense vibrations."I gathered a cloth and blindfolded his eyes so I could test his claims, "Can you sense where my hand is by using just your tongue?"He paused. Then, his tongue flickered out. "There," he said, trying to grab my arm with his hands. However, he failed as I swiftly moved my hand away before his fingers could even brush my skin."Whoa, that's amazing," I remarked, genuinely impressed. He could pinpoint my hand's location accurately, "So if we were to play hide and seek, I would have no chance of hiding from you?"Curtis's face moved closer to mine, so close that our noses brushed against each other. The air shifted between us, turning dangerous, "Why would you want to hide from me?" he asked, the slightest touch of his long tongue barely grazing my lips.The unexpected contact sent a jolt through me, a blend of surprise and an undefinable thrill. Instinctively reacting in self-defense, my body moved on its own, and before I fully grasped the situation, I delivered an uppercut, striking his chin. The action was swift, a reflex born out of surprise more than intent.I cringed inwardly. Maybe there was a tiny smidgen of malicious intent there if I were being completely honest. If this was truly a novel's world, I could be dealing with a character who had a twisted, possessive streak. And that's exactly what my gut told me to do. Wreck his face. But was it really necessary to punch his handsome one, though? Maybe not, but it happened, nonetheless.Curtis recoiled slightly, the blindfold slipping to reveal a flash of surprise in his eyes, not just at the contact, but perhaps at my strength.His long thick tail completely enveloped me when I increased the distance between us. Its weight pressed down and restricted my movements.His tongue, soft and dangerous, tickled the sensitive skin on the nape of my neck. "Your injuries... my tongue can help with that. Just be a good female and let me take care of you," he murmured, his tongue darting out, this time brushing along the line of my jaw and cheek.I swallowed thickly, unsure whether the feeling was pleasant or just odd. Before I could dwell too much on the sensation, my lips we on his, hungry and demanding, almost possessive.Curtis responded immediately, his tongue sliding into my mouth, coaxing my tongue to play with his. A low growl of pleasure rumbled through him, reverberating deep inside my chest before I sank my teeth into his tongue, hard.The growl changed into a yelp of surprise. He reeled back, his tail unwrapping and releasing me. Rather than a mere release, it was more akin to him hurling me towards a nearby palm tree. The force of the throw sent me crashing against the trunk.I sprang back to my feet; my fists balled tightly at my sides. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, leaving me uncertain if it originated from him, from me, or perhaps a mixture of both.There was no attack, no hissing venom, no flash of anger. He simply stared at me, his mouth half-open, his tongue poking out and dripping with blood.'Why is his tongue still intact? I'm so sure I just bit it off and spit it back into his mouth.'"You bit me," he said slowly, swallowing a shiny green stone, disbelief etched across his features as he spit out a thick clog of blood."Yeah, I did," I said, my voice sounding oddly small in my own ears."You _bit_ me," he repeated."I was provoked.""So, you decided to bite me?!""I was trying to protect myself.""I was not going to harm you.""I didn't know that!" I said in defense. How was I supposed to know what you were trying to do when you had a huge, thick tail wrapped around me?"How do some snakes kill their prey? Bingo! They choke them to death!"I just wanted to make sure you won't try to hide from me!" Curtis yelled at me from a safe distance as if afraid I might magically chop off his tongue again, "I also said my saliva could heal the minor scratches on your body!""Well, I was trying to make sure you wouldn't try to eat me!" I retorted, unable to keep the snark from creeping into my tone. The last thing I wanted to do was to flirt with my best friend's book husband in her absence."If I wanted to eat you, you'd already be eaten, female!""So what? For all I know, you could be fattening me up to eat later!"Curtis paused, looking slightly stunned."Where the hell am I?" Amidst our standoff, Nivi suddenly grasped her head, her gaze lifting to meet both of us. We must have looked a sight, squared off against each other, blood marking both our mouths. She blinked rapidly, and her eyes widened. "Oh. My. God.""Don't panic," I said."You are bleeding, and your face is swollen. How can I not panic?!" she screeched."It was an accident," I mumbled, "sort of.""What kind of accident leads to your mouth bleeding?!""Curtis's tongue, and the fact that I mistook his intention," I tried to explain, the words tumbling out awkwardly."I think I'll sleep," Nivi said, her eyes darting between Curtis and me, and then promptly laid down on the soft fur, her eyes squeezed shut.╔═══ Author's note ════╗Curtis survived his first kiss! Yay! 🎉╚═════════════════╝