kisses me, but under Caleb’s watch, it feels wrong somehow. I break from the kiss and gesture toward his brother.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Caleb says, although he is hiding his own suffering. I don’t know if it’s my kiss with Alec or the possibility of losing his brother, but something has rested on him and it is tearing him down. “I will watch your girlfriend, but she better not be difficult.”
“I have no doubt she will be,” Alec laughs. “And I have no doubt you will be happy to do it.”
“Alec, if this is to be-” Caleb starts, but his voice is choked off by sadness.
“She makes her own choices,” he replies. “I have come to terms with it. The forces at work... Well, we will see how it plays out this time around. I’m too tired to do it again.”
I don’t know what they’re talking about, but a look passes between them that tells me they’re still leaving much out. Frustrated and ignorant as always, I say nothing. There is nothing to say when no one wants to share your own destiny with you. Talk of curses, puzzles, cycles, and fate is empty; this is my life and yet my choices are being made by people who have all the secrets and hold all the cards. Torn between anger and the inherent desire I feel with both men, I give up. Alec is right; we will have to see how it plays out.
“I should leave immediately, before it starts to grow light,” Alec suggests.
“The revenant camps...” Caleb says, but doesn’t continue.
“There are camps ?” I ask. “How many are there?”
“We don’t know, but they’ve been growing in size for a while now,” Caleb says. “Although our coming here seems to have slowed them.”
“It was the party,” Alec adds. “I haven’t heard of any new ones since the party.”
“That bothers me, brother. Their kind is not discriminating.”
Alec nods. “I know. If I find anything... Well, either way, I will be back before the moon changes or as soon as I have found Henry.”
Already I ache for him. This could take weeks, and when he returns... No. It won’t happen; by the time Alec comes back, I will know how to save him, I promise myself. Still, just as we started to become close, I am losing him. It feels almost planned, as if this is another test, another part of the story that is being written around the edges of my life.
“While you’re gone, Nora and I will begin tracking Lilith,” Caleb offers. “Although you do realize that her involvement, your relationship as it were, lessens our chances of success. Especially now that you have chosen...” He looks at me, as does Alec, and I burn under their observation. As soon as Alec leaves, I’m demanding answers. Caleb will tell me what I need to know.
“Perhaps,” Alec responds, “but I love her. What power does a curse have if it does not make one hope the impossible is somehow possible?”
“And yet, knowing what you know, knowing of the last time, you are leaving her-”
“She needs to make the choice,” he says. Alec’s eyes are blazing with anger and I want to ask what he means, but there is little darkness left in the night and he must leave. He walks me out of the cabin to say goodbye and kisses me deeply. No longer under the watchful eye of his brother, the passion returns to his lips and he starts for my sweatshirt. I want to give myself to him, to feel his body against mine, to feel him inside of me, but I know that it will only delay his leaving. It may also prevent him from finding Henry in time, so as much as my body aches for him, I pull away from the kiss and run my hand along his face. It terrifies me that this may be the last time I touch him like this, but in the name of the future, I stay steady.
“Why are you leaving? Why can’t Caleb go?”
He looks up to the sky and then his eyes come back to my face, the simmering intensity fighting to stay contained. “There is a story. The last time… I fell in love and it became personal. There isn’t time to tell
“Don’t stop on my account,” Caleb says, although he is hiding his own suffering. I don’t know if it’s my kiss with Alec or the possibility of losing his brother, but something has rested on him and it is tearing him down. “I will watch your girlfriend, but she better not be difficult.”
“I have no doubt she will be,” Alec laughs. “And I have no doubt you will be happy to do it.”
“Alec, if this is to be-” Caleb starts, but his voice is choked off by sadness.
“She makes her own choices,” he replies. “I have come to terms with it. The forces at work... Well, we will see how it plays out this time around. I’m too tired to do it again.”
I don’t know what they’re talking about, but a look passes between them that tells me they’re still leaving much out. Frustrated and ignorant as always, I say nothing. There is nothing to say when no one wants to share your own destiny with you. Talk of curses, puzzles, cycles, and fate is empty; this is my life and yet my choices are being made by people who have all the secrets and hold all the cards. Torn between anger and the inherent desire I feel with both men, I give up. Alec is right; we will have to see how it plays out.
“I should leave immediately, before it starts to grow light,” Alec suggests.
“The revenant camps...” Caleb says, but doesn’t continue.
“There are camps ?” I ask. “How many are there?”
“We don’t know, but they’ve been growing in size for a while now,” Caleb says. “Although our coming here seems to have slowed them.”
“It was the party,” Alec adds. “I haven’t heard of any new ones since the party.”
“That bothers me, brother. Their kind is not discriminating.”
Alec nods. “I know. If I find anything... Well, either way, I will be back before the moon changes or as soon as I have found Henry.”
Already I ache for him. This could take weeks, and when he returns... No. It won’t happen; by the time Alec comes back, I will know how to save him, I promise myself. Still, just as we started to become close, I am losing him. It feels almost planned, as if this is another test, another part of the story that is being written around the edges of my life.
“While you’re gone, Nora and I will begin tracking Lilith,” Caleb offers. “Although you do realize that her involvement, your relationship as it were, lessens our chances of success. Especially now that you have chosen...” He looks at me, as does Alec, and I burn under their observation. As soon as Alec leaves, I’m demanding answers. Caleb will tell me what I need to know.
“Perhaps,” Alec responds, “but I love her. What power does a curse have if it does not make one hope the impossible is somehow possible?”
“And yet, knowing what you know, knowing of the last time, you are leaving her-”
“She needs to make the choice,” he says. Alec’s eyes are blazing with anger and I want to ask what he means, but there is little darkness left in the night and he must leave. He walks me out of the cabin to say goodbye and kisses me deeply. No longer under the watchful eye of his brother, the passion returns to his lips and he starts for my sweatshirt. I want to give myself to him, to feel his body against mine, to feel him inside of me, but I know that it will only delay his leaving. It may also prevent him from finding Henry in time, so as much as my body aches for him, I pull away from the kiss and run my hand along his face. It terrifies me that this may be the last time I touch him like this, but in the name of the future, I stay steady.
“Why are you leaving? Why can’t Caleb go?”
He looks up to the sky and then his eyes come back to my face, the simmering intensity fighting to stay contained. “There is a story. The last time… I fell in love and it became personal. There isn’t time to tell
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