around me and I sobbed again. I sobbed for the loss and the heartache and the senselessness of it all.
Through my tears, I heard his voice, but he wasn’t talking to me. “Thank you, Keith.”
We both cried together in the darkness. The earth was falling apart around us, but we were together.
We finally stopped, clinging together in silence and stillness.
Finally, he loosened his grip. “I’m sorry, but my back is ready to split in two. I’m twisted really weird to hold you like this,” he growled in my ear.
“ Right.” I leaned back and bit my lip to keep from smiling.
“ Oh, Jesus Christ, that bloody hurts!” He slowly unwound himself. “Sorry, love. I shouldn’t be complaining.”
I stifled a giggle, a small piece of joy that I genuinely felt. “Unwind your spine, dear. And take us...home?”
“ Right-o.” He saluted me.
I had a lot of healing to do, but I was still me, and we were still us.
CHAPTER 16
AURORA
Gavyn pulled into the driveway of small, boxy house. Its pale siding and worn roof were almost identical to every other house on the street. It could’ve been a barn for all I cared. I was free. “What is this place?”
“ Safe house.” He shut off the headlights, turned off the ignition, and removed the key. “You must be exhausted.”
“ I am.” I was tired in every way: worried mind, troubled soul, exhausted, and hungry.
The house was empty. Our footsteps clomped on the tile entry. “Do you want food or sleep first?” he asked.
My shaky hands and hollow stomach screamed for food. “Food. Definitely food.”
“ Coming right up.” He rested his hand on the small of my back and gently guided me into the small kitchen. It had similar cheap linoleum as my desert prison.
I shuddered. Gavyn noticed and squeezed my waist. “Flashback?” he asked quietly.
I didn’t say anything, just pulled away and sat at the table. He swallowed with effort, no doubt pushing back his questions . He found a clean plate in the dishwasher and loaded it with food from take-out boxes in the fridge. He covered it all with a paper towel and shoved it in the microwave.
I didn’t know where to look, so I stared at the plate circling in the white microwave. It looked like enchiladas and brown rice with pinto beans. It sizzled, and the scent of cumin filled the air.
He put it in front of me, and I waited while he dug through the drawers to find a fork.
It was the best food I’d ever had. I could almost feel the energy running through my body as I ate. Gavyn sat next to me, watching me with worried eyes. He looked desperate, almost like he needed something to do.
“Can I have some water?”
He jumped up and returned with a bottle from the refrigerator. I drank the whole thing, then put it down. He got me more while I finished my food.
When I was done, I scooted back from the table. My belly was full, body sated.
I stared at Gavyn, so thrilled to be back with him. He was truly a magnificent creature. The gods must have taken extra time to sculpt his face and give him such a beautiful, pure soul.
Then I remembered. I remembered that I’m a demon.
I thought of Keith, giving his life so freely for mine. There wasn’t a shred of anything bad in his soul.
My head hung low. I couldn’t feel anything else today. I was done.
GAVYN
Aurora looked so thin and frail as she sat at the table. She wasn’t weak, though. No one would ever mistake her for that. Her face was strained and her chin dropped to her chest. I couldn’t imagine the horrors parading through her mind.
“You need to rest.” I approached her quietly and gently rested my hand on her shoulder.
“ I have to talk to Dennis. I found out some…things. Very bad things. Things about who we are and what the Shyama are.” Her lips were trembling.
It would have been a mistake to argue with her at that moment, so I didn’t. “Yes, we do. But they’re not here right now. They’ll be here soon.”
“ We could call them.” She
Through my tears, I heard his voice, but he wasn’t talking to me. “Thank you, Keith.”
We both cried together in the darkness. The earth was falling apart around us, but we were together.
We finally stopped, clinging together in silence and stillness.
Finally, he loosened his grip. “I’m sorry, but my back is ready to split in two. I’m twisted really weird to hold you like this,” he growled in my ear.
“ Right.” I leaned back and bit my lip to keep from smiling.
“ Oh, Jesus Christ, that bloody hurts!” He slowly unwound himself. “Sorry, love. I shouldn’t be complaining.”
I stifled a giggle, a small piece of joy that I genuinely felt. “Unwind your spine, dear. And take us...home?”
“ Right-o.” He saluted me.
I had a lot of healing to do, but I was still me, and we were still us.
CHAPTER 16
AURORA
Gavyn pulled into the driveway of small, boxy house. Its pale siding and worn roof were almost identical to every other house on the street. It could’ve been a barn for all I cared. I was free. “What is this place?”
“ Safe house.” He shut off the headlights, turned off the ignition, and removed the key. “You must be exhausted.”
“ I am.” I was tired in every way: worried mind, troubled soul, exhausted, and hungry.
The house was empty. Our footsteps clomped on the tile entry. “Do you want food or sleep first?” he asked.
My shaky hands and hollow stomach screamed for food. “Food. Definitely food.”
“ Coming right up.” He rested his hand on the small of my back and gently guided me into the small kitchen. It had similar cheap linoleum as my desert prison.
I shuddered. Gavyn noticed and squeezed my waist. “Flashback?” he asked quietly.
I didn’t say anything, just pulled away and sat at the table. He swallowed with effort, no doubt pushing back his questions . He found a clean plate in the dishwasher and loaded it with food from take-out boxes in the fridge. He covered it all with a paper towel and shoved it in the microwave.
I didn’t know where to look, so I stared at the plate circling in the white microwave. It looked like enchiladas and brown rice with pinto beans. It sizzled, and the scent of cumin filled the air.
He put it in front of me, and I waited while he dug through the drawers to find a fork.
It was the best food I’d ever had. I could almost feel the energy running through my body as I ate. Gavyn sat next to me, watching me with worried eyes. He looked desperate, almost like he needed something to do.
“Can I have some water?”
He jumped up and returned with a bottle from the refrigerator. I drank the whole thing, then put it down. He got me more while I finished my food.
When I was done, I scooted back from the table. My belly was full, body sated.
I stared at Gavyn, so thrilled to be back with him. He was truly a magnificent creature. The gods must have taken extra time to sculpt his face and give him such a beautiful, pure soul.
Then I remembered. I remembered that I’m a demon.
I thought of Keith, giving his life so freely for mine. There wasn’t a shred of anything bad in his soul.
My head hung low. I couldn’t feel anything else today. I was done.
GAVYN
Aurora looked so thin and frail as she sat at the table. She wasn’t weak, though. No one would ever mistake her for that. Her face was strained and her chin dropped to her chest. I couldn’t imagine the horrors parading through her mind.
“You need to rest.” I approached her quietly and gently rested my hand on her shoulder.
“ I have to talk to Dennis. I found out some…things. Very bad things. Things about who we are and what the Shyama are.” Her lips were trembling.
It would have been a mistake to argue with her at that moment, so I didn’t. “Yes, we do. But they’re not here right now. They’ll be here soon.”
“ We could call them.” She
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