too much,
but whatever it is, I don't move. I don't open my eyes. For one
moment, a simple moment, there is only me, the moon, and Conor. A
gargoyle and a hybrid Demon, a Guardian and a mark, a boy and a
girl.
My fist tightens in his shirt, my feelings so
strong they are almost painful. Over the past two months, I have
learned from the other hybrids that Demons tend to be possessive.
In this moment, I believe them.
Chapter 14
Conor
It is one hour until dawn. Emma is asleep on
the cottage's living room sofa, and I am sitting in the kitchen, my
chair positioned so I can see into the room. One hand is under her
cheek, the other across her stomach as she lies on her side. She is
too tall for the couch, her bare feet curled behind her tightly.
Even then, she isn't far from falling off onto the floor.
There's a narrow staircase on the right side
of the kitchen, a thin wall between it and the rest of the room,
and I hear plainly the sudden footsteps that sound on them. They
are heavy footsteps, resolute.
"Reinhardt," a voice acknowledges.
I don't turn around.
"Bruno," I say instead, my fingers tapping
the top of the white foldout table next to me.
I hear the refrigerator door open then close
before Bruno Riley sinks heavily into a chair not far from my own.
He is facing me, and he lifts the front legs of his chair off the
floor casually, his eyes on me. There he sits, staring. My gaze
stays on the living room.
"Am I supposed to find this intimidating?" I
ask after a moment.
Bruno laughs. "Do you?"
"No," I answer firmly.
"Then I guess not," the hybrid says. His tone
is even, indifferent. I peer at him briefly from the corner of my
eye. He is holding an unopened can of root beer, his eyes on
me.
"What are you doing, Reinhardt?" he asks.
I sigh. "I keep getting asked that question a
lot lately."
Bruno laughs, the sound harsh. "Could it be
because you once killed most of my kind and now suddenly you want
to help us. You're a gargoyle. You've killed hybrids, Reinhardt.
There's no doubt in my mind."
I don't dispute his words. The deaths I've
caused in the past weigh heavily on me now. I can't help but wonder
if they were just. They haunt me, both awake and asleep. The only
consolation is most of my kills were to protect humans. In light of
that, most of the Demons and hybrids I have destroyed were evil.
But there had been some kills . . .
"People change," I say, brushing the thought
away.
Bruno pops open the root beer, the sound loud
in the quiet kitchen.
"Do they, Reinhardt? As quickly as you have?
I find that hard to believe. Does this mean you no longer believe
all Demon children have a thread of evil in their blood."
It isn't a question I can answer. Did I
believe all Demon children were evil? In Emma's case, even
Deidra's, no. In Lyre's case, maybe even Bruno's, I'm not so
sure.
"Even humans have a thread of evil in their
blood," I say finally.
Bruno snickers. "That wasn't an answer,
Reinhardt."
I turn to look at him, my eyes hard.
"Do not question my morals, Riley, or my
authority. I don't have to like all of you to want to help
you."
Bruno meets my gaze without flinching, soda
leaking out of his can onto the floor where he squeezes too hard on
the aluminum.
"In the labyrinth, if it's a choice between
any of us, except Emma, and you, will you save yourself or us?"
Bruno asks, his teeth gritted.
I find it hard to dislike Bruno. He is a true
leader, his protectiveness a virtue. It's also odd, seeing a Demon
other than Marcas make other Demons his responsibility. Marcas is
right. Unity is the hybrid advantage. I stand up, my eyes on Bruno.
Towering over him, I point at his chest coldly.
"Ask yourself this instead, Hybrid. In
the end when this is over, what will I be left with?"
Bruno's eyes narrow then widen, and he looks
away. He knows the answer as clearly as I do. If the hybrids
succeed, they will have a home in Hell, safely protected from
Lucifer and ruled by a just ruler. I am left
but whatever it is, I don't move. I don't open my eyes. For one
moment, a simple moment, there is only me, the moon, and Conor. A
gargoyle and a hybrid Demon, a Guardian and a mark, a boy and a
girl.
My fist tightens in his shirt, my feelings so
strong they are almost painful. Over the past two months, I have
learned from the other hybrids that Demons tend to be possessive.
In this moment, I believe them.
Chapter 14
Conor
It is one hour until dawn. Emma is asleep on
the cottage's living room sofa, and I am sitting in the kitchen, my
chair positioned so I can see into the room. One hand is under her
cheek, the other across her stomach as she lies on her side. She is
too tall for the couch, her bare feet curled behind her tightly.
Even then, she isn't far from falling off onto the floor.
There's a narrow staircase on the right side
of the kitchen, a thin wall between it and the rest of the room,
and I hear plainly the sudden footsteps that sound on them. They
are heavy footsteps, resolute.
"Reinhardt," a voice acknowledges.
I don't turn around.
"Bruno," I say instead, my fingers tapping
the top of the white foldout table next to me.
I hear the refrigerator door open then close
before Bruno Riley sinks heavily into a chair not far from my own.
He is facing me, and he lifts the front legs of his chair off the
floor casually, his eyes on me. There he sits, staring. My gaze
stays on the living room.
"Am I supposed to find this intimidating?" I
ask after a moment.
Bruno laughs. "Do you?"
"No," I answer firmly.
"Then I guess not," the hybrid says. His tone
is even, indifferent. I peer at him briefly from the corner of my
eye. He is holding an unopened can of root beer, his eyes on
me.
"What are you doing, Reinhardt?" he asks.
I sigh. "I keep getting asked that question a
lot lately."
Bruno laughs, the sound harsh. "Could it be
because you once killed most of my kind and now suddenly you want
to help us. You're a gargoyle. You've killed hybrids, Reinhardt.
There's no doubt in my mind."
I don't dispute his words. The deaths I've
caused in the past weigh heavily on me now. I can't help but wonder
if they were just. They haunt me, both awake and asleep. The only
consolation is most of my kills were to protect humans. In light of
that, most of the Demons and hybrids I have destroyed were evil.
But there had been some kills . . .
"People change," I say, brushing the thought
away.
Bruno pops open the root beer, the sound loud
in the quiet kitchen.
"Do they, Reinhardt? As quickly as you have?
I find that hard to believe. Does this mean you no longer believe
all Demon children have a thread of evil in their blood."
It isn't a question I can answer. Did I
believe all Demon children were evil? In Emma's case, even
Deidra's, no. In Lyre's case, maybe even Bruno's, I'm not so
sure.
"Even humans have a thread of evil in their
blood," I say finally.
Bruno snickers. "That wasn't an answer,
Reinhardt."
I turn to look at him, my eyes hard.
"Do not question my morals, Riley, or my
authority. I don't have to like all of you to want to help
you."
Bruno meets my gaze without flinching, soda
leaking out of his can onto the floor where he squeezes too hard on
the aluminum.
"In the labyrinth, if it's a choice between
any of us, except Emma, and you, will you save yourself or us?"
Bruno asks, his teeth gritted.
I find it hard to dislike Bruno. He is a true
leader, his protectiveness a virtue. It's also odd, seeing a Demon
other than Marcas make other Demons his responsibility. Marcas is
right. Unity is the hybrid advantage. I stand up, my eyes on Bruno.
Towering over him, I point at his chest coldly.
"Ask yourself this instead, Hybrid. In
the end when this is over, what will I be left with?"
Bruno's eyes narrow then widen, and he looks
away. He knows the answer as clearly as I do. If the hybrids
succeed, they will have a home in Hell, safely protected from
Lucifer and ruled by a just ruler. I am left
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