Page 13 of Eight Embers

“I get that being a conduit is special, that it shows the goddess’ blessing, that many people would give just about anything to have what I have; but sometimes... sometimes, I think I might give up just about anything to have whattheyhave. Choice. A choice to fall in love with people for the hell of it, to meet people and decide if I want them in my life or not.”

It's hard not to take this personally seeing as I'm bound to her for life, but I can sense that there's more coming, that I need to hear her out before I pass judgment on what she's saying.

“Being angry doesn't solve anything or change anything. All of us had some sort of idea about how our lives would go before a deity got involved. We can't change what they decide to give us, but maybe we can do it on our own terms.” She aims that last bit towards Saladriel, making sure he hears what she's actually saying.

“We can talk more about us later,” Rush says to Delaney, “I would like to help Leo now.”

Delaney smiles and nods, giving him the go ahead.

“Where I come from, companionship is not something I'm supposed to crave. People in Hell, they don't fall in love. They don't couple up or seek people out. Sex still happens plenty, but there's nothing deeper to it.

“I'm not sure what it is about me and you, Leo,” Rush says introspectively, “maybe there was a defect in my demon brain or maybe the clean air on Earth addled it, but I couldn't stop thinking about you.”

Leo leans forward, studying Rush’s face. “Did you... stalk me?” He asks this like it's some sexy thing, his voice getting husky.

Rush glances to Delaney again, no doubt feeling awkward talking about his past lover in front of her. But she's just grinning like a fool at the both of them.

“I might have. Just a bit. The point is, we were together. I was obsessed with you. I rearranged my whole life to stay with you, took a job on earth indefinitely. Just for it all to get ruined.”

“What happened?” Leo asks, hand getting closer and closer to Rush’s shoulder.

“What happened, was one of the deals you made went sideways. There is a witch you were dealing with —”

“That witch we just locked up?” Leo asks.

Rush shakes his head. “No. She's the descendant of the original witch though, so that's why she had such a vested interest in preventing you from breaking your curse. She felt it was her duty to keep the curse intact, because that is what her ancestors have taught her. She probably doesn't even know why she's so angry,” he says to Zac, who looks very uncomfortable.

I'd probably feel uncomfortable too if my family was responsible for the downfall of someone I was now tied to.

“For whatever reason, you gave this witch exclusive access to one of your nipples and failed to tell me that. So I was, well while we were, that is to say—”

The gray skin on Leo’s cheek deepens, indicating a blush. His voice drops to a whisper. “Were we making love?”

“Yes, that.” Leo snaps and points at Leo, relieved that he didn't have to say the words himself. “I reached around to try and pleasure you more, and she showed up and started instantly screaming at us. She thought you and her were in a closed relationship, completely monogamous. I have no idea how long she sustained that belief, because it was hardly ever true, butshe claims you broke her heart and broke the contract and so punished you accordingly.”

“Wait. Back up. Are you telling me you and Leo have been cursed for years because of some woman's inability to have a conversation? Wow, and I thought I had my crazy moments.” Delaney looks to the rest of us like we’re just here for the ride and the occasional comment.

“She didn't want you to remember me, and I could never forget, as I said. I've been outside that balcony all this time, stuck as a tree. Forced to watch you without getting any closer.” Rush shifts his attention back to Delaney. “I'm sorry for not telling you who I was when we first met. I knew you would hate me if I did.”

“I wouldn't have hated you for who you are,” she insists.

Rush shakes his head, resting it in his hands. “I want you to know, the whole experience is wild to me too. The only way for me to unfreeze myself from that tree was to travel back home to Hell. I only did this occasionally, because it's not a pleasant place to be after I've lived on earth. The screams just never hit the same way once you've lived with birds in your branches.”

“I have questions. Is it not super gross that you were some super old demon and then you went and hooked up with a teenager? And how the hell did you even do that if you were stuck as a tree still? You can't be in two places at once. It's not adding up.”

Rush glances at me briefly, then gives me my answer. “There was this itch on the back of my leg in tree form, and it was driving me absolutely crazy for weeks. One day I had enough and decided to give in. So, I transported myself down to Hell for the sake of getting my body back, just so I could scratch it. My dad was waiting, way too pleased with himself. He told me about his plan, how he made an alliance with Delaney’s mom, using me as leverage. He thought he was doing something wonderful for me,offering me something. He knows nothing about you Leo, other than me being with you led to me being stuck as a tree. Which dad found hilarious, by the way. It's actually one of his favorite punishments now. He calls it ‘The Rush Experience’ and has populated parts of northern Alaska with annoying souls.

“Anyway. He had to sort of split my soul in order to make everything work. I would return to earth and go back to my pine tree, but a younger version of myself was removed forcibly so that I could meet you at that party that we knew you'd be alone at.”

“Wait, is there a reason I wasn't at that party?” Adam asks.

Rush looks like he's about to say something, then thinks better of it. “We don't need to focus on the past. The point is, wait what was the point again?”

Delaney gets up on her knees, more into the conversation now. “What do you mean by he split your soul in half? That sounds incredibly uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, it's... he basically pulled out the part of me that was real when I was the same age as you were. So when I met you, I actually was the same age. My older self was far away stuck as a tree. It wasn't until dad forced me to cut contact with you that I learned what was really going on. I don't like time traveling, but the me you see before you wasn't actually there at that party to make any decisions.

“When dad pushed the two parts of me back together, I recovered the memories. It was sort of like having a dream, but the guy you met at the party really was a teenager. And just so you know, once I found out what happened I really tried to yell at my dad. The problem is, yelling at him is as effective as tickling one of his toes.”

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