Page 11 of Clouded by Envy

“I am fine, really,” Bray said. She had been fine for a while, if not a little lonely.

Wes took a few steps toward her. “Look, Bray…”

“Brayora,” she muttered.

“Right. Since Luca is set on you staying here for the night, and I’m still not sure if this is even real—you can, but you can’t sleep in here with him.”

“Why, because she’s twenty?” Luca asked.

“You’re twenty?” Wes just could not get rid of that confused expression.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Okay, then two reasons: you’re twenty and you have wings.” Bray and Luca didn’t say anything. “For tonight, you’re going to have to sleep in my room because I still don’t trust you. Nothing against youper say—I wouldn’t trust a dog the first night either.”

Bray wanted to say that she wasn’t anything like a dog, but kept her mouth shut. She shrugged and told Luca good night, then darted off to the master bedroom, where she crashed at the edge of the bed.

She could have gone outside for the night, but the feeling of being inside the house once again brought back the good nostalgic moments of the past. Bray hadn’t thought she needed to feel it again, but she did.

Wes and Luca’s hushed voices echoed through the wall, but she couldn’t understand what was being said. Moments later, Wes entered the room wearing a white shirt and a pair of plaid boxers that she hadn’t paid attention to earlier. Bray turned her head away from him, still angry that he inferred she had rabies.

Bray knew exactly what rabies were—Ruth watched the movieCujoa lot—and she didnothave that. Maybe she should just leave, but she had already taken to Luca, and it would be nice to have another friend—even if she had to get along with Wes.

He closed the door and flicked off the light. “Look, I’m sorry I said you had rabies. It’s just I don’t know you, and this whole situation is extremely out there. Like a whole other world out there.”

Pursing her lips, Bray pulled at the edge of her braid in the dark. “It’s okay.” She understood that most humans would have acted worse than Wes had—maybe.

“Please don’t bite me, though.”

Right when she thought he might be okay. Frowning, she said as patiently as she could, “I don’t drink blood.”

“That’s a good thing.” Pulling back the covers, he slipped his legs underneath, and the mattress dipped beneath Bray. The AC blew hard directly on top of her, and she shivered against its coldness, causing a small sound to rumble out from her mouth.

Laborious breaths were already escaping Wes’s lips, so she snuck up to his shoulder while he slept. Bray did not care that she wasn’t sure if she liked him—she curled up against the warmth of his neck anyway, and the heat helped her fall fast asleep.

5

Brenik

Present Day, 1995

Leaving the tree—their home—Brenik flew away from it—andher. He left Bray a drawing on a scrap of paper like he always did, because no matter what, she was still his family.

The thoughts, the images, this place, Brenik couldn’t bring himself to fathom how he had gotten to this point over the years. His head was a place he could not escape—an internal battle with no end. It wasn’t her—it wasneverher—it was always him. Brenik got that, but it didn’t stop it. Nothing did.

Brenik soared higher and higher through the air as the wind scuffed against his wings. Instead of giving him contentment, it only reminded him of what he was—what he didn’t want to be: a minuscule pathetic specimen of existence.

It didn’t take him long to reach his destination. The large stone shaped like a rose reflected and highlighted almost a pure white coloring underneath the rays shooting out from between the bloated clouds.

What would make today different from all the other times he had gone there, begged and pleaded to a piece of rock who wouldn’t listen to take him back—to end his suffering?Again, pathetic.

Brenik landed between the folds of the Stone, remembering how ten years ago he didn’t think anything could get worse, but it had.

“Can you hear me?” he asked the Stone of Desire who was either asleep or just didn’t give a fuck—the Stone didn’t stir. Brenik knew it heard him—it always did.

Slamming his hand against the grained particles, Brenik yelled, “Please, send me home or give me a gift like Brayora’s. This is not fair, and you know it.”

The first time he had come back was after Ruth died. She may not have been able to provide everything he yearned for, but she had given him attention and what almost amounted to favoritism—the opposite of Junah. Don’t get him wrong, she loved Bray, too, but he didn’t have to compete as hard. Bray never had to be the best at anything, but he did—and it always made him feel inadequate.

---