Page 65 of Little Wing
She nodded. “I do not wish to be here right now.” She turned from me while still holding onto my shirt, like she was afraid that breaking the connection we had would somehow strip her of her safety. She was shaken, and despite being able to respond to my questions, her body was still catching up.
“Here, let me just grab your clothes and then we can head out, okay?” I said, leading her to the couch where the blood splatter on the floor was no longer in view.
I cursed quietly after leaving Lotus in the living room while I rushed to her bedroom to grab the first bag I could find and began stuffing it with clothes. Dresses, shirts, pants, undergarments. If she was missing something when we got to my place, I’d just get her something new orhave Quinn bring some of her things over. Whatever I could do to get her out faster, because while her speech remained calm and her hands stopped shaking, I couldn’t begin to imagine what chaos was storming in her mind.
I knew her shock would continue to come in waves. So many years spent avoiding him only to have him driven away to be processed like the criminal he was? What would happen next? Would he be killed? I fucking hoped so, but… what would that mean for Lotus? What would happen to her as hisspawn? Did they know how to break that connection without harming her? I swallowed hard, feeling the anxiety of the unknown wind around me.
Fuck, I had to get us out of there…
Ialways knew that everything I tried to conceal over the years would resurface once Luca would eventually get caught or be turned in. I suppose I expected it all to fast forward to whatever resolution would await us. But the reality was quite different—I was stuck in limbo.
After the initial questioning at my apartment, I agreed to stay with Silas and his brother until more news would become available around Luca’s case. There was no knowing whether this would be something that would be resolved in a matter of days, weeks, or even years. Given Luca’s history and how long he was on the run, I hoped for a swift end to this madness.
Whether the end would be favorable or not—I did my best not to drown in the anxiety that lurked each time I dared look at my phone. The keyword notifications I had setup years ago no longer brought me peace. Instead, I spent most of my days trying to distract myself. Whether it was watching the next ridiculous vampire reality show with Mateo, or enjoying the sunsets from the balcony in Silas’s room, I tried to find my peace and anchor myself to it. Despite my protests, taking some time off from work ended up being a wise decision. Yes—I was more confident in the decision I made to turn my brother in, butit didn’t mean that I stopped wondering about what it would mean for me.
There was no stopping it now—I set this all in motion and I would see it through to the end.
Watching the last of the sun’s rays retreat beyond the horizon, I couldn’t help but smirk from the comfort of the wicker cocoon chair on the balcony. Beyond the glass door, I breathed in the scent of leather and pine—Silas was back early from Little Wing. I couldn’t ignore how comforted I felt just by knowing he was near, which continued to startle me, seeing as we met only a few short months ago. Perhaps it was the pure chaos of everything happening that made it feel like we had known each other much longer. With how quickly time passed, I embraced the departing winter and braced for the imminent spring, and the welcome bloom of the cherry blossoms.
The glass door slid open and Silas inhaled deeply, likely taking in the sights and smells of the moment I worked to cement into memory. He stepped beside me and gently placed his hand on my shoulder. “Hey, you.”
“Hey,” I smiled, turning my head to press my lips to his hand before looking up at him to find the expression that no longer puzzled me. I could now tell when he wanted to ask if there was anything new to report about Luca’s case. Rather than waiting for him to ask, I shook my head, bringing my attention back to the sunset.
“Did you have anything to drink today? Mateo just got back from the shop and I wanted to check on you.”
“I haven’t, actually.”
“Alright then, come with me, Everett. We’ll get that taken care of.” Offering me a warm smile, Silas helped me out of the chair and led me back inside where I could already hear the TV blaring. When wemade it down the hall to the living room, I spotted Mateo sitting on the couch with his hands behind his head.
“Next time on Love After Sunset,”the host announced before it cut to a screen with a dark-haired vampire woman sitting on a large Gothic throne.“That bitch, Noomi, is going around telling Chad that she can’t see her reflection? Like, what the fuck? You stood in front of the mirror with him. You could see yourself. He watched you re-apply your lipstick!”
“There’s a new episode?” I asked.
“Lo!” Mateo smiled brightly and turned to hold his hand out for me to high-five. Since I temporarily moved in and joined in on the reality TV show marathons, we seemed to build on a routine. We’d catch up on anything new that was happening at Little Wing, with Quinn, and of course my brother’s case. Then, we’d high-five and settle in for some mindless television. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for better support.
“Any news?” Mateo asked.
Responding with a high-five, I shrugged and shifted my weight as Silas’s hand found its way to the small of my back. After a few reassuring circles over my clothes, he moved to the kitchen.
“Nothing yet, but I assume they may be trying to work things out with the family of the women who—”
Mateo nodded. “Yeah, I get that. But I’m sure it won’t be long before you hear something. At least to give you some closure, right?” His smile tightened and dimmed, because what else could anyone say?
Right… closure that would either grant me freedom or pluck me from existence.
Before the silence between us could become even remotely awkward, Mateo quickly turned his attention to the show on the screen. He caught me up on any of the drama I might have missed from the preview before the next episode began. While he went on, Silas returned with a full glass of deep red liquid that immediately mademe salivate. With my mind bogged down with anxious scenarios, I found I was forgetting to feed. Another reason I was grateful for Silas. I could only tell I was skipping meals as my normally trimmed nails were growing alarmingly fast, a triggering sign of the starving creature that threatened to take control should we fail to take care of ourselves. Self-preservation, no matter the consequence, a fact I knew all too well.
With each savored sip, I felt my mind settling enough to focus on what I had contemplated earlier that evening. Though I enjoyed my time with Mateo and even the beautiful sunsets, I was beginning to miss my routine.
“I’d like to go to work tonight,” I said as I finished the last gulp of blood. While waiting for Silas to respond, I carried on like normal, bringing my glass to the sink to wash up.
“Are you sure?” Silas rubbed the back of his head and glanced at Mateo who threw his hands up, signaling that he was not getting in the middle of this. With Luca off the streets, Silas felt better about me going out on my own, but even then, I could tell he was holding back his concern. It was quite endearing.
I nodded. “Positive.”
His lips curved and he stuck one hand in his pocket, feigning nonchalance even though I could hear his heart racing. “Would you like for me to take you there? I could drive," he offered.
Just like everything else since we had gotten closer together, Silas never demanded that I do anything differently. Even as stress worked to consume me, he made it clear that he would be available to me in whatever capacity I needed him. But he always did it in such a way that never felt like he was smothering me.
