Page 101 of Of Vows and War: Special Edition
Quickly, I opened myself to its mind.
Memories were far more beautiful than conscious thoughts. They all had a sort of filmy haze around them, even the painful ones tasting sweet. That was the problem with life, we often did not realize just how beautiful it was until it became a memory.
Navalom seemed to be the opposite. They consumed memories like a delicacy, cherished them for how they fed their souls. These creatures did not appear to be particularly evil, even if their instincts drove them to do horrible things. Below me, the navalom wailed as I searched for Sterling’s memories, as if my intrusion was painful.
Amidst the screams, I could have sworn I heard my name. I let my eyes wander around our party, but not a single one of them looked at me as if waiting for my response. How incredibly odd.
“Not this one,” I said before moving onto the next. Nine more, and then…yes, there they were.
Sterling’s memories were a beacon of pain and despair. They glowed in my mind and sizzled on my tongue, burning rather than settling sweetly on my tastebuds. I tugged them out of the navalom slowly, which was met with piercing wails. It howled below me as what must have been the pain and agony of lost sustenance consumed it.
And when I was finished, I let the creature fall back to the grass with a grimace. It was not right. I had done awful things in my life, but this felt particularly cruel. Bellamy was at my side in seconds, wrapping his arm around my back and letting his hand rest on my hip.
“Should we ask Ranbir to heal them?”
“If that is what you want.” Hesitance and confusion circled him like a lost bird, spinning over and over again until it finally landed in the nest that was his mind.
“Yes, I think it is,” I concluded softly.
“Okay, I will go get him while you return what you found to Sterling, then we can go home.”
When he disappeared beneath his shadows, I made my way to Sterling. He sat on the grass with distress in his brown gaze. I could tell that he hated what we had done, but I would not bring it up. Healing did not redeem devastation, it only righted the wrongs committed. Bending down, I brought my face level to his.
“Are you sure you want these back? They are painful.” If my words were considerate and soft, then Stassi’s response could have only been described as egotistic and harsh.
“He needs those memories,Asher.I want him to know who I am when I fuck him.”
An audible gulp came from Sterling, but I ignored the high demon in favor of focusing on him. He needed to make this choice on his own. No one could choose for him. Sterling’s green-flecked eyes bore into me, as if he were peeking at my very soul. And then, almost reluctantly, he bobbed his head in consent.
Sighing, I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. At first, he seemed confused by the display of friendship, but then he seemed to begin feeling the memories as they returnedto him. Soon he was shaking, tears beginning to spill from his eyes not long after.
When I opened my eyes, it was to the rare sight of deep emotion on Stassi’s face. Her brows were furrowed, that gorgeous face pinched in pain. She frowned so hard that lines dug into her skin near her mouth. And there, in the pink depths of her eyes, were the beginnings of tears.
The high demon of Sin and Virtue peered up to me then, looking like a crushed goddess. And, to my utter horror, we too became reluctant allies as she slowly mouthed two words.
“Thank you.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Asher
“Do you like…bread?” Adbeel asked, coughing to hide his discomfort. I could not stop myself from snorting at the question. He had been asking me small things like this all morning, trying to get to know me but too terrified to venture into uncomfortable territory.
“You can ask me the questions you want, you know. I promise not to run or bite,” I spoke from across the table. Adbeel, who was broad and fierce, looked somehow demure as he nodded and stuffed his entire omelet into his mouth.
For his part, Bellamy just sat, ate, and snarked.
“She lies, her fight or flight instincts are heinous,” the prince teased.
“Almost as terrible as his stalking habits,” I retorted, sticking my tongue out. Then, just for good measure, I took off my ring, put it on my middle finger, and flashed it to him.
Adbeel burst into laughter, clapping his hands together and tilting his head back. In that moment, there was nothing that could stop the smile that spread across my face. Bellamy also seemed incapable of hiding his dashing grin.
“Okay, okay. Tell me, what do you enjoy doing when wars are not raging?” Adbeel finally asked after wiping at his eyes and taking deep breaths. Wistfully, I looked out the windows, remembering when I had eaten at this very table with Bellamy. It felt like ages ago. Back then, Winona and Luca still lived. Haven and its innocent inhabitants still stood. What had I enjoyed when death and destruction did not consume my every thought?
“I like to read and play the pianoforte,” I finally admitted. Heat crawled up my neck and spread across my cheeks at the pride that suddenly polluted the air. Both Bellamy and Adbeel flooded the room with their delight.
“I would love to hear you play sometime. I must confess, I have very few hobbies other than relishing in that which makes my family happy.” Adbeel paused, his gaze flicking to Bellamy as the left corner of his mouth kicked up. “As I am sure you have noticed, I quite enjoy Bellamy’s paintings.”
