Page 33 of When Monsters Fight
“Yes. Yes it is. But I can control it. I know I can. I will not take what is not freely given.”
“And if you can’t control it?”
“Then you’ll stop me from consummating it.”
He turns to look me in the eye, his expression almost pitying. “Yes. Yes, I will.”
And that will have to be enough.
Chapter 18
RUE
“It’s warm and cozy here with you.” I snuggled against Shem, and he stroked my hair. “Can’t we just stay in bed all day?”
“We have a world to save.” He kissed the top of my head. “But I’d like nothing better than to stay here with you. Forever.”
I closed my eyes and reveled in the moment. These moments of bliss in a world that had fallen into chaos were few and far between. They were tiny treasures to be memorized and savored every time shit hit the fan.
“Rue, you need to wake up and eat something.”
“I thought we were staying in bed to snuggle?”
He shook me.
“Shem, stop it.”
The hand on my shoulder stilled, and the warm, fuzzy feeling evaporated as the dream slipped away.
“Are you awake now?” Gabriel asked gently.
I was awake, but I needed a moment to battle the crushing weight of despair that had settled on my chest.
Gabriel sighed. “I’m sorry to pull you from your dreams, but you need to eat.”
I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest. “Thank you.”
He opened a protein bar and held it out, but the thought of food made my stomach queasy. Hunger was a thing of the past, and even though I knew my body needed food, I didn’t crave it.
He broke off a piece and held it up to my lips. “Please.”
My stupid eyes heated as I accepted the offering. He fed me the rest, piece by piece, in silence, then handed me a bottle of water.
“It will get easier with time. I can promise you that,” he said.
“I don’t know if I want it to get easier. I don’t want to forget.”
“You won’t forget, Rue. But the memories you have won’t cause you so much pain.”
Pain…the dream had left me in pain. Left me with an aching void inside that felt like it would never be filled. Shem had taken a part of me into oblivion with him, and I would never be whole again.
“Get some sleep,” Gabriel said.
“I don’t want to dream.”
He pressed his lips together. “I can lie with you if you like. We can talk.”
I forced my lips into a smile that echoed my gratitude. “I’d like that.”
