Page 11 of Not Today, Satan
He wipes at the pool of blood beside his mouth. “I swear I woke up and Gabe was already dead. I picked up the gun because I was confused, but I didn’t kill him. There must be something you can do to help me.”
I study the door, my eyes trailing along the dark ridges that run through the cherrywood. I’ve never encountered a shadeling so insistent about their innocence. Most of them deny their guilt at first, but they soon realize it’s an exercise in futility. Nathan Reynolds hasn’t wavered from his story.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I silently curse myself for what I’m about to do.
“If I look for myself and see your crime, will you leave me alone?”
“What?” He peers up at me. “You can do that?”
“Yes. Well, maybe. I’m still learning, but it’s worth a shot.” I poke him in the chest, hard with muscle against my finger.
Nathan Reynolds works—worked—out.
Right, because that’s what I should be focusing on in this moment.
His face relaxes. “What happens when you see I’m innocent? Can I go home?”
“That won’t happen. Your kind are never innocent. Come here.”I reach out, but he flinches away, and my jaw tenses. “Do you want me to do this or not?”
“Yes,” he says, inching forward. “Sorry.”
“You’re really big on the apologies,” I mutter. “Now, hold still. I need to touch you to do this properly.”
“Okay.” He takes a deep breath, unclenches his body, and meets my gaze. “I trust you.”
His words bewilder me, but I keep my face blank. No one’s trusted me in a long time, least of all a shadeling. My interactions with them tend to end with Nefas dragging them away screaming.
I place a hand on his cheek, and this time, he doesn’t shy away. His flesh is damp with blood, but beneath the grime, his skin’s been kissed to a light bronze by the California sun.He’s soft under my calloused fingers, rough from all the sword work Mr. Bellum shoves on me.
Really not the time, Dev.
Clearing my throat, I steady my hand against his skin. “Okay, this won’t hurt. Or maybe it will. I honestly have no idea what you’ll feel.”
He pulls back, banging his head against the door with a grunt. “Is this safe? What if you wipe out my memories or something?”
I shrug. “Then you won’t remember why you’re down here in the first place and you’ll leave me alone. Either way, it’s a win-win.”
He licks his cracked lips. “For you, maybe.”
“Exactly.” I grab his temples and straighten his head. “Now, don’t move.”
We lock eyes as I try to peer into him. I wade beyond the teal hues of his irises and follow them deeper.
“Your eyes,” Nathan Reynolds blurts, slicing into my concentration.
“What about them?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“They’re purple. Back when we met, I thought they were a dark blue. But in this light, they’re violet.”
His gaze bores into mine, and my stomach backflips. It’s like he can see my soul clearer than I see his.
Except I don’t have a soul. And it doesn’t matter what he sees in me, since he’ll be out of my life soon.
I break eye contact and focus on my bare feet. “Your point is?”
“I’ve never seen anything like them.” He swallows. “They’re beautiful.”
Heat creeps up my neck and into my cheeks. My mouth dries out, and I can’t find a reply.
