Page 37 of Nyx
Xeni stands off to the side like he normally does, and his brows lift in momentary surprise as I approach. “Is there anything you need?” I ask him, and he bites at his lip as he considers the question.
“Tools and building materials,” he finally answers, surprising me with the response. “Our infrastructure is weak, and that single solar panel isn’t enough for thenumber of people here. Any sort of wiring and tools, pipes, anything like that would go a long way.”
I nod, worrying my lip. “Those things take up a lot of space.”
“Yeah,” he agrees. “But if you guys are serious about making this a permanent home, we need to make some upgrades.”
“Fair enough. I’ll see what I can find.” He nods and offers me a tentative smile, and I realize that without that scowl on his face, he’s gorgeous. Sure, the solid white eye is unnerving, as are the twisted bones jutting from his skull. And yeah, the eyepatch is certainly a conversation starter, but he’s lithe and graceful, with defined, almost delicate, features.
He’s also notoriously closed off. August swears he was happy and even a bit flirty back at the base, but since they’ve arrived here, he’s barely spoken. His story is a mystery, and he seems to prefer it that way.
Taryn’s hands are on her hips as I return to the van, and Lillith is finally free of blades—visible ones, at least. Everyone is in that stasis that comes from waiting impatiently but being too polite to say anything. I glance towards the woods, but Nyx is nowhere to be found. My skin tingles where we touched, the ghost of his hand in mine only making it harder to leave. I sigh, but there is no point in delaying any further.
There’s another quick round of goodbyes, and a hurried reminder from Ronan that if we are followed to fuck off and not come back. It’s accompanied by a strained laugh from Cameron along with an insistence that Ronan didn’t mean it.
The purple fucker glares at me when I raise a brow in question.
Pretty sure he meant it.
We load into the van and travel along the hidden pathway. The further we get from the village, the more my stomach churns. Taryn and Lillith chatter up front, and I curl up into a ball in the middle row, leaning against the window as the world whirs by beyond the glass. The afternoon sun is hot against my skin, and though the drive will take us into the night, we all agree to make it in a straight shot.
We only stop for a quick dinner and refuel, scarfing down a meal and pissing behind some trees before we’re on the road again. The warmth on my face and the hum of the tires are like a lullaby, and as night falls, my eyes flutter closed and sleep pulls me under.
The soft touch on my knee shocks me awake, and I reach for the knife at my side as I jolt upright. “Easy there, killer. It’s just me.” Taryn’s voice soothes my shock, and my hand relaxes as my sight adjusts to the darkness. She’s sideways in the passenger seat, already unbuckled, and I realize that while the engine is still humming, it’s idle. Blinking the last of the sleep from my eyes, I stare at the abandoned camp outside the window, illuminated by the headlights. I’ve slept for hours.
A peculiar sense of familiarity hits me as I glance over the moonlit silhouette of the buildings. It’s strange to be back. Despite the years I lived here, it feels like I’ve stepped uninvited into someone else’s life. The splinter of homesickness is overridden by the repulsion that wants to flee. It’s like going home, except the place you grew up only holds sad, lonely memories, and you realize it was never where you belonged.
“What time is it?” My voice is thick with sleep as I unhook my seatbelt and stretch, arching my spine with a loud groan as the muscles flex and strain. Taryn’s gasp is so quiet I almost don’t hear it, and I squint my eyes at her in the darkness to find her gaze wild.
“Uh,” she says, and my brows snap together. In the time I’ve known her, Taryn has always been confident and steady. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her at a loss for words.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Lillith cranes her head in such a hurry to check on Taryn that her horns scrape against the ceiling. Taryn blindly reaches over and squeezes Lillith’s forearm, but her eyes don’t leave mine as a flicker of something almost sorrowful passes over her face.
“Enough with the dramatics.” My voice comes out sharper as concern bubbles in my stomach. “What is it?”
“Your… your hand,” she stutters, still with that damned expression. I hold my hand out in front of me and flex my fingers wide. While I see nothing out of the ordinary, Lillith mimics Taryn’s earlier surprise with a sharp inhale.
“Would you stop making that noise? What are you even freaking out about?” I demand as I turn my palm toface me. Adrenaline floods my system, the potent surge so strong that I can almost feel the dilation of my pupils.
A golden glow stares back at me.
It’s scattered, sprinkling over the pads of my fingertips and swirling along the inside of my thumb. Tiny spots merge with bigger ones, shimmering off my hand like a constellation.
“What?” I breathe as my heart lodges in my throat. My pulse jumps and knocks as I shake my head and try to make sense of it.
“Who were you talking to before we left?” Taryn asks, and I shake my head again, recalling my steps.
“It’s not like there are a whole lot of options.” My voice is borderline hysterical with its high pitch, and the nervous laugh that follows is just as agitated. “Xeni. I talked to Xeni, but I didn’t touch him.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. He was standing several feet away from me. Before that I was…” Realization doesn’t so much as find me as it slams into me with brute force, and it makes me waver. If I were standing, I’m convinced my knees would’ve hit the ground.
“I was with Nyx,” I whisper as a fresh wave of panic rises in my chest. “But that’s not… it can’t… I’ve touched him before… haven’t I? I had to… there’s no way I haven’t… right?” My frantic eyes swing up to theirs, bouncing between them as I beg someone to answer me. “We spend… we spend all that time together, and I give him gifts and we talk, and I…” My voice creaks to a stop as I recall all the times I’ve been close to Nyx.
Himaccepting the flowers I bring him, always grabbing the stem and never my hand. Spending the harvest working side by side, but pulling the produce from different plants.
