Page 27 of Nyx
It’s quiet inside, but I sense he’s home. For the fourth time, I lift my hand, then let it drop at my side. I tell myself I can be brave. As scary as it is, he said he wanted to know me.
He said I amenough.
The thought makes me steel my spine, and I force myself to knock before I can turn and flee. It’s just a single tap of my knuckles, but Reyes answers in a rush. With my heart hammering in my chest, I draw a steadying breath as the door creaks open.
“Hi,” I whisper, then bite my lip and study the dirt on the ground. Everyone else always seems to know what words to use. Not me. Words are hard for me even at the best of times, and right now, I can’t think of anything interesting to say.
I sneak a glance up at Reyes to find he’s smiling, and it looks genuine. “Hey, you. This is a surprise. I’m really glad you came over.”
“You are?” I ask, and his smile spreads further.
“Of course I am, although I need to tell you right now that I have nothing here to eat. Don’t get your hopes up for a snack.”
I shake my head, releasing the hem of my shirt to gesture towards the forest. “There is something… in the trees. I found.”
His expression morphs into curiosity as he glances in the direction I pointed. “Something good or something bad?”
“Good. I think.” He laughs, and the sound brings with it those flutters in my stomach. “I can show you?”
“That sounds great. Give me just a second, okay?” He leaves his door open, and I peek inside at the living room. I’ve not been in his home, but from what I see from here, it’s the opposite of mine. Where my cottage is barren of anything except the barest necessities, his is full of color. Boxes with blankets on top of them and baskets filled with items I don’t recognize. He reappears at the door with his shoes on, and he notices when my gaze snags on them. “We’re going into the woods, and I’m not as good as you at avoiding the pointy things on the ground.” I glance at my own feet, but I don’t have time to be self-conscious. Reyessteps outside and closes the door, then gives me another easy smile as he waits for me to lead.
We head towards the trees, and I track his movement from the corner of my eye. There’s a knot of anxiety in my stomach that he might change his mind—decide he doesn’t want to be here and leave—but he’s steady and calm as he strolls beside me. “All the secrecy is making me really curious. Whatever you found was exciting enough for you to come get me, so it must be cool.”
I glance up at the bright afternoon as I try to make sense of his words. “Cool? It is hot.”
He laughs and grins at my confusion. “Cool means… neat. Something interesting.”
“Cool is not cold?”
“It is… it can mean both. It just depends on how it’s used.”
“No sense,” I mutter, and he snickers quietly as he casts me a sideways glance.
“Was Ronan busy?”
My brows knit as I turn to look at him. “Ronan?”
His eyes snap forward again, and he gestures absentmindedly with his hands. “I just figured… I thought you’d go to him if you had something important.” I shake my head, and he finally meets my eyes again. “You came to me first?” There’s an undertone of surprise in his words, but I nod, and he stands a little taller. When he throws his shoulders back, more of that lightness fills my chest and I find myself wanting to smile again. “That… that really means a lot to me, Nyx,” he says, quieter this time but still with that happiness. “Can you tell me what it is we’re going to see?”
“They are birds,” I try to explain, holding my hands apart to show their size. “Big.”
“Okay… this could be interesting or terrifying depending on what kind of birds they are. What color are they?”
“White.”
“Well, that doesn’t help much,” he says with a laugh as I detour off the path and wave for him to follow. We walk for a bit before I spot the tree and lead him around the rocks that stand guard behind it. Earlier, I had been wading in the creek when I noticed a small split I hadn’t seen before. I followed it and ended up in this hidden cove.
Reyes rounds the corner and stops in his tracks. For a long moment, he stands motionless, then a loud, bewildered laugh bubbles out of him. The birds flap their wings and make their funny noises, and he stifles the rest of his laughter. They’re beautiful—solid white with large yellow mouths and webbed feet—but most of them are swimming in their private pool.
“These areducks,” Reyes says, and it sounds like awe in his voice… like I’ve done something special. It makes me stand a little taller, just like he did on the path. “I’ve never seen one in person before, but I’ve read about them. They live near the water because they like to swim.”
“Ducks,” I repeat, and he nods, still staring as they paddle lazily across the water’s surface. “They are nice birds?”
He scratches his head, huffing another of his amused laughs through his nose. “Well, it doesn’t seem to bother them that we’re here.” He takes a few tentative stepsforward, but the ducks flap their wings again, harder this time, and their honking noises get louder. Reyes backs up to my side, and they calm.
“Okay, scratch that. They obviously don’t like me, but they don’t seem to mind you. Nyx, this could be huge for the village as a food source.” My eyes must go wide because he immediately shakes his head and holds his hands up. “Not the birds themselves! I’m not saying we eat them. That’s not… no. Not what I meant. They lay eggs, and they’re full of protein, which we need. You’d probably love the way they taste.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “This egg is also a duck?”
