Page 4 of Nyx
He doesn’t understand why I choose that spot, though.
Water trickles along my forearm as I wring my hair out once more. My fingers rake through the dripping strands, and I wince at the stinging resistance of knots that never seem to go away. I give up and tuck it behind my ears as I glance down at my damp clothes. Most of what I wear belonged to Cameron or came from the salvageable items we found inside the village, but all of it is too big.
My eyes move to Ronan, standing with his arms crossed in his white t-shirt and dark blue shorts. Muscles strain against the fabric, strong and battle-tested and healthy.
Not frail, like mine, drowning behind clothes meant for someone else.
“Are you ready?” he asks, and I lick my lips, glancing again through the trees. I nod, and we walk along the short path. The grass is comforting against my feet until the others come into view. Everyone else is wearing shoes, where I prefer to go without.
It’s one more way we are different.
One more way I am strange.
“Nyx?” Ronan asks when I change directions, choosing to walk the longer path through the forest instead of passing through the village. The shade cloaks me amidst the green as an urgent need to become invisible grips me.
Once again, I want to become nothing.
“Better way,” I murmur, and after a moment’s hesitation, he follows in silence. I trudge through the underbrush, fighting this undying urge to disappear.
Reyes
“Whatarethese?”Lillithasks, and I lift a few leaves to show her the cluster of green growing underneath. “Oh, I love tomatoes! What about those?” Her curiosity has me chuckling as we walk over to a plant lower on the ground. Giant thick-stemmed leaves drape along the soil, and I brush one aside and give her a peek at the yellow gourd.
“Squash and zucchini,” I say as I check a few of the larger fruits. They aren’t ready to harvest, though we’re bursting at the seams to have fresh food. These shouldn’t even be this big yet, easily double the length I’d expect at this stage. The leaves are greener, and the bounty more plentiful than I’ve ever seen, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the weather.
Something tells me the garden has a midnight visitor that’s helping the process.
Movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention, and Nyx appears from the forest like my thoughts summoned him. My breath hitches at the sight of him, andmy hands fall uselessly to my sides as I stare. Light shines off the green hues of his skin and hair, exploding into an entire spectrum as it radiates from him. Hunter green and moss, emerald and sage, and every single color in between.
Nyx slowly turns his head in my direction as though he feels my attention. Those bright eyes meet mine and flare, but he jerks away as his long hair curtains his face.
I wish he wouldn’t hide.
The world needs more beauty in it, and Nyx is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Reyes!” Lillith barks, and I whip around, my eyes growing large. “You never answered me! What do you make with squash and zucchini?”
“Oh, um, well, they’re not very good raw. I normally sauté or grill them. Cooking them is definitely better, although I bet Ronan could make a few loaves of zucchini bread.”
“Vegetable bread?” Her lips pull back into a thoughtful grimace. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Zucchini bread is delicious. It’s sweet. We don’t have any sugar, but I found some stevia in the woods.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a plant with leaves that are sweet, kind of like sugar. I transferred a couple into pots, but I’ve never grown it. If they don’t do well, maybe we could convince Cameron to give up some of his hoarded honey to make it.”
“Hey,Ronan!”Lillith bellows, and I jump again and clutch my chest. Her roaring voice would startle anyone, but after so many years alone, it damn near induces a heartattack. “Ronan!!Can you make us some vegetable honey bread?”
Ronan has joined Nyx on the hill, and even from this distance, I see the confused pinch of his brows. His mouth opens and closes again, and I snicker at his confusion. “What?” he finally calls back.
“Zucchini bread,” I yell with a wince, trying to find a volume where Ronan can still hear me without scaring Nyx. “She wants zucchini bread.”
“Zucchini bread?” Cameron gasps from behind me, and I turn as he darts to the fence with wide, manic eyes.
Ronan’s expression melts from bewildered exasperation to determined, and I bite back my smile. For all the flashing of his fangs and grumbling, he’s a giant softie for his mate. “You want zucchini bread, mo’sziv?”
“Can you make it?” Cameron asks, bouncing on his toes. Ronan nods, a pleased smirk pulling onto his lips, but my gaze snags on Nyx beyond him. That gorgeous waist-length hair still covers his eyes, and he shuffles between his bare feet.
