by E. J. Mellow
But before my tar-laden fingers can reach for an arrow, a dark form flashes in front of me, and the sound of a knife slicing through wetness rings through my ears right before I’m flattened and covered by a heavy body. There’s an explosion of heat and stink, pushing us deeper into the wet grass, and we lie there until the last mucus pop is heard. Slowly the person rolls off, removing his jacket that has chunks of red lava on it, the material sizzling as he throws it to the ground. Blinking, I look up into Hector’s scared gaze, bright from the action. Locks of his white hair are plastered to his porcelain skin, which is marred by a few brown smudges of dirt.
“Need some help?” he asks, extending a hand, and now that he’s only in his black T-shirt, I’m surprised to find his arms painted with graceful muscles. I’ve always assumed him to be scrawny under his conservative clothing, given his lean body, but he has definite strength, reminiscent of a ballet dancer.
“Thank you,” I say and grab on to him. He gives me a good tug, freeing my legs, and I wobble for a moment, letting him hold on to me until I find my bearings.
“That was an unpleasantly large beast,” he says in a tone that’s way too casual for the moment.
“Two Metus gooed themselves together to make it.”
One of his brows rises, impressed. “They are coming up with all sorts of new tricks these days.”
“Yeah, all kinds,” I agree distractedly as my gaze searches out Aurora in the distance. Her forehead is pinched, a multitude of emotions playing on her face, but before I can make them out, she notices Hector’s attention on her as well and turns away, reentering the battle.
He glances to me, curiosity in his eyes, but the last person I want to confide in is someone I barely know. So I push away the questions swirling in my mind, and gesture to the glowing weapon at his hip. “My vest seems empty. I need you to shoot me with your gun.”
“Excuse me?”
“The Navitas in your gun, I need you to hit me here.” I tap on my chest. “It will rejuvenate me, at least a little.”
“And then what will you do?”
“Then I hope this will all be over.”
“Hmm.” He glances to our surroundings, the storm of chaos, thank Terra, seeming to be quickly passing.
After a moment more of his silence, I let out a huff. “Never mind. I’ll ask Dev—”
“By the stars.” Hector cuts me off with a laugh. “You’re an impatient little one, aren’t you? I’ll do it. No need to call the boyfriend.”
With reflexes that are much faster than I would have assumed, he flips out his gun and shoots two crackling blue rounds into my chest. I tumble back from the impact and then straighten as the energy bursts through every nerve ending, and my eyes widen. It’s all at once overpowering and at the same time exhilarating. I sigh and wet my dry lips, feeling extra alive, a little jittery, and slightly euphoric.
“Interesting,” he murmurs.
Not liking his examining gaze, I look away, finding Dev across the tall grass. As he notes me standing with Hector, his features grow tight, and he waves me over.
I turn back to my new Vigil guard. “Um, thanks again for—”
“No need.” Hector holds up a hand. “There’s much more to atone for before I deserve your gratitude.”
“What do you—”
“Another time,” he interrupts again. “You should go to your boyfriend before he decides I need to be taken out with the rest of these monsters.”
Glancing behind me, I watch Dev cut down a Metus as he makes his way toward us, and with a resigned sigh, I nod to Hector before turning to leave. I’ll deal with all the weird that just went down later. For now, I want to finish this and then take the longest bath of my life.
The fighting goes on for much longer than anyone was prepared for, our side suffering more losses than I have ever experienced while battling the Metus. But even with the disheartening number of fallen soldiers, the Nocturna don’t back down until the area is cleared, the field falling into a grim visual of singed grass, black and red puddles of our enemy, and the putrid stench of burning flesh.
Rubbing my temples, I try to ease the dull ache that has blossomed there, all the while breathing through my mouth. Men and women run around me, collecting the injured and preparing them for the medic vehicles making their way from the city.
With the nonstop action, I hadn’t had the proper opportunity to take in our surroundings, but now as I glance up to the wall, I gasp. Holy Metus fire, it’s much worse than I thought. Even though the sleek silver scaffolding of the engineers covers half the damaged area, I can still make out a large section of the titanium structure that is melted and singed black, as if a giant asteroid smacked right into it. How close had the Metus come to tearing a hole straight to the other side? Dev never mentioned anything about them attacking the fortification in his letters, and I begin to wonder what else he left out, my mind unable to stop from flipping back to the two beasts joining into one, and Aurora…what has happened to Aurora?
Turning to Dev, who’s talking nearby with Aveline, I take in her dirt-soiled, but otherwise uninjured, form and watch as he brushes some mud from her shoulder, an almost paternal gesture. I step closer when the whispering and glancing of a few Nocturna catches my attention. Some I recognize as those I recently fought alongside, the ones who obviously saw me use my power. Great. This will definitely speed up the timing of my announcement, for no one will be able to stop the rumors and questions that will come from today’s events.
“Molly, what is it?” Dev asks, tucking me under his arm.
“I think it’s time for us to leave,” I say, watching as some soldiers walk toward us.
Dev, noticing them too, stands taller and slowly moves me behind him, but before our two parties connect, a sleek black hover car stops in front of us, blocking the oncoming Nocturna. With a whirl, the glass top falls away, revealing Hector and a team of Vigil guards, who step out and encircle me.
“Your chariot awaits,” Hector says as he gestures to the vehicle.
I blink, surprised. “How did y—”
“Cato instructed I call your entourage as soon as this was over, so I did.”
I let out a frustrated huff. “Can you please stop inter—”
“It’s hard not to when what you say is so predictable.”
I grind my teeth.
“Is this for all of us?” Aveline asks.
“My pet, there’s always room for you.” Hector smiles, which merely earns him an eye roll from her.
Too tired to stand here deliberating any longer and not wanting to stick around for when the Nocturna make their way around the car, I crawl in. The interior is cool and clean, the seats soft and inviting. It’s almost unsettling, given the dismal scene outside.
Aveline and Dev follow, Dev sharing the seat next to me. “You did good out there, midnight.” He leans over to whisper against my temple before giving it a quick kiss. “I almost forgot how terrifying you can be.” Blue eyes meet mine, a hidden smirk. “Almost.”
I hesitantly smile. He obviously didn’t see what happened with Aurora, and I debate telling him, but as he leans back, letting out a sigh as the tension in his shoulders eases, I decide to save it for another time. This was enough for today, enough for a lifetime. So I stare out the window, watching as we slowly maneuver through the tangle of soldiers, thinking about how this battle was merely the first of many I’m about to fight. What will change once the city knows of my existence, what I’m meant to represent? As these questions tumble through me, my gaze falls on a group of guards who’ve stopped in their task of cleaning the charred landscape to watch us pass. A few murmur to one another, frowns marring their foreheads, and even though I know they can’t see me through the tinted glass, I still find myself slouching down. What must they be thinking? Will these men and women eventually grow to support me? Will they see past the centuries of the Vigil keeping me a secret to allow me to continue to fight with them? Dev wrote of the hidden whispers s
hared among his people, of many who hoped what they’d heard was true, that a Dreamer had indeed come to Terra. But what about the ones who aren’t happy?
Biting my lip, I’m about to turn from the exhausted scene outside, when a pair of green eyes in the crowd catches my attention, and finding who’s attached to them, my heart stutters. Aurora stands in the tall grass, the illumination from the nearby city painting half her face in a cool blue, the other in dark shadow as she follows our moving vehicle. With the assumption that no one is watching, the emotion she hid earlier now shines clear as day, and my chest explodes in a panic. Gone is the teasing light of the friend I once knew. Now only a stranger with a shivering passion of hate regards the place where I sit.
— 19 —
The water falls in a constant stream down my face, my eyes closed as I lean into the warmth, letting it seep into every one of my cells. Now with my strength returned, I could have easily imagined myself clean after the battle, but washing away the grime is not merely a physical act but a spiritual one. I need this small moment of solitude, away from all the demands and expectations, to finally collect myself. It’s the first time since coming here that I actually let the reality of being in Terra settle in.
I did it.
We did it.
The memory of Rae back on Earth after the transfer swims forward. His look of astonishment as we both climbed out of our pods had revealed the small amount of doubt he’d had about surviving it. He had kept this emotion so carefully hidden, but I saw it then, and it made me love him even more fiercely—to sacrifice even with such doubt. I know friendship such as his and Becca’s is rare, hardly ever found in one’s lifetime, and I’m well aware of how lucky I am.
Pushing back my wet hair, I allow the water to continue pouring over me. I’ll need to get out soon, step back into reality, but I resist it for a second longer. I know who will be waiting for me when I do, and my chest flutters. I can still feel the heat of his blue gaze when I announced I was going to take a shower after returning to his apartment, and if I was honest with myself, I’m nervous. It’s been so long. So much has happened, and after being shut out, the emotions I went through…well, I’m terrified to realize how much I need this man. Could I live through losing him twice?
Abruptly I turn off the shower, forcing away that thought as I warp myself in a towel and step into the steam-filled bathroom. It’s all white tiles, chrome fixtures, and hushed cream lighting. Using my hand to wipe the fog from the mirror, I stare into my large brown eyes. I look tired, which is probably because I am. After attending a short debriefing right after the battle, Aveline, Hector, Dev, and I made our way back to the apartment, where, thankfully, I’m still given access to stay. I have no doubt Dev had a lot to do with this and only under the strict terms that my Vigil entourage remain close. As I stand here now, a dozen or so guards stay on watch in the hall and hidden in the shadows of the streets below.
Even though I’m used to being continually surrounded by people in New York, having these dedicated men and women constantly around me feels different, unsettling. But I understand their purpose, their importance, and can only imagine their numbers growing once my announcement takes place. Which Elena and I are to discuss in more detail tomorrow, but for now I just want to push all that to the back of my mind and have a moment to actually appreciate the here and now, of being back.
Using my powers, I imagine myself in the soft gray shorts and white tee I usually wear to sleep in New York, and in a burst of energy, my limp wet hair dries to hold a soft brown curl. This is one talent I definitely missed on Earth.
Regarding myself in the mirror one last time, I step into my bedroom, where my heart immediately kicks into overdrive. For as expected, Dev is there, freshly showered himself, sitting on my bed. He wears his signature black pants and T-shirt, the sleeves clinging to his biceps, and in the dim lighting, his features are cut in severe angles, his day-old scruff shadowed. His gaze comes up from staring at something in his hands, and his cobalt eyes sweep over me in a quick heated pass. I remind myself to breathe.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, his voice deep and soothing.
“Okay,” I say, leaning against the doorframe to my bathroom.
He regards me a moment, his astuteness knowing there’s more of an answer than that, but he doesn’t press. “Come here.” He raises his hand, and I walk forward, letting him pull me to sit beside him on the white comforter. “I have something for you,” he says and lifts an open palm.
“My shell.” I gasp in surprise.
“You said to give this to you the next time I saw you.” His features hold a deep fire as he watches me take it, and I trace the spiral design, swallowing back a ball of my own emotions.
“I did, didn’t I?”
There’s a moment of tense silence as each of us take in what’s in my hand.
“You know,” he says. “I came here a lot when you were gone.”
“To my room?”
Dev nods. “You forgot to make your bed that day,” he says gently.
I study my room, everything how I remembered it. A modern dresser and circular mirror rest against the far wall, while sheer white drapes frame the floor-to-ceiling windows behind us, giving us a breathtaking view of the dark, twinkling city outside.
“But I always make my bed.”
“Yes.” He smiles. “But for some reason, you didn’t that day, and after…” He pauses as his voice wavers. “After, I was glad you didn’t, because even if it left you a ghost in this room, at least I could feel your presence.”
The depth of emotion swimming in his crystal-blue gaze is too much to bear, and I turn away. How much we both have suffered.
“Molly.” He says my name in such a way that it causes me to look back at him. “I love you.”
My eyes burn. “I love you too.” His lips descend on mine, and in that instant I break apart. As tears slip down my cheek, my mind tumbles to the stars and back. I’m everywhere in the room, my cells a collection of twirling, twisting desire as he gently lies me back on the bed. He tastes like mint, smells of his intoxicating fragrance of spice and night, and as the weight of him presses me into the sheets, I want nothing more than to be completely overcome by him. Too many hours had been spent trying to hold on to moments like these, grasping the memories that every day I spent away had threatened to slip from my mind. I loved him before, but here, as his hands slide over every inch of me, our energies twirling tightly together, I’m devastated for him. A dimension has separated us twice now, and yet we still have found our way home. This knowledge gives me a strange sense of confidence, of power the two of us have together. No matter what is laid across our path, we will always find one another.
Always.
With a kick of desperation, I pull Dev more firmly to me, wanting to fuse the two of us together, but despite my greedy insistence, he forces us to start slow. His kisses are torturously languid, agonizingly exploratory, and I’m embarrassed to say I actually whimper, wanting so much more.
The rumble of Dev’s chuckle does nothing to help my desperation, for it goes straight through me, lower, heating my skin to burn. “This is going to last awhile, my midnight.” He grazes along my neck. “So you might as well get comfortable.”
I tilt my head back on a sigh as he kisses and licks my throat, slowly, painfully inching down my body. By the stars, how I missed him. Without realizing it, my mind must have imagined Dev shirtless, for suddenly my hands are smoothing against warm, taught skin.
“Molly.” He leans back with a laugh. “You’re cheating.”
I bite my lip as I greedily take in his defined chest and abs. “I’d say sorry, but then I’d be lying.”
“Oh, how I wish I had your power right now,” he says, a devilish glint in his eyes. “But because I don’t, it’s a good thing I brought this.” Pulling something from his back pocket, he snaps a band around his wrist. I frown at the glowing white lightning bolt in the center.
“No fair,�
�� I whine.
It’s a Dreamer repellent band, something that when worn by the Nocturna protects them from my powers, but when on me renders me powerless.
He pulls my hands over my head, holding me in place. “Now, where was I? Oh yes.” Pressing his hips into me, eliciting a gasp, he dives back into tasting every inch of my skin, and my mind shuts off, merely becoming a ball of twisted, highly attuned senses and feelings. His touches become flashes of colors under my lids, his groans notes of ecstasy across my nerve endings, and we both sigh as eventually, thankfully, he rips my clothes from my body and skin touches skin. He mutters my name over and over as he praises my beauty, and I’d return the compliments if my mind wasn’t a putty of lust. Spreading my legs apart, he allows my hand to be freed so I can dig them into his strong back as he slowly enters me. That’s when the room falls away, along with the city and this world. It’s just the two of us learning the other again, remembering, floating in a timeless dimension of pleasure. And for the first time in a long time, every responsibility that has been a constant weight on my shoulders, a reminder of what’s to come, disappears, and I fly. Fly, wrapped in the arms of the man I love.
— 20 —
After a time that can’t be quantified, my bedroom walls softly fall back into place, our surroundings coming into focus as Dev and I lay tangled in the sheets, sedated. Dev plays with strands of my hair as I snuggle closer, wanting to drink in his scent. Literally. Give me a glass of it, and I’d gladly gulp it down, because my God, it should be illegal to smell this good.
“This is new.” Dev tugs on a lock of my hair, bringing me out of my stalker-like thoughts. I don’t have to look at what he holds to know what he’s referring to.
“Yeah, it happened after the transfer. Rae has a black one.”
The only visible side effect that happened after completing the DNA transfer was that Rae and I now each have an inch-wide stripe of the other’s hair color. Becca thought it was cool and “punkish,” while Rae and I were just relieved it was the only physical mutation, at least so far. Visions of doubled limbs or his face morphing with mine had definitely flashed in front of me when Sonja mentioned that our appearances might alter slightly.
