Syndrome of Mortality

by Eden R. Souther

  An arm slipped around her waist. “I think it’s the best room in the house,” Ravin whispered in her ear. He held her close. To get a closer look at the ring, he took her hand and lifted it closer to his face. He pressed a gentle kiss to her palm, then another to the back of her hand. “I don’t think anything could top it.”

  He tapped his chin and added, “Well, except maybe following this up with some relaxing in the hot tub. That might make it the best ever.” If she wasn’t comfortable with it, then he wouldn’t push the matter any farther. All the packing and hardworking had been just a bit too much. That much he could feel radiating off of her.

  The sensation of his prickly stubble on her skin brought forth a grin. “I think you’ve been reading my mind. I think the heat would feel amazing on these old bones.” She stood up. “Do you need to run and get swimwear? I might have something for me but…”

  “I think I packed some…” Ravin frowned. “But that’s all in the transport. All of that is back home…” He sighed and rocked back onto his heels. “Do you think boxers will suffice or will that make you or your parents uncomfortable?” He nuzzled into her neck, then gave another kiss into its crook. Her skin was soft and warm.

  A blush erupted onto Michelle’s skin. He was so affectionate. It was something she hadn’t quite gotten used to yet. Not that it was a bad thing. Having someone dote on her and give her nuzzles and kisses made her feel special. If not somewhat gross, in a ’Michelle’s-not-good-at-romance’ way. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered around, helping to make her forget about the aches.

  “That’s fine. I doubt they will get home until morning anyway.” Since they were having dinner with Lian and Kaz, then they would drive home, it was a reasonable assumption. Seneal was quite a far distance from the Blackbird Mountains. Sparroville was located at the very opposite tip of Ussix. Despite the speed of moving transports, it was still going to take a good eight hours of drive time.

  Michelle was happy to get to skip that.

  “I mean…” she shrugged. “Trunks and boxers are basically the same thing. Lemme get changed and I will meet you downstairs.”

  Ravin winked and nodded. “I’ll meet you down there.” He started making quick work of the buttons on his shirt. He stepped out of the room and started to strip down to his boxers. He was lucky that he’d worn a spacious pair. Though, he didn’t really mind. He was comfortable with his girlfriend.

  He made his way out to the hot tub and turned it on; within a short span of time, it was bubbling and warm. It would be perfect for Michelle to get the delicious relaxation that she would absolutely love. Even better, there were no parents to be concerned about.

  That might have been his favorite thing about the day. He’d get some true alone time with Michelle: no parents, no siblings, no friends, no angels—fallen or otherwise. Just the two of them. In a hot tub.

  About five minutes later, the back door opened and Michelle stepped out onto the deck in a lovely two piece bathing suit. The bottoms were more akin to shorts that went down just above the tip of her index finger. The top was a simple bikini. Both pieces were oasis-blue with white flowers.

  She bit her lip. “They are a bit smaller than last time I wore them, but, I guess they still fit.”

  “You look amazing,” Ravin breathed. He held out his hand to her and gave a handsome grin. He wasn’t as chiseled as Loviel, but at least this time he didn’t have to stand side by side in comparison. He hoped Michelle wasn’t comparing the two of them in her mind. There was no harm in a wandering eye… but there was just no comparison. The more muscular angel was more qualified to be shirtless. Loviel had proven that when they’d been at their couple’s massage.

  “The water should be good, and if it’s not, we can change that.”

  Michelle rubbed her arm and gave a sheepish smile She was used to wearing her baggy sweatpants, or jeans and a beat-up t-shirt around Ravin. At length, she let out an anxious laugh. “I feel like one of those girls in the movies I always complain about.”

  With careful steps, she padded over to the side of the hot tub and stuck her toe in. Perfection. She slipped into the water and let it wrap around her comfortably. It was heaven. A small sound of pleasure escaped her lips. The warmth soothed her bones and muscles.

  He leaned over and put an arm around her. “You’re still nothing like them. You had your own life before you met me, and it was fine. Plus, we were friends for more than half a day before I asked you out.” He winked.

  “You forgot the part where I’m kick-ass.” She put her hand on his face and lightly pushed him, but it made her feel better. Sometimes it was hard to allow herself any happiness. She constantly felt like she had to prove something to everyone.

  She looked up at her ruggedly handsome boyfriend, who was only in his boxers.

  It was hard to remember that with her friend-now-boyfriend she was allowed to be stupid and giddy. That the little electric currents of happiness didn’t make her weak or cliché. She was allowed to enjoy what time she had left with the person she wanted to spend it with.

  On top of it, it didn’t hurt that he was hot as hell. She couldn’t deny that she was very attracted to him. Plus, she was an adult.

  “It’s perfect.” She sighed happily. “Come on in and join me.”

  Ravin was more than eager to do as she asked. He stepped inside and slowly lowered himself down onto a seat; a quiet groan escaped his lips. “Stars, this is magnificent. I need one of these for myself.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how I lived without one before now.”

  A chuckle left Ravin’s lips. He leaned back and stretched out his arms. He rolled his shoulders, then pulled Michelle onto his lap. Ravin wrapped his arms around her. With her warmth so close, he could feel the butterflies inside her. “You are the most kick-ass person that I know. You never let up, either. Right now, it’s time for you to just let go and find some relaxation.” He nuzzled into her ear. “After all, we have the house all to ourselves.”

  Shivers rolled up her spine in the most delightful way. She leaned on his sturdy frame and enjoyed his closeness and support. It was wonderful in all the right ways.

  “Good boy,” she praised, reaching up and brushing his hair, admiring the gloss of his horns.

  A quiet purr escaped him. “Why thank you.” He relished in the praise and enjoyed the sensation of her touch. Every little motion sent tingles fanning across his head. He’d have to request this more often. It was absolutely spectacular. “Stars, that feels amazing…” Ravin murmured.

  The only other time his heart had beaten so fast had been a year ago, when he’d been face to face with nightmares. Now, he was looking at the most spectacular dream.

  Michelle put her hands on either side of his face and looked deep into those dark, endless eyes. “Even though lots of not so great things are happening, with my health, and moving… I’m actually pretty happy right now. Thanks for making this all so much easier to deal with.”

  His chin was stubbly; she rubbed her hand back and forth, enjoying the prickly texture. She kissed him, just so she could feel it tickle her lips. A smile spread across her face. There was no one around to judge her. The armor that she wore to keep up an image was shed and gone. It was just him and he’d seen her at her absolute weakest.

  She kissed him again, because she could. They were the only two souls for miles and their hearts were so close.

  Ravin slid his hands up her back and pulled her into his chest. He savored the feeling of her lips yielding to his, then meeting the challenge. He couldn’t help but smile into it. “Thank you for bringing me with you.”

  Michelle set her forehead against his, and a grin appeared on her face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Chapter 13

  With a sad sigh, Kazun finished the last of his leftovers. It had been a lovely dinner with Lian’s parents. They’d teased him some, but it hadn’t been anything too terrible. He’d suffered through much worse with Ravin. Not once h
ad he worried about fainting. That had been a big fear for him.

  Whenever he blushed too much, he was prone to fainting. The only thing he could do was avoid blushing too much, all together. Yet, never once had he been concerned at dinner.

  He attributed that to the fact that Lian’s parents didn’t know that he and their daughter had been secretly dating for months. The thought alone made his cheeks start to burn. It was such a huge secret; he didn’t know how they’d managed to keep it under wraps. That was something he was very proud of, considering the fact that Ravin, his best friend and roommate, was the nosiest mind reader that he’d ever known.

  Kazun had a feeling that it had something to do with the fact that he'd almost been sacrificed to bring the last dark angel back into the world. If a sliver of his soul hadn't been in purgatory at the time, then he wouldn't have been in that situation. Part of his soul wouldn't have been taken if Ravin hadn't convinced him as a child to sell it, so that his father could live. So, it really all boiled down to everything being Ravin’s fault.

  He didn't blame Ravin. The path that he'd taken Kaz down had led to him finding Lian. He'd never felt the feelings he did for her before.

  Thanks to Zier, Kazun had even gotten the fragment of his soul back. After Ira had been defeated, the bounty had disappeared, so the fallen angel had been able to retrieve the piece. That way no one could track him and try to finish what Ravin had started. There was no reason for any overzealous demons to go after his father either. Zier was protecting him too.

  It made focusing on school and hockey so much easier, knowing that there weren't demons actively hunting him. He didn't even know what the demons would have done with him. What really was the value of a single human’s soul? How much power could he have granted them?

  He couldn't imagine it was much.

  Kazun shook the thoughts from his mind and turned his focus to what he had to get done before the game later that day.

  The first thing would be making sure Ravin hadn't forgotten anything unseemly. The last thing he wanted was for Lian to come across anything embarrassing, or triggering for her anxiety. He wanted this to go as smoothly as possible. After all, he'd never lived with a girlfriend before. Actually, he realized he'd never lived with anyone but Ravin, and his parents before that. Ravin barely counted. He could almost hear Ravin’s faint drawl giving him crap for not considering that their time together mattered.

  Not having the demon around would be sad. He'd been a permanent fixture in Kazun’s life for twelve years.

  Kazun took his time going over every detail of the empty room. It felt wrong to see it in the state Ravin had left it in. There were no piles of dirty clothing, random stacks of paper, or books strewn about. Everything smelled positively clean. Even his bizarre scents had been erased. Kazun was grateful that he wouldn't have to smell the patrons from the bar anymore. Well, most of him was.

  Ravin had been the messiest roommate, yet every detail had been meticulously paid attention to when it came to moving out. For some reason, he’d hoped for some scrap to be left behind. Maybe he was just hoping for something to hold on to.

  He shut the door behind him as he left the room. He checked his phone for any messages—he could only assume that someone would want to talk to him.

  No luck. So instead he turned his attention to the rest of the apartment. He picked up every little thing he could find to ensure that things would be ready when Lian. It would be a few more days before she had gotten everything over to his—no—their place.

  There were still so many things she had to get prepared before she could even start. It would be even harder for her, emotionally. That much he knew. Because of that, he wanted to make sure that he made everything perfect for her. After all, he knew first-hand that he hadn’t been able to deal with his dad dying and in comparison to Lian’s situation, it had been like a waxing. One pull and it was done. Shockwaves of pain came after to make things worse.

  For Lian, it was different. It had been building for years, but no one had thought that the day would come so soon. Michelle still had time left, but how much, no one knew.

  He glanced at the clock. Soon he’d go out to lunch with Lian and they’d discuss the plan for move-in day. Then he’d go meet up with the team so that they could all be ready for game day. The pregame jitters had begun to set in, but he wasn’t sure if the excitement about Lian moving in wasn’t making it worse.

  Kazun couldn’t sit still. It was impossible to dial down the nervous energy, so he grabbed his keys and jogged out to his transport. Being early wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Lunch would be light, lighter than usual. Most days he couldn’t stop himself from eating.

  His fingers tapped on the wheel as he glided through the familiar streets to the University. The sight of the school was always impressive. It was tall and regal. The main building dated back to before Equilibrium, and the architecture reflected that. Marble pillars stood sentry at the entryway. Dark stone formed the facade. The grayscale was broken only by pops of color from the changing leaves. Tall windows let in large amounts of natural light.

  He found the lot closest to the Light dorm, where the humans resided. It was easy to find a place to park.

  Kazun strode to the building and made his way to the room that Lian had shared with her sister. He knew the way well. It felt strange to be back, but he liked it. He gently knocked on the door and waited for her.

  “I’m coming!” came the muffled response from the other side of the door. There was some shuffling, a quiet bang with an even quieter, “Ow.” The sound ceased and the door was open. Lian smiled, a blush painting her face.

  “Hey Kaz!” Her bright blue eyes glittered. “How was your first night without Ravin?”

  “It was alright,” Kaz sighed. “I liked the peace and quiet, but it was weird to be alone. How was your night?” He refused to add the ‘without your sister’ because he knew what it would mean soon. He wouldn’t open wounds.

  Lian gave a sympathetic look. “Quiet,” she acknowledged. It was weird not having Michelle around, staying up till two, then sleeping till the middle of the day. Lia was more than happy to be moving in with Kazun. After years and years of livin with Michelle, the silence was a hard thing to bear.

  Timidly, she glanced out into the hall. There was no one on either side. Carefully, she stood on her tippy-toes and placed the very tips of her lips to her boyfriend’s clean-shaven cheek.

  Kazun’s lips spread into a smile. “Are you ready for food?” He was excited to have a meal with her. It would be something nice to get him pumped up for the game.

  In response, Lian’s stomach growled. Her post-workout protein shake had long worn off. Since she knew that she was getting lunch with Kaz, she had held off from snacking. Now it was time to eat and she was more than ready.

  Lian stepped through the door and locked up. She wanted to take Kazun’s hand and pull him off to their destination, but she didn’t. Instead she stuffed her hands into her pockets and started to walk away toward the lot.

  Soon, she wouldn’t walk these familiar halls. That was a strange feeling. Everything was changing. Some things for the worse and some for the better. Already, she missed her sister. It had only been one night, and still there was a hole left in her heart.

  Though Zier had promised to take her to see Michelle whenever she wanted, it still wasn’t the same.

  Once she got everything settled with the school and her things packed up, moving to Kazun’s would be good. As much as she liked the quiet, being alone was too much. Zier had kept her company the night before, which was nice. However, he often had things to do and Lian didn’t want to keep him from them. She hated being a burden. For so long, she had let her fears and phobias keep Michelle back from living her dreams. Now, her sister was running out of time and Lian couldn’t give her back the time wasted.

  “Do you want to take The Thing, or your transport?” Lian pushed the door open to the outside. Sitting right in front was the old tra
nsport lovingly named The Thing. It was beat up and road worn. The tired old machine ran well, despite the years of abuse Michelle had given it. She had left it behind for Lian to use, since she claimed she wouldn’t need it anymore.

  Kazun gave a nod. “I would like to drive you.” He fished his keys out of his pocket. It would be his pleasure.

  As he unlocked his doors, a familiar couple of walked towards them.

  Jo waved as she approached; her fingers were entwined with Marius’. Her forest-green eyes were filled with soft sympathy. Honestly, she hadn’t expected to see them. She and Marius had just returned from an outing to see the apartment they were hoping to get.

  “Hey, you two!” She came to a stop by Lian. “How are you guys doing? I’m sorry I didn’t get to say ‘hi’ to your parents last night. Did they take Michelle back already?” She was delicate with her words, carefully trying to avoid opening any wounds.

  Lian threw her arms around Jo and hugged her tightly. If anyone understood how hard it was having Michelle not being there, it was their best friend. Lian nodded and released Jo. “Yeah, Michelle and Ravin left before dinner last night. Mom and Dad took their stuff early this morning.”

  “How was dinner?” Marius asked in a polite voice. He wanted to avoid anything too serious during such a difficult time.

  A shy expression appeared on Lian’s face and she brushed a short lock of dark hair behind her ear. “It was really fun,” she replied quietly. Though he had been dating Jo for quite a few months now, Lian was still getting used to Marius. He was really nice.

  Jo really deserved a guy like him, but that didn’t make Lian’s social anxiety any easier to deal with. While Marius was probably the most harmless elf out there, Lian was used to them being much more scrutinizing. She still couldn’t really get out more than two words around Letvan.