“I’m not human, Louella. I don’t see things like you. You don’t stay alive as long as I have and keep the stars in your eyes.”
“So now I’m naïve because I don’t believe killing should be taken lightly or done in a way that will darken my own magic?”
“If the intention is self-protection it’s not the same as killing for sport.”
“And you know that because you were once a witch? It’s a slippery slope to be carefully considered.”
“After everything you’ve seen and experienced, do you really think life is so black and white, Louella? Open your eyes and see the world for what it is. We do what we must to survive. I won’t apologize for that.”
“And the bond? That was love?”
“Yes.”
“To who? You knew what it would do, didn’t you? You keep me so fucking distracted.” Anger raises inside of me. “This is the last time you use me, Cristobal. I can fee
l the power radiating from you. It’s not the same as it was last night.”
“That’s because—”
“No. I don’t want to hear another word.” My chest aches. He took my birthright, the gift I offered him, and twisted it into something that makes me sick to my stomach. I stumble from the bed and bump into the dresser. “What the hell?” That was faster than a human should be able to move.
“It’s an after effect,” I scream, tugging at my hair. In one evening everything about me has changed. “Will it last?”
“I’m not sure. This … It’s different for everyone.”
I can see the half-truths he’s giving me. I breathe heavily. I’m suffocating here. I need to get away. My hands shake as I dress.
“Don’t leave like this.”
I point my finger at him. “You stay away from me. For the first time since we started dating, I really see you, Cristobal, and I don’t think I like it.”
PRESENT
“I can admit I handled things poorly. I didn’t think about how it would come across to you. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Being with you … kept me from completely detaching from the human world. You live so long the numbness sets in. Memories of humanity grow distant, and you stop caring. I was on the cusp of that dark period where many choose to go to ground and rest. Then I saw you. This blazing light in the middle of the pitch black. You made me feel again. I couldn’t taint that. I refused to ruin the qualities I found endearing.” He toys with his cufflinks.
“You were right about a lot of things. I hate how you went about getting what you wanted. That’ll never change. Back then you made me face some harsh realities about myself, the world, and what it means to be not fully human. I’d been so insulated by my family and the community I grew up in. I was unprepared for it. I never viewed the world the way you did. Maybe that’s why I wanted to get out and see it for myself.”
Reaching across the bed, he grabs my hand. “And now?”
“It’s time to admit we both screwed up and decide how we’re going to move forward.” Luz’s story plays in my head. We’ve both hurt each other and laid our cards on the table. It’s time for healing.
“As long as it’s together, I could care less about the details, dove.” He kisses the back of my hand.
“Ask me.”
My eyebrows pinch together in confusion. “Ask what?”
“Whatever has you trying to stare a hole in me,” he replies, amused.
I sigh. “Are we going to have a problem with Etta?”
“Not after the equinox. She’ll know her place once you take your place beside me.”
“Good. I never liked that wench.”
He chuckles. “She fancies herself a queen. All she’s ever wanted was a throne to rule from. The resurgence in the area is about my position, not me personally.”
“You sure about that?” I ask, thinking about the way she watched his every move.