“I’m not going to hurt you.” The irony of Luca’s words was not lost on him.
Nox dropped his chin to his chest.
Luca leaned into the man to lever him up. But the more Nox was up right, the heavier he got. “I need you to help me. I’m not as strong as you.”
Nox grunted and pawed at the floor.
“How much do you weigh?” Luca huffed out a breath. “Jesus, what do you eat? Lead?” The strain on Luca’s arm lifted as Nox pulled himself into a sitting position. Luca slumped. “You weigh a ton, anyone tell you that?”
Nox almost smiled.
“Can you stand? Because there’s no way I can pick you up.”
“Not…” Nox shifted to his hip. “Yet.” His deep breaths calmed. He sat there for several minutes then said, “Move back in case I fall.”
Luca did.
Nox rolled to his knees and pulled his feet under him. Normal feet that moments ago had belonged to an animal. He stood, wobbled, caught his balance. He walked to the bench and dropped beside his sweats.
Luca picked up his own clothes and dressed. “Do you need help?”
“No.” Nox watched Luca with confusion.
Luca ran the towel over his head.
Nox continued to stare. “How did you do it?” It almost sounded like an accusation.
“Do what?” Luca folded the terrycloth.
“Stop it.” Nox swallowed several times. “It had complete control. There was nothing I could do.” The intensity of Nox’s gaze made Luca look away.
“I didn’t do anything.” Luca rubbed his arm where the black threads had touched him. There was no pain or bruises, and with as tight as Nox held him, there should have been. The ghost of contact echoed across his skin.
“If it happens again, run.” Nox stood and pulled on his sweatpants.
“Why?”
Nox picked up his towel. “Just promise me you’ll run.”
“Not unless you give me a good reason why I should.”
“I’m getting more unstable.” He glanced at Luca. He fumbled with his towel like he wasn’t sure what to do with it. The tan of his skin was almost brown against the white of the terrycloth. “And that means I could hurt you. Even when I don’t want to.”
“You told me you’d never hurt me.”
“I won’t. But it will.”
“You don’t really believe that.” Luca didn’t. He gathered up the remaining soap bottles.
“And you don’t seem to understand how dangerous this thing is.”
Luca straightened his shoulders. “I’m not running. Not now, not later.”
A tic jumped in Nox’s jaw. “Then I’ll find somewhere safe for you to go.”
“And where will that be?” Luca threw a hand out. “Where am I going to be safe from creatures that can cut through metal and practically run down a truck going ninety miles per hour?”
Nox dropped his shoulders. “I don’t know yet.”