“Yes.”
Rage left Luca shaking.
“But then I saw you with him, and I had to find another way.”
“Do they know we’re here?” Nox said.
“They do.”
“How long do we have to get out?”
“When they decide to come after you, there’s nowhere you’ll be able to hide. And they have ways of killing you you’ve yet to experience.”
“What are we going to do?” Luca tightened his hold on Nox.
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“They want the Anubis,” Isaiah said. “They don’t want you.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, we’re the same.”
“No, no, you’re not. You’re not the same as that thing residing inside you.”
“Same body then. The only choice we have is to run.” To Luca, Nox said. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Luca wasn’t. Even if it meant running forever, he would do it to keep the man beside him.
“What if there was another way?” Isaiah said. “What if I could get the ichor to purge and rid you of the Anubis? Then the Senate would have no reason to hunt you anymore. You and Luca could stay with us. You’d be a mortal man, but you’d be safe.”
* * *
To be the man and not the monster.
The concept was unfathomable.
It wasn’t that Nox had carried the Anubis for so long he couldn’t remember what it was like to be without it. It was carrying it that had shown him he was powerless to escape.
The opportunity to be human—or as close to human as possible—would allow him to be everything he wanted for Luca.
Hope hit him, leaving his soul flayed, and then the salt of reality caused the wound to burn.
But it didn’t stop him from wanting to believe Isaiah was capable of what he claimed.
Nox had been there when Koda took the ichor from his teammates, leaving behind corpses. How would losing the ichor be any different for Nox?
He needed to know, and he had a feeling Isaiah wouldn’t be as honest with Luca listening.
“Why don’t you go let Isaiah’s friends know he’s not feeling well,” Nox said.
“I wanted to—”
“Ask for Tanner. Tell him to bring Jelani. They’ll know what to do.”
Luca furrowed his brow.
Nox readied himself for an argument. Instead, Luca left.
When he was halfway across the pasture, Nox said, “What’s the catch?”