Hera had changed the course of my life in so many ways. I’d felt trapped, not by Larkwood but by what I was, unable to leave but unwelcome to stay, either. Hera had opened my eyes, had shown me that I could change that and have something more, something better.
And despite all the odds, the risks, the fallbacks we’d suffered, Hera had given me the strength to keep going. She’d stood beside me, which had let me push through all of that to end up here.
So I kissed her back, as if I could explain to her with this touch just how much she meant to me. I couldn’t talk sweetly to her like Wade or Knox, but she and I spoke a language all our own.
The North Tower had tortured us both, but we’d stood together and outlasted it. It seemed fitting to be here now, standing here free, without the chains of this place on either of us.
All that pain we’d survived and endured had led us here. I wouldn’t change a single minute of that, because the taste of the woman I loved made it clear that it was far beyond worth it.
* * * *
Kit
Smelling food was always a strange thing to me. I had no appetite—at least for regular food—which meant the scent didn’t spur some desire to eat. In fact, in the past few months, I’d gained an appreciation and knowledge from cooking.
Perhaps it was a strange hobby from someone who couldn’t truly enjoy the things he created. Still, watching Hera eat the thing I made fulfilled some strange part of me.
Which was why I’d come to her place early to start food for this evening, especially since I knew she’d be running late. I had access to her schedule, and I’d noted that each meeting she had came later and later, as if it had started out bad and snowballed out of control.
I smiled as I checked the oven, grateful to have a full kitchen. The new quarters that Hera had taken had many advantages over her old ones. She now stayed in the main tower rather than the residential one, having moved into the Warden’s old place. She’d resisted it at first, but in the end, the need for more space and security had won her over.
Living in the main tower put her closer to her work as well, so she didn’t have to run back and forth constantly. Besides, this place had multiple rooms, which was useful. Despite having our own apartments still, we’d all sort of taken a room in her place as our own and spent most nights here.
The door opened and I turned to find Hera rushing in, her hands flying in what was no doubt an apology.
When she looked over at me, out of breath, I couldn’t help the way my heart seemed to beat faster. How was it possible to feel such fondness toward another person?
“You are nearly two hours late,” I said, throwing out the information like a challenge.
“Sorry,”she signed again.“The day got away from me.”
I sighed at her apology. Despite our time together, she still often took my words as colder than I intended them to be, thinking I was angry when I wasn’t. “It’s fine. I started dinner for you so we wouldn’t be behind schedule.”
She caught my hand and squeezed softly as a thank you. It told me what I’d already known—she was nervous about tonight and would have been upset for it to have been thrown off by her lateness.
I never smiled much, and even now I was certain my lips didn’t curl up. Still, a softening of my expression at her gratitude wasn’t something anyone else got to see. Hera had a glimpse to a part of myself that I didn’t hide from others on purpose, it was simply a part no one else could draw out. I didn’t feel safe enough with anyone else for this softer part of me to come to light, for me to experience this.
And it was a sensation I didn’t know if I’d ever grow used to.
“You don’t eat. Can we trust you to cook?”she asked, her grin saying she enjoyed teasing me.
And really, who else would dare tease a wendigo of my age?Adorable.
“I don’t need to eat to know how food is prepared. I also had extra chairs brought and put leaves into the table to make room.”
She glanced at the large table as she worried her bottom lip.“I’ve never had so many people here before,”she admitted.
“Larkwood isn’t the sort of place where many have family dinners.”
She stood back up and faced me, the light in her eyes saying she’d been thinking.“We should do a family night.”At my lifted eyebrow, she went on.“A lot of shades here haven’t seen their family in a long time, but not all of them have bad relationships. Maybe we should do a real get-together, like an open house.”
“Do you think anyone would attend? I recall visitation days here, when shades who had no one to speak to trudged through the day. I wonder if such an event would not cause more heartache than good.”I recalled Hera when her family had stopped contacting her, the way visitation day had worn on her week after week.
I didn’t want to see other shades suffer that same disappointment.
“What about a big event that we all attend? Humans and shades could come, and it could serve as both a way for shades to see family but also as a way for people to see what Larkwood is now. If shades don’t have family willing to come, they’ll still get that same feeling of belonging from everyone who does come.”
I tapped my finger against the counter, blinking slowly as if working through the idea. Finally, I shrugged. “That could be a good idea. We should consider trying it in the next few months. If it goes well, we can implement them regularly.”