Nocticadia

by Keri Lake

“When I entered that room and saw you practically naked on the floor and blood everywhere ...” A muscle ticced in his jaw. “Believe me when I say you don’t want to know what happened to Angelo.”

“There was … the briefest moment … when I was running toward that room. Your screams had silenced. And I thought—“

“That was the first time I truly felt that something could hurt me. That I could be brought to my knees. I don’t ever want to feel that again, Lilia.”

“Don’t hide from me, Lilia. You are no less beautiful than that day you walked into my classroom and stole my fucking breath.”

“It’ll scar.” I said, not only referring to the wound on my face. “It might. But it’ll also serve as a reminder that you fought a professional killer and survived. You’re stronger than you realize.”

“Melisandre Winthrop has accused you of holding her at knife point and threatening to cut her fucking nipples off with a blade. That’s what.”

That's Crazy bro

“Because it’s true. Spencer isn’t even mine. He was a product of my wife’s affair with your father.”

Across the room, Angelo lay on a steel examination table. His arms had been removed and cauterized, leaving only a dark, burned stump.

A black, form-fitting T-shirt was a contrast to the white button-down he’d worn earlier.

When I turned back to him, I caught sight of a red splotch at the corner of his eye, as if he’d broken a blood vessel there. My staring also drew attention to a scar just outside of the same eye that I hadn’t noticed before.

“You’re … you’re … Caedmon,” I whispered. A part of me felt relieved, the other part of me still reeling from the shock.

IVE BEEN TELLING YOU

“So loyal to him, aren’t you?” He nipped my earlobe with his teeth. “Pity. I love a good revenge fuck.”

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!

“Interesting choice of costume.” “It belongs to your boyfriend.”

“You’re lying.” “The liar is the one you’ve been fucking all this time.”

“Don’t fuck with me. Put it on.” “At least tell me this much. Do you plan to kill me?” “Every minute that you stall putting that helmet on, I find less reason to keep you alive.”

Melisandre Winthrop.

She whacked Jenny over the head so hard, I flinched, noting that Lippincott had his face buried in his glass. The nauseating impact sent the girl tumbling to the floor, and as if stunned by what she’d done, Melisandre backed herself away, dropping the shovel.

He killed her. Burned her. Alive.

“Winthrop has had it in for you for a while,” Lippincott said,

“You’re better off with me.”

“Weeks, I’ve watched you. In class. While you sleep.”

“He doesn’t deserve you. None of them do.”

“He loves you, you know. I have no idea what you’ve been through, but I know he still grieves for you.”

“Get out of here. Don’t make me regret letting you take off on your own.” I tucked the chip into my pocket. “I can handle myself.” “I’m sure you can, Covington.”

“I want my scholarship reinstated. All four years and a master’s degree. And I want my childhood home. Paid for in full.”

“A-a-and I feel emboldened to make such requests based on the significance of my contribution. It’s proven to sustain the effect of the toxin, ensuring its success.” She was nervous, hands shaking, but beautifully dauntless at the same time.

“It’s all right. I’m fine. Hurts like fuck, but I’ll live.”

“You were going to make Lippincott one of your test subjects?” “Seemed a waste to kill him outright.” “You’re a sick man, Doctor Death.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, careful to avoid his shoulder, and pulled him in for a kiss. “Positively crazy, I think.” “I am. Crazy enough to admit that I would’ve killed every person in that room a moment ago. I’d have killed Lippincott, Gilchrist—my own brother, if he’d laid a hand on you.”

“I’ve staked my claim on you, Lilia. God help you.” “I’ve done just fine without God’s help,”

Half my soul staring back at me like a dark reflection in the mirror.

“You let me believe all these years that you were dead. And I’m the asshole? That’s rich. Who the fuck do you think took the brunt of our father’s rage? Who do you think he blamed every minute of every year that followed, huh?”

“Oh, it seems I’ve found a weakness, Brother.”

“She tell you I watched her sleep? How easily I could’ve fucked her, pretending to be you.”

“I’d have fucking killed you myself for touching her.”

“Impervious,” I said again, and eyes screwed shut, he shook his head. “No.” A rage-filled growl vibrated out of him.

“The day they dragged you from that closet, my whole fucking world caved in, and I’ve been living in death ever since.”

“You were my protector. My whole fucking world.” Voice faltering, I cleared my throat.

“IamashadowIamaghostIamnothingIamashadowIamaghostIamnothing,” he whispered over and over.

“You’re no ghost, nor shadow. You are my brother.”

He let out a pained sound and gripped my arms. “Fuck! Fuck!” “I’m sorry,” I whispered. He finally broke.

“His trigger finger is pinned to the wall of his office, next to his ears.” He drew his knee up, resting his elbow there. “He held a gun to my head once. Told me he’d put a bullet between my ears.”

“I don’t know what I would’ve done. That’s what scares me.” “And now?” “I’m trying to flush it down the mental fucking toilet over here, so let’s just move on, okay?”

“When they threw me in that dank, cold fucking cell, I heard a voice, too.” “What did it say to you?” “It told me to stay alive and to kill them all. But it wasn’t the voice of dead people. It was your voice I heard.”

“Where will you go?” “Don’t know. Away.”

“You can’t leave. Now that I know you’re alive …” “I need to figure shit out, Dev. My head isn’t right.” “There’s money. Plenty of it. I can set up an account.” “I don’t need your money. I need to find a reason to live again.”

“If it’s time you need, then go. But for fucks sake, Caed, promise me you’ll come back if it gets too heavy for you. Because …” Scowling, I blinked back tears. “I won’t lose you again.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “If you stay, I swear to Christ I’ll protect you this time.” He gave one hard squeeze. “You let him convince you of his lies, Brother. You were never weak. Not to me.”

“You’re about the feistiest little fox I’ve ever met,” he said and leaned into her, whispering something in her ear that I couldn’t make out.

“Give my best to Chairman Winthrop.” The tone of his voice carried a threat. “If he even thinks to retaliate, I’ll have reason to return.”

“He just said that I was too beautiful to fret over this scar. And that I should look out for you because you’re all he has left.”