“I’m trying to have fewer regrets. Life’s heavy enough.”
“What do you want to know about me?”
There’s so much, but I start simple. “How’d you choose your name?”
“It’s the name of a star in the Cloaked Phantom. It’s the dimmest star in that constellation, and that’s what I liked about it. I’ve been growing up with a lot of eyes on me since my mom was killed, and my classmates thought my life was flashy because I was working all those political circuits. This power was finally going to give me some discretion to figure out who I wanted to become.” He takes my hand in his. “Things took a turn with all the Blood Casting, but I can’t get too upset since it led me to you too. Maybe one day when everything settles we’ll get to morph into something together, firefly.”
The way he calls me firefly and gently brushes my palm has me blazing inside. He’s reading my face, like he knows how successfully he’s seducing me with his touch. I’m not fighting it. I’m pushing away all my guilty thoughts about the Halo Knight I first kissed while flying on a phoenix because Ness is back from the dead and I want to stoke these flames for once in my life.
I put my hand on his heart, and it’s beating as fast and hard as mine.
My lips practically fly to his, and I kiss the shape-shifter who has always found me beautiful because of who I am and has never wanted to change me. He’s kissing me back, taking charge as he picks me up and sets me down beside the cauldron. My palms are on his cheeks as his tongue slowly slides across mine. I’m not ready to strip down to nothing yet but I take off my shirt and I don’t ask him to keep his eyes closed this time. I’m hoping everything I’ve thought about him is right, that he’s not about to be disappointed by what he finds underneath. He smiles even though I don’t have a single ab in sight, like seeing more of me is enough to make him happy. He removes his own shirt and presses his bare chest against mine, and it’s the first time I’ve ever been flesh to flesh with someone like this. Our bodies have been through so much before this point, and maybe, one day, our bodies are going to go through some really great things together.
However long I live in this lifetime, this moment is something I’ll never forget.
Seventy-SixFamily
NESS
This is the safest I have felt in weeks.
Firefly’s embrace is everything and I want our lips and bodies to stay locked.
I’m not stressing over the Halo Knight, especially since I don’t know their business. I’m keeping my attention on Emil, who’s haunted me so much that I’ve woken up in his form and I wonder how that will change if I get to hold him when I finally get to fall asleep after this hellish night of being shot and hunted in the Bounds.
There’s shouting in the hallway and the first thing I hear is “Pru, just talk to me!”
Emil breaks our kiss. His tired hazel eyes widen. “Brighton and Prudencia are back,” he says, putting on his shirt.
His brother is always getting in the way of things.
I get dressed too and follow him out of the lab.
“Hey!” Emil calls.
Prudencia stops. “Great. Emil, take over. I just spent an hour in the car with your brother while he tried to justify murder.”
Probably best for Emil not to mention what he’s been up to.
“You make it sound so ugly,” Brighton says. “Stanton was beating the life out of Emil and tried to throw me over a balcony. It’s self-defense.”
“People don’t usually smile when ripping out hearts, Bright,” Emil says.
“I was happy that he was dead! That monster tortured me. I’m not throwing a party, but don’t expect me to grieve someone who tried assassinating me.”
I’m certainly not going to mourn Stanton either. He was an absolute terror and everyone should be able to sleep a little easier now that he’s dead. But I’m certainly not jumping into these family affairs.
“I’m just nervous,” Emil says. “Never in a million lifetimes would I kill someone.”
“Well, Keon and Bautista beg to disagree,” Brighton says, not caring when Emil tears up. “You might find yourself having to change your tune soon enough, because all those Bounds escapees are running loose, and we’re going to have to round them up. . . .” He points to me. “Especially with your father blaming everything on us.”
“He’s already given a statement?” I ask.
Brighton pulls out his phone, swiping away his many notifications to show me and Emil a news video.
There’s footage of the Bounds captured by a drone, and black smoke is pouring out of one of the four towers; they haven’t cited Emil as the source thankfully. The large yellow phoenix back on the island is now seen flying away with three silhouetted passengers as a storm follows them toward the city.
“Please tell me that’s Maribelle and Tala and not some convicts,” Emil says.
“Hopefully. Though I’m more concerned about the third person,” Prudencia says.
I flush in anger. “Don’t tell me Luna talked her way into survival.”
The video cuts to the Senator outside the manor. He’s still fooling the press with his fake black eye and cut lip. “Our country is under attack and neither our sitting president nor my opponent has condemned the actions of the Spell Walkers and the Halo Knights who broke into the New York City Bounds in the middle of the night. Let me be the first to say this terrorism won’t be allowed when the country is under my supervision.” He takes the most insincere pause. “I believe my son, Eduardo, coordinated these efforts in the event he was ever captured, and he succeeded in escaping along with many other dangerous criminals. Be wary of anyone speaking ill against me from this point forward—it may simply be
