The Demon's Song - By Kendra Leigh Castle Page 0,74
of his issues, Phenex was impossible not to care about. He had no family, a lot of his friends were what could only be called difficult people, and he was minus a soul. Despite all that, he carried music around inside himself that was heart-wrenching, and he liked to snuggle. A lot.
He made no sense. She just…wanted him to. Just like she wanted him to engage in some kind of life that wasn’t deep underground. Her life. She felt more and more like those stupid flowers he was still trying to make grow down there. He’d planted some new ones just a couple of days ago. She felt sorry for them.
Not everything was made to thrive in the darkness.
“I need to tell you something,” he said.
Sofia looked up, startled, both at the words and the odd tone in his voice. This was it, she realized. This was the part where he told her, “Hey, it’s been real, but things are getting a little too much like serious, and by the way, Gadreel will be watching you from now on. Have fun defending yourself against the slither.” At which point, she would probably inform him that she’d be taking her chances on the surface, thanks very much. Nice vampires notwithstanding, removing Phenex from her situation changed everything.
She couldn’t keep doing this.
It was only the thought of something terrible happening that had kept her from trying to slink off to her parents’ for a visit already. She missed people. Her people.
The hell of it was, she was also going to miss Phenex when all this was over. Not his odd life, but him, even with all his quirks and frustrations. He would go, and she would probably spend the rest of her life wanting him to come back. It didn’t have to be all on her terms, but she had a right to have terms.
Not that he’d ever expressed any interest in what those might be.
Her heart sank, and she tried to brace herself. The weird tickle in the back of her throat indicated she wouldn’t be so stoic later, but she needed to focus on the now.
“What is it?” she asked.
Phenex looked at her with eyes she could fall into, as though he was working up the nerve to say it. Then he shook his head.
“You’re pale,” he said.
“No shit,” Sofia replied. “A week in the dark will do that. Do you have any more compliments to give me?”
“No, I just…” He blew out a breath and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I don’t know. I didn’t notice before. Are you feeling okay?”
Sofia didn’t bother to dignify that with an answer, instead fixing him with a look that was as much reply as a question like that deserved. She’d seen the smudges under her eyes in the mirror earlier. Her energy level was in the gutter. She doubted it was hard to see, at least for someone who was paying attention.
And he had been. That, at least, was something.
“No, I know you don’t,” Phenex said quickly, sounding annoyed. His look said it wasn’t with her, though. He glanced away. “I can’t take you to Baltimore right now, Sofia. I just…I can’t. But I can give you something I should have a few days ago.”
Sofia couldn’t allow herself to get her hopes up. She put up a hand. “If it’s in Terra Noctem, I’d rather not, thanks. I’m tired. I’m just tired, Phenex.”
The feel of his hands sliding around her waist surprised her. She didn’t know how she felt about it. Her body sang the way it always did. Her heart, however, didn’t seem to want to do anything but ache. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be what she needed.
“Hang on to me.”
“Phenex,” Sofia began wearily.
“Just trust me. Please,” he added, surprising her. The earnestness in his voice, along with the look in his eyes, made it impossible to push him away. Even though she knew she probably should.
Just this time, Sofia told herself. Just this one more time. And maybe this time when you wind up disappointed, you’ll quit trying to make him something he can’t be and start accepting reality. Or whatever this is. With a heavy sigh, she wrapped her arms around Phenex, he picked up her legs, and an instant later they were airborne. He pressed his mouth against her ear to be heard above the wind.
“This is a longer flight, okay? We’re not going back to the city tonight. Just relax. Well, try.”