Things That Should Stay Buried - Casey L. Bond Page 0,22

his cinnamon scent washed over me in delicate waves. His dark lashes fluttered, a tumultuous storm of emotions washing over his flawless face as he prepared to explain.

“Each of the Zodia rule in their own way, but my people were happy. They prospered. They laughed. Loved. Lived their lives in the fullest ways – ways I could only enjoy by watching them. Ways I wished I could live mine.” He paused, but lifted a clawed hand when I opened my mouth. “I know this is all very jarring. I know what you’ve lost. All of you. It must be very hard to leave all you know behind for a future that is unfamiliar and seemingly uncertain, but I will take care of my people. I promise you that.”

A log in the fire popped.

“What about those who aren’t yours, Aries? What about them?”

The apple of his throat bobbed as he swallowed.

That’s what I thought. He had no say in how any other Zodia treated their people. In how their lives would play out.

For once, I had nothing to say. At least he got it. At least he understood what every human outside these walls was going through.

“What was life like for you?” he asked softly.

I watched the fire flicker in his eyes for a moment, gathering my thoughts.

What was life like for us?

“Honestly, it was sort of a hot mess. If you watched us for a while, you’d see people with phones seemingly attached to their palms, sometimes unable to look away from their screens even to do simple things like cross the road. You’d see people working long hours and getting paid only to use every dime on bills and food and things they needed, and a lot of things they didn’t need at all. Things they just wanted. You’d see people drinking and taking drugs to escape and then waking up with the same problems they went to sleep with. Life was cyclical. Things became routine and mundane. Then crises would happen and put things in perspective, just when you needed that clarity the most. Then you’d remember what was important and what wasn’t, but all that would fade in time and you’d lose sight of what really mattered again. We… we never really learn to be grateful or happy or to appreciate what we have, do we?”

Aries’s brows slanted. “No, I suppose not,” he murmured, “but I wanted to know about your life, Larken. Just yours.”

I swallowed. The tenderness in his tone was so unexpected. It contrasted with his horns, the power he wielded like it was as easy as breathing. “Well, I’m just a teenager so I haven’t had much time to experience it. I went to school. We learned English, Math, and Science; some stuff we needed, and some I’m pretty sure I’ll never need. Calculus, for example. But I had friends. This weekend, I was supposed to go to my senior prom with Xavier Dillon. We were just going as friends, but I was excited to go to prom with him.”

“Xavier Dillon?” he rasped. Aries looked at the marks he’d painted on my skin. “You wanted him as your mate?”

“I’m not sure you understand. I’m only seventeen, although technically, I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks. But anyway, seventeen-year-olds don’t spend our time worrying about finding a mate. We worry about college and what’s happening on any given weekend, social media, going to the mall, and hanging out with friends. Not… mates.”

“So you were only toying with him.”

Ugh. Modern life was hard to explain to the ancient.

“No, not toying, but it wasn’t serious. No mating had happened,” I teased, trying to smile.

It was not wise to tease Aries.

A growl resonated from his chest.

Instinctively, I took a step back from him.

“I would never hurt you,” he said almost dejectedly. “I’m not a monster.”

His eyes locked on the hand that had unconsciously slid to the bruises on my side. Apologetic regret flickered there, but that didn’t mean I could let my guard down. He was dangerous. And strong. He could easily kill me if he wanted to, and even if he got angry and didn’t mean to.

He was quiet for a long moment. “Would you like to go to your house to collect some of your belongings?”

My heart nearly cried. “Yes,” I rasped. I wanted all my things. Maybe then, this would seem like less of a nightmare.

My eyes watered at the lingering, familiar smell of mulberry spice. Mom kept one of those automatic air freshener things