ROANE
They’d been walking through the forest until it got dark. Roane kept waiting for her to fly away, or go invisible, or do something magical, but she never did. She trekked ahead of him, walking as if she were a human, until they came to a clearing. She stopped and gazed around, sighing. “I suppose we can sleep here tonight.”
His eyebrows pinched together. “You sleep?”
“No.” She waved her hand in the air and a bonfire appeared. Two sleeping bags were on the floor, on either side of the fire. She dropped down on one of them and crossed her legs. “But you do.”
His head moved back an inch. “That’s very . . .” He couldn’t bring himself to give her a compliment. She was being nice.
“What?” She laughed. “You’re surprised I might have a soul in me? I was inside of Davy for a year. Some of her niceness rubbed off on me.”
She had Davy’s face. Davy’s voice and right now, as she was staring at the fire, it was like she was Davy. His stomach clenched. This was not Davy, and he couldn’t forget that. Ever.
She rolled her eyes, lying down on her side. Her hands tucked under her head, acting like a pillow. “I’m not her, but I’m not that bad either, Lucas Roane of the Hunters.”
He grunted, dropping down onto the other sleeping bag. “You replaced my girlfriend. I think you are.”
Her eyes found his through the fire. A dark and sober expression filled them. “When it comes to the question of you or someone else existing, you might be surprised at the lengths you’ll go to live.”
“You’re not a person.”
“And yet here I am.” She rolled to her back. “Talking like a person. Breathing. Feeling. I think I’m more human than you are, even.”
She was lying. She had no soul. Davy had been the soul in her. He continued to study her, and she let him. He didn’t need to sleep that much, maybe a few hours if even that, but after a while his eyes closed, and he slept.
“Lucas.”
He stood up. Everything around him was dark, but that was Davy. She was crying. More sobs came from her, and he called out, “Davy? Where are you?”
“Lucas?”
The crying stopped. Her voice grew clearer. “Lucas!”
“I’m here. Where are you?”
“Here.” And suddenly, she was. She was smack in front of him. Her dark hair lay straight down her shoulders and her eyes were wide. “What are you doing here?” She touched his shoulders and patted him. “Are you real? Are you really here?”
“Davy.” He closed his eyes and groaned. She was right in front of him. He could touch her. Taking her hands in his, he pulled her close and tucked his forehead to the crook of her neck and shoulders. He clasped her tight. “Oh my God. I can feel you.”
Her arms wrapped tightly around him and she pressed up on her toes. Her whole body moved even closer against his.
He savored this. He had her. Finally. He could hug her, kiss her, feel her, taste her, inhale her.
“Oh my God.”
He felt her tears against his shoulder. He only wanted to hold her longer.
“Oh my God,” she repeated. More tears. “Is this a dream?”
Yes. He was asleep. If this was real or not, he didn’t want to question it. He just wanted to draw strength from it. If only in his dreams, if that were the only place he could see her, it would be enough. It would be more than enough.
“This is a dream.” Her tears lessened. She pulled away, but he held on. He didn’t want her to pull all the way away. She leaned back so she could look into his eyes. What he saw there had his rage going again. She knew this moment wouldn’t last. He would leave again. She said, “Lucas, if this is real or not, you have to know about her.”
He shook his head. “Stop, Davy. I just want to hold you. I don’t want to think of her.”
She stepped farther back. Her hands fell to his arms. Her fingers dug in, holding onto him with a cement grip. “No, but you have to. This is important. She’s going to destroy the only person who is a threat to her. She’s an innocent.”
He leaned back. “An innocent? She’ll never be innocent.”
“No. You don’t understand.” She clenched onto him even harder. Her fingers were turning white. “You think she’s all powerful. You think there’s no hope, but there is. Someone is missing. Who is missing? Ask yourself why they’re missing? And she’s not the innocent, but the innocent is the key. There are people coming. They will help. People you have forgotten about. People that you started in motion. Remember, Lucas. Think, Lucas.”