Chapter 36 – Damon
DAMON
Ienter our cabin in the woods, my head aching. There had been a meeting with the Elites where Norbert was accused of trying to murder Medusa and Keto. Their mates had stood up and demanded justice.
And Norbert had explained it away as a misunderstanding.
Everyone knew the truth, but the Elites would hear nothing of it.
The air in the room had shifted, and I watched as the Elites lost the faith of the people.
And when Medusa’s and Keto’s mates had said that they would be leaving the sanctuary to find a safe place with their families, protests had risen.
How would the gargoyle line continue if their children couldn’t marry the children of the female monsters? What would happen to our society?
But the men wouldn’t budge. They said if their wives weren’t safe, then this wasn’t their home.
And they’d left.
My brothers and I had stood. Elliot’s father had demanded we sit down. And for the first time in our lives, there was panic in his voice. But Elliot disobeyed him, and we’d left. Leaving this life behind forever.
It was a long day.
A weary day.
But I was still happier than I had been in a long time. Because we had plans. Because we had a future to focus on.
“How was it?” our shade asked from beside the fire.
The healer had bandaged her and stayed with her until we returned. She looked exhausted and small, curled up on our rug by the fire. My heart ached as I looked at her. The thought that I’d failed to protect her burns in my veins.
“It was…unpleasant,” Jordon tells her, flopping down onto the couch and yanking his boots off.
We all sit around the room, tired from the meeting, but glad to be back in our home and with our shade.
For a minute, I look around the space and wonder if we’ll find another place in the world that feels like ours.
And then I smile, because I feel like wherever we go with the shade will make us happy.
“What’s our future?” the shade asks.
I stiffen. Had she read our mind? “Traveling. Together. All of us,” I say.
Hadn’t we discussed this? Or had we discussed it without her?
“I mean…us,” she says, gesturing to all of us. “Do you wish to be with me? Will we go our separate ways once we’ve explored enough? What exactly do you…want with me?”
“Shade—“ Elliot begins.
“Everyone seems to want to use me. I don’t want to be used anymore.”
My chest aches. Is that what she thinks? “We don’t want to use you,” I say.
“Then what do you want with me?”
The guys and I exchange a glance. How can we explain ourselves to her? That we’ve grown to care for her in a way we’ve never cared about another woman. That we like being with her. That we like her.
That we might even be falling in love with her.
“We…like you,” Cody says. “You make us happy.”
In response, she frowns.
“You’re important to us,” Elliot continues, looking like he’s struggling to find the right words.
“I need to think,” she says.
And then she’s gone.
We leap to our feet.
“Where the hell did she go?” I demand.
Everyone shakes their heads.
“She left.” Cody sounds as if he’s in complete disbelief.
Elliot swears. “We should have done better! That was pathetic! She was looking for reassurance that we weren’t going to just use her and try to control her like everyone else!”
“I didn’t see you getting that across to her!” I shout back at him.
We pace. We argue. But no matter what we do, that night we sleep alone.
And for the first time, I realize it isn’t talking about leaving the sanctuary that’s given me a new hope for the future. It’s the shade. Because without her? Our world seems bleak once more.