Page 68 of Darkness

Cuba. Not home.

Footsteps grab our attention, and we turn to the brick wall as two short knocks sound, then it pulls open before Ivy can respond.

That’s another thing I’ll never get used to down here—not having a visible door.

Void stops in the doorway, his eyes widening when he spots me. “Sorry, Eva, didn’t realize you were down here. I’ll come back.”

Ivy walks over, dragging him inside the room. “No, stay. We were chatting about how good Trixie’s cooking is.”

Void looks from Ivy to me like he’s uncomfortable being in here with me. Like I’m intruding on his time with her or vice versa. It makes me wonder if there’s more to their friendship than even he is aware of.

“Her Cuban sandwiches are to die for,” I add, trying to break the tension as he shifts on the seat he just sat on.

I haven’t spent a great deal of time with Void. To be honest, he’s generally with Ivy, so I can’t read what’s going through his mind.

“You’re doing that quiet thing you do. You don’t have to be shy around Eva. She’s just like me,” Ivy offers, placing her hand on his knee.

Void tenses. He’s usually quiet, but he’s opened up around her.

That’s a good thing.

I have to leave.

Void has come down to talk to her for a reason, and I know he won’t open up in front of me.

“Hey, I need to go check on something. I’ll come back later, okay?”

Ivy pouts as Void’s eyes flicker with something.

He definitely wants me to leave.

“Okay, I’m out.”

“I’ll be here. Come back when you’re ready,” Ivy gushes.

“I still can’t grasp why you like it down here, Ivy. That wind… it’s like the walls are moaning all the time. Gives me the creeps.”

Void sits taller while Ivy snorts out a laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, I don’t even know why I like it. It just feels good. Like home.”

She’s right. This place is like home now. When I first got here, I had no idea I could wrap my mind around actually liking this place so much I would want to stay, but it’s where I’m at.

Leaving the bunker, leaving Nycto… both those thoughts are abhorrent to me now.

I take off in search of Nycto and find him sitting with Spark at the bar. Making my way over to him, I can’t help but overhear their conversation as I approach.

“It’s gotten really crazy over in California, Pres. The fires are rampant. It’s chaos on the West Coast. With my family over there, I need to head back and make sure everyone is safe. Disaster Response is also calling all hands on deck, so I can’t turn my back on my job,” Spark urges.

Nycto slaps him on the shoulder. “I understand. Go for as long as you need.”

“I gotta deal with paperwork and shit, but I’ll keep you informed.”

Nycto dips his chin. Spark exhales as if a calm washes over him. I may not understand his need to be near fires, but if it’s his calling, then good on him for fighting that fight.

I take the opportunity to slide into the spot Spark vacated. “That sounds interesting.”

“Spark’s trained in disaster response. We’re not sure exactly what he does other than firefighting.” His fascination for fires goes deeper than I think any of us can understand. It’s a primal thing for him. I get it… how something haunts you. “And he has family there, so if he needs to go help in California, he should. We have a Defiance Chapter over there where he can stay. They’ll take care of him while he’s fighting the good fight.”

“I know we’ve had a rough day, but underneath it all, you’re a good man, Nycto.”

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