Page 46 of Two Who Live On

I brushed past him and unleashed enough telekinesis to keep the gorgon pinned to the ground as banishment pulsed through my pores. He didn’t even have a chance to break into wisps; they crumpled and faded faster than I’d ever cast banishment before. Every piece of his essence was dead. I fucking killed him and obliterated every trace of his demonic energy.

“Thanks, Dorian.”

“Stay dead this time.”

“I told you to stop,” Milo snapped. “I had him. I had seen—”

“He killed Finn. Tortured him.” I shoved Milo. “I don’t care about your case. About those affected or any damn other demons involved. This one doesn’t get to come back. He doesn’t get to mock…to mock Finn.”

My eyes watered, and I could feel my rage and sorrow sweeping across the neighborhood like a tidal wave.

“He returned,” Milo said plainly. “He returned because some other demon made it happen. Some demon convincing other demons to join it. Why? I don’t know. How? I don’t know. Who? Guess I’ll have to wait for more bodies to drop and hope another lead falls in my lap.”

“I’m sorry, I just…” I bit my lip.

“You didn’t think. You reacted. The gorgon will come back, get resurrected in a way no one understands. We don’t know how. But hey, maybe we’ll get lucky. Ten more years. Twenty more. A hundred bodies. A few thousand. Maybe then someone will solve the case. But it won’t be here and now.”

I shivered. Milo’s eyes rolled up, tears brimming, but his lashes fluttered, and he delved into visions. The countless colorful threads snapped and pivoted as he followed every direction of so many potentials endlessly. Leaping further into his core, Milo studied the infinite screens storing his visions in his mind. All static fuzz for me, which was an improvement since they were blank the last time I’d seen them in his inner core. Perhaps our branches were syncing closer. Doubtful, since he felt a million miles away, not even acknowledging me in his mind’s core as he studied visions with a dissatisfied expression.

All my unbridled rage fizzled out, the satisfaction that came from ending the gorgon was replaced by gnawing guilt. Guilt for notlistening to Milo. Guilt for not thinking about other victims. Guilt for not caring.

“Go home, Dorian.” Milo closed off his thoughts. “You’ve done enough.”

We stood alone on the street.

“Milo, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“You didn’t care. Yeah, you already said that.” He stormed off, searching for his acolytes and leaving me alone on the street with only the moon’s light and flickering lampposts to keep the darkness at bay.

ChapterSeventeen

Chapter Seventeen

I lay in my bed, ignoring the buzz of my phone. Someone undoubtedly checking in on my absence or complaining that I’d called out last minute without leaving lesson plans. I didn’t care. Couldn’t. My mind spun in a million directions, each leading me to answers I hated.

I fucked everything up.

I failed at everything.

I was selfish. Worthless. Shortsighted.

My telepathy didn’t latch onto Milo, either from the exhaustion of sitting in my bed awake well into the mid-morning or because my magic knew he’d only be thinking the same thing I already knew. I couldn’t do anything right.

A part of me lingered on the satisfaction of ending that demon. Executing it for what had happened to Finn. Forwhat could’ve happened to Milo. Vanquishing demons was good. Justified. If it’d been a warlock, would I have done the same? Would I have hesitated? Would I have cared if the law of the world was on my side or against my actions? I didn’t know. I did know Enchanter Evergreen had likely returned to work, ready to solve a case from scratch and save as many lives as possible. He cared about everyone’s futures. And me? Did I care about anyone or anything?

Charlie and Carlie clawed at my door. One desperate for affection, the other desperate for food. I was so worthless and selfish; I couldn’t even care for my cats. I lay in bed, ignoring them and the rest of the world, desperate for an escape into isolation. They meowed. Faintly. Carlie’s heavy feet trotted further away. Charlie cooed, his purr mixed with a meow for attention in full effect.

“Hey, hey, little buddy.” Milo’s voice echoed in the other room. “Daddy got you a new toy. Don’t tell your dad, though. I know he has a fun limit.”

He was here? My heart lurched into my throat. Why?

“Yes, yes, Madame of All Things Wonderful, I’ve got those treats I promised. Just don’t leave any evidence.”

Carlie’s loud crunches made it evident she wouldn’t leave a spec of the treats behind. Hopefully, Milo knew how to slip a few along to Charlie unnoticed because Carlie was especially selfish with treats. I slipped off my bed, pausing at the door. Charlie chirped. A chirp he only made when eating and getting pets. His special pitchy chirp. Milo knew to slip him snacks because Carlie hadn’t hissed once, clearly distracted by her own meal. The cabinets clicked, and Milo rinsed their food bowls.

I returned to my bed and closed my eyes. He must’ve figured I’d gone to work. That was what brought him here. Maybe he’d had a vision about me starving my cats and was kind enough to care.Care.I’d repeated it a thousand times since I killed the gorgon and said Ididn’t care, so now the word held no meaning. I lacked an understanding of it. Care. Care. Care. Foul and strange as it rumbled in my thoughts and hung on the tip of my tongue.

Milo’s feet thudded across the carpet down the hallway leading to my bedroom. I flung the blanket over my head like a foolish teenager expecting him to believe I’d left body-shaped pillows beneath my blanket.

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