Page 30 of The Other Side

“Cypress?” I stumbled, confused.

“Hurry back to my other pets.”

“But—”

“Go,” she spoke over her shoulder. “And when the time comes, I will be in the crowd, ready to be summoned.” Relief passed through me as she continued to walk away.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Do not fail me, my love.” Her love.

I won’t. I promise.

Chapter

Fourteen

TUFT

“Tuft? Tuft!” Iris rushed into the main room of her shop, slamming into me with a forceful hug and a beaming smile. “Oh, I have great news!” Her arms squeezed me tight, nearly constricting my breathing as I tapped her arm for relief. She released me, excitedly apologizing.

My eyes lowered at the sight of her, remembering what I saw through her glimpse: her and Cypress together. It was a hard reality to swallow, despite her being here as though nothing happened. My cheeks burned with shame and embarrassment. I knew she said she was going to use her body, but seeing her in such a compromising position made me feel dirty, even if it was for both our benefits.

“Tuft?”

I casually stepped away from her, rubbing my arm. Bastien entered the room and grumbled with excitement to see her, breaking the tension. It was amusing to watch such a large and menacing beast act like a fucking puppy with her. He basically wagged his tail and purred as Iris bent down to stroke him.

“Did you get what we needed?” I asked bashfully. Her eyes shot to me, wide with glee.

“I did. And…about what you saw.” She stood as she cleared her throat. “I—”

“It’s fine, Iris.” I stepped back from her and wheezed a smile. “Shocking, but fine. Next time I knock and you don’t answer, I promise not to come in and snoop around. I really need to stop doing that.” She scoffed at my statement. “I was just…worried.” I lifted my eyes to meet hers with a heavy exhale. “But you did it?”

“I did it. Cypress has agreed. She will be waiting in the crowd to be summoned, just like we wanted. All that is left is to spread the word and pray it’s enough to make Ozias appear.”

I nodded at the plan and watched as she returned to petting Bastien, her demeanor lighter and happier than usual. The change, while a nice one, was worrisome. I hoped that, despite what she had to do, Iris hadn’t lowered her guard too much and allowed Cypress to slither her way in.

“Iris?” She glanced up at me with a smile. “Promise me that if for any reason, things don’t go according to plan, you will do what is best for you.” She tilted her head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw you—obviously—but—”

How the hell do I even word this?

“No matter your feelings for Cypress, promise you won’t put her first—over yourself. Just—remember what she’s done to you, to all of us, and what she really is.” Iris stood, making a face as she cocked her head and stood close to me. It was clear my words did nothing but piss her off.

“I knowexactlywho Cypress is, Tuft,” she bit. I feared I was too late. Cypress was already inside her mind.

“Do you?” I crossed my arms and clicked my tongue, challenging her attitude with my own. She raised a brow at my resilience. “Because I spent a century with her, Iris. I’ve watched her repeat this exact same pattern with other humans, over and over again. What she did with you last night is nothing I haven’tseen before or experienced myself.” I could see the anger boiling beneath her dark flesh. It hurt me to see her feel this way, but I cared too much about this damn human to watch her suffer as I have. I promised to protect her, even if it meant saving her from herself.

“What you saw last night was nothing short of true love. Cypresslovesme, Tuft, unlike any human or celestial who has come before me.” Her eyes burned. “And once I break all of us free from this madness, I plan to spend the rest of my days in her arms, loving her back, just as you plan to run back to your precious demi-god.”

Her words stung.

“At least my demi-god won’t to eat my soul.” My words clearly hurt her as I watched her flinch. I felt sick having to spout them, but I had to do what I could to break Cypress’ clutch on her soul. I exhaled, trying to calm my boiling temper. “Be careful, Iris. Please. You may think I’m trying to trick you, but I know true love. It doesn’t come from deals or threats, and there are no strings attached. Real true love is just that: love. Nothing else. And this thing between you and her is not it. I hope you know what you’re doing, for all our sake.” I brushed past her, knocking her frame with my shoulder as I moved away.

“Where are you going?” She shouted after me.

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