Page 98 of Elas

Elas shakes his head, his brows bunching. “If they didn’t pass the message along, the Fates would’ve intervened.”

“Not if they were sick of your shit,” Reyes says, and Elas’s brow lifts as he glances at him. “I mean, I would be, right? You come over and make a mess of the world, andthenyou take their message and fuck that up, too? I’d consider it a lost cause at that point and leave you to figure it out on your own.”

Heavy quiet descends in the vehicle, and I can almost feel the gears turning in Elas’s mind. Just when I’m about to break the silence with something—anythingto take away the tension—he clears his throat and sighs.

“There’s no way for us to know. I wasn’t in that room, and the Fates have been quiet since that day. It’s pointless to stress about things outside of our control.”

This is the second time he’s made a comment about letting go of what you can’t change. I give him an understanding smile, though the compression on my heart is painful. It recognizes how much he’s always shoved aside. How he has chosen to smile and focus on what’s in front of him instead of the horrors of his past.

Elas lives in the now, not in the nightmares, and that’s a beautiful thing.

“I love you,” I whisper. He’s heard it before. I’ve said it plenty, but right now, I need him to understand it. Toknowit, and to never question it.

His brows bunch, almost like he’s in pain as his fingers tighten around mine. “You are the piece of me that has always been missing, August.” He doesn’t hide his affection, even with Reyes in the backseat pointedly trying to ignore us. He’s proud of our love. Unapologetic. “Prophecy be damned. You are the light in my darkness,” he says, and my eyes sting as my throat gets tight, because I know how much the darkness haunts him.

I’ll do anything to keep chasing it away.

The afternoon sun is sweltering, and pulling under the dense canopy of trees is a relief. Sweat dews on my forehead and builds in my armpits, the tickle of the droplets making me squirm. Elas is a confident tracker, observing every landmark we pass with a nod to himself and occasionally muttering under his breath.

The SUV crawls through the thick underbrush. Sticks scrape against the sides and undercarriage, and rocks bump under the tires. Nature has reclaimed this old trail, and it makes our passage slow. When Elas brakes and turns towards a row of bushes, Reyes sucks in a sharp inhale that earns him another scowl in the rearview mirror.

Green branches part easily, revealing a path that continues through the trees. It’s narrow, with barely enough room to navigate between the trunks, but Elas doesn’t even flinch. Another few minutes pass at this snail’s pace, when the outline of structures forms in the distance.

Buildings become more defined as we get closer. The sun’s rays reach through the thick canopy above in white-light fingers, shining off the dirty, weathered surfaces of the homes. Wooden houses form rows on either side of the dirt path travelling between them. Most are smaller cottages, in varying states of disrepair. One has been almost completely disassembled, but it’s been pulled apart by hands and not by the elements. There’s a larger brick building in the center, and a small clearing where solar panels replace the trees. Vines wind around a cottage at the end in a leafy armor, while the others have had their weeds cleared.

Elas parks, and I open my door and step out into the sunlight. Despite the oppressive heat, the dense shade provides a comfortable reprieve. Water trickles from somewhere nearby, and birds chirp happily in the distance.

“You’re sure this is the place?” I ask as I stretch my legs, walking towards the source of the water and spotting a reflection through the forest. A smile crosses my face at the idyllic scene, and I glance at the cleared footpath that leads to the stream. “It looks like there are signs of life—”

My words are cut short as the sharp end of a large blade lands on my neck, and a presence looms behind me. “Who sent you?” an unfamiliar voice growls as an enormous shadow falls over me.

My hands fly up, palms out, to show him I’m unarmed, and my heart thunders against my ribs. Fear and adrenaline mix to make my voice shaky. “N-n-nobody sent us…” I stutter, but he interrupts me with a laugh. His sword presses harder against my throat, my skin indenting with the pressure.

“Try again.”

“Ronan!” Elas bellows, charging from the SUV, and the person holding me jolts as his quiet gasp escapes directly beside my ear. My eyes widen at the name.

We’ve certainly found who we were searching for, even if the welcome party isn’t what we expected.

“Fuck’s sake, man, put that shit down,” Elas shouts as he storms towards us, his teeth bared and his head tilted up in an obvious threat. “Now,” he growls, and I draw in a panicked breath as the pressure on the blade loosens.

“Elas?” Ronan’s grip on me eases, and I glimpse a dusty purple hand holding the hilt of the sword.

Elas remains on guard, but his posture relaxes a fraction as a smirk spreads over his face. His muscles are tensed, poised to launch himself at Ronan at a split second’s notice. “Is that a question? Is old age affecting you so much that you’re having a hard time remembering your oldest friend’s name?”

There’s a loud snort from my right side, and Cameron walks towards the group in a calm, sauntering stroll. Behind his glasses, his eyes crinkle in a smile when they meet mine, and he grabs Ronan’s sword arm and pulls it away. I take the opening and rush over to Elas, who throws his arm around my shoulders and tilts his body so he’s positionedin front of me. I draw a few steadying breaths, soaking in the familiar smell of him as I stare at Ronan.

He’s tall, though not as tall as Elas, with a leaner build. Even dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, he’s imposing. Fangs peek out of his upper lip and three tails fan out behind him, twitching and dancing like agitated serpents.

But holy shit, is he beautiful.

Long, raven black hair falls in a thick waterfall over his shoulders and down his back, and his deep brown eyes shimmer like polished tigers eye in the sun. Plump lips and a defined jaw make his face almost breathtaking, and a sudden pang of jealousy hits my stomach.

Thisis the guy who knows all of Elas’s deepest secrets?

That’s known and loved him like a brother since they were young?

My fingers dig into Elas’s leather armor, holding on to him tighter as I narrow my eyes at Ronan. Surprise crosses his face and he tilts his head at me in a very feline expression, but Cameron speaks up and draws everyone’s attention.

---