Page 115 of Born in Depravity

My eyes burned for the boy Damien had been.

I grabbed Mikhail’s shirt and pulled him closer. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be left alone. I didn’t want to be without his protection.

Monsters were real, but they were men like my father.

“His mom?” I asked, my voice low and scratchy from disuse and from crying earlier when Damien was here.

“She died during labor due to lack of medical care.”

I nodded. I didn’t need to hear anymore.

I buried my face in Mikhail’s chest.

“Go to sleep,kotyonok.”

“You won’t go anywhere?” I asked into his chest. He heard me though, because I felt him nod.

“I won’t go anywhere.”

So that was what I did.

I went to sleep, thinking the entire time about dark, tortured eyes.

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