Page 62 of Song of Tenebrae

“Hail came this morning and woke me up. He said I should tell you I want to go home.”

“Fuck,” I curse and nod, “I agree, as much as I love you both, I’d rather you weren’t here.”

Not after what I saw last night and not after how much I enjoyed it.

“What happened last night?” Tiny asks, seemingly reading my thoughts.

“Things I shouldn’t find appealing and yet I do,” I side eye Sky as she stares at the side of my head, “I belong here with Raiden, but I want to keep you both safe.”

“I don’t like the idea of leaving you here with them,” Sky drops her face into her hands, “but I don’t want to stay here any longer.”

“I’m going to find Raiden and we’ll get you on that plane today.” I turn back to the door to leave.

“Hail has been weird, Temp.” Sky stops me as I reach for the door, “he hates you and he feels like you’ve changed Raiden, made him weak.”

“He told you that?”

“Yes,” she nods, “he has all this pent-up anger and he blames you for their falling out with the elders.”

“Squall barely talks to me,” Tiny chimes in, sounding sad, “so I can’t even confirm if he’s feeling the same.”

“That’s probably not a bad thing considering I want you both out of here,” I open the door, “I’ll be back soon.”

I step out into the hallway and shut the door, turning to find Raiden leaning against the wall.

“What’s going on, Raiden?”

He grabs my hand and gently tugs me behind him, back in the direction of our room. Once we’re inside, he locks the door and exhales loudly.

“Our past has gained us many enemies,” he begins and turns to look at me, “and now that we’ve changed course, there are more.”

“Like that man last night?”

“Yes, like that.” He comes to sit beside me on the bed, “sometimes the people you thought were close to you, aren’t actually close at all.”

“You’re scaring me,” I whisper. “We’re not safe here, are we?”

“We will be but only after everyone else leaves. I’ve asked your friends to pack because they will be leaving right after the mass. My brothers will be going with them, as are a few guards.”

“Is this about who was standing at the end of my bed that first night?” I look over to my perfume bottle, “and my stalker in Vegas?”

“Yes, they’re connected.” He doesn’t give me much information and I can tell he’s being vague on purpose. “Never worry, Demon, I will always keep you safe.”

“Okay.” I believe him. For the first time in my entire life, I trust that I’m safe in the arms of another. “Tonight’s dress code?”

“Nothing.”

“What?” Did I hear him wrong?

“You wear nothing,” he disappears into the closet and comes out with a long black robe, “you can come wearing this, but for the ceremony, we must be naked.”

I swallow thickly and look at the robe, “do we do what we did last night, again?”

“Yes.”

“Do Sky and Tiny have to be there? That’s not something I want them to witness.”

He leans against the wall and crosses his arms over his wide chest, “one day it will be their turn, you realize that right?”

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