Page 58 of Run Like the Devil

I really didn’t want to lie to him.

“Yazmor…” I said, the name trailing off to silence when I couldn’t figure out what to say next.

He didn’t look at me, didn’t make a stupid joke to ease the tension. Instead, he gestured at the Path which appeared just ahead of us. “We should gather our things and get moving again. That shadow was a trap and who knows what we might run into next.”

With that, he ended the conversation, walking away from me as if he couldn’t stand the idea of being near me for a moment longer.

And standing there, staring at his back, I didn’t think the Path had ever felt quite this cold and lonely…

* * * *

Gorrin

I had my hands out flat toward the fire, but the chill inside me just wouldn’t warm. It had worsened over the time we’d spent on the Path, as if some deep area inside me had frozen and that block of ice increased with each hour we remained, as though the fire could no longer reach the depths of me.

When it no longer worked, when I’d grown tired of a useless attempt, I rolled my shoulders and allowed my wings to appear. I curled them around me, using them to block the breeze and to trap more of the heat from the fire near me.

“Those are rather impressive,” Tyrus said from across the fire.

“No more than demon forms.”

“Can you really say that? If anyone saw the two of us side-by-side, I doubt we’d get the same reactions.”

“That is because humans are short-sighted and easy to trick. Hubis has ensured that angels are warmly regarded, laying that groundwork from the earliest days of humanity. Likewise, he was as quick to seed fear of demon aspects. Neither of those change the innate benefits of either form.” I knew my words held resentment, and I didn’t bother to hide it.

Why should I? For better or worse, I was tied to Tyrus, to the other Lords, at least until the conclusion of this foolish plan. Our odds of succeeding—at least in some small way—would go up if we weren’t at one another’s throats and hiding secrets.

Hubis was a large enough enemy—there was no need to fight one another as well.

Tyrus peered to the side, down the way where the Path led. “I feel like we are spinning our wheels. We’re walking and wearing ourselves down, but for what? We don’t seem to be making any progress at all.”

“Be careful. Many of the stories we’ve reviewed show damned saying the same things before losing their minds. The trip to madness is a shorter one than people realize.”

Tyrus shook his head. “I’m not so weak-willed as to succumb to madness first in this group. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m the furthest from it.”

I considered the others, and I struggled to deny it. Compared to Hale and Yazmor—both of whom had one foot already in the padded cell—Tyrus was sure-footed. “Fair enough, but hopelessness will ruin a man faster than anything else. Perhaps Hale and Yazmor will survive this place longer than either of us if for no other reason than neither are smart enough to recognize when things are hopeless.”

Tyrus chuckled at my joke even if I didn’t smile, if I didn’t make it clear that it was, in fact, a joke. Normally, my dry humor went right over other’s heads. Because I didn’t often smile or show many outward signs, people accepted my words at face value.

It took me back to Loch sitting with me, back before everything had become so much more difficult, so much more complicated. She hadn’t trusted me, yet she’d seen me in a way few others had. She’d spend time with me, and I’d never really understood why.

I hadn’t been a great conversationalist, hadn’t had the ease she’d had with Yazmor, the passion she’d had with Hale, the mutual respect she’d had with Tyrus. Despite that, she’d spent time with me when she hadn’t needed to.

It was strange, and as much as I wanted to ask her about it, I didn’t dare. What if she tainted the memories by telling me she’d done it out of fear? That she’d done it just to get closer to me? To betray me?

No, I’d much rather accept the nice memories as the unknown than risk ruining them.

“Where is Yazmor?” I asked.

“He went ahead to scout, I believe. Or that’s what he said at least. I’d guess he just wanted to avoid being around us.”

My gaze moved to the other fire, to where Hale and Loch sat. We’d created more than one to help increase the amount of warmth they generated, to ensure each of us could rest as close to a source of heat as possible. “I doubt he was avoiding all of us.”

Tyrus snorted softly. “Fair enough. Still, I can hardly blame her for her reaction.”

Loch smiled at Hale, and the sight stopped me as it always did.

The woman could be deceitful and dangerous. She’d driven a blade into me—a blade I’d given her. She could stand her ground against impossible odds, willing to take on any risk for what she felt was right.

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