Natalya frowned. “When was this attack?”
“Almost two years ago.”
It wasn’t difficult to put the pieces together. When Lily first came to the Court of Chains, she was followed by a horde of ghouls. Living corpses who fed on death. They had been disposed of, but not before terrorizing the area outside Chicagofor a few months. Missing campers were common in that time. Natalya didn’t know there were survivors.
The only reason Sam had been convinced to lure Evie out was because she was desperate. Because her sister needed care. And the only reason her sister needed care was because the Chains hadn’t kept their territory safe.
“I don’t know why she liked me so much,” Sam said, looking down at Evie. She fidgeted on her chair, seemingly unable to get comfortable no matter how she sat. “I’m awkward. I never say the right thing. And Evie’s so… cool, I guess. She has this confidence, especially when she’s dancing. I don’t know why she bothered with me.”
Natalya caressed Evie’s hand. “I think that about myself all the time. I don’t know why she cares about me. I don’t know how either.”
Sam chuckled nervously. She stopped when Natalya’s eyes snapped to hers.
“Are you serious?” Sam said, sounding a bit baffled. “I mean… you’re…”
Beautiful. Desirable. Powerful. All qualities of a being you wanted to possess. To Evie, those qualities of Natalya’s weren’t anywhere near as important as the rest of her.
“I’m not easy to be around, Sam,” Natalya said, voice sharp. “Surely, you can tell that.”
Sam blushed and looked away. Uncomfortable and unsettled. Sitting across from a greater Lust fiend didn’t invite calm, and Sam clearly wasn’t an exception to that rule.
“You’re pretty scary,” Sam mumbled. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
“You’re not scary to her, though.” As if to prove the statement further, Sam cowered in on herself when Natalya narrowed her eyes. “The last time we hung out, Evie couldn’t stop smiling. Itwas like it was stuck. It was kind of funny seeing her try to hide it, actually. She was thinking about you.”
Sam looked down again, her eyes going to Evie’s many scars.
“You’re making her happy. She deserves that. I don’t know what happened to her, but… from what you’re saying, I don’t think anyone deserves it more.” Sam cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable talking this much. “I guess… I just don’t think someone would be that happy if they weren’t at ease. That’s all.”
Natalya wasn’t prepared for the effect of those words. She’d heard a version of them before, from Aleksander, but then they’d come from a Court ruler. He’d been impressed by Evie’s ability to act calm, even when around a being who commanded monsters.
Sam was just a human. A frightened, insecure human whom Natalyadetested. She didn’t know what Natalya was or about the creatures Evie had lived around for months.
Around Sam, Evie wasn’t the Claimed of a demon. She wasn’t a person in need of protection. She could act normal. She could pretend the Courts and the denizens they held were just figments of fantasy. Even when Evie acted like that, all Sam saw when looking at her was a woman in love.
“Thank you for saying that, Sam.” The words came out unevenly. It made both Natalya and Sam lower their eyes.
Evie loved her so much. She’d felt safe with her. She’d beenat peacewith her. It was unfair. It was unjust and cruel that Evie only got to feel that way for such a short time. Selfishly, Natalya thought it was unfair for herself too. That she’d only gotten to experience a loving life so briefly.
All her life had been tragedy. Her existence permitted no other possibility. To feel something other than conjured, possessive desire and then having it taken away so fast was a new kind of torture.
Despite herself, Natalya started to cry. It was a soundless thing. Just tears running out of her eyes and falling onto the bed. Natalya leaned over, pressing her face against Evie’s hand to hide the show of emotion.
What she wouldn’t give to kiss Evie again. To hold her again. See her green eyes soften. Hear her laugh and see her smile. Natalya would give anything if it meant she’d wake up. Her position at Court, the Second Circle, her powers. Herself even. If she could switch places with Evie, she would do so in a heartbeat.
The Fates were cruel mistresses, as was Lady Luck. They didn’t concern themselves with what was right or fair. Only what would and wouldn’t happen. Natalya caressed Evie’s hand, silently begging that the tapestry of Evie’s life have a more vibrant end than this.
As she held Evie’s hand, tears falling onto her freckled skin, Evie’s fingers squeezed around hers.
The world was foggy. Noisy and… slow. It was like every sound Evie heard was made at the end of a long tunnel, echoing in on itself for miles before it reached her ear. Everything was unfocused. Everything was far away.
There were voices. Voices she recognized. One was quiet and careful, as though the speaker didn’t really want to be heard. The other was firm and assertive. And worried. It was so worried still.
Evie tried to turn her head towards that voice, but she couldn’t move. She couldn’t open her eyes. Her lids were too heavy. She couldn’t feelanythingother than heaviness. And then,eventually, a warm tingling in her hand. A gentle, soothing touch that summoned feeling in her body.Natalya’stouch.
She closed her fingers around Natalya’s. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t see or really hear what was going on around her. She could feel her. Feel her right there, holding her hand and caressing her skin.
