Page 30 of May: Bloom & Bane

He rises slowly from the crater in the dirt. His eyes—those beautiful, mismatched eyes—are different now. In place of the gold iris is a swirling black void.

I take a cautious step forward.

“I woke up, and you were gone.”

His wings twitch. Poor thing is absolutely traumatized.

“Your eye… it’s turning black.”

He reaches for the swirling black eye.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he chokes out. “Please.”

I take another step forward, studying his beautiful black wing. It almost reminds me of a bat’s.

“Your wing…” I whisper.

“I thought you were gone,” he says quietly. “I woke up, and I was alone. I thought I had dreamt you again.”

My heart squeezes.

“I can’t lose you,” he chokes out. “Not when you just⁠—”

I offer him a small smile.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You didn’t frighten me.” And he didn’t. I was only frightened that he had hurt himself when he landed so roughly.

“I wasn’t angry with you.” He rests his head against my belly, his body trembling against mine. “I’m angry at the idea of a world where you aren’t awake.”

“I’m sorry I scared you,” I whisper, threading my fingers through his hair. “I didn’t think about what it would feel like for you to wake up alone after what happened before in your dream.”

“I’m sorry, Eden. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I don’t know what came over me. But that fox⁠—”

“He wasn’t hurting me, Sage.” I tip his face to mine. Tiny lilac flowers bloom where I caress his cheek. “He was so gentle. He just wanted some attention.”

“It wasn’t just a fox, Eden.” He reaches up and covers my hand with his. “I don’t know what it is yet—but there’s something off about it.”

His black eye slowly fades back into gold.

“When I first woke up a year ago, I had to dig my way free from the earth. I was weak and disoriented, and I had no idea who I was.” He pushes his face harder into my hands. “I realized quickly that the animals in the meadow were drawn to me. Not that creature, though. It was studying me. And I had the oddest feeling that it wasn’t there to see me wake up—it was there to make sure I stayed dead.”

He shudders. Dread curls from his chest into mine.

“Please. Just promise me you’ll stay away from it until we know it’s safe.”

“I promise.” I press a kiss to his forehead. “Are you ready to go home?”

CHAPTER 14

the frog in my throat has reproduced

—SAGE

We begin our walk in comfortable silence. I don’t miss the way she keeps glancing at my wings. Is she waiting for one of them to turn black again?

“Thank you for coming to look for me.” She smiles. “I realized not long before you found me that I didn’t know how to get home.”