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I sat there a moment, still a little confused by his words, but I shook them off, chuckling. Perhaps it was just how they spoke. I had to remind myself that Zephyr and the others were like Damien. Immortals.
“So, Damien told you everything last night?” Cole asked, his voice low as he scooted closer to me.
I nodded. “It’s still weird to think about and difficult to believe, but after everything I’ve seen, I can’t exactly deny it.”
Zephyr rubbed my shoulder in comfort. “The darklings are terrible creatures, but we’ll watch your back, Cas. All of us are here for you.”
“Thanks, Zephyr.”
“You guys going out after your classes are done?” Cole asked.
“Yeah, I feel like last night was just the tip of the iceberg. I can only imagine how much there is that I don’t know. He’s taking me to Stackhouse Par—” I glimpsed Damien emerging from the parking lot in the distance and I shot to my feet.
My heart leapt at the sight of him, but then it sank. Something was wrong. He looked a little unhappy, maybe even frustrated. I hurried toward him. Before I could say a word, he wrapped me in a tight hug. I’d never felt as small as I did in his arms, his chin resting atop my head.
“Good morning.” I tilted my head to look up at him, smiling as best I could, if only to lift his spirits from whatever was on his mind.
He sat there a moment, holding me tightly. “Good morning,mea luna.” His voice was full of endearment. A smile spread across my face. I could get used to that nickname.
“What language is that? I’ve never heard it before.”
He smiled down at me before kissing my forehead tenderly. “It’s Latin.”
Latin. It was strange to think that he knew the dead language, but I remembered how he’d told me his family was from Greece. He could probably speak greek as well. How many languages had he learned in his lifetime? A lifetime of nearly a thousand years.
I wondered what it was like to live that long…
We turned, walking back over to the others, his arm over my shoulder. I was hesitant to ask, but with his late arrival, I was worried something bad happened. “Is everything ok?”
“Yeah, I had a run-in with some darklings before sunrise after I split from the guys, it got a little hairy, but It’s ok now. We still on for this afternoon?” His casual change of subject worried me, but I didn’t want to press him.
I fudged a smile, masking my concern. “Yeah.”
“Wonderful. We’ll go to the creek again. We’ll have plenty of privacy there.”
I swallowed, imagining how our visit to Stackhouse Park might fare this time. “I promise not to fall in the water again."
“That’s a shame. I liked seeing you wet,” he whispered into my ear, and pure heat rushed to my face.
* * *
We came to a stop on the side of the road on the outer portions of the park. The smell of forest and fresh air filled my lungs as I stepped out of Damien’s car. I was bound and determined to stay far away from the creek this time. It was way too cold, and while I’d enjoyed myself when we went to Damien’s house, I needed to know more of what Damien had to tell me.
Damien took hold of my hand, leading me into the woods. I couldn’t stand the silence between us, but the secrets we were about to discuss couldn’t be shared where prying ears might hear. Slowly, I fell further behind, thoughts distracting me and before I knew it, he was several feet ahead of me.
The silence remained for what felt like forever, and my mind replayed the flood of information he’d given me the night before. It was, to say the least, overwhelming. I had so many questions, but one stood out more than the others, something Damien and Barrett argued about last night.
“What were you and Barrett talking about when he wanted to erase my memories?” I didn't know how else to ask.
Damien stopped, turning to look back at me. Our eyes met and the quiet persisted as he hesitated. “It’s a long story, and I’m not sure you’re ready for it yet.”
“When will I be ready? There’s so much happening, and it sounds like you know why.” I crossed my arms. Damien tensed, and his eyes flashed past me.
“I’d like to know, too. Care to share?” The familiar voice triggered an urge to run. The sickening sensation of him holding me against the wall never fully left me, and it resurfaced the moment his voice reached my ears. I turned to find Marcus emerging from the trees. The sight of that obnoxious grin on his face made my skin tighten.
What sounded like a low growl emanated from Damien. I stood frozen, eyes glued to Marcus as I watched him, unable to breathe.
“What are you doing here, Marcus?” Damien said through gritted teeth. I turned to run, but he put his hand out, motioning me to stop before I could take another step. “Stay where you are, Cas. Don’t move.”
