Niko lay in front of her. She nestled close, the warmth from her blanket incomparable to the warmth she felt in his arms.
When he spoke, his voice was like an ancient spirit caught in the wind. “It’s taken me fifteen hundred years to figure out what I want, and I am continually amazed by it. Be patient, little flower. We go through life blinded to what we truly need, and when we finally see it, we can’t see anything else. There is more you can give someone than just your body. You can give them your light, your soul, your love, your hopes, and your dreams. You can give them years of companionship. Someday your eyes will open, and perhaps then you will see what I see. You needn’t worry about relationships now. There are many miles to go on our journey—many roads to travel. Allow yourself time to grow into the Mage and Relic you’re destined to be. Know yourself before you’re ready to give yourself.”
Her eyes still closed, she felt herself tangling in his words. “Will you scratch my back? It itches a little where it healed.”
His hand found the spot where the glass had cut her, and Gem sighed with blissful relief as he scratched lightly, eventually stroking the spot in soft circles. “You faced your mortal enemy tonight.”
“I wouldn’t call facing a Chitah brave. Claude’s a pussycat even though he’s my mortal enemy.”
“It’s far different when you face down a Chitah who can kill you with pinpoint precision. We could have lost you tonight. You’re braver than you give yourself credit for.”
“I love that I can talk to you about these things. You never judge me or try to change me. You see things in me that others don’t, and it makes me want to be a better Mage.” She yawned again. “I never want to leave here. This is my home now.”
If Gem could be happier with a friend than a partner, then she never wanted this friendship to end. It was enough. Niko gave her everything without all the strings. Would he always be there for her as he had promised? She couldn’t imagine parting ways, only to bump into each other at random parties and reminisce over their dissolved friendship. But asking him to always be at her side was unrealistic. Friends didn’t live together. They didn’t share beds and lavish physical affection on each other. Niko might one day feel temptation and question whether his life of celibacy was enough. He had chosen that life, but it was easier to do when you weren’t close to someone. Too much physical contact might make him question his life choices.
But for now, this was all Gem wanted. Their friendship would evolve over time, and she was curious to see if it would deepen or fracture. Niko was sincere and honorable, and if he promised to always be there for her, he meant it. No one else had ever given her that measure of commitment. Not even her Creator. And she was certain that Niko had never offered it to anyone else. That meant something. Especially given they were both immortal.
Gem had never truly understood all the facets of love until now.
“Don’t ever leave me, Niko,” she said, drifting off to sleep. “You’re my other half.”
He placed a gentle kiss on her head. “As you wish.”
From a distant realm, she heard a foreign wind swirling around in her dreams, whispering, “Aishiteru.”
CHAPTER10
Christian watched me from across the table as I devoured the rest of my hamburger. Now I knew what animals in the zoo felt like.
Betty collected my empty pie plate. “Can I get you something else, honey?”
Christian swung his gaze up to the waitress, who was going on eighty and not giving up her red dye job. “She’ll be having what’s left of the cow. Just load it up on a wagon and roll it in.”
“I hope for your sake you’re treating this one right,” she remarked. “I’ve known Raven for a few years now, and she hasn’t been her usual self the past few times I’ve seen her.”
Christian looked offended as he twisted to face her directly. “And what makes you think I’m not treating her like gold?”
She wadded up a straw wrapper and tucked it in her dress pocket. “Women’s intuition. One of these days, I’m gonna remember where I know you from.” Betty patted my shoulder. “If you need anything, you let me know.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After she left, Christian gave me a perturbed look and stroked his beard. “Women’s intuition,” he grumbled. “That woman is off her rocker.”
I licked ketchup off my hand before wiping it with a napkin. “Especially since you dated her a million years ago and probably broke her heart.”
“Jaysus wept.You can’t let it go, can ya?”
I pushed my plate away and rested my arms on the table. “It must be strange running into people you once knew and seeing how they’ve aged.”
“Half the time, I don’t remember them. They’ve changed, and I’ve seen too many faces in my life to put them all to memory. Usually they’re the ones who remember me, and when they do, I quell any confusing or unpleasant thoughts by convincing them that I’m a relation of the person they once knew. You won’t have that same luxury with your mismatched eyes. Not unless that sort of thing is hereditary. If you plan on building relationships with humans who aren’t trusted, you might consider sunglasses or contacts.”
I grinned when the cook in the back started singing “That’s Amore.” Ruby’s Diner came alive at night with its nostalgic 1950s décor. Chrome barstools, red vinyl seats, neon lights, and American food. While they were open twenty-four hours, they did most of their business in the daytime. The night attracted all sorts of odd birds, but only humans. It had been three days since we’d taken out Ivar, and Viktor decided it was fine for us to leave the house so long as we stayed with our partner and kept our phones charged.
“Feel like stirring up trouble at the club?” he asked with a smoldering wink.
“We can’t talk business at a Breed club.”
“Who said anything about talking?”
