“Hey Mal, sorry to wake you. Gray is here in the kitchen with me, I think he needs you.” Pink is speaking into a black rectangle. Seems everybody but me has one. And Pink is using his to summon Mal.
I blink at the pretty human. His worried expression is swimming in front of me. Is my panic really so obvious? I should feel shame at that, but all I’m feeling is relief that he is asking Mal to come to me.
Suddenly, I’m being lifted off of the chair and into Mal’s arms. I wrap myself around him, cling to him, and let out a whimper. His strength engulfs me. His warm, firm chest feels wonderful, and his manly scent is delicious. I’m safe now.
“It’s my fault,” says Pink in a trembling voice. “I mentioned that he needed to feed from other people.”
“I’ve got you, Little One,” says Mal soothingly as he holds me even tighter. “It’s all right, Pink. He was going to remember that himself, probably sooner rather than later.”
“Sorry!” I sob out loud. Whether I’m talking to Pink or Mal or the universe, I have no idea. Everything I am feeling is too big for coherent words. It’s astonishing that both Pink and Mal seem to understand me anyway. They have both apparently discernedthat the idea of having sex with others is filling me with dread and horror. I am a terrible incubus. I let out a sorrowful whimper.
“Hey beautiful boy, everything is fine. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Mal’s words wash over me. They tingle on my skin and soothe my soul. He is not angry that he is not enough for me. He understands my nature and accepts me as I am.
“Come on, let’s get you back to the basement,” he says, and he takes a step away from the table. Carrying me away from my treasure.
My heart clenches in dismay. “Hot chocolate!” I wail.
Mal stops walking and chuckles. Pink appears in front of me and places the hot chocolate into my hand. I flash him a weak smile of thanks, and the cute human beams in delight.
Mal starts walking again and I concentrate on not sloshing my precious drink down his back. He carries me down the hallway. I am pretty sure I could walk, but this is nice.
He opens the main door to the house and steps outside, turning to walk over to the basement door. The sky is a thousand shades of red and pink. Birds are singing. Small fluffy clouds reflect the light of the rising sun. Dawn. A wonder I have not seen for a century.
A gasp of awe escapes me. Mal stops walking. My stomach twists.
“Do you want to watch the sunrise, Little One?”
My heart is thumping so loud he has to hear it. No, scrub that. My chest is pressed up so close to his, he has to be feeling it beating like a crazy thing against him.
“Yes, please,” I whisper meekly.
My secret is out. I might as well try begging.
Mal finds a rickety old bench under a tree, just to the side of the graveled driveway. He sits on it and arranges me on his lap. I lean back against him and cradle my hot chocolate. My soul feasts hungrily on the glorious sight before me. The rising of the sun.Magnificent and splendid. Regal and divine. Chasing the night away and changing the world. Bathing it in warmth, light and life.
Mal is warm and comforting. Sitting on his lap is blissful. I take a sip of my hot chocolate and sigh in contentment. This moment is precious. Sacred. I’m still upset by the knowledge that I need to feed from others. But this, right now, is all far too wonderful to be tainted by sadness.
“How long since you last saw a sunrise?” asks Mal. His tone sounds somber.
“Over a hundred years, I think,” I say.
He kisses the top of my head. “I’m sorry, Little One, I should have realized.”
I don’t know what to say to that. So I say nothing and drink my hot chocolate instead, and watch the miracle of a new day unfold before me.
“But I do have an idea about your feeding problem,” he says.
My ears prick up at that. Is there a solution? If there is one, Mal is wise enough to figure it out. I’m certainly willing to try anything.
Suddenly, the dawn looks even brighter. I suspect it is because, just like Pink, I too now have hope in my eyes.
Chapter seventeen
The car stops moving, so I open my eyes. It is night. The cityscape before me differs from the old world I remember, yet is still strikingly familiar. Buildings and roads are still recognizable.
“Ready?” asks Mal.
