“She thinks she’s hiding it, I don’t think she knows necromancers can sense pain, y’know?” Kacey’s whispers sound heavier now. “And it’s always worse at night. Especially when she has these nightmares.”
Those fucking nightmares—memories. Witnessing it once was enough. We haven’t experienced any more, even at a distance, we thought we would feel it, see them.
We were fools.
“Do you... Do you think you can stop the pain?” Kacey’s voice sounds so quiet. I think she’s crying.
Each member of my unit seeks me out, waiting for my answer.
But I have no idea.
I thought I—we—had been stopping it. Decreasing it, at least. I gave her a shadow, a sliver of one, but still… Clearly, it isn’t enough.
“We’ll try our best, Kacey.” Ezekial’s the one to answer, but the strain on his voice shows he’s losing his composure.
My darkness reaches for him, now holding all three men.
He glances at me as he says to Kacey, “I promise we’ll fix this.” Then only to me.“We have to fix this.”His metallic gaze burns.
“I know you will, and for what it’s worth, I think you’re all a good match.”
For the second time tonight, I’m shocked. I might’ve thought it another hoax, if Kacey’s words hadn’t hit us all the same way, snapping us back into the room and making the darkness quiver.
“All of you. You’ll be good for her. Youaregood for her. You’re good men. Just… don’t give up,” she urges. The overconfident tone is so rare for Kacey I can’t help but listen. “You need to show her the guys I know. You might look all tough and scary, especially Kane.” Sai manages a brief laugh. “But you’re kind and loyal, and… you care. You saved a runaway necromancer. You’re the only people who can stand to be near me—”
“Jasmine wants to be near you.”
Kacey chuckles quietly at Ezekial’s interruption. “Hmm, maybe not right now. But, y’know what’s funny?”
Not one of us says a thing.
“She’s just like you, all of you. She hides behind this mask, but that’s all it is really, a mask. She cares, and not just because she’s an empath, no, it’s more than that, and she’s strangely... protective, in her own way. She’s selfless. Brave. Strong… kinda like these four guys I know.”
She laughs again, then slowly sighs. “I always wondered how I would return the favour for what you guys gave me. Finally, I’ve got a chance.”
“Kace, you don’t know what we’ve done,” Sai murmurs. It’s the first time he’s spoken since the dark, the rasp in his voice is still sharp from the scrape of it. “It’s not that easy—”
“Hey! Stop that! Stop it, right now!” Kacey snaps—snaps—at Sai. He makes a choking sound, Ezekial’s brows shoot up, and Julien looks somewhat impressed. “No more feeling sorry for ourselves, the past is the past. I’m not saying it’s a good past, but it’s time to try and fix it. And I’m gonna help you.”
Sai shakes his head. “If you knew the full story. You wouldn’t—”
“I’m not picking sides. Don’t even try to make me.” Her voice, for maybe the first time ever, is clear and definitive. “I’m on both your sides. I want what’s best for J, but I also want what’s best for you. And yeah, maybe she’s not ready to talk to you just yet, maybe she won’t be for a while—I mean she barely talks to me,” she grumbles that last part. “But I’m going to help you, in any way I can, just like how you helped me.”
We all fall into another stunned silence.
“You saved me,” she says gently, encouragingly. “Now, let me help save you.”
Chapter 4: Jasmine
Kacey was awake bright and early, knocking a happy tune on my door.
I hadn’t slept.
I’d considered taking the plant mixture a third time, just enough to knock me under, but didn’t want to risk being unconscious by morning. Instead, I took two sips. Just enough to dull the ache.
So when she knocked, I was already there. I could feel her before she even made it across the living room, vibrating with a current of nervous excitement.
“Just wanna make sure you’ve time to shower!” she chirped, eyes bouncing over my dishevelled form with a bright smile.
