He launched us into the sky. Moths brushed my skin as they made their way to his wings, filling in even the parts that had been tattered before. I watched as every hole filled in, not a tear or tatter that I could see. Feathers brushed my face.
“Are you really alive?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“Yes,I could never leave you,” Pollux said.
“I can hear you,” I said, more tears falling.
“Makwa’s power,” he said. He smiled and leaned in, his face brushing my nose, his antennas tickling my cheeks. My body still quaked with silent sobs I couldn’t turn off.
“My beautiful love, please don’t cry. I willneverleave you.” We turned in the sky, browning treetops stretched below us.
“Let me tell you while I can,” he said. “You’re my heart, my flame, my light. I love you. I’d live a thousand more years alone to have you. I’d die a hundred times over.” We flew and my body stopped shaking so hard, exhaustion winning out over emotion.
I felt Makwa’s power begin leaking from me as Pollux kept murmuring to me. He said all sorts of things. Told me about the first time he felt me, told me how he watched from a distance, and laughed when he reminded me how I passed out the first time I saw him.
He told me how much he loved me. How much he cared for all of us. How he promised to try and keep us safe.
He kept talking until I winced, his voice scratching at my mind and making me gasp—Makwa’s power washing away from my mind almost entirely.
“I love you,” he whispered once more, rubbing his face against mine, pulling me tightly into his body.
Then he didn’t talk anymore after that. I doubted I’d ever hear him again. I didn’t need his words although they were a gift I’d always appreciate. I couldn’t do what I just did to hear his words though. I felt Makwa inside me, weak. I’d hurt him. I’d almost destroyed him.
“I love you too,” I told Pollux as we flew back to the ground, landing near the field where it all happened. Caspian and Brandon stood there. Brandon pacing back and forth. Pollux tried to step back but I clung to him, panic making my heart beat fast. He patted my arms and Caspian had to pull me away from him. Pollux ran back to the field to collect his clothes.
“Are you okay?” Brandon asked, coming close, looking concerned, his eyes sweeping me while Caspian touched me all over, needing to feel and see for himself that I was fine.
“I’m fine,” I said, wiping my face with Caspian’s shirt.
“What happened?” Caspian asked. They had to have seen the body. I couldn’t talk about it now though. I shook my head and they didn’t push. A moment later Pollux was back. I threw myself at him, clinging to him as if my grip was the only thing keeping him from dispersing again. We began walking.
“I called the police and our manager,” Brandon said, looking toward Caspian. “The night I broke out. The police probably came and went when no one was at the cabins. If they even made it. They didn’t know where I was.”
“Okay,” Caspian said and then we all fell silent as we trudged back down the mountain. We were free but not out of the woods. Anxiety curled inside me, desperation to run but we were all too exhausted for that.
And all the while we walked, Makwa remained silent, barely a flicker in my head. That terrified me more than the men with guns in the woods. I kept whispering to him, trying to get him to respond but there was only silence where there used to be incessant chatter.
14
At first, we headed toward the cabins. It was the only direction we were sure would take us out of the mountains and closer to civilization.
Ava only had on my shirt for clothes and kept tugging it down. Mothman walked behind her, watching her ass bounce on the way down the mountain with a smile stretched over his face the entire time.
He had made sure to tell me she was “porky pigging it”, whatever the fuck that meant.
Brandon started to stomp into the cult’s camp like a dumbass with his pale ass out.
“Stop,” I snapped at him. He turned and gave me a scathing look. It was almost comforting to have his pissed-off face back.
“What?” He asked.
“There could be people who didn’t leave. Even if there isn't, this will be the first place they’ll regroup.”
“I’m fucking naked,” he hissed, trying not to be too loud. He waved his hands at his pierced cock. “Can’t I just slip into one of the cabins? Use a phone, grab some clothes?” My eyes flicked down to his dick and then back up.
“No.” Then I turned and walked parallel to the camp, Ava’s hand gripped in my own. Mothman looked between Brandon and me.
“Hmm,” he said as if he had some commentary. Then he began to follow me. Brandon cursed and stomped after us.
