“I had a plan, brother,” he said to Asher. Then he turned to Hailey.
“And these are the facts, my dear, so pay attention. I needed only grasp her soul at the very moment of her death to release her energy, and then I would’ve rebound her—she was going to live,” he sniffled. “But those wretched humans…they were supposed to kill her quick. I couldn’t stop them once they had her, and when she cried out for help, what could I do with the others watching?”
He pressed a hand to his chest as another tear escaped his eye.
“They mighthave destroyed her soul if I had intervened…maybe shredded me as well—I had to let her die slowly, in agony to save us both.”
If this admission surprised Asher, he never showed it.
“But I took her mind into the Aether, and I stayed with her there until the end, and that was my greatest show, don’t you think?”
Cobon looked hopefully at Asher, who looked stoically back.
“You believed it, that I shredded her soul, didn’t you?” He wiped another tear from his cheek. “But I did no such thing. And I chose the perfect image to sell that lie. Who would believe I conjured that wretched memory of dancing myself?”
Cobon swallowed, and when he spoke again it was in a whisper.
“I held on to her soul. I would have restored her, had the black stone sent the others home. I would have restored her…” He turned his gaze to Asher. “Holly was mine, you know. And I loved her.”
Asher dropped his eyes then looked lovingly at Hailey.
“She’s a lot like my Holly,” Cobon said. “Oh, I do see the draw. If I still had a muse like this, perhaps I might like to linger here a bit longer.” He looked Hailey over as one might inspect a horse. Then he strode behind her and leaned in close, sniffing her hair.
“She smells like her sister—nowhere near as fair, but, yes, I do see the draw. May I borrow her, brother?”
Hailey couldn’t stand it anymore.
“If you cared about her, how could you hurt her? Why did you do it?” she demanded, her eyes swimming with angry tears. Asher squeezed her shoulder, but she shrugged him off, staring defiantly into Cobon’s swirling eyes.
“Why, to rid the Earth of the others, of course.” Shrugging, he smiled at Asher as if this should have been obvious. “I could not show my affection for her with them skulking around. Envoys can be so cavalier, casting about their judgments and executions. That’s why Asher brought you to me, my dear. He wishes to rid the Earth of them for the same reason, surely he’s told you?”
Hailey looked away but couldn’t keep her lip from curling in disgust. Cobon was far worse than crazy if he thought Holly would ever love him. That was just gross.
“You would judge me unworthy, Miss Hartley?” Cobon spoke slowly, briskly articulating each incredulous word. He paused, squinting a glare at her. “Enlighten me, won’t you, young Hailey, how would you judge one—say Asher, for instance—if he had lied to you to gain your favor…your affection?”
“I would forgive him, Cobon. I know that Asher is inherently good.”
“God forgives, Miss Hartley. Humans forget,” said Cobon. He turned his eyes to Asher. “And we do neither.
“And what can you give to her, Asher?” Cobon said as he wandered behind Hailey, pausing to feel the back of her chair.
Hailey cringed away, and Asher stood, knocking his chair over, his chin lowered, his brow dropped in warning.
Releasing Hailey’s chair, Cobon held his hands up. “Love?” he scoffed. “We don’t love, we covet, isn’t that the creed, the propaganda?” He brought his finger to his chin, tapping it thoughtfully. “Perhaps you’ll give her…oh, what do you humans call it? A pickle tickle?”
“Cobon, that’s gross,” Hailey snapped. It was like hearing her uncle talk about the birds and the bees, only Cobon sounded like a dirty old man. She didn’t grunt her disgust, but she did wrinkle her nose.
Asher slowly turned his probing gaze to Hailey, his head tilted ever so slightly.
She looked up at him.Oh, no. He thinks I’m talking about him…As the realization dawned on her, her face fell.
“Not… It’s not gross to… That…” Hailey stammered, and Asher watched her closely. “I didn’t mean it would be gross to…with you…” She shook her head, but she might as well have just blurted the word “penis.”
This was a disaster. She wasn't sure if Asher even had a penis.
She bit her lip before she blurted that too.
“That expressionon your face,” Cobon said, leaning uncomfortably close to her. “Tell me what it means—what are you thinking?”
