Every moment not spent in destruction was a moment wasted. Every soul left unbroken was an offence to his very nature. Aamon was the epitome of Hell itself. And with every passing moment, the obsession in his mind grew. Hell wasn’t enough. His powers were too limited. He didn’t just wantto exercise control over the dead, but the living too. He wanted to see the world burn in a sick, twisted symphony of death. And when it did, his kin would either be grovelling at his feet or burning with it.
As if on cue, a couple stumbled into the space one aisle along, their laughter loud and jarring and loud against the silence. A beat later I could hear the rustling of clothes and shoes shuffling frantically against the old, carpeted floor. The wooden shelving behind me creaked and whispered moans filled the space.
Please don’t have sex next to me.
I wasn’t sure why, but without fail, every time I found myself on the sixth floor, I became the unwilling participant in what could only be described as the world’s most disappointing five minutes. I didn’t have time for this. I needed to focus on the stack of books in front of me, but the sound of lips meeting skin and the murmurs that bounced off the shelves–each one as cringey as the last–pulled me from my thoughts.
I wasn’t sure what it was about dusty, rarely cleaned,hardly sanitary,that riled the students of Aldercrest University up so much. Either way, I was not interested in being a third to whatever it was they were doing.Not to yuck anyone’s yum, but I’m not a fucking voyeur.
“You two may have both consented to this but I certainly didn’t,” I raised my voice hoping the seriousness of my tone was detectable through the sounds of tugged shirts and unbuckled belts. The whole area went still, and I rolled my eyes. Before long, a man peeked his head around the corner, sheepish, eyes wide, and looking right at me. His cheeks are flushed, and he muttered a quick, “Sorry…” before he stumbled off, dragging the woman with him.
Every. Fucking. Time
I sighed, pushing myself out of the chair and groaning softly. I glanced over at the clock ahead of me, watching for a momentas the minutes continued to press on, the little hand mocking me with every passing tick. The idea of sitting there for another hour trying to find a topic amongst the endless pile of books was a less-than-appealing prospect. One that had me stumbling down the stairs, no closer to a thesis idea than I had been the previous day.
The sound of myBlundstone’sechoed as they came into contact with the stone stairs. Walking back into the alcove where we were sitting, I found Thallor chatting with two girls. A pang of jealousy shot through me–I might not have had a right to be jealous, but I was anyway. A feeling that was only made worse when I noticedwhowas talking to Thallor.
Cannibal Mermaid and Harley Quinn.Brilliant. Just fucking brilliant.I wonder what cruel and baseless comment was written next to the picture of my face in theirBurn Book.
For several moments, I just stood there watching the conversation unfold. The two girls flirted mercilessly, the offering of a threesome not falling short of my ears. And although the sadistic clutches of jealousy continued to hold me frozen at the threshold of the alcove, there was something in Thallor’s bemused and irritated expression that settled my spiralling thoughts somewhat. For all their smiles and giggles, Thallor just glared at them with a cool indifference, astounded by brazen behaviour and sheer audacity to distract him from what he was watching.
When Thallor’s eyes met mine, it was like time stopped. Like that moment, that turning point in every romcom when the main characters finally realised what they were to each other. It was a scene destined to be replayed in my head over and over–on days when I was feeling bad and wanted nothing more than for my insides to feel fuzzy. And on days that were good, I’d return to this buzzing, warm feeling that trailed across the surface of my skin because it truly had me believing insomething as magical and fantastical as love. The grin that tore across his face jolted something deep inside me, something that I was coming to realise, needed to break free.
The two girls turned a moment later, following Thallor’s gaze to where I was standing at the opening of the alcove. The atmosphere in the space immediately changed; their charming dispositions were replaced with something sour and less friendly.You can roll dog shit in glitter, but at the end of the day, it’s still going to be shit.And by the look on their faces, they could smell themselves too.
Despite everything I knew about these girls, I couldn’t help but feel insecure in their presence. They were both so unbelievably attractive, it was hard to imagine that someone like Thallor not being excited by the prospect of them. But I knew more than anyone that beauty only went skin deep; it didn’t matter if you had a pristine and shiny exterior if you were rotten below the surface. And as I stood there, watching the disgust unfold across their faces, the smell of decay was palpable.
Either way, my smile faltered–just a little–but enough for Thallor to pick up on almost immediately. Whether it was his otherworldly abilities or just how close we’d become, I wasn’t sure.
“Oh my god, it’s the freak from the party,” I heard the blonde one whisper loudly enough for the whole library to hear. “It’s rude to eavesdrop.”It’s also rude to be a bitch for no reason, but you don’t see me keeping score.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said as I rolled my eyes and walked over to the table withmythings scattered across it. “By the volume you were speaking at, I thought the offer of a threesome was available to anyone currently on the premises.”
“Jesus, you are a freak. I know you have the social skills of a goldfish—” Harley Quinn continued asArieljust snickered in next to her.She spoke in a slow and exaggerated tone as if I wasa fucking dog. “But we—” she made a circular motion with her hand, encompassing Thallor in herweproclamation, much to his disgust, “—don’t want you here. So why don’t you run along?”
If it wasn’t for her entire demeanour screaming “chihuahua on speed,” with her jittering movements and wide eyes, I would have probably been slightly more bothered. But after the last few months and everything I had been through, her grating little voice barely made an impact. The opinion of a peroxide blonde, and her unwarranted notion that the world and everyone else in it owed her something, wasn’t worth the emotional energy.Not that I had much left to give, anyway.
“Can you not see that we are trying to have a conversation here?” The redhead finally perked up. I’d seen this girl put back enough maki rolls to put the sushi industry out of business. Maybe all that mercury in the fish had finally gone to her head because she clearly lacked the ability to put two and two together as I continued to pack upmystuff, not bothering to dignify her comment with a response.
Only when Harley Quinn pushed my notebook onto the floor did I look up at them both, preparing for a barrage of insults. One’s that never came. Instead, my chin was tugged upward by large hands as Thallor tilted my head toward his, eyes locked on mine, and concern laced behind them. The two girls faded from my surroundings as I fought to keep afloat in the beauty of his eyes and lost. Despite my overwhelming social anxiety and perpetual uncertainty, I’d always felt quietly confident in my ability to handle situations like these…or at least get through them with my head held high.
I’d been through countless situations like these. Ones that left me feeling vulnerable and hurt. Ones I wasn’t sure I’d recover from. But I always did. And although I probably couldhave handled the situation myself, it felt good to have Thallor step in.
He continued to hold my chin between his index and thumb. His hands were large and rough, yet they had me with an unexpected gentleness as if he knew just how much pressure to apply to make me feel safe.Yep, I’ll take that smirk, those eyes, and a side of reassurance any day.
Without warning. Without so much as another word, Thallor leaned down and kissed me. He let his lips lightly brush against mine. The kiss was tentative and delicate. As if not fully sure if I would not pull away. But I could feel it awaken something in my body as our skin made contact. I could feel the spike in my chest and the fluttering beneath my skin.
“What’s going—” The red-headed girl stumbled back slightly into her friend as they both stared at Thallor and me with wild eyes.
As he pulled away, Thallor didn’t glance at the girls or acknowledge their presence as he stroked my cheek with his thumb. I was breathless, staring up at him and wondering how I’d ever resisted him. All I wanted was to close the gap between us, pulling his lips to mine and blocking out the outside world. Because nothing,nothing,would ever compare to the way he made me feel. His voice broke the silence a moment later, the assuredness in his voice working wonders to soothe my thundering heart. “I’m guessing the sixth floor was already occupied?”
Breathless and a little stunned for words, I blinked up at him. For a moment, all I could do was take in the warmth of his touch and the absence of his lips on mine. As I picked up on the implication, I just smiled up at him. “The library has gotten a little busier in the last hour.”
“That’s okay, baby. Quiet places like this don’t suit us anyway, do they? You know how much I love it when youscream my name.” Thallor immediately moved to place the rest of the stuff in my backpack, moving with a confidence that so clearly showed how familiar we were with each other. The whole time, he kept his gaze locked firmly on me, leaving me short of breath and all too happy to have someone like him fighting in my corner.
The girls glanced at each other, trying to make sense of the situation before Thallor turned toward them. I could see from the clench in his jaw and the reds of his eye that he was battling with the monster within him the moment his eyes met theirs. He looked down at the notebook that sat askew on the library floor before looking up at Harley Quinn. “Pick. It. Up.”
“Wha…what?”
