53
It took nearly everything he had to force himself to step forward, to meet Leviathan in the swath of shadows he had drawn up. Anxiety was squeezing tight around his chest, making his breaths come too quick and shallow. He still had no idea what to say to them, how he was meant to say goodbye. How he was supposed to explain that he was choosing this dark life of blood and shadows…
Leviathan’s hand pressed gently to his back as the shadows swallowed them, comforting him as the darkness cut off his other senses. When the world came back to them, they stood on top of the hill that overlooked the academy. The same place Leviathan had snapped his ankle and forced him to drink his poison blood.
Cullen gave a hard swallow, taking in the dark sky, the nearly full moon that hung high, showing how late it was. Clouds dotted the sky, dropping light flecks of snow onto the thin layer that already coated the ground, and the school was dark, nearly every light off, an eerie silence surroundingit, as if the snow was a bad omen…
“It’s your imagination.” Leviathan said softly, running a gentle hand down his back. “Nothing is out of the ordinary.”
He took a slow breath. Then another, closing his eyes for a few moments before opening them again and turning to face him.
“Will you stay here?”
Leviathan smiled, though there was the smallest amount of displeasure in his eyes. “Right here.”
Cullen nodded slowly and turned for the school. “Do you think they’ll attack me?” They had before after all. Maybe he wouldn’t even get a chance to say the things he wanted to before they tried to kill him…
“Your instincts will kick in if they do.” Leviathan responded quietly.
“So, I’ll try to kill them.” He whispered, almost to himself. Those memories came back as well. That terrible loss of control…that feeling of watching from inside his own head while he swiped and snapped at his friends with deadly claws and teeth…
Leviathan gave his wrist a gentle squeeze. “I will have you out of there before you can react that way. I promise.”
He swallowed hard, wondering if he’d underestimated Leviathan’s speed and power, and then nodded again and started forward. “I’ll be right back.”
“Good luck.” Leviathan whispered, his voice fading into the distance behind him.
It was all exactly as he remembered it. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected to change; the school had stood for hundreds of years and, aside from some necessary upgradeshere and there–like when demon lords destroyed buildings–not a thing had changed. The scattered buildings made up of dark wood–magically crafted so that they did not decay–sat where they had always been. Their windows were mostly dark, but Cullen could have pinpointed which window belonged to which student. Could have walked right up to the one that belonged to Dom and knocked…
But he found himself heading for Walker’s dorm instead.Hisdorm. It was the closest building to him. And the newest, since they’d had to rebuild it after Leviathan destroyed their old one. It was identical to the original. To the point where he’d never even grown homesick. He found he was grateful for the new planks as he pushed the door open to the entrance hall, his body tensing on instinct, waiting for the telltale creak of the hinges. But the only sound that greeted him was a gentle whoosh as he opened and closed the door, his eyes falling to the familiar floor as he paused, listening closely.
Walker was asleep, his pulse calm and quiet, his soft snores audible to him through the door at the end of the hall.
And with him…another heartbeat. More soft breaths. Ryan, he was sure. Unless Walker had made it a point to see more than one person since he’d vanished…
A throb went through Cullen’s chest, making him press his hand to his heart with a grimace.It doesn’t matter.He told himself again.He may not have loved me, but we both need the closure.
Though the thought of him not only having moved on but having someone in the room that they had shared more nights than he could count…that was a little enraging.
He pushed aside the anger and the jealousy with a little shake of his head, moving forward carefully, avoiding theplanks he knew would creak under his weight. If either of them woke before he could get a word out…if an alarm was sounded…well, it just wouldn’t be good for anyone.
He drew in a slow breath when he reached the door, bracing himself to be in the same proximity he’d been the night he’d nearly killed Walker. Though that had mostly been due to the blood rage taking over…something all new demons experienced, Leviathan had explained… He couldn’t let it happen again. He’d done well enough surrounded by all those other humans all those times but…well, he would be careful. Very careful. He wouldn’t let his emotions take over. Wouldn’t let his mind wander and his rage blossom into something uncontrollable…
Slowly, he pushed open Walker’s bedroom door, his gaze remaining locked on the floor for far too long before he finally closed the door behind him and looked up.
There they were, tangled up in a bed he had slept in for years, Ryan’s head pillowed on Walker’s chest just as Cullen’s had often been. The blanket was tangled around their hips and their chests were bare. A condom wrapper had been left on the floor, lube on the bedside table mere inches away…
Cullen’s teeth snapped together, a little burst of rage pulsing off of him as he took it all in.
Ryan must have felt the death aura that had rolled off of him–because he blinked his eyes open and turned his head, his eyes popping wide when they fell on him. He swore and jerked to a sitting position, his eyes flickering to one of the daggers that rested on the bedside table before they went back to Cullen.
“Keep your mouth shut.” Cullen breathed, giving a barely discernible shake of his head. “And wake him up.”
Ryan exhaled shakily, his eyes not leaving Cullen’s face as he turned and shook Walker’s shoulder with a muttered order to wake up.
Walker’s snores cut off, a soft grumbling leaving him as he blinked up at Ryan. He took in the panic on his new boyfriend’s–or whatever they were–face and spun around, his eyes meeting Cullen’s before they popped wide.
“Cull!” He shot up out of bed, throwing the cover to the side, the pulse in his veins rushing faster as he stepped forward, ignoring the hissed warning Ryan spat out.
