Page 96 of Praying for Thunder

A CLUE OF GUILT

It’s easy to sleep in the dark…

With your eyes closed, you don’t see the monsters lurking.

Now back with Dio, it was like waking from a long slumber. Parts of me ignited back to life. Things around me found color again. No longer black and white—survival mode—I remembered how life once was. Bright, vibrant, full of hope and desire to keep trudging forward, even when life got hard…

Rya.

No wonder I clung to her. She was for me what Ani was for Dio. He had recently gone through a monumental transformation before meeting her. Mine was still to come.

Rya was the light in my life because, without the sun, humans die. The Universe was wise, giving me her love to hold on to, and to fight for.

Inside the tent, bodies were gently nudging Dio and me as we refused to let each other go. There were a couple battery-operated lanterns, so the small crowd didn’t trample each other in the dark.

I cried to Dio, “I’m so sorry…”

He hissed and sobbed. “I failed her. Not you.”

“It was so bad. He was so mean. I was helpless.”

Dio was holding me so tight, I could barely breathe, but I didn’t care. My feet were planted on the earth again. I had someone who could protect me—

“Rya.”

“What?” Dio held my head to him while giving out instructions to others. “I don’t want to take any chances. Especially with two extra bodies. Let’s go.”

Wait… Go? “But… she’s in danger.”

Many voices were around us, all trying to concrete a plan of getting me out of there. “Yeah, their loyalty is thick… We have transportation waiting… Blacked out windows…”

Can a dream and nightmare come true all at once? For me, that damn night, it did. “Dio, I can’t go with you.”

“I got you, Thunder.” He was trying to appease me while talking with men. “Who knows how long we have until Onus clears his mind of tequila…”

I pushed against his midsection but wasn’t released. “Dio, can you hear me?”

As he held my face, his own red and blotchy from crying, I noticed all his long hair had been shaved away, as if he hadn’t the time for such leisure.

“Of course, I can hear you.” He kissed my forehead. “Missed you fucking bad, kid.” He yanked me back to him, then told someone, “Yeah, let’s do that. Pronto.”

Against his chest, I whispered, “Diablo, hear me.”

Dio jolted. His skin heated…

I nodded, knowing he could feel me against Dio. “I can’t leave her.”

Dio was suddenly pushing me toward a blowup mattress. “Sit. Drink some water. You’re not making sense.”

I was making perfect sense. He just didn’t want to hear it.

“Thank you.” Sitting, I was shaking so bad that water sloshed in the bottle as I brought it to my mouth.

Dio knelt in front of me. “We don’t have much time, my dude.” He pushed my hair, drenched in tears and sweat, from my face.

“I know, so please listen.”

Impatiently, he nodded.