Page 113 of In Your Light

Hadeom met his eyes, where the orange fire reflected in green moss, and he nodded. “Of course. This is where the wild things live, after all.”

Epilogue

SAWYER

Sawyer looked up toward the surface, marvelling at how the beams of light refracting through the dark and swirling water made the cove look like a galaxy. His human eyes had thought it was spectacular, but now.... Now it was magical.

Everything was.

His new body, his new mind. He could see colours his human eyes weren’t privy to, hear sounds, and feel...

Oh boy, how his new body could feel. As if the receptors in his skin could detect the most infinitesimal things.

It was weird at first. Everything was weird at first.

And the pain. Lord, the pain of his transformation had been bewildering to say the very least. First the teleporting with Hadeom to Hobart had been bad enough. It had begun to break down his cells, which had been necessary. He knew that now. But fuck, at the time, he knew he was dying.

And then in the cove. His lungs took in water, and he was powerless to fight it. Ciaran had been holding him, and Sawyer found peace in that. But then Hadeom was there, in the water, and then Cern too.

Sawyer’s world had gone dark as his human life left him. The only thing keeping him tethered to this world was the pain, and Ciaran’s touch.

Hey, Ciaran’s soft voice filtered into his mind as he entwined eight perfect arms with Sawyer’s. You’re remembering again.

Ah yes.

The mental telepathy in cephamorph mode was new too. And amazing. It had also been daunting at first. Humans, as a general rule, kept a lot of thoughts to themselves, but now that Sawyer was a cephamorph, adjusting to the ability to speak, to hear the others’ minds, had been strange. But now Sawyer loved it. There was no hiding, just complete honesty, and Sawyer loved that.

I am remembering, he replied, how awesome this is. How it’s better than anything I could have imagined.

No regrets?

Absolutely none. Never.

The pain?

Worth it.

I love you, Ciaran said, smooshing his face to Sawyer’s. I loved you when you were human, but now... He sighed, sending bubbles out his air sacs. Now I get to share this part of me with you as well. It’s so much better.

It is. And getting to love you with three hearts and eight arms is my favourite thing. Kinda bummed I can’t wear your ring anymore. I’ve asked Hendrix if he’ll tattoo it on for me.

Ciaran smooshed him some more. We should probably surface. We’ve been gone a while.

I could stay down here forever.

Are you avoiding your new coworker?

Images of Hadeom flashed through his mind. Yes—Wait, I meant to say no. Ugh, this no fibbing thing is unfair.

Ciaran laughed. We should go up and see if Aurin hasn’t killed him yet.

Sawyer snorted. I thought it’d be Salem who’d hold a grudge forever, but Aurin has him beat, I think.

Ah, yes. Imagine if Hadeom threatened you, Ciaran said.

Sawyer imagined it.

Ciaran smiled. Now imagine he threatened me.