Page 432 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

then Wrath shall take thy soul to keep.’

‘I know.’

‘You should be taken. You signed away your soul.’

‘I understand. It’s all right.’

‘And yet,’ the monster whispers, ‘no god dares come to collect you, for you belong to another.’

‘What?’

‘Julian Penhalyx will not let you go. You are his, blood and heart and soul. So you will have to choose.’

‘Choose what?’

‘You can swim far out and go elsewhere to begin again, or,’ he says, looking up at the hale moon, shining bright above, ‘you can go back, but if you do, you will not be human. You will be something new. Not immortal as you were for the seven days, not Brightling as you were born.’

‘I can go back to him?’

‘You can make that choice.’

He looks out at the water.

The faint false dawn of a new day bleeds red.

But Lachlan Tanner doesn’t want to ever see the sun rise without his boy.

‘How do I get back?’

The monster smiles.

‘You have to trade.’

‘Trade what?’

‘Bodies. Your human skin has no place in that world anymore. You need mine to make it back.’

‘What about you?’

‘You can leave me here inside your human skin.’

‘No,’ he says quickly, heart straining. ‘No, you come with me. You’re part of me.’

‘We all lose parts of ourselves.’

Lachlan holds the monster’s face.

‘You deserved better. I’m so fucking sorry.’

‘I forgive you,’ he whispers, wrapping Lachlan in arms and wings and kindness, skin cold.

Lachlan grips him tight.

‘You kept me alive, you kept me safe, you… you’ve only ever tried to keep me safe, and I locked you up and I hurt you and I hated you. I’m so sorry. I love you. I love you so much. I won’t leave you behind. We go together.’

‘It will hurt all the more.’

‘I don’t care. I can carry you. I can protect you. I’m strong. I can be strong enough for both of us.’