Page 19

“Pants, then.”

Syrus grimaced again. The pants were hardly better, were they?

Luke sighed and rubbed his fingers hard between his eyes. “You can’t be waltzing around here naked when I bring Colby home. It’s inappropriate.”

“But until then?” Syrus asked hopefully. He really didn’t understand this obsession with covering oneself in tight fabric. Humans at least had the excuse of fragile bodies sensitive to the elements. Syrus had no such weakness.

Luke gave him another sigh, then disappeared from the doorway. He was clearly too exhausted to even converse normally, poor thing.

Syrus listened patiently to the sound of Luke trudging up his stairs and then back down again. He returned to Syrus’s doorway with a large piece of fabric in hand. It was dark blue and flowed easily between his fingers, with a light sheen to it Syrus eyed with interest.

“This is a silk robe my sister got me,” Luke said flatly. “I never wear it.”

He tossed the robe toward the bed, and Syrus caught it, holding it up to the light. It shimmered in a pleasing way when he turned it this way and that.

Syrus sat up straighter and pushed his arms into the robe’s sleeves. Silk flowed around him, soft against his skin. When he was standing, the robe would most likely reach his upper thighs, with a sash tie instead of elastic or buttons.

Syrus grinned at Luke. “This will do nicely.”

“I’m so glad.”

There was a sarcastic edge to Luke’s voice that was very unlike him, from what little Syrus knew. Perhaps it wasn’t only the exhaustion pulling at his temper. Perhaps he was still displeased about that little blood exchange.

But needs must. Syrus didn’t let his grin fall. “I need to urinate,” he announced cheerily.

Luke gave Syrus’s mangled feet a dubious look. “I can bring you a bottle?”

The suggestion was beneath him, and Syrus ignored it. “Help me up?” he asked.

To his credit, Luke barely hesitated before coming over. He waited patiently while Syrus turned to sit at the edge of the bed and, after a pained look from Luke, tied the sash of his robe. Syrus didn’t mind covering up for now. He’d already seen Luke’s wan cheeks flush once already—that would do for one morning.

When Syrus was poised and presentable, Luke tucked his shoulder under Syrus’s and helped him stand. Together, they moved slowly out of the bedroom and in the direction of the bathroom. The steps were still painful in a sharp, stabbing way, but perhaps marginally easier than the day before.

“Have you been up here before?” Luke asked as they walked. “To the surface? On land?”

“No.”

“How do you speak English, then? And know about things like bathrooms? I would think things would be different in your…culture.”

“I absorb.”

When Syrus left it at that, Luke shook his head. “Syrus…”

Syrus huffed out a breath. Interrogations were so tiresome. Really, transforming the night before had led to new inconveniences already. “When I consume, I mean. If our species have enough in common, I can absorb the necessities. Language. Memories.”

“From a few drops of blood?” Luke sounded horrified, and Syrus was tempted to take offense.

“No. I consumed…more, before. From another human.” Syrus didn’t elaborate further. He didn’t feel like explaining about the guard. Luke was testy enough this morning without bringing human morality into it.

Luckily, kind Luke didn’t press after that. He instead sat Syrus down on the toilet and left the room, a furrow between his dark brows. Syrus did his business and hobbled to the sink. The guard he’d eaten hadn’t been meticulous about handwashing, but Syrus had a feeling Luke would appreciate it.

“I’m ready,” he called softly when he was done.

Luke reappeared, having clearly been waiting outside the door, but Syrus halted him before they could move forward. “Somewhere different,” he requested. “I grow bored of the bed.”

Syrus would have preferred to be outside in the elements, but he could hear the rain pattering on the roof, and he wasn’t sure enough how long this form could tolerate the wet and cold before it was taken out of his recovery. Inside was the safer bet, at least until he was fully healed.

Luke clucked his tongue. “Well, we can’t have that.”