Chapter 222

[ 1,073 words ]

Thump, Thump, Thump.

Macey

I chewed slowly, no longer tasting the sandwich. His words kept circling in my head-“Even if it means staying behi

when they do p>

It wasn’t just something poetic or noble. It was the truth. His truth. What the Veil is to Elliot… it’s not a purpose. It’

curse. He’s stuck here in this life. Every time I think about it, my chest aches a little. He’s tied to this place, anchore spell older than anything we’ve ever learned in school. The Veil breathes through him. Without him, it would collaps the balance between realms would crumble. He can’t move on. Can’t age like the rest of us. Can’t really live. I’ve hea Mum and my Dads talk about it late at night, when they think no one’s listening. All the research, all the rituals they tried. All the failed attempts to untether his soul. The closest thing they ever managed was removing the aging effect reversing the damage so he wouldn’t be a grown man trapped in a child’s body. It worked. Mostly. He looks like he’s il twenties now, give or take. Still younger than he should be, but it’s hard to tell if that’s from the lingering magic or ju him. Maybe it’s his impossible genes, half celestial, half infernal, somehow perfect in a way that shouldn’t exist. He lo

timeless. Because he is.

And I hate it for him. I took another bite of my sandwich just to have something to do with my hands. He sat beside m cross-legged, staring out toward the glowing horizon, the light catching on his hair. He looked peaceful, but I knew bet There was always that edge of loneliness behind his calm, a quiet that didn’t come from serenity but from being left behind. Maybe that’s why I’ve always stayed close to him. Maybe, deep down, I’ve been terrified that if I don’t, he’ll fad into this place completely, until all that’s left of him is a memory that whispers through the corridors of Hell. Would he even want to leave this world if he could? Would he want a house, a couple of kids, an everyday life that didn’t involve judging souls or guarding the balance between realms? Or has the Underworld become too much a part of him to let go of? I looked at him again, at the way the firelight outlined his jaw, the faint crease between his brows as though he coul hear my thoughts and was already arguing with them.

He caught me staring and quirked a small, knowing smile. “What p>

I shook my head, forcing a grin. “Nothing p>

He raised a brow but didn’t push it. Just went back to eating, quiet again. But my thoughts didn’t quiet. Because the truth was, I didn’t just want him to live a normal life. I wanted him to live. To have everything this life kept taking from him, And I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be strong enough to be the one who helped him do that, or the one who had to watch him

stay behind again.

I must’ve been staring si him too long, lost in thoughts I had no business having, because Elliot finally turned his head toward me and frowned slightly.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked, his tone soft but edged with curiosity. “You’re thinking so loud it’s

giving me a headache p>

8:57 am P

Thump, Thump, Thump.

blinked, caught off guard, and forced a laugh that came out a little too high-pitched. “Nothing. Just… you know,

-sandwiches p>

He raised an eyebrow. Sandwiches p>

“Yeah.” I grinned, leaning into the tease before he could press harder. “Just thinking about how perfectly you make them It’s really impressive, actually. You could totally open a café down here-Hell’s Kitchen: Now Serving Crustless Bread

for the Damned p>

That earned the reaction I wanted. His mouth twitched, then broke into a full laugh that lit up his whole face. “Oh, you

think you’re funny, huh p>

“I know I’m funny,” I said, smirking.

And that was all the warning I got before he lunged.

A squeak escaped me as his hands caught my sides, and I doubled over, laughing as he tickled me mercilessly. “Elliot, stop!” I gasped between giggles, squirming and trying to shove him off.

“Nope,” he said with that smug grin that should’ve been illegal, “you started it p>

We rolled across the grass, both of us laughing so hard I could barely breathe, the golden leaves above us shaking loose ir a soft rain around our bodies. My hair got tangled, his shirt twisted, and somehow in all the chaos, I ended up straddling him, my knees pressed into the grass on either side of his ribs/my palms flat on his chest. His laughter faded first, leaving a quiet that felt too heavy and too sweet all at once. I could feel his heart hammering beneath my hands, strong, steady and warm. The rise and fall of his chest beneath me sent heat curling low in my stomach, and suddenly I couldn’t bring myself to move. He stopped tickling, his hands hovering uncertainly at my hips, fingers twitching like they didn’t know whether to let go or pull me closer. I swallowed, trying to breathe normally, but the closeness was dizzying. The world went still around us, the rustle of the trees, the hum of the realm, all swallowed by this one impossible moment. Without thinking, I let my head lower until it rested against his chest. The warmth there was immediate and all-consuming, spreading through me like something I’d been starving for. He let out a breath-long and quiet-and his hands finally settled against my sides, not gripping, just there, Steady. My hands came up to rest on his shoulders and I let my eyes fall shut for a moment, breathing in his scent I knew all too well. We hadn’t been this close…in years.

Neither of us said a word.

I just listened to his heartbeat and let his comfort wash over the noise in my head. Just like I used to when we were kists and the world was too scary for me to handle alone.

No questions,

No Miles

8:57 am PP

M

Thump, Thump, Thump.

Just warmth and the thump thump thump, of his heartbeat.

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8:57 am P PMM

Goddess Of The Underworld

Juliet Zvayi

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