Page 89 of Nocte

And so will he, the creature who led you here like a lamb to the slaughter.

But death doesn’t scare me. It can’t scare me. Nothing does but him.

I can’t lose him. I won’t lose him. I dig my fingers into his and beg him. Over and over, I beg and beg.

“Don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me! Please, Caspian?—”

“Shut up,” he hisses, still dragging us closer to that damned motel. He can’t help himself. He can smell it too. Taste it too. His master is near and all his brethren.

They are here to take him back.

To take him away.

To kill me and take him away.

“Don’t leave me,” I tell him, but the words aren’t strong enough. “Caspian, please. Stay with me. I need you here. I need you with me. I. NEED. YOU!”

He stiffens and goes still, his arm outstretched behind him, his hand still in my grasp. He looks back at me, my beautiful stolen being and he drills his gaze into mine.

“I won’t leave you,” he says.

And my heart sings. My heart breaks.

Because is it his will or mine?

I don’t know.

I don’t know.

I don’t want to know.

CHAPTER34

Caspian

They’ve sent them all; my most cherished and trusted brothers and sisters. He sent them to come for me. His favorite four. His most braindead four. Their minds and will have been snuffed out eons ago. Ages ago. Centuries.

They live as one with him now. A perfect, creepy union.

They are waiting for me, standing in the hallway of that cramped, dingy motel. I can hear them. I can smell them.

But in my brain, the world is silent. I can only hear her, my frantic, terrified little fae. I hear her frantic, hurried breathing. I hear her begging in a broken, scratchy voice. I hear her plead.

“Don’t leave me, Caspian! Please, don’t leave…”

As if I could. As if I could ever want to leave her. As if I could ever let her leave me.

“I won’t,” I say to her.

I can’t.

She is mine, and mine, and mine. She is mine and no one will take her from me. She is mine and no one will take me from her.

So I pull her forward and enter that dingy, cramped trap house. I once craved to visit this den of debauchery.Oh, please.I would beg him like she is now.Please, Lord Cassius, please. Let me play. Let me run. Let me away from you. Away from you…

Let me run away to the mortal realm. I will return.

I won’t. I wouldn’t want to return. He would make me. Compel me.