Page 76 of Bonds of Starfall

"Can I come in?"

And what was Rin to do?

She let him in.

The incubuswho had been inside her body poked at the water bottles on the kitchen counter and traced his fingers over the snacks. Under his black hoodie, his shoulders were tense.

Rin crossed her arms to hide her trembling limbs. "What are you doing here, Cy?"

In a sudden, fluid move that startled her, Cy turned and fell to his knees before her, the action making his hood fall back,revealing the shock of deep red hair. She stared down at him in surprise.

His hands raised and pressed upon her bare knees as he beseeched, in one long breath:

"I’m sorry. Forgive me for what I did—I know I don’t even deserve to breathe the same air as you, believe me, I know. But you can forgive me. Iknowyou can, you’ve done it before. Let me make it up to you, Ves."

Rin merely… stared at him, holding back a confused curse.

"Cy, what is this?" Her hands raised placatingly. "I think you have the wrong girl." She spoke slowly.

He shook his head, refusing to stand. In the light of the kitchen, she studied him better, finding him even more captivating when it wasn’t under the neon glow of a club or the dim of a hotel room.

Cy’s fingers spanned over her knees, his forehead pressing on her lower stomach, breaths skittering over her skin, even through her shirt. "You can stop playing now. The game’s over, Ves. I lost. You won. Just say—say you remember. Lie, if you have to. I don’t care, and I’ll be okay with losing forever. So long as it’s not losing you."

How could she even begin to unpackthis?

She was beginning to worry that this incubus wasn’t mentally well. And how the fuck did he come to be on Earth?

Another knock shattered her inner musings, and this one was undeniably her doctor.

"Vesperin?" Lucien called through the door. "I’m here."

Rin’s eyes widened. Her fingers wrapped around Cy’s wrist, tugging him up. "Go," she hissed under her breath. "Go. Hide! He can’t see you."

Cy allowed her to tug him up, purple eyes dazed as he stared down at her hands on his wrists. "Who?" the incubus asked.

Another knock. "Vesperin?" Lucien sounded worried.

Rin scrambled, tugging Cy back to her room as she called over her shoulder, voice warbling, "Just—just a minute!"

Her heart was racing, sweat beading on the back of her nape.

She shoved Cy into her room. "Under the bed!" she ordered.

"Under it? Sure you don’t meanonit, doll?" Cy gave an impish grin.

She shoved at his shoulders. "Go."

Cy tipped his chin up, a challenge flashing in his eyes. "If you agree to listen to me."

In the heat of the moment, with no other way to get him to obey, she spat, "Fine. Under the bed and be quiet."

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he shimmied underneath her bed, flashing her a quick wink as she shut her bedroom door and hurried out to the hall.

Frazzled, she took a deep breath, feeling it catch in her lungs. Her chest was tight. It was like everything was finally catching up to her since that moment she had first boarded the ship headed to Sibeth.

As Rin opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of Lucien on the other side. Something within her that had been strung taut loosened when their eyes locked.

"Vesperin," Lucien sighed, and she fell into his awaiting arms.