Page 39 of Seared Fates

Chapter sixteen

Kai

I’m lying side by side with Golden in the massive bed he shares with Lucero. The room used to be all dark and moody colours, hard edges and thick blackout curtains. Now I find Golden everywhere; in flowers bursting from vases, their pink and yellow petals dusting across the dark wood countertops, or on the bedside tables. Where a red, white, blue and yellow bouquet sits in anOptimus Primemug.

An explosion of spring in the dead of winter.

“Why do you have so much yarn, by the way?” I ask, it spilling from an open drawer.

“Oh, since I’m not getting out much, I decided to learn how to knit.”

“Of course you did,” I chuckle.

“Yeah.” He nods enthusiastically. “I’m going to make everyone socks.”

I smile and gently knock the side of my head to his, his lush curls soft against my cheek. “We’ve been here before.”

Golden looks at me, eyes rimmed with dark circles, and I have to temper the worries ringing in my ears. Golden’s transformation wasn’t smooth, and he suffered days of agonising pain. It’s normal for him to avoid the subject, but he’s also been avoiding drinking blood, which has left him in a weakened state.

But he gets enough concern from Lucero, so I leave the subject alone.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“Us, lying in this bed side by side. But last time, you had no idea what to do.”

“What is love?” he singsongs, and I can feel him smiling from the way his cheeks push against mine.

“Baby, don’t hurt me,” I sing back, and our soft chuckles fill the room. “Where’d Apollo run off to?”

“Probably to cause hell for Rurik.”

“Pretty sure Apollo could run Rurik over, and he’d be chill with it,” I snort.

If I close my eyes, I could pretend we’re fifteen and holed up in my bedroom. Tattoo art books open, I’m insisting I’ve got a one true love out there, and Golden makes fun of me even as he flips through my Dad’s newspaper to try and find me the perfect man.

In the end, he just learnt too much about politics and the weather.

“I love you, and I’m scared,” Golden announces, bringing me back to the present.

I raise a questioning eyebrow.

“I’m trying to be more honest about my feelings and shit.”

I crack a grin. “And shit?”

He elbows me. “Go on then, your turn.”

Laughing under my breath, I stare up at the ceiling where two glow-in-the-dark stars are stuck.

“I love you, and I’m scared,” I tell him quietly.

“Dude, you can’t copy what I said.”

“So there are rules to sharing feelings now?”

“Obviously! C’mon, share, you bellend.”

“Alright, jeez.” I press into him, keeping my focus locked on those two shitty press-on stars. “I wanna learn more about my fire.”