Page 96 of Seared Fates

Kai nudges Teagan with his shoulder.

Teagan opens his mouth like he might say something, then simply exhales and walks off toward the kitchen.

“Your fly’s undone,” Teagan says, voice quiet.

My gaze shoots down to my fly—finding it up.

A soft, amused snort leaves Teagan as he slips into the kitchen.

Grunting, I look back at Kai to find his eyes dancing.

“He made you look,” he chuckles and takes my hand, dragging me and the brownies along.

Kai really should’ve let me bring the sword.

Chapter thirty-five

Kai

My hands lay on the smooth graphite of Vidar’s bathroom sink, water dripping down my naked body. Clean soap-scented steam from my shower fogs up the room.

With my fluffy black towel, I rub away the misty mirror and stare back at my reflection.

Having dinner with my family and falling into the easy, familiar routine had been a nice breather away from the chaos. Especially with Vidar at my side. Too bad Teagan ran off before I could actually speak with him.

Reaching out, I press the pads of my fingers into the cool glass, the smooth surface squeaking as I slowly draw swirls in the fog.

When I’m around others, I can quiet Summer’s voice telling me I’m a half-demon. But now I’m alone and…

I go through unclear memories of my parents. Not the wonderful people I have now, but the ones before. A Mother and Father whose faces escape me, the sounds of their voices lost to time, but I know they loved me.

Who saved me and damned themselves.

And how do I repay them?

By wishing Kwame and Charlotte were my real birth parents. Which is when, even though I’ve played this game a thousand times over and should be expecting it, the guilt comes at me like a sucker punch to leave me breathless.

I clean away the mist and the doodles I drew in them with my towel, then stare back at my reflection.

“Half-demon.” I taste the word, see if it fits. Find that I feel…something. Or maybe that's just the now-constant ache from my missing soul.

My hand goes towards my braids, pauses, then pushes my ashy blond hair up and away from my face and stare at the marred skin. The crisscrossing of raised marks starts from my forehead and curves around my face to finish at my chin.

Like a wrung out crescent moon.

I try to find the symbols Summer said were there to prove I’m not human. Or not fully human. But maybe each mark has been a scar to me for too long, because I don’t find anything new.

However, being a half-demon doesn’t feel like a lie. More like something I was told once in passing. Like meeting a family member as a kid, then meeting them all over again as an adult.

A memory seems to try to pull itself to the surface—a similar slope as my nose, maybe another pair of jade eyes. Skin a few shades darker, someone else with skin a few shades lighter.

I struggle to hold onto the murky images, but like the mist in the bathroom, it soon fades until it’s just me and my reflection.

Blowing out a breath, I drop my braids and dry myself.

I tug on a pair of sweats and a simple white T-shirt, thankful to Ramy for going to my flat and picking up some clothes. Once done, I make my way back into Vidar’s bedroom to find Golden curled up on the sofa, staring out the dark window to the muted howling wind beyond.

“Golden?” When he stays lost in his thoughts, I make my way over and drop a hand on his shoulder.