Page 167 of The Echo of Forever

“Violet’s husband and friend are on the compound,” he said, moving to stand over me as I lay naked on our bed. “I’m taking him out with me for a little. You should go talk to them.”

I looked up, already picking up on what he might be up to. He was going hunting, and I knew exactly who his prey was.

“You really want me to be friends with them, huh?” I asked softly, reaching for his hand.

I’d picked up on his game long ago. He wanted me to have allies beyond him, his siblings, and Carmen, people who could be trusted.

He squeezed my fingers, his expression softening slightly.

“You know who Lucia is?” I asked after letting him kiss my forehead and then my lips. “And I already know she’s Gaia’s cousin, but what else?”

Gaia had been interesting but left as quickly as she’d arrived, dodging my questions about her cousin during our one encounter.

A small smile curved his lips.

“You’ve heard of the Red Society, right?”

I frowned. The Red Society was whispered about in certain circles, assassins who operated outside normal channels.

“Whispers, yeah. I know it exists. Why? She one of them?”

He pulled a black skully over his head, rolling the edges as he looked back at me.

“Yeah, baby, she’s one of them. They call her Scarlet.”

I knew of the moniker. Even in Everwood, that name carried weight. I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face at the thought of meeting her.

But my smile faded when I noticed how Demetrius’s expression had changed, his eyes intense and serious.

“I can’t live without you,” he said, voice dropping to nearly a whisper. “That means you can’t die without me, my forever. You understand, right?”

My heart ached suddenly, thinking back on him finding me with a gun in my hand last night and then putting it to my head. Asking him to pull the trigger because I couldn’t do it myself.

He was afraid to leave me alone, afraid I might try again while he was gone.

“I understand,” I told him as he leaned over me, pressing his hands into the mattress on either side of my body. His face hovered close to mine, his eyes searching for truth in my words. “I’m going to start therapy and get better.”

He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering there. “You don’t have to rush for me. I’ll be here through every phase, alright?”

Before I could respond, he was gone, the bedroom door closing softly behind him.

I fell back onto the bed, letting the tears I’d been holding back finally fall. This man had seen me at my absolute worst, had learned about my darkest moments, and still looked at me with nothing but love. He was willing to kill for me, to reshape Everwood for me.

And all he asked in return was that I stay alive to love him back. I wiped my tears and reached for my phone. It was time to make some new friends.

I stepped outside an hour later, breathing in the cool night air as I made my way through the compound. The path curved between houses, street lights on as some of the kids played outside.

My life had taken such a strange turn, yet somehow it felt right. Like I was finally where I belonged.

“Forever!”

I turned at the sound of my name, surprised to see Arland standing in the doorway of his home. The screen door creaked as he pushed it open wider, his tall frame filling the entrance. I’d been expecting him to give me a hard time, but instead, his expression seemed almost…friendly?

“Tristian told me you made sure he got home safe after he showed up unannounced at EG,” he said, stepping onto his porch. “Just wanted you to know, I appreciate that.”

I stood there for a hot second, trying to process his words.

“He’s an interesting kid,” I replied, offering a small smile. “Really smart, too. You and your wife did a good job with him.”