you tell me it’s nice?”
He said fuck. In the sexual way. In the same sentence as my name. I would have giggled if the topic wasn’t so dire. I threw up my hands, my frustration bubbling over, and I couldn’t hide my emotion. “What should I tell you? That you’re going to die for this, and that I don’t want you to, and that you’re a stupid idiot for breaking the rules knowing all that you know?” I tried to ignore how much of my anger was born of sexual frustration brewing deep inside my body, ignited only a day ago with the kiss of a fading man in a ditch. Crap.
Sychar’s expression sobered. “I’m sorry. I know. But you asked, and you deserved the truth. I respect you too much to lie to you because you’re the only friend I have.”
The truth of his words and the intensity of his solitude resonated within me as he spoke. The Gents didn’t socialize with each other as we Maids did… they weren’t allowed. Levitiqas squashed any sign of joy he saw, and I sighed. I might have been a little scared, and a little jealous, but yes, I was also his friend. “I think Levi’s your friend, too.”
“Levi is too busy with whatever Festus tells him to do to bother with a little shit like me.”
“You’re not so little anymore, you big boy with a girlfriend.” I tried to cover my wounded feelings with jest. “What are you, pushing sixty, now?”
“Pushing seventy,” he corrected with a smirk, “but sixteen for eternity.”
Sixteen. Way too young when Levitiqas bit him and stole his mortal life. I was lucky to be twenty when I was bitten, and the extra age gave me an edge of wisdom over Sychar that I tried to impart where I could.
Sixteen and seventy. I was a little bit older than him, at twenty and seventy.
“So, what’s her name?” I shook off my momentary lapse of composure. Friend. Supportive friend, almost equal in age but wiser in suffering. That’s what I was to him. His choices were his, not mine.
“Samantha,” he said, his black eyes widening as he whispered around the syllables. Oh, he loved her. I could see it in his eyes that he loved her, and though fears still bled into my mood, I was also so delighted to see true happiness on his face that I thought my heart might burst.
I smiled, genuine mirth pushing away my anger. “How old is she?”
“Uh, eighteen, I think. I’m not sure. I thought it would be rude to ask, since she’s mortal and all.”
“Smart move. So, you love her.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t need to.” Huh. I wondered if my emotions showed as plainly on my face as his.
Sychar sighed and stared out the open door at the night blasting by. “Yeah, I think I love her.”
“And you’ve… been with her? And not killed her?” I didn’t know if I could do it, actually do it, if it were me and Jack. Jack! There was his name in my lusty thoughts again.
He winced. “Do we have to talk about this?”
I laughed at his discomfort. “Yes. Were you safe about it?”
“What the hell does that even mean, for Vespers?”
“It means did you eat first, so you wouldn’t accidentally mummify her?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I ate first. Can we be done with the safe-sex talk now?”
“Sure. So how was it?”
“Oh my God, Three. Seriously? It was fine.”
“Fine?” I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Just fine, or more than fine?”
He threw his hands up and shook his head. “I don’t know, it was fine! I hope it was fine, anyway.” He rose to his feet and planted his hands on his hips, pacing in that invisible, fast way of his. I could barely see his movements. “I don’t want to discuss my sexual prowess, or lack thereof, with you. It’s like talking about sex with my sister.”
I snorted. “I’m sure you did very well.”
“How do I tell that? It’s not like she’s going to tell me I’m a fumbling idiot, what with her being afraid of me, and all.”
I thought of my parting gift from Jack and something clenched inside me, deep
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