Jade’s wings unfurled like the edge of a storm, and the last vestiges of power still crackled in the air around her. She stood there, surveying the scene, and I could feel the weight of her presence like a debt I couldn’t escape.

  “You know what this means, Daniel Mercer,” she said, her voice flat, cold as the wind howling outside.

  I was still on my knees, the taste of blood thick in my mouth, limbs trembling with exhaustion. But I forced myself to meet her eyes. The promise I’d made—the one I couldn’t take back—hung there between us like a guillotine, forever hovering.

  “You owe me now,” she said. No anger. Just finality.

  I didn’t answer. She didn’t need me to. Jade knew. She would collect—when, where, and how she wanted. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

  But I didn’t care.

  I would have paid any price to save Lily.

  Without another word, her wings flared wide—impossibly vast, edged with light and fire—and in a rush of heat and wind, she was gone. The air grew still in her wake, like the world had just exhaled.

  Then the others began to disappear.

  Sélis gave me a sharp nod—part respect, part enigma—and vanished without a sound. One blink she was there, the next she was shadow. The vampire—Lucian—bowed low, a dry flourish more theatrical than mocking, the kind of bow a soldier gave to a commander he'd once sworn to kill. Then he turned and faded into the gloom.

  Ironhoof raised his crescent glaive in salute and trotted away, the sound of hooves echoing faintly behind him.

  And then it was just us.

  Me. Elly. Eury. Lily.

  Lily was slumped on the floor, barely breathing. Her skin was so pale, almost translucent, and her lips were cracked, bloodless. I could see it—she wasn’t in good shape. Between my powers draining her and whatever the Eyes of Aether had done to her, she was a shell of her former self. And even though I could feel it in my gut, like a knot tightening in my chest, I couldn’t deny it.

  “She won’t last long,” Elly said softly, crouching next to Lily. Her voice was calm, but I could hear the panic behind it. “She needs to feed. And fast.”

  I sank down next to them, my body barely able to hold itself up. I watched Lily’s shallow breathing, the way her chest rose and fell like it was becoming harder and harder to even try.

  Eury crouched next to her as well, brushing a strand of hair from Lily’s face. “She’s fading, Dan. If you don’t do something, she’ll die.”

  I couldn’t breathe. The thought of it was too much. I couldn't just—couldn't—but I could feel the weight of the room on me, their eyes on me, and I knew I had to do something.

  But the idea of it...

  “I… I can’t,” I said, shaking my head, my voice breaking. “If I do… I’ll steal her powers. I don’t know if I can—”

  Elly’s sharp eyes fixed on me, no softness in them. “Some things are inborn, Daniel. The powers she loses from your Null abilities? They’re the external part of her being. The magic—the feeding mechanism—those are an inseparable part of her. Those can’t be removed. Not completely.”

  She paused, the words hanging between us. “She needs you, Daniel. Your connection. She can feed on that, like when you held her hand after the takeout bag bit her. Only this needs to be a bit more than holding hands. It’ll restore her, at least enough to survive.”

  I felt my stomach twist into a knot. The thought of doing this, of offering her sustenance her that way, made my body scream in protest.

  But I couldn’t ignore the truth. I couldn’t ignore what needed to happen.

  “She doesn’t have the energy to find prey,” Eury added, her voice full of dark amusement, but there was a tenderness there too. “You’re it. Right here, right now. And don’t worry, I’ll hum a little background music if you need it.”

  My eyes flickered to her, then back to Lily, who was looking at me with eyes full of desperate need. I swallowed hard.

  Elly stepped closer, offering me her jacket without another word. “She needs comfort,” she said, her voice steady. “You know what to do.”

  For a second, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to scream, to walk away, but I couldn’t. Not now. Not with her fading like this.

  I nodded, barely able to make the motion, and then I watched as Elly turned, her eyes flickering toward me for just a moment before she left the area. Eury stepped back, a smirk dancing on her lips, but she didn’t say anything else. She, too, left the area, respecting my obvious need for privacy, leaving just me and Eury in the silence.

  The tension in the room was suffocating.

  And I looked at Lily again.

  She was so close to slipping away. I hadn’t promised an immortal dragon a favor and gotten myself beaten with a pipe just to let her die.

  I made the choice. I reached for her.

  The room felt small, too small, with the weight of everything pressing down on me. I could feel Lily’s desperate need against me, but I didn’t know what to do, how to handle it. The floor beneath us was cold, gritty, covered in dirt and grime—but that was the least of our worries.

  Lily’s breathing was ragged as she clung to me. Without her powers, she had none of that familiar, seductive confidence she usually wore like a cloak. She was vulnerable, just like me. We were both struggling, neither of us knowing what the hell we were supposed to be doing.

  I could feel my hands shaking as I touched her. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. I had never been good at this. The tension was thick, each breath harder than the last.

  “Danny,” Lily’s voice was quieter now, rasping, not quite as commanding as usual. “I need you. Now. Please.”

  She didn’t have to say anything more. I could see the desperation in her eyes. She needed this. She needed me.

  What the hell was I doing and why wasn’t there a light switch nearby?

  I shifted awkwardly, trying to find some semblance of control, but everything felt wrong. I felt clumsy, too rough with my hands, fumbling through motions that didn’t come naturally. Lily’s breath hitched in a way that made me want to stop, to pull away, but I couldn’t. Not with her like this. Not when I was the only one who could help.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Is this…” I stammered, barely able to form the words. “Is this going okay? I don’t know what I’m doing—”

  Lily’s eyes narrowed, her mouth a thin line as she sighed in frustration. “No, Danny, it’s not. But you’re here. And that’s what matters. Keep going.”

  It wasn’t graceful, not at all. I was all elbows and bruised knees, my body uncoordinated against hers, and every movement felt too hard, too much. She wasn’t the confident seductress that could have any man in any room she walked into anymore. She was just... Lily. Just a person, struggling.

  I gritted my teeth, trying to keep going, trying to make it right. But it wasn’t easy. Every touch felt too desperate, too rough. It was messy. It was awkward.

  Lily’s hands grasped at me, pulling me closer, then pushing me away, then pulling me in again. I could feel my heart racing, my breath short, but I couldn’t stop. Not when she needed me like this.

  There was no rhythm to it. No grace. No beauty. Just the awkwardness of two people, finding their way in a situation we didn’t have the tools for.

  When it was over, Lily didn’t say much. She didn’t have much energy left to say anything, really, but her eyes met mine. She looked at me, then looked away quickly. Her lips curled, just slightly. “Well, that was… something.”

  I felt my face flush. I couldn’t look at her, couldn’t make sense of what had just happened. But there was a part of me—God, there was a part of me that hated myself for not being better. For not being more.

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled, my voice too small, too broken.

  Lily didn’t seem to hear me at first. Then she shifted, sitting up, and threw me a glance that was... weirdly thoughtful.

  “Don’t be sorry, Danny,” she said, her voice raspy. “It wasn’t good, but it got the job done.”

  I felt my chest tighten. “Right. It was—”

  “I’ve slept with probably close to a thousand people in my life, and this actually wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had,” she added, not unkindly, but bluntly, before settling back down beside me, her head resting against the floor, staring up at the ceiling. She shook her head. “Some of them cry afterward…”

  I had no words. There was a part of me that felt humiliated, another part that felt just... lost. I wasn’t even sure what I was supposed to do with myself, now that it was over.

  But then, she reached for my hand, pressing it against her chest. The warmth of her skin was a silent apology, or maybe an acknowledgment. I couldn’t tell.

  “You’re welcome, by the way,” she muttered, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re the reason I’m still here.”

  I swallowed hard. “I… I didn’t do it for thanks.”

  She smiled faintly, and there was something raw in it. Something real. “Still. Thanks. For the… effort.”

  I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Instead, I just lay there, beside her, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

  And then, despite everything, I felt her shift closer, tucking herself against me. Her body was warm, but frail. It was the first time I felt like she was the one who needed to be held.

  I wrapped my arms around her—awkward, unsure—but I did it anyway.

  She was smaller than me, so much smaller. And yet, there we were. I felt ridiculous. I was the one holding her, yet somehow, I felt like the fragile one. The little spoon.

  I let out a breath, trying not to make a sound, but I couldn’t stop it.

  A single tear slipped down my cheek. Thankfully, I was facing away from her.

  Lily didn’t seem to notice. She just closed her eyes, her breathing slow and steady as she fell asleep.

  And for a moment, in that quiet, crumpled mess of our lives, I almost felt like maybe this was the only thing I could do right: just being here. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

  And in the end, that was enough. She lived.

  The arrival of footsteps came with a suddenness that sent my heart skittering into my throat. I didn’t have my pants on yet, and I wasn’t prepared to have my nakedness exposed for all to see, not just yet.

  Eury was the first one in, her lips twitching with that infuriating, knowing smirk on her face. "Well, well, well," she purred, her eyes scanning the room like she was soaking up the aftermath of a warzone. "Did I miss the whole party, or is there more of that 'lifesaving weinering' to go around?" She tugged at the button on her slacks as if to join in.

  “It’s done.” I grumbled at her, finding the last sleeve hole in a hurry.

  “We waited until all of the grunting stopped, but it didn’t seem to take that long?” Eury ventured, earning her a glare from Lily.

  I scrambled to my feet in a hurry, heart pounding. My body felt sore, like it had just survived a train wreck, but there was no time to dwell on that. I yanked on my pants as quickly as possible, half out of embarrassment, half because I wasn’t sure if Elly and Eury were about to start going into detail about the disaster that had just unfolded.

  Lily was already sitting up, clearly more natural about nudity than I was. At least she was looking like she had some color back in her cheeks. Her usual poise was returning, but there was still something distant in her eyes. Her smile was a little shy, though she didn’t quite meet my gaze. It was… weird.

  "No more comments," Elly interrupted, her voice sharper than usual. "I don't want to know. Not one more word, Eury."

  Eury rolled her eyes but didn't push it. At least, not immediately. Her mouth was still twitching like she wanted to make a comment, but Elly’s warning was enough to get her to back off. I let out a sigh of relief.

  Elly’s gaze turned to me then, and the lightness faded from her eyes. "Daniel," she said quietly, her brows furrowing, "About the deal with Jade... you’re sure you know what you’re getting into?"

  I froze. My hand was still half-lifted as I tried to pull my shirt over my head. I had expected this question but hearing it from Elly made everything feel more real. I lowered my arm slowly, meeting her worried eyes.

  “I don't know," I admitted, my voice rough. "But Jade is... Jade. She’s a known entity, and far more benevolent than that creature we were dealing with. I don’t 100% know what she's capable of, but it must be better than that shadow bitch.”

  Elly nodded. “I’m already getting messages from my contacts in the area. Jade has already taken control. She’s the Queen of the city now, and she’ll use you. That much is clear.”

  "You’re her battering ram, huh?” From her tone and the way she grinned at Lily, I could tell that Eury meant that as a double meaning. “Sounds like fun."

  I glared at her, but Elly didn’t seem to find it funny. She looked almost worried, and it made my stomach knot. “She’ll use me as a lever to make things happen for sure," I continued, glancing at Lily for reassurance.

  "Whenever she needs me, she’ll push me forward. I’ll be her tool, her way of getting what she wants. And that’s... I don’t know. That’s all there is to it. I’m a weapon now, whether I like it or not."

  Elly nodded slowly; her lips pressed into a tight line. "You need to be careful with that," she warned, her voice quieter now, as though she were speaking directly to my soul. "Jade doesn’t do things for free. She’ll collect, one way or another."

  I exhaled, raking my fingers through my hair. "I know," I said, the weight of it pressing on me like a boulder. “But I couldn’t let anything happen to Lily. I would have done the same for any of you.”

  There was a long pause, and for a moment, no one spoke. Then, Elly blinked, as if something occurred to her. "You might want to consider moving," she said suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence. "To a bigger place. You’re going to need somewhere… safer and probably bigger..."

  Lily shot her a grin, her usual sass creeping back in as she reached for my hand companionably. "Ooh, I call dibs on the main bedroom, Danny. It's the only room big enough for my collection of… important items."

  Elly’s eyes narrowed, a flash of irritation passing through them. "Oh, you do, do you?"

  The argument that followed between them was half playful, but as their voices began to rise, I found myself looking around the wrecked building. I took in the broken pieces of the walls and ceiling, much like the broken pieces of my old life. Despite the wreckage and the upsetting of my peaceful lifestyle, it seemed as if I’d reached a good place.

  My apartment, my shitty, closed-off lifestyle…. They were things of the past.

  Then there was this place, the place where I almost died. It was the place where I had given up part of my soul to destroy something that wanted to eat it. To save my friend.

  I felt… I don’t know. Worthwhile, in a way. Like it was worth it, even though the cost had been steep.

  I took one last look around, my gaze lingering on the cracked walls, the shattered floor, the empty manufacturing space, now scorched with dragon fire and eldritch magical energies. This place had been a trap, but my life had been a cage, a prison of indecision. This was where I’d done the thing that mattered most.

  I could hear Elly and Lily bickering in the background, but it was distant, like I was hearing them through thick glass. I had given up my peace for this. I had fought through the darkness, through every part of me that wanted to crumble, just to stand here now and watch them fight over bedrooms.

  And yeah, it was worth it.

  Maybe everything that was about to happen was just a new chapter in a book I didn’t know how to read. But in this moment? I had done the right thing.

  For Lily. For them. And for me.

  I sighed and walked out through the hole my friends had blown hole in the wall, tripping only once on my way out. Somewhere out there, Jade was watching, waiting. But I could handle her. Whatever came next, I could handle it, even if I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing.

  Because I wasn’t alone. And because I was a man with some inconvenient powers… and a hell of a video game collection.

  Take that, bad guys.

  I shuffled on ahead on my banged-up leg to catch up. “Guys? Can we stop and get some Pop-Tarts on the way home? Sparky ate the last box.”

  “Sparky?” Elly snorted. “Sure. Why not.”