Page 18 of Starlight

Akai’s claws pressed into his arm. He hadn’t released him. His hand was warm, hot even. “Maybe you should eat then.”

“Don’t you need to eat?”

“Yes. But I don’t know what you have. I was thinking about foraging. There must be something I can eat nearby.”

“I have oats for porridge and honey. It’s pretty basic as I have to bring everything from town.”

“Honey porridge sounds amazing.”

“Great.” He was now head chef for the monster. He pulled out the oats, then stopped and looked at Akai. “How do I know that you really can’t fly? Maybe you’re trying to take over my cabin…my life.” It wasn’t a life he wanted, but what if this was like some kind of horror movie where they ended up switching places or something?

What would it be like to fly away from everything?

To be truly free?

“Do you want me to jump off deck and hopefully glide down without ripping my wing more?” He spread the wing, revealing the terrible job he’d done of stitching it up last night.

He did not want to make more repairs. “No. I’m just… I don’t know. This”—he indicated between them—“is weird, isn’t it? Like you hurt me⁠—”

“I didn’t know you were there. And you are never going to let me forget.”

“I broke my pelvis and shoulder. I was on track for a free ride to college playing football.” He snapped his fingers. “Gone, along with my cousins. So no, you don’t get to forget because I fucking can’t. You stole my life, and I hate the one I have now.”

Akai blinked.

“Sorry.” Cole lowered his voice. “That was too much.”

“It was the truth… One you don’t voice.”

Cole drank his coffee. “It doesn’t matter.’

“It does. You only get one life; you should be living it.”

“Technically, I am, as I’m still breathing.” He busied himself with the oats.

Akai tiled his head. “It is weird that our paths crossed again, only this time I am the one injured. Some might say there is a blood debt between us.”

“What does that mean?” He kept his attention on the pot to avoid looking at Akai.

“I hurt you, and while I called for help, the damage was far greater than I could’ve seen. So I owe you.”

“I shot you.” Didn’t that make them even?

“Because I saw the rifle and panicked. My sister was killed while pretending to be a wolf.”

“You weren’t actually a wolf?”

Akai smiled. “No. It’s an illusion.”

“Can I see?”

“Now? Will you panic?”

“Not this time.” But his heart was already beating faster.

Akai stepped back and crouched on the floor. Cole blinked, and all he saw was a very large gray wolf, the same as last night. It moved and stood, and Akai was back.

He leaned on the counter. “Now we have the blood debt, or tangled fate lines between us.”