Page 57 of Noctis

I stopped outside the door, his ragged breathing loud enough that I could hear it through the wood. Possessed by the spirit of devilment, I lifted a hand and rapped lightly against it.

“Go away! Whatever the fuck you are, go away. The door’s locked, and I’m not coming out until you’ve gone.”

I knocked again.

This time, he said nothing.

I slipped between planes, materializing inside the room. It was a fairly large bathroom, with a pale-faced, sweaty Tyler wedged into one corner. Sensing he was no longer alone, he raised his arm to reveal a toilet brush.

He held it out in front of him as if it were a baseball bat capable of doing some damage. “Leave me alone.”

I extended my arm slowly and poked him in the shoulder. It was a light touch, but he reacted as though someone had pressed a live wire to his chest, ricocheting off the wall like a pinball and swinging the toilet brush blindly. I poked him a second time. He swung around so violently that he tripped and fell, banging his head against the sink.

He stayed on all fours, scrambling for the door, as eager to get out of the room as he had been to get in. Humans could be so fickle. When he lifted his head to fumble with the lock, I saw the cut above his eye, blood already pouring from it. Very clumsy of him.

I let him open the door, and once he’d thrown himself through it, I followed, curious to see what he’d do next. Given that he was wearing nothing but boxer shorts, human logic should have dictated that he look for clothes. But panic had obviously stripped away rational thought, and he headed straight for the stairs.

When I realized he was heading for the front door, I materialized in front of him, sending him stumbling in the opposite direction with a single shove. Amusing as it would have been to let him run out into the street in just his underwear, I hadn’t finished with him yet.

He backed away, his steps taking him into the living room, where he grabbed a book. Better than a toilet brush, but not by much. He lifted a trembling hand to the cut on his forehead, his fingers coming away covered in blood. I shoved him again, this time harder—hard enough to send him glancing off the wall.

For the next few minutes, that was the game. He’d run, and I’d block his path, bouncing him off whichever surface was within reach: table, chair, wall, television. I really didn’t care, as long as it was solid and caused some damage.

Eventually, he cowered on the floor, his hands covering his head to protect himself, with the only word coming out of his mouth a broken “please.”

Positioning myself behind him, I made myself visible and then called his name. He went rigid. His turn to face me was so slow and drawn-out that it was obvious how much willpower the movement required. From his expression when he saw me, I got the distinct impression that he wished he hadn’t looked. “What are you? Are you a demon?”

I towered over him, his fetal position on the floor only accentuating our height difference. “That’s not important. You should focus on the things that are.”

“What things? What do you want from me?”

“That’s a better question. We need to have a conversation.”

“About what?”

“About how you don’t belong in this house. About how your recent behavior reflects badly on you. About how you deserve every single bruise you’ve just acquired.”

“I don’t understand any of this.”

“No? Rowan never told me you lacked intelligence.”

“Rowan?” There was surprise in his voice. “What’s Rowan got to do with any of this?”

I grabbed a handful of his hair, simply because I knew it would hurt when I pulled him to his feet, and then used my grip to throw him onto the sofa. “You wronged Rowan.”

“Rowan is—”

“Be very careful what you say,” I warned.

Tyler blinked, comprehension slowly spreading across his face. “He sent you here.”

“I wouldn’t say sent. We’re a team, he and I?”

Tyler swallowed, the action seeming difficult. He was cradling his right wrist with his other hand. It was possible that something had broken while I’d been having fun with him. “Since when?”

“Recently. We met in the place you sent him.”

“I see.” He didn’t look as if he understood. He looked dazed, as though he believed this was a nightmare he would eventually wake from.