Page 88 of Noctis

Caligo stayed where he was. “Rowan prefers me in this form.”

“Oh God! He really does talk.” She swallowed, the action seeming to take some effort. “Maybe you wouldn’t have scared the absolute crap out of me if you’d bothered to say something before.”

“I had nothing to say to you,” Caligo said.

I winced. “Can we all be nice to each other?”

It was Caligo’s turn to frown. “I was being honest. Isn’t honesty a good thing?”

“Not always.” I grabbed his hand to pull him into the room, not wanting Laura to feel as though Caligo was blocking her only means of escape.

It was a mistake, her eyes immediately widening. “Oh. My. God. You two are—”

“Yes,” I said, “we are. But we don’t need to make a big thing out of it.”

“Not make a big thing…” She felt for the back of the chair and unsteadily lowered herself into it, as if she no longer trusted her legs to hold her up. She buried her face in her hands, her voice coming out muffled. “I’m dreaming, aren’t I? This isn’t real. It can’t be. I’m still at home in my bed. I thought about coming to see you, and dreamed that I actually did.”

“It’s real,” I said. I looked to Caligo. “Say sorry to Laura for scaring her in rehab. She was going through a tough time, and she didn’t need you lurking in the corner of her room and making it worse.”

“Sorry, Laura,” Caligo said obediently. “You were the prettiest one there.” He paused. “Until Rowan showed up. Then he was far prettier.”

Laura laughed into her hands, her shoulders shaking. “And now he’s giving me shade.” She lifted her head and drew a deep breath. “And he actually does what you say. You asked him to apologize, and he did.”

“He doesn’t always do what I say.” It seemed important to clarify that.

“You told him to beat your boyfriend up?”

“Ex-boyfriend,” I corrected again. “And no, I didn’t. That’s a perfect example.”

“He hurt Rowan,” Caligo said. “He deserved everything he got.”

“We’re working on moral dilemmas,” I said. “You know, right and wrong, that sort of thing, and what constitutes reasonable force.”

“He did deserve it,” Laura said. “I’m not disputing the actions, just who did them.”

“See,” Caligo said. “Laura and I agree. Tyler is bad. He looked better with blood on his face. He would have looked even better with—”

“Okay,” I said quickly before he could finish with something monstrous. Although part of me couldn’t help wondering what he’d been about to say. Broken bones? A brain hemorrhage? Something so awful that it wasn’t even in me to imagine it. “I’m trying to convince Laura that you’re not a threat to me, and you’re not helping.”

“I am not a threat to you. I will never be a threat to you. I am only a threat to those who wrong you.”

“I think it might be better if Laura and I continue this conversation on our own.”

“Come here. Go away,” Caligo muttered. “You should make up your mind.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “I should.” When he didn’t move, I tried a slightly different tack. “Five minutes. Please.”

Instead of disappearing, he turned and walked away.

“Say goodbye to Laura,” I prompted.

“Goodbye, Laura.”

And then he was gone.

I turned back to her. Some of the colour had at least returned to her face. “I know it’s a shock.”

“A shock!” She shook her head. Finding out that someone has burgled your house or you’re going to lose your job is a shock. Finding out your new friend is having a sexual relationship with a monster is not a shock. It’s a…” Her expression indicated she didn’t have the vocabulary to convey her feelings properly.