by Izzy Shows
After much debating, I stood up and walked over so that I stood behind him, though I did not touch him. "I don't mean this...as an insult, Mal. But I didn't know you were...capable." It sounded like such an awful thing to say, but it was true. I didn't think demons had the capacity for love, but Mal wasn't just a demon, he was Fallen. And everything in the lore pointed to Fallen not having emotions at all, but just mimicking the ones they saw in humans. Had Mal tricked himself into thinking he was feeling real emotions, or was the lore just that wrong? I couldn't even begin to figure that out.
"I understand. I take no offence," he said, though he sounded at odds with the words. "I did not think I was capable, either, if it makes you feel any better. Not until I met her. She was...she was a force of nature. Beautiful, amazing, wonderful, but terrifying and impossible to hold. An ocean cannot love you, Blair. My feelings were not returned." He shrugged his shoulders. "But that was OK. I knew it, I was aware of it, no matter that she tried to deny it to spare my feelings, but all I wanted was to enjoy the trip while I was able. For as long as she would let me."
I closed my eyes, listening to him talk about this mysterious woman. He sounded so lost and hurt, but she sounded horrible. What gave her the right to play with anyone like that, it didn't matter if they were human or demon or whatever. She had left a husk in her wake, and that explained so much about who Mal was today.
He had been broken by a woman, and he did not know how to be himself without her. So, he lashed out at people, kept them at arm's length, presented an image to them that they would readily accept without asking any questions. I supposed I'd mucked that one up for him.
"Did she like the earrings?" I asked as I opened my eyes at last, smiling at him.
He turned and looked at me, nodding slowly with a broken smile on his lips. "She loved them."
About the Author
Izzy Shows writes urban fantasy novels for adults, and much more in her spare time. She’s also an avid LARPer and enjoys storytelling in all art forms. She can be a little cooky, and really enjoys talking about her works, writing in general, or all things fantasy. To learn more about her you can follow her on twitter or check out her website!
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright
1. Modern Day, Blair's House
2. 1924, Malphas’ Mansion
3. Modern Day, Blair’s House
4. 1924, Riordan’s Estate
5. 1924, Riordan’s Estate…still
6. 1924, The Compound
7. 1924, The Compound...still
8. Modern Day, Blair’s House
9. Bastian's Dream
10. Aisling’s Dream
11. Nuala’s Dream
12. Modern Day, Blair’s House
13. 1924, The Compound
14. Modern Day, Blair’s House
Grave Mistake
About the Author
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Beginning
Table of Contents