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  He stopped chopping and faced me, knife in hand. “That’s just it, Maggie. I’m not angry with you. I’ve really started to care for you, too. It seems a shame to me to give up on something before we even try to make it work. I could make you so much happier than he ever did...if you would just let me.”

  “Darrios, I know that...and if this is meant to be...I’ll find a way back.”

  He narrowed his eyes, disbelievingly. “Do you really believe that? I notice you haven’t asked me to come with you. Why is that?”

  “Because...this is your home, now. I would never ask you to give up your life for me. It's not that I haven't thought about it. I have, but I know you wouldn’t be happy back there. You would end up resenting me for bringing you back into that world. Everything you love is here.”

  “For the moment,” he muttered.

  “Please, Darrios, can’t we just have tonight?”

  He softened and nodded, setting down his knife and turning to me. He pulled me close to him and whispered, “I’m going to miss you, Maggie...more than you know.”

  I held onto him tightly, suddenly fighting the urge to cry. I claimed I needed the washroom, breaking free from his embrace. I sat down on the bathroom floor and drew my knees up to my chest. How was I going to be able to do this? Even though it had only been a couple of days, could I really leave Darrios after all he and I had shared? It was going to be the hardest thing I’d ever done...but I had to do it. I couldn’t let him or my messed up head talk me out of it. I had responsibilities that I couldn't ignore. I took a couple of deep breaths and splashed cold water on my face before rejoining Darrios in the kitchen.

  Mouth-watering aromas filled the air. My stomach rumbled. I asked Darrios how long it would be until we ate. He promised me it was almost ready so I grabbed a couple of plates and set them on the counter.

  He served up dinner without another word about my leaving, which was a relief. I didn’t think I could talk about it anymore without breaking down, and that wouldn’t do either of us any good.

  Dinner was just as delicious as it had been the night before. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I started eating. Darrios gave me a sly, seductive look. “Eat up. You’re going to need the energy later.”

  I swallowed, recalling his touch the night before. It was all I could do not to shove everything on my plate into my mouth and announce I was done. We finished eating and cleaned up the dishes. I tried not to be obvious and rush.

  While I was drying a plate, Darrios sauntered up behind me. He put his arms around my waist and kissed my shoulder. A lightning bolt of desire shot through me. Turning to face him, I set the plate and towel down, put my arms around his neck, stood on my tiptoes, and kissed him. He pulled me closer and kissed me back, hungrily, causing a rush of heat to radiate through my body and pool between my legs.

  Darrios lifted me up and set me on the counter. He pushed my legs apart and stepped between them. He pulled my T-shirt off and unhooked my bra, all the while continuing the kiss.

  I gasped when he ran his thumbs over my nipples. Then he leaned down and ran his tongue over each one. I heard myself moan. I grabbed the front of his jeans and tugged on the button until it came open. I reached my hand inside. His breath quickened. He fastened his mouth on mine and his tongue plunged deeper, seeking the depths of my mouth.

  He pulled his shirt off and I slid my other hand over his chest. His skin was smooth and warm. I kissed his chest and licked his nipple, enjoying how it tightened under my tongue. I reached down and began stroking him.

  “My God, Maggie,” he panted. “I want you so much...right here...right now.”

  I nodded, panting myself. I unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans and Darrios pulled them off of me. He kicked off his own jeans then pulled me closer. We made love right there on the counter in the kitchen.

  He cupped his hands under my bottom, pulling me toward him to meet his every thrust. He pushed deeper, burying himself inside of me each time, causing the fire inside me to burn out of control. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him in even further.

  “Is that how you like it, Maggie?” he rumbled.

  “Yes, Darrios, yes!” I cried.

  I threw my head back and leaned on my hands, arching my back as I felt the ecstasy explode within me. Darrios held me tight, driving into me a few more times, throatily moaning my name. Afterward, he sighed contentedly and lightly kissed my eyelids. I put my arms around him and clung to him, still feeling the tremors of his climax as well as my own.

  Once my breathing slowed, I looked around at our surroundings and giggled. “That’s the first time I’ve ever done this. I mean in the kitchen.”

  “Me too,” Darrios admitted, “but I’d sure like to do it again.”

  I giggled again. Just then, the front door burst open and Burgess came running in shouting for Darrios. I grabbed my clothes and ducked behind the counter, attempting to cover myself. Burgess was polite enough to at least pretend he hadn’t seen me.

  Darrios made no move to cover up. He stood there, gloriously nude, in the middle of the kitchen, and asked Burgess what was wrong.

  “A molterg made it to Midland. It got in! You gotta go after it, Darrios. Jezbah went to get Evan. It’s already killed seven people!”

  Darrios was already moving. He pulled on his pants and asked Burgess how it got in.

  “It’s a smaller one. I’ve never seen one like it. It grabbed Mitch as he was coming in. It got him, Darrios. He’s dead.”

  Darrios stopped and stared at Burgess, stricken. “Mitch is dead?” he repeated.

  Burgess nodded. “You gotta stop this thing, Darrios...for Mitch...for all of us!”

  I finally managed to get my clothes on and stood up.

  “Who’s Mitch?” I asked quietly.

  Darrios turned to me, the pain on his face evident. He cleared his throat before answering me, trying to keep his voice from cracking. “He’s a hunter, like me...or at least, he was...but he was also a friend.”

  “Darrios...please, c’mon!” Burgess pleaded.

  He turned to me and took my hand. “Maggie, I have to go. Please don’t...don’t wish for anything until I get back. Please wait for me. I won’t be long, I promise. I just don’t want to come home and find you gone...please.”

  I nodded. “Of course I’ll wait for you.”

  He pulled me to him and hugged me hard. He kissed me and followed Burgess out the door.

  ****

  I wandered around the house, restless and afraid. Gazing out the window, I was relieved to find there was no sign of the violence and mayhem that Darrios had gone to fight. I perused Darrios’ bookshelf looking for something to pass the time, but the minutes ticked by agonizingly slowly.

  I sat down on the couch and pondered my situation. What did I feel for Darrios? I’d meant it when I said I was sure I didn’t love Gregg. Clearly he didn’t love me either. I mean, how could he? We had very little in common.

  We didn’t like the same music or food. We had separate and completely different hobbies. Our taste in movies and television couldn’t have been more different. I searched my memory for what it was that drew me to him in the first place, but came up empty.

  We’d never shared intimate little moments like Darrios and I had. We didn’t talk about things that mattered. And we certainly didn’t share the degree of passion I’d shared with Darrios. We never had. It was all so clear now. I couldn’t believe I’d never seen any of this before. Maybe because until I met Darrios, I never knew anything different existed.

  A big part of me wanted to stay here with him. I looked around his warm, cozy home and wondered what it would be like to live here with him. I smiled thinking about how we’d made love just before he’d left, the heat and intensity of it flooding back over me, warming me from head to toe.

  “I suppose if I lived here we’d have to try it out in every room in the house,” I said to myself, giggling.

  It was a nice fantasy, but eventually reali
ty would step in and then where would we be?

  I thought about how worried I’d be every time he left to go kill monsters. I would hate sitting around wondering whether or not he was safe or in danger...or worse. I hated it now. And he would hate not doing it.

  My aunt’s and then my brother’s face popped into my mind. I hoped they weren’t too frightened for my safety. I knew they’d be terribly worried about me. Between the two of them, they were probably making Gregg crazy by calling him every hour to ask him if he’d found me yet. As if he was even looking.

  I thought of Gregg and pondered what I would say to him when I saw him. What he would say to me. How he would react when I told him that I had slept with another man. Would he fly into a jealous rage? Not likely. That wasn’t his style. He’d probably try to manipulate the situation so I’d feel guilty and he’d be absolved. Not this time.

  Would he admit to his infidelity with Amanda? I doubted it. More likely, he would turn it around, maybe scream and yell a little, for effect, and then walk out, laying the blame for the end of our relationship on me. It didn’t matter. I didn’t care. It was over. I was out.

  I glanced at my watch, not that it mattered since time passed differently here. It seemed like many hours had passed, but I knew it had been barely over two. I walked to the window and glanced outside. Even at night, in the dark, the beauty of Celio, of Inland, overwhelmed me. Looking out the window right then, it seemed impossible that Darrios could be out risking his life among monsters. I walked away from the window and sat down stiffly on the couch.

  A short time later I heard commotion. Then I heard Darrios screaming in agony. A shiver ran down my spine, but I couldn’t move. My feet seemed anchored to the floor. Ropes of dread held me in place.

  The door burst open like before, only this time, Burgess and Evan carried a semiconscious, delirious Darrios into the house. Evan had ahold of him under his arms and Burgess had his feet. Jezbah came in behind them barking orders.

  “Lie him down on the counter so I can check for other injuries. Hold him down! Hurry boys, we don’t have much time.”

  Darrios was covered in blood, God, so much blood. Several deep gouges oozed from his left shoulder. I suddenly realized, horrified, the blood was his. As soon as they set him down, a river of red spurted out of Darrios’ arm and flooded over the counter...the same spot where we’d made love just a short while ago.

  He moaned repeatedly, obviously in pain. The sweet, coppery smell of blood mixed with sweat permeated throughout the room. My stomach rolled. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. His blood continued to flow despite Jezbah’s attempts to stop it.

  “I can’t locate the source,” Jezbah said, frustrated.

  “Save him,” I muttered quietly.

  Nobody heard me. It was as if I wasn’t there.

  “Save him,” I said raising my voice. “I wish I could save him!”

  All three men turned and looked at me. Jezbah and Evan exchanged glances.

  “Did he...did Darrios...? Do you have a wish coming?” Jezbah asked, awkwardly.

  I nodded.

  “Get over here!” Evan shouted. “Put your hands on him and make that wish again!”

  I hurried over to Darrios, unsure of what I was supposed to do.

  “Go ahead, my dear,” Jezbah urged. “Place your hands on him and make your wish. I’m afraid it’s his only chance.”

  I nodded again, my fear tightening its grip, threatening to crush me. I took Darrios’ face in my hands and wished I could save him.

  Almost immediately, the bleeding stopped. The spot where his arm was torn away from his shoulder sucked back together and seemed to seal right up. The deep claw marks in his left shoulder scabbed over before my eyes. Evan started laughing. He and Burgess embraced.

  “Yeah!” Evan shouted. “You did it. You saved him, Maggie!”

  Jezbah squeezed my hand. “He owes you his life, Maggie. Thank you.”

  I felt the tears streaming down my face and I started trembling uncontrollably. Jezbah put a blanket around my shoulders and urged me to sit down. Evan took the Mulsket from the cupboard, poured some in a glass, and handed it to me. I was shaking so much, I couldn’t bring the glass to my lips. Burgess took it from me and helped me drink it.

  Jezbah wiped the blood from Darrios and Burgess cleaned it off the floor. Finally, the shaking stopped.

  “Who’s minding the gate?” I asked quietly.

  Burgess looked up at me and explained that there were three gatekeepers and a couple of substitutes. He assured me no other monsters would get in.

  “Did he kill it?”

  Burgess nodded. “Yes, he did. He sacrificed himself so we could all be safe. He asked me on the way here...he was out of his head with pain, but you’re where his thoughts were. He asked me to tell you...if he didn’t make it...that he did understand why you have to go...and to please not forget him.”

  I couldn’t swallow. The tears continued to roll down my face and the lump in my throat grew to the size of a grapefruit.

  We all turned to Darrios when we heard him moan. He called out to me. I rushed to his side.

  “It’s okay, Darrios. You’re going to be all right,” I said softly, pushing his hair off of his forehead.

  He opened his eyes and looked at me. “You don’t have to stay anymore. You can go now,” he whispered, raggedly.

  I shook my head and told him I was staying. He started to argue, but then stopped. I guess he just didn’t have the strength. I stepped aside so Jezbah, along with Evan, could move Darrios over to the couch, in spite of his protests. I went into the bedroom, grabbed a couple of pillows, and placed them behind Darrios’ head. Jezbah covered him with a blanket, tucking him in like he was a child. He then went into his bag and pulled out a small vial of orange powder, and then another one of light green powder.

  I watched as he mixed them together and poured the mixture into a glass of water. He stirred the concoction thoroughly then set the spoon aside. He tipped Darrios’ head back and poured the liquid down his throat. Darrios coughed and sputtered, but he swallowed it.

  I asked Jezbah what he’d given him and he told me it was for the pain, as well as to relax him.

  “Even though his wounds are better on the surface, he still has a lot of internal healing to do. When he comes around, he’s going to be hurting.” He held up the empty glass. “Hopefully, this will at least take the edge off, but what he really needs is sleep.”

  Jezbah looked away and I noticed his eyes misting over. He turned back to me and took my hand. “Thank you, Maggie, for saving him,” he said.

  I nodded, trying not to become emotional myself, but not really knowing what to say. It made me happy that Darrios had people who genuinely cared about him.

  Burgess said he needed to get back to the gate. He hugged me, thanked me, and left, followed by Evan. Now, it was just Jezbah and me. He poured himself a drink and promised me he’d stay until Darrios woke up. He sat down across from me and sipped his drink.

  “That boy is like a son to me,” he confessed. “My sister took him in when he first arrived. He was just a skinny young man with an attitude. I wanted no part of it. I thought taking him in would be nothing but trouble. She refused to heed my warning and moved him right into her house.”

  His eyes trailed around the room. Mine followed as he continued. I didn’t tell him I already knew. I felt like he needed to talk about it, so I listened.

  “This house, as a matter of fact. Before long, she had him pulling his own weight, doing chores, repairs, and that sort of thing. He met Yvonne and then Evan and Bernie, and I had to admit, he changed. He developed some self-confidence and a sense of worth, and by God, he finally even started smiling. That was a sight that warmed my heart.”

  I smiled and patted his hand.

  “We began to bond, he and I. Of course, my sister saw to that. She'd put us in situations where we either had to communicate or sit and glare at one another. I'm not one for staring in si
lence. Pretty soon I grew to love him like she did.”

  He covered his mouth and tried to cover the strangled sob that escaped. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued.

  “After she passed, he seemed to be on a mission. I think killing the monsters took so much focus and determination it left him little time to feel the pain of losing her.

  “Every time he’d go out there...in the beginning...to that godforsaken Outer Rim, I’d worry that he wouldn’t come back. But he always did. Even after Yvonne was killed, he blamed himself, but he still went out there and he always came back. I guess I just took it for granted that he always would. I certainly won’t do that again.”

  He looked right into my eyes. “Shame you won’t be around to save him if it happens again,” he said bitterly.

  I gasped. Jezbah broke down then.

  “I’m sorry, Maggie. Please forgive me,” he pleaded “I was just so frightened...he would have died...and then there you were and now he’s okay. I shouldn’t have said that. I apologize.”

  I smiled and patted the old man’s hand again. “It’s all right, Jezbah. You love him. I understand.”

  Jezbah looked up at me and smiled, knowingly, like I had just told him some secret. Minutes later, Darrios began to stir. He opened his eyes and groaned. Both Jezbah and I jumped up and ran to him. Jezbah asked him if he felt any pain. He nodded.

  “Did Maggie leave? Is she gone?”

  I touched his face. “I’m right here, Darrios. I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re all right.”

  “I don’t want you to stay out of pity,” he spat.

  “I’m not. I just want you to be okay.”

  “Do I look okay? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty fucked up!”

  The acid in his voice cut into me deeply. I told myself it was the pain talking, but it still stung. Jezbah mixed up another pain-killer cocktail and urged Darrios to drink it.

  “No, I don’t want it right now. I want my head to be clear. I’ll take it later. Jezbah, you can go. I’ll be fine,” he groused.

  Jezbah gave me a look that said arguing was pointless. He stood up and told Darrios he’d check on him in a couple of hours. He squeezed my hand and told me to come get him if anything happened. I nodded and promised him I would.