Soul exchange

Thirty One ~ I've always been yours

Ruz and A'ren were Nyx's only company for three days, and by the third night, she was sure she was beginning to understand them.

A'ren tilted her head to Ruz and grumbled. Let's get Master to bring her food.

Ruz made a slight woofing sound. He told us to stay with her.

A'ren peeked up at Nyx on the bed and blinked. I like her.

Ruz whined. I love her.

Nyx blinked and swallowed, slowly backpedalling on the bed until the dogs were no longer in view. I'm actually going insane down here.

She stared at the door with longing. Neo had been absent from their floor for seventy-two hours, and she felt his distance like a missing piece of her body. Iris made one visit, supplying her with clothes and food before disappearing again like a ghost in the night.

A familiar muffled voice sounded from down the hall, and Nyx straightened. He's back. She slipped off the bed and pulled a white cardigan over her silver slip. Iris had amusing taste in sleepwear; Nyx's breasts were bursting from the lacy bralette.

A'ren and Ruz made little noises in protest. Stop her.

No! You stop her.

No!

Nyx ignored them and crept into the hallway shutting the door behind her. She padded toward the kitchen and froze when she saw a figure leaning over the granite counter, hands gripping either side, forearms straining from the tension.

"Neo?"

The man spun, and Nyx stepped back behind the wall like a frightened child, only her head visible to the scowling Demon.

"Go back to your room, Nephalem."

Her heart stung from the rebuke, but she pushed forward until she no longer clung to the wall, instead standing before it. "No. You need to tell me what's going on. What is a Nephalem?"

Neo prowled closer, eyes darkening as Nyx peered up at him unafraid. Maybe slightly afraid.

"You should be afraid. Your kind is not welcome here."

Nyx shuddered, and her head shook side to side. "Only days ago, you told me you wanted me here forever. I'm the same person I was then, Neo." Her voice shifted into a half- yell as the sentence ended.

"Not a person," Neo sneered. "A monster."

Nyx jerked back as if struck. She couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. "It's not true. I would never do the things Medea accused me of. You know that. You know me."

The scowl receded from Neo's face, but his jaw clenched almost as tightly as his fists white-knuckling at his side. "Stop talking."

"No," Nyx shot back, taking an experimental step forward. "You can't keep doing this shit to me, drawing me in and pushing me away again. I don't give a shit what I am. Ime, Ajovo, Demon, Angel, who cares? I'm the same person I always was, and that's not going to change."

"But it could," Neo ground out, voice slowly losing his sharp edge. "Only one of your kind has existed before, and it slaughtered thousands."

Nyx almost laughed. "Well, that asshole isn't me, okay? I wouldn't do that."

"If Micah gets a hold of your spirit, it wouldn't be up to you. They weren't lying when they called you a weapon."

Neo turned his back on her and placed his scarred palms flat against the counter again. Nyx stepped closer, trying not to spook the apparent wild animal Neo was becoming.