Unattainable Fruit

Chapter 18: Company & Reports

James' POV

The morning is still light and crisp, the evading humidity that comes with the sun still a few hours away. I walk along side a quiet Cody, his head turned towards the ground and hands shoved deep into his pockets s we make our way towards Vilin.

Even though we have a Capital where the main government buildings and biggest market in Kaulike are, Vilin is still the center of everything, the Hybrids gathering an "unbiased" hand in anything they can.

We all pretend to not know that Hybrids are firmly in bed with the Faeries, Angels and even as high up as Celeste, but it's obvious in the amount of power they've been able to hoard through the centuries. Even now as we walk along the trading road connecting Vollmond, the wolf territory deep in Wolf Woods, towards the center of Vilin, there's hundreds of posters link g the walls. Some are stupid sayings like "A Prayer a Day Chases the Night Away." The hate towards Nightlies so blatantly obvious it's hard not to choke on it, not matter how hard they try to hide behind their self righteous justice and sense of superiority. Most of the people we pass by are Angel or Faerie Hybirds, their looks of distain almost comically perfect.

And yet Cody doesn't notice any of it, his own world swallowing up reality and even his own mind until he's lost in a sea of thoughts and stimulation, one of the things he explained to me as we talked yesterday.

What he described to me sounded almost like torture, the constant noise, stimulation, and insecurities that warp the brain and send someone into a overwhelmed quaking mess.

I just hope he at least gets answers today.

Taking a chance that has my heart falling out of my ass and Sloan hiding behind perfectly manicured nails, I slide my hand into Cody's smaller one, soothing and now familiar electricity riding up my arm at the contact. I prepare myself for Cody to rip his hand away or stutter out an excuse but to my surprise his hand grips mine back fiercely, watery red eyes staring straight forward as he holds on to my for dear life.

My heart squeezes, knowing that I can't even begin to imagine what he's going though and how it must feel, grateful he's allowing me to be here period. I enjoy the slow strolling pace we're taking, grateful for any time I get to spend with Cody. Something about him seems to both calm me down and inspire me to be more. Do more. Just by him being myself.

'You're such a sap, James.' Sloan teases but I don't miss the way he always swoons whenever Cody gives us his shy little smile and warm us with his presence.

'I think I'm okay with that.' Is my only answer as I squeeze Codys hand in reassurance as we turn the corner as the building comes into view, the hospital one of many medical and government buildings, the avenue crowders, grey and depressing. The posh feel to the air is almost stifling and I almost laugh in relief when Cody mentions quietly that his friend Taylor is coming to pick him up.

It does make me a little sad that he doesn't want me to come and get him, but I understand the need to get support and comfort from your village. Hell, I tell Alex and Zee everything.

We finally arrive at the hospital, the custodian, an Incubus, Vampire Hybrid washing the glass doors, nodding as we near the entrance. I watch a Fae-Angel kick over the bucket of cleaning solution the custodian was using, disgust filling me at the disrespect, but I turn towards Cody, making him my priory at the moment, even though it pains me to turn away.

"Are you okay?" I ask him, wishing that I was as good with words as Artemis and Jasper were.

Cody looks up and offers me a tired looking smile. "Honestly, I don't know the last time I was okay. But I guess I'm finally getting answers and I can appreciate that." He tells me honestly and I hold back a laugh. It always seems like his first instinct is to tell the truth as naked and real as it comes, something that always seemed like a lost Art in this day and age.