Page 38 (1/2)

Chapter 39

Dev brought the car to a halt in front of the restaurant/bar/hotel/post office in a blink-and-you’ll-ed up the engine with enough juice to go for days, and they had supplies, but they needed to stretch their legs at least "We should stay the night," he said, knohat Katya’s reply was going to be before she opened herat me" She stared out at the blackness on the other side of the windshield - it was only six, but night had fallen with the swiftness of a raven’s wings "We’re so close"

He’d beenout at the pitch dark, the flurries of snow, he shook his head "We have to wait for light Or wefor"

"We won’t" She fisted her hand, sed "But you’re right - we ht not see all of it I can’t sleep, but maybe we can wait until the snow passes at least"

And that’s what they did Dev checked therabbed a few movies from the elderly owner’s vast selection The movies were on small five-centimeter discs rather than the ood condition Sliding one into the player after Katya told hiainst the headboard, his legs straight out

Katya stood at the , her body outlined in a lonely silhouette But she wasn’t alone, would never again be that isolated

"Coil at the , Katya crossed the rooainst hi?" she asked, but her eyes kept sliding to the clear square looking out into the night darkness

Whether it was because of her or because of his own abilities, he didn’t know, but he, too, could feel the pull of the evil that awaited He hugged her closer "The sacrifices I h to pay attention to the screen "Pride and Prejudice," she read out "It’s a book written by a human Nineteenth century?"

"Uh-huh"

"The hero isMr Darcy?"

"Yes According to Ti, he’s the e of chips he’d grabbed and put it in Katya’s hands "I don’t know - the guy wears tights"

"Shh" She ate a chip "I have to pay attention The language is different"

His restlessness cal to the , the dark, every so often, but she shed Sometime around three am, she said, "Mr Darcy is almost Psy in his characterization, don’t you think?"

"I try not to think too , she put her hand on his chest "No, really I would’ve thought the writer based him on a Psy template, but eren’t Silent in her tis then"

He considered that "I have trouble picturing it"

"Then you haven’t been watching - several of the characters in this story are Psy," she pointed out "Oh, look, it’s the villain"

He was amused by the way she deconstructed the whole story scene by scene precisely like the scientist she was But she had heart, too He caught her sighing at the end

He had to kiss her then, had to taste her happiness Because it wouldn’t last The inevitable was fast approaching, he could feel it in his bones Thirtytoward so neither of them truly wanted to seeand yet couldn’t not see

"I think we need to turn right at the crossroads"

Not questioning her, he took the direction The sky finally started to lighten ale e in the east But despite the burst of color the world remained desolate The outpost they’d stayed in had been the last trace of civilization "Have you ever seen the northern lights?" he asked, watching the car’s own lights dim automatically as the sensors picked up the sun’s stealthy creep across the sky

"No" She released a breath "I’d like to, though"

"You ht and we’re far enough north"

"Have you seen them?"

"Yeah I used to come up here to visit Michel ere kids When ood ones "His mom, Cindee, and my dad are brother and sister" Cindee had wanted to raise him after his father’s incarceration, but he hadn’t been able to bear the guilt in her beautiful eyes

Even as a nine-year-old he’d known that if he walked into that house, she’d spend the rest of her life trying to make up for a crime that had never been her fault It hadn’t even been his father’s, though that was a forgiveness Dev sione into his nani’s spice-and-glass-scented erown around his heart