Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man
You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them
You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them
Sohalia and Kaisel busied themselves in the kitchen, but Noe just stared out at the sea. The waves crashed against the sand, over and over. Constant. Steady. Predictable. It was enough to loosen her shoulders, and she dropped her arms to her sides from where they'd been wrapped around her middle. She was still distant, still disheveled, still all the things that no one would associate with the normally fiery engineer, but there was a softening, now. Like she was slowly coming back to herself.
Koa, she thought, was like those waves, his presence at her side every bit as calming as the surf she watched through the window. His voice lulled her, just as it had all those moons ago when she'd seek comfort after their mother had died. Back then, she'd fall asleep curled next to him, his voice the last thing she heard before dreams of better times overtook her. Now, though... this was a nightmare from which she couldn't quite wake.
His arm snaked around her shoulders, and she melted against him, a choked sob threatening to escape her throat. Gods, what she wouldn't give to go back - back to playing pretend and making up stories and a childhood that had felt safe.
Rather than wrapping her arms back around her middle, she clung to her brother, pain and grief and anger rolling off her like waves, even as she tried to stuff the feelings back down. It was easier to be numb. But she'd never been good at keeping her emotions in check.
She didn't know how not to feel.
"If I'm so clever," she said finally, her voice thick with self-loathing and unshed tears. "Then how did I get here?" Infected, tainted, broken.
Shattered.
Koa, she thought, was like those waves, his presence at her side every bit as calming as the surf she watched through the window. His voice lulled her, just as it had all those moons ago when she'd seek comfort after their mother had died. Back then, she'd fall asleep curled next to him, his voice the last thing she heard before dreams of better times overtook her. Now, though... this was a nightmare from which she couldn't quite wake.
His arm snaked around her shoulders, and she melted against him, a choked sob threatening to escape her throat. Gods, what she wouldn't give to go back - back to playing pretend and making up stories and a childhood that had felt safe.
Rather than wrapping her arms back around her middle, she clung to her brother, pain and grief and anger rolling off her like waves, even as she tried to stuff the feelings back down. It was easier to be numb. But she'd never been good at keeping her emotions in check.
She didn't know how not to feel.
"If I'm so clever," she said finally, her voice thick with self-loathing and unshed tears. "Then how did I get here?" Infected, tainted, broken.
Shattered.
Sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie
They say looks can kill and I might try
They say looks can kill and I might try
Noe
