Book Eight: Chapter 49

His thoughts were dark, and he knew the root cause was his dilemma with Tink. There was no enemy for him to fight, no magnificent battle to triumph over. Instead, they were trying to bypass the natural order of things, and he was well aware the path they walked was lined with pitfalls of damnation.

Cecilia’s hand found his own. He half expected her to say something, but she pressed her body against his and just embraced him. The dark thoughts fled, and he found comfort in her arms.

After several minutes of this, he realized something. His home was full of plenty of people who were more than happy to give him their full support. But the surly cyclops in front of him didn’t enjoy that same relationship with others. He wondered how much of her solitary nature was based on her job, or even the life that had been forced upon her. While he was sometimes alone, he was never lonely. Sofia, on the other hand, was often both of those things.

Mike gave Cecilia a squeeze and s