Creatures of the Night

Chapter 32 - heirlooms from sea funerals

Back to the Beginning   < Previous chapter / Next chapter >   

AO3

Masterlist

(TW: negative self talk, panic attacks, depictions of blood)

(The title of the chapter comes from "Snowmen" by Agha Shahid Ali)

The Witchlands were grander than Roman could have ever imagined. Pixies zipped through the air in swarms or lazed about on wildflower petals. The faces he saw in trees winked back at him. Saplings sprang out of the ground when he stepped too close and raced off, their roots wheeling beneath them like so many tiny legs, propelling them to the safety of more mature trees. The larger trees twisted and shivered, touching branches with their neighbors as if communicating in some silent language.

Virgil had calmed down a touch after Ursula had left, though he’d refused to tell Roman how he’d managed to get the witch off their trail. He walked next to Roman, looking around with slow-emerging relief, his shoulders gradually relaxing.

Creatures of the Night

Chapter 28 - even in paradise you have to pay attention

Back to the Beginning   < Previous chapter / Next chapter >   

AO3

Masterlist

(TW: (indirect) self-harm, negative self-talk, graphic depictions of violence/gore)

(The title of the chapter comes from "Hiking at Oselong, Tibetan Buddhist of Andalucia" by Michael Sowder)

Roman didn’t sleep. He stood at the kitchen window, staring into the darkness, glancing at the flickering oven clock every few minutes, and imagining the tree-line he couldn’t see from here until the first hints of morning light crept over the surrounding rooftops.

Roman resurfaced from the thoughts he’d lost himself in for several hours, stumbling back a step. His knee joint popped, and an ache radiated up his feet and legs. Moving his mouth, he found his tongue sandpapery and stale. His jaw was stiff, like he’d been clenching his teeth all night. Roman rubbed his face, groaning and lowering onto a stool.

Creatures of the Night

Chapter 8 - secrets, running over my soul without sound

Back to the Beginning   < Previous chapter / Next chapter >   

AO3

Masterlist

(TW: mild violence, panic attacks, and negative self talk)

(The title for this chapter comes from "Secrets" by Lola Ridge)

"Life went on like that for years," Dorian muttered, staring into the fire with his knuckles resting against his lips. Roman's eyes hadn't left the demon's face in a dozen minutes. It hadn't changed. It hadn't so much as twitched aside from his mouth moving as the words flowed. It was inhuman, though Roman figured that would make sense. Dorian wasn't exactly human himself.

Anymore, at least.

Still, Roman didn't see how this related to himself, or his curse, but he didn't dare interrupt. Somehow, he knew that if he stopped him now, he may not start again—tonight at least. Roman glanced at the mouth of the cave. They had maybe an hour until his curse would lift.