Chapter 40: Firelight Promises V
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Lily leaned closer, her shoulder brushing his arm lightly. The contact was small, but it sent a strange tension through Sekhmet’s body — part alarm, part awareness.
Lily’s voice was quiet.
"You do not have to pretend with me," she whispered.
Sekhmet swallowed.
His throat felt dry again, but not from thirst. From the weight of being seen. He turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze.
Her eyes were steady, warm, and stubborn.
Sekhmet exhaled slowly.
"I am tired," he admitted.
Lily’s smile was soft.
"I know," she said again.
Sekhmet stared at the fire, then spoke quietly, almost like confessing something he did not know how to carry.
"Purgatory does not let you rest," he said. "Even when you sleep, you listen. Even when you breathe, you think about what might be hiding."
Lily nodded slowly.
"I know," she said. "But... you do not have to do it alone."
Sekhmet’s jaw tightened.
"I can," he said.
Lily’s hand moved slowly, resting on his forearm.
Her touch was warm.
Not demanding.
Just present.
"You can," she agreed. "But you do not have to."
Sekhmet’s body tensed again, then slowly relaxed as he realized she was not trying to trap him. She was offering something.
Comfort.
Warmth.
A reminder that he was not only a blood monster.
Sekhmet swallowed again, then spoke quietly.
"You should not get close to me," he said.
Lily’s brows lifted.
"Why," she asked.
Sekhmet’s eyes flicked toward the darkness.
"Because I am not safe," he said.
Lily stared at him.
Then she smiled.
"That is funny," she said softly.
Sekhmet frowned.
"It is not funny," he muttered.
Lily’s gaze sharpened.
"You are the safest thing I have met in the last two weeks," she said. "Do you know how many creatures tried to eat my face?"
Sekhmet’s mouth twitched.
"That is... an unfortunate sentence," he said.
Lily laughed quietly.
Ha...
Then her laughter faded, and her eyes softened again.
"You saved me," she said. "So do not tell me you are not safe. Maybe you are dangerous, yes. But you are... my kind of dangerous."
Sekhmet froze slightly.
"My kind," he repeated.
Lily nodded, her fingers tightening lightly on his forearm.
"You always were," she said. "Even when you were twelve."
Sekhmet stared at her.
The firelight made her eyes look brighter, as if the flames were reflected in them.
He felt something shift inside him again, something unfamiliar and heavy. He did not know how to respond.
So he responded the only way he knew — by trying to make it practical.
"You should sleep," he said again.
Lily smiled.
"I will," she said. "In a minute."
Sekhmet sighed softly.
Lily leaned her head slightly toward his shoulder, not fully resting yet, just close enough that he could feel the warmth of her hair and the heat of her breath.
Sekhmet’s muscles tightened.
Lily paused, sensing it.
"Is this too much," she asked quietly.
Sekhmet swallowed.
He could say yes. He could push her away. He could retreat into solitude again.
But he did not want to.
He realized that slowly, like a sunrise behind thick clouds. He did not want to.
Sekhmet shook his head once, subtle.
"No," he said.
Lily’s shoulders eased.
Then she rested her head gently on his shoulder.
Sekhmet sat very still, as if movement might break the moment.
His heart beat slower, then faster, then steadied again.
Ba - dum... Ba - dum...
Lily’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper against his coat.
"You smell different," she murmured.
Sekhmet froze.
His throat tightened.
The nightmare coat reduced scent leakage, but not completely. He knew that. He still smelled like travel, metal, sweat, and faint blood traces that could never fully vanish when blood was part of his survival now.
Sekhmet’s jaw tightened.
"Different how," he asked carefully.
Lily breathed in softly, not making it obvious, not accusing. Just noticing.
"Like wind," she said. "And stone. And... something sharp."
Sekhmet exhaled slowly.
"That is purgatory," he said again, letting her interpret it that way.
Lily hummed softly.
"Mmm," she said. "Maybe."
Sekhmet stared at the fire, feeling her weight against him. It was light. Comforting. But it also felt like responsibility.
His mind drifted again, uninvited, toward the blood thirst.
It stirred. Not aggressive. Just present.
He swallowed and focused on Lily instead.
"What were you like when you came back after seven years," he asked quietly. "To Slik."
Lily lifted her head slightly, looking at him.
"I was angry," she said.
Sekhmet nodded as if he expected that.
Lily’s lips curved.
"I was taller," she added.
Sekhmet’s mouth twitched.
"You were always short," he teased lightly.
Lily gasped, offended.
"I was not short," she protested.
Sekhmet’s eyes softened.
"You were," he said.
Lily narrowed her eyes, then leaned back onto his shoulder again in a dramatic way.
"Fine," she muttered. "I was short. But I was deadly."
Sekhmet’s mouth twitched more.
"Deadly," he repeated.
Lily nodded, serious now.
"I trained hard," she said quietly. "I wanted to come back strong enough that nobody could control me."
Sekhmet’s jaw tightened.
"Your father," he guessed.
Lily sighed.
"My father," she confirmed. "He loves me, but he is a city lord. Love and control are the same language to people like him."
Sekhmet exhaled slowly.
"I understand," he murmured.
Lily’s voice softened.
"I know you do," she said.
They sat in silence again for a while, firelight flickering on their faces, making shadows dance.
Crackle...
Bat Bat snored louder, as if offended nobody was giving it attention.
Snrrrk... Snrrrk...
Lily giggled softly and reached down to poke Bat Bat gently.
Bat Bat grumbled and swatted her finger weakly.
"Sleep," it mumbled.
Lily’s smile widened.
"It is telling me to sleep," she whispered.
Sekhmet muttered, "It tells everyone what to do now."
Bat Bat opened one eye.
"I boss," it said.
Sekhmet closed his eyes briefly.
"No," he said.
Bat Bat nodded as if agreeing.
"Yes," it whispered.
Lily laughed again, soft and warm, and Sekhmet realized he liked that sound more than he wanted to admit.
The night deepened further.
Eventually, Lily’s laughter faded into quiet breathing again. Her body relaxed more fully, head still resting on Sekhmet’s shoulder. Her hand remained on his forearm, fingers loose.
Sekhmet sat still, letting her sleep.
He watched the fire. He listened to the wind. He monitored the perimeter with the same discipline as the guards.
But something inside him was calmer now. Not because the danger vanished. Because he was not alone in the darkness.
Hours passed...
The fire burned low, then was fed quietly by one of the guards, who moved like a ghost, careful not to disturb Lily.
(Note: Give your ps and golden tickets. Help me continue...)