Unanimity (Spiral Worlds Book 1) by Alexandra Almeida

Author:Alexandra Almeida [Almeida, Alexandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780645510508
Publisher: Spiral Worlds
Published: 2022-10-17T14:00:00+00:00

19

LASHING OUT

MAIN HALL — THE COMMUNE

DAY 1 — 6:51 PM

The door slammed into the wall, shaking the rustic timber antler-inspired chandelier and extinguishing some of its candles. Shadow held Thorn’s beer, stopping it from spilling all over the table, and then he looked for the source of the commotion. It was his Storm, stumbling into the room, tripping over patrons and knocking down chairs and glasses on his way to the bar.

“Awkward,” Thorn scoffed, disposing of the cigar’s inch-long ash on the tray. She kept her wounded leg high, supported by a chair.

Shadow couldn’t take his eyes off the inebriated poet. His stomach held equal amounts of anger and concern. He stood up. “I’m sorry I have to—”

“Save the gent in distress? Have fun,” Thorn said as he rushed to Nate’s side.

Nate dropped an empty bottle of bourbon on top of the bar, the glass shattering into sharp pieces. “One more. No glass,” he said. “Don’t need no fuckin’ glass.” He staggered, leaning into the bar to regain his balance and cutting his arm on the shards.

Shadow grabbed Nate’s wrist and pulled his arm up, away from the broken bottle. “You’re bleeding,” Shadow said, reaching to steal a towel from the bartender’s hands.

A glimmer of awe in Nate’s eyes quickly turned bitter. “Beautiful, fragile, and deadly—like glass. Everyone bleeds when you’re near.”

“Stay still.” Shadow wrapped the towel around Nate’s arm, doing his best to avoid eye contact.

“Get off.” Nate pulled his arm away, stumbling and falling to his knees on the hardwood floor. “Go—go back to your…girlfriend.” As he attempted to stand up, he fell again, his wild eyes struggling to stay open. He gave up trying to stand up and curled up in a fetal position. Never before had Shadow seen Nate this out of control.

“I better go,” Thorn said, startling Shadow. She’d followed him to the bar.

“Can you walk?” he asked her.

“Better than he can crawl.”

Shadow nodded. “Thank you. I’ll pick you up later.”

“Just fuck him and save us months of pointless brooding,” she said, limping her way to the door.

“Stop, prick. Just stop.” He dropped to one knee and lifted Nate’s head. “Nate, get up! You’re drunk.”

“What a revelation!” Nate’s breath reeked of whiskey. “Go get fucked.”

“Looks like everyone’s in agreement.” Shadow sighed, brushing Nate’s long hair away from his eyes. “You need to stop drinking.” He wrapped his arm around Nate, drawing him tightly against his chest and preparing to stand him up.

As he pulled Nate up and their bodies staggered in a familiar tussle, old memories rushed through his mind—the days, after the poet’s shows, when he used to wrestle a lightly inebriated Nate home from the venue. The poet would use every opportunity to kiss his neck and pull out his clothes while they clumsily stumbled across the studio flat on their way to the single bed—so perfectly tiny. Two bodies melting into one. Then, like now, Shadow could feel a surge of electricity from Nate’s touch. Nature’s reminder their bodies belonged together. They were reunited in the same universe, even so, nothing would ever mend what had been broken.

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