I'm back! Sorry this chapter is a bit short, but I still hope you like it. Read on and enjoy.
Mya- Indeed, it won't be an easy situation for them to get through. Thanks for reviewing =)
ILoveThee- Yes, they've got a long and difficult journey ahead of them. I'm glad you're still liking the story!
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Once readjusted, the two of them sat down right there, leaning against the wall. Beret allowed Caliban to lift her onto his lap. She was too worn-out to consider resisting, so she laid her head back onto his shoulder as he draped his arms around her middle.
It was silent for a long time. Only after several minutes had passed did the creature finally speak.
"I'm not human, Beret." He was a bit taken aback when she didn't react, but continued anyways. "I was put together from different portions of mortal corpses and revived with lightning."
This time, he stopped talking and waited for a response. After a little while, Beret replied in a very calm manner.
"That doesn't surprise me."
The admission sounded like a fish tale, but after every hardship the girl had undergone, she believed anything could happen. In fact, it explained a lot.
"Is that why your eyes have such a fearsome color? And why everything else about you is…the way it is?"
"Yes."
Beret blinked a bit before raising a hand and resting it upon her companion's arm. Taking a few seconds to relish the contact, Caliban spoke again.
"The man who created me also made a woman. She was meant to be my mate, but she spurned me."
At this, Beret couldn't help but feel pity for him.
It must have been painful…
"I killed her," Caliban added. "Just hours ago, I killed her with my bare hands. And she wasn't the first. I murdered two others a while back."
When the girl didn't so much as flinch, the creature tightened his embrace.
"Does that not frighten you?"
"Why?" she asked, genuinely curious. "Those other two, why did they die?"
Caliban grimaced at the memory.
"My creator was against constructing another being like myself, so I took the lives of innocent people to…persuade him. I had nothing against either of them, but I slaughtered them nonetheless."
At this point, he was trying to scare Beret into being just a little horrified.
"But it was in vain, it seems," he continued. "Two lives vanquished for nothing."
Still no reaction. After staring at the back of her head for a while, Caliban felt a little annoyed.
Anyone else would have already fled after hearing my words. Why hasn't she?
"Do you think me a monster?"
He was surprised when the girl started to faintly laugh. When she replied, he could hear the smile in her voice.
"If you're a monster, I must be one as well."
Before Caliban could disagree, she quickly spoke once more.
"You were right. I've broken a promise to myself, desecrated my body countless times. Is that not one of life's greatest sins?"
The creature felt such strong guilt at having said those things to her, but at the same time, he was starting to see how alike the two of them really were.
Beret melted into his arms a little bit more, smiling to herself.
"Perhaps we're both monsters."
After a while, Caliban nodded.
"Yes. Perhaps."
He pressed a soft kiss against her temple, resting his head next to hers.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Before the sun completely disappeared from the sky, Caliban had lifted Beret into his arms and was carrying her through the maze of alleyways. The streets were aglow with lamps and the blissful voices of the people. There certainly wasn't any room for a pair of demons to be wandering about.
Eventually, they wandered out of London altogether, coming across some woods. It would be pitch dark under normal circumstances, but the moon was full and acted as a large lantern in the black sky. Both of them appreciated the solitude of the forest, though the winter wasn't as welcoming.
Despite the bitter cold, Beret was still burning up, which had Caliban incredibly worried. He knew about a few diseases involving a rise in body heat, but hoped it was merely a temporary fever that wouldn't lead to anything.
We need to find somewhere to stop…
Caliban wasn't tired of carrying the girl, as his stamina was unmatched by any other mortal. He could continue this forever, but the wind was becoming relentless. Beret would surely freeze to death if they didn't find shelter.
Then, as if God himself had taken mercy on the two sinners, the moonlight illuminated a small cabin with walls of cemented stones. There were no lights shining through the windows, so the creature approached it and carefully kicked open the unlocked door.
By the looks of it, the cabin had been abandoned. Everything was dusty, most of the windows were broken, and the bed had a few dried leaves upon it. This didn't suppress Caliban's determination. There was a pile of wood near one window, so after setting the girl onto the bed, he placed a few of the logs into the fireplace. It took several minutes, but he was ultimately able to generate a flame. Once sure the fire wouldn't go out, he lifted Beret with one arm and used the other to sweep the leaves off of the bed.
Beret was half-asleep, but she put her arms around Caliban's shoulders as he pulled back the covers and put her down. Though the sheets were free from dirt or grime, they were awfully chilly. The creature quickly remedied this by grabbing one of the bedposts and effortlessly moving the entire bed closer to the fire. As the blankets were draped over the girl, she was hit by a warm wave of softness and security. Despite the disheveled state of the cabin, she had never felt more comfortable.
Caliban glanced around for a few seconds, wanting to see if there was anything else he could do for her. Upon finding nothing, he unbuttoned his coat, dropped it on the floor, and carefully got onto the bed behind Beret. He felt her forehead for a little while before wrapping both arms around her.
Her fever hasn't risen any higher. For now, at least.
The two of them laid there in silence for a long time. After all they'd been through, together and apart, there wasn't enough energy to talk about anything. Beret stared into the growing fire, letting herself get lost in the colors. She could hardly believe this was happening. A day earlier, she was uselessly trying to fall asleep next to the crate, fighting to ignore the winter gusts. She was alone, without a friend in the world. Now, it was as if that whole experience was nothing but a bad dream.
Out of the blue, a horrifying thought crossed her mind.
What if his mate hadn't rejected him? He would be with her…I'd still be out on the streets!
She pressed her face against her pillow, trying to hide the tears sliding down her cheeks. However, Caliban's sense of sight was stronger than she thought. He pulled her closer to him and cupped her face with his free hand.
"What is it?" he asked gently, holding onto her when she tried to look away. "Please tell me."
After a few moments, Beret spoke in a shaky voice.
"What if she loved you? Would you've come looking for me, or thought of me at all?"
Caliban stared at her, considering her words. Things surely would have happened differently if Brona hadn't regained herself.
She likely would have remembered sooner or later, though.
But he honestly wasn't sure what it would've been like if the woman's memories never returned. She still could have pushed him away, or she could have loved him with all the passion in the universe. If she ultimately did love him, he likely would have stayed with her forever. He wouldn't have forgotten about Beret, but he never would have sought her out either.
Wanting to be honest with the girl rather than telling her what she probably wanted to hear, Caliban spoke the truth.
"If she loved me, I wouldn't have come after you."
Beret closed her eyes. It was what she expected to hear, and she was pleased with the creature's openness. Still, he wasn't finished.
"But she didn't love me, Beret. If someone doesn't find love in one place, they seek it out in another. Is that not the nature of things?"
It was a keen observation on his part, but the tearful girl remained doubtful.
"Did you not feel love when we were first together?"
"I didn't truly know what love was. All I had to go on were my books, as my upbringing lacked a teacher. Before, it seemed logical to be with someone of my own kind. But…love isn't quite that limited, is it?"
Beret was too tired to shake her head, but she knew he was right.
"One can love another like them," Caliban continued, "but it cannot always be that way. Love is never chosen. I wasn't aware of it before, but I am now."
He tightened his hold a little bit, looking deep into her eyes.
"We…" Pausing, he remembered something said to him a long while before. "We take the happiness we can."
It suddenly seemed like Beret would slip away at any moment, so Caliban intensified his embrace and wiped a drying tear from her cheek.
"The past is the past. I'm here with you now, and I am happy."
After a few seconds of quiet had gone by, Beret slowly raised a hand and rested it upon Caliban's arm.
"As am I," she whispered.
Eventually, the content young woman was able to fall asleep, safe in the arms of her imperfect equal.
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