Days turned to weeks, and the monotony of work and life took the spark from Nyx's soul. Finally, after a few days, she was completely back to her high-quality practice, but her heart wasn't in it. Probably because she left her heart back in Hel. No amount of summoning or begging would make him appear.

To make matters worse, her dad canceled their dinner plans because of work commitments, so she hadn't seen them since her return from Hell.

"Nyx, dear. Your shift is almost up. Do you mind doing the hand-over with Emry?"

Emry?

Nyx almost dropped the stack of files in her hand as she spun to see the boyish grin. Her heart thudded in her chest as she refrained from throwing herself at him for a bear hug.

Agatha stared between the pair with a smile. "Yes, it has been a long time since Emry has been on the floor. He's been on holiday, if you can believe it. Iceland, was it?"

Emry smiled wide at her and nodded while Nyx choked down a scoff. "Thanks, Agatha. I'll see you Monday."

As the older nurse rounded the corner, Nyx let her laughter escape and tears fall. "What are you doing here?" she whisper-screamed, throwing her arms around him. "What happened?"

Emry's smirk didn't waver as he pulled her into the storage room and leaned against the wall. "Long story short. You made a hell of a mess down there, pun intended."

Heat crept up Nyx's neck as he stared down at her.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's fine, I suppose. Being Regent has its perks. Neo has a claim to the Kingdom because I don't want that responsibility, but I am the figurehead everyone goes to."

"That sounds... fun, I guess?" Nyx said, brows furrowing. "Why, though? Why did Moja call you the true Prince?"

Emry let out a chuckle. "Ah, Moja. My father raised her and her littermates from birth. He was the King before Tunrida's ancestor killed him. I didn't bother fighting for the crown because of my split lineage. I didn't think many would stand behind me."

Nyx sat on a swivel stool and stared attentively. It was the most she had heard him speak.

"And your mother?"

"Some Fae demon. She only cared for me until I was weaned and sent me to my father's Kingdom."

Nyx blinked, her gaze flitting to the auburn locks peeking from his hair cap, then down to his face.
Her fingers absently touched the hairs brushing her neck, and she swallowed.

"Emry?"

"Yeah?"

"What was her name?"

Cogs turned behind the Scout-princes eyes, and his brows rose.

"Cyren," they whispered together.

*

"How many minutes?" Selene's whine grated Nyx's ears until she almost snapped.

"You've asked me that fifteen times in the last ten minutes, Se. We've got another mile, at least." She wiped the sweat from her brow as Selene muttered about Nyx being 'so grumpy' and only asking ten times, not fifteen.

The forest trail twisted precariously, and she needed to keep focused on avoiding a slip. Selene's complaints were not helping. Although a twisted ankle might be a good thing, then maybe HE would come and check in on me...

Nyx rolled her eyes and huffed, pulling her pack straps tighter. "Look, I'll give you half my sour patch kids if you don't complain again."

The puffing behind her paused, and she snickered as Selene laughed out a "deal."

They reached the clearing at four, and with plenty of sunlight on their backs, they set up their tents, made a small fire and sat cross-legged around it, eating sour sweets.

"Have you seen your parents yet?" Selene asked, picking sticky lolly pieces from her back molar.

Nyx shook her head, "No. But I'm not sure I should tell them anyway. I don't want to hurt their feelings."

"You have a brother, Nyxie! Sure he's a Regent prince of Hel, but he's still a brother!"

They both bent over, chuckling. "Yes, and he isn't happy I made him take my shift for me today."

"You rallied an army for him."

Nyx slow blinked, blowing air through her teeth. "You make it sound so dramatic."

"Probably cause it is. I still can't picture it, ya lame ass."

Nyx cackled, snatching back her back of sour patches. "Screw you then. The rest are mine!"

Selene pouted but pulled her bag out and restarted her chewing. After a few minutes, she stopped her obnoxious lip-smacking. "Do you miss him?"

Picking up a small twig, she snapped it into small pieces over and over. "Yeah," she whispered, refusing to let tears form. "I love him, Se." 

She looked up to see her best friend's eyes leaking and let out an exasperated laugh. "You can't cry. I'm trying not to cry, so you can't cry..."

Selene's eyes seemed out of focus, staring over Nyx's left shoulder, and she froze, straightening before spinning to look behind her.

Nothing but bush.

"What the heck, Se? You almost gave me a heart attack."

Selene shook her head and laughed, wiping her eyes. "Sorry. I just- I zoned out thinking about her."

Nyx's heart melted as she stared at her friend. "Okay, I forgive you." Her twig breaking turned into pattern-making on the dry dirt in front of her. "So what happened between you two? How did that even start?"

Selene took a huge breath and sighed. "Well, after you went dancing, I went back to the bar to get you another round and then I couldn't find you. I danced for a bit, and then someone put their hands on my waist and whispered in my ear some kinky shit, and it was her. I was gonna snap at her, but she looked kinda worried and told me I needed to go home. She told me about you and Medea." She swallowed and looked down at her lap. " I feel bad for being such a bitch to her knowing what Micah did. "

Nyx nodded." Yeah, I get it. She was manipulated for sure, but she was the reason he found me, and her attitude hadn't changed a bit. Even in purgatory if that's any help to your conscience."

Selene lifted her head and blinked. "Damn. Let's come back to that... After Maeze took me home, she said she wasn't gonna leave, and I don't know, I just kinda invited her into my bed." A flush blossomed across her cheeks, and she giggled. "She left a few times to check in on you, but she always came back to me and we, um, we-"

"It's fine," Nyx interrupted. "I don't need to know what she was doing in our house in your bed." She laughed as Selene burned redder.

"I had no idea you were into women," Nyx said, smiling. "Demon women at that..."

Chuckling, Selene shrugged. "Neither did I, but she's just so perfect. I thought at first I just wanted to be her, but when she kissed me, I knew I wanted to be with her."

Nyx clutched her heart and pulled a face. "Aw, Selene! That's so sickeningly sweet. I'm happy for you."

"Ditto," Selene replied, casting a brief look over her shoulder again. A tingle trickled along Nyx's spine, but she refused to turn around and be disappointed.

After finishing their snacks, they heated some dehydrated meals and ate as the sun dipped beneath the horizon. They added logs to the fire to scare away any wildlife and clambered into their tents after catching up for hours.

Long after Selene's snores serenaded the forest, Nyx groaned and sat up, quietly unzipping her tent and clambered out. Then, throwing another log on the fire, she scurried behind a nearby tree and relieved herself before walking back to the growing flames and warming herself.

She loved the serene darkness of the forest at night. Even as a child. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared into the flames, letting her imagination run wild.

Redress only to undress again. Ripped clothes from desperation to touch, hold, caress. Plunge deeper.

Her lips parted as she imagined taking him into her in ways she had never tried. She wasn't a virgin when they met, but there were other things she refused to do with her one previous partner, who finished in a minute flat. She wondered how he would taste. Her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip.

Huge hands engulfing naked skin. Soft lips meet, wet tongues dance, eyes fluttering shut. Touch me. Hold me. Love me. Take me.

The forest shifted at her back, and her eyes snapped open. She didn't realise she had even closed them. Her heart thumped in her chest as she peered back into the darkness, the firelight still flickering in her vision. Nothing but crickets. Shaking her head, she crawled back into her tent and let Selene's snores put her to sleep.