A Desire So Deadly

After

Harlin sits in a red-and-yellow-striped beach chair. His mirrored sunglasses reflect the ocean, and he lifts a bottle of water to take a slow sip. It’s quiet here today—no wind. No clouds. On days like this, I can believe it’s all over, finally. Two weeks have passed since Lucy was extinguished, and the world has gone on without her. My sister is finally at peace.

Harlin clears his throat before taking another long drink, the guilt over losing Lucy to the Shadows still haunting him. He’s never liked talking about his feelings, but he’s trying to get better at it. For now, I’m just happy he’s dealing at all. We’ve been through so much.

I touch his arm, drawing his attention. “I’m going to try one more time,” I say, nodding toward the ocean. Harlin starts to smile, trying to cover it with his palm. “Don’t laugh,” I say. “One day I’m going to surf and then you’ll owe me.”

This seems to pique his interest. “And what exactly are we betting, Claire? You better not say a latte.”

I climb to my knees and lean forward to kiss him, soft and teasing. “No,” I murmur between his lips. “It will most certainly require physical contact.”

Harlin growls his approval and pulls me closer. His tongue slides against mine, the world around us fading into white noise. My sister may be gone, but I am still right here. Harlin made sure of that.

He didn’t let me leave him that night. Instead, when Harlin saw me glowing, charging toward Lucy, he sprang. He tackled me into the water just as the light exploded, sending Lucy into oblivion.

It was chaos at first, and River rushed into the water to help pull us out. It was then that I realized my brother didn’t know me, that River had forgotten me altogether. Forgotten everything that had just happened.

I didn’t wake up for three days, and Harlin waited. Hoping. I could feel him next to me, beckoning me back from the light. When I woke up, I smiled at him and asked if I was in heaven. He told me it was better.

Harlin gives me one last kiss and then stands up. He reaches to take my hands, pulling me to my feet. There haven’t been any more Needs, no more Forgotten. They can still happen, but I don’t think they will. I’m not sure why it was different this time, but I’m not going to question it. Right now, we’re free to live our lives. At least that’s what I hope.

I slip my feet into my sandals, and Harlin and I start toward the sidewalk. My white sundress blows in the breeze. We cross the lot to Harlin’s motorcycle, and the chrome of his Harley shines in the sunlight. Harlin puts his wallet and water bottle in the side pocket before swinging his leg over the seat. He waits as I climb onto the back, putting my arms around his waist and resting my chin on his shoulder.

Harlin kicks the engine to life, and we’re ready to leave Deseo forever. But first we’ll go to Costas Bakery, where he’ll buy me a latte. We’ve been there several times, but no one remembers me. Not my parents, not my brothers. To them, I never existed. I’m a walking ghost. Once, Ezra and Soleil walked in, offering little more than a glance at me.

I have to leave my home. It hurts too much to stay.

“I love you,” Harlin says over the roar of the engine, turning his head to glance back at me. I smile, feeling a little lost, a little heartbroken. But Harlin gives me the hope to go on, to move forward.

Harlin rides out of the parking lot, and I hold on tight. He turns down the road for the bakery so I can have one last look before we head out—maybe to Portland, maybe somewhere else. We’ll start a new life.

And grow old together.