Nyx lounged on her couch in the living-room, enjoying a celebratory cigarette. She’d spent the afternoon prying away boards from windows, cleaning the cabin and shoving new-to-her furniture through Aiden’s portal. Nearly all of her savings were gone, but it was worth it. There’d always be more shifts at the market.

Molly had taken her shopping as promised to pick up any missing necessities. There hadn’t been much in her bedroom to pack up except for some personal items like clothes and make-up. Living at home, especially sharing a room with her sister, hadn't allowed her to collect many belongings.

I’ll have to get Alice and Angel to help arrange some stuff.

Nyx’s heart panged, feeling Angel’s absence so viscerally. The house was empty, not even full of knick-knacks or trinkets. It didn’t feel like hers.

I hope I made the right choice.

She sat up, tapping her cigarette into the ashtray on the side table. Despite the sting of loneliness, there was a sense of freedom. No more sneaking out onto the back deck in the dead of winter for a puff if she didn’t feel like it. Still, she cracked the window. The night air wafted in, smelling of salt and distant rain.

I suppose that’s the plus side to emptiness. I can fill it with whatever I want.

A knock at the door got her attention. Nyx got up, feeling the stiff ache in her muscles from the exertion of the past twenty-four hours. She was definitely due for a long hot bath tonight.

Before she could answer the door, it opened and Alistair stepped into the porch.

“Wow, nice place you got here, Sis,” he said. “You did a good job cleaning up. Did Angel help?”

“No,” Nyx grumbled, not without some bitterness.

She followed Alistair into the living-room. His eyes wandered across the barren space before he plunked down on her couch, long legs sprawled out under the coffee table. Nyx sat in the armchair.

“You must be pretty pissed to skip out on getting him to clean for you. Is it because of the fight?”

“You heard about that?” She watched her hands, picking at the edge of her fingernails.

“Yeah. I thought he was dead all morning until Daisy set me straight. Probably the worst five hours of my life. He’s alright though?”

“Oh, yeah, he’s living his best life,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Blossom told me he’s having a party.”

It was so close to being a funeral.

A shiver ran up her spine.

“I’m sorry,” Alistair sighed. “You must have been a wreck. I know I sure was. I should have been there to put some sense into him. Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No, please don’t.” Nyx’s heart raced. “I don’t need my brother to beg my boyfriend to get his shit together. That’s so embarrassing. Please don’t tell him I’ve said anything.”

There’s so much you don’t know. It’s all so complicated.

Alistair leaned back. “I can’t make any promises. I won’t tell him what you’ve said of course, but I gotta talk to him about this. You were right, and I’m sorry I didn’t take you seriously earlier. I guess I just didn’t want to see it. So what happened anyway?”

Nyx shifted in her seat, unsure how much to tell him. “He fought Aluminum Carl, but it wasn’t as bad as everyone thought.”

“Why’d you get your own place then? Did he say no?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “Well, sorta. He’s fickle. One minute he says no, the next he says I can move in, but I already claimed this one. Last night, we got into an argument about it, then when he fought Carl, I -” Her voice cracked as the memory of seeing Angel choking on his own blood in her arms flashed behind her eyes. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t. We argued again, a big one this time. I asked him to love me, and he didn’t say anything. Why should I keep watching him ruin his life when he can’t even say three words?”

Stolen novel; please report.

Alistair hung his head, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes. “I wish it were different. I really do. I want you to be happy, and for Angel to be happy too, but it can’t be at your expense.”

“I don’t want it to be this way,” she lamented, burying her face in her hands. “If he doesn’t actually change this time, I’ll have to break up for good.”

The humid wind blew in through the window, carrying in the damp scent of rain. Once again, Nyx felt the stillness of Angel’s body, the heat of fresh blood under her hands as she did compression after compression until his broken ribs cracked.

“I think that may be for the best,” said Alistair, nodding.

“He’s going through so much right now, and he needs me, but I can’t keep going on like this.”

“He’s not your responsibility. We’re not kids anymore. You said so yourself, we need to stop enabling him.”

“I know,” she sighed.

Alistair nibbled his lip, twisting one of his earrings. “Look, there’s no smooth way to ask this. I need a favor.”

“Uh, sure, what’s up?” Nyx straightened. It was a rare occasion for Alistair to ask for anything.

“I’m sorry to bug you with this, but I met this girl, Kismet, on the mainland and she really needs our help. Daisy said she could stay until the council decides for sure at the end of the month. The thing is, there’s nowhere for her to live in the meantime. Since you got your own cabin and all -”

Nyx’s heart sank. She twiddled the edge of her t-shirt.

“It’s not a good time,” she said, not daring to look at him and his puppy-eyes. “I literally just moved in and finally have a place to myself, not to mention everything going on with Angel. I’m sorry Alice, she has to go somewhere else.”

“She doesn’t have anywhere else,” Alistair exclaimed.

“Why not take her home? She can stay with Cass. Mom and Dad will take good care of her.” Nyx rummaged in the pocket of her shorts for a cigarette.

Alistair looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes. “Cass won’t give Kismet the time of day and you know it, not to mention how crowded the house is. She’s an empath and can’t handle that many people all smooshed up in one place, coming and going. She needs somewhere calm, and someone nice, and patient, like you my most wonderful, beautiful sister.”

Nyx lit her cigarette, mulling it over, gritting her teeth.

Why now?

“Ok, fine,” she sighed. “I’ll do my best to help, but I don’t think I can be very present at the moment.”

“Thank you,” Alistair got up and hugged her, squishing her in the chair.

Nyx held her cigarette up and away. “Ok, ok, get away.”

Alistair straightened, heading for the door. “I’ll go get her.”

“Was she outside this whole time?” Nyx exclaimed.

“Yeah, I didn’t want you to feel pressured to say yes.”

Nyx got up, following him to the door, the cigarette dangling from her lips. “Yeah, no pressure,” she muttered.

They stepped out onto the deck. A wisp of a woman stood on the far side, leaning against the wobbling railing as she looked out over the yard. Headphones looped around her shoulders attached to a CD player clipped to the waist of her jeans. The hoodie she wore came almost to her knees, the sleeves draped over her hands. She blinked at Nyx with large, hazel eyes.

“This is Kismet,” Alistair said, gesturing to the woman.

The girl seemed to shrink even further into her sweater, letting the fabric swallow her whole.

“I’m Nyx,” she said, sticking out her hand.

Kismet took it, but her movements were hesitant and she let go as quickly as possible.

“I’m not gonna bite,” said Nyx, laughing.

Kismet blushed and looked down at her shoes.

“Nyx said you can stay with her. She’ll help you get settled in.”

“Really?” Kismet smiled, lighting her whole face as she looked up at Alistair. Then, as if she’d realized some terrible mistake, she looked to the floor again, twisting the sleeves of her sweater in her hands.

What is this girl’s deal?

“Yeah, it’s not a problem,” said Nyx. “I just moved in so I don’t have anywhere for you to sleep though. Is the couch ok?”

“That’s more than fine,” said Kismet. “Thank you for having me. I’m so sorry to inconvenience you like this.”

Nyx led Kismet inside and Alistair followed. She rummaged through one of the boxes piled in the living-room corner and hauled out the quilt her mother had made. Kismet hovered in the background, practically vibrating with anxiety.

She’s starting to make me jitter for goodness-sake.

With Alistair’s help, they arranged the sofa into a bed.

“I’m gonna head off to see Angel,” he said when they finished.

No, don’t just leave me here with this stange girl.

“I’ll see you around?” he said to Kismet.

“Thank you again,” she said.

Are those the only words she knows; ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry?’

Alistair said his good-byes and left the two women alone together. They blinked at each other from across the room.

“Um, have you eaten yet?” Nyx asked, scratching the back of her neck.

Kismet shook her head.

“Ok, well, let’s make supper and we’ll go from there,” said Nyx, leading the way into the kitchen.