Convoke

Chapter 57

Tom flicked through a book on his desk. He had eaten lunch, and salmon was in the oven for their evening meal. He decided not to work because he wanted to be with Ezra when he woke. Ezra was unstirring. He had barely moved all day. The only time he did was to lift a hand to weakly itch his neck.

Tom rested his chin on his palm, flicking through one of the few library books he had forgotten to give back. This one was a history of British houses across thousands of years. He liked looking at the pictures and imagining what life was like without technology, and with fierce beliefs in higher powers, and little knowledge of the universe, and even the earth they called a home.

He wondered what it was like to simply survive, where humans didn't depend on money to live comfortably. As he turned the pages, He started to feel as if someone was watching him. He had heard no movement from the bed behind him.

He kept reading, and still, the feeling didn't go away. It only grew like the blush creeping around Tom's neck and onto his cheeks.

He turned around, and Ezra was staring at him. His gaze was pure adoration- soft and honest. Tom smiled, and Ezra's gaze dropped to his mouth. "You're finally awake," Tom said, joining him on the bed.

"How long have I been asleep for?"

"All night and all day." Tom ran a hand through Ezra's black hair. "How do you feel?"

"Stiff," Ezra confessed. "I'm okay." He tried to sit up and winced.

Tom wouldn't let him get up. "You still need rest."

"I'm fine."

"I don't care." They stared at each other, and Ezra gave in, allowing Tom's stubbornness to win while he was too weak to argue back. "What happened?" Tom asked, curling up next to him, ready to force an explanation out of him.

Ezra explained everything in great detail. He talked about Jevlo, explaining his time there as a freshly turned demon, and what he did to Jevlo's son, and how he ended up leaving with bruises that night. He talked about Melonisa- the wise and brilliant demon who had always been respected by her community. Though he mentioned how he had not seen her since he was an angel, not wanting to tarnish her memories of him. But she was frustrated that he had not visited again, and she was appalled by what had happened to him. Then he spoke about the small community of demons he had lived with, or rather, existed next to, by the east coast.

"They had never liked me," he said quietly, eyes distant. "They never fully trusted me because I wasn't born one of them. Though I think to beat me this badly was extreme." He touched his ribs. Even a light brush of his fingertips hurt. "Their hatred runs deep, but I do hope that what I had tried to say sunk in. I hope all of them are now suspicious enough to not leave it alone."

Tom listened intensely. Young Ezra was clearly bitter and angry for what had happened to him. He was taken advantage of by those in power, especially Jevlo. But there was a gap in his timeline from leaving there and being at the east coast.

"What did you do after you fled Jevlo?" he asked, while they were on the topic of Ezra's past.

"I never stayed in one place for too long. Angel's would find me, and I would do my job. Then I would move on. I soon realised that the worst soul stripper jobs were in the city. So, I stayed in the country, never being in one place for longer than a week. I did this for so long that even places I stayed in for only days at a time started to be familiar. The worst thing about those places was that they weren't home, even though they started to feel like it. I was never welcomed anywhere."

"What made you settle by the east coast?" Tom asked, softly brushing fingers over the back of his scathed hand.

"I got sick of wanting to stay in these familiar places that I decided I couldn't run around the country for the rest of my life. I wanted . . . no, I needed somewhere. A base camp to return to after a hard day of doing my duties as a soul stripper. I liked the coast, and I thought the demons wouldn't mind me lingering. I tried for years to be accepted into their camp. I remember when Theo gave me a tent. I was so overjoyed, but then he told me I had to pitch it a quarter of a mile away from the others." Ezra's eyes were half closed and heavy with sadness. "I knew it wasn't fair, but I had grown used to those cliffs."

"And then what? You heard a rumour that history had repeated itself at Wileshire village?"

"Yes. Those rumours were from angel's mouths, so I assumed them to be true." Ezra sighed gently. "Even then, I still tried to trust the angels. But maybe they thought the rumours were true. I guess after all, why would an old angel like Othrowan need to lie?"

"Why indeed," Tom said, frowning with Ezra. "And then you came back here and met me?" He grinned gleefully, thankful with all his heart for the fake rumours.

"I did, and these past few months have been the happiest I've had in a century." Ezra held his hand, rubbing his battered thumb along Toms. "This is the first time since everything went wrong that I feel like things are finally going right. I thought I'd have to be an angel again to be happy."

"I don't see you as a former angel, or a current demon, I just see you as Ezrakhell, someone who deserves to be loved." Tom leaned closer, softly kissing him, feeling his heart flutter from such a simple act.

Tom pressed their foreheads together as gently as he could. Why can't we grow old together? He thought, not wanting to say it out loud. Their timeline had crossed, and he should be grateful. But still, it hurt knowing that they couldn't be together forever.

"Oh, by the way, an angel came to visit you earlier. She wanted you for soul stripper duties and I said you were too unwell. She agreed." Tom pursed his lips and started to fidget with the hem of the pillow. "She also said that she was struggling with a love of her own. She said she also loved a demon, but with the rise in violence, it was impossible, especially with . . . " Tom paused where she had.

"With what?" Ezra asked.

"She didn't say anything else. She left quickly like she had said too much."

Ezra then did his best to sit, ignoring Tom's fuss. "She knows something. What did she look like?"

Tom explained her long black curls, dark skin, dark eyes, and tall stature.

"I think I know her. Did she give a name?"

Tom shook his head to say no. "She knows you, though. Or did when you were an angel."

"You need to tell Kie. He has a source. You need to tell him to get his source to keep an eye on her." Ezra frowned. "Maybe she'll want to talk to you again. After all, you both have something in common."

"What?"

"You both love a demon."

Tom smiled, not wanting to say how he won't be a demon for much longer. But that didn't matter to him. Demon or angel, he had fallen for Ezrakhell, the man with a kind soul. "I certainly do."

Ezra smiled and gripped his hand tighter. "Don't rush off to Kie just yet. Lie with me. I missed you when I was gone."

"I missed you too," Tom said, feeling a warmth swell happily in his chest.

"Did you sleep much while I was gone?"

"Are you telling me I look tired?"

"I am."

Tom scoffed. "No, I didn't sleep much. I heard the angel's choir when my window was open, and I was terrified of having nightmares again."

Ezra's soft features hardened. "Did you?"

Tom chewed on his bottom lip. "I did."

They laid close. Ezra wanted to put an arm around him, but his shoulder was too sore. So, they rested the side of their heads together, focusing on their touching hands.

"I'm here now, in case it happens again."

"It was hard sleeping here without you. Isn't it crazy how easy we can adjust to having someone else around?"

Ezra nodded weakly. "And you're sure you missed me? You didn't think finally, he's gone for a while."

Tom chuckled. "Of course not. I missed you from the minute you left. Actually, it was quite pathetic how much I missed you."

Ezra smiled. "It was pathetic how much I missed you too."

Tom closed his eyes, wanting to relax into him more, but not wanting to hurt his already injured body. "Don't leave me again," he whispered.

Ezra's eyes had begun to close too. "I never will," he replied as they both fell asleep with their hands still intwined.