Come Hell or High Water - Striker x Reader (18+)

88. To Err Is Human, Pt. 1

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"I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world."

— Patroclus

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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"You were attacked?!" Stolas roughly plopped his teacup down on its saucer on the table. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I mean, it's not like I could tell you in the moment," I remarked, taking a bite of an éclair.

"Don't get smart with me," he said flatly before looking down at me with concern. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. I just got a hematoma around my wound, but it's been healing up really well."

"A what?"

"A big-ass bruise."

"Ah." He tapped his index finger against the side of his teacup for a second. "Well, I'm glad you're alright."

"Mm — oh, hey," I sputtered as I quickly swallowed a sip of tea. "Are you going to the promotional party at the hotel in two weeks? Charlie said she invited you."

"She did," he replied. "But I have a legal proceeding for my divorce that will last most of the day, and I'm not sure if I'll be up to socializing afterward."

"Understandable," I said. "I wouldn't want to talk to anybody either after dealing with Stella the whole day."

Stolas chuckled, holding his teacup to his beak and glancing down at the pendant hanging from my neck. I set my cup and saucer on the tabletop in front of me and reached to undo the clasp of the necklace on my neck.

"I guess I should give this back now," I said, but paused before handing him the pendant. I stared down at the sapphire-blue Asmodean crystal as a thought crossed my mind.

"Stolas," I started, "you said these crystals give hellborn access to the human world."

"That's right," he said.

I looked up at him. "Does it give them a human disguise, too?"

"Yes, it does."

I pursed my lips, my eyes falling back to the crystal in my hands.

"So then . . . would it be able to make me look human?"

Stolas blinked, all four of his scarlet eyes widening, then smiled softly at me. "Possibly. If it can work for hellborn, I don't see why it wouldn't work for you." He leaned forward, closing my fingers over the pendant. "Why don't you hold onto it for now, my dear?"

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Butterflies fluttered in my stomach throughout the entire day after that, even during the rest of my visit with Stolas. I left his home late that afternoon, just as the red sun began to descend toward the horizon. My mind raced on the commute home, buzzing with thoughts of what Stolas and I had discussed as I clutched the crystal in my pocket.

After steadily climbing the stairs to my apartment, I dug my keys out of my purse and opened the door to the inviting scent of our dinner wafting from the kitchen. I closed the door behind me and shed my jacket, kicking off my shoes and stepping into the kitchen.

"I'm home," I said when I saw my lover standing in front of the stove.

Striker turned his head to look back at me and responded, "I thought you were gonna call me when you were headin' back."