Bleeding Demons: The Dark Bloods - Book III ✓

Chapter 20 - The Yearn for Familiar Faces

Reyna scratched Flow under his chin and he closed his eyes, his muzzle appearing to pull into a smile. The adorable little spirit usually kept her company while she visited his gravestone. It was a modest block of glossy gray-black granite, one of many in the memorial that were far more glamorous. The only engraving on it was his name.

DANTE ALEJANDRO MONTERROSA

A wisp of guilt curled around her heart, brief as a sudden but violent gust of wind. It had been years since she had visited. The first year after his death, she had come almost every day. For a decade after that, she was by his grave on his birthdays, remembering when she had given him another favorite album or another band shirt. Their gifts were repetitive, but that was not what was important to them. It had been for the glow on his face, the feel of his arms around her, and the warmth of his love.

The other times Reyna visited his grave was on the anniversary of his death. She would fight tears as she recalled the last time she held his hand and its receding warmth. Remember how his flesh gave under her lips as she kissed his cheek. How hours later he gave his last breath but not before saying how beautiful she still was. How he had known all along she had kept the Aqua Oscura flower from him, but it had been okay because he had also known she had loved him the best way she could and that was all he ever wanted. He told her to continue shaping this new world he was happy he had shared with her.

Reyna inhaled, holding the breath deep in her chest, feeling it swell her lungs and lodge in her throat. Her eyes were dry and had been for a long time. "I'm sorry I haven't been here awhile," she whispered, her fingers running over his name.

"You shouldn't feel sorry," a chorus of heavy whispers said.

She glanced to her right to see Umbra sitting next to her. The spirit had his legs crossed under him, green stones for eyes on Dante's headstone. Flow gave a throaty sigh as he stared at Reyna. She giggled at the little spirit before he raced off in to the garden that surrounded them.

"I already said I don't want to know," Reyna told Umbra.

"I didn't offer to say anything," Umbra said, and he appeared to smile. "I know you have made peace with Dante's death."

Umbra's appearance wasn't uncommon, but usually it was in the presence of Verden and Radi, a voice of guidance in their pursuit to help shape the balance of this single world. He had appeared to her a handful of times, and their meetings were usually silent. Reyna doubted Umbra remembered who he had been, much less that he was her brother, but she had come to appreciate his visits. He was, after all, the closest thing she had to the family she lost.

And so they both sat, quiet, staring at Dante's headstone.

"He hasn't returned?" Umbra then asked.

Reyna knew who he was talking about and a dull pang warmed her chest. "No."

"Then why did you return back to the castle?"

She sighed. "I have to take another one."

Umbra also sighed, an echo of exhales that went on forever. "Then I hope he returns soon. This is the second one you are going to take."

"I know. The first one was our mistake. We were uncertain of what we were doing and gave the dark blood power to someone too soon and to someone we didn't know very well. This one was honestly a surprise." Reyna scowled. "Which is such a disappointment because Verden is so tired."

"All the more reason for Mundus to return from his extremely long soul-searching journey."

"Yes, he does need to come back. You think maybe he just decided to nap for a really long time?"