Davina (Davy Harwood #3)(49)

Davy’s eyes narrowed. “You are not too tired? Why are you not answering me?”

Gavin cleared his throat. His hand went to his sword, but he only gripped the handle. He didn’t pull it out. “Davy, this is enough.”

She looked back. He braced himself, knowing how her gaze now felt, and as it settled on him, he felt all his breath being stolen. It was being drawn out of him, slowly, and at a torturous rate. Her eyes fell to his sword and though there was no reaction on her face, he felt her attention sharpen.

She asked, “You would use that on me?”

“Davy . . .” He wavered, but he had to address the problem. “You’re different. You’re almost unrecognizable.”

He searched her face, but nothing. There was no response. There wasn’t even anger. Just . . . nothing. Her face remained flat as she asked, “How so?”

“Come on,” Tracey burst out. She surged forward, throwing her hands out. “Look at you. You’re not even like us anymore. We have emotions and with you—there’s nothing. You’re cut off. You’re empty. You’re—”

“Bat shit crazy,” Spencer supplied, moving forward.

Cal snorted behind him. “Ditto on that. I used to think she was hot.”

“Yeah.” Spencer said over his shoulder to him, “If you’re into Terminator Dominatrix.”

Davy was quiet, but she asked, “I’m like a robot?”

“No.” Cal and Spencer started to talk at the same time. Gavin threw both a look. “Shut up.”

They did.

He turned back to Davy and held a hand out toward her. “Davy, this isn’t you. This is The Immortal taking over you. It’s happening. What you didn’t want to happen, losing yourself to her, it’s happening. You’re losing your humanity.”

He waited, almost hoping for a murderous reaction from her.

“My humanity?”

He closed his eyes. She was gone. That one question was spoken as if she’d been asked the weather. There was nothing left. He saw that now. His anger buried deep in him, but alongside it was an anchor, pulling it low and helping to drive it further inside of him. She was gone. He had let Lucas down.

He cast a sideways look to Tracey and Gregory. A deep sadness clung to both.

She was gone.

“Davy—” Gavin cleared his throat.

“The humans are tired. That’s what you’re saying.”

She didn’t get it. So much more happened here than just those few words, but he nodded. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulder, heavier than he ever remembered experiencing before. He murmured, so softly, “Yes, Davy. They’re tired. They can’t keep up with you.”

“Then stay here with them.” She angled her head to the side again. “Or kill them.”

“Dude!” Spencer cried out. “What the f*ck?”

Cal groaned. “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t going to end well?”

Davy started toward them. “If you cannot keep up, you’re no longer useful. I can relieve your pain right now.” Her hand stretched out, a single finger pointing toward them.

Both jumped back. Their hands came up, and they were shaking their heads. Their arms began waving back and forth in front of them.

“No, no.”

“That’s okay. Thanks, though.”

Spencer added, “We’re good.” He coughed, hitting his chest. “We can keep going. No problem here.”

“Pretend we’re not human.”

The anchor stopped. It was all the way to the bottom of his feet, but Gavin knew what had to be done. He let go of the sword. He couldn’t plunge it into Davy. He couldn’t do that, not yet anyway, but she had to be handled. She stepped toward the humans and he moved behind her.

Spencer gave her a thumbs-up sign. “Really. We’re good. We’ll march all night.”

Cal nodded, his eyes gleaming from fear. “Yep. Me, too. All night.”

Davy shook her head. She said quietly, “No. I can help you. You’re human. I remember what that feels like. So much pain. So much misery. You feel worthless half the time and then struggle to even feel that much the other half. It’s a disease.”

“Oh God.” Spencer gulped. He backed away as Davy advanced. Cal was right with him. “Really. I like my humanity.”

Cal jerked his head up and down. “Me, too. Lots of pain. I live for that shit.”

“No, you don’t.” Davy let out a sigh. Sympathy laced it. “You were high when I met you. Both of you. You sought other planes of consciousness. No one does that if they’re happy. They seek to escape life. They seek to distract themselves. It’s why you went on your study abroad in the first place. I felt your reasons, in both of you. You wanted to get out of your home. You wanted to travel, seek new and exciting places to be. You were searching for yourself. That’s what you were doing. No, no.” She stopped in front of them. As they cowered, she seemed to grow in size. She didn’t move, but she was suddenly looming over them.

Gavin kept with her, moving as she did. She couldn’t know he was right behind her. He moved as silent as she did.

She paused, gazing at the humans for another second. “I used to want what you have. I wanted to cling to my humanity desperately, but I was wrong. It’s so much more freeing this way. There’s no sadness, no regret. You’ll see what I’m talking about. The others know. They understand.”