Aesyn Cravery

“She sits back in her chair and thumbs her lip, like she’s organizing her thoughts. When she speaks, she sounds older. Weary. “People like us‒half-breeds‒we walk in two worlds. Most times we’re not accepted in either, but the worst part is, we don’t accept ourselves. We try to bury half our nature to blend in, but that only works for so long. Eventually we have to come to terms with who and what we are. We’re not one or the other. We’re both. Unique. That’s what I learned. Now I have to figure out where I fit into their world.”
“Is that why you sit here in the corner of a hunters’ bar getting drunk alone?”
She shrugs and polishes off another glassful. “Nope. I sit here because they keep me human. Without them, it would be too easy to revert to my nonhuman side.”
I shudder at the truth of that statement. “So this enlightenment, how did it happen?”
“You afraid of something?”
“No, I just…well, I’m looking for answers.”
“Each man must walk his own path,” she quotes as if from some ancient wisdom. I try not to, but I roll my eyes. She grins and refills the glass. The bottle is already half gone.
“We all have this innate sense of our portal. How we pass from this realm to the next.”
“What do you mean, ‘we’?”
“Nephilim. But I’m sure it’s the same with all souled beings.”
Something inside me stills. How much does she know about that, and where did she learn it? “I’m not sure I follow you,” I say cautiously.
She grabs my wrist and yanks my arm closer, her eyes boring into mine. Instinct awakens the demon-learned threat response while the protective glyphs on my body start to flare. She’s about a half second away from a personal demonstration of what I am.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Things we know but we’re not supposed to remember. Memories. Abilities. Knowledge. It’s all there.” She lets go of my arm and points to her head. “Usually just out of reach. And here’s the kicker. You know why you can’t grab those memories? It’s not because someone wiped them out. We did this to ourselves. This is what we wanted.”
― Aesyn Cravery, Trust

“So you and the warrior there,” he starts. “Are you like an item?”
“What warrior?”
“Him,” he says, pointing to Laec. “He’s a real warrior, though he seems a little lacking in the mental department. Maybe he’s the strong, silent type. Is that the type you like?”
“Laec and I are just friends.”
“So I have a shot?”
“No.”
“That sounded final.”
“What is your problem?”
“Hey, I told you. I’m just a fun-loving guy.”
“Do you ever shut up?”
“You’ll miss me when I’m gone.”
“I doubt it.”
― Aesyn Cravery, Reveal