Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 505: The Key To A Glasshouse

I didn’t look up when I heard the footsteps; in fact, I didn’t so much as move. On my best day, I wasn’t a people person... and on my worst? I would much rather find a place to bury the body than talk to the person.

And this was not a good day.

If they were smart, they’d walk away.

But the steps continued to come closer, measured, purposeful. Not hesitant. Not apologetic. The kind of steps made by someone who knew what they were walking into and didn’t flinch.

Dante.

He didn’t say anything. Didn’t announce himself. He simply sat down beside me on the cliff edge, letting the silence stretch between us like a shared secret.

I kept my knees hugged to my chest, head resting on them, arms wrapped tight like a cocoon. For a moment, I could pretend I wasn’t falling apart, I could pretend I wasn’t failing.

"Everyone else talks too much," I muttered without lifting my head.

"Not me," he chuckled softly. I could hear his soothing voice, but for the life of me, I couldn’t feel his thoughts or emotions. It was like he was a blank slate of quiet peacefulness.

"No," I whispered back, softly swaying toward him. "Not you."

We sat like that for a while. The wind whipped my hair into my face, stung my eyes even as it numbed my fingers. It felt good. Real. Something that didn’t come from someone else’s thoughts. A feeling, a thought that I knew for sure was mine.

I almost think the worst part about all this is not knowing if I was already crazy or becoming crazy. That was too fine a line, and only one answer terrified me.

But having Dante beside me, grounding me, was keeping the voices from getting to me. I didn’t know what I wanted him to say. I didn’t even know why he was here, but I would skin him alive if he got up and left at this moment.

Finally, when the silence stretched out too long, I turned to him and asked. "Why are you here?"

His answer was immediate. "To take the weight off your shoulders before it crushes you."

A harsh scoff was ripped out of my throat before I could stop it, and I finally lifted my head to look at the egotistical man. "That’s not how this works," I sneered, rolling my eyes at the very typical pride response.

"Maybe not," he agreed with a casual shrug. Bracing his arms behind him, he relaxed onto his elbows, looking up at the sky. "But you’re not the only one who can rule, Hattie."

I blinked at him, not sure what my response should be. I mean, that was a dick of a statement, like for some reason I thought that only I was suited for the throne. But at the same time, I never wanted the crown. I didn’t want to be in charge of shit.

As if sensing my inner turmoil, Dante continued. "You’re the Devil. The judge. The Balance," he said, gaze on the sky above. "You created realms, and you created demons, but you were never meant to manage every demon, every decision, every demand. That’s why kings have councils, why empires have ministers, why chaos needs a second."

He looked at me then—really looked at me. His voice softened as his eyes searched my own.

"I’ve already started taking over. I’ve organized the western territories, cut off the uprisings. I made examples of some of the more stubborn demons where I needed to. The Devil’s Playground is quiet because I made it quiet."

The silence between us grew heavier.

"That’s part of the problem," I barked out a laugh. While I appreciated it all, didn’t he know that I could have done it with a lot less effort? "Handling the outside is the easy part. The hard part is feeling every little bit of torture you put those demons through before executing them. Of feeling the fear coming from those who watched you. If this was like your Syndicate, then everything would be settled, and I’d be on a beach drinking Mai Tais... whatever the fuck those are. It’s not the outside that is getting to me," I continued with a sigh. "It’s the inside."

Dante was silent for a moment, and I almost felt bad. I mean, having him beside me without making demands was a Devil-sent blessing. But unless they were in my head, none of the guys could help.

"Can you read my mind?" I asked suddenly. I mean, one of his powers is Spirit, and all Spirit users can read minds... right?

"I don’t want to invade your privacy like that," Dante assured me, his eyes looking at me like he was begging me to understand. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"Fuck that shit," I snarled, grabbing his hand. Putting it flat against my cheek, I stared at him. "Read my mind. Tell me that I am not going crazy."

I could feel it the second he entered my mind. It was like a cold glass of tea on a hot summer afternoon. The moment he was in my head, it all went quiet. Sure, I could still feel everything, but it was more like looking at the outside world from inside a house. The glass protected me from the worst of it.

"I didn’t know," muttered Dante, turning pale. "I..." he started, a drop of sweat forming on his forehead as he continued to do whatever it was he was doing. "I didn’t know it was that bad."

"Yeah," I replied with a strained smile. "It’s a bit much. But I guess I should thank you. It’s the quietest they’ve been in a week."

"Next time," he started, kissing my forehead. "Tell someone before you fall apart. Each and every one of us would kill to keep you happy and safe. And if we have to kill the entire population of the Western Hemisphere, then know we will do it."

"Awe," I crooned, feeling him slipping out of my mind. "I think that’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me."

Dante chuckled, scanning my eyes for any more discomfort. But for the moment, the glass wall was holding, and I was... okay.

"I need you to know that when things do become too much, tell us. I won’t try to put you back together with kisses and promises, I’d be here. Picking up the pieces. Running the kingdom. So you don’t have to."

I stared at him, breathing through my nose, blinking hard. "And the voices?"

"If the shield I put around your mind doesn’t stay, I’ll find someone who can do it better than me." There was a pause before Dante continued. "Not like I would find anyone who did it better than me."

Seeing as I could already feel some hairline cracks, I couldn’t help but chuckle. "I think you are going to need to find that person or persons," I advised him, a feeling of joy slipping through the crack. "Because my glasshouse is going to fall, and soon."

Kissing my forehead again, Dante got up and disappeared, leaving me alone once again. But this time, I didn’t feel so alone. After all, if there was one thing Dante could do well, it was getting people to bend to his will.