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“Hush now, Firefly, I’m alright.” His voice is soft and kind. Different from the sharp disdain he normally speaks to me with, and it makes me crumple over him.

My body folds like a wet piece of paper, and I shield him from the rain only to further soak him with my tears.

“We need to get them inside.”

“To the nest. It will be best for his healing.”

“Should we each take one?”

“I don’t think she would let us separate them?”

I vaguely hear their voices, but my racked sobs and the pounding rain, in addition to my lack of giving a shit, keep mefrom placing who says what exactly. I tense on top of Atlas when they mention separating us.

Atlas draws my hands to his lips and presses soft kisses into my palm. “My Firefly, so bright and beautiful,” he murmurs, his words sending a shiver down my spine.

A soft wash of clarity brushes over me as I cling to Atlas.

“Lift them together,” Darius commands.

“We need to get them out of the rain before she gets sick,” Julius adds.

“On three.” Marcus cuts in.

I shut my eyes as they lift us. I clutch Atlas as if my life depends on it when really I think his life is more the one in question. Who knows what I did or if it will hold?

I can only hope.

Chapter 29

DARIUS

At some pointduring the laborious process of carrying them inside, Charlotte passed out. Something about the cold and the use of her magic took the wind right out of her.

Before going into the nest, Marcus takes Charlotte into his arms, and Julius orders Atlas to strip, which is only made harder as he refuses to let go of Charlotte’s hand. When I try to pry her fingers from Atlas’, I’m met with resistance on both sides. Charlotte’s magic sends painful pinprick shocks through my hands, and Atlas nearly headbutts me just to get me to leave them be.

“Leave her in her clothes. It’s not right to strip her now,” Atlas says, his voice low and laced with a growl.

“She’ll catch something if she stays in her wet clothes,” Julius says, earning another growl from Atlas. “Marcus and I have seen her naked, so I think it’s best we undress her and tuck her into the nest.”

“I won’t let my Firefly go,” Atlas says adamantly, squeezing her hand.

It makes me both proud and exasperated to see him finally give in to his feelings for Charlotte, but the timing could not be worse.

“Atlas, let her go,” I snap, sending a surge of my influence through our bonds and reinforcing it with magic.

The younger gargoyle grits his teeth, baring them all to me in a grimace as he slowly lets her go one finger at a time. Charlotte releases a sad little noise, shifting slightly in Marcus’ arms before settling with her face pressed into his pec.

“I should push you down the damned stairs,” he hisses, lunging toward me before stopping short.

I don’t flinch and hold back the roll of my eyes at his posturing.

Marcus slowly edges around him and takes Charlotte into the nest. Julius follows quickly after him, snapping the door shut and sliding the lock into place with an audibleclick.

Atlas glares at me across the short landing, where we normally take off our shoes before we enter the nest. I let him have his broody moment before crossing my arms. It’s time to be the alpha.

“Where did you go, Atlas?” I demand.

Now that he isn’t bleeding out, I can play the bad alpha.