Page 5

“He refused,” Star said when he saw my face.

I decided to go with a partial truth. “He has his reasons.”

Killian cursed, then shot back the rest of his drink.

Most of the room was celebrating—extinguishers and vexes mingling over booze and a little buffet spread out on the counter. Music was playing. It was a festive mood even though there were captive vampire hunters in one of the bedrooms. Hey, I get it and fully support it. It's important to celebrate the wins. But Killian and Star were not joining in. They sat off to the side, waiting for me. I went to sit with them, waving off one of the vexes who looked over in concern. I smiled, hoping that would keep him away. I didn't want to lie to my husband and Star with witnesses.

It was bad enough that Anu was watching.

“He says this is the path to our best future,” I said, holding Killian's stare. I couldn't look at Star. Not yet.

“The best future for who?” Kill demanded.

“Everyone,” Star huffed. “This is about the worlds, isn't it? Not us.”

“Actually, no.” I finally met his stare. “It's about us. And . . . us.”

Star frowned, cocking his head. Then he leaned forward and set his glass on the bamboo coffee table. “Us and us?”

“Oh, fuck,” Killian whispered. “Motherfucker! He played the kids card.”

Star's expression went blank, but his hands twitched.

I looked away. “He says this is the best path for all of us. The one that will keep the peace and make us happy.”

“Why did I have to fall in love with a fucking fairy princess?” Killian lifted his hands to the sky.

“I'm sorry, Kill.”

“You're sorry?” Killian looked at me. “Does that mean you've already given in? No more fighting this? Don't we—your husbands—get a say?”

I stared at him. “Of course you do. I'm apologizing for what loving me has brought you.”

Star snorted. “She's good, isn't she?”

Killian grimaced at him. “You have no idea.”

“That wasn't a manipulation,” I growled. “You know how much I hate that you have to share me. Sometimes, I feel like I'm cheating on all of you with all of you.”

“Shit, Twilight.” Kill grabbed my hand. “We chose this. You're not cheating.”

“Then stop whining,” Star drawled.

“Hey, Devil-Daddy-Wannabe, fuck off.” Kill shot Star a glare.

“Fuck off?” Star leaned toward him. “Sure. I'd love to. Just get Anu to release me from my Seren prison, and I'll be on my way.”

I winced, guilt rising. I could have released him. Shit. Did I make the right decision? This wasn't fair to any of them.

The children.

I squared my shoulders.

“You fucking prick,” Killian shot to his feet to loom over Star. “You think I'm whining? Listen to yourself. A prison ? You don't know shit about Seren if you think loving her is a prison. You're the fucking whiner. Oh, wah, you're obsessed with my wife. You're far from the first, asshole. She's beautiful, smart as all shit, powerful, and, oh yeah, beloved by both of the Gods. Everyone wants her. But you're the only one whining about it. Why don't you man up and just get the fuck over it?”

Star got to his feet and straightened his suit. “Get over it? Did you go through this, Killian? Did you constantly ache for her? Was your mind so focused on Seren that everything else felt like a dream? Or maybe it's worse for me because she holds a—”

“A piece of your soul. Yeah, we know.” Killian rolled his eyes. “I'm so fucking over you waving that flag.”

“Flag? I gave her a piece of my magic—magic that held part of my soul—and bound her to me forever.”

“Yeah, because you fucked up!”

I glanced back at the others. They were all watching us with the interest of a crowd in a theater. Popcorn anyone?

“Guys, please, can we—”

“What the fuck did you just say?” Star growled.

“You heard me, motherfucker. You failed God! You were supposed to protect her, weren't you? Anu told you to watch over her, just like he told me. But unlike me, you fucked up, and Seren got stabbed with that Devil dagger. You didn't give Seren a piece of your magic out of the goodness of your heart, and you certainly didn't do it out of love for her. You did it because you failed your God-given mission and it was the only way to turn things around.”

Star lifted his chin, displaying his bobbing Adam's apple. His hands clenched into fists.

“Enough!” I hissed.

“You're right,” Star said. “I failed God and Seren. But then I sacrificed for her. And now—”

“You sacrificed?” Killian gaped at him. “Are you fucking kidding me? You don't know what genuine sacrifice is. My brothers and I have sacrificed for Seren. We've faced certain death, insanity, and war. We've given up the chance at a monogamous marriage for her. Sever even gave up a throne. What did you do? You ran off with my dying wife, leaving us all behind to worry, and when you got her to Hell, you took a teeny tiny piece of your magic and put it in her so your fuck-up wouldn't result in her death. And you haven't stopped talking about it ever since. Crowing on and on about your enormous sacrifice. How you gave up a part of your soul and you're bound to her forever. You try your damnedest to make us all feel like shit about it. Well, enough, dude. I've had enough. Fucking get over yourself. You gave her a little magic, and she gave you the fucking throne of Hell! Even if she hadn't, in the grand scheme of Seren's men and what we've done for her, you're at the fucking bottom.” He leaned in to add, “And you always will be. No matter what you do.”

Astaroth, King of Hell, clenched his hands into fists, narrowed his eyes at my husband, and disappeared in a rain of embers.

“Killian,” I whispered in horror.

Kill looked at me and shook his head. “Don't, Seren. I'm right at the breaking point. Don't fucking push me.”

I held up my hands and walked over to the group of staring bystanders. They didn't pretend that they hadn't heard our argument. That would have been silly. But they didn't ask about it either. One of them handed me a bottle.

“Thank you,” I said.

“We need someone to interrogate the prisoners,” Trez, the Tider Vex, said, an underlying offer coming through.

“I'll do it.” Killian accepted, storming past me to the hallway.

“I almost feel sorry for them,” Extinguisher Tanya Murdock said.