Page 34

Mira

Mingo called his mom after Gigi ’ported Kerry back to the safehouse, but, as he’d predicted, she didn’t know where Darius was.

We were all dispirited and tired by the time Gigi ’port us back to the safehouse. We tucked Kerry up in bed and Gigi went to lie down, too. Jax pottered around for a bit, then went to check on Gigi and didn’t come back. While Rome rummaged around in the fridge, I took myself out onto the balcony.

So much had happened in such a short time, and my brain would need a few days to process through it all. Tonight, though, all it wanted to focus on was Hell.

So when Kerry dies, that’s where he’ll end up. With demons kicked back in rolly chairs around a riven-splattered conference table. It’s not fair—

“Can’t sleep?”

Rome’s voice came from over my shoulder.

“My mind’s whirling.” I looked out at the city lights. “We’ve been riding a roller coaster of chaos for the past few weeks.”

“Want to be alone?”

“Nah. Come on out.”

He joined me and bent to rest his elbows on the balcony railing.

“I hate New York City,” he said out of the blue. “Big, noisy, too much light. I’d rather be on Opa’s boat in the middle of the lake. On a night like this, you can count a thousand stars in the Milky Way.”

“I’d like to see that.”

“Then it’s a date.”

“What?” My eyes widened.

“Spring break is coming up in a few weeks.” He smiled at me. “You can go home with me.”

“Um.”

Meet his oma and opa? I had feelings for the guy, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for that yet. I mean, I’d only known him for how long? A few weeks?

Oh, stop it, girl! If he asked you to, you’d leave right now!

“No pressure, Mira.” He stood up and slid one arm around my waist. “I’m not asking for anything other than for you and me to go out on a boat and watch the stars one night.”

I raised my eyes to his and couldn’t breathe. How many other girls had seen that tenderness in his face? Or such gentleness? Surely none, because only an idiot woulda let him slip through her fingers.

“If you want to, that is,” he said when I didn’t answer. “I know you’re probably anxious to get your life back on track. You don’t have to waste spring break hanging out with me. Someday, though, I’d like you to come. Home with me, that is. Um.”

God bless his adorable, awkward heart. I wanna eat it all up.

“I would love that,” I whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I would love to kiss you.” His other arm went around me, and he linked his fingers at the small of my back.

“Sounds good to me.”

Looping my arms around his neck, I pulled his head down. The soft, sweet kiss was everything I’d dreamed it would be.

I smoothed my hands up his neck to the back of his head, loving the prickle of his close-cropped hair on my palms. In response, his hands slid down my backside, and the dense muscles in his arms tightened before he lifted me up.

Shocked, I stiffened, and his lips broke away from mine.

“Ope! I’m sorry. I’m scaring you?”

“Of course not. It’s just I, uh, I’ve never been picked up by a guy before.”

He blushed.

My heart, already thudding away, went into overdrive.

Oh my goodness. How did you stay so pure and wholesome in this nasty ole world?

“You want down?” He nudged my nose with his.

“No! I like it! I was, um, surprised, that’s all. It feels good. Like I’m surrounded by your strength.” Like nothing can hurt me. “I haven’t been held by someone who cared about me in a long time.”

I was shocked to hear the confession come out of my mouth.

What in the world, girl? Don’t become an object of pity!

“Never mind. Forget I—”

“I love to hold you. I could hold you like this all night long.” He buried his face in my throat, and his warm breath on my skin turned my brain to mush. Then his voice dropped to a whisper. “I hope you can tell me about it someday. I want to know everything that ever hurt you.”

I squirmed a little on the inside, but didn’t push him away. I knew he wasn’t asking out of morbid curiosity, but that left me wondering what reason he did have.

“Why?”

“So I can help you heal, and I’d like to avoid triggering you.”

I had the past bottled up tight, and I knew it wasn’t healthy, but if I pulled out the cork, all that black acid would eat away at me from the inside out.

“I don’t know, Rome.” Grabbing onto my courage, I admitted, “I’m afraid.”

“Of what, baby girl?” he murmured against my neck. “Nothing you could tell me will drive me away. I won’t see you any differently.”

“Maybe someday,” was all I could comfortably commit to.

“You can set the pace. You can tell me anything you want, anytime you want, in only as much detail as you want.” He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Could you at least tell me what not to do? It hurt me that I caused you to panic that day in the motel.”

And there goes my heart.

I nodded my head and opened my mouth, but a noise came from the darkened living room, and I craned my neck around Rome to see who else was awake.

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

“Kerry’s sneaking out again.” He lowered me back to my feet. “It’s my turn to intercept him. Jeez!”

“ Your turn?” I followed him into the living room, closing the balcony door behind me. “Where is he trying to go?”

“I don’t know. He won’t say. Jax and I don’t let him leave, and he’s not in too great a mood when one of us stops him. Wait here and I’ll be back.”

“No, I’m coming, too.” I rolled my eyes at the look on his face and followed him to the front door. “And why not let him go where he wants to? For all you know, he wants some space or to go for a run. I know I’d be climbing the walls in his place.”

“And what if he gets into trouble with the police or turns tiger? What if he runs into Titus while the Huskarls are patrolling? Despite recent events, they aren’t exactly on the best terms, and Kerry’s spoiling for a fight.”

“I’d pay to see that! Kerry would so take Titus.” I grinned up at him. “Anyway, he probably just wants to go question his contacts. At night, in the dark, is when evil things come out.”

“Exactly.” Rome folded those big arms over his chest.

“Come on. We’ll follow him.” I grabbed my coat from the hook by the door. “We’ll watch his back.”

“No, Mira. We’re too vulnerable, especially if he’s going into a demon-infested area. It’s a bad—”

“Then I’ll go by myself.” I reached for the door knob..

“I don’t think so.” He pulled me back with a hand on my shoulder. “You wait here and I’ll go.”

“Wasn’t asking for permission, Aalders. I’m going.”

“I’m not letting you go after him alone.”

“Then hurry up and come on, before he gets too far ahead.”

#

We followed Kerry for several blocks through neighborhoods that steadily declined, and Rome’s mood went downhill with it.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as we jogged along in the dark. “You’re wearing your mean face.”

“We’re not equipped to fight a war with half of the Diabolical in the city, but you had to follow him.”

“You’re afraid?” My eyebrows shot up.

“If I go down, Mira, you haul your heinie out of wherever we are and don’t look back.”

“You’re worried about me ?”

“Yes, I’m worried about you! And don’t get your panties in a twist. I know you can take care of yourself, but I don’t want you getting hurt trying to help me. I’m strong and I’m fast, but anyone can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. If that happens, you need to get out.”

“For pity’s sake!” I yanked up the sleeve and rattled Zick Black’s charm bracelet in his face. “I’ll teleport us out if we get ambushed.”

“Oh. Right. Did I ever tell you how much that thing’s worth ?”

“Nothing if it doesn’t save your life and a fortune if it does.” I frowned up at him. “And I thought you said warriors don’t leave scents. Plus, you have your bracelet on, so how would anything Diabolical know you’re a neph?”

“I don’t leave a scent, which will make them curious about what I am. I want you to be aware and ready. Like I said, I do not want you to get hurt.”

“Too bad you can’t become invisible.” I made a face.

He stopped and stared at me.

“What?”

“I can’t become invisible.” His grin was wicked. “But I can become the next best thing.”

#

I couldn’t resist petting the massive dog as he walked by my side.

Before he’d shifted, Rome had explained he could maintain the form longer if he chose an animal closer to his own weight.

In the past, he’d used everything from a boa constrictor to a baby elephant, which made me snort, but had found an English mastiff to be the most inconspicuous.

After people got over how huge of a dog he was, he could get to work.

He’d also said that, while he wouldn’t be able to talk, he’d be himself inside and could understand me the same as always. Remembering that, I rested my hand on his head, leaned down, and fondled one of his silky ears as I whispered in it.

“You are a handsome beast.” I laughed when he looked up at me with long-suffering eyes. “In human form, too, babe.”

He slurped his tongue up the side of my face before I could dodge.

“Eww!” I laughed again as I wiped my face with my sleeve. “But I definitely like your human kisses more.”

When he huffed in a doggy way and wagged his tail, I knew he was amused.

“What are you doing here?”

Kerry’s deep voice made me jump, and I turned in a circle looking for him until he bled out of the shadows of an alley.

“Why’d you have to sneak up on me like that?” I pressed one hand over my stalled heart.

He’d already dismissed me to focus on Rome.

“Where’d you find this guy?” His eyes lit up as he rubbed the dog’s ears and neck. “Can we keep him? I love dogs!”

“Yeah, I’m gonna keep him,” I said in a dry tone. “He’s Rome.”

“Oh.” His face fell in disappointment. “How’d you convince him to come along? Usually he makes me go back.”

“I dunno. I said I was gonna tail you and here we are.” I shrugged. “Wanna tell me where we’re going? And why didn’t you just ask me to come along, like Mammoth’s? I’d watch your back anytime, anywhere.”

“I appreciate that more than you know, but I ain’t going to Mammoth’s or anywhere safe. I got something I need to take care of.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

I ignored the whine-like noises Rome was making. I was sure he was cursing a blue streak in his mind.

He is the perfect boyfriend like this. He can’t argue or anything when he shifts. Oh, this is precious!

“Just like that?” Kerry tilted his chin down and stared at me. “You’re not gonna try to talk me outta it?”

“You got your armor on?” He tapped his chest, and I put my hands on my hips. “Me, too. So what are we waiting for?”

“I’m gonna kill someone. Straight up murder him. Now do you wanna tag along?”

“Kinda figured that out for myself.” This time, I resisted rolling my eyes. Barely. “And yeah, I’m coming.”

“You’re a weird girl. You’re not even gonna ask?”

“Nope.” I kept it simple. “If you say he has to die, I know he deserves it.”

He scowled as he studied my face, which I was careful to keep blank.

“Zick told us that Og has Parvaneh, remember?” he said at last. “If I defeat him, we can rescue her.”

“She’s peri queen, right? You said the world would burn if she isn’t freed.”

“Yup. Then again, I might burn it down myself if that djinni has hurt Gemma.”

His eyes flared, and I wisely changed the subject.

“Why are you set on doing this by yourself? Rescuing Parvenah is high on everyone’s priority list.”

“If I fail, it’s on me. And—” He drew a deep breath and looked away.

“And one of the others woulda tried to tell me there are other ways to deal with the situation. They’d go on and on about second chances and mercy and that killing is always wrong, and I can’t stomach that garbage right now.

Not when a monster like Og has Parvenah as his prisoner. ”

He didn’t even have to say the rest of what he was thinking. I could read on his face that he was thinking of Gemma in the hands of the enemy, too.

“Is Og a human?” I asked. “No,” he snorted.

“Is he a neph?”

“No.”

“Kerry, you’re missing a key point about mercy.

” Feeling the weight of his complete attention fall on me, I chose my words with care.

“Those with free will, like humans and nephs, can choose to repent their sins. We give them second chances so they have the opportunity to do that. The Diabolical are a different story. They will never not be evil, so mercy does not apply to them. Ever.”

He would need time to fully digest the idea, but, judging by the thoughts scrolling across his face, he’d caught the gist of it—and that was good enough for right now.

“Okay,” he said at last. “Let’s go.”