Page 21
Saeran
The air smells different here. Stale in a way it never was back home. The lights in the sky aren’t from the stars. The noise is deafening. No quiet. No peace. No love. Sometimes I dream of taking Gluttony away from all of this, finding a way to recover his memories together. He conveniently doesn’t question it, when conjured from my imagination. I sleep well those nights.
I need to say no, to push him away, use the last of the reserves of energy he gave to me to keep him at arm’s length.
I never stood a chance. The feel of Gluttony’s weight against mine is too much. He feels too good. What would one more kiss hurt? One more touch. Just one more time.
He easily lifts me into his arms and pushes me against the wall, trapping me. Memories of nights spent under him, even in sleep, comforts me and heightens all the sensations he’s drowning me in.
What’s haunted me for centuries is suddenly a blessing, and I can’t help but moan and reach for the buttons of the vest covering his dress shirt. The second I get my hands on his warm, smooth skin, feeling the hardness of his pecs, my insides explode like fireworks.
His kisses turn more aggressive, demanding and hard. I surrender everything to him. I don’t know how I held out this long.
A flash of sanity returns.
I know how. There’s more at stake than me. I have to be strong for them if I can’t be for myself.
I tear my mouth from his and turn my head. “No. Gluttony, we can’t.”
“I’m not afraid of your enemies,” Gluttony whispers harshly. “I’ll have you, and then I’ll kill them for daring to think they have any right to you.”
“It’s not that simple.” My heart’s beating too fast, and the swelling of my cock is begging for attention, for him. I have to be stronger than that. “We need a better plan. We need time.”
“How much time? Enough for you to die? I don’t fucking think so.”
“Not—is it enough if I say not now? And not no forever.”
Gluttony growls deep in his chest, and I almost reach for him again. To deny myself something I’ve been craving for so long is akin to ripping out my own heart and crushing it between my fingers. A sacrifice that hurts so much I don’t know how I’m still alive. How much more I can take.
Gluttony lowers me to the floor and steps away, finally listening to me. I almost close the gap again, my arm lifting before dropping again. This is the right thing to do. This is something I have to do. I failed my court once already. I won’t again even if it means turning from the other half of me.
“Give me another one.”
The words take my breath away. He’s said them before, so many times. Always wanting one more. I know exactly what he’s asking for. My fond smile is for him alone.
He returns it, an almost-shy curl of his lips, like it’s not a familiar gesture for him. Not like that. Not soft, one just for me. I remember it well. He was always the kind one, giving as much as he demanded in return. I fed him, so he could feed others. We’ve travelled so far from who we were, but the important pieces, the ones that matter, those are still there. Waiting to return.
“What would you like?”
“Anything.”
I can hear the unspoken word. Everything.
I open my palm, and a tiny spark of lightning strikes the middle, swirling to form a sphere. The lightning doesn’t hurt, it’s more of an awareness, a light flicking on inside me. Inside the sphere, a miniature version of Gyro twirls in circles, a torrent building around her.
“Can she do that?”
“Once.” Neither of us have the energy left for that kind of power. Once upon a time, we would have been able to flatten countries. Been more than a match for anything this world could throw at us. I wasn’t strong enough to stop the Light from destroying us, but I was at least strong enough to keep everyone safe as we established ourselves here, hidden among the humans. Now I’m depleted, and she’s not far behind. It won’t be long now.
Gluttony’s face hardens. “Not now, because you’re dying? Will she go with you?”
“I don’t know.” Maybe that’s what happened to the others. Maybe they’re lying dormant until those they’re destined to watch return to them. There are so many unknowns, and even after all these years, I haven’t uncovered all the answers. I still don’t even know how the Light overpowered us, when they’ve never been more powerful than us. I’m just as in the dark as the shadows I use to comfort myself.
As if summoned, Gyro pops into sight and immediately makes a beeline for Gluttony. He tenses as she lands on his arm, her tail flicking, sparks crackling around it.
“Explain her to me.”
“Each of us got a specter; it’s a representation of our guardian and holds their power. She wields lightning because you do.”
“What about illusions?”
My lips twitch. “She can do that too.” It used to drive the others crazy, her playful nature always leading her to play tricks. They can all see through her illusions, too, but only if they concentrate; and if they aren’t expecting it, they work for a few critical seconds.
“Clever girl.” He rubs under her chin, and she preens and purrs, the sound loud in the quiet room. She always loved Gluttony’s attention, thrived under it. She’s never fully understood why we’ve been away from him. “She protects you?”
“She does.” My only connection left to him. I would sacrifice my court for her. Let the world burn. Let my home burn. Nothing is more important than keeping her safe. Keeping my piece of Gluttony safe.
Gluttony holds out a hand, and I deposit the sphere into it. Primal satisfaction crosses his expression, and he wraps his fingers around it. It responds to him, the storm getting worse, cracks appearing in the glass around it before repairing itself. A vivid representation of my heart. Except that the cracks inside me don’t heal.
“How do I unlock the one you gave me?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. I didn’t create it. Whatever’s inside is for him alone, and I’ve never been able to open it myself. It appeared the night I lost him, and I’ve carried it ever since.
Gluttony pockets the storm sphere. “Any guesses?”
“All I know is that it’s for you, and you’re the only one who can.” Centuries of trying have told me that. I never thought I’d be able to give it to him.
Before he can reply to that, Tiernan bursts into the room, eyes wild. Envy is right behind him, barely visible over Tiernan’s shoulders. All I can see is a tuft of black hair and something bright yellow. When Tiernan comes further into the room, I get a better look at Envy’s outfit. Bright yellow hoodie. Striped shorts that barely reach his knees. And thick, steel-capped black boots. That’s certainly some kind of statement. He reminds me of the cartoon characters on some of the video games the younger Fae like to play. All he needs is a bigger head with bigger eyes. And bigger feet.
Gyro scrambles up to Gluttony’s shoulder and perches there. Gluttony places a hand on her back, steadying her. She won’t fall; she’s very nimble.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I just got off the phone to Diarmuid. I didn’t get the full details since this one”—Tiernan gestures angrily at Envy—“fried it before he could get it all out.”
“I said I was sorry!” Envy splutters.
My eyes narrow at the way he’s holding the doorframe. Like he’s using it to hold himself up. The fact he’s ruining technology tells me he’s not in control of his magic. He used to be better at locking it up tight. Of course, his guardian helped with that. He’s been alone for a long time, and he’s starting to unravel. They all are. I can’t imagine the state Sloth must be in. He’s more powerful than any of us, and he was never very good at control in the first place. No wonder he’s isolated himself so well. I’ve barely caught a glimpse of him in years.
“Details of what?”
“The East building is under attack. Chimeras are circling, and they said something else is driving them. They haven’t entered yet, but it’ll only be a matter of time.”
No . Most of our families are located there. It’s extremely guarded, with the help of our magic and Gyro’s illusions. Something must have failed. I should have expected it, with our deterioration.
Gyro sneezes, and lightning strikes the wall close to Tiernan’s head. He glares at her, lips twisting in a snarl.
“We’re coming.” We can at least create a distraction to get everyone out if they haven’t already.
I go to rush past Gluttony, and he grabs my elbow, halting me. “Where are you going?”
“To help them.”
“You’re in no position to be doing anything.”
“Let go of me.” There’s no way I’m leaving them alone to fend for themselves. This attack is deliberate. I don’t know why. The only way to find out is to go. I have just enough leftover energy from what Gluttony gave me to be dangerous for a short time.
“Where are Lust, Deacon, Wrath, and Lazarus? You aren’t going alone.”
“Zara was with us; he’s gone to get a car,” Envy says, with a wicked grin. “Like we’d let you have all the fun. It’s been too long since I’ve been in a knock-down drag-out fight worth my time.”
Lust and Wrath appear behind Envy, towering over him.
“What do you think they meant by ‘something else is driving them’?” Lust asks. “Do we think Conor is there?”
“If he is, we can torture him and find out the locations of the rest of our brothers and our demon,” Wrath snarls. “I’ll do it.”
Shrugging off Gluttony’s hold, I stalk to the door. “We’re wasting time speculating. I’m leaving, now.” Pushing past the Sins, I throw over my shoulder, “I’ll meet you there.” If I go by the shadows, I’ll get there quicker than they can.
“The fuck does that mean?” Gluttony asks, following me down the passageway.
I turn, and our eyes meet. Realization dawns in his eyes, and he reaches for me, but he’s too late. I fade into the shadows, and I’m gone.
It’s much easier to navigate the streets, even during daylight, by hiding in the shadows. I move faster, unseen, nothing but wind as I glide through.
It feels like a blink of an eye, and then I’m on the edge of my destination. I’ve worked out roughly how time works when I’m moving in shadow, and I know that everyone else will be at least halfway here.
Finding a good vantage point at the corner of a building, I peek around to see what’s happening at the East building. To the ordinary eye, it looks like every other apartment building in the area. People packed in like sardines, how the humans seem to prefer it. It’s one of our oldest safe havens, protections around it that have been there for over a hundred years. There are hidden passages below, a way out that no one knows about. I hope that Riordan or Diarmuid are guiding the vulnerable out, keeping them safe from the siege.
Crouching low, I summon my bow and notch an arrow. I can see three chimeras pacing the sidewalk on the block. Every so often, they let out a loud howl that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I can’t see anyone or anything else. Controlling them from afar, or lying in wait?
A heavy weight settles on my head as Gyro sits on me. One of her wings flicks across my cheek.
“See that one closest?” I whisper, pointing to the one pacing near the corner. Close enough it would have smelled me if I wasn’t still cloaked in shadow. “Bring him to me, okay?” Fighting three on one isn’t good odds. If I can pick them off one at a time, it will make my life a lot easier. Who knows how many are around the other side?
Gyro nudges my cheek, and then she disappears out of sight, popping back up right next to the chimera’s head. She flicks its ear—one that’s half torn off and bleeding—with her tail and then zaps it with lightning. It snarls and attempts to bite her, but she’s too quick.
The other two chimera hear the noise, stopping to look. All they can see is the third chimera sitting quietly. Illusions don’t mask sound, unfortunately. There’s nothing out of the ordinary to rile them up enough to check it out, though. Good thing for us that they aren’t particularly intelligent. Whatever targeting programming they’ve had, it doesn’t extend far.
Gyro zips back to me, the chimera following like a carrot being dangled in front of a horse. Too easy. I slip further back into the shadows, putting more distance between us. It needs to be fully around the corner and out of sight before I make my move. Can’t risk the others seeing.
I close my eyes and concentrate, my wings stretching out. There’s still a little life in them, and it feels so amazingly good. Magic flares within me, and the tattoos on my face light up. Power rushes through, and my hair lengthens, braiding itself. I pour it all into my weapon, needing the arrow to strike true and strike hard. I’ll only get one chance to surprise it.
It comes close enough I can smell the rotting flesh and the metallic tang of blood. It’s feasted recently. If it’s hurt any of my Fae, I’ll make sure every single one of its kind suffers an excruciatingly painful death. None of mine deserve it, not after everything we’ve endured.
My hands are steady as I aim, and the arrow hits the target perfectly, sliding right into its eye, burying itself so deep I can barely see the fletching and nock. It yelps and thrashes around, snapping wildly. Not dead yet, but blinding it will help me finish the job.
Another arrow goes through its neck and another in its hind leg. Debilitating it enough for me to get close and slit its throat and then shove it onto its back. Those deadly teeth are still biting the air, looking for a victim. The tip of a canine slices through my upper arm, and blood gushes out, dripping down my forearm. Ignoring the pain, I bury my dagger into the casing around its heart. The new steel takes more effort to get through, and I use the last of my magic to rip it apart and get beneath.
I hold the heart out to Gyro, and she aims lightning at it until it’s nothing but ash in my palm.
I stumble when I push away and stand. Crap . That took too much energy. There’s no way I can fight the other two. There has to be more around the other sides, or Diarmuid and Riordan would have killed them already. Other warriors live in there too. Three chimeras would be no match for them. How many more are there, and what’s driving them? I can’t sense anything else.
Conor is giving off strong Fae vibes right now, with no training on how to contain it. He may have been able to at the start, but the stronger he gets, the harder it will be for him. It will consume him, turn him into something dark and twisted.
I need to find a better way inside and find out what’s happening. Why does everything feel like it’s standing still? Siege tactics always make me uneasy. It not only means a long haul but also reinforcements in vast numbers.
“Find me a way in,” I whisper to Gyro, nuzzling her wing. She mewls, rolls over in the air, and looks at me upside down, her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. She zaps with me a burst of lightning, more a tickle than anything resembling painful, and then darts off. No one will see her unless she wants them to.
I move back to my position on the corner, crouched and waiting. The two remaining chimeras haven’t noticed their third missing, still pacing. Almost like they’re waiting for something too.
I highly doubt I want any of my people here when it comes. Whatever, or whoever, it is.
It doesn’t take long for Gyro to return. She twirls in a circle, and words appear in the air, like streaks of lightning. I’ve left a window open on the third floor, right side facing the sun. Be careful.
The message smells distinctly like Riordan. Perfect.
Fishing nuts out of my pocket, I feed her a handful. “Good job. Now I need you to stay here to tell Gluttony and the others not to engage until I give the word. I need to make sure that everyone is out first.” There’s no room for collateral damage here. If it goes well, we may even be able to get out of here without fighting at all. Silent and efficient.
There’s no breeze in the air, but the window I’m searching for has curtains swinging like there is. Interesting. Glancing back at where I know Gyro is watching even if I can’t see her, I step out of the shadows, spread my wings, and push off the ground. The nearest chimera is too slow to notice I’m there, and I’m well out of reach of the snapping jaws by the time they come. Nasty snarls follow me.
Riordan is the only one in the room. There’s a fan close to the window, aimed at it. That explains the fake breeze. I raise a brow at him, the corner of my lips twitching in amusement.
Riordan shrugs. “Got your attention, didn’t it?”
Can’t argue with that; it did help me spot it quicker. “Tell me why you’re all still here.” I can feel them all, now that I’m inside. They should have left already. I expected him, and maybe a handful of others, to have stayed behind to ensure that everyone got out safely. Not for everyone to still be here.
“The passages are blocked,” Riordan says with a scowl. “Something’s stopping us from going through them. Diarmuid is down there with a few of us who are strongest with magic, but they’re having trouble getting through.”
That’s not possible. “How?”
Riordan blows out a breath and glances around the room with a helpless shrug. “It feels like…” He trails off, hesitating.
“Feels like what?” I bark out, frustration eating at me. They should all be gone. Fighting our way out with the force waiting for us—and likely more on the way—will be a bloodbath, and it won’t be all from the chimeras.
“It feels like you. Like your magic. Though yours hasn’t felt like that for a while.”
My blood goes cold. There’s no way he could be saying what I think he is. “What do you mean, it feels like me?” Like I used to feel. When I was at full strength. Very few have that kind of power. The ones that do are all dead, and Conor isn’t at that level yet. Riordan can’t have felt what he thinks he did.
Though now he’s said that, I can sense a familiar energy coming from further into the building. In and up. What is it? My feet are moving before my mind catches up.
I need to find it. It smells like home . How is that possible?
“Stay here,” I tell Riordan firmly. I’m going alone. I don’t know what I’ll find, and the last thing I want to do is be responsible for an avoidable death.
It’s three floors up. Apartment 6B. An older Fae couple that’s been around almost as long as Riordan himself. I hesitate with my hand flat on the door. They’ll have evacuated every apartment.
What will I find inside? I’m not sure I want to know.
Keeping my guard up as I walk inside doesn’t protect me. The second I step foot over the threshold, a powerful blast sends me flying to the left. My shoulder hits the wall painfully, almost dislocating it, and I fall to my knees, struggling to take in a breath.
What in the world was that?
I look up into the face of a ghost. It can’t be.
“You’re dead,” I whisper.