Page 8

Silas

M y bird had been nose to book since she got that bleeding journal from Dugan.

She’d barely touched the food I’d brought a few hours earlier.

Her legs were crossed on the sofa, hair in a messy bun that dropped curls into her eyes as she penned indecipherable scribbles on a notepad.

I’d asked about it once, but she said she needed time to explain and had been buried in the book ever since.

Nibbling at the end of her pen, she didn’t notice me come sit beside her.

She didn’t give me that saucy eyebrow when I cleared my throat and widened my legs, taking up as much space as possible.

And after a few minutes of trying and failing to get my bird’s attention, I plucked the journal from her hand.

“Hey—”

I put it on the coffee table and scooped the feisty thing up, then sat her adorable bum on my lap. Her eyes went from the book to my face, anger twisting her mouth in a fucking adorable way, but she didn’t move. I touched her jaw and brushed the line of her cheek.

Oh aye, my little rebel was a force to be reckoned with when she was on a mission to help the ones she cared about, but I’d be an absolute twat to let this beauty wither away in front of me the way Dugan had.

I’d rather face her wrath than leave her vulnerable to our enemy.

Because the way things were going, she’d whittle away to a fraction of her strength without proper rest and mealtimes.

She might be a beast of myth and legend, but no one was invincible, and certainly not without any energy to fight.

“If Bane saw you now, he’d have it out with me for letting you work yourself into this state,” I whispered, noticing the slight shake in her hand as she tossed the pen on the table.

“It’s been four days, love, and you haven’t left this bleeding sofa.

You haven’t slept, save a few hours. You’ve barely nibbled the food I’ve left for you.

Do I need to make a trip to Maude and Dick so they can feed this little baby bird? ”

Her eyes danced around my face, clearly agitated by the threat, before she sighed. “You’re right.”

I didn’t believe my ears. “I am?”

“Father was ruthless when it came to training, and one thing he never let me forget was how vulnerable one becomes when they don’t take proper care of themselves.” Her body relaxed, and she leaned into me, her head settling on my shoulder.

The smell and feel of her were toxic to the senses, and I always turned into a blubbering troll whenever she was in any way soft on me. I, the knobhead, just stared at her like I hadn’t two brain cells to rub together to offer a coherent reply.

She giggled a little to herself and swiped the sandwich I’d made her from the plate. Taking a few bites, she hummed happily to herself. “Since when did you become the domestic housewife, mercenary? Has Lev rubbed off on you?”

I caught her wrist and brought the sandwich to my mouth. With a sleazy grin, I took a huge bite out of it. “What kind of man would I be if I couldn’t make my woman a sandwich?”

Rolling her eyes, Nika finished what was left and straddled my lap.

My hands quickly went to her hips as she settled, her arms dropping around my shoulders.

Dainty fingers that had punished plenty of men—myself included—teased through my hair before her mouth came down for a light kiss.

My tongue swept out, but she pulled away before I could have my cheeky way with her.

I groaned and dragged her closer. “Don’t tease me, love. It’s been four days since you were last in our bed. Days since I’ve been given a proper kiss, yeah? Don’t make this sorry sod work for it. A bloke can only take so much.”

Her lips twitched, hiding a smile. “I thought you wanted me to rest?”

My hand traced the length of her spine until it curled around the delicate nape of her neck. “I’ll be quick,” I lied, stealing another kiss.

Her fingers gripped my hair, and her waist rubbed and rolled over me the way we both liked. “That pent up? You’ll…‘only be but a minute, love,’ right?”

Her eyes sparkled in amusement. It might be at my expense this clever minx was humoring herself, but I’d take it on the chin so she’d keep smiling like that.

Careful not to hurt her, I removed the hair tie keeping her bun together. Purple hair fell around her face and shoulders in soft waves and curls. I teased a little between my fingers before sinking my hand in. Her eyes closed, weak to the gentle way I wrapped her hair around my hand and tugged.

In these quiet moments, it was her and I. She’d never stop fighting me, but it made the times she gave in all the more entrancing. Every day this beautiful Soul Collector chose to keep me by her side was a day worth living.

Our mouths collided. No matter how many times I’d kissed her, it was never enough.

I always craved her. Have it my way, and she’d never leave our bed.

I’d pleasure her until the end of the world if she’d let me.

But my bird was kind and wanted the rest of the world to thrive.

She wouldn’t abandon them to their fate, so neither would I.

Taking on Death himself was a small price to pay to stay by her side.

I dipped down and bit her throbbing pulse. Slipping a hand under her shirt, I grazed her soft skin with calloused hands before cupping her breast. The dangerous beauty pushed into my touch, asking, begging in the only way she knew how.

“Fuck me, Nika. You drive me bloody mad,” I groaned, lifting her shirt and yanking her bra down just enough to tease her nipple with my tongue.

“Silas,” her lust-rough voice breathed.

I sucked what I could of her breast into my mouth before returning to her lips for a kiss.

They slid against mine with urgency. Nika’s hand dragged down my front, and just as she finally reached the prize, the barrier I’d put around the area shuddered with someone’s entry.

Only one person would be allowed through, and I tossed my head back in frustration.

I fixed her shirt just as Lev came through the front door and immediately caught sight of us. The cute wanker had the gall to look annoyed as he set down his bag and folded his arms over his chest.

“Interrupting, am I?”

Nika was already out of my lap before I could demand the lad go find something else to do for a few hours while I played out every single fantasy I had with his friend. Instead, she was wrapping her arms around him and giving the cute bugger that beautiful smile that stole hearts. He smiled back.

Wanker.

“Did you—”

Lev dropped a kiss on my bird’s head and nodded. “Find something? I did. It was busy so I couldn’t reach out much, but I’ll show you what I’ve found.”

I grumbled as the two claimed seats next to each other and the state of my trousers remained uncomfortable.

Readjusting the monster, I leaned forward as Lev pulled out his sketch book.

Nika eyed the journal, desperate to tell him everything we’d learned on our little excursion to meet a bloody two-faced menace.

The lad’s eyes sparkled the same way hers did. The two of them together were trouble, but in this case, the good kind.

“Your grandmother is a goddamn genius, Niks.” Lev showed a few pages he’d drawn.

“This magic is insane, and it means you can do a whole lot more than I ever thought. If she could do this through a proxy, then…well, it’s no wonder Rilas is scared of you.

” He pointed to the symbols Nika helped him draw before he left.

“I had to be careful not to show them together. Your contact was a little too interested in what I was trying to do,” Lev accused, green eyes on me.

I shrugged, grinning. “I told you she would be.”

“Well, I had to do a little reading on my own to keep half of them to myself. Lucky I have an eidetic memory, or I’d have to worry about a loose end,” the lad chastised.

Nika also tossed me a chiding look.

My grin grew. “Loose ends are easy enough to deal with, lad. I wouldn’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

The two of them immediately gathered my meaning, and no surprise, neither approved.

Nika spoke out first. “You’re not allowed to kill her, Silas. We’ve talked about this.”

“I was careful,” Lev added. “She thought I was a scholar for the Dark Fae and nothing more. I doubt she’ll connect it to actual use.”

Shrugging, I leaned back with a purely sinister stare. “It’s better not to worry, I find. No loose ends means no one to find themselves in front of a demon chasing us, yeah? I’ll make it quick and painless, promise.”

Nika was on her feet and in front of me, glaring in that devilish way of hers. “No. She’ll be left alone and checked on if necessary, but you and I both know how clever Lev is. She’ll never know who it was for.”

Our eyes met in a clash, and it was very few who could overpower me with mere words. But my bird was a terrifying thing, wasn’t she?

“Have it your way, love. But I’ll have her watched for a few weeks to make sure. There’s very few contacts I trust these days, and she’s a Fae who can be bought off at the right price. As can anyone in my world.”

Nika gave me one curt nod before attempting to return to her seat, but I was quicker. I grabbed her around the waist and dropped her back on my lap before she could fight it. With a gesture to continue, I wrapped a possessive arm around her and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

Without missing a beat, Lev went on, “Your grandmother bound his powers.”

Nika’s eyes opened wide, but I chuckled and nodded. The wily old fox was clever to do it. She must’ve guessed that his next move would be to take the souls back, and she exploited it.

Bloody brilliant.

“Bound his powers?” Nika questioned.

Nodding, Lev pointed to a few of the symbols.

“When he stole her soul, she made herself something of an anchor. It’s likely she targeted certain abilities, the ones most closely aligned with a Soul Collector.

I can’t be sure what all she did, but if I had to guess something, I’d bet she at least took his ability to collect and expel souls. ”

“Wise old fox,” I breathed in admiration. “If he can’t get rid of her, he can’t unbind his power. And the only one who can—”

“Is me,” Nika interjected, lips downturned. “That’s why she told me not to come for her.”

Lev brushed a hand through his blue hair and nodded in agreement. “If you were to remove her soul, his power would likely be unbound. My guess is she was looking for a way to weaken him, and that was the best way to do it.”

My bird had quite the devil trio behind her—her mother, father, and grandmother. I’d never been so grateful to be outclassed until now.

Nika slumped against me, a tear trailing down from her eye that I was quick to brush away. “Stupid selfless woman.”

I turned her head and forced her to look at me. “Runs in the family, doesn’t it? Why don’t you tell her the good news, Lev.” I tossed the lad a little grin, knowing he had a plan given the smile he wore since coming in.

His eyes glinted and he crossed his arms, smirking. “Thought you’d never ask.”