Page 35 of Slaying With Sylphs (Haven Ever After #6)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CONNALL

M ain Street explodes into blue flames, every glass window shattering outward and lighting on fire. Monsters duck and run, screaming, but all I can focus on is Lou, who collapses into my arms. Iggy doesn’t let go, falling against me with his body still wrapped around her head.

“Iggy, give her a sec to breathe,” Wren says calmly, reaching for the small gargoyle.

He ignores her and slaps Lou’s cheek. “Wake up, Lou! We did it—well, you did it! Wake up!”

I’m barely aware of Alo dropping out of the sky and reaching for his son. But Iggy won’t leave Lou any more than I will.

Dirk returns to his physical form and helps me guide Lou carefully to the ground. She’s surrounded by her sisters and Laerith, who stands on the sidewalk with a smug grin.

“Couldn’t quite control it in the end,” she quips, “but, damn, that was quite the fireworks show.”

It’s chaos after that, as town leadership arrives and checks on anyone who was injured by the glass. There’s nothing major, but Doc Slade rushes from monster to monster as I hold Lou in my arms.

By the time he gets to us, he’s covered in sweat, looking a bit harried. He blanches when he sees Laerith. “Erm, hello again,” he blurts out, going from harried to totally frazzled.

“Hello, Doctor,” Laerith purrs. I’d swear she tossed a little extra depth into her voice.

Slade gulps and drops to a knee next to Lou, mumbling something about vampires low under his breath. He checks Lou over as I stroke her face and neck. I should be worried. No, I should be freaking the fuck out at my mate on the ground. But my wolf is calm. He’s just waiting for her to return to us. Somehow, some damn way, I know she’s fine. That she just needs a quick reset because of her power.

I still don’t know much about blue magic, but I’m bound and determined to learn as fast as possible so I can support her. But I sense her, like I’ve always sensed her. I want to take her home, put her in a nest, and service her until she’s done with me.

It’s what she needs and I know that now.

Chocolate lashes flutter against her freckled skin. She lifts her chin and glances up at me. “Did we do it? Is he released?”

“He’s gone, my love,” I whisper. “You worked a miracle.”

Grief wars with the sense of victory inside me. My friend is dead, but now he’s truly gone in the right way of our people. And she accomplished putting him to rest.

Slade feels her forehead, then looks inside her ear. “I think you’re going to be just fine, Lou. I don’t see any damage from the explosion.”

She shoots upright, ripping out of my arms and stalking to the center of the street. She throws both hands on top of her head and spins circles, looking utterly horrified. “Oh my gods, I did this?”

Laerith steps off the sidewalk toward Lou. Dirk moves to follow her, but I place a hand on his chest.

“She needs a minute.” My mate looks at me, confusion swirling in his beautiful eyes. So I bend down and bring my lips to his ear. “She needs guidance, mentorship, friendship from Laerith. She gets other things from us.”

He rubs his stubbly cheek against my mouth, huffing under his breath. Poor, sweet sylph. Dirk is so used to control. It’s hard for him not to have it.

Dirk and I stand together, arms around one another’s waists as Laerith and Lou talk in low tones. Eventually, Lou stops looking so distressed, and her scent returns to normal. When a bright, hopeful smile overtakes her delicate features, I pull Dirk into the street to join the girls. The triplets quietly follow.

When we surround Lou, she looks at each of us in turn.

“Laerith thinks Amatheia and Bellami might be awake now that Leighton’s been released. We’re going to check. They’ll be afraid if they wake up at the doc’s office, and he’s here.”

“You were amazing, Lou,” Morgan says, reaching for her aunt. She pulls Lou into her arms and rests her head on top of my mate’s. “Absofuckinglutely terrifying, but that was amazing.”

“I did smash all the windows, though,” Lou grumbles, her sass returning.

“I can fix those, honey.” Morgan smiles. “Black witch, remember?”

Lou lifts her gaze to Morgan’s and smiles. “Oh, thank fuck! I was worried all the buildings were going to hate me forever.”

“Maybe the movie theater won’t let you drink soda anymore, just like me!” Iggy shouts, fluttering into the circle and squeezing his way between Lou and Morgan. He plants his feet on Morgan’s chest and pushes, shoving him and Lou away from her. When the girls laugh and part, he snuggles up with his head under Lou’s chin, his tail draped up and over her shoulder.

“You did such a good job, Iggy,” she whispers to the tiny gargoyle. “That battle cry nearly blew out my eardrums.”

He nuzzles her neck. “I’m really tired now, though. But I wasn’t afraid. I tried to be brave like Dad and Uncle Shepherd.”

“And we need to do a post-attack family meeting to assess what happened,” Alo’s deep voice breaks through the group as he joins, smiling proudly at his son.

Iggy looks up at his father with big blue eyes, pouting a little. “Do we have to do it now? Lou was gonna take me to Slade’s to check on the fallen monsters.”

Lou snorts and lightly spanks his thigh. “And was I also carrying you the whole way?”

He mimics her snort and slaps her shoulder lightly with his tail. “Of course, Lou. You need comforting. Gargoyles are good at that. Miriam always says it’s the best feeling in the world to hold me.”

“It is,” Lou whispers, but her eyes flash as she finds Dirk and me.

Heat snakes down my spine at the look in her eyes. She’s ready to recharge. I can feel it in the way she’s staring. Blue flames dance in her irises, tiny flecks of fire skirting along her skin.

We aren’t coming out of the bedroom for days, if those books are right.

I’ll need to prep for that with Richard, make sure he feels okay on his own without me around…Laerith warned us about this, but Richard and I need to have the conversation.

Lou looks at all of us around her and smiles. “Shall we go?”

The triplets opt to stay on Main and clean up a bit. Lou waffles about leaving, but they insist she go with Slade to check on Amatheia and Bellami.

The walk to Slade’s cottage takes just a minute. When Slade opens the door, voices echo faintly from within. He takes off at a sprint through his front room, past the kitchen and down the long hall to the room where Bellami and Amatheia have been staying.

When Lou takes off after him, Dirk and I exchange smiles. Relief fills me as shouted exclamations drift up the back room. We follow Lou, Iggy, Slade and Laerith into the room. Inside, Amatheia clutches the edges of the tub, staring at us as we enter.

“What’s going on here? What happened? I don’t remember…” Her voice is tremulous, luminescent blue eyes wide.

Slade drops to a knee between Amatheia’s tub and the small table Bellami was on. He looks between them both, smiles, and recounts the story of what just happened. By the end of it, they both look shocked, but Bellami sits up and gives Lou a wry grin.

“So you were our savior, huh? Why am I not surprised?” He crosses both arms.

Lou matches his stance, stalking across the room and picking him up by both shoulders. She brings him right to her face, and I prep myself for the snark she’s inevitably going to deliver. But my mate surprises me.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Bellami,” she whispers. “I had no idea how we were going to fix things, and gnome village wouldn’t be the same without you.”

He reaches for her, and she pulls him to her cheek, squeezing him tight. He hugs her back. I watch in shocked silence. Gnomes can only be described as brusque and surly. I’ve never seen a gnome display any sort of affection.

Bellami kisses Lou’s cheek, then bends toward her ear, whispering loud enough that I’m able to hear him, “Don’t think any of this gets you out of helping us, Lou. We need you, okay? It’ll go so much faster if?—”

“I get it,” she says with a huffy laugh. “Jesus, I can’t believe that’s your first thought after being knocked out for ages.”

He tips his head at her, then blushes and looks around. “Err, where’s my hat? It’s highly inappropriate for you to see my whole head.”

Slade appears with a tiny red hat between his fingers, handing it to Bellami.

The gnome takes the hat and places it on his head. Then he wriggles out of Lou’s hands. She sighs as he trots up her arm and slides down her side, using her clothing.

Amber eyes flash to Dirk and me. “I’m getting used to males being all over me all the time.”

Heat. Lust. They sizzle through me as Dirk takes a step closer to me and slides his hand up the back of my shirt.

Lou’s eyes move to the tub, and she smiles softly. “Amatheia, we haven’t met, but I’m Lou. My mates and I found you when you were hurt, and we brought you here.”

The mermaid shifts upright, long dark hair falling over her exposed breasts. “You have a lifetime of my thanks.”

“And of course we’ll return you to the lake the moment you’re ready,” Slade offers, his eyes softening.

Amatheia hunches over, tucking wet hair behind her long, tapered ear as she flattens them to her head. “I’d like to stay here a bit longer, if you don’t mind. I still feel…weak.”

“Of course, Sweetheart,” Slade says gently.

Laerith makes a strangled noise at the back of her throat, and I turn to see. But her fierce gaze is focused on Slade and the way he’s staring thoughtfully at the woman in the water.

Oh moons.

“I’d be happy to help you get home,” Laerith croons. I don’t know if it’s the predator in me that senses an innate deviance in Laerith’s tone, but Amatheia doesn’t seem to mind.

She smiles brightly at the female vampire. “Give me a day to luxuriate in this tub and figure out what I’m going to tell my father, and then I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“I can speak with him,” Slade says, “if you’d find it helpful.”

Amatheia blushes, dark blue tinting her high cheeks. “That won’t be necessary, Doctor. King Caralorn doesn’t come to the surface.”

“Richard and I would be happy to assist,” I offer. “And I’m sure Arkan or Abemet would too.”

Mermaid society is incredibly structured and rigid. Caralorn’s word is law, and I suspect he won’t be pleased that his daughter disappeared without a word, even though she was attacked.

“Maybe Richard could speak with him,” Amatheia says softly. “He might listen to Richard.”

I nod. “Consider it done. When you’re ready to go home, we’ll deliver you there and request an audience with your father.”

She smiles, but there’s no joy in it. She sinks further into the water until all that’s visible is her wide eyes and the tops of her pointy, flared ears.

I glance at Dirk. “I’m ready to take our mate home. She’s probably exhausted.”

“No!” Lou shouts, lifting a hand. “I’ve got to go clean up Main Street! I made a hellsuva mess, you guys.”

“Absolutely not,” Dirk says with a snort. “Morgan can fix it in moments with her magic. It’s probably already done.”

Lou shakes her head. “I’m not leaving a mess for someone else to clean up. I want to see for myself that it’s all fine before we go home.”

My grin is so big, it hurts my cheeks. This woman, moons. She is everything to me.