Page 122 of Starborn Husbands

“My mate has brought some good points to your argument. If Merrick agrees to watch over the young halfling angel, I’ll allow a reprieve of an undetermined time. When we need him, he returns.”

I want to complain about getting assigned a babysitter, but I know this is the best peaceful solution we’re going to get. Zhang’s silence says he knows it too. I want to run to him. Can I run to him yet?

Merrick steps forward to claim his authority. This hinges on him now, the proverbial ball thrown into his court. He feasts on the succulent flavor of power.

But then it occurs to me that the man really is his father’s son. He’s not going to deny me any more than Daniel could deny his mate. We’re not mates, but he wants to be. That’ll count for him.

He turns to me and smiles. “I would be?—”

Merrick’s words are cut off by his own blood-curdling scream. He falls to his knees and grips his arm, and I sink to the ground with him. “Fuck,” he hisses out.

Our eyes meet and I know—it’s the damn tattoo. It’s too late to hide it, though, Merrick’s dad’s over in a heartbeat.

“I’m fine. I hurt my arm earlier.”

“Take the jacket off, Archangel Merrick,” his dad orders, and from the proper name usage I’m gonna go ahead and assume he’s got his “major” hat on.

“Can we do this later, sir,please?”

Erick finally catches on and the worried creases around his eyes say he’s realized he’s made a mistake. “Yeah, we’ll do it later, kid.”

“We’ll do it now,” Daniel’s raspy voice croaks.

Dammit. So close to a happy-for-now ending to this fun little chapter. Things are about to get so fucked up.

Merrick peels off his jacket in no hurry. Erick’s chest expands and relaxes too quickly as he watches, his hands itching to touch the thick handles of his swords.

I know Zhang’s ready stance. He’s preparing himself to die fighting, even though he doesn’t have his weapon on him—he wouldn’t have been allowed to enter Atlantis with one. Gem’s brain has gotta be working fifty miles a minute on an exit strategy. He’s got the stargate around his wrist. I’m banking on us using it.

“I was going to tell everyone when I figured out what to do about it,” he lies, rolling up the long sleeve of his shirt.

“I would have never told a soul,” I murmur.

Merrick’s features morph into something resolute, and his blue eyes flash. “This is either from the Gods or the ether, which means it’s meant to be. I won’t be ashamed of it, Father.”

The letters flash over his strong forearm, but they’ve changed.

Treyu Centaurus.

It’s been weeks since the wedding, guess the Gods are a little behind.

Daniel’s jacket creaks and his boots thud against the marble floors. Bruising fingers lock around Merrick’s wrist, yanking him closer, while cold blue eyes analyze the shimmering letters to the beat of my heart, pounding its way to an explosion. Is he gonna rip Merrick’s arm off? Are we gonna just stand here as he does it?

All of us, including Erick, are frozen in time, afraid to disrupt the threatening quiet.

“No,” Daniel says. “Absolutely not. There’s only one way to get rid of that.”

“Oh shit,” Erick says to the tune of steel and the hum of magic as his swords leave their baldrics. He rolls and twists his way to a kneeling position in front of me, just in time to reflect the blast of crackling seraph energy. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Run. All of you, run!”

Running is all I can do. Without a weapon or access to my star powers, I’m fucked.

“This way,” Merrick says, the hum of muted steel announcing the arrival of his sword.

I catch a flash in my periphery, something moving fast, leaving streaks like blue flames in its wake. Wow, shit. It’s Erick. Woulda been cool to see him really get going in a battle. There’s a roar and then snapping and popping as a tall wall of fire erupts around the homicidal Seraph. If I live through this, I’m so grinding Merrick’s gears for being a total daddy’s boy. His father’s only gone into a rage because he gives a fuck about his special little boy. It’s too sweet to hold against him, but I’d really like to not become stardust, thanks.

Zhang catches up with me as we sprint for our lives.

“Miss me, Centaurus?” I push out through panted breaths.