Page 18 of The Death Dealer (Sentinels of Magic Book 2)

“Tell us what you know,” Soleil said once she was seated on the bed next to Trevor.

His fingers were woventhrough hers, and his tight grip on her hand bordereduncomfortable. Yet she needed the support and didn’t intend to complain. She saw Damian’s gaze sweep over them, noting their closeness, but he didn’t appear smug or make any comment. He was merely cataloging the moment and nothing more.

“Alastair called. Spring’s greenhousewas blown upabout ten minutes ago.”

Soleil struggled against the urge to vomit. “And Spring? How badly was she hurt?”

“She wasn’t.”

“Thank the Goddess! Maybe next time you can lead with that.”Aftertaking a deep breath and expelling itagain, she jumped to her feet, prepared to call Spring.But Trevor had yet to release her, and Soleil stumbled, falling into him. His arms closed around her, and he hugged her tightly as he buried his face in her hair. With her limbs pinned to her sides, she shot Damian a helpless look.Other thana fleeting smile, he didn’t help her escape Trevor’s crushing hold.

“Let him have a moment.” Damian’s gentle voice flitted through her mind, startling her.

She understood hehad the ability toread another’s thoughts, but she hadn’t realized he could implant them, too.

“When necessary,” he said aloud.

“It’s freaky,” she muttered.

“But you and Blane have been holding conversations for days.”

“Well, yeah…” Speaking of him. “Uh, Trevor. I’ve never been particularly claustrophobic, but I’m getting there.” She wiggled her fingers and squirmed on his lap.

“Yeah, sorry.” He loosened his grip enough for her to move her arms, but he didn’t release her, and Soleil felt awkward under Damian’s observant gaze. “That could’ve been yours,” Trevor said gruffly. “The greenhouse. It could’ve been yours had you been home.”

“What? Why would anyone want to blow me up?”

But someone had shot at her and tried to run her down. The three incidents weren’t a coincidence.

“Remember what I said about coincidence?” Trevor guided her chin around for her to meet his piercing blue eyes.

“There’s no such thing in your line of work.”

“Exactly. Glad you were paying attention.” His lips quirked as if he was trying to tease, but the worried lines bracketing his mouth never left him.

“Okay.” She inhaled a deep breath and released it. “What we know is both Spring and I havebeen targeted. That narrowsdownthe reason to one of our replanting collaborations, but not the party responsible.”

Damian’s brows shot up, and he gave her a half smile with his approving nod. “Which one, and why, do you suppose?”

“The new rainforest project is the one we’ve devoted our attention to lately. We’ve met with resistance from those tasked with stripping the land, but from what I can tell, they have no pull or resources to stage any of these attacks.” Facts were missing, and not having all the pieces for the puzzle bothered Soleil. The few absent details were vital to determining who mightbe targetingSpring and her. “Did Alastair have any ideas?”

“None, but his security team is on it. I don’t care much for the odds of the people responsible. Alastair doesn’t suffer attacks on his family.”

“I should say not!” She eased out of Trevor’s grasp and rose. “I’llgive Spring a calland see if the two of us can come up with a list of suspects.”

“Good idea,” Damian encouraged. “But please remain within the walls of Mr. Stockton’s residence until I’ve had a chance to speak with him about security and wards.”

“Of course.”

“I think it’s tied to the Authority,” Trevor stated as his gaze transitioned from her to Damian and back. “Why else would they send me?”

“You said, ‘they,’ butit”s possible only one person wasinvolved, right?” Soleil asked, glancing between the men. “Does the Authority always have checks and balances and multiple weigh-ins on a decision like, say, oh, I don’t know, hiring a Death Dealer to assassinate a random earth witch?”

Damian’s mouth twitched, and the fine lines beside his eyes crinkled. “There are indeed checks and balances. However, council members havebeen knownto go rogue, like in the case of Buttagier.” He shrugged. “Although, I suppose it couldbe arguedthe Fates were aware of his motives and moves.”

“Why do you ask?” Trevor leaned back against the headboard and cocked one knee to the side as he crossed his ankle under his straight leg. His casual pose was sexy as hell, and he looked right at home on her bed. Somuch so that she had difficulty remembering what she’d asked in the first place.

“You asked ifit was possible only one person wasinvolved,” he added helpfully, but the gleam in his eye was a telltale sign he’d accessed her unfiltered thoughts.

“Right.” Face warm, she left them to cross to the open window. A cooling ocean breeze swept through when she needed it most. The airflow wasn’t random, and she supposed she had one of the men to thank for its crisp rush over her skin. “If more than one person were involved, I’d believe your assignment had nothing to do with our project.” She turned. “But a sixth sense is telling me it does. And yet I can’t see an entire organization getting behind killing two witches who are doing nothing but bettering the environment.”

“Unless they don’t want the environment bettered.” Damian watched her with considering eyes as if he was putting all the puzzle pieces in place.

“There is that,” she agreed. “But why wouldn’t they? What do they stand to gain if we fail?”

“You said you ran up against resistance on the planting site?” Trevor asked. “Explain what happened, please.”

“It was a bunch of workers with machinery clearing the land. Spring and I had a stand-in and refused to let them destroy the area we recently regenerated.”

“Two women against how many men? Are you…” He choked off the rest of what he’d intended to say, but she heard it through their connection.

“No, Trevor. I’m not crazy.” Soleil rested her hands on her hips and gave him the stink eye. “For your information, Spring doesn’t go anywhere without Knox trailing her. We also had her brother-in-law Cooper Carlyle helping out.” When he would’ve spoken, she narrowed her eyes. “We”re fully capable of taking care of ourselves in any situation.”

“Not from what I’ve seen,” he muttered.

She dropped her arms, balling her hands into fists, and stepped toward him. Damian was quick to intercept her.

“Trevor knows you’re capable, Soleil,” he said soothingly. “His reaction is extreme and demeaning to you but still normal for a man worried about the woman he loves.”

She caught what he’d said, but she doubted Trevor had.

“What I do, or who I do it with, is none of your business,” she said, peering at him around Damian’s shoulder. “You can keep your snarky comments to yourself. As a reminder, you weren’t the one to save me today. Sabrina did, by teaching me to use her cloaking shield. So put that in your pipe and smoke it!”

Her brother-in-law looked like he was struggling to keep his laughter at bay, and she gave him a quelling glance.

“You, too.”

Feeling exceptionally proud for standing up to them, she breezed by Damian, swiped her phone off the nightstand, and swept out the door into the hallway like a regal Regency heroine. Her imagined victory was short-lived. The call to Spring woke her up to the fact that the threat was real.

* * *

“You don’t needto say it.” Trevor closed his eyes and sighedheavilyas he rested against the headboard. “I was an ass.”

“As long as I don’t need to say it,” Damian replied dryly.

“She’s maddening.”

“The same could be said of you.”

“But my issues aren’t life or death,” Trev protested, straightening and meeting the Aether’s assessing gaze.

“It could be argued they are.” Crossing to the bench seat by the window, Damian drew up his slacks and sankdown. The elegance of the man was enviable. His brother, Simon, had that same effortless grace Trevor worked hard to achieve.

“How do you figure?”

“Your insistence that you’re cursed.”

Disappointment keen, Trevor grimaced. “Soleil’s been talking.”

“No. Draven and I have. Soleil is a closed book if you don’ttake into accounther expressive face.” Damian narrowed his eyes as if trying to find the right way to say whatever was on his mind. “You walk through life waiting for the other shoe to drop, Blane. That’s no way to live.”

“And you don’t?” Trevor scoffed. “You’re a king expecting tobe toppledfrom his throne at any moment. How heavy is the crown you wear when it comes at the expense of your family, Dethridge?”

“Valid point. However, I’m not afraid to love or procreate, even knowing there will always be someone coveting what we possess.” He sighed heavily. “I’m well aware there are constant threats or challenges I must answer and put down. We were both there for the Morcant incident.”

“Exactly. Your wifewas murdered.”

“But we revived her.” Damian didn’t look as if he’d recovered from the incident, and the memory of Vivian’s death still haunted Trevor, too. “You helped me. Without you, I wouldn’t have my family. That’s why I want to repay you.Why I want you to seek out love.Don’t fear it.”

“They die,” Trevor snapped. “All of them! They die.”

“Not Simon. Not your father.”

“My father might as well be dead. He abandoned us a long time ago.”

“Fair. But the person you love most in the world is still with you. And I believe Soleil could be another column to help support your foundation.”

“I wouldn’t be able to handle it if she were to die because of me, Damian.” Trev opened himself up, allowing the Aether to feel his overwhelming fear and worry. “Now do you understand?”

“She’s my sister by marriage. Do you honestly believe I’d allow anything to happen to her? Why do you think I’m here?”

“What about ten years from now?”

“If I’m alive, I’ll be there, too. And twenty and thirty years.” Compassion transformed Damian’s visage from reserved to caring. “There are never any guarantees, Blane. You know that more than anyone. But I’ll make you the same promise I made your brother. Should Soleil need healing due to the bleeding off of your power, I’ll seeit’s done.”

“I don’t want her to suffer. Ever.”

“She won’t. No more than she would if she were with another.”

Jealousy unfurled within Trevor at the idea of her with someone else. Just as it had earlier when he’d suggested the possibility to her. He tried to bealtruisticfor her benefit, but the selfish part of him would happily murder any man she chose.

“Your jealousy speaks for itself,” Damian said with a half smile.

“I want her to be happy, but I don’t want to see her with someone else.”

“You’re fated mates, Blane. It’s normal for you to feel bonded to her in the way you do.”

“This is some bullshit,” Trev muttered.

After a full minute of tense silence, the Aether cocked his head and gave him a considering look. “Is there another reason you don’t want to be with her? Do you feel she’s not good enough for you?”

“I might’ve mistakenly believed that when I was first assigned to watch her. But no. It’s the reverse. I’m not good enough for her.”

“Why?”

“The lives I’ve taken have tainted me.”

Damian stood and approached the door. “From day one, you refused to hurt anyone undeserving, Trevor. You’ve gone so far as to heal others without permission. Lily Stockton is an example.” The man’s look was determined as if he desperately wanted to impart truth on him, and Trev listened with an open mind. “I don’t believe it’s a secret to Soleil or you that Gene is romantically interested in her. They share common interests. Yet you are willing to heal his daughter without any reward or guarantee he won’t end up with your girl. What is that if not selflessness?”

“I’m no saint, Dethridge.”

“I never said you were. I’m merely saying you’re a good man. A deserving one.”