Page 21

Chapter twenty-one

Jade

F lyn’s blue eyes swim into focus. They are inches from my face, and full of concern.

“Jade?”

I blink. My mind feels like treacle. Slow and thick. Barely moving.

Flyn smiles as relief flows over his face. “There you are!”

I blink again. I’m sitting on Flyn’s sofa, wrapped in a blanket. Late afternoon light is streaming through the window.

Flyn is kneeling on the floor in front of me. And everyone else is also here. My gaze slowly tracks around. Pink, Red, Lello, Blue, Ned and Gray. Mal, Monty and Carter are all here. I don’t even understand how everyone is fitting inside Flyn’s small apartment, let alone the reason why.

My attention turns helplessly back to Flyn. “What is happening?”

Flyn’s smile falters, just a little. “You were making the walls glow, Jadey. I needed to get help.”

Oh. That’s not good. That’s not good at all.

My hand flies up to my amulet. Has it stopped working? I clutch the leather tightly and look at Gray.

“It was tangled in the bedclothes,” he says. “The cord must have snapped while you were fucking.”

My cheeks heat so fast it stings, but there is no time for embarrassment. “Is it working now?”

Gray nods solemnly.

“Everything is fine,” says Pink. “We got here in time. You didn’t awaken any portals or cause any harm. You only drew some magic-gathering runes.”

A tiny flicker of relief begins to curl in my chest, but this still isn’t good. I can’t believe I didn’t notice the amulet falling off. How was I so careless, and how come I didn’t feel its absence? Either the physical weight of it, or the gentle thrum of its magic?

Even more worrying is the fact I blacked out so utterly. I don’t remember drawing on the walls. I don’t remember the fey coaxing me to do anything. The last thing I remember is snuggling Flyn in bed after giving him a shower and then rimming him.

My world has gone from heavenly to hellish in the blink of an eye. Oh goddess, I’m going to be sick. This is terrifying and deeply, deeply unsettling.

“You should lock me up!” I blurt.

My heart is racing now. What if next time I wake up, it’s to a bloody mess that was Flyn? Or a world conquered by the fey?

It is a very real possibility. I nearly opened a portal before, and I killed a very powerful vampire while I was under the fey’s control. There is no telling what I am capable of.

I’m a danger to everybody and everything that I love.

“Do you think locking you up is necessary?” Red asks.

“Yes!” I all but shout. I look around my friends’ worried faces and I take a deep breath. “Clearly, all the evidence is pointing to the fact that I’m a dangerous liability.”

Red turns to Gray with a questioning look on his face. The demon shrugs, almost casually. “The amulet is working.”

I bite my bottom lip. Gray’s calm should be reassuring. He is a very powerful demon. However, I also know he is mostly bewildered by our horror at the thought of the fey invading. Gray doesn’t care if our world is overrun. He only helps prevent it because he understands that it matters to us .

He is confident the amulet he created is working, but clearly, it’s not infallible. It could fall off again. Or enough of the fey’s whispers could reach me to tell me to take it off. For all I know, that could be exactly what happened today.

“We should see what the Grand Master says,” says Carter.

I nearly bark out a hysterical laugh at that. It’s such a Carter thing to say. He is still a loyal Council Enforcer at heart. Some habits die hard and he can’t be blamed for that.

Ned straightens up. “Like fuck are we getting that necromancer involved in our business!”

“But he is super powerful and good at keeping everyone safe.” Lello’s blue eyes are wide and full of worry. My guts twist. Sweet little Lello should never look like that.

Ned huffs and rolls his eyes, and an agitated silence swirls around the room. The weight of everyone’s thoughts is thickening gravity.

“Wait!” Flyn suddenly exclaims. “Necromancers are real too? That’s so cool!”

I stare at his beaming face. His exuberance is so incongruous it has short-circuited my mind. My brain has stalled.

“Has someone given you the paranormal-is-real talk?” I say weakly.

Flyn puffs out his chest. “Yep! Pink filled me in!”

My gaze turns to Pink, who shrugs. “He took the news well.”

That’s it. I’m done. I’m out of thoughts, let alone words. I am completely incapable of responding.

“I can’t believe my boyfriend is part fey! And vampires can go out in the daytime if they are careful. And mermaids have legs!” Flyn winces. “Sorry, I mean sirens!” He turns to Gray. “And Gray, my man. You scare the crap out of me, so you being a demon makes so much sense.”

Gray’s lips curl up into a pleased, mischievous, and malevolent grin. I shudder and look away.

“Oops. Sorry. I’m talking too much,” Flyn says .

His shoulders droop and I can’t stand it. I find his hand and give it a squeeze. His eyes light up again. I smile at him and keep a hold of his hand.

Lello lets out a soft little squeal. I look up at him and he mouths the word, “Wedding!” at me.

I shake my head in dismay. At least he has cheered up and is back to acting like his normal self.

Red clears his throat. “We need to file a report on Flyn being informed of the paranormal. There is a box on the form that needs a reason for disclosure.” Red takes a breath. “So Silas is going to find out anyway.”

An icy trickle runs down my spine. I spent so long running from the Council. Red and Brodie paused their lives to come with me and help me. Monty bargained with the Council for me to be pardoned. Running took me away from Flyn and everything that might have been.

And here I am again.

“Jade will be arrested,” Blue says softly.

All eyes turn to me. The attention itches along my skin.

I take a deep breath. “I’m… I’m not going to run again. Especially not when I might truly be a risk to everyone.”

Last time, the crime had been done. I’d murdered the vampire council member. I’d nearly opened a portal. Perhaps foolishly, we all thought I’d never do it again. I’d run from punishment, not prevention. Everything is different now.

Flyn’s eyes are wide, his face pale. “You’re going to magic jail?”

I flash him a weak smile. “Looks like it.”

“No! There has to be another way!” he pleads, as he squishes my hand.

My heart aches. Like it is being squeezed instead of my hand.

I don’t want to leave Flyn. Not now, not just when something wonderful was beginning.

It’s so unfair. So cruel of the universe to do this to us.

Why offer us a glimpse of something so perfect if it was only ever destined to be taken away?

Monty steps forward. “I have a very secure dungeon in my house.”

“A sex dungeon?” interrupts Lello with glee.

Monty blushes a little. “No. Simply an ordinary dungeon.”

I have no idea what is remotely ordinary about having a dungeon in your house, but I’m listening.

“If we place Jade in my dungeon,” continues Monty. “And those of us with magic work together on increasing the strength of the already very potent ancient seals and wards, it would become an extremely formidable prison.”

Everyone is staring at Pink’s husband now. He has our full attention.

He runs his hand over his frizzy white hair. “If we then notify the Grand Master. Once he sees how secure Jade is, he might be inclined to allow him to stay there.”

“We could make it nice and cozy! And take turns keeping Jade company,” Pink says. “Hopefully it won’t be for long, just until we figure things out.”

Ned rubs his chin. “We were planning on moving there anyway. Bringing it forward is not a big deal.”

Everyone turns to look at me again. Goosebumps erupt all over my skin.

“As long as I can’t hurt anyone.”

I look at Flyn. “Monty’s house is hundreds of miles away.”

He squeezes my hand as a very intense, extremely earnest expression lights up his face. “I know it’s super early to be moving in together, but can I come?”

My heart flutters and my stomach does a full on somersault.

“Your job?” I croak.

Flyn shrugs. “I was thinking of quitting anyway.”

“Your family!” I exclaim. He loves his little niece and his sister. As well as his parents.

He gives me one of his full-wattage smiles. “We’ll still be in the same country, right? ”

I nod.

“All good then!” he grins.

I lick my dry lips and look up at my friends. “Is that okay with you guys?”

A chorus of noise hits me in response. “Of course!” “Yes!” “Sounds great.” Everyone is smiling, even Ned.

Despite the shit I have put them through, despite all the trouble I am causing now, my friends are still happy for me. I really, truly don’t deserve them.

I look back at Flyn. His eyes are sparkling. I’m holding onto his hand for dear life and he doesn’t seem to mind at all.

I force a swallow down my throat. I guess I’m moving in with my boyfriend.