Page 17 of Consorting With The Enemy

Not knowing what else to do, I bumped Valen out of the way and cradled Ari’s head in my lap while Julian sealed Nic’s wound and then opened the vein on Gabriel’s wrist. When my nephew’s lover placed his bleeding wrist over Ari’s mouth, my demon didn’t fight like before. He just suckled the blood, his eyes locked with mine. They weren’t as milky blue, but he still didn’t blink. A chill washed over me when I realized snakes didn’t close their eyes.

When Ari finished drinking from Gabriel, he tilted his head and snuggled into my lap. I held him, wanting to somehow make him understand how much I loved him but not finding the right words…how sorry I was for denying that love for so damn long.

It took nearly thirty minutes for his eyes to slide closed again. I literally heard everyone in the room breathe a sigh of relief. Marchand’s support of Ari wasn’t a surprise. All the others in the room? Yeah, that confused the hell out of me. I needed answers and I needed them yesterday. “Somebody want to tell me what in the hell is going on?” I growled. “First, let’s start with how you found us. Then maybe slide into why you and Gabriel gave him your blood and it looks like the transformation has stopped, even though Ari said stopping it would be impossible, and then let’s finish up with a quick fucking summary on this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde bullshit you’re pulling—hating him one minute and cuddling up to him the next.” Nic looked at Gabriel and then back at me, without saying the first damn word. “Well? What? Are you waiting for me to say ‘go’?”

Nic glared.

Gabriel, the much nicer one among the three brothers—at least in my opinion— answered instead. “Well, to make a long story short, finding Ariel happened when all three of us brothers were awoken by some sort of premonition that Ariel was in danger. Since Nic and I were together, we tried scrying for him the regular way, but it didn’t work.” He took a deep breath and his eyes darted to Nic before he continued. “So we pulled out an heirloom with the Gaudet family crest on it and boom, his location was revealed. You know, just like magic.”

“Is that supposed to be a joke?” I asked in a dull voice.

“Yes.”

“Wasn’t at all funny nor does it make any sense. Why would a Gaudet heirloom help you locate Ariel? He’s a demon and royalty, at that. I wasn’t aware thatLegislateursand demons ran in the same circles.” Our conversation from before I’d left to find Ariel returned to me. Was it possible? Was there truly Gaudet blood flowing in Ariel’s veins?

“There was only one reason any of us could come up with,” Nic answered solemnly. “Instinct that one of our own was in danger made us aware. A Gaudet heirloom helped us locate him when nothing else would work.” His eyes flickered down to Ari, who was still resting peacefully in my lap. “When we realized a transformation was taking place, we each gave him blood. Gaudet blood mixed with his demon blood, we’d hoped, would be strong enough to fight the transformation.”

“It’s true then,” I said quietly. “Ariel’s mother was a Gaudet witch?”

“Apparently so,” Nic answered. “His mother or his father, one or the other. This is all new to us, Az. We don’t have any facts to work off of, only our witch senses. Everything indicates that Ariel is one of us, even with demon blood mixed in his veins.”

The tips of my fingers caressed Ari’s cheek. He was already starting to feel normal again. “You didn’t believe it was a possibility.”

Thibeau laughed. “This may come as a shock to you, Az, but sometimes Nic is wrong.” He winked at his husband. “I know it always shocks him when it happens.” After leaning in and kissing Nic, he continued, “The Gaudet blood is more than likely how Ari had the strength to defeat the Dark Lord. Our guess is that he has magic but doesn’t know how to use it properly. He mentioned that thingshappenwhen he gets really angry. I’d bet my wand that strong emotions or fear causes the magic to pop out, then hide away again when it isn’t needed.”

“Then he must learn to use it properly,” I stated firmly. “He’ll need every weapon in his arsenal to defeat his demon family.”

“Don’t call them his family,” Nic growled. “He’s no longer a demon. Now, he’s a Gaudet.”

And…just like that…I liked Nic.

****

Ariel

I lay completely still on the bed, allowing my senses to help me determine who all had invaded my loft and what danger might surround me. Everyone, both human and creature alike, had a distinct smell and once I’d encountered it, I never forgot it. Az was close by, but not in the loft. Bummer. Nic, Beau, and Gabriel Gaudet were standing so close to me that their witchery nearly overwhelmed me. Marchand, the naughty hybrid, was on the balcony of my loft. He was harmless and probably the closest to an ally I might have with Az not being with me. The vampires were here—Julian, Valen, and the youngster, the one they called Sacha—they were over in the far corner, whispering amongst themselves. They shouldn’t be able to be inside my home without me inviting them in…yet, here they were, acting all cozy and shit.

Something had happened to me, and it was something bad. My mind searched for answers, but they remained hidden. Az and I had fought side by side, destroying Andromalius and his demon army. We’d come back to my loft together. I struggled not to smile as I recalled Az on his knees in front of me. We’d fucked, although it had felt much more like the making love that I’d heard so much about over the centuries. We’d vowed that we belonged together and wouldn’t allow anything tear us apart. Never again.

Never againmust have come much sooner than I could have foreseen when wrapped in Az’s arms, I thought as a wave of insecurity washed over me. Could he be such a good liar that as he’d whispered those sweet nothings to me, I’d fallen for every damn word? My heart, if I possessed such an organ, screamed that I had to be wrong. It had seemed so fucking real.

It must have only been real for one of us, though, since I was suddenly surrounded by creatures that wanted me dead…and Az was nowhere to be sensed. Fucking fallen angel.

And yet, I still loved him.

“Exactly how long are you going to lay there and pretend to be sleeping when we know you’re awake?”

Nic’s voice broke into my pity party for one. Without opening my eyes, I answered, “Oh, I don’t know. I was busy mentally tapping my heels together in hopes that a house would fall on you.”

The bed dipped as Gabriel sat down right next to me. What was it about witches not understanding personal space? Refusing to show how badly Az’s obvious betrayal affected me, I opened my eyes and gave the three witches a bored look. “Oh, goodie. A Gaudet reunion. That was at the tip-top of my bucket list.”

Thibeau laughed. “Hey, I’m only guilty by marriage. Don’t lump me in with the Gaudet arrogance character flaw list.” He smiled and me and I’d be damned, but it looked genuine. “Oh, and you have that whole clicking heels and house dropping thing all messed up. I’ll explain it to you later, when we’re sure you’re back to one hundred percent.”

Gabriel’s facial expression was nothing short of happiness and then…Satan help me, Nic’s face looked…compassionate? That couldn’t be the right word orlook. No something serious was wrong with me. It was scary enough that I’d lost time and woke up surrounded by enemies, but Nic looking like he actually gave a fuck about my welfare—not in this universe.

“Where’s Azazel?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“He’s out on patrol,” Gabriel answered. “Don’t worry, though. We are keeping the perimeter very tight, so he’ll be back here within minutes. How are you feeling? You don’t feel any after-effects of the serpent bites and attempted transformation?”

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