Page 25 of Consorting With The Enemy

He twisted his head on the pillow, so he was facing me. He winked…because he was Ariel. “Who in the fucking hell would have thought that would hurt so damn much?” He was trying to tease but the weakness in his voice gave away just how much torment he was enduring. “You’ll still love me without them, won’t you?”

“Don’t ask questions like that.” I barked. “You know I’ll love you. I’ve always loved you and I always will.”

“I know. I just wanted to make you say it again. I know you’re really mad at me right now, so I’m trying to guilt you just a bit.” His hand reached out and he touched my cheek. “Don’t be angry with anyone except me, okay? The others—they were only doing what was right, what I wanted.”

“You do realize I’m going to kill them, right?” I said. “Well, except for my nephew. I can’t very well kill him.”

“You really can’t kill Nic or Gabriel either. Besides, they’re my family—my blood. That would just be rude. Oh, and Julian is Marchand’s father, so I think he’s probably off limits, too.” His finger kept tracing a path along my face. “Let’s just not kill any of them. I’ve never really had friends before, so I don’t know much about them, but I don’t think you’re supposed to kill them when you get mad.”

“Friends also aren’t supposed to hold you back while the man you love is being tortured,” I growled.

The air crackled with magic and the rest of them appeared inside the loft. Nic, exhausted from using so much magic, nearly fell to the ground but Thibeau caught him. As his husband tried to lead him over to one of the beds, his eyes stayed locked with mine. There was pain—not only the physical kind but something akin to what I was feeling. I looked away, still angry but feeling foolish that I was blaming them when I knew damn well how much it had hurt all of us to watch...feeling helpless.

Helpless was a new feeling for me. I didn’t care for it at all.

I felt Marchand’s hand fall on my shoulder. “I love you, uncle.”

“I know this,” I answered. “And I still love you, even if I’m angry.”

“Oh, I already knew that. Everybody loves me.” He looked around and then added, “Well, everybody in this room loves me and that’s all that really matters.” Looking at Ari, he asked, “How you hanging in there, Mermaid?”

“Hurts a bit. My biggest concern is whether or not the lack of wings will take away any of my sexiness? You don’t think so, do you?”

“Absolutely not,” Marchand answered. He squeezed my shoulder and added, “Why don’t you go help Gabriel? He’s brewing something that will help speed up Ari’s healing process.”

“Yougo help him. I’m staying with Ariel.”

Marchand stomped his foot. “No,yougo help him. Ari and I have things to talk about. Why, I bet he doesn’t even know why I call him Mermaid. He needs to know these things. He’s part of our family now.” Looking down at Ari, he said, “I’ve rooted for you from the beginning, uncle. The others questioned it, but I knew.”

I loved my nephew, but he was crazy if he thought I was going to leave Ariel’s side. “Listen, nephew, I’m not…”

Get the fuck up and go help Gabriel. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. And, just like that, Marchand’s voice popped inside my head. It had never happened before—wasn’t supposed to happen. Yet, there it was.

Leaning over, I kissed a spot on Ari’s lower back and then worked my way up, careful not to do anything that might cause more pain. When I reached the back of his neck, I whispered, “I’m going to help Gabriel. I don’t know what’s going on, but they are convinced they need me. You feel safe with Marchand, don’t you?”

“That piece of fluff? He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Go on,” he said. “And calm down while you’re in there. All these weird emotions are pouring from your soul. I don’t know if you want to fuck me or fight me.”

“Fuck, baby. Always fuck,” I promised. “Take care of him, nephew. Making me angry twice in one day isn’t safe.”

“Blah. Blah. Blah. You don’t scare me, big guy. You’re nothing but a softy. I heard all that mushy talk between you and Ari after Tantrum exploded. You both acted like lovesick fools. I wouldneverdo that.”

“Whatever,” I growled back. “Ari, remind me to tell you about when I was trying to teach Marchand to…fight, but Gabriel kept walking in to distract him.” Fuck, I’d almost said something about wings.

My heart broke all over again.

“What’s so damn important that I needed to leave my beloved?” I demanded as soon as I reached Gabriel’s side.

Gabriel sprinkled something into the boiling pot, muttering something about fucking demons and he’d show them. I guess when he felt satisfied, he turned his attention to me. “Give me his feather.”

“What?” Ari was already vulnerable from losing his wings. I couldn’t expose another weapon that could be used against him. “It’s in a safe place and it needs to stay there.”

Gabriel huffed. “I know exactlywhereit is. Like Darkness, I heard the two of you talking. What I don’t know is how it got there or how to remove it…so give it to me.”

“Never.”

A perfectly waxed eyebrow arched upward at my response. “Give it to me if you want Ariel to have a chance of growing back another set of wings.”

I felt my entire body jerk. “But…but that isn’t possible. Once they’ve been cut from our bodies, they don’t grow back, Gabriel.”

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