Page 65 of Never Run from an Immortal

“So, Evander, Roak, what’s it like working for this one?” Rae asked, flicking her chin in Orion’s direction. Seven of Aidan’s team members had died in the last week. Seven. Omnia had never targeted any of his team, but they’d killed Providents. Plenty of them. And though Rae felt certain from her extensive research that Demesia was better off without them, she was still responsible for the loss of their lives, and she wasn’t entirely without remorse.

Rae hadn’t seen Beck, the former fourth member of First Unit since the night she’d found Reed, but Reed seemed to fit right in with the others. Orion, stoic but kind, and Evander and Roak,the other two Vampires that had attended the ceremony in the glasshouse. Brothers, as far as Rae could tell, one slightly older than the other, with the same deep brown skin, the same pale grey eyes, and the same angular jaw. Whereas Evander had cropped black hair shaved at the sides, not unlike Baelin’s, Roak wore his slightly longer.

All the Vampires had been drinking visk and eating Rae’s snacks, much to her surprise. Whether they were always this discreet about feeding or they were simply doing it for her and Reed’s benefit, Rae wasn’t sure, but she appreciated it all the same.

“It’s a privilege to work in any capacity as part of this household.” Roak shifted on the sofa he occupied, his eyes never leaving the tiles in his hands. The game was dyshe, bone pieces with markings on either end that needed to be paired in a chain, and Rae was losing, very purposefully.

Evander barked a laugh on the opposite sofa. “Ass kisser.” He launched a sponge roll at his brother’s head. “He’s a hard taskmaster,” he told Rae, Orion silent to her right. “But he taught us everything we know, and for that, we’re both eternally grateful.” He raised a glass to his commander and his brother. Even Reed followed suit. Again, Rae was struck by the kind of males Aidan had surrounded himself with, the family he’d made of them, and considered that perhaps she’d never truly understood what it meant to have a family at all until Nim came into her life.

Orion watched it all in that quiet way of his, but he didn’t join in the toast. Just dipped his chin in thanks. He smoothed a hand through his cropped black hair, the closest thing to relaxed she’d ever seen him. Rae suspected beneath that stoic exterior was a male who cared very much, but that his position dictated he never show it. She’d met many like him in her childhood. Thathe was the only one to join them in Cormac’s basement told Rae everything she needed to know about him.

Ru unravelled from around her neck and climbed into her lap, turning twice before settling down to sleep. Quinn had curled up beside her feet. As the others laughed at something Reed said, even Orion hiding a smirk, Rae had that quiet feeling of nostalgia creep up on her again. Like she was already gone from this place and missed it terribly.

But it was just as she’d told Aidan: running was what she did best.

Baelin revealed his winning hand, and a chorus of grumbles erupted from the others, jostling Rae from her thoughts. She gently deposited Ru in the curl of Quinn’s legs, pushing to her feet.

“What, you’re leaving?” Roak asked. “Let’s play one more round.” Without warning, he threw a small chocolate ball across the table into Evander’s open and waiting mouth.

Rae laughed. “I’m going for more snacks since you’re all doing such a great job of wasting mine.”

“Let Shaw bring them,” Evander said, pouring more visk for the table.

“It’s Shaw’s night off.” Spending the evening with his husband, he’d told Rae earlier. She was already climbing over the back of the sofa, reaching for the door. And besides, she’d wanted to tell them she’d never liked being waited on, though there had been enough of that in her childhood too. Truthfully, she just needed a minute alone. Their joyful conversation and laughter followed her back to the kitchen, carving up a little piece of her heart.

She opened the fridge, letting the cold air wash over her. Just a few more hours and they’d have Nim back. She hadn’t known Reed all that well before the Witch had gone missing, but she’d seen enough to know he was only sitting up with them because the alternative was sitting in bed alone and fretting aboutwhether his girlfriend was still alive or not. Nim had to be. Rae told herself that over and over and over until she felt a presence brush at her thoughts.

Her fingers closed around a covered plate, and she elbowed the fridge shut before turning to face Aidan.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to startle you. Lest you drop your… ” His eyes dipped to the plate in her hands.

Rae pulled the cover off. Rare steak, swimming in blood. Bastard. He’d known what it was. “I thought it was chicken.”

“Want me to make you something?” Aidan offered, his eyes roving over her face.

“You cook?”

“You underestimate me.”

“Never.” She recovered the plate and returned it to the fridge. “I’m not really hungry.” Instead, she pulled a silver tin from her pocket and set about rolling a joint.

“We should discuss the raid,” Aidan said, watching her carefully. His hair was wet, like he’d just come back from the pool, and Rae tried not to think about running her fingers through it, what his powerful body had felt like under hers.

She cleared her throat. “Bae and Orion have briefed me.”

“What we might find when we get in,” he added.

Rae felt his eyes on her tongue as she licked the paper shut. She met his silver gaze, anger flaring in her chest. “She’s alive, Vale.”

He moved around the kitchen island, pulling a lighter from his pocket and flicking the lid for her, the flame sparking to life. “Baxter, then. At least tell me you understand the risks.”

Rae leaned as close as she dared, one hand curling around his, not quite touching as she lit the joint, his scent enveloping her. She snapped the lighter shut and winked at him. “I can look after myself.”

“This isn’t a joke, Farren. You’ve seen what just one of those things can do.”

“Who’s joking? I’ve had no one looking out for me butmefor the last ten years of my life, Vale. I don’t need you to start doing it now just because of some archaic Vampire bullshit. This isn’t real. You said it yourself.” Rae found herself needing the reminder, but the words sounded hollow even to her.

The door burst open, Ru tumbling through in a little ball of fluff. He straightened, five bushy tails weaving together before leaping onto the counter and then Rae’s shoulders, nuzzling at her cheek.

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