Page 74 of Those That Are Lost
I turn to head back to the sofa, keeping Red in front of me. I hear Henry say something that sounds like a warning, but I don’t catch who he’s speaking to.
I go to sit, ready to have Red back in my lap, when my lungs cease functioning. I try to inhale and can’t. I justcan’t. Red’s hands immediately fly to my chest, as do my own. Shadows swarm out from every crevice as they search for the source causing my pain.
“Stop, right now!” Henry’s voice cuts sharply through the apartment. “Everyone drop their magic this instant!”
I pull the shadows to me, commanding they swirl at myfeet, and Red’s, because like hell am I leaving her unprotected. The crushing vice around my lungs vanishes and I have the ability to fill them once more. I gasp, inhaling deeply.
Turning, I see a smug looking Antares leaning back against the kitchen counter. Henry is standing between us looking like he can’t decide between being pissed off or terrified.
“What the fuck just happened?” Red’s breathless voice laces with barely checked fury. Wrapping my arms around her protectively, I search her mind. She didn’t feel the same affliction I just experienced but is damn near a panic attack from how erratic her breathing is. I can hear and feel her heart racing faster than a hummingbirds.
“The magic version of a dick measuring contest. That’s what just happened. And you’re not to do that shit in this apartment. Do you hear me?” I don’t think I’ve seen Henry quite so angry before. He’s so composed under pressure. Even in the trenches, under enemy fire, you’d have thought he was impervious to bullets with how level headed he stayed. And he was human back then.
I glare at Antares. He’s glaring right back at me, that shit eating grin still plastered across his face.
“You’re an air wielder,” I growl.
“And you’re a shadow wielder,” he sing-songs back.
“Yes, and you’re both too fucking powerful to be showing off in my apartment!” Henry yells over us both.
“He stole the air from your lungs, after he used wind to take my notepad,” Red says as she comprehends what happened a few seconds ago. Indeed, the little shit is more powerful than I thought and has enough control over his element he can evidently control the breathing of those around him.
“He bound me with his shadows.” Antares accuses.
“You messed—” I start to retaliate.
“I don’t care.” Henry’s voice booms once more. “Antares, you did steal Red’s notepad.”
“It was a prank.”
“Again, I don’t care,” he reiterates firmly. “You should know better than to piss off mates. Newly mated mates, at that. You may not have been around many, but surely some part of your brain would alert you to not mess with one of them. I’m sure you’ve seen enough Fae behave the same.” He points to us. “They’re mated. And we’re not bonded to them. He gets to be ultra-possessive and protective. Hell, I’m surprised they’ve had this much control.” Antares does at least have the decency to look a bit remorseful as Henry lays it out for him. “Now, say sorry.”
Henry forces us all to apologise and agree to not use our powers against each other again. Honestly, I’m impressed by his diplomacy skills in de-escalating the whole situation. I was ready to end the shithead as soon as I’d realised what he was doing.
Adding to my shock, after a couple of awkward hours, Red and Henry seem to team up and get all four of us chatting peacefully by the evening. In fact, it’s more than peaceful; it’s completely amicable and actually kind of fun. We even split some blood packets as we move from topic to topic. Red and Antares seem to like the same music, and shows. He asks me about my powers and I reluctantly find myself doing the same to him. I’ve never met an air wielder with his accuracy before. He delights in showing off the control he has by making items fly around our heads.
He might still be an annoying over-exuberant prick but as the night wears on, it feels like a proper truce slides into place between me and him. We’re not besties, far from it. I don’t fully trust him, and we don’t discuss anything on a deep levelbut we do chat far more civilly than I would’ve thought possible a few hours ago.
Red stays in my lap the entire time and we check in through our silent connection often. Our hands are never off the other, in gentle reassuring touches. Her weight soothing me alongside the shadows which remain at my feet.
As we eventually tire and start moving towards our bedroom, Red steps away from me for a few seconds. She gently places one hand on Antares’s arm, making my fangs extend once more but what she says has me grinning.
“Antares, I think I quite like you. But threaten my mate again, in any way, and I will end you. I just needed to make that clear.”
She gives him a sweet smile before returning to my side. I see the threat land and instead of reacting, a look of respect crosses his features in the barest of nods.
“So, what was on the notepad?”Antares asks the next day. Red and Henry are making coffee in the kitchen area as I take a seat on one of the sofas. Both of them still love drinking it and it feels like it’s quickly becoming a morning ritual they do together.
Antares is on the other sofa, a duvet still slung over him. He must’ve slept out here last night.
“None of your business.” It’s an attempt to shut down the conversation but my tone is light, I can’t be bothered to growl at him anymore and I’m currently feeling quite blissed out from how Red woke me up this morning.
Antares rolls his eyes. “Okay, so I saw the ports of Froan listed and some other things that looked like a timeline. Are you planning to go back there?”
“What’s it to you?” The itch of irritation is back as I narrow my eyes at him.
“You do know that pack is hunting you?”
