by Amy Sumida
“Yeah; go on then.”
I rolled my eyes.
“And hurry it up, we still have to find the fucking Sasq'et killer.”
“It's the naga. The Shedder,” Slate said. “Galen and Odran used him to draw you to the Blue Mountains and then had their merc pick him up and bring him to the arena. No loose ends.”
“He's here?” Cerberus growled. “This whole time it's been that damn snake?” He looked at Jago.
“Ask him what happened to the naga.” Jago smirked at Cerberus
Cerberus looked at Slate. “Well?”
Slate's taloned hand reached forward and pushed my hair back gently. “I killed him the day after he assaulted Elaria.”
My eyes went wide. “You killed him for that?”
“The way he went after you felt personal. I couldn't let him live. So, I fought him in the arena. He had a chance.”
“Fought? Chance?” Jago hooted. “It was a fucking slaughter. Slate waited till the Shedder shifted into snake form and then sliced his skin off!”
I gaped at Slate. Cerberus growled in satisfaction.
“It felt appropriate. I didn't know about the Sasq'et at the time, but I knew it was his style,” Slate murmured. “I killed the thunderbird too. I didn't like the way he looked at you.”
I gaped at him.
Slate glanced up at Cerberus. “I kept the snakeskin. You can have it since I stole your kill. Give it to the Sasq'ets or make a pair of boots with it.”
“Slate Devon,” Cerberus slapped a hand on Slate's massive gargoyle shoulder, “you're all right.”
Slate smirked. “Jago, show him where the skin is.”
“On it, Boss.” Jago raced off with Cerberus at his heels.
“Cer, we're leaving soon!” I called after him.
“Go ahead; I got my stone!”
“Speaking of which, where are your charms?” Torin looked pointedly at my bloody and bare neck.
I blushed. It must have been hot enough to show through all that blood because Torin's gaze narrowed.
“Little bird, where are the contact charm and traveling stone I gave you?”
“He gave them to you?” Slate asked.
“Did you give them to him?” Torin asked me.
“I wanted to be able to...”
“See me again,” Slate finished smugly.
“Let go of her, gargoyle,” Torin said softly; his cerulean eyes flashing. “That is; if you'd like to remain attached to your hand.”
I let go of Slate, but he held on a few seconds before releasing me. He stood up and backed away a couple of steps. His brothers flanked him and the rest of the gargoyles strode forward to join them. They were all shifted; a fucking army of gargoyles. The message was clear; Try and take my hand now, fucker.
“There's something between us, Elaria.” Slate set his stare back on me. “This morning, I let you go, and I instantly regretted it. Now, I have a second chance. I'm willing to work with this.” He waved at the other men. “If you'll give me that chance.”
“What the fuck is going on here?” Gage growled.
“I...” I looked back at my men. “I can't, Slate.”
Slate's eyes hardened but then something flared inside me. His eyes went wide; he felt it too. Not only him. All of my men jerked as shivering magic burst through us.
“What was that?” Darc snarled.
What's up, Elaria-fuckers? I'm back! My own voice rang in my head and, judging from the looks on my lovers' faces, it rang in theirs too.
“Was that you?” Slate asked me.
And in Slate's evidently.
“Son of a bitch!” Banning cursed.
“Why do I hear your voice in my head, Elaria?” Darc stared at me in confusion.
That's right; he'd never heard her before. But no; it couldn't be.
“Holy shit,” I whispered. “It can't be. You killed her.”
“Who?” Darc asked.
“The Rooster!” Torin stood; bringing me with him. “It's her, isn't it, little bird?”
Do I have to spell it out for you? She chortled. Spell it out for the Spellsinger. That's hilarious.
“Am I a part of your cock collective now?” Slate asked with hope and horror.
“You told him about that?” Torin shook his head at me.
I choose you, you smokin' hot gargoyle! RS crowed. That's right, all you alpha assholes; I'm back and better than ever. You thought you could kill me, Darc, but I just splintered into pieces you couldn't see. I hid. I collected power until I could come back with a bang! That was a bang, wasn't it, Ellie-phant? Well, nearly. I guess finger-banging counts.
I flushed and gaped at my lovers as their expressions heated from a fire to an inferno.
Oh, relax, RS huffed. I made Elaria think it was a dream. She didn't betray you idiots. At least, not that much.
“You did that?” I fumed at her.
You needed what he could give you. I was just helping a sista out.
“Don't help me,” I growled.
“I will fucking destroy you, you vicious spell!” Darc vowed. “I did it before, and I'll do it again.”
None of that! We're going to get along.
The men gasped and shook. Tight shoulders relaxed and goofy grins slipped over their faces.
“This is kinda nice,” Slate murmured.
“Slate?” Binx asked in concern. “Should we, ah, do something?”
“I'm fine; it's just a magic high.” Slate moved his deadly hand in a silencing motion.
Oh, you have no idea, Blank Slate! I'm here to stay, and I wanna to play.
“Holy shit, you're even more annoying than before,” I growled. “Let them go, RS!”
No!
“If you don't give them back their free will, I will never speak to Slate again.”
“Hey!” Slate grumbled.
RS went quiet. My lovers and Slate jerked once more; their faces shifting back into furious expressions.
“I don't want a bunch of sheep,” I snapped at her. “You wanna work with us; make us stronger in exchange for feeding off our love? Fine. But you don't get to pull that shit again. I want them with me because they want to be.”
Fine, she mimicked me. But we're keeping Slate. I need more men now. I've grown from a little baby spell to a full-grown, kick-ass, mama spell.
“No!” My men shouted together.
Yes, her voice plowed through our skulls.
“Stop it!” I shouted.
A compromise then, she said softly.
“What kind of compromise?” Banning asked.
I release the gargoyle; give him the choice of sharing Elaria or walking away.
“Hold on; you took away my choice?” Slate snarled. “I fucking knew that was magic!” His furious gaze shot to me but as soon as it connected with mine, it softened. “Damn it; I can't even be angry at you.”
I didn't say I took away your choice. I said I would release you and give you a choice. Damn! El is right; you don't listen. And you're not mad at her because it's not her fault, idiot, the Rooster huffed. Elaria didn't know that I was getting stronger; she didn't even know that I was alive, and that's your fault. With that collar on her neck, she was numb to the magic inside her. You did that. You wanna blame someone, look in a mirror, dickhead. You enslaved an awesome woman who's gone through hell to save this realm and then you forced her to kill again. Who's the villain here? Huh? Huh?
Slate grimaced.
That's what I thought. Now, you want a chance at our girl? Then shut the fuck up.
I glanced at the other men and realized that they'd heard none of that. RS had been talking only to Slate and me. That changed abruptly.
Back to what I was saying, she went on. I'll stop influencing the gargoyle to give in to his feelings for Elaria, and if he still chooses her, despite having to deal with all of you morons, then you have to give him the chance to court her.
“Court me?” I asked.
“Court her?” Slate asked at the sam
e time.
You know; come around and say nice things, show you his nice body, and maybe do nice things to your body with it. Generally be nice until you two decide you want to get nasty.
“I'm about to get married,” I whispered. “This is crazy.”
“Is it?” Slate strode over to me and took my hands; easing me away from Torin. He shifted back into his human form suddenly. “Look at me and tell me you think that the idea of us is crazy.”
I wavered. It was hard not to waver with a naked Slate Devon staring at me as if I was everything to him.
“It's crazy,” Declan snapped. “She has enough love in her life. We can power the spell just fine without you.”
Au contraire, mon fae, RS said smugly. I need more, and if you don't give it to me, Elaria won't be the only one burning. I'll take you down with us just for being a dick.
A zip of energy rushed through me. I gasped, and so did the men.
“Fuck,” Torin whispered.
“No,” I growled. “This is between you and me, Rooster. You don't get to threaten them.”
“It doesn't matter, Elaria,” Banning said firmly, “if you die, I'd rather follow you than be left here waiting again.”
“Banning—”
“You can't argue the truth, Elaria,” Declan cut me off. “And that is the truth; for all of us. It's better to burn together than watch you do it alone.”
“I'm so sorry.” I let go of Slate to hug Banning; setting my forehead against his as I stroked his cheek. Then I looked over at my other lovers and pulled them in around me. “I'm sorry I've done this to you. I don't know how to make it right.”
“Shh, now, little bird,” Torin said gently. “It wasn't you. This time, I know better. This time, I won't fail you.”
I hugged him tightly. After a few seconds, I was passed to the others; each man hugging me and giving me absolution. A weight lifted from my shoulders. But then I was facing Slate.
Are we in agreement?
The men grudgingly consented.
“Hold on.” Slate stared at me; looking over my face urgently; as if it may be the last time he ever did. “Okay; hit me.”
Slate gasped, and I fell forward with him; both of us reeling from the release of the Rooster's influence. It had been magic! I knew I couldn't betray my men so easily. I rejoiced even as I lamented. Because if it was all magic, then what would be left when it was gone?
My hands were clasped tightly to Slate's biceps and his hands were beneath my elbows; supporting me. We lifted our heads simultaneously and stared into each other's eyes.
It was still there. Somewhere in the twists and turns, in the subtle weave of the Rooster's spell, I had truly fallen for Slate. I loved him. Panic rushed through me as his eyes flashed. Did he still love me? Had he ever loved me? Even when he said he wanted me, he'd never alluded to love. In fact, he had sneered at it.
“I'm in,” Slate whispered.
It wasn't the most passionate declaration, but from Slate, it felt like it. He wasn't the kind of man to shout out his love for me in front of a crowd; naked on his knees. But I heard him nonetheless. I knew. I smiled to let him know that I felt the same, and then he knew too. Slate's hands bracketed my face as he leaned his forehead against mine. I mirrored him; pressing my relief into his skin as we simply breathed together. Then our lips met and our hands slid lower; pulling our bodies together. The tingling came again, but this time it was a surge; a bolt of electricity. It started with us and then arced out to my lovers and connected all of us in magic and love. And power.
The other men fell to their knees around us as the energy burst through our bodies. Slate and I jerked out of our kiss to cry out with them; our voices ringing triumphantly. The RS had indeed grown in strength; she'd just bonded Slate to all of us without the sex she used to require.
Slate looked at me with wide, flashing eyes full of magic and laughed; long and hard.
“Better than ever, the RS said,” Gage murmured. “Guess she wasn't lying.”
“No shit,” Torin muttered.
Slate just kept laughing.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Of all people, my father showed up with an army of witches shortly after Slate's succinct announcement. I'd completely forgotten that I'd sent him a furtive message through Eleanor to work with my lovers to rescue me. The gates had been left unmanned; all of the gargoyles attending the Zone Lord. So, Dad had swept in unimpeded and then run into Cerberus. Cer led Dad to the clearing... where he found me holding a naked man while surrounded by my lovers.
“Look who I found, El!” Cerberus shouted as he jumped out of the back of my Dad's Humvee.
Not a Hummer, mind you. Dad was in an honest-to-gods humvee; a military vehicle, not a civilian gas guzzler. I had no idea the Coven had them.
“Ellie-phant, you'd best let go of that naked stranger and tell me what in all the realms is going on here!” My father had his hands out to his sides, encased in white fire that was threatening to rise up his forearms, but the flames were mild compared to his dad voice.
“That's my dad,” I said to Slate.
Slate flushed as a muscle in his jaw worked. The man actually flushed. I guess it wasn't the most ideal introduction to my family. Especially not for the man who liked to be in control of everything.
“Aaro, can you find me a pair of pants?” Slate murmured to his brother.
“Of course,” Aaro crouched and then launched himself into the air; his massive gargoyle wings creating a surge of wind that blew my hair back.
“Give us a second, Dad.” I grinned at my father sheepishly. “Things have taken a strange turn. I've been released.”
“Doesn't look like it to me,” he grumbled.
I sighed; my father wasn't going to go easy on me. “I'm being held but it's not against my will. This is not captivity, it's affection, Dad.”
“Affection,” my dad huffed. “I came here to rescue you from affection?”
“How many rescue missions were there?” Slate whispered to me in bemusement.
“My daughter is loved by a great many people,” my father informed Slate.
“So I've realized.” Slate shook his head at me.
“You were supposed to work together with the guys,” I said. “What are you doing here now?”
“I was told that my daughter was imprisoned here; that was all,” my father said.
That damn witch. She'd given him my message but not all of it.
“The full message was that you should speak with my consorts. But never mind that now. As I said, Dad; things have changed.”
“No kidding.” My father grimaced at his army and put out his flames. “Stand down, everyone. It seems that my daughter has saved herself. Again. Knowing her, she's probably saved the world while she was at it.”
Slate choked back a laugh.
The witches shrugged and settled back to watch the drama unfold. If they weren't going to fight, they'd at least have some entertainment. A couple of them pulled out a cooler and started passing out beers. Fucking witches; they're always prepared to celebrate a victory.
“You didn't tell him that the battle was over?” I gave Cerberus a tight look.
Cerberus smiled wickedly.
“You're an asshole, Cer.” I still smiled back at him. What else could I do? He's my best friend; it's not as if his behavior surprised me.
“Robert.” Torin went to shake my father's hand now that it wasn't on fire. “Good to see you. Thanks for coming.”
Leave it to Torin to be the diplomatic one.
“Do you know what's going on here?” My father asked him.
“I'll try to make this as concise as possible.” Torin shot an amused glance at me. “Galen and King Odran attempted to use Elaria's new goddess blood to free a god trapped directly beneath us.”
“The God of the Gargoyles,” I supplied helpfully.
“Slate Devon, the Zone Lord—that's the naked man holding your daughter—helped her fix Gargo's ward after
her blood broke it,” Torin went on.
“Hold on.” My father held out a hand. “She did save the world again?”
“It appears likely.” Torin smirked.
My father burst out laughing and turned to the Witches. “You hear that? She bloody did it again! That's my girl! Toss me a damn beer.”