Three of Hearts

by Lillian Lark

  The change in position helps. It turns out that the weight on my back is my wings. It’s an unfamiliar sensation to have the wings out and not be flying. I mourn the time it’ll take for the broken one to heal. It involved two weeks of surliness and immobility when Amara broke her wing. The world starts to come into focus.

  “My name is Asa. Do you want me to call anyone for you? Gregory is probably on his way here, but I don’t know how long it will take him.”

  I knit my eyebrows in confusion. Asa’s voice has gone brittle.

  “Who?”

  The shape next to me stills and the blurriness clears completely. Death is at my bedside. Or what I must have mistaken for Death in my delirium. My cheeks burn. His beauty makes him look not quite real, save for the scabbed over cuts I’d given him on his cheek.

  A dark angel had been what I’d thought him to be; the description still holds true. Dark hair cut stylishly contrasts with his pale skin. The features of Asa’s face are so sharp my brain warns me not to touch. It’s not just his looks that make me proceed with caution. He has a presence.

  Asa’s sharp edges dull momentarily as he looks confused.

  “Gregory,” he says it like I should know the person.

  I’m going through my mental Rolodex, trying to match the name with a face since Asa seems sure.

  “Uuhh.” I’m coming up empty. Maybe I have brain damage.

  Asa’s eyebrows go up.

  “Big blond man, about this tall.” Asa makes a gesture over his head. Asa isn’t short from what I can tell lying down, but his description does remind me of a certain wolf shifter. Duh.

  “Greg? Why would he be coming?”

  If possible, Asa’s brows go even higher. “Do you not know each other well?”

  “We just met today. I’ve got to tell you I don’t think he’s coming.”

  Asa bites his lips as if he’s trying not to laugh. “You don’t think so? Why is that?”

  “Because either he doesn’t like me or he’s just always an asshole,” I say with a shrug. I’ve never been accused of mincing words.

  Asa laughs then and I stop breathing for a second. “I happen to think he is going to come.”

  “I should probably email my sisters so I can get out of your hair. Then when Greg doesn’t show up, you’re not still stuck with me.” I stop for a second. “Why am I at your home? I was injured at the hotel. Wouldn’t it have been better to treat me there or to call a healer?”

  Asa glances away then and I’m surprised that his cheeks look pink.

  “Well, you see, I needed to have a conversation with Gregory. One I don’t think he’s going to want to have and I knew he’d come for you,” he says directly, no doubt tempering his words. “And I do have more healing implements, magical and otherwise, here. So, it just made sense to portal here.”

  Portaling is a rare ability. Asa sees my face and explains. “I can’t portal, my friend can.”

  So, they brought me here. Am I a hostage? Funny how that doesn’t bother me. Asa’s presence is delightful. I might still be delirious, letting a pretty face influence me.

  “Did he get your sister pregnant or something?” I have no filter in this delirium. Asa shakes his head and even his snort is attractive. Why is his snort attractive?

  Asa looks at me with a small smile. “I’m going to admit that I didn’t want to like you, Zeph.”

  A pang makes my chest tight. I want Asa to like me. I don’t know much about him yet, but as a person, he’s engaging and likable. First Greg and now Asa. Maybe I should get out more if I’m so hungry for the opposite sex that I cling to two men I just met. Well, I did recognize Henderson as awful, so I’m not that sex hungry.

  “Is that really your name?” Asa asks.

  “Why wouldn’t you like me? I’m very likable.” I stop and think of Greg. “Unless you’re a giant of a man that insults someone you’ve just met. My name is Zephyrine. It’s just easier for people to call me Zeph.”

  “Zephyrine.” Asa says my name and it sounds like music.

  I will myself not to blush again but hum without meaning to. Asa looks at me and I end up blushing anyway. Maybe I’ll see if Asa wants me to stay here for a while. I’m not in a rush to have my sisters pick me up. That way only led to bickering.

  As if my host can hear my thoughts, a glitter of heat travels through Asa’s eyes before he speaks.

  “While I won’t stop you from leaving, I’m inviting you to stay as long as you want.” His words make my lips curl in a reluctant smile. “Also, if you stay, I can promise that your wing can be healed by tomorrow versus how long it usually would take.”

  I gape at the man. By tomorrow? Does he perform miracles? The black ink on one of the bandages visible to me catches my eye. The bandage has some symbols I’ve never seen before on it. The information stirs a thought at the back of my mind along with the fact that I already feel so much better than when I first woke up.

  “You’re a demon, aren’t you?” My mother would be ashamed of how long it had taken for me to reach that conclusion.

  Asa smiles wide at that, making my heart skip a beat. “You’re quick.”

  I snort but accept the compliment. Demons are known for having various talents; being accomplished in healing is a whole subset. An injury to my wing is a disturbance in my magic and demons have a very specific aptitude for the direction of magic.

  “Not quick enough if you had meant me harm.” My voice is tart.

  Asa just nods at that because it’s true. So much for this favor for Sophia being safe or easy. As Asa places his hand on mine, his power runs over my skin in a way that almost tickles.

  “I swear that you, Zephyrine, are safe here,” Asa says.

  I almost sigh when he says my full name like that. Maybe I’d have to send something to Sophia as a thank you. No, I’ll guilt her to the grave instead. I may be enjoying myself, but I still have a fucking broken wing.

  “I’m happy staying here if you’re sure you don’t mind, I just need to email some people first.”

  At that Asa leans back in his chair and grabs a laptop that had been connected to the wall, charging.

  “I figured you might. Do you want me to text Gregory and tell him not to come?” Asa’s smile is wicked. I’m missing a joke somewhere; I just know it. I narrow my eyes at him.

  “Don’t you need to talk to him?”

  Asa winks at me.

  “Oh, he is going to be coming here anyway, no matter what I say.” The way he says it makes me think that for some reason he’s right.

  “Is there something you should tell me, Asa? Because I’m pretty sure I like you, and that you like me, and when you like someone you don’t keep things from them. Right?”

  Asa’s smile fades for a second. “And in what way do you like me, Zephyrine?”

  Dammit, my cheeks are hot again. I’m not terribly good at flirting, I’m too direct to simper or to coyly do anything. For the first time, I wish I could play the game. Asa’s hand grabs mine again when I look down in embarrassment.

  “Don’t worry, darling. I do like you; I’m just worried it’s going to cause problems.”

  Gregory

  Since the moment Zeph had jumped from the roof, I have been losing my mind. It frays like an old sweater. My heart won’t stop racing; my insides do their best impression of a roller coaster.

  The ride would go high and I’d be grateful that Asa is the one taking care of Zeph in her injured state; he really is an exceptional healer. Then worry would woosh me low. Will Asa make Zeph hate me? Will he seduce her away from me? And the loop would start over.

  While my human half mentally paces with worry, my wolf half is oddly quiet. The wolf wants to get to Zeph again but hasn’t even growled at the fact that she’s with Asa, stupid creature. Asa had threatened to take Zeph away.

  While I do these mental gymnastics, Alice and I complete the motions needed to finish the job. The tranquilizer dart finally started to take effect at the same time
Alice was able to magically restrain Wyatt Henderson. We had taken a portal from there straight to the Council’s holding facility and handed the man off. The whole experience was wonderfully uneventful.

  Alice is quieter than usual as we take a ride share back to the van. Portal spells are expensive.

  Her silence probably has something to do with falling from a building to certain death only to be saved by a harpy. I’ve never met a harpy, that I’d known anyway. I don’t know much about them except that they have a reputation as isolationists, not meshing with other paranormal beings often.

  “You okay, Alice?”

  Alice jumps at my question, being pulled from her own mental musings. She rolls her shoulders and sighs.

  “I’m fine. Just jumpy. Things didn’t work out like I thought they would.” She looks a little pale.

  “I’d like to learn more about Zeph…” Alice looks at the driver in a gesture that makes my heart sink. I won’t be getting any answers about harpies right now.

  “Later. We’ve both had big days,” Alice says. I can only nod because if she won’t talk, there isn’t anything I can do about it. I’ll have to force myself to be patient.

  We pull up at the van now and a figure leans against it. Hope raises me on that roller coaster again, before it crashes and burns. For a second, I thought the figure was Zeph. The woman isn’t Zeph, but they do look similar.

  Alice lets out a breath slowly. “You’re on, Romeo.”

  I don’t have enough time to ask her what she means because she’s out of the car and walking toward the woman, arms spread. The woman’s neutral air turns suspicious. I quickly follow.

  “Sophia, it’s so nice to see you!” Alice’s cheer sounds false.

  Sophia doesn’t hug Alice back; instead, she looks me up and down before ignoring me.

  “Where is Zeph?” Sophia asks.

  “Zeph is fine. Have you met Greg? He can tell you what happened and where your sister is.” Alice quickly climbs into the back of the van and pulls out both Zeph’s and my things. Sophia looks at me with great interest then. Her gaze is intimidating, and violence starts to coil in the air. It makes more sense now that Alice abandoned me to this.

  “What is going on?” Sophia asks.

  “Sophia is it? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Greg.” I put out my hand and she ignores it. Letting my hand drop awkwardly, I clear my throat. “Zeph was injured, she’s fine, but is being taken care of by a… friend of mine.”

  “Where. Is. She?”

  This isn’t going well. Some gusts of city wind start to swirl around us, not in an obvious way, in a warning. My wolf bucks at the idea of telling this woman where Asa lives. Of the possibility of putting him in danger.

  “She is safe.” My words come out firm. My wolf is a relatively dominant creature around everyone else but Asa. Not the topic to think about right now. Remembering how I am with him would make me blush, an activity that had been foreign to me before meeting him, and I don’t have time to deal with that now.

  “I’m headed over there now to check on her…” I really don’t want to make the offer, but this is Zeph’s family. “You can come with me if you’d like.”

  The wind is now getting to the noticeable level and my wolf snarls at the idea that this harpy is attempting to intimidate me.

  “Listen here, you overgrown man—” The buzz of a phone interrupts what I’m sure would have been a verbal castration and the wind drops as Sophia checks her phone. She sighs in relief a second later but still shoots me a quelling glance. “You’re safe for now.”

  I try to not show my own relief as Sophia turns to Alice. “I’ve gotten the okay from Zeph. Our deal is still a go?”

  Zeph contacted her? I feel a stab of jealousy that makes no sense. Alice just nods. Sophia turns to me then and I have to stop myself from straightening my spine to reach my full height in the face of her challenging look. “We’ll see each other again.” She turns and leaves.

  Alice gives me a look that is optimistically hopeful, “I think you did well. Good luck with the rest of Zeph’s family by the way. You’re going to need it.”

  I agree. I don’t want to dwell on that obstacle right now, I just want to see my mates and make sure Zeph really is all right. Mate, I mentally correct myself, it’s a singular description … Isn’t it?

  Zephyrine

  When Asa had filled a wine glass for me, he mentioned that some alcohol would help me feel better. The man knows his stuff because I feel fantastic. I can confess that it’s mostly because his healing magic works quickly. If I focus, the sensations of his power on my skin feel like a tickle of vines. Oddly, his currents don’t clash with my own.

  It isn’t just the wine or healing that has me feeling so great. The reason my heart feels warm and my cheeks ache from smiling is Asa. The man’s conversation skills are enviable.

  I rarely have the opportunity for conversation outside of my work or family life. I am, in the end, a homebody. I love to stay home after a day of problem solving and relax or entertain part or all of my family for dinner. Like many harpy families, we weave ourselves together tightly.

  Spending time with this intriguing man is the best part about today. Asa helps me sit up on the bed, arranging my splinted wing in a way that only leads to a twinge of discomfort. He sits closely while we go through the motions of getting to know one another. It feels like a date. I try to remind myself that this is just to fill the time before Greg shows up.

  I notified my family in no uncertain terms not to rescue me. Amara had sent a short email back in confirmation while Sophia had pasted an eggplant emoji in the email. She’s not entirely wrong about my reasons for staying. The more Asa and I talk, the more I lean into the desire I feel for him.

  I learn that Asa works in investing of some sort. Most beings who are long-lived, like demons, become very adept at obtaining money. Asa invests money into promising sectors and gets most of his capital from that. But what Asa enjoys doing is investing in smaller companies on the side. Ones that wouldn’t return much of a profit but serve specific communities.

  Beings that are paranormal have different needs than the human population that we live among, and those needs are specific markets that would otherwise go unaddressed. Asa’s ability to finance those markets makes it easier for all kinds of breeds to live comfortably. It’s an altruistic thing for him to do but it makes the world more forgiving for all paranormals.

  I decide that if I sell another app, I’ll contribute to his funding effort. I have current investments in the works but those are for the future when I choose to start my clutch.

  “You’re telling me that your parents stayed together? I admit that I don’t know much about harpies, you are a secretive bunch, but that seems unusual,” Asa says.

  My smile is stiff at that because my parents were not considered the norm. “It hasn’t been easy for them.”

  Asa tilts his head in a way that invites confessions. Dangerous man.

  “Harpies can be very judgmental about that kind of thing.”

  I have a terrible secret. I don’t think I can confess it out loud even if Asa does one of his head tilts at me. I want a partner like my parents have in each other. They have four children and are still madly in love. It’s something that is sneered at in our culture. My mother is judged harshly. Not only for being with my father while raising her clutch but also for staying with him once we were old enough to take care of ourselves.

  Aunt Fairuza looks at me and my sisters. “Now don’t go and be like your mother. I love my sister, but Hester didn’t do the right thing, the harpy thing.” Her stern face is lined in judgment. “When people think you need a man, they think you’re weak. We have our way of life for a reason.” I try not to sink in my seat when she looks me straight in the eye.

  “I assume they’re happy. That is all anyone can hope to be in this life,” Asa ponders.

  I smile at that. My parents are unbearably happy. “It is, isn't it?”

&
nbsp; If I let this delightful wine go to my head, I could see myself wanting someone like Asa as a life partner. The man isn’t just beautiful, with his striking lines and long limbs, but also smart and kind. Something about him lulls me into wanting to get closer, like a moth to a flame.

  Every now and then a darker current runs between us that makes my thighs squeeze together. It has been a long time since I’d gone out and found a sexual partner and I feel the void. Casual sex is the modus operandi of my kind.

  Forbidden thoughts run through my head. What would it be like to be with someone who really knew you? Someone who would know just how to touch you. Whenever I catch Asa tracing the lines of my face with his eyes, it feels like a promise that he would know just how to touch me.

  “I have to ask, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I’m terribly curious. How did Gregory manage to make such a poor first impression?” Asa asks that as if more impressions are yet to come. Yes, Asa does seem to know something I don’t.

  “If I’m being honest, the first impression I got from him was good.” I don’t mean to say it, it just slips out. Usually I’m so guarded, especially when first meeting someone. But Asa feels different. “It was when he opened his mouth that things went south.”

  Asa laughs brightly, and shakes his head. “Gregory is usually so polite; I can’t imagine what he could have possibly said that would have been so bad.”

  My own teasing smile drops. I don’t want to analyze Greg’s and my first meeting. I still feel tender from what he said; it’s an exposed nerve. It’s silly to be so afflicted when I barely know him. It makes it worse that Asa seems to know Greg well and thinks he acted out of character. Maybe there’s something about me that Greg took issue with.

  “Words like stupid and stubborn were used so yeah, our first meeting didn’t go well.” My mouth moves without my direction and I’m confessing that the behemoth managed to hurt me so much in such a short time. It’s a weakness I don’t mean to communicate.

  I shake my head. I won’t say anything else about it, not while sitting with someone as charming as Asa. Asa’s hand suddenly takes mine. His face pinches with concern and confusion.