The needle hit a more sensitive spot. I grunted but held still. The curtain opened and Zeke came in, frowning. He really didn’t like that I had a string bikini top on, or that the back was undone. Of course, it might also have been combined with the fact the artist was a man. He sat on a stool near my head.
“How’re you doing?” he asked.
I smiled. “Fine, it just hurts.”
“You need anything?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“Nope.” I hissed as the needle hit another sensitive spot.
“I can’t fucking watch this,” he growled as he got to his feet and left. I was snickering when Asher came in and took Zeke’s place.
“Zeke freaked?” Asher asked.
I grinned. “Zeke freaked.”
He chuckled. “The plane is being prepped now, so as soon as you’re done we’ll head home.”
“Good, I want my house and my bed,” I stated. Asher chuckled.
“It’s been a long few days,” he admitted.
“A long, hellish few days,” I added.
“Yeah.” He gestured to my back. “How much does that hurt?”
“The spine is one of the most painful places to get a tattoo,” Mike, the tattoo artist, answered.
“So, it hurts,” I told him.
Asher shook his head.
Miles came to the doorway. “Asher.”
Asher got to his feet and left the room. Miles took his place.
“How are you?” he asked gently.
“I’m going to start charging every time someone asks,” I teased.
He grinned, his ears turning pink as his gaze went to my back. “How does it feel not having to worry about your barriers anymore?”
“Freeing.” I smiled. “I have a life, I have a future. I’m going to live long enough to enjoy student loan debt.”
Miles chuckled. “And you’re happy about debt?”
“Yep,” I said. “I’m happy that I’ll be alive to pay it back.”
“I’m glad you’ll be around,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry Asher and Ethan were mad at you,” I said. “They shouldn’t have been.”
“They weren’t really angry with me,” he said. “They were upset at the situation and didn’t know what to do.”
“Still,” I muttered.
“It’s alright.” His eyes met mine. “What’s important is that you were going to tell us before everything went wrong with Isaac.”
I gave him a smile.
“Miles,” Ethan called from the door.
Miles got out of the chair and headed back out the door. Ethan came in and took his place. What was going on?
“Are you guys playing musical chairs?” I teased.
Ethan chuckled as he moved closer and took my hand. “I know I didn’t say this before, but… thank you, Lexie,” he whispered. I squeezed his hand. “You saved his ass.”
“Evelyn saved both our asses, actually,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, but he would have been done for if you didn’t go in after him,” he countered. His chocolate eyes were warm as they met mine. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” I said softly. The needle hit another spot, I hissed and grunted. He squeezed my hand. Isaac moved into the doorway.
“Ethan,” Isaac called. Ethan squeezed my hand, got up and left the room.
“Okay, seriously, what is with the musical chairs?” I asked again.
“Nothing. Everyone is just antsy to get home,” Isaac said as he took my hand. Hades came in and put himself under my hand. Apparently I existed to him again. Ever since the demon died he’d stayed with Isaac and ignored me. What changed? I started scratching his ears.
“That looks painful.”
I smiled. “Yeah, but worth it.”
He took a deep breath and met my eyes. “Hey, when we get home I want to talk to you.” My heart hammered in my chest. Talk? Oh God…
“Um, okay.” My mouth went dry. “I have something I need to do first, but after that—”
The needle hit a bad spot. I squeaked.
Isaac leaned closer. “Squeeze my hand, Red.” I did. Isaac stayed with me until the artist was done. When the gun shut off he let go of my hand and got up. “I’m going to tell the others you’re done.” He hurried out the door. Seriously, what was going on?
Hades stayed with me as Mike carefully cleaned my back and then handed me a mirror. I held the towel to my chest as I went to stand with my back to the mirror and used the hand mirror to see the tattoo. It was beautiful. Black and bronze, the scrolling Latin ran down my spine, starting just below my neck and ending almost on my butt. I smiled. No more getting jumped for this Necromancer! I handed him the mirror and sat back down. He bandaged the tattoo all the way down my spine and gave me aftercare instructions before he left to let me get dressed. I tied my suit top lightly and pulled on my cami.
When I came out, no one was in the waiting area. Okay… I went to the front desk to ask where the guys were, but no one was there. Figuring they would be back in a few minutes, I sat down to wait with Hades and picked up a magazine. The writing was oddly blurry. I moved it further away until I could see it better. Weird.
A curtain leading to one of the tattoo rooms opened and Isaac came out into the waiting area. Before the curtain closed, I spotted Ethan in the chair getting a tattoo. What the…?
I got up and met Isaac halfway across the shop. “What the hell is Ethan doing?” I looked up, and for the first time saw the tape on his neck. “Isaac…”
His eyes met mine. “That chick, Evie? She gave us a design to give the tattoo artists here for us.”
My mouth dropped. “What? You got a tattoo?”
He grinned. “Yeah.” He turned and carefully pulled the bandage off the back of his neck. It was a symbol of some kind. I could figure that much out, but… I had no clue what it meant. There were several parts to it and the detail was intricate. I put the bandage back in place and walked around to meet his eyes.
“Your mom is going to kill you,” I told him quietly. “What does it do?"
He swallowed hard. “Two things. Protection from demon possession…”
Okay, that I could get behind.
He continued reluctantly. “And to give the Sight.”
Huh? What? “I think I heard you wrong. The Sight?”
He smirked down at me. “Yeah, Red. We’ll be able to see what you see now.”
My chest warmed even as fear tore through me. “We?”
“Uh. Yeah…”
A curtain opened. Zeke walked out and spotted us. He came over as if nothing strange was happening.
“You guys gave yourselves the Sight,” I said again, just to be clear.
They exchanged a look then turned back to me.
“Yeah,” Zeke said.
A curtain to another room opened. Miles walked out, still pulling his shirt down. A patch of gauze riding low on his hip caught my eye. What…? Why….?
“Do you guys understand what you’ve done?” I asked as my chest grew tight. “Do you have any idea what this is going to do to your lives?” My voice was getting louder.
“Our choice,” Zeke told me gruffly.
I stared at them, stunned, as Miles joined us. Asher stepped out of another room.
“I see you told her,” Miles said lightly.
“You’re all insane,” I stated.
They chuckled as Asher reached us.
The curtain to Ethan’s room moved. Ethan came out with a bandage on the inside of his left wrist. His eyes found me.
“So, she knows already?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah,” the guys answered in unison.
“You don’t know what you’re… your lives… why?” I couldn’t seem to manage an entire question.
“It’s the only way we can possibly help you,” Miles explained. “If we don’t see what you do, then we’re useless. And we don’t want you dealing with this alone anymore.”
I shook my head as tears filled my ey
es. My voice was warm when I said, “You fucking idiots.”
Ethan
I looked out the window at the cloudless sky. The seats in Miles' plane were nice, but no one was ever comfortable on a plane.
I turned away from the window. Well, Lexie was. She had curled up in the seat next to Isaac and passed out before we took off. Not five minutes later Isaac fell asleep too. Hades had stretched out on the floor between them.
I eyed my brother. He was still so exhausted. Isaac. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Lexie went into Isaac’s center. I leaned my head back against the chair and cursed myself. If he remembered any of it and told Lexie, she might figure out that I lied about not remembering our kiss. Shit.
My mind went back to that kiss in the Veil, reminding me of the way she felt against me. The way her ass fit in my hands… I sighed. I never should have lied about our kiss. I should have just kissed her again. If I had, I wouldn’t have been cursing myself since Boulder.
Lexie whimpered in her sleep. My eyes snapped open as I lifted my head to check on her. Her face twisted in pain. Before I could get up, Isaac reached over and found her hand while still asleep. Her face relaxed as she squeezed my brother’s hand. I started twirling my rings.
Even if I told her I remembered, there was still that stupid agreement with the others. No dating Lexie. I cursed under my breath as I looked away from her and out the window again. Why the hell had I agreed to that? I could raise the issue again, but... if she didn’t feel the same way, there was no point.
I sighed wearily. I was tired. Tired of holding back with her, tired of not touching her, tired of… not kissing her. I had to fucking tell her or I’d never know.
Epilogue
I strode into Serena’s store and slammed the door behind me. Serena looked up from the computer on the counter. She scowled at me.
“What are you angry about now?” Serena snapped.
I slammed the book down on the counter, hard. “Why the fuck didn’t you answer the phone? Or call me back?” I shouted.
Serena’s eyes narrowed at me. “If you did your research I’m sure you could find the answer to whatever question you have.”
“Did you even listen to my messages?” I snapped.
She gave me a patient smile. “The first two, then I stopped listening.”
I gave her a smile, and it wasn’t my nice one. “Well, let me fill you in. My friend Isaac was possessed by a fucking demon.” Her smile disappeared. “I just got back from Boulder. Francis says hi.” I slid the book towards her. “I’m done. I’m done trying to learn from someone who isn’t willing to teach me. I’m done trying to jump through your hoops. I’m done with you.”
I turned to walk out. Her voice stopped me. “You’re a magic user, Lexie, you have to follow our policies.”
I turned on her. “Which are?” I snapped. I held my arms open, waiting. When she didn’t answer I dropped my arms. “If you won’t tell me what they are, I don’t have to follow shit.”
“Whether you know the laws or not, you still have to abide by them. We are the ultimate authority on this matter,” Serena stated.
I tilted my head at the blatant lie. “Oh, no you’re not. You see, in Boulder I met an interesting group of gargoyles. Had a nice long chat with a female named Evelyn.” Serena’s face turned white.
“Evelyn Dalca?” she asked, her voice almost cracking.
“Yeah, Mated to a white-haired guy with gold eyes,” I told her cheerfully. Serena swallowed hard. “Anyway, she gave me some interesting information about the Witches Council. Apparently, if I’m not actually a part of your group, then I don’t answer to you, I answer to her. She’ll also be looking into the Necromancer deaths over the last two hundred years.” She swallowed hard. “Lucky for her, Atticus is great at research.”
I turned and headed for the door again, slamming it behind me as I left. God that felt good.
Asher
I tossed the baseball into the air and caught it as it came down. I was at Miles’ house since Dad was still here. Almost a week - a new record for him. I threw the ball again and caught it.
Ally. I stared up at the ceiling, remembering the way she slept on the flight home. She’d curled up and passed out almost immediately. She had been exhausted. Our kiss ran through my mind again. I closed my eyes and sighed.
I couldn’t do it. I finally admitted it to myself. I couldn’t step back for Zeke. I had tried in Boulder, taking care of Ethan instead of her, but the entire time I was worrying about her. Well, worrying about everyone.
I ran my hand over my face and let out a deep breath. Zeke. It looked like Zeke had slept in her room the other night. I didn’t know for sure, but it looked like it. And if it was true… Zeke had to be crazy about her. I should step back. My heart ached.
I was in love with her, and I didn’t want to walk away from that. I sighed. I still had to step aside. Didn’t I?
Zeke
I closed the front door and walked through the kitchen to open the back door for the dogs. Tank immediately jumped on me, his foot stabbing into my gut.
“Down, Tank,” I grunted. He dropped back down to all four feet before running further into the house. I closed the door and headed back into the small dining room. I picked up my bag and walked back to my bedroom. Everything was the same as I had left it. Even my bed was still messy. Then again, it would be messy even if I’d made it. Tank and Kita loved to tear the blankets off. I dropped my bag and sat down on the side of the bed. Everything was the same. Except I had slept next to Lexie.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and brought up a picture of her. Her brown eyes were sparkling as she looked up at the camera with a smile. She was lying on her back in bed, smiling up at her phone as she took the selfie.
My chest grew warm, my head quiet. It went okay. I didn’t hurt her, I didn’t even have a bad dream. There had just been sleep and peace. Holding her all night had been…
I flipped to the next photo. Everyone had been at her house. The twins were doing dishes while Asher and Rory watched baseball. Miles had been at the table still doing homework. She had her chemistry book in her lap as she sat at the other end of the couch, her notebook sitting on the arm. Her hair was in a messy bun. Several long strands had already fallen out. Her sweater had fallen down her shoulder showing her porcelain skin. She had been concentrating on something while chewing on the corner of her bottom lip. With her sweats and mismatched socks, she had looked too good for me to pass on taking a picture. It was still my favorite one. The others might like the ones Dylan had taken, but this one… this was Lexie. I grinned.
Not two minutes later she had been cursing as she slammed the textbook closed and dropped it on the floor. I had barely managed to hide my smile when I asked her what was wrong. It was Math, again. Since Miles was busy writing an essay, I bent down, picked up the book, and asked her to show me what she had been trying to understand. She scooted closer, opened the book again, and showed me her notebook. I tried to explain the way it made sense to me but it came out wrong. We both ended up getting frustrated and yelling at each other. Miles banned me from helping Lexie with homework after that. I haven’t tried since.
Lexie. I closed my eyes. She was amazing. She understood me… and I had woken up next to her without hurting her. I finally admitted it to myself. I was in love with her. I looked at her picture again. The real question was, was she ready to start… anything? That shit with Ordin messed her up, but she was doing a lot better. She only had two sessions left.
Maybe it was time to talk to her about that kiss and what it meant. If she wasn’t ready then at least we’d know where we stood, and she’d know I’m not going anywhere. I ran my hand through my hair as anxiety tore through me. I had to try.
Miles
I rolled over and tried to stop thinking, but it was no use. Zeke slept next to Lexie. He had feelings for her, there was no other explanation for it. I started tapping my fingers on my chest. Lexie would be good for Z
eke, she understood him like no one else. And he’d love her completely. But so would I…
I cursed as I rolled onto my back. Look at it logically. She’s one of your best friends, you have an agreement with the others not to date her… and yet you still can’t stop thinking about her. I cursed myself.
It was too late for me already. The more I touched her, the closer I got to her… the more I wanted her. Making her smile, helping her fall asleep… all of it left me wanting more.
Control, Miles. Control. I took several deep breaths and tried to remember why I shouldn’t call her and tell her how I felt. The agreement, she’s my friend… Why did they all seem like excuses?
Isaac
Lexie had been right, Ma was pissed. I watched the shadows dance across the ceiling. Grounded for two weeks. Of course, if we explained to Ma what had actually happened, she’d just be happy I was alive, tattoo or not. The skin on the back of my neck itched.
Lexie had saved my ass. It felt like I was in the dark forever. The cold had seeped into my bones… I pushed the memory away and tried to find a happy one. Kissing Lexie. Well, Lexie kissing me. That cliff had disappeared when her lips touched mine. Everything had stopped. All that existed were her lips, her taste, the feel of her body against me. Damn, she had felt so good. I hadn’t known she felt the same way about me as I did about her. I had hoped… Hell, I shouldn’t have even hoped. I needed to talk to her tonight. But not on the phone.
Ma’s bedroom door was closed. I waited for an hour before getting off my bed and silently moving into the hall. Yeah, if I got caught I was screwed, but as soon as Ma had seen my tattoo I was screwed anyway. I tiptoed downstairs and got Ma’s keys off the table by the door before I slipped out.
It wasn’t long until I was pulling up in front of Lexie’s. It was only eleven, she should be awake.
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