by Katie May
“I would like to apologize on behalf of the council for what happened to you,” she says softly. “I know that you lost Gabriel in the battle, and I offer you my deepest condolences.” I search her pretty blue eyes for any hint of deception, but she appears sincere.
“Thank you,” I whisper hoarsely.
“And I’m glad to see you’re okay,” she adds with another soft smile. She then turns to stare at the Devils. “And as for you four…”
“We want to do the binding ceremony,” Karsyn blurts out. When every eye turns to stare at him, his cheeks tint pink. He clears his throat uncomfortably, squeezing my hand tighter. “We talked about it, and…it’s what we want. If we have a choice.”
I pull myself out of his arms to whirl on them, shock causing my heart to race faster than ever.
“What?” I gasp. “You don’t know what you’re asking—”
“We understand completely,” Elias says gently, with the quiet confidence he always possesses. “Your grandma talked to us about it when you were unconscious.”
“Being tied to your hot ass for our entire lives?” Cassian says with a shit-eating grin. “Sign me the fuck up.”
Someone makes a disgusted noise from behind me, and I resist the urge to give them my middle finger.
“We’re already in love with you,” Karsyn continues, blushing slightly. “We know it’s new, we know it might not last, but we don’t want to give you up. Not after we just got you back.”
“You’ll have to kill me before I’ll leave you again,” Lucas says dryly, and I can’t help but notice that he changed into his clothes from yesterday. Apparently, he would rather walk downstairs naked than wear clothes belonging to my ex-boyfriend.
“You’ll be her slaves,” Darlene drawls from behind me. “Her magical slaves. Hers to do with as she pleases.”
“That’s not true,” Joshua cuts in, anger darkening his tone. “If the souls are meant to be together, then it will be a mutual partnership. She will belong to them as surely as they belong to her. They’ll be able to wield her magic, just as she can use their energy.”
“That’s not possible,” Darlene protests arrogantly. “There are four of them, and one of her.”
“Do you mean like soulmates?” Karsyn interrupts, face scrunched in confusion. One of the witches begins to laugh before she’s shushed by my nana.
“Yes and no,” Joshua explains as I twist my head to stare at him over my shoulder. He scratches absently at his chin, face deep in thought. “Unlike what you read about in books and see in movies, soulmates aren’t destined. They’re not written in the stars or whatever. But when you find your equal on this earth, your souls know innately that you belong together.”
“And you think that’s what we are?” Cassian demands, but Joshua shrugs.
“We’ll know for sure once we do the binding spell.”
“You can’t seriously be considering this!” Darlene screeches.
“Fortunately for all of us,” Rose begins, “it’s not your choice.”
“You guys, are you sure?” I whisper, spinning back around to face them. I know a part of me will wither and die forever if they choose to forget about me, but I refuse to take away that choice. “Once we bind ourselves together…there’s no going back.”
Cassian’s jaw clenches as he turns towards Karsyn and then Elias. Lucas simply meets my gaze, promising an eternity without any words.
“We’re sure,” all four of them declare at the same time.
Joshua smiles brightly before nodding at Rose. The dark-haired woman moves towards us and places a finger on Karsyn’s forehead. Her twin does the same to Cassian, as the old man moves towards Elias. One of the middle-aged women moves to do the same thing to Lucas, but he growls at her, glaring at her finger as if it has grown a head and is now snapping at him.
“Calm, little one,” she says, amusement lacing her voice. Instead of addressing her, Lucas stares over her shoulder at me, only me, as if the rest of the world ceases to exist. His shoulders gradually relax, and he doesn’t struggle when the woman places a single finger to his forehead, right between his eyes.
Joshua moves to stand in front of me.
“Are you sure about this?” he whispers. “You asked them if they truly wanted this, but is it something you want?”
Lucas’s soft smile that he only ever shares with me flashes in my mind.
Cassian’s jovial laugh and crude remarks that never fail to make me laugh.
Karsyn’s steadfast loyalty and compassion.
And Elias’s unyielding strength and confidence.
They’re a part of me, a part of my soul, and I’ll be damned if I ever let anyone take them from me.
My answer is instantaneous. I don’t even have to think about it to know.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Very well.” Joshua gently presses his finger against my forehead before leaning forward to whisper, “They’re lucky men.”
The five council members begin to chant in Latin, and I don’t know how else to describe it, but it feels as if pieces of my very being leave my chest. The sensation isn’t painful, more like an irritating itch, but I still gasp in surprise, my hands drawing up to rub the spot.
Bright light engulfs my vision as my back arches painfully.
“What’s happening?” I whimper, but I don’t know if I actually say the words or just think them.
And then, I feel them.
Four bulbs of light materialize in the center of my chest, steadily filling in the missing pieces like a puzzle. I recognizable each of their energies instantly.
Cassian’s playful energy, the one bouncing around like it’s demanding my attention.
Karsyn’s is the one giving me a warm hug. I can practically feel his embrace as if he’s actually standing in front of me.
And then there’s Elias’s, sitting steadily in my chest, loyal and unbending. He doesn’t demand my attention like Cassian’s does, but I can still sense him keenly.
And then finally, Lucas. A cold brush of air in my chest cavity. Protective. Calm. Fierce.
Slowly, the light engulfing the room recedes, and I come back to myself, shaky and disoriented.
What the…?
I place a hand to my chest where I can still sense my four Devils, as if they truly are a part of me. Right now, they seem confused, slightly frightened, but mostly awed.
“It’s true,” Rose breathes, eyes wide with wonder as she takes a step back. “You guys are soulmates.”
Joshua slowly removes his finger from my head. “Your souls are perfect matches,” he agrees with a small tilt to his lips.
“So it worked?” Cassian stares down at his hands in wonderment before turning towards me. I’m shocked to see tears in his dark eyes, even as he gifts me a slow, seductive smile. “You’re mine now, baby. I’m never letting you go.”
“Stop it with the whole ‘baby’ thing,” I growl, and his smile only broadens.
“Fucking hell, woman!” I’m in Elias’s arms before I can even catch my breath. “I can feel you. Is that…is that normal?”
I run my fingers through his dark hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. “I feel you, too. All of you,” I stress, staring over Elias’s shoulder to encompass them all.
I zero in on the brilliant balls of light inside of me, trying to get a sense of how they feel. I don’t want to intrude on their private thoughts, but I’m suddenly terrified that they’re having regrets. They knew they would be tied to me as my human familiars, but I don’t think they imagined this.
Cassian is still in shock, but combined with that is something akin to glee.
Elias’s emotions are more subdued, though I didn’t expect anything else from him. He’s happy and excited, but I feel a niggle of fear and self-loathing intermixed. I make myself a note to talk to him about that at a later point. He has nothing to be sorry for, though I’m not sure if just saying that to him will be enough.
Karsyn is a myriad of feelin
gs. Happiness, shock, wonderment, and confusion, being the main ones. I sift through his emotions, wondering if he feels any regret or anger, but I can’t find anything.
And then I focus on the cold ball of light. The icy one.
Surprisingly enough, Lucas’s is the easiest to read. It’s one simple emotion. One emotion that screams at me at the top of its lungs.
Love.
Tears fog my eyes as he meets my stare, and I know he felt me prying. But instead of getting defensive, he opens himself up more to me, his emotions pouring through my body like a summer rain.
“This is fucking ridiculous!” Darlene screeches, rounding the table towards me. Her hand raises, but before it can make contact with my face, Joshua steps in front of her, eyes glacial.
“We did the spell. It’s over,” he says curtly. But my mother cannot be easily deterred. I watch as her expression turns cunning, malicious. Those red-painted lips twist into something that I can’t quite call a smile.
“It’s not over just yet,” Darlene says like the cat who ate the canary. “I would like to declare something to the council.” Her viper-like eyes fix on me, and I brace myself, knowing she’s going to officially disown me in front of the coven. What will this mean for me and the guys? I know that we’ll still be bonded, but I also know that the ancestors won’t allow me to tap into my magic if she disowns me. So what will happen? What does this—
“I would like to officially declare that Darlene Simone is no longer my daughter.” Nana’s soft voice, nothing more than a hushed murmur, breaks through the silence like a deafening crack of a whip.
Darlene whirls on Nana, red speckles appearing on her face. “What?” she screams.
“Furthermore,” Nana continues, ignoring her daughter, “I would like to declare that Peony Simone is now under my care. She will be the witch who receives my grimoire after my death.”
“You can’t fucking do this!” Darlene shouts, tears in her eyes.
“Think about what you’re doing, Cardinal,” the older warlock says with a frown. “Once you disown her…”
“The ancestors will no longer grant her access to her magic, yes,” Nana finishes. “I am aware.”
“Mother!” Darlene bellows. “You can’t—”
“You didn’t let me grieve!” Nana shouts right back, her own tears flowing freely down her face. “I just lost the love of my life, and you. Didn’t. Let. Me. Grieve! Your daughter was just tortured, for fuck’s sake, and you still came here for your own malicious intent. All of this power has gone to your head, my daughter, and this is the only way I know how to save you. Maybe in time, you’ll figure out how to fix things with your own child. Trust me. You’ll thank me for this one day.”
“You can’t do this.” Darlene tries to take a step backwards, but two of the male warlocks are suddenly there, holding her steady. “You can’t fucking do this! You can’t take away my magic!”
“Get her out of my sight.” Nana rips her eyes away from Darlene and focuses on her trembling hands.
“No! Please, no! Mom!” Darlene is still screaming as the warlocks drag her away.
Ryan remains at the table, shaking from head to toe, and only when she’s gone does he glance up at me through dark lashes.
“I-I’m sorry,” he stutters. “For everything.”
I don’t want to talk to him. Hell, I don’t even know what I’d say to him. He came here with every intention of forcing me into a marriage he knew I didn’t want. Uriel’s brother or not, I don’t think I can ever forgive him for that.
Ignoring his plea, I focus on Joshua, who is speaking softly with my nana. “You know what’s going to happen now.” It’s not a question, but Nana takes it as one, nodding her head slowly.
“You’ll need to come down to the council’s headquarters and declare to the ancestors and the earth itself that you renounce Darlene Simone as your daughter,” Rose adds.
“You’re taking away that woman’s magic,” the older man snaps. “I would think about—”
“I already did,” Nana cuts in. “It was either her or my granddaughter. I made my choice, and if you think I don’t feel guilt over it, you’re wrong. But my decision is final.” To Rose, she says, “I’ll come down with you guys today. I want this over with.” Her voice trembles slightly as more tears cascade down her cheeks. “I want my daughter back.”
Joshua places his hand on her shoulder and gives it a squeeze.
“You made the right decision,” he whispers to her in reassurance, and she manages a shaky smile.
“So is this over?” Karsyn asks tentatively. “Is this finally over?”
Joshua turns towards us with a brisk nod. “Because you guys are bonded, you’ll no longer have to worry about us. Now, I can’t promise you that you won’t run into any more obstacles. Emmett was only one of many Bloods. And there are still the witch hunters to consider…” He trails off before smiling warmly. “But you no longer need to fear the witch’s council. Or your mother.”
“Oh, thank fuck,” Cassian gripes. “That crazy bitch was giving me a headache.”
The rest of the witches and warlocks begin to file out of the house, Nana trailing behind them. I stop her before she can leave with a gentle hand on her arm.
“Nana, are you sure?”
The frown on her face transforms into a timid smile as she presses a watery kiss to my forehead. “Yes, my sweet girl. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
“We’ll look after her,” Christian assures me, and he too offers me a wobbly smile. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, I’m not sure if it ever will, but at least it’s a start.
Polo gives my shoulders a squeeze before he follows after his brother and girlfriend.
Soon, it’s only me, the Devils, and Joshua who remain.
“I’m happy for you, Peony. Truly,” the young councilman says softly. His green eyes spark like emeralds in the artificial lighting of the kitchen. “You’re not the scared little girl you once were five years ago.”
“I’m not,” I agree. “And I have you to thank for that.”
“Me?” Both of his eyebrows jump up in surprise.
“You were kind to me when no one else was,” I confess. “You gave me the strength to fight back.”
“I’m glad. You truly are a special girl, Peony. Maybe we’ll meet each other again someday.”
“In your fucking dreams,” Cassian mumbles from beside me. I elbow him in the stomach.
“Oh, and I almost forgot…” Joshua snaps his fingers, and all four of my Devils’ pants fall to the ground.
“What?” Karsyn stares confusedly at his jeans around his ankles, while Lucas simply rolls his eyes.
“Fucking warlocks,” Cassian grumbles as he struggles to pull them back up.
I giggle, and Joshua’s face softens at the sound. He winks at me.
“Until we meet again.”
And this time, I actually believe him.
Chapter 56
I spend the next week at home, attempting to process all that occurred. Nana tells the school that I’ve come down with a stomach virus, and since I’ve never missed a day, they don’t question it. I don’t know what the guys told the school, but all four of them stay with me.
I alternate between crying, screaming at nothing, and staring blankly into space. Sleep proves difficult for me. Every time I close my eyes, I see Emmett’s malicious, cruel smirk as he hovers over me, that damn knife raised in his hand. And then the scene changes, and Gabriel’s bloody head fills up my entire vision. Then I think about the people I killed, and it only serves to increase my queasiness.
I usually wake up and vomit into the nearest trash can.
Nana calls me on the fourth day to tell me that it’s done. I don’t need to be a mind reader to understand her ominous words. Nana officially disowned Darlene as her daughter, and my mother lost all of her magic. I don’t know what this means for my family, but I do know that I can never forgive the woman who gave birth
to me. I always knew she was cruel and conniving, but this is something else entirely. What she did…it was evil. No amount of groveling will ever get me to forgive her, though I doubt my mother will ever stoop that low. I hope I never see her face again.
Through it all, the guys never leave my side, comforting me when I need them to and holding me when I don’t have the strength to stand. One of them always stays next to me, as if they’re afraid I’ll shatter if they leave me alone. And maybe they’re right to be afraid. After all, they can feel my emotions just as I can sense theirs. I’m a tumultuous mixture of pain, fear, anger, and guilt. Mixed in that toxic cocktail is something akin to hope. Happiness. Elation.
The Devils are mine, now and forever. How can I not feel a little happy?
But then the guilt overpowers that positive emotion, and I succumb to my internal darkness once more.
It’s on the following Monday when I decide I’m finally ready to head back to school.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Karsyn asks softly. Lucas is showering in the downstairs bathroom, while Elias is in the upstairs one. Cassian is still asleep in my bed in the attic.
“I need to live my life again, Kar,” I whisper, holding my mug up for him to refill with coffee. The Devils and I…we have become strangely domestic. You can tell that you care about someone immensely when you change your habits a little bit to accommodate theirs. For example, I guarantee you that a week ago, Cassian would’ve never willingly loaded the dishwasher or cleaned up after dinner. Or Lucas, the silver-spoon baby, would’ve never cooked dinner for all five of us while Nana and her men were still away.
But they knew what I needed even before I did. So while those two made sure I was fed and the house was clean, Elias held me in his arms on the sofa, while Karsyn put on a stupid romantic comedy. And then the next day, when I had a panic attack because I missed two tests while I was away, Lucas sat with me at the table and helped me with my schoolwork, while Cassian rubbed my tense shoulders and Karsyn swept the kitchen.