A Lover's Worth (Spawn of Darkness Book 3)

by S. A. Parker

  “That’s not what I’m saying,” Aero responds, his voice calm. “I’m saying you need to stop beating yourself up about it.”

  Kal growls but tucks his wings in tightly, much to my disappointment. He spins around and cocks a brow. “It’s hard not to. I mean, look at her.” He gestures towards me.

  I smile-pout, bopping my head to an imaginary happy beat while toying with my hair.

  Aero winces.

  “Sooo … flying lessons? You two can’t wait to see these pretty ladies in action again, can you?” I point to my wings, currently reaching in their general direction. The needy tarts are hankering for a good rub down.

  Kal frowns. “It’s better than finding you splattered on the rocks somewhere after attempting to do something you know nothing about.”

  I feel like that comment should offend me, but instead I jump up and down, clapping my hands, happiness spewing out of me in torrents. “Flying lessons!”

  “I’m not sure how much longer I can take this … I’m chewing through my energy to keep her happy, which is only going to do more damage in the long run. It’s costing me progressively more by the minute to keep her this way, which means beneath the web, she’s not in a good way.”

  My Gods study me like they’re watching some fascinating bird, a really pretty one, of course. My wings rustle at that thought, because they know they’re fucking stunning.

  “I know what you’re thinking …” Aero’s eyes narrow.

  Kal cocks a brow. “Think it’ll work?”

  “It’s worth a fucking try—shock her system a bit, give it a reboot. You’re right, she can’t live like this for the rest of her life.”

  “Like what?” I look from one to the other but, receiving no reply, I breathe on the shiny coffee table and draw cute little condensation hearts.

  “The longer this goes on, the more painful the whiplash is going to be when you peel off the web.”

  “Where are the others?” Kal asks, shaking his head and frowning at me.

  “The Day Kingdom, trying to sort their differences. Not going too well.”

  Kal nods. “What a surprise. I’m sure Sol won’t mind ...”

  “Won’t mind what?” Again, no answer, which makes me laugh hysterically.

  “I’ll tell Cassian I’ll be heading out—good luck with that.” He gestures towards me. “Try not to make her laugh too much.”

  Kal leaves and I turn my attention to my Dawn God standing in front of me, looking all sad and shit. “Turn that frown upside down, big man.”

  He sighs and drops onto the seat next to me, receiving a mild assault from my over-enthusiastic wings.

  He clears his throat, ignoring the feather trying to work its way up his nostrils. “I need to talk to you.”

  “Ohh, okay. Serious talk. I can do serious.” I attempt to school my beaming features into neutrality, with very little traction. “Damn, this isn’t working, is it?”

  He shakes his head.

  I give up, still smiling from ear to ear. “I can guess what you’re going to say. You’re concerned I’m internalising all my sadness, and that I’m going to start having conversations with my hand, or something, to cope with it all … right?”

  The world’s smallest half smile curls the edge of his lips, but I call that a fucking win. And then it’s gone again.

  “I like everything that happens inside your head. It’s the footprint of who you are, what you’ve been through … and though it’s fucking heartbreaking that your mind has been forced to twist around itself to protect you, it’s you.” He taps his temple with a finger. “I miss you … in here.”

  “I’m still here.” I gesture to myself in a wide, sweeping motion.

  Aero shakes his head. “Baby, you’re not.” He tucks a rogue curl behind my ear, leaving his hand to rest at the side of my face. “And I understand that, I’ll be forever haunted by the look on your face when you realised your mothe—” His voice cracks on the last word and he breaks my eye contact, shaking his head.

  I stroke his big God chest. “Aww. There, there …”

  He grinds his teeth as he watches my petting hand try to work some magic on his sadness. “Dell, it’s time to come back. We can work through it together, but we can’t do that if you’re not here with me.”

  I laugh, loud and hearty, drowning Aero’s dramatic sigh.

  Kal storms back into the room, a hand pressed over his heart. “I said no fucking laughing, dick.”

  Aero works to uncurl my wing from his arm, unsuccessfully. “That one hurt?” he asks, frowning at the cute little feather grip my flexible as fuck wing has on him. Really, it’s quite impressive.

  “Yeah it fucking hurt … every time she laughs she literally rips away chunks of my energy.”

  My laughter kicks up to maniacal at the thought of all that energy he’s pumping me full of. I’m wiping away the happy tears streaming down my face when Aero reaches his hand out for mine. “Come with me, dear …”

  Aww, Aero just called me ‘dear’. Kind of sounded like he was talking to a crazy old lady, which makes me laugh so hard I almost wet my panties. He sidesteps my assaulting wing coming in to claim his other arm and flashes us to the Day Kingdom.

  We land in the super sparkly dining room with the fantastic view that’s just as beautiful as I remember, and Kal quickly follows.

  “I’ll get them—they’re probably in the throne room arguing over whose cock’s the biggest.” Kal flicks a glance my way. “Try to stop her from throwing herself off the edge again.”

  I laugh hysterically, curling forward and grabbing at my stomach. “That was so funny. I feel like it should make me angry, but it just makes me want to run my tongue over his arse.” I look at Aero, who’s watching me with a bemused expression on his face. “Do you ever get that?”

  He raises a brow. “The desire to run my tongue over Kal’s arse? No, can’t say I do.”

  I shrug. “Your loss. It’s a really ripe arse. Speaking of which, isn’t it about time your lips became acquainted with my labia?”

  Aero chokes and I pat the fucker on the back. “Looking after you lot is hard work. I’m realising more and more that I really do have my work cut out for me ...”

  Drake, Kal and Sol flash into the room—Sol in full fucking wing span. I squeal with delight, running forward and launching myself into his arms, curling my hands around his body and snuggling him tightly.

  “That’s code for ‘she really fucking hates you right now’, in case you hadn’t worked it out,” Kal offers, being a super helpful Night God. He’s so handy to have around.

  Sol clears his throat. “I figured that one out myself, thanks. Jerk.”

  “I’m so glad to see you!” I gush, then throw the same smile at Drake, who’s looking like he chewed a lemon. “And you! I owe you a gold vagina star. I’m going to put it everywhere, if you know what I mean.” I throw him a wink to emphasise my point, right before I take a big whiff of Sol’s neck. “Fuck me, you all smell so good! Want to watch me preen my feathers? You can all sit in a circle around me while I make the ladies gleam.”

  Sol looks pained, which confuses me, because the scent of arousal is thick in the air.

  Yeah … they can’t wait to watch me run my fingers through my feathers for them.

  My wings curl around to stroke at Sol’s, but he tugs his back into place and peels me off by my hands, holding me in-front of him like a baby honey bear.

  “Someone take the girl. I don’t want her sobering up and thinking I didn’t give her the personal space she actually needs from me right now.”

  That makes me so happy!

  “Come here babe, I’ve got yah.” I latch onto Drake when he comes in for the snuggle.

  Sol clears his throat and Kal winces.

  Aero makes a sound that could be amusement. “You brought this on yourself, remember.”

  Sol stomps to the table to pour himself a glass of water from a sweating jug, and I snuggle further against Drake’s c
hest. “I missed you and your magic orgasms. Though Kal gave me some just by massaging my wings—turns out all I need is an orgasm for them to tug back in again. Cool, huh?”

  Growling like a savage, Drake snaps his attention to Kal, who throws his hands up in a look akin to exhaustion.

  “You’ve no idea how hard it’s been! Those wings are so fucking demanding.” Kal gestures to my feathery lady friends, which are now wrapped entirely around my Drake, who clears his throat.

  “Yeah, I can see that.”

  I smile into his neck. “They like you too. They like all four of you … they’re a bit fucking greedy if you ask me, but I’m not complaining. I’m sure I can find a hole to accommodate each of you.”

  Cue a Sun God groaning symphony that makes me sigh in delight. “You guys are so cute! Screw the flying lesson, let’s bang!”

  Chapter Six

  You know what’s not cute? Free falling through the sky as your happy web gets ripped away from you like a bandage that was plastered across your fucking soul.

  My heart hurts, my head hurts, everything hurts. On top of that, my wings are fluttering around like the pancakes I had for breakfast and I can’t control the bastards. What good are these things if I can’t use them? I know they’re pretty and all, but hell, I actually think I’m going to fall to my death here.

  My four Sun Gods are keeping their distance, free-falling faster than I am, though a lot more gracefully. Are they expecting me to simply spread my wings and soar through the sky? Highly unlikely, because they were sawn off when I was a goddamn child, and before then I wasn’t allowed outside with them. The fuckers have no idea how to fly! They’re one hundred percent useless! Pretty, but useless.

  Fuck!

  Tears prick at my eyes, and I know it’s not from all the air rushing at my face—it’s because my heart is properly broken. After everything I’ve been through, this pain is the most tormenting.

  I scream into the wind, fists clenched as I bellow my frustrations to the air rushing past me; the velocity whipping my voice away as fast as I can expel it.

  Resigning myself to my fate, I flip onto my back, allowing my wings to cradle me as I curl into a tight, feathery cannonball.

  Maybe this won’t be such a bad way to die … at least I won’t see the ground coming up to grab me. It’d probably be like falling asleep, but permanently.

  Plummeting to my inevitable doom, I think I glimpse a swathe of red feathers through the clouds overhead …

  Squinting, I realise it was more than likely a figment of my imagination, but it reminds me that there are still fuckers out there, just like the savage, red winged legionnaires, who would do damage to my girls.

  Goddammit. Fucking conscience. Who’s going to be there for them, if not me?

  Snap out of it, Dell. Now!

  I slap myself, just to make sure I’m getting the fucking message.

  Flipping back over, I notice the ground is swiftly approaching. I wave my hands around at my disobedient Gods, making desperate faces, but they just make encouraging expressions and wave.

  Fucking hell. These dicks. The least Kal could do is leave my happy web on while I careen to my death … flying lesson my arse.

  “Flap, bitches,” I scream, but they don’t respond. Or can’t. Probably because they have no muscle build-up. Hell, they’d probably snap in half if they stretched out at the speed I’m falling. How shit would that be? Get two pretty, new wings only to break them the second time I try to fly. And I’m sure as hell not jumping into that bog again! I still smell like the world’s rotten bowels from our last group field trip.

  I try a different approach.

  “Please, girls,” I plead.

  Nothing.

  My gods are clapping and punching the air. Do they really think I’ve got this?

  “Guys! I actually don’t know how to work these things!” In desperation I start flapping my arms.

  Apparently, and at long last, they realise the seriousness of the situation and launch for me at the same time—colliding mid-air, stumbling over each other, pushing and shoving to get to me while I continue to plummet to my death.

  Drake takes the opportunity to pummel his fist into Sol’s perfect jawline, and Aero’s on Kal’s back, hauling at his wings trying to rein him like a horse.

  Of course.

  After everything I’ve been through, this is how I’m going to die, and all because my four fucking Sun Gods are too busy fighting over me to notice I’m about to go splat.

  I say my final prayer to the world as the ground comes at me faster than a whore hell bent on survival, but just as I’m about to perish, my wings decide it’s a great time to show up to the party—grabbing the wind and floating me down gently enough so that when I do go splat, I don’t actually die. I still end up with a face full of sand, but that’s the least of my worries as four sets of feet land around me.

  Or should I say … the least of their worries.

  My beast has cracked her eye open, but I rein the bitch in, because this … I’ve fucking got this.

  Slowly, I uncurl, wiping the sand from my face and coughing up a few bugs that must’ve flown into my mouth while I was screaming up there. I push my tangled mass of hair from my face, run my hands over my dress, straighten, and look at Kal.

  “You!” I point to him. At least he has the decency to look somewhat guilty. “This was your idea. You’re in the sin bin!” He dishes me a moody frown he doesn’t deserve to wear. I swivel before my beast jumps forward and wipes the frown clean off his face with her cock-biting teeth.

  I’m facing Aero, and though my vagina is making cute little grabby hands, I’m fucking not. “You agreed to his plan, so you’re in there too, along with my vagina who’s got her panties in a twist because you’re both on the naughty list. She really wanted your giant penises. Just saying. Your loss.” I stomp my foot in the sand to emphasise my valid point. “Go home and think about what you’ve done!”

  Aero blinks rapidly at me, probably trying to work out which head to think with. He takes a small step forward and I fucking hiss at him.

  He takes a big step back. Go me.

  I turn again, now facing Sol. I look the fucker square in the eye, even as my wings try to stroke the bastard. Frowning at the rogue tarts, I give them a little slap. They’re totally killing my vibe right now.

  “You!” I stab my finger into the centre of Sol’s wide fucking chest. “You’re a sadistic prick! You’ve got some serious grovelling to do if you want me to ever respect you again! I’m not sure if I can forgive you for what you did … I’m not sure I even want to try.” I slap my wayward fucking wing again, for running her feathers along his face. “My wings are in the sin bin, and so are you, for being a straight cunt.”

  He pales. Perhaps he recognised something wicked and feral in my eyes, but I don’t give a single shit. I know what he saw and he deserved it because he fucked up. I’m leaving it to him to work out how he’s going to make it up to me—if he can even be bothered, that is. Maybe he’s too selfish to care.

  I turn to Drake, levelling him with my furious gaze. “And you!”

  He nods, uncertainty creasing his brow.

  “Take me home. Please.”

  He exhales, visibly relieved.

  “I’m exhausted and I need something to eat. And at least one orgasm before I sleep.”

  Brows raised, he smirks at the others who growl, fists clenched.

  I give the three Gods who are in the naughty corner a final look over. “If any of you turn up without my permission, I’ll be the proud owner of three giant, petrified penises.”

  I take Drake’s hand and he flashes us into the Bright.

  That’s how it’s fucking done.

  Chapter Seven

  I’m eating the best meal of my life, sitting across the table from my God of Dusk … who keeps looking at me like I’m an injured marsupial. It’s really killing my vibe.

  “What?” I ask for the tenth time in as many
minutes. I’m buttering a piece of delicious looking corn toast that I’d like to eat in blissful ignorance. Just like Sap over there in the corner devouring her pile of dead animals in perfect fucking peace. She burps loudly, letting out a small plume of fire that would probably set the room ablaze if it wasn’t carved from a sandstone mountain. She gives a little shake, throws herself into the air and takes off out the window.

  Oh, to have that freedom …

  Drake draws a deep breath. “Dell …”

  I roll my eyes.

  “Don’t roll your eyes, this is important. We can’t keep slipping shit under the rug, babe. That’s what caused you to fall apart in the first place.”

  I whirl my hand, gesturing that we should move the fuck on, but apparently he doesn’t get the fucking picture because in the next instant he’s behind me, holding my wrists. “Dell, please.” He brings his mouth in close to my ear. “I’ll reward you with orgasms …”

  Hmmm … corn toast or orgasms? I tilt my head back and look up at him. “Okay.”

  Drake scoffs, looking way too fucking surprised. “Wow … that was easy.”

  “Don’t speak too soon. What do you want to talk about?”

  He pulls out a seat and sits down, facing me, resting his elbows on his knees. My wing curls around and strokes his arm. He raises an eyebrow and I shrug. “Ignore the tart, she has no concept of personal space.”

  “Right, I’ll … try.” He clears his throat. “Dell, I need to know where you stand with all this, how you’re feeling. You’ve been through some shit.”

  I nod. “I guess I have.”

  He watches me, perhaps expecting more. I watch him back. The silence stretches out, consuming the room and becomes uncomfortable. Finally, he holds his palms out, fingers splayed. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”

  I go back to buttering my toast. “What do you want from me? To relive all the fuckery I’ve experienced in my life?” I shake my head. “No, thanks. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m really good at putting up walls. Can’t we just work around them?”

  He grasps my wrist again, preventing me from buttering that last corner of toast.