by Auryn Hadley
"And to your body."
His hand slid up my arm, releasing me without breaking the contact. "Exactly."
"So when do I get a seal?"
Reluctantly, he leaned back. "Before you try to cross the veils." Then he stood and grabbed his shirt, wadding it tightly and tossing it onto his desk before he dropped back into his chair. "It hurts."
"If I'm marked, can I still enter Angelis?"
"Yeah. They chose who to lock it to, and you weren't on the list back then."
"Damn." I grabbed my coffee again and took a long swallow, my brilliant idea a bust. "So the angels and demons set up your veil protections backwards? I mean, they're open to anyone but their enemy, and your world is closed to anyone but your friends."
"Right. Angels have to bring their slaves over, and our way would prevent that."
"So I can't go to Daemin?"
He flashed me a wicked smile. "You will. I'm one of the demons responsible for keying the veil to our friends."
"Like Luke?"
"Exactly." He shrugged. "You'd have to be marked so the veil protections can read it. The only problem is you have to be able to stand in the corridor – where angels can try to stop us."
"And I'm too weak right now."
"Unstable," he corrected. "Weakness isn't your problem, considering you just pulled enough aether to fill a demon from empty to almost half full."
"Is that a lot?"
He nodded, his eyes watching me intently. "That's like five humans. But in the corridor, the laws of physics are shifted. The aethereal winds between worlds push at us, and unless you know how to balance, you can be swept away."
"Oh. How much aether does it take to regain consciousness?"
"Between a quarter and a half. Everyone is different, but we all have a buffer level." He sipped at his cup again.
"Three hundred and forty-one," I said to myself. "That's three thousand, four hundred and ten people that need to die."
"Approximately. About a hundred thousand humans die every day." He sipped again, letting me work it out.
"So, if we could revive a demon each, every day, that's just over six months to wake them all."
"But we can't." He raised a hand, stopping me before I could disagree. "It's exhausting, and I cannot do that every day. I can only guess you can't, either."
"But you're the strongest aethersmith in Daemin, right?"
He shrugged, nodding slightly. "And dumping that much aether nearly knocked me off my feet but didn't even slow you down. I'm not a Muse."
"So I need to hold more." And needed a plan to make me feel in control again. Waking demons seemed like a win-win to me. "Like a balloon, I can stretch and learn to hold more."
"But there's more to aether than simply waking demons." He set his cup on the desk and stood, gesturing for me to move over. "It's the force of life. It's the building blocks of the world." He claimed the corner, kicking his shoes off before sprawling languidly against the well-padded armrest. "Come here."
He tugged me back against him, one arm wrapped lightly around my waist as we lay back. Nick's bare chest became my pillow. He held his hand before me, palm up, and reached around me to touch the tips of his other hand to it. Slowly, he pulled. Pale blue, frosty tendrils swirled between his hands.
"Aether makes us like gods." With a flick of his wrist, he broke the substance free, letting it float before my face. "It's life and beauty, and anything you desire." His hands played around it, guiding the fog without quite touching it. When it condensed into a tight ball, he closed both hands, shielding it from view, and took a deep breath. "It's complete power, and can corrupt you completely if you let it."
Opening his hands like a book, I saw a tiny butterfly grasping his finger. Black and blue wings flapped slowly, displaying an intricate design before it took flight, slowly flitting across the room.
"Complete power," Nick said again, snatching his hand in the direction of the butterfly. It vanished, and when he twisted his wrist and opened his fingers, the aether had returned, swirling just above his skin as if the butterfly had never existed.
"Wow."
His lips brushed against my ear. "How much do you want to learn?"
"Nick, I want to know everything." I turned to look at him. "I can do this."
"I know." He glanced away. "But how far are you willing to bend? How much are you willing to give up for people you didn't even know existed a month ago?"
I looked back at his hand, the aether still dancing on his open palm. Reaching up cautiously, I touched it, taking the time to finally feel the hot and powdery surface of concentrated life. Twining my finger through his essence, I felt his heart against my back, each beat heavier than the one before.
"If I'm going to make sure those bastards can't hurt any more of my friends, then I'm willing to bend exactly as far as I need to," I whispered, trying to mimic what he'd done.
Where my finger touched it, the aether solidified, tinting green and turning woody until a delicate red flower bloomed at the end, growing from the air just above his hand. Manipulating it was no different than the pencil that had started this whole thing.
"I am not going to just sit here and let everyone else worry about keeping me safe. You say I have a powerful talent? What I hear is that one day I'll be able to take care of myself, and that's all I ever really wanted."
I trailed my finger down the petals, touching the leaves and tracing the stem to the end, leaving nothing but wisps of blue behind my touch. Then I pressed my palm to his, driving the aether back into his skin, returning it to the home where it belonged.
Nick gasped, his fingers spreading beneath mine. "You don't play fair."
I giggled and shifted enough to see his face. "No, I don't."
With a devious grin, he grabbed my arm with one hand, flicking a glob of aether into his other. "Let's see what it's like for a Muse."
He pressed his hand to mine, a trickle of his essence caught between our skin. His eyes watched my face. The warmth met my skin first, like sun-baked powder, smooth and soft in my palm before it began to seep in. The sensation radiated from inside, down my wrists, to the core of my being, feeling like a feather against my skin: sensual and seductive but reassuring and comforting.
It was like an embrace after being apart. The kind that was so tight I never wanted to let go, so perfect I couldn't stop smiling. Like a teddy bear to protect me during the night, a friend to promise it would be ok, or that warm feeling that comes when someone loves their gift. It felt like love, and the sensation lingered after the substance was absorbed. From the smile on Nick's face, he knew I'd felt it.
"I think you like that." His eyes dropped to my lips.
"I think you're a tease."
He shifted, forcing me to face him. "I think you've learned more in one night than most demons learn in a week, and yes, I'll tease you a little if this is the result."
"Only a little?"
He leaned closer. "Define a little."
"An impossibly beautiful man with his arms around me, cuddling with me on a couch." I glanced down. "The lack of shirt is well outside that definition. I think it may constitute torture."
"Being held by a horribly scarred and single-minded monster?" His tone was light, but his eyes betrayed him.
I traced a symbol along his waist. "They aren't scars, and your wards are beautiful. Like works of art."
"And proof I'm not human," he reminded me. "You've only seen the good parts, Sia, not the demon."
"Then show me the demon, Nick. Give me a chance? Let me reap the dead, let me see your wings, let me visit the rest of these crazy worlds I keep hearing about."
"After you're sealed."
I pressed my hand to his chest. "Then get me a seal."
He nodded slowly. "When you're ready, and not before. It never comes off, little dove, not in any of your skins."
"Isn't it just a key?"
"Not always." His hands were sliding down my back, trying to distract me. "It'
s like a focus, but it works both ways. While being sealed will concentrate your abilities, it's also a beacon to those who know how to find it." His fingers slipped under the edge of my shirt, resting against the skin of my back. "It's how ancient witches used to summon us. If they get it right, we feel an annoying pull."
I heard what he didn't say. "But one you can ignore?"
"To a point." He grinned. "Usually we'd show up just to destroy the binding because it's irritating, like a fly that keeps landing on the end of your nose. Not harmful, but it sure gets old fast."
"Nick?"
His dark eyes flicked to mine, hearing something in my voice. "Too weird?" he asked.
"No," I assured him. "I just... I mean, are you really like all those myths? Is anything in the Bible true?"
"Yes." He flicked his gaze between my eyes. "Yes, dove, most of it is in one way or another. The problem is how it's portrayed. Like witches. They were just flirtatious girls who didn't shun our attention." He sighed. "And yes, we seduce you. Women are like a drug to most of us. You appeal to something we shouldn't have, and," he smiled, "we have a hard time resisting."
"And the sins?"
He groaned and tilted his head back. "That's complicated."
"I've got plenty of time," I reminded him.
He sighed. "Ok. So Luke makes deals. He loves to trade good fortune for someone's soul. That's the conglomeration of aether in your body. Your life, I guess. Anyway, the catch is that even if someone gives him the right to their soul, he has to be there to catch it, and all he does is what nature would do anyway. He releases it into the world so angels can't use the power against us. Granted, sometimes that's releasing it exactly where he wants, but still."
"And that whole thing about encouraging evil acts?"
"Like thinking outside the box?" He shrugged. "Yeah, um, did you know that when I taught the first man about complex math, it was assumed to be evil? Stop and look at those sins, Sia. Eating pork? Jealousy? Cosmetics? Angels wanted to keep humans primitive and ignorant. We want to encourage your evolution, to find an ally. I'm not ashamed that I introduced physics to Earth. I'm sure Sam isn't upset that he created the condom and invented the idea of family planning."
I paused to think that over and couldn't find anything nefarious about it. "What about the whole thing about enticing people to commit murder? Or starting wars, or all of that?"
"Angels." He caressed the side of my face, making me look at him. "War brings aether, and a whole lot of it. Look at how many were fought for religion – a concept angels found to be successful for domesticating your kind." His thumb brushed my cheek. "We're not perfect, Sia, but we're not a force of some all-powerful evil. We're just people who happen to disagree with what the angels are doing. Good and evil aren't tangible. They aren't inherent because of where we were born. They're just a matter of perspective which changes depending on whose story you listen to. From our point of view, we didn't do anything at all wrong."
"So why do you reap the dead?" I tilted my head and kissed his palm, assuring him I was merely curious.
He smiled, his eyes following my lips. "Most demons do it. It started as a way to release the aether before they could get it. If we pull it into the corridor, it flows so quickly that it's free. Eventually, it will leach through the veil, back to Earth."
"And now?"
"For me? Because, I can make it better. When I ease the release, it comforts them, and I like humans, Sia. I always have. I'm also part of the group responsible for maintaining the veils of Daemin. We need aether like you need oil. Our society depends on it to function."
"So, you're harvesting us, just like the angels are?"
"Yes and no. I'm harvesting only those of you who no longer need your souls. They're harvesting you as soon as the life has grown to full. Bombings, wars, and so many man-made tragedies cut lives short, and all too often it's just for the aether that will be released. They collect it in mass. We collect it inside ourselves, soul by soul, when the humans no longer need it."
"Ok, I think I like your way better," I conceded. "But Nick?"
He laughed. "You're insatiable, little dove."
"Maybe, but I need to do this. I need to learn everything so no one else I care about will get hurt. That means I need you to teach me. No matter how I feel about you – and I really do like you, Nick – I still need you to let me do this. Please don't try to protect me so much that you make me weak?"
His expression sobered and his dark eyes met mine. "I don't think I could, dove. Not even if I wanted to."
Chapter 26
The next day, we slept in late, and then headed over to my little shack around noon. Luke had already taken care of all the details like breaking my lease and quitting my job. Considering he had a knack for that, I was more than happy to let him. Granted, no job, no home, and I'd only known these guys a little while? For me, this was a really big deal. I was giving up every single thing I'd spent my life trying to prove I deserved.
Angels had a way of changing priorities.
But Luke couldn't make everyone forget my existence. That's why Nick and I walked over, so the neighbors would see us enter while Luke and Sam just slipped through the corridor. I was a little sad about the idea of losing my own place. I'd worked so hard to finally afford my privacy, but the trip to Angelis was all the convincing I needed. Privacy was nothing when a group of psycho angels were after me.
We walked in the front door and I stopped, looking at how much stuff I'd acquired. Second-hand furniture, a used laptop, countless art supplies, and more canvases than I could count. I pressed my hands to my head, trying to decide where to start.
Luke walked out of the kitchen and saw my anxiety, so decided to make it easier. "All the paintings go to our place. You want to keep the furniture, put it in storage, or give it away?"
"How long do you think I'll have to stay with y'all?"
Luke looked over at Nick. "Well, that's hard to say. A couple of years easily, if you really want to master your craft." He looked back at me with a knowing smile. "I can make sure you have a large enough bank account to buy something better, just in case you ever need it."
"She won't," Nick grumbled, moving to look at some of the paintings hanging on the wall.
Luke tilted his head toward him, grinning at me. "But his places are all furnished pretty nice."
"It's not that," I said, hoping Nick would understand. "It's just that I hate the idea of needing to rely on everyone else. I mean y'all have already done so much, and I kinda feel like a mooch."
"Money's not a big deal," Luke assured me. He tilted his chin over his shoulder, calling to Nick, "Hey, how much is in your bank this year?"
"I'm not talking money," Nick said.
"Just fucking tell her."
Nick turned from the painting to look at me. "About seventy million."
"Uh." I swallowed, trying to digest that. "You're rich?"
He shrugged. "I made a few investments that paid off well."
"Like a few hundred years ago," Luke teased. "Nick convinced us we should buy into that whole electricity thing. Then there was that drink Sam was obsessed with, called Coca-Cola. Not to mention that we have some very good financial advisors."
"The demons who handle your accounts?"
They both nodded.
"Look," Luke said, gesturing around the room. "Anything you want to keep, we'll keep. If you just want to feel like you aren't giving up your independence, we can do that too. If it's just feeling bad because you think we're broke college guys?" He lifted his hands in defeat. "None of us are hurting, and this is a big favor for us."
I took a long, deep breath and nodded. "Trash the furniture. Art I want to keep. The laptop has stuff on it." I started walking through the house, aware of how tiny it was compared to theirs. "Everything in the dining room is for my work."
"I got that," Sam said, stepping out with a box of paint brushes in his hands. "Sorry, was snooping. Figure we can turn the red room into a st
udio?"
"Really?"
I wanted to hug him, but his arms were full. That one little sentence made so many of my misgivings vanish. They hadn't made me ask for a place to work, but were offering one up front? Even though this wasn't really an optional thing, and Nick and I weren't even close to ready for the whole live-in commitment, the guys were already making me feel like family. There weren't words to describe how reassuring that was.
Sam grinned, nodding like a proud child. "Of course. I mean, it's not like you'll be sleeping there, not with the sounds I've been hearing at night."
I stuck my tongue out at him. "You're just jealous."
"Damn right I am." He winked and started to step back, disappearing before his foot touched the ground.
I pointed to the empty spot. "That's freakish. Y'all know that, right?"
"You get used to it," Luke assured me. "Bedroom, Sia."
I looked at him quickly, realizing all of the guys had adopted the nickname Nick had given me. "Guess that's gonna be a universal thing, huh?"
"Oh yeah," Luke agreed. "You want to just stack all the drawers in the red room then bring them back empty?" He raised his eyebrows, trying to give me control even though I knew his idea was pretty good.
"Yeah," I sighed. "Y'all really don't mind all the heavy lifting?"
Nick laughed behind me. "We're fine, little dove." He glanced toward the bathroom. "So, should I put that stuff in the blue room or the red one?"
"Hm," I turned toward him and leaned my back against the wall. "Depends. Where do you think I'll be sleeping?"
"The blue room," he said, taking a step closer. "There's no need for you to have to walk naked through the hall just to get the shampoo that smells right."
"Oh? Don't I get a say in this?" I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.
He placed his hand against the wall, beside my head. "No."
Luke cleared his throat. "Still here. You two remember that, right?"
"Then slip something over," Nick suggested, his eyes never leaving mine.
Luke said nothing, just grabbed a drawer and dropped it on the bed, pulling out a second to stack on top of it. Shaking his head, he lifted them both. "Just don't be naked on the bed when I slip back for the next load?"