by Auryn Hadley
"You," Bel said. Leaning on his pool cue, he looked over at me. "They think it's cute how you keep treating us like normal men."
"And how the hell am I supposed to treat you guys?"
Sam's hands reclaimed their spot on my waist and he pressed in behind me. "Like demons," he whispered. "Now go kiss your boyfriend and stop worrying about it."
This time, Sam was the one nudging me to make my way around the table. Nick didn't move, just lifted his beer to his lips and splashed back a drink. That didn't hide the little smile playing on his lips. I decided Sam was right, and with as many drinks as I'd had, worrying was far beyond my capabilities. Nick didn't look mad, so I was still in his good graces. I'd also just saved Sam without having to resort to any public displays of affection.
"I think you set me up," I accused as I slid my arm around his waist.
He made a face but shook his head. "No setting up, dove. Just helping out a friend." Then he turned to face me and leaned closer. "And proving that you can stop worrying all the time about upsetting me. I heard about your talk the other day."
"Uh..."
"Bad at keeping boyfriends, worried we'll ditch you and leave you to deal with angels alone. Any of this sound familiar?" He lifted a brow.
It did, and he knew it. "So you talked to Sam, huh?"
"Sam talked to me. He said this has been eating at you for a while, so why didn't you say something?"
I flailed an arm toward him. "Suck at dating. Hello! What am I going to say? Hey, Nick, your best friend is hot and smells good, but don't take that the wrong way?"
He nodded. "Yeah, basically. Or how about Luke's great abs? Maybe Bel's cute dimples?" Then he hooked a finger under my chin and made me look at him. "I told you. For the first time in four and a half billion years, Sia, I don't feel the need to lie about who I am. You shouldn't either."
That was a very long time. Just hearing him say it like that made it sound even more impressive. "I didn't lie, Nick. I just don't want you to think I'm not thrilled with us – because I am!"
"I know that. Just like I now know that the reason you looked so scared when I caught Sam sitting beside you wasn't because you thought he'd force you to do something you weren't interested in, but because you thought I'd assume the worst. Right?"
Biting at my lip, I managed to both hang my head and nod it. "Pretty much. He was helping me with a drawing of you, I mean, the blue you, and I didn't think you'd approve."
"Ah. So why did you avoid him for days after?"
"Because I was pretty sure I'd crossed a line and wanted to put some distance between us. I mean, I didn't want Sam to get the wrong idea – or you!"
"Mm." He stepped a little closer. "Would it help if I said I won't dump you because I get jealous?"
All I could do was shrug. "But I don't want to make you jealous. That's kinda the point. I mean, we're together, and I'm perfectly happy with you – but checking out guys is... I dunno... a habit?"
"Natural," he corrected. "Big secret of the universe, Sia – dating someone doesn't make you either blind or stupid."
"Ha. Ha," I mock laughed. "You know exactly what I'm saying."
"Uh huh." He paused, leaning back to look at me. "But I don't think you understand what I'm trying to tell you. We've been chasing each other for years, and you didn't spend that time just waiting for me. And I don't care. You were happy, and that makes me happy. Whether you were dating that plump kid from the grocery store or the asshole frat boy, you still thought about me. You still painted me."
"But I thought you were a hallucination."
He shrugged. "And you still wanted me. Nothing else matters. I can't promise I won't get jealous, but I can promise I will never try to turn you into a possession."
To buy a little time for that to sink in, I lifted my drink and finished it off. When that was done, I pulled away from him to find a trash can, holding up a finger to show I'd be back. So far as I could tell, Nick was trying to say he didn't want to be exclusive. Was that honestly what he meant? Had this thing between us already run its course? I tossed the plastic cup away with a little more force than necessary and turned back. I guess if I wanted to know, the easiest way would be to just ask.
If only that was as easy as it sounded. Asking meant I might get an answer I didn't like. It also meant I could make a complete fool of myself. While I wanted to be all tough and sure of myself, it seemed there were certain simple things that scared the hell out of me. Like laying it all out there, and I was about to do exactly that.
"Ok," I said when I returned. "So you want us to date other people?"
Nick's head twitched slightly. "No. Not really where I was going with that." He huffed out a heavy breath and glanced away.
I couldn't tell if he was annoyed, hurt, or confused. Either way, his eyes landed right on Sam, the person who'd started all of this. While I watched, a smile slowly pulled one corner of Nick's lip higher.
"Do you remember what Luke mentioned at your sealing? About me not telling you a piece of demonic history?" he asked.
"Yeah..."
Nick nodded. "And do you remember your response about wanting some hot stories?"
I felt my face growing warmer. "You mean about some hot demon on demon –" Before I could finish, Nick just walked away.
I stood there in complete shock. I knew he was listening, and I knew he was trying to make a serious point, but he hadn't even let me finish? Then I realized where he was going. Without pausing, Nick slipped around behind Bel, ignored the group of coeds sitting at a table watching our game, and marched straight up to Sam. The magenta-haired demon looked up but Nick didn't hesitate. His hand cupped the side of Sam's face, the other closing on the shorter guy's ribs, and without even bothering to ask permission, Satan kissed the shit out of the demon of seduction.
I slapped both of my hands over my mouth, but I didn't dare blink.
It was hot. It was probably the sexiest thing I'd ever seen in my life. As their mouths met, Sam caught Nick's neck, pulling him closer. I could see their tongues through the gaps in their lips, but there wasn't space between their bodies. Muscles bulged and hands grasped. They kissed like lovers who knew each other well, with the kind of passion I'd only found in Nick, and all I could think was that it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen in my life.
And that I probably needed a new set of panties after watching that.
With one last brush of lips, Nick pulled away. For a moment, the two demons locked eyes, then Sam's head jerked to the side, toward me. Nick's eyes followed. I swear I was breathing as hard as either one of them. To prove it, I fanned myself, making a show of it. I watched as Sam's shoulders relaxed and he laughed.
"Jealous?" Nick asked, raising his voice to carry.
I just shook my head, torn between smiling stupidly and gaping at them like they were a spectacle. Thankfully, Nick didn't expect a retort across the bar. After saying something to Sam, he made his way back over and pulled me up against him.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you," he said softly. "Sometimes there's nothing to be worried about."
I tilted my head across the pool table. "You and Sam have a thing?"
"Had. A long time ago. Like before the fairy kind of long ago." He ducked his head to meet my eyes. "Am I in shit for that?"
"Nope. Oh, no. Not at all. That was..."
"Hot?" he offered with a smile.
I nodded emphatically. "Yep, very."
"But aren't you jealous and going to dump me? Clearly, kissing someone else is a big no-no according to your rules."
"Yeah, but, no..." I groaned and shoved a hand across my face, wishing my words would return. "Sam's cool. He's my friend. I mean, if you were ditching me to pick up guys – or girls – it'd be different but –" Again, I just stopped. This time, it was because I realized I was saying almost exactly what he had.
"Yeah, I think you finally get it. The five of us share something that no one else will ever be able to understand, and that ch
anges all the rules. When I see you practicing with Bel, drawing with Sam, or hanging out with Luke, I like it. I'm never going to put rules on you that can't withstand a few million years, Sia. You shouldn't try to put them on yourself either. Sure, I want you to like me most, but we are a legion, and you're a part of that now."
"You know," I said softly, sliding a little closer to him. "I think that little display may have gotten your wish, because I'm suddenly very ready to go home and show you which demon I like most."
"Yeah?" He palmed the back of my neck. "And here I was thinking that since your shields are working so well, this would be the perfect chance to see what you thought of that demon in real life."
"Vesdar?" I asked.
Nick nodded. "I did make you a promise, after all." Then he raised his voice. "Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm taking Sia to the beach. If anything happens, I'll call."
Luke laughed. "I'm pretty sure something will happen, but I'll be listening. Go have fun, you two. The water should be nice this time of year."
Chapter 37
Nick laced his fingers through mine and started pulling me toward the front door. "Ever been skinny dipping in the purple sea? Want to?"
"Seriously?"
He lifted a brow and smiled seductively. "Well, it's supposed to be a celebration, right? It's also summer there. The water gets wonderfully warm."
We left the bar just like everyone else, but instead of heading home, Nick guided me around the back of the building, behind a tree that blocked the view from the street. He paused only long enough to check for anyone watching, then tugged me into the corridor with him. Thankfully, there wasn't an angel in sight.
"Since you've never been there before, this time I get to drive," he said, wrapping his arms around my back. His hood was still down and those galactic eyes were warm and mesmerizing. "I'm going to show you my favorite place in the five worlds."
I nodded, but didn't even have time to answer before he tugged again and we fell across the next veil into Vesdar. I could only assume it was a planet like Earth, round and filled with many climates and time zones. Where we stepped out was at the tail end of sunset. Blues, pinks, golds, and greens tinted the lilac sky. Verdant sands lay soft underfoot, but this wasn't the same beach I'd been to the last time. That one had been an open expanse. This one was isolated, and before us spread a royal purple ocean. The cove was circular, a wall of green cliffs to the left, and a powder-soft beach spread off to the right, making the view impossibly gorgeous.
"Why is the water purple?" I asked, trying to take it all in.
"Violet sky." He pulled my hair back, his demonic nails teasing my neck. "The planar densities are just different enough to shift the light refraction toward red, and the sea reflects it. Want to go swimming?"
Biting my lip, I turned back to him with the best pouty face I could manage. "Flying?"
He laughed but grabbed my arm and looped it over his neck. "That's what I was hoping you'd say. Hold on, little dove. The takeoff might be bumpy."
I hugged his shoulders, my arms high enough to stay away from the reach of his wings but low enough to avoid the horns, and Nick lifted me against his chest. He looked up, checking the sky, then pushed. His wings cracked as they caught the first rush of air, wider than I'd realized. Each thrust lifted us higher, and I pressed against him, partly scared of falling, partly wanting to see everything. Being with Nick was like a mixture of exhilaration and terror as everything I'd ever known was proven wrong and the world became a much more interesting place.
The ground fell away, the wind whipped through our hair, but I was secure. There was nowhere to go but down, and he'd be able to catch me easily. When the cliffs looked like grains of sand, his body tilted, slowly, and we moved more forward than up. My eyes watered but I wouldn't look away, trying to take it all in. On the horizon, the sun was a brilliant pink. Behind us, the sky was a rich indigo, and in between, I held my demon, feeling like any minute I'd wake up from this perfect dream.
"Look to my left," Nick called, trying to be heard over the wind.
I did, seeing a pack of what I first thought were birds. As we angled toward them, I realized they also had leather wings and were a lot farther away than I first thought. Seconds ticked past and I tried to make out exactly what they were, expecting something from a myth. Then they finally got close enough. Dragons. At least a dozen of them flew right at us. I squealed, gripping his neck, but Nick laughed and shook his head.
"We're too small, not worth the effort in flight. I'll show you."
His wings pushed hard, gaining speed, each flap rocking us closer together. It was amazing and magical, and then I looked into the wind one more time to find the dragons bearing down on us. Huge did not begin to describe them. Every law of physics I'd believed existed broke in my head. Four legs, long tails, and bodies the size of a whale, their wings were even bigger. I could imagine only one fitting on a football field, and I wasn't even sure of that.
Nick wove between them, twisting and turning. His arms held tight around me, but he was laughing as my head turned to take it all in. They were like flying mountains, but in the most amazing colors. Blues, yellows, and the same verdant green as the sands below, I couldn't even see them all in the fading light, but I loved it. The group passed and Nick banked, following them back to the circular cove so far below.
"What do they eat?" I asked, almost screaming into his ear.
"Fish." He banked again, giving me a view of the ocean below. "Really big ones."
I could see them. Under the dark water, even darker shadows moved in schools. I wondered if they were like whales, but didn't want to know. I just made a mental note that we'd have to come back when it was daylight so I could see everything. That's when I realized this was all worth it. Losing my independence, giving up on my life goals, and stepping into a world of insanity, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'd always thought I was a pragmatist, but I was wrong. Everyone wishes there's something more, something fantastic just beneath the surface, but I'd thought that was nothing more than the dreams of a foolish orphan wanting to believe she was a fairy princess.
It wasn't. I was a Muse, and that was so much better. With the wind twining my copper locks into Nick's midnight blue, his strong arms held me tight as we soared into the sunset. If this was what I could expect in life, I didn't want to be a fairy princess anymore. I wanted to be a demon.
Slowly, he landed, the process being easier than I'd expected, but his wings threw sand into the air around us. He set me down, making sure I had my legs under me, then shook out his arms and stretched his wings. I couldn't help myself. I hugged him.
"Thank you," I whispered into his chest. "I love this, I love your wings, and dragons, and the green sand. Thank you for finding me, Nick. Thank you for making me something special."
He pressed his palm against my face as his wings folded behind him. "You made yourself special, not me." His starry eyes searched my face. "But thank you for not running away from it, Sienna."
With a giggle, I stepped back and thrust my arms out wide as I spun in place. "This has been the best day of my life!"
He chuckled at me. "Well, it definitely ranks at the top of mine. I love seeing you so happy like this."
"Oh? Know what would make me even happier?" I stopped, staggering a little from dizziness, then sighed. "We should've brought a blanket."
He lifted a brow as he tugged at the old-fashioned laces of his pants. "Why? The water's warm."
"But sand gets in the worst places."
He just shook his head, then tugged off a boot with the toe of the opposite foot. "That's why you don't fuck on the beach, Muse. Do I have to teach you everything?" In one quick motion, he stepped out of his pants, leaving them there in the sand, then started backing toward the water. "C'mon. I might get lonely."
For a moment I just stared. Satanael the demon was hot! Here on Vesdar, his skin looked almost iridescent, those rune wards a half shade dar
ker. Then there was the trail of dark blue hair running from his belly button to... wow. Yep, that had a rune on it, too.
"I promise touching is better than staring," he teased.
Yes, I had a feeling it would be. I tugged my dress over my head, kicked off my shoes, and wiggled free of my bra and panties as fast as I could, watching him slowly step backwards. He made it no more than twenty feet before I ran to beat him into the water, but Nick was devious. He lunged at me as I passed, catching my waist, and flapped, just lifting us off the ground to propel us forward.
I squealed.
That one beat of his wings was enough to take us to knee-deep water, but I staggered as we landed – if you could call the end of a glide landing. Thankfully, the sea was there to catch me, and Nick wasn't any better. We both splashed down, completely soaked but laughing. The water ran over my lips, just as salty as any other ocean, but pure, like ours must have been before pollution. I loved it.
He caught my back up against his chest, more than happy to haul me around with his demonic strength, and pushed us deeper into the sea. What I didn't expect was how he used his wings as an efficient set of swimming arms. Giving in, I leaned my head back on his shoulder and relaxed, letting him take us out farther. Nick stopped with the waves lapping around his chest, deep enough that I could barely touch. I had to cling to him to keep my head above water.
"This is perfect," I said softly, looking up at the strange stars above. "The only thing better would be to have my own skin so I could fly with you."
"Soon," he promised. "Although, I think your first lesson as a demon might not be flying."
Turning to face him, I shifted my arms around his neck. "Oh?"
Dripping water, his hand reached up to push a lock of hair behind my ear. "There's never been a female demon, little dove. I might have to sample the wares, but I don't even know how all the limbs would fit together."
"How does it work with the men?"
He looked away. "We tended to use different positions."
I grabbed his face and turned it back to mine. "Talk to me, Nick. What is it?"