by Ivy Asher
My heart aches for him and what he must have gone through. Both he and Delta spent their whole lives thinkin’ one thing, and then one moment changed everythin’ for them. It couldn’t have been easy, and I don’t blame either of them at all for strugglin’ to come to terms with things.
The corner of Flint’s mouth ticks up with a smile. “Needless to say, I moped for a few years,” he states on a small laugh.
“A few years?”
A teasin’ laugh leaves Alder’s throat. “They say women can hold a grudge, but I haven’t met one yet who could hold a candle to Flint and his frustration.”
Flint snorts. “Yeah, well, I was a prick.”
“Yep,” Alder agrees good-naturedly. “About as soon as I introduced myself, he informed me that he wouldn’t be doing fuck-all to help with the gate and that I was on my own.”
My mouth drops. “You didn’t!”
Flint grimaces. “I did. It was easier to blame the gate for all my problems than to face it and accept my fate.”
Delta chuckles across from us. “Fuck, Flint. You and I would’ve gotten along great, because I basically did the same thing.”
“Yeah, because your ass is stubborn,” Jerif grumbles. She shoots him a look and then reaches over and pinches him on the side. “Ouch!”
Delta looks back at Flint with a sweet smile. “Continue.”
He lifts a shoulder. “Well, that’s how things went for several years. I stayed in the human realm, did whatever the fuck I wanted, only giving the bare minimum of my power and my presence to help Alder sustain the gate.”
I look back at Alder, feelin’ so bad that he had to carry the responsibility entirely on his shoulders. That must’ve been horrible and stressful, to say the least. “How did you manage things all on your own?” I ask him.
“It was a struggle, I won’t lie,” Alder replies. “But I’m a legacy—I was trained for this my whole life, and I’m powerful. I managed okay for the most part. Until…” His words trail off, his eyes meetin’ Flint’s.
My attention shifts to my marble demon. “Until what?”
Guilt washes over Flint’s face clear as day, and his gaze drops to the carpet once more. “I was always leaving the bar to go fuck off in the human realm. I’d leave in stints, only coming back when I couldn’t resist the gate’s pull. But that last time, I was being a complete dick. I stayed away for nearly two whole months. I knew Alder was being drained. I knew the gate needed power. But I was just so fucking bitter, I resisted.” Slate-gray eyes rise up slowly to look at me, anguish buried in their depths. “And then a horde broke through.”
“Oh, shit,” I hear Delta murmur.
“Alder was overrun. Even with the help of some of the demon patrons at the bar, there were way too many Outer Ringers. There are a lot of demons that believe we should have free rein in this realm and do whatever the fuck we want to humans. They attacked and broke through the gate, nearly killing Alder in the process.”
A gasp flies from my mouth, and my hand squeezes Alder’s arm that’s wrapped around my middle. Even though I know this story happened a long time ago, I can’t help the panic that fills me as I imagine all of this goin’ down and what could’ve happened.
“I shifted back immediately when I felt the attack, and I barely managed to get Alder a safe distance away. The stubborn bastard wouldn’t run. Too damn proud and honorable,” he says with a rueful turn of his lips.
Alder chuffs behind me. “Someone had to stay and guard it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Flint replies, but I can tell this playfulness is gained after years of regret and contrition.
“So what happened?” I press.
Flint tilts his head toward Delta’s guys. “The other Guardians felt the attack, and they came to help. Together, we managed to close down the portal and stabilize the Hellgate. But the horde killed a lot of good demons that day. And good humans too,” he says with a resentful bite to his words. “It was my fault those demons broke through and went on a killing spree. If I’d stopped being such a fucking selfish prick, it never would’ve happened.”
His gaze meets mine once more, and I hurt for him at the devastating pain and penitence I see on his face. “I learned right then and there, it’s not worth it to fight your calling. If the gate needs you, it needs you. Pouting or running or trying to ignore the responsibility ain’t worth it. I know that better than any Guardian out there.”
Silence reigns for a bit as everyone digests his words, mostly Delta and me. I feel so bad for Flint—at the guilt he carries around. And for Alder, who had to stand with such a heavy load on his shoulders for so long all by himself. It says a lot about the kind of person Alder is that he clearly doesn’t hold a grudge but, instead, is sympathetic and supportive to what Flint went through. They’re clearly friends now, and I’m startin’ to understand the kind of foundation their bond was built off of.
“Well...fuck,” Delta says, breakin’ the silence. I can’t help but let out an anxious laugh.
“Thanks for tellin’ us, Flint,” I say quietly as I squeeze his hand supportively. My heart hurts for him knowin’ that the people he considered family basically abandoned him, all because he ended up havin’ a different daddy. Flint shoots me a warm smile, squeezin’ my hand right back.
“Took me a wicked wake up call, but I’m thankful that the Gate chose me, and that I got a second chance to be the Guardian I was supposed to be,” he admits. “And now...we got the two of you,” Flint continues, noddin’ at Delta and me. “Annuli.”
“Yep,” Alder says behind me, his voice rumblin’ through his chest and into my side. “You two are everything we didn’t know we needed,” he says, his hand playin’ with the strands of my hair and makin’ me shiver. My heart swells at his declaration and the honest conviction ringin’ through it. I lean over and place a kiss on his cheek.
“I keep meanin’ to ask...do you feel any differently?” I question Delta. “I mean, since you went down into Hell and worked your Annulus magic on the Hellgate?”
Delta bites her lip in contemplation before shakin’ her head. “No, not that I can tell. With the Garden of Eden thing going on down there, I know I did something...but I don’t know. I keep wondering if we should bring you down there to do the same thing.”
Rafferty nods. “I was thinking that too.”
I share a look with my guys and then shrug. “Whatever I can do to help, I’m game.”
Delta rolls her eyes playfully before gettin’ to her feet. “No surprise there. You’re always game to go with the flow, Medley.”
I lift a shoulder. “Just wait until you meet Mama and Daddy. They’re even more easygoin’ than I am.”
Delta grins. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
Mama is gonna be ecstatic when she meets Delta. Plus, the purple wings. I haven’t told her yet about these things, because I wanna watch her face when she sees them. She’s gonna lose her mind with excitement.
“Should we hit the kitchens and fuel up for the night?” Rafferty asks as he and the others get to their feet.
I untangle myself from Alder’s lap and hop up. “Yeah, I could eat.”
Alder gets to his feet too and stretches, his shirt ridin’ up to show the V that leads into his pants and the stunnin’ watercolor outlines of flowers that flow perfectly with his muscles. Suddenly, my mouth starts to water for all new reasons that have nothin’ to do with food. He looks over to find me in a state of pure appreciation, and he smiles and pulls me toward him.
“You hungry for somethin’ else, Petal?” he asks against my lips before he places a quick peck there. I lean toward him wantin’ more, makin’ him chuckle, but then that raspy laugh turns into a gasp, his eyes flarin’ wide.
“Alder?”
Gasps and grunts fill the room, and my head whips around, my eyes bouncin’ from one Guardian to another as they rub at their sternums, anger and concern radiatin’ from every tense muscle.
“What’s wrong?” Delta demands, her
grip on Crux’s arm as he slumps over slightly, his hand grippin’ his chest like he’s in the middle of a heart attack.
I feel Flint stumble behind me, and I shove my shoulder beneath his arm to keep him upright. “What the hell is goin’ on?” I ask shrilly, panic stainin’ my voice as I take in the pained faces of Delta’s and my mates.
All at once, the guys seem to come to the same conclusion, their eyes meetin’ as they all give the same reply. “Something broke through the Hellgate.”
34
Our feet pound through the house, our stampede of eight sprintin’ down the stairs and headin’ straight for the front door.
Somethin’ broke through the Hellgate.
“Where’s the attack?” Delta shouts out as we all pour out of the mansion and start runnin’ over the gravel.
“We don’t know!” Jerif calls back. “We have to check all the portals.”
As we race to the side of the mansion, I give up on tryin’ to keep up with their long legs and leap up into the air and take flight.
I call my scythe into my hand and pump my wings hard before I realize I don’t even know where I’m goin’. I know they said their gate is in the cemetery in a mausoleum, but I’m not exactly sure where to go.
In a second, Delta is in the air too. “We’ll go check it out!” she calls down to the guys, her own scythe gripped in her hand.
“Medley, Delta, no!” angry voices shout, the order trailin’ after us as we take off.
“It could be a trap!” Rafferty bellows out, but Delta doesn’t stop, so I follow in her wake as we speed toward the graveyard in the distance.
Rafferty’s warnin’ wraps around me, but I fling it away. If it’s a trap, better to have it sprung without our mates in the middle of it. They’re not the only ones with the need to protect their mates.
Together, Delta and I grip our scythes and fly fast over an expansive array of greenery before we pass trimmed shrubs and a fence that wraps around the perimeter of the graveyard. We fly straight past it, our wings pumpin’ hard, until Delta circles a massive white stone mausoleum.
“This is it?” I call over to her.
She nods. “Yeah, but nothing’s here…” she trails off, her brow furrowed with confusion, and we both realize at the same time that whatever attack they feel, it’s not happenin’ here.
Delta turns on a dime and starts flyin’ back toward the guys, who haven’t even made it to the cemetery yet, and I quickly spin to follow her lead.
We zoom through the sky until we spot our mates runnin’ full out toward us. “It’s not ours,” Delta yells down at her now irate mates.
“Delta, get your ass down here!” Jerif yells, but she ignores him and instead speeds off toward the part of the driveway that’s far enough out that we can shift away.
“Medley Bell, don’t you even think about leaving before we get there,” Alder barks up at me, his eyes lookin’ like darkenin’ whiskey. As much as I only like bein’ bossed around between the sheets, I agree that it would be dumb not to wait for backup before leavin’ for another gate and into who knows what.
Flyin’ past the mansion, Delta lands in the safe zone of the driveway, and I’m right behind her, gravel crunchin’ under my feet as I land.
“We should wait, Delta,” I tell her.
“I know, we will, but if the tables were turned, they’d leave me out if they thought it would protect me. I don’t want them to get a chance to try to leave us behind,” she tells me, and I nod in understandin’.
That night at Delta’s house when we were talkin’, she told me how her demons had been on overprotective mode lately. I understand how that could be annoyin’, especially when she’s been an independent person for so long, but I also understand why they’d be that way too. I know she’s on the same page and that she gets it too, but it doesn’t make any of it easier to deal with.
I flex my wings and make the metal blades on my scythe retract as we wait, and Delta shifts from foot to foot, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth with worry. I haven’t learned how to shift yet, so I’m dependent on the others to be brought along, and just like Delta said, I definitely don’t wanna be left behind. The waitin’ and the not knowin’ if they were okay would kill me, and I don’t want the guys to get it in their heads that they can leave us out.
When our mates come racin’ around the side of the mansion, they’re a sight to witness. If I was a horde of demons tryin’ to break into a place I had no business bein’ and I saw this group comin’ my way, you best believe I’d turn my little ass around and head on home. They are scary.
Jerif, Rafferty, and Alder get to us first. Jerif reaches out and wraps his palm around the back of Delta’s neck like he means to be her leash. “Do not break ahead of us like that. You put yourself at risk!” he snarls.
“We have wings,” she snaps back. “We’re going to use them, and you’re going to have to deal with it.”
He looks like he wants to shoot fire out of his eyes, but Flint, Crux, and Echo skid to a stop beside us just then, and both my mates take my hands with a squeeze. They look upset, riddled with stress, and Alder leans in to brush lips against my ear. “Just tell us next time, okay? We need to all be on the same page.” I nod in understandin’.
“You need to stay with us,” Jerif growls.
Delta’s gray eyes flash. “We’ll fight about this later. You—”
“We’re wasting time. We need to go check our place,” Alder interrupts, his jaw tickin’ with worry. “We’ve been gone from our portal too long,” he says, and I know he’s worried that the attack is happenin’ back home. I can see the tension pullin’ at the corners of his eyes.
“Let’s go,” Rafferty says with a decisive nod.
A second later, we all shift away, and I blink around as the location comes into view. We’re on the same grassy hills that I’ve come to know so well, the house off to the left, and the graveyard and bar ahead in the distance. It’s strange, I almost expected this place to look differently, given everythin’ that’s happened since last I was here. But it doesn’t, it’s the same piece of land that butts up against swamp water.
Delta immediately leaps for the air, and I quickly do the same, but just as we get our wings workin’, hands reach out and pluck us right out of the sky.
“What the fuck, Jerif?” Delta demands, wigglin’ in his grasp, but he just growls at his mate, a firm grip on her waist.
I turn around to see Alder has a hold on me, but his eyes are lackin’ any of the rage that’s in Jerif’s molten gaze. Alder just looks worried.
“I’m not being reckless, I’m being smart,” Delta snaps at her mates as they all move to surround her protectively.
“How the fuck is it smart for you two to go off alone?” Echo asks incredulously. “Did you forget that you’re being hunted?”
“No, but we’re fast when we fly,” Delta argues. “For all we know, the attack isn’t happening here either. Medley and I can fly over and see what’s happening, and then fly back to let you know what’s going on before you guys could even make it over there,” she defends. “We’d be able to get a visual and form a plan.”
“And what if it is here?” Rafferty counters. “You and Medley would be targets until we can catch up!”
“We’ll stay out of it from the air,” she promises him. “But if somehow we can’t evade, then we’ll deal with it. It’s not like we’re defenseless,” she says, liftin’ her scythe at her side to punctuate her point.
“She’s right,” I say, but I’m not lookin’ at Delta or her mates, I’m lookin’ at mine. “We’re not human, remember? You keep tellin’ us that in our trainin’. We’re Annuli. Half demon, half angel. We’ll be careful, and we’ll be smart, but you’re gonna have to trust us.”
Flint’s fists curl at his sides, but he watches me with an indiscernible expression on his face. I wait a beat. Two beats. Three. Finally, he lets out a long-sufferin’ sigh that seems to weigh on his shoulders. “Alright.”<
br />
I’m so surprised for a moment that I don’t even feel Alder let me go. “Hurry, Medley. Go see and then come right back. We’ll be right behind ya,” Flint says, and I give him a proud nod, my chest fillin’ at his trust—at both him and Alder lettin’ me do this small thing to start bein’ who I’m meant to be.
“I got this.” Without hesitation, I leap up in the air. I hear the other guys start arguin’ below, but then Alder tells Delta’s mates that they trust me, and that’s that. It’s clear when Delta doesn’t join me that this is still a battle she’s gonna have to fight with her mates later, but for now, I can do this small task on my own.
I fly like a missile in the direction of our gate, hopin’ against hope that I’ll find everythin’ okay, and if not, that I can hold off until the others get there. I realize as air rushes past my face that I need to practice carryin’ someone while I fly, because that would solve some issues that could arise in the future if I ever need to scout out things again. I pass the house first, a pang of longin’ in my chest at the sight of it.
With my scythe firmly in my grip, I glide over it, shootin’ straight for the hill ahead and the buildin’ that houses the gate. But as soon as I get closer, I can tell that there’s nothin’ wrong here.
I turn around and fly over the bar just in case, but nothin’ is happenin’ there either. I circle around all three spots again, just to determine for sure that there’s not a soul around or a thing out of place, and then I race back in the direction I left the group and find them just past the house, sweat slicked over Delta’s face as she silently fumes, her and Jerif not even lookin’ at one another.
Relief washes over Flint’s and Alder’s faces when they see me, but it’s quickly replaced by concern once again. I land beside them, and I can feel the rage simmerin’ in my sister, who promptly pushes away from her mates and makes her way toward me.
“Nothing?” Alder asks.
I shake my head. “Nothin. Whatever y’all are feelin’, it ain’t happenin’ here either.”