The breeze blew into the umbrella over the nearby table, hard enough that it fluttered like a sail and nearly toppled over. It’d taken me a moment to process what she’d said—to put together that she thought I was Keagan, who she’d apparently fucked recently—and while I wasn’t exactly happy, I also wasn’t about to lose my shit over it when I was just relieved as hell she was in one piece. So I knew the wind wasn’t my doing.
When I realized her gaze was fixed on my bare chest visible beyond the open zipper of my hoodie, I frowned.
“Your tattoo . . .” she said, then stopped, her brows turning downward. “Did you ever show it to me before?”
My scalp prickled at her question and I lifted my hand, grazing my fingertips over the Fate’s Fools emblem etched into my chest.
“Not that I know of,” I said, darting a worried glance at the swaying umbrella. I needed to get her calmed the fuck down, or we’d wind up in a hurricane. It seemed her turul powers had matured since I’d seen her last, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when it was clear she had no idea she was the one doing it.
I closed the zipper all the way to my neck and pushed down my hood, then forced what I hoped was a more welcoming smile. The wind abated to a light breeze more in tune with the sunny April morning.
“I . . . thought you were Keagan,” she said, finally slumping back in the chair and tugging the hem of the shirt down in an attempt to cover her bare thighs. Her long legs stretched beyond the stark white cotton, muscles tensed and knees clamped together. The rich brown of her skin glowed enticingly in the morning sun.
Part of me wondered: If I’d been Keagan, would she have been so closed off and trying to retreat into herself? I’d heard the small lie she’d blurted out before realizing she was speaking to me. She definitely enjoyed whatever she’d done with him, and I highly doubted he hated it as much as she believed.
“I gathered as much,” I said, the corner of my eye twitching as I worked to bury my gut reaction to not only her words, but her very presence here, half-naked and sexier than she had any business looking in a threadbare old Fate’s Fools t-shirt. The wind carried her scent to me, only it wasn’t just hers. She smelled like both of my bandmates, though I could tell she’d bathed recently.
“What exactly is wrong with Rohan, anyway?” I asked, opting to defer the topic to one less incendiary for now. Ironic that it meant discussing the dragon I lived with.
She sat up straight again, her jaw set. I inwardly groaned at that look. Whatever she was here for was going to be nearly impossible to talk her out of, and I knew firsthand how very persuasive she could be, even without full command of her turul power.
“I can see souls now,” she began, and my eyes widened instantly. She let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I know—crazy, huh? I don’t know if it’s related to being in the realm of the gods last year or just . . .” She shrugged. “. . . part of who I am. I am nothing if not a mystery.”
Her rueful tone made me want to comfort her, but I couldn’t surrender to those impulses if I wanted to keep her safe. Her being here was risky enough.
“How recent a development is this?”
She eyed me warily. “Ever since the war ended, but it’s been easier since the Equinox. I linked to the bloodline to deliver the charmed message, and when I did, I could see all their souls at once. But not just that—I could sense them too. I still can.”
Her brows twitched as her gaze flickered with inner light the way a dragon’s did when it checked out a person’s aura, then shifted down to my midsection.
“I can see everyone’s souls if I look—”
I dropped my hand over my belly and splayed my fingers, summoning a faint net of electricity. “Fucking rude and invasive, if you ask me. Just because you can see people’s souls doesn’t mean you have a right to look. What does this have to do with Rohan?”
She shot me an irritated look, but thankfully her attention shifted from my belly. I had no idea what she’d have seen had she looked at my soul, but I was damn sure I didn’t want to find out.
“Something’s feeding on people’s souls. Members of the bloodline are the targets. There have been at least six since the Equinox, but I have a feeling it’s been going on a lot longer.”
“And Rohan?” I prodded once again, impatient now for whatever truth she was avoiding telling me; I had a sinking feeling I already knew what was happening.
“He’s a member of the bloodline on his human parent’s side. He was attacked yesterday morning. The victims—they get bit by these hound-like creatures that only I can see. Eventually, their souls bleed dry. It’s my fault Rohan got bit. I wasn’t watching—”
Her eyes welled with tears and her gestures became erratic. She rubbed at her eyes and shook her head, then looked straight at me.
“I think they’re linked to me somehow. They’re attacking people because of me.”
I started to shake my head, but stopped and sat forward. One thing was crystal clear to me: She absolutely believed everything she’d just told me, and not a breath of it had been a lie. And if her turul power was as potent as it seemed to be, that meant her perception was likely even keener than my own. She could hear the tiniest lie and perceive the truth of a situation even when events were unclear, though her own emotions could still get in the way.
An insistent tug of awareness pulled me toward her, but I didn’t dare let myself give in. What I could do was help her focus her power to uncover the truth of this particular dilemma, as long as it kept her from gravitating back to me.
Recalling the previous day’s conversation with Llyr, I whispered a quick message into the wind, the quickest way to get word to my grandmother that Deva was with me.
“No!” Deva yelled, springing at me. She clamped her hand over my mouth so fast I barely had time to process her movement. Quick as the wind, and just as unpredictable. My sweet girl was coming into her own.
I shook off that thought and raised my hands to her wrists, scrambling mentally for some way to quell her panic. “You want to know what those creatures are? Then we need to bring in some help. All right, szívem?”
She cocked her head and my gut went ice-cold at the term of endearment I’d carelessly let slip. She could not get wise to my secret. Not yet. I’d have to be more careful about my choice of words—as in, stop fucking using them.
But her hand relaxed. “I heard what you whispered: ‘Found her. If our friend still wants her, he needs to come.’ Who, exactly, is this friend?”
Pulling her hands back down to her sides, I resisted the urge to topple her into my lap. Instead I pushed her back a step and looked into her eyes, mentally composing the speech I thought was most likely to ease her into the idea of having her bodyguard back on duty, whether he was following her father’s orders or not.
Before I could get the first word out, a loud pop sounded behind me and my eardrums ached from the sudden change in air pressure. Deva’s eyes widened and a chill washed down my spine.
“No fucking way! Send him back. I don’t want him here!”
I tightened my grip on her wrists. “Deva, he’s here to help.”
“Let go of me! I can’t fucking trust you. Not if he’s the first person you call!” She wrenched away and ran past me into the house, slamming the door behind her.
“That went well.” Llyr’s sardonic smirk was aimed at our wind-swept reflections in the door. All I could see of Deva was the white shape of the shirt she wore barely covering her perfect ass as she ran away.
A blast of harsh, cold wind picked up the umbrella, patio table and all, dragged them several feet, and with a splash dumped the whole assembly into the swimming pool.
16
Deva
How the hell could this have happened? One minute I was on my own, finding my way to understanding myself bit by bit, and now the last two people I wanted to see had just fucking appeared out of thin air.
I’d let myself be comforted by Ozzie’s presence, like an i
diot. I shouldn’t have been surprised he’d betray my presence to Llyr. My Dionarch father’s assigned bodyguard was no doubt on a mission to find me. He was the only person who had any chance of succeeding.
And yet I’d managed to walk right into the easiest place on the planet for them to catch up to me.
Ozzie’s house. Ozzie’s house!
I tore through the living room, flashing back to the snippets of conversation—to Keagan’s griping about pissing off the Maestro. Ozzie was who he’d meant. And the tattoos . . . they clicked into place now, the mirrored Fs shaped like wings. They’d been familiar from the start. Now I realized that was their band logo—FF for Fate’s Fools.
Halfway down the hall, Keagan stepped into my path and grabbed my arms. “Whoa, princess, what the hell lit your ass on fire?”
“Get me the fuck out of here. I can take care of Rohan, but you both have to leave with me.”
His dark brows lifted. “Oh yeah? And go where? And what the hell for?”
“Anywhere but here! I will not stay in the same house as them!”
“Don’t let her go,” Llyr called from across the house as he jogged toward us.
Keagan’s gaze shot behind me. “What’ve you got against the Maestro? And who’s the other guy? Someone you know?” He looked back at me and chuckled. “Ah, it’s someone you know, judging by the way your whole body just warmed up like a furnace.”
“What the fuck is going on out here?” Rohan asked, entering the hallway, gait wavering. “Dude, let go of her.”
He grabbed Keagan’s shoulder. The big ursa gave a shrug and loosened his grip.
“She’s all yours, man. You can deal with the angry elders. I’m betting she’s done something pretty serious if she’s got a goddamn Thiasoi soldier after her, though. It’s your ass.”
“You love my ass,” Rohan retorted, smirking at his friend as he hooked an arm around my waist and held me close.
“Hey, Maestro. Welcome home,” he said in a casual tone. “How was the trip?”
Next to Rohan, I somehow felt more in control. I glanced up at him, baffled by the easy grin on his face and how the mood in the room lightened. Ozzie and Llyr had stopped halfway across the living room and stood there like idiots, smiling back as though they couldn’t help themselves.
“Ah, fuck, Rohan. Don’t pull that shit with me,” Ozzie said, barking out a surprised laugh.
Then I felt the euphoric tingling in my body and my muscles relaxing the way they had the night before after Rohan shared his breath.
“Ro,” I warned, “you don’t have the energy to spare for this.”
“Don’t worry, babe. I just want to find out what they want with you. A little happy smoke won’t hurt.” Louder, he added, “I call dibs. She’s mine.”
“What?” I twisted my head around to stare up at him.
“Rohan, she isn’t a fucking prize—some shiny thing for you to collect like you hoard new instruments. You have no idea who she is, do you?” Ozzie called.
“Why don’t you tell me? What is she to you? Or to that jackass?” He jabbed a finger at Llyr, and I had to resist turning around and kissing him on the spot.
The pair blurted out their answers in unison, their words tangling around each other’s. Ozzie snapped his mouth shut before he finished, but I heard Llyr clear as day when he said, “She’s my mate.”
“I am not!” I snapped, though my heart pounded at the revelation that he had even a glimmer of affection for me after how we’d parted three weeks ago.
Rohan slipped his hand down to my hip and squeezed. “You sure you want to deny him so fast? He’s one powerful satyr, judging by his aura. I’ve already resigned myself to sharing you with Keagan. Why not add him to the mix? More power to go around.”
“That isn’t what he’s here for,” Ozzie said, glaring at Llyr. “Whatever it is you’re chasing, Deva, we want to help. And by the Winds, please don’t tell me you’re fucking both of them.”
“It isn’t any of your business who I fuck. I don’t trust either of you not to send me back home.”
“Who the hell did you piss off?” Keagan asked. I darted a glance to where he leaned against the wall beside us, observing the exchange. “Is the Summer Shaman that protective?”
Llyr shook his head. “It isn’t Vrishti I answer to, but her mate. The Dionarch is who sent me, along with one of Deva’s other fathers. You might have heard of him. He goes by Nikhil.”
Keagan hissed and stepped away, moving toward the center of the living room to face me along with Ozzie and Llyr. I guessed my dad’s name was enough for Keagan to decide which side he was on. I closed my eyes, hoping Rohan wouldn’t retreat as well.
He only held me tighter and murmured into my ear, “One of your fathers? Exactly how many men am I going to piss off by claiming you when I get my strength back?”
Oh, my sweet golden boy. I wanted to hug him. “Seven,” I sighed. “I have seven dads and three moms, and all of them probably want me back.”
“What are you?” he asked, and I knew I couldn’t run away and take him with me. Too much of my past was in this room right now, even if it was only recent past. Even though Rohan’s promise to claim me was impossible for him to keep, he still deserved to know everything.
17
Deva
“I suppose we should get this over with,” I said, leading Rohan down into the sunken living room he’d destroyed the day before. I still didn’t quite trust our new arrivals, but the fact that Llyr hadn’t already drifted me back home suggested he and Ozzie might be willing to hear me out, and I was just too tired to object.
Deep down, I wanted to trust these men. Ozzie had saved my life the year before, and Llyr . . . well, he’d risked the wrath of my dads, and endured it just to help make sure the ritual to reach the bloodline succeeded.
“Deva, can I talk to you alone for a minute?” Ozzie asked, taking a cautious step forward.
“Fine.” Squeezing Rohan’s arm, I extracted myself from his embrace.
“I’ll explain everything soon,” I told him, cupping his cheek and giving him a peck on the lips. When I did, I released another measure of power into him, just enough to see his aura brighten and his soul’s bleeding slow.
Ozzie was at my side, giving me an odd look when I pulled away from Rohan. He led me down the hall and into the empty room beside Keagan’s.
“Why not your room?” I asked as he shut the door and paced to the windows.
“What the fuck are you doing with Rohan?” he snapped, ignoring my question.
I scowled. What he was really asking was how affectionate we’d been, though I doubt he’d forgotten my explanation about Rohan’s condition.
“Rohan makes me happy.”
“He’s a fucking Gold dragon. They make everyone happy. That’s no excuse to fuck him.”
A million responses careened through my head, but before I could find a sane one, I blurted, “I’m not fucking him, but maybe if you were, you wouldn’t be such a bitter dickhead!”
Ozzie’s head jerked back as if I’d physically smacked him. What the hell had happened to the attentive, caring man who’d saved my life? Had I dreamed all that too? He darted his gaze to the door, frowning.
“Your dragon powers seem stronger. What you did just now . . . could you always do that? Give power like that?”
“Without fucking, you mean?” I jabbed.
He closed his eyes, inhaled slowly, then nodded.
“Gaia, when did you become such a prude?” I asked.
“I’m not, except where you’re concerned,” he answered, leveling a stare at me. “What I want to know is if you can give so easily, why the hell did you fuck Keagan?”
Shit. He had heard me earlier.
“It’s Prismatic dragon power. I can’t take power without someone reaching Nirvana near me. I can only give. And I think I always could . . . I just never had the need to use that skill. It’s like my other passive abilities.” Like how I know you’re l
osing your shit right now, but I have no idea why.
“Exactly how near to you was Keagan?”
I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head in exasperation. “It’s really none of your business, but I’m sure you’ve already figured that out.”
“Did you force him?” he asked.
Eyes wide, I struggled for a response. “Have you seen Keagan? He’s bigger than you!”
“Goddamn it, Deva! Did you sing to him?”
My mouth fell open. What the hell did that have to do with anything? “No! Not that it matters. He’d still hate me even if I had. If my songs were that powerful, I’d still have . . .”
A knot formed in my throat and I swallowed, looking away. It was probably better that my songs were as ineffectual as they were, especially if Ozzie believed I’d use my voice to force someone to love me.
With a soft curse, Ozzie closed the distance between us, pulling me into his arms. “You have me. I will always care about you. I’m sorry for being a bitter dickhead. It just scared the shit out of me when Llyr showed up and said you were missing.”
Tears pricked at my eyes as I sank into the long-missed comfort of his arms. “Gaia, I missed you.”
He held me for several moments, his warmth merging with mine and his heartbeat quick beneath my ear. The sounds and sensations were so perfect, reminding me of all the dreams I’d had of being held just like this, though in those dreams we were horizontal with no barriers between our skin.
His breath tickled the top of my head. “I missed you too, Deva. So much.”
The note of longing in his voice made me look up at him. His blue eyes had clouded, his dark blond brows drawing together as he met my gaze. For the briefest second, I was sure he looked at me the way he had in my dreams, but before I could process the spark that passed between us, he released me and turned back to the window. His broad shoulders tensed and he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“How much do you want them to know?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at me. “Llyr already knows everything, but the others . . . Rohan and Keagan.”
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