Hellfire (Nightfire Academy #4)

Chapter 10 - Gable

CHAPTER 10 - GABLE

S unshine, fresh air, and an afternoon ice cream. Gravel crunched under our shoes as we completed our daily circuit of King’s Parade Park to get Mary out of the house. Locked away in the darkness of a Brotherhood cell, she desperately needed to get some sun, build up the strength in her emaciated legs, and get acquainted with this strange new world in which she found herself.

This was the third time we left my apartment after having a ceremony for my brother, and our mood was low and contemplative. I wanted to liven that up with a fun little outing.

Business was slow the past few days, freeing me up to spend more time with her, teach her little duties I perform in my business to keep her mind and body active while she stayed with me. Activities took her mind off the ghosts of her past. Packing bundles of candles or wrapping sprigs of herbs. I didn’t want her lifting any boxes when she was weak. Keeping myself occupied worked wonders for me when I escaped.

That, and I wanted to induct my sister into the business, maybe get her working shifts one day, co-own it with me, or expand into another town. All dependent on how quickly I could break down her Brotherhood programming. I hoped this gave her a sense of direction and purpose when she never had the privilege to choose her direction in life.

I squeezed her hand and swung our joined arms. Touching me grounded her and eased her anxiety at being in a foreign environment. Ice cream melted on the cuff of her thrift store coat, which one of my former Brotherhood associates got for her over a week ago.

“You’re making a mess, Little Bug.” I wiped off the liquid with my napkin, and she smiled. “But that’s what ice cream is about, huh?”

“It tastes good, brother, thank you.” So polite, formal, and obedient. Terrified to utter the wrong word or act inappropriately and be beaten. Habits I’d help her grow out of in time.

Besides our short jaunts, we’d been practically housebound since she came to stay with me. Our food was delivered to us so we didn’t need to take a trip down to the mall. Leaving the apartment took a lot of effort and convincing. Over the last fortnight, we worked up to leaving for short walks, grabbing coffee from a shop a few doors down, and today, I rewarded her with dessert. Anything else was too much for her senses. Going to the bar last weekend to meet up with Luna and her men was a real test, and I wanted to see how Mary handled it. Besides falling to her knees to pay respect to Luna, the evening went well.

My sister’s gaze darted about, scanning for danger—something she’d never shake free of. Still to this day, I peeked out from behind my shopfront’s curtains, scouting for trouble, and releasing magical feelers to get the green light. Even then, I never felt safe, like a predator stalked my rear. After years of it, the habit became second nature, a way to dull my anxiety, and I gave up hope of seeing the end of it. I licked at my two coffee and walnut scoops piled on a cone, remaining calm for her.

“How’s your ice cream, Little Bug?” She outgrew my nickname a long time ago, but I used it as a source of comfort, and she responded well to it.

“Good.” She licked at her chocolate hazelnut, getting it all over her face, the melting cream dripping down her chin.

I wanted to laugh at her childlike innocence despite being a teenager. She had a lot to learn to catch up to speed with the outside world.

I used my napkin to clean the fresh trail, and she gave me a transient smile of appreciation.

I put on this act for her, the cocky smiles, the devil-may-care attitude, but I hurt inside just as much as she did. I wanted to burn away all her pain and leave her with a fresh start without a haunted past. But I was a realist, not an optimist, and this would stay with her for life.

She glanced up at the War Memorial Carillion, towering over us at almost one hundred feet, squinting at the sunlight splitting over the monument. Ice cream dripped on her brow when she raised her hand to shield her eyes. Brotherhood members were prone to darkness, and it would take her weeks for her sight to adjust, like mine did when I broke free.

I brushed the mess from her face with my wet napkin. “Do you want me to grab you a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes? There’s a store down the block.”

Mary glanced at me with a blank expression. “What are they?”

I had my work cut out to teach her everything I knew—information that took me years to acquire. “They’re dark glasses that cover your eyes and make it easier to see in bright sunlight.”

“Yes, please, brother.” She blinked a few times and glanced at our path ahead.

“It’s a further walk,” I warned. “Do you think you can handle it?”

“I think so.” Her gaze looked lost but also curious.

I tugged her in the opposite direction, down the row of winter plants the local council had sown.

Bells chimed in the war memorial, signaling midday, the noise startling my sister, her gaze snapping in its direction, her hand tightening on mine. I remembered that reaction well. My body going through the motions of panic, expecting shadowy figures to emerge from behind the red brick monument to capture us and take us back to Camus’ castle fortress.

“They can’t hurt you anymore, Mary.” I patted her hand. “Camus’ forces were severely weakened in the djinn army attack.”

“He’s still out there.” She rubbed her arm again.

I saw that same pain in my face every time I glanced in the mirror. I just wanted to strip it out of her, burn it, and kiss it goodbye.

I let go of her hand and moved in front of her, stopping her. “He can’t hurt us. I’ve tethered you to my spell, and if he tries to kill us, he dies too.”

She gave an uncertain nod.

I changed the topic to distract her. “Luna’s coming for lunch today. You remember?”

“Oh, that’s right.” Starvation and a lack of nutrients created a brain fog that would take her months to clear when eating the right food.

“I’m making nachos. It’s my favorite.” I smiled, an easy expression to lessen the tension in her shoulders. “I think you’ll love them too, Little Bug.”

“What are nachos?” Her question almost prompted me to crush my cone. My siblings missed out on so much by being caged in that godforsaken place.

“You can help me make them.” I patted her hand, fighting my guilt for not getting her and Luke out sooner.

She wouldn’t eat much. No more than a few mouthfuls when her stomach filled up quickly. Each day we worked on getting more into her, and I fed her a regime of herbs and vitamins to heal her wounds, fight off infections, and give her optimal health.

She gave me a gentle smile. “I would love to be of service for the princess.”

I stopped in front of her again. “No, Little Bug. You don’t serve anyone but yourself. Do you hear me?”

She bent her head and said pliantly, “Yes, brother.”

I lifted her chin and peered into her slightly darker gray eyes. “You’re not in trouble, sister. You’re out of there and don’t have to live by those rules anymore.”

A smile lifted the corner of her lips. “I’ve missed you.”

My parents didn’t give a shit about her or my brother. They were forced to breed to expand the Brotherhood’s dwindling numbers and rebuild their warrior class after a skirmish with the Guild. Except Mary and Luke weren’t strong enough, both born prematurely, since my mom didn’t eat well and drank too much, and they were never picked as soldiers and used as servants.

“Missed you too, Little Bug.” I wrapped an arm over her shoulders and guided her to the mall.

It took us a solid thirty minutes to reach our destination when it should have only taken ten minutes. We had to stop a few times on the way for Mary to sit on an outdoor chair, catch her breath, and rub her sore legs. My hands curled into fists at how Camus treated her and Luke. I’d burn his hair from my tethering spell and make that bastard pay.

Our little excursion resulted in a pair of red sunglasses for my sister, and her needing a nap to rest from the exertion, instead of being able to show her how to make the nachos. We had plenty of time to do it again.

I prepared the dish thirty minutes before my princess’ arrival, then showered and changed, dabbing on some oils to smell nice for my lady.

Mary stumbled out of bed, woken by the noise I made.

“Sorry to wake you, Little Bug.” I stroked her messy hair.

“Why didn’t you wake me sooner?” She rushed to the mirror, smoothing her hair. “The p… Luna will be here.”

She studied her reflection, twisting her face left then right, lifting her hand to her gaunt cheeks as if catching them for the first time. Fingers stroked her pink mouth, feathered along her jaw, and tangled in a loose lock of hair.

I’d never seen myself in a mirror before Camus sent me on my first assignment, and I caught glimpses of myself in reflections of glass and polished metal.

“Want me to do your hair?” Yeah, she was old enough to do it herself, but the brushing motion lowered her apprehension, and her panicked movements said she needed it.

“I can do it.” Trembling fingers picked up the brush I bought from the supermarket and tamed her hair into an acceptable ponytail.

I smiled at her resolve, then broached a question. “Did I ever tell you how I got this place?”

“No.” She slid her feet into her sneakers and tied the laces.

“I stole some valuables from the Brotherhood before I left.”

She looked up, horrified.

“It was the least Camus owed me for doing his dirty work.” I never told her what that was. I didn’t want to fill her eyes with even more fear. “Anyway, I traded them for a bit of cash, and let’s just say it had something to do with a night at a casino and some smashing good luck.”

I stepped forward and brushed her cheek.

“A casino is where you gamble money on games,” I explained before she asked. “I’ll take you when we get you some fake ID.”

“Thank you, brother.” She smiled, pleased, though she might not be so happy with the crowds, bustle of bodies, booze, the jingling of slot machines, people cheering, and dealers shouting to place bets.

I didn’t know why I told her that. It seemed appropriate at the time. I ought to clarify. “I guess what I’m saying is, never be afraid to take what you want in life.” I messed this up with the wrong example.

I rubbed my forehead. Today wore me out. Every time someone came to visit, I worried how Mary would react, and I hadn’t been able to relax. Talon and Castor’s visit scared the hell out of her, and I had to play cartoons and force her to drink relaxant herbal teas for two days straight to soothe her. I was extra antsy with Luna coming for dinner with her connection to our past.

“That doesn’t mean steal,” I corrected myself and wagged a finger at my sister. “It’s metaphorical and has several meanings. One is not to be afraid to go after what you want. Another is to prioritize your needs. The Brotherhood never gave you that choice, but you’ve got it now.”

“I think I understand.” She frowned and stood.

I better get back to dinner preparations. I had to set the table. Steep myself a relaxant tea, nothing strong. I didn’t want to be relaxed to the point of incapacitated thinking in the event of an emergency. Just something a bit stronger than chamomile to take the edge off.

“I’ll leave you to it. Want anything to drink?”

“Chocolate milkshake, please.” She was enjoying the fruits of this world way too much after rations of stale bread and rice.

I quired a brow at her. “That’s for dessert only.”

“Water,” she conceded, and I left to get it.

Luna arrived early, knocking on the shop window, and I jogged out to door, glanced behind the curtain, smiling at her pink nose and cheeks from the cold. Talon waited behind her, his hand on her back, scanning for threats.

I swung open the door. “Come in, Princess.”

“I’ll pick you up at 10PM.” The gargoyle leaned down several inches to peck her on the cheek.

“See you then, my prince.” She spanked his stoney ass, then cursed under her breath and shook her hand.

He took her wrist and kissed and stroked it. “My naughty princess.” He cracked her on the ass and jumped back out of reach, smirking at her and backing away into the darkness. “Have fun, brother.”

Luna’s mouth flapped open. “Did he just call you brother?”

“I’m one of the family now.” I curled my arm over her back, drew her into my body, and pushed her up against the wall, taking her mouth with mine to show her how much I missed her these last two weeks. Brief phone calls, FaceTime, and texts were nowhere near enough. Our mouths moved in perfect synchronicity that said we were made for each other.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, and I loved the feel of them roving over my scalp, down my neck, shoulders, and back. I wanted her hands everywhere. Wanted her alone. She stayed here once with her men when I hosted a winter-themed party. That needed to happen again and more often.

“Do you have to leave tonight?” I groaned into her neck. “Can’t you stay?”

I gave Mary my bed, and Luna and I would have to crash on the sofa, but she could rough it for one night. Her dorm wasn’t exactly the Hilton.

Her little hum gave me hope. “I’ll text Talon and ask.” She pulled out her phone from her wallet and pressed keys.

Pleased, I kissed her hair and ran the side of my hands down her shoulders and arms while she sent the message.

“Before I forget.” She held onto her phone. “The headmaster told me at assembly this week that he owes you.”

My brows snapped up, pulling the skin on my forehead tight. “Really?” I made a show to glance over her shoulder, peel back the curtain. “Yep. Pigs are flying.”

She laughed and rubbed my arm with her free hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get a recording of it, but you’ve earned gloating rights.”

“Oh, I will, Princess.” I let the curtain fall back.

A text reply came quickly with Talon’s approval and my dick roared to get our night underway.

“How’s Mary?” She replaced her phone in the pink leather purse gifted by Blaze. It suited her.

I appreciated that she cared about someone she barely knew. If it wasn’t for Luna, I would never have gotten my sister out of there. The fact that she kept her promise to get me back with my family meant more than words could express.

“Doing better.” I hooked my arm around my princess’ neck and brought her in for a hug, relishing the feel of her small, soft body on mine. “She hasn’t been up to sightseeing yet. We went for a longer walk to the mall and bought her sunglasses.”

“Can’t wait to see them.” Her hand slipped between our chests to drift over mine, resting over my heart. “How are you coping with this change?”

The question harpooned me, and I lost my breath for a moment. I didn’t know how to process that she gave a damn about how I felt. How to accept her love, kindness, and compassion when it didn’t come at a price or with motives behind it.

My parents only showed my siblings and me affection when we pleased them. Relations with ex-Brotherhood crew were co-dependent, relying on each other for safety, and we didn’t check in on each other’s feelings. This was the first balanced relationship I had in my life, when I was used to power imbalances where I played the pawn to Camus or my parents or whoever forced me to do their will.

“Are you okay?” Luna’s warm fingertips traced my jaw, prickling the stubble I hadn’t shaved since Mary’s arrival.

“Fine, Princess.” I kissed her nose.

She shoved my chest. “Don’t give me that. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. Well… besides Cole. Anyway, you escaped, started a new life, built up this successful business, and you’re too afraid to tell me what’s on your mind.”

The woman understood me. Saw beneath the flimsy, cocky armor I projected to the world. Beneath it, I hid the little child who wanted to be loved.

I clasped her face. “I like what we have, Princess. This friendship. Relationship. It’s my first healthy one where I’m accepted for who I am and not what I can give someone. It’s… new to me.”

Our relationship started off as a mutually beneficial one—she needed my help, and I needed hers. In between those moments, there were glimmers of respect and affection between us, moments where we opened our hearts, shared our fears, hopes, and dreams. Things I never told a soul. I felt heard and not judged. Validation that gave me a high like nothing else. She made me feel seen for the first time in my life.

Her hands came down over mine, her thumb caressing my knuckle. “Relationships are new to me too, and we’ll work it out together.”

I loved that we explored this new territory together. It was more than sexual attraction. A deep trust and admiration. Valuing each other, our past, present, and future.

My heart began to pound in my chest, urging me to say what I really felt. “I think I love you, Princess, but I don’t really know what love is like. I mean, I think I do, but I don’t beyond the love I have for my family.”

Her mouth curled into a comforting smile that annihilated any doubt. “I’m glad you said that, because I feel the same. I feel safe with you. No judgment on who or what I am.” She brushed my face. “We’ll take it at whatever pace you need and define it as we go. Friends? Lovers? In love?”

“All of the above.” I leaned down and met her lips with mine, taking my time to spell out exactly how I felt. My dick chose that moment to interrupt a touching moment, thumping against my jeans, demanding release. “You better stay the night, Princess, or I’m tying you to my couch and fucking you all night long.”