Live Like Legends (LIVING LEGEND #3)

Chapter 2

I rubbed my hand as Reese and I walked down the hall. It didn’t hurt, well, it didn’t hurt now . The moment I felt the heat from her palm sink into my skin, I wanted to immediately pull away, but in a moment like the one we had, it was extremely hard to want to do anything but let her do whatever she wanted.

This wasn’t the first time it had happened, but this was the first time she’d started to notice. The burn was never bad enough to leave a scar, so the evidence wasn’t there too long to rouse any sort of suspicion. I should have been one hundred percent concerned with why it was happening in the first place, but I was honestly rattled by the idea that I didn’t have an answer to that very question if she were to find out and question it herself.

“You good?” Reese asked, waving his hand in front of my face as we walked. I was walking, but he walked with a slight limp given the damage he took to his leg during our fight in Purgatory. It wasn’t noticeable anymore unless you really paid attention. His wings had survived without much of an issue, but from what he’d told me about his continuous visits to the infirmary, his leg needed more time.

I shooed him away, placing both my hands in my pockets. “Yes, why?”

“You have that preoccupied look on your face. The one where you would rather be anywhere else, but you also have a job to do so you have to look like you care.”

“I don’t look like that.”

Reese scoffed. “Yes, you do. I would think shacking up with your girlfriend would make you a little less like you have stick up your ass.”

I rolled my eyes. “Having Ariel second guessing and undermining everything I have to say allows me to have this look on my face,” I bit the inside of my cheek. “She’s also not my girlfriend.”

My best friend stopped, grabbing my elbow. We were a few steps from the briefing room doors and all I wanted to do was go inside and yet again have my ass chewed out for things I couldn’t control, while actively avoiding this conversation.

“Excuse me?”

“What is the problem now?” I said, annoyed.

“Let me try to understand this…you went all the way to Purgatory for her, yet you haven’t asked her to be your girlfriend?” Reese’s hazel eyes narrowed as if he was truly trying to break down the very words he spoke.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, my first thought when coming back to Heaven’s Gate wasn’t to lock down my relationship.”

Reese shrugged. “I mean she did basically die, so wouldn’t you want to make the most out of her newly resurrected status.” Then he smirked. “I mean, besides having more sex than I think you’ve ever had in your twenty-four years of life.”

I let out a small chuckle, but then there was a sharp tug at my chest at his mention of my age. My birthday had been during the time I’d spent away from Dani, those months we didn’t speak. My mind drifted slightly to the tiny party my father threw for me. I was never one for big ordeals, especially for my birthday, so it was small and intimate. It took my mind off of the darkness I was harboring, and I felt lighter even if it was only for a few hours. Maurice Cassial didn’t always know everything that was going on with me, but he somehow knew how to make me feel just a little bit better with the simplest things.

I shook my head letting the happy memory fall away. I realized I had yet to even tell him all the details of my time in Purgatory, all the dark things my mind still toyed with every now and again. None of that seemed even half as important as finding out my mother hadn’t just up and left us like he let me believe or that somehow, I gained additional powers I still didn’t quite understand from a woman I would never know.

As if he could read my mind, Reese said, “he asked about you.”

I turned for us to start walking again. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb, Nick. He just wanted to know how you were doing, that’s all.”

“Did you tell him I was just fucking fine?”

Reese rubbed between his eyebrows with his index and middle finger. “Yes, although I did leave out the hostility.”

“Great. Is he doing fine?” Once we got to the doors, two sentries were stationed outside as Ariel had now permitted. They were literally in every single briefing room, lounge area, the cafeteria and the outside of the Divine Library. I swore even the storage closets had security.

The sentries nodded at us, remembering us from the last ten times we’d been here.

“Yes, he’s fine, except for the fact that his son refuses to see or speak to him. You told me what happened, and I understand you’re upset but…”

“Good, let’s move on.” I had told Reese as much as he needed to know and the look of sympathy in his eyes had me regretting opening my mouth at all. Despite his lack of words when I’d finished relaying my newly found past, Reese had just sat in silence with me, realizing that right then I didn’t want pity or comforting words. Now that some time had passed, it was like he and Dani had some sort of mutual agreement when it came to getting me to finally talk to my father.

The sound of hinges unlocking and the door creaking open filled my ears as I cut him off. I heard Reese let out a sigh. The sentries moved to the side so we could step over the threshold and see Ariel in all his unearned glory.

His red hair was tucked behind his ears and hit right at his earlobes. His teal suit looked freshly washed and ironed. He was speaking to angels who looked like messengers when the doors closed behind us. Ariel leaned against the long table, but straightened when he noticed us. He spoke a few more words to the others, gave a cheeky laugh which they reciprocated, then sent them on their way.

The angels gave Reese and I small smiles before they left. It always felt as if people wanted to say so much more, but with Ariel around it was hard to speak your mind without being reprimanded for having a personal thought.

“On time yet again. I’m delighted you boys are following the rules,” Ariel said, giving two small claps.

Reese laughed. “Let’s not pretend like you aren’t making us come here to keep an eye on us.”

“All I want is everyone’s safety, Mr. Diniel. It is quite simple.”

I pulled out a chair, removing my sword from behind my back and sat down. “We’ve already told you Lilith thinks she’s dead. I hardly think she’s coming to search for her.”

“You’ve yet to explain to me how it is that Lilith would have this idea of her demise to begin with,” Ariel pushed, pulling out the chair next to me and sitting way too close for my liking. He had this way of trying to be intimidating, which almost had me laughing. Dani was way more intimidating than this guy.

I watched as Reese leaned against the side of my chair. He cocked his head to the side. “That part doesn’t matter. What should matter is that Heaven’s Gate is safe, and you can keep going on your perfect little hunt for Jonah’s magic.”

Ariel flicked his eyes up to Reese who made sure to stand his ground. “Ah of course you also have some loyalty to the Soul Seether just like your charming friend here.” He motioned towards me.

I felt my hands clench around the arm rests. “She hasn’t done anything worth your attention since she’s been here so just back off. Maybe, I don’t know, everyone wouldn’t feel like she’s some kind of pariah if you just stop trying to scare them into thinking she’s the villain.”

Ariel shook his head. “Nicholas, I’ve heard your request over and over and I honestly don’t think bringing her into our society like it's normal is something the people are willing to do.”

Reese leaned down a little, getting into Ariel’s space. “Have you even considered asking them?”

“I have bigger issues to focus on than what you want for the girl you like. I’ve allowed her to stay under the conditions I’ve told you. I’ve also allowed your other trespassing friends to remain as well. I am not an idiot; I am well aware that opening a portal to Purgatory is ill form at the moment. I am generous if nothing else for providing everyone with a place here.” Ariel held his hands up as if he was the victim here and we were berating him.

“Under your conditions!” I nearly growled, hearing the wood of the armrests whine under my hold on them. “Your conditions are wanting to keep her locked up. The rest of them would rather stay with Natalia than be anywhere near here. She’s trading one prison for another and it’s not smart to think that she won’t grow tired of that.” I only spoke the truth since she had pretty much told me as much earlier.

Ariel simply smirked. “Well, that must mean you need to have a better handle on her now doesn’t it, Nicholas. You spent all this time defying everyone just to be with her and what…you can’t deal with her anymore. If you would still like a place here, you will keep her away.” He swatted his hand towards me, communicating that he was done with this part of the conversation. “I have more pressing matters with Jonah’s magic. I did task you with helping with the search, speaking to those who could be useful.”

Reese nodded. “We did all those things and came up with nothing. You think maybe Jonah’s powers simply don’t want to be found by you specifically. It would explain a lot.”

The executive gave him a tight-lipped smile. “The magic doesn’t work like that, I assure you. Jonah was secretive about many things, so it just takes time to figure that out. Jonah’s father’s power went immediately to his son without hesitation. Without an heir, well, he seems to have hidden it away as if it’s some sort of game.” Ariel made a disgusted noise before turning to me expectantly. “I asked you to question your father, so did that bring anything new?”

Ariel had told me to ask my father questions about Jonah and where he would suspect the magic was. We’d had small conversations about Jonah’s magic here and there after his death, but nothing jumped out at me that made me think he knew anything about where Jonah would have hidden it. I wasn’t about to explain to Ariel all the reasons why I wasn’t on speaking terms with my father right now so I said the only thing I could. “It didn’t.”

Reese let out a deep sigh as if he was annoyed by my answer.

“Damn, well then we will have to move forward with the ceremony and celebration as I had planned.” Ariel nodded more to himself as he got up from his chair. He rubbed a hand down both his velvet lapels and turned to us. “Jonah’s magic simply doesn’t need to be found. I have waited too long and so have the people of Heaven’s Gate. They need a leader and maybe then once the power is settled and I have leverage, then I can see about letting your precious Soul Seether out…under supervision of course.”

“Woah, you can’t be serious. Does no one get a vote on this?” Reese asked, his hazel eyes wide.

Ariel chuckled almost as if the question was absurd. “Of course not. As much as I didn’t care much for Jonah’s father, the man did believe in a strong leadership. I would like to continue that.”

“I think you are confusing democracy with dictatorship.” I spat out.

“Call it what you like, but in a few weeks you all will officially answer to me. It is a fact, Mr. Cassial. One that you should get behind quickly or your hand will be forced.”

I shot up from my chair, walking up to him and sticking my finger into his chest. “I do all these things you asked because it’s easier than arguing half the time, but you can’t force me to do anything. The last time we spoke, and you acted like this, I told you that you don’t deserve this, this position isn’t yours and it never will be. No ceremony will ever make me answer to you the way I did with Jonah.”

Ariel let his green eyes take me in. He let out one cool breath, removing my finger from his jacket. “You know your father tried to get out of his duty and well, he never stepped foot on these grounds for a very long time after that.”

His words brought me back to my father’s story, his truth about the past. His truth about all the things he’d let fall away for the sake of my mother’s wishes. Why did every fucking thing come back to that man? No matter what I did to try not to think about him, he still seemed to invade my life at every turn.

I opened my mouth to argue but a loud grunt and then a crash caught all of our attention.

“The fuck was that?” Reese said, swiveling his head towards the door.

I reached for my sword, taking a small step forward.

Ariel stood behind us, like he automatically assumed we would protect him, when in reality all I wanted to do was throw him at whatever was waiting on the other side. If I knew myself at all, I would likely fight to protect him, but it was an intrusive thought that I knew Reese was likely thinking as well.

Another thump and panting, then a muffled they are in there .

I made a move to step closer when I smelled it. The one smell that could calm me, but in this very moment, frustrated the fuck out of me.

The door opened with a dramatic flourish slamming against the stone wall. Dani stepped over the sentry on the floor and strutted into the room with all the confidence in the realm.

“Thank you,” she said as the sentry scurried backwards, attempting to pick up his lost sword but failing multiple times. Dani eyed all of us, but her brown eyes landed on mine with such intensity I knew she was silently telling me that I should have seen this coming.

“Nicholas! What is the meaning of this!?” Ariel sputtered. “Where are the guards! Any of them!”

Dani walked over to me, and I kept her eye contact, but I only broke it to look over her head at Reese. He ducked his head out the door and looked down the hall. He let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, I think they are a little out of it at the moment. Nice job for what it’s worth.” He gave Dani a thumbs up, but quickly stopped when he looked behind me at most likely a disgruntled Ariel.

“What did you do?” I asked the no nonsense hybrid I just so happened to be in love with.

Her curls bounced as she got on the tips of her toes to peck my lips. “I found you.”