Chapter 23
Chapter twenty-three
Felix
Eighteen hours.
I shifted in the leather armchair I dragged next to Palmer's bed, my fingers itching to sketch the way her dark hair fanned across the pillow. The urge to create, to capture this moment of peace after such chaos, was almost overwhelming. But I couldn't look away long enough to grab my supplies.
My eyes traced the gentle rise and fall of her chest beneath the blankets. She was alive. Safe. The memory of her standing against Asrael, wielding power that made even my demon blood sing, replayed in my mind for the hundredth time.
"You're brooding again," Talon's voice echoed in my head.
"Fuck off," I responded through our link, but there was no heat behind it. He knew I was worried. We all were.
Palmer mumbled something in her sleep, and I leaned forward, watching her face for any signs of distress.
Nothing. Just the peaceful expression she'd worn since we brought her here after the fight. Snake hadn’t left her pillow, curled up in a little ball of reassurance, but constantly on the lookout.
Gods, that fight. I'd seen a lot of shit in my centuries of existence, but watching this tiny witch command the veil itself? Seeing her wrap Asrael in threads of vengeance woven from the very spirits he'd tortured? That was something else entirely.
"You're supposed to be resting too," Rhodes said from the doorway, his voice low.
I didn't bother turning around. "I'm fine."
"You look like shit."
"Thanks for the update." I ran a hand through my hair, probably making it worse. "Someone needs to be here when she wakes up."
"And it has to be you?" There was something knowing in his tone that made me want to punch him.
"Yes." The word came out harder than intended.
Rhodes sighed, and I heard him move closer. "She's not going anywhere, Felix. And neither is Jasper."
My shoulders tensed at my brother's name. Having him back, even as a spirit slowly gaining corporeal form thanks to Palmer's power, was... complicated. But watching Palmer fight for him, for all of us really, had stirred something in me I thought I'd buried long ago.
"Did you know?" I asked suddenly. "When you first met her, did you sense what she could become?"
"None of us did. Not even Asrael, and that was his biggest mistake." Rhodes placed a hand on my shoulder. "He thought he could control her, shape her into a weapon. Instead, she turned out to be a fucking force of nature and Asrael’s undoing."
I snorted. "That's one way to put it."
The image of my artwork coming to life, peeling off the walls it'd been carefully placed upon, was burned into my memory.
I'd never seen anything like that before, and I didn't think I ever would again.
I was okay with that because I never wanted her to be in a situation again where she'd need to use that much power. But my gods, she was magnificent.
"You should paint it," Rhodes suggested, reading my expression. "That moment when she revealed her true power. It deserves to be captured."
My fingers twitched again. "Maybe later."
"Felix..." Rhodes started, but Palmer stirred again, and we both froze.
She didn't wake, but her face scrunched slightly before smoothing out. A strand of hair fell across her cheek, and before I could stop myself, I reached out to brush it away. Her skin was warm under my fingers, alive with the magic that now seemed to pulse through her very being.
"I'll bring you some coffee," Rhodes said quietly, heading for the door. He paused. "She chose us, you know. All of us. Even when she knew what we were, what we'd done... she still chose to fight for our family."
I nodded, not trusting my voice. Because he was right. Palmer Vale had walked into hell itself to save us, wielding powers that could have torn reality apart. And she did it not because she had to, but because she wanted to.
"Rest well, little witch," I whispered after Rhodes left. "You've earned it."
I settled back in my chair, keeping my vigil. There would be time later to process everything that had happened. For now, I was content to watch over this remarkable woman who turned our world upside down in the best possible way.
The quiet was shattered by heavy footsteps in the hallway. I didn't need to look up to know it was Ash—his presence filled any room he entered, and right now it was filling this one with determination.
"Up," he commanded, and I bristled.
"I'm fine here."
"Wasn't a request, Lixy." His hand landed on my shoulder, warm and insistent. "You need to eat something, and we need to talk."
I glanced at Palmer, still peacefully unconscious. "What if—"
"Jasper's here," Ash cut in. "He'll watch over her."
As if summoned, my brother's ghostly form materialized beside the bed. Even mostly transparent, the concern on his face was clear. "Go. You're no good to her if you collapse from exhaustion."
"Fuck, now I'm getting lectured to by a ghost," I muttered, but stood anyway. My joints cracked in protest, and Ash's grip on my shoulder tightened.
"When's the last time you actually moved?" he asked as he steered me toward the door. I looked back at Snake, who was eyeballing me hard. “Keep an eye on her.” I swear that little bastard winked at me as I shrugged in response to Ash’s question. "Does shifting in the chair count?"
"For fuck's sake." He practically pushed me into the living room, where the others were gathered around the massive dining table. The smell of food hit me, and my stomach growled traitorously.
"Look who finally joined the land of the living," Talon called out, his mouth full of what looked like pasta.
I rolled my eyes and dropped into an empty chair just as Rhodes slid a plate in front of me.
My stomach clenched as I started shoveling food in. I was so hungry I wasn't even really tasting a thing. After a solid minute of stuffing myself, I asked, "So what's the report?"
"The club is secure, so are the docks," Ash said, taking his own seat. "We've got eyes on every entrance and exit."
"Any sign of Scorpio's men?" I asked between bites.
Misha shook his head. "Nothing yet. But with their leader gone... they're probably regrouping."
“Rooster said that they made an attempt on the docks after Palmer rallied everyone after Scorpio’s attack.
He told me she had everyone so wound up and determined to defend what was ours that they sussed out the threat before anything even happened,” Ash explained, pride glinting in his ice blue eyes.
“Now the whole gods damned gang is obsessed with her,” Misha grumbled, but I saw the way the corner of his mouth lifted.
“It’s weird, right? Asrael and Scorpio are both dead, no longer a threat…
” Ash trailed off, rubbing his chin, no doubt thinking about whatever would come next, but the food in my mouth turned to ash at the mention of Asrael.
That fucker had nearly destroyed everything we'd built here.
Had almost taken Palmer from us before we'd really even had her.
"Hey." Ash's voice pulled me back. "Lixy, she's here, she's safe, and she's ours."
"And she's fucking terrifying," Talon added cheerfully. "Did you see what she did to your murals? That shit was insane!"
Despite myself, I smiled. "Yeah, that was... something else." My art had never felt more alive than when Palmer wove it into her battle against Asrael. It was like she'd seen straight into my soul and understood exactly what each piece meant.
"We need to be ready when she wakes up," Rhodes said, his tone serious. "Her power levels are off the charts now, and she'll need help learning to control it."
"Plus, there's the whole 'bringing Jasper back to life' thing," Talon added. "Which, by the way, is crazy as fuck to say out loud."
I pushed my empty plate away, feeling steadier with food in my system. "So what's the plan?"
"For now?" Ash leaned back in his chair. "We wait. We protect. And when she wakes up, we show her exactly what it means to be part of this family."
Family. The word echoed in my chest, warm and right. Because that's what we were now—all of us, including our fierce little witch who'd turned our world upside down.
"Fine," I said, standing. "But I'm going back to watch over her."
"After you shower," Ash ordered, his tone brooking no argument. "You smell like sweat had a threesome with a coffee shop and anxiety."
I flipped him off, but headed for the bathroom anyway. He wasn't wrong; I did need a shower. And Palmer would probably appreciate waking up to someone who didn't look and smell like they'd been sitting in the same chair for eighteen hours straight.
After showering, I dried off quickly, my skin already starting to crawl from the water droplets sliding down my neck. I was so overstimulated by everything right now. The shower had helped clear my head, but now my thoughts were racing in a different direction. One we needed to address.
Pulling on clean, black joggers and my well-worn Misfits t-shirt, I headed back toward the kitchen, where I could hear my brothers still talking. They fell silent when I entered, and I noticed fresh coffee had been made.
"You look less like death warmed over," Talon said cheerfully.
I ignored him, grabbing a mug and filling it. "We need to talk about the nest."
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Misha straightened in his chair while Rhodes set down the tablet he'd been studying. Ash's eyes locked onto mine, and I could feel the weight of his attention.
"What about it?" Ash asked carefully.
I took a slow sip of coffee, gathering my thoughts. "She's our mate. All of ours. You all know it. Our demons need her."
"It's not that simple," Rhodes started, but I cut him off with a warning look. “There’re so many variables to consider here.”
"When is anything ever simple with us?" I set my mug down harder than necessary. "But we can't ignore this. Her power levels are insane right now. You said it yourself, she'll need help controlling it."
Talon leaned forward. "And you think mating would help?"