82. Aurelia
Chapter 82
Aurelia
T he sight of Xander Drakos, crawling to me as fast as he can, his eyes desperately fixed on me, is something I’d never thought in my wildest dreams I’d ever see. It makes my breath seize; it makes my hands tremble.
And then Lyle is approaching the stage with a strange look on his face as he reaches into Xander’s bag. Scythe steps forwards to accept it. Gold glints as it changes hands and something crucial in me goes still as Scythe stiffly holds it out for me to see.
A gold collar and chain.
Scythe turns it so I can see what’s etched onto its surface in the same way my own was.
PROPERTY OF AURELIA BONEWEAVER
Shock and horror winds through my heart and I inhale a sharp breath. “I don’t know what to do with this,” I whisper.
“Oh, I do,” Minnie says loudly, her hand squeezing my shoulder.
“We can all give you ideas, Lia,” Sabrina says.
“I can put together a colour-coded action plan,” Stacey nods.
I glance up at Stacey, whose beautiful face is taking in the gold collar with the seriousness it deserves. And Minnie, who’s staring not at the collar but at Xander. They understand the choice I’m being given. What is at stake.
Xander remains still as I deliberate over this. This thing he is offering me is beyond belief. I glance at Scythe, his face pale, as he holds the hunk of valuable metal. “How is this even possible?” I say into the minds of our mates. “ Is this even Xander?”
“Oh it’s him, alright,” Savage replies quietly. “This is something only he could have come up with.”
“Savage is right,” Scythe says evenly. “Only he’d make himself a collar of solid gold with rubies.”
“He’s giving you his ego on a platter, regina,” Lyle says, sounding troubled. “Willingly.”
“Should I do it then?”
A small smile curves Scythe’s lips. “He’s the one asking for it.”
My collar looked exactly the same. That was by his design. That was by his desire to repent.
I nod as regally as I can. I’m clutching the arms of the chair to hide the fact my hands are trembling. “Put it on him.”
Somebody in the crowd cheers and then everyone joins in as Savage takes the collar and snaps it into place around Xander’s neck. The beasts in the hall roar with approval, shouting and howling and stomping their feet as Savage takes Xander by the lead and parades forward, holding up the chain like it’s a trophy.
I hold out my hand for the golden chain and Xander nimbly frog leaps upon the stage, making Beak and a few others snort. Scythe takes the lead and reverently hands it to me. I take it, and Xander crouches by my feet, looking up at me as if seeking approval. I look at the chain in my hands.
“I am your slave,” he says above the din of the crowd. “And I want everyone to see it.”
Minnie exhales slowly behind me. “And you’ll do whatever she wants?”
“Anything,” Xander confirms.
“We should make a list,” Minnie murmurs as Savage and Beak hurry everyone out of the room.
“Tomorrow,” I say distractedly, looking down at the giant dragon, whose eyes are fixed on me. “We should get to bed.”
My friends bid us goodbye, giving Xander glares as they go. Yeti takes Minnie’s hand as they leave, and I can’t help but feel sorry for the Siberian tiger. He’d been friends with Xander once. I don’t know if they will ever be able to heal that.
With one action, Xander had destroyed his own life, and I think that’s finally hitting him.
“Regina.” Scythe’s voice next to my ear makes me flinch in surprise, but I am quick to smile at him.
“Let’s go.” The chain in my hand is a cold and foreign thing.
“Regina!” Savage says loudly, holding his arms out for me.
“Yes, my love?”
He beams as he takes me by the waist and lowers me carefully from the stage to the floorboards. “Can I have a turn tomorrow?”
I realise he’s indicating to the golden chain. Xander leaps down from the stage and begins bear crawling as we walk out of the rec room. Lyle has a frown on his face and I agree.
“You don’t have to crawl,” I say. “We won’t get anywhere fast if you do.”
Xander rises to his full height and I know we must look ridiculous, him at almost seven feet, being led by me, at five foot seven. “Thanks.”
Savage scowls at Xander and prances on ahead, leading the way to our rooms. When we get to the stairwell, I grimace at the sight of the three flights.
“I can carry you,” Xander says.
“You will not,” Scythe says with a lethal softness.
I’ve regina commanded them not to attack or kill him, because even without the controlled violence oozing from Scythe, I know it’s a very real possibility. I can only imagine how painful being forced to interact with him is going to be. It’s painful enough for me.
Lyle’s power surrounds my body like a hug and I lift off the floor, letting him levitate me up the stairs. I feel pretty stupid flying up like that because it’s nothing like being a bird and so embarrassing. When we have three steps to go, I ask him to put me down.
“I need to build up the muscle,” I say calmly, even though I’m already grimacing from the anticipated pain. “Better to get started now.”
Four pairs of eyes and Eugene watch me like hawks as I heft my bad leg up and set it on the next step, shifting my weight onto it. Gripping the rail, I stifle a cry as lightning shoots through the bone. I manage to get my good foot up just in time, grimacing and panting from the agony.
“You should stop if it hurts!” Savage calls down to me with alarm.
“No, she shouldn’t,” Xander says. “You need to push past it, Aurelia. That’s the only way it will heal.”
“Who the fuck asked you?” Lyle snarls.
“Be thankful my regina stands between me and you,” Scythe says quietly.
Xander shuts his mouth.
“I’m alright,” I say, suddenly hot. I try for the next step, and this time, I can’t stifle the cry at the pain that almost floors me. “Shit. No, I’m not.”
Xander’s hands come around my waist and three pairs of growls echo in the stairwell. He doesn’t take his hands off, though. “Maybe avoid stairs for now, Aurelia.”
Lyle’s furious power snaps around me and hoists me up the final stair. I cast him a dark look over my shoulder as I hobble down the corridor and he gives me an apologetic one. Savage reaches down to put an arm around me, but I put up a hand.
“I’m okay.” I don’t know if I’m telling him or myself, but suddenly I’m angry.
Savage nods, following along beside me at my snail’s pace while I scowl at the floor. “How are we going to sleep tonight, regina?”
“Xander’s bed is still there,” Lyle says. “There’s no need to change anything for him.”
“You could always put me in a cage,” Xander offers.
“There’s an idea.” Savage rubs his chin. “I say we take him up on it. It might lower my urge to murder him a teensy bit.”
I whip around and glare at them all. “A cage isn’t comfortable.”
Scythe can’t help it. He takes my hand and finding it unusually warm, my anger melts away. I’ve seen his memories. This is just as hard for him. I squeeze his hand in reassurance.
“You care about my comfort?” asks Xander casually.
It’s not often that I growl but tonight it’s audible. “I think it’s best if you stop the chatter.”
“As you wish.”
I turn to look at him suspiciously for a moment before continuing on. This is going to take a lot of getting used to.
After my mates have all showered for the night, and Eugene has found a spot to roost on a pillow, I unclip Xander’s chain. It’s a traditional clip on, because I wasn’t going to figure out the wrist flicky thing so quickly. He leaves for his turn in the bathroom and I see my three mates staring at Xander’s back with their arms crossed and their faces set into furious lines.
I smile softly at the sight. “So grumpy,” I say, hobbling towards the bed. “Someone cuddle me before I combust, quick.”
They suddenly come out of whatever murderous daydream they’re collectively having and hurry for the bed. I’m wearing a silk chemise tonight, because it’ll only be dresses for leg purposes from now on, and as I settle into the middle of the bed, Scythe and Savage scoot themselves next to me. Lyle crawls up my body, slowly, and so feline-like that I suck in a breath at the heat in his eyes.
He reaches my face and his lips brush mine as he speaks, his breath minty from our toothpaste. “I’m so proud of you.” He kisses me three times on the mouth before sliding down my body again. He has tiger balm in one hand and he starts gently rubbing some on my knee.
It’s the type of pain that feels good and bad at the same time. What I probably need is Xander’s dragon healing. I’m not going to ask for that, so I allow my own power to funnel down to my thigh, easing the inflammation there.
Savage takes the opportunity to kiss me, one hand cupping my cheek. His mouth is heaven on mine. It’s a huge comfort after a long day, combined with Lyle’s massaging hands and Scythe’s thumb stroking my left thigh.
Savage releases me, resting his head on my shoulder as he draws in his writing and poetry book.
Scythe hands me my book from the bedside table, and it’s then that Xander strolls in with nothing but tiny black boxers, his taut muscles rippling as he dries his long hair with a towel.
“You should get an e-reader for the evening. My sister has one,” he says as he strides past our bed.
My mates follow him, their heads like three camels, turning as they stalk his movement.
“Eagle, remember?” I say as he throws himself onto the single bed by the window.
“Are you ,” Savage snarls, “implying that we haven’t provided for her every need?”
Xander raises his hand and ticks a list off. “Let me see. In my brief observation, I’ve seen that she’s almost out of hair conditioner, there’s no water on the bedside table, and no one’s thought to wrap her knee.”
“Oh, stop it,” I say. “I can do those things for myself.”
Xander rolls his eyes. “It’s not your job?”
“I think he should sleep outside,” Lyle mutters, getting out of bed to no doubt fetch water. I don’t know if we even have bandages for my knee.
“If we forgot those things,” Savage gruffs, “it’s only because your gnarly presence distracted us. Once again, you’re at fault.”
“Pull up your socks, Savage,” Xander retorts.
Savage whips his head towards me and presses his palms together like he’s praying to me. “Can I kill him, regina, please? ”
“Honestly, I just want to read my book in silence, if that’s okay with you all?” I raise my brows at Savage, then Xander, who throws his head back onto his pillow. Then I turn to Scythe, who’s holding out a foil strip of painkillers for me.
I kiss him on the cheek before taking it. When Lyle returns with the water, I swallow down the oxycodone tablets, then open up my smutty witches book to the first chapter.
Xander’s snide voice is a boom through the silent space. “Also, there’s only one tampon left?—”
“I’m the pad monitor, you giant eyeless bastard!” Savage cries.
“Well who’s the tampon monitor, then?” Xander grumbles. “They’re doing a shit job.”
“Why don’t you strangle yourself with your collar?” Lyle says, surprising me. “Do us all a favour.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve thought about it,” Xander mutters, before rolling over and apparently going to sleep.
“Does he expect us to feel sorry for him?” Savage asks incredulously. “Because I fucking don’t and I never fucking will.”
“Nor will I,” I say softly, glancing at Xander’s back.