Chapter 31
Istep around the corner to see Crew sitting casually on the loveseat while Damien paces.
I glance around the crowded space to see the insane mess, and a wave of embarrassment washes over me.
It looks like a slaughterhouse in here and smells like a brothel with all the blood and sexual tension in the air.
Without being able to help myself, I pick up a few towels and toss them toward the kitchen to keep myself busy, and to clear a larger space if Damien is going to continue to pace all night.
Why do I always do this instead of talking and asking questions?
I glance toward Crew, who looks completely calm with his leg crossed over the other and his arm resting on the back of the seat.
A heat ignites between my legs from just the thought of what we were doing mere minutes before, and I let out a shaky breath.
He cuts his eyes to mine and smirks, as if he can feel the arousal still desperately throbbing through my body.
“Crew,” Damien says, snapping his fingers toward him. “They are freaking out. Fucking fifth-string assassins are in the fields watching over the Orders, and Lowell and Carver know they are getting picked off one by one.”
Crew rubs his eyes and leans forward, running his hands through his tangled hair.
“You can cut the shit, Damien,” Crew says, sitting up. “She knows.”
Damien pauses, looking at me, then at Crew, and back to me. A wide smile spreads across his face, and I swear I see a twinkle in his bright green eyes.
“I knew you two fucked,” he says, sitting down on the floor and looking directly at me. “You smell like Crew.”
“First, it’s none of your business. And no,” Crew sighs, “we didn’t, asshole. But as soon as you are gone, or possibly asleep if I can stand waiting that long, I’ll make sure to alert you.”
“I smell like him?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Damien says, glancing back at me. “Like a big, disgusting demon man with anger issues and fabulous biceps.”
I laugh and sit next to Crew on the loveseat. His arm falls from the top of the couch to around my shoulder, and I almost flinch. This is still new.
And fucking insane.
Damien shakes his head. “Sorry for interrupting.”
Crew slowly traces his fingers along my collarbone, and as if the bond between us speaks, it’s clear he’s already growing impatient with Damien. I shiver next to him, crossing my legs, still heavily turned on.
Goddamnit, Mara, get it together.
Don’t you dare soak this couch.
“Something is different about you two, though,” Damien says. “Other than the fact that I’ve been in this room for thirty minutes and no one is bleeding.”
“Nothing is different as far as you are concerned,” Crew snaps in defense.
I smile and keep my gaze focused solely on Damien. He’s smart. It shouldn’t take him long to figure this out.
“Holy shit,” he whispers.
“Be careful,” Crew threatens, pointing at him.
“You are blood-bonded. That’s why you two smell like that.”
There it is.
Crew takes a long breath, his tone serious and harsh. “This stays between us.”
“I mean, yeah, of course.” Damien nods. “But I literally sensed it within minutes.”
“And?” I speak, chiming in.
“And?” he repeats. “Good luck hiding that from other hybrids. Especially the Elders.”
He’s right, and it’s something I hadn’t thought about until this moment. Crew straightens, and a sense of protectiveness fills the air as the bond between us perks up.
Anyone knowledgeable about blood bonding would be able to sense it.
I knew of one couple that had bonded during their time together, and when they entered a room, they functioned as one, as if their thoughts were the same.
It was miraculous to watch, and it feels strange yet thrilling to be bonded to Crew now, as if I’ve needed this insane change in my life for a long time.
“Don’t worry about us,” Crew adds.
“You are both insane.” Damien runs his hands through his hair. “You smell like her, too, Crew. You smell like a fucking angel.”
“Angels smell, too?” I ask.
“Kind of,” Damien says. “Not in a bad way, I promise. How do I put this… like fresh laundry.”
“Angels smell like clothes? And demons smell like fabulous biceps?”
Crew laughs, and Damien shakes his head. “I don’t know, you just smell different from us. Fresher. Lighter.”
I cut my gaze to Crew. “This is blowing my mind right now.”
“This is what shocks you?” Crew grins softly at me.
“Apparently so.”
“Can we continue, please?” Crew rubs my shoulder blade. “Mara, all I smell is your delicious, addictive blood.”
This man.
Damien huffs. “I smell sex, too.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Crew yells, and Damien smiles.
I want to die.
I should have let Crew watch me die instead of living through this embarrassment.
“Moving on.” I glance between them. “I need both of you to start from the beginning,” I lean forward, using my intimidation to make Damien shiver where he sits. “Crew has a ton of explaining to do.”
Crew stands and heads toward the kitchen.
In the tight space, I watch as he opens the refrigerator and grabs three beers.
He pops the tops off and gives one to Damien before carrying the other two to the loveseat.
He hands me one and takes a long sip before sitting down.
I glance at him, and he smiles, clinking his bottle against mine.
“Think we could use one of these,” he says. “Mara can probably drink you under the table, Damien.”
“Awesome,” Damien says, drinking his in nearly one gulp. “She gets her chance to hold my hair back.”
I take a sip and settle back into the couch, slapping Crew on the shoulder.
“Two years ago, Riggs approached me while I was out in the Ashmeed District. Something for work had called him down there, and he came looking for me.” He takes a drink. “And news of a cop snooping around the Jade Order travels fast, so I gladly went to cut him off.”
“And you went to kill him?” I clarify.
“That’s exactly what I went to do,” he says. “He started talking about his father, Sam.”
“You know who that is?” Damien asks.
“I’ve heard of him,” I say, sarcastically, earning a look from Crew.
“Well,” he continues. “Riggs started talking to me about Lowell and his way of running things. He mentioned you, Mara, and how he sent you on crazy assignments, risking your life, all for his own benefit. About his personal vendettas, because he knew the High Elders hadn’t spoken to us on Earth in decades. ”
My mind immediately goes to my mother and her abandoning me. Maybe there is something larger at play, and she didn’t just leave me.
“Then he started in on my situation,” Crew says.
“And hearing his words about my fucked up father made me pissed at first, because it was things I’d bottled up for many reasons.
I exploded, nearly killing him, and walked away that night, refusing to let him plant any seeds in my mind about a better future, but he kept coming around. He kept finding me.”
“And?” I speak.
“His offers became even more enticing, but to be honest, being away from the Jade Order was enough. However, they didn’t have a solid plan beyond us fighting in a literal war, which didn’t interest me. Then Sam died.” Crew pauses to look at me. “Then Sam came back, and everything changed.”
Damien chimes in, “Crew came to me a few nights after you were arrested and told me of a plan that would rid Halcyon City of Orders and let the hybrids live how they see fit. Absolute freedom to do what we want.”
“But that’s only a short fix,” I say. “What about other Orders that exist?”
Crew shifts in his seat. “Well, that’s the thing. It’s turning into something much larger than that. Sam wants to get rid of every single Elder on this earth.”
My mouth drops open, but I remain quiet, allowing them to speak. We know there are other Orders, but the true number is unknown. It’s become sparser over the years, but it could still be hundreds.
“The Elders of this earth are the only ones who aren’t allowed to be touched by death, and after centuries, it’s throwing off the natural balance. It’s causing chaos, and it’s time for a change. If the High Elders have truly abandoned us, then what’s stopping us from restoring the natural order?”
“So, you’ve been helping them for the past few years?” I ask.
He nods, taking another long drink. “More or less, yes.”
I stand, unable to remain seated, as different emotions crash over me. This is insane and could spark a war. Damien stays quiet, walking to the fridge to grab another beer.
“So, Sam worked all of this out and has convinced Death to start taking the souls of the Elders?” I clarify, still wrapping my mind around this.
“And after years of them being untouchable, he was glad to do so. They have pissed off the Grim. He wants them to stop cheating his death.”
“So, no more Elders? No more assignments.”
“Exactly.”
I begin to pace, “And how are we going to wipe out the Elders in Halcyon City before they start to fight back?”
Crew glances at Damien, then back to me. “Well, we are going to have to work fast. Emalyn is gone because she was not truly an Elder, so we knew she would be the easiest target to ruffle their feathers. Griffin next, because he’s a nutjob, and the three harder ones remain.”
“So, you are murdering them,” I say.
“That’s an issue?” Crew stands, angling his head. “Don’t you want to kill Lowell?”
“I’ve thought about it for as long as I can remember,” I respond.
“We can do it,” Crew says.
I let myself consider living in a world without Lowell. It seems impossible, but it’s a tempting thought to hold onto.
“And wait, how the fuck did Sam convince the Grim of this. Sam is an Elder, so isn’t he at risk?”
Crew sighs. “Technically, yes. Sam’s soul remains intact, so his soul could be taken. He doesn’t seem to be worried in the least. But…”
“What?”
Crew’s gaze lowers. “I think Sam wants someone to replace the current Grim when this is over.”
Oh, God.
“Why?”
Crew shrugs. “To truly ensure his debt is paid.”
“Who?” I ask, and I feel the anxiety hit my stomach like a brick.