Chapter 17
seventeen
DANTE
Idon’t know when I lost track of Cielo, but the strangest thing is that somehow, despite not having seen him leave the room, I know exactly where he is. I feel a pulse just under my skin—a second heartbeat that is him.
He’s…happy? No. Something else. He’s not afraid or anxious. I don’t know how the fuck I can tell, but it doesn’t matter. I follow the pulsing beat until I find Cielo slumped on the bed, snoring quietly with Nonna standing beside him, the bottle of grappa Gia was hiding from her in her hands.
She gives me an unapologetic smile when I groan. “Nonna, what did you do?”
“Nothing, amore della nonna. He had a drink. He’s not as sturdy as we are.”
“Yes, I know. He’s delicate,” I tell her, swatting her away as I kneel beside him.
I have no idea how Vyastil systems process human alcohol. I know they have herbs that can do wild things to people, but I’m a little worried. I need to find Rathyn so he can check in on him.
“Stay here with him,” I tell her, then snatch the bottle from her hands. “And no more of this.”
She swears at me in Italian, but I ignore her as I turn and hurry back to the party. Gia catches what I’m holding and groans.
“She found it?”
“She gave some to Cielo, and now he’s passed out.” I set the bottle on the counter and find Rathyn across the room, poking his claws delicately at one of the balloon strings as Luca shows him a few signs. It looks like they’re reviewing numbers.
“Damn,” Gia swears. She takes the bottle and passes it to Amara, muttering something under her breath, and Amara nods before taking it out of the room.
“Where’s your monster, Tesoro?” My mom touches my arm to get my attention.
I glance down at her, and I see she’s holding one massive sock that—if she’s lucky—might fit over Cielo’s clawed foot. The gesture is sweet, though, and it makes my heart twist in my chest.
“Can you not call him a monster, Mama? I don’t think he likes it.”
Her eyes go wide. “Oh. I hope I didn’t offend him.”
“No. He’s…” I bite my lip and let my mind search for him because I can still feel him—the soft weight of his slumber in the other room. I wonder if this connection between us is from the sex. I wonder if Everest feels this with Rathyn.
I need to ask.
“What is it?” she presses.
I haven’t told my parents about what Cielo went through. I wasn’t sure he’d like it if I did. “He’s used to it. He’s been through a lot. His people weren’t kind to him. He helped a friend and got banished for it, but they hurt him before they sent him here.”
Her eyes go wider. “Oh, Dante…”
“It was bad.” My voice cracks a little, and I clear my throat. “He’s better now, but it was rough at the beginning, and I just want to take care of him.”
“Oh, amore,” she says softly. “You care about him.”
“Is that…weird? Do you think it’s—”
“No,” she interrupts. “I don’t. The only thing that’s ever mattered to me is that you’re happy.
You and your brother both. Luca…” She trails off with a sigh, and we both glance over to where he’s now teaching Rathyn more complex ASL idioms. Rathyn, being a Vyastil, is absorbing them with the same ferocious perfection Cielo did.
“He’s been quiet since he got back from Las Vegas. We worry about both of you so much.”
Luca has been very quiet. We haven’t had much time to talk about it the past few days. Between work, planning the party, and Luca’s damn-near superhero ability to dodge questions, I haven’t gotten anything out of him.
But I know something’s wrong.
He’s smiling now, but it isn’t reaching his eyes.
“Okay, well, I need to talk to Rathyn for a second. Nonna got Cielo drunk.”
“Ah, mamma mia,” she whispers, shaking her head. “She’s a menace.”
“She’s your mom,” I remind her.
“I’m well aware.” She snags my arm before I can pull away. “Bring Cielo over for the next family dinner, yes? I’m assuming he doesn’t have family here.”
I shake my head, feeling an ache in my chest that doesn’t really belong to me. “No, he doesn’t.”
“Then we will stand in until he does.”
I don’t tell her that it’s not likely he’ll ever see his family again. I have no idea what their dynamics are like. I know from basic information that Vyastil are hatched from eggs, and they don’t always grow up with others related to them by blood.
I have a feeling family means something different in their world.
I lean over and kiss her cheek. I love her so much. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Crossing the room, I wave my hand to get my brother’s attention. ‘I need to interrupt. I need Rathyn for something.’
Luca nods and turns to Rathyn. ‘Learn more later?’
Rathyn nods and watches with careful eyes before turning his attention to me. “You appear anxious.”
“Yeah, uh…” I rub the back of my neck, one of my rings getting caught on the hair under my braid, and I wince. “Can Vyastil process human alcohol?”
Rathyn stares at me for another moment. “Are you asking if you may feed me human alcohol?”
“No. I’m asking if it’s dangerous for your system.”
He scoffs. “We do not have weak constitutions like humans.”
“Uh-huh, but there might be stuff your bodies can’t tolerate since we live in literally a different universe than you,” I remind him. “But I’m going to assume that’s a no.”
“No,” he repeats. His eyes narrow further. “You are behaving suspiciously. Why?”
I groan. He might kill me for this—for not taking better care of one of his people. “My nonna gave Cielo some grappa and uh…well. He’s kind of drunk and passed out.”
Rathyn stands still like he’s processing my words, then he sighs. “He will be fine.”
“Yeah? There’s nothing I need to do?”
“He will metabolize quickly.”
I let out a huge, relieved breath and take a step back. “Thank fuck.” As I turn, Rathyn makes a loud humming growl as if to get my attention, and I turn back. “Yeah?”
“You…care for him.” It’s not really a question, but I nod anyway. “In the same manner I care for my Everest—in the same manner he cares for me.”
“I…” I bite my lips. “I know that’s technically not allowed. I know he’s in trouble and…”
“I do not ask this to have him further punished,” Rathyn clarifies.
His voice drops, almost like he’s scared of being overheard.
“I do not agree with his banishment. I do not wish to see him suffer any longer. He is important to my Everest; therefore, he is important to me. I wish…I wish him to know the same joy that I do.”
“I don’t know if he will. He won’t accept anything from me,” I tell him quietly.
“He has spent his life being conditioned to serve the capital. Perhaps one day he will break their rules, but be kind if he does not.”
An ache rushes through my body, half from the emotional pain, and half from a flare I can feel coming on. This party has been a lot. This week has been a lot.
I take a deep breath to cope. “I’ll never let anything hurt him again so long as I can help it.”
He meets my gaze, holds it, then nods. The moment is shattered by Everest appearing beside him, and I immediately lose Rathyn’s attention as he pulls Everest close and wraps his tail around him.
I want that. So much. I want Cielo all over me in front of everyone. I shouldn’t have told him to hold back in front of my parents. I should have just talked to them first, so they knew what to expect.
I feel like such an asshole.
“I just got a message from Eissa,” Everest says. “He’s dropping by in a few to talk to you about an option you have for being removed from the clinic rotation for good.”
“Oh.” My heart leaps. “Yes. Amazing.” As I take a breath, pain shoots through me, and I wince.
“You okay?” Everest asks.
“Yeah. It’s…it’s nothing.”
He leans closer to me. “I’ll leave the zitha in your bag, okay? It’s the purple one by the door?” I nod, and he adds. “I was able to get everything I needed, so I got you a decent amount. Some of it’s fresher than others, so don’t freak out if the color’s a little off.”
“Thank you,” I murmur.
Luca appears a second later when it’s obvious my private conversation with Rathyn is done. ‘You okay?’
I nod. ‘I’m going to be in pain tonight,’ I tell him. ‘Oh, and Cielo’s drunk.’
He barks a laugh. ‘Drunk?’
‘Nonna gave him grappa.’
He laughs harder and louder. ‘Oh my god. Where is he?’
‘Passed out in Gia’s bedroom. I wanted to carry him back to the apartment and put him to bed, but I don’t think I’m strong enough.’
He flexes his bicep to be annoying. It even catches Everest’s eye for a split second, and Rathyn growls. ‘I can carry him. I’ll make Gia help me. This is her fault. I told her to hide her liquor better.’
‘Thanks.’ I sign it with both hands tipped from my chin.
He ruffles my hair the way he’s done since he grew taller and bigger than me, and I shove him off before he turns and snags Gia’s hand, pulling her toward the back bedroom.
“Your brother’s…an interesting guy,” Everest says.
I roll my eyes. “He’s a shit. But we’re close.”
“Was his defect from birth?” Rathyn asks.
My gaze snaps to him. “Fuck you. He doesn’t have a defect.”
“He does not hear,” Rathyn says pointedly. “On Erethar, that is considered a defect. Is it not considered the same for humans?”
“Okay, babe,” Everest says, his voice tight, “I will explain why what you said is all kinds of fucked up later on. But for now, just don’t call it that, yeah?”
Rathyn is silent for a moment, then nods. “I accept this.”
I breathe through it. I know he’s not trying to be offensive. I know he just doesn’t understand, and it’s going to take time being with Everest to understand how certain things—like tact—work on Earth.
The moment passes, and shortly after, Luca and Gia appear with Cielo hoisted between them. His eyes are barely cracked open, and his clawed feet are barely touching the carpet, but it’s obvious he’s at least trying to give them some help.
I will be with you soon, I think, aiming it at him.
I feel a pulse—almost like an answer—full of affection and need, but that could all just be in my head.