41. So suddenly we are okay with warlocks?
Nevaeh
I watch Khatri’s wife huddle her two girls to the portal with my sleeping toddler in her arms.
Uncle Elijah, the King of Hell, is waiting on the other side to provide a temporary safe harbor for anyone not participating in the coming war.
Khatri’s youngest, Aurora, gives me a big wave with one hand while her other is clutching August’s foot. Her big sister, Skye is actively helping others and leading the crowd through the portal safely.
I don’t want to jinx it, but I see myself working alongside the fiery teenager someday. Skye might be young, but she is a warrior through and through. Someone worthy to take over after her father as the next Warriorhead for death.
“Something on your mind, Princess?” Khatri comes up beside me, leaving Angel to communicate last-minute changes to our troops by himself.
“Just worried.”
“About the war?”
I snort very unprincess-like. “No. That I can handle, but sending August away? It’s tearing me on the inside.”
Khatri pauses to send a reassuring look to his mate, before turning to me. “August has alpha blood running in his veins, a royal one at that. My wife and Aurora might be rouges by technicality, but their wolves have accepted your son as their alpha. And let me tell you something about wolves: they are very primitive. Enough to sacrifice themselves if it means protecting their alpha.”
Nodding to myself, I let his words sink in. He’s right. Between Uncle Elijah, Skye, and his mate August will be perfectly safe.
Angel didn’t ask my opinion for the first time when he ordered Amelia, Khatri’s mate, to take August with her. He absolutely refused to have our little boy in the kingdom during the impending attack.
We had to rush back to the kingdom when Harvey linked Angel to say their plan had been preponed. I thought coming back to a place that made me feel like an intruder would be difficult, but with Angel’s hand in mine and August in my arms, I was already home.
On the car ride to the Horsemen castle, Angel briefed me on how Hazel has been secretly feeding false information to the coven spies lingering outside our realm's boundary. According to her rumors, the Horsemen have never been more vulnerable.
While they were anticipating the attack soon, it was a surprise when Harvey found groups of primary troops trying to break through our barriers in the middle of the night. Regardless of the sudden timing, Angel assured me we are prepared.
More like Grace is prepared. According to Khatri, Angel has been more or less useless since I left.
Oh, how that made my heart flutter.
It's no news that the entire supernatural world is holding its breath and waiting to see how this war will change the power dynamic in our world.
I know the coven is hoping to come out victorious, but Visha has no idea how sick we are of her mind games and petty backstabbing strategies.
I can’t wait to close her chapter for good.
After addressing the warriors and boosting their morale, Angel rushes me to the War castle. We have yet to armor up, and if his prediction is right, there’s not much time before the coven will be knocking down our door.
I can’t remember how many times I’ve dived straight into action without worrying about anyone or anything, but now that I have so much to lose, the mere thought of something going wrong is petrifying .
My train of thought halts when Angel stops abruptly, making me crash into his back. Turning to me, he is quick to kiss me until I’m breathless.
“I can’t have you distracted today, sweetheart. So, tell me what's bothering you. Lean on me, baby.”
The way his eyes are flooding with so much love and concern melts my defenses, and before I know it, my verbal diarrhea is taking over.
“What if something goes wrong? What if everything goes wrong and I never see you again? What happens if we lose? What if Visha goes for August next? He’s a kid, Angel; he can’t fight. And if we all die, who will protect him? He doesn’t have anyone else. What if—”
Soft lips press to mine, effectively cutting off my nervous rant. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I grip the back of his shirt to ground myself.
“Everything will be fine.” Angel kisses me again when I open my mouth to object. “The coven will be defeated by dawn, August will be home by tomorrow night and we’ll be hosting an enormous victory celebration soon after. Once we win this— because we will —you and I will start fresh. Our second chance at a life, that will be spent loving each other, getting married, building our own home, and you my gorgeous mate giving me dozens of babies to run behind and love on.”
I laugh at his mention of a dozen kids again.
Maybe three or four, but that’s it. No more.
“I want that too. All of it. But now that I have everything I ever wanted, I’m terrified of losing it all.” Resting my forehead on his, I hope to steal some of his optimism.
“You won’t. We’re The Horsemen of the Apocalypse for Fates sake, no one can defeat us. Now… I need you to summon that devil inside you and wreck everything. This kingdom is counting on your crazy today.”
Angel chuckles, and I smile back automatically, watching his dimples pop out. Giving myself a moment to admire my pretty Angel, I take in the way his eyes crinkle at the ends when he smiles. Gorgeous .
His smile is my favorite thing about him. My heart skips when I’m the reason behind it, and my soul sings like that’s the sole purpose of my existence.
To make him happy.
“There’s that smile I live for. Now give me a kiss.” Angel moves in for his kiss but misses when I throw my head back and laugh my heart out. Grabbing the back of my neck, he brings me back, his warm hand covering my entire side profile.
“Nevaeh!”
And once again, Seiji interrupts us at the precise moment things are about to get good. He’s lucky I love him, or I would’ve killed him the fourth time he did this.
“I’m starting to think he does this on purpose,” Angel mutters.
“It’s Seiji. Of course , he does this on purpose.”
As much as I want to swat him, the moment I see Seiji bouncing on his feet, waiting for me, I run straight into his awaiting arms. When we collide, he sighs in relief and his tears get the best of him.
“I'm gone for two weeks, and you turn into a teary marshmallow?”
“I missed you too.” Seiji mumbles, squeezing me once more before tugging me to walk inside the castle.
“Hey, where’s my hug?” Angel pouts.
“I had to tolerate your mopey ass for two weeks , and now you want a hug too?”
“I wasn’t mopey,” Angel grumbles under his breath, and Seiji snorts at the false claim.
Diverting us from the subject of him being miserable without me, Angel gets into Horsemen mode. As we walk, he takes inventory of what happened while he was away. “Noncombatants?”
“The last batch left for Hell ten minutes ago. Our best warriors are guarding that portal.” Seiji answers question after question with precise details.
Harvey, Grace, and Hazel are already stationed at our northern border, where most of our portals are since the plan is to contain the damage to that side. It’s an advantage that every castle has a waterfall in the backyard because it’s one less side to worry about.
“Heaven?”
“Didn’t show up.”
I have never seen a smugger smirk before. Angel is more than pleased that Heaven didn’t take his warning lightly. It’s not the first time Horsemen have directly challenged Heaven, but last time Papa was here, and just his name was enough to make them reconsider.
It doesn’t escape me how different my mate is when it comes to his family compared to the kind of leader he is. Though compassionate and patient with our people, Angel has a reputation for not giving out second chances to those who threaten his kingdom.
I’m linking with Harvey to discuss the battle plan and where he wants me when Grace nudges into our link and squeals how she can’t wait to see me.
I love my Honeybunch , but the woman has no clue what her high-pitched excitement does to our sensitive ears. Harvey has to find her on the field to shut her up with a kiss before our ears start bleeding.
“Horseman Nakaya?”
“Dad is handling the south side. War and Famine Warriorheads are guarding the western gates. Khatri volunteered to cover the east wings so we could focus on the front and—”
A shadow moves past me to reach Seiji, and on instinct, I grab and push the person against the wall before he can touch anyone. With my hand on his throat, the warlock chokes from the pressure.
A warlock in my home? He must have a death wish.
“Tell me one good reason I shouldn’t snap your neck right this second.”
“Nevaeh. Don’t .” In a blink, Seiji removes my grip and drags the warlock behind him.
“Hey idiot, you’re supposed to step away from strange men of enemy species, not get closer!”
Ignoring me like I’m the one acting strange, Seiji stands like a wall between me and the man I’m trying to stab with my eyes. The warlock in question straightens up and tries to step in my direction before I stop him.
“Woah buddy, I'm not Seiji. So, stay right there before I burn your brown ass to a crispy black.”
Seiji shelters the man by stepping in front of him again, and my glare softens when it meets his cautious gaze. The warlock is just as tall, if not an inch taller than Seiji, so the cover is not practical but it's a statement nonetheless.
Gritting my teeth, I back down. As much as I hate how Seiji is protecting this warlock, I don’t want to hurt him unintentionally.
“ That is a warlock.”
“ He is Jackson.”
I scoff, but Seiji continues, taking advantage of the fact that I’m not in attack mode anymore. “He came to warn us yesterday. Told us everything about the coven’s battle strategy.”
I can see how Seiji is choosing his words carefully. Ignoring the sting of him choosing a stranger over me is all I can do at the moment.
“That just proves he is treacherous to his own kind. So why the fuck should I trust him with my family?”
Jackson’s jaw ticks. Ah … so I’ve hit a nerve.
The warlock steps away from Seiji’s protection and makes the bold move of standing directly in front of me without the person who is saving him from my wrath.
Okay, he gets a point for being brave.
“I was the one who teleported you back to your kingdom the night Anisha attacked. I followed Anisha after the Queen blasted her with black magic but then lost her trail. I only found you again because of the explosion.”
Excuse the fuck out of me.
Taking in my stunned expression, he glances back at his protector, who encourages him. Seiji is practically dancing in his head at how Jackson has managed to take me by surprise.
Seiji pleads, asking me to keep an open mind when all I want to do is to bash this man’s head in. Less now that I know he helped us at a crucial moment, but he is still a warlock, and his one good deed doesn’t change what I think of his kind.
“Then where were you all this time?” Angel asks, and I’m glad he is just as suspicious. I don’t want to be the only bad guy here.
Trusting a witch? Not happening in this life .
“I was on my deathbed. The spell I used to teleport the four of you took a lot out of me. I only recently gained consciousness, and then followed the siren to a portal.”
Ah fuck, now I have to give the guy more points for literally saving my family and risking his life. Shit.
Squinting at him, I smirk when a drop of sweat rolls down the side of his face. “Why are going against your own kind?”
Jackson ducks his head in apparent shame, but I need to know he’s not like the witch-bitches I grew up with.
“After what they did to you and all the others, why wouldn’t I? And I’m not the only one who hates her ways, but no one cares about your opinion when you’re nothing but a rule-following warrior under a tyrant.”
I hate that I can sympathize with him for feeling oppressed due to lack of power. I know everything he is saying is true, but what makes me hesitate is that he is one of them .
The ones who destroyed me and my best friend. People who terrified my son enough to leave invisible scars on his little heart. Their hands might’ve only hurt the three of us directly, but they ruined so many lives in the chain effect of their actions.
I haven’t seen my papa in years because of what they did. Harvey lost both his parents because of them, and August lost his parents, his pack, and his destined life because of Visha . Grace and Angel have mates who they will have to carry emotionally for the rest of their lives.
What happened might be in the past, but it altered the entire course of my life.
Do I have it in me to put my trust in the hands of someone related to those who hurt me? But then again, I didn’t even think about holding what Kiara and Luke did against my mate.
I can tell Seiji sees that even when I’m grateful for Jackson’s help and his newfound allegiance to the Horsemen, it’s not enough to make me trust the warlock. Trusting him would go against my every instinct, and I need more than one favor to take that step.
“I have news. Big news,” Seiji sputters.
When the pregnant pause becomes pregnant itself, I clear my throat and raise my brow at him to spit it out.
“Not the time to be dramatic, Princess.”
Taking the warlock’s hand in slow motion, Seiji intertwines their fingers and makes a show of kissing the back of Jackson’s hand.
The blank expression on Jackson’s face melts into a gentle smile, and I’m left there standing, gobsmacked.
The meaning behind the action makes me shaky. I turn to Angel and instantly feel better about being blindsided because he is just as bewildered.
Smiling bashfully, Seiji shrugs before uttering the word I know he has been dying to say.
“ Mate .”
“Oh shit. Fuck. Mother—” Angel covers my mouth and waits until I’m done cursing every word I know.
Hopping in excitement, I jump on Seiji. “Why didn’t you lead with that, you drama queen!” We laugh like two maniacs and jump in each other’s arms, forgetting about our mates. “Fates, I’m so happy for you.”
I’ve told these people to stop messing with my badass reputation time and time again, but the number of happy tears I’ve shed since I met them is embarrassingly high.
Angel clears his throat, and I know it’s my sign to return to his side. Seiji starts tearing up, and Jackson immediately takes over, whispering in his ear until the waterfall stops. I all but melt in Angel’s arms, watching them interact like they’ve known each other forever.
Smooth mocha skin, deep brown eyes, and a jaw that could cut me in half. Jackson surely complements Seiji on the outside. They make a damn fine couple.
Seiji reintroduces us in a different context, and this time, it’s much more pleasant. I behave like a woman who occasionally swears and nothing like the crazy one who was cussing for ten minutes straight.
Before Seiji and Jackson leave us to take their respective positions at the front line, I watch with pride swelling in my chest, as Seiji puts on his black face armor.
Carved with delicate patterns, the gaps are filled with melted emerald stones. The armor covers half of his face from his hairline to his chin, and from the exposed side of his face, he winks at me, catching my stare.
Just before they leave, I call out Jackson’s name. He turns back to regard me curiously, probably thinking I’m about to threaten him again.
“Try not to die, okay? Us Horsemen don’t take it well when our family is hurt.”
With glassy eyes and an appreciative grin, he nods once before walking towards the battlegrounds, hand in hand with his mate.
Another name on my ever-growing list of family.