Chapter 56 #2
We slammed the empty glasses down, and the people around us cheered. They laughed and hollered, a pleasant reprieve from the sadness that had become my constant companion.
“No one has ever done three of the devil’s tango and not thrown up.” A woman giggled, her group of friends nodding. It seemed we’d come on some university party night, and students crowded the club.
Cameron waved his hands through the air.
“Okay, tabs on me. Less talking, more drinking. Let’s go!
” The crowd went wild again, and this time, even Xavier joined in.
The bartender slid a bottle toward us, and then he and another hurried away to help the growing crowd.
Cameron placed three clean shot glasses in front of us.
“This isn’t really laying low, you know?” I couldn't stop the giggle that floated out next. Maybe I have had too much. “I am a wanted criminal.”
Xavier filled his glass and then mine before grabbing the salt. “I won’t tell if you won’t”
I snickered while taking another shot with him.
Cameron wrapped his arms around us both, pulling us close. “Oh, this is exactly how you lay low. An over-rambunctious crowd, all drinking and dancing and hiding away to fuck. Everyone here is too focused on having a good time even to notice you.”
I hadn’t thought about it like that. “Smart and downright wicked. I like it.”
Cameron winked at me. “Do you have one more in you?”
My head swam as I tried to focus on my glass. “I said I wanted to blackout. The room isn't even spinning yet. Do your worst.”
“I like you.” He grinned, licked his hand, and sprinkled salt on it before passing it to me.
“Zekiel said you would, but that was before I helped get him killed.”
Cameron stared at me, and I felt Xavier go still. I didn’t wait for him, licking the salt from my hand and throwing back the shot.
“Are you ever going to stop feeling sorry for yourself?” Cameron asked.
“What?” The liquor stilled in my gut.
Xavier snickered and stood, towering over me. “You can’t shock us with things we already know. Samkiel told us everything. We know how Zekiel really died. You can’t push us away like you do everyone else.”
I turned and glared at him.
“We get it.” Cameron squeezed my shoulder. “You want to remind us who and what you are, but we never forgot, Didi.”
My brow lifted. “Didi?”
Cameron nodded and poured another shot, passing it to Xavier.
“Yeah, that’s your new nickname. Everyone gets one. Welcome to the family.”
Family.
A thousand and one images threatened to drown me at once at that word.
A house with carved initials, a smile from someone I loved dearly, and a cavern of flames and stone that was more a prison than ever a home.
Anger bubbled to the surface, replacing my desperate need to claim what they offered.
It was hot, quick, and ready to defend my bruised and damaged heart. “I didn’t ask—”
Cameron shook his head and pressed his hand over my mouth, cutting off my words. He and Xavier gulped their drinks and placed their empty glasses down. Cameron stood, and they grabbed my arms, one on each side of me, leading me to the dance floor.
“Yes, yes, you don’t want it. We get it. Let’s go dance,” Cameron said, his body already moving to the beat.
I narrowed my gaze at him as Xavier laughed. It was the most I could do before I was swept off my feet and taken into the masses of bodies, all jumping and screaming with the music. Whatever retort I had died as Cameron placed me on my feet and twirled me toward him.
“This is fun.” He remarked, spinning me again. “You do remember what fun is?”
He didn't give me time to answer before he spun me toward Xavier, who caught me grinning like a fool, and soon my face matched, forgetting my anger. Fun. That's what I wanted, just for a little while. I could blame it on the alcohol, but tonight I would bury my suffering. Just one night.
I knew the members of The Hand were famous, but it still shocked me how people gathered around them, laughing with us all and asking to dance.
Everyone wanted to speak to them or just ogle.
On the plus side, the management didn’t allow any type of recording device in here.
I would bet it was why they’d chosen this club.
That, and we were being treated like royalty.
I didn’t remember when it happened or how.
Maybe it was the drinks they had all but shoved my way.
I remembered Cameron and Xavier swinging me between them, my feet touching nothing but air, and suddenly, I was laughing, truly laughing.
Xavier’s face lit up every time, and Cameron would tell another joke to keep me distracted.
It worked. We danced, screamed, and sang a song I didn’t know the lyrics to, but it was fun.
I was fine as long as I didn’t stop, didn’t think. Every time I did, I saw her ghost.
Cameron tipped a guy’s head back, pouring clear liquid into his mouth.
After him, he moved to the guy’s girlfriend, and then so on, moving through the crowd.
Xavier stopped next to me. He watched Cameron with an indulgent smile as if this were normal when they went out, but I sensed something else beneath his placid facade.
I wondered if they’d ever slept together.
I knew celestials, like most, were fluid in their sexuality.
The images I had seen in Samkiel’s blooddreams told me that much, but it was different with Cameron and Xavier.
Maybe they hadn’t. Maybe what they had was like what was between Samkiel and me.
And a part of me felt so damn guilty for still wanting him after—
My head split, a blinding pain making my teeth clench.
I cradled my head in my hands, rubbing at my temples as the music faded.
Light spilled from a hallway in a house so far out of reach.
Wood bent, splinters falling to the floor as the walls bowed.
The rows of chains wrapping around the door drew tight, and the locks clanked with every hit the door took, holding what was locked away inside.
Flames crackled, and smoke rolled beneath the door, the beast demanding release with a defiant ear-splitting roar.
My body jolted to the side, a man throwing an apology at me before hurrying away through the crowd. Music flooded my subconscious and yanked me away.
And a lock on a door in a house rattled.
“You’re up, Didi!” Cameron shouted.
The world snapped back as I forced a smile, blinking away that damned house. Maybe that was it. Maybe the alcohol was burning off, and I needed to drown the voices. I walked over, no one noticing that my head had almost ruptured.
“Everything okay?” Cameron asked.
Maybe I hadn’t hidden it as well as I’d thought. I nodded. “Fine.”
His hand cradled my head as I opened my mouth and leaned back, trusting him to support me. The alcohol hit the back of my throat, this time definitely burning. I sat up and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, forgetting about my lipstick.
As soon as the fiery liquid pooled in my gut, I motioned that was it for me. My stomach churned, seeking another form of liquid.
Xavier appeared at my side again. Concern etched into his beautiful face.
“Want to sit?” I realized that one of them had never been more than a few feet from me all night, and I didn’t think it was because they were my jailors.
Maybe it was the devil’s tango talking, but it seemed they actually cared about me. They were protecting me.
I nodded, and he held out his hand. I glanced at it but didn’t take it. Instead, I headed toward one of those large crescent lounge seats. He whistled at a couple trying to swallow each other’s tongues. They broke apart, saw him, jumped up, and left.
“Everything alright?” Xavier asked, and I nodded again, lying through my teeth. I didn’t want to tell him every blonde woman I saw that even resembled her made me pause and damn near run, thinking she was here and waiting for me to join her for a night of fun.
“What’s taking so long for the council to decide to cut my head off or not?” I asked, flopping onto the soft couch. I leaned down, struggling to maintain my balance as the world spun, and unbuckled the straps of my heels. My feet whimpered in relief as I slipped the torturous contraptions off.
Xavier leaned back in his seat a second before Cameron jumped and landed on the opposite end of the couch with enough impact to jolt me. Xavier kept his eyes on me.
“What makes you say that?”
“What are we talking about?” Cameron interjected.
“Is this the part where we pretend I didn’t kill people? Attack you or your friends? Attack Samkiel and Silver City? Or would you rather we continue to drink and dance like we’re old friends?”
“I like pretending we’re old friends,” Cameron said, but I held Xavier’s stare.
Maybe it was the alcohol or the splitting headache, but any filter I had was long gone.
“What is this, anyway? Take me out, get me drunk? What game are we playing? Trying to figure out my motives? I have none. My powers and strength are gone. I can’t incinerate anyone or squeeze the life from them. I’m harmless.”
“A viper with no venom is still a viper, Didi,” Cameron said, resting his elbows on his knees. His gaze was intent, all humor gone. “And you are anything but harmless. Why can’t you just enjoy a night out? Why ulterior motives?”
I shrugged. “Because everyone has them.”
Cameron whistled low under his breath as Xavier shook his head. “Maybe we just want to be your friend.”
“Doubtful,” I scoffed. “Why would any of you want a viper as a friend? Plus, I have learned my lesson in thinking friends are for me. Drake and Ethan—”
“I had a sister, too,” Xavier cut in. His tone was solemn and without humor, no laughs. Even the music seemed to dull.
Cameron went still and dipped his head. His gaze focused on the ground. These were the warriors I remembered. The ones I met on the remains of Rashearim almost a year ago.
“You did?”