Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
RUNE
Touching down in the underworld is not at all what I expected.
It’s cool, with plenty of light. I’m not sure of the origin of the light, but it seems natural, like the realm is lit from within.
It’s also cleaner and more structured than I would have guessed.
It’s like a human city, but with far fewer people.
There are beings bustling around though—I assume they’re demons and the like.
It’s kind of nice. Weirdly, it reminds me of New York.
Atlas grips my hand, leading me down a pathway into a large structure. “This is where I live. Auri’s compound.”
“What does a demon need mercenaries for anyway?” I ask the question that’s been bothering me for ages. Obviously, he sent them after me to get that cursed amulet. I still don’t know what he did with it or plans to do with it, and that weighs heavily on my mind.
Atlas chuckles, his belly bouncing with movement.
“Auri gets summoned a lot. He realized that humans and even some supes often need help from the underworld to get the things they want. Auri, being the strategic thinker he is, decided to use that to his benefit. We do all sorts of things for him, mostly collecting artifacts that add to his powers and negotiating ability.”
“Like the amulet,” I say dryly. “What did he do with it?”
“He displayed it.”
I narrow my eyes. “What?”
Atlas nods. “It’s in his trophy room.”
“He wasn’t planning to use it for evil? Or barter it to someone who will?”
“Nope. He just wanted it. The more rare, the more evil, the more desired, the more he wants it. He’s been able to build a nice life for himself by bartering artifacts with other demons, but he keeps the most dangerous and prized items for himself. For the plot, as he puts it.”
“Do you like it here?”
Atlas pauses, opening a heavy wooden door and gesturing for me to enter first. I step inside, looking all around the cavernous space.
“I do. After roaming around for too many years to count looking for a community, I found it here.”
“I’m dying to know how you met Auri.”
“He found me. I was in France looking for others like me. We’re a dying breed, as you can imagine.”
“But how?” I drag my hand over a statue. “Gargoyles are immortal.”
“To some extent, yes, but there have been many wars, and if destroyed while in stone form, there’s a limited amount of time for intervention, and the process to save a gargoyle is an arduous one, requiring many to work.
That’s not really possible in times of war.
Bombed castles, cities destroyed—broken gargoyles become part of the rubble swept away. ”
The sadness pouring off him swirls in my chest, and I move closer to him, pressing my hand over his heart. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugs. “Then modern building practices took over. Gargoyles aren’t born, we’re created.”
“And your shift comes from…?”
“Centuries-old magic. I’m not the last alive, obviously, but one day there could be none of us left.”
A sad thought hits me. “Would you have mated with another gargoyle then, if it was like it used to be?”
“I think so. Maybe not though. Who knows how fate really works?”
“True.”
“I’m not unhappy that it’s you. Just the opposite. We’re fated—there’s nothing more special than that.”
I nod, smiling, but my head still swirls with questions and ideas. “You didn’t tell me how you and Auri met.”
“Come.” He takes my hand again, leading me deeper into the house.
“I was sitting in a ruined castle and I was deeply sad. I hadn’t found anyone like me, so I was planning to go to Paris, but I was tired.
” He smiles. “I looked up, and across the field there was a building that drew me towards it. I thought it was a bar or a pub, but when I entered it, it was the workshop where I was carved. Auri was there, chiseling away at a piece of stone.”
His hand warms as he speaks, softening even more as he gently squeezes mine.
“That’s when he offered me a home, a place to belong.
I somehow knew that it was my best choice.
I wouldn’t be lonely anymore, traveling the world on my own with no home base.
I longed for companionship so much, so I said yes.
That day I met Roman and Drax. It was just us for a while, then we got Cassius, and finally Mac. He’ll add more as he sees fit.”
“But you don’t do anything evil?”
Atlas shakes his head. “Evil is subjective, but we don’t hurt people, if that’s what you mean.
Not unless it’s absolutely necessary, which is rare.
Usually, we’re able to retrieve objects without dealing with people at all.
Sometimes we rescue people or just throw our weight around a little.
” He stops in front of a door. “Here we are. This is my apartment.”
I step inside, and when I look around, I’m completely blown away. It’s so normal. Like any apartment in the human realm. It’s tidy and clean, with oversized furniture that makes me want to sink into it.
“One hot shower coming right up.” Atlas smiles.
“You’re joining me, right?”
His expression softens as his eyes heat. “I’d love to.”
“Good. I think we have some catching up to do now that all the drama is over.”
Atlas guides me down another hall. “I’m glad it worked out the way it did.”
“Me too. If I’d realized she had magic, I might have been more on guard against the ancestors getting to her eventually. But I don’t think I ever would have expected her to retaliate. Gotta admit, it was pretty impressive.”
“It was.” I agree. “I did wonder how it would end though, since neither of you seemed capable of hurting the other.”
“Oh no, we were, it just takes a while. We’d exhaust ourselves battling the magic, until one of us was weak enough that we couldn’t anymore.
To be clear, that would’ve been her. She may have had ancestral magic on her side, but I was stronger than all of them, and I’m even stronger now that we’ve bonded.
It wouldn’t have ended well for my sister. ”
He shudders. “Glad it didn’t come to that.”
“Me too. Maybe we can even have some kind of relationship.” I drag my hand through my tangled hair. “I should’ve done more that night. I shouldn’t have just left her there.”
“Hey.” Atlas cups my face. “You said it yourself, you were just a teen, you were scared, and you had to get away. She got the help she needed.”
I nod. “I guess so.”
“Come on, love. Let me get you in the shower.”
Love. What a nice word when said in that way.
When I wanted to bind my magic to him, I never expected it to be permanent or for us to have a relationship after, but for the first time in my life, I don’t want to run.
I want to experience what it feels like to let my guard down and trust someone with my fragile heart. I want it to be Atlas.
I lean against the wall, watching him turn the shower on and adjust the temperature.
“As hot as you can stand it,” I call out.
“I’m made of stone.” His voice is full of amusement.
“Crank it the fuck up, gargoyle.”
Atlas chuckles. “Got it.”
The shower stall is huge, carved from rock, with several showerheads jutting out in different directions. Such unexpected luxury. This place is nicer than any of my above-ground homes.
As I peel out of my clothes, I wonder how this will work though. I’m still a human and don’t plan to spend the rest of my life in the underworld, but what does that mean for Atlas and his job? I shake my head. Too much to think about right now. I’ll deal with it later.
The bathroom turns steamy as I step into the shower and under the hot water. Atlas joins me seconds later, his big body pressing up against me from behind. I lean into him, dropping my head back to rest on his shoulder. We sway together in silence, and it feels nice. Really damn nice.
“Let me wash your hair for you,” Atlas says.
“You have shampoo?”
“And conditioner. Fully stocked bathroom,” he brags, kissing my shoulder.
“I guess it’s nice to have when you have company.”
Atlas opens a purple bottle. “It’s handy right now. I’ve never had company here before though.”
I glance over my shoulder. “What?”
“Nope. I’m no saint, but I do all my playing above ground. Down here, this is my sacred space. No one’s ever been important enough to invite into my home.”
My chest warms and flutters. “Are you saying I’m important enough, gargoyle?”
“You’re my mate, Rune.” He nuzzles my neck. “You’re the most important thing in the world to me.”
As he lathers my hair, I close my eyes and relish his strong fingers massaging my scalp. No one has ever taken care of me like this before. I never let anyone get close enough. But for once, I’m not scared. This feels right.
It feels like forever.
ATLAS
With my hand buried in Rune’s mane of hair, I press against him, my cock growing harder with the close contact. We don’t need sex to create magic anymore, so maybe we can use it differently now.
“At,” Rune whispers, bumping his tight ass into me. “You’re so hard.”
“Because you turn me on.” I bend my head to kiss his neck. “You drive me wild.”
“What a weird kink,” he says, his tone light.
I chuckle. “Hey, no kink shaming.”
Rune laughs, and it’s the first time I’ve heard a truly happy, carefree sound bubble out of him. He twists in my arms to face me and lets the shower spray rinse his hair. As the water flows over us, I gently drag my fingers through it, untangling the locks before reaching for the conditioner.
Rune allows me to care for him, his arms wrapped around my waist as I gently detangle the remaining snarls in his hair and walk us both back under the spray.
He has his eyes closed and a serene expression on his face.
My chest expands with pride that I’m the one who put it there.
I’m the one who brings him safety and love.
If he doesn’t already, he’ll learn to trust me and know that without a doubt, he’ll always come first.