Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
ATLAS
Six weeks later
“Soooo,” Rune purrs, cuddling next to me on the couch in my apartment. “I reached out to Rhiannon. We’re meeting for coffee later.”
Smiling, I take his hand and gently squeeze it. “I’m proud of you.”
He waves the compliment away, but I see him blushing. “It’s time. I’ve spent long enough navigating the world alone.”
“You’ll never have to again.”
Rune smiles as he leans back against the couch, holding my hand. “I like it here. I don’t think I’d want to live here exclusively, but the more time I spend here, the more I think we could split our time. If that’s agreeable to you.”
“Wherever you are is where I want to be. You have to know that by now.”
He nods slightly. “I’m catching on.” Grinning, he climbs onto my lap. “Since we’re all official now, I thought it would be nice if I brought a few more things here and vice versa. It’s not my place anymore. It’s ours.”
My heart flutters, that incredible bond pulsing deep in my chest. The tattoos on both of us flicker to life and glow brightly.
“That’s pretty romantic, Rune.”
“You’re rubbing off on me.” He cups my face. “I know it was fate that brought us together, but your heart, your kindness, Atlas, it’s breathtaking. I’m pretty sure you would’ve helped me whether we were fated or not.”
“Of course I would’ve helped.”
As he searches my eyes, I can tell he has more to say, so I keep quiet while he works through it.
I’ve learned over the weeks we’ve been together that there’s a heart brimming with love and emotions in there, but he needs more time to feel safe enough to show that side of himself. It’s okay. We’ve got forever.
Rune huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “It’s almost overwhelming how strongly I feel about you. You’ve made life better, Atlas. Thank you.”
“You’ve made mine better too.” I kiss him softly. “I love you.”
Our tattoos light up again. “I love you too, you big, beautiful gargoyle.”
After Rune leaves to go visit with his sister, I shuffle out to the common area, where the guys are hanging out. I’m ready to be teased about my love nest, but I’m greeted happily and without fanfare. I guess they’re used to it by now.
I plop down in a chair and Roman nudges me with his elbow. “Perfect timing. We’re about to start a new hand. You want it? We’re playing Deuces Wild.”
“I’m in.”
After a few rounds, Grim bounces into the room, followed by Auri. We all put our cards down in anticipation. Auri doesn’t come in here to just hang out, so it must be work related.
“What are you doing, pets?” Auri asks.
“Playing cards, obviously,” Cas responds, his tone dismissive as usual.
Auri pats Cas on the head like a child and surprisingly takes a seat in the empty chair since Drax has Mac in his lap instead. We fall into an awkward silence waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Carry on,” Auri says.
“Why are you here?” Roman asks.
“It’s my compound. Can’t I walk around as I see fit?”
“Yeah, of course, but you never do,” Roman continues. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” Auri scratches Grim’s head. “Perhaps I just wanted to check on all of you. I’ve been a bit absent lately.”
Me and the guys exchange glances. Yes, we’ve noticed Auri has been away more often, but none of us thought to question it. Why would we? Auri does what he wants.
“All is well with your mage, Atlas?”
“Yes. He went out to meet with his sister.”
“Brave,” Mac mutters while Drax shushes him.
“Should we be ready to break up another sneak attack?” Cas asks.
“Hopefully not,” I answer.
Auri nods, casually glancing at all of us before dropping a very unexpected bomb on us. “Can I play?”
Cassius blinks several times with his mouth open, while Roman seems frozen for a few seconds. Drax, however, grins brightly.
“I’m so proud of you, Auri.”
Auri looks slightly put out even as a tiny smile pulls at his lips. “You were right. We could use some more quality time as a team. I mean, including me.” He clears his throat. “If that’s agreeable to all of you.”
I throw my cards into the middle of the table. “Hell yeah.”
Cassius scoops up the cards, while Roman snaps out of his stunned stupor.
“Texas Hold’em?” Roman asks while Cas shuffles.
“Perfect,” Auri purrs.
RUNE
When I enter the coffee shop where we agreed to meet, a sense of relief washes over me. It’s right in the heart of the French Quarter, so it’s nice and busy. There won’t be any awkward silences.
I spot Rhiannon already seated at a table near an open patio. She’s people-watching with her hands wrapped around a cup. Across from her is a drink that looks exactly like the iced café mocha I love so much.
“Hi.”
She looks up and smiles. “Hey, Ign—uh, Rune.”
I sit across from her, taking her in now that we’re not in the midst of a conflict. She’s very pretty, and it wouldn’t be hard to peg us as siblings. We look so much alike it’s almost uncanny.
“I got your favorite drink. Unless it’s changed.”
“It hasn’t. How did you know though?”
“We’re connected. I’ve felt you drink it several times since I last saw you. You don’t feel me at all?”
My brow crinkles. “Do you have a thing about cheesecake?”
She laughs softly, nodding. “Yeah. It’s a problem.”
“That explains a lot. I’ve had these weird cravings for it, but I rarely eat it. That must have been you.”
“Kind of cool, right?”
“It is.” I sip my drink, contemplating what to say next. The only thing that makes sense is the truth. “I’m sorry, Rhiannon. I shouldn’t have left you the way I did. I should have reached out and tried to be a brother to you.”
“I understand now why you did the things you did. I researched a lot, and our family weren’t good, were they?”
“No.”
“But you spared me.”
“You didn’t show any signs of your magic maturing. Not even hints of it. You might not remember, but our folks basically ignored you because you had no value to them in their eyes. They focused on me and what I could do.”
“Oh, I remember.” She sips her drink, dragging a hand through her long tresses. “I guess they couldn’t see that your magic was draining everyone else’s.”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
“Grandmother. She cursed me and all of us. She depleted us so that it would all go to you, making you even more powerful than you were naturally. You didn’t know that?”
I shake my head. “No, but it makes so much sense. She used to anoint me with these herbs and oils, and at night she would chant spells to me. I never lost the powers though. Not after she died. Not at all.”
“That’s because it was permanent. I went through a lot of shady stuff to get my ability and it’s still very muted unless I harness ancestral magic. Once I learned about us, I closed the portal to them. They didn’t like that, but they can’t reach us anymore, Rune. We’re done with that chapter.”
I reach across the table and squeeze her hand. “You’re so brave. I’m sorry you had to do all of this alone.”
“It’s okay. It made me strong. I had a good life. The people who raised me, who became my parents, are awesome. They helped me discover my history and didn’t shy away from it. What happened to you after you left?”
“Survival. I learned to navigate the world and harness my magic for good.”
“In what way?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I lean closer.
“I hunt down cursed objects and remove them from the hands of people who would do harm. There are thousands of them scattered around the globe. I have them all ranked by how dangerous they are, then I go find them. It’s my way of making up for all the evil I was forced to do as a child. ”
Rhiannon’s face lights up. “That’s incredible. Could I… help?”
“You’d want to?”
She nods. “We have some catching up to do, and it would be nice if we could prove our family legacy wrong. We could be good. We could make things better.”
The idea of hunting with my sister warms my insides. “I think I’d like that.”
After coffee, I roam the crowded streets of the Quarter, reveling in the pleasant memories still lingering in my mind.
Maybe someday Atlas and I can come here and make new memories to drown out the bad ones.
We could eat fresh beignets and gumbo and po’boys.
A smile tugs at my lips. I know what I need to do while I’m still here.
Before long, I find myself somewhere new, transported clearly by magic. I wander down the busy streets, drawn by the pull of magic in the air, a strange blend of dark and light intentions filling the air with powerful, tangible magic.
I arrive at a small shop. Kallis is in there. Approaching the door slowly, I carefully pay attention to everything around me. Kallis could strike me down if I’m not aware of my surroundings.
I brace myself as I enter. A woman appears, dressed in a long black dress and tons of jewelry. Her gray hair is wrapped messily in a scarf and piled on top of her head. Her cloudy gaze pierces through me, and I feel her psychically poking at my brain.
“Rune. It’s been ages.”
“Kallis.”
“What brings you here? I very explicitly told the gargoyle not to bring you.”
“I’m here of my own accord. Can we talk?”
Kallis looks past me over my shoulder, and then, apparently satisfied, she nods and steps to the side.
The shop is cluttered with antiques and various items common to magic users. The air is thick with incense smoke and her magic swirling together.
Kallis watches me with her eerie eyes and pursed lips. “Well?”
“I came…” My stomach twists uneasily. Oof, this is harder than I expected. “Er, I came to thank you.”
She raises an eyebrow. “I’m sorry?”
She’s going to make me grovel. Fine. I owe her this. “I said I came to thank you. You helped Atlas find me, and as it turns out, he’s my fated mate.”
Her jaw drops. “Fate handed you a mate? Well, isn’t that rich?”
“Apparently, I was worthy.”
She scoffs. “Or fate had an off day. I feel for the gargoyle. He seemed sweet.”
“He is sweet, and I deserve him.”
“Those two things can’t be true at the same time.”
See? This is why I don’t bother with people, supernatural or otherwise. “Never mind.”
I turn to leave, but Kallis’s magic wraps around my arm, halting me. “Were you hurt?”
“No, not terribly. There’s no threat to the larger community. No impending war. My captor was my sister.”
“Huh. Well, that makes sense. I was curious who was brave enough and powerful enough to hold you.”
“She had to summon ancestral magic to do it, but she did.”
“And did you massacre her too?”
“No. She’s alive and well. Listen, Kallis, I know you’re not a fan of mine, and for good reason, but you helped when you didn’t need to, and I appreciate it.”
She stares at me for a moment until her lips turn up in the slightest smile. “Say it again.”
“No.”
“Oh, come now, Rune. Let me enjoy this. We both know it’ll be the only time I hear those words from your lips. I’m surprised you can even pronounce them.”
I huff. Fine. I deserve a bit of humbling. I’m not exactly known for it in the community. I meet her gaze, forcing a smile to my face. “Thank you, Kallis.”
She draws slightly closer. “For?”
“Helping rescue me.”
Her smile grows. “Does it hurt?”
“No. I’m not the devil you think I am.”
“I don’t think you’re a devil. The devil can be reasoned with. One more time, and I’ll never ask again. We’ll put this whole business behind us.”
Glaring, I fold my arms across my chest. “Do I have your word?”
“Oh yes. Gleefully. Just let me taste your humility a bit longer.”
Exhaling slowly, I focus on all that I’ve gained because she helped. “Thank you for helping rescue me, Kallis. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Rune. Now, shoo. I have a reading for a client in ten minutes.”
“Tarot, Kallis? How droll.”
“You make money your way, I make it my way. Pleasure.”
Nodding, I excuse myself, happy to step back outside where the air is lighter. All I want to do now is get back to Atlas and continue this new chapter of my life.
With Atlas.