Chapter 12 #2
That’s…oddly specific. “I admit, I should’ve kept myself under control. In my defense, I wasn’t expecting to find you and seeing you there just…” I blow out a long breath, looking away before meeting her curious gaze head on. “You’re my whole world, Sage. It was impossible for me not to kiss you.”
One minute her eyes fill with moisture, her features soft and understanding. The next, she growls, turns, and stomps away. Except she doesn’t get far before tripping over an errant branch and almost face planting on the park trail.
I’m there before her face meets the ground and I won’t lie, it’s a total romcom moment so I milk it for all it’s worth.
With her head cradled in my palm, our noses just inches apart and our breaths mingling with every exhale, I let a slow, seductive grin spread across my face. “Demon speed at your service, m’lady.”
Sage doesn’t even pretend to stop her eye roll at my over-the-top show, but when I see her wince, I drop my playboy facade and scan her entire body.
“My ankle.” She leans up to take a look at her leg and I’m so fucking confused at the sight.
“How the fuck did you hurt yourself?” It was just a tiny trip, I caught the rest.
“Ah, the perks of being me.”
I frown, look around, then take her home.
Seconds later, we’re in her living room while I’m shouting orders left and right, except no one is moving.
I’m used to having our marshals and lackeys moving their asses when I start throwing out directives.
Hell, even at my gyms, my employees have zero hesitation when it comes to my orders.
Except, Desdemon is a Dei, he takes orders from no one.
His sister, Danika, is just now walking out of her room looking like she partied for a week and hasn’t seen the light of day in just as long, so she’s a step down from useless.
“Where is your first aid kit?”
“I’m fine, you need to chill.”
“I’ll chill when you’re healed.”
“She’s fine, Hack. I can smell her blood flowing, it’s unhindered and perfect.” My head snaps to Desdemon and I don’t give a fuck that for all intents and purposes, he’s higher on the pyramid than I am. With one word to Dei Samhain, he could have me destroyed. Well, at least that’s what he thinks.
Still, my control around Sage is zero at best.
“You keep your nostrils far away from my chosen.” I expect a head-to-head battle but what I get is nonchalant laughter. I swear this guy is impermeable, nothing gets to him.
“Duly noted, demon. I’ll keep my medical opinions to myself. I’ll definitely refrain from telling you that she may need some ice on that slight swell.” My eyes hone in on her ankle and sure as fuck, it’s like watching dough rise in the oven.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” By the time Sage finishes her curse, I’ve been to the freezer and back with a bag of ice.
“Don’t move.” Pinning my chosen with a look that says it’s non-negotiable, all I can do is sigh in frustration at the fact that she’s trying to get up and is ignoring my commands.
“You’re not the boss of me, Zelos. I hurt myself at least twice a day. This is nothing.”
“It’s true.” Danika chimes in from the kitchen where she’s rummaging through shit and making a fuckload of noise.
“Less enthusiasm would be much appreciated, sister mine.”
It occurs to me that this is normal chaos for them and I’m not sure I can handle this kind of flippant attitude when faced with a hurt Sage.
Am I the asshole for wanting to make sure my chosen is okay?
“Put that ice back on your ankle, Sage. Don’t make me hold you down and force you.” I expect silence and fear, I get none of those things.
“Fine, but we keep talking and trying to figure out why I’m going to die.”
“Wait, what? Who’s dying?” Oh, now Danika is awake.
“Apparently, I am. Before I turn thirty.” Sage huffs a puff of indignation.
I feel ya, Satapti.
In an instant, we’re all four in the living room. Danika distributes cups of coffee and the smell is fucking perfection.
“So, what’s this about dying?” Danika places a hand on Sage’s knee and I have to fight the urge not to rip it right off. But in Sage’s words, I’m fucking chill. Barely.
“You!” Sage points an accusing finger at Danika, who plops down on the couch beside my chosen, lifting the injured ankle and placing it across her own thigh with gentle hands. “You lying liar of all lies!”
Too bad coffee and popcorn don’t go well together because this should be fun.
With a mixture of confusion and guilt written all over Danika’s features, I’m guessing she knows what Sage is talking about but also isn’t sure and doesn’t want to fuck it up. Like a cartoon, she turns first to me, then to her brother, who just shrugs. The bastard.
“What did I do?” Yeah, it’s too early for this shit.
“What did I do?” Sage mimics her best friend with a high pitched voice. “You’ve been hiding your super secret identity from me for like…forever.” Forgetting she’s holding a cup of hot coffee, Sage tries speaking with her hands and ends up spilling it all over her shirt.
“Fuck!” I’m immediately at Sage’s side, holding her shirt away from her torso to avoid any further burning, which is near impossible with her trying to slap my hands away. Thank fuck for Danika, who grabs Sage’s half-empty cup to avoid another burn.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Sage shrieks her question, which is how I realize I’ve got my hand up her shirt and she’s having none of that.
“I’ve never been so entertained as I am right now.” Desdemon is about to get the full force of my demon strength up his Dei ass. “Do you have more friends like these, little sister?”
“Nope. She’s all I’ve got and she’s one in a million.” I narrow my eyes at Danika for encouraging her brother while Sage just kicks her in the thigh. “What? Where’s the lie?”
“You’re the lie. How could you keep all of this from me?” Leaning up, she takes the ice off her ankle, giving me a peek at the state of her. It’s not as bad as I first thought. She’ll be fine but it doesn’t mean I like that she’s in any kind of pain.
“Keep it iced.” I’ve heard this over and over throughout the years so it must hold some truth to it. Sage is now slapping at my hands, all the while staring daggers at her best friend, who looks properly chastised.
“What was I supposed to say? I mean, I didn’t even get my powers until last night.” By the looks of it, she’s barely adjusting to the change.
“Um, how about…‘Hey bestie, I’m a vamp, wanna see my fangs?’” I cough to hide my chuckle but Sage is having none of that. “And you! I need another fucking stalker like I need a third nipple.” I groan. It’s all I need, Des picturing Sage’s nipples.
Danika twists her body so she’s sitting cross legged and facing Sage. Des is still on his phone, oblivious—or that’s what he’d like for us to believe—while I’m leaning against the opposite wall waiting for their drama to simmer down.
“Honestly, I loved living like an anthros without the constant pressure of my kyn.” Shrugging one shoulder, Danika takes a sip of coffee, leaving Sage staring at her, thoughtful.
“Anthros?”
“Humans, mortals, warm-blooded peeps. From the Greek anthropos? They can figure out quantum physics but refuse to make Latin and Greek mandatory languages to learn. It’s quite disappointing and, to be fair, I’m not sure how they’ve survived all this time.
” With every word, Danika gets more and more animated, like she’s been waiting her entire life to come clean about her opinions.
“Aw, we’re not that bad.”
I’m about to correct Sage, remind her that she’s not an anthros, she’s a witch, but Danika beats me to the punch.
“Trust me, they’re not that great. At least not all the time,” Danika says with fire dancing in her contact-free eyes before she takes a gulp of her coffee. “The concept is great but the evolution has gone awry.”
“Has gone awry.” Sage mimics again, snort-laughing at her best friend. “You sound like Professor Dickwad.” Scrunching up her face, pinched lips and all, Sage continues to mock her professor. I don’t need to ask to know it’s the asshole whose face I rearranged the other night.
“The Moirai know why and that’s all that matters.” I slide my hands into the pockets of my jeans and lower my head, all the while keeping my gaze fixed on Sage.
“I guess. I still think their brains are shrinking as time passes.” She’s not wrong but I can’t help feeling our important conversation has been hijacked by meaningless banter.
Somewhere between me making myself useful by looking at her ankle and taking the melting ice back to the kitchen to get another pack, they moved onto misinterpreted song lyrics and which ones win the Internet.
“Mariah Carey. Semen on your face,” Danika cries out, fist pumping like she’s won the gold medal in ridiculous conversation topics. What? I must look as appalled as I feel because Sage takes one look at me and her coffee spews out of her nose. Ouch, that’s gotta burn.
Fuck me, my chosen is a walking, breathing hazard. I don’t remember her being this hell bent on hurting herself in the past. I’m in and out of the kitchen with a paper towel before she even knows I’ve left her side.
“You good?” Why am I the only one worried here?
“Oh, shit, that’s the first time you’ve done that! Ew, did it burn?” Danika is laughing hard enough to wheeze her next breath in while Desdemon barely gives us his attention. I can’t imagine any game to be that addictive.
“Oh, gross. That’s disgusting. Why can’t I be a normal person and not hurt myself every two seconds?” She wipes down her nose and mouth then looks at me. For the first time—albeit brief—her eyes sparkle when our gazes meet. “The look on your face though? Totally worth it.”
I love this carefree side of her.
“I’ve never listened to Mariah on purpose, but I have a feeling she’d never use the word semen in her songs.” I quirk a brow knowing damn well I’m right.
“One just never knows.” Danika answers for Sage because we’re trapped in each other’s orbit and I won’t be the one to look away first. Not ever.