Chapter 14 #3
I’m about to explain the situation when my chosen jumps up from her sitting position on the couch, throws her arms around Pierce, and thanks him with a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you, this whole thing is—” She doesn’t finish that phrase because I lose my shit.
The entire room goes red and my hand is around Pierce’s throat before I’ve had enough time to think it through.
Neither Slash nor Slay try to stop me, they both know the danger isn’t real, but what they don’t fully comprehend is that my rage is at its highest.
“Don’t even think about it, Pierce. You don’t touch her.” My words are just above a whisper but their intentions are crystal clear.
When his back hits the wall across the room, the silence takes on a life of its own.
“All right, enough. Would someone care to tell us what the fuck is going on? We’ve got shit that needs doing.” I ignore Slay for just a couple of long seconds as I stare at Pierce, the least dangerous of us all, and let him know that Sage is off limits. Every inch of her.
My brother nods, zero worry on his face, understanding my compelling need to mark my territory.
On an intellectual level, I know there is no threat when it comes to my brothers. But on an emotional level, it’s a whole different beast that doesn’t like to be leashed and sees danger in every corner.
I release Pierce, who has the fucking nerve to wink at me, then stalk over to the couch where Sage is sitting. Try as I may to tamp down my instincts, I lose the miserable fight. Taking up the space beside her, I grab her by the hips and, despite her very loud protests, sit her down on my lap.
“Shh, we need to talk and listen, and screaming is only going to waste time.” Taking her jaw with my hand, I turn her face so I can show her my worry. “Do you want to find Danika?”
Unshed tears spring up in her eyes, making her seem blurry. “Yes. Quickly.”
I give her a sharp nod, letting her know that I’ll do whatever I need to find her best friend.
“I’ve found my chosen and in the last few days she’s found out about our world, the kyn, learned that she’s a witch, and that her friends aren’t anthros.
Also, we were attacked by Lamia and banshees just after Dei Desdemon left for The Shade.
Sage’s best friend is missing and her witch friend is dead.
” I feel her flinch at my rather emotionless rundown of the events but there’s no time to waste.
We need the information to travel far and wide.
“Oh, shit.” Giving a long whistle, Slash shakes his head at the enormity of the situation, and with that small reaction, he speaks for us all.
By the time we got the brothers up to speed, it was past seven and everyone was hungry.
Everyone except Sage, of course. After a while, when it was clear that being with us was the safest place she could be, I let her go so she could walk and pace.
According to her, she thinks better when she’s burning a hole in my carpet.
Slay is in the kitchen making some kind of salad with mozzarella and basil while Slash is firing up my grill. Pierce and I are watching as Sage does a one woman Ping-Pong show like we’re her loyal spectators.
“How long is this going to last? Should we check on her?” I shrug at Pierce’s hushed question. How the fuck am I supposed to know? He’s the healer…or used to be.
“She said she’s thinking.” Think and walk is what she told me she needed so who am I to contradict her?
“I think she’s in shock. You’re sure she wasn’t hurt during the fight? You didn’t hit her with your vines, did you?” I scoff at his assumption.
“Of course not. Every fiber in my body is attuned to her, it’s impossible for me to hurt her.” At least that’s what I’ve always been told about soul mates.
“You know that’s a myth, right?” Now it’s Pierce’s turn to roll his eyes. “Hey, Slay!”
“Shut the fuck up.” Pierce and I look at each with twin confused expressions on our faces. Slay must be deep in his cooking cave to answer Pierce like that. To be fair, he’d definitely do it to Slash, even to me, but Pierce is our good guy. He’s the one you turn to when you need stable and calm.
Well, unless your soulmate is kissing his cheek, then you just want to rip his eyeballs out, throw them in the air, and shout, “Pull!”.
“The fuck crawled up your tight ass?” Slash walks in like he owns the place. “Grill is on point, motherfuckers. All we need now is the meat.”
“I’m vegan.” Four heads snap to Sage, who hasn’t stopped pacing, her left thumb to her mouth where she’s nibbling on the skin around her nail.
“No, you’re not.” I would have known, right?
“No, I’m not. But saying I’m not hungry sounds rude. I was trying to be polite.”
“How the fuck do you figure?” I’m up and ready to brawl as soon as Slay’s tone is directed at Sage.
“Watch it.” Two words that hold the lethal warning for my brother is all I need.
“Relax, Hack. No one’s touching your toy.
” Fuck me, Slay wants to die tonight. “I just need to know how telling me while I’m preparing dinner that my choices aren’t to her liking is being polite.
How the fuck is that any better than saying she’s not hungry because she’s obviously dealing with shock?
” The entire room falls dead silent. Well, except for Sage who’s still stacking up her steps goal on my carpet.
“Holy shit, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that many words at one time in the two thousand years we’ve been together,” I say, confused as fuck.
“Shut the fuck up.” Yeah, that’s more like it. “And Sage?” We all turn to see my chosen stop in her tracks and give Slay her undivided attention. The lines on her face are drawn, her eyes puffy from crying, and her aura is all off. Still, she’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.
“Yes?”
“Shit needs to get done. People need to die. You have to fucking eat or else you’ll be the first victim. Doesn’t get any simpler than that.” Slay tips his chin up and Sage nods. And just like that, her shoulders slump and her legs take her straight to me.
When she doesn’t make a concerted decision, when she acts on instinct, her body knows exactly where to go.
Taking her in my arms, I sit back down and let her curl up on my lap where she falls asleep within seconds. She’s exactly where she belongs and I don’t care if I have to starve, I’m not moving from this position.
Slay is chopping up shit in the kitchen while Slash is out there whistling and grilling with intermittent lyrics that I’m pretty sure aren’t correct. Meanwhile, I’m holding the most precious of all cargo and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I’ve heard rumors about Baba Yaga. She’s pretty fucking ruthless.
You sure you want to go there?” Pierce is fiddling with his phone and when I look over Sage’s head, I see the folklore and myths page we all consult, Folklore of The Other.
It looks like a normal website that anthros would come across and think nothing of it.
Hell, there’s some weird shit on the Internet, so why not this? Hiding in plain sight; it’s what we do.
“Says here she can be as malevolent as she can be helpful to lost travelers. Her powers as a witch are extensive and she prefers being alone. No one really knows where she’s been for the past few hundred years.” Pierce is mumbling the rest of the article but I stop him right there.
“I know where she is. I can take Sage there, assuming she hasn’t moved.
” This is what we decided when we laid everything out on the table.
While my brothers are going to get intel in The Shade and possibly on Kohrye, where all dark beings reside, Sage and I will be travelling to Alaska to find her original birth mother.
Maybe then we can figure out what’s happening.
The plan is for Baba Yaga to get rid of the hex—hexes—that are ruining Sage’s life.
Bonus points if we find out who put them there in the first place.
“I still think you need to go with back-up. If anything happens, we won’t be able to help you.” He’s not wrong but at the same time, I can’t imagine Baba Yaga would want to hurt us—hurt Sage. The worst that could happen is Baba Yaga kills me and takes Sage under her wing.
I’m okay with that.
“I’ll give you the exact location once we get there. I’ll send you a pin.” I have to say, today’s technology has made the world a lot smaller and easier to navigate. Although, in situations like these it’s helpful, when we look at the big picture…not so much.
“Okay, we’ll be on standby. I’ll make sure we're ready for war if the need arises.” I’m grateful for my brothers, and Pierce is nothing if not loyal right down to his DNA.
“Thanks.” Our brotherly moment is interrupted by Slash and his big booming voice.
“Dindin’s ready. Let’s get those proteins in us!” His roar wakes Sage.
Slay’s right, she needs to eat if she wants to keep up her strength.
I carry my sleepy chosen to the outside dining area where Slash has set up the plates and within minutes, we all go silent as we start eating…and thinking.
“Dei Samhain has just sent the location for Desdemon,” Slay says as he fills his plate with a variety of veggies and meat.
As soon as Slay’s words are out, I’m pushing my chair back, ready to meet my fate with Desdemon. After all, Danika was kidnapped on my watch, I should be the one to bear the consequences.
“Oh my goddesses. Desdemon. He still doesn’t know?” Sage’s quiet voice is like a hard squeeze to the chest. It’s rare to hear her so vulnerable, so fragile. Despite our difficulties, I love the fight she wields. The way she pushes me back two steps for every one I’m able to gain.
I just need to remember that meeting with the Dei of vampyres is, in a way, protecting her from his wrath. Not that he’d hurt her…I don’t think.
“I’ll go. I’ve got some pent up energy from being idle for too long. If he needs a punching bag in the form of a demon, I’m game.” Slash wipes his mouth, his usual boyish grin turning feral.
“Are you sure? I should be the one to go.” To be honest, I’d rather stay here with Sage but I hate skirting my responsibilities.
“I got you, brother. You stay and take care of your chosen. I’ll break the news to Des. Don’t be surprised when I come back battered. Just remember I had fun getting there.” There’s a reason he’s War.
“I owe you one, Slash.” I lift my chin in thanks.
“Me too. And Slash?” Sage puts down her fork and points her knife at my brother, not a fearful bone in her body. “You tell him I will find her.” There’s the fight.
Slash gives her a salute like a good soldier and does so without laughing at her. Sure, we’ll include her in the planning and keep her up to date on any new information we may get, but it’ll be a cold day in Kohrye before I let her battle the fucking Lamia.
The rest of dinner goes by in silence as we prepare for the coming days. Slash, Pierce, and Slay will have their work cut out for them in The Shade. It’s not always easy getting other kyn to speak out.
As for Sage and me, her reuniting with her original birth mother, the witch of all witches, is going to take a lot out of her. She’ll be fine, though, because I’ll be there to give her strength.
“Come on, Satapti, it’s time to rest.” Even though I hate seeing her so tired and defeated, I’m not going to lie…being able to hold her in my arms is the closest I’ll ever get to Ryetoh.
Scratch that. My Ryetoh will come the day she finally turns thirty and we can put all this bullshit behind us.
And that day will be soon if I have anything to do with it.