Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
JASPER
Once the doc gets the bear up and running again, I can breathe easier.
I’m not usually one to be this concerned about people outside of my caliphate, but there are two major reasons I had to act quickly.
One, we’re trying to make an alliance with these two jumbled groups, and I believe that is a necessary evil for the success of our mission to stop the coup in Hell.
But almost equally important in my mind is the snarling of my fucking dragon that if we are unsympathetic to these outsiders, the shrimp will never forgive us.
I’m not thrilled with the total dissonance between my supernatural beings and myself regarding the lying weasel, but if I want to stay in this form without destruction, I have to give in.
“Now that we have the shifter safe, the Professor needs to take a draught as well.” I look at Zavvie and then the haughty mage.
“I’m sure you won’t enjoy this concoction, especially since you’re aware of what’s in it.
However, you’ve seen it help the other one, and if you don’t get it down, the air here will start doing to you what it did to him. ”
The egotistical shit sighs heavily and finally accepts the potion from Dr. D, and I relax a little more. “Ugh. You’re right; it tastes like ass.”
“Know how that tastes, do you?” I smirk as his eyes widen and I get what looks to be a slight flush of embarrassment on his bearded cheeks. “I thought not. You wouldn’t use that phrase so easily if you enjoyed the lusty pleasures of other men.”
Zavida coughs, looking at me through his tails with a knowing expression before he murmurs, “Jas, I’m ecstatic to see you in a better humor, but um… We need to get to group two before the siren or the dragon go down. It would be very bad if the Fae prince’s bodyguard goes down.”
I nod, sighing heavily. “Gemini, it will be much easier if we all go. We may have to deal with this problem and resume the search in the morning. Everyone is bound to be tired by now, and we’re reaching the point where fresh eyes would be helpful in our areas.”
Lucas coughs, then croaks, “I wouldn’t mind a lie down, to be honest. This is the second time some random poison has almost taken me out in a few months, and though I’m a shifter, it’s making me feel a bit shaky.”
Angelo nods, looking around the stadium. “I agree, actually. This place in particular may require the entirety of our cabal to actually check off the list. It’s so massive that I’m concerned nothing short of the army can truly say it’s been rendered safe.”
I roll my eyes at his theatrics, knowing that his lack of time in our realm has limited his perspective on how powerful demons like us are. “Fine. Zavvie, text Anton and find out where they are so you and the don over there can take us there more quickly.”
My Kitsune pulls his phone out, his fingers flying over his screen in a way that makes the rest of my caliphate look like Luddites.
Zavvie’s technical skills are so good that it impresses me sometimes, and it’s making the bear goggle a bit.
“Anton says they are on the underground studio levels of the knowledge enclave, and they’ve located one that must have a clue in it.
Having us there will actually help, he believes. ”
“I know where the enclave is to aim my portal, but I’ll need a little help with their exact location,” Angelo admits. “I didn’t use a studio and never needed the underground.”
“If I may?” the doc speaks up and I blink, almost forgetting that he’s still among us. “I can transport the entire group without suspicion, and I will be able to sense where they are via Master Zavida. Would that be useful?”
Fuck yes, it would.
“That’s incredibly helpful, Doc. We try to use portaling less often to keep his abilities off the radar, and we’ve had to use it more lately than I am comfortable with.”
Everyone looks at me as if I’ve grown another head, and I growl softly.
“Look, I realize I’m a grumpy motherfucker on good days, and I’ve been extremely pissed since…
we were last here. However, I… I have reason, and that’s not something I can allow to infiltrate this shit any longer.
We have to ensure the assholes from the surface don’t die on my watch, especially the other royals, and it occurs to me that if I weren’t so focused on internal conflicts, I might have remembered that they needed protection spells. ”
The doc’s flames ignite and feathers fly into the air, then melt into ash before they hit the ground.
That makes me look at him in shock, but the emotions that emanate from him aren’t negative.
No, they’re actually… full of pride? I shake my head, turning away from the ancient demon to face the group.
“Is that okay, or is everyone going to stand around and gape at me like fools?”
“Ah, there he is again,” the elder Gemini says with a chuckle. “For a moment, I thought we’d stepped into an alternate reality. You were far too agreeable just then, Eversore.”
I smirk at the demon as the doctor walks over to Zavida and places a palm on his arm.
Zavvie shivers for a second and when the hand is removed, he looks at me pleadingly.
Despite my aversion to being publicly affectionate in front of these people, I take his hand.
It’s freezing, and I arch a brow at the feathered physician as he creates a large, powerful portal that will allow us all to go through.
He didn’t mention that he was going to turn my mate into a popsicle, and I’m not happy with it.
Zav is better by the time we cross the barrier into a hallway filled with magical strands lighting it up. My frown deepens as I note the dragon seems to lead them, as he’s standing with his arms crossed in irritation that my brothers haven’t opened the door where the trail ends yet.
“I told you, bro. Once they’re here, we have to keep you and the singing dude safe before we go in. We’ve been lucky that you didn’t die out in the open, but we have to—”
I stride over, cutting Salem’s plea off by saying, “He’s right.
I take responsibility for not remembering that most of the visitors did not have demon blood and needed to be protected from the air in Hell.
Our royal physician is here with us, and he will offer you the potion we gave the bear and the professor. ”
Kaspar looks at me suspiciously, then glares at them. “You took the potion they gave without talking to anyone? Have you lost your damn minds?”
The professor waves his hand at the dragon. “Kas, Angelo helped the doctor brew it with the Kitsuné. I know what’s in it, and it fixed me. It is safe to drink— it also helped Lucas stop suffocating.”
“Are you ready now?” The doctor interrupts our discussion as he glides over to the group.
He’s frightening and imposing, which quiets the dragon’s complaints almost immediately.
“The Prince has accepted his responsibility, and I need to administer this to your non-demonic members both here and in other places. It would be tragic if someone were harmed in service of egos and bickering.”
Damn, Doc, give it to them straight—this is why the shrimp likes him so much.
“Fine,” the dragon says. “I’ll go first. If Morgana or my prince hears I allowed Slade to take it before me, they will be furious.”
Briarton rolls his eyes, muttering something about no one caring about him, and I have to swallow a chuckle.
It’s obvious that he’s made his own bed, but he’s suffering while he lies in it.
I can relate to that, as I did the same prior to the Big Reveal, and based on what the bear said, I’m doing it again now.
I feel like I have a right to be angry now, but he had a point about ignoring what the universe is so clearly trying to tell me.
My animal and my demon have been doing the same, and if I don’t make nice with the shrimp somehow, I fear they’re going to make my life miserable.
I’ve already made an enormously consequential error because of the distraction.
“Give it to him, and then the siren. Once it’s done, we can decide how we will deal with getting the last few surface dwellers protected.”
Dr. D nods, and I feel that odd proud sensation again when I refrain from snarking back at the suspicious bodyguard.
He holds up the bowl, allowing the dragon to sip as he glares at me, and then turns to the studious-looking aquatic shifter.
I’m a little surprised when Slade takes it without a word, his expression shining with the trust he’s extending.
He’s clearly a lot like Zavvie, and as long as the professor has given his stamp of approval, he won’t question it.
That’s why that idiot got so weird about the ass-tasting comment—he’s semi-embroiled with this siren and hasn’t figured out what to do about it yet.
His reluctance reminds me of myself when I fell for Zavida, and I shake my head at the odd similarities between me and the two members of the college group who are on the outs with their female.
It’s sobering, and though I don’t know how to parse it entirely, it’s digging into my psyche as much as Lucas’s words.
It takes a moment for the two to swallow the rank shit down, but once they do, I turn to Anton.
“What do you believe you’ve found? We searched the Keeper’s zone and some of the arena, but we found nothing.
That might not be completely accurate, though, because the animals’ area of Arces’s home has a lot of spellwork cloaking the animals, and the arena is quite large. ”
Anton tilts his head as if taking in my data, and then he nods. “We should probably try again tomorrow with different groups to see if the results are the same. Perhaps the entire cadre is required for the arena.”
I nod. “That was my feeling as well. Tell me about your efforts.”
“We were able to search the gym easily enough,” Salem says. “It’s not hiding anything, as far as we can tell.”
“But this building has a lot of places like this where things are locked up behind various security methods. The original scan led us down here first, and a renewed effort has brought us to this door. We used a combined magic to see who it might be interesting to, and this trail tells me that all of our alliance will want to examine what we find.”
“Hmm,” I murmur as I consider his information. “I believe I will stay here with you, and the professor can as well. If it is agreeable, the doc can take Damon, Lucas, and Kaspar to group three. They will convince the prince and the lion to take their potions and then head for the dorm.”
“Don’t forget that we promised the ladies that we would not interrupt their alone time,” Zav pipes up, and he gets glares from everyone in response. “I know that… uh… deep-seated desires probably have everyone wanting to check in, but we promised. It wouldn’t be fair to disturb them.”
I arch a brow at my lover, brushing away the irritation at his devotion to the kid despite her lies. “Fine. No one bothers them except Dr. Danckwardt. He needs to give the gorgon her potion. The shrimp will verify that he is on the level. Agreed?”
The grumbles that fill the room are enough to send me over the deep end, but I finally get confirmation from every single asshole in the hallway. Once I have it, I turn to the doc. “Have Zav text Xerxes to get their location so you can take the others there. We will work on this door.”
At least, I fucking hope we will deal with this thing so we can get back to the dorm for the night and settle in before all the supernatural sides get too antsy.