Orion reached out to skim his fingers over the words, his expression dark as he assessed it.
"Do you know what it is?" Leon asked. "Apart from a boner killer."
"Why did you have a boner?" Orion muttered.
"He always has a boner," Elise supplied and I released a breath of laughter. "So, if this book's power sank it then it must be bad."
Orion didn't laugh as he turned page after page and I stole a look at his expression, his pupils dilated and concern etched into his features.
"Do you know what it is, amico mio?" I asked.
"I don't...but I do know how to read it without having to pay the blood price," Orion answered, but there was an ominous edge to his tone.
"How's that?" Elise breathed.
"We need a Seeing Eye, a spyglass that can unveil this dark language," Orion said. "But I only know of one and they’re hard to come by..."
"Where is it?" I asked in a growl, sensing I wasn't going to like the answer.
Orion looked up at me with his brows pulled together and defeat in his eyes. "In Lionel Acrux's manor, inside his office. It’s in the bottom drawer of his desk…my mother gave it to him. So basically it might as well be in the depths of Darkmore Penitentiary."
"Fuck," Elise hissed the same moment as I cursed in Faetalian.
"Well you're in luck," Leon said after a moment and we turned to him, finding him smirking like the cockiest son of a bitch I'd ever seen. "Because you happen to know the best thieving family in Solaria and I could steal the scales off Lionel Asscrux's back if I wanted to. And maybe I will after I swing by his office and get that spyglass, just you watch me."
I lay in the huge bed that was officially mine in the Nights' house while the sound of birdsong washed over me from the open balcony doors. It was freezing cold and there was frost coating everything outside, but Leon had used his fire magic to heat my flesh before he left to go have a shower, so I was warm despite the cold air.
After the party last night and several hours in Dante’s private quarters where we fulfilled Leon’s fantasies, Dante had given us some stardust so that we could head back here and though I'd been curled in Leon's arms for hours and exhaustion tugged at me, sleep had evaded me. It was three days until Christmas. Three days until I had my first one without Gareth...or Mom.
The Nights had decorated the entire house with all kinds of amazing magical decorations, Leon’s moms using a combination of their Elements to fill the house with everything from frost-gilded bannisters to the most stunning Christmas trees in every reception room in the building - there were eight. Every room now had a roaring fire burning eternally in fake fireplaces, and the smell of them cooking Christmas treats constantly wafted along the corridors. It was nice. No, scratch that, it was beyond nice, it was the kind of thing I’d dreamed of as a kid, the picture perfect image of a huge family gathering with all the trimmings and more.
So why did the thought of partaking in it make me feel kinda sick?
I bit my bottom lip and tugged my Atlas into my grasp before dialling the number for the health centre where Mom was staying. After everything that had come out about Old Sal, I didn’t know what to think anymore. Mom hadn't been the one to suggest selling me to pay her debts, but it sounded like she'd still been willing to do it. So should I give her a second chance or what? What I really needed was to hear it from her lips, understand what had happened. And maybe try to recover something of our relationship if that was even possible now.
"White Haven Retreat, Linda speaking, how may I help?"
My heart leapt at the sound of the voice and I steeled myself for the answer I was guessing I’d get.
"Hey, Linda, it's Elise Callisto," I said in a resigned tone. "Any chance Tanya Callisto is up for a chat today?"
I held my breath as Linda made a little sympathetic sound which I already knew meant the answer was no. I hadn't called since I'd rung to find out if she'd really been going to sell me to Old Sal before the summer, the hurt in my heart too raw after the response she’d given, practically accusing me of being responsible for Gareth's death because I hadn't volunteered to start whoring myself out.
"I'm afraid she hasn't changed her mind about taking calls," Linda said softly.
"I see." I moved to cut the call, trying not to let that little slice of rejection cut me, but I could already feel myself bleeding from the wound.
"But..." Linda hesitated and I frowned. "Today is our Christmas visitation day. We have some fun activities going on, some local kids coming to sing Christmas songs, and games, as well as a meal with the family members who come. You would have to buy a ticket, but you can do that at the door..."
I tried to remember the good times I'd had with my mom, the times when she hadn't been depressed or on a losing streak. When she'd laughed or played with us or teased me about being so grouchy and not having enough sparkle in my veins. It hadn't all been good. But it definitely hadn't all been bad either. Especially when Gareth had been there too. He had a way of making her smile which I'd never been able to master.
"Okay, thanks," I said, cutting the call and sighing as I lay back against the pillows, Leon's fire spell slowly wearing off so that the cool air made my nipples harden and a shiver ran over my skin.
I bit my lip, wondering if I should go or not and if it was super pathetic of me to ask someone to come with me. My mind instantly conjured an image of Leon bounding into White Haven, grinning so big the gleam from his teeth blinded everyone, and making a big fuss over my mom as he forced her to love him whether she liked it or not and I frowned. As much as I was sure he would be a great distraction, that wasn't what I needed from this trip. It wouldn't be a happy reunion even if it went well. It would be an acknowledgement of our grief and perhaps a chance to hash out exactly what had gone on with Old Sal.
And that assumed she even spoke to me once I arrived. She could just as easily kick me out and then where would I be?
The door to the en-suite banged open and Leon grinned broadly as he strode towards me, his gaze raking over my hard nipples and darkening with lust as I remained in the bed.
His smirk deepened as he dropped the towel to the floor and he pounced onto the mattress, growling playfully as the whole thing bounced beneath his weight and a surprised laugh escaped me. But the sound of it was strained and as Leon pressed his weight down between my thighs with a thin sheet still dividing the most vital parts of our bodies, he frowned.
"Why so glum, little monster?" he asked, dipping close to run his nose up the length of mine.
I parted my lips on what I intended to be some dismissive comment about the whole thing, but I found tears springing from my eyes instead.
Leon instantly sat back, dragging me up with him and pulling me into his arms as he held me close against his hot body and nuzzled into my hair.
"It's my mom," I admitted as Leon stroked soothing circles against my back and I sucked in a shuddering breath. I'd been bottling up my rage and heartache over this for too long and now it was all hitting me at once. "I...she...she still won't talk to me on the phone and I'm pretty sure she blames me for all of it. Gareth and Old Sal and even my dad running off all of those years ago if I'm being totally honest."
"Then she's a fucking fool," Leon growled, tightening his grip on me as his warm breath brushed through my hair.
"I know that I should just forget about it. Move on with my life and focus on everything else but I feel like there are so many unspoken words between us. I just called the retreat where I sent her to stay and they said that I could show up to their Christmas event today..."
"Just say the word and we'll go," Leon replied instantly.
"I feel like I should, but I-"
Leon lifted me out of his lap and plopped me down on the bed, hurrying over to the closet and disappearing inside it as he started talking a mile a minute.
"Don't you worry, little monster, it'll be great," he promised me. "We'll get all dressed up and I can drive you over there in that new F
aeoyta I lifted last week - maybe we can take her out for a spin and get her blood pumping to put her in a good mood? And I went shopping the other day and stole a fuck ton of jewellery so I can gift bag the fuck out of that shit. Maybe I should bring some for her friends too? And Mom was baking all day yesterday so I’ll get her to put a hamper together with Christmas pudding and a Yule log and some of those reindeer cookies she does and eggnog and - do you think I should wear a tie?"
He emerged in a stunning navy suit with a white button up beneath it, holding up a red tie and a silver one for me to inspect and I just kinda gaped at him as he stood there looking like a male model and dripping wealth so obviously that it hurt my eyes. Mom was going to be completely dazzled by him and I could just hear her now, reminding me of how she'd always told me I should bag myself a rich one.
I sagged just a little but Leon instantly caught it, frowning as he tossed the ties aside and approached me.
"I'm not the man for this mission, am I?" he asked softly as he moved to kneel before me and I frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"That this visit isn't about showing up and flashing your gorgeous new Elysian Mate around and making her so proud she could fucking burst. You need to talk to her about the stuff that came before me. You need to work through things that are going to hurt and if I come, I'll just be a distraction."
"Of course I want you to come, Leo," I said, shaking my head in denial but he just grinned at me with a roll of his eyes. He leaned over to the nightstand and grabbed his Atlas, holding it so that I couldn't see who he was dialling before lifting it to his ear.
"That's not a very nice greeting for your boyfriend in law," he said casually as the call connected and I strained my ears to listen to the response on the other end of the line, but Leon smirked at me as he threw a silencing bubble up around himself to stop me from doing it as he got to his feet and moved away.
I pursed my lips and stood up to follow him, but before I could get close enough to slip inside the bubble, he finished the call and dispersed it.
"All sorted. Get dressed into whatever works for a trip to see your mom and let's get you fed before your ride shows up."
I decided to give into his game and shot to the closet, grabbing a pair of distressed jeans with rips in the knees and a plain black crop top plus a pair of chunky combat boots. Everything had designer labels thanks to Leon's moms getting me all of it, but I hoped that it looked enough like my normal style not to be too noticeable.
I let Leon guide me down to the dining room where Marie provided us with a ridiculously huge buffet for our late breakfast and I indulged him when he decided to start hand feeding me because he just looked too damn cute to deny. When he started boasting about how he'd done such a good job of getting me fed, I didn't even bother to point out the fact that his moms had been the ones to make everything and all he'd actually done was push it into my mouth.
A horn blasted outside and I looked around in surprise as Leon grinned.
"That's your ride, little monster," he announced excitedly, yanking me out of my seat and tossing me over his shoulder as I squealed in surprise.
We passed Reginald in the hall as we headed for the door and he chuckled as we headed on by, calling after me to have a nice day.
Leon stepped out into the freezing air beyond the house and descended the steps while I cursed him from my position hanging over his shoulder where all I could see was his ass. He had a damn nice ass, so I wasn't entirely complaining about that, but still.
The world flipped right way up again and I found myself on my feet in front of Ryder as he leaned against the hood of a huge, black Hummer with his arms folded over his chest. He was wearing a khaki T-shirt and jeans, but he didn't even seem to have noticed how damn cold it was.
"Hey," I said in surprise, glancing at Leon with a raised brow and he grinned at me.
"This whole pride thing we've got going on has loads of perks, little monster, one of them being that you've got a Lioness for every occasion. And I think that a Debbie downer road trip to have a heart to heart that will likely hurt like a bitch definitely comes under Ryder's skill set."
"I'm not a Lioness," Ryder growled but Leon pressed a finger to his lips, shushing him.
Ryder snatched his finger into his grip and bent it back as he twisted Leon's hand in his grasp. He released him before it could break though and Leon only chuckled as he healed it.
"You're really going to come and meet my mom with me?" I asked Ryder, biting my lip as I tried to hide how perfect that sounded, because as much as I loved Leon's light, it was time I faced this shit with my mom. It was going to hurt whatever way it happened and only Ryder could fully understand how sometimes I just needed to feel my pain.
"Looks like it," Ryder agreed, his eyes on me and a guarded expression on his face that said that this meant something to him, but he was trying to hide it.
"I'm trusting you with our girl, Ryder," Leon warned seriously. "I know she needs to do this, but I want to see her smile once it's done."
"Making people smile isn't really my thing," Ryder replied with a roll of his eyes.
"Don't worry, you can just bring her back here after and we can work on making her happy together. I'll teach you a few things if you're struggling."
Ryder hissed a warning but Leon ignored him, grabbing hold of me and pushing me back against the Lunar King's broad chest as he drove his tongue between my lips and made me moan.
Ryder growled, but he didn't push us off like I expected, his mouth dropping to my neck where he bit down hard enough to make me gasp and arch my back, driving my ass back against his crotch in the same movement.
A low whistle drew our attention away from whatever the hell might have been happening and Leon broke away from me with a huff of frustration.
"Why do you keep sneaking up on me when I'm in these situations?" he demanded, whirling around to glare at Roary as he strode up the drive towards us, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants with his bronzed, muscular chest gleaming with sweat.
"I'm not the one who keeps starting three ways in public places," Roary replied easily. "And I have to admit I'm a bit surprised to find Ryder Draconis taking part this time."
Ryder pushed past us, pointing a menacing finger at Leon's older brother as a rattle sounded in his throat. "You didn't see a damn thing, but if you think you did, I'll happily carve your malfunctioning eyes from your pretty face."
"Fuck me, the Lunar King thinks I'm pretty. I need to go and write about this in my diary," Roary joked as he strode on by and headed for the house. "And you don't need to worry about me telling anyone your sordid little secrets, I'm already sworn to secrecy about Leon and Elise's other partner and I'm starting to understand exactly why he didn't want anyone finding out either."
Ryder hissed angrily and I shot to his side, wrapping my fingers between his and giving him a gentle tug towards the car.
"We're already going to miss most of the stuff they have laid on," I murmured. "If we wanna get there in time for the meal, we need to leave now."
Roary winked at me with a grin before heading into the house and I managed to pull Ryder back towards the car.
"You don't need to worry about Roary knowing shit," Leon assured him. "Or any members of my family. Nights never rat and we place family above all else. We will protect the pride until death."
"What does your pride have to do with me?" Ryder snapped.
"Are you all in with Elise?" Leon asked in response and Ryder's gaze skipped to meet mine.
"What of it?"
"She's a part of the pride so that means you are too whether you like it or not, buttercup." Leon strode away towards the house and Ryder scowled after him before letting me tug him over to the car.
We got in and I settled into my seat, crossing my legs on the large chair and making myself comfortable.
Leon was jogging back towards us as Ryder started the engine and I gave him a stern look as he went to drive of
f, making him wait as I reached over his lap to lower the window.
Ryder huffed out a breath like this whole thing was testing his patience and I smirked at him as Leon leaned down to look in the window.
"My moms made you road snacks," he said with a grin, passing a huge bag of food through the window and forcing Ryder to take it. "And you need a coat," he added to me before shoving a bundled up black puffer jacket straight into Ryder's face.
"Is that all?" Ryder demanded.
"Unless you wanna give me a goodbye kiss?" Leon teased. "It'll get Elise hot if you do."
Ryder raised an eyebrow at me as Leon made a show of puckering up and I bit my lip, letting him know I wouldn't be objecting to that at all.
Instead of indulging in my fantasies, Ryder's palm smooshed Leon's face as he shoved his head back out of the window and we sped away without so much as a goodbye.
"If you guys hook up, film it and send it to me!" Leon's voice chased us away and I laughed as Ryder hit the button to close the window again.
I programmed the address of the wellness centre into the satnav and sat back as Ryder drove us away from the Nights' house.
"Nice car," I commented. "I kinda assumed you only rode bikes."
"I drive sometimes. I thought you would have been cold on the back of a bike for such a long journey," he replied and I smiled to myself, wondering if he even realised that that had been a sweet thing to think of. "It has heated seats if you wanna...warm your ass up or whatever."
I laughed and flicked the button to turn his seat warmer on as well as my own, noticing he’d cranked the heat already and assuming that it was for my benefit.
"I would have expected you to drive an old muscle car or something, if I’d known you had a car," I said as I looked into the back of the huge Hummer and Ryder shrugged.
"This is more practical if I need to transport a body or kidnap someone. It's bigger and has got tinted windows and shit."
"I think I should be terrified when you say that kind of shit but it kinda turns me on."
Broken Fae Page 39
