by Ivy Asher
Flint’s hand gently skates up my calf and squeezes my uninjured knee. I don’t want to look at him, but he grips my chin and forces my head up, my gaze seein’ the water slickin’ down his face, makin’ his black hair stick against his skin in a sexy caught in the rain kinda look.
“Peaches, believe me when I say that there is nothing we want more. You say those words to us when you’re not in the middle of an itch, and we will interrupt you until you beg us to stop,” he promises me, the wicked desire in his eyes enough to make most of my embarrassment wash away. He’s tellin’ the truth. No way could he fake the level of heat sparkin’ in his smoky eyes. “But until then, sleep,” he tells me, and I make a grumpy noise in response.
With a sigh, I lean against Alder’s warm skin as the shower turns off and I’m lifted into his arms. I feel soft lips press against my forehead for the briefest of seconds before they’re gone, but all I can do in response is succumb to the sleep that’s tuggin’ at me.
20
I wake up face-first in a puddle.
But as I peel open an eye, I realize that it’s not a puddle so much as my own drool that’s soaked into the pillow. “Ugh.”
With a grimace, I scoot away from the nasty drool patch and push up on one elbow, lookin’ down at the offendin’ wet spot. I’m not an open-mouthed sleeper who drools into her pillow, so what the hell? Did I get drunk last night and pass out?
As soon as the thought crosses my mind, memories slam back into me. “Oh, shit.”
The attack. My parents goin’ to a safe house. Flint and Alder cleanin’ me up. And...
“Double shit,” I groan as I remember how I propositioned them, my hand flyin’ up to my mouth. But then I find that the corner has some drool, so I groan again and quickly swipe at it. I’m fairly certain I shamelessly suggested that they screw my brains out while I was covered in glass and blood and demon dust.
Real classy, Medley.
I sit my naked ass up on the bed and visualize slappin’ myself silly as I give myself a firm lecture. Itch or no, that was just sad.
The details are a smidgen fuzzy at the end, but I think I practically begged them to get naked with me, and then I’m fairly certain I got mad when they wouldn’t. It was a mature, proud moment all around.
I want nothin’ more than to crawl back into bed and hide under the covers so I don’t have to face Alder and Flint, but I can’t. Not just because my pillow needs to be washed, but because I need to check on Mama and Daddy.
With a sigh, I force myself to get up and get some clothes. Luckily, all my things have been transferred here, so I’m not short on options. That doesn’t mean I have a whole lot of variety, though, which is why I grab a pair of frayed jean shorts and a gray T-shirt. I like what I like.
As I rummage through my underwear drawer, my cheeks heat up at the memory of Alder skimmin’ his hands over my bare skin as he snipped away my ruined bra and panties. Injured or not, that was one of the most intimate moments of my damn life. Not to mention the fact that Flint was on his knees in front of me. Sure, he was pluckin’ glass from my skin, but that positionin’ is burned into my mind’s eye.
Lookin’ down at my legs, my eyes widen. I’m not all cut up, covered in gashes like I should be. Instead, my skin looks nearly healed. Faint pink lines up the side of my leg and torso are all that remain of the injuries that happened last night.
“Well, I’ll be,” I mumble to myself. Must be some kind of demon perk. Speakin’ of demon perks…
Like I knew where it was all along, my eyes cut over to the scythe that’s propped up against the wall beside the bed. Looks like it stayed within reach all night. Even though the blades aren’t there anymore, I know that if I wanted, I could make them reappear quicker than I could blink.
I walk over to it curiously, my fingers skimmin’ over the wood and metal bands. I really do wanna talk to this Delta woman, if for no other reason than to find out more about this. I know what I felt yesterday when I fought with it, and it was unlike anythin’ I’ve ever experienced.
I felt strong. I felt whole. Like I’d gone my whole life missin’ a page in my book, and then it was just suddenly there, ready to fit into my spine so everythin’ could make sense.
I had doubts. Of course I did. When I met Alder and Flint and hard truths started rainin’ down on me, doubts plagued me. I took everythin’ in stride, as is my way, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t wonder if I could really be who and what they thought.
But last night, when Mickey attacked and I got to see firsthand what really happened durin’ a tribulation—when that scythe fit into my hands easier than blinkin’—all those doubts flew right out the shattered bay window.
I was meant for this.
Goin’ into the attached bathroom, I quickly shower and blow dry my hair since the humidity of Georgia won’t let it air dry. Once that’s done and I’m all dressed, I take a breath and force myself to go face the guys. It’s not gonna be pretty, but it needs to be done. Hopefully, they’ll go easy on me.
As I open the door, I realize that I’m not sure what time it is, so maybe they’re still sleepin’, but no such luck. As soon as I start walkin’ down the hall, I can hear the low murmurs of their masculine voices. I follow the sound until I find myself knockin’ lightly on their office door.
Their voices stop, and a second later, Flint swings the door open and greets me with a grin as his eyes sweep over me. His black hair is combed back in a sexy flop that’s still slightly damp, and he’s wearin’ jeans slung low on his hips, and a T-shirt that fits his form, moldin’ to his every curve.
Of course he’d have to look mouth waterin’ this mornin’. Wouldn’t want to dull that shine and make things easier on me. Then again, he could probably roll around in manure and wear a potato sack, and I’d still lick my lips in interest.
He just has that air about him that gets a girl’s blood pumpin’. Lord knows my mouth watered plenty last night. You’d think I’d be dehydrated by now, but that doesn’t keep things from kickin’ into high gear as I take him in, and all kinds of places on me start to get wet.
“Good, you’re awake. We were just talking about you,” he tells me as he steps back from the door, invitin’ me in.
Alder is leanin’ against the desk, his yummy forearms and downright sinful body on display. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he looks stern as ever in his T-shirt and jeans. I just want him to whisper good girl in my ear and then bend me over that desk he’s perched against, but I chase that thought away with a bat because that’s the kind of thing that got me into this embarrassin’ mess in the first place.
I want to drop my head in my hands and peek at them through my fingers as I beg them to forget what happened last night. The show of desperation they both witnessed will probably be hard to forget, but with time, maybe it could be left behind us.
Instead of slinkin’ into the room with shame floatin’ in my wake, I choose not to cower in the face of my mortification. Instead, I hold my head up high and take it like a woman.
“Did you sleep well?” Alder asks me, his eyes quickly dippin’ down my body and back up.
“I did. Very well, thank you,” I reply, ignorin’ the vision of a drenched pillow that pops up in my head. I hope they didn’t check on me last night and see that. “And you?” I ask politely in return.
“Tossed and turned,” he says with a casual shrug, his gaze droppin’ to my lips for a second before lookin’ away.
I pause for a moment, not sure how to take that. I look at Flint and then back to Alder. They don’t look sheepish or uncomfortable like they’re embarrassed for me and aren’t sure how to act. They look...hungry.
“We were just talking about the Ophidian,” Flint tells me, and all thoughts of the needy glint in their eyes gets put on the back burner as I think through what happened last night and the safety of my parents.
“You think he’ll send more people to try to get to me or my parents?” I ask with concern.
“And you’re sure that my parents are safe?” I ask, worry hikin’ up my tone.
“Yes,” Flint answers without hesitation. “This Morax was counting on Mickey bringing you to him. If he’d had backup, we think they would have intervened to help when things went south for Mickey,” Flint explains. “But it was just Mickey, and we quickly got your parents to a secure location where they can’t be traced. No one saw. Alder shifted them out of here very quickly.”
“You think it’s better for them to be away from me, but not at our trailer,” I guess.
Flint nods. “Exactly. Demons can sense demons. It’s why we were worried that you’d be attacked in the first place. You put off an aura of power that they’ll be drawn to. But your parents don’t. They’ll be safe where we have them.”
Alder goes on. “By now, Morax knows his plan didn’t work, and he’ll probably have another one in place. Which is why we think it’s best we steer clear of the safe house for now. The wards and security will keep almost anything out, and we’ll be able to get there quickly if an alarm is tripped to make sure everything is fine.”
I take a deep breath and try to calm my anxious heart.
“You can call them of course,” Alder tells me, pullin’ his phone from his pocket. He opens it and hands it to me, and I have a Homer Simpson doh moment as I reach for his phone and look down at the contact that says SH. Here I was, worryin’ that I wouldn’t be able to talk to them at all, and Mama and Daddy would be forced to stew and wonder if I was okay until we can get this Ophidian fella sorted.
But hello, it’s the age of the technology, which somehow just slipped right out of my mind like one was oil and the other water. I click on the call icon, and the phone rings twice before a grunt sounds on the other end. I pull the phone away and stare at it for a moment before pullin’ it back to my ear.
“Daddy?” I ask cautiously.
A curse sounds off, and then I hear the distinct sound of movement like he dropped the phone before my daddy comes on the line. “Hello?” he greets warily.
“Daddy, thank God, I was so worried,” I confess as I release a deep sigh.
“We were too, honey girl. Y’all okay?”
I hear more rustlin’ on the other end of the line, and then my mama’s breathy voice asks. “What happened, Medley? Are you okay? Are the boys okay?” she demands, her tone slightly frantic. “The imps here, while lovely recoverin’ sinners, ain’t the chattiest bunch. Your daddy and I will have to learn their language, but until then, I’m more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin’ chairs,” she tells me, just ramblin’ away.
She does that when she’s worried. Usually right before she gets mad at me for worryin’ her.
“We’re all fine. The situation was handled quickly, and no one got hurt,” I reassure her.
“Thank the Heavens...and Hell,” she adds as an afterthought, and I can’t help but smile. “It’s a good thing those boys are there to help; I just don’t know what we’d do without their kindness.”
My smile grows even bigger. If only she knew who handled what last night. I decide not to fill her in on the details just yet. No need to worry them more than they already are.
“Yes, it was a lucky day when they crawled out of Hell and into our lives,” I tease, and the guys chuckle as my mama coos in agreement. “I just wanted to check in and let you know that we were alright and to make sure you and Daddy were okay too.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about us, HB, we’re just right as rain. This place is gorgeous. I feel like I’m in a five-star hotel,” she tells me, and I can’t help but laugh. Leave it to my mama to make the best of a bad situation no matter what it is. “They even have a toaster your daddy can fiddle with, or at least pretend to, anyway.” I hear a slap and a squeal, and I know he just goosed her a good one.
I breathe a deep sigh of relief. It’s so good to hear them just bein’ their normal silly selves. It somehow makes everythin’ goin’ on seem so much less ominous.
“Let me talk to my boys, HB. I need to hear their voices too,” she orders, and with a chuckle, I put the phone on speaker. “Boys?” she calls out.
“Yes, ma’am,” they both reply in unison as they step closer to me and the phone.
“Y’all doin’ okay?”
“We are, ma’am. Like Medley said, we’re getting things sorted. We want you and Mr. Bell to stay where you are a little longer just to be safe,” Alder tells her, and she hums in agreement.
“What’s your plan?” she asks, like she’s some colonel in Hell’s army that they should be reportin’ to.
Flint smiles and leans closer to the phone. “We’re going to take Medley to meet some other Guardians today and see about getting some answers. There’s a possibility we may stop into Hell real quick to see if that unlocks her demon abilities for good, but that’s not a definite yet,” he tells her.
Mama squeals with excitement, and I’d swear she just won a big prize from a scratch-off the way she sounds right now. My heart rate picks up, because I didn’t know Hell was potentially on the agenda for today. I’m not sure what to expect from a visit, but I do know it would be nice to feel like I did last night all of the time, like all my pieces are exactly where they’re supposed to be. If that’s what unlockin’ my abilities will do, then I’m up for it. Nervous, but up for it.
“Oh, Hell! That’s so excitin’!” Mama claps, and I hear Daddy grumblin’ in the background. I doubt he’s as excited by the prospect as she is, but he never liked me ridin’ my bike too far out of his line of sight, so I doubt my trekkin’ down into Hell is much of a thrill. “HB, you be sure to listen to the boys, and I’m sure everythin’ will be just fine. I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back.”
You’d think we were goin’ to Fiji with the way my mama is talkin’. I can do nothin’ but simply shake my head and thank my lucky stars I was dropped off on her doorstep.
“Boys, you take real good care of our Medley, ya hear?” she asks, and they both give a resolute, “Yes, ma’am, we will.”
I try not to roll my eyes, because it’s clear what she’s gettin’ at. What surprises me though is that she more or less gives them both the green light to try and pursue me. I knew my parents were open and acceptin’ people. I mean, they didn’t bat a lash at the whole demon thing, but I didn’t think somethin’ like this would go over so easily.
If only she knew I threw myself at them hard last night, only to land on my face and wake up with a very bruised ego. Knowin’ her, she’d probably just tell me to get back up on that horse. If only it were that easy.
“Okay, Mama, we’re gonna go,” I tell her. “We’ll call again to check in when we get a moment,” I add, lookin’ up at Alder to double check that I’m not talkin’ out of my ass here. He nods.
“Okay, HB, you and the boys stay safe, and don’t worry about me and your daddy. We’re happy as clams. I’m gonna teach the imps to make roast and squirrel stew today,” she adds, and I give her my best “oh that sounds fun” reply. Poor imps.
“Oh, and there’s food in the fridge. Make sure y’all eat.”
I snort, and we all quickly say our goodbyes before I end the call and hand Alder back his phone.
“Squirrel stew?” he asks with a concerned look on his face.
I chuckle. “It’s just beef stew. She calls it that to mess with other relatives who think we’re more bumpkin’ than we are. You should see the look on their faces at reunions when she hands them a bowl, and their good manners war with their disgust. The rest of the family all know what’s what, and they all dig in while offerin’ encouragin’ looks and gestures to enjoy. It’s good times.”
Flint and Alder both chuckle, and Alder puts the phone back in his pocket and runs his hand through his bright yellow hair.
“You ready to go meet some other Guardians?” Flint asks me with a ready clap.
> I look down at what I’m wearin’ and doubt fills me. “Should I go change?” I ask, not sure what a girl’s supposed to wear when she meets other important demons. Maybe the slacks and button-up I reserve for interviews? Sure wish that skirt hadn’t been destroyed last night. Then again, Alder cuttin’ it off will be a memory I treasure for the rest of my lifetime, regardless of the fact that he didn’t capitalize on my state of undress.
That’s what fantasies are for, right? Right.
“Nope, you look good enough to eat, Peaches,” Flint tells me, and then I swear I hear Alder hum a couple bars of “Peaches and Cream.” I look over at him, shocked, but he just gives me a smooth smile and holds his hand out.
“Let’s go meet Delta and her demons.”
My mind races with wonder as I try to think through their flirtin’ and read into what’s goin’ down. For some reason, I get the distinct impression that we’re all about to lay our cards down on the table and wait to see what happens next.
I take a deep, fortifyin’ breath and place my hand in his. My gaze flits from Alder’s butterscotch-dipped irises to Flint’s dark gray gaze before I let my own eyes bank with heat as I answer with double meanin’. “I’m ready.”
And boy, am I ever.
21
One second, I’m in their office, and the next, I’m standin’ on a long gravel driveway. We’re definitely not in Sweetgreen anymore. For one, the air is different. Shit, the sun feels different too. Unlike Georgia, it’s not hotter than a goat’s butt in a pepper patch. Nope, here, there’s a damn cool breeze. Like wherever we are just wants to rub it in that it’s better.
I spin, takin’ in my surroundings, only to stop once I do a one-eighty. My mouth immediately drops open in awe. “That’s the Guardians’ house?” I ask, my eyes nearly buggin’ out of my sockets.
