Page 95 of Premonition of Peace

To resurrect the dead, you had to give the living.

All magic came with a price.

With shaky hands, I cupped her face, leaning down to kiss her forehead with tears streaming down my cheeks. “Bye, Kat. Find your peace.”

twenty-nine

AUGUST

Nathalie was finally asleep,her body curled up against Marcel’s chest, the tension in her features slowly easing. It had been a long day for everybody, but especially those two. She’d been strong through the resurrection ritual and subsequent emotional appreciation from Sasha. They’d cleaned Kat and given her a proper witch burial. But when Nat finally climbed into bed, the dam broke and she cried herself to sleep.

Marcel held her close, his hand gently stroking her hair as if to soothe her even in her dreams. I watched her from the other side of the bed, listening to her steady breathing and wishing with everything in me I could take the pain for her.

Lucifer perched near the foot of the bed, his hand rubbing circles into her calf over the blanket. His gaze fixed on Nathalie with a similar mixture of concern and protectiveness that I know we all shared. He shifted slightly, his eyes meeting mine before he glanced over at Marcel.

“We need to talk,” Lucifer whispered, careful not to disturb Nathalie. “Privately.”

“This can’t wait?” Marcel hissed back, his brown skin crinkling around the eyes as he glared at the demon.

“No. She doesn’t need to be dealing with our bullshit while grieving her sister and the parts of herself she lost.”

“Says the primary bullshitter,” Marcel grumbled back. I didn’t bother responding, simply sliding off the bed to my feet. I stilled at the door, waiting for them to both go ahead while I took one last lingering look at my aurae. She looked peaceful in her sleep, despite everything she’d been through.

My girl was a survivor. We had that in common.

The hallway was dimly lit, the shadows stretching long across the floor in the early morning night. I took the armchair, spreading my legs and crossing my arms over my chest as the other two filed in and found their own seats. Marcel took the other armchair by the window, his posture stiff, and a scowl etched on his face. “This had better be good. If she wakes up?—”

“I’ll hear her and be there before she realizes we’re gone,” Lucifer finished as he sprawled out on the couch.

Marcel grumbled under his breath, something about how he’d like that, wouldn’t he?

“Now that Nathalie has completed the aurae bond with the incubus, she’ll be immortal, which makes us all immortal.” That was one way to start the conversation. I’d known in completing the bond with her that it was a package deal. Did I like it? Not particularly. Did I regret it? Fuck no. I wanted my sunling however I could have her. Whatever she gave me. Even if Tweedledee and Tweedledum came with it. “We need to figure out what our individual relationships with her will look like, as well as—much as this pains me to admit—the unit as a whole.”

I watched Marcel’s expression shift as the weight of Lucifer’s words settled in. It came as no surprise to me. Lucifer and I had previously had some time to discuss Nathalie. I wouldn’t call it bonding as much as it was an understanding. When itcame to my relationship with Nat, my concerns were practically nonexistent. We were compatible in every way, from personality to whatever that elusive thing was that created a spark between two people. Now that we’d finally bonded and the issue of Sasha had resolved, I knew she was unequivocally mine.

The problem was, we weren’t alone.

She wastheirstoo—which meant issues she had in her other relationships would inevitably bleed into our own.

We were now a unit, as Lucifer so delicately put it.

He continued, a wry smile playing on his lips, “There are logistics we need to sort out. For instance, as fun as the group sex was, I’d rather that didn’t become a regular thing. I quite like having my own time with our little witch.”

Marcel snorted. “That was a one-time thing for me. I have no desire to share her in that capacity again.”

“I don’t disagree,” I acquiesced, before cocking an eyebrow, “but I think group sex will be the least of our problems in the future.”

“And why is that?” Lucifer’s eyes took on a more serious glint as he glanced toward me.

“We’re in this forher. Each of us decided that we’d rather be with her than not, even if there isbaggageso to speak.” My gaze strayed toward Marcel and his lips thinned.

“Fuck you.”

“I don’t mean it personally.” Mostly. “Each of us considers the other two baggage. We’re the pieces of her that we accept because we have to for this to work. Hence, baggage.”

“Uh huh,” Marcel rolled his eyes. “Sure. That’s what you meant.”

“Either way, the point is, she’s the reason. As long as we keep her needs at the forefront, I don’t foresee there being many issues between us.” I couldn’t saynonebecause let’s face it, that was impossible.

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