Page 28 of Fool's Bargain

Her gaze softened as she lifted her hand to my cheek. “Yes, I know everything. Is it all true what I see in my mind? All three of you in suspended animation for all that time? There were three others though. Who were they?”

She glanced between Dorian and Kyril because their faces had appeared in the memories she’d been privy to. One of the faces had also been Llyr’s, and our commander, Nereus, had been the fifth to share the tank with us. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to picture the vision as she had seen it.

We had all been as pale as corpses and just as serene, floating suspended within a huge tank of water with tubes attached to our necks leading somewhere beyond. Our hair floated around our heads like wispy halos. Four satyrs in our true forms, our horns curving up from our temples and our lower bodies covered in fur from the navel down. And rather than ending in normal human feet, the ends of our legs terminated in large, cloven hooves. Yet despite the alien creatures we must look like to her, she didn’t seem shocked or frightened, and for that I loved her even more. I broadcast a flash of that image to the other two.

With a sigh, Kyril sank back down onto the bed at my side. He took Zarya’s hands and squeezed them both. “Our entire squadron was captured. All six of the male Thiasoi. Eventually the three of us, plus Llyr and our commander, Nereus, were held in that tank together. The Dionarch’s son, Calder, was the sixth. Our enemy used him for... other things. After several centuries he escaped and was able to break us out with the help of the dragons and Nikhil—one of Deva’s fathers.” He frowned, staring at Zarya’s hand where it rested in his palm. I noticed Dorian’s gaze fixed there too and looked more closely. Her wrist was wrapped in an intricately inked design, but beneath it was a thick scar that extended up into the sleeve of her jacket.

“Did you injure yourself?” Kyril asked, pushing her sleeve up a little. She froze.

“It’s nothing,” she said, tugging her sleeve back down. “Just an old injury. You still haven’t told me how much shit I’m in for biting you. Deva mentioned that bodily fluids are sort of a big deal to you guys. What am I in for?”

Kyril and I shared a glance, both aware of her evasion but silently acknowledging that she deserved more answers than we’d given her so far. I wanted to know more about her scars, but it could wait.

I squeezed her shoulder to get her attention. “What you don’t see in my memories is that at the other end of those tubes was another tank. One with a baby floating inside it. Deva was that baby. We share a blood link with her, one that’s called to us ever since we were released from that prison. Llyr was the lucky one she chose though, which has left the three of us at loose ends. We came to the concert hoping to ask for her help, but somehow our draw to you was stronger.”

“But there were six of you. How come the other two guys aren’t after her too?”

“Because they found mates. Nereus was already blood bound to a creature stronger than Deva. Calder is now mated to one of the immortal dragons and an ursa prince. The bonds they share with their mates override their bonds with Deva. We haven’t been lucky enough to find one for ourselves.”

Her mouth fell open and she stared at us. “And you thinkI’mgoing to be that replacement? She’s a fuckinggoddess! Who you three are apparently, what, blood linked to? How the hell do I compete with that?”

“By doing what you did to Theo tonight already, only returning the favor by giving us your blood too,” Kyril said. I appreciated his ability to get to the point but silently cursed his lack of finesse.

“Jesus fuck.” Zarya pushed off the bed, leaving the three of us behind, slipped into the bathroom, and shut the door behind her.

“You could’ve fucking framed that a little better,” I muttered. I rubbed my thumb over the bite on my neck. It had already healed, leaving me oddly disappointed that it wouldn’t leave a mark. On my chest, the Diviner’s mark throbbed, reminding me both of what we were on the verge of having and the risk we were taking to get it.

“It’s the truth,” Kyril said. “I don’t see any sense in holding back. She wanted a quick way to get to know us and there isn’t a quicker way than just diving the fuck in. After that drift we already know she can swim with the best of us, and we all know we may not get a chance this good if Fate figures out what we’ve done.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” I stared at the door. Rustling noises sounded from behind, then nothing but silence. I imagined her on the other side, having a meltdown over what Kyril had just dropped on her. “She’s bloodline, which means we could always claim we had Deva’s help—she didn’t explicitly offer, but the band was definitely invested in our dance earlier. I still have a feeling the Diviner’s marks are going to land us in a typhoon of trouble with Fate though.”

“I don’t see you turning and running away,” Kyril said. “But then you’re the one she bit, so if Fate takes issue with the whole thing, you’ve got a safety net. Dorian and I won’t have that unless she miraculously decides to blood meld us too.”

I gritted my teeth. “I’m not giving up. I think Zarya’s worth it, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s brand new to the whole idea of the higher races. I wanted to ease her into it with a lighter meld first.”

“Well you fucked that up,” Dorian said, chuckling and shaking his head.

“I didn’t know she’d draw blood. Fuck.” I wished I’d slowed things down a little more, but the moment she’d sunk her teeth into me, the desire to feel her come apart in my arms had overwhelmed me. I lifted the hand I’d had between her thighs, scenting the lingering sweetness of her essence still coating my fingers. The magic didn’t last forever, but even a little taste before it completely dried might help. I slipped two fingers into my mouth, taste buds singing at the tart flavor as I sucked her juices off.

Dorian let out a rough growl beside me. “You gonna share?”

“Not a fucking chance,” I said, giving him a sideways glance as I slipped off the bed and headed to the bathroom. “You can earn your own taste.”

A faint link materialized in my mind with some effort. Closing my eyes, I could just taste the state of her psyche beyond that door. It wasn’t what I’d call good, but it wasn’t bad either. Scared, excited, uncertain. Nothing to make me think we’d be better off leaving her alone and running back to the Haven to avoid pissing off a deity by being with her.

I tapped on the door. “Zarya, are you all right?”

“I don’t even know who I am anymore,” she whispered, the words only audible thanks to that link.

“You haven’t changed, I promise,” I said. “You’ve just awakened an aspect of yourself you didn’t know existed before today. Let us help you understand it. Come out and let us show you. No more bloodshed necessary, I promise. Not unless you’re ready.”

A second later the door opened. She stared up at me with frightened blue eyes, looking small and withdrawn and making me feel too big for the small space of her apartment. She’d stripped out of her shirt and bra and stood completely topless in front of me, which made me acutely conscious of how overdressed I was by comparison. Her apartment was heated well enough for us to go naked if we chose.

“Your blood is in me, Theo. I can feel you. What I saw were your memories, weren’t they? How is that even possible?”

“It’s called a blood meld,” Kyril said from the bed. I stepped to the side so she could see the other guys. Despite his occasionally crude frankness, Kyril was always better at explanations like this.

“It’s how our kind mate, but not always. Most of us still only do a triple meld using our essences. Blood is only exchanged when we want a much deeper, more permanent bond. When we know we’ve found our soul mates. Or, in some more dire circumstances, when a bond needs to be broken with someone else. Yes, if you blood meld with us, it will break our bond to Deva in the process. But Deva is not a danger to us. We can wait if we need to.”

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