Page 105 of Legendary

Beetee ran one of her hands over the shaved part of her head. “Do you think he should go home?”

I slumped back in my chair. “I think I can’t make decisions for him.”

“I think he values your opinion more than most,” Beetee looked down and patted her chest. Axel, who I hadn’t known was on the floor, jumped up and landed with an odd amount of grace on her chest. He snuggled against her body and immediately started to fall asleep. There was a scarring ring around his neck from where the demons had tried to restrain him. It didn’t seem to stop him though.

“What even happened back there?” Elise inquired, leaning forward. Her face showed a small sign of discomfort, but it was gone faster than it had been there. I stared down at my feet, not really knowing where to start. Iexplained it the best I could to them, gave them the details that mattered and left the personal things for Nick to explain when and if he desired. They were owed some sort of explanation for what happened, especially Beetee. Once I was finished, they both looked at each other as if they were waiting for the other one to speak first.

Elise waved her hand in the air. “So, Dimitri elevated Nick’s darkness?”

I nodded. She tilted her head to the side as if considering that this made sense to what ultimately happened later on that night. She didn’t stop there. “You’re telling me that we now have Dimitri, Lilith and Isabel to deal with at the same time?”

“And no one seems to know why she wants you to just surrender yourself over?” Beetee added.

“Yes and yes,” I answered, reaching for my coffee cup. Before I could reach it, Elise had gotten up from her chair and raced over to sit at the edge of the coffee table, nearly spilling my drink over. She reached for her side, tapping her fingers along the wound dressing. I leaned back startled, readjusting my sitting position. “I mean per Dimitri’s words she’s “trying to be nice and give me a choice”, even though she’s made it clear, also per Dimitri’s words, that “she’ll make it so I have no choice”, it’s all a mindfuck, which tracks pretty well, seeing as it’s Lilith.”

“Are you reconsidering the ambush plan now? Dimitri said he wouldn’t suggest it, which is honestly all the more reason to do it. Piss the little dick off.”

Beetee smoothed her hand down Axel’s back. “Dimitri has the backing of his father and, likely Lucifer, so I don’t see this as some easy mission, Ellie.” Axel’s ears twitched.

Elise scoffed. “I am by no means afraid of Dimitri, his father, and especially not of fuckingLucifer.” Axel’s ears twitched again, and he raised his head, looking at Elise. He barked once and she whirled her head around squinting at him. “Oh hush. We both know you would love to go to Hell but that’s not in the cards buddy.” The hellhound gave a rough, annoyed huff and curled back into Beetee’s chest.

“I have been doing some thinking on it,” I admitted, tentatively reaching for my cup of coffee.

“And?” Elise pressed.

“I…” Little footsteps running down the stairs caught my attention. I slung my arm over the chair as I turned around and watched Jasmine and Yuri race after each other. Leah and Garrett followed after them, small cuts and bruises on their faces and arms. Garrett had a slight limp to his walk, but they looked good.

“What are we speaking about?” Garrett asked, curiously.

Elise crossed her arms over her chest. “Dani was just about to give us what we both want.”

I let out a sigh as he raised both his eyebrows at me. His braids were flowing over his shoulders. “And what may that be?”

“Raiding the castle. You have to face it head on Dani, or this is never going to end. This trip will have been totally pointless if she just keeps using all her stupid little puppets to antagonize us.”

“I get it alright, fuck.”

Leah sat on the arm of the couch Beetee laid on and looked at her husband, her dark hair in waves down her back. Her tattoos were on full display, thanks to her tank top, and they were intricate and beautiful. They must mean something, when it came to Enchanters, and I didn’t know if I would ever have time to really ask. “You saved our child. We are in this with you and can provide you with as much as we know about, or remember, about Lilith’s castle. There are more ins and outs to that place than you can imagine.”

“We’re in your debt for what you did last night,” Garrett offered. “We may not be on the best of terms since what happened with Yuri, but I was told you fought against it this time, you worked to save my child. As much as I can't forget what you did before, I can’t just forget this either.”

“I don’t want a debt, Garrett, I just want to know that when push comes to shove, we are on the same side with the same enemy in mind.” I peered up at him from where he stood, and he gave me one solid nod. His golden eyes were sincere and true.

He let out one solid chuckle. “Jasmine isn’t afraid of you, you know. She’s shocked at what she saw but she’s a resilient little girl. You might be her hero.” I looked away from him and took up interest in the blank wall.

That word again. That word was reserved for beings like my angel upstairs, not for me. I didn’t save Nicholas, he saved himself, I just pushed him along. I didn’t save the creatures in this hostel; I just took out the trash that, for some reason, did Dimitri’s bidding.

“What’s the verdict, Dani?” Elise asked, her gray eyes sparkling with this blood thirsty lust for revenge.

“We can do it.” We had enough minds to build a solid plan, one that Nicholas would be proud of, and Lilith wouldn’t be able to think less of any of us. I would make her beg for my forgiveness before I made sure she could never speak again.

“I think I know some others that can help,” Beetee piped up.

We all looked at her, waiting. Her hot pink hair was even more vibrantagainst the blush on her face and her freckles. “My parents.”

I knitted my eyebrows together. “Your parents?”

“They were with Lilith way before Garrett and Leah ever got caught up in this mess, so I don’t think it would hurt. They know that castle just as well.”

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