Page 59 of Legendary

I looked towards the hearth of the fireplace. There was no real light from outside to give the room some natural illumination, so the sconces on the walls and the firelight had to do the trick. “I’m not. I’m just expecting honesty. I know you’ve had your issues with that, but not anymore, right.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, raising an eyebrow at her.

Elise laughed a little, ruffling her bangs. “No, not anymore.”

Beetee leaned her head onto the back of the couch, making herself comfortable. “Can I ask why you two aren’t already, umm…together?” Her golden skin blushed a red color as if she just asked the most scandalizing question.

“Because dear sweet Nicholas here put his foot in his stupid mouth. That’s all you need to know.” She looked at me, one of her eyebrows raised. “The real issue now is what to say to make it all better. Dani is stubborn, but she isn’t unshakeable and for some reason youracceptanceis something she wants.”

I started to lean in, waiting for her to give me the answers.

Elise placed her hand on her forehead as if she was utterly annoyed. “Oh fuck, you dumb handsome creature. You really don’t know what to say to her do you?”

“That’s kind of why I’m down here. I thought we already established that.”

“Well, yeah, but I thought you already had some kind of speech in place, I don’t know—something. I wasn’t aware you were completely lost.”

Beetee giggled next to her. It was like they were on the same wavelength. I fell back into the couch cushions, already a little more than exhausted with this conversation and it hadn’t even gone anywhere. The pink haired demon hummed. “Have you said you’re sorry?”

“Of course I have.”

Elise scooted closer to the edge of the couch, causing Axel to wake up and readjust himself. “Listen, I don’t love this whole relationship bullshit, so I’m not an expert on how any of this gross nonsense works but I’m sor—.” She nearly choked on the word. “Ugh, apologizing is fucking great I guess, but regardless of what Dani is or isn’t you need to tell her the opposite of how you’ve made her feel.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head as if I should be getting it by now.

I rubbed my index and thumb along my temple in thought.Opposite of how I made her feel. When we had that fight in my bedroom, she thought I wanted to change her. I neversawher any differently after I discovered what she was supposed to be, what she really was. Maybe I hadn’t expressed that enough. I was so fixated on wanting her to accept both sides of herself that I had fumbled my words and maybe I hadn’t heard her side of things well enough. Ever since that day she had thought that I couldn’t be with her due to my own ideals and that wasn’t the case. My loyalties were all over the place, but now they were planted in place and weren’t going anywhere. I was already completely lost in her before I went to visit Natalia that day. I thought she was perfect. I still did.

My eyes widened when it dawned on me. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Has the idiot seen the proverbial light?” Elise quipped, finding humor at my expense.

I looked towards the stairs, and I felt my body get up and start to head upstairs. My feet were moving on their own and I let them.

“Never hurts to throw in another I’m sorry as well,” Beetee offered, giggling again. I really did wonder how she and Elise got on so well. They were total opposites but maybe that was the whole point.

“And Nicholas,” Elise called, causing me to turn around as my foot hit the first step. “Everything sounds so much better when you’re on your knees.”

DANI

Iflipped my dagger over in my hands, trying to understand what Nicholas had said. I had come here knowing that Lilith wouldn’t just remove me from the equation all at once. I knew she was much more calculated than that and all this taunting behavior was getting tiring. I started thinking back to when we had that massive fight in the briefing room and that shadow demon had looked at me as if it knew me, as if it wanted me. I hadn’t told anyone about that feeling I got, like it was trying to connect with me while also trying to kill me.

Or maybe killing me wasn’t what it was supposed to do. They were strong enough to fight, but they weren’t strong enough to hold their own. And Lilith needed something strong enough, she wanted something to match her energy while also doing her bidding.

Out of all the things Natalia had to offer, she wanted us to speak to a demon who likely had ties to Lilith. I oddly didn’t want to put any of them in unnecessary danger, but then again, the odds that things wouldget out of hand again were astronomical. I knew Elise and I had the same thought; the same name came to mind when it came to a demon of interest. It would be something to discuss and I knew someone who wouldn’t like it at all.

Knock, knock.

I shadowed my dagger away and walked over to the door, my shoeless feet feeling the cold of the wood floor. I inched it open to see a very anxious angel. He looked down at me as soon as the door opened and gave me a small, shy smile. I looked around him and then back at his face, curious as to what he wanted.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

He bit his lower lip. “Yeah…can I come in?”

“Why?”

“To talk.”

I still held onto the doorknob, so I leaned against the open door. “About?”

“Dani.”

“Yes?”

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