Page 101 of Love's Ace

Brothers.Fuck.

“You’re their brother?” I echoed the word, but Aiden’s eyes flicked back to Wren.

“He’s not very smart, is he? You’ve always been so full of potential, your aura so strong, I thought you might defy the restraints that Celio put into place when he made thecupids. And look at you… you chose the one human who can’t understand what’s standing right in front of him.”

I should have been insulted, but I was too busy working it out in my head.

Love and Hate. Cupids and Enmity.

And Fate, somewhere in between.

The three rings.

Threebrothers.

“I thought you made us, Aiden.” Wren drew me closer to him, turning so his body shielded mine, so his bloody wings could wrap around me like that would protect me from dying again.

“I bring the ones I find to Celio, and he gives you his gift. I would have done the same for Helix, but he wanted to let his little monsters run rampant. My real gift has always been the Ardor and yourarrows. Your mission, Wren.” Aiden spoke like it should have been obvious, that he hadn’t made Wren, but he’d given him a purpose other than just a soldier in a war that meant nothing. “Love. Lust… the ability to feel and fall and struggle for the chance of it all. Celio just wanted to make pretty things with wings to fight the Enmity. I thought it would be interesting to throw soulmates into the mix. Like… you two.” His eyes flicked back to the thread between us. “You’re impossible, but here you are. And you…” Aiden’s eyes flicked up, and he smirked at me. “You died, but hereyouare.” His shrug was innocent, but there was something almost smug about it. “Fate, right?”

Fate. Because he’d been the one who made me realize that if I died, Wren could live. If I gave in to everything I was, the man I loved would be free. He’d been the one who told us to spend the night before making the thread between us so strong, so bright that it would lead me back to him.

Fate.

“You can’t have them—” Aiden cut Helix off.

“I already do. They’re soulmates, and that means they’re mine. I take full responsibility. Are you going to fight me on this, brothers?” Aiden sounded haughty, sure of himself.

But those two… there was something deadly about their stare, something that told me we were still in danger.

Then Helix slid his arm around his brother’s waist, drawing him close and whispering something in his ear.

“Fine,” Celio snapped. “Have them. But you owe us, Aiden. They broke the laws. There still has to be a price.”

Wren went stiff in my arms, but Aiden’s voice was calm, apathetic, like he’d dealt with this before and he knew he would probably have to deal with it again. “What price?”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something. There’s so many things you’ve denied us, big brother. Maybe it’s our turn.”

Whatever they wanted, I could have told Aiden it wasn’t worth it based on the look in their eyes.

But I wasn’t going to say shit. They could tear him in half, as long as Wren and I got to leave this place first.

“Fine.”

The matching grins that spread across the twins’ faces told me I was right. But then Helix waved, and another roar ripped through the air. Aiden reached out, grabbing hold of both of our shoulders as the world around us seemed to tilt.

I wondered if we’d get torn apart in the storm, if they were going to go back on their word at the last minute… then Wren and I were falling into the dirt over the symbol we’d carved.

For a moment, we just lay there, tangled in one another, breathing in the dirt and the scent of the blood we’d spilled. Breathing in air that smelled like berries and roses.

Wren’s arms spasmed around me, and his fingers were sticky with feathers and blood when he took my jaw and turned my face up to look into his still-wet eyes.

“You’re… okay?”

“Yeah.” I felt… giddy. Lighter than I ever had.Wewere okay.

We’d gotten out of there alive.

Together.

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