Page 69 of Higher Demon

“Until and unless you’re ready, we can go on as we are. We’ll tell people we choose when we think they’ll accept us. Perhaps one day, our relationship can be a diplomatic tool. But nothing happens that you don’t want.”

“Thatwedon’t want,” I correct. “We’re in this together, Marc.”

He gives me that beautiful smile again, and I dive at him, settling into his lap. “Now. Where were we?”

* * *

“Ready?”Marc asks.

I gulp. “Yes. No! Wait, I forgot my…” I look down at the overnight bags at our feet. Mine’s a beat-up duffel. Marc’s is an immaculate designer leather cabin bag. “Uh…”

Marc waits patiently.

“No, I think I have everything.”

“It’s not too late to fly, you know,” he remarks.

“Let’s go. Now.”

He chuckles, and then my brother’s sitting at his desk in front of me. I blink, trying to understand what I’m seeing, and Connor looks up and screams.

Oh. We’re here.

“Con! No, shh, it’s me!” Screaming in a Collective compound isn’t a good idea. People tend to come running with swords.

The door slams open behind me, and I whirl around. “It’s me, Gabe! All good. Relax.”

Gabe sags against the doorframe, then turns and calls down the hall, “It’s fine! Ian snuck in to surprise Connor.”

I’m grabbed from behind and spun around to stare into the wild eyes of my big brother. “Are you fuckinginsane?” He shakes me lightly, and the room fills with a sense of menace.

We freeze.

“What the fuck…” Gabe breathes.

I glance over my shoulder and see Marc’s face. “Uh, what’s wrong?”

“Take your hands off him.” His voice is quiet, but the words slice through the air. That sounds dramatic, but I swear they’re actually sharp.

“Get behind me, Ian,” Connor orders, trying to shove me there.

“Dude, chill.” I’m not entirely sure who I’m talking to. “Let’s all just take a minute and calm down. We’re all friends here. This is…” I don’t know what the fuck this is, but as much as caveman Marc kind of turns me on, he’s got to dial it down before Connor realizes what it means. Or worse, they actually start fighting. “Con, stop pushing me. Marc’s, uh, kind of protective since I’m the only person who’ll vouch for him.” There. That’s… almost believable. If you don’t think about it too much.

I turn my attention to Marc, because let’s face it, my brother’s a lost cause. “Marc, it’s just Connor. You know how he is with me, and we kind of shocked the life out of him… which was probably your intention, so you can’t have a tantrum about it now.” I think I hear Gabe choke.

Marc’s eyes stay locked on Connor for another second, and then he exhales and relaxes, the heavy blanket of terror dissipating.

“That’s much better,” I say, feeling like a kindergarten teacher. “Now, why don’t we—Connor, no!” Because of course my idiot brother has snatched up his sword and is lunging for Marc. “Don’t hurt him!” I beg my lover.

Connor bounces off some kind of invisible barrier and stumbles back. It would be more fun to watch if he wasn’t trying to kill my secret boyfriend. I seize the opportunity to grab his arm, and Gabe hurries forward to help.

“Don’t be a moron, Con,” I snap. “He’s the fucking ambassador, he’s done nothing wrong, and attacking a higher demon on your own is a good way to die!”

“Give me the sword,” Gabe adds.

Connor glares at Marc, who’s adjusting his cuffs as though he doesn’t have a care in the world. We argued for twenty minutes about what he was going to wear today, and I finally gave in on the suit for our arrival. It’s been a while since he’s worn one, and I forgot how hot he is in them.

“He teleported you here,” Connor hisses. “Clearly he’s using some kind of mind control!”

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