Page 61 of Laid Bare

While I wanted to advocate for him to get back together with her, bring her back from Faerie, I’ve observed just how much he isn’t bothered that she isn’t here. I don’t know the ins and outs of their relationship, but the parts I have seen, there’s no way he could have been all that happy with her. Especially with how readily he shipped her ass off back to Faerie.

“Be good, sunshine,” he murmurs lowly in my ear. “If you have any issues with the demons or need a break from them, just let me know. I’ll pop them through a portal to the winter lands in Faerie. They’re own hellfire will be no match for the freezing temperatures there.”

I giggle, grateful for the blue Smurf in front of me. He always seems to know the right thing to say when I need to hear it.

Thaddeus makes his exit after that, leaving me with two gaping demons.

“What?” I question with a raise of my brow.

“He likes you,” Bane mutters disapprovingly, throwing a glare at the door like it can penetrate through the wood and hit Thaddeus square in his back.

“He does not,” I retort, punctuating it with an exaggerated eye roll and ignoring the fluttering of butterflies rioting in my belly.

“Oh. You like him back,” Zane returns, though his words are gritted out through clenched teeth.

“I do not. He just broke up with his longtime girlfriend about a month ago, and there has never been anything romantic between us. Now or back then. You two sound suspiciously like you’re jealous over the friendship I have with Thaddeus.”

Zane looks like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing, but no words escape between his lips. Bane doesn’t look any better, though there’s a pink coloring on his cheeks that doesn’t match the light gray of his skin tone.

“On that note… Come on, Aero, let’s go to bed. I don’t know how much longer I can stand the pain in my ribs without storming out of here and kicking that Giles fucker, so he feels the same thing I do, only I’ll have Luka freeze his healing, so he has to live through the pain.”

Aero gives a quiet neigh in agreement, disappearing into my room. No doubt he’s already sprawled at the foot of my bed, snoring to his heart’s content. Because let’s be real. That damn Pegasus can fall asleep faster than I can blink.

“Good night, guys. I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.”

“Night, pinky. Don’t let the bed demons bite.” I chuckle sleepily at his version of a good night, but Bane refuses to be outdone.

“Dream about me, snow. I plan to frolic through them all night long.”

The smile on my face remains long after I close my bedroom door and change into pajamas. Like I thought, Aero’s snores lull me further into a sleepy state, but before I can sleep, I know I need to heal, or I’ll be even worse for wear come tomorrow.

My magic automatically responds, giving a happy zip before settling into the cross on my chest. The walls of my room glow with a pink hue as the rune illuminates, the shadows in the dark corners dissipating like daytime has already begun seeping through the windows.

I bite back the scream that’s bubbling up my throat as my healing kicks in, erasing the bruises, taking away the swelling, and mending the cracks in my bones. This is always the worst part. For other supernaturals, this part is painless, but I have to take what I can get. I could be no better than a human and live with these injuries until they heal up on their own. But I’m not, so I’ll concede and deal with the few painful moments so I can wake up in better shape than what I’m going to bed in.

My vision darkens at the edges, and by the time my healing cuts off and the pain disappears, I’m already passed the fuck out.

“Lucifer’s fucking balls!”

I jolt up at the inhuman growl that follows the weird as hell phrase. My blanket pools around my waist, and for a moment, I forget everything that happened yesterday until it all comes rushing back.

The fight. The aftermath. Cassian’s office. And my two new roommates.

“Infernal fucking contraption. You should rot in the deepest pits of Hell!”

Whatever Zane’s fighting against piques my interest as I snicker quietly in my bed. It could be a number of things, but I don’t recall having anything that would give him problems.

“Listen here, motherfucker. You’re going to do it whether you like it or not!”

My brows furrow, but it’s the smell of burning plastic that has me scrambling out of bed, dashing out of my room, and sliding across the floor in my haste to find out what’s melting. Only I don’t stop in time and crash into the couch, flipping completely over it and landing on the hard ass floor with a thud.

All the air expels from my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath.

“Shit. You okay, snow?” Bane’s head pops over the back of the couch, humor dancing in his dark eyes.

I groan. There’s nothing I can do but that until I get my wits about me again.

“Hell’s bells, don’t make me shove you up Lucifer’s hairy asshole!”

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