Page 29 of The Aether

“Off with his head, Nate.”

Just as Nate was poised to strike, time snapped back with a deafening pop.

Morcant disappeared.

“Fuck!”

They all felt the sting of Damian’s blinding fury. It seared the skin without ever causing physical damage.

“Darling, you’re hurting us,” Vivian said, hoping to remind him how deadly his unleashed anger could be.

Stalking to her, he yanked the small jar from her hand and hauled her against him. Embracing her seemed to calm him, and because she needed the contact, too, she held on and didn’t object. Despite their differences, he appeared to still care about her welfare, and for that, she was eternally grateful.

“What do you intend to do with that?” Vivian asked softly.

“I’d pour it down the drain, but it might rust the pipes.”

She laughed. “I suppose we can’t bury it in the backyard?”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea.” Soleil approached and held out her hand. “Will you trust me to take care of it, Damian?”

Indecision was written on his breathtakingly handsome face, but it didn’t detract from his good looks. Finally coming to a decision, he handed her sister the bottle.

“I’d suggest a volcano,” Josie quipped.

Grinning, Soleil nodded. “I know exactly which one would work.”

“Won’t that produce a gas?” Alastair shared a concerned look with Nate. “I’m no scientist, but how do you plan to get away in time?”

“Throw and teleport?” Soleil shrugged.

A glittering light flooded the room and took the shape of a petite woman. In the next instant, the newcomer stood at the base of the stairs, a few steps below Nate.

“Evie!” Damian abandoned Vivian and rushed to greet her. “You should never have left the protective wards of Ravenswood! Where’s my daughter?”

“I came for the poison, Damian. Give it to me so I may destroy it.”

Right when Soleil would’ve handed it to her, Vivian stepped in her path.

“That’s not Evie.”

Damian reached the same conclusion, and he backed away with a nod to Nate. With one hefty swing and a pained frown, the Guardian decapitated Morcant.

“Clean up on aisle ten,” Josie muttered.

* * *

After the body was removed, probably to be dumped in a volcano, and after Vivian assured herself Sabrina was all right, she joined Damian in the sitting room of Ravenswood.

He handed her a glass of wine and toasted her with his brandy.

Curling up on the sofa, she sipped her drink and watched as he settled on the opposite side of the couch. In the early years of their relationship, they would’ve cuddled, and the distance between them had never been more obvious. Sadness tugged at her heart, but she ignored it. Yes, they’d been through a traumatic event today, but that didn’t mean their issues had miraculously been resolved. But oh, how nice it would’ve been if he’d have set aside his grievances and held her for a while.

“Thank you for everything you did for us today, Damian.”

“Did you think I’d leave you to your fate, Vivian?”

She shrugged one shoulder.

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