Page 102 of Sidhe
Chapter 36
NathanranforwardbeforeSasha could hit the ground, ignoring the few people nearby, fumbling and getting in his way; not caring about anything or anyone but Sasha, not even paying attention as Jim finally realized what had happened and used his abilities to send the dark fae spy back to the Veil.
The remaining people in the bar were silent, backing away from the scene, maybe because someone had been shot, maybe because they had just seen Jim Grier banish a fae with hismind, maybe because they were starting to realize what fools they had been.
“No, no, baby,no…” Nathan chanted as he dropped down beside Sasha and gathered the crumbled body to him, like he always did, unable to believe it was real every time they came close to this—so many times, so manyfucking timesSasha had been close to death. Only this time he wasn’t close, he wasn’t in the process of or on the brink, he was gone.
“Nathan, I’m so sorry, I…I couldn’t sense anything with so many fae already here. I didn’t realize…” Jim trailed as he scrambled over to where Nathan was holding Sasha.
“Sasha…baby, come on.” Nathan shook the body in his arms, fruitless as it was, Sasha’s head lolling back and forth, his eyes open, staring at nothing.
The shot was too clean, too aptly aimed. Sasha had been dead before he even choked out Nathan’s name and fell; his brain just hadn’t known it yet.
It was only lead. Onlylead. Nathan had been about to take it all back, Sasha would have been an incubus, that shot wouldn’t have mattered, would have taken Nathan, not Sasha,Nathan.
“Please…come on, just…snap out of it, you’re…you’renot…” Nathan bit down on his tongue, couldn’t speak anymore, couldn’t breathe. It had to be a dream, a damn vision,something.
“Nathan…” Jim placed a hand on Nathan’s arm, and it was just too much, too much.
“No!” Nathan growled at his brother, knowing his eyes flashed red and not caring as he shook Jim away from him and pulled Sasha in closer. “It doesn’t get to happen like this. They don’t get to win. They don’t get to take him away when it should have beenme.”
It should have been me. It should have been me.
Ignoring Jim and all those gathered just standing there staring now, Nathan tilted his head to the ceiling. “Walt!” he screamed as loud as he could, planning to pierce Heaven with his cries if he had to, just to make sure Walter appeared at his side, wherever he had ended up in the throng.
Then Walter was there, right behind them, the rest of the area having cleared impressively all around them. When Nathan looked up to see Walter’s face, there was anguish there, shock, and the first signs of pity that Nathan always hated.
“You bring him back, Walt,” Nathan demanded, Sasha’s head held to his chest, arms tight around him. “You bring him backnow.”
“That is not in my power, Nathan,” Walter said solemnly.
“Bullshit.” A choked, bitter laugh spewed from Nathan’s lips. “Bullshit. You work for Dave. You telling me he can’t do this?”
Still standing there, looking down on them, Walter shook his head. “There are rules, Nathan, that even God cannot break. I cannot give the same life back.”
The tears Nathan felt dripping from his face surprised him, he was so numb. “I was going to have Puck change us back, Walt. I was going to give you what you want, be what you need me to be.Please,” he clung tightly to Sasha; he could feel how the body was already growing stiff, “I’ll do…anything.”
“You cannot make a deal with me either, Nathan. I cannot give the same life back,” Walter said again.
“No. ButIcan.”
While Walter had appeared without a sound,Malakentered like wisps of rancid smoke. Those watching seemed to understand that this new being suddenly before them was far different from any normal fae. It would have been strange having such a large audience if Nathan cared that any of them were there.
Walter stumbled away at Malak’s arrival, actually showing his fear of the dark sidhe king for a moment before managing to collect himself. They stood mere feet apart before Nathan, like morbid bookends.
“You are not welcome here, Malak,” Walter said, though his voice wavered when it once would have been firm. “This is not your place.”
“Now, now, dearboy,” Malak chided Walter right back, smirking wide, his form once again the male version, “I do believe that is for Nathan to decide. I have full rights to be hereif I am merely offering a deal.” He looked down at Nathan as he said that, smiling. “Yes, Nathan, I can give you what you want. You know I can. And you know all I ask in return.”
“Nathan, no,” Jim said, grabbing Nathan’s arm.
Nathan didn’t brush him off this time, but he didn’t acknowledge him either.
“Now, Nathan,” Malak began again, crouching in front of him with an expression attempting to feign sympathy, “I told you how you would regret denying me, gave ample warning in fact. Now is your chance to make up for it.”
“I can’t make a deal with you. I can’t give you what you want. I’m not human,” Nathan said blandly, though he knew that him being an incubus, Sasha being human, that was why Sasha was dead now, because he had been selfish and waited too long. Malak hadplannedfor this. Malak knew exactly what Nathan would do.
“Nathan, that is not a problem at all,” Malak said reassuringly; only reassurance from him was like the reassurance of a snake to a mongoose with its back turned. “Why, I can make you human as part of the deal, make you humanfirst. Then if you choose me, I will gladly give your consort back to you. No other payment necessary.”
