Page 103 of The Demon's Delight
My heart jumped in my chest, and I released my wings out of habit. “Oh. I suppose that won’t work. Are we running then?”
Rylan smiled and let out his wings. He had feathers on the outside, the same bat-like flesh on the inside as mine. “You’ve missed a few things since you were gone.”
“Oh! Wonderful.” I flapped, hovering a bit, then a bit more.
“It’s barely dusk,” Vassago reasoned, his own feathered wings spread out wide, the white a stark contrast to Rylan’s black. “Stay to the rooflines.”
Then he was airborne, Rylan just behind, as I scrambled after them. I was going to need a quick catch-up very soon about how this was possible, but I was glad to be in the sky.
I followed my brothers to the council building on the interior of Revalia. We landed a street away and walked the rest, my eyes constantly scanning for the woman I knew had to be right nearby somewhere.
Magnus boomed with a friendly greeting when he saw us, and the man he was talking to spun, clearly nervous from the way his eyes widened, and shifted his stance.
“What’s this about then, archmage?” the councilman blustered at Rylan. “What business is it of a mage what the stone kin are doing?”
Rylan tilted his head to the side. “Are we not allies? We’ve collaborated on several things, Brookes. I’m offended you think so little of our friendship.”
“Of course, we’re allies. But what’s the meaning of this? Why are there so many of you? I feel very—” The man looked up, and his whole demeanor changed. “You.” A myriad of emotions raced across his smug face, but anger was most prominent.
I turned and found his gaze locked on my lovely mate. My heart beat in rapid time as I drank her in.
“Don’t look at her,” I growled, dagger point indenting the skin at the man’s throat. “Don’t you dare.”
“What’s the meaning of this, Magnus?” he demanded, shifting his attention from Hailon to the large stone kin.
Magnus only chuckled. “Let’s go, Brookes. I’m afraid my kin have some questions for you. It’s likely to be rather uncomfortable.”
“Kin? You’re calling the demonskin?”
“Indeed.” Magus smirked, unmoved by the horror on the councilman’s face at such a suggestion.
Brookes yelled and complained, but his voice was drowned out by the heavy sound of wings being deployed and bodies taking flight as they held him firmly between them. Brookes let his own wings out, and there was a struggle as he tried to get away, but Vassago and Rylan had too good of a grip on him, and Magnus was right there with them.
I dashed over to Hailon, sweeping her into my arms before taking flight myself. She yelped, one hand pressing a necklace into the skin below her collarbone. The other locked around my neck, her legs tight around my waist as the city street dropped out from under us. I lifted my tail as well, lashing it around her hips.
“I’ve wanted to do this with you for ages, Moonflower. This is what I tried to do, that very first night, in fact, when my wings failed me.” I smiled, wind rushing over my body as I kissed her like she was the air I needed to survive. Her sweet taste filled my mouth, my hands full of her but still craving more.
I could tell it wasn’t just being airborne that left her lightheaded when she finally pulled away. “You’re really back?” she asked.
“Yes.” I squeezed her closer. “I told you I would come.”
“I knew you would, I just worried it would take more time.”
“I didn’t have any to waste. I hated being away from you.” Collegium d’Arcan came into view very quickly, and I braced for impact as we dropped toward the ground. I could see the other members of our group already down, several hands hanging onto the councilman as they led him into the building. “Everything will be fine,” I assured her, and we landed with a jolt.
Hailon didn’t hesitate to follow everyone into the school. She detoured into Vassago’s classroom, then rejoined me in the hall so we could go down the stairs into the cellar.
“What is the meaning of this? Magnus! I’ll be filing formal charges against you and this lot of?—”
Hailon had pushed her way between my brothers, and with her fancy little blade, shut the councilman up by punching it through the soft place right between his collarbone and shoulder.
“Youbitch,” he snarled, trying to back away from her. Unfortunately for him, the blade was still imbedded, so she stepped right along with him.
“That’s unkind,” she said softly, twisting the blade, making him scream. “I just wanted to take asample, after all.”
My brothers, their wives, and the gargoyles all looked to me, quietly stunned. I shrugged, a wide, proud smile on my mouth.
“A perfect match, then,” Vassago muttered. “Well done.”
