Page 59 of Flirting with Death

"That is what I said," he replied. Our eyes met and locked, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing. We were Orion's after all. Risky was our middle name. "The guys won't like it."

"Then we need to go now."

"This is stupid, Sammy. Just because we both had the same idea doesn't mean we should act on it. Rai will kill me." He glanced at his best friend.

I worried my lower lip between my teeth as I followed his gaze. My shoulders sagged. He was right. We couldn't act rashly, but I would tuck that idea into my back pocket to use as a Hail Mary if I needed it.

"Good to see you decided against the stupid plan," Brook whispered, and I jerked my head in her direction. "I'm not a mind reader, but I've witnessed the plans you and your brother cooked up as kids. Always ended in disaster."

"They weren't that bad," I scoffed. They were that bad. Some of them almost got us killed. If our mom wasn't there to save us, we wouldn't be here now.

"They were," she said as she gingerly climbed from Lumi's lap. He grumbled in his sleep, as he ran his hands over his stomach as if he was looking for Brook. "You have good guys here, and I'm gonna share with you something I learned with my adventures. Working together is always the best plan. Only when you divide yourselves can they separate you."

"So not only did you become Queen, but you gained a bunch of wisdom?" I joked.

"Time passes differently in Fairy, I have a bunch of extra time you don't. Speaking of home, we have to return. Mika brought a message that they need us to handle a dispute that is growing. But I wanted to make sure you were okay first."

I stood up and pulled her into a hug. "You have done more than I could have asked for. Thank you for coming, Brook."

"I will always help if I'm able. Just because I grew into who I am now doesn't mean I left my best friend behind. I love you and will be here when you need me." She tightened her arms around me. It felt good knowing I didn't have any secrets hidden from her, and she still accepted me.

"I love you too," I said, my throat clogged with emotion.

After a minute, she pulled back and smiled up at me. Then she turned back to Lumi, who had woken up in the last few minutes. "Ready?"

"Let's go, tiger, we have a kingdom to protect," Lumi said as he stood up, stealing her from my arms. Her face softened as she looked at him and nodded. "See you later, hunter."

I stepped back and watched as she pulled out a tablet and opened a portal to a field that was lit brightly by the shining sun. Flowers swayed in the breeze, and her large home stood in the background. She waved at me before they stepped through. I sighed as it shut behind them, casting us back into the darkness of the middle of the night.

I sank into the chair they had vacated as my brother settled back into his. My guys still slept in their various spots. We might have saved the muse, but we still had a demon that wanted to take over the horde on our hands, and the even bigger issue of more Gods added to the mix trying to start a war. I was understanding Raiden's distrust of them.

The sun slowly showed its face as I tried to come up with a plan that wouldn't get us all killed. As the light filled the room, the guys woke up, one by one. Lex first, his hand flattening over where I had been and finding it cool to the touch. His eyes flew open, landing on me, before he relaxed. Bellamy blinked his crimson eyes open as Lex tensed. He lifted his head, searching the spot I had been. He sat straight up as he searched for me.

Both of them stretched as tension flowed out of them. I wasn't sure how I could see the energy flow off of them, but it was visible even to the naked eye. In fact, they each had an aura glowing around them. I turned my attention to Rai and Alastor, and the same radiance surrounded them. Finally, I looked at Ty. He had one too. I blinked, rubbing my eyes, but it was still there.

Rai shifted on the sofa, sensing my distress as he woke up. He leaned forward and pressed his hand over my knee. "You okay?" His voice was adorably sleep-filled, and if I wasn't in a state of panic, I would have enjoyed it.

I stood up, his hand falling away, my breath came out in small pants. Even Cerberus had a shimmer around him.

"What did they use as poison?" I asked, shaking my head.

Silence met my question, and I searched their faces for an answer that they didn't seem to have.

"Is something wrong?" Rai stood up and turned me toward him so he could catch my attention.

"I can see energy." He sucked in a breath as Lex climbed out of the bed and crossed the room.

"I transferred Dodger to you to help you heal. Maybe it is a residual effect of having her on your skin." Lex gestured to the tattoo of his snake currently curled around my ankle and up my right leg. I blinked. How had I missed her when I looked at my skin?

She shifted, and it felt like she was brushing against my flesh. It sort of tickled as she slithered up my leg and settled around my middle. I rubbed the spot she was on and tilted my head at Lex.

"Do you think that is possible?"

"Anything could be possible with my mom's powers," he replied. "Do you want me to take her back?"

I shook my head. "Can I keep her for a little bit? I think she just got comfortable."

The soft smile he gave me in return was answer enough, and I ran my fingers over my skin, imagining I could feel the scales of Dodger beneath my fingertips. It was a comfort having a part of Lex with me, even with him standing in the room. I might never give her back.

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