He snorts, a wry smile playing at his lips, before he once more conceals it with a scowl.
I don’t know what I expect to see when we arrive at the Angel dorm. Honestly, I’m bracing myself for the worst. Auston is more level-headed than Braxton, but he’s still driven by his emotions, and he’s by far the most protective of me. If he believes for even a second I’m in danger, he won’t hesitate to destroy Caius once and for all.
That thought alone has me quickening my pace until we barge into Auston’s dorm room at the end of the hall.
My white-haired Angel is slipping on a shirt, his wings ruffling. Caius’s misty form hovers in the corner, unable to touch anything now that he’s not corporeal.
“Aw. Isn’t this sweet?” Braxton taunts, leaning indolently against the door frame. “Did you guys share a bed?”
“Fuck off, asshole,” Auston snipes, turning to glare at his brother. His eyes instantly soften when they land on me. “Come here, baby girl.” He extends his arms to me, and I don’t hesitate to accept his hug. Somehow, Auston always knows what I need before I even do. And right then, I really needed to know that I haven’t screwed this whole thing up, that I haven’t lost them. He kisses the top of my head once before releasing me, but that kiss says more than one hundred words. It’s a promise and a vow—a confession of love. When he stares at me, his ice blue eyes reflect all that and more.
“Where are the others?” Braxton asks, throwing a glare in Caius’s direction. He moves to sit on Auston’s bed, as far away from Caius as the space allows.
“Here.” Karston pushes open the door with his shoulder as he and Preston hurry inside. “Did you miss me already?” He flashes a teasing grin as he hands me a coffee and bagel.
“Nah, I just wanted food, thank you very much.” Braxton leans forward to swipe a coffee out of Karston’s hands, but the Ghost stealthily dances away.
“Not for you. Besides, you’re dead. You don’t need food, technically. And honestly, Brax? You should lay off the carbs and coffee. You’re looking a little…” Karston trails off with a grimace, nodding at Braxton’s defined, chiseled eight-pack visible through his black shirt. I should know. I spent the entire night memorizing them.
Braxton’s eyes narrow further. “Asshole.”
“Fortunately for you, I’m the nice one,” Preston pipes up, offering a coffee to first Auston and then Braxton. “You’re welcome.”
To me, Karston conspiratorially whispers, “I pissed in both of them.”
Coughing to cover up my laugh, I turn towards all of my men. It’s surreal to see them laughing and joking again after everything we’ve been through. I’m grateful to see that their strained bond has strengthened while I was away. I remember when they couldn’t stand being in the same room as each other…though, I still don’t know the story about their falling out. Soon, I’ll ask them, but now isn’t the time.
The laughter drains from their faces when they finally remember they’re not alone. They cast wary, volatile glances in Caius’s direction, their somber expressions reminding me of what we still need to discuss.
Administer.
Quickly, I relay what had happened in his office to the others. As expected, Auston jumps to his feet and begins pacing, eyes cold and furious. Preston appears worried, and Karston is positively livid.
“Why don’t we just kill him?” Karston exclaims vehemently, parroting Braxton’s words from earlier.
“We can’t just kill him,” Caius drawls from the back of the room—the first thing he has said since I arrived.
“We? Stay the fuck out of this,” Karston seethes, spinning to glare at the shadowy figure. Caius’s features are blurry and indistinct—constantly flickering in and out of existence as he struggles to hold onto this shape—but I swear I see him rolling his eyes.
“We know nothing about him,” Caius continues, ignoring the vitriol spewing from each of the quad. Except for Preston, of course. He appears more curious than anything else.
“What do you mean?” he asks, leaning forward to rest his long arms on his knees.
“I mean…he’s obsessed with stopping the Darkness, even more so than Jake—”
“Fucking Jake,” Braxton interrupts.
“It’s strange,” Caius continues with a head nod. “As is his knowledge about the Fates and what can kill us.”
“What are you saying?” I question, peering at him intently.
“I’m saying that a foe we don’t understand is significantly more dangerous than one that we’ve studied.”
“I can go to Heaven and search through their files,” Auston throws in, his tone somewhat reluctant. Not because he doesn’t want to help, but because he doesn’t want to admit Caius is right.
Stubborn males.
“We need more information about Administer,” Brax agrees. Wrenching his gaze away from Caius, he focuses on his Angel brother. “Get all the information you can. Rumor has it that he died a few hundred years ago. But of course, that’s only a rumor. Maybe he lived thousands of years ago, back when the Fates still roamed the Earth.”
“Be careful,” I call out, chewing on my lower lip. Auston turns to me, expression decidedly predatory, before stalking forward and gripping my chin.
“Baby girl, I’m always careful.” He slants his mouth over mine, taking my lips in a bruising, possessive kiss. I know he’s attempting to assert his dominance over Caius, but I can’t find it within me to care. If this is a show, I will gladly star in it.
Finally, Auston releases me and steps back, his broad chest heaving.
“I’ll see what I can find on Administer.” He offers me a wink before moving to the window, shoving it open, and balancing precariously on the sill. “Don’t miss me too much.”
“Fat fucking chance,” Karston mutters.
With that, Auston leaps from the windowsill, extends his wings, and begins to fly.
Hopefully, he can find information on the Administer.
If not, I don’t know how much longer I can hide in the Afterworld before he finds me.
Chapter 31
Preston
Finally, I have her alone.
“Keep your eyes closed,” I warn her as I guide her down the worn pathway through the North Woods. “Not much farther.”
Hadley giggles. “Where are you taking me, handsome Reaper?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Hadley doesn’t know it yet, but I have my tree house set up for us. I asked Layla to help me decorate the main room in candles and dress the place up with fresh bouquets of flowers. She was more than willing and seemed really taken with my secret hideout.
A warm breeze blows off the nearby ocean, bringing with it a salty taste to the air. Above us, the leaves dance in the wind, rustling happily. It's the perfect beginning to a perfect day.
“What’s that smell?” she asks, nostrils flaring.
“Part of the surprise. Come on.” Carefully, I lead her up the wooden stairs, her smile growing wider with each step.
At the top, I reach for the door, wincing when it squeaks open.