Page 22 of Dermot

Bastien didn’t fool himself into thinking it would be easy. Parrish hadn’t survived as long as he had because he was stupid. He wasn’t. He was smart, fast, and a good fighter. Luckily for Bastien, that wasn’t something he’d have to worry about. No, that would be entirely on Rowan, because Rowan had volunteered. He wanted to do this. He wanted to protect his clan.

Their clan? Maybe, but either way, Bastien had his orders. His focus would be on Celeste and on making sure that Parrish couldn’t use her magic to fight Rowan and the others. Bastien wasn’t sure how he’d make that happen, but it was one of the reasons Dermot was here. As a Vila, he could use his magic. He couldn’t sever the bond between Parrish and Celeste, but he could dampen it and ensure that Parrish couldn’t use Celeste’s magic to fight.

As they moved to leave the kitchen, Bastien grabbed Dermot’s wrist. He pulled him slightly to the side. Everyone kept moving, but with all the talking and nervous energy around them, it gave them a tiny bit of privacy. “You have to be careful, too,” he said.

“Now it sounds like you care about me,” Dermot pointed out.

It was obvious that he was teasing, but if there was one moment to make feelings clear, it was now. “I do care about you. I always have, from the first moment I saw you and realized you were my mate.”

Dermot’s cheeks flushed. “You didn’t know I was your mate when you first saw me.”

“Not right away, but I knew that I wanted to be closer to you. I knew there was something there.”

“The bond.”

“Maybe, at least initially. You’ve grown on me, though.”

Dermot laughed. “That makes me sound like a fungus.”

“In a way, you are. I wanted to resist it. After everything that happened, I was angry.”

Dermot’s smile vanished. “You still are?”

“I’m angry at what happened to you. I’m angry that you lost the people you loved. I’m angry that there was nothing I could do about it because I didn’t know you yet. I’m angry that there’s still nothing I can do about it. If I could, I’d bring them back.”

“But you can’t.”

“But I can’t, and I’ve made my peace with that, as I’m sure you have. We can’t bring back the people we lost. The only thing we can do is fight for the people we still have, and you’re one of those people for me.”

“Me and your sister.”

“You and Celeste are definitely the most important people in my life right now. I love the rest of my family, but you and Celeste are at the center of all of this for me. I will do anything to protect the two of you. I’ll face down Parrish on my own if I have to.”

“You won’t have to. That’s Rowan’s job.”

“And I’ll let him do it. I’m here for Celeste. If I happen to be able to hurt Parrish a little in the process, I’ll happily do it.”

Dermot grinned. “We all will.”

* * * *

DERMOT COULDN’T DENY he was nervous. This wasn’t what he usually did. Yes, he’d been on the run for years and had escaped countless attacks by Kudlak, but he’d never been a fighter. Most Vila weren’t. It was why they lived in villages with Krsniks. The Krsniks protected them, and they protected the village and clan with their magic. That was what Dermot was good at, and it was why he was going along with the mission. They might need him to use his magic on the bond between Parrish and Celeste. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to do anything, but he was going to try because Bastien wanted him to, and he wanted to give Bastien what he wanted.

He almost snorted, but he knew better since they’d just left the confines of the shields around the village. This wasn’t what he’d thought just a few days ago. In fact, a few days ago, he’d wished that Bastien would leave. He hadn’t known what to do with his mate, and he still didn’t, but he also hadn’t been willing to let Bastien in. He still believed that doing so could end in a disaster, but what choice did he have? Bastien was his mate. They were supposed to be together, willing or not.

It wasn’t that Dermot wasn’t willing. He was just scared. He was scared of Bastien possibly doing what the Krsniks he’d grown up with had done when things had gone wrong. He was scared that something between them would go wrong the way things between Celeste and Parrish had.

Okay, that wasn’t fair. Bastien was nothing like Parrish, and he never would be. He wasn’t that kind of person, and it had nothing to do with his species. Parrish would be a monster even if he was human or a Vila. Being a Kudlak wasn’t what made him what he was. He was just using the abilities that his Kudlak side gave him to hurt people.

Like every Vila and Krsnik, Dermot had been raised to think that Kudlak were their enemy. In a way, they had been. Many of them had made a game out of killing as many Vila and Krsniks as they could. It was said that Krsniks were created to defeat Kudlaks and protect the world against them. Dermot couldn’t see what there was to protect anyone against when he looked at Melissa and her daughter, though. They were Kudlaks, yet they’d never hurt anyone, and they wouldn’t. They were good people, no matter their species.

Dermot stumbled on something. Bastien’s hand shot out in front of him, catching him before he could smash his face against a tree. Bastien didn’t even have to look at Dermot. He was focused on what was in front of him, something that Dermot should also do. This mission was dangerous. They wouldn’t just have to face Parrish. They’d have to deal with Parrish’s followers, too, and most, if not all of them, were Kudlak. Dermot’s job was to focus on the magic they might encounter, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that they might have to defend themselves, too. They probably would have to. There was no way that Parrish wouldn’t have set up protections now that he had Celeste back.

Dermot straightened and continued walking. He wasn’t sure how long they’d have to go, but the spies who’d been sent had given them an address, which was all they needed. It wasn’t so far away that they’d have to take a car, which meant they could be sneaky, or at least, everyone hoped so. They all needed to be careful, though. He’d have to be able to feel if Parrish had used any Vila magic to protect himself and his people.

They had no idea what they’d find. The spies had tried sneaking in, but the building was protected, including with an anti-shimmering shield. There was no way in for the spies if they wanted to stay discreet, which would be a problem for them, too.

But it was a problem they’d deal with once they reached the building.