Page 92 of Enchanted

My anxiety eased at the bemused expression on Ethan’s face. He was looking at Quill and Dahlia almost fondly. Like it was taking him back to a different time. A different place.

I was willing to bet that location was approximately seventy-five miles south of here.

Darius nodded at the stairs. “Want to see the room first? There are two, but Jeremiah’s old room is by far the best, so that’s the one I’m going to show you.”

“Sounds great.” Ethan glanced back at me, like he was checking I was going with him. That did things to my heart. Things I liked very much.

Going on instinct, I slid my hand into his. “From what I remember, this room is gorgeous.”

“Typical of Jeremiah to pick the best one and then move out,” Darius grumbled as we walked up the creaky steps. “Git.”

“Why didn’t one of you take it after he left?” Ethan asked curiously.

“We’re creatures of habit,” Darius said, stopping in front of a door. “I’m often away for stretches of time, as is Dahlia, so we don’t really give a shit about where we sleep. Plus, this place is a million miles better than where we used to live.”

“Where was that?”

Darius raised a brow at me and I shook my head minutely. No, Ethan didn’t know about our world. Not yet, anyway.

“Far away from here,” he said, smiling tightly at Ethan. Then, before my mate could ask more questions, Darius opened the door. “Here. Let me know what you think.”

Ethan’s small gasp of surprise reassured me that this was the right decision. Still holding my hand, he led me into the large room, bathed in light from the generous windows. “Wow, this is loads bigger than I expected.”

“As you can see, it’s fully furnished,” Darius said. “But anything else you need, I’m sure we can get for you.”

“I’m not sure what else I might need,” Ethan said, looking slightly dazed as he strolled around the room. “Everything looks amazing. New, even.”

That was probably because it was. Nothing like an army of angels and demons and an unlimited budget to get everything in place. They’d had a little over ninety minutes, but they’d all come through. Just as I’d known they would.

As well as a king-sized bed covered in brand-new linens, there was a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, a small desk, and even a love seat. Someone, probably Sam, had even added some softer touches, including lamps, blankets, and several throw pillows.

Ethan probably would’ve been fine with using what Jeremiah had in here, but it truly hadn’t been a lot. And, after our many conversations over the past few days, I knew Dave thought of their shared furniture as his as he’d purchased most of it. Ethan was expecting to start from scratch.

I was expecting him to never have to ‘make do’ again.

“Yeah, Jeremiah moved out really early,” Darius lied smoothly—a skill all supes had. “That’s why it looks unlived in. Practically was. All the bedding’s clean though.”

“Thank you,” Ethan said, his voice strangled. “Fuck, you’re all so nice.”

Pity flashed across Darius’s face, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. Ethan being surprised by basic human kindness wasn’t something any of us liked. “You’re welcome.”

“This is such a beautiful room,” Ethan said wistfully. “Are you sure the figure Dahlia gave Rami is right?”

I gave Darius a warning look, but it wasn’t needed. He didn’t reveal that they hadn’t given a figure at all. Sam had looked up the local rates and cut it in three, insisting if we went any lower that Ethan would become too suspicious. “It is. We’re looking for the right person, not to make money. Whoever moves in needs to feel comfortable around us…especially with Quill.”

“I explained about him,” I said quietly, keeping my voice too low for Quill to hear from downstairs, even with his supe ears. “Ethan’s up to date.”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah. I’m happy to keep him company when I’m not working, so long as he actually wants me here.”

Relief flashed over Darius’s face. “Thank you. Having someone comfortable with Quill’s…situation is the most important requirement we’re looking for.”

“I’m more than comfortable,” Ethan reassured him. “He seems like a great bloke, cereal addiction aside.”

Darius chuckled, his shoulders easing. “Dahlia was right though, you really are safer keeping your cereal in your room.”

“I’ll probably be stealing him away for breakfast a few mornings a week anyway,” I said. “Give him some time to get to know the others.”

I’d already cleared it with Micah. Taking him to the compound wasn’t as big a risk as it had been before our little trip away. Ferry had visited at Micah’s request, adding wards that made it impossible for Gloria to cross, and Nate had created some sort of cloaking software to stop Gloria accessing any CCTV cameras around the compound. Even Sebastian had reluctantly agreed to help, undertaking a survey of our systems and making sure no one could hack them. Darius and Dahlia were also involved, having agreed to guard the perimeter while Ethan ate with us. Didn’t make it risk free, but it reduced the odds of Gloria learning Ethan had been there at all.