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“Right? She told me some things that explained why she left, what was going on here, and why it wouldn’t have been safe for her to bring me back here, but… fuck. It still hurt.”
“Wait, she had a mate? Is she who Hemlock was talking about? The angel whose mate died?” I wondered.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” he scowled. “Get this: her mate? He’s Commander Thorn and Lady Magnolia’s older brother.”
My head jerked back. “What?”
“Grel is my half-brother. His father was another Commander,” Sariel continued, ignoring my squawk of surprise as he slid off the bed and began to pace. “I don’t know how to take any of this, Aria. I don’t know how to feel. I thought my mother was a fucking Heaven-appointed angel off on some oh-so-important mission, not off screwing a fae, happy as ever with her twelve goddamn kids, while I fought for my damn life. But I also don’t feel like I should be angry. She did it for me. She did it to protect me from the fae, and what would have happened if she’d brought me back.”
“What would have happened?”
We both jumped at Mikey’s voice. He looked us over. “Sorry, I thought you heard me coming.”
“How much of that did you hear?” Sariel asked, dropping heavily onto the bed.
Mikey shrugged. “All of it.”
Sariel sighed. “The monarchs’ desire to have a child has been going on for so long, and my mother even lost a baby to Tarragon and Blossom. Her name was Sibby. She died when they tried to force her to be something she wasn’t. She was only four. That’s why… I don’t think my mother regrets leaving me behind.”
Mikey and I were gaping at him.
“Maybe. But that’s because she doesn’t know what you’ve been through,” Mikey pointed out.
“Yeah, well, she didn’t stick around long enough to hear any of that,” he shrugged. “She ran away again, like the coward she is.”
“Okay,” Mikey drawled. “Glad to see you’re alive, Aria. I came to give you two an update about the plan.”
Sariel perked up, eyeing his brother carefully.
“What is it? What happened?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes. “Nothing bad. I think I can get her to help us with a little more time,” he hedged, eyes falling on his brother.
“Hold on a second,” I started. “If your mother’s mate was related to the King and Queen, doesn’t that mean we can ask one of her children to help us instead of Lucia?”
“No,” Sariel snapped. “I doubt we’ll see her again. And even if we did, she’d run. She’s a coward, Aria. Her kids probably don’t know I exist.”
Mikey and I locked eyes briefly. He looked away, but not before I spotted the apprehension in his expression.
“Can we talk more about this back in our room?” I directed my question to Sariel. “I’m famished. Can you get me something to eat while Mikey takes me back?”
He eyed us both suspiciously before opening the door for us. We all walked silently until Sariel took a left to the kitchens while Mikey and I continued up to our quarters.
“Do you think you can pull this off, Michaelson?” I asked quietly.
He smiled sadly. “Call me Mikey. And… I don’t think I have much choice. I’ll do what’s necessary to make sure everyone is safe.”
It wasn’t lost on me that he hadn’t included himself in that sentence. I stopped walking, forcing him to look at me. “How do you really feel about her, Mikey?” I asked. “Be honest. I won’t judge you.”
He swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck as he scanned the hallway. “I like her a lot,” he blurted. “More than I expected I would. She’s gorgeous and so attentive, loving, determined, caring, and outspoken. Plus, she’s a total fucking badass. She’s handed me my ass so many times. My head gets light thinking about it.”
He runs a hand down his face. “I didn’t expect to like her so much, but when we’re together, she makes me feel, I don’t know… invincible.”
He took my arm, and we continued down the corridor. “I get anxious just from knowing that I’ll be seeing her or being somewhere she is. I’m desperate for a whiff of her scent, Aria.”
He paused outside my room door and turned to me, his expression tortured. “I know I sound like an idiot, but it drives me mad that I can’t be with her all the time, making sure she’s safe or eating or sleeping like she needs to. I don’t know what this is, but I know for certain that I can’t hurt her. I won’t let anyone else hurt her, either.”
We faced each other just inside my room door, his expression was deadly serious.
