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“But look at you, sitting between two demons you compelled into their true forms.” His words are clipped and sharp.
“What’s wrong?” I tighten the silk robe around me and stand. I planned on going to him, touching him, but I stop short. “Axe, what’s going on?”
“There’s a part of you that fits each of us just right, isn’t there? The romantic side for Bastian. Your violent side for Enzo.”
I search his face, his eyes, for something that might tell me what’s going on.
“Dashel, get in here. And bring the fifth.”
Fifth?
“His name is Gael. You know that.”
Axe stares a hole through me. “I do know that.”
Dashel appears next to him.
“The broken parts for Dashel’s broken parts. And the fucked-up family for me.”
Just then, Gael steps into the room. “What’s going on?” he asks, sensing the tension.
A vicious smile splits Axe’s face in two. “And this guy.” He slaps a hand hard on Gael’s shoulder.
The hair on my arms rise. “Gael, get out of here. Right now.”
Gael puts a hand up. “No, it’s OK. Axe has something he wants to say to me. I can hear him out.” My betrothed squares his stance, preparing.
“As I was saying,” Axe continues. “I don’t know enough about our friend Gael here to know what part of you he has, but it must be a big one, or you wouldn’t have come here. Am I right?”
I don’t answer.
“I am. Now, here’s the interesting part.”
Axe’s hand is still on Gael’s shoulder, and with every word, he squeezes harder and harder.
“Gael isn’t a leader of our world. He’s a criminal and apparently an angel. And I don’t think his presence is either needed or beneficial. In fact, I think our friend Gael here isn’t a friend at all.”
“What are you talking about, Axe? Gael is loyal. He won’t hurt any of you because he would never hurt me.”
I look to the other heirs for back up, but each of them avoids my gaze.
“What is going on here?!”
Axe unbuttons his shirt, letting it fall off his shoulders.
I cover my mouth at the sight before me. “Oh, gods, Axe.”
He stands shirtless, arms stretched out and covered from wrist to hips in purple-black bruises.
They’re so much worse than before.
“Why did you give Dashel a true form?” Axe asks quietly.
But I can’t take my eyes off his battered torso. “Who did this to you?”
“Enzo and Bastian I could see coming first, coming before me, but Dashel? He’s not even the best fighter.”
“What? What are you talking about? I didn’t choose who got what or when. It just happened.”
