AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Spoilsport,” Priest muttered, but he kept his head resting on Jeremiah’s shoulder, and he made no move to dislodge Priest from where he was comfortable. It reminded him of the early days on the streets when Priest was young, half-starved, and freezing to death during unforgiving winters.
He knew the damp air was hard on the Demon, who didn’t come with his own internal furnace like Hellhounds did, and he had to fight the urge to wrap an arm around Priest. The Incubus was always cuddly as hell, but Jeremiah tried to at least appear halfway professional in front of new clients.
“If this is some kind of power trip to keep us waiting…” Knight warned quietly as the minutes dragged on.
Storm scoffed. “My brother wouldn’t work for people like that.”
Knight turned and cocked an eyebrow at him. “Your brother might be a good person, but even good people debase themselves if they’re paid enough.”
Storm’s eyes flared orange, and the guards at the doors straightened even further, eyes narrowing on Knight. “Say that again.”
“No. He won’t,” Jeremiah said, putting an extra growl in his voice. “I don’t know if you two are high from the fucking fountain or what, but get your heads out of your asses. We’re about to meet a goddamn queen and king.”
Knight rolled his shoulders, likely trying to shake off the effect from the water he hadn’t even realized was hitting him. “We don’t need this job. I have a bad feeling.”
Storm had his eyes closed and was focused on settling his breathing, but he gently extended his arm to brush his forearm against Knight’s in apology.
“No, but the more contracts like this we take, the less bullshit we have to deal with if people get upset about any of our… tactics,” Jeremiah reminded him, lowering his voice so the guards watching them wouldn’t hear. “Once this meeting is over, you and I will head back to HQ.”
Knight nodded once, jaw tight. None of them said anything, but it was obvious something about this place was triggering a memory from Knight’s past, and when that happened, he tended to shut down. Jeremiah would make sure he was taken care of when they left though.
Just then, the guards shifted, and both doors opened behind them. Thorne was there without his casual smile from before, but he didn’t seem tense, so Jeremiah didn’t stop his team from following him into the enormous room.
“What do we do again?” Priest hissed to him as they stepped past the threshold. “Do we bow?”
“You fuckin’ curtsey,” Knight murmured.
“I’m going to fuck you in your dreams if you don’t shut your mouth,” Priest threatened under his breath.
Storm had to turn a laugh into a cough, his face getting red at the effort to contain it.
“And I’m going to set you all on fire if you don’t knock it off,” Jeremiah warned them. He stepped ahead and set his gaze on the queen and king, who he expected to be in thrones. Instead, they were seated on a sofa, side by side, holding hands.
They both rose when the team got close enough, and Jeremiah forced his knee to bend just enough to be considered a respectful bow. Out of his periphery, he could see his team doing the same, and the royal pair were either satisfied or they were too stressed to care.
Jeremiah was betting on the latter.
“Your Majesties,” Jeremiah said.
The queen offered something that might be considered a smile. She was overwhelmingly beautiful, with hair the color of white opal. Her eyes were an iridescent violet, which might have looked strange on any other being, but it fit her perfectly. When she moved her hand, Jeremiah could see faint scales shining along her skin, a lot like a Dragon’s when they half shifted.
To her direct contrast was her husband. He was several inches shorter, stout, with a slight belly and dark hair. He was handsome, though perhaps not classically in the human world, let alone the kingdom of Sirens, but when she turned to look at him, Jeremiah saw genuine love in her eyes behind her worry.
“We’re very grateful you could see us,” she said, gesturing to the remaining seats in front of them.
Jeremiah waited until the queen and king resumed sitting before he lowered himself to the edge of a chair and folded his hands between his spread knees. “I was forwarded your security team’s file yesterday, and I have to confess, it’s not a lot to go on. No witness was able to get any kind of positive ID on anyone, and from what I understand, your son was… inebriated.”
The king looked disappointed while the queen sighed and rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling. “Yes,” she said. “He’s at university.”
“A human university that’s only started recently admitting Supes after a lawsuit forced them,” Priest cut in. He always played devil’s advocate in these meetings, seeing what kind of reaction he could get out of potential clients. They liked to know what they were getting into before agreeing to a contract. “In a country notorious for their… antiquated views on what people like us should and shouldn’t be allowed to do.”
“We try to let him make his own choices. Learn from his own mistakes,” she defended.
Priest smiled unkindly. “Until those mistakes bring terrorists to your door.”
The king started to look angry, but the queen just looked devastated, turning her wet eyes on Jeremiah. “Do you think that’s who’s behind this?”
“No,” Jeremiah said before Priest could continue riling them up. Knowing how hard to push wasn’t always the Demon’s forte, his self-control pretty much nonexistent. “Not necessarily. It’s one option we’d need to explore, but unfortunately, your marriage alone has earned you outspoken enemies.”
