knowing without a doubt that I had to protect them, shield them, with anything that was left of me. I could hold back the fire that charred me to ash, but I could do nothing against what I realized were the emotions assaulting me.
Slowly, so slowly it felt as if it took an eternity, more thoughts processed. Names swam into my consciousness, a knowledge of what—who—I was protecting. Killian. Hiro. Ryder. Theo. Damien. Joshua. Eternally bonded. I clung to those names, those flashes, even as the pain of them battered me again and again. I curled myself around them, my feathers a shield, and clung to them. The need to scream, to cry, to reach them grew with every flash. They needed me. That knowledge glowed inside me, slowly beginning to beat back the pain.
I had to save them. I would save them. It wasn’t a decision, not really. It was simply a certainty. As certain as I knew there would be another wave of pain, I knew I needed to protect them.
So I fought harder, digging in, pushing back at the suffering, cauterizing the wounds they inflicted over and over. They were hurting, mourning, torn apart as surely as I was. I couldn’t stand it, and as every moment I could see and hear of them grew clearer, as the singed pieces of me began to reform, I knew I would reach them. I had made a promise. Eternity together.
Something had been building, rolling over my form in waves, calling to me. I didn’t want to leave them, didn’t want to risk them, but the call couldn’t be denied any longer. One last lash of that fiery whip and my screech of agony was given voice as everything around me exploded.
I knew I was hurting, that my body ached and throbbed, but it was so mild now it seemed like slipping into a warm bath. I could take this pain. Take it every day and be grateful. Sounds greeted me, the rumble of voices, panicked and irritated yet somehow soothing. My chest squeezed tightly as I tried to process, to think, to move, but all I could do was soak in those voices. Something whispered through my mind and I shook my head, trying to focus around the fog.
Thank you. The burr of those words whispering through my mind was clear, and I fluttered my wings, trying to find the source as contentment raced through me. I needed it, needed it the same way I knew I needed air to breathe. The voices had disappeared now, though I heard shuffling, a low growling reaching my ears, so I pushed again, trying to fight through whatever I was trapped under. My movements were slow, sluggish, as I struggled to control them. Suddenly whatever was covering me was yanked away, and I rolled toward the light in an undignified flop of movement as my wings fought against me. I lifted my head, blinking against the brilliant light, as I searched for the source of that tugging inside me.
“Nix?” All around me, men dropped to their knees, their bodies giving out as they stared at me.
“Bloody hell, we’ve all lost our minds.” I knew that whisper, I realized, turning my head. Ryder. That was Ryder.
“Did they stick around, create an illusion?” Theo. I knew that voice too, even when it was raw and rough.
“Nix?” Joshua repeated the word, and it took my mind a moment to process the tears on his face as I let out a soft coo. They couldn’t cry. I was here to protect them. I just needed this fog to clear, I needed to think.
“Someone tell me if it’s real,” Hiro rasped. “Fuck it, don’t tell me. I don’t care. They can kill me if they want as long as they keep this going.” I blinked, chirping at him in my irritation. No one was going to kill him. I was here now.
“It’s not possible.” Killian’s burr was so thick his words were almost indecipherable. Something tugged at my mind and I cooed again, turning my gaze to the dark-haired, russet-eyed man in front of me.
“Sweetheart?” Damien croaked, his hand shaking as he reached for me. I cooed again, my head rubbing softly against his palm, and he let out a cry—anguish, joy, relief, fear, all rolled up into that one sound, echoing through me.
All of them scrambled, reaching out to touch me with gentle hands. I felt the pulse of magic and blinked at Ryder, his hands