Daimon (Guardians of Hades #6) - Felicity Heaton Page 0,103
attempting to grow as if it was spring and birds singing mating calls even as the autumnal colours remained.
She looked at him. “Take care of him. He has been through so much.”
Daimon nodded.
Persephone lingered.
He dropped his gaze, aware of the reason she was hesitating to return to the Underworld. Long gashes cut across her shoulders and her chest, seeping blood. His father was going to be furious with Esher when she returned and he saw the state of her, and she didn’t want to get Esher into more trouble.
She stroked Esher’s cheek, bent over and pressed a kiss to his dirty forehead. “Rest. Get better.”
And then she was gone.
The ground shook violently, the tremor rocking Esher where he lay on his back on the golden straw mats.
When the quake stopped, Daimon pulled his phone from his pocket and fired off a message. In less than a heartbeat, his brothers surrounded him, together with Caterina, Megan, Eva and Marinda.
And Aiko.
Tears spilled down her cheeks and she sobbed as she darted forwards.
Keras grabbed her arm and held her back.
She looked back at his brother and then at Daimon.
Daimon nodded. “Mother was here. He won’t wake for a while. It’s safe.”
Keras released her.
Aiko sank to her knees beside Esher, caressed his cheek and murmured things to him in Japanese.
She lifted her head, her dark eyes bleak and tears glistening on her cheeks. “We should clean him.”
Daimon wanted to do that too, but he shook his head. “Esher needs to rest right now.”
He didn’t want to risk disturbing his sleep.
“I’ll take him to his room.” Keras moved around Esher, stooped and carefully lifted him, and when he looked at Daimon, Daimon nodded at him, silently thanking his brother for doing it for him.
Aiko followed Keras, and Daimon trailed after them, leaving his brothers to guard the wraith.
When he reached the door of his room, he slid the panel open.
Cass immediately turned to face him, relief filling her blue eyes chased by anger as they narrowed on his nose. “Oh, that beast.”
She hurried to him and he didn’t chastise her about the term she insisted on using for Esher as she fussed over him, was too relieved to see she was safe too. His nose ached as she brushed her fingers down it and then the pain was gone, the stuffiness clearing and allowing him to breathe through it again.
“I could get used to having you around,” he murmured and stroked his knuckles lightly across her cheek. “Thanks for that, and for leaving when I asked.”
“If I had known he was going to make mincemeat of your nose, I would have stayed.” She petted it with a slight pout to her lips. “Your beautiful nose.”
“It’ll be fine. Not the first time it’s been broken and it won’t be the last.” He dragged his gaze away from her as Keras emerged from Esher’s room to his left. He nodded. Looked back at Cass and caught the question in her eyes. “Mother made Esher sleep. He needs rest now. I’m not sure how long the gift Mother used will last.”
“I can do a spell that will keep him asleep for a few days.”
Gods, could his sorceress get any more wonderful?
He dropped a kiss on her lips. “Thank you.”
She wrinkled her nose when he pulled back. “You taste like blood.”
He followed her as she swept from the room, her head held high and shoulders back, not missing the nerves she was doing her best to mask as she strode with purpose towards Esher’s room.
A flicker of relief danced across her delicate features as she reached the doorway and saw it was only Keras and Aiko in the room with Esher.
Although he also didn’t miss how she kept firmly to the right, as far from Keras as she could get.
He gave his oldest brother a questioning look as he entered the room and came to stand next to Aiko, but Keras refused to look at him, kept his green eyes locked on Esher where he lay on the bedding in the middle of the room.
Cass kneeled by his head and swirls of blue, purple and black emanated from her palms, drifted over Esher’s head and disappeared into his mouth and nose as he inhaled.
She lifted her gaze to Daimon, and then settled it on Aiko. “He should sleep for at least seventy-two hours. I can renew the spell then if necessary.”
“Thank you,” Aiko said.
When she went to kneel beside his brother, Daimon stopped her, stepping into her path.