feel calm. We set up a code word ahead of time with them in case there was an emergency, so they’ll know they can trust the imps. I shifted them to the safe house as soon as it was clear Mickey was compromised, so they’re okay,” he tells me once more, settlin’ my nerves about their wellbein’. “We’ll make sure they’re safe until we can resolve this,” Alder tells me.
Warmth moves through my body at his words and at the lengths that he and Flint have gone to ensure that my mama and daddy are okay.
Emotion squeezes at my throat, and I feel a prickle of tears in my eyes. “Thank you,” I tell both of them. The words are simple and not nearly enough, but they’re all I have right now.
“Of course,” Alder answers simply, like there’s no question that my parents are just as important to him and Flint as they are to me.
Plink.
“So, what now?” I ask.
“As soon as we’re all cleaned up, we’ll be going to visit the other Guardians to demand some answers,” Alder tells me.
“No more waiting for them to pull their heads out. Enough is enough,” Flint agrees with a hard edge to his voice. “They need to tell us what they know, because we’re clearly in the fucking dark.”
Alder grabs a light green mixture from the counter and hands it to me. “Here, drink this.”
“What is it?” I ask, starin’ at the sea green color of the liquid. I like the color in general, but I have a feelin’ this is gonna taste like mold. If I’m gonna drink mold, then I want to know exactly why I’m torturin’ myself.
A small smile lifts the corners of Alder’s mouth, but his features look weary, and his eyes are still banked with a bright but simmering anger. “It will help with the pain and with healing.”
“Okay, I guess down the hatch it goes,” I announce, tryin’ for plucky but landin’ somewhere closer to whiny.
Alder chuckles quietly and just watches me expectantly.
Plink.
I try not to cringe as I bring the elixir to my lips and tilt it up. My mouth fills with the taste of coffee. My eyes widen in surprise, and I tilt my head back to happily drink the entire beaker down.
“Mmmm,” I moan in approval as I hand the now empty beaker back to Alder. “I thought that was gonna taste way worse,” I admit.
A knowin’ glint enters Alder’s eyes, and I watch relief chase away some of the anger and frustration that was just there. “Don’t worry, Medley. I’ll make sure that only good things—pleasurable things—touch those lips.”
His smooth, self-assured tone wraps around me and lightly flicks at all my naughty bits. I clench my thighs, which has Flint wrappin’ his hand around the inside of my leg. “Hold still, Peaches. You have a lot of glass here, and some of it’s very deep.”
I do my best to listen, but between Alder’s sensual words and Flint’s hand now skimmin’ high up on the inside of my thigh, it’s makin’ it hard to focus on anythin’ else.
“Have you heard about this Morax or the Ophidian in any of your dealings?” Flint asks Alder.
“No, nothing substantial. I had a contact who thought they’d heard about a battle at one of the other gates involving someone with a similar name, but I’m waiting for her to get back to me with details.”
“Contact? Her?” I question, and then I have to stomp down the bolt of jealousy that shoots through me.
Alder steps away and grabs a pair of scissors from the bathroom counter.
“Yes, remember when I told you that I don’t just run a bar, I deal in information too,” he tells me evenly.
“Lots of demons will pay very well for the right secrets,” Flint adds. “Alder can find out anything.”
At his words, I recall the conversation we had before about the things Alder does to pass the time. It was buried under a ton of other information that was dumped on me that night, but I can suddenly see Alder sittin’ in the dimly lit corners of the bar, chewin’ the fat with other demons and keepin’ his fingers on the pulse of the goings-on in all the realms. For some reason, I find it incredibly hot. Then again, I think just about everythin’ these two do is hot.
Plink.
“Well, that used to be the case, but I haven’t heard anything about this Ophidian demon or a serious battle at another gate, and I don’t