Invision - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 0,82
vortex.
Along with a few other nearby objects the neighbors were bound to be pissed off about losing. But hey, that was what happened when you shared your zip code with an ancient goddess and lived too close to a hell-gate.
Sighing, Xev passed an I-told-you-so stare to Nick and Caleb. “Remember what I said about letting them get together? And that was without their new friend in the mix.”
Nick crossed himself. “Keep them away from liquor, right?”
“Yeah. I’d even lock up the cough syrup. Just to be safe.”
“Duly noted.”
Proud and smug, the three Celts turned around to face them. With his hip cocked, Aeron held his bow against his thigh while Vawn crossed his arms over his chest and stood with his spine parallel to Aeron’s. Still in his wolf form, Kaziel moved to sit between them, at their feet.
Nick shook his head at the frightening sight they made.
Caleb snorted. “And that is why on ancient battlefields they were known as arswyd gan drindod.”
“What’s that mean?” Nick asked.
“Terror by a trinity.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Nick pushed himself up. “Don’t get cocky, guys,” he said to Aeron and crew. “Or else we’ll make you explain this to the neighbors.”
He went to help Menyara. “Speaking of, how do you explain these things to your neighborhood, anyway?”
“Hurricanes. Tornados. Gas explosions work sometimes, too. When that fails, government conspiracy. You’d be amazed how quickly they seize onto that one.”
“Not really. I’d much rather believe the government is out to get me than a pack of fire-breathing hell-monkeys.” Nick approached Vawn respectfully. “So … talk to me about the corpse-light.”
“What about it?”
“Do all Legolas banshees have them as weapons?”
Scowling, she tilted her head to speak to Aeron in Welsh. “What’s a Legolas and is he meaning to be insulting?”
“Nae, he’s attempting to be charming. Not so much with Legolas, but even that’s more teasing than mean. Though he be the Malachai, he’s not a cruel beast. He’s truly trying to come to an understanding of what you really are. And speaking of, as the Malachai, he understands your Welsh so it does you no good to switch to it in front of him, as he knows every word we be saying.”
“Oh…” Vawn turned back to study Nick for a minute. “That’s the Malachai, is it?”
Nick feigned a deep chest wound at the way Vawn said that. “Now who’s insulting who?”
Vawn held her hands up. “No insult meant … exactly. You’re just not what comes to me mind with that word. At all.”
“Especially given the animals where we’ve been kept.”
Nick went over to Zavid and held his hand out to him. “You’ve no idea how worried I’ve been since they told me what happened to you. I’m so sorry.”
“Aeron told me.” Gratitude glowed in his eyes. “Thank you.” Zavid looked around at everyone in the room. “All of you. I didn’t think I’d ever get away from Noir.”
Caleb approached him and pulled the collar back from his black shirt to examine his neck. For what, Nick had no idea. But it was obvious, he was hunting for something in particular on Zavid’s skin. “How did he get ahold of you to begin with?”
“Livia. Bitch threw me to him. I was protecting her one minute and the next.…” His eyes flashed red. “If I ever get the chance to return the favor, I will open her throat and bathe in her blood.”
Nick felt awful for him. He could only imagine how badly they’d mistreated him, especially given the horrors he’d seen Zavid suffer while held in Hel proper. “Why didn’t your sister tell us where you were?”
“They destroyed her soul.” Tears gathered in his eyes. “For that I will kill Grim one day. This is now a personal war for me. And I won’t rest until I make sure he feels my full wrath.”
Caleb clapped him on the back and stepped away.
Xev arched his brow at him.
His gaze sincere, Caleb inclined his head. “He’s clean and telling the truth. Our father got him away without a mark. He’s ours again, free of their powers.”
Zavid gaped at them. “Verlyn’s your father?”
“Yeah.”
Vawn winced. “I hated to leave that one behind, I did. Never did I think to feel sorry for one of his ilk. But we owe him everything. He put himself to the hazard for us and fell back to take the full brunt of punishment from Y Tywyllwch.”
“Tho?” Kody asked.
“The Mavromino,” Nick answered absently, though how he knew … well, he knew how he knew, it just