I think they should cut me some fucking slack, I need to do the same for them too. A ton of shit has gone down in the last twenty-four hours, so I’ll treat them how I want to be treated instead of junk punching them, which is what I want to do. I cross my arms over my chest since apparently it’s the go-to move for stubborn assholes.
“Your mistrust is noted,” I tell Knox and Bastien coldly. “I would also like it noted that I never know what the fuck my magic is going to do, but it always works out in the best possible way in the end.”
No one says anything, and I ignore the ache in my chest when Bastien and then Knox walk out of the living room. I watch their backs as they disappear through the kitchen, and refuse to flinch when the door that leads out to the garage slams loudly behind them. I stare at the wall, not sure what to think or feel. Valen steps in front of me and waits patiently for my eyes to move from the wall to him.
“I’ll talk to them,” he reassures me. “It’s been a long night, it’ll blow over.”
I nod at Valen’s words, not trusting myself to say anything right now. He leans down, his lips skimming mine, and I can taste hesitancy. I hate that it’s flavoring his lips, so I reach up and grab the back of his neck and pull his mouth firmly to mine. I fill my kiss with as much reassurance as I can, and Valen drinks it up and asks for more. I kiss him until the ground feels more solid under my feet and he doesn’t feel so far away. We pull apart, and he rests his forehead against mine, grounding me in a way I desperately need.
“Can we just try to make the best of this? Do what we can to superhero it up, kill Adriel, save some ungrateful assholes who probably aren’t worth it and definitely won’t appreciate it?” I ask him as we stand there, breathing each other in.
He reaches up and caresses my cheek with his thumb, and gives me a small smile that doesn’t resonate in his eyes. He kisses the tip of my nose and then pulls away from me. My questions trail after him, unanswered, and I watch hollowly as he disappears through the kitchen door.
“You alright?” Sabin asks me as he pulls on a strand of hair that’s fallen out of my messy bun.
Everything inside of me screams no at his question, but I know if I speak that truth, I’m going to fucking fall apart. I shrug instead and swallow down just how not alright I currently am. I get the sinking feeling it’s going to become my go-to response with all of the shit that’s going down, but I plaster a fake ass smile on my face and try not to cry when Sabin pulls me into a hug and kisses the top of my head.
“Let’s get going before Aydin blows a gasket.”
I nod and nuzzle into the comfort of Sabin’s chest and the strong arms that he’s wrapped around me. “Why are we doing this again?” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
I nod at the simple answer and ignore all the thoughts that tell me, if the roles were reversed, I’d probably be the property of Adriel for the rest of my days. I’m pretty sure Lachlan would continue on with his life and just pretend I never existed, rather than stick his neck out for me. Fuck. Sometimes being the bigger person sucks unwashed, hairy balls. Laughter vibrates in Sabin’s chest, and I realize I must have said that last part out loud.
I look around the house that I’ve barely had enough time to call my own, and take a deep breath. Belarus, ready or not, here we fucking come.
3
I stare out the window of the plane into star kissed darkness. An occasional patch of clouds appears below the plane, and I like thinking we’re surfing the night sky as we make our way from Solace to Belarus. In my earbuds, Nothing More’s “Go to War” comes to an end, and Chevelle’s “The Red” picks up. I tap my fingers to the beat on the cream leather of the oversized seat I’m leaning back in. I lose myself in the music, using it to work out the tension that’s settled