As more time passed, I found myself yawning, too. A few more fae came up in the elevator, more members of the Wilde family that I recognized: a tall, beautiful blonde with a streak of dirt on her face and a torn blouse, a pair of fae that looked Asian in descent.
After what must have been an hour or two, the elevator opened and Severn stepped out, accompanied by a handsome, dark-haired fae I hadn’t seen before. Severn’s hair was only slightly mussed. A single button was undone at the top of his shirt. He looked like he’d stood too long in a gust of wind, not resisted a demon attack.
I wasn’t prepared for how relieved I would feel to see him, alive and safe.
He’s just your boss, Willow,I tried to tell myself.
But that wasn’t true—Severn was also Henry and May’s guardian and the person who had opened my eyes to the beautiful and strange hidden realm around me. Anyone would have been captivated by him. Not just his undeniably devastating good looks, but the way he commanded a room by his mere presence.
His eyes traveled around the gathered fae as though taking stock, then settled on the sleeping children and me. He strode over, assessing Henry and May quickly for any harm, and then his eyes found mine with a silent question.
“They’re okay,” I whispered, keeping my voice low to not wake them.
His gaze went immediately to the bruise blooming on my forehead. “Youare hurt,” he growled.
I shook my head, touching the bruise. “It’s nothing.”
His eyes narrowed like he either didn’t believe me or, worse,blamedme for getting myself hurt. He waved over the handsome dark-haired fae. “This is my brother, Locke. He will take you and the children back to your apartment. The tower is secured, but I must meet with my advisors here, and the discussion is not something for human or children’s ears.”
I slid a look over Severn’s tousled-haired brother. So this was the fae that Azalea had warned me about. Hemlock—Locke—who we shared a floor with. I hadn’t seen him in my time in Wilde Tower, but I had heard his door slam at all hours of the night and plenty of female laughter in our floor’s lobby. He certainly looked the part of the roguish playboy. Tall and lithe. His unkempt dark hair and black irises gave him the black sheep of the family look, or maybe it was the way he folded his arms and yawned like a demon attack bored him.
He eyed me up and down. “My brother’s new toy, eh? I’ve been curious about you, little human.”
Severn threw him a harsh scowl. “Hands off, Locke. She isn’t one of your playthings.”
Locke stroked his chin, his dark eyes swallowing me. He smirked, revealing the sharp edges of his teeth. “We’ll see about that. I could have her in my bed with a few whispered words.”
I was glad Henry and May were asleep and hadn’t heard such a rude exchange. It took all my strength not to gape or snap back at him. I was about to tell Severn I wasn’t going anywhere with this asshole, but Severn immediately turned and abandoned us with his roguish brother.
Locke said to me, “You carry May. I’ll get the boy.”
He picked up Henry in a manner I’d hardly call gentle, but Henry didn’t wake. We carried them to the elevator, though there was no sign of Azalea. Locke didn’t seem to care and strode in, pressing one of the cryptic buttons.
I joined him hesitantly. “You know how to operate this thing?”
He jabbed a few more buttons, and the door closed. The elevator began to descend. “More or less. I’m something of a jack-of-all-trades around here, you’ll find. Elevator operator? Sure. Ward off a demonic attack almost single-handedly? That, too.”
I gave him a doubting look. “You fought off the attackalone?”
He shrugged. “Severn may be regent, but he doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”
I didn’t ask more. I was exhausted through and through; all I could think about was getting back to bed and getting the children settled. When we arrived on our floor, Locke carried Henry through the apartment and up to his bedroom while I tucked in May. I’d expected the fae to be gone when I finished, but he was standing in the middle of the great room, frowning down at my sketchbook open on the dining room table.
I grabbed it, closing it quickly.
Locke smirked. “Let me guess. You grew up on faerie tales. Wanted to marry a handsome faerie prince.” His eyes traveled down my body again. “You humans are all the same. Have you gotten your wish? Has my brother fucked you yet?”
I felt my eyes going wide; I hardly knew what to say. “He’s my boss!”
Locke snorted. “If you haven’t noticed, Wilde Tower has no HR department. Our rules are a little different from yours.”
“Severn’s been a gentleman,” I snapped. That wasn’t really true—Severn had been a real asshole at times—but I felt the desire to defend him to Locke, even just to be contrary.
Locke shrugged as he started for the door. “Well, if you everdon’twant a gentleman, I’m just across the hall.” He paused, mischief glistening in his eyes. “You should come to one of my parties. They’re ever so much fun.Deliciouswine.”
He laughed and left while I could still just sputter.
I went straight to the kitchen for a beer, which I guzzled while standing at the tall windows, looking out over the city. As tired as I was, I knew it would have been impossible to go back to sleep with so much adrenaline in my veins. The city outside had continued as though nothing had happened. There was no indication that anyone in the human world had witnessed a strange red cloud or felt the tremors. There were no fire trucks or police swarming outside Wilde Tower or reporters taking pictures with their phones. The misty red cloud was gone. There had been a major attack attempt in the center of the financial district, but somehow, not a single human in the city had noticed.
