Quirion looked around at his family and…friends, he guessed. Yeah, it seemed as if he’d gotten friends without noticing it. They were the most powerful their respective species had to offer, and here they stood, gathered around a former human, after they had taken part in a rescue mission for a bunch of tadpoles, smiling and puffing up and assuring Sammy how much they loved him as well. In that moment, Quirion had an inkling that fate might be more than just the fickle conglomeration of chances he had always thought it to be. Right here on his island stood peace between all species, and Quirion knew with sudden clarity that hope was more than just wishful thinking. It was real.
“Yeah, what Sammy said.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming to the rescue. Milo and I would have never been able to do this alone.”
“Always, son, always.” Alerion slapped him on the back.
“So, what are you going to do to prepare for the next bunch of tadpoles?” Amber cut through Quirion’s happiness like her scream cut through a hero’s hope to survive their adventure.
“What do you mean, the next?”
“I think what Amber wants to hint at is that if Mildred has reached the reproductive stage of her lifespan, this will be a regular occurrence.” The amusement in Emilia’s voice was completely uncalled for, Quirion thought.
“Regular?” Milo whimpered. “I reek of moat. I don’t want to do this regularly.”
“Shh,min Liechtbrunn, you won’t have to. Don’t forget, we’re smart men, we’ll figure something out.”
“If you say so, Qui.”
“I say so.” Quirion kissed Milo’s forehead. At the sudden awed silence, he lifted his head. “What?”
“It’s just…we’ve never seen you so, so…soft.” Declan winked. “It suits you well, son.”
Quirion shot him a dark look, because the werewolf knew perfectly well how much he hated it when he called him son. Although, after what Declan and Troy had just done, maybe ‘hate’ was too strong a word. Dislike. Yes, he disliked it. Or found it mildly annoying. It was inappropriate, because he was so much older than the two werewolves.
“Concerning your moat, you have to build some kind of dam you can open at will to let the tadpoles out, and you’ll probably need a pump to supply fresh water when they’re hatching. Those vines were a good idea, but I don’t think they are a long-term solution.” Corrywin spoke with the air of somebody who had a lifetime of experience on the subject, which he had not. “Of course, we’re here to help you.”
Quirion wasn’t sure if he should be glad or afraid. After all, Corrywin was the demon who had given humans the ability to prank call demons. For fun. And now he had a witch queen for a mate whose ideas of a good time were nearly as twisted as his.
“This is going to be the best moat dam thing ever built! I just know it!” With that, Sammy had sealed Quirion’s fate. Looking down into the sparkling eyes of Milo, Quirion couldn’t bring himself to regret it.
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you nervous?” Quirion smiled at Milo, who was fidgeting with his bowtie.
“A bit. I’m going to meet the entire board of SBW in the flesh, plus my fellow researchers, and I’m bringing you.”
“Yes, you’re bringing me and it’s going to be fun. Don’t worry. There’s nothing they can do. Well, apart from blustering and huffing and puffing. I just want to rub it in a bit and then assure them I’m no danger to their little organization.” He wrinkled his nose.
“I love you and you’re evil and sexy and hot. I’m blabbering.” Milo gave up with the bowtie and snuggled against Quirion, who was dressed in his finest tux from the roaring fifties on Earth. He had a secret weakness for that particular time, which had nothing to do with a certain group of men who called themselves the Rat Pack and were among the most interesting humans he had ever met, oh no. Not in the least. Milo had gone beet red when he’d seen him in his attire, which had led to an appointment for intercourse after the soiree. Quirion found he couldn’t wait. While the act itself, or more precisely the value most beings seemed to place on it, still baffled him, he could see a certain appeal, especially when the sweaty part was followed by prolonged snuggling. Quirion never bragged, but he and Milo were snuggle champions.
“I don’t mind your blabbering, but we probably should get going. It’s time.” Quirion let one of his claws slide out and Milo turned toward the rift he opened. “Let’s do this.”
They stepped in front of a sprawling mansion Quirion knew belonged to another member of SBW, Cian Sunfire, a phoenix who was a decent enough scholar even though his preferred field—rodents and their history in codependence with other species—gave Quirion the creeps.
The huge entrance gate was wide open, allowing glimpses into the front garden with its perfectly manicured lawn and strategically placed fountains. The water flowing around also transported the magic through the entire house and grounds, making the protection runes part of the place. It was an advanced and rather fickle kind of magic, one Quirion had mastered then dismissed as too unstable for his taste. He was more a rock magic kind of demon. To each their own, though.
A butler greeted them and asked for their invitation, eyeing Quirion warily. Milo was oblivious or ignored the looks while handing over his invitation. “Milo Abber and his plus one.” He smiled up at Quirion. “Are you Quirion Abber now? I’ve been wondering.”
Quirion shrugged. “Since demons don’t have a last name, just their affiliations listed, I guess I can be Quirion Abber, son of Alerion, King of all Demons. How does that sound?”
He turned to the butler, who had gone white in the face. He was a vampire, and Quirion’s mentioning of his familial ties had been intentional. He didn’t want anybody getting the wrong ideas.
“Uhm, it sounds great, sir. Welcome to the soiree.” The vampire waved them in before turning to the next guests who had just arrived in a black limousine.
At the entrance to the front garden, waiters in formal wear offered them champagne and little appetizers. Milo was clearly too nervous to eat and Quirion didn’t think alcohol on an empty stomach was a good idea. They both asked for a non-alcoholic option and another waiter popped up with flutes filled with redgrape juice. Before they could decide where to head, a voice like claws grating over a chalkboard rang out.
“Quirion, it’s been some time.” When they turned, Cian Sunfire was standing behind them, with him Beverly Nyx, Rasputin Icebringer and the rest of the board. “To what do we owe the pleasure? And I mean, who let you in?”
Quirion smiled broadly and put his arm around Milo. “Well, Cian, Beverly, Rasputin, it is a pleasure. As to who let me in, I’m here as a plus one. You already know my mate, Milo Abber?”
