“We used to date.”
“He told me.” I wanted Miles to know that Elliot and I had no secrets.
“I broke it off after a few dates. He took it badly. He called me vanilla.”
“You are.” Joel yawned. “You need to lighten up, man.”
“Shut up.”
Joel just shrugged. Being told what to do didn’t seem to bother him. Maybe it happened often. After all, Joel and Miles were brothers. “You shut up. Move on, brother. Elliot did. You can’t be pissed about that.”
Miles sighed and looked away. “I thought I was over him, but then he seemed so happy earlier. Even with everything going on.”
“You’re a beloved. Just like Elliot. Do you understand what that means?”
“I can guess.” Miles met my gaze again. “But I get what you’re saying, okay. Elliot wasn’t for me, and I have to agree. Our personalities don’t mesh.”
Joel gave Miles a thumbs-up.
Miles rolled his eyes but smiled at Joel. “Maybe I wanted to be the first to move on.” He shrugged.
“Perhaps you were.”
Miles’s eyebrows knit together. “But Elliot met you. I haven’t met anyone.”
“There are other ways of moving on, dipshit,” Joel answered. He rolled his eyes. “Like emotionally, which Elliot was close to doing but not quite there yet. He was pissed at you. Meeting Grym helped get him to where he needed to be. You didn’t seem to care until the second you saw Elliot and Grym together.”
“Will you stop interrupting?” Miles scowled and gestured at me. “I’m talking to Grym, not you.”
Joel flipped Miles off but didn’t say anything else.
“He’s right, though. I think I’m a bit jealous.”
“One of my brothers is your reaper. You’ll meet him soon. It’s a small consolation, since every one of my brothers is annoying at best. A few of them do stupid things regularly, but they’re all great people.”
Miles chuckled and nodded at Joel. “I’ve got a brother who does stupid things, too.”
“He does them with my beloved.” I smiled, thinking of Elliot. I liked him just as he was, even his devil-may-care ways. “Perhaps we need to loosen our reins on the control we love so much.”
“Or we’re surrounded by people who need us to stop them before they get hurt. Or worse, before they die.” Miles must have forgotten who he was talking to. It was nice to be thought of as a normal, everyday person. I’d forgotten what it felt like, but the fact remained that I knew a thing or two about death.
“The afterlife isn’t a bad place. From the glimpses I’ve seen, it’s actually rather lovely. Most people want to spend eternity in nature. There are far worse things than that. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Miles sighed. “So you’re saying it’s all my fault?”
I chuckled and would have replied, but the shadows in the room shifted, slinking from the corners in an unnatural way.
I stood immediately and eyed the cloaks hanging on the hooks by the door. I’d have to get past two demons to reach it.
It was a losing fight, since the demons would follow us wherever I teleported us. Without the cloak, I had no way to hide the beloveds.
I turned to Joel and Miles, who had found some comfort in each other. Miles stood slightly in front of Joel, clutching his hand.
I wrapped my arms around both of them. “Hang on to me. Don’t let go under any circumstances.”
Miles’s eyes were wide. He swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he nodded. Joel wedged his way closer, plastering himself against me.
“What’s happening? What are those things?” Joel asked.
