“Then let's dothat,” Declan said, and there, at last, he could hear that fierceness.“Leave the Council.Rally the troops and start a…”
Hope and guilt.Determination and grief.
“What is it?”
“I don’t want this to be a war.I know what that looks like.”
Declan never talked about it, not directly.He didn’t need to.Antonio felt it, when he talked about his friends back in Belfast.His dead human friends.
“That’s not our decision,” he said.Gentle as he knew how, which wasn’t very.“There’s shit we know about what’s happening that only a few do.First step is to gather people we can trust.Share it.”
A slow nod.Declan’s shoulders straightened, wings flexing.
“We already have the Solstice Kings in our camp,” he said, like the clever, rebellious, dangerous man he was.“There are others whom I can call on once we leave the Council.”
“Yeah.Show the Monarchs what you’re capable of when they don’t have their boot on your neck.Council’s not exactly punk, anyway.”
“That should’ve been my first clue,” Declan said.“Joining the establishment isn’t very anti-establishment.New plan, then?”
“New plan.”He looked past Declan then, down toward where fae danced and laughed in Hyacinth’s dream of a nightclub.“Can it still start with a party?”
“We’ll still need to make connections.Think on who we want to nominate to take our seats.”Declan leaned back, just enough to smile up at him.“And see what sort of nasty trouble we might get up to, while we’re at it.”
His lips brushed Antonio’s shoulder then, so he could feel that smile.
Christ, this felt so good.Felt good after weeks of nothing feeling good.Declan close, his lips at Antonio’s shoulder, talking about a future that wouldn’t slowly destroy them both.Giving up, yeah, but giving up something that’dhurtand trying for something better.Finding a path where they might do some good and not burn up in the process.
“Think that sounds more than alright,” he said, kissing Declan’s hair and stroking his back.Bare skin under rough fingertips.“Christ, Murderpunk, I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too, mo chuisle,” Declan said.“New plan.And we hold to what's us.You’re what keeps me afloat, Antonio.My pulse.To the bone.”
To the bone, and Declan wrapped close.Declan, who’d been dying, and Antonio hadn’t even noticed.
It wouldn’t happen again.Antonio wouldn’t let it.Which meant no more bullshit sulking and staying back.No more focusing on what he couldn’t be for Declan.
What hewascould be more than enough if he did it right.Declan’s bond.The man who held his soul and had a duty to safeguard what’d been given to him.Who had to do more than stand by and wish things were better.
He’d make things better for both of them.And he’d do it in the way only he could, by loving Declan fiercely, keeping him afloat, calling him on his bullshit.Holding him to the bone.
“Gonna do a proper job of that,” he murmured, and wrapped his fingers around the base of Declan’s wing, cool skin and smooth bone, fishnets and fabric.Warmth andheat.“Not let us get ground away by anyone.You and me first, and the world after.Starting now, yeah?”
“Stars,yes.Starting now.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Declan
Oncetheyfinishedatthe party, they went to the garage.Both of them.Tangled together and exhausted and mumbling about people and thoughts and plans, and Declan fell asleep without the knot of anxious misery lodged in his throat.Woke to a bearded cheek against his chest and limbs thrown over his.Rested.
Nae and Tsuri were the easy choice to replace them.Seelie, connected to the Monarchs themselves, and not the assholes they were expected to be.Funny, how quickly the Monarchs summoned them, once they made their intentions known.
“I’ve won another wager,” the zana Monarch said upon seeing them, all moonlight and tumbling silver robes.
No tricks this time.No sadistic meals or missing floors or robes of glamour.Apparently, they saw no need for further torment when they believed they’d won.
“And what inspired this change of heart?”the sphinx asked, though without real interest.
“I’m not built to be a martyr.We wanted to set a precedent, and we did.But Tsuri and Nae will serve you better than we could hope to.”
