Iceman tosses a pillow down to Crux, who catches it with one hand and stuffs it under his head. My eyes skate over to my lava demon, who’s still standing at the foot of the bed, dark arms crossed over his chest, his flame-colored hair completely dry from the shower, just like my own hair and wings. I have a feeling he fire-dried me without me even realizing it.
He looks at me in challenge, and I give him a sigh. “Can you not be difficult right now?” I tell him. He just stares at me, of course, because Difficult is his middle name. “Get your hot ass in bed so I can get some sleep, or else I’m going to turn as cranky as you.”
“Looks like the bed is pretty fucking full,” he gripes.
“Oh, come on, there’s plenty of room. Unless you’re scared of a little cuddling?” I tease.
He rolls his fiery eyes, but he steps around the bed, just like I knew he would. Jerif can’t back down from a challenge.
“Move,” he snaps at Echo, but my shadow demon just gives him the finger without removing the arm that’s slung over his eyes.
Jerif places a knee on the bed and then maneuvers himself until he’s lying parallel to the padded headboard behind us, forcing Echo and Iceman to scoot down a bit, which makes Crux grumble about having their feet in his space. I laugh again as the four of them get situated. It’s a bit like a picky kid not wanting any of their different foods to touch on their plate.
Finally, after way too many minutes of them fucking with one other and being purposely obnoxious by shoving feet and elbows into each other, they settle down. Jerif plops a feather pillow in his lap for me to lay my head on, and I curl up on my non-injured wing side, basking in the feel of the four of them boxing me in. We each drop off into sleep within minutes, our steady, even breaths a soundtrack to my heart, reminding me that even though the Ophidian got away, we made it out alive, and that’s what matters most.
* * *
“Maverick, wake up.”
I get shaken awake by a gentle, cool hand, and my gray eyes blearily lift open.
I realize that I’m the last one still sleeping in the bed, and I rub my eyes as I sit up, noting immediately that my wing no longer hurts, not even with a dull throb. I glance at the arched top of it, and the feathered appendages spread out like they’re stretching after a long sleep. “It’s healed,” I say with a bit of awe.
“Yes, it healed well,” Iceman tells me, and I notice that he’s fully dressed in a gray button up and black slacks. “Sleep did you good.”
I look at the ticking clock hanging up on the powdery blue wall and see that it’s late afternoon. I must’ve slept for a good nine hours or so.
“Where are the others?”
“They went to get dressed. Nefta just woke up,” he tells me.
I immediately throw my legs over the side of the bed and stand. I’m still in the silk robe I fell asleep in, and I’m not sure where my clothes ended up, but I doubt Grumpy Lurch had the time to clean them already. “What can I wear?” I ask.
Of course, Iceman is always one step ahead. He nods over to a white wood table near the curtained window, and I walk over to it, finding a dark blue sleeveless crop top and a pair of soft jeans. There’s even underwear this time. No bra, but I don’t even know what size I am anymore or how I’d snap one on with my wings, anyway.
“Where’d you get these?” I ask with surprise as I start pulling my underwear and jeans on beneath the robe.
“We had Strut go pick some things up, just to hold you over until we can go to your house and get your things.”
I pause right before I undo the belt holding the robe closed and look over at him. “My things?”
His icy eyes are latched on where I’m holding the tie in my hands, like he’s justwaitingfor me to finish undoing it. I’m suddenly all too aware that only fabric separates my naked body from his. The sexual tension in the air thickens, and my vagina makes it known how uncool it is that Iceman and I haven’t had a chance to be together yet. I ache for him, not just physically, but in my soul. I want to connect with him on that intimate level. I just need life to stop trying to fuck with me so I can fuck with Rafferty in all the ways I want to.
I’ve had an automatic easy friendship with him ever since we first talked on the graveyard radio. We connected in this seamless way that just felt as easy as breathing. The more I got to know him and observe him, the more my respect and appreciation grew. He’s one of the best people I know, and he takes on the heavy responsibility of leadership with grace and patience.
I think I fell in love with him the moment he found me in my wrecked kitchen with my wrecked heart, and then he took care of them both with such care and gentleness. There was no judgment or need to fix my broken pieces. He simply accepted me, jagged bits and all.
Iceman finally seems to remember that I asked him a question, and his gaze comes back up to my face. “Yes, your things. I thought...I mean,wethought that you’d like to move in here with us?”
Worry etches the lines of his blue face, but my smile quickly eases it. “I would love to,” I say quietly before stepping over to him and wrapping him up in a hug. I let myself close my eyes and just breathe him in for an indulgent moment, relishing in the feel of his cool chest against my cheek as his arms wrap around me.
“I want to keep my house though,” I tell him. “It’s my parents’ house, the last thing I have left of them, and I can’t let it go.”
“We would never want you to,” he tells me, drawing me away so he can tip my head up to look at my face. “Which is why we already paid off the first and second mortgages. It’s yours. Free and clear, and no one can ever take it away from you.”
My mouth drops open, and my brain can’t seem to decide if it wants to dive intoholy shitmode, feel incredulous, or pretend it doesn’t comprehend what’s going on. I shake my head, propriety demanding that I reject this gesture because it’s too much. I’m not the kind of girl who can let people do something like that for me. But then I realize that I’m not just some kind of girl, I’m a demon, and I’m in love with these Guardians. I’m not going to question the why or how of it, or taint their beautiful gesture by being anything but completely grateful.
Tears immediately fill my eyes, and I stand on the tips of my toes to press my lips against his. My kiss is reverent and filled with pure gratitude and appreciation. I don’t know what I’d do without him...without any of my demons.
