“We’re going to get sticky.”
“Like I care. Let me hear your voice.”
“Yeah, okay.” Ben fumbled for the book on the nightstand. He managed to hold it with one hand while Koios tugged the blankets over them. He tucked his face against Ben’s neck as Ben began to read aloud the legends and lore of the fae world.
And if the book tumbled to the floor a little while later and a feather landed on top of a very specific page, neither of them were awake to notice.
15
KOIOS
Koios hated being confined to a vehicle, even if he was half-sprawled across Ben’s lap in the back of one of Logan’s big black SUVs. Logan drove with the GPS directing them toward the address Cosmo had left for the valravyn. Gideon sat in the front seat, his deadly sword positioned in its sheath between the seats.
They’d updated Logan about Cosmo’s visit after waking up from their nap the day before. The alpha made plans to get them to the valravyns the next morning and had agreed to only bring Gideon as backup. Ben had been insistent that they respect Cosmo’s request, even as he argued that he’d be going with them as well.
Koios had woken up sprawled across Ben’s chest. He’d never slept better in his life, and he couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of Ben. Touching him eased an ache deep inside that Koios had never known existed.
All the relaxing the night before—even if it had involved a little game of fun with feathers—hadn’t prepared him for being stuck in a vehicle heading off to face a hell creature who may or may not have cursed him as a baby.
“Why did he have to live five hours away?” Koios asked. “Everyone else seems to be in our backyard.”
“Could have been worse. At least we can make it there and back in a day,” Logan said.
Koios groaned. “That doesn’t make me feel better. Also, I don’t like that I’m not our eyes and ears. That’s my job on missions.”
Maybe he was being a tiny bit petulant about the whole thing. He loathed cars, though. Why would anyone enjoy being trapped in a heaping hunk of metal speeding down a highway at a speed humans—or a half-harpy, half-dwarve man along with his giant brown-eyed bear—weren’t meant to travel.
“We heard that.” Castor and Pollux spoke in unison in his ear.
Koios also hated comms. “Goddess, is that what I sound like? This is the worst.” He had a perfectly delightful set of noise cancelling headphones with ear cushions and crystal-clear sound.
Gideon turned in his seat and looked at them. “Don’t make me pull this car over, young man.”
Ben snickered and Koios shot a glare at him before continuing his rant. “I can’t help it. I’m out of my element. I do the research, find out all the information about the property, plan multiple exit routes, and locate any and all security cameras in the region. I do not drive into danger. I’m the least equipped of all of us in a fight. That’s why I fight with my fingers.”
“Heh,” Pollux snorted. “Finger fighting. I like it.”
“One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war.” Castor and Pollux cackled like two-year-olds at his expense.
Koios tapped a few keys on the tablet and put a lock on their bank accounts.Ha.Teach them to be assholes when he was having a weak moment.
“Check your tablet, brother dear. We’ve done all your normal prep work. Let us know if there’s anything else you require of us. Hey! I just got an alert that my bank account is locked. Dammit, Koios!”
His brothers’ teasing wasn’t helping his mood, but their dismay over his locking their access to cash eased his suffering. Data, on the other hand, might make him feel a lot better. He settled more comfortably against Ben. The SUV was probably great for anyone without giant wings on their back. For Koios, it was miserable. He couldn’t sit up straight. He couldn’t lean back.
Luckily, he had a Ben-shaped pillow to prop himself against. He got cozy before lifting the tablet.
“This place is a fortress,” Koios said, ignoring his discomfort and focusing on how great Ben was as a giant snuggly pillow. “Did you check?—”
“One gate in front, a second in back. Otherwise, the property is surrounded by what appears to be a ten-foot wall.” Castor was almost as good at mission prep as Koios.Almost.
“Is that barbed wire across the top?” The image was pretty clear as far as illegally obtained satellite pictures were concerned, but who needed an actual fortress? Hmm. The idea had a little merit, though. If they built a wall around?—
“Don’t even think about it,” Logan said. “We draw enough attention to ourselves as it is.”
“Ten-foot walls, Logan. Imagine it,” Koios said.
“Convince Bailey and we’ll talk.”
