As one, Cade, Rowan, and Louis attacked. At the same moment, a devastating shockwave of the deities’ energy surgedtoward us, aiming to place the rest of the heirs, my mate included, in the same humiliating position as Silas. They intended to send every last heir from this room without their dick.
“Not happening!” I bared my fangs, my own power roaring to life to meet the gods’ assault.
I planted myself between the heirs and the deities, a living shield. But they refused to be shielded. They stepped forward with me, Rowan at my side, Cade and Louis flanking us.
My white light blazed outward, wrapping around Silas’s suspended form. The ancient gods’ freezing power fought against my creation energy, ice crackling and steaming where our forces met, until I shattered the frozen bonds. The defrosted shifter landed in a crouch, hissing and snarling.
“Try to touch any of them again and you’ll regret it for another eternity,” I hissed, maintaining my defensive stance as my power shielded us from any follow-up attack. “You have no idea what I can do. I am just as old as you.”
“The boy is despicable,” Isis declared.
“Yes, he is,” I agreed without hesitation. “We all know he’s an asshole. But he’sourasshole.”
“He’s our asshole!” Louis backed me up, his voice ringing with surprising conviction.
Silas looked at Louis with genuine shock, then darted a glance of gratitude toward me before turning a low growl on the ancient entities. He wisely held his position, making no move against them.
“Never let the Devourer find out you’re here,” Isis gasped, her energy riddled with pain. Her attack on us had taken a severe toll.
“Leave us alone,” Nephthys whispered.
“I’ll send Barbie,” I said. I wasn’t the sentimental type, but I couldn’t help feeling sorry for them.
I nodded at the heirs, signaling a retreat. Louis led the way, with Silas and me in the middle, and Rowan and Cade brought up the rear, never fully turning their backs on the deities. The red door clicked shut as Cade exited.
We gathered in the hallway, Silas standing naked, dripping, and shivering in the middle of us. The deities had kept his clothes; even I couldn’t pry his pants from their grip. I didn’t push the issue. The shifter needed to learn a lesson or two. Frankly, I was treating him nicer than Barbie ever would. She’d let him suffer through wolfbane without an ounce of sympathy. And between the two of us,Iwas the one they called a psychopath! It was utterly unfair.
Just then, Killian and Barbie shot out of the penthouse and rushed toward us from the other end of the corridor.
“What the fuck?” Killian’s voice boomed off the walls. “Why is Silas blue, naked, and holding his own dick?” He turned to Barbie. “Don’t look. It’s a sight for perverts.”
“Screw you,” Silas growled, his teeth chattering.
Then everyone was talking at once.
“They went into the Red Room without us,” Barbie announced.
“One minute,” Killian snapped. “They couldn’t wait one fucking minute.”
“Uh, I think we’ve been away for more than a minute,” Barbie said, her face flushing. “But I’m not sorry.”
“Of course not.” Killian smiled at her.
Those two made me roll my eyes. I wanted to shout at them to get a room, but then, they’d just come out of one.
“Give me your scarf, Cade,” Silas barked at the mage prince.
“You just had to mouth off,” Cade sighed, reluctantly unwinding his fashionable scarf and handing it over. “That was the most expensive one in my collection.”
“I’ll give it back,” Silas said, wrapping the length of fabric around his waist to cover his junk.
“No, keep it,” Cade replied, gesturing in dismay. “I don’t want it back. It’s ruined anyway.”
“You hurt my feelings, Cade,” Silas grunted.
“Your feelings are the least of our concerns right now,” Louis said.
We crowded together in the hallway, and Barbie and I hugged.
