“But the guilt—”
She went to her knees in front of him, tears rolling downher cheeks now.“What’s done is done.But look at the progress you’ve made.Look at what you’re doing for your children now.”
He snorted.“Yeah.Look what I’m doing to them.I sentHawkyn away.I treated Idess and Mace like strangers.I want my young ones hereand it pisses me off that the Council won’t allow it, and yet, I’m a littlerelieved.”His bloodshot eyes searched her face.“Why?”
Reaching up, she cupped his cheek.“Because you’re afraid oflosing control.”
The flames licked at his pupils again.“I’m not afraid ofanything.”
“Nothing?”She stroked his jaw with her thumb, soothing,long strokes meant to bring him down, to give him a chance to think instead ofreact.“You’re not afraid of losing all you’ve built herefor yourself?Your children?Me?I think maybe your problem is the exactopposite.You have so much to lose that you can’t help but be afraid of losingit.I know I would be.”Leaning forward, she brushed her lips over his.“Thekey is to put aside the fear and just...live.You have a fabulous life,Azagoth.Wehave a fabulous life.And it’ll only get better as we addto it.We’ll find a way to locate your children and bring them here.”
“I don’t deserve you,” he rasped.
“No, you don’t,” she teased, “but you got me, so we’ll justhave to find a way to deal with it.”
Right there in the hallway, he tugged her against him,tucking her head against his shoulder as he held her.“I love you, Lilli.Ilove you so much.”
“I love you too,” she whispered.But sometimes she wonderedif it was enough.
Something told her this wasn’t over, and she didn’t know ifshewas capable of givinghim what he needed.
ChapterFifteen
Aurora had never wanted to kill anyone as badly asshe’d wanted to kill the bastards who had tortured Hawkyn and stripped him ofhis wings right in front of her eyes.
She’dactually tried.But even asshe’d formed a ball of fire at her fingertips, the one called Moze had snuffedit.All he’d done was shift his gaze in her direction and her entire body wentas stiff as a statue, completely immobilized.She’d been forced to watch inhorror as the bastards ripped Hawkyn’s amazing wings from his shoulders andtossed them to the bloody floor, where they’d withered and vanished.
Funny how she’d been as frozen as an icesculpturebut tears had still streamed down her cheeks in hot rivulets.How had Hawkynendured the agony?Not just the physical pain, but the emotional misery ofhaving his own brothers dismember him likethat?Shetook back every negative thing she’d said or thought about her own brother,because truly, when it mattered, he’d been there for her.And she knew, withouta doubt, that if she called him, he’d come to her, no matter what.
Hawkyn’s family was the definition of dysfunctional, and herheart bled for him.
“Aurora?”
Hawkyn’s scratchy voice jolted her out of her thoughts, andshe put down the book a female named Jordan had given her to pass the time.Sure, she wouldn’t have chosen a demon compendium as a beach read, but it hadoccupied her mind for a while.Who knew that raptor horrors enjoyed dining onpomegranates as well as people?
She hurried over to the bed Jordan and two other Memitim hadlaid Hawkyn’s unconscious body on before cutting off his shredded, bloody shirtand tending to his wounds.
“How long...”he rasped as he pushed himself up on oneelbow.“How long have I been out?”
“Half a day,” she said, taking a seat on the stool next tothe head of the bed.“I got some sleep over there.”She gestured to the cot aMemitim whose name she didn’t know had set up for her along the far wall.“Ialso got a shower and pancakes.Are you hungry?I can go down to the kitchen.It’s two in the morning, but they said I can get anything I want.”
For some reason, he smiled, amusement settling over featuresthat had, just hours ago, been drawn in pain, even as he’d slept.“You’resettling in, huh?”
“They’ve made it easy.I think they’re rattled by...”Shedidn’t want to say it.“By what happened to you.They’re bending over backwardsto be nice.”
Jordan and another Memitim, a male called Drue, had seemedto think she needed company, and had shared a lot of Memitim and Heavenlyhistory.She’d listened, fascinated, and if she hadn’t been in dire need ofsleep, she’d have loved to talk to them all night.
She reached for the pitcher of water on the bedside table.“Are you thirsty?”
“Yeah.”He sat up with a wince and shoved the pitcher asidein favor of the bottle of vodka Jordan had left for him, along with a change ofclothes.
He was going to look amazing in those black leather pants.
“Jordan said you guys aren’t supposed to have any alcoholexcept wine, but that those Heavenly bastards waived the rule for you thisonce.”
“How thoughtful.”Anger practically bled from his pores ashe unscrewed the cap and took a swig.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.“I couldn’t help you.I tried,but...”
