“Goddammit,” I curse, and sink down onto my bed. Pushing people away before they have a chance to hurt me is a defense mechanism I’ve used before. Is Jacques feeling the same way? Maybe I can subtly leave a psych 101 documentary on during the day tomorrow. The guys are able to remember things they’ve heard when they’re in stone.
Feeling bad for yelling at Jacques, I get out of bed and strip out of my clothes with the intention of taking a shower and then going to find Jac. I pull my shirt over my head, and someone opens the door.
I whirl around. Looks like Jacques had the same idea.
“I’m sorry,” he says right away, and the blunt apology takes me aback.
“Me too.”
He’s staring right into my eyes, and just now notices that I don’t have a shirt on. “Do you want me to come back?”
“No,” I say, and pick up my bathrobe. Slipping it on, I sit on the bed and motion for Jacques to join me. “I’m sorry I called you a baby. You’re not. Obviously, since you’re like a thousand years old.”
He sits next to me. “Maybe I’m an old baby, then.”
I smile and lean back against the pillows. “You said it, not me.”
Resituating his wings behind him, he looks out the window. “I did meet her before,” he starts. “We were sent to her village to educate the people on the word of God.”
“Let me guess, they weren’t happy about it?”
“No. It was the first of many problems, and at the time, I believed in the mission of the church and wanted to stop evil from spreading.” He brushes my hair back, tipping his head closer to mine. “Then, I believed anyone with magic was working with the devil.”
“Would you have sentenced me to death?”
“Yes.”
A chill runs through me, and Jacques slides his hand along my arm. “There was much I didn’t know, and it took being cursed to see it all.”
“That’s some silver lining, huh?”
“What’s a silver lining?”
“It means you find something good in something bad. I really don’t know why it’s called a silver lining, though.”
He nods. “I like that phrase. My silver lining was gaining the sight I never had. I went into the Templars with blind faith. I did things I’m not proud of in the name of God. I thought I was doing the right thing.” He looks away, and I wonder if this is hard for him to admit.
“If it makes you feel any better, most of what you all believed back then is bullshit anyway. The earth isn’t flat. The sun is a star in the center of our solar system, and mental illness is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and not demons. And dumping your shit into the street—definitely not a good idea unless you’re trying to start a plague.”
I get a small smile out of him. The air conditioner kicks on, rattling throughout the large house and pumping out cold air. I shiver, and Jacques’s first reaction is to comfort me. His arm slips around my waist, and he pulls me in against his wings. They’re large, patterned with swirls and loops, velvety soft and warm.
“Is it annoying having wings?”
“Sometimes. Though I do enjoy being able to fly.”
“I think I would too. Though I’m scared of heights.”
He smiles again. “The fear lessens when you’re in control.”
Gently, I run my fingers along the inside of his wing. “I won’t be able to break the curse anytime soon, but maybe I can lessen it. Make it so you can stay inside or something. I wish I could keep you with me during the day, even if you’re in stone. I…I miss you guys,” I admit, and as soon as the words leave my mouth, they tug on my heart.
“I miss you too, Ace. We all do.” He pulls me closer and my heart lurches. Is he finally going to kiss me? “And I hate leaving you during the day. I want to be here with you all the time.”
My heart swells and I want so badly to break this curse. My life has been completely turned upside down, and the only thing keeping me grounded is having the guys with me. Knowing they’re here for me no matter what. I’ve never had anyone I could rely on like this before, and my feelings grow deeper for them every day.
If they could be with me during the day…if we could go out together…share more than just the night…
“I wish I could help you with everything else,” he says softly. “Not just with magic.” He runs his hand down my back, and the feeling of butterflies flutters in my stomach. “I’d like to make you dinner more often and take you on…on…I think it’s called a date.”
