Nicolas laughed wetly, tugging Ashmedai down and wrapping his arms around his neck. “Me either.”
Before he fell asleep, Nicolas led Ashmedai into the darkened bathroom, where he blindly wet a washcloth to clean them both up. He turned the living room TV off, and once they were under the blankets, he allowed his mind to turn toward less soothing things.
He was glad Ashmedai had mentioned seeing Daniel tonight. It reminded him of something they needed to talk about.
The longer his mission went on, the more he realized how dangerous it was to infiltrate Sloan’s loyalists. If any of them found out he was trying to find the Alvarez kids, they would kill him. If he died, Daniel would be alone. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than leaving his little brother alone in the world.
“Ash,” he whispered into the darkness, and the demon snuffled the back of his neck in answer. “I want you to promise me something. Don’t get mad or tell me not to think like this. Just promise me.”
“Promise you what?”
Nicolas gulped. His mouth was dry, but he needed to know. He needed this reassurance, even if it was an unlikelyfuture. Nothing in life was guaranteed, and more than anything, he wanted to know his little brother was taken care of.
“Promise me that if something happens to me, you’ll look after Daniel.”
Ashmedai’s claws, which had been gently tickling Nicolas’s bare stomach, froze.
“For a long time, he was all I had. It’s not like I’m planning to die or anything.” Those claws tightened ever so slightly against his skin, pricking but not breaking the skin. “I just need to know that he’ll be okay if something happens to me. That he won’t be alone.”
The claws drifted out of the blanket, gripping his chin and turning his head as Ashmedai pushed himself up to peer down at him. They just stared at each other for a long, silent moment. Nicolas had no idea what Ashmedai saw on his face. His orange eyes were steady, unblinking, and his grip was gentle.
Finally, he croaked, “Hard.”
It wasn’t a no. It wasn’t a raging refusal, like the first time Ashmedai had been faced with something he didn’t like. He was learning, and Nicolas’s chin wobbled at the realization.
He nodded, lifting a hand to dash a tear away. “I know it’ll be hard.”
“Don’t want.” It was soft.
“I know.” He sniffled. “I have to ask it anyway. And I trust you to take care of him.”
Ashmedai took a measured breath. “The Sentinels?—”
“No,” Nicolas interrupted. “With the exception of maybe Julian, none of them will—will love Daniel like family. Like I do. But you? You love me. That’s what this is, right?”
Ashmedai’s head tilted. “I think?”
“I think, too. And I think that makes you family. And we’re doing this all wrong, but I trust you with my life, my body, mysoul.” He pressed Ashmedai’s black, clawed hand against his bare chest. “Which means I have to be able to trust you with my brother, too. I need to know you’ll be there for him the same wayI’dbe there for him. If I’m gone—” Ashmedai growled, and Nicolas forged on. “Hush. If something happens, and I’m gone, I need you to take care of him. Watch out for him. You’re immortal. His life would be a blip compared to yours.”
“Nic-las.” His name sounded foreign on Ashmedai’s tongue. “Fine. Your brother is my brother.”
A sob of relief shuddered out of him, and he rolled over, hiding the next one in the darkness of Ashmedai’s hood, breathing in the scent of mist and petrichor.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I had to ask that. It’s just that anything could happen. He’s important to me.”
“Then he’s important to me,” Ashmedai said. Curling his arms around Nicolas and holding him close, he rasped, “Sleep, my light. Let your worries go. Let me carry them in the dark.”
The tight lid he’d tried to keep on his own feelings while he worked to find the Alvarez kids flew off. Cradled by a demon in the dark, Nicolas gave thanks for his blessings. He felt safer and more loved than ever, and he had to believe Ashmedai was given to him for a reason. Maybe the Sentinels were right. Maybe this was fate, after all.
Chapter 16
Ashmedai
Your brother is my brother.Ashmedai dwelled on the promise he’d made all night while Nicolas slumbered in his arms. He snuck away just before dawn, redressing and pressing one final kiss to Nicolas’s lax lips before he disappeared. One day he would be able to stay and see what Nicolas looked like when he first woke up, but that wasn’t yet upon them.
Your brother is my brother.He’d never had a brother. Never had any kind of family, really. He didn’t interact with the other sin eaters. They existed only to hunt. If he was going to claim a brother, his human’s brother, perhaps he should start by offering his friendship. He didn’t have to look out for Daniel only in the event of Nicolas’s death. He could look out for him now, too. That would make Nicolas happy, wouldn’t it?
He appeared in the dark storage closet of the Rink. It had become his entry point for the building, since it was always dark, and they left the door shut.
