Run, Nicolas screamed internally.Run, run now, you idiots.
Daniel scowled, caramel brown eyes flashing with anger. “We’re not monsters. Since when are paladins okay with killing human beings?”
“Since those human beings chose the enemy,” James sneered. “You know, Danny boy, it’s really a shame that youdidn’t turn out more like your brother.” He turned, gesturing toward Nicolas, and the brothers’ eyes met.
Daniel licked his lips, and Nicolas alone recognized the calculating look in his eye. Nicolas hadn’t told him the lies he’d fed Sloan about their falling out. He needed to say somethingnow, before Daniel unraveled the careful web he’d woven.
“Dad would be so disappointed in you.” He curled his lip in disgust.
Daniel gaped, real pain crossing his face. “Excuse me?Me? You turned your back on me?—”
“No,youturned your back on me! On the guild! On everything we were supposed to stand for!” He pushed his way through the squad, who watched eagerly like wolves waiting for the blood to spill.
James caught his arm, stopping him from going too far from them, but it was exactly as far as he needed. With his back to the squad, he mouthed, “Run.”
Alex grabbed Daniel’s shoulder, his face grim.
Daniel set his jaw. “I shouldn’t have left you alone. I should’ve made you leave with me.”
Adrenaline pounded like a drumbeat through Nicolas’s veins. He scoffed loudly. “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t haveleftwith you. My place is here with the guild, fighting the monsters. Not fucking them.” His face burned, and he’d never been so grateful for the shadows. “Is that what it is? Have you found a demon to take you to bed?”
Daniel’s nostrils flared. “That’s not—It’s not like that, Nic. You know me better than that.”
“Do I? I thought we were the same, you and I. Instead, you left. The rest of these guys,” he shot a withering look atJulian and Alex, on either side of Daniel, “are screwing monsters. Why not you?”
He didn’t expect Daniel to shove him. He didn’t expect Casey to lunge past him, slamming his fist into Alex’s face. Nicolas tripped over someone’s foot and hit the concrete as chaos exploded around him, everyone rushing into the fight at once. By the time he got back to his feet, Alex was on the ground, surrounded by the squad, who were hitting and kicking him.
Casey drew his sword, and panic zinged through Nicolas. He rushed forward, ready to abandon his ploy if it meant saving Alex, but before he could get close enough, Daniel shoved his way into the fray, holding a sword of his own. With a battle cry, he ran Casey through.
Daniel hauled Alex to his feet and shoved him toward Julian. Around him, the others were drawing their blades as Casey fell, cradled in James’s arms.
“Kill him! Kill them all!” James screamed, pressing his hands to the wound in Casey’s abdomen.
Oh God, no.
Nicolas threw himself forward before any of the others could get there first, grabbing Daniel by the shirt and punching him hard. He staggered—away—and his arms pinwheeled as he stumbled into Julian and Alex.
“You’re dead to me!” Nicolas screamed, landing another hit to Daniel’s stomach. “You hear me? You’re a monster!” One last hit landed on his cheekbone, whipping his head to one side, and then Julian was there, grabbing Daniel and twisting, putting himself between them and giving Daniel a shove.
“Run, run!” Julian shouted.
Nicolas gave chase with no intention of catching them. “Get back here!” he shouted. “Cowards! Traitors!”
When they turned the corner up ahead, he slowed to a stop, breathing hard, and fought the tangle of emotion that clogged his throat. They were fine. Alex would heal, and no one had stabbed Daniel, despite what they’d intended. It would all be okay.
“Garcia! Come back!” James shouted. “We’ve got to get Casey back to HQ!”
He closed his eyes, burying the emotion as he turned around. There would be time to wallow in guilt later. For now, he had more lies to sell.
Casey didn’t make it.Nicolas and the rest of the squad waited in the medical wing waiting room for the news. Maxwell worked on him for the better part of an hour, trying to coax his heart to keep pumping. It was customary for squads to wait together for news when one of their own was injured. Nicolas had no choice but to wait with them. He was supposed to be one of them. He was supposed tocare.
Instead, bitterly, all he felt was relief when Maxwell emerged from the triage room with a sympathetic expression and shook his head. Casey would have killed Alex. Daniel and Julian, too, if he’d had a chance. Nicolas wouldn’t mourn him. The world might even be a better place without him.
It was almost dawn when James finally dismissed them all. Exhausted and beaten down, Nicolas trudged to his car, wondering if Ashmedai would even be at his apartment. They’d agreed that they wouldn’t see each other during theday. If Nicolas came home after dawn, would Ashmedai already be gone?
God, he hoped not.
He didn’t know at what point he started to cry on the drive home. The tears tracked unheeded down his face, dripping onto his shirt and lap. He needed to see Ashmedai, needed to fall into his arms and beg him to take him to the Rink. Needed to beg for forgiveness from Daniel and Julian and Alex. He’dneverwanted to hurt any of them like that.
