She deflates, but it isn’t like before, when the fight left her and she was dying inside. This is weary acceptance.
“Let’s just go home?” she asks, and fuck does it feel good hearing that from her lips.
Bringing her hand up to my lips, I gently kiss the back of her hand, right on top of my mark that I shouldn’t love as much as I do. “Sounds good to me.”
***
“I’m surprised. Youhaven’t been this trigger happy for years,” Luce comments from where we’re sipping drinks in the back yard so we can actually hear each other over the music.
I figured it’d be the fastest way to get Cambria out of her own head before she spiraled, so as soon as we got back to Lucien’s house, I hijacked his surround sound. Atlas is still with her, nearly as drunk as she is. The heavy bass rattles the walls and the muffled music can still be heard, but we’re able to carry on a conversation easily out here.
“Fuck, Luce. He looked at her like she wasn’t worth anything, and after the way she grew up-“ He cuts me off.
“You don’t need to defend yourself, Dorian, I get it. If it was me or Atlas, we would’ve done the same thing.” He brings his scotch to his lips and sips slowly.
For as refined as Luce is, I wasn’t lying when I told Cambria I’d once been scared of the man. He practically tore his brother’s murderer apart with his bare hands, and there was just...nothing in his eyes. No fury, no wrath. He was cold, detached, and ruthless. In that moment, there was nothing resembling the man that took me in and cared for me, no one to reason with or beg for mercy. He was as devoid of life as the corpse he left at his feet.
Besides myself and Atlas, he’s kept himself emotionally distant from everyone. The fact that he now considers Cambria one of the people he needs to care for, to protect?
Woe be any man that touches her now.
“I’ve already contacted the company’s lawyer, so it’ll be handled,” he says, dismissing the whole situation whereas if Cambria hadn’t been involved, he would have reamed me for the next several weeks.
“What do we do about that guard when we go back?”
Luce slowly taps a finger against his glass as he contemplates a solution before slamming back the rest of his drink in frustration. “Why wouldn’t he have reported her and dragged her in after it happened? What’s he playing at?”
I sigh, finishing my drink and leaning on the patio railing. “She threw out there he might try to make her life hell and punish her himself. The guy is definitely a sick fuck that gets off on that sort of thing, so I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility.”
Luce grunts. “How are we supposed to help her over there? Anything we do reflects on her and she could get punished for it, let alone the ridiculous abilities they have as an advantage.”
Strumming my fingers on the wood, I risk a swift glance to make sure the glass door is still shut. I look up at Lucien, warring with myself if I should say anything or not before rushing out.
“She can transfer abilities. If she were in danger, she could pull from them and drop ‘em, but she could also loan them to us.”
His eyes cut to mine. “But we’re human. Would a transfer even work if it wasn’t with another fae?” The fact that he’s discussing the idea openly without cringing isn’t lost on me, noting how far he’s come in accepting things.
“Since it would just be for short stints and not permanent, I would imagine so. Besides.” I hold up the back of my hand to show him the brand the fae guards burned into my skin. “These link us to her. That means there is some trace of fae magic in us now, otherwise it wouldn’t be able to read our intent and tether us to her. It may not be a lot, but it’s enough to suggest it’s possible.”
He turns to lean his hip against the railing, looking through the sliding door and watching Cambria dance on his couch, smiling. Atlas wraps an arm around her waist and drags her off, laughing, as the two of them dance like they could care less who’s watching.
“She’d never agree to it,” Lucien dismisses. “And bringing it up might induce another panic attack. Whatever they did to that girl, the scars run deep.”
“I agree, but just food for thought. If things were ever bad enough, something to consider over being killed.”
Luce dips his head in acknowledgment, but doesn’t say anything else as we head back into the house. He turns the volume down to a less ear-shattering level and eventually she tires herself out, stretching out on the couch with her head in Atlas’ lap this time. I don’t drink nearly as much, since I need to work in the morning, but it’s Atlas’ day off so he’s embracing the fun.
“How dare the asshole not think I’m amazing?” she rants. “I’m a goddamn delight!”
I love the fact that she’s cycled back to where she’s at, but hate the fact she had to resort to praising herself just to hear it in her cruel life. “You certainly are,” I agree with a smirk.
“Sorry about the mess, Luce,” she backpedals, contrite. “I’ll clean up in the morning.”
“You know,” he starts slowly, “I had to fire my last housekeeper, so I was looking to hire a new one soon. I just never have time with as much as I work, let alone now.” He leaves it open ended, seeing if she’ll bite without getting upset and lashing out, yet not outright offering so he has plausible deniability.
She narrows her eyes at him, seeing exactly what he’s doing despite her inebriated state. “How much are you paying?”
Luce sips his drink to hide his sly smile. “I might be willing to negotiate. What do you think the position is worth?”
