Lark pulls me back up by the armpits. “This isn’t a bad thing. You’ll get through this. And we have you, Wren. We all do. I know the guys aren’t here right now, but I know they’re behind you one hundred percent.”
My legs threaten to buckle again and take Lark with me. “They bound my magic. I can glow, but I can’t teleport. I foughtso fucking hardto learn how to. It’s like they ripped a little bit of my soul away from me. A bit of my identity. There aren’t many Fae that can just walk between the worlds.I was one of them.” And I took advantage of it.
Lark’s face goes white. Fuck.
I cup his cheeks. “No.Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”
“You learned how to do it for me. To find me when Drake kidnapped me. Now it’s gone.” He squeezes my hands. “I’m sorry.”
“Perhaps it’s for the best.” I swipe a hand through my hair and sigh. “Drake’s dead. You’re free. Safe.Happy.Maybe it was time for me to stop playing between the realms. I chose the world I want to live in, because I want to get to know you again. But I hate that I can’t visit others anymore.”
A soft smile lights Lark’s face. His wings flutter and softly glow. “I’d like that. And Pike can take you between realms. Can’t you?” Lark asks his demon beau.
“Of course.” Pike scratches behind Frankie’s ears. Her tail thumps against the back of the couch in their bedroom.
I shake my head. “I can’t cross realms at all.” I lift my left hand. His Majesty made sure of it. My shoulders slump. “I’ll just have to get used to walking or riding in one of those weird car contraptions. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to what humans callvehicles. I still prefer the elegance of a carriage.” That makes Pike roll his eyes. Lark laughs, and it’s magical, like it was when we were kids.
I reach out to pet Frankie some more. Her slick black coat shines. She licks my arm and tries to lay on top of me. “You’re such a sweetie pie.” I rub her tummy, and her tail flicks harder against the couch. It’s easier to talk when petting a dog, even if the dog is a hellhound. “Talon helped me find your house from the far road. I didn’t even know which direction to go. I started walking and Talon just appeared.” I’ll have to wash his shirt and take it back to him.
Pike cocks a brow. “Is that whose shirt you’re wearing?”
I tug at the hem. “Yeah, originally I had on that gag shirt y’all gave me and it was too short. He found me naked when I decided I needed to turn it into a new outfit. He offered me his shirt.” It was so warm despite being soaked through from the rain.
A smile tugs at Lark’s lips. “Come on, we’ll add it to the wash and you can get it back to him at breakfast.”
“Perfect idea.” I don’t know how he does it, but Lark always cheers me up. “I’ll be a new man when I come out of that shower, just you watch.”
Lark laughs and waves me on. “You know where everything is. I’ll set some clothes on the counter for you.”
I hug him one last time and my melancholy drains into the floor. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
The shower washed away every care in my mind. Right now I don’t have to do anything except exist. I brush the tangles from my hair. I’d always wished it was pink like Lark and our mother,but it’s stark white. Dye never sticks, no matter what I tried. I’ve just had to deal with it. But... I don’t have to deal with the length anymore. I dress in the soft clean t-shirt and shorts Lark set out for me then go searching for my brother.
He’s curled up on the couch against Pike with Frankie laying on top of both of them. It’s an adorable sight and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my brother so content. But we lost a decade when Drake stole him through the veils.
“You’re ready?” Lark asks.
“No. Will you cut my hair?” I hold up the pair of scissors I found.
2
TALON
The bell above the front door jingles aggressively, and I ignore it like usual. I’m elbow deep in dough and don’t have time to run out front to help Warwick. He’ll call for me if he needs me. But usually he doesn’t need me.
I can’t stop thinking about Wren. Seeing himnaked. His muscles on display. He’s not as big as the demons around, but he’s not thin and lanky like his brother Lark.
Wren doesn’t look like what people imagine a Fae to look like. No, he’s spectacularly formed. Like Zac Efron inBaywatch. I rarely watch movies. I can’t remember the last one I watched, but I rememberBaywatchand how I could count every one of his abs. That’s what it’s like with Wren. And his wings. I don’t know if Wren knows I witnessed the glow, but it was glorious. His hair might be white, but his wings are a riot of blues and purples and pink. Lark’s are nice, but Wren’s are show stopping. If he worked at Flutter and Fangs, I’m sure he’d pull in a crowd. Not that I’ve been to the strip joint. Club? I’m not sure what it is anymore.
“Knock, knock,” Wick says as he knocks on the doorjamb separating me from the front of the bakery. Powdered sugar dusts his apron. There’s a bit smudged across his blue cheeks.Something’s wrapped around his left horn. His tail wiggles before settling on the floor. His feathered wings are pulled in close to his body. Thank goodness he made all the doorways massive.
“Yeah?” Of course it comes out more gruff than I intend.
“Wren’s out here asking for you. Do ya have?—”
“No. I’ll get behind.” I shake my head and dust my hands with more flour.
