On the way down, I stepped on specific floorboards and even went back a few steps to repeat it. Everyone was gathered downstairs so no one saw me. My nerves were a mess so the compulsions were worse than usual.
When I reached the foyer, my brothers were already there. Bren was the first to walk over and hug me.
“You better call me every day.”
“I will, don’t worry about me. Everything will be alright.”
The worry in his eyes was clear, and even though I tried to reassure him, I knew nothing I said would make it easier for him.
Next came Wild. “Stay safe, Di. Call us if you need us, and we will come.”
“Thanks, Wild. You, take care of yourself, too.”
I said my goodbyes to Luc and Andras as well. Surprisingly, Andras pulled me into a hug without saying a word. That was his way of showing he cared. I knew he did.
The others moved to Dagon, hugging him and saying similar things. I noticed our father standing off to the side. When he finally came over, he wrapped me in a tight hug. My eyes stung, but I held back the tears.
“I love you, son.”
It felt like sand was stuck in my throat, but I managed to say, “Love you too, Dad.”
Dagon hugged him, too, and they whispered words I couldn’t hear. I was relieved to see them like this. I’d been worried that Dagon hitting him would damage their relationship.
I took one last look at my family, carried my bags to the trunk, threw my backpacks in the backseat, and got into the passenger seat. No way anyone else was driving Dagon’s precious car. He didn't let even Andras touch it.
Leaving them all behind was hard, but it was something that had to be done.
Dagon started the engine, and we drove in silence for the first few minutes. I hated silence, so I reached for the radio. Thankfully, he didn’t protest. Soft pop music started playing, and my shoulders dropped in relief.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. Dagon wore black jeans and a tight black shirt that clung to his arms. God, what did he do in his free time? His body could bring men to their knees. This was my cue that I needed something else to focus on (andnot ogle my brother like he was the sweetest cake in the world), so I started fidgeting with my ring.
“What’s that ring?” Dagon asked, catching me off guard.
“Um, they're wings.”
“I can see that. Why wings?”
I could feel my face going red as a tomato. Yep, this saying was true. Experienced and verified.
“Uh, they're fallen angel wings,” I said, then quickly added, “They're from my favorite book series.”
“Fallen angels, huh? How do you know their wings are all black?”
“In my favorite series, they are, so that’s what matters.”
“So you’ve got a thing for black wings?”
My face was no longer tomato-red. No, it was crimson now. Blood red.Eww, I didn’t need this image in my head, damn it.
“I don’t have a thing for black wings, Dagon.”
“It’s okay if you do. I won’t tell anyone your secret.”
He smirked at me, and oh, it was on. Two could play this game.
“Oh, yeah? Well, I can tell you more about my books since you’re so curious. Wanna know how they have sex using their wings too?”
Dagon practically choked. His head whipped toward me before he forced his gaze back to the road. “Yeah, tell me.”
