“If we want a man for El to love and leave, our best bet would be Lucifer,” Gage noted grimly.
The other men groaned.
“Hey, if we're going for brutal honesty; here it is,” Gage growled. “When we get to the point where Elaria is in danger, Lucifer will be our best chance of saving her. He already loves her.”
“There's just one problem,” I whispered.
Everyone turned to look at me.
“I don't think I can be intimate with him,” my voice started to shake just thinking about having sex with Lucifer again.
The silence thickened and my men started to look angry. I knew their anger wasn't directed at me, it wasn't even directed at Lucifer. They were furious with the people who had forced Lucifer and me to have sex. Over and over again. My stomach clenched.
“I'm over it. I am,” I added when their stares became dubious. “And I do love Lucifer as a friend. But I don't think that affection could withstand the pressure of a love affair. I'm not even sure I could allow myself to care for him more than I do now. It would feel... dirty.” I groaned. “Please, don't ever repeat that to him.”
“Of course not, El.” Gage took my hand and pulled me back toward him.
“Which means the Dragon is our best bet,” Declan grumbled.
“If Verin's willing to let her go when it's over,” Torin countered.
“We would have to make it absolutely clear to him beforehand,” Darc said. “But remember; if we can't repress the RS, we will need another lover for Elaria anyway, which would make Verin's ability to leave her a moot point.”
The men went grim and my stomach churned.
“No,” I said firmly. “I can't take any more lovers. It's too much. Where will it end? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? This has to stop now!”
Torin smiled softly at me. “There's the woman I fell in love with.”
“You heard your father; a suppression spell could result in restricting RS as a whole,” Darc reminded me. “Are you certain you wish to risk that?”
I could feel the RS listening.
“I don't want to lose her,” I admitted. “But repressing her would only cost us power. We can afford that.”
“Power and unity,” Banning countered. “This brotherhood we have,” he looked at the other men, “could disappear with the RS. Then what? We'd be left fighting over our wife; constantly at each other's throats.”
“I think we can agree that if that should happen, we would not take it out on each other,” Declan offered. “We are not savages.”
“We can say that now, but we don't know how we'll feel,” Gage said, surprising me.
Gage is the most easygoing of my men. Yes, he'd been hard to win over, to begin with, but once he came around, he was steadfast.
Gage settled his gaze on me and let me see the truth in it. Without the RS's influence, his Griffin nature—the instinct that told him to cling to his mate and defend her from all others—would rise and retake control. If we lost the RS, I might lose Gage. He wouldn't leave me; once a Griffin is mated, there's no turning back. But he might be driven to attack my husbands. Which meant that one of them might die.
Fuck. It was too horrible to even contemplate.
“This is all hypothetical,” my father said gruffly. “Speak with the Witch Leaders and ask them what can be done. Then you can argue all you want... hopefully somewhere else. Somewhere far enough away that I won't hear you talking about my daughter's sex life.”
“Sorry, Dad.” I stood. “We're going.”
“Thanks for coming to save me from your crazy boyfriend.” He stood as well and pulled me into a hug.
“Thanks for being quick to react,” I countered. “That could have gone a lot worse than it did.”
“I'd ask you to promise me to never pick me again in such a circumstance, but I know it wouldn't do any good. Only force you to lie to me.” Dad grimaced. Then he softened his voice and his expression, “But no matter what happens, Ellie-phant, know that we're proud of you. Every damn day.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I whispered.
“Now, get the hell out of my house and get your shit together.”
“Yes, Sir!” I saluted.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nigel Windthrope, my father's last surviving bestie, met us at the main door to the Witch stronghold on Coven Cay, a private island off the coast of Canada. He immediately pulled me into a warm embrace.
“It's good to see you, Elaria,” he said in a British accent.
I'd always thought that Nigel would make a great butler but in that Batman-sidekick kind of way. Despite the white streak in his ebony hair, he didn't look old, nor was he considered to be old by his fellow Witches even though he had a few centuries under his belt. But Nigel carried himself with the pride and distinguished composure of an accomplished Air Witch.
“It's good to see you too, Nigel.”
“The Leaders have convened for you.” Nigel waved us inside. “I've given them a brief overview of your needs and they are, even now, discussing ways to help.”
“Thank you. Will you join us?”
“If you wish it.” He led us down a long hallway and to a grand door carved with strange symbols. With a flourish that reinforced the butler image, he opened the door and waved us inside.
The room was vast. It had to be since it was occasionally used for meetings involving the entire Coven. Currently, though, there were only four people at the U-shaped council table; the Witch Leaders of each Elemental Family. Odin Earthshaker, the Leader of Earth, had one of his leather eye patches on and, combined with the dark hair he'd been growing out, he looked more pirate than witch. To his right were two women; Glinda Goodweather the Leader of Air, and Vivian Lake the Leader of Water. They looked as if they'd been chosen simply to be foils for each other's beauty. Glinda, with her vibrant red hair and
