She spoke out of the side of her mouth. “What do we do with that?”
No one said anything.
“Uh, I don’t know. Can you ask Deo if he can carry us, with you guiding him through your shared connection?”
Aisha wanted to panic but pushed the bubble of terror down. For now.
Deo? Can you carry us?
She didn’t dare turn around, but a moment later his muzzle was against her palm.
Yes. As long as you are with me, I can do anything.
Her head slowly bobbed as Lilly slid back, pulling the other two with her.
Once they were next to Deo, they worked as a team to get on, except well they stopped at the sight of a woman.
Maddie and Lilly flashed a look to Aisha, but what the hell was she going to say.
“Just get on,” she yelled.
Maddie nearly slid off, but Aisha and Lilly pulled her up
Go.
Aisha didn’t really understand what she was doing until she did it. She guided Deo through the maze of illusions with something large snarling and growling at their heels.
I can’t fight it, he said to her.
There was nothing to say back. She didn’t want him to fight that. She wanted to be outside on the roof top away from whatever the hell that was.
She would need a few days at the very least to process what the hell just happened.
One more turn, she shared with him the last hall and he sped up.
Lilly screamed from the back as they neared the doorway. “Close your eyes.”
Aisha did as told, and now they were running blind into a stairwell that Deo wasn’t going to fit through as a dragon.
Shit.
Jump, he yelled into her head and she scanned it to the others.
As she did, Deo shifted, the unconscious woman dropping to the ground, and then Aisha dragged Maddie and Lilly into the hall only to lose Lilly as they dove through the door.
She closed her eyes as a bright white light shot out like lightning into the room.
“Climb,” Deo yelled.
“Lilly?” Aisha yelled, peeking against her better judgment.
Deo grabbed her and carried her over his shoulder as she suddenly saw Kal drop from the stairs above to grab Maddie and lastly Eadric skipping every stair on the way down.
Eadric will have her.
Aisha covered her ears as millions of screams rang out into the air. No reprieve came even on the roof. The only thing she could think was that it sounded like a million souls being burned alive.
Just as quickly as it started, the world went silent and Deo dropped to the tarred surface.
He gently put Aisha down before he collapsed.
“Deo? Deo, answer me.”
Nothing.
She tried again.
Deo? Don’t you die on me now.
No. This wasn’t happening. She’d just gotten him back. He couldn’t die. He couldn’t leave her.
“Don’t leave me. I can’t live without you.” She pounded on his shoulder, but nothing happened.
I love you. I need to tell you that. To tell you that I never traded you for money. I need to tell you I need you.
Nothing.
Aisha didn’t bother to notice who grabbed at her. Let a demon take her. She was numb. She’d been here before.
No. This was worse. So much worse.
She couldn’t even cry.
18
Deo grabbed his side as he attempted to sit up. That was going to leave a mark.
“Brother, it’s good to see those beautiful blue eyes of yours,” said Cy.
“Shit. You’re the one that saved me? Goddess, did you leave everything intact?”
His brother chuckled. “Ah, there are just some things, even I can’t fix. Like that sense of humor and the size of -“
“Deo,” Aisha screamed and nearly jumped into his lap.
He let out a woosh of air as she hit his side.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, pulling away and looking at the bandages.
Cy rolled his eyes behind her. “If one more hard-headed female joins this bunch, I’m getting a transfer far, far away.”
Deo laughed with Cy.
“Call if you need anything brother,” Cy said, as he left.
Deo heard him but was much too focused on his Aisha.
“I am fine, mate.”
He stroked her hair as she clung to his neck.
“I thought I lost you,” she said, a sob in her voice.
A few things he did know, one being how fucking amazing it was just to hold her again.
“I’m so sorry. I never traded you, or sold you, or whatever that guy said. He offered-”
“It’s okay, mate. I know.” He ran his hands up and down her back, loving every inch of her. He never wanted to be away from her again. There was nothing worse, and he truly understood this now. All other pain in the world couldn’t compare to thinking you’d lost your soulmate.
“You know?”
Pulling away, she sat up, the motion rubbing more than just some sensitive scrapes.
“Yes. At first, I didn’t. I believe fear demons may have been a part of it, but once I realized that I still wasn’t free to mate with another female, I knew that you hadn’t rejected me. I realized the emptiness I felt wasn’t that of rejection, but -”
She stopped him with a finger. Deo kissed the digit against his lips.
“Wait. Wait. Just wait. Mate with another female?”
His mouth quirked as visions filtered from her mind to him. What was the word he needed right now? Jealousy?
“Yes, my love. Mate. I was never meant to remain there, I was only requested to give my seed to another female. But I could not,” he said, watching her ears start to burn red.
Funny little mate.
“Just? You were just supposed to screw some woman? And then they would let you go?”
He eyed her. The images in her head confusing.
“Yes,” caution lacing his words. She grabbed his face between her hands.
“Then why didn’t you? You could have been back with me sooner? Without being injured.”
Deo studied her. Was she serious? This was not expected. Mated females were no more likely to share than their males would. He would have killed anyone who touched
