But Daesyn is worth breaking every single stupid fucking rule.
“What the fuck happened?” Ryker all but roars as he storms in from the lift and heads for Daesyn’s room. I step in front of him, ignoring his burning red eyes.
“She is with a healer. You know better than to interrupt, but I believe she will be fine,” I explain.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Who hurt her? Who do I have to kill?”
“You do realise she is in a test designed to hurt her?” I counter.
He grits his teeth. “I’m well aware. Tell me exactly what happened.”
I give him a quick rundown, everything from how she somehow summoned all four spirits, a task even the strongest reaper in the realm would struggle to do, to how they attacked her. Near enough tried to kill her.
“You saved her?” he asks twice, like he can’t believe it. “Fuck, I never thought I’d see the day you would break the rules for a woman.”
“Daesyn isn’t just any woman,” I counter.
He tensely smiles at me. “I am aware, brother.”
Thankfully, the healer opens Daesyn’s door and comes out. The healer is a small woman with cherry red hair and bright brown eyes with a hint of purple in them. Fae blood for sure. I don’t know this one’s name, as she is new to the castle and lands.
“Daesyn will recover by morning. Her body has exceptional healing abilities, but I am going to suggest someone stays by her side until she wakes up.”
“I will,” I say at the same time as Ryker. We both give each other an understanding look before I show the healer out. The second the lift doors shut, Poppy and Mossy come out her room.
“How is she, angel fucker?” Mossy demands. I may not like the little shit, but I know Daesyn loves him, and for that reason only I answer.
“Daesyn will recover, but Ryker and I are going to stay by her side until she awakes. I would suggest you stay with Poppy,” I reply.
“But—” Mossy starts.
“Let them care for her. Angel f—I mean Finn—saved Daesyn’s life today. You can trust him and Ryker,” Poppy gently suggests, stopping Mossy from jumping away. I leave her to it and join Ryker in Daesyn’s bedroom. Ryker is sitting on the end of her bed, his hand on her ankle over the bedsheet covering her. Daesyn looks tiny and helpless in bed, her skin very pale compared to normal, and her black hair is messily lying across the pillow behind her as she sleeps. By the gods, she is beautiful.
I make myself comfy on the floor, leaning against the bed and resting my head back, prepared to sit here forever if that’s what she needs.
“Do you think a god is fucking with her?” Ryker says quietly so as not to wake Daesyn up, just in case, even though I think she is out cold.
The thought has crossed my mind a few times, but I don’t know a god or goddess that can control the spirits. The spirits are pure elements with little social skills, and they are uncontrollable. Only reapers and gods have the gift to speak with them, but control them? That’s another matter altogether. Ryker keeps on talking. “When I was over here, she woke up from a nightmare where she was drowning.”
“Everyone has nightmares, Ry,” I say.
“No, you don’t understand,” he quietly replies. “She was literally drowning and coughing up actual water in here. The water came from her dreams. Dae wouldn’t speak about it, but that isn’t normal.”
“It does sound like something a god would do. Fuck with dreams,” I tensely agree. “But I sense no gods’ magic here, and gods always leave their mark.”
I pause. “A while back, I sensed something here in this apartment. Not god magic, not reaper or fae. In fact, with all my time around supes, I have never felt power like that. It was...evil.”
“If anyone knows anything about evil, it would be that demon overlord she is friends with,” he suggests. “Perhaps we find that asshole and have a chat with him?”
“No need to look for me,” the demon himself replies to us, and I turn to see him standing in the doorway. His power is like a house on fire, spitting and flickering flames as it burns itself out. He doesn’t look at us, his eyes on Daesyn. I resist the urge to punch the dickhead, who seems to think he has some claim on Daesyn because he knew her before us, as he walks into the room and leans down, touching Daesyn’s cheek with his fingertips.
“I just heard what happened,” Seth coldly states, and he turns to me. “I believe I have you to thank for saving her, demi-god.”
“Don’t thank me,” I grit out. “Something is messing with her, and I intend to find out. If you have—”
“Don’t question my loyalty to her,” he snaps, red magic flickering around his body in flames. “I have lived over a thousand years, and I have only ever promised my loyalty to one person. Her.”
“Then you will help us when she wakes,” I counter, still not trusting the demon. Demons are from Hell, and he is the worst of the bunch, as far as the rumours go.
Ryker is silent, watching us both, and finally he speaks. “I will contact my father, ask if anything has escaped Hell. Perhaps it is from there.”
“Hellhound,” Seth states, almost in an accusing way before he cools his expression. “Perhaps you should, but I doubt it. I would sense that magic, and I sense nothing more than Daesyn’s magic.”
“What about fae magic? Unseelie to be exact?” Ryker asks. “Unseelie fae are given a gift, and what if an Unseelie has a gift to invade her dreams? Control the spirits?”
“We have many options to look at,” I finally say. “But for now, I suggest we all sit and wait for her to wake.”
“Then we shall wait for her,” Seth agrees. Heavens alive. A demon and a demi-god are on the same side.
My mother will be horrified.
The thought makes me smirk. I do like pissing her off.
Chapter 29
“I have searched every book and talked to every librarian in the castle, and no one knows why the spirits would attack you or why they claim you have some kind of rune!” Finn all but growls out. I cup my coffee, a little surprised at his outburst, considering he just walked in here. Not that having him around isn’t normal, it actually is now since he saved my ass from the spirits. I woke up with a demi-god, a hellhound and an overlord demon in my small room, a little confused about what happened. I don’t remember much from the moment I called the spirit, but I do remember the pain.
