The God-Wolf laughed. “A candle does not offer itself to the sun and call itself light. You had your chance to repent. You wished instead to rule at your brother’s side. Your time is up.”
Jack grovelled at the wolf’s feet. “No.”
“Yes.”
Oliver would let the wolf have him, and keep his own hands clean. He let out a sigh as the others approached him.
Gabriel stopped in front of the wolf. “All the while you mete out this… ugly breed of justice, you will be left alone, but prey upon innocents, wolf, and Heaven’s Fury will be upon you.”
“I don’t attack the innocent,” the God-Wolf assured him. “I believe I told you that once before.”
The angels nodded at the wolf. Oliver reached for them all, his hand settling on Armando’s shoulder, and took them to Heaven’s Fury’s library, which was tucked away in an echo in one of the towers of St Paul’s Cathedral. This time they translocated to the small fountain at the bottom of the stairs, so they didn’t startle Bram.
He needn’t have worried. Bram was nowhere to be seen. He headed for the only closed door beneath the mezzanine, finding Bram clean, and dressed, and fast asleep on the cosy bed.
Oliver sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for Bram’s hand. “I want you to come and live with me, love.”
Bram smiled in his sleep. “All right. Want to live with you.”
Oliver sniggered quietly. “You do?”
“Mm, you, me, and the baby.”
Oliver straightened. There was a baby? Oliver smiled wide.
There was a baby.
He left Bram sleeping, vowing to let the man bring up the subject in his own time. He almost crashed into Armando on his way out of the room. He closed the door quietly behind him. “Bram’s asleep. Might I have a word?”
“With me?” Armando asked, as if this were extremely unlikely.
Oliver offered a smile and gestured to the chairs by the fireplace. “Of course, you.” They sat down together. “When he has recovered from… everything, Bram will be coming to live with me.”
“What? Why would Bram be coming to live with you?” Armando asked.
“Armando, you are not this stupid. You know—”
“I knew he had feelings for you, Oliver, but I did not know they were returned. When last we spoke of such feelings, you were madly in love with some woman you couldn’t have.”
“She doesn’t exist anymore. I’m not certain she ever did. Every smile she gave me obscured the man trapped inside.”
“You mean…?”
Oliver smiled and nodded. “I love him.”
Armando looked close to tears. “I am happy for you, Feltham. Both of you. Excuse me.”
Oliver ducked back into the bedroom to avoid whatever was brewing between Armando and Gabriel. He smiled down at Bram until the man blinked himself awake. He sat up immediately, throwing his arms around Oliver’s neck, pressing kisses to his skin. “Thank you, thank you.”
Oliver laughed. “Whatever for?”
“For rescuing me. For coming for me even after I pushed you away.”
“All is forgiven, love,” Oliver murmured into his hair.
“We must invent a wife,” Bram sputtered.
Oliver frowned. “A wife?”
Bram bit his lip. “One of us must… have a wife and lose a wife.”
“What are you trying to tell me, love?”
Bram took a deep breath. “We’re having a baby.”
Oliver smiled. “I know… but thank you for telling me so quickly.”
Bram’s mouth fell open. “You knew?”
“You’re very talkative in your sleep.”
“No more secrets, Oliver. No more miscommunication. We say how we feel always.”
“Agreed. And I think… you should be the one who gets to call himself a father. Perhaps my unfortunate cousin… Matilda? Yes, Matilda. Perhaps she ran off to the circus, leaving her poor husband to raise their child alone. Thank goodness, the silly woman had a wealthy cousin with whom her poor husband could live while he recovered from this terrible tragedy.”
“I would never marry such a woman,” Bram said.
“She could’ve wasted away pretending to be happy, wilting like an old flower,” Oliver said, “but instead she followed her dreams, completely evading the gods who were bored silly as usual. You should approve of such a woman.”
