Chapter 7

Seven

"That's him," Charlotte said, pointing to one of the handcuffed men kneeling at the side of the police wagon. Atlas stood close at her side. Derek on the other. They both knew that some of the police officers in the city weren't to be trusted. They'd proven that when the police commissioner himself had tried to use Derek's mate to acquire private information about the paranormal residents of the city.

"Stupid bitch," the man spat as two uniformed officers hauled him up to his feet. The cops maneuvered him into the wagon.

Wanting to keep Charlotte from any more vitriol, Atlas slipped an arm around her shoulders and turned her toward where Gavin, Lark, and Pike were waiting. Derek shot him a nod over Charlotte's head and moved to help the police load the rest.

Gavin had already given his statement. He'd have to go to the police station tomorrow to make it official, but for the moment, they were done. Atlas was more than ready to get Gavin and Charlotte back to the Hub.

As soon as they got close to the others, Atlas let his arm drop from Charlotte. Gavin slid in where she'd been without a second of hesitation. A feeling of peace settled over Atlas at having Gavin settled against his side. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss into Gavin's messy hair. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

Gavin looped his arm around Atlas's waist and squeezed. "Better now."

"Oh my god, you two are adorable," Charlotte said, with way too much squee in her voice.

Gavin huffed a laugh. "Char, we are not."

"Oh, you totally are." Lark cut in with a smile.

Atlas sighed and looked down into Gavin's upturned face. "Might as well get used to it."

With a smile, Gavin lifted up and pressed a quick kiss to Atlas's lips. They parted with a smile, ignoring Charlotte swooning in the background.

"Alright, kids," Pike said, ever the adult in the room. "Let's go."

Derek and Bacchus waved when they called their goodbyes. Atlas had never been happier to get back to the SUV and climb inside. He was exhausted. Between the fear, the fight, and the sheer relief of having both Gavin and Charlotte safely with them, he felt wrung out and ready to sleep for ten years.

Lark ordered pizza on the way, getting everyone's preferred topping requests. Pike drove like he always did—fast, but safe—and had them back at the Hub in record time. They didn't bother with the elevator, instead taking the stairs up a level to the kitchen and rec room.

As soon as they entered the kitchen, Atlas saw Fred slumped over the island, head laying on his folded arms.

"Fred," Pike said, rushing forward. He gently laid a hand on Fred's shoulder.

"Owww," Fred moaned, not moving at all from his slump.

"Bad hangover?" Pike asked him quietly.

"So bad."

"Okay, come on." Pike put an arm around Fred. Fred lifted up, keeping his eyes closed, and wrapped his arms around Pike's neck. Slipping his other arm underneath Fred's knees, Pike lifted him into his arms.

Atlas stepped forward. "You got him?"

Pike shot him a look that made Atlas lift his hands in surrender. "I've got him." He carried Fred from the room.

Gavin looked up at Atlas with confusion written all over his face. "What happened? Did he really have a hangover?"

"In a manner of speaking. A magic hangover. Seers are powerful, but they're also…fragile?" Atlas looked to his brother.

Lark shrugged in agreement, like he couldn't think of a better word either.

"And sometimes," Atlas continued. "When they use a lot of energy, it drains them and leaves them feeling pretty rough."

"Will he be okay?" Charlotte asked, taking a seat on one of the barstools at the island.

"Yeah. Rest, some meds, and a little pampering will put him to rights." Lark pulled a stack of plates from a cabinet and grabbed the roll of paper towels off their holder. "Now, the question is, do we want to eat pizza in here or on the couch?"

"On the couch," Gavin and Charlotte said at the same time before looking at each with smiles on both their faces.

"Although," Charlotte said, looking down at herself. "I'm kind of a mess."

"There's a bathroom to the left if you want to freshen up, but don't worry about the furniture." Atlas steered them back out of the kitchen and toward the living room. "Faux leather. Dirt wipes right off."

When they got to the living room, Charlotte veered off to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Rhea was standing beside the coffee table with a stack of pizza boxes in her hands.

Beside Atlas, Gavin startled. "I will never get used to that."

Rhea smiled at him. "You will. Trust me."

Gavin's eyes went wide before he let out a bark of laughter. "Guess I should, huh?"

"Yes," she answered succinctly and set the pizza boxes on the table.

From there, it was a flurry of passing plates and inhaled slices. Charlotte came back with clean hands and face, and her hair pulled back in its usual ponytail. Atlas sighed in satisfaction when Lark killed the overhead lights and turned a movie on once everyone had a full belly. Pike even came in at one point, loaded up a couple plates, and disappeared back to whichever room he had Fred resting in.

Gavin leaned back, warm against Atlas's side, and laid his head on Atlas's shoulder.

Lifting his arm, Atlas wrapped it around him, pulling him closer. He knew if they stayed there they'd both be asleep before the movie was half over. He nudged Gavin and whispered, "Wanna go cuddle in bed instead?"

Gavin tensed for just a second before smiling up at him. "Yeah. Let's do that."

No one said a word as they got off the couch and left the room. Reaching out, Atlas took Gavin's hand and led them to his room. It was more like a small apartment than a room. The door opened to a little living room with a kitchenette in one corner, really just a counter with a sink, mini fridge, coffee pot, and electric kettle. There was an open hallway to the left that led to the bathroom and bedroom.

Atlas loved his space. He'd taken care to paint, furnish, and decorate it in a way that brought him peace. From the art on the walls to the bookshelf full of all his favorites, everything felt like a piece of him.

"This is nice," Gavin said, looking around.

"Thanks." He walked to Gavin, taking him in his arms and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I wasn't trying to lure you away for sex, you know."

Gavin smiled, small and sweet. "I didn't really think you were." He fiddled with a wrinkle in Atlas's shirt. "We haven't exactly had a lot of time to explore this."

"We haven't." Atlas swallowed and rubbed his thumbs over the small of Gavin's back. "I'd like to, though."

"So would I." There was no hesitation in Gavin as he held Atlas's gaze with his own. "I'd also like to unlock my power. Watching you all tonight…" He shook his head. "It was amazing. Being strong enough to help and protect people that way. I want to do that."

The thought both thrilled and scared Atlas. Of course he wanted Gavin to embrace his power and stay there, but Gavin becoming a mage meant Gavin being in the line of fire. His own protective instincts flared, but this was Gavin's decision, and he'd support him no matter what. "You'll be an amazing mage."

Gavin's cheeks filled with a beautiful pink blush. "Thank you."

Leaning down, Atlas claimed his lips in a passionate kiss, trying to convey with lips and tongue all the words he wasn't sure how to say. I'm here. I want you. I can't wait to discover how we'll be together.

Gavin pulled back some minutes later, eyes bright and blush deeper. "I seem to remember someone mentioning cuddles."

Atlas chuckled and rested their foreheads together. "If I can promise you one thing about the future, it's that you'll have my affection and all the cuddles you can handle."

Gavin beamed. "I'll hold you to that."

"I'mpleased you've decided to join us, Gavin," Violet said as soon as Atlas and Gavin walked into the kitchen the next morning.

Shooting a look at Atlas, Gavin raised an eyebrow.

Atlas chuckled. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh," Gavin muttered, cheeks heating. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to being around the seers. To Violet he said, "Thank you."

Violet smiled at him. "There's several steps to prepare for the ceremony and a waiting period of at least four weeks. Plus, Kerak needs to be present. I'll reach out to him now." She vanished.

Gavin let out a breath, blinking at the empty space where Violet had just been standing. "Okay," he said, drawing out the k. "First, why the waiting period? And who's Kerak?"

Atlas paused in front of the coffee pot. Instead of answering, he pulled two mugs from an overhead cabinet, poured coffee into each, and added cream and sugar. Picking the mugs up, he turned and sat them on the island, meeting Gavin's gaze.

"Kerak is the Demon King. The most powerful demon in this realm, and the reason for the waiting period is to make sure you understand what being a mage means and how accepting your magic has the potential to change you."

Apprehension pulled at Gavin's insides. "Change me?"

With a sigh, Atlas came back around the island and pulled Gavin into his arms. "Suddenly having access to magic you've never had before is a big change. Some people handle it better than others. The seers like to give carriers what they call Magic 101 before the ritual."

Pulling back, Gavin picked up one of the coffees and took a drink. It wasn't often someone fixed coffee for him, and Atlas had doctored it perfectly. "Thank you." He took a moment to think through what Atlas had said. Would suddenly having power change him? He'd like to think not, but he honestly couldn't imagine how it was going to feel either. "I think waiting is a good idea. I hadn't really considered how much of an adjustment it might be."

Giving him a small smile, Atlas nudged Gavin's arm as he took a drink from his own cup. "You'll never be alone in it. Every mage here—and in the world—has been in the same situation."

Taking another drink of his coffee, Gavin let that thought sink in. It occurred to him that there was a whole world of questions he hadn't asked yet. How many mages were there? What exactly happened during the ritual? Why did the King of Demons need to be present? He gave Atlas a small smile, suddenly grateful he had a month ahead of him to learn all there was about being a mage.