Chapter Thirty-Six

“I don't like this,” Darius grumbled for the sixth time.

“Yeah, we know,” Dominic said. “Look, Dec and I aren't thrilled about putting Amélie in danger again either. But this is her friend we're talking about.” He lowered his voice to say, “And Michael sexually assaulted her. Jackie is going to need a woman there.”

“I know!” Darius snapped. “I just don't like it.”

“I'm armed with every potion that could possibly come in handy and I've got a govi pot to trap Michael in,” I said. “I only wish we had time for me to enchant you three again. That magic has already worn off.”

“Don't worry about us,” Declan said. “Without the kill restriction, we'll be fine.”

“Yeah, I know. I watched you fight, remember? It was impressive.”

“Oh, yeah?” Dominic grinned. “You like watching us?”

Darius smacked Dom in the chest. “Focus! Jackie's in trouble, and she's like family to Amélie. That makes her our family too.”

With those words, Darius surmounted every obstacle I had put in his way. If I hadn't been so worried about Jackie, I would have kissed him. As it was, I sent him a grateful look through the rearview mirror.

“Sorry, angel,” Dominic said and winced. “And we'll take care of Michael. Don't worry about trapping him in your pot. We can snatch his soul in seconds. That's what we were made to do. Just find Jackie and get her out of there.”

“It's fine. And I want Michael in the pot. I want him trapped inside that clay forever.”

“That's risky,” Darius said. “You leave him in there and sure, he'll suffer, but he could also get out. In the Underworld, Hades will personally punish him. He has to. It's about pride and appearances now. And he will ensure that Michael never gets free again. There will be so many metaphysical chains on that soul that it will make all the other wards of Tartarus moot.”

I considered it. “Fine. Whoever gets Michael first gets to decide what to do with his soul.”

Dominic chuckled. “She's tenacious.”

“Especially when you fuck with someone she loves,” Declan added. “I admire that.”

“So do I,” Darius said and nodded at me. “All right, angel. It's a deal.”

I grinned viciously as Darius put on speed.

We were in their van, heading toward Latah Valley. As we drove, I stared out the window and wondered how many of those houses Michael had at his disposal. He must choose minions with money. I tried to focus on things like that instead of Jackie and what she might have endured. What she might currently be enduring. Why did he assault her? Maybe it wasn't Michael. I already knew that Silas wasn't above rape. He just liked to call it by another name. Fucking Greek Gods.

If it was Silas, I'd find a way to make him pay. God or not, there had to be something I could do to hurt him. Rolling my eyes at myself, I realized that I didn't have to handle Silas. All I had to do was find out which god he was and the Olympians would make him suffer. And they'd do a better job of it than I would.

I spent the rest of the ride trying to come up with a plan to make Silas slip up and tell me who he was. Maybe I was too anxious, but I couldn't figure it out. I might have to resort to a truth spell, maybe a potion. But I hadn't brought one of those with me. I had focused on attack spells.

Shit.

“It's the next driveway,” I said.

Darius pulled over and parked. As soon as we stopped, we piled out of the van and prepared for the attack. For the Hounds, that meant stripping, shifting, and going spectral. For me, it meant pulling on a jacket that I had doused in an invisibility potion. Just as it had with the car when whatever the potion affected was wrapped around something else, it made that invisible too. In this case, me. Potions don't last forever. I had eight hours max with it. But if it took us more than eight hours to save Jackie, it meant something had gone terribly wrong.

Before Darius started to strip, he came over to me and handed me a gun. “Do you know how to use this?”

“Yes, but I do better with magic,” I said.

“It's always good to have a backup. It would make me feel better to know you had this.”

I took the weapon and slipped it inside the side pocket of my vest. “Thank you.”

“Amélie.” His throat worked and his jaw tightened. “I can't go in there without you knowing—”

“I know.” I held up a hand, cutting him off. “You're not the man I thought you were. It's all right, Dare. We're good.”

His brows lifted at the nickname, but then he grimaced. “That's not what I was going to say.”

“Then what?”

Darius leaned forward and cupped my cheek in his hand. His eyes became molten silver, catching the moonlight like lightning in a bottle. His lips parted. My heart sped up. This wasn't the time for romance, but my body didn't agree. It melted. Once I'd gotten past the image I'd made of Darius in my head, I began to accept how incredible he was. Even when he was acting like a spoiled child. All of my hounds were incredible, but with Darius, it had felt like a transformation more than a discovery. He'd been z slimy womanizer who made me feel dirty every time I felt attracted to him. But now, that filth was gone, washed away, and I saw him for what he truly was. It made him shine so much brighter. Bright enough to block my issues about loving more than one man at a time.

Wait. Did I love Dominic? Yes, I think I might. And I was falling for Declan. Holy shit! Was I truly their destined, enchanted, magical, life-affirming, soul mate? Could this be real? Could I have all three of them? Forever? I found myself lifting my face.

But Darius only brushed his thumb across my lips and pressed his forehead against mine. With a voice like warm velvet, he whispered, “I didn't see you right away, and that will haunt me forever. But once I did, I couldn't stop looking. I haven't stopped, not since the night you drenched me in magic. You're the only woman I see now, Amélie. The only one I want to ever see.” He angled his face up to kiss my forehead.

It felt as if that touch opened my third eye, focusing it on him so that I saw him too. But not just him. I looked from Darius to Dominic and Declan, who had stepped in to circle me. It felt right, perfectly natural, to pull them into an embrace. It should have been awkward, but somehow, I found a way to hold them all at once. Maybe it was magic.

“I believe now,” I said.

“In magic?” Dominic grinned.

“Magic is a part of me. I don't have to believe in it. Your magic, however, was harder to accept.”

“But you accept it now?” Darius asked. “Us?”

“I'm not ready to make any vows,” I said in a warning tone. “But, as I said, I believe now. In us.”

“That's enough for me,” Declan said and kissed my cheek.

“Damn, I feel like I can conquer the world!” Dominic exclaimed.

“Me too,” Darius said in a softer tone, his stare locked on my face. Then he shifted it to Dom and Dec. “But let's not get cocky or lose focus. The Host is backed by a god now, and they've got someone special to our mate.”

“Not to mention, they've eluded us several times before,” Declan said.

“Yes.” Dominic went grim, and it looked odd on him. “We have to be careful. Especially you, angel. That motherfucker wants you. And he's cunning. You can bet Silas will have traps in place. Traps targeting you. Don't remove that jacket until you find Jackie.”

“I won't,” I promised. “And you three stay in your ghost forms. We're not after the Host tonight. Just Michael and Silas.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Darius grinned at me. “And don't think I've forgotten our game. First one to Michael gets to decide his fate.”

I grinned back. “I'm not letting you win this time either.”

“That's my girl.” He winked at me.

“Maybe,” I said and pulled on my jacket.