5. Zephyr

five

Zephyr

“ I f we’re going to go out tonight, we need to find Zar and fill him in on everything that happened last night,” Belz says once Maddy’s gone.

“Shit. You think he’s still out there looking for the hounds?” I jump out of bed and get dressed. When I pick up my pants, my phone falls out of my pocket. One look at the screen shows a hundred texts and over fifty missed calls with accompanying voicemails. I don’t bother listening to all of them, jumping to the last one left hours after we made it back to Maddy’s room last night.

“You know what? I’m done. I’ve been searching for Luc’s precious fucking hounds alone for hours . With the way I haven’t been able to get ahold of literally fucking anyone , I can only assume you assclowns found the hounds and saved the day. Well good for you. Would it be too fucking much to ask you let me know I can stop fucking looking now? A-fucking-pparently. None of you dickheads will answer your damn phones and Luc won’t open his fucking door. You’re probably off celebrating with your dicks up each other’s asses as your mate watches. Obviously, you don’t give a fuck about me and what I’ve been through tonight. So I’m fucking done. I quit. Quit this job. Quit this so-called family. And I definitely quit being your fucking brother. Have a nice life in the fucking palace far the fuck away from me,” my twin seethes into the phone before ending the call.

Well, shit .

“That didn’t sound good,” Oz mutters from the bed, picking up on Zar’s tone if not his words from across the room.

“It’s not. He’s pissed . I think he just quit… Or he tried to at least. Not sure that’s how it works but…” I shrug.

“Quit what? His job?”

“Everything, he said he quit everything.”

“Fuck. We don’t have time for him to be a moody asshole. Besides, that’s my job. Ever since he got back from that super secret mission he’s been nothing but a dick,” Oz grumbles. “He’s not allowed to be a bigger dick than me.”

“You know he really has been putting your attitude to shame lately. I wonder what his fucking deal is. Belz? Any ideas?”

When I turn my head, I see him frozen like a statue.

Ooookay. He definitely knows something .

“He has his reasons,” Belz says flatly.

“Right. That’s not suspicious at all .”

“It’s not my place to tell you, Zephyr,” he says, the use of my full name telling me just how serious this situation is.

“Well, now I have a better reason to go and find my dickhead brother,” I growl, storming out of Maddy’s room, leaving Belz and Oz still naked in bed. It’s about time my twin and I had a heart-to-heart. They don’t need to be there for that.

Not wasting any time, I head to the security room. After Oz complained about the walk to and from home for the millionth time, Luc installed a secret door only we could access that takes us from the security room directly to our living room. It’s damn convenient.

He’s not in the living room or the kitchen, so I head to his bedroom. I don’t bother knocking, his days of privacy from me are over. We didn’t used to be so at odds all the time. I mean, yeah, we’re brothers, we fought. But in the centuries we’ve been alive, we’ve been closer than two demons have a right to be. Until he came back from that damn mission . I don’t know why I never put the two together until Oz just complained about his attitude since he’s been back.

Something happened while he was gone. And it’s about damn time I find out what.

But he’s not in his room either. I do find a new series of locks and protection runes on the back of his door though.

What the fuck is all that about and where the fuck could he be?

I see a flash of blue just before I fall to the bed, the unexpected weight of a hellhound knocking me off balance. Flaming paws pin me to the bed as Fireball attacks my face. Guess someone missed me. I chuckle as I scratch the back of his neck, accepting all the love he wants to give. I’ve been away too much lately. I’m going to have to make it up to my sweet boy.

“Alright, sweet boy. I know, I know. I’m sorry. I won’t stay away so long anymore,” I tell him as I sit up with him in my lap. “In fact. I have someone I want you to meet.” It’s past time I introduce my favorite girl to my goodest boy.

“But first, I need to find Zar. You know where he is?” His fiery tail wags and he yips before jumping down and running to the door. Chuckling, I follow him out of the room and down the hall to the back door. The curtain is pulled back so I can see our entire backyard. I stop short when I see my serious, asshole twin lounging, on a fucking pink flamingo float, in the middle of our pool.

What the fuck?

Is that a little pink umbrella in his drink?

I slide the door open and step outside, staring at my brother as if he’s been body snatched.

“Who the hell are you?” I blurt, enjoying it a little too much when he almost falls off his float at my sudden appearance.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he snaps.

“Ummm. Pretty sure I still live here.”

“Really? Think Fireball may argue against you there.”

Rolling my eyes, I kill the small talk. “What the fuck happened on that mission ?” I demand.

He freezes, much like Belz did earlier when we were talking about it. Yeah. Something’s definitely up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He brings his glass to his lips, avoiding looking at me as he takes a sip of his fruity cocktail. My brother is drinking a fucking cocktail. What is happening right now?

“You can stop lying to me now. I already talked to Belz, and even if I hadn’t, that,” I point my finger up and down him, “was suspicious as fuck.”

His head jerks toward me. “What did he tell you?”

Not as much as you just did with your reaction.

“Enough. How about you tell me what happened and why you’ve been hiding it from me?” I arch a brow as we stare into each other’s eyes. Twin eye contact is a serious thing. He finally gives in and climbs off his float.

“If I’m going to have this conversation again, I’m not doing it on a fucking flamingo ,” he grumbles as he climbs out of the pool.

“Hey. You’re the one that was on it,” I tease.

“Because it’s the only float Fireball hasn’t chewed a hole in,” he gripes.

“Oh my Devil! Are you drinking frou-frou drinks on a flamingo floatie?” Oz’s boisterous laughter rings out through the yard.

“Didn’t you hear Oz? I’m retired!” Zar yells to Oz before muttering under his breath. “Oh great. The gang’s all here.”

I’m surprised it took so long for them to catch up to be honest. I spare a glance their way. “Zarreth was just getting ready to let me in on the big dark secret. I’m sure you’d like to know too, right Oz?”

“Always like knowing a demon’s biggest darkest secret.” He smirks.

I smile at my brother but it’s far from friendly. “You were saying?”

Flipping me off, he wraps a towel around his waist and sits on one of the lounge chairs, again avoiding eye contact.

“I wasn’t on a mission…”

No shit Sherlock. I figured that much out.

“I was chained up in Luc’s torture chamber.”

“I’m sorry, you were what ?” I couldn’t have heard him right. There’s no way he just said what I think he did. One look at Belzar confirms he’s telling the truth.

“I knew something was up with him. We used to hang out in his torture room all the time then not long after Zofina got back, he got too busy. Whenever I would ask, he’d just brush me off and say he had a special victim he had to tend to… That was you ?”

Zar downs the rest of his cocktail, his silence speaking volumes.

“Why would Luc do that?” I finally ask after what must be the longest thirty seconds of my life.

“Because I was responsible for him losing the second most important demon to him. You should know no one escapes Hell without the big guy knowing. How do you think Zo got out?”

“ You helped Zo? But how? Why ?” I gasp.

“Because she asked me to.” He rolls his eyes. “What was I supposed to do? I could never say no to her.”

“Thank the devil you didn’t,” Belz says. “Maddy wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t.”

“Don’t remind me,” Zar sneers.

“I’m serious, Zar. I know you went through hell for helping Zo. But something good came out of you going against Luc. Maddy. ”

“Yeah. Good for you. Glad my punishment was all worth it to you ,” he snarls.

“Not just me, us.” Belz says gesturing to the three of us already mated to Maddy. “It could be worth it to you too if you’d just move past it. She’s your mate too. I’m sure of it.”

My brother scoffs before shaking his head and burying his face in his hands.

“He’s right, you know,” Oz agrees. “I’ve seen her mark. It has an empty spot just waiting for her last mate mark to come in. Yours .”

“Why have you seen her mate mark?” my twin demands, glaring at Oz.

“To make sure my mark was there too.” He shrugs.

“Fucking hell. You too?”

“Hell yes! And I’ve never been happier. You should get your head out of your ass so you can be happy too.”