27. Aeri

T he guys have been acting weird the last few days, like even weirder than before. It's as if they got body snatched. Where before I hardly saw them, now it's as if they're always there. I can't remember the last time the house was empty, or I went to work on my own. Even Kai has been around more, though it seems as though he wants to be anywhere else the whole time.

It's strange, but not unwelcome.

Ruin might be the only one who I can say hasn't really changed, but I already talked to him damn near every day.

I'm probably just overthinking things, right?

Pushing all thoughts of the guys aside, I lay staring up at the ceiling, trying to find the energy to get up. It's too early but I've learned the hard way once I'm up there's no going back to bed, so might as well get it over with.

Raised voices catch my attention, and I'm pretty sure I just found the reason I'm awake.

"Ugh." With a groan, I roll over, pulling the blankets up over my head. I might not be able to fall back to sleep, but I am not going out there if they're arguing. No, thank you.

"Now, what in Satan's name makes you think Rome would want Aeri?"

Hearing my name from Kai's lips is strange, but hearing them talk about Rome? How do they know him?

No, they can't. It's not possible.

I'd left, put hundreds of miles between us.

Calm down.

I take a second to breathe before the panic can consume me in a way that's all too familiar.

With a deep breath, I push the covers away and pull myself out of bed before tiptoeing over to the wall to listen better.

It's probably wrong, not at all what a good roommate should be doing, but they're talking about me, and I know if I go out there, they'll stop.

Pressing my ear to the wall, it's not hard to make out Asta's next words with his deep gravelly voice. "Because he told me. That's what he's here for, to collect on a deal. One in which some distant relative gave up the soul of a future female descendant in order to be rich. That future descendant just so happens to be Aeri."

I can't move.

His words sound crazy. You can't trade a soul for riches, or everyone would do it. Beyond that, even if you could, who would do that? Why would someone do that?

But even as crazy as it sounds, some part of me can't help but see how it might fit. How it would make so much of my life make sense.

This explains why my parents insisted I marry him, despite the fact that we had more than enough money.

"He owns her soul."

Owns. Her. Soul.

No!

No, that can't be true.

A whimper slips past my lips as his words ring over and over again in my head. I quickly cover my mouth, not wanting to be heard or to hear myself be so damn pathetic.

‘You are mine.'

He'd said those three words so many times in the past. I'd thought he meant because we were to be married, but what if it was more than that?

No! It doesn't matter what it means. If he owns me or he's just some fucking psycho who can't understand I ran to get away from him, he can't have me.

I need to leave, whether by bus, car, or hitchhiking. It doesn't matter so long as I'm moving.

Without wasting another second, I make my way into my closet and start shoving my clothes into it. Thankfully, even with all the extra money, I haven't had a lot of time to spend it. I went shopping with Lea once when she demanded we go and get me better clothes for work, but still, that was only a few outfits. Which means I still have more than enough room in my bag, and I don't have to leave anything behind this time. Not that it matters, if I had to I'd leave it all behind if it meant getting away.

A hand closes around my biceps, and a scream rips from my throat so loud I know my throat will hurt later.

"Aeri, hey, it's fine." Bast's voice is quiet as he turns me toward him, and I meet his blue eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

I can see that he's genuine, and I know he wouldn't scare me on purpose, but something in his eyes seems different. I can't put my finger on it, but he almost looks…scared?

Shaking myself from the thought and his grip, I make my way out of my closet and begin emptying my drawers.

"What are you doing?" His voice is quiet, and he almost sounds…sad.

Damn it, this is why I wasn't supposed to make connections. No friends and nobody to miss makes it easier to pick up and leave. It was how I was able to leave my home so easily, nothing was keeping me there.

How in the hell had I made more connections here in just a few months than I had back home in nineteen years?

I pause, my hand full of socks, when I look at him. I open my mouth to tell him that I'm leaving, that it's not safe here for me…

Fuck, anything would do right now, but instead, it's as if I'm incapable of speech, and I'm left standing here looking like a fish as I try and fail to speak. With a sigh of frustration, I give up, turning back to my bag and stuffing my handful of socks into the bag.

"Aerilyn?" The sound of my full name stops me dead, freezing me in place as panic grips me. Nobody knows my name here. It's not as if I'd been going by Sam, and someone called me Samantha; no, that would have been expected because it's a common name. Aerilyn isn't common. In fact, I've never met another person with my name or even heard it. Nobody has even asked if Aeri was my full name in the months I've been here.

So how the hell does Asta know my name all of a sudden?

My head spins as I try to make sense of it, but I would remember if I had given them my real name. I didn't even tell Lea.

"Aerilyn, what are you doing?" My heart hammers in my chest like it's trying to break out through my ribs. He's closer; I don't need to turn around to feel him as he enters my room and makes his way toward me. His presence is suffocating, as if he's larger than life, which is crazy considering the fact that he's huge.

I need to move, finish packing or even just cut my losses and make a run for the front door, but I can't. I'm not sure if it's because of him or the panic, but I'm stuck.

His hand is enormous as it closes around my shoulder before he spins me around to face him. My chest heaves as I attempt to keep my breathing even against my panic.

"Aeri, hey, you need to slow down your breathing, or you'll pass out."

Ruin?!

What the hell is going on?

"Get away from her." The heat in Bast's words is shocking. He's always so quiet that this almost sounds like someone else entirely.

"Get a hold of yourself, Bast. He's trying to make sure your precious mortal doesn't black out."

Kai's voice lacks the bite he usually has when he talks to me, but it's still not exactly nice. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure Kai knows how to be nice.

The sound of Kai's voice brings back the conversation I overheard just a few minutes ago and, with it, the drive to get moving.

"I need to go."

Shaking off Asta's hand, I quickly turn and grab my bag before heading toward the door. Anything left behind can be replaced later.

Fuck, I definitely need to find something for this headache though it feels like it's getting worse by the minute.

"Aeri," Kai calls after me, but I don't bother stopping, I can't, not if he's out there. Damn it, how could he have found me?

Running down the hall, I turn into the foyer and promptly run right into…Asta?

How in the hell?

I catch myself before I fall on my ass, but just barely. Shooting a glance back down the hall, I find not only Kai but Bast, Talian and Ruin making their way toward me.

This doesn't make any sense. How had Asta made it here before me? I left him back in the room when I made a run for it, I would have seen him pass me.

"Wh—what?" My head swims as I try to figure out what's going on but no matter how I spin it, it doesn't make sense, it shouldn't be possible.

Pain like I've never felt before shoots through my head. It's devastating and so intense it drops me to my knees.

"What's wrong with her?" I can hear Bast, but it's as if he's down a long tunnel. The pain continues to pulse in my head, and my vision blurs as tears fill my eyes and the world spins.

I fall back onto my butt and close my eyes as I force myself to take slow, deep breaths in hopes of staying conscious.

"Aeri?" It's the first time I've heard Talian speak, and I can hear the concern in that one word, but I can't bring myself to answer.

A hand that's not my own brushes back a piece of hair from my face, and I don't know how, but I know it's Asta's even without opening my eyes.

Flashes of things pass through my mind like a dream but they're so clear I swear they almost feel like memories. Asta with red, fire like eyes, Bast with fangs and a tail, Talian looking like Oliver?

None of it makes sense, but I can't bring myself to care as the pain intensifies beyond what I thought was possible, leaving me screaming on the ground.

Rome's voice rings in my ears. ‘ You can't run. You belong to me.' My stomach turns, and it has nothing to do with the pain.

He found me…why hadn't I already left?

What is happening?

"When who found you?" Kai's voice startles me, and I peel an eye open to find him at my side, much like the others. If I weren't one hundred percent sure he hated me, I'd almost think he looked worried, but that's probably just the pain talking.

I hadn't meant to say anything out loud, but judging by his question, I must have. Oh well, no use trying to hide it now.

"Rome." My voice doesn't sound like it usually does; instead, it's a bit squeaky, but at this point, I'm just happy to be able to form words still.

"Lift it."

"What? No, Asta, that's a bad idea. Mortals aren't meant to know the things she does." Kai argues with him, but there's no real heat in his words, almost as if he's simply stating a fact, and I guess he might be with whatever he's talking about.

"Rome's after her. She's never going to be just a mortal again, Kai." The sadness in Ruin's voice pulls at my heartstrings, and I peel my eyes open to find him watching me with a deep frown. Before I can think better of it, I reach out and grab his hand, giving it a squeeze and hoping it helps him feel better.

With a groan, Kai rolls his eyes before moving away, only to reappear a moment later, up near my head. His face has lost all trace of emotion, and a moment later, he leans forward, pressing both of his palms to my head.

The second his skin touches mine, the pain lessens enough that I feel like I can breathe again.

Just like a moment ago, I'm assaulted by memories, but this time, I know that's what they are without a shadow of a doubt: Bast and Talian fighting, finding out that Oliver is actually Talian, seeing them with horns, wings, and colorful eyes. The heat of Bast's skin when I touched him that night and running into Asta.

What the hell are they? How had I forgotten this? If Oliver is actually Talian…oh my god, I slept with Talian.

The room heats up, and I look to my left to find Bast with bright pink eyes. "Maybe don't bring it up right now, Darling." Talian pats my leg but quickly moves away when Bast growls.

I hadn't even realized I'd said anything out loud, but clearly, I'd made Bast mad.

"Sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Bast is quick to assure me, his brows pulling as he frowns down at me.

Memories keep flooding through my mind, chunks of time I'd been missing, random things that weren't adding up before all slid into place. In doing so, it left me with even more questions.

The night I had no memory of working a few weeks ago comes back, when I ran from the club in a panic.

Rome was there. He was the one who set the theme.

"I'm his butterfly."

"What?"

Pushing to sit, I ignore Kai's words of protest, I'm not sure if he's the reason I'm remembering or not but if so I'm good. I have enough memories to last me, in fact I wish I could give him the ones with Rome.

I take a deep breath, pulling my knees to my chest and hugging them close, finding comfort in myself. "He's always called me his butterfly, told me he called me that because they're beautiful, but if you clip their wings, they're helpless. Yours forever." My voice shakes, but I keep the tears in despite how much I want to let them free.

"The theme that night at the club was butterflies. People who were taken were instructed to clip their wings to let others know. It was Rome."

Talian's reaction tells me one thing, at least: They didn't seem to know I was on the run from Rome, which was my first concern when I heard them say his name.

But if they aren't helping him look for me, how the heck do they know him, and what are the odds I'd end up here?

"How are you here?" I turn to Ruin to ask him as my brain finally catches up, and I realize how strange it is. I didn't let him in. Other than when he brought me here when I first moved in, I wasn't aware he'd been back or would even remember where it was.

He chuckles, but it's not his usual happy, contagious chuckle; instead, it sounds as if he's a bit embarrassed. "Kai is a friend of mine, Sunshine," he nods toward Kai before carding a hand through his long hair. I realize it's down today. Strange, I'm not sure I've ever seen it down like that.

"Kai has friends?" I hadn't meant to say that aloud, but I can't bring myself to regret it when a smile curves Ruin's lips up, and Bast and Talian both attempt to hide a chuckle. Asta even almost smiles.

"Ha, very funny assholes." I hear Kai get up and walk away, and I have to resist the urge to look his way. I'm not sure why I give a damn where he's going when he's such an ass, but I do.

"Let's get you off the ground and a little more comfortable. I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Bast says, and while he sounds sure and confident, he seems almost hesitant to touch me. After a moment, he scoops me up into his arms bridal style as if I weigh nothing, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of the hottest things ever.

I hear the others move to follow us as Bast carries me toward the main living room, the one with the damn chandelier, that I realize now I've never actually been in.

On the far side of the room, hugging the wall, there's a set of stairs. "There's an upstairs?" I ask before looking back over Bast's shoulder to see that there's a glass banister.

Bast chuckles and shakes his head at me. "You would know that if you didn't hide in your room all day."

Oh, he's one to talk. "That's rich coming from the guy who ran away from me for weeks. "

"She's got you there, Bast," Ruin laughs as he enters the living room behind us. I shoot him a smile over Bast's shoulder to thank him for being on my side, and he winks, which, of course, leaves my cheeks warm.

Bast growls, and I feel the vibration in his chest. You know, kind of like when a cat purrs, only less happy sounding. His eyes are narrowed, and while he isn't looking at Ruin, I get the feeling he doesn't like him. He'd been fine before Ruin talked.

His growl reminds me of his and Talian's argument the other day, the one I'd all but forgotten until just a few minutes ago. Bast had been upset with Talian and not just like a little growl, no he was pissed.

So pissed he…grew horns and fangs?

That can't be right, can it?

Bast stands near the couch holding me, and I should probably do something or say something, maybe tell him to put me down, but I don't really want to. Instead, all I can do is cock my head as I look at him, trying to imagine him the way I see him in my memory.

My head throbs, and I drop my forehead to his chest with a groan.

"What's wrong?" Talian asks, and I hear him move as if to come toward me. I can't help but stiffen.

The room spins as Bast turns me away from Talian with a growl that, this time, sounds like a wild animal.

What the hell is going on right now?

Honestly, I'm not sure, but I can tell you I don't need another argument between these two.

"Don't," I tell Bast, gently pressing my hand to his chest to try to get his attention. It takes a second, but it seems to do the trick, and when his eyes meet mine again, they glow pink, just like that night.

As fast as he got worked up, he's back to normal, looking down at me as if I'm the strange one.

"What are you doing?" he asks, sounding confused but also slightly amused.

"Oh." I move back, realizing how close I'd just gotten to his face. "Sorry, I was um..." Crap, I'm not sure what I planned to say, but I'm pretty sure there's no other way to say it.

Fuck it.

"I was trying to see if you actually have fangs," I say in a rush before I can chicken out.

I'm not sure what I expected, but I swear they all freeze, and I worry I've just made a terrible mistake.

Bast shifts on his feet before clearing his throat and are his cheeks red?

"Would you hate it if I did?" His voice is so low I almost miss the question. Even though I'm still in his arms, I quickly shake my head the second it registers.

"No! No, I wouldn't hate that. I just wasn't sure if I was losing my mind or not. I feel like I'm not really sure what's going on anymore. Like yesterday I was a normal girl who was just rooming with some guys and now…" I look around the room at the guys, and minus Ruin, I've seen each of them with crazy, unexplainable features. Eyes in colors that aren't possible, horns, tails, wings, fangs, and Talian apparently has the ability to change well, everything about himself.

"Now, I'm not sure what's going on or what you guys are."

I keep expecting Bast to put me down, for someone to start laughing and say this is all some kind of joke, an elaborate prank, but it doesn't happen. Instead, Bast sinks down on the couch with me still in his arms, leaving me to sit on his lap. I don't hate it, but judging by the looks from the others, some of them do.

Like Kai.

"Demons. Or in mine and Kai's case, devils, which is really just a higher ranking." Asta says, and while that makes the horns, fangs, and all that make sense, I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it.

"You're all, demons…"

"Yes, demons," Kai snaps, clearly not appreciating the fact that it needs to be repeated. But he can go fuck himself because it's not every day someone tells you they're a demon or that you're living with a bunch of them. His eyes narrow as he watches me, and I want to flip him off so bad, but also, maybe not a great idea to piss off a demon.

"With the exception of Ruin, that is." Bast sounds almost like he's mocking him, and when I look at Ruin, he's looking down at his lap almost as if ashamed.

Without really thinking about it, I elbow Bast, and he lets out a quiet oof.

"Be nice."

He grumbles under his breath, rubbing at his chest where my elbow hit, but after a second, he huffs a sigh, and I'll take it as a sign of agreement. Ruin peeks up at me and I can see the amusement in his face but still he doesn't answer.

"He's a fucking angel, a guardian angel, okay? Anything else, or can we go back to our regularly scheduled shit show?"

"Kai," Asta sounds like he's more than used to dealing with Kai's asshole attitude, and I imagine if they're demons or devils, they have had plenty of time together.

Poor Asta.

"Yeah, actually, I have a few questions."

"Of course you do," Kai rolls his eyes before sinking back into the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. "I knew this was a terrible idea. Mortals aren't supposed to know for a damn reason."

"Is he always this whiny?" I stage whisper to Bast, making sure I'm still loud enough for Kai to hear me.

If looks could kill, Kai would have brought my soul right to hell—ha, get it, because he's a demon—but his look only holds my attention for a second before I hear something I've never heard before.

Asta chuckles.

Holy, or should I say unholy hell…

Asta's smile is devastating, and the sound of his chuckle is like a warm embrace. What the hell would it be like to hear him actually laugh? I suddenly really want to know.

Bast clears his throat, startling me from my thoughts, and I realize every set of eyes in the room is fixed on me as I all but drool over Asta.

Wonderful.

"What were your questions?" Bast asks, and instead of seeming upset like he was when I was talking to Ruin, he seems all too amused by my reaction to Asta.

I'm going to go ahead and guess Ruin isn't his favorite person, not Talian's either if I go on the side eye he keeps giving him.

"Oh, right!" I sit up straight, almost headbutting poor Bast, but thankfully, he's quick. "So first of all, the like horns and wings and stuff, are those like your real forms?"

I wait, looking from one to the next, but although I'm almost positive any of them answer, they don't. Finally, I look at Asta, and he seems to be deciding something, his gaze damn near looking through me.

"The forms you saw are an in-between. Some features like horns, tails, and wings are from our true forms, but we're still relatively human-looking outside of that. In Hell, we're…" he trails off, and I feel like a kid waiting on the next part of the epic story from their parents as I hang on every word he says. "Bigger, I guess you could say. Very different from what mortals look like, or even believe us to look like."

I absorb everything he says, really trying to make sure I understand. While I can't really picture what he's saying, I'm not sure if it would be rude or not to ask him to show me. It's probably better not to push my luck even more right now.

Without really thinking about it, I turn to look at Ruin and find him staring at me with a soft smile on his lips.

"I look a lot like this but with big 'ol feathery white wings and brighter than the sun. You saw a very watered-down version when I went to Purgatory. Mortals can't actually look at angels in their divine forms. You would go blind."

Well, that's terrifying…

"Nah, your hair is a lot longer if I remember right," Talian says, shaking his head. "And you could totally show her your wings for real. Don't act like you're so special."

Ruin glares at Talian, but if he notices, he doesn't seem to give a shit. Yeah, I definitely think there's something between Tailan, Bast, and Ruin. Strange that of all the guys, he's able to be friends with Asta and Kai, the two who seem the least likely to have friends or want them. Though I guess nothing says Asta and Ruin are friends. Asta just doesn't seem to hate him the same way the other two do.

Ruin puffs up his cheeks before blowing out all the air real quick as if prepping himself for something. He claps, and it rings around the room as he jumps up off the couch and moves into the open space between the couch he was on and the one I'm on with Bast.

"Would you like to see my wings?" he asks, sounding almost unsure. By god, I didn't think it was possible for him to be any more dreamy.

I damn near trip over my own feet trying to get up and meet him in the middle of the room nodding like a crazy person.

"Woah, calm down," he says with a chuckle as he reaches out to steady me, but how the hell can he expect me to be calm?

Wings. They have wings. I mean, the guy's horns and eyes, hell, even the fangs and tails were cool, but wings…to be able to be so free.

Some of my excitement dies as my mind wanders to why I need to be free.

Rome.

Before I can go too far down that line of thought, the room fills with a blinding white light, and I'm forced to cover my face even as I turn my back to Ruin.

It only lasts a moment before I'm all but engulfed in darkness. The extreme is so much I wonder if maybe they weren't joking. Am I blind now?

"Satan's sake, Ruin, rein it in." Asta chides him like he's a child, and I want to defend him, but the darkness is so consuming it's almost disorientating.

Before I can really start to panic, the darkness dissipates, and I'm once again standing in the middle of the living room. It takes me a second to get my bearings, blinking hard to get my eyes to adjust yet again.

I expected to find Ruin, but instead, Asta stood with his back to me. Massive black and red wings extended from his back, and I pressed a hand to my mouth in an attempt to hold back my gasp.

I'd seen people at the club with wings but I thought they were fake. I'd never really looked too close. I mean, I wore horns, and they weren't real.

This is nothing like that, though. No, there's no way to deny these are real. I can see the detail, the way the black, almost leather-like material stretches across each section. They look like someone mixed a bat and a dragon, so otherworldly, so beautiful, so soft?

I don't know what I expected or when I got so damn close, but it was as if they called to me.

I had to feel them.

Asta's back stiffens, his wings outstretched as if encouraged to open by my touch, and I can't help the smile that tugs at my lips, seeing them extend to their full potential.

Unfortunately, I don't know the first thing about wings or wing etiquette, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to do that.

My smile lasts all of two seconds before Asta tucks his wings close to his back and turns around fast enough that he's able to grasp my wrist before I have a chance of pulling away.

"Never. Touch. A demon's wings."

I should apologize, it's clear I pissed him off but I can't bring myself to do it and it's got nothing to do with him being scary. No, I'm just not sorry. Touching his wings… I don't know how to explain it, it felt like they were calling to me, like I was missing that contact my whole life.

It sounds crazy, even to me, a human girl standing in a room full of demons and an angel. So, instead of saying anything, I nod. After a moment of squirming under his intense gaze, he releases me before turning away to move back to the chair he chose to sit in instead of the couch.

"How do you know Rome?"

Asta freezes midstep but doesn't turn back around.

"He was once my brother." I watch as he moves past the chair to the stairs. I should let it go; clearly, this is a sore topic, but I need to know.

"Am I safe here, or should I leave?" My voice sounds tiny and pathetic, even to myself. I can only imagine how I sound to them. I don't want to be weak, but Rome has taught me over and over again that I'm no match for him.

Asta stops at the top of the stairs, and I watch as he changes before my eyes. His horns grow from his head, long and thick, standing so tall. His eyes change to once again look like fire swirls inside of them, and I'm pretty sure I see a black tail flick behind him, almost as if he's agitated.

"Let us handle him, Aeri. You're not going anywhere."

I want to argue, to tell him he's not my boss and that I'll go wherever I damn well please, but I also don't. Something about his words is comforting, knowing I won't have to face Rome alone anymore. It's as if a weight is lifted from my shoulders, and suddenly, I feel like I could cry.

It's not until a moment later, when the sound of a door closing in the distance almost frees me from a trance, that I realize he's even left.

Turning back to the others, everyone's faces are guarded, and I get the feeling there's more to it than that, but I don't really want to ask anymore.

For the first time in a long time, I might be safe, and if that means being roommates with demons. Well, that's an improvement from belonging to Rome.