4. Van

4

VAN

Something smells divine. Like sunshine and rain and rainbows, if rainbows had a scent. I breathe deeper, trying to take in more of the scent, trying to drag it across my tongue to taste it. My body aches, which isn’t something I’m used to at all. Even after a brawl in the Hell realm, I’ve never hurt this much. What the fuck did Poe do to me?

There’s a slight weight on my chest.

“I hope you’re okay with me touching you,” someone whispers, then there’s a light pressure on my face. The warm cloth instantly soothes me.

“I don’t know who you are, but you can touch me anytime.”

They squeak when I circle my hands around their waist. I’m enjoying the peace and quiet with my eyes closed, but I want to see who disturbs my slumber so sweetly. Also, why on earth are they sitting on me?

Slowly, I force my eyes open and suck in a breath. There’s a halo of light illuminating their pretty black hair that just dusts their shoulders. It looks so damn soft with gentle waves. Brown eyes take me in as I imprint every detail of them into my memory. Their plush lips part and a pretty pink tongue pokes out to moisten them. They’re slight build, but there’s muscle there, too.

“Are you an angel?” The words blurt out before I can stop myself.

They shake their head and give me the smallest smile. “Close.”

What the hell does that mean?

“I’m Gabe. He him.” Gabe still hasn’t moved, and I don’t want him to. His t-shirt is covered in blood. My blood, I realize. He drops his gaze to my chest, right where the countdown device sits and his cheeks go pink. “I was told you’re Van. Nice to meet you, finally.”

“Hopefully, all the stories were good ones.” I smirk, knowing full well he’s probably heard all of my worse parts.

“They certainly entertained me.” The cutest grin graces his face, and I swear the halo gets brighter.

There’s a pop to our left and the familiar crackle of energy I know to be Warwick fills the room.

“Well, I knew what to expect from you, Van.” My brother crosses his arms over his chest and frowns at the two of us. “But Gabe, I thought you’d be able to resist my brother.”

“It’s not what it looks like,” Gabe says, going even pinker and scrambles to get off me.

“Aw, I want you to stay, angel,” I tease, as I tighten my hold around his hips.

Warwick ignores me to address Gabe directly. “You are straddling my brother. What do you think it looks like?”

Gabe squeezes his towel so hard the water drips into my chest. “I couldn’t reach anything from the side of the bed and he was passed out and?—”

Wick’s lips twitch, and he doubles over. “I’m just giving you a hard time. I’m glad that of all the people to find him, it’s you.”

“I didn’t find him, he sorta?—”

“Poe shoved me through the veil right into Hex.” I growl, causing Gabe to shiver on top of me. If he doesn’t watch it, he’ll make me hard and I’m fighting as it is.

Wick’s glee fades away. “I wish you would have just faced the consequences earlier. Now you have to deal with this.” He waves a hand towards me and I assume he means the countdown.

“I’ve never been one to make things easy on myself.”

“I know.” Warwick runs a hand through his hair and gives me the look that says he wants to talk, and I owe him that. I owe him a lot.

The moment I release Gabe, he slides off me and scurries away with his bowl of water. I almost wish he’d stay.

Wick sits on the bed and I have to wonder if the frame will hold up, I’m already a lot of weight on it.

“You can’t keep doing this shit,” he says. He clutches the edge of the mattress like a lifeline and refuses to look at me. “I’m tired of being punished for your fuck ups. It’s exhausting.”

My stomach tumbles and I push myself up to sit, but my nerve endings are on fire and I have to grit my teeth. “What has Poe done?”

“Not him, you .” Wick pokes me in the stomach. “I’ve had to get double the deals since you ran away. You’d think Poe would have figured out you just don’t give a fuck back when he assigned me my crossroads at fifteen because of you.”

“I give a fuck,” I mumble.

“Funny way of showing it.” Wick’s never ever talked to me like this. We’re as close as can be. He’s the rational thinker while I’m… me.

I squeeze his shoulder. “You don’t understand. Poe?—”

“Poe is an excellent leader and if you can’t see that, you’re just not trying.” Wick pushes to his feet. “I love you, Van. But I can’t be around you until you get your act together. Your actions give me punishments. I’m tired, Van. So tired. And punishing me obviously doesn’t work to get you to stop acting like a selfish fool.”

“That’s why Poe is a shitty leader. I hadn’t realized that’s what he was doing.” I swipe a hand down my face. It’s obvious now that Poe was punishing Wick to get to me, but I’m not the brightest bulb sometimes.

“To everyone else, it was obvious what was happening. You don’t pay attention to anyone but yourself.”

“That’s not true!”

“Prove it then. Poe says you have one month. Figure it out because I don’t want to gather your ashes if you fail. I’m tired of being left behind.”

Before I can respond, Wick disappears.

“Well. Fuck.” I drop my head on the headboard and stare at the ceiling while trying to drag in deep breaths. Wick’s words jab me in the heart. I’m tired of being left behind. The statement whirls in my head over and over. I left him too, just like that. I thought I was doing the right thing. Killing Drake to protect my friends from the spiraling witch, then running. But running just put a bigger burden on Wick and gave me a countdown I might not survive.

Our childhood wasn’t great. Mother dropped me off at the creche before I could lift my head. Then seven years later, she dropped Warwick off and told me to be a good big brother and take care of him.

Neither of our fathers wanted to raise a kid. And neither had our mother. It’s been the two of us against everyone else. Surely he knows how much I love him? I’d do anything for Wick. I’d burn all the realms down for him.

“You must be hungry,” Gabe says, as he re-enters the room with a paper plate containing a pile of sandwiches. “I don’t know what you like, so I threw a few things between some slices of bread.” He shrugs. “They’re kinda plain, and dry, because I haven’t been to the store in a while and I don’t like a lot of condiments.” A cute shiver runs across him as he hands me the plate. “Mayo is evil.”

I stick out my tongue. “Very evil.” I lift a slice of bread and examine his offering. Ham, turkey, cheese. All yummy foods. “Thank you.” I set the plate on the nightstand beside me and grab the top sandwich.

Gabe tips his head. “I’ll let you eat in peace.”

“You don’t have to go,” I say, hoping he stays. My thoughts and memories can’t take over.

His eyes dart to the corner and I realize the room has dozens of plants. “I’ll be right back.” He gives me another grin as he turns to leave again.

“I suppose you heard what Wick said?” I say before he gets too far.

“I did. Do you wanna talk about it?”

My shoulders drop. “If I’m honest, I don’t know.”

He nods and scurries out. The man doesn’t even know me, yet he’s shown me so much kindness. Maybe I can learn from him?

Before I can think too much more, Gabe’s back with a watering can.

“You know, it’s okay to be selfish, but not all the time.” He tips the spout of his watering can into a big bushy plant by the window. “When you’re selfish all the time, it irritates people.”

“I’m aware.” I bite into the sandwich. How the fuck is it so damn good?

“Pike texted me the details he could get out of Poe. Apparently, no other crossroads demon is allowed to help. They can’t offer you shelter, or food, or anything other than friendship.”

I grind my teeth and try not to show my irritation. I’d been hoping to stay over at Pike’s Hex house since I can’t go home. “That’s inconvenient.”

“I told him you can stay with me.”

My mouth opens and the bite I’d taken almost tumbles out. “What? You don’t even know me.”

He shrugs. “Pike trusts you, and I trust Pike. Lark trusts you and I trust Lark. Wick loves you, and?—”

“Do not say what I think you’re going to say.”

Gabe laughs. “I was going to say I trust Wick. He’s still so in love with Ethan no one is ever going to get in.”

“That’s Wicky. Lovesick over a silly human born witch.” I blanch at the idea of ever loving a human, magical or not.

“I think it’s sweet.”

“It’s sad.”

Gabe frowns at me and moves on to a different plant. “You could support him. It doesn’t take a lot to simply give him a bit of hope. That’s all he needs.”

“He’s wasting his fucking time. Ethan’s been sent away because he’s a power player for the Speller family. That arranged marriage he’s supposed to have any day now? Yeah, the Spellers won’t let him free unless every bit of magic is drained from the boy. There’s powerful magic at play keeping those two apart.”

“Perhaps. But that’s not how Wick sees it. He’s been searching for Ethan alongside doing double the work because of you. And what have you been doing?” Gabe waters a few more plants before leaving me to my thoughts again.

I’ve been having the time of my life fighting in the Hell realm because I didn’t want to face the consequences of killing someone outside of a deal. Hardly even thinking of Hex or my brother. I’ve been fighting off the urge to find more evil doers and ripping their heads off, but I don’t relish punishment. Punishment, my brother always ends up taking.

“Soda, juice box, water?” Gabe’s back with his arms full of drinks, and I blink back at him.

“Why are you willing to help me?”

“That’s what I do. I help. I don’t have the constitution to be anyone significant like a doctor or nurse. But I can help in other ways.”

“Like teaching me a lesson.”

“Like giving you a place to stay. That said, you can stay, but I think you’ll need to pitch in for food. You probably eat a lot and I’ve only budgeted for myself.”

“All my money is?—”

Gabe lifts a hand. “You can get a job for the month if you need to. All I’m asking for is food money, which is probably the best deal you’ll find.”

It’s hugely generous for sure. “Hopefully, someone doesn’t mind if I pop in and out on the regular.”

“Speaking of. Pike said you can’t teleport unless someone summons you.” Gabe hands me a piece of paper. “That’s my address, so you can find your way back from your crossroads.” He tips his head toward the door. “The shower is that way. Get cleaned up and I’ll change the sheets.”

“I think I need a few more minutes.” I start in on the second sandwich.

“Of course. Take your time. Pike gave me the night off.”

“You work for Pike?”

“Bartender.” And there’s that grin again. Okay, that’s the goal. Keep Gabe smiling.

“I bet you get all the guys, gals, and pals all hot and bothered.”

“I keep busy.” He winks and the knowledge perks up my cock. I’d wondered if he was a prude.

I push to sit on the side of the bed and my head spins. “Oh, wow. That’s new.” It’s like my head goes swimming, but my body stays in the same spot.

Gabe rushes to me and grabs my shoulders. “Are you okay? Take a drink of water.” He opens the bottle and offers it to me. I gulp greedily before he snatches it away like a meanie. “Not so fast.” The back of his hand presses to my forehead. “Maybe you should stay in bed, you’re?—”

I grab his hand. “Angel, demons run hot.”

“Oh. Right.” And the blush is back. Blushing and grinning. That’s what I want.

“But, I do think…” My head spins and I fall back. I can’t keep my eyes open and sleep takes me again.