Rebirth—Day 62, hour 14
We stood in a line on the lawn of the arena.
Pipe hanging loose from my lips, I stared at the ocean. My wings were retracted tight against my spine, but it felt like boulders were sitting on my aching shoulders.
Salt burned my eyes.
The angel legion stood in a line with their wings proudly extended behind them. It was all for a show.
“Everyone here today has been blessed,” Lyla’s enchanted voice echoed across the island, and my ears buzzed. “The gods themselves have analyzed every second of the games.”
She paused. “And after careful consideration, the gods have determined that no more competitions are necessary. All teams will be given their demarcations for the war.”
The student section cheered.
Hollered and clapped.
They stomped their feet against the metal bleachers.
Lyla spread her arms wide as she said, “Every few millennia, a red giant explodes in the galaxy. It collapses in a solar system that contains a portal connecting it to realms within the jurisdiction of the High Court.”
White caps crested and crashed.
Sea-foam sprayed across black rocks and glistened maroon under the eclipse.
I didn’t blink.
I felt the weight of the kings’ gaze on me, and I made a point to not look over at them.
Lyla’s words were straight from a nightmare. “The resulting energy flow forces all portals open for indeterminate amounts of time. Centuries at the least.”
The arena was hushed as everyone leaned forward to hear better.
I leaned back.
“The High Court works with the leaders of realms to guard and protect these points of entry. This phenomenon has occurred hundreds of times in history, and in most cases, it is not a problem,” Lyla said calmly. “Until it is.”
Another wave crashed against the shore.
The tide pulled it back before it could get away.
Wind stung my cheeks.
Lyla’s voice had a dark edge. “The universe is infinite, and the location of all portals is unknown. When Red Giant 46B3 exploded three centuries ago, it forced open a portal to a realm that contained a sentient species. This opening allowed them to stream into other realms within the High Court’s jurisdiction.”
I took a deep breath.
“The species is called the ungodly, and they have infested multiple realms. Attempts to reason with them and eliminate infestations have been unsuccessful. They have taken over a realm and are on track to wipe out all civilization as we know it, if they are not stopped.”
The sea shimmered crimson as light sparkled across water.
It was pretty.
“The gods are bound by higher oaths to protect all sentient life,” Lyla’s soft voice rang across the silent arena. “Unfortunately, in this case, that includes the ungodly. Their hands are tied.”
People blanched and whispered.
Staggered.
Lyla paused, then said, “But the gods have not invested in our realms just to watch us fall. Gods cannot kill. But we serve them, and we can.”
Her green hair glowed. “Today I will announce the players in this war. Tomorrow they will lead armies.” Her voice rose. “Today I will name their roles. Tomorrow they will stand in front of our civilization and protect us from this threat. Today they pick up the mantle of leadership. Tomorrow, they bleed to defend us all.”
Another wave crashed.
Foam gripped the rocks as it clung desperately to land and as it was dragged violently back into the churning sea.
“Behold these men and women!” Lyla flung her arms wide in our direction.
Students clapped thunderously as they gave us a standing ovation.
Legions shuffled into straighter lines as everyone stood taller. Pulled back their chests with pride.
I hunched lower. Blew out a smoking crow that settled on my shoulder. Talons stabbed through cloth and pinched my skin.
“First, the gods viewed the showcase as a success. The gods have chosen the shifter legion and academy legion to be their champions, with the understanding that the child will be separated from the kings on the battlefield.”
The cheering increased, and it reminded me of the screams of the dying.
I looked over at where Jinx was holding on to Jax’s back.
The child was Jinx and she would never see a battlefield if I had anything to say about it. From the way the shifters were glaring at Lyla, they agreed with me.
Lyla waved her hands wide. “Next, the angel legion has been named the generals. They will work closely with the champions to coordinate the war efforts.”
I imagined the ocean on fire.
Bloodred flames burning across the horizon.
“The next three teams will work specifically within their designations. The assassin legion will lead the spies. The devil legion will lead the assassins, and the leviathan team will lead the foot soldiers. All the legions will answer directly to the champions, who will work directly with the representatives of the gods.”
My right eyelid twitched.
She described the structure of a classic war machine.
The type designed to keep everyone close enough to commit atrocities but far enough away from one another to shield culpability.
Those at the top doing most of the former with the least of the latter. Wonderful.
I stared at the ocean.
Lyla smiled broadly. “That concludes the Legionnaire Games. Congratulations everyone. Students and competitors can mingle and rejoice. Well done.”
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Bullets exploded and adrenaline pounded through my chest.
I froze.
But there was no scent of gunpowder. No gore.
Enchanted fireworks sparkled all around, and students cheered and streamed onto the field.
Bodies everywhere.
Competitors moved around me as they congratulated one another and gossiped about the war.
Frozen in time, I dissociated from myself.
Colors and textures disappeared.
Everything blurred.
A soft hand on my neck pulled me down, and I broke my staring contest with the ocean.
Large ruby eyes leaned close to my face.
“Thanks for saving Jinx,” Sadie whispered brokenly. “They showed us the film, and I can’t believe we came so close to losing her.”
I inhaled enchanted smoke and exhaled slowly. “It wasn’t like I had a choice,” I mumbled.
Sadie threw her arms around me and buried her head in my shoulder. She trembled against me as tears soaked my sweatshirt, and she whispered softly, “I don’t want to go to war.”
I held her tighter. “Same, bitch.”
“I’m too pretty for war,” she whined.
I nodded in agreement and said sarcastically, “Military uniforms have never been my style. I don’t have the boobs for a slutty soldier look. It will make me look too boxy.”
Sadie gasped on a watery sob. “I just want to read smutty books and have family dinners. Maybe stab a couple of people who deserve it and call it a day. Not lead a war.”
She cried harder, and I shook.
“Don’t laugh at me,” she wailed pathetically.
I couldn’t hold back the noise that exploded from my lips. “Sorry, I know it’s a serious moment.”
Sadie sobbed louder. “We’re all gonna die.”
“That is the goal. Why are you crying so violently?” I asked between chuckles.
“This is not helping, Aran,” Sadie whined pitifully. “I’m trying to have a moment.”
I snorted. “Is this because you’re technically not the only champion anymore? Are you having a pity party because you’re not special?”
“A little bit.” Sadie smiled against my shoulder.
We chuckled at the joke as we hugged each other like touch alone could save us.
“Can you two stop embarrassing me?” Jinx snapped her fingers in my face. “Seriously, people are looking, and I’m tired of being asked if my mothers are lunatics.”
We pulled back to stare up at her.
Jax grinned down at us as he gave Jinx a piggyback. Where her leg had been was a stump with a white bandage, but other than that, she looked healthy and hale.
Well, as healthy as a five-foot-tall emaciated pale maniac could look.
“People think we’re your mothers. Me and Aran?” Sadie asked incredulously. “They actually think the two of us created you?”
If looks could kill, Jinx would have annihilated her on the spot.
Jinx spoke slowly like she was talking to idiots. “Yes, because you spread the rumor yourself.”
Sadie’s eyes widened. “But they actually believe it?”
“Yes,” Jinx said through gritted teeth.
Sadie slowly turned around and lowered her forehead against my shoulder. She burst into sobs. “That’s so beautiful.”
Clearly, she was not handling the thought of war well. Sadie wailed loudly, and I patted her back awkwardly.
“I can’t believe you’re an angel.” She cried out louder. “So beautiful.”
I patted her harder.
Jinx wasn’t wrong; other legions were staring at us with expressions of disgust.
I glared at them until they looked away.
Jinx stared down at me from Jax’s back, and a strange expression crossed her face. “Good work, Aran.” She cleared her throat. “You were impressive. Thanks for saving me.”
I beamed up at her.
She mumbled something about me getting too cocky, but she blushed as I blew a kiss at her.
I loved this moment for us.
Before I could needle the bizarrely bashful teenager, the three kings were looming above us, blocking out the light, and if that wasn’t a metaphor for my life, then I didn’t know what was.
Malum growled, “Why is she touching…” He trailed off as I arched my brow.
Flames danced across the top of his head as he fisted his hands and stared down at me. He relaxed his posture and tried to seem calm, but smoke puffed from his nose and ruined the effect.
“Yes, Ignis?” I asked haughtily.
He swallowed thickly.
Scorpius dragged his hand across his jaw, and Orion shifted back and forth uncomfortably.
I smiled as I squeezed Sadie tighter against me. “What was it you were going to say?” I asked.
Malum’s silver eyes gleamed with unspoken emotion.
Did I know what an Ignis was? No.
But I could pick up on context clues, and it obviously had something to do with devil mates. Did I care? Also no.
But Malum clearly did, and that was all that mattered.
It was nice to watch him squirm.
Truly the highlight of my day.
Ever since they’d had a delusional episode and convinced themselves I was their mate, they’d been acting all weird toward me. It was freaking me out.
They kept following me around, which they always did, but now it just seemed pathetic.
Malum had dark circles under his eyes, and they were bloodshot.
A familiar look.
I pressed a kiss to the top of Sadie’s forehead, and all three of the kings doubled forward like I’d punched them.
I rolled my eyes and covered her face with kisses.
Sadie moaned dramatically like she was getting aroused, and I gently kicked her to make her knock it off.
“So hot,” she mumbled like a moron.
Malum moaned pitifully like I was torturing him, and I swallowed down laughter. It was too easy with them.
Horse screamed expletives and flapped aggressively on my shoulder.
I agreed with his sentiment.
Malum bit down on his lower lip like he was physically trying to stop himself from screaming at me. Scorpius stared at Horse with wide eyes, and Orion winced and rubbed at his arm.
“As much as I enjoy this little moment,” I said sarcastically, “I also don’t like it. Like, at all. For the tenth time, let me be very clear. I am not your missing mate. I hate the three of you.” I enunciated each word like I was talking to a child, “You were not nice to me. You started to treat me kind of okay, and then you left me to suffer as it rained glass.” I scoffed. “Then you accused me of being a liar.”
I narrowed my eyes like I was thinking. “I believe there was something about putting my body on a spike in front of a shack?”
Malum blanched and he looked like he was going to be sick. His bronze face paled.
He looked distraught.
Good.
“I will never be your mate,” I said cruelly.
Malum’s wide shoulders expanded as he fisted his hands and took a step toward me.
Flames shot out of his mouth as he spat, “It doesn’t work that way. You’re our Revered, which means it’s our life purpose to protect you.” He clenched and unclenched his fists. “Even if you’re a woman and an angel. You’re ours. I said certain things in the heat of the moment that I regret. It will never happen again.”
Scorpius nodded. “You don’t understand. You’re the center of our mate bond. We were born to cherish you. You’re our purpose.”
Who bought their crap?
I pointed at Orion as I glared at Malum. “I thought he was your purpose for living? Two weeks ago, you didn’t hesitate to sacrifice me to save him.”
All three of them made wounded noises.
“No offense,” I said to Orion. “I honestly don’t hold that against you, since they—” I mimed punching myself in the head and stuck my tongue out like I was dead.
Warm brown eyes widened, and he took a step toward me.
His stunning features looked sad, and it broke my heart to step away from him.
But someone had to do it.
I shook my head, and Sadie stumbled as I pulled her back with me. “But I still am not interested in being your mate.” I waved my fingers at them. “The three of you can find someone else.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Malum snarled through gritted teeth.
He dragged his hands over his shaved head like he was losing his shit. The dagger tattooed on his neck glinted. Pink petals floated across Orion’s collarbone, and I was 90 percent sure the eye on Scorpius’s neck winked at me.
I took another step backward and said, “We have a working relationship and nothing else. We’ll remove the slave tattoo, win the war, and part ways.”
“No,” Orion said loudly, and the lyrical note echoed around the arena.
Everyone stopped moving.
Every single competitor and student went still.
Like zombies.
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you threatening me?”
“No,” Orion mouthed. “That’s not what I meant.” His eyes filled with sadness as his perfect features became crestfallen.
He was so lovely I wanted to tell him I didn’t mean it.
Like a switch had been flipped, everyone resumed talking and moving about like they hadn’t just been frozen.
Goose bumps exploded down my spine, and my feathers fluttered.
The power the kings had was obscene.
It was ghastly.
Instead of taking the hint, they walked toward me like they were going to attack.
Sadie squeaked in my arms and wailed dramatically, “Protect me, Aran.”
“Really.” I pushed her off me.
“What?” she asked. “Technically, you’re the only one who can protect me from them.”
“Go bother your mates. I need to deal with the psycho devil men.” As soon as the words left my lips, Cobra swooped in and grabbed Sadie by the back of the neck.
Her mates piled around her protectively like they’d just been waiting for us to stop hugging so they could grab her.
“You know we can hear you?” Scorpius sneered.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s the point.”
“She’s pretending to shoot you with a finger gun,” Orion whispered, and Scorpius snapped back, “I don’t need to know that.”
I pretended to shoot him faster, with both hands as quickly as I could.
“Now she’s shooting you rapidly,” Orion said.
Scorpius’s eye twitched.
“Aran!” John shouted, and I swiveled toward him, grateful to have a buffer between myself and the kings.
He jogged over with Luka following behind. “Sorry for the delay. Luka and I just wanted to confirm before we came and asked.”
John’s easygoing grin wobbled, and he clutched onto his twin’s shoulder for support. He blushed a deep red as he gazed at me intently.
I arched my eyebrows back at him. “Hit me with it. I mean, it’s not like we just found out we’re leading a realm-wide war.”
John relaxed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe, Aran.” He grinned and trailed his fingers across my back where my wings were retracted underneath the skin. My knees wobbled.
Pleasure spiked.
Then pain.
Scorpius cocked his head to the side with a scowl while Malum and Orion stared at where John’s fingers were skating across my back.
Luka took a step closer and flanked me on the other side.
Their body heat chased away the chilly air.
I leaned closer to the twins and relaxed into their friendly embrace.
“Will you accept this?” Luka pulled a glittering diamond bracelet out of his pocket.
The diamonds were stunning and bright and dripped with black jewels.
I fingered the cold weight of John’s necklace; I’d honestly forgotten I’d been wearing it.
He looked so unsure and earnest that I smacked his shoulder with a grin and said, “Of course, I’d never turn down diamonds. I’m not dumb.”
Luka beamed down at me.
I almost staggered backward from the amount of happiness radiating off the normally stoic man.
“That’s not all we wanted to ask,” John said as he stepped away from me and stood beside his twin. Standing side by side, they were physically identical, but their energy was like night and day.
You could see it in the way they held themselves.
John’s posture was loose, like he was aloof and perpetually unbothered by life. Luka stood ramrod straight. His muscles were tight like he was ready to fight at any second.
Both their cheeks turned pink as they stared at me.
Then they fell to their knees in tandem.
John’s voice shook as he said, “Aran, will you accept our betrothal jewelry and agree to link your life with ours in love? For all of eternity?”
I blinked.
“What?” I whispered as confusion filled me.
Luka raked his hand through his messy dark hair and stared up at me like I meant everything. “We were bound by an obligation somewhere else, but we’ve been released from our obligation to pursue our true love. Our future wife.”
I pressed my hand to my chest.
“Um, are you sure?” I asked incredulously. “You know a war is coming, right?”
My heart was pounding against my sternum.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” John said in a serious tone. “We want to be by your side, no matter the circumstances.”
I forgot how to breathe.
John grinned bashfully. “As you’ve probably guessed, bestie, we’re only part human.” He winked and flashed his dimples. “If you want to get technical.”
I blinked rapidly.
“We’re the Princes of Darkness,” Luka said.
John nodded and looked chagrined. “We’d tell you more, but then we’d have to kill you.” He winked, then his expression fell. “But this isn’t some scheme to bond with you and get out of our duties. We’ll always have obligations elsewhere. It’s just we both met you and knew that we didn’t want to be away from you.”
Luka stared at me intently. “We couldn’t do it.”
“Plus”—John smiled—“we have lots of cousins, and none of the kings or queens in our family had approved a betrothal request. They always found them lacking.”
“Until you,” Luka said.
“Father actually demanded we unite with you after we gave him your name. You’re wearing the Necklace of Death, and it is the only one in all the realms. Many people have died to possess its beauty.” John winked cheekily. “It reminds me of you.”
Luka pointed to my bracelet.
“And that is the Bracelet of Power. They both are rumored to bring their wearer glory. It’s glorious, just like you.”
My face warmed impossibly hot.
“Wow,” I whispered.
The precious stones burned where they lay across my flesh.
“Aran, will you be the wife of the Princes of Darkness?” John asked softly as he looked up at me with wide eyes.
“Please,” Luka finished for him.
The world was shades of suffocating gray.
Time kept slipping through my fingers.
Nothing made sense half the time.
But they made sense.
For once in my life, I wanted to be someone’s first choice. I was tired of fighting against people.
I wanted people standing by my side.
“Yes,” I blurted out impulsively as tears spilled down my cheeks. As soon as I said the words, a sense of calm washed over me. It felt right.
I threw myself into their warm arms. “I’ll be your wife.”
“What?” Malum roared and tried to pull me away from them. “No, you can’t accept it. I let that charade go on because I knew it didn’t matter. You’re our Revered.”
Standing tall, the twins shoved me behind them protectively.
My twins.
Darkness glimmered around them.
“You can’t bond with them,” Scorpius sneered beside Malum. “You’re ours. We know we messed up, and we’ll make it up to you. But this. This can’t happen.”
Orion nodded as Malum smoldered.
I smiled over John’s shoulder at the kings, eyes still watering from emotions, and said, “I already told you. I refuse to be your Revered. I accept their proposal. Get over it.”
John turned around and pulled me into his arms.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and buried my face in his neck. Luka hugged my back and sandwiched me between them.
Malum exploded into flames as he hurled expletives at me, and his mates held him back.
“Dude, I really love you,” John whispered.
I peppered kisses across his jawline and asked, “Bestie, are we worried that we’re acting rashly?”
“Fuck no,” John snarled with uncharacteristic vehemence. “You’re everything to me. Do you think I hold everyone up in the freezing ocean for hours?”
Luka grunted in agreement and said gruffly, “We’ve only ever felt this way for you.”
I couldn’t hold back my chuckle. “You guys are so obsessed with me.”
“I know,” they said at the same time.
Suddenly Sadie was squealing like a lunatic and hugging the three of us. “We’re all going to be one big family,” she wailed.
John and Luka stiffened.
“Don’t touch her. She’s ours, not yours,” John warned.
Sadie and I laughed together.
We rejoiced like we didn’t have a care in the world.
The rest of the hour passed in a blur of celebrating with the twins while Malum stalked us across the arena.
The party continued into our bedroom with competitors and students passing around bottles of demon brew. Somewhere along the way, our room had become the designated party space, and everyone filtered in.
I was on the bed. John and Luka sat flush against me on either side, passing a bottle back and forth.
Our legs hung off the edge of the mattress.
Knees kicking back and forth.
Music filtered in, and there was a cheerful buzz about as everyone chatted and rejoiced the end of the Legionnaire Games. Every few seconds, someone passed by and congratulated us.
I was wearing John’s oversize sweatshirt, puffing on my pipe.
Coziness seeped through me.
Both the twins’ arms were flung over my shoulders.
“I can’t believe you both want to marry me,” I said with a chuckle as I took a long sip of the demon brew and chased it with some enchanted smoke from my pipe.
A nice full-body buzz had my limbs feeling light.
Head buzzing pleasantly, I poked at my cheeks and wondered when my face had gone numb.
John’s fingers were tracing a circle on my arm, and it was highly distracting.
Luka’s spicy scent made my mouth water.
Their thighs were pressed on either side of mine.
The buzzing in the room increased as more and more people filtered in. Someone closed the curtains, and the room was once again shadows and flames.
There were so many people that I couldn’t see any of my other teammates. Sadie had disappeared with her mates, and the bedroom was a sea of strangers.
“I can’t believe you agreed to marry both of us,” John countered as he nudged me with his shoulder.
I took a bigger gulp of demon brew and nudged him back.
“Do you…” I couldn’t get the words out and tipped my head back to chug the drink like my life depended on it.
John elbowed me and flashed his dimples. “What were you going to ask?” He grabbed the bottle from my hands and took a swill.
Luka stared at both of us with an inscrutable expression, the one he always wore.
His silent energy was intimidating.
I sucked on my pipe with so much force that it hurt my cheeks, and my lungs burned from a large quantity of enchanted smoke.
“Spit it out, dude.” John clapped me on my back, above where the wings protruded from my shoulder blades. He flashed a dimple as he grinned at me. His eyes were glassy, dark hair messy, and energy easygoing and friendly. Familiar.
“Are you sure—” I paused to grab the bottle out of John’s hands and chugged. “Are you sure you like me as more than a friend?” I blurted out.
The thighs pressed against me tensed.
Both John and Luka straightened their spines and looked down at me with similar expressions.
Eyebrows raised.
I felt a blush burn my cheeks, and I stared down at my cut-covered hands. Why would you ask them that when you still haven’t healed? What are you thinking?
They’d told me they loved me, but John had said it before with Sadie when we were talking about friendship. A marriage proposal seemed black and white on the surface, but in the realms, alliances were all about power and strength. It could have nothing to do with romance.
“Aran,” John whispered.
I couldn’t swallow around the lump in my throat. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” I mumbled as I stared down at my blurry pipe.
There was a pressure behind my eyes, and everything became blurry.
Somewhere among John taking care of me after the first competition, the punishment, and Mr. Hyde being Luka, I’d stopped thinking of the twins as friends. I’d started noticing how entrancing their dark eyes were and admiring their whipcord strength.
It hadn’t happened all at once; it was gradual.
But now the emotions were real. Suffocating.
My lower lip trembled.
Luka moved his hand and rested it on the back of my neck gently.
His grip tightened. He choked me and yanked my head back.
Luka’s dark eyes stared down at me intently. “I thought John made it clear what we felt.”
I opened my mouth to respond, and soft lips stole my breath away.
