I almost pitied the girl.
Almost being the key word.
Scorpius leaned closer so his breath fanned against both our cheeks. “Actually, you should cut the tattoo off.”
He shuddered dramatically. “I can’t wait to hear the sounds as you’re brutally murdered without our protection. You’ll scream for help, and we won’t move a muscle to assist.”
He smiled like he meant it.
I didn’t miss the way his hands were balled into fists or how his voice had the edge it always did when he was stressed and trying to hide it.
His words were cruel, but his body language didn’t match them.
He never showed weakness.
Growing up, Scorpius had been bullied ruthlessly for his blindness, since anything different was viewed as deficient. Devils were ignorant and quick to assume weakness even where there wasn’t one.
As a result, Scorpius saw the worst in everyone.
My Protector liked to terrorize people, before they could hurt him. And from the tension in his shoulders, antagonizing Arabella wasn’t coming easily to him like it usually did.
It was the damn tattoo.
The bitch was clearly a murderer and a liar.
Sure, Arabella’s blatant defiance was making it hard for me to think rationally, but it was still obvious that I needed her to submit.
Brutally.
She scowled at my words but pulled her hands away from her tattoo and looked past me and Scorpius. She stared at Orion sadly like he had betrayed her.
Her gaze was locked on my Revered.
Orion made a pained noise in his throat and mouthed, “Sweetheart,” as he took a step toward her.
Her expression cracked as he looked at her pleadingly.
Emotions swirled between them.
My soul ached.
I didn’t like this little moment for them. He was everything to me, and nothing would harm him.
Including her.
Orion reached down and grabbed Arabella. Before she could say anything, he hauled her to her feet and brushed dust off her shoulder like I’d done earlier with Scorpius.
“Don’t be mad, baby,” he whispered and gave her a small smile.
What was with the endearments?
Arabella flinched from his gentle touch like she’d been struck. “You shouldn’t have killed a man for no reason.”
Orion stared down at her without blinking, like he was trying to figure out his next move.
They were stunning together.
Arabella’s pale skin and blue hair contrasted with his golden skin and white-blond hair. Both of them were unnaturally pretty. An image of my dark-bronze skin tangled with theirs in a writhing mess of limbs played in my mind.
I forgot to breathe.
Scorpius tried to pull Orion back, but he lunged forward to avoid his grip. Arabella stumbled as she was knocked backward with a wince.
For a second, she looked just like her boy disguise.
Memories of drowning, punching, force-feeding, and burning her flashed through my mind.
I’d thought we’d been training a male soldier, someone strong who could handle war.
I swallowed bile.
No. She did it to herself.
I raked my hand across my shaved head and breathed roughly.
Everything was a tangled mess.
Orion frowned as Arabella rubbed at her sternum where she’d been pushed, and he moved toward her with wide eyes.
“Please don’t take another step closer,” she whispered to Orion as she stepped away from him. Her eyes were wide and filled with pain.
She clutched at her stomach protectively.
The pink cherry-blossom flower petals on Orion’s neck began to drift down his collarbone. They swirled and spun. It only happened when he was close to losing control.
The girl was triggering him.
“Find your center,” I ordered my Revered and wrapped my arms around his chest. His elevated heartbeat pounded against my palm.
“What’s happening?” Scorpius tilted his head with confusion.
I squeezed my Revered tightly and said, “He’s losing control.”
Scorpius’s eyes widened.
Orion rarely lost control. I did.
Scorpius pressed himself against Orion’s back so he was sandwiched between the two of us.
Together we cocooned him with our strength.
Physical contact with one another was the only thing that allowed the three of us to squelch the chaos that lived inside us.
Scorpius whispered in Orion’s ear and talked him through breathing exercises.
I clung to my Protector’s words and focused on my breath, embarrassed that I needed the grounding as much as Orion did.
Lightning struck the walls, and sparks crackled.
The three of us embraced.
We breathed together.
Arabella stared at the stained-glass window and smoked like she was giving us privacy.
When the petals finally stopped drifting across Orion’s neck, I reluctantly pulled away from my mates.
Scorpius kept his head resting on top of Orion’s. Mollified that Scorpius was still protecting our Revered, I turned to deal with the problem.
“Hey.” I snapped my fingers. “Look at me.”
Arabella turned around slowly but kept her eyes on the wall behind me.
I stalked closer to her.
“Are you purposefully doing this to us?” I snapped with agitation. “Is this a game to you?”
Arabella inhaled, then slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Sorry I didn’t respond, I was purposefully ignoring you.” She smirked. “The only thing I’m doing right now is trying to find a scrap of will to live.” Her dark-blue eyes stared at the wall. “And I’m not finding it.”
She picked at the scab on her lower lip until it dripped blood. Her fingers smeared it around her lip as she twirled her pipe.
Before I could stop myself, I reached forward and buried my fingers in her ridiculous blue curls and yanked her face toward me. “Look at me.”
Arabella kept staring blankly at the wall.
Bitch.
She blew out another puff of smoke but said nothing else.
I leaned forward so my lips were pressed against the sensitive shell of her ear. “Look at me, you lying cunt,” I whispered harshly as my tongue flicked against her warm skin.
Frost and spice exploded across my tongue.
Arabella’s pupils blew out wide, and she shivered, then she flinched like I’d hurt her.
She started fighting like a hellcat.
A strange sense of relief filled me as light came back to her eyes and she struggled against my hold. Fingers still tangled in her hair, I was surprised at the silky texture of her wild blue curls.
I rubbed a smooth lock against my cheek.
I taunted softly, “You need to figure your shit out, slave.”
Blue eyes flashed black.
“Stop fondling me like a freak. And if you think I’ll act like your slave, then you need to be lobotomized. Actually—” She paused like she was thinking. “I recommend just preemptively euthanizing yourself. Your personality is messy, and I don’t see it improving.”
I missed when she’d been staring at the wall in silence.
Aggressive wheezing filled the hall.
I turned around to glare at my mates as I tightened my fist around her curls and yanked her head back as punishment.
“Really?” I asked as Scorpius bent over laughing and Orion smiled widely. “It wasn’t even funny.”
Scorpius shrugged. “You have to admit that was a good one.”