And he was part of it.
Goddamn it…he was there.
Qhuinn got ready for a transformative experience—like something along the lines of a great ringing bell of “You Belong” getting struck in his chest, or maybe a light-headed joy thing…or shit, a big-ass load of “You th’ Man” singing in his brain.
Didn’t happen. He was glad, yeah. He was proud, fuck, yeah. He was ready to get out there and fight like a mack bastard.
But as he got to his feet, he realized that in spite of that newfound wholeness, part of him remained separate and checked out. Then again, it had been a helluva couple of days—as if Fate had put his life in the pulse blender, and was busy making salsa out of his ass.
Maybe it was more because he’d never been good at the emotion thing? And nothing was going to change that.
At least he wasn’t running, though.
Going down to the Brothers, he got so many slaps on the back and chest bumps, he knew what a lineman felt like after practice.
And then it dawned on him…he was going home to Blay.
Holy Mary Mother of God, to borrow a saying from the cop, he was so ready to lock eyes on that guy. Maybe sneak off and tell him what it was like, even though he probably wasn’t supposed to do that. Maybe go up to his room after the party was over and…um, yeah…for a while.
Okay, now he was pumped.
Rhage threw his black robe at him. “So, welcome to the insane asylum, you sorry son of a bitch. You’re stuck with us for life.”
Qhuinn frowned and thought of John. “What about my ahstrux nohtrum position?”
“Gone,” V said as he robed up as well. “You’re a free man.”
“So John knew?”
“Not that you were getting this kind of promotion, no. But he was told that you couldn’t be his private soldier anymore.” As Qhuinn touched the tattoo under his eyes, V nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to change that—it’s an honorable-discharge thing, though, not a death or firing.”
Oh, cool. Better than a pink slip in the center of the chest and a shallow grave.
As they filed out, Qhuinn spared one last look at the cave. It was so weird; yeah, he was history happening, but this also felt like the culmination of all those nights fighting with the Brothers, an internal logic making this extraordinary event seem…inevitable.
Retracing the trip they’d taken in, Qhuinn soon found himself in a hallway that was lined with shelves from floor to superhigh ceiling.
“Jesus…Christ,” he breathed as he took in all the lesser jars.
Everyone stopped.
“The jars?” Wrath asked.
“Yeah,” Tohr said with a chuckle. “Our boy looks impressed.”
“Should be,” Rhage muttered as he jacked the belt on his robe. “We are awesome.”
Multiple groans at that point. Rolled eyes.
“At least he didn’t pull out the ‘totes amazeballs,’” somebody muttered.
“That’s Lassiter,” came an answer.
“Man, that son of a bitch has got to stop watching Nickel-fucking-odeon.”
“Among other things.”
“Focus, people,” Rhage cut in. “Can we just have a moment here?”
Growls of approval replaced the bitching, the throaty sound rising up and threading through the mementos of their dead enemies.
“Just think,” Tohr said as he put an arm around Qhuinn’s shoulders, “now you get to put your own in here.”
“Good deal,” Qhuinn murmured as he checked out all the different kinds of containers. “Good deal.”
They exited through gates that were both old, and the kind of thing a blowtorch would have needed a couple of hours to get through. Then there was another obstruction that was pushed aside, one that sure as hell looked like a cave wall—and what do you know, they walked out of a shallow nook in the earth, and were back at the Escalade. It took a while to drive back through the forest, and the second the mansion’s lights came into view, he started to get excited, his body jerking forward in his seat, his hand searching for the door latch.
The SUV had barely slowed down when he was popping shit free and leaping out. Laughter erupted from the Brotherhood as they took a more reasonable exit from things, following in his wake as he jumped up the steps. At the grand front entrance, he yanked the door open and shot into the vestibule, throwing his face into the security camera.
Behind him, he heard the voices of the Brothers—
His brothers, now, though. Weren’t they.
His brothers were yukking it up as they joined him, and the interior door was opened by Fritz.
Qhuinn nearly knocked the butler over as he jumped inside. Lot of smiling faces, the shellans of the house, the queen, doggen everywhere…iAm, Trez, and Rehv with Ehlena…
He looked for red hair, searching the dining room, then going back across to the billiards room. Where was—
Qhuinn stopped.
On the far side of the pool table, on the couch that faced the TV that was mounted over the fireplace, Blay and Saxton were sitting side by side. Their faces were turned to each other, a pair of gin and tonics in their hands, the two of them looking like they were in a deep discussion.
Abruptly, Blay started to laugh, his head tilting back….
At that moment, he looked over at Qhuinn.
Instantly, his expression tightened up.
“Congratulations!”
The sound of Layla’s voice scrambled him, and he turned to her blindly, his mind reeling even though it shouldn’t have: he’d known all along that Saxton was returning after his vacation.
“I’m so happy for you!” As Layla hugged him, he put his arms around her automatically.
“Thanks.” He pulled back and rubbed his hair. “So, ah, how are you feeling?”
“Nauseous and terrific!”
Qhuinn sagged in his own skin, trying to find joy in the pregnancy. “I’m so glad. I’m really…glad.”
SEVENTY-THREE
Sola banged into the stove as she brought the man into her house. And then as part of her course correction, she knocked into the chair her grandmother had been in—but at least she was able to cover that one up by pulling the thing out and sitting down.
“You haven’t told me your name, either,” she murmured, even though proper nouns were the last thing on her mind.
The man joined her across the little table. Between his expensive clothes and the sheer size of him, he made everything look flimsy, from the stretch of laminate that seperated them, to the seats, to the kitchen.
The whole house.
He extended his hand across the table top. In that deep, heavenly accented voice, he said, “I am Assail.”
“Assail?” She cautiously extended her own palm, prepared to meet him in the middle. “Odd name—”
The instant contact was made, a lightning bolt licked up her arm and landed in her heart, speeding it up, making her flush.
“Do you not like it?” he whispered knowingly, as if he were fully aware of her reaction.
Except he was talking about his name, wasn’t he? Yes, that was it. “It’s…unexpected.”
“Give me yours.” He issued the command without letting go. “Please.”
As he waited, as he held her hand, as they breathed together, she realized that sometimes there were things even more intimate than sex.
“Marisol. But people call me Sola.”
He purred. Purred. “I shall call you Marisol.”
And didn’t that fit. God, in that accent…he turned what she had been called all her life into a poem.