Authors: Gabrielle Evans
Chapter Thirteen
“You ask too many questions, warrior.”
Fiero blinked against the blinding sun, not looking at the Oracle, but out over the vast field of lush green grass and new spring flowers. A gentle breeze played on the air, drifting over his face and ruffling his hair. The scent of honeysuckle and blueberries wafted to him, the smell intoxicating.
“I know,” he said softly, still not looking at the woman beside him. He’d never seen a place so beautiful before. “And I don’t give enough answers.”
“This is true.” Fiero could hear the smirk in her voice.
Finally turning to face his companion, he sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I have no answers to give, Oracle. I don’t understand what you mean. How can I answer anyone’s questions, when I have so many of my own?”
“Ah, but who said that answers require inquiries?” Her lips curved softly, and she reached up to trail her fingertips across his cheek. “You worry too much.”
“Echo says the same thing.” The thought of his mate left a deep ache in his heart. He still couldn’t believe Echo had made a deal with the devil without even consulting them first.
“Do you not trust him?”
“Who? Ares?” Fiero shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
“You know who I speak of,” the Oracle said with more steel in her voice.
“I trust him.”
“Then why all of this anger? Why not prove your trust? His actions, however rash, could prove of great benefit to your ultimate goal.”
“He sold his soul,” Fiero growled. “How can I possibly overlook that? What if I fail? Echo will be taken from us, and I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
The Oracle observed him, her lips pressed together, and her eyes stern. “Yet, you think he cares for naught but himself.”
Fiero wanted to slap the bitch in the face. How dare she presume to know him, to know his heart and his desires? His only concern was for Echo and the others. He’d do anything to keep them safe.
“Anything?” The Oracle spoke softly, thoughtfully.
“Anything,” Fiero answered immediately and firmly.
“Would you sacrifice yourself, warrior? Give yourself over to your enemies in order to keep safe the ones you love?”
“Yes,” Fiero returned confidently.
“Would you ask their permission before engaging in such deception?”
“No.” Fiero placed his hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side. His lovers would never allow him to do something so stupid, so why on earth would he ask them? No, he would do what he felt was best, what would protect his men, despite their wishes. Without them, he had no heart, no home, no life worth living.
“I believe you have found your first answer.” The Oracle stretched up on her toes and pressed her satiny lips against his cheek. “Rest your mind, and enlightenment will seek you,” she whispered.
“I don’t understand,” Fiero admitted, but it was too late. He stood alone in the quiet field, the grass tickling his bare toes, and the sun’s rays warming his face. Oddly, he felt he did understand, though. That some great knowledge lie just beyond his grasp, and if he could only stretch a bit further, then he could wrap his fingers around it and everything would make sense.
Plopping down in the grass, Fiero stretched out on his back and watched the pure white clouds float lazily across the crystal blue sky. He replayed the conversation over in his head, looking for some hint of what he may have missed the first time around.
For one, the Oracle had sounded angry with him, something he could never remember happening in any of his other dreams. She was weird and elusive, but never temperamental. She spoke in those damn riddles of hers, but that was nothing new. She’d touched him.
Reaching up to trail his fingers across his cheek where the Oracle had first touched him, and then kissed him, Fiero smiled. The skin still tingled warmly where her lips had brushed against his skin. It wasn’t the kiss of a lover, but more of a mother or sister, comforting, accepting, without ridicule or judgment.
“Would you ask their permission…?”
The Oracle’s words replayed over in his mind.
“No one will be hurt. That’s all I care about.”
His mate’s calmly spoken words came to him swiftly, and Fiero’s heart began to pound in his chest, his head started spinning, and suddenly he couldn’t get enough oxygen into his lungs.
“I was trying to save our asses!”
Echo had screamed at him.
“You didn’t think of a damn thing besides yourself!”
Fiero closed his eyes and groaned as he remembered his harshly spoken words to his lover. Gods, he was a total prick. He’d been so angry, so hurt, he hadn’t stopped to consider that placed in the same position he wouldn’t have hesitated to take Ares’s offer as well.
In his heart, he knew Echo would never hurt him, or any of them, purposely. He’d just been so…so scared.
A deep sigh rose up from his chest. He’d been terrified, an emotion he would never profess to harbor, but there it was. The slightest flicker of thought that something could happen to his mate sent him into panic mode, which apparently turned him into a fucking Neanderthal.
“Answers without inquiries,” he mumbled under his breath.
* * * *
His bed felt cold and lonely with nothing to warm him but the blankets piled atop him. Echo tossed and turned, trying to clear his mind and snuggle into the welcoming embrace of sleep, but his attempts were futile.
The entire episode on the front lawn replayed in his mind over and over, spinning faster until he felt dizzy with it. Could he have done anything differently? He didn’t think so.
Should
he have done something different? Again, he didn’t see a way around the choices he’d made.
The Oracle had told him to turn away his doubts, and so he had. He’d let go of the fear that they would fail in their conquest. Thus far, the Oracle had not led them astray, and Echo saw no reason to doubt that the fates would smile favorably upon them if they followed the guided path.
Perhaps, in his irrational state, he had misinterpreted the Oracle’s warning. Maybe there was something else he doubted, something else that required him to cast away his fears. He could think of nothing, though.
He didn’t doubt his men’s devotion, their loyalty to him. He didn’t doubt their abilities or capableness to protect him. Though not all of them had been able to voice their feelings yet, he didn’t even doubt the emotions that waited in their hearts. Only one thing was he truly terrified of, and that was losing the life he’d been slowly building for himself with the men he cherished surrounding him.
The last thought propelled him out from beneath the blankets. Slipping on a pair of boxers, he marched determinedly from the room and down the hall to Fiero’s bedroom. Without bothering to knock, he threw the door open, stomped inside, and slammed it behind him with a loud bang.
“Now, you listen to me!”
“Echo,” Fiero said calmly. He was sitting up in bed, his back resting against the headboard as though he’d been waiting for this little intrusion. “Come here, baby.” Opening his arms, Fiero wiggled his fingers, beckoning Echo to him.
Echo stood frozen in place, a dozen different emotions playing over his face. He’d been prepared for a fight or a heated argument at least. He’d been ready to defend his actions or beat Fiero’s head in until the man understood. He certainly hadn’t expected to be greeted with open arms—literally.
Moving tentatively across the room, he stopped beside the bed and stared. He didn’t know what to do, what to say, and for once decided that might actually be better. His mouth and his hasty actions had caused enough trouble for one night.
“Come here,” Fiero whispered again. His fingers looped around Echo’s wrist and tugged gently, encouraging him onto the bed while ultimately leaving the decision up to him.
Echo didn’t hesitate this time, though. He dove over Fiero, crawling under the covers and molding himself to his warrior’s heated side. Mmm, Fiero was always so damn warm. Resting his head on the man’s chest, he draped an arm over his lover’s lean waist and sighed. “I’m sorry, Fiero. I’m sorry that you’re mad, but I wouldn’t take back what I did, even if I could.”
“I’m not mad.” Fiero spoke softly, soothingly, and his long fingers brushed through Echo’s long waves. “I understand why you did it now. I still don’t like it, but that’s mostly because I’m afraid.” He said the last word as though it were a foreign concept to him, and Echo couldn’t help but smile. “If the situations were reversed, I would have done the same.” He paused for a long time, and when he spoke again, his voice flowed thick and syrupy. “I would do anything to keep you safe.”
“That’s all I was trying to do. I’m sorry that I didn’t discuss it first, but it’s not like I could just call a time-out and gather everyone into a huddle.”
“Nice analogy.” Fiero continued stroking Echo’s hair lazily, his chest rising and falling evenly as his heart beat steadily beneath Echo’s ear. He appeared completely at ease, which only served to confuse Echo further.
“Why are you all of a sudden okay with this?” Rising up on his elbow, he looked in Fiero’s face, searching for answers.
His lover smiled crookedly and leaned in to place a kiss on his forehead. “I’m not okay with this. I know why you felt you needed to do it, though, and I respect that. You love me enough to sacrifice your life for mine. I feel the same, and though I’ve argued with myself, I don’t think I would have done anything differently.”
“Then I guess we need to work out a plan so that it doesn’t come to that. I would die for you, Fiero, but I don’t want it come to that.”
“No one is going to die.” Fiero didn’t growl or snarl the words. He spoke firmly, matter-of-factly, as though no other option was viable.
“So, we’re okay now?” Echo bit his lip and held his breath as he waited for his mate’s answer.
“Yeah,” Fiero whispered. “We’re okay now.”
Echo curled around Fiero once more, resting his head over the demon’s heart, and they were quiet for a long time. Soothed by his lover’s presence, Echo closed his eyes, sighing happily, as his body began to feel heavy, the call of sleep finally coming for him.
“The new moon is tomorrow.”
“I know,” Echo whispered back. “Are you ready?”
“I don’t think there’s a way to be ready for this. I don’t even know what’s going to happen, or what I’m facing.”
“I don’t think it will be a mystery like the waters,” Echo said thoughtfully. “I think we’re going to know right off the bat what’s causing the mayhem. Finding a way to fight it will be the problem.”
“I considered that as well. I don’t have as much time as Eyce. The fires will spread quickly, and many people will die if I can’t push back the flames.”
“You’ll let me help, right?” Echo didn’t want to start another argument, but he knew Fiero couldn’t do this on his own. He’d need all the help he could get, and with Echo’s power being substantially stronger, he could be a great asset to his warrior.
“As much as I want to keep you away from all of this, I don’t think I have a choice. No more stunts, though,” he added. “I respect your thoughts and opinions, but from now on, you listen to me. I can’t win if I’m worried about you and distracted from my task.” His fingers squeezed the back of Echo’s neck and he sighed. “Just let me be in charge this once, then we can go back to you calling the shots.”
Burying his face in his lover’s chest to muffle his laughter, Echo thought he’d never heard anything funnier. This big, strong, immortal demon was asking permission to be in charge. Oh, it didn’t get better than this.
“Fine, but just this once,” he finally replied. Lifting his head, he winked at his mate and grinned.