“You don’t have to. He’s not dead … yet. He just needs a healing touch with a little God juice. Try.”
I groan. He’s using his dad voice. I’m not good at ignoring those, but that’s not the only reason, I won’t be able to live with myself if I’m the one who killed Merrick’s father. “Fine.”
I have to leave the sanctity of my Zhang and Merrick haven to kneel over the grand seraph, who I’d rather see go up in flames than heal. Placing my palms against his skin, I pull what I have left of my star to me.
Pushing it into someone isn’t comfortable or natural. It was fine with Zhang because he’s mine. The seraph is a danger, especially to me, and whatever powers I possess know it. Taking a breath, I force a push past the resistance and feed my energy into him.
His eyelids snap open, anger rushes to the helm. Erick knocks me out of the way.
“Daniel! Daniel?,” Erick growls. “He saved you. Let’s go home, okay?”
Daniel glares. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving your life, Master. Gabriel pulled me from the Garrison.” He huffs. Something happened there. I’m almost curious enough to wanna know, but we know what curiosity did to the cat and all that.
The grand seraph regains his composure quickly, but he stumbles. I preen inside. I knocked him dead cold like that. Maybe he’ll stop fucking with me.
Icy blue eyes land on me. “You don’t know what’s coming for you. If you did, you’d come with me.”
“Still not giving up, eh? Maybe I need to teach you another lesson,” I say, wiggling my fingers at him as if I can conjure power at will. I can’t. I’m spent. I doubt I could light a human candle right now, but fucking with him will always be fun.
Two separate hands yank me back by the waistband of my pants. My men learning to move in sync with each other, like they have a hive mind for Treyu’s antics, can’t be a good thing for me.
“Enough,” Merrick hisses.
Yeah, I’m pushing it, but he’s really pissing me off.Not going with you, Daniel, let it go already.
“He behaves for you, son?” Daniel asks.
Merrick sighs. “Most of the time.”
“Congratulations, he’s your charge. That means you’re responsible for him and any trouble he causes.”
“In other words, my ass is on the line for you, literally,” Merrick whispers in my ear. Why is that so hot? “It’s my honor, War General.”
“You’ll have to give up your Garrison rune. That’s the only way I can prevent them from calling you back, and give you any amount of freedom. This isn’t a punishment. Consider it an apology for what I’ve done to you.”
Merrick nods. “Take it.”
“He really means that much to you?”
“He means everything to me.”
“Very well. You left before I could heal your wings, may I take a look at them?”
Merrick raises a brow.May he?Merrick’s probably never gotten a question like that from his father in all his life. “I’d appreciate that, Father.”
I’m forced to let go of Merrick while Daniel probes and investigates. “It’s a lot of damage. If we don’t take care of this, they’ll be malformed and dysfunctional, maybe for the rest of your existence. Would you be willing to live without them for a little while? I can put them to sleep so they’ll heal, but you won’t be able to use them at all.”
“Yes! He’ll do it,” I say. I don’t want him using his wings. He’s lucky he didn’t finish them off saving me.
Merrick glares in my direction, I cow my head. He turns back to his father. “I’ll do it, sir.”
Daniel presses his fingers to Merrick’s temple. Merrick fills with blue iridescent light, and then his body relaxes. His eyes brighten, free of the pain they’ve been filled with.
“This is a truce, Treyu. Or maybe you’re more familiar with the term time out?” Daniel says.
“Har, har. I know what a truce is. Wait a minute. Where were you taking me? I know it wasn’t the Garrison.”
