The Rider's Truth.

The Prodigal

Unedited.

Chapter 42: The Prodigal.

Our chances were looking very, very poor.

Gabriel was still unconscious, and each breath was a terrifying rattle. Buzz sat beside him on the wooden pallet, dragging a hand over his sweating forehead and her own affinity churned dangerous within the confines of her dark skin. Not a healing affinity like Dem's, and she was struggling to hone it like Dem had so easily.

Dem was being fussed over by a very bossy, and worried Peter but he paid the giant no attention, and just blinked in disbelief at the hand and the stain of crimson on the stark bandages wrapped around it.

"He ate my finger." Dem's eyes flickered up to Peter. "I spent years learning to play the piano and the harp, and he ate my finger."

Brushing a broad hand over Dem's already mussed hair, Peter heaved a sigh. "I would be more concerned with having to relearn a proper grip for your knives."

My cheeks turned crimson as Dem looked up at Peter through thick lashes and mangled to wrangle his smile into something that definitely should have been confined to the bedroom. "Don't be worried about my grip, Pete."

Then my ears turned crimson when Peter let loose a groan and dragged Dem in for another kiss with a soft laugh. I was aware of Jamie coming to stand beside me, her strong arms crossed as she flicked a look over them.

"You are a pervert Neely," the corner of her lips curled.

"They're a cute couple..." I argued, but I relished in Jamie's humour in this moment. Tawny eyes looked over me in disbelief.

"You're just jealous you aren't getting that type of action right now." Jamie nudged me with her elbow and then looked meaningfully over to where Zephyr was working away, piling the bodies of the demon guards together. He had gutted one and I didn't even want to know what he planned. Colette and Odette were helping him, talking rapidly in French to each other and what little I knew translated into the basic meaning of 'this was disgusting'.

"We are in a life-or- death situation," I nudged her back roughly. "There isn't time for kissing."

"Sure, there is," Stubborn as always, Jamie just grinned as quick as a flit of lightening across the sky. "I know that when I get out of this hell-hole, I am taking Turana and we are making a round-trip to a certain prince and I don't care if its in a coffin, hanging upside down like bats or in a bed, I am having my time with him."

I stifled my giggle with my hands. "You are one horny fecker, you know that Jamie?"

"I am not the one who makes big love eyes at Zephyr every time he does anything. He moves his arms, you swoon. He looks at you and you melt into a puddle. Its cute."

"Stop..." I turned towards her, my voice lowering. "He can hear you."

Boldly, she looked over at Zephyr. "Probably. I hope he knows that I hope you two stop fluffing around with each other and just go at it like rabbits because this angst and soulful staring is bad for your blood pressure."

I tried not to hear the low, delightful laugh that sounded behind me and tried not to look at Jamie's smug smile. My gaze travelled back to Dem and Peter, still trapped into their own little bubble of each other.

"We have to keep them safe." Jamie said softly, leaning closer to murmur those words into my ears. "They haven't been ruined like we have been."

My heart clenched as I cast her a sideways look. Her eyes were fixed on Dem and Peter and flickered to where Gabriel lay. Gone was that permanently disgruntled expression, and her expression was open and vulnerable. I had to remember where I had been locked away and abused for less than a year, she had suffered unbelievable loss at her mother's hand and had been shuffled around, unloved and unwanted for years before she was to become a Rider.