Her Warriors' Three Wishes (Dante's Circle) (22 page)

No, she was stronger than that.

 She lashed out with her power again, this time sending the demon to his knees, blood spurting as he growled. She limped to the sink, still hearing the sounds of fighting behind her. The knife felt heavy in her hands as she gripped the handle and swung at the demon beside her. She used all the strength that came with her new powers and slid the blade into his neck, the skin parting like butter.

His claws lashed out again, this time raking down her side, but she moved through the pain, lodging the knife deeper in the demon’s neck. He moved again, even though his blood poured out of him.

Jamie scrambled back, the burns on her skin searing her, and she hit a wall—no, a chest. She looked up, scared that it would be a demon, but she let out a breath at the sight of Balin’s face. Ambrose came from around him, limping as he beheaded the demon right in her kitchen.

Her knees buckled as the pain hit her hard, the adrenaline quickly fading from her system.

“Fuck, Jamie, baby,” Balin said as he looked over her body. 

“He burned you?” Ambrose asked as he limped toward her, the slices on his side still bleeding.

“I’ll be okay,” she said through clenched teeth.

Balin shook his head and quickly picked her up. “I’m taking her to the bathroom to clean what I can.”

Ambrose nodded. “I’ll heal what I can as well.”

Jamie shuddered.  “What about you two?”

Balin growled as he set her on the bathroom counter. “We’ll be fine. Just a few gashes and scrapes. Damn, baby, he got you good.”

She trembled as she brought her palm to rest on his face. “Have Ambrose heal you as well.”

“I will, Jamie,” Ambrose said as he gently placed his hands on her burns, the pain excruciating. “First let me heal you.”

Warmth spread through her at his touch. She felt the skin at her side stitch together—a really freaking odd sensation—and the burn start healing. The skin around where the oil had seared her skin began to itch, and she struggled not to fall into Ambrose’s arms in relief.

“Who were those demons?” Jamie asked as the worst of the pain subsided.

Balin growled as he cleaned her off. “Some of my father’s top men. That’s why it took so long to take them down. Pyro must be fucking pissed if he sent them.”

Jamie shuddered. “It’s never over, is it?”

Balin framed her face, careful of the healing burns. “It will be soon. I can promise you that.”

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t kill your father yourself because of Lucifer’s curse?”

“Then I will kill him,” Ambrose said as he pulled back. “Something I should have done long ago.”

“You can’t blame yourself for this,” Balin said as he cleaned a bit of blood off  Ambrose’s cheek.

“Then you cannot do the same,” her angel ordered.

Jamie rolled her shoulders, the pain not as great as it had been. 

Balin sighed. “I can’t believe we let you get hurt.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Oh, no, you two don’t get to act all alpha and blame yourselves. You said that those demons where higher-ups, and I saw that they were stronger than the others. You did all you could, and I didn’t do too badly myself.”

Ambrose ran a hand through her hair. “You fought bravely. And starting tomorrow I will teach you how to fight like a warrior.”

She heard the honesty in his tone so she didn’t have to kick him for placating her. 

“I’m going to call Dante to help us clean this up,” Balin said as he pulled back, not kissing her like she’d hoped.

Maybe he was just worried and wasn’t really pulling back like he seemed. Without another word, he walked out of the bathroom, leaving her hurt and alone with Ambrose.

“What was that?” she asked as she leaned into him. She’d already had to deal with Ambrose leaving her before. She didn’t want to deal with the pain of Balin doing the same.

“He just needs space to think.”

“We can’t let him wallow on his own, Ambrose. That doesn’t do anyone any good.”

He kissed her temple then went to turn on the shower. “I know, Jamie mine. I know.”

She couldn’t let Balin wall himself up and take on the guilt of his father’s actions. 

****

Pyro screamed as the report of his demons’ failure reached his ears. He’d sent the best of his men to deal with the problem, and they’d failed. Their deaths didn’t matter to him, but the fact that they hadn’t even taken
one
of the fucking triad down pissed him off.

He stomped to his desk and threw a large, metal paperweight against the wall. The resounding crash did little to soothe his anger. He needed to kill something. Or, at least, make it feel pain.

Damn Lucifer’s curse. He couldn’t fucking kill his own son because Lucifer had been an asshole.  Now, Pyro had to sit back and watch others fail to kill the demon who didn’t even deserve the title of demon.

Balin should be dead.

That fucking Ambrose deserved it just as much.

Pyro ran his hand down the scar the warrior angel had given him all those years ago and cursed. Ambrose deserved to pay for what he’d done. Instead, he was free to roam with his newfound mates, happiness leaking from the bastard’s pores.

Soon it would be blood.

It wasn’t as if Pyro didn’t have a back-up plan.

He’d already sent the note to Kobal that would start things in motion. He knew the djinn leader wouldn’t want Jamie to live. And with Pyro’s help, Kobal would take out that newly-djinn whore. Of course, her men would fight to protect her, leading to their deaths.

Pyro would be able to take on Ambrose while he would let Kobal take on Balin.

The djinn whore would die as well.

It was really too bad about his demons, but Pyro was a planner and would not let his son live.

He’d waited long enough for the bastard to die.

It was time.

****

With the final strike of the hammer, Ambrose had the board in place over where the window had once been. This was the second time that he’d had to watch the glass in Jamie’s window cease to exist, and he didn’t think he could take a third.

It wasn’t so much the glass, as what it represented.

They weren’t safe.

Not here, not at his home in the angelic realm. Not anywhere.

Not with Pyro still alive.

He would have taken Jamie to his home high up in the skies, but that would mean he’d have to leave Balin behind—something he would never do. He might not know his other lover as well as he did Jamie, but that would change with time. Balin was just as much his mate as Jamie was—a fact that wrapped itself around his heart like fate’s caress. 

Ambrose still hadn’t told the council he had mated a djinn
and
a demon. He knew they would rejoice in Jamie as they had when Shade had met his Lily, but Balin would be another issue.

Ambrose wasn’t sure there were any matings between an angel and a demon. At least not to his recollection. Considering he’d been alive for eons, that was saying something.

If he had to give up his sword and lose his title, he would. He’d fought for his people for thousands of years and had given and lost everything in the process. He couldn’t let the council govern his life beyond that.

Not anymore.

If they didn’t approve of a demon entering their world, they could block Balin from their realm. Meaning their triad would be forced to stay with the humans for eternity.

Sadness swept over him at the thought. He loved his home, his people. He wanted to fly his mates within the clouds, watch their faces as he showed them the caverns and structures that had been erected before his time.

He wanted to show them the history and beauty of the angels.

He didn’t know if that was possible.

So, for now, he would stay with the humans and with his mates.

He couldn’t go down to hell, not again, and risk another war. Meaning he’d have to wait for Pyro to come to him. How long would that take? How many people would be injured or die in the process?

What cause was worth his own life?

There had to be something that could be done to prevent war and loss.

What?

He let out a breath as he walked back into the house. As a warrior, he’d asked himself that question thousands of times and had yet to find an answer.

Maybe there wasn’t one.

Maybe one just drifted from fight to fight, barely being able to hold onto the precious moments of peace and love in between.

“What put that frown on your face?” Jamie asked as she walked up to him, her body sweaty from her work out and training session.

This is what he’d been missing all these years—someone to come home to. Someone to love him for who he was and stay by his side. Now that he had two of them, he wasn’t going to let them go, not for any price.

She set the book down and came to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her soft body molding to his. With Balin at Dante’s, meeting to talk about things they’d missed over time, he and Jamie were alone for the first time.

Something that he’d love to take advantage of. 

“Why did Balin leave?” she whispered. “And don’t tell me it’s so he can catch up with Dante. He barely even talked to us before he left. What’s going on with him?”

Ambrose’s arms tightened at her words. He’d hoped she hadn’t noticed the distance Balin had put between them and himself, but he knew Jamie was more observant than that.

“And don’t give me that silent act you’ve perfected. I know he’s putting up a wall, but I don’t know why.”

He kissed her temple, letting her scent wash over him. “I think he feels responsible for the demons coming here and trying to hurt you—for actually
hurting
you. Even though Pyro did all of this to hurt
me
. ”

Jamie pulled back, her eyes wide before they narrowed in anger. “Seriously? He’s going to blame himself for his dad’s decisions? He’s spent his whole life making sure everyone knew he wasn’t his father and now he’s taking on his father’s guilt? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“He can still feel guilt over his father’s transgressions—even if it’s misplaced.”

“Well, that’s just stupid. We’ll have to make sure he knows we don’t blame him.” She pulled back and paced the living room, anger and sadness radiating from her. “He doesn’t get to pull away from me like you did.”

He winced as the shot hit home.

She turned, regret on her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, you did. I deserved it.”

She shrugged as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I still don’t know why you left for a year. Yes, I know that you stayed for so long because of the council, but you didn’t have to cut ties completely. You didn’t have to make me feel like nothing.”

Pain sliced at him at what an unworthy angel he was, almost sending him to his knees. He’d hurt her because he’d been a coward—nothing more, nothing less.

He didn’t deserve her.

Didn’t deserve Balin.

He wouldn’t run. He’d prove he
could
be worthy.

Ambrose walked the small distance between them and fell to his knees, needing to be near her but not tower over her. 

“I was a coward. Nothing. I wasn’t worthy of you,” he said as the words in his mind tumbled and thrashed. “I’m still not, but I’ll prove myself. I left because I couldn’t stand to lose another person in my life. I was scared.”

He was an angelic warrior and would never admit to the fear coursing through his veins…but this was Jamie. 

She was
his
.

She ran her hand through his hair, and he leaned into her touch. 

“You’ve said that before, Ambrose. You’re not a coward. I want to move on though. I don’t want to talk about the choices we made, just the ones we’re going to make. I want to know more about you, about Balin. I want to know what our futures will hold and how we’ll survive together. I don’t want to look back. Not anymore.”

He leaned forward, kissing her belly, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Our future will be ripe with anything you desire, anything you need. All you have to do is ask.”

She gave a shaky laugh, and he looked up at her torn expression. “I just want us to be happy. I want Balin to come back and not feel guilty. I want you to not feel it as well. I just want us to live our lives while I try to figure out how to live with two men.” She grinned at that last part, and Ambrose shook his head. 

“We can do that.” He stood, keeping her in his hold. “I’ve noticed we’re alone at the moment, and I don’t think I’ve had you just to myself.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You aren’t jealous, are you? Because you don’t get to be jealous of sharing me with Balin. We’re a team.”

He leaned down to take her lips, loving the way she moaned into him. “I’m not jealous. I’m just pointing out that I can have you alone for a moment. I want to share you with our demon, but I also want you under me, just me—and I know Balin wants the same.”

She nodded, understanding in her gaze. “And the two of you will want to be alone.”

He smiled. “Yes, we’re not just a triad, but three couplings.”

“It sounds very complicated,” she teased as she ran her hands up his shirt, her skin soft, delicate.

“I’ll make it easy for you,” he whispered as he slowly slid up her dress, his hand gripping her ass. “I’m going to love you, fill you, and make you quiver. Then later, we’ll do the same to Balin. How does that sound?”

She nodded, and he pulled the dress over her head. She stood in her panties and bra, barefoot and perfect. 

He nibbled up her neck, her taste settling on his tongue as her hands roamed his back. He pulled away to let her take off his shirt. 

He cupped her breasts, her nipples stiffening through her bra.

“I want you, Jamie. All of you.” He crushed his mouth to hers, their bodies moving together toward the couch. 

He pulled away and turned her around so she faced away from him, her perfect bottom ready for his hands. 

“Put your hands against the couch,” he ordered.

“What is it with you two and taking me from behind?” she said as she wiggled her ass.

He spanked her hard, and she gasped. “Balin told me you liked that, and I wanted to see. If you think we’re doing too much of the same thing, I’m sure I can change that.”