Page 9 of Beauty At Stake
“Everyone,” Star huffed. “This is about the worlds, isn't it? Not us.”
“Actually, no.” I finally met his stare. “It's about us. And . . . us.”
Star frowned, cocking his head. Then he leaned forward and set his glass on the bamboo coffee table. “Us and us?”
“Oh, fuck,” Killian whispered. “Motherfucker! He played the kids card.”
Star's expression went blank, but his hands twitched.
I looked away. “He says this is the best path for all of us. The one that will keep the peace and make us happy.”
“Why did I have to fall in love with a fucking fairy princess?” Killian lifted his hands to the sky.
“I'm sorry, Kill.”
“You're sorry?” Killian looked at me. “Does that mean you've already given in? No more fighting this? Don't we—your husbands—get a say?”
I stared at him. “Of course you do. I'm apologizing for what loving me has brought you.”
Star snorted. “She's good, isn't she?”
Killian grimaced at him. “You have no idea.”
“That wasn't a manipulation,” I growled. “You know how much I hate that you have to share me. Sometimes, I feel like I'm cheating on all of you with all of you.”
“Shit, Twilight.” Kill grabbed my hand. “We chose this. You're not cheating.”
“Then stop whining,” Star drawled.
“Hey, Devil-Daddy-Wannabe, fuck off.” Kill shot Star a glare.
“Fuck off?” Star leaned toward him. “Sure. I'd love to. Just get Anu to release me from my Seren prison, and I'll be on my way.”
I winced, guilt rising. I could have released him. Shit. Did I make the right decision? This wasn't fair to any of them.
The children.
I squared my shoulders.
“You fucking prick,” Killian shot to his feet to loom over Star. “You think I'm whining? Listen to yourself. Aprison? You don't know shit about Seren if you think loving her is a prison. You're the fucking whiner. Oh, wah, you're obsessed with my wife. You're far from the first, asshole. She's beautiful, smart as all shit, powerful, and, oh yeah, beloved by both of the Gods. Everyone wants her. But you're the only one whining about it. Why don't you man up and just get the fuck over it?”
Star got to his feet and straightened his suit. “Get over it? Did you go through this, Killian? Did you constantly ache for her? Was your mind so focused on Seren that everything else felt like a dream? Or maybe it's worse for me because she holds a—”
“A piece of your soul. Yeah, we know.” Killian rolled his eyes. “I'm so fucking over you waving that flag.”
“Flag? I gave her a piece of my magic—magic that held part of my soul—and bound her to me forever.”
“Yeah, because you fucked up!”
I glanced back at the others. They were all watching us with the interest of a crowd in a theater. Popcorn anyone?
“Guys, please, can we—”
“What the fuck did you just say?” Star growled.
“You heard me, motherfucker. You failed God! You were supposed to protect her, weren't you? Anu told you to watch over her, just like he told me. But unlike me, you fucked up, and Seren got stabbed with that Devil dagger. You didn't give Seren a piece of your magic out of the goodness of your heart, and you certainly didn't do it out of love for her. You did it because you failed your God-given mission and it was the only way to turn things around.”
Star lifted his chin, displaying his bobbing Adam's apple. His hands clenched into fists.
