Page 37 of Wicked Curses
“Not like Sahira. To you, this is still a bit of a game. You have immortals to fuck with here, and that takes some of your attention away from the grander picture of getting out. Sahira’s far more serious about getting out of here than you, but she has to be.”
“And why is that?”
“Because, in case you haven’t noticed, more than a few here would prefer to see her dead.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Oh,he’d noticed, but… “I’ve seen her going into battle against the Lord’s army, wendigos, berserkers, and countless other immortals; she’s far stronger and more capable of protecting herself than many others. If anyone fucks with her, they’ll regret it. I’ll help make sure of that.”
“And why would you do such a thing? What’s your game?”
“When it comes to keeping her alive, there is no game. We’re not family yet, but we will be, and I protect mine.”
“Didn’t you fight against your father and brothers in the war?”
“It was a very talkative lycan who arrived here.”
“What else do we have to do but learn everything we can from every new arrival?”
What else indeed? “You haven’t asked me any questions.”
“I know everything I need to know about you. I have some questions for Sahira, but I’ll wait until she’s ready.”
“You’re a very brave demon,” Orin muttered.
“Why is that?”
“Because you have no fear of me killing you.”
“I’m not going to fight you or anyone else, fae. I had my one battle in the pit; I’m still standing but won’t return.”
“I thought demons loved to fight.”
“We do, but I have more important things to focus on.”
“Such as?”
“Not dying in this place.”
Orin studied him as he pondered these words and the demon. The asshole irritated him more than itching powder on his dick, and he should know, as his younger brother Drax once dumped a bunch on him while he slept. It had been created by a witch and a living nightmare to get off.
He’d almost killed the little shit for it and had scratched himself raw for a week, but he couldn’t stop smiling at the memory. Drax had been the brother directly beneath him and another full dark fae.
He’d been mischievous and always smiling. They’d shared many drinks, laughs, and nights out together as they relished the freedom that came with power, wealth, and devastating good looks.
Drax was full of laughter in a way none of their other brothers were, not even himself, and he considered himself a fairly easygoing guy as long as everyone did what he wanted them to. That wasn’t too much to ask.
And when the Lord decided to unleash war on the human realm, Drax broke off from their father and followed him to his death during the Lord’s war.
Orin’s happiness over the memory of Drax vanished as he recalled his brother was dead because he’d chosen to followhim.
But then, some of his other brothers stayed with their father and died too. There were once nine of them; now, only four remained. And he would do anything to get back to his brothers and ensure their safety.
He’d fought against his family, but they’d always been the most important things to him. They always would be, even if they annoyed the shit out of him sometimes.
He wasn’t the reason Drax was dead, the Lord was, but he’d always bear the guilt of his father’s death. The Lord killed King Tove because ofhim; there was no denying that and no fixing it, yet Cole, Brokk, and Varo still loved and trusted him just as he would always love and trust them.
They were all so completely different, but they were a unit. They worked together, fought together, and protected each other, even when on opposite sides of a war.
