thorn 000

thorn 000
Yep, he needed to not rely on his powers, something he might be realizing since he was suffering from exercise. Although, it had me wondering how his body was so fit when he didn’t seem to like to work out.
For now, I’d let it slide. I had a feeling he’d listen to Nate and Asher more than me, until we got to know one another better.
“To answer your question, I think the demon is one who’s trying to rise up in ranks here. However, he seemed weak on earth, which was why either he or Grace sought each other out to help one another. Grace probably promised him helpful minions, and in return, he gave her all the power he had to open the portal to Hell. He’d be here rejuvenating his strength somewhere, expecting us to be dragged into his lair. Then Grace would have felt drained opening the portal, which was why she had to use blood magic, in the end, to make sure the portal stayed open long enough to get us here. If we hadn’t killed the demons on the way down, they would have delivered us to their master for the reward they were promised. If somehow they managed to get us to him, then right about now, he’d probably be stripping us of our power.”
Alex stumbled over some loose rocks again. I caught his arm and found him staring at me in shock. “That sounded really accurate.”
I grinned. “I’ve been in the brotherhood for a very long time. I’ve learnt how people think and strategize a lot of outcomes before they can even happen. Usually I’m spot on, which was how I became the commander of them all and had an ear to the former queen.”
He nodded. “That makes sense.”
Asher had spoken to me before about Alex, how he’d been the best in school and sought after from the council for many teams, but Asher had been the first captain to approach him personally. He’d picked their team right after. He’d told me how he was young in mage years, but still had a lot to learn, not in work, but within himself. He wasn’t confident of his worth. He was shy around people who interested him, yet he’d grown in the month since Paige had come into our lives.
He interested me like Asher and Nate had.
Our family couldn’t have been more perfectly put together than if I’d tried to do so myself.
I was pleased to have him in my life. Pleased and happy to have the family I now had, and I would do anything to protect them all.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, anything,” he answered.
That made me smile, yet I wasn’t sure he’d like my line of questions, and it annoyed me to even think of upsetting him. Still, it was something all of us should know about him. “Blood magic, you seemed disgusted by it.”
He glanced off to the side and sighed. His eyes returned to in front of him, which was probably good; he wasn’t the steadiest on his feet while running. “I’ve studied it, had a cousin lost to it, but shockingly, I’ve never had to fight against it.”
“You’re strong, Alex,” I told him.
He shrugged. “My cousin killed his whole family because of it. I’ve never wanted anything to do with blood magic, but with the life we now have… I’ll have to make sure I know everything there is to counter any type of blood magic.” He almost looked green from the thought.
“Do you believe you can counter it?”
“I’m not sure, which is what scares me most.”
“I’ll help you find out somehow.”
He shot me a quick look of surprise before tripping, and I had to grab him again. “You will?”
I smiled. “Of course. We’re family now. We help each other out.”
“Thank you,” he mumbled, his cheeks tinting once again.
“Anything at any time, Alex, I’m there.”
He bit on his bottom lip, but I saw his grin. “Are you happy with…?”
“Everything that’s happened?” He nodded. “Yes. Hell yes. Paige is amazing, perfect really. I wasn’t sure we’d all get along; it worried me. I didn’t even think any of you liked me. Especially Nate, but how he’s claimed me, changed that.”
“Nate’s prickly. He always has been, and I think he always will be, but that’s just him. He’s changed a bit since, um, claiming us.”
I laughed. “I can tell. He’s almost sweet, in a possessive way toward you. I look forward to knowing you all more.”
“Same with you, I mean, getting to know you.”
I bumped his shoulder. Once again, he tripped, but my arm went out around his waist, steadying him. I gave it a squeeze before letting go as we kept up our steady pace. “The future looks bright, even with everything still to deal with.”
He nodded, smiling again. “It does.”
My ears picked up on a sound. I grabbed Alex’s arm and pulled him to a stop. He looked at me, and I held my finger up to my lips. Even over his heavy breaths, I heard it again—a howl.
I spun back the way we’d come. “Fuck.”
“What?” Alex snapped.
“Hellhounds and demons running this way.” I glanced down at him. “They’ve got our scent.”
“They’re hunting us,” he concluded.
I nodded. We both started running again.
“Should we risk me using my magic?”
“Let’s save it for our last resort.”
“Thorn….”
I glanced at him from over my shoulder; they were gaining on us quickly. “Yeah?”
“I’m not fast, and I won’t be able to keep going for much longer,” he admitted. Shame shone in his eyes before he looked ahead of us. We were about a mile out. I wasn’t sure we’d make it without being caught and either ripped apart—because there were a lot of those fuckers—or taken to someone who could be stronger than the both of us.
“Sorry,” I said.
“What for?” He gasped when I picked him up and flung him over my shoulder. He held on as I changed to ghoul and sped over the terrain—triple the speed of what we’d been running.
“This… is… humiliating,” Alex panted. He grabbed the top of my jeans, holding on and trying to steady his bouncing.
“It’s not. Keep an eye on them. If they get close, it’ll be you saving our asses.”