Chapter 86 Chapter 86
“It’s not just you,” he grumbled, surly, taking her hand to lead her back to the beach where his friends were impatiently waiting for them, and they all looked highly amused.
“Are you finally finished making out?” Brian snickered, causing everybody to laugh except for Valerie, who only now realized that they must have seen the entire scene from afar. She was mortified, especially when she looked at Thorne’s face. He raised his eyebrows and smirked knowingly.
“Liam’s fault,” Maxwell muttered angrily, sending the red-haired demon a death glare.
“We didn’t meet here so you could abduct this lady and keep her to yourself. When will you finally learn some manners?” Liam retorted calmly, but a challenging glint sparked in his deep blue eyes. Valerie could tell that Maxwell was irked by it, his explosive temper getting the best of him.
“And why should I share her with you, huh?” he hissed. “I’m bonded to her, not you!”
“Hey, don’t get pissed again,” Xander cut in, looking very disheveled compared to earlier. Part of his swimwear was singed, and his hair was a mess.
“Yeah, let’s get along, okay?” Valerie said and looked pointedly at Maxwell, who clenched his jaw, but at least he shut up for now.
“Benjamin and I just finished the cocktails, do you want one too?” Brian asked with an endearing smile on his lips, and Valerie nodded. “Do you want ice in it?” he asked, and when she nodded again, he handed her a cocktail and made ice cubes appear in it. She took it and glanced at them with wide eyes, astonished by his ability.
“Wow, that’s amazing, Brian.” she gushed, and his smile brightened. “What else can you do?”
“I can make it snow, cause snowstorms and so on,” he explained, shrugging as if it was no big deal.
“That is so amazing,” Valerie said in awe. Esther giggled, joining her while taking a sip of her own cocktail.
“Are you impressed? Wait until you’ve seen Shawn’s fire or Wade’s thunder. I’m always blown away by their magic, it’s so beautiful.”
“You’re flattering me,” Shawn grinned, a flame appearing in his open palm. It flickered and licked at his skin without causing damage.
“Don’t set the island on fire, idiot,” Liam grumbled, crossing his arms. Something like this had happened before, Valerie suspected when she saw his blue eyes darkening significantly.
“How do you all know each other?” she asked curiously, earning grins and laughs from the demons. “Isn’t it unusual for demons to stick together like this?”
“That’s a long story,” Liam said. The bright sunlight made his hair color appear even more vibrant than it already was. She found it ironic that a water demon had fiery red hair. “If you want to survive in hell, it doesn’t hurt to have allies who have your back. Many demons band together for this reason, but most of the time, they share the same element. That’s what makes us a little special.”
“So you’re allies,” she summed up, surprised by this, but now she at least understood why they were so friendly with each other. She was also aware that demons normally didn’t care about humans, but they seemed to be okay with Esther and her.
“We are,” Benjamin said. He looked serious, his dark eyes brimming with an emotion that was hard to describe. Could it be worry? “There is an important reason why we decided to meet with everyone today. It’s not just because we wanted to get to know you, Valerie.”
Liam nodded in confirmation, causing unease to rise within her. She unconsciously inched closer to Maxwell, who glanced at her before putting his arm around her waist to pull her to his side. She heaved a sigh, enjoying the feeling of being near him.
“There was another riot in hell,” Wade explained, worriedly creasing his brow. He looked so different from his usual cheeky self now that she became even more uneasy. “The group of demons we have been after since Seth died has caused another bonded couple to die. Neither of us knew them, but it’s cause for alarm, especially after a demon broke into Esther’s and Vaughn’s home recently.”
“You need to be very careful and always be prepared,” Liam said with a strict stare in Maxwell’s direction, to which he nodded.
“I’m aware,” he replied coldly.
“At the moment, no other demon seems to know about your bond, which is good, but we don’t know how long it will stay that way, so don’t get careless,” Benjamin added. “We’ve managed to capture one of them before, but we couldn’t get any useful information from him about the rioters and their plans. It makes me feel like we are walking in circles.”
“Seth’s death lies back twenty years, and we still have nowhere,” Maxwell growled, and Valerie felt a pang in her heart. Guilt. She frowned, hugging his waist in an attempt to comfort him.
“The bastard who is behind all this crap is good at hiding,” Thorne said, clicking his tongue. “I want to make him pay and get him out of the way.”
“One day, we are going to find him. He won’t have the last laugh,” Vaughn added decidedly. “I want to avenge Seth.”
—
They stayed at the beach for the remainder of the afternoon until the sun began to set and reached the horizon, drenching the sky in colorful hues. Valerie had walked closer to the ocean to watch the spectacle in silence, her eyes wide and filled with wonder.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Maxwell said as he stood next to her, much more interested in her than in the sunset.
“Yes, I’ve had a lot of fun today. This place is paradise,” she smiled brightly, momentarily ripping her eyes away from the sky to look at him instead. Despite the fading light, his eyes were glimmering softly, filled with warmth and a mischievous spark.
“That’s good. I figured it would be a nice change from your usual life. Liam can be a pain in the ass, but he always makes good choices, and suggesting to come here was one of them.”
“Have you known him for long?” she asked curiously, and he nodded.
“Yeah, for a few centuries, just like most of the others.”
“That’s a long time,” she said and gulped. It was strange to imagine that they had been alive so much longer than her, yet didn’t look a day over 25. Even Brian, who was the oldest, looked so young that it could have been a joke.