The Cambion's Hoard

Rose leaned into Thatch. Her breathing was a little more panicked than I would like. I brought her hand back to my lips, rubbing across them slowly. As I focused, even though she smelled like Biggs she didn’t taste like him. I could still taste Rose; her skin was sweet like rice wine.

Patti rolled an unlit cigarette between her fingers. “Banshees are always associated with the wailing of death. Some Banshees can intervene. Not as common and living dead things mixed in the gene pool. I happen to be one of the few who can intervene. I never have but you four are my family. Everyone that lives with us. I would save you each a thousand times if I could. Though today, I am saving one.”

She rubbed across Rose’s leg with her thumb. “Biggs was going to die, his body couldn’t hang onto his soul and fight for its life. So, as he was fleeing from this world, I snatched his threads and stitched him to Rose.”

I watched Patti’s gaze settle on Rose. Patti’s eyes had darkened like aged wine. “I was nervous it wouldn’t work. I had never tried it before, but I can feel Biggs’s soul nestled against Rose’s. They almost fit perfectly together, I’m sure if I tried to add Henson’s it would fill in the gaps.”

She winked at me. “What does that mean for Biggs if Rose is cradled by his soul?”

Patti laughed. “Funny, that’s exactly doing. Spooning.” She stood and stretched. “Once his body is strong enough, I’ll stitch his soul back to him.”

Rose adjusted on the bed. Doing her best to lean forward without letting Thatch or me go. Her curls moved listlessly against her shoulders. They’d bandaged over her eyes. The harpy nurse had suggested it and said it would help her stay calm. When someone loses a mate, not seeing helps.

“Won’t this affect us?” Rose began to tremble.

Thatcher pushed the rail on the bed down. He scooted close to Rose to ease her fear.

Patti bobbed her head leaning it to the side. She tapped the cigarette on her chin. “You two aren’t coming out of this unscathed. It won’t be irreparable damage if that’s worrying you. Your bond with these two is going to be stronger and more defined. And your bond with Biggs? It will be unbreakable. The four of you are bound together incredibly. It’s always been interesting how your souls fit together.”

She stood and adjusted her coat. “Once everyone is on the mend. We’ll discuss souls and how you all fit together. For now, boys I need you to come home with me.”

I scowled. “And leave Rose alone? What if something happens with Biggs and I’m not here.”

“Henson, now they have four healers working simultaneously. Each specializes in a specific dermis and organ layer. His soul is in the safest of hands. I need you two to come home and help me at the house. It needs to be prepared. A trauma of this magnitude is going to upset unforeseen things. I’d rather take a preemptive strike than wait for issues.”

“And Rose?” I stepped forward but didn’t release Rose.

“Linus is downstairs with her mother. She’ll be fine.”

Rose squeezed our hands. “I trust Patti. Go home and help her. I need my Mom.”

I looked at Thatch and his face matched how I felt. Linus and Candice meant well but they’d overwhelm her in a heartbeat. She wanted to be free, and this was all we needed. An overprotective mother and a demon for a father.

Thatcher kissed her below the ear. “You have a nurse call us if it gets to be too much for you.”

He eyed me with displeasure and headed out the door. I leaned down and kissed Rose beneath her other ear.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Rose touched my arm. “It will be fine. I won’t let them get to me.”

“It WILL be fine.” Patti stepped aside and followed me out of the room.

Linus and Candice stood in the hallway near her door. Linus stood against the wall. He was lean, had what my father called a silver fox appearance, and didn’t look a day over fifty, a good fifty at that.

Candice was plump like Rose only Rose had thicker thighs and breasts. She was beginning to gray at the temples and her hair was curlier than Rose’s. I hadn’t gotten to see her smile and considering the circumstances I may never.

I paused in front of Linus. My jaw clenched and I rounded before I thought twice. “Do not even think about taking her from us. I need her, I will be lost without her.”

Linus regarded me with the smug arrogance I’d seen from incubi before, only his was free of any tension they normally gave off. His jacket stretched tightly against his shoulders as he pulled it forward by the pockets.

“I have been informed by the psychic that forcing my daughter to sever the mate bonds would kill her. Succubi taking mates is, well, you have higher odds fucking twins than matting a succubus. Funny how you ended up with both.” Linus backed away and headed into Rose’s room.

Candice swallowed and stopped next to Thatcher. “Tell me this was an accident. ”

Thatcher rubbed the back of her arm. “Rose saved him. She saved all of us.”

She hurried through the door. I could tell she was fighting tears.

I took Thatch’s hand, and he squeezed it. “I couldn’t tell her it was my fault Rose got hurt. If I hadn’t blocked his blow...”

“It wasn’t your fault. This was unpredictable. None of us could have foreseen Biggs’s reaction to the drug. It was an accident; this shouldn’t have happened. Put that out of your head.” I rubbed the back of his head. Patti was right, there were traumas we needed to mend.