Eversong (Midnight Playground) by Eden Bradley Page A

His hands were still at Gaius’s throat, but his grip lessened.
    “Ever, we must do this properly,” Aleron insisted. “Come now. Let us take him away.” He stepped forward, laid a hand on Ever’s shoulder.
    “It is unforgivable, what he has done,” Ever growled.
    “Which is why we’ve been hunting him,” Ramsey said. “I followed him here from Madrid. He was so damn fast. Faster than I am, or I would never have let him get this close to Mercy. But Aleron is right. You have to let the Council deal with him.”
    “Ever. Let us take him now,” Aleron pressed him.
    Mercy watched the exchange. Gaius lay still on the floor, as if the fight had gone out of him. It wrenched her heart to see him this way, despite what he’d done to her. What he had just tried to do moments earlier.
    “Please, Ever,” she begged. “Let them take him. I can’t bear to see this. I can’t. I know what has to be done, but don’t do it in front of me. Please.”
    “Do as she asks, Ever,” Deo said, his tone full of a power she’d never heard from him before. “Do it for her.”
    Ever sighed, eased back the slightest bit, and Ramsey and the other vampires moved in, lifting Gaius to his feet.
    “Ah, God, I can’t stand it.” Tears poured down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop crying. Couldn’t stop the sadness cutting into her like a razor, right through her flesh, into her heart.
    “Shh, love,” Deo murmured into her hair, kissing her cheek.
    She burrowed into Deo’s big body, watching as Ever stood, wiping his hands on his leather-clad thighs as he let the others carry Gaius away. He was shaking with rage. He wouldn’t look at her but kept his gaze on the floor.
    She turned her face into Deo’s strong shoulder.
    “He would have carried me off,” she sobbed.
    “No, love. We wouldn’t have let that happen.”
    “But he’s so strong. He almost…”
    “No,” Deo said again, power in his voice once more.
    “I was so scared. Afraid to be taken from you and Ever. Afraid of Gaius. And yet…I’m so torn. It hurts me to think of what will happen to him.”
    “It’s all right, Mercy love. It has to be this way. There is no other option. You understand that, don’t you? But don’t think of it now. Think only of being safe.”
    Deo lifted her in his arms, carrying her back into their rooms, and she saw the broken door hanging on its hinges. He took her to the bed, but she didn’t want to lie down.
    “Deo, please.”
    He set her on her feet, brought her a robe, and she wrapped herself in the pale blue velvet. They sat together on the low sofa, Deo never letting go of her hand. She was aware of Ever, still out in the hallway. Sensed his tension like a knife blade against her skin as he slowly gained control of his temper.
    She leaned into Deo, realized that he was trembling, just a small shiver beneath the surface of his skin. She buried her face in his neck, let the familiar scent of his skin soothe her.
     
    Ever looked through the broken doorway, saw Mercy and Deo together and felt a stab of…what? Envy? But they were his , as much as they belonged to each other. Or he’d thought so, until he’d had to hear Mercy beg on behalf of that evil rogue.
    How could she have done it? How could she possibly care for him still, after what he’d done to her? Months ago. Today.
    He strode down the hall, away from them. Away from the sight of Deo soothing Mercy as he should be doing now himself. And yet he couldn’t. He couldn’t bear it.
    He stopped at the end of the long hall, ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it back into place.
    “Ever.” Aleron laid his hand over the back of his neck.
    Ever whirled around to face his old friend. “Would you turn against me now, Aleron?”
    Aleron shook his head. “I am with you as always, Ever. You must calm yourself.”
    “How can I? After what happened here today? He would have carried her off, held her prisoner. God knows what he might have done.”
    “But he didn’t. You