Chapter Seventeen

I’ve got to stop thinking things can’t get crazier.

Every time she did, something else happened to prove her wrong. Raine had no idea who Maccus was calling out to, wasn’t sure she really wanted to. If it took bloodred symbols on the wall to keep them out, they weren’t someone to trifle with.

Her stomach turned queasy. There was a good chance that was actual blood on the walls. Many cultures used it in rituals and warding. Light shimmered in the corner of the room, growing brighter, forcing her to shield her eyes with her hand. No way was she closing them.

“Redecorating, I see.” The voice was deep and melodic and tinged with humor. It was seductive, almost hypnotic.

Lowering her arm, she stared as the brilliance faded away, leaving a man in its wake. He was tall with golden hair that hung to his shoulders and eyes bluer than the ocean. He wore faded Levi’s and a dress shirt so white it almost hurt to look at. He was movie star, rock star handsome.

“He has wings.” Huge, pure white wings spread out behind him, each feather soft and perfectly shaped. They were spectacular. The way he’d arrived, his sheer presence was exactly as Mack had described. He likely had been visited by an angel, and it had led to his death.

She didn’t trust him. He was too pretty, too polished. There was something about him that repelled even as it attracted.

Gabriel turned his attention to her, his lips curving into a welcoming smile. “And who do we have here? Another addition to your charming group?”

“This isn’t a social call,” Maccus snapped.

“Then why did you call?” White wings snapped back and disappeared. “I was busy.” She tried not to stare, but it was impossible not to. From the beginning, all the evidence pointed toward angels being involved, but to actually see one was making her head spin. Yes, Maccus was an angel but a fallen one. He was also Lucius’s Brother. This was an actual angel from Heaven. The air snapped with energy, a powder keg just waiting to be ignited.

Maccus’s lip curled. “I’m sure you were.”

Beside her, Lucius stirred. “What do you know about the Angel Foundation?”

Gabriel was slightly shorter than the other men, but somehow managed to appear as though he was looking down on them. He reminded her of those stuffy academic types she ran into at faculty functions who thought they were so much better than a lowly professor of folklore.

“And who are you?” The angel ran his gaze over Lucius. “Another one of Maccus’s merry band of followers, I assume.”

A low growl rolled up from Lucius’s throat.

“Is this one housebroken? From what I’ve heard, you had trouble with the werewolf. I imagine this one is a shifter of some kind.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he tilted his head to one side and his eyes narrowed. “A drakon. I didn’t know you had one of those. I’m impressed.”

Angel or not, she wanted to kick his ass for treating Lucius like he was no more than an animal. Her muscles quivered, but she reined in the impulse. He’d smite her like she’d flick a mosquito. That would set off a chain of events that would be good for no one, least of all humanity. “What do you know about the Angel Foundation here in New York?” She was proud her voice quavered only a little. It was easy to be brave with the others around her.

“Why should I tell you?” Superiority echoed in every word. He seemed to have a dim view of humans. Or maybe it was her.

She caught a glint of metal flying through the air before a knife slammed into Gabriel’s shoulder. The impact knocked him back a step. Raine jolted, swallowing heavily as blood seeped from around the wound. The casual violence made her stomach churn even worse. The others didn’t even blink.

“You know you’re going to tell me what I need to know, so stop provoking me.” Maccus raised his hand and the knife ripped from Gabriel’s shoulder and flew back to him. He flipped the blade through his fingers.

Blood stained the angel’s shirt. He frowned and waved his hand, and the fabric went back to its pristine condition with no sign of blood. He didn’t even think about it, didn’t even strain. That kind of power was downright scary.

“We have organizations here on Earth. We’re not supposed to interfere with mankind.”

Maccus snorted. “That never stopped you.”

“But,” he continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted, “we do nudge from time to time, to set someone on a certain path, encourage the dreamers, and remind people that miracles can and do happen. That job falls to lesser angels. I’m far too busy.”

Yup, definitely reminded her of a puffed-up professor she’d had once, who’d thought himself too good to actually teach the students who paid to take his course.

“You need to find out.” Lucius had been quiet until now, letting his friend do most of the talking. It made sense, since it was angel to angel, even if one of them was fallen.

“I don’t need to do anything. I especially don’t take orders from some overgrown lizard.”

It’s official. I’m going to Hell because I’m going to kill an angel. No one. No one talked to her man like that. And yes, he was hers. It wasn’t sensible, wasn’t smart, but she didn’t care.

“If you know what I am, you know what I can do.”

“Of course I do. I’m an archangel.”

Archangel? As in the Archangel Gabriel? She’d thought him a normal angel, if there was such a thing. Not a bloody archangel. Maccus had gone straight to the top for answers.

“Then why are you baiting me?” Lucius took a menacing step forward.

A slow smirk crossed his perfect face. “Because it’s so much fun, and life can get tedious after so many millennia.”

“I’d find ripping you to shreds and feasting on your bones fun. Life can get tedious after so many millennia,” Lucius tossed his words back at him.

He wouldn’t really eat the archangel, would he? His pink eyes glowed. Every muscle in his body was tense and ready for action. Pure menace oozed from him. Yup, he might do it. Normally, such a thing would appall her, but she’d make an exception in this case.

Gabriel threw back his head and laughed, seemingly unconcerned. “As amusing as this all is, I have things to do.” He waved his hand, but nothing happened. He frowned and tried again.

The wards were back on the wall, vibrant and pulsing with power.

“You’re not going anywhere until we get answers.” Maccus was still flipping the knife through his fingers. Nothing much seemed to upset him. He had survived Hell. She imagined that after that, everything else was more of a petty annoyance. Fearless was the best description of all of them. She, on the other hand, was doing her best to ignore the way her legs were trembling.

“I was in the Deep Sleep of my kind.” Lucius walked right up to the archangel and looked down at him. “Someone from this Angel Foundation sent Raine to me. She woke me, which should be impossible.”

“Blame her for waking you. I had nothing to do with this. Why would I bother? You’re nothing to me.”

It rang true to her and must have to Lucius, since he took a step back.

“But he is something to me,” Maccus said.

“Is this about your little Brotherhood again? Lucifer is occupied with other things these days. I heard he didn’t fare so well the last time he involved you in one of his schemes. From what my spies tell me, he’s been in a foul mood since.” His laugh sent a cold shiver through her. No love lost there, even though Lucifer and Gabriel were brothers of a sort.

“Lucifer wasn’t the only one involved in schemes to harm me.” The knife disappeared and was replaced by a throwing star. She really needed to know how he was doing that.

Gabriel smiled at Morrigan and waved. “You’re not still harboring hard feelings about that, are you?” He made a tsking sound. “Worked out well for the two of you in the end. You should be thanking me.”

Lucius grabbed the archangel by the throat and lifted him off his feet, dangling him in the air. “If you can’t help us, you’re of little use.”

“You. Can’t. Kill. Me.” Gabriel wrapped his hands around Lucius’s wrist, trying to drag it away, but couldn’t budge him. It was an enormous feat of strength. The angel began to glow. The light wrapped around Lucius’s forearm and began to spread upward. A scream stuck in her throat.

“Stop, Gabriel.”

“Stay out of this, Maccus. He thinks his puny archangel power can harm me.” Red and orange flames burst from beneath Lucius’s skin, burning away his shirt. They twisted around his shoulder and rushed toward the golden glow. The two energy sources slammed together in a burst that sent a shower of fire spilling into the room.

Raine stamped on several embers, as did Morrigan. A wall of heat drove the rest of them back. The fight was silent but intense, each man battling for supremacy.

“I’m an archangel.” Sweat beaded on Gabriel’s forehead and seeped down his temples. His golden hair was mussed, his eyes darkening with disbelief. Lucius appeared almost relaxed, like he wasn’t really trying. Her drakon was special, but this display of power was unfathomable.

“I’m a drakon.” Pink and rose-gold ribbons caressed his arm as they joined the flames. The angel’s glow didn’t get pushed back, it winked out of existence.

She blinked several times, unable to believe what she’d witnessed. Morrigan paled. Even Maccus’s eyes widened. So it wasn’t just her. The others were as shocked by what he’d done.

“Do I kill you or do you get us some answers?”

Gabriel stubbornly remained silent.

“Let him go.” Maccus put his hand on Lucius’s shoulder. “As much of a pain in the ass as he is, it would cause bigger problems if you kill him.”

Lucius held steady, ignoring his friend. The last thing they needed was more trouble, and making an enemy of an archangel didn’t seem like a particularly smart move. Ignoring the heat that threatened to singe off her eyebrows, she went to his side but didn’t touch him. If either of them ignited their flames, she was toast. “Lucius, please.” She had no idea if he’d listen to her but had to try.

Muscles in his back and arm bunched. His tattoos pulsed, brighter than normal, seeming alive. The urge to stroke them was almost too much to ignore. Her hand was halfway to his arm before she pulled back and curled her fingers inward until her nails bit into her skin.

His fingers tightened fractionally before he tossed the archangel against the wall. She winced at yet another hole. This one was man-sized or, rather, angel-sized. The repairs were really tallying up.

Gabriel rubbed his throat. “I’ll see what I can find out about this Angel Foundation.”

Lucius inclined his head. “Thank you.”

“If I find out you had anything to do with it—”

“Stuff it, Maccus. Not everyone cares about you and your little group of friends.” He motioned to the wall. “I can’t do anything until you allow me to leave.”

“Don’t make me come looking for you,” Maccus warned as he waved his hand at the wall. The symbols vanished. “I might bring Lucius with me.”

Gabriel vanished between one heartbeat and the next.

“I need to sit down.” Her legs were shaking, a combination of fear and adrenaline making her half sick. Only there was nowhere to sit. All the furniture was currently a pile of rubble in the corner. Left with only one option, she plopped down on the floor. “Is it just me or was that intense?”

…

Lucius rushed to Raine when her legs buckled, but she was on the floor before he could catch her. Worried, he settled down beside her and lifted her onto his lap. Her pupils were dilated, making her eyes appear even larger. Her skin was flushed, damp with sweat, but she didn’t appear to be hurt, just dazed.

She waved away his concern. “I’m fine. Things have been off the charts since we met, but this topped everything else—getting trapped in a cave, discovering drakons are real, Mack and his buddies coming to my home to kill me, meeting a fallen angel. No offense,” she told Maccus.

“None taken.”

“You fought an archangel.”

“It wasn’t difficult.” And it should have been. The changes in him went deeper than he’d thought. “It wasn’t a real fight. More a testing of strength.”

Maccus dragged two barstools from the kitchen area, settling Morrigan on one before taking the other for himself. “You just made a formidable enemy, my friend.”

He shrugged. “Not the first time.”

Raine smacked his arm and winced. “Ouch, that hurt. We don’t need any more enemies. We have enough problems.”

We. He’d never thought in terms of how his actions affected anyone else before, never had to. Having Raine made everything different. Shit, maybe he shouldn’t have antagonized Gabriel. In his driving need to protect her, he might have made the situation worse. He brushed his fingers over her cheek, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I won’t let him hurt you.” If he tried, Lucius would destroy him, which would force Maccus and the others to terminate him, putting her in danger. It went around in a never-ending circle but boiled down to the same thing. Someone was trying to stir up trouble between him and the Brotherhood with Raine as collateral damage.

“I was more worried about you.” Grabbing his shoulders, she shook him. “What were you thinking, taking on a bloody archangel?” Once again, her concern was not for herself, but for him. It warmed all the cold parts of his soul. “What am I going to do with you?”

Love me. He swallowed back the plea before it escaped.

“What exactly did you do?” Maccus sat forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “You didn’t push his power back to him at the end.”

“No, I didn’t.” He’d let instinct take over. “I took it.”

His friend stilled, his jaw clenching. “What do you mean, you took it?”

Even now, the angel’s energy pulsed inside him, mixing with his own. He’d been different his entire existence. Reviled and worshiped by turns out of fear, kept away at all costs, through battle or appeasement.

The only place he’d found acceptance was among the Brotherhood. Now that was teetering on the brink. Maccus wouldn’t want him around if he thought Lucius could take his power.

He waved his hand in the air. “I’m not sure. Maybe I pushed it back. Maybe I neutralized it somehow.” It was the first time he’d ever lied to his friend, and it turned his stomach sour. But he wasn’t only protecting himself now, he was protecting Raine. He’d do whatever he had to, to keep her safe. Even lie to his best friend, and Maccus knew it.

“I see.”

“Well, I don’t.” Raine leaned her head against his shoulder. “Gabriel’s glow just sort of went away, like it was turned off.”

“Or absorbed.” Maccus held out his hand and his flaming sword appeared.

Lucius stood with Raine in his arms and then released her legs, waiting until she was steady. “We’ll be going now. You can text us any new information.” He needed to get her out of here before things took a bad turn.

He might not be vulnerable, but she was.

“We all change and evolve.” Maccus twisted his wrist, making the sword sing as it sliced through the air. “None of us in the Brotherhood remain the same. And in the past few years, it seems we’ve all made a jump of some kind, our natural abilities expanding exponentially.”

“I’m not sure what’s happening. Could we speak in plain English and not riddles?” Raine had that adorable quizzical expression again, the one that caused two lines to form between her eyes and made him want to kiss them away. “Lucius?”

He might lie to Maccus to protect Raine, but he would not, could not, lie to her.

“I took his power.” He wanted to watch her expression, to see how she was taking this new twist, but he dared not take his eyes off Maccus. “I told you the Deep Sleep changed me. There was an energy buildup inside me that almost ripped me apart.” He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Raine centered me, gave me a reason to fight, to survive.” His gaze flickered to Morrigan. “I think you understand what I mean.”

“I do.”

Lucius held up his free hand and willed flames to appear. Raine jolted but didn’t pull away. “It’s always been easy to command fire. I may be an earth drakon, but I have a deep affinity for every element. Since waking, I have an abundance of energy. It’s beyond what I had before.” He twisted his hand from side to side, watching the orange and blue flames dance. He added pink ribbons, enjoying the way they threaded through the existing ones. “My first thought was to drive Gabriel’s fire back into him. That wouldn’t have been pleasant. But then it occurred to me that energy doesn’t really change from one being to the next. If he wanted to push it on me, I’d simply take it.” He closed his hand into a fist. The fire winked out, but the glow remained before slowly dissipating.

“You have angelic power in you?” Raine ran her hands over his chest. “It’s not hurting you, is it?”

“No.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead, touched by her concern. “It’s mine now. It’s drakon power.” And he would use every drop to protect her.

His fate was balanced on the edge of the sword Maccus held. They might have to fight their way out of here and would forever be on the run from the Brotherhood. Was that what this entire situation was all about? Infighting among them? He wasn’t sure how that could be possible, since no one could have known what would happen to him. He sure as hell hadn’t.

Maccus tilted his head to one side and smiled. “That’s quite a skill.” He almost sounded admiring. The sword winked out of sight. “Might be useful at some point down the road. Who knows what the Brotherhood might face going forward.”

The muscles in his neck unknotted, a sense of relief washing over him. It was acceptance, pure and simple. “Whatever the Brotherhood needs.” And he meant it. He would lay down his life for any of the others.

“Great. We can all sing Kumbaya and sit around a campfire making s’mores.” When they looked at Raine, she shrugged. “What, you’re friends. Maccus might have been freaked out there for a second, but he’s got your back. That’s what friends do.”

“It’s what Brothers do.” Maccus held out his hand. When Lucius took it, Maccus pulled him in until their chests bumped and their foreheads were almost touching. “It’s what friends do.”

Briefly overcome, all he could do was nod. When he stepped back, he winced at the state of the apartment. “I’m truly sorry about your home.” He’d come here for help and wrecked the place.

“As I said before, don’t worry about it.” Morrigan offered a smile. “These things happen, especially among this crowd.”

There were stories there, so many he hadn’t been a part of. He didn’t know where the other members of the Brotherhood were, what had happened to them while he slept. He had so many questions but swallowed them back. There’d be time to talk, catch up, when this was done and Raine was safe.

A glimmer appeared in the corner of the room, growing larger. The angel was back. Gabriel had wasted no time. His dragon rumbled in satisfaction.

“The Angel Foundation is one of ours. It was headed by an angel named Rivka. The office didn’t get permission to close, and she is nowhere to be found. I’m looking into it.” With that, Gabriel vanished again.

Maccus waved his hand and the warding reappeared, the symbols pulsing before fading from sight.

“Is he telling the truth?” Lucius didn’t trust the archangel. Paranormal creatures were clever, and angels were no exception. Someone like Gabriel didn’t attain and keep his level of power by not being able to play politics and twist the truth when it suited.

“What he said is truth. Whether there is more to it remains to be seen.”

“Do you think Lucifer convinced an angel to help him? That would be one hell of a plan, pun intended.” Raine sighed and straightened her clothes. “Why would an angel help him? He’s the devil.” Her voice was steady, but every ounce of color had left her face. The aftermath of violence surrounded them. Only days ago, she’d had no idea the world of paranormal creatures existed alongside humans. Reading and writing about it was a far cry from living it.

“Lucifer can be pleasing when he wants to be, almost seductive.” Morrigan rubbed her arms. Maccus tugged her toward him until she was sheltered against him. As a former bounty hunter for Hell, she’d have intimate knowledge of such things.

He was curious how she’d ended up in such a position. That was her story to tell, if she chose to. Asking would likely bring down Maccus’s wrath.

“We need to go. We have no idea who might be behind this, but there’s little doubt they’re likely still looking.” And he’d brought enough hardship to his friend’s door.

He also wanted to be alone with his mate. Was she cursing the Fates for bringing her into his life, wishing she’d never met him? His heart ached at the thought. She put on a brave face but was struggling to deal with every new revelation. The introduction she was getting to his world did little to recommend it. When this was over, would she walk away?

“You two need to go into hiding. The Brotherhood will get to the bottom of this. I’m going to call the others, see if they can dig up any information about demonic or angelic activity. In the meantime, we can’t ignore other possibilities. You might want to talk to a fellow drakon and find out if any of those societies that hunt your kind are active. No low-level angel would dare disobey Heaven, but maybe they managed to use magic to control one to do their bidding. There’s a number that’s been circulated. I’ll text it to Raine.”

A drakon purposely giving out contact information—he never thought he’d live long enough to witness such a thing. Secretive and suspicious were the two words used most when referring to drakons, but it was a line to tug for information, and Maccus was right. They couldn’t afford to focus solely on an angel being the mastermind. Humans had used magic to control his kind for centuries. It was possible they’d found a way to do the same to a lesser angel. If it were just himself, he wouldn’t make contact, but he had Raine now. Her safety and well-being were paramount.

“Contact me if you hear anything from the others. I’ll speak to them personally when all this is over.” He wasn’t about to put any more of his Brothers in the crosshairs of his unknown enemy, if he could help it.

Nothing was adding up. It didn’t make sense why an angel would be behind this. He’d never harmed one, not until today. And he hadn’t really hurt Gabriel. Just ruffled his feathers a bit.

Whatever was going to happen, it was coming sooner rather than later. He could feel it in his bones.

…

Gabriel stared at the empty Manhattan office. Where was that administrative low-level angel? She’d screwed things up royally. This was a simple job. One that didn’t require much intelligence.

Contrary to what some people might think, angels were like people—not all were created equal. Some got the prime jobs. Others, like this one, were office drones. In human terms, he was the CEO with the penthouse office. He planned to stay there.

He rubbed his neck, even though it didn’t pain him. The insult of being held immobile by an abomination, a creature that shouldn’t even exist, was too much. Not to mention he was weaker than he should be.

“You had one job.” He stared out the squat window at the city skyline. “You’re a paper pusher, a nobody.” Why couldn’t he sense her?

“I’ll find you. There’s nowhere you can hide from me. And when I do, you’ll pay.”

Leaving the empty office behind, he returned to Heaven. He needed to recharge before he began his search, but there were other things he needed to do first. This insult could not go unanswered.