Ben’s head spun as Danny peppered Artie with questions, demanding answers that Artie insisted he didn’t know. Ben was torn. He wanted to throw Danny out, to protect Artie from the badgering. He understood why they needed answers, but there was also the fact Artie needed to process what he’d seen. Though everything in him screamed not to let this continue, Ben knew if they were going to find a way to protect each other, they needed to do this.
“Ben? Can you make some coffee, please?”
“What? Oh, of course. Danny, why don’t you help me?”
He appeared ready to argue until Ben grabbed his arm and dragged him to the kitchen.
“What the hell, Nelson?”
Ben wasn’t much shorter than Danny and doubted he could intimidate the man, but he got up close and whispered harshly, “Give him five goddamn minutes to catch his breath. He’s not trying to hide anything, and you’re acting like he should be interrogated.”
Danny scrubbed a hand through his hair and leveled his gaze at Ben. “Okay, fine. Full confession time here. That werewolf they found at your house? There was a reason investigators found no accelerant at the scene. He was the accelerant. The working theory is that the demons imbued him with hellfire and sent him, but we’re not sure if he came to you or after you. When he got there, the fire inside him ignited. I told Artie it burned him to the bone, but that wasn’t quite true. It burned so hot, it caused the bones to shatter or turn to ash. And he was alive when it was happening. The reason the fire started slowly enough for you to get out is because it consumed the wolf while he was alive. Once he died, it burst out of him and engulfed the house.”
“Fuck,” Ben muttered.
“Exactly. With what Artie saw, it’s pretty certain they’re after him.”
Ben recalled Tempest’s warnings of a darkness that stalked Artie and his skin prickled. “You’re the expert in all things supernatural. What do you think we should do?”
“It’s nice you think that, but there’s so much we still don’t know. Our database on demons is severely limited, most of it hearsay or circumstantial evidence. That’s why we need to understand what’s happening. And, unfortunately, Artie is the only one who can help. And with his birthday coming up, it’s vitally important that we know now.”
That struck Ben. Artie’s birthday would be the following week, and they now knew something was coming on that day.
Ben crossed his arms. “Fine, then let’s get this done, because no one is going to hurt Artie again.”
***
The box sat on the table, mocking Artie. The fact that Ben and Danny weren’t nearly as quiet as they probably thought they were amused but also frustrated him. Though he was sure Ben didn’t mean it that way, he treated Artie as though he were one of the pots that sat in hotels around New Orleans, delicate and fragile. He should be grateful for it, but his whole life he had been trying to break out of that, and now that he was finally getting a handle on his abilities, his fiancé continued to act as though he could wrap Artie in cotton batting and put him up on a shelf, out of harm’s way. He wouldn’t deny the thrill at Ben’s possessiveness, but he still needed to prove he could handle himself.
The aroma of coffee and the sounds of cups clinking gave Artie the opening he needed. He reached for the box and took out the necklace, wrapping the chain around his fingers. He opened his mind, allowing his powers to merge with the emotions the piece held, and found himself at his grandmother’s house once more. She seemed much more frail than he’d seen her before. Deep lines creased her face, and dark bags beneath her eyes spoke of many sleepless nights. Her hands trembled as she held the phone to her ear, and her voice cracked so badly Artie had to strain to make out what she was saying.
“She won’t train him. She insists she can find someone who will bind his powers. Yes, I know, but she won’t change her mind. No, her abilities are pretty much non-existent now. She’s refused to use them for so long I don’t think they still work. If they did, I might be able to convince her she needs to listen.”
She slumped into a chair and slid fingers through matted gray hair.
“They’re going to get him, and I can’t do anything to stop it. Yes, I tried to offer myself, but they think I’m too weak, and by now I probably am. The only saving grace is that I see him with someone in his future who plays a pivotal role in keeping him safe.” She laughed. “But Artie will cause him so many headaches. He’ll be a very headstrong man.”
Artie huffed. Bad enough he got it from Ben, but to hear it from his grandmother?
“The problem is that there’s something blocking me. I can’t tell what’s going to happen, and it scares me. I… They’re here. No, it won’t do me any good to run. I did what I could to protect Artie. I only wish I could see him to tell him how much I love him and how very proud I am of the man he becomes. Yes, I’ll remember. It’s been wonderful knowing you, Grace. I’ll miss our get-togethers.”
After hanging up the phone, Agatha walked calmly to the door and stepped outside.
“You don’t need to hide. I know you’re here.”
A haze appeared a few feet away from her, and Artie wanted to cry out, warn her, but he remembered this was nothing more than a memory. Still, tears leaked down his cheeks and he wanted to stop watching, but it seemed unfair for her to die alone.
“He’ll be ours,” the raspy voice said.
Agatha held her head up proudly. “He’ll never be yours. He will have powerful friends, and a man who loves him. They will keep him safe.”
The demon placed his hand over Agatha’s heart and tendrils of smoke began to catch in the breeze. Artie stepped as close as he could, wishing he was able to hold her. Then the most peculiar thing, he swore she looked right at him and smiled before she burst into flames. She made not a sound as they consumed her, and Artie whispered to the sky for her safe passage.
And then his grandmother crumbled to ash, leaving Artie with a gaping pit where his own heart used to be.
***
“Goddamn it, Artie, let go!”
Ben tugged at the necklace, not wanting to break it, but needing to get it away from his sobbing lover. He and Danny had heard Artie cry out and rushed from the kitchen to find him curled in a fetal position, clutching the necklace to his chest. When they tried to take it away from him, he clutched it tighter, refusing to release his grip. Danny stepped closer to help, and Duke appeared in front of them, his teeth bared.
“Oh, yeah, this just keeps getting better and better. Go the fuck away, dog, or there’s going to be an exorcism tonight.”
Duke whimpered, then took a few steps back, sat and glared at Danny, but let the man get close to Artie.
“Mom wanted me to deal with normal people,” he muttered. “But no, I had to go ahead and do something special. See what my attraction to the supernatural gets me?”
Resisting the urge to push the man away, Ben took Artie’s hands in his. They were hot to the touch, and sweat beaded on Artie’s brow. Danny grabbed Artie’s arms and held them down to his side. Despite the fact Ben’s lover was shorter and weighed quite a bit less, he fought like a man possessed. The muscles in his neck strained, his eyes bulged, and sweat poured down his face.
“For god’s sake, slap him or something, would you?”
Ben ignored Danny, instead focusing on Artie. “Artie, you have to let go. Give me the damn thing.”
Artie pushed free, threw the necklace, and sat up, shouting, “Grandma!” before he slumped back onto the couch. “Grandma,” he whispered.
“Bet you he’s fun at parties,” Danny snarked.
Ben reared up and pushed Danny toward the door. “Okay, I’ve had enough. Time for you to go.”
“Fine. Let me grab the necklace and I’ll get out of your hair. Remember what we talked about though.”
“Ben? No, don’t let him take it. Please.”
Ben snatched the necklace from the floor and placed it in the box before putting it in his back pocket.
“Give that to me,” Danny threatened.
“Artie wants it. Artie gets it. I promise to tell you everything that happens, but for now, it stays here.”
“I could have you arrested, you know. Or I could send an enforcer after you. Or I could simply shoot you myself. No one would even question me.”
“You could, but it still wouldn’t get you any closer to knowing what’s going on, would it?”
Danny sighed deeply, glancing between Ben and Artie. “Fine, you can keep it for now, but I want updates three times a day. Even something that might seem insignificant to you may be the key to solving this whole thing. And you’re still expected at work tomorrow. And if Clint asks, you’re taking responsibility.”
Ben gave a mock salute. “Yes, boss.”
After ushering Danny out the door and closing it behind him, Ben went back to Artie and sat beside him.
“Want to talk?”
“I watched him kill her,” Artie said quietly. “He put a hand on her and she burned. But she didn’t say anything or fight back. And I don’t know how, but I think she knew I was there.”
A shiver coursed through Ben. He hadn’t mentioned to Artie how he believed his grandmother had come back to help him find his way home, but once again lines were drawn where everything intersected. He took a deep breath. “I think she did know. When I told you about the woman who helped me find you, I neglected to tell you one thing. I think it might have been your grandmother. I don’t know how, but it seemed to me she knew a lot about you. About us.”
If he’d worried Artie would be angry, he’d misjudged the situation.
“The world we live in is full of possibilities. She was a strong woman, if what I witnessed was any indication. If anyone could have found a way, it would have been her.”
“Do you have a picture of her? I wanted to ask, but after everything we’d been through, if I was wrong, I didn’t want you to be hurt.”
Artie shook his head. “All my pictures were lost in the fire, but seeing her brought it back. Mom had a few pictures of her, but kept them hidden. We didn’t talk about grandma because it upset my mother. When we moved into her house, and I started showing abilities, everything that was hers had to go. Now I get it, at least a little. It bothers me that the two of them couldn’t talk it out. I don’t know how strong Mom’s abilities were, but she should have understood.”
“Maybe she did. Maybe after seeing what happened to Agatha, she wanted to avoid that; first, for herself, and then for you. I’m not saying what she did was right or wrong, that’s not my decision, but I believe she did it to protect you from the pain and torment she went through.”
“Maybe. I guess if she had known I was still seeing things, she might have finally done what Grandma wanted and had me trained. How much different would things have been if I could have controlled it?”
“From what we know? I’m thinking it was probably best that she didn’t train you.”
Artie started to protest, but Ben cut him off.
“Think about it for a minute. You said the demons told your grandmother they would take you. She set it up so they couldn’t touch you, and I’m guessing she didn’t tell your mother. They both tried to protect you in the only way they could. They loved you—your grandma enough to die to protect you.”
Artie’s expression darkened. “I need to go back again.”
“I know, but this time you’re not doing it by yourself. That was very foolish of you. If Danny and I hadn’t come back in—”
A dismissive wave. “It was a memory. I knew it, but watching her die nearly gutted me.”
Ben grabbed Artie by the back of the neck and glared at him. “You don’t do things like this alone. You wait on me, or you don’t do it. Is that understood?”
A wide grin crossed Artie’s face. “I think I like it when you get all growly.”
“Yeah, well, do it again and no sex for a week.”
Artie appeared dubious, and Ben shrugged. “It was the only real threat I had.”
***
Slender fingers reached into the ash that was left of Artie’s grandmother and held it aloft. It shone in the bright sunlight, the beams reflecting on the surface of the stones.
“Oh, Aggie. I wish you’d been wrong. You didn’t deserve this. I hope that when the time is right, I’ll be able to meet him. I feel as though I’ve come to know him from everything you told me. Maybe you’re right and our grandchildren will become friends. I hope so. I’d like to know that they’ll look out for one another like we tried to do.”
The face was lined with age, but still amazingly beautiful. The deep green eyes seemed to know so much, and twinkled in the light. Artie watched as she slipped the amulet into her pocket, patted it, then proceeded to gather up his grandmother’s remains and bury them in the garden behind her house.
“Like all life, we return to the soil from whence we came. May Mother Earth accept you and hold you to her bosom until she sees fit to let you spring forth once again.”
She stood and walked slowly toward a waiting car. She pulled open the door, then turned her gaze skyward.
“Blessed Mother, protect my friend and the family who loved her. Keep them safe as only you are able. Help her grandson to remain strong in the trying times ahead, and bring him a new family who will stand with him as his strength when he feels weak and alone. Who will guide him in a world he will be forced to stand apart from. To love him when it seems all hope is gone. It will be they who nurture him, who show him the path to who he is to become. And, if you see fit, bring my granddaughter to him, so that she may provide him succor in his darkest hour.”
She then got into the car and drove away, and in that moment, everything he’d been through, all the pain and heartache, made sense. His grandmother knew the path his life would take. She understood the tribulations he would have to endure. And she saw that the people—no, the family—who had gathered around him, would be the ones who finally made him whole.