by J. L. Madore
When he looked back, red-hot agony burned in his gaze. Something was wrong. He was fronting for Thea, but yeah, very wrong. In an uncoordinated stagger, he made it into the hall before he fell to his knees.
Seth? What’s happening?
The first bone snaps ricocheted in the air and Phoenix fought to understand. Seth twisted, cursing as his spine, his shoulders, and then his ribs seemed to shatter from within.
“My son,” Seth growled, more beast than man, writhing on the tiles. “That bitch . . . stole him.” He made a crude attempt to get his move-on toward the door, but his legs gave way and he clamored across the tile in a splay of mindless motion.
Seth, calm down. I think you’re transitioning.
He roared, pure anger erupting from him. Energy arced, and his magical gifts built in the air around him. “I want her . . . dead.”
Yeah, that was obvi. Lady Divinity’s words whispered in his memory from when she explained what happened during Zander’s transition:
You battle to tether dark impulses, violence, and temper. To give yourself wholly to love, you must make yourself whole. That dangerous side of yourselves, that brutal beast you lock away, must be released to rein free e’ermore.
Seth clapped his hands over his ears and rounded his back. “Fucking . . . burns.”
Yeah, it did. Phoenix left Seth for a moment, jogged into the operating room, and found Seth’s gear. The fact that he already stripped off his jacket and gave Thea his shirt just made this next part easier.
“What’s happening out there?” Kyrian said, still working over Thea.
No time to sign an answer.
Phoenix grabbed his twin’s Crystalline dagger and bolted back out the door. By the time he reached him, Seth had torqued onto his stomach and was clawing at his back.
Phoenix dropped to his knees. I’ve got you.
“Fuck . . . this . . . hurts.”
Yep. Phoenix saw the bones of Seth’s wings trying to pierce through the flesh on his back. He poised the deadly blade over his spine and cursed. Be still.
Yeah, no, that wasn’t happening.
Phoenix straddled his twin’s ass and pressed down on the back of his neck. With his free hand, he made the incisions to free the root bones of Seth’s emerging wings. That would stop at least some of his pain.
The appendages broke free with a sickening crunch and the air snapped with the magic of the Choir. From there, Seth’s body really got its remodel grooving.
Phoenix dismounted and got out of the way.
Tough it out. You’re more than halfway done.
“Fuck . . . you.”
Phoenix chuckled. Yeah, he didn’t blame him for that.
Kyrian leaned out the door and his eyes popped wide. He lifted his hands. Him and the angel?
Phoenix shook his head. I think his son triggered it.
Thea moaned, and the Greek glanced over his shoulder. You got this covered?
Phoenix nodded and took a seat on one of the leather sofas. Untucking his T-shirt, he cleaned off the blade of the knife and tipped the weapon back and forth. He watched the blue liquid in the belly of the blade instead of his brother’s suffering.
He never had been able to stand Seth hurting.
When his brother finally fell still, he was thankful he’d slipped into unconsciousness. Claiming love and letting their dark side free to roam the halls of their body and mind wasn’t easy, but it was soooo worth it.
Most nights, anyway.
Seth would be pissed about the magic in his blood, though. He could already feel their mother’s genes pulsing and growing in his veins. That would be hard for him to accept.
And he knew his twin. He was stubborn and headstrong, but if he’d claimed the son, it wouldn’t be long before he got out of his own way and let Thea into his heart too.
After all, she was an amazing female.
A long while later, Seth began to stir.
Phoenix went over, hooked his elbow, and rolled him over to sit on his ass. The whole ebony wing upgrade was the bomb. Lady Divinity nailed it on the head when she said they’d come out the other side of transition stronger and even more lethal.
And it wasn’t just them. Two of Kang’s Atlanta garrison had transitioned, and a few others across the board. He attributed their five of nine to Austin and her determination to show them how great love and family could be.
Eventually, Seth got his hamster running in his wheel and he blinked up, a look of total disillusionment covering his face. What do I do now? I haven’t got a fucking clue.
Phoenix nodded, knowing exactly what they needed to do. After all, he’d been sitting here getting a numb ass thinking things through. You stay with Thea and recover for a bit. I’ll coordinate the search for your son and let you know when we have a lead.
Seth’s gaze narrowed. “I will be part of the strike team.”
You will, I swear. Until then, you’re here for her. She’s gonna need you.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Thea’s gaze stretched beyond her pillow and she blinked at the pink brilliance of the sun, rising across the racetrack grounds. Normally, she loved sunrise. Not only were they beautiful, but they signified a new beginning—potential. In the heavens, each day remained the same. The temperature, the level of light, the smell of the air. In the Human Realm, the dawn of each day represented a perfect moment of possibility.
It was the rest of the day that destroyed the illusion.
“You all right, angel?”
She jumped at Seth’s voice at her bedside. When did he . . . How had she . . . What happen— All at once, the truth stole her breath. “She took him.”
Her hands trembled as she reached beneath the chenille blanket and found her hollow, flabby belly. Tears fell in earnest and her throat grew tight. “What will she do with him?”
He was there in an instant, gathering her hands in his. “Shh, don’t think about that.”
She stared at the coupling, his knuckles nicked and rough, fingers wiped clean but still not clean. “Thrash is half-Dimme. They consume the marrow of infants. What if—”
“Angel, no.” He squeezed her hands, kneeling so his face came into view. “Our boy is both Lightworld and Nephilim. She won’t risk consuming any part of him. He’ll be poison to her.”
She hoped so.
When she thought she had control on her emotions, she raised her gaze and—her breath caught. “You . . . your wings? When did . . . why?”
He rose from the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, his wings rising at his shoulders and repositioning out behind him. The mattress dipped under his significant weight and gravity rolled her toward him.
Her heart raced. Was it her? Had he realized the danger she was in and claimed his part in their family? Were they bonded? The idea of him claiming her sent her mind into a whirl. She couldn’t deny she was attracted to him, but a lifetime commitment? They were barely past hating each other.
“Our son,” he said, his voice rough. “I didn’t plan on being a father, but that was about me, not you. That doesn’t mean I wanted either of you to come to harm. I’m so sorry.”
So, not her. That hurt more than it should.
Why would it? They weren’t a couple. Still, she was grateful he claimed their child. “How did you find me?”
Seth eased back and smiled a sad smile. “One of Cassi’s soldiers is undercover at Castle Wandread. There was talk about the next shipment of weapons they commissioned from the blood dwarf. He tracked the portal signature and gave us the coordinates to find you.”
She looked at the beautiful bouquet on the dresser next to his sweatshirt. “You brought me flowers?”
He shook his head, an uncharacteristic flush coloring his cheeks. “Cassi and Ronnie. They check in regularly. Everyone is so worried about you. They love you.”
Thea didn’t know what to do with that. They loved her. He didn’t. Well, not that she loved him. She didn’t. Her emotions surged up again and tears rolled do
wn her cheeks.
“I should feel grateful, or at least want to ease their worry. I don’t. I don’t feel anything . . . and at the same time . . . I feel everything, and it’s jumbled and wrong.”
Seth brushed a loose bunch of hair back from her face. “You’re in shock. There’s no wrong emotion right now.”
He offered her a glass of pineapple juice and mounded plate of Austin’s buttermilk biscuits. “Phoenix and my brothers are pulling out all the stops. That bitch won’t get the chance to do anything to our son. The moment we have a target to aim for, we’ll reclaim him and bring him home.”
Thea searched the depths of his gaze, looking for any sign of placation. He seemed genuinely certain. “I failed him,” she said, tears brimming. “I tried to protect him but too late . . . I went to the club . . . I went outside . . . It’s all my fault.”
Seth pulled her into his massively banded arms and held her tight. “Phoenix will find him. He’s as strong and stubborn as I am, and twice as resourceful.”
She doubted that. Austin often spoke of Seth’s tenacious demeanor. At times, it drove the others to frustration, but she said they all respected how he never gave up on anything or anyone he deemed important.
A sip of juice slid down her throat without offering any flavor. She was glad he claimed their son. If there was one thing she knew about transitioned Nephilim, it was how brutally protective they were of those who were theirs.
“I thought I would die in that cave.”
“But you didn’t.”
Maybe not entirely, but something inside her died. “When they stole our son, I lost more than him.”
Her breasts ached almost as much as her heart. Her baby was out there, alone and in the hands of monsters—because of her. Thea swiped away the moisture on her cheeks and laid her cheek against her pillow once again. “You can leave now.”
Seth tightened his hold on her wrist. “Okay, you rest. I’ll let you know the minute there’s any news.”
Seth waited until Thea’s breathing slowed and she relaxed into the blankets. Once he was sure she was out, he slid off the bed and padded quietly toward the door. The scene in the suite’s living room hadn’t changed over the past seven hours. Ronnie, Storme, Cassi, and Austin had been taking shifts waiting, hoping there was something they could do to help.
When he stepped out of Thea’s bedroom, the whispered conversation between Cassi and Ronnie stopped. “Would one of you mind sitting with her while she sleeps?” he asked. “I don’t want her to wake up alone.”
Ronnie rushed forward, gave him a hug, and then closed herself into the bedroom. That left him and Cassie. Now it was his turn to dole out the hugs. He pulled the Greek’s mate against his chest and held on tight. “Please, thank your man. I can’t . . . I don’t know what to even . . .”
Cassi stepped back and squeezed his arms. “I have thanked him, but I shall again. That Larkin was able to help find Thea is thanks enough. I’m only sorry it wasn’t in time to bring her home before the baby was born.”
He was too. Damn, it ate at his insides like he’d swallowed a gallon of acid. “If you’re okay to stay here for a bit, I’m gonna run downstairs and see where we are.”
“Of course. You go. We won’t leave her.”
Seth left the wives to watch over Thea, and headed down to join his brothers. By the time he got to the main floor, he’d pretty much run out of steam.
If they had credible intel, they would’ve told him.
And unlike the adage—in this case, no news was certainly not good news. “Tell me, my brothers.”
Phoenix rounded the war table and met him palm to palm. We’re running down a hunch. Come see.
A hunch was better than nothing. He followed his twin, a flicker of hope smoldering in his heart.
We know from Ringo’s drawing that Thrash hooked up with one of the Leviathan leaders. We also know that Gregor’s crew tends to work and live within a certain perimeter.
Seth caught the drift and followed his brother to study the map of Toronto laid out on the table.
Zander took the lid off a Sharpie and circled a red dot close to the lake. “The attack behind the Royal York.” He pointed to another spot within the green shading of parkland. “The battle in the Don Valley.” He pointed at another ten locations they’d hit head-to-head with those slimy shits and he saw the pattern.
“If they’re hunting by venturing out from their nest in spokes, then their nest should be located somewhere near . . .”
Zander intersected the location and pointed to a spot on the map. “This neighborhood is mostly residential and commercial. Nothing much in the way of buildings that could house a large group. Except, maybe here.”
Danel spun his laptop around and he stared at the Google street view of a large, three-storey building. “It’s an abandoned sanitarium. It’s isolated and built to house large numbers of patients. There’s enough space for the Leviathans, as well as their Serpentine women and children.”
Seth stared at the map, liking the logic.
Phoenix rapped his knuckles on the table and raised his hands. I’m pretty sure, if I get close enough, I’ll sense the boy. Seth and I are linked, and I could sense Niobe long before she was born.
Zander emptied the contents of his glass and swallowed. “If you can zero in on the baby before we move in, I’d feel a shit-ton better. Let’s go test out this theory, shall we?”
“Good luck,” Tanek said. “Recon only until we’re sure what we’re dealing with. I’ll follow you from here.”
Hells yeah, Seth thought. With Tanek on the squad, they had their missing link back. “Give me two to grab my gear and tell the wives where I’ve gone.”
“Way ahead of you, Egyptian,” Zander said, handing him one of the dark angel over-the-head vests, and a couple shirts. “Ronnie’s getting slick at cranking out our custom couture. You’re gonna have to rethink your wardrobe, now that you got those bad boys.”
Seth threw a blue shirt over his head and zipped up his right side under his arm and repeated on his left. Weird, but better than bare-chesting it all winter.
Next, he ducked into the Kevlar vest and strapped the Velcro to lock his new weapons vest in place. He fingered a little cam on his chest and smiled. “Have we got visual now?”
Zander waggled his brow. “Tanek’s idea. It’ll give our ghostly overwatch a bigger picture of what’s doin’.”
Fuckin’ A. “Are Brennus and Bo still living it up in Hell?”
Zander slid his weapon’s vest over his head and got busy with the Velcro straps as they made their way to the front hall. “The way time works there, I’m not expecting them back for a week or two, maybe a month.”
Kyrian opened the door and the five of them were off.
Phoenix, D, Z, and Kyrian shot into the air, while he and Hark dematerialized and ghosted their molecules across the city. He had to admit, his Dark Angel upgrades were badass, but there was a steep learning curve to flying.
Tonight wasn’t the time for a test drive.
When he and Hark took form behind an off-property storage building, his brother gestured to the wings. “The angel?”
Seth shrugged. “Nah. This is all about my kid. Kinda snuck up on me, ye know? You ever think about kids or committing to one woman for a lifetime?”
“No.”
Taharqa, a man of few words.
“North wing, clear,” Danel said over the comm. “Seems to be the entrance for the residences. I’ve got movement but it’s of the women and children variety.”
“The good news, folks,” Tanek added. “By the visuals I’ve got, they are definitely Serpentine. We’re on the right track.”
“Head to the east wing, D,” Zander said. “I doubt Thrash and her Leviathan piece of ass are hangin’ with the local riffraff. Look for a command area. An entrance segregated from the rest, with more military advantage.”
Hark pointed to the old exercise yard and the sentry tower. Good thought. Seth sign
aled that he would materialize up there and take a look.
Either there would be soldiers, or he’d get a good look at what they were dealing with. Seth threw his cells into the night air and drifted across the outer grounds. When he got to the base of the outer fence, he pulled up and took stalk.
Two guards, each facing opposite directions.
Silent as a snowy owl with prey in site, he materialized behind them, Crystalline dagger in hand. Liiiike butter. “Wham. Bam. Two in the can.”
“Sixty to go,” Kyrian said from the front of the building.
“Ten each,” Seth said, donning the hat of one of the guards and peering out into the courtyard. “I like those odds.”
“Danel?” Z said. “Has Phoenix picked up anything yet?”
“Ah . . . negative.”
Seth thought about Phoenix’s plan to connect with his son and opened the channel. His twin sensed Nio long before his powers amped. If his brother could do it, maybe he . . .
Nothing came to him.
Yeah, well, he wasn’t Phoenix, now was he?
A rush of jealousy brought bile up the back of his throat. As he swallowed the vomit, he thought about how Thea fawned over his brother. Even when the guy was clearly off the market, still the angel gushed over him.
Seth pushed his beast back. This new symbiosis bullshit was would take getting used to. The dark side of him raged strong, and without being able to tether and bind it, he was off-balance.
Breathing slow and deep, he kept his eyes locked on the exercise yard while Hark aimed his crossbow in sweeping arcs over the grounds surrounding the property.
He had to rein himself in. He needed a clear head.
His son needed him to keep cool.
“Stupid, waits too long,” a female whispered next to him. He turned to the young woman crouched next to him. Judging by the ratty beige nightgown and the way he could see the other side of the observation tower through her translucent head, he’d guess she’d been a patient there a long time ago.
“We’re gathering intel.”
“No. Stupid birdman’s wasting time.”
