The presence still standing behind him, reminded Sabree of the ill wills the Fallen possessed. The reason they were banished to Earth in the first place. Brian claimed Farian destroyed the world in the future. If anyone could destroy such beauty, his father would most likely step up for the task. But could he mirror his father’s malignant talent? Brian was a magnificent creature. One of a kind. Would he grant him his one wish, his one desire? His mother promised that their summoning Lighted One would make true his dream. A Judas kiss would make the dream a reality.
“Will you do it?” Farian asked.
“Not for you.” Sabree turned to face his father and rolled his neck. The crick would not release.
“Brian must not see it coming. Be vigilant. Use your cunningness.”
Amidst all this salt, Sabree worried he might soon turn into a pillar of the stuff for his thoughts of betrayal. But what did he really owe Brian? He promised Turian to protect the twins, but his offspring did not need protection. Brian also spoke of friendship. If only Sabree could see proof of that. But I have. The moonstone. Sabree detected White Ghost. Impossible, but true. Then, out of nowhere, a young girl touched him. Images of a babe, an infant, toddler, all through various stages of her life filled his mind. He knew then that he was her father. He breathed in the joy.
Could it have been a trick? Brian possessed too many stones, even his stolen mister’s sword. Dared to call it Spitfire.
“Can the Malakhim rely on you?”
His eyes darkening, Sabree glared at Farian. “You don’t deserve an answer.” He misted away with the curse in tow.
3 3 3
“May I ask you something, Brian?” Sabree’s arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe of my office.
The friend I left behind in the future lacked the dynamic personality of this present-day Sabree—a bit of spitfire like his mister’s sword. I missed the banter we used to bounce off each other. The old Sabree faded from my heart a wee bit with each day. Sabree knew it to be true, which is why he had stayed behind with my sister. I miss you, my friend.
Eyes moist, I tucked the old memories to bed. And yet, my heart filled with hope that one day I’d recapture the friendship so ruthlessly abandoned. “Come in. I couldn’t sleep either. With everyone else sawing z’s, I made use of the alone time to figure out a way to beat aThorsis.”
The way I pronounced the archangel’s name had changed since my initial visit to the realm. Even Sabree flashed me a peculiar look. Wait, what’s with his eyes? A color I’ve never witnessed before: brown specks washed out the purple. What mood did this color express to make him look far from angelic? War and Peace? A battle of his own conscience. Hard to read, his mind no longer open. Sabree had probably caught onto my nosiness and doubled-locked his mind block.
Instead of his normal approach of marching over to my desk, Sabree hugged the walls. His fingers traced each book binding, up and down, as if in stall mode. Duncan horded thousands of books, so this could take forever. I scooted to the edge of my seat. “What’s up? Please sit, you’re making me nervous.”
Sabree loomed over the chair I offered until he settled on the cushion. Gritted teeth made me wonder if he sat on a tack or more likely, a watch gear. He propped his elbows on the desk, his eyes raking over the collection of stones. His gaze lifted to meet mine.
“When I discovered you and Ariane were the zygotes, all my failed promises to Turian were replaced with renewed hope. Hopeful that you could somehow rejoin me with my brethren, the Malakhim.”
His words made me choke. “Why would I do that? Why would you want to end up as a servant to an archangel?” I regretted the query the second his dark eyes bore through me as if I blocked him from reaching his true goal.
“You wouldn’t understand,” he snarled. “It’s an honor to serve, to be part of the summoning. More beautiful than anything on this world.” Sabree’s tongue brushed over his dry lips.
“Care for something to drink?” Not waiting for an answer, I poured two brandies, sliding his across the desk. The citrusy fragrance wafted between us. I raised my glass. “To do-overs, including our friendship. I want us to work, Sabree.”
Goblet in hand, he clinked his glass with mine. Dark eyes peered over the rim as he drank. He licked his lips again. “Decadent.”
That word best described his mood, not the drink. I shifted in my seat. This was serious. “Spit it out. What’s on your mind?”
Sabree leaned back in the chair. “Ever since the Malakhim banished the Fallen, I craved forgiveness. Turian sensed my remorse and promised to figure out a way, claiming you and Ariane were the key. He knew things, so I trusted him. He insisted I join Farian and the others to destroy him, that his death would trigger the events into motion. When Turian died and you stole the zygotes, I changed, grew bitter. I’ve committed damning atrocities.”
Sabree stared at his empty glass. “Far superior to Turian, you became my new hope, Brian. And yet, not once but twice, the Malakhim attacked you. Treated you like an abomination. And you—you alone struck back. Why?”
“To protect Earth, dammit.” I inhaled a couple of deep breaths. Don’t let him push your buttons. “I know you, Sabree. You treasure human life. You respect all life. You may act like you don’t give a damn, but I know differently.”
“Then help me. Give me what I want.”
“I’m working on it. I need time.” How could I explain the first visit to the Lighted Realm when I couldn’t understand it myself? Should I promise him something that might not come about? Lose my friend to another archangel. No way. Sabree seemed lost, his deadpan stare disconnected from the world. Lost hope. I pushed away from the desk and scooted around the other side to kneel beside him.
In every way, he looked like the Sabree I had left behind. Despondent. Transparent. Fading. No, I refused to accept this. “Listen. I won’t let you down, so please have faith in me. Just a little more time. Practice makes perfect.” Damn, I needed a lot.
“Practice on me.”
“Don’t be daft. What if I screw up and wipe you out of existence by mere thought?” Whether I scared Sabree or not, his eyes darkened. His hand squeezed my shoulder.
“No need to threaten me.”
After he let go, something wiggled inside me like a nerve on fire. I stood and walked around the desk. When I faced him again, Sabree reached down as if to retrieve something he dropped. He scratched his scalp, his brow lowered. “Is something wrong?” I asked him.
Bright teal once again painted his eyes. “You truly are amazing.” He reached out and picked up the obsidian stone. “I have witnessed your capabilities, how you handled Abyss. Take all the time you need.” He tossed it back.
I caught it with ease. Azrian was right, the stone had residual vibes of Abyss. I placed it back in its rightful spot when Sabree stood.
“Thanks for the talk. For the drink.” He walked out.
Our talk had not gone the way I wished it had.
3 3 3
Fed up with the World News, tired of watching repeated images of the destruction and tired of listening to the numbers of dead grow, Ariane wanted answers. Her brother herded her and the others like cattle the other day, funneling them down the basement stairs. The roundup landed her on top of Sabree. He grunted a curse but quickly asked if she was okay. Not as lucky, Jesse bumped his head, a goose egg already plump. Azrian reacted with hereditary speed and caught Bellamy before he landed on top of us. At the head of the stairs, Brian babbled something about Sabree screwing up and them staying put before he slammed the door shut. She hadn’t spoken to her brother since
Ariane rounded the hallway to Brian’s office and caught sight of Sabree leaving. The bad-boy visage always snared her attention. Sabree owned it in his dark duster that moved with a life of its own. And yet, when he lowered his head, eyes closed, he appeared to be in pain. Brian can wait. She followed him to the great room where he stood in the middle and gazed up at the starburst chandelier.
&nbs
p; “Ariane,” he called out. His voice sent shivers up her spine like a jaguar’s low growl, dangerous yet inviting. “You are like forbidden fruit. You tempt me, but I might regret my actions.”
His dark, pensive stare made her take a step back. The distance gave her courage to ask, “What’s troubling you? Brian?”
“He is like an iceberg. The tip reveals itself to all but beware what lies beneath.”
His words, though true, held a poetic justice to them. She knew in her heart that all the evil in the world would come to an end because of Brian’s righteousness. Her brother would act as their savior. He had to. Ariane shrugged aside thoughts of Brian, of worldly doom, to learn what made Sabree tick. “I sense a connection between us. I envision it fiery at times but compassionate the next.”
“It doesn’t bother you that we are related?”
“Not according to the Fallen. But the age difference is a drag. Talk about robbing the cradle.” She rolled her eyes in playful gesture.
A smile broke his melancholy as lavender glints brightened his eyes. “You have a way of lifting my spirits.”
She moved closer, so that she, too, stood beneath the chandelier. “Star light, star bright, first star I’ve seen tonight…”
“It’s morning.” The smile broadened to show teeth. “What did you wish for?” he asked telepathically.
After teaching her how to communicate this way, Sabree warned her about Brian’s ability to read minds without detection. She thought it silly. “A kiss.” Ariane got her wish as Sabree leaned in, his lips finding hers.
He pulled away and held her before him, his gaze penetrating. “We have to talk. About our daughter.”
“Zoeree. It’s okay to say her name.”
“Unlike you, I have no recollection of the child. Sure, I saw visions of her, but never experienced them. I am here for you if Wonder Boy can’t grant your wish. It seems he’s too busy for wishes right now.”
“You’re wrong, Sabree. Brian will try his damnedest to bring her back.”
“Think again, Ariane. She has no body to return to. Zoeree’s a spirit. She roommates with a ghost. I’m so glad I didn’t pick that stone.”
“Pick it for what?” Ariane tensed when Sabree diverted his gaze.
“I was going to hurl it at Brian for not listening to me.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t.” Tears started to blind her. “You’re right though. Zoeree has no body to return to. What was I thinking?” She leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. Caramel sweetness set her nerves aflame. Her eyeteeth grew, stabbing her lower lip. The sweet flavor of her own blood made her gasp.
“I’m sure Brian will find a—” Sabree stopped short, his eyes focused on her lips. “Your blood smells like the nectar of sweet honey.” He bent over to lick her lips.
Ariane almost lost it then and there. She pulled him closer as he sucked on her lower lip. Her head in tailspins, she yanked off his duster. It fell to the floor along with her top that Sabree managed to pull over her head without missing a beat.
He planted his lips on hers. Deft fingers unfastened her bra and massaged one of her exposed breasts.
Before she knew what was happening, Ariane shared a passion she could not think possible. Beneath a Sherpa throw, she and Sabree huddled together for a good part of the morning. She felt closer to him than she had in a lifetime. What a strange feeling.
“We best get dressed before Mini-Me crashes the party,” Sabree said and then teased, “Ew, you had a crush on your nephew.”
Ariane punched him. Her playfulness reeled Sabree in for round two.
24
Time in a Bottle
T he wildfires and violent weather, not to mention Malakhim attacks, left us on the edge of our seats, especially Jesse. As much as Ariane needed his help in the lab, he had to divide his time with the HFA. Jesse expected it, because the organization had no idea why the Malakhim attacked Earth. He agreed to meet with me before making arrangements to leave. Bellamy and Azrian joined us in the dining room. Elbow deep in Colton tabs, Ariane muttered that she would swing by later.
“No choice, I must go,” Jesse said. His gaze fell on a distracted Bellamy busy chatting with Azrian. “He’s also going.”
“What?” Azrian sat straight in his seat. “Can I go?”
Bellamy’s smile revealed that he approved the notion. Jesse glanced at me. “Any objection?”
“I’m an adult.” Azrian rose to counter my objection if any was given. “I don’t need Pop’s approval.”
“True.” I muttered a curse. Feeling out of sorts, the strength to argue sank deeper into oblivion—my willpower’s refuge of late. The pressure behind my eyes increased, smoldered when I had to remind them again and again. “Remember, if you leave the mansion, you’re all at risk.”
“From aThorsis?” Azrian asked. “He’s too busy plotting against you.”
“Aye.” True again, but I doubted he’d let them slip by undetected. When Azrian sat down, I stood and leaned on the table. Both hands gripped the edge to support my weight in case I swayed. Couldn’t let them see how weak I had become. Did I need a fix from the Lighted Realm? Or did I contract some disease during the first visit? “Here’s an idea. We all go together or not at all.”
Then I leaned in Jesse’s direction. “Did you really think aThorsis was going to make you an archangel?” I chuckled at the ridiculous notion, my sarcasm harsh. “Aye, right. Only thirteen exist, no more, no less. Only one entity will replace aThorsis. That one is me.”
Flustered, Jesse slapped the table with his palms. All three of us flinched. Not one to lose his cool, his flushed cheeks stated otherwise. “You’re talking nuts. I never said anything about becoming an archangel.”
“More than once, you and Tim E. Traveler visited me on the final trial—the thirty-third. You bragged how you were helping aThorsis get me through the trials. When I succeeded, and I finally did, you claimed to be one step closer to earning your wings. Aye, effing right.”
Azrian and Bellamy leaned forward. “This is getting good,” my son whispered in his ear.
“Tim who?” Jesse said, slapping the tabletop again. “You keep dropping that name on me.”
My accusations threatened him, heightened the fire within, so I fired back. “Don’t you remember my doppelganger, the dude dressed in the Scott’s warrior costume?”
“Never heard of him. Look, Brian, you’re from the future, not me.”
“Then how’d you remember the safe word, Gray Wolf lives?” The subject deep, our emotions heightened, I wished someone had thought to bring beverages. The relaxing, mind-altering kind. But, hey, why waste time in a bottle? Why not? Meetings squandered more time than any other inaction. I inhaled a deep breath, which did nothing to help. An overall weariness swept through me.
“The Jesse from your future must’ve known those words would spark some sort of recognition when spoken to me. I mean, why else would you come to me with such a phrase, especially since you never met Gray Wolf.” Jesse glared at me with fire in his brown eyes. “You good with that?”
“Aye.” Not really. I fell into my seat, leaned forward, and folded both hands on top of the table. My breath hitched. “Near the end of the final trial, Tim E. Traveler popped in along with you. Claimed to be me from the future. No other Brian Colton exists in the other dimensions—there can be only one—again—yours truly.”
“One’s enough.” Azrian coughed into his hand. He bowed his head with a slight nod when Bellamy clapped in approval.
“Right, lads. One me is more than enough. Otherwise every Brian from the other dimensions would battle me for the one Lighted position.”
Setting his phone down, Jesse tapped the back of it. “I called the butler to bring us a few bottles of Scotch whisky. The best in your stash. Pot would do the job, but booze is all you got.” Jesse winked at the younger men who agreed by drumming the tabletop.
A crooked smile replaced the frown I had worn since Jesse
’s hot-tempered defense. I winked back. “You haven’t heard the worst yet. You’ll definitely need more than Scotch.” I cleared my throat and paused to make sure their attention was on me. “Here’s the theory. Since day one of traveling back in time, Tim has never made an appearance. Which makes me believe we are now one and the same. The future me from this branch of time. He battled aThorsis, knocked him on his ass, and took over as Timekeeper who could see all times at once. The thirty-three trial runs and resets revealed how aThorsis held me back from my true destiny. Tim stepped in using the time travel card and excessive speed to change it up while remaining undetected.” I sucked in a long breath.
Jesse took advantage of my pause. “I’m not an expert on time travel, but…and it’s a big but, how did this Tim come to be if you never escaped aThorsis’s loops without his help?”
Excellent question. One I had no idea how to answer. Someone helped, but who? One of the twelve Lighted Ones? “Tim was from a future that never happened, so if he time traveled into the past, then unlike me, he did not beam into his past body—my body that is. He acted as a catalyst to rig the final trial run before aThorsis could reset me back to square one—back to my birth. Right now, that’s all I got. Take it or leave it.”
Jesse cleared his throat “So, why tell us this?”
Why enlighten them? Why waste everyone’s time when they had Earth’s troubles to deal with as their primary concern. “Thought you should know, I guess. Tim acted as a catalyst to kick my ass in gear. Now I am Tim E. Traveler. As one, we hope to beat aThorsis at his own game, which is why we—I—don’t have to act as a catalyst during this do-over.” At least not until I become a Lighted One. Won’t know until then.
All three exchanged glances and shrugged. Perplexed frowns relaxed into smiles of relief when the butler walked in with two bottles of fine Scotch, a bucket of ice, and four glasses. “Over here, please,” Jesse said, pointing to the table in front of him. “Thanks, but I’ll serve.” Jesse grabbed a bottle before the butler could set the tray down. He shook his head and left.
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