by Zoey Ellis
She stopped abruptly; the tremble in her voice made him hold her tighter. He waited for her to continue.
“I don’t know if I can truly handle seeing her.”
“You won’t have to, if you don’t want to,” Cam said softly. “I can detain her if you wish.”
Thea was silent for a moment. “What will the Dominion League do to her?”
“I’m not sure,” Cam said. “They will want to hear her reasons before judging her.” He stroked her shoulder. “And I suggest you do the same, Thea.”
She nodded, her head brushing against him.
“We should go and see Zak,” Cam said, regretfully after another long stretch of comfortable silence.
Thea gave a soft groan and stretched, yawning, then they both got up and got dressed. Back in her plain Angel Realm clothes, Thea looked like a pure angel only better, and Cam just wanted to peel them off of her again. She must have recognized the look in his eyes because she shot him a heated look that almost dared him to pull her back into bed. He chuckled and turned away. They would never get to Zak at this rate.
“Do you think Zak will know anything more about my mom?” Thea asked.
Cam nodded. “Every time I get a pursuit assignment, Zak is given all the details about it. He should be able to give us a place to start, at least, which is what we mainly need if we can only narrow down her location to the entire human world.”
Thea nodded in agreement, chewing her lip. She was nervous. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like to have been abandoned by her mother her whole life only to find out that the woman was still alive somewhere, that they could have had a relationship all this time if the angel had just been more responsible. However, Cam intended to prepare Thea as much as possible. That kind of behavior was unusual for an angel, especially an Archangel. He needed to make sure she was ready to meet her mother before putting her in that situation. He would support her every decision and protect her as much as he could.
***
Zak answered the door of his office and immediately turned to Thea. “Elithea,” he said, gesturing to welcome them in. “It is lovely to meet you. Come inside. Camael, it’s good to see you.”
“It’s great to meet you too,” Thea said as she and Cam made their way into his office. They sat at the wide desk that filled most of the space. “And it’s Thea.”
“Yes, Thea, of course. I’m Zak. Would you like a drink?”
As Zak fetched juice for Thea, she peered around his office.
“It looks so… normal in here,” she said.
Cam chuckled. “What did you expect?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Zak placed a glass down in front of her and sat on the other side of the desk. “Normally, Cam and I meet by the Stream, but it’s good if you know where my office is.”
“Well, I can’t fly,” Thea said, ruefully, “so I’m not sure it would make a difference.”
“You’ll get there,” Zak said. “You’re able to levitate and glide, so you are already using that ability—it just needs to be strengthened and honed. It will just take a little while. Strong willpower helps.”
Thea nodded and smiled. “That makes sense. I haven’t been practicing as much as I should have.”
Jealousy twinged in Cam. How is it that Zak could be so casual and encouraging so easily? He threw off the feeling as it arrived. Zak had already explained he spent years in the human world, and without his advice, Cam wouldn’t even be with Thea. “Have you found out anything about Thea’s mother?” he asked. “We’re not quite sure where to start.”
“I do have some information.” Zak picked up a file folder on the desk between them that could have come from some home office in the human world. “Your mother was an Archangel,” he said to Thea. “Archangels look after a number of humans, providing them with guidance, courage, and inspiration. We have a list of her charges and I think you should start there.”
“Has anyone spoken to any of the charges?” Thea took the folder from Zak and flipped through it.
“Nobody has tried yet,” said Zak. “It has to be handled delicately. The Dominion League feel that as her daughter, you will get the best results.”
“Did they know about her?”
“This is the problem,” Zak said. “Some of them knew about her, even if semi-unconsciously, but others didn’t. I suggest you lead with asking about your mother and then saying she was assigned to them. If they knew about her, they would surely know that term.“
Thea stopped flipping, looking at a page with the picture of a man on it. She ran her fingers over the image of his face. “My father was one of my mother’s charges.”
Zak nodded. “Looks like it. That’s probably how they met.”
“I see.” Thea handed Cam the folder and he looked through it. There must have been nearly three hundred charges in total, a range of different ages and backgrounds. Most of them were located in and around Thea’s home city but some were across the other side of the world.
“I recommend starting with the charges in your hometown,” Zak said. “They might have seen her more.”
“Let’s get going,” Thea said, briskly with a strong, business-like resolve. It seemed she was going to approach the assignment objectively, no matter how it affected her personally. That was a positive start.
Zak showed them to the door. “Good luck,” he said. “Report in with any new information.” He smiled at them both. “I’m glad to be working with you both… together.”
Cam couldn’t help but smile at him. He was trying to make Thea feel welcome and Cam appreciated it. After Thea said goodbye, he lifted her up and flew to the Stream garden so they could discuss a strategy and plan for any unexpected surprises before they entered the human world. This was a new type of assignment for her and it needed to go well, for her own wellbeing.
Chapter Ten
THEA
Thea and Cam went through the portal to the human world hand-in-hand, just as they had done when they entered the Angel Realm. However, Thea slid her hand from his as soon as they were on the other side. It made sense that they kept their relationship secret for now—she couldn’t risk the Dominion League separating them. She wouldn’t want to do this assignment without Cam.
The contrast between the Angel Realm and the human world was almost astounding, having been in the Angel Realm for a while. The other side of the portal was in some sort of dark cellar. Mildew, like wet concrete and rusted pipes hung in the stagnant air.
“Are we in a sewer?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
Cam shook his head. “No, it just smells like it.” He led her down a long, dim hallway and through the other side to a staircase, which ascended to a pair of wooden doors that opened out into a gravel parking lot. Thea looked back at the building and realized that it was an old bank. How on earth did the angels determine appropriate places to put portals, and who the hell had decided to put one in a rotting basement?
Out in the parking lot, Cam lifted Thea into his arms and took to the air. She rested her head on his chest as he flew, trying to hold down the shame she felt at the way she treated him, how she had used him, after hearing the news about her mother. The turmoil that had been stirring within her calmed as soon as he’d reassured her how he felt about her. Not only had he truly dominated her in bed, which strangely made her feel secure, he explained his behavior. It made sense and she believed him, though she didn’t see why he tried so hard to hide his feelings from her in the beginning. But it didn’t matter now. He was on her side, with her completely. And that was all she needed, especially while she dealt with finding her mother.
They landed on a rooftop opposite her old apartment.
“I used to watch you from here,” Cam said, as he set her down gently.
Thea smiled and sat down. She could see right into her old living room from the rooftop. Amber was in the kitchen, singing to herself as she stirred something on the stove. The TV was on and she glanced at it ever
y so often with a frown or utterance. Thea’s smile turned into a grin at seeing her longest friend looking so healthy and happy. She had put on a little weight, she smiled readily, her color was healthy, her mood seemed higher than Thea had seen it in years. They watched as she pulled something out of the oven, cursing slightly when she burnt the edge of her finger on the hot pan.
Cam handed her a cell phone.
“How long has it been?” she asked him.
“Nearly three months.”
She punched in Amber’s number.
Amber placed the pan on the counter and fished her cell out of her pocket. “Hello?”
“Guess who?” Thea said, grinning. She pulled the phone away from her ear as Amber screeched and yelled.
“Oh my god, Thee! How are you doing? Where’ve you been? Why haven’t you called?”
Thea laughed, her heart lifting at the sound of her voice. It made her feel… normal. They chatted for a while about what Amber had been up to and about where in the world Thea had traveled to.
“When are you coming back?” Amber asked, sitting down at the table with her full plate. “I miss you, Thee.”
“I miss you too, Ambs. I’m not sure how long I’ll be, but I will keep in touch.”
“You better,” Amber snorted.
“How’s Dad?” Thea asked.
Amber shrugged and took a forkful of her meal. “He’s doing well. He was resistant at first but soon started to enjoy it there. I think he likes one of the nurses.”
Thea chuckled. “Sounds like it’s good for him.”
“It is. I visit him about once a week and he remembers me sometimes.”
“Thank you, Amber. I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, right?” Amber said, ruefully.
After they had said their goodbyes, Thea watched Amber in silence as she finished her meal and washed up. It seemed strange that now that Leo was finally out of the picture, her friend was alone and without her. She had promised she would never leave her, yet she had. With time in the human world passing so quickly while she was in the Angel Realm, she had to make sure she didn’t lose touch with her only family.
“You can come back to the human world any time to see her, Thea,” Cam said, seemingly reading her thoughts. “If you need someone else to talk to, just come and see her. I’ll escort you.”
Thea lifted her eyes to his. “I feel bad for leaving her on her own.”
“She’s not on her own, Elithea.” Cam put his warm arm around her and pulled her close to him. “She is doing well at her job, she’s made loads of friends, she’s not seeing anyone romantically, but that is to be expected. She prefers to be on her own most of the time, but she’s happy.”
Thea’s eyes widened. “How do you know all this?”
“The Archangel that got her the job.”
“He reports back to you?”
Cam regarded her warily, as though she might get angry. “Yes, he will for a while. She is in a Nephilim apartment and needed serious soul treatment. She is one of his charges now. He guides her.”
Thea leaned into him, her spirits lifting. She couldn’t ask for more than someone to keep an eye on Amber. “Thank you, Camael.”
He grinned against her forehead.
“I need to come back more often though,” Thea said. “Even if it’s just to call her.”
Cam nodded. “You should.”
They stayed like that for a long moment, watching Amber putter around the apartment, watering her plants, groaning at the TV, and tidying up.
“Do you want to call your father?” Cam asked.
“No,” Thea said, firmly. “I don’t want to deal with that right now. Let’s look for my mother.”
Cam pulled out the list of charges and looked them over. They selected an order to visit the first ten based on their location.
“Will they be able to see you?” Thea asked him as he lifted her into his arms.
“Yes,” Cam said. “I think it’s best if it doesn’t look like you’re on your own.”
A short, balding man answered the door of the nearest one and opened the screen to them cautiously.
“Hi,” said Thea, putting her hand forward to shake the man’s hand. “I’m Thea. I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I have a few questions for you. About my mother.”
The man peered at them for a long moment, staring at Thea’s face, analyzing it.
“You look familiar,” he said in a thick Slavic accent. “But I don’t know you. Sorry.”
He started to close the door on them but Cam held it open with one strong arm. Thea glanced at Cam. She didn’t want this to come down to threats or fighting, but she did want to find her mother.
“Can we come in for a minute?” asked Thea. “Just to talk to you—for a minute.”
The man stared at them both. “No.”
“I don’t know if you remember, but a few years back, my mother was assigned to look after you,” Thea said quickly, as he tried to shut the door again.
“Look after me?” he asked, wrinkling his brow.
“Like a guide,” Thea tried to explain. “Someone to watch out for you.”
“Listen, lady,” the man said with a scowl. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Go away or I’ll call the police.” The screen slammed, the door close behind it.
***
Thea and Cam spent about two months of human time traveling through portals all over the human world, tracking down her mother’s charges. Wherever they went, Cam had a protected apartment for them to stay. Like his quarters and the old apartment he got for her, the décor in the places they stayed were always a mix between modern chic and homely. Thea felt at home wherever they went, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of the properties or because she was with him.
“Do you have places like this all over the world?”
“Yes,” Cam nodded. “When I trained you, I had a small apartment nearby.”
“Oh. I thought you went back to the Angel Realm.”
“No point,” Cam said. “Time passes too fast here for me to spend any time in the Angel Realm.”
Searching for her mother’s charges turned out to be trickier than she thought. Even though they had the details, locating them wasn’t always easy, especially when a lot of them tended to be people who were off the grid. Cam had an uncanny knack of figuring out where they might be or where they might be able to catch them alone, but still, most of their time was spent reading the files, searching the Internet, calling Cam’s connections, and scouting various areas and establishments.
Thea took on the assignment with a fierce determination. She wanted to find her mother and get it over with. It felt like her mother was hanging over her, making her unable to think about anything else. If Cam didn’t pull her away from the files at night, she would have been up solidly searching. One night, in the early hours, she snapped at him to leave her alone to get on with it. He simply knelt before her, spread her legs and kissed a trail up her inner thighs to get her attention. She kept her eyes on the file determined to keep reading and prove to him he couldn’t sway her with sex, but she wanted him all the time. Her mind soon caught up with her body when his hot tongue slipped inside her.
As the search went on, Thea began to feel disheartened. The annoying thing was, most of the charges didn’t know what they were talking about. Of the few that did, they couldn’t tell her anything about the woman. It’s like they knew of her presence but couldn’t remember what she looked like or what she spoke to them about.
“This is pointless,” Thea fumed, after having yet another door slammed in their faces. “We’re not getting anywhere. These people can’t tell us anything.”
Cam took her hand and pulled her close. “This is how these kind of assignments go, Thea.” He wrapped his arms around her as she lay her head on his chest. “We’ve got to be patient and keep going.”
Thea breathed in his scent and pressed her cheek again
st his hard, warm chest and her anger dissipated, a wary hopelessness in its place. “I don’t know if I can, Cam.”
His chin brushed her forehead as he looked down at her. “Thea.”
“I put it behind me. I put her behind me. Doing this drags it all up, and it makes me remember things I chose to forget. Things she wasn’t there for, like my first period, buying my first bra… And now I realize she didn’t just leave me.” She looked up at him. “She left all of them as well. They were her charges. How could she abandon them?”
The warmth in Cam’s gray eyes was tinged with concern. “Anything could have happened, Elithea. Someone will know something, even if it’s something small. We have to keep going.” He leaned down and touched his lips to hers, kissing her slowly and softly for a long moment. He looked into her eyes again. “However, I think we should take a break and head to Angel Realm for a couple of days. You need to rest properly.”
“No, it’ll just take longer.”
“I’ll contact a couple of other Powers who might be able to do some of the investigative tasks to help us out. But you need a break, Thea.” His voice suggested he would not accept an argument from her. “It will only be for a couple of days. You’ll feel better afterward.”
Thea sighed, resting her head back on his chest. Maybe he was right.
Chapter Eleven
CAM
Cam was growing more concerned about Thea by the day. She became more agitated the longer it took to find her mother, and her mood swung from calm and collected to anger then despair. At night, Cam would have to force her to leave the files alone so she could get some sleep, and during the day she seemed on edge. She smiled less, she ate less, and her witty humor was hidden behind her single-minded focus to pursue her mother’s charges.
When they returned to the Angel Realm, her manner relaxed somewhat, but still seemed unable to take her mind off the assignment. She spent the day pouring over the files, questioning Zak about some of the information in them, and hounding Cam about whether any of the other Powers had found anything.
