Chapter Four
RAZIEL SPRAWLED on the wide porch of the house he and Uriel had bought in Queensland. The house was a few feet away from the white sandy beach of Noosa Heads, hidden from view by enormous trees. The scent of the sea was strong and the song of brightly colored birds flitting from branch to branch made the area one of Raziel’s favorites.
Uriel dropped to sit beside Raziel. Here in the warmth of the Queensland summer, he seemed to be more relaxed, and the sights, scents, and sounds of the tropics worked their magic on him just as much as on Raziel.
“Uri,” Raziel began, “what is it that’s bothering you specifically?”
“Everything.” Uriel huffed, and then he shifted and leaned into Raziel. “I know I behaved badly. I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. I just hate this whole situation. I hate that you shut off contact while you were upstairs. And that God wouldn’t see you—what the fuck is that about, anyway?”
Raziel slipped an arm around Uriel’s shoulders. “I don’t know, babe. The last time He was like this was before we built Eden.”
Uriel grunted. “I forgot about that.”
“Well, you were a little preoccupied with a demon uprising,” Raziel said. “Still, it’s made me think about those days and wonder if there’s any parallels, any hints of what we might be up against this time.”
“Not demons, which is fucking weird.” Uriel sat up straight. “And we didn’t have to travel in time back then.”
“That’s going to be an interesting experience,” Raziel agreed. “You weren’t in England during the Roman occupation, were you?”
“No.” Uriel pulled his cigars out of his jacket pocket, popped one between his lips, and lit it with a snap of his fingers. “Tzad was, I think. Sammy, too.”
“Ah yes, because there was a lot of death,” Raziel said. “Where were you?”
“Germany.” Uriel grinned around his cigar. “The Germans really kicked Roman butt for a while there. Fun times.”
“It sounds delightful.” Raziel wrinkled his nose.
“You were living it up in Rome. Your idea of fun in those days wasn’t getting dirty and fighting,” Uriel said.
“I know. I remember.” Raziel looked at his lover in amusement. “How things have changed.”
“We got old.” Uriel shrugged.
“Are you still angry?” Raziel asked.
Uriel shook his head. “Nah. Being here helps, though. It’s really beautiful.”
Raziel quirked an eyebrow. “It is, and it does, and you’ve never said that about this place.”
“Couldn’t you tell that I like it?” Uriel looked surprised. “I always relax when we’re here.”
Raziel smiled. “Now that is something I have noticed.”
Uriel got to his feet. “Let’s go have a swim.”
Raziel blinked in surprise. “Now?”
“Sure, why not? It’s a gorgeous day, we’re alone, I’m still fucking tense, and the sea’ll be awesome.”
Raziel shrugged. “All right. I’m not disagreeing with any of that.” He got to his feet and stripped off his clothes, blurring into swim trunks when he was naked.
“Pity this isn’t a nudie beach,” Uriel said, leering at Raziel.
“You can have your way with me nude after we swim,” Raziel said, tying his hair back into a ponytail.
“Count on it,” Uriel said, and he blurred into a swimsuit as well. “Let’s go swim.”
They jogged down to the sea, laughing as the waves surged to meet them, the cold water refreshing after the heat of the sand beneath their feet. They swam for a quarter of an hour before Raziel decided that he wanted a drink, and he waded toward the shore.
“We can swim more later,” he called to Uriel, who lagged behind.
“Fine,” Uriel said with a theatrical sigh and followed Raziel out of the sea and up the hot sands toward the rainforest and their home.
Inside, Raziel opened the windows, grateful that the builder of the house had put screens on the window to keep out the bugs. That was the only downside of having a place here, he thought; all the mosquitos and other insects that butted their heads inquisitively on the screens, begging for entrance. Raziel didn’t mind visitors, but he did mind them when they decided stinging him would be fun.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Uriel said, handing Raziel a cold beer.
“Thanks. I wasn’t thinking about much, really. Just that the bugs are annoying.”
“Bugs are always annoying.” Uriel sat down on the couch. “That’s why we have screens on the windows.”
Raziel turned on the ceiling fans and then moved to join Uriel. “And I’m very grateful to whoever it was who invented them.” He took a long drink of beer, then set down his beer bottle and moved to crawl over Uriel and kiss him. “You wanted me naked, remember?”
“I’d never fucking forget something like that.” Uriel’s arms wound around Raziel, and he deepened the kiss, making a small, contented noise into Raziel’s mouth.
“Want to take this to the bed?” Raziel ran a hand down Uriel’s side.
Uriel didn’t reply, but the next moment, they were lying on the bed, and Raziel nipped Uriel’s lower lip. The few clothes they wore were gone, discarded with a brush of Uriel’s power, and Raziel groaned as he felt Uriel move beneath him, felt the head of Uriel’s cock pressing against his ass.
“This is going to be quick,” Uriel warned.
“That’s what happens when we’re both hot for it.” Raziel broke the kiss, slicked Uriel’s hardness with his power, and sat back, arching as he slowly lowered himself onto Uriel’s cock. “Ah fuck, babe. It’s been too long.”
“No argument there,” Uriel growled, his hands going to Raziel’s hips and holding him down as Uriel thrust up.
Raziel moaned and ran his hands over Uriel’s chest, teasing his nipples with his index fingers. Uriel hissed, his hips stuttering as he thrust, and Raziel purred, grinding down.
“Fuck,” Uriel gasped, sliding one hand around Raziel’s body to take hold of his cock and stroke. “Fuck, Razzy!”
“That’s my babe,” Raziel murmured, rocking into Uriel’s hand and back down onto his cock.
Uriel let out a loud moan, his head falling back on the pillows, and a moment later he was coming. Raziel bit his lip. Watching Uriel fall apart as he orgasmed never failed to make Raziel all the hotter for his beloved. It only took a few more strokes on his cock for Raziel to come, and he let out a low cry as he did so, leaning down to kiss Uriel sloppily.
“That was good,” Uriel said, ending the kiss.
“It was,” Raziel agreed. “And we need to wash.”
“Killjoy,” Uriel said.
“What?” Raziel sat up, looking at Uriel in surprise.
“I was enjoying the moment,” Uriel said. He was grinning. “Having you all cuddly and post-sex relaxed is awesome.”
“Oh.” Raziel grinned back. “Well, there’ll be time for more later.”
“I really fucking hate that word.” Uriel gently dislodged Raziel from his lap and sat up. “Nothing good ever comes out of the word ‘later.’”
“I’m sure it’s offended by your hate,” Raziel said, amused. He got off the bed and stretched. “Come on, babe, let’s go take a shower, then go back to work.”
Uriel got up with a grunt. “Hate that word too. Work never means fun.”
“Then you’re doing it wrong,” Raziel said. He took Uriel’s hand in his. “Babe, this trip back in time won’t be so bad. You’ll probably get the chance to fight some more Romans. We’ll hang out a bit, chat to Joseph, and then come home.”
“I hope it does end up being as easy as that,” Uriel said. He shook his head. “Nothing this century has been fucking easy.”
“True.” Raziel started toward the bathroom, tugging Uriel along with him. “But that means that next century will be quiet, slow, and ultimately boring.”
Uriel appeared to mull that over as they entered the bathroom. Raziel turned on the taps of
the shower, a large, double recess with two showerheads that provided a warm spray with what Raziel thought was possibly the most perfect water pressure. As he stepped into the shower and beneath the water, Uriel joined him and reached for the soap.
“I think I could handle a bit of boredom,” Uriel said, starting to wash himself. “At least for a decade.”
“A ten-year holiday?” Raziel considered that, taking the soap from his lover. “That would be wonderful, actually. We could swim, fish, and fuck.”
“That sounds fucking perfect.” Uriel reached for shampoo.
“It does rather.” Raziel soaped himself down. “But I still think we’d be bored after ten years.”
“Probably. But then we can figure out what to do to keep ourselves entertained for the other ninety and end the century having fun, so I call it good.”
Raziel laughed. “Okay. I’ll believe you.”
“Good, because you’re the only one I really give a shit about.”
“And they say romance is dead,” Raziel said with another chuckle.
“WHY ARE we in the pantry?” Michael asked. His expression was confused and Gabriel laughed.
“It’s where the trapdoor to the cellar is.”
“I see. Why do you have a cellar?”
“Well, originally, it was for wine, but you don’t drink, so I use it for storage now.”
“As you say.” Michael still looked a little confused.
Gabriel grinned at him. “I used to keep all this stuff all over the place. Made no real sense to do it that way, though, yeah? So, I figured, I’ve got this mostly empty cellar, I’ll put my gear in there.”
“What gear is this that you speak of?” Michael asked, canting his head to the side.
“Souvenirs, mostly. Stuff from the past.” Gabriel bent down and grasped an iron ring that was set into the heavy floorboards. With a grunt, he gave a great heave and the trapdoor opened with a loud creaking of hinges. “I reckon I need to oil those,” Gabriel mused.
“How do we get down there?” Michael asked.
“There’s stairs. And a light.” Gabriel flicked the light switch on the wall and gestured toward the trapdoor. “Ta-da!”
“Very good, Gabriel. Lead on.”
Gabriel bounced down the steps into the cellar. Michael followed him a few moments later.
The cellar was cool, and the light illuminated all the dark corners. There were two wine racks that held bottles of Gabriel’s favorite wines, covered in dust and secured at the far end of the room. The rest of the cellar held trunks, boxes, shelves, and dress shop dummies with armor on them.
“Gabriel!” Michael sounded amazed. “I had no idea. This is like a small museum.”
“Aye.” Gabriel looked around the room. “Sometimes I think about donating this stuff to a museum, but then I get all whimsical and melancholy, so I decide to keep it. Memories and all that, you know?”
“As you say.” Michael pursed his lips. “What of the wine?”
“Ah, now that’s something I keep for special occasions. The bottles are old and probably valuable, but I plan to drink ’em.”
“Perhaps we can open one at the conclusion of this crisis,” Michael suggested.
“I’d like that a lot, solnyshko,” Gabriel said.
Michael smiled shyly. “Then that is what we shall do.”
“First, though, let’s get the gear that Raz’ll need.” Gabriel used his power to pull an empty trunk to the cellar, setting it squarely in the center of the room. “Put the stuff in here, I reckon.”
“As you say,” Michael agreed. “What do you have that they will need?”
“Well, Shateiel and Uriel both have chain mail, so they won’t need that. They’ll need gladiuses, though.” Gabriel moved to a long, low trunk and opened it. He rummaged around and pulled out two perfectly made gladius swords, the hilts made of bone and the blades as bright and sharp as the day they had been forged.
“These are in pristine condition, Gabriel,” Michael said, taking the swords and carefully wrapping them in a blanket that he had taken from the corner of the room.
“Aye. I take care of them.” Gabriel pulled out various other items. “Baldrics, for the sword sheathes, balteuses—belts—several pairs of caligae, ’cause I don’t know what shoe size they take. What else… oh yeah. Loculus, the satchel, Shateiel should probably carry that. Two paludamentum, ’cause Britain’ll be cold and they’ll need cloaks.”
“What about the focale?” Michael asked. “The scarves to help protect their necks from chafing?”
Gabriel thought about it. “They’re pretending to be private soldiers, but we’ll include ’em just in case. Raz’ll be playing the part of a wealthy merchant of Rome, so he’d want them to look as well-equipped as possible.”
Michael started packing things into the trunk. “What else do you think they will need?”
“Money.” Gabriel moved to a cabinet with several drawers and began to go through it. “End of the first century, who was the Emperor?”
Michael laughed softly. “I do not know, Gabriel. I was in Asia at that time. I do not know the ins and outs of the Roman Empire as you do.”
“Aye, but the last thirty years of the first century, there were a lot of Emperors.” Gabriel screwed up his face as he thought back to those years. “It would be after Nero, so after the year of the four Emperors.”
“Domitian?” Michael asked.
Gabriel pursed his lips. “Maybe. It’d be either him, Nerva, or Trajan. I’ll include coins from all three, just to be sure.”
“That seems a sound plan.” Michael moved to peer into the drawers as Gabriel started investigating their contents. “You have a great many things here, Gabriel.”
“Aye. Oh, they’ll need daggers, too, yeah? And civilian items, things like crockery and cutlery, stuff like that.”
“I would say so.” Michael looked on as Gabriel pulled out several leather pouches and began to investigate the contents. Pleased that he had two pouches full of coins from the reigns of Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan, he opened another drawer.
“Right, pugioes. Hm.” Gabriel frowned a little. “I know I’ve got several, and they should each carry one. Housewares and stuff like that should be over in that trunk by the wine.”
Michael laughed at that. “Of course. Goblets by the wine, yes?”
“Yep,” Gabriel said, laughing as well. “It made sense at the time I was putting everything down here.”
“It makes sense now,” Michael said. “Are they period specific?”
“Nah.” Gabriel shook his head. “I mean, I grouped stuff by era, so that one trunk in the corner has Imperial Roman goods in it. Next to it would be the stuff from the Republic.”
“This is truly a museum,” Michael marveled as he moved to the trunk Gabriel indicated and opened it.
“I like to remember. And sometimes, I forget. Old age and all that.”
Michael shot him a serious look. “You are not old.”
Gabriel laughed and laughed. “I am, you are, all of us. We’re all ancient.”
“Well yes, but that is not as old as our maker.” Michael returned his attention to the contents of the trunk. “Should I include the spoons as well?”
“Aye, might as well. Should be a salt cellar in there, too, that was pretty indicative of a wealthy family at the time.”
“As you say.” Michael gathered up plates, bowls, and goblets, spoons, and a salt cellar and carried them to the rapidly filling trunk in the middle of the room.
Gabriel moved to join him, putting the pugioes into the trunk. “We might need another trunk.”
Michael took Gabriel’s hands in his. “Is there in truth much more?”
Gabriel looked around the cellar and then looked at his lover. “Nah. I think that should do it.”
“Then we will not need another trunk.” Michael let go of Gabriel’s hands and slid his arms around Gabriel’s neck. “Will you kiss me?”
“Gladly.” Gabriel
wound his own arms around Michael’s waist and pulled him close. He pressed a soft, chaste kiss to Michael’s lips, a kiss that quickly deepened and grew passionate. They kissed for several long, blissful minutes and when they parted, they were both smiling.
“I love you very much, da bao,” Michael said.
“I love you too,” Gabriel said. He kissed Michael’s forehead. “I’m thinking, right, that while they’re off in the past, we might be able to steal a few moments for ourselves. So we should totally come here for a bit and have some alone time.”
“That sounds wonderful. I confess, the idea of not being alone with you for long periods is distasteful to me,” Michael said.
“Aye, to me, too.” Gabriel kissed Michael again, reveling in the feeling of his lover’s lips against his, of Michael’s body, so strong and muscled against his own. “You’re my light in the darkness, solnyshko.”
“You are very sweet, Gabriel. You are the sun that rises in the east and sets in my heart.”
Gabriel ended the kiss, resting his forehead against Michael’s. “And you’re very poetic.”
“I speak only truth.” Michael reached up to cup Gabriel’s cheek. “Let us return to Yerevan now and see Raziel’s plan begin.”
“Okay. Then we can have some proper alone time.”
“As you say.”
“Oh!” Gabriel thought of something. “What is the rest of Angelique’s squad going to do while she, Danny, and Lily are back in Britannia?”
Michael paused in the act of closing the trunk. His expression became thoughtful. “I have split squads up in the past in order for them to do smaller jobs, but this is something new. I do not know that they will deal well with this separation.”
“Can I make a suggestion?” Gabriel asked.
“Please. I would welcome your thoughts on this.”
“They need to keep busy. So, send ’em on a mission with Liam and Declan. I know I ain’t disciplined him properly for what happened in Brittany, but things sort of got out of control real fast, thanks to Naamah. As it is, we still don’t know who the hell is involved in this business with her. I reckon send ’em out to do some recon. They must have contacts of their own, after all.”
The Crystal Lake Page 5
