by Elara Skye
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Okay, well, I don’t know how she got that gun, but we have to find her now.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. I need to think.” Finn stormed past her, leading down to their apartment. “Come on.”
When they entered, Alaric pivoted toward them, his cell phone up against his ear. “Right,” he muttered. “Alright, thanks.”
“Who was that?” Finn asked as they approached.
“A friend,” Alaric said, pocketing his phone. “Raymer’s back. He flew in last night.”
“So, he’s here?”
“Who’s Raymer?” Seraphina cut in, suddenly noticing Amelia’s roommate standing off to the side. The only human in the room. “Hi, I’m Seraphina.”
Cat cocked her head responsively. “Cat.”
“Patrick Raymer’s an affiliate of Amelia’s late father,” Finn answered her. “They don’t like each other. Amelia, especially, does not like him.”
“So how does that tie in?” Seraphina asked. “Amelia said this would all be over by morning.”
“She said what?” Cat stepped between them. “That’s fucking cryptic.”
“She’s going to be fine,” Finn said. “Cat, I want you to go home and let us handle this.”
“What the hell? No, I’m not going home—she’s my best friend. If she’s in trouble, then I’m coming with you.”
He shook his head. “No. I know it’s unpleasant to hear, but time is of the essence. You go home and wait for one of us to call.”
“What’s going to happen to her?”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Finn said, turning to Seraphina. “Go show Alaric how to track this man. If Amelia was looking at legal documents, then at least we have a lead. We need to know where it’ll take us.”
“Got it.” The angel nodded, a grin tugging on the corner of her mouth. “Welcome back, kid.”
Finn gave her a double-take, then looked back at Amelia’s roommate. “Go home now, Cat. I promise I’ll take care of this.”
“If you tell me what to do, I won’t slow you down.”
“Cat,” he said sharply, prompting a hard look. “I understand you’re worried, but this is not up for discussion. If the priority is Amelia’s safety, then you should do what’s best for her, and leave the matter in our hands.”
“How is it better in your hands?” Cat’s face sank with resentment. “You seriously think you’re not going to take me?”
“Even if we wanted to, we have clearance to get into company buildings. It’ll take even longer to get you in. We simply can’t afford to take that time. Understand that this touches an aspect of her life that we simply know more about, because we are involved—just as you knew more about something that led us here. I can’t explain it all to you now, but I’m sure Amelia will later, if you ask.”
Minus the angel part.
Cat stared for a moment—begrudgingly. “I still don’t get it. But you’re seriously not going to let me come with you?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
She scoffed, turning away.
“Cat,” he called after her, and she paused. “We wouldn’t have known where to look if not for you. Her attorney’s name never even came up to me. We’ve got an idea of where to find her now, and it’s thanks to you.”
“Keep me on speed dial and call me the second you find her,” she answered sharply.
“I will.”
Alaric and Seraphina returned the moment Cat left. “I know where he is,” Alaric said. “He’s at Zeracane Tower, at the rooftop lounge.”
Finn’s stomach dropped. “Zeracane? As in Zeracane Corporation?”
“—as in, Alastair.” Alaric nodded. “It was Alastair all along.”
The three of them were quiet for a time, digesting the information—save for Seraphina, who looked between them. “Who’s Alastair?”
“A demon,” Finn murmured. “Someone I should’ve killed a long time ago.”
“Okay, well, if we know where she is, let’s fly.”
“No.” He shook his head. “We can’t fly if Raymer’s there, he’s only a human.”
“Then let’s fucking call a cab, I don’t care,” Seraphina said to the two of them. “Wipe those looks off your faces. We need to get going.”
No arguments there.
“Right.” Finn looked between them. “Let’s go.”
Chapter twenty-FIVE
The Var Hart name served Amelia for the last time tonight, allowing her entry into Zeracane Tower as a company guest. She had never been here before, and after tonight, she never would be again.
Once upon a time, this whole thing would have seemed an ill-contrived joke, start to finish. Amelia never imagined that her life would end this way. Perhaps in a soft, warm bed at the crux of her golden years. Instead, she faced herself in the cold, reflective elevator, which echoed her misery on all four sides. Amelia looked at her reflection, eyes roving over the sullen shell that she now occupied. The reflection stared right back, equally uncaring.
Finn was right on one count, at least—she looked like her mother. Especially now, so close to death.
Amelia bit back the tears that rose, though she barely felt a whisper of the sentiment to justify them. And when the elevator doors opened, her features fell back into a cold, neutral stare.
The closed-off bar blocked the expanded corner of the balcony. Meanwhile, Amelia’s footsteps echoed as she strode into the area, arms hanging at her sides. Couches and fire pits littered the lounge area, but only one of them was running. Draped on either side of the flames were Raymer and Alastair, surrounded by an assemblage of legal papers and documents. Raymer blinked at her mid-laugh, his small falling at the sight of her slow approach.
“Woah,” he perked up. “What’re you doing here?”
Alastair slid his cunning gaze in her direction. “Oh, Amelia.” She met his eyes, seeing the vile satisfaction within them. “Good that you’re here—I invited her.”
“What? Why?” Raymer asked. “I thought you wanted to talk about...you know?”
“About you putting up the money for me to buy out Ms. Var Hart’s shares?” Alastair grinned, still watching her keenly. “And then selling them to you?”
Amelia’s throat constricted as she looked at Raymer. Meanwhile, his jaw dropped as he stared across the fire pit, stuttering a bit at Alastair’s admittance. “What the fuck, Al?”
“Not enough for you?” she suddenly murmured.
Raymer’s eyes snapped in her direction. “What’d you say?”
“You have so many other investments, so much money—as much as anyone could want. You don’t need mine, but you want it anyway.”
“Awful, isn’t it?” Alastair mused, kicking one leg over his knee. “What will you do about it?”
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” Raymer glared at him, lowering his voice—not low enough. “She’s still got majority shares, asshole.”
“You mean these ones?” Amelia gripped the legal documents in her right hand, throwing them to the ground, and then plunged her hand into her open purse. A tight lump rose in her throat.
Fear and shock detonated in Raymer’s expression as she produced the gun, and he flew off the couch as she aimed at him.
“Amelia, no!”
***
Finn was just in time—half a second later, and it would’ve been too late. He cried out to Amelia to stop, hooking his arms underneath her shoulders, pulling her back before she took the shot.
“Let me go!” she cried.
The rooftop door swung against the nearby wall—thank goodness Amelia hadn’t heard it when it was him—and Alaric appeared at her right, reaching for the gun. She pulled the trigger to stop him from taking the weapon. Finn flinched at the sudden gunshot, watching as it stuck his partner to the ground.
“Fuck,” Alaric yelped, clutching his bleeding shoulder. It would heal within the hour, but Finn knew the pain was n
o less agonizing at the moment.
“Damn it, Amelia,” Finn hissed in her ear, while she struggled against him. “Stop this, calm down!”
She pulled the trigger again, the bullet scratching the ground this time. In the corner of Finn’s eye, Raymer made a run for it, stopped only by Seraphina blocking his path. She mumbled something before punching him to the ground, and then whirled from the momentum, throwing a hand up in Amelia’s direction. The gun flew to Seraphina instantly, bursting into flames as soon as she had it.
Alastair glared at the lot of them, taking a step back. “Fucking angels...”
Seraphina spun to face him. “Ah-ah-ah.” In a brisk, sweeping movement, she threw him against the nearby wall, pinning his arms and legs to it. “Where do you think you’re going?”
He hissed, “Let me go, crazy bitch!”
“Crazy bitch?” Her hand clenched into a loose fist, and the demon cried out in pain. “Huh—you might be right about that.” Seraphina glanced back in their direction. “You guys okay back there?”
“You’re grabbing the gun next time,” Alaric ground out, and Finn looked down to see him pulling the bullet out with magic.
“Glad to hear it. As for you,” Seraphina faced Alastair again, “I’ve got to say, I’m pretty surprised that you turned out to be the mastermind. You look like an ordinary demon to me.”
“You think that’s what I am? You think you ought to kill me now?” He laughed. “You’re a goddamned pack of morons if you think this human’s life is worth my time and energy.”
Seraphina looked over her shoulder, exchanging a backward glance with Finn. “Why do this, then? Whose time and energy is she worth?”
“I—” Alastair struggled.
There was a rustle in the air, and all four of them felt it—a subtle shift.
“Alaric?” a tiny whisper distracted them from it, coming from Amelia.
Seraphina snapped her head in their direction, while Amelia’s erratic movements calmed. Slowly but surely, her body loosened in Finn’s arms. And when she whispered again, he dared to let her go, watching as she sank to her knees before Alaric.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wept for him. “Oh, my god—Alaric, I’m sorry,” her voice trembled. “I’m so sorry.”
She repeated the words again and again while Alaric sat motionlessly, staring like a deer in headlights—not unlike Finn. Though Alaric wore the same vulnerability at that moment, as when she first saw him in the Ether. There was hurt in her eyes as well, particularly as Alaric recoiled from her outstretched hand. Amelia pulled back her hand and sobbed, doubling over in regret.
Meanwhile, Seraphina watched curiously from a distance, still holding Alastair against the wall. She was the first to ask, “H-How did she—?”
“Get her soul back?” a voice cut in from the rooftop. Their eyes jumped to the figure perched on the ledge, watching them from above. “Because I gave it back to her.”
Finn recognized the light-haired angel immediately. “Tobias?”
The voice drew Amelia’s attention, and she whimpered, “J-Jesse?”
Tobias smiled sadly. “Hey, Amelia. It’s good to see you.”
Jesse? “Isn’t that the name of your coworker?” Finn asked her.
Amelia didn’t move, but there was clear recognition in her eyes. Finn couldn’t believe it.
“You,” he demanded, stepping in front of her. “You lied, didn’t you? You’re not Cat’s guardian—who are you?”
“Cat’s guardian?” Amelia whimpered.
“That’s not the question, Finn...” Seraphina interjected darkly, glaring at Tobias. She paused, thinking twice on what she was about to say. “You’re a…Cherub angel, aren’t you?”
He slid his gaze to her, leaping off the roof. “Clever girl.”
Second to the Seraphim, the Cherubim comprised the highest class of angelic beings. They were the hardest and rarest to be identified, serving Earth as the kings and queens of redemption, dismantling its spheres of corruption one kink at a time. Finn had never seen one in person before this night.
Seraphina went on, “Born with four faces…”
“Or none,” Tobias added. “Depending on my mood.”
“And you’re the one who’s been tormenting Finn’s human?”
“Yes and no.” His eyes snapped toward the demon. “It’s true; I’m the one who’s visited her nightmares. To help create the opportunity for Alastair and another demon to collect her soul for me. I didn’t question their methods.”
Tobias looked at Finn. “And then I instructed him to bring her to me, but only of her own free will. I knew the rest of you would figure it out and follow—though I’m sorry to have gotten her friend involved earlier on in this. I would never have thought that these demons would be stupid enough to break into their house.”
Finn scoffed. “Demons are like that at the best of times. They don’t always follow the rules, where payout’s involved.”
In the form of souls, perhaps? Or maybe it was the promise of power and luxury—they were greed incarnate, after all.
“Still, I knew you’d come to the house that night,” Tobias said to him. “Just like I knew you’d visit the Shadow People. It was the perfect opportunity to drop some hints.”
Finn stared blankly—is that why the Shadow People were so unhelpful? Had he instructed them to give nothing away?
It seeks a drop of water from the tar.
“Hold on—you just said you gave her soul back,” Seraphina pointed out. “What was the point of this, then?”
Tobias looked at Finn. “He was the point.”
“Me?” Finn furrowed a brow. “Why?”
“Why are your friends here, Finn?” The angel stepped toward him. “Is it because they care for your human? You and I both know the answer to that—it’s the same reason I’m here.”
“I don’t understand,” he spat. “But I don’t believe for a second that you’re the one who did this to her. An angel can’t—”
“—work with demons? Move from place to place without being noticed? I’m no ordinary angel, in case you haven’t noticed, and neither are you.” Tobias cocked his head. “Did you really think we didn’t know? All this time, you think we didn’t know about what you did and who you worked with all these years? You thought there would be no consequences?”
Finn’s expression fell. “I—”
“—well, you were wrong,” Tobias interrupted. “And you were naive to think that we were blind to it. What was I to do with you, brother? Was I supposed to kill you?” He looked down at Amelia. “Or was there a better way to make you understand your own decisions?”
Amelia looked up at him, visibly trying to make sense of what she was hearing. Her crying had subsided, but there was an air of frailty to her frame that reflected her mortality. She was a speck of dust compared to the forces surrounding her, manipulating her life in ways she didn’t understand.
“Finn,” she said as she looked at him, but he found he couldn’t meet her eyes—not until he understood. “What’s he talking about?”
“It’s alright, Amelia.” Tobias raised a hand to her, lowering it slowly. “Sleep, for now. All of your questions will be answered later.”
Finn didn’t stop him—he recognized the magic. Instead, he watched as she relaxed under some invisible weight, sinking to the ground in tranquil sleep. Only then was Finn able to appraise her fully, seeing her muddied clothes strewn about her from the past twenty-four hours. Even then, it was hard for him to look at her.
“You’ve probably guessed by now,” Tobias went on, “that I’m the one who assigned your guardianship. That I’m the one who orchestrated this, from start to finish.”
“I could’ve guessed,” Finn said venomously. “Have you accomplished what you set out to do?”
“I did, yes. And I appear to you now, on behalf of heaven, to deliver this message. After tonight, there will be no more chances. And when we’re finished here, everything will revert
to the way it was—including Amelia.”
He froze, centering on the last statement, and ignoring the rest. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t think I need to explain why I can’t leave things like this—why I can’t leave a human in this state. The job’s not finished until she is restored as well.”
“What job? What the hell are you planning to do to her now?” He stood in front of Amelia, shielding her protectively. “I won’t let you hurt her. You’ll have to kill me.”
“That won’t be necessary. It’s nothing you can stop.” Tobias shook his head. “In fact, it’s already done. You needed to learn what you needed to learn, and now you have. Come morning, all traces of us will be erased from her life and memory. Everything will go back to the way it was.”
A newfound coldness settled in the air between them, while Finn’s jaw slackened a bit. Tobias’ words could only imply that he had performed the Memory Rite—one of the rarest and most powerful forms of celestial magic. Only a select number of angels were even capable of performing it.
Finn began, “If you’re talking about the Rite—when did you do it?”
“That doesn’t concern you. It’ll ripple through and solve your other problem over there.” Tobias looked at Raymer, still lying unconscious on the ground. “And you’re still her guardian, so you’ll be held to the expectations of one moving forward. No more than that.”
“How dare you…” Finn scowled through gritted teeth. “How dare you do this to her?”
“How many times did you allow this very same thing to happen? To other angels, and their humans as well?” Tobias’ voice boomed. “How many humans have died under your watch, because you chose to protect and enable those who were responsible?” His demeanor seemed to grow. “Petulant child. You should be thankful that I’m letting your human live.”
Finn blanched as he recalled the angel from the video feed, when he couldn’t have cared less about the human involved with the incident.
“You didn’t have to make her forget me,” he ground out. “You didn’t have to punish her for my wrongdoings. She has just as much right to her own life and memories as any one of us.”
