Watch Me Burn

by Nikki Drost

  “James, whether you want to believe this or not, I have always cared about you and your well-being. That is why I sent Micah to retrieve you from your father’s imprisonment. Coddling you would have only made things worse. You needed someone to blame, to take your anger out on, so I gave you the perfect outlet and became that target. If I hadn’t then you would have turned all of that rage toward your brother.”

  I don’t know what to say. I feel as though my whole perception of this being has just changed in the blink of an eye. The angel is right, of course, I had been too hurt and pissed to trust Micah in the beginning. Hell, we probably wouldn’t be as close as we are today if Michael hadn’t been such an asshole to me. Shit, I can’t help but feel guilty for some of my prior behavior toward this man. I had spent so many years loathing him only to find out that he only had my best interests at heart.

  “That was then and this is now and now you need guidance, someone to show you the way and that is why I am here. You are at a crossroads and I intend to make sure you chose the correct path. Now come.”

  Michael hauls me to my feet. He then starts walking in the opposite direction. Despite the overwhelming urge to demand some answers, I bite my tongue and follow the angel instead.

  “As you know, life is a series of choices. Whether big or small they all lead you to your intended destination. With one decision comes another and another, all having negative or positive outcomes.”

  “Look could you skip the cryptic mumbo jumbo and just get to the point.”

  I’m not even sure why he’s bothering. There has never been any doubt as to where my soul will end up.

  “My point is, Adam Stone was meant to die, but thanks to Raphael and Gabriel’s meddling the world has been thrown off balance. Children that were never supposed to exist will now be born. People who should have lived a long, happy life will now die.”

  “Listen, angel, you’re barking up the wrong tree if you think you’re going to get any sympathy from me. This world needs Adam, I need him.”

  I could give a shit if the anti-Christ is born, as long as my best friend is alive and kicking then the rest can be dealt with.

  “I fear you aren’t grasping the seriousness of this situation and you know as well as I do that Adam would have been returned to you.”

  “Yeah,” I snort, “whenever you guys got around to reincarnating him. Excuse the fuck out of me for not wanting the newly improved Adam 2.0. I’m rather fond of the original model.”

  Without warning, the angel doubles over in laughter. That sight alone should scare the piss out of me seeing as how Michael isn’t known for having a sense of humor.

  “Do you honestly believe that the four of you are the original Horsemen of the Apocalypse? My, my, how arrogant and incredibly misinformed you are, my boy. We have been on this merry go round ride for the last five hundred thousand years. You would think that over time the four of you would have learned to let each other go and find peace in knowing that you would be reunited again.”

  Michael shakes his head in indignation. “Instead, each generation has become even more entangled. The unnatural love you seem to have for one another is affecting your judgment and hindering our cause.”

  Holy motherfuckin’ shit, I feel light headed. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I shout.

  “Have you never asked yourself why you feel such a deep connection to them? Even Lincoln’s soul has been with the four of you since the very beginning. The lot of you needed balance, a conscious if you will, and he provides that.”

  Well, now I know why Remiel brought Linc to us after the cubs parent’s had died. The second I met him I felt connected to him.

  “Fine, so we weren’t the first, but that still doesn’t explain what the hell the problem is.”

  “The problem is that now we are left with two options. Either Adam is met with an unfortunate accident or someone else will have to take his place. It is the only way to put an end to this catastrophe.”

  Well, that’s a no brainer. “Give me a name and I’ll take the poor bastard out.” The angel shakes his head, then begins to pace around me in a dizzying circle.

  “And what if I told you that it is one of your brothers? Are you still willing to sit back and allow one of them to meet their demise? Because if you don’t, the chaos will continue and worsen with each thwarted attempt.”

  Shit, for arguments sake, let’s say I allow this to happen, I know Adam is safe. Micah is too important so that leaves either Cass or Lincoln. Even though I’ve never admitted to it out loud, I love those two men too much to lose them. That only leaves one other choice.

  “Take me.”

  Michael abruptly halts his pacing. “You would sacrifice yourself even though you just found your mate? Are you mad?”

  “No, dickhead, I’m giving you a solution to your problem. You said you need one of us to die, so why not me? The world will be saved and I’ll be out of your hair. It’s a win, win for everyone.”

  I know the others will miss me, but they’ll eventually get over it. Life will go on and as long as Micah is alive, he’ll take care of Kelsey. She’ll always be protected and cared for, of that I have no doubt. After a while, I’ll be nothing more than a memory. It kills me to think of Kelsey sharing her life with someone else but her happiness is the most important thing.

  “I’m sorry, James, but at the moment you are too important.”

  “Bullshit,” I say dryly, “I’m just as expendable as anyone else. Don’t place me on a pedestal and proclaim my life to be more important than someone else’s.”

  The Archangel moves to stand before me, his hands settle on top of my shoulders. I half expect him to shake some sense into me, but instead he offers me a mischievous smile.

  “There may be another possibility.” Michael releases my shoulders and begins to pace around me once again. I really hate when he does that.

  “Do you recall the book of revelations?”

  “How could I forget?” I grumble, “It describes the birth of the Horsemen.”

  “Releasing the Horsemen broke four of the seven seals, but I am referring to the sixth seal.”

  Okay, now he’s lost me.

  Michael sighs heavily. “The visible seal is a prophecy that refers to the birth of the false prophet, or so we have led the world to believe. In truth, Samael has already fathered many children, including the anti-Christ and the world has been none the wiser. When the true prophet is born there will be a great earthquake, the sun will turn black while the moon turns red.”

  “Wonderful,” I mutter. This just keeps getting better and better. “So what does this prophet have to do with saving one of my brothers?”

  “That prophet will save us all,” Michael states matter-of-factly. “Once this child is born, he is destined to become the most powerful being in existence. The boy will be the key to ridding the world of Samael and his legions of demons once and for all.”

  “Ah huh, sounds like a win-win situation all around.”

  Michael shakes his head no. “You would think so, but the prophet has gone missing and I need your help in finding him.”

  “How did you lose an unborn child?”

  It’s not like misplacing a set of keys or a pair of sunglasses. I doubt I’ll find a pregnant woman hiding under my couch cushions.

  “You misunderstood. I know exactly where the unborn version of the prophet is. He is still safe within his mother’s womb, it’s the future him that I have misplaced.”

  Christ, my head hurts. “Okay, so let me see if I have this straight. Somewhere in the world, a magical child is waiting to be born and his future self has somehow found a way back to the past? Can I just say what the fuckity fuck, Michael?”

  I begin to pace back and forth.

  “First of all how is any of this even possible? And second, what makes you think he’s coming to this particular time? If I were him I’d check out Woodstock or go back to the roaring twenties.” I made a killing during prohibition.<
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  “As I said before, this child is gifted and I have no doubt he has chosen this time period as his point of destination.”

  “Why?” I growl. Something isn’t sitting right with me.

  “Because of his importance he was not allowed to remain on Earth with his parents or rather he won’t be. This is dreadfully confusing isn’t it?”

  And there it is.

  “No shit,” I snort. “So you’re planning on taking him from his parents and raising him where, heaven? No wonder he hopped into a time machine, you robbed him of having a normal childhood.”

  I may have a tortured past, but I wouldn’t trade my memories of growing up with Micah on our farm in France. Not to mention all of the stupid shit I pulled with Adam or Cass throughout the years, like the time Adam and I found ourselves handcuffed to a bed in the red-light district in Amsterdam. Or when Cass and I were arrested in Vegas because the cops thought we were a pair of male escorts because of the female attention we seemed to attract. Nope, wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything, they made me who I am today.

  “If demons will attempt to kill him while he is safely inside his mother’s womb, what do you think they would do if we allowed the prophet to grow up on Earth? His family would be no match against the vile creatures of the underworld. I am not trying to be malicious I am only trying to protect the child and his parents.”

  Alright, I see his point, but I still don’t feel right about this. Assuring the child is born safely is one thing, but ripping him away from his family is a whole other pile of shit. Unless the parents are unfit in some way, they should have the right to raise their own child, prophet or not.

  “Okay, I get why you need to protect him when he is an infant, but you said he’s full sized, right? What’s the harm in letting him stretch his legs and have a little fun before you drag him back to cloud city?”

  “I cannot drag him back as you say because he has found a way to shield himself from us and just because he is fully grown does not mean he still doesn’t need to be protected. He will become a target for every demon walking the Earth. You may be able to take on bloodthirsty vampires or the occasional shifter, but how confident are you in defeating a pack of Hellhounds or one of the thousand different species of demons? Because those creatures are his enemies and he cannot defeat them on his own.”

  Damn this kid is smart. He’s obviously coming here for a reason and honestly, who the hell are we to stop him? And while I’ve never personally seen a demon or a Hellhound, I can’t imagine they would be that difficult to defeat. Hell, it might even be fun.

  “If he is as powerful as you say then I’m sure he can take care of himself.”

  With hands on his hips, Michael tilts his head toward the sky and mumbles under his breath. He’s probably cursing the day he met me.

  “I need your word that if you or one of the others comes into contact with him you will call upon me at once. Coming to this time is only one of the rules he has broken.”

  The angel comes to a stop in front of me. “I understand your reservations, my son, but I must find him before he causes any permanent damage. And when the time comes and with the help of the Horsemen, I will retrieve him from his parents, it is the only way to insure our future victory. I promise you that the child will be cared for.”

  “No fucking way will I help you kidnap a baby, prophet or not, if you want him, you can steal him on your own.”

  How does he expect me of all people to be okay with something like that? I was torn from my mother when I needed her the most. If she were still alive who knows what kind of man I could have turned out to be.

  “If you had not gone through what you did then you would be unable to do your job and the same goes for this child. If he is permitted to stay in this environment, he could very well be corrupted and all would be lost.”

  What a load of crap. Millions of people manage to live their lives uncorrupted on Earth, so who’s to say this kid will be any different?

  “Would you condemn this child to the same fate as yours? You know what it feels like to have evil come for you, to destroy your family. Can you imagine what Samael would do if he were to come into possession of this child? All of the goodness that resided within his soul would be replaced with darkness.”

  “Did it ever occur to you that taking him from his parents could be the very thing that corrupts his soul?”

  There has to be some sort of compromise, maybe if we could find the parents and take them somewhere safe. Or assign guardian angels to watch over and protect them, it’s their job to safeguard special humans and you don’t get any more freaking special then that.

  “James, you are grasping at straws.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. You have been warned of the dangers and I expect you to return the boy to me.”

  ***

  I bolt upright and frantically search my surroundings. My heart is racing, and my chest heaves rapidly trying to take in enough air to fill my lungs. I wipe the sweat from my brow only to notice my hands are shaking. Fuck. That was the craziest nightmare I have ever had. I turn to my left and take in the sight of my sleeping mate.

  We had spent the night talking and making love until exhaustion had finally claimed us both. For those few brief hours, I felt whole, like I was finally the man my mother had always wanted me to be. All this time I believed that being with Kelsey would somehow eradicate my demons, but now in the harsh light of day, I see that I was just fooling myself.

  I grab my pack of Marlboro’s and quickly light one. With my first exhale, I’m reminded that second hand smoke is lethal to humans. I force myself from the comfort of my bed and head toward the French doors. As quietly as possible, I crack them open to let out the offending smoke. I take a long drag from my cigarette, hoping the nicotine will do its fucking job and calm me the fuck down.

  I feel like I’m losing my damn mind. I take several deep breaths and try to make some sort of sense of that cluster fuck of a dream. If anything I’m used to the first half, those haunting images of my childhood seem to be permanently stuck in my subconscious. You’d think I’d be over this shit by now, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re forced to witness your mother being raped and beaten to death by your father. It’ll leave some permanent damage to your psyche.

  Why does that man still haunt my dreams? Even in death, my father controls my thoughts and actions. I wonder if Micah deals with these thoughts, he’s never spoken of his childhood or of his mother. I know he lived through the same kind of hell that I did with the only exception being that nobody came to save him like he did me. Micah had to survive on his own until he was old enough to escape. He spent twenty years under my father and his men, whereas I was only subjected to five. If my brother hadn’t come back for me and killed our father, who knows what kind of man I’d be today. I could very well be the monster my father had envisioned.

  Who am I kidding? My evil twin was right. The monster has always been inside of me. It lurks underneath the surface waiting patiently for me to unleash him. It’s been a while since I’ve given up the reins and allowed him out to play. I fear that if he isn’t granted some freedom soon he may very well come out when he isn’t welcomed. Thankfully, he is as infatuated with Kelsey as I am. If he weren’t I never would have gone near her.

  Sometimes I think the wolf craves her more than I do. Which is saying a hell of a lot seeing has how she is all I have thought about since I arrived in Westhaven. My only regret is that I wasted so much time dicking around when I should have gone after Kelsey the moment I spotted her. But my wolf was having too much fun playing with her like she was his prey. God that side of me can be a sick bastard at times.

  I toss my smoke over the railing and make myself comfortable in a nearby chair so I can watch Kelsey while she sleeps. It seems almost surreal that she is even in my bed. She doesn’t deserve to be with someone so fucked up.

  My thoughts drift back to Michael and the reasons behind his s
udden appearance. God, I hope the angel was just trying to bust my balls. I’d take a twisted practical joke over the alternative. How can I willingly go along with his plan to steal that child? But if I don’t help him, he could very well kill Adam or one of my brothers out of spite. Neither option appeals to me.

  First things first, I need to bring Micah and the boys in on this then while my brother works his magic I’ll do my part and keep everyone safe. Although, I’m not exactly sure how I am going to go about doing this. I mean it’s not like I can follow Cass and the cub around twenty-four-seven. Eventually Micah is going to insist we go hunting, which means we will be split into pairs.

  With our new partnership hanging in the balance and our normal run-ins with Omegas, the task of keeping everyone safe is going to be damn near impossible.

  Dammit, the odds of me ending up with either of those men are slim to none. The only thing I can do is throw myself into every dangerous situation and pray one of my enemies doesn’t get lucky enough that he kills me while Micah comes up with a plan.

  The tension that had been building inside of me boils toward the surface. Michael was right about one thing, now that I have Kelsey, I’d much rather stay in the land of the living, but just like the tattoo I have scrolled on my chest, “For those I love I will sacrifice” and I will too. No matter the cost, I will find a way to save that family and mine or die trying.

  Chapter 8

  Landon

  “I expect all of you to be on your best behavior.” Micah paces slowly back and forth, stopping briefly to glare at each one of us. “No matter what your personal views are about vampires, these men are our equals and we will show them respect, do I make myself clear?”

  Several grumbled curses and loud sighs pierce the night air. By the sounds of it, none of the Enforcers is thrilled to be here let alone be forced into working side by side with Guardians. I hope Alexei has had better luck convincing his men to behave.