by Susan Illene
He turned his attention to Caius, who appeared more than a little ready to make his arguments and get his plan moving forward. “You claim a powerful demon is rising, and it is a threat to us all. Do you have any doubts about this?”
“None.”
“You’ve enlisted my assistance in this,” Bartol continued, watching the nephilim’s dark features closely, “but will you continue to take part in this if I go to Russia?”
Caius bristled. “Of course. I wouldn’t have bothered you at all if Zoe hadn’t insisted on it.”
Though he already suspected the answer, he had to ask, “Why do you care what happens with the demon?”
The nephilim squared his shoulders. “My mate is dead. I have no purpose left in this world, but the one thing I can do is try to stop this demon. It’s what she would have wanted.”
There was a wealth of anguish in his voice as he spoke. Caius had been hiding his pain so well since he’d arrived that Bartol had begun to wonder if the man felt anything, but he should have known his old friend wouldn’t have gotten over the love of his life that easily. It was only his resolve over the current situation helping to cover his deeper feelings, which led to another thought Bartol had been having—one that could get them both killed.
“Tell me this is not a suicide mission for you,” he said. Caius wouldn’t be the first to try going out in a blaze of glory after losing a mate. Nephilim just usually did it by angering the archangels.
“And that you’re not trying to take Bartol down with you,” Cori added, coming to stand beside him. He had a strong urge to put an arm around her but held back. This was not the time for intimate gestures.
Caius shrugged. “And if it is?”
Lucas held up a hand. “Remiel made one thing clear. Bartol is only required to get what information he can from Zoe and locate the demon’s whereabouts. After that, you must alert the archangel and standby for further orders—no fighting the creature alone.”
“Which would be totally stupid and a waste of time since you’d never win,” Melena added.
“There is no one else willing to fight him except me,” Caius said, giving them all a frustrated look. “Unless Bartol will help me.”
“What difference could my mate possibly make?” Cori asked, glaring at the nephilim.
He hesitated.
Fearing Caius would say something he shouldn’t, Bartol interjected with a semi-truth, “We ran into a demon once before and survived by working with each other. He is simply drawing on that experience.”
Surprise filled Lucas’ face. “You have? Why did you not mention it before?”
“I had my reasons.”
Melena frowned. “I’m sensing there’s more to that story.”
Cori moved a step closer to him, almost brushing her shoulder against his arm. “He clearly doesn’t want to talk about it, so let’s leave it alone for now.”
He took her hand and squeezed it.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
She gave him a look that said he wasn’t off the hook with an explanation, but that she was willing to support him for now. Bartol would take whatever support he could get rather than reveal his last experience with a strong demon. It still shamed him to this day.
“What matters now is how will we take down this demon?” Caius asked, running his gaze across all of their faces. “Better I try than nothing at all.”
“The angels are working on a solution. Be patient,” Lucas replied.
Bartol grunted, hardly able to believe that line. “If they had any kind of solution, wouldn’t they handle this problem themselves rather than use us as fodder?”
“Remiel says it’s more complicated than that. Apparently, it has something to do with an agreement between Heaven and Hell made nearly ten thousand years ago. Inhabitants of Earth—such as us—must track and identify a full demon before an archangel can step in,” Lucas explained, not appearing any more pleased about it than them.
Melena drew her brows together. “Why would they agree to that?”
Bartol wondered the same thing. He couldn’t imagine what would have compelled them to follow such a measure, even if it was during a different time when men still lived in caves. They’d tied their own hands behind their back when it came to protecting humans, leaving them vulnerable.
“Because in return, Hell agreed to keep their gates shut.” Lucas shook his head. “A few demons make it to us here and there, but the portals separating our two planes of existence are extremely difficult to penetrate. It’s what keeps us from being overrun.”
“When you and the others infiltrated Hell, it nearly happened,” Bartol pointed out.
“That was only because we opened the portal and brought that problem on ourselves.”
He wasn’t there for that battle, but he recalled everyone talking about it. As soon as the gate was shut, the demons stopped coming through and could not open it themselves. In fact, nearly every case of demons making it to Earth was because someone—supernatural or human—summoned them or opened the way. Demons never made it here on their own. Bartol could now see the advantages of the deal the angels had made, though it didn’t help them in this case.
Caius crossed his arms. “None of this matters to me. I’m killing the damned thing if I find it.”
“No, you will not,” Lucas warned, stepping closer to the other nephilim.
Tension thickened the air.
“Hey, guys. We don’t need to fight over this,” Melena said, ever the peace maker.
“How will you stop me when you can’t leave Alaska?” Caius gestured at the band on Lucas’ ankle, magically preventing him from leaving the state. It was punishment for his part in freeing the nerou from Purgatory earlier in the year.
“Let’s not worry about that now,” Bartol said, stepping between the two men. “No one can kill the demon until we find it, and I have every intention of summoning Remiel when that happens.” Especially since there would be disastrous consequences for him if he didn’t—ones he could not risk happening.
He met Lucas’ gaze, and they exchanged a look of understanding. Bartol would keep the nephilim informed, which would hopefully prevent Caius from going on any suicide missions without backup. If his old friend truly wanted to die, he’d find a way eventually, but not yet. Stopping the demon with the right reinforcements came first.
“When can we leave?” Caius asked after a long moment of silence.
“If there were only the two of us, it would take about two days for us to flash to the compound, considering how far it is.” Bartol rubbed his chin. “But with Rebecca and Tormod going as well, it will take even longer to bring them with us. We’d burn twice as much energy transporting them.”
Tormod might be the only nerou who’d shown flashing capabilities so far, but that was only because his father had no human parent—only demon and angel. It made the young man a lot more powerful than his brethren, but he was still very young in immortal years. He couldn’t flash more than a hundred miles or so at a time before he needed to recharge for a day. Tormod couldn’t possibly make it to the nerou compound in Russia on his own without it taking far too long. Alaska might technically be close to the east end of the country, but they were headed toward the west side, northeast of Moscow. It was nearly four thousand miles from Fairbanks.
“They could use your plane,” Melena suggested to her mate. “It’s not as if we’re using it at the moment.”
Lucas moved over to his desk and started making notes. “I’ll speak with my pilot tonight. He’ll need time to prepare the plane and crew, and you’ll need the way cleared with officials in Russia since you’re flying.”
“Couldn’t we just compel them?” Bartol asked.
Melena shook her head. “According to what I’ve heard through DHS, Russia is on top of things since supernaturals came out. I don’t know the specifics, but all the higher ups have made sure they can’t be compelled. They don’t play around over there.”
�
�They’ve gotta have sensors too, right?” Cori addressed Melena. “Maybe they’re helping the government just like you are.”
“It’s a definite possibility,” Melena agreed.
Lucas looked up from his desk. “Regardless, I’ve got a few contacts who should be able to help. You should be able to leave by early tomorrow afternoon if all goes well. I’ll also need to let Rebecca know of your plans and give her time to prepare herself.”
Bartol wanted that time as well. He needed to take care of a few things before he left, including talking to Cori alone. He could see the questions in her eyes every time he looked at her, though she’d held her tongue rather well so far. Bartol hoped the upcoming separation might bring some clarity for them about their feelings, and what they truly wanted from each other.
He turned to Caius. “How long do you think we’ll be gone?”
“Zoe will insist on having time with her daughter first, probably a few days. After that, I imagine it will likely take up to a week before we can locate the demon. From what I could find out on my own, the creature is moving as soon as his presence is noted, which means Zoe is unlikely to know its precise location.”
Lucas’ features hardened. “She gets forty-eight hours with her daughter. Then you put Rebecca on the plane and send her back to Alaska no matter how much her mother protests.”
“Won’t we need transportation after we’re done in Russia?” Bartol asked.
“According to all our sources, the demon is somewhere in Europe. You shouldn’t have a problem taking Tormod along for that or finding other means of transportation.”
He supposed that was true enough. “There is just one more thing.”
“Yes?”
Bartol stepped in front of the desk. “I need Cori taken care of while I’m gone.”
“Wait.” His mate came up beside him, turning to glare at him with her hands on her hips. “I don’t need to be taken care of.”
He gave her a patient look. “I don’t deny you’re strong and capable, but you can’t handle everything by yourself any more than the rest of us.”
She clamped her lips shut, still not appearing happy.
“Of course.” Lucas sat back in his seat. “You should know you don’t even have to ask.”
“I don’t just mean watch out for her and protect her.” Bartol laid his hand on the desk, leaning closer. “Her business is being hurt because she’s apparently instilling unusual properties in some of her work.”
“I heard about that,” Lucas said, grimacing.
His response wasn’t very encouraging. “I promised I’d help her deal with it before her shop goes bankrupt, but I can’t do that if I’m not here.”
Cori sighed. “I asked for your help, but I didn’t want to make a big thing of it.”
“I need you to go along with this, or else I can’t go on this trip,” he said, meaning every word.
She clenched her fists. “Fine.”
“We’ll help her,” Melena promised.
Lucas shot his wife a look. “We can’t force supernaturals to get tattoos from someone if they don’t want to.”
“Of course not,” the sensor argued. “But we’ve figured out they’re discouraging humans from going there as well.”
“My business is down to being almost non-existent,” Cori said, finally going along with the conversation. The resistance in her eyes was almost gone now that they’d gotten to the heart of the matter.
“That is something I haven’t heard.” Lucas tapped his pen against the desk. “I’ll take you to see Derrick. If anyone can make this problem less difficult, it would be him.”
Cori appeared to mull it over. “That’s…not a bad idea.”
Some of the tension left Bartol’s shoulders. Derrick was the master of Fairbanks who ruled over all the supernaturals in the region. He’d heard the alpha werewolf was reliable and trustworthy, so he should prove useful. “Thank you.”
Lucas nodded. “We’ll do everything we can for your mate while you’re gone—I vow it.”
And if Lucas made a vow, he kept it. Bartol could leave knowing Cori would be in good hands. Even his mate seemed relieved now that they’d come up with a possible solution to the matter. She brushed his hand lightly, and he squeezed it back. None of the others appeared to notice the small exchange.
They discussed their plans for a few more minutes before everyone began filing out of the office.
Directly outside, Bartol found his tray waiting for him.
“Your food is getting cold,” Cori said, gesturing at it.
“Thank you.” His stomach rumbled. Bartol took his meal from the side table where he’d left it and moved to sit in a large leather chair.
Cori waited for the others to leave. “I could warm that up if you like.”
“It’s fine.” Even cold, her food wasn’t bad.
Cori said nothing, waiting in silence until he finished. Bartol made a point of drinking every drop of water in his glass just to give himself a few more precious seconds. He knew without a doubt she had a lot of questions, and he was surprised she held back in the office as well as she did.
He set his tray on the coffee table. “The food was good.”
“I wish you’d let me warm it.” Cori brushed her dark hair from her eyes. “Are you sure about going on this trip? It’s going to be a long way away, and you’re going to be facing a lot of people. Never mind the fact you might run into the demon.”
“I’ve made my decision.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and opened them. “But why?”
“For many reasons.”
“According to what I heard before today…” She paused and swallowed. “You were adamant about not going. What changed your mind?”
If he told her she was the main reason, it would hurt her, so he told her a partial truth. “This demon has to be stopped before he hurts more people.”
She leaped to her feet, face red. “That’s such bullshit!”
He didn’t like lying to her even to protect her. It didn’t feel right with their relationship starting to find solid ground. “I won’t deny that the money I’ll earn from this trip will be useful as well. Enough to ensure I live comfortably for some time to come.”
“Yeah, I might buy that—if you didn’t turn down the money the first time.” She narrowed her gaze. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? You want the money to help me in case things don’t work out with my shop, but that’s not what I was asking for last night. I only want help fixing the situation.”
He needed to change the direction of this conversation fast. “I’m impressed with how well informed you are.”
She tensed. “Do you really think I wouldn’t find out all I could?”
She was hiding something. He’d been alive for too many centuries not to recognize it.
“How long have you known about the offer?”
Cori took her seat again, avoiding his gaze. “What do you mean?”
“When did you find out about Zoe and the demon situation? What day?” Bartol might have been out of the game for a while when it came to dealing with people, but he hadn’t completely lost his edge. He could read between the lines.
It was a full minute before she answered. “The same day as you.”
“How?”
“Well, I was with Melena and…”
“She wasn’t the one to tell you,” he interrupted. Cori was being too cagey for him to think it was that simple.
She met his gaze. “Caius came to see me and Mel at the shop, not long after he saw you. I wanted to say something, but I was afraid you’d get angry. Whatever decision you made about going to see Zoe, I didn’t want his coming to meet me to interfere with that.”
He let out a low growl, furious at this revelation. He wasn’t angry with his mate since she could hardly stop someone from coming to her shop unannounced, but he was angry at the man who’d gone to see her after Bartol had warned him to stay away. Caius should have kno
wn better. This wouldn’t change Bartol’s mind about going on the mission since he would hardly back out of it now that the deal was struck, but it would strain his relationship with his old friend.
“Thank you for telling me the truth—even if it was late in coming,” he said, standing. “I would appreciate it if you would not hide things from me in the future.”
“Don’t be mad at him, Bartol.” She stood and started to follow him. “Please. He was just doing what he thought was best under the circumstances, and I don’t want to get between you and an old friend.”
He worked his jaw. “He shouldn’t have done it.”
“Don’t be like Griff.” She gave him a hard look. “I can’t handle the idea of you getting angry with other guys just because they talked to me—especially when you’ve been ignoring me until the other day. And in this case, you have to work with him. Just let it go this once for me.”
Bartol hated it, but she had a point. He wanted to go rip the nephilim’s head off for doing something so simple and common most others wouldn’t think anything about it. Only a raging lunatic would behave that way, and he was not Griff. Bartol had to maintain his discipline above all else. Also, Cori was right that he and Caius really did have to work together in the coming days. They couldn’t afford for there to be any tension or anger between them.
“For you, I’ll do as you ask,” he promised.
“About the demon you faced before…”
“I’m not ready to talk about that,” he interrupted.
She lifted her chin. “If we’re making confessions here, and you expect me to go along with this trip and support you, I need something.”
Bartol couldn’t blame her for that, but he still wasn’t comfortable telling anyone the full story. He moved toward her and leaned close to her ear. “Let’s just say demons have a more difficult time killing me than most others. I have an edge against them.”
