A Fire in the Heart

by L. J. LaBarthe

“Riley’s in the kitchen, and Lily and Danny were down the hall,” Angelique said.

  “You go get Riley and meet us up on the roof. I’ll get Mr. and Mrs. Cranky.”

  “Okay. Good luck, Bax.”

  “Thanks. I think I might need it.” Baxter clapped her on the shoulder and walked off, marching briskly down the hall, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for his friends. He found them in an office room, Lily sitting on the desk and Danny standing at the window, his back to the door. The air was thick with tension, and Baxter winced, wanting to run away. For a moment, he thought about actually doing that—running upstairs and lying to Angelique, telling her that he couldn’t find them. But Angelique knew him too well, knew all his tells, and would know the moment he started lying. He sighed and knocked lightly on the door to announce himself.

  “Baxter, hi,” Lily said, smiling at him with forced cheerfulness.

  “Hey, Squirt. Danny.” Baxter took a deep breath. “We’re having a pack meeting and sparring session up on the roof.”

  “Oh. Well, I’m not feeling that great, so maybe we could—”

  “Uh-uh, no way, Lily. Get on your tiny feet and march your tiny self upstairs,” Baxter said, cutting her off. “No excuses. I know damn well you’re cleared for work, so you’re going to work. And so are you, Danny, so stop being such a damn grump and hop to it.”

  Danny turned away from the window to stare at Baxter incredulously. Baxter was a little surprised at himself, but, he thought, he’d started being authoritative, and now he had to continue and finish it. He wasn’t comfortable with it—he’d been a sergeant in the Marines and commanded men before, but these were his friends, closer than Marines, closer than family. His pack.

  “Did you just order us up to the roof?” Danny demanded.

  “You bet your ass I did, soldier, so get up there right now,” Baxter said. He pointed toward the door. “Both of you. Now!”

  “Yes, sir!” Lily said, sliding off the table and managing to salute him at the same time. Baxter was rather impressed by that.

  “Sir!” Danny echoed, also saluting.

  “Run!” Baxter ordered. He was curious to see how far he could push this. “Run to the elevator, then on the spot until the doors open!”

  “Yes, sir!” they chorused, and to his amazement, they did as he’d ordered.

  “Huh,” Baxter muttered to himself as he followed them at a more sedate pace. “Maybe I should be pack beta.”

  The ride up to the roof was silent. Baxter chewed the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying anything, and he found that squashing down on his natural impulse to chatter was more than a little difficult. He was very relieved when the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Lily and Danny exited first, and Baxter followed them, walking out of the small service room that accommodated the elevator on the roof.

  Angelique and Riley were working out, Baxter saw, doing stretches and a basic warming-up routine. His pack leader paused for a moment as she took in the three of them, and Baxter gave her a thumbs-up. She quirked the smallest of smiles at him and resumed her workout.

  “Let’s get to it,” Baxter said, tugging off his sweatshirt and dropping it to the ground. “Warm-up basics, people.”

  “Yes, sir,” Danny and Lily chorused, and they stepped up beside Riley and began to do the warm-up routine.

  Angelique’s eyebrows were raised when she looked at Baxter, and he shrugged, not quite knowing what to tell her. So he stepped into line with the others and began the movements of the routine. Soon he had begun to sweat, and it was with some relief that he paired up with Riley at Angelique’s command and began to train with him.

  “What’s going on with Danny and Lily?” Riley asked as he blocked a punch.

  “To be honest, I got no damn idea,” Baxter said, ducking and then throwing another punch.

  “Weird,” Riley said.

  “Tell me about it,” Baxter agreed.

  After forty-five minutes of training, Angelique called a halt. Baxter was extremely relieved—Riley had managed to get in a few punches to his torso and they’d hurt.

  As she passed around a large bottle of iced water, Angelique said, “Look guys, I know we’re all rocky right now. Shit’s happened, and there’s a lot to process. But we need to put it behind us and come together as a pack, because if we don’t, we’ll be vulnerable, and I don’t want any of us to be attacked by those Transom fuckers.”

  “You don’t think they’ll attack us, do you?” Riley asked.

  “Honestly? Yeah. Bax and me, we found some things. Then when we compared notes, we came up with a rather scary theory. And I for one am shit scared that I’ll lose one of you—or all of you. Guys, you’re pack. You’re my family. I fucking love you. Okay, I’m pissed that I have to spell it out like this, but I’ll get over that part. Just… let’s talk this shit out and move on? Please?”

  There was a silence as she finished, and Baxter cast a sidelong glance at Danny and Lily. He wasn’t sure they’d say anything, but before he could think of something to say to end the silence, Lily began to speak.

  “Danny doesn’t believe me,” she said, and her voice was soft, trembling slightly with emotion. “He doesn’t believe that I don’t know if I have magic powers, but I honestly don’t! Ondrass and Adramelek talked to me about what happened to me in Hell, and they think that I’ve got something new, something none of them have ever seen before. Some way to protect myself in Hell. I guess it makes sense that I do, because like they said, no one goes into Hell like I did and comes out with their sanity and soul intact. Let alone wanders around Hell without being detected by any demons. But I did. So they’re looking into it, and I’m helping them, because honestly? I want to know what the blazes is going on with me. It freaks me out, and I’m scared”—and she paused to take a deep breath—“scared out of my wits. And Danny doesn’t believe me, and I don’t know what else to tell him.”

  “Oh, babe,” Angelique said. She went to Lily and hugged her tight, and Lily clung to her. Baxter could see that the petite blonde girl was shaking as Angelique held her. “It’s okay not to know. And it makes damn good sense that you don’t know—you’ve always said you never really understood it, but you thought it was just part of the war.”

  Danny was frowning. “It’s not that I don’t believe you,” he said, and Baxter looked at him sharply, taking in the frown and the defensive posture of his friend. “I just….”

  “You don’t believe me,” Lily said. She pulled out of Angelique’s arms and stared at her husband. “You said to me not an hour ago that you think I’m lying. You think I’m in some kind of sect with the Archdemons. And I’m not. I’m not!”

  “Dude,” Baxter said, looking back at Danny after taking in Lily’s anguished face, “how could you think that, man? You know Lily better than anyone, save maybe Michael. And Mikey wouldn’t take someone into Venatores if they were working for Team Evil, would he? No.”

  “Stay out of this, Baxter,” Danny said. He wasn’t looking at Baxter, though. “This is between me and my wife.”

  “No, no, this is why I said we needed to talk this out,” Angelique said. “We need to work through the issues together so we can be a tight unit, a strong pack.”

  Danny shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about that, too. I think I want to quit.”

  “What?” Baxter was shocked.

  “You can’t quit,” Riley said. “You signed on for life.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve got free will, right? So I can quit.” Danny dug his cell phone out of the pocket of his sweat pants. “I’m calling Michael right now.”

  “No need.” Michael’s voice came from behind them, and as one, they spun to face him. “With so much use of my name, I could hear you all talking, and so I came at once.”

  “Michael, thank God,” Angelique said.

  Baxter watched as Michael walked toward them, his step heavy and his speed slow. Michael’s expression was sad, and he stopped in front of Danny and l
ooked up at him. Baxter was struck by just how short Michael was compared to the six-foot-five-inch-tall former Marine standing in front of him, and realized he’d never noticed before. Michael’s strength, power, and reputation made him seem as if he were a thousand feet tall.

  “Do you in truth wish to leave the Venatores?” Michael asked.

  Danny bit his lower lip and nodded.

  Michael sighed. “I cannot refuse you. I am sorry, Danny.”

  “So am I,” Danny said.

  “Is there nothing I can do?”

  Danny shook his head. “No. That job, Michael, that was it for me. Being in the coma, I don’t know where my mind was, but when I finally came to, I realized that I was done. I’ve been fighting it, trying to ignore it, but… yeah. I’m done. I want out.”

  Michael nodded. “As you wish. I will ask Vel to take you to the house in Salem to gather your belongings.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I will, of course, pay you a severance allowance—”

  “There’s no need for that, Michael,” Danny said. “I’m just going to go home. Back to my parents’ farm. I need that, I think. I need to be in the country, just doing good, honest work on the land. Nothing involving demons, angels, magic, or anything like that.”

  “What about me?” It was Lily, and Baxter looked at her. His heart broke for her as he took in her tear-stained face, her blue eyes glassy with her tears. She clung to Angelique’s hand, and Riley had moved to stand beside her, an arm about her shoulders in support. “Danny? What about us?”

  Danny ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Lily. I love you. I really do. But I can’t… there’s too much going on, and I need to be away from this, from the Venatores.”

  “You’re leaving me?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Dude,” Baxter began, “that’s harsh.”

  “So was what we just went through. So was the damn war. So was every single mission. Demons, angels, succubae, Purgatory, Hell, Heaven, Earth, magic, witches, shifters, monsters—it’s too much.”

  “You’re selfish.” It was Riley, and Baxter was astounded at the usually quiet, shy, and retiring young man speaking out like that.

  “Pardon?” Michael looked astonished.

  “Not you, Michael. Sorry. I’m sorry. I meant Danny. He’s selfish. He doesn’t care about the rest of us, his pack, who have bled with him, fought with him, helped him, laughed with him, lived with him. All he cares about is getting away and not fighting for what’s right. He’s being selfish and forgetting that he’s a Marine—once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi. He’s trashing that and trashing Venatores.” Riley shook his head. “I thought more of you than this, Danny.”

  Baxter wanted to cheer. Instead, he remained silent.

  Danny snorted. “Think what you want, Riley. I’m done. I don’t care what you all think of me.”

  “What are you going to do if that coven tracks you down? How are you going to protect your family? You’ll put them in danger just because you’re tired?” Riley was shaking now, and Baxter felt a sudden surge of pride in his friend. He shot a quick look at Angelique and saw that she was looking at their Omega with pride and fondness.

  “They won’t come for them, they’re just farmers.”

  “And Jessica-Mae was a poor black girl from a poor part of the South. Do you really want to make wagers on how safe your family will be?”

  Danny shook his head. “Okay, and using the same analogy, how safe are any of our families now? How do we know those assholes haven’t taken them and plan to use them against us anyway? Nothing’s certain, Riley. Nothing except death, and I’m not ready to die, especially not while fighting. I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of this, of being a soldier. They give Marines honorable discharges and let them retire. So that’s what I’m doing: retiring from the Venatores.” He turned to look at Michael. “I’d like to go now, please.”

  Michael sighed and nodded. “Vel,” he said.

  A moment later, the angel was there. “Sir?”

  “Please take Danny to the house in Salem. When he has gathered up what he needs, please take him to his family’s home. He will tell you where that is.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Danny walked over to him. “When you’re ready, Vel.”

  Vel nodded and laid his hand on Danny’s shoulder. A moment later, they were gone.

  Lily let out a loud, despairing wail, and Baxter moved, running to her and gathering her in his arms, even as Angelique and Riley hugged her tight.

  “I am so sorry,” Michael said.

  “It’s not your fault,” Angelique said. “You couldn’t do anything to change his mind, boss.”

  “Perhaps.” Michael sighed. Baxter watched over Lily’s shoulder as Michael walked to the edge of the roof. “Do you require anything?” he asked.

  “No. Well, not yet. We’ll let you know,” Angelique said.

  “As you say.” With that, Michael vanished.

  Baxter turned his full attention to Lily and his broken pack. Over Lily’s blonde hair, he met Angelique’s gaze. He saw in her brown eyes sadness and anger and determination.

  “We’ll get through this, and we’ll be stronger,” Angelique said.

  “Damn right,” Baxter said.

  “I agree,” Riley said.

  Lily, wrapped in their arms, sniffled, and then, in a watery little voice, said, “I’m in, too. I love you guys. You’re pack and family all in one.”

  “Love you too, Squirt,” Baxter said.

  For the first time he could remember, she didn’t scold him for the nickname. And that, Baxter thought, might be the first small sign that eventually they would be all right.

  18

  “HE WHAT?” Declan was outraged.

  Liam didn’t blame him. He was as shocked as his brother and just as angry. Baxter had told them both what had happened and about how Danny had not just rejected the Venatores but Lily as well.

  “Dude, I know. He broke up with Lily. I guess she’ll be getting divorce papers in the mail.”

  “Holy shit,” Liam said. “What a dick.”

  “You know, if you’d said that to me two days ago, I would have argued in his defense. Now….”

  “Yeah.” Liam shook his head. “How’s Lily?”

  “Not good. She’s practically glued to Angelique. And when she’s not with her, she’s with Adramelek.”

  “Is that a good idea?” Declan frowned. “I mean, I know she’s grieving, but he is an Archdemon, after all.”

  “That’s what we thought, but there’s something about him that seems to give her a bit of peace. I called Michael and asked him, and he said he’d get back to me.” Baxter shrugged.

  “What did he say when he got back to you?” Liam asked.

  “Well, he called me late last night. I don’t know what he said to Adramelek, but he promised me—us, my pack, that is—that he was taking care of her and helping her in a way that we couldn’t.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Declan asked, looking baffled.

  “Something about being able to help her cushion her pain,” Baxter said. “To be honest, I didn’t really understand what he said. Riley asked some questions, and the answers seemed to satisfy him, so I’ll be guided by him. He’s the medic, after all.”

  “Should we go and see her?” Liam asked. “I mean, I feel awful for her. I want to help.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Declan said.

  Baxter looked so relieved that Liam wondered what his lover wasn’t telling him. “Dudes, that would be so great.”

  “Let’s go see her now, then. She’s not with Adramelek right at this moment, is she?” Declan asked.

  “No, she’s with Angelique and Riley.”

  “Okay, so let’s go.”

  They walked down the wide, airy corridors of Ondrass’s building, and Liam kept an eye on Baxter the whole time. Something else was going on, he thought, and he wanted to know what that was. Perhaps he could get Baxter
off to one side and ask him once they were with Lily.

  Liam thought back over the events of the last few weeks. He had never imagined that Danny would do something like this, or react the way he had once he had come out of his coma. He’d seen on late-night TV that some former coma patients wanted nothing more than to reconnect with their youth and their families and had left their spouses and lovers in favor of being with old, familiar things. He wondered if that was what Danny had done, and if, once he’d been with his family for a while, Danny would reconsider his actions and his words.

  He felt terrible for Lily, too. Liam liked her, and he knew his brother did as well. She was clever, witty, and a damn good Venatores; she didn’t judge anyone, and she was always ready with a smile and a kind word. She was tiny, like a pocket rocket, he thought, and her white-blonde hair, cropped short, framed her face and her bright blue eyes. He couldn’t begin to imagine the pain she was feeling, particularly as she and Danny had been mated as well as married.

  “Bax, how’s she?” Liam asked.

  Baxter sighed. “About as well as you’d expect. I’ve never heard of a mated pair that survived when one half left or died.”

  “But she will, won’t she?” Declan asked.

  “I don’t know. I damn well hope so.”

  “Goddamn,” Liam said.

  “They’re in here.” Baxter gestured to a wooden door that was slightly ajar. “Come on in.” He stepped forward and opened the door the rest of the way, and led them into the room.

  It was furnished as a living room, warm and cozy and inviting. The floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over Portland, and one whole wall of the room was given over to a fountain and rockery with bright plants and flowers. The air smelled of roses, lavender, and jasmine, and there were several plush couches and armchairs around a coffee table.

  Lily sat on one of the couches, a bright green blanket drawn up around her shoulders. Angelique sat beside her, and Riley was seated on an armchair, holding a cup of something that smelled like tea. As Liam watched, Declan crossed the room and went straight to Lily. He dropped down to his knees in front of her, and without saying a word, he leaned forward and enveloped her in his arms, hugging her close.