by S. A. Moss
“We have to stop them,” I said fiercely, spinning to face the Council. “Prove they’re just using people. We can’t let Sirius and Akaron get away with this.”
“I’m not sure how we would accomplish that.” Adele pursed her lips primly. “Humans will always believe what they want to believe. You’re not going to change their minds.”
I glared at her, not wanting her to be right. Maybe I couldn’t change everyone’s minds, but surely I could make some people see reason. Alex and Sarah had both surprised me with how quickly they adapted to mind-blowing, world-shifting information. There must be other people out there like them, who would see reason once shown proof.
I just needed the proof.
I had to find a way to make them see that the Fallen were manipulating them.
An idea struck me, bringing me up short. I’d learned how to unravel an aether bind. Maybe I could use that same technique to unwind a wraith from its host—to force it out without killing the human.
Slowly, the corner of my mouth lifted in a grin.
“You’re wrong, Adele. We might change their minds, if we tear down the curtain and show them the Wizard. When’s the next rally?”
13
The whole world looks brighter when you have a plan.
At least it does if you’re a very type-A immortal up against a group of bloodthirsty supernaturals led by your father.
Adele had just rolled her eyes when I explained my idea to the Council—I wasn’t sure there was anything I could say to change her low opinion of humans’ intelligence. But the other Council members had listened thoughtfully. And after a not-so-subtle elbow in the side from Pearl, Arcadius had spoken up, saying he supposed it was worth a shot.
From him, that was a ringing endorsement.
I’d expected Alex to sleep straight through the night and had hunkered down after the Council left to keep an eye on him—just to make sure he kept breathing. But right after sunset, he blinked his eyes open and sat up, yawning and stretching his arms. He looked so much better, I could’ve cried at the sight of him. He’d lost a bit of weight during his captivity, and his face was a bit leaner and more angular. But the hollow look was gone from his eyes, and his cheeks were flush with color.
“Hey! You’re up!”
I set down the bag of Chinese food and rushed over to him. Since there was nothing edible left in the fridge, I’d rummaged through Alex’s wallet for cash and ordered delivery. Scrolling through the Jade Dragon’s menu had been sweet torture; I may have gone overboard on ordering items just so I could smell them.
“Yeah. Holy shit, how long was I out?” Alex’s voice was sleep-roughened, and it sent a little tingle down my spine. The just-rolled-out-of-bed look worked really well on him.
“A while. It’s almost eight.” I sat down next to him, but he leapt up from the couch, scrubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes.
“Oh shit! I gotta go get Otis! Did you leave him with Eve?”
I chuckled at his devotion to his cat. I wondered if Otis would even remember the brief time he and I had been friends. More likely, as soon as he set eyes on Alex, that little gray jerk would go right back to hating me. The foundation of our bond had mainly been grief over losing Alex, and without that, I didn’t think there was much left to sustain a relationship.
“Yeah, he’s with her. I’ll come with you.”
I reached for his hand, but Alex pulled it away, running it through his hair before reaching for the door. My stomach twisted at his subtle rejection.
What the hell?
On the way downstairs, Alex joked easily about Otis choosing Evelyn over him. I laughed, but something felt off. Alex seemed to be trying too hard to act casual. Maybe he wasn’t as okay as I’d thought.
I studied him as he knocked on Evelyn’s door. After a few beats, her voice called out, “Who is it?”
“Me, Eve! I’m here to pick up Otis—if he’ll still have me,” Alex called, laughing.
Running footsteps sounded, and the door flew open. I barely had time to register the thin woman in a pastel blue sweater and white pants before she flung herself toward Alex, attempting to wrap him up in a hug.
He stepped back, holding up his hands to keep her at arm’s length. “Woah, woah, careful there, Eve! You didn’t tell me you used to play for the Bears. That’s quite a tackle you’ve got there.”
She put her hands on her hips, catching her breath. “You’re lucky I don’t tackle you, young man! Where on earth have you been? Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Eve. Thanks. I had a family emergency out of town. But it’s alright now.”
“Well, that’s a load of bullshit.” She squinted at him before gesturing to me. “You and this one can’t even keep your stories straight.”
Alex looked like he’d just swallowed his tongue, so I stepped forward, giving him a chance to recover.
“It was more my family emergency,” I admitted.
Evelyn’s gaze cut to me, and her usually warm grey-blue eyes were hard as diamonds. She didn’t say anything, just nodded curtly, as if she’d suspected as much all along. Then she returned her attention to Alex, her expression softening. “Well, I’m just glad you’re okay, dear. I worried.”
She reached out to pat his cheek, but he ducked his head, evading her touch. Then he grinned. “You didn’t have to worry. You know I can take care of myself.”
Instead of answering, Eve let out a sigh, her eyes growing misty. Before she could respond, a bolt of gray streaked past her and leapt into Alex’s arms.
He laughed, hugging the cat tightly. “Otis, how are you, boy?”
Otis purred like a jet engine, rubbing his head all over Alex’s chest. Then his eyes popped open and yellow irises glared at me.
Yup.
Truce officially over.
I shrugged and turned back to Eve, only to find her staring at me with much the same expression as Otis.
Geez. I’m starting to feel pretty unpopular around here.
Eve, at least, had good reason not to trust me. She probably thought getting mixed up with me was what’d gotten Alex in trouble—and she wasn’t necessarily wrong about that. Otis, I decided categorically, was just an asshole.
I took a step back, letting Eve fuss over Alex. She had definitely seen the footage of us on TV—she’d mentioned it when I dropped Otis off—but I had no idea what she suspected I was. Had she been listening to Nathan Reyes? There’s no way she would fall for his bullshit, right?
As awkward as it had been when she spent her time gleeful planning Alex’s and my wedding in her mind and picking out baby names for our firstborn, I suddenly missed those days.
After a few minutes, Alex said his goodbyes to Eve, promising she’d see more of him now that he was back.
“Take care of yourself, dear,” she told him, her sharp gaze once more landing on me.
I shivered.
A powerful supernatural like me had nothing to fear from a little old lady, but I was woman enough to admit she scared me a little.
14
Alex led the way back upstairs, opening his door and ushering me inside before following.
I stopped, my eyes going wide.
Will crouched next to the bag of Chinese food, an unwrapped fortune cookie in his hand. He was smashing it on the end table as if he were trying to crack a nut. Little bits of cookie flew off with each strike.
“Will! No!” I darted forward, yanking the cookie from his grasping paws. “You don’t even eat food! What are you doing?”
He cocked his head at me, looking incensed that I’d stolen his new toy. I took the bag of food into the kitchen, tossing the mangled fortune cookie in the trash. When I emerged, Otis was wriggling and writhing in Alex’s arms, eyes fixed on Will.
Uh oh.
Alex tried to re-adjust his grip, but Otis squirmed free, landing with a soft thud just as Will leapt down from the end table. Both animals crouched low, creeping toward each other slowly. The closer t
hey got, the slower they went, until it was hard to tell they were moving at all. When they were finally face to face, the whole room seemed to hold its breath.
Their noses touched.
And then everything exploded.
In a burst of motion, Will ricocheted away from Otis, tearing around the room like—well, like a demonic squirrel. Otis tore after him, claws digging into the carpet as he made a hairpin turn. They shot past my legs like a mini whirlwind, and I stumbled forward. In a flash, they switched roles—Will was now the pursuer. They bounced off the walls, leapt over the couch, and darted under furniture.
Alex and I were both laughing, forced together in the middle of the room to avoid the flying bodies of our pets playing chase.
My chest brushed against his, and I reached for his arm to steady myself. He flinched, taking a small step backward.
Okay, something is definitely up.
I reached out for him again, and he took another step back.
“Alex? What’s wrong?”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Nothing.”
“Yeah, right. You won’t let me touch you. You wouldn’t let Eve get close either.”
Otis and Will finally flopped on the floor together, bringing the whirlwind around us to a halt. Otis was breathing heavily. Will wasn’t breathing at all, but he seemed content to rest with Otis.
After a long pause in the silence, Alex sighed. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
My fists clenched. That’s what this was about. Alex was messed up about what the Shroud had done to him.
Damn Sirius and Akaron. I’m going to make them pay for this.
Trying to put a lid on the rage simmering in my belly, I stared hard at Alex. “You won’t hurt me.”
A haunted look passed over his face. “I did before. I didn’t even know I was doing it. But I was… killing you.”
“That’s the whole point. You didn’t know. You’d never do that on purpose. I know you Alex. You won’t hurt me. I believe that with everything in me.”
He shook his head sadly. “I don’t want to take the risk.”
“That is, to quote Eve, a load of bullshit,” I snapped, and his head popped up. Before he could regain his equilibrium, I reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it just hard enough that he couldn’t shake me off. “You’re not going to hurt me.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I don’t trust myself.”
I pulled his hand up, pressing it to my chest. “I trust you. With my life. You can touch me anywhere you want.”
A slight grin pulled at his lips, although fear still reflected in his eyes. “Anywhere?”
“Yup.” I smiled, releasing his hand but leaving it pressed against my chest, fingers brushing my collarbone.
Slowly, he lifted his hand up to the side of my face, threading his fingers into the hair at my temple and caressing my cheek softly with his thumb. “Here?”
I nodded, eyes locked on his. The green irises seemed to shift hues in the light, challenging me to pinpoint their exact color.
He cupped my chin, tracing a light line over my bottom lip. “Here?”
Thank goodness I didn’t need to breathe because at that moment I couldn’t have if I tried. I nodded again, wordlessly.
Alex’s fingertips drifted down to my shoulder, his other hand reaching out to clasp my hip firmly. He drew me forward a step until our bodies were almost touching. “Here? And here?” he asked roughly, his grip tightening.
My tongue flicked out to wet my lips. “Anywhere.”
Alex smiled, the fear gone from his eyes now. In its place was something hot and possessive.
“I like that,” he murmured softly.
Then his mouth lowered to mine, capturing my lips in a slow, deep kiss. He pulled me closer, pressing me flush against him.
Our tongues tangled together as I reached up to clasp his head, running my fingers through his messy hair. We stumbled toward the couch and landed in a breathless heap on the cushions, Alex’s body catching mine. I straddled him, slipping my hands under his shirt to caress the taut skin of his stomach, never breaking contact with his lips.
My heart thudded.
Once.
Twice.
Alex broke the kiss, wrenching his mouth away from mine. “I’m sorry!”
“No,” I pulled his face back to me, peppering kisses over his tight frown. “It doesn’t hurt. It feels good.”
Slowly, his mouth relaxed, until he finally opened to me in another deep kiss. The rhythm of my heartbeat picked up again, and my nerves lit on fire from his touch. There was none of the earlier panic from when he’d pulled my life force from me. Just the amazing sensation of our hearts beating in tandem.
For several moments, our pulses raced along together, breath mingling in our kisses.
Then, reluctantly, I pulled away. I didn't have the strength of will to actually get up from my extremely comfortable position on top of him, but Alex still had to rest and recover from his time in the Shroud—and all the activities I had in mind would be way more athletic than he needed right now.
I rested my head against his chest, wrapping my arms around him, and Alex pressed a kiss to the top of my head. Otis and Will were still lying together on the floor, as flat as two animals could be.
“We have a plan,” I whispered softly, trying to reassure myself as much as him.
Alex’s voice rumbled beneath my ear. “Mmm, you know just how to get me all revved up. Tell me more.”
“Right? Plans are hot!” I laughed.
I felt his chuckle more than heard it. “So what’s this smokin’ hot plan?”
“Akaron and Sirius have sent a bunch of wraiths out to possess human political leaders. They’re amassing followers and promising them rewards when the Fallen take over Earth. They’re turning them against Guardians.”
“Really? What are they hoping to do with a bunch of humans on their side?”
“Arcadius thinks they’re trying to make it easier for the Fallen to take over if they make it out of the Shroud. If they have a bunch of human worshippers lined up, they can use them as disposable tools to help distract and fight against Guardians. They wouldn’t care if all the people got killed, but the Guardians would. The Fallen could use them as a human shield.”
“Shit. That’s evil.”
I grunted. The gooey, relaxed feeling in my bones from making out with Alex was fading as tension gathered in my muscles again. Every time I thought of my father and Akaron, rage bubbled inside my stomach. I couldn’t get the image of Akaron torturing Alex out of my head.
And my dad had just stood there and let him.
My arms tightened involuntarily around Alex. “Yeah. It is.”
One of his hands rested lightly on my lower back, and the other stroked my hair. “Whatever this plan is, I want to help.”
I shook my head emphatically. “No way. You need to take it easy while you recover.”
“I’m already feeling better. Because of you.” The hand in my hair paused briefly, and I knew he was remembering how he’d pulled the life force out of me.
“Yeah, but—”
“You said you trust me, Cam. So let me help. I need to be there for this. I need to see this thing through to the end.” His voice was steady and determined, his muscles tense.
I sighed. It looked like our moment of relaxed bliss was over. Sirius and Akaron ruin everything.
Drawing back, I kneeled in front of Alex as he sat up. “I know. As much as I want to keep you safe, you’ve earned the right to be part of this. You can come. I could use your help, actually.”
“Good.”
He leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine.
This time, the kiss he gave me was fierce.
15
The gymnasium was packed with people. Alex and I walked through the wide double doors at the entrance, joining the throng of people in the large open space. There were no chairs or bleachers set up, just a small dais with a podium and
microphone at one end of the room. A few camera crews were gathered by the back wall.
As we pushed our way toward the front, I studied the people around us, trying to find some distinguishing feature they all had in common. But I couldn’t see one.
There were some people who looked like stereotypical goths, with dark hair and clothes, lots of earrings and tattoos, and dour expressions. But there were also middle-aged women who looked like they could be on the PTA, young college kids in designer clothes, and what looked like a group of librarians. I didn’t understand what they all saw in Nathan Reyes—except, as Sada had said, something to soothe their fear.
I shook my head. I wasn’t sure if proving the Fallen were manipulating people would be easier or harder with this crowd. So many of them looked like regular, reasonable people. But did that mean they’d be more likely to listen to our warning? Or did it just mean I’d vastly overestimated most “regular people” I knew?
“They all look so… normal,” Alex muttered in my ear, his large hand wrapped around mine as I led the way through the crowd.
“Right? And there’s what, at least two thousand people here? Where does he find them all?”
Alex shook his head, scanning the crowd again. The bodies pressed more tightly together as we approached the dais, but I wanted to get as close as possible to the front. When the time came to act, we’d have to move quickly. Although the Fallen cared nothing for human lives, I was sure they had bodyguards protecting their asset. Nathan Reyes—or rather, the shell of his body—was useful to them right now.
I slipped between a black-haired woman wearing a DePaul University sweatshirt and a large, sweaty guy in plaid and denim. The woman shot me a dirty look as I jostled her, but I didn’t care. Alex and I were now among the first row of spectators, right where we needed to be.
My hand in Alex’s shook slightly with nervous anticipation. I hated waiting. There was nothing in the world so dangerous or unpleasant that I wouldn’t rather face it now and get it over with. Waiting just gave me time to imagine in vivid detail all the things that could go wrong.
