by Alexie Aaron
“No.”
“But you slowed it.”
“I tried to stop it, but the magic was too strong.”
Mia stood there and tried to stop her emotional reaction from compromising both of them. She sniffed. “Thank you for trying.”
“I know what was at stake. Your losses would have been overwhelming.”
“I’m ashamed to say that if that had happened, I was headed down a bad road. Murphy did his best to keep me from self-destructing. I died once, and he brought me back. The second time I died, someone else brought me back. Both times, I was rejected by an archangel.”
“Azrael,” Roumain said. “Mia, I don’t know what you want from me?”
“You’ve always been a trusted advisor. I’ve had problems with some of your puppeteering moves, but I believe that most everything you do is for the balance.”
“Maybe at first. Then I did things for me.”
“That’s not exactly right. You did them for me,” Mia said, wading closer to him. She breathed in his scent. He hadn’t bothered with the cloying jasmine. Mia’s eyes lit up with the realization.
He turned away from her and walked to the beach.
Mia studied his back. Why hadn’t she seen the scars before? She ran after him, tripping on something in the water. Before she could rise, a wave crashed over her. The retreating wave pulled her deeper into the sea. She fought to get to the surface but had lost where the surface was exactly.
Strong hands reached for her, and she was plucked from the depths. She coughed out the swallowed water. “Where did that wave come from?” she asked, freeing her face from the knot of her hair.
“It was a warning,” Roumain said, setting her down on the beach.
“I don’t understand. Why did you do that?”
“Mia, I didn’t do that to you. I wanted you, and I fear you may have been losing your resolve too. Mother Nature always has your best interests in mind.”
“By drowning me?”
“She likes to get her point across. You’re not supposed to fall in love with the king of Purgatory.”
“She speaks to Murph. Me, she drowns.”
“How are you and Stephen?”
“We have put the GSD behind us. I think our friendship is stronger than before.”
“You need him.”
“I know.”
“Ted?”
“Good. We’re talking about having another child.”
“So you’re fertile. We should behave ourselves. How are you going to explain giving birth to a black Nephilim?”
Mia started coughing and then started to laugh. “Yes, that would be an interesting conversation. I’m sure Alan, our lawyer, would be involved.”
“According to my wife, our little girl would be a very powerful witch.”
“You’ve discussed impregnating me with the wife?”
“She’s dead. Till death do you part. You remember, you killed her.”
“Oy, what a soap opera this would make.”
“We’ll sort something out when Ted passes on, naturally of course.”
“No, we won’t.”
“One wave and you’re off me again,” Roumain pouted.
“Can I touch your back without you getting the wrong idea?” Mia asked.
“Why?”
“I could heal your scars. I sense you don’t want anyone else to know you’re a fallen because cover your scent with jasmine.”
“How do you know about the scent of a fallen? That bastard Abigor! Did he take you?”
“No! Just that he and pre-winged Altair smelled similar.”
“What about Lucifer?”
Mia dropped open her mouth.
“Come on, words out that the two of you’ve hugged.”
“I don’t remember. I was pissing myself at the time.”
“He scares you?”
“Yup.”
“Good. And the scars are fine the way they are.”
“Why did I come here?” Mia asked, getting up and looking for her sweatshirt.
“I don’t know, some question?” Roumain offered.
“Oh yes. Can you send me to the Council of Women?”
“Yes, but I won’t.”
“I’ll give you my wings. They would look wonderful on you. You think you get the girls now…”
“I don’t want your wings.”
“My body. You can have my body.”
“Mia, stop!” Roumain said. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I want my own back!” Mia cried. “How am I going to sleep at night knowing they are constantly plotting to kill me. Actually, killing me would have been understandable. They could take my children away. I can’t let that happen.”
“So you’re going to kill the Council of Women?”
“I’m going to warn them off. They leave me, my family, and my friends alone, or I’ll wipe them from the heavens.”
“Can you back up the threat?” Roumain asked, concerned.
“I have forty legions of demons promised to me. Plus, I think I could get Abigor on board because, after all, it was him I was supposed to kill. That’s 100 legions of demons. I think that will be enough.”
Roumain stood up. “Mia, what proof do you have?”
“Enter my mind house. I give you full access. Look for the contract. You’ll find it on the bloody chest of an Other.”
Roumain reached down and put his forehead to Mia’s.
Each mind-reading entity had their own way of viewing the information. The process was sometimes uncomfortable, but with Roumain it was a caress. He was there for a considerable amount of time. She supposed things were a little different after Raphael had helped her.
When Roumain left, Mia felt a deep loss and started to cry.
Confused he asked, “Did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine,” she said.
“Mia, from what I can see of your adventure and what I know about the politics at hand, it’s not the whole council. Your grandmother and maybe a few others. Also, someone on the outside.”
“Quazar?”
“No, I don’t think so. It’s possible it’s Gerald.”
“No,” Mia groaned.
“I’m not sure. It could also be someone you’ve yet to meet. It could be a demon thinking he’s doing Abigor a favor. From the evidence you have, I have decided I will help you.”
Mia’s face lit up. “We will be a mighty force, you and I.”
“Stop it,” Roumain said between his teeth. “I’m not going to let you slaughter anyone. No revenge for you. We’re going to present the facts and let the council govern themselves. You’re not to bring a weapon with you, that includes Romeo and Juliet.”
“What? Aren’t they lost to the other timeline?”
“Call them,” he ordered.
Mia walked away from Roumain and called, “Romeo and Juliet!” The knives appeared in her hands. “Holy smokes and mirrors! I could have injured someone. Dieter is studying Shakespeare!”
Roumain thought this was funny and laughed with that beautiful rich voice of his. “Those are assassin knives, Mia.”
“Yes, I know.” Mia set them on the sand. “Take them.”
“I saw you fighting. If someone thought you were vulnerable because you didn’t have your wings or telekinesis, then they drastically underestimated you. You were physically twelve, but you had the teachings of Nicholai firmly entrenched.”
“Do you think the volo candle was put into play on purpose?”
“I can’t see any strong evidence of that, but a professional saboteur would make sure it looked that way.”
“I thought if it was all accidental, the council’s action may just be a case of taking advantage of an opportunity.”
“Speaking of taking advantage, Angelo… I should have killed him when I had the chance.”
“He means nothing to me,” Mia said quickly.
“I know you don’t see him as a mate, Mia, but you still would sacrifice yourself to sav
e him. As you did with Altair. Angelo doesn’t need saving. He shouldn’t be saved.”
“You need saving,” Mia said.
Roumain ignored her last comment. “Oh, and, Mia, you brought the demon back with you,” Roumain said.
Mia groaned. “It explains the bloodlust for vengeance.”
“I noticed right away when you looked at me. There was something familiar in the way you undressed me with your eyes.”
Mia frowned. “Hey… You’re lying to me. It’s not possible.”
Roumain smiled.
“Why you little… big… Shit!” she said, stomping off.
Roumain swept her up and tossed her in the water to cool off.
Mia surfaced to find herself soaking wet, standing on the landing of the aerie.
“Great,” she said and sloshed to the bathroom for a towel. She decided she had better wash the saltwater off. She dropped her clothes in the sink and started the shower. It was a massive shower built with the visiting birdmen in mind.
Mia stepped in and let the hot water ease the tension out of her shoulders. She opened her eyes to see Roumain standing in the shower studying her.
“I will work on brokering a meeting between you and the Council of Women, the full council. We’re talking thousands of spirits. In the meanwhile, find Quazar. I think he’s a key to this somehow.”
“Ted’s working on it.”
“Ted’s working on what?” Ted asked from the bathroom door.
Roumain had disappeared.
Mia wiped the steam away from the glass.
“I came over to help you with the linens…” he said, shutting the door and locking it. He undressed and entered the shower with Mia. He kissed her deeply. It made her forget all about Roumain, which was some accomplishment.
~
Mia and Ted bounded through the back door carrying a basketful of bedding along with Mia’s drenched clothes. She tossed the linens in the laundry and draped her wet clothes over the utility sink.
Cid was looking at all the fish the boys had cleaned with a quizzical look. “I wish I had seen what kind of fish these were before they filleted them.”
“Does it make a difference? Just fry them up,” Mia said. “I’ll do it if you want.”
“Step away from the stove. Why are you wearing different clothes than you went out with, and why are you wearing rainboots? It’s sunny outside.”
“He asks such personal questions,” Mia said. “It’s not like I haven’t arrived home wearing worse.”
“She went to speak with Roumain,” Ted said.
“And?” Cid asked.
“He will set up a meeting with the council but wants us to continue to look for Quazar.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Cid said.
“Well, if you won’t let me fry fish, I’m going to change,” she told Cid. She looked over at Ted and asked, “Wanna come up?”
Ted scooped her up and ran up the stairs with her.
Cid pulled out his iPod, put on his earbuds, and turned up the music.
~
Orion opened the door, amazed to see Altair standing there. “Altair, what a surprise.”
“I hope I’m not disturbing you. Do you have a few minutes?”
“Audrey took Luke to her parents. I have a few hours. Would you like a drink?”
“Yes, I would,” Altair said and followed Orion into his office. It was a large warm room with many Greek accents.
Orion walked over to the drinks cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Midleton. “Ice?”
“No, thank you.”
Orion poured a healthy measure into an old-fashioned glass and handed it to Altair. He poured a smaller amount for himself and added ice. He sat next to Altair, taking the other leather high-back chair after he slid a small footstool over to set his diminutive feet on.
Altair sipped his drink, taking in the birdman before him. He set his drink down and pulled out a wrapped bundle and handed it to Orion.
Orion recognized the tea towel from Mia’s guesthouse but was shocked to see what it contained. “I never thought I would see a copy of this in my lifetime.”
“It’s yours.”
“What?”
“It’s your reward for stepping up twenty years ago,” Altair said.
“I’m sorry but are we talking about the candle incident?”
“Yes.”
“I wish I could remember it.”
“So do I, but that doesn’t matter. I can tell you that you behaved contrary to how most would have handled the situation. You protected your granddaughter once you knew she was related.”
“I hope I would have done so without Mia and I being related.”
“You’re part demon, aren’t you?”
“Yes. It’s one of the reasons I couldn’t advance beyond my job as a scribe.”
“You arrived at my house with an impressive guard,” Altair said.
“Who was it?”
“Nicholai.”
“Hmmm, they wouldn’t have sent Nicholai if they didn’t suspect you of foul play. Maybe they thought we could just take the book from you if you didn’t agree to sell it to us.”
“I don’t blame them. Angelo showed up too. He was a bit undisciplined.”
“Angelo is many birds,” Orion said. “He is an excellent librarian, yet he can inspire and lead a flock into battle.”
“Sariel and he have worked together, but still my associate is concerned over Angelo’s motives regarding your granddaughter. I am too. He’s obsessed.”
“It surprised me, considering he once wrote quite an essay touting the need to return the birdman to their purest genetic line,” Orion said.
“You don’t agree.”
“I don’t. Yes, the diluted bloodline makes us weaker in stature but healthier in other ways. Our children are stronger and smarter.”
“Then you agree with genetic engineering?” Altair questioned.
“No, not like Mia, no. I just think let the young seek out mates for more than the furtherment of the population. I’ve never been happier, and I have a bossy wife.”
Altair laughed. “She is a very positive person, I’ve noticed.”
“She is,” Orion said. “Audrey’s a good mother and friend. An excellent researcher too.”
“You’re a lucky man.”
“Altair, what’s your role in Mia’s life?”
“I’m not sure. We’re friends. I owe her a big debt. She got me forgiven and my wings back. Twenty years ago, I was bemused when she came to me, a fallen, for help.”
“That’s quite a compliment. Of all the living, she trusted you most.”
“Which brings up the ghost in the room,” Altair said. “Stephen Murphy. She ran to him first. Should we be worried?”
“No,” Orion said. “Think about the Mia we would have been dealing with if not for Stephen being her knight that fateful evening when her peers were hurting her.”
“So is he the pivotal player in why Mia didn’t kill Abigor?” Altair asked.
“No. Abigor is. I’ve researched this in the dark vault. Abigor was informed by a mole in the Council of Women of what they were up to. He arrived not long after her birth to deal with his assassin.”
“What happened?”
“He left her unharmed, placed a tracker on her, and forgot all about her until he summoned her from Cambodia. I think Mia knows what happened, but she’s been closed-mouthed about it.”
“Mia has many secrets. Speaking of secrets, Fredericka Cooper had a few.”
“I’m not proud of not seeing that coming. I think, perhaps, we need to look at who screwed up Amanda Neyer too.”
“André Chaput, he’s dead. Amanda killed him and went to prison for it.”
“I guess we can subtract him from our current list. Anyone else?” Altair asked.
“There’s the ballet instructor Piers Savatier. He may still be around. I think he groomed Amanda.”
“Do you think he’s the coconspirator?”
“If he was human, he is too old. If he was something else, then we may have a candidate. What do you know about Quazar?”
“He’s a cat-faced gargoyle. He’s homegrown American. First seen on 81 Irving Place in New York City in 1929. Later, he took on the persona of a merchant of magic. I’ve dealt with him a few times. He occasionally came across books he thought the birdmen would be interested in.”
“We met at a book auction. Small world. I’m surprised you and I didn’t bump into each other a few times,” Altair said.
“They didn’t allow me in the field often,” Orion said. “Aside from his knowledge of volos, why are you interested in Quazar?”
“Prior to you receiving the candle, he was seen watching Brian Martin from the top of a building in the Magnificent Mile.”
Orion leaned forward in his chair. “That does disturb me. Quazar would know how to make a volo.”
“Or have a book on it,” Altair offered.
“There is someone closer to home,” Orion said. “Lazar Popov’s grandmother is a practitioner of crone magic. Crones developed the zyczenie candle which is basically the same thing.”
“The whole family was in Akron at a wedding when this happened.”
“Remember that I purchased the candles a week prior. When did Brian see Quazar?”
“A week and a few days before the party.”
“So we have Lazar or his grandmother and Quazar as possible suspects for the implementation of the candle,” Altair said. He drained his glass.
Orion offered more, but Altair waved it away. “I better keep a clear head. Mia should be back from speaking with Roumain. I want to get whatever information she’s gotten from him.”
“You sent her to Roumain?” Orion asked.
“Yes. I figured he was the most likely to have slowed time. The others I doubt even know who Mia is.”
“I would put him on the top of our list of coconspirators with Fredericka, and you send Mia to him.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Don’t use Mia as a dog to flush out the pheasants. Or in this case, wild boars.”
Altair raised an eyebrow. “Strong words from you, Orion.”
“I know I’m a quiet birdman normally, but all of this didn’t just hit Mia, it hit all of us. Without PEEPs taking on Mia, they wouldn’t have been in Chicago when Audrey met them. Without that, I would not have met her when I helped Angelo out with Gabor the Great. Luke would not have happened. This is all connected.”