Darkness & Discovery (The Bespelled Trilogy #2)

by A. L. Larsen

  “No. Besides, you already heard all of it.” I looked down at my hands, where I was once again absently tugging at the rough edge of one of my nails.

  “Ok.”

  I glanced up at Athos. “Are you tagging along to Vegas because you think you’re keeping me safe from Alastair and Joey?”

  He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, and his expression was solemn as he said, “I know you trust them, Luna. But I wish you wouldn’t.”

  “You can’t lump all vampires together, Athos. You just can’t. These two are different.”

  “I was told about Alastair’s history when I joined the Order. He may be a kinder, gentler vampire since his memories got wiped. But that’s not really who he is. He’s done truly unspeakable things in the past. Do you want me to tell you what I know?”

  “Look, when Alastair gets his memories back, I’ll hear about his past from him. And in the mean time, I really don’t want to hear a bunch of folk tales passed around by a group of zealots that wanted to destroy him.”

  He watched me for a moment before leaning back in his seat and murmuring, “Fair enough.”

  Bryn’s voice came over the loud speaker then. In an extremely nasal and exaggeratedly American accent, he said, “This is your co-pilot speaking. We’ll be taxiing to the runway momentarily. Please find your seat. This means you, Joey Adams.”

  Joey stomped into the cabin and flung himself into a chair. Then he noticed that Athos was half-dressed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, Order boy, we all see your pecs.”

  “I needed a shirt,” I told him.

  The plane began to taxi, and Bryn came back on the loud speaker, the nasal fake accent even thicker this time. “Lady and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you to Brynair Flight 1A. Please fasten your seat belts, and pay close attention to the following safety announcement. There are several emergency exits on this aircraft, but jumping out of them while the plane is in transit is not advised. An oxygen mask may drop from the ceiling. This means it’s all gone pear shaped and we’re probably going to die. In the event of a water landing, your seat cushion can be used as a floatation device. If I advise you of a water landing, this means I’m yanking your chain, because Las Vegas is in the middle of a bloody desert. We will be cruising at an altitude of well over one hundred feet at an air speed of pretty damn fast. The weather looks good and we are expecting to land in Las Vegas…eventually. Current conditions in Las Vegas are festive, with chances of inebriation at one hundred percent.”

  I grinned at the announcement, but when I glanced at Athos, he looked worried. “It’ll be fine,” I told him. “Even if Bryn can’t fly this plane properly, I’m sure he can use magic to get us there safely.”

  “You really think he’s powerful enough to stop a plane crash?”

  “Yup. He might even be competent enough not to cause one in the first place.”

  Take-off from SFO was remarkably smooth. And when the plane had been in the air for about twenty minutes, Bryn came strolling into the cabin. “Can I offer anyone a beverage? Magazine? Nuts?”

  “Oh, you’re definitely nuts,” Joey said. “Did you seriously just leave a person who’s afraid of flying alone in the cockpit to fly the plane?”

  “I did. I even blindfolded him. Soon as I did that, he started acting on instinct and then it all clicked into place for him. Allie’s a brilliant pilot, he’s been flying almost as long as there have been planes.” Bryn looked very pleased with himself, and Joey jumped up and rushed into the cockpit to check on Alastair.

  Joey was back two minutes later. “He’s doing fine. He took the blindfold off so he could read the gauges.” He took his seat and picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated, but instead of reading it, he glared at Athos over the top of it.

  I got up and went to the cockpit, where I found Alastair perfectly tranquil behind the controls. He pulled the headphones off and hung them around his neck when he saw me and smiled as he said, “Turns out I can fly a plane.”

  “It’s bizarre that you can do this without your memory,” I said as I gingerly slipped into the co-pilot’s chair, being careful not to touch anything.

  “It’s just like Bryn said, I can do it if I don’t really think about it. I must have flown a lot, because it really is second nature to me.”

  I looked out the windshield at the black and misty night. It made me shiver a little, and I pulled my feet up onto the chair and wrapped my arms around myself.

  Seeing this, Alastair said, “You really don’t like flying either, do you?”

  “I don’t mind flying. It’s the crashing I could do without,” I said with a half-smile. “This is only the second time I’ve flown. The first was when Joey, Augustine and I went to L.A. to rescue you. Bryn chartered this same type of plane then, too. Only, that time he let the pilot stay.”

  Joey appeared in the doorway after a few minutes and handed me a navy blue v-neck sweater. “The pilot left this behind. If you want to, you could change into it. Then you could give Studly McSteroid his shirt back.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “And you know, I’m pretty sure half-angels don’t need steroids.” I unknotted the t-shirt and took it off while both guys looked away to give me privacy, and pulled on the sweater.

  “Whatever,” Joey said. “He’s a total nug, and the sooner we ditch him the better.”

  “I like him,” I said. “I really think he’s a good guy. You should trust my judgment on this.”

  “Uh, no. You somehow even tolerate Augustine. Your judgment is clearly questionable.”

  I ignored that and asked, “How’s Bryn doing? He seems to have perked up quite a bit.”

  “He’s using this trip to distract himself,” Joey said, “but I know he’s still really upset. Philippe meant the world to him. Although I kind of think….”

  “What?”

  “Well, never tell Bryn I said this, but I kind of think it’s not the worst thing in the world that those two broke up.”

  “What are you talking about? They were in love!”

  “I’m just saying.” Joey lowered his voice and said, “Philippe wasn’t the most attentive boyfriend. He’d take off for weeks, sometimes months at a time and leave Bryn all alone. Then he’d breeze back into town for a week or two, and Bryn would be so happy. But before you knew it, off he’d go again.”

  “Well, but still.”

  “That’s not all,” Joey said. “I always thought…well, this is a terrible thing to say, but it seemed like Philippe was into Bryn’s money a little too much. He certainly enjoyed jetting around the world and spending it by the bucket load. I mean, I’m sure he loved Bryn, and I know he was fascinated by his magical abilities. Just…well, not enough to ever stick around for very long. Bryn would probably literally kill me if he heard me badmouthing his ex, but I just always thought he deserved better.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “But when I saw them together, there was so much tenderness, so much love between them. And besides, it couldn’t have been for the money, because Philippe was obviously wealthy. I saw his family’s estate in France.”

  “Bought for them by Bryn,” Joey said. “Look, like I said, there was love there. I just didn’t like the fact that he neglected Bryn.”

  “You heard why Philippe left, didn’t you?” I asked Joey.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why would he react like that? I mean, I get that he felt betrayed, but what he saw wasn’t even real. Why was a remembered kiss enough to send him running?”

  Joey sighed and said, “Because of who Bryn was remembering. Philippe always felt threatened by Augustine. Bryn and Gus go way, way back. I’ve never heard the whole story, but I know they were deeply involved at some point. And clearly, there’s still some sort of bond between the two of them.”

  “Which is why Augustine’s been taking care of Bryn these past few days,” I said. “And I still think he should have come along, by the way. I think Bryn might go a bit crazy when we get to Vegas, and
Augustine could have looked out for him.”

  Joey knit his brows and said, “Gus knew he wasn’t welcome.”

  “Not by you, maybe.”

  “Seriously Lu, you’ve got to stop seeing Augustine just from the exterior. Sure, he looks really innocent, and he’s acting like a saint these days. But don’t lose sight of who he really is, or what he’s done.”

  “I didn’t mean I wanted him along. I meant Bryn probably did.” I looked out the windshield for a few moments, but the view of hurtling through a black void was kind of freaking me out. So I turned back toward Joey and asked, “What’s Bryn doing right now, anyway?”

  “When I came up here, he was engrossed in conversation with Captain Crunches.”

  “Huh?”

  “You know. Captain Crunches? Because he obviously does tons of sit-ups?” I rolled my eyes, and Joey grinned and said, “My sense of humor is wasted on you.”

  “Anyway,” I said, “what are they talking about?”

  Joey shrugged. “They were speaking French, so I have no clue. Bryn seems to find him really interesting for some reason, and not just because he’s a buff guy with his shirt off.”

  “He called Athos a reader. He seemed surprised. Do you know what that means?”

  “Bryn was obviously surprised that someone that dumb looking knew how to read,” Joey said with a smile. I sighed dramatically, and he added, “Joking. A reader is someone who has an unusual sense of and relationship to time. It’s kinda hard to explain. But like, a reader can look at you and tell you exactly how old you are, to the minute. They can read histories in objects too, apparently. And I’ve actually heard they can manipulate time. Nothing major, just a few seconds forward or back. I have to wonder about that one, though. Seems kinda out there.”

  “Bryn was surprised to find that in a nephilim. He seemed to think it was pretty unusual,” I said. As Joey and I were talking, I glanced at Alastair. He had the headphones on again and was calm and focused, maybe more so than I’d ever seen him, monitoring the incredibly complex control panels and occasionally making minute adjustments to some of the gauges. He was in his element somehow.

  “Is it? I didn’t know that,” Joey said.

  “It’s beyond unusual. It should actually be impossible,” Bryn said from somewhere behind us. I turned my head to watch him as he leaned against the door to the cockpit, some sort of strong emotion churning in his dark eyes. “Just like it should have been impossible for Alastair to survive the vampire transformation,” he added.

  “Bryn, is something wrong?” I asked.

  “I was just talking to Athos. I was curious about his lineage, especially his nonhuman one. Turns out the angel that impregnated Athos’ human mother is one I’ve heard of. His name is Deverroth.” Bryn’s expression was unreadable.

  “Is that bad?” I asked.

  “Not necessarily.”

  The conversation caught Alastair’s attention, and he pulled off the headphones and turned toward Bryn as he asked, “So, where have you heard that name before?”

  “From you, actually,” Bryn told him.

  “Do I know Deverroth?”

  “You’ve met him a couple times,” Bryn said, frowning slightly.

  “And?” Alastair asked. “Why is this relevant?”

  “It’s relevant, Allie,” Bryn said, “because Deverroth is your father.”

  Chapter Ten

  It was a good thing the plane was on autopilot, because otherwise it probably would have plunged out of the sky as Alastair leapt up and exclaimed, “So that means – ”

  “That Athos is your half-brother,” Bryn finished for him.

  Alastair looked absolutely stunned for a long moment. And then he muttered, “Brilliant.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I already have a half-sister that tried to kill me, and now I have a half-brother who also wants me dead. My family reunions must be delightful.”

  I asked, “Did Athos know about this connection?”

  “He didn’t. And to say he’s flabbergasted is putting it mildly,” Bryn said.

  “You told him?” Alastair asked.

  “Yeah, I kind of blurted it out when he told me his father’s name,” Bryn admitted. “I was as shocked as you were.”

  Alastair pressed his eyes shut for a long moment before sitting back down in the pilot’s seat. He sighed and put the headphones back on, and knit his brows as he tried to concentrate on the controls.

  “You know, this explains a few things,” Bryn was saying. “I’d always wondered how Alastair managed to survive the vampire transformation. And now that I know he has a half-brother with special abilities, it’s clear to me that their father, Deverroth, is somehow an anomaly. He himself must possess some unusual gifts, and has passed some of them on to his offspring.”

  I was watching Alastair closely, and got up from the co-pilot’s chair and told Bryn, “Sit here, ok?” It was obvious that Alastair was distracted after that bombshell.

  I went back into the main cabin, where Athos was staring out the window, arms wrapped around his bare torso. “Here’s your t-shirt,” I said, sitting down beside him. “Thanks for loaning it to me.”

  “You’re welcome.” He pulled on the shirt and turned to look at me, his pale blue eyes troubled.

  “So. Small world, huh? I mean, what are the chances you and Alastair would end up being related?”

  “Depends on how you look at it. Your boyfriend is – or was – nephilim. All of us can trace our lineage back to just a few angels that came to earth and had children with humans. So, it’s not quite as improbable as, say, two random humans discovering they had the same parent.” Athos looked out the window again.

  “Are you ok?” I asked. “You seem upset.”

  He said quietly, still facing the dark window, “It’s been decades since the last of my family died. I still miss them. I had such loving parents. It was painfully obvious that I didn’t belong to my human father. I was a foot taller than him and my brothers, and then I had these pale eyes when all of theirs were dark. But he forgave my mother for her infidelity and raised me as his own. And my brothers – it was apt that we were named for the three musketeers. We were inseparable, the best of friends.”

  Athos turned toward me and said, “After they died, I searched in vain for any family I might have left, no matter how far removed. But I came up empty. I was alone for almost ninety years, and that contributed to my decision to join the Order. In part, I joined because I believed in the cause of fighting vampires. But beyond that, I just really wanted to belong to something again. I wanted to be part of a family.”

  “So normally,” I said, “you’d have been thrilled to find a living relative. But finding out your long lost half-brother is a vampire, especially that vampire, isn’t exactly your idea of a good time.”

  “About sums it up.”

  Landing in Las Vegas was incredibly smooth. It was too smooth. I suspected a bit of magic was involved in order for Bryn and Alastair to land the plane that perfectly. A bit more magic was involved when we pulled up to the terminal and the ground crew wanted to know what had happened to the pilots and flight attendants. Nothing a little spell couldn’t handle.

  We grabbed our luggage and started to walk toward the line of taxis at the front of the airport, but Athos hung back. I went up to him and said, “I know you’re about to tell me you don’t think you should come with us, but I’m too tired to argue right now. So let’s just cut to the part where I win the argument, and come to the hotel with us and get some sleep.”

  “It’s not a good idea.”

  “No, see, that’s the part we’re skipping, the part where we debate this. You have no place to go. Do you even have any money or credit cards on you?”

  “Well…no.”

  I took hold of the sleeve of Athos’ leather jacket and pulled him toward the taxis. He sighed and went along reluctantly.

  Bryn had checked us in to a pair of adjoining suites at the Bellagio. Each was elegant and
luxurious, though the dark wood and marble floors and flashy artwork paled beside the sparkling view beyond the huge windows. I looked out over the Strip, glittering like a million brightly colored gems strewn against a black velvet background of empty desert. And then I stepped back quickly, startled when several jets of water shot past the window. I leaned forward and looked down, and realized the huge fountains out in front of the hotel actually reached the top floors of the building at times, during their famous choreographed routine. But the fountains shouldn’t have been running this time of night, and I looked over my shoulder at Bryn, who winked and grinned before heading into another room.

  Each suite was over two thousand square feet, so there was more than enough room for Athos to stay with us. In fact, we could have picked up a dozen more former assassins on the way to the hotel, and all would have fit comfortably. I guided him to the bedroom beside Bryn’s. Joey and Alastair were in the other suite, as far away as I could manage from Athos. You know, just in case they got up before I did and decided to fight to the death or something. He stood in the center of the large bedroom and said, “I shouldn’t be here, Luna. I’m not wanted.”

  Bryn stuck his head in the door and said, “Luna wants you here, and so do I. And since I’m the one funding this little expedition, you’re my guest and welcome to stay as long as you like. Now don’t argue. We all need some rest.” The warlock looked exhausted.

  Athos hesitated for a moment, and finally said, “Thank you, Bryn.”

  “Come tuck me in, Lu,” Bryn said. “And I’ll see you in a few hours, Athos. Sleep well.” He headed down the hall.

  “Good night, Athos,” I said. “Or good morning, or whatever it actually is right now.”

  I’d been slowly adapting to a nocturnal lifestyle since getting involved with a vampire, but was beyond tired now. Still, I dragged myself to Bryn’s room, where I found him sprawled out face down and fully clothed across his big, fluffy bed. He rolled onto his side and smiled at me when I came in, and I perched on the edge of the mattress.

  Though Bryn was over three hundred years old, he had bespelled himself to stop aging when he was nineteen. Every once in a while though, his dark eyes seemed to reflect his real age – like now. I gently brushed his hair off his forehead and asked, “You doing ok, Bryn?”