“You’ve certainly had it rougher than most, but pull on your big girl panties and stop wallowing. You have a lot of wonderful things going on in your life too, don’t forget. You’re allowed to have a bad day, but how does it help to live every day under a raincloud?”
Cassie gave me a giant hug before standing up and heading back toward Adam, who was busy adding sugar to his coffee. I leaned back into the plush, soft leather of the oversized couch, closing my eyes for a moment while I thought about what she said.
When my eyes fluttered open, confusion swept across me. This was not where I was when I closed my eyes. How did I get into my bed? I pressed a button on my bracelet. Six hours passed since we arrived back from our last mission and it was the middle of the night. Where was everyone? And how in the world did I get here?
Tossing the covers aside, I crept down the hall and into the living room. The small TV was on, muted, and Max was asleep on the couch. The poor thing must have carried me back after I fell asleep, and now he was all tuckered out. I tiptoed back into the hall closet to fetch him a blanket. As much as I wanted him next to me as I slept tonight, I didn’t have the heart to wake him. I bent down to grab a blanket when something suddenly grabbed me.
I whirled around and didn’t hesitate to attack, throwing my elbow into the nose of my assailant, followed by a hard step down on his foot.
“Son of a—ow, Luce!”
I flipped on the light switch, taking a closer look at my assailant. I was horrified. It wasn’t a vampire or stranger attacking me. It was Max. And I had broken my boyfriend’s nose.
“Oh, babe, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know who was grabbing me. I acted on instinct.”
Max pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the flow of blood while I ran to get some ice from the freezer. “We’re in our apartment alone, who else would it be?”
“I know, I’m so sorry. What can I do to make it better?” I led him to the couch and sat on the arm next to him, gently placing the baggie of ice on his already healing nose. Blood dripped in a single steak off his chin and fell onto the sleeve of his soft, cashmere Henley shirt. I reached behind me to grab some tissues to wipe it away before more damage was done.
“It’ll heal in a moment. Don’t worry about it.” Max’s nasally voice made me stifle a giggle. Soon the bleeding stopped and in no time the swelling began to go down.
I ran my hand down his cheek, my fingers delighting in the scratchy surface from his five o’clock shadow. I cupped his face in my hands and laid a gentle kiss on his soft lips.
“There, all better,” I stated.
He pulled me off the arm of the couch and onto his lap. I snuggled into his chest as he wrapped his free arm around me. I sighed contentedly, happy to be close to him. Ever since he revealed that we were each half of the original soul, it was hard to keep us away from each other. We were rarely apart; neither of us concentrating well at whatever we were doing because we were too busy wondering about each other.
“Do you remember the first few weeks we dated?” Max whispered in my ear.
I sank down on the couch, resting my head in his lap while he stroked my hair. “Ugh! It was torture. We could only see each other a few hours a day and kept sneaking kisses between training sessions.” I smiled remembering our “honeymoon stage,” as Cassie called it.
“It was never enough.” Max leaned down to brush his lips softly against mine. “I can never get enough of you.”
My lips tingled where he touched and I fought the urge to pull him down closer to me. “You were my rock. You kept me grounded and centered when everything else was spinning out of control. I don’t know if I would have made it through that first month without you.”
Max sensed that I might cry, so he changed the subject to happier thoughts. “How many pillows do you think Adam and James threw at us every time we started making out?”
I threw my head back, laughing at the memory. “Oh, I don’t know. A hundred? At least they weren’t as annoyed as Elizabeth. She was so sick of us. I think she vomited a little in her mouth every time she saw us together.” I lifted my head and cupped my hand to his ear, whispering, “I secretly enjoyed watching her squirm for once!”
“I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it a little too,” he chuckled, then paused as if remembering something else. “Do you remember the black eye I got after I ran into the end of the bleachers because I was too busy staring at you?”
“Yes, it matched my bruises from tripping over the painted lines on the basketball court and running into trees while jogging because I was lost in thoughts of you. We were quite the ditzy duo for a while there. Thank goodness Cassie intervened and offered to switch apartments so we could have more time together. Not that she wasn’t getting something out of it too, of course.”
For weeks I physically ached to touch him again, or simply be near him. At first, I thought it was young love stuff. But it only got stronger each day, causing me to think I was being one of those needy, clingy girls I always hated in high school. He eventually told me that during those few weeks when we didn’t see each other before Jessica died, he had severe headaches every day and twice almost abandoned everything to come back to see me.
We came up with the theory that because we were each half of a whole, we were stronger united. And, consequently, weaker divided. It made the most sense. And both of us were happy to use it as a valid excuse to move in together. It’s hard to imagine that someone could be thankful that a drunk driver rammed her car, killing them in the process. But I was. Max was my world, my light, my everything. He filled my heart until I was sure it would burst from within. When we were together, my world was complete. My soul was his, and his was mine.
“So what exactly happened tonight? How did I end up in bed passed out for six hours?” I mentally replayed last night as guilt washed over me for missing a meeting (even if it was going to be long and boring). That wasn’t professional of me.
“I told you that you needed more rest. We came back with your latte, and you were fast asleep on the couch. I was going to let you sleep for a half hour or so, but when you started snoring and drooling on the leather, I knew you were done for the day and I needed to get you back to bed.”
Heat rushed to my face and I knew I must be several deep shades of red. “Oh, that is so embarrassing. Tell me no one else saw.”
“Um, let’s just say you might want to avoid the Christmas party this year. There are a few videos out there, and I may have forgotten to mention that you talk in your sleep.”
I buried my face deeper into his chest, mortified. “Do I want to know what I said?”
“No, sweetie, you don’t.” He kissed the top of my head and tilted my chin up so I could see him. “No matter what, you know that I love you, right? Nothing you could ever say or do would stop me.”
“I know. And I love you, too.”
I sat up a little straighter and decided a change in topic was needed to get my mind off of the videos floating around the different realms, probably as I sat there. “So what happened at the debriefing?”
“James agreed to postpone it until everyone got some much-needed rest. That last mission was exhausting for everyone.”
I nodded in agreement and took a closer look at Max’s injury. He’d removed the now watery baggie from his head to reveal a completely healed nose, which I promptly kissed. His arms wrapped tightened around me and I sighed. Being with him, in his arms and surrounded by his love was better than Christmas morning, Thanksgiving dinner, and Fourth of July fireworks combined. He flipped the TV off mute and we sat there enjoying each other’s company for a long while.
“Come on, let’s go to bed.” I stood up and reached out my hand, but Max scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder caveman style.
“Oh we’ll go to bed, but I don’t plan on doing much sleeping.”
Chapter Three
Sitting in the debriefing room with a fresh latte while holding Max’s hand, I thought back over the last six m
onths and how my life—or rather afterlife—changed so drastically.
“Hey,” Max leaned over and whispered to me. He lifted our entwined hands to his lips and kissed my fingers. “We got this. With Elizabeth and James calling the shots now, there’s no way we’re not going to be able to flush out the spy and stamp out all those bloodsuckers and hairy beasts.”
Cassie leaned in from my other side. “Yeah, I couldn’t be happier with our new team. I’m so glad that Lizzie and Marco agreed to petition the Council to let us actively hunt rather than only play defense. I get a rush every time I suck the soul that’s been trapped back out of them.”
“Yeah, but everyone still thinks it’s a front, and that I pulled some type of special favors to have us all working Jessica’s case.”
I hated that people thought that. I mean no one even knew what our team really did—it was all very classified. They only knew that we constantly left for missions and couldn’t take any other assignments. In the past, the role of the Patroni was always defensive, never offensive. But with the influx of vampires and werewolves stealing souls and becoming more aggressive, it was a necessary change. Both the Council for the Alpha and Omega agreed, allowing us to add two more team members, and we officially became Team Gideon, which meant “destroyer” and “mighty warrior.”
“Please,” Cassie said dismissively. “If they only knew. I mean, we’ve recovered double the souls of any other Patronus team in the South during the last few months. They’re jealous and mad they can’t be as cool as us.”
Max chuckled at Cassie. “They don’t even know what we do. How can they be jealous?”
“The same way any little kid is jealous at someone else’s birthday party. They don’t know what the wrapped up presents are, but they know they don’t get any and they’re mad. It’s simply psychology.”
Max rolled his eyes at Cassie and turned to talk to Marco, who was sitting across from him. I took another swig of my coffee and sighed.
“Girl, you’re fixin’ to be on my last nerve with all that moping. Seriously, stop looking short term. Look around you. You have a man who loves you to the moon and back—and is literally half your soul. You are surrounded by friends who care about you. Focus on the positive, sweetie.”
I leaned my head on Cassie’s shoulder. “You’re the best, you know that? And you’re completely right.”
“Of course I am.” She winked at me.
“I tend to be too pessimistic these days. Thanks for keeping me in check.”
Cassie gave me a small hug. “That’s what I’m here for.”
I needed to work harder at hiding my emotions around her. Every time I’d start to feel happy or do something fun, guilt would erupt in my stomach and sour everything. How was I supposed to laugh and joke? It didn’t seem fair to Jessica. So I searched, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to make headway. Every time I thought we got close, or even had a lead, she slipped through my fingertips. Recovering Jessica’s soul was not the team’s primary focus, but as we went on mission after mission, I secretly hoped I’d find her. But our efforts were fruitless and most of the leads were dead ends or planted. As the false leads piled up, it became clearer that we, in fact, had a mole within our realm. Someone—a spy—was sabotaging our attempts to save souls.
“Think Marco’s got any new info on the spy?” I asked, keeping my voice low. I knew the whole topic made everyone uneasy, especially Marco.
Cassie frowned. “You know Marco, if there was, I doubt he’d wait this long to tell us. Or he’d at least have a smirk on his face.” I nodded in agreement, and she continued. “Did I tell you what I did the other day? He finished making his rounds at the Commons by the coffee stand, but he didn’t see me behind the pool table. So I started thinking about him—you know, like really thinking about him. How hot his long pointed ears were, and how much I wanted to run my hands over his pale, lean body. Stuff like that. I knew he was still aimlessly listening in, so when he finally picked up on my thoughts—oh you should have seen the look on his face. Priceless! I think I laughed for three hours.”
Marco looked over at us and scowled. I bit my lip to keep from bursting out laughing but snickers still escaped. “Cassie, that’s really mean. Funny, but mean. You know how hard he’s been working for us.”
With Marco now a member of our team, he took residence on our realm, which allowed him to use his abilities to search the minds of others. He would take long walks for hours or sit in the Commons—a task that he deplored—listening to the antics of the other Patroni. It was heartbreaking that someone we trusted, someone who was supposedly loyal was in fact working against us. One of the people I ate meals with, or played pool with, or even maybe one of my neighbors was working for the enemy to steal innocent souls. And one of those souls belonged to my eleven-year-old sister.
A few days earlier, the team sat for hours in our dwelling debating the possible motives of the mole.
“I still say it’s a plant. Someone who was sent here from the start and has always been working as a spy,” Adam hypothesized. “I think a double agent is much more likely than a turncoat.”
Cassie shook her head. “No, the spy never would have made it into our ranks if they’d been against us from the start. The Alpha would have seen right through them. I’m telling you, I think whoever the mole is has been threatened or forced to spy. I don’t think they are doing it because they suddenly hate us.”
Adam scoffed. “Then why wouldn’t they tell someone and try to get help? I don’t buy it. I’m telling you, it’s classic military strategy: infiltrate enemy lines.”
“Well, if you ask me,” I interrupted before they could start a real argument. “I think it was someone who started out good, enjoying being a Patronus and protecting souls, but then something happened to make them angry. Maybe a loved one going to the Omega where they couldn’t see them, or maybe they disagreed about a decision and were sick of staying neutral?”
James stood up to get another Coke. “It doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean? Of course it matters!”
“The possibilities for their motives are endless, and trying to guess will drive you bonkers. What’s important is the who, not the why.”
We finally narrowed it down to someone who recently became a Patronus. We all highly doubted that a member who’d been guarding and protecting for centuries could be capable of such a thing. And since the influx in stolen souls hadn’t started until the last few years, odds were it was a newbie.
“We need to befriend and get to know more of the newest members—people who have been a Patronus for less than fifty years. Anytime we’re not away on a mission, do what you can to gather intel,” James ordered.
It was our best plan, but it was hard. I met a few amazing people who before all this, I would never have suspected they could be involved. Now, however, I looked at everyone with a critical eye and trusted few. Even fun-loving Cassie, who made friends everywhere she went, lost a pep in her step knowing we had a spy.
But the spy was the key to finding Jessica’s soul. Nothing would stop me from finding that person and forcing information out of him—or her—one way or another.
“Good morning, everyone,” James began as he entered the conference room and got right down to business. Due to the secrecy of our new team, we were granted access to a building I’d not seen before on the south end of the realm. It was invisible to the naked eye, instead appearing to be a shimmering wading pool. The first time I tried to find it, I ended up walking in on an elderly spirit who was stripping down to take a dip. Now that’s a mistake I’ll never make again!
People needed to have a special pass code to break the illusion of the water and be able to see the solid oak door below the surface, then a second code to unlock the door. It was all very hush-hush and made me feel like a top-secret CIA operative.
“If you’ll turn your bracelet to the secure feed I emailed you all earlier, we can get started.” Hearing his voice,
I turned my thoughts back to James. “I have the minutes from the last mission archived if anyone is interested and a fresh agenda is ready for you now.”
I resisted rolling my eyes. I couldn’t be mad at him for being so thorough at his job, but he seriously needed to unwind a bit. Hopefully after we found Jessica I could convince him to take a vacation or something.
I glanced around at the long oak table surrounded with all of the members of my team. We added two new members since Gideon was formed, and the new members were fantastic. First, we added Zander. He was only nineteen when he died from a shark attack while he was surfing off of the coast of Australia in the 80s. At just under six foot tall with lean, tan muscles and sun-bleached hair that hit the tips of his shoulders, he was the newest crush of all the girls. That accent certainly didn’t hurt either. He was a professional flirt, always saw the glass as half full, and had a wicked sense of humor. He and the other guys became good friends after he hustled them one Thursday during their weekly poker game. All the guys, even Marco, found it hard to stay mad at him, and he quickly became a regular.
The other new addition to our team was Lola. She was the epitome of a girly-girl who always wore dresses with cute Mary-Jane’s and never left the house without full hair and makeup. Not that she needed it, she was a natural beauty. Cassie smacked Adam twice to keep him from staring. Lola grew up during the 1950s and died in a car accident like me. She was 26 and never married, hoping to make it big in Hollywood as a movie star like Bette Davis or Audrey Hepburn. She might have looked delicate, but the woman was fierce. Her tenacity earned my respect when she covered my back and took a werewolf scratch across most of her torso to protect me during a fight on her very first mission. After being injured, she proceeded to punch the teeth right out of the wolf for ruining her dress. Yeah, she was a keeper!
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