A Touch Menacing

by Leah Clifford

  He trailed off as their faces changed.

  “Cured?” one said, wearing a look of condemnation.

  Dropping his head, he wanted to give them an image of Madeline helping him when he’d been Fallen, of Eden and how much her friendship meant to him. Kristen, and the bond they shared. But the other Bound wouldn’t look beyond the unnaturalness of the Siders. “Make them mortal again,” he said quietly. “So that there’s no reason to kill them.”

  Slowly over the years, he’d learned the Siders spread Touch, which made the mortals become either manic or depressive. Touch was addictive and ate away at the path of a mortal each time it was passed until there was nothing left. “Their bodies act as if they’re still alive. Without a path, they can’t move forward. I think the Touch is the key. We need to figure out what it is and then . . .”

  Raphael walked to stand beside Michael, clearly disappointed. “These are not things you should be investigating, Gabriel. Our only task is to eliminate the threat.”

  “But—” Gabe started, and Michael slammed an open palm against the table.

  “Gabriel, this ceases immediately.” Michael suddenly appeared next to him, catching him in an embrace. “Do you not realize how we fear for you? You Fell for these creatures. No Bound has ever come back from that, save you. And yet you seem so eager to dispose of this glorious turn.” Michael kissed his cheek softly.

  Having Michael this close triggered memories of why he’d left Michael decades ago.

  It’d been slow and subtle, the way Michael had isolated him from the others. First, simply extra assignments around the mortals. Then the official position as Messenger. As one of the only Bound allowed to travel back and forth between the realms, Gabriel had been lonely, ached for Michael and the moments they were able to steal together. He’d met Az when Az was a Watcher, one of the Grigori. They’d both been on assignment. It’d been so nice to have a friend, someone to team up with and pass the time. When some of the angels—Az included—had started mixing with the mortals, Gabriel had turned a blind eye, even though it was forbidden.

  But Michael hadn’t. He’d accosted Gabriel for letting it go on and made sure Az’s indiscretions came into light. When he’d made an example of Az, Michael had finally lost Gabriel once and for all.

  Now Gabe felt Michael tense. Had he picked up a bitter thought Gabriel hadn’t meant to send out? “If you cannot bear the strain, you can tender a resignation as Messenger.”

  “No!” If he was kept Upstairs, Gabe wouldn’t have a chance at helping the Siders. They’d be slaughtered. “I’m strong in my beliefs,” he said. “I can do what needs to be done.”

  “Prove it,” Raphael said, standing up. “We know you have the location of the death breather. Why have you not ended her? Her destruction would benefit many.”

  “I will go, but it’s possible she and her crew have already gone into hiding.” Gabe bit the inside of his cheek.

  Michael sent a thought screaming through his mind. You’re in such danger, Gabriel. You must satisfy them with a Sider.

  “I . . .”

  Give them what they want! Michael insisted.

  Gabe racked his brain, frantic. He had to give them something. “There’s a coffee shop,” he said, shame burning through him even as the words blurted out. He couldn’t stop. “She goes there sometimes. It’d be a good place to check.” And then, casual enough to sound like an afterthought, he added, “A Sider works behind the counter. He’s high-ranking and might have information.”

  But Gabe hoped Zach wouldn’t. And that Zach would forgive him.

  CHAPTER 5

  Madeline squeezed her ungloved hands, trying to coax warmth into her fingers. This close to Christmas, the sidewalks were thick with mortals grabbing gifts for friends and family. The best of her Queens crew were out in pairs, making friends with perfect candidates for new Siders—guys built strong for fighting, girls lithe and clever—and then luring them back home.

  Once Gabe had told her what he’d learned, that creating a Sider was as easy as super-loading the mortals with enough Touch to erode their paths, she’d gotten to work. Only survival mattered. She wasn’t about to face the Bound without the biggest army she could muster.

  The war was coming.

  Of course, Gabe knew nothing of what she’d set out to do. I helped him, she reminded herself. In truth, she’d risked more than she should have to help Gabe when he’d Fallen. Kept him from committing the worst of sins, aided him when he’d spied Downstairs. Using what he told me isn’t wrong. It’s payment.

  Honestly, only time would tell how flawlessly her plan came together, if making Siders actually worked. So far, none of the few mortals they had captured seemed close to going suicidal. Time ran shorter than her patience.

  A dark thought needled its way in, not for the first time. A way to speed things up. Before she could pursue it, an arm curled around her waist, a voice smooth as honey in her ear. “Now where are you rushing off to?”

  Her heart skipped a beat, but her feet didn’t falter. She called up a well-practiced smile as she turned. “Hello, Gorgeous.”

  “Only as gorgeous as the company I keep.” Luke’s arm lifted from her hip. “Goddamn, I must be stunning just now,” he said, and gave his disarming grin. “What have you been up to?”

  She shrugged, the initial nerves Luke always brought out slowly calming. “Oh, the usual. Waiting for the so-called good guys to wipe out me and everyone I know. Bringing about the apocalypse. Shopping.”

  “Nice to see we have our priorities straight, at least. Shouldn’t you be storing Touch?” Without warning, he brushed his hand down her arm and into her pocket, then pulled out her bare hand and held it up. Luke’s friendly farce disappeared, his eyes piercing, black as pitch. “You really should have gloves on, Madeline. You’ll catch your death.”

  She laughed. Any other reaction would be a dead giveaway that something was up. Siders couldn’t get sick, not from mortal diseases, and her death had come years ago when she’d become one. She watched for traffic before crossing the street, not bothering to check to see if Luke’s eyes had lightened, if the danger had passed. Innocent people didn’t check to see if they were being believed. He fell into step beside her.

  Madeline stopped them at the window display of a jewelry store, concentrating on slowing her heart under the guise of admiring a pair of emerald earrings. Keep him talking. “So, my wicked arm candy,” she said, putting her arm through his casually. “Were you just lonely? Out and about?”

  Luke chuckled. “Not exactly.” He held a finger to the glass, pointing. His shadow darkened the pair of beautiful green stones. He tapped the window once. “I need a favor. I’d be truly grateful.”

  Suddenly skittish, she realized what he was implying; the jewels were a payment. Luke didn’t ask for help. She gave her head the slightest shake, the idea refusing to settle. “I don’t understand.”

  He sighed. Fake, she thought instantly. Practiced. He’s acting. Madeline took an unconscious step back, but he reached for her. “Now, now. None of that,” he growled as he yanked her in front of him, against his chest. He leaned his chin on her shoulder. “Didn’t Gabriel tell you the Bound are gearing up for an extermination of the Siders?” he asked.

  She swallowed hard. Her days as a double agent had apparently come to an end. “Yes. A few days ago.”

  “So you know Upstairs has openly declared war and you’re shopping?” Luke demanded as he loosened his grip.

  Madeline smirked. “I’m multitasking. Give me some credit.”

  “Right now, all credit’s going to Kristen. I’ve been told she’s organizing the Siders. That she’s having a ball. Bringing the territories together.”

  “Yes,” she answered carefully, surprised that he knew. She and Kristen had decided having one big group meeting would be the best way to earn the other Siders’ trust. Everyone who attended would be on the same page, everything out in the open. Of course, Kristen had immediately wanted to m
ake it into one of her gothic eyesores. Though, even Madeline had to admit, there would be a better turnout for a ball than a strategy meeting.

  “Will Gabriel be there?”

  “Of course not,” Madeline said. It was a Sider event, Sider business. At least that’s what Kristen’s excuse had been. Madeline herself didn’t trust him, now that he was Bound again. So who told you, Luke? she wondered. Kristen? When Gabriel had Fallen and Kristen had gone missing, Luke had been scarce. Madeline knew they’d been together. The very night Gabe became Bound again, though, Kristen had come out of hiding, sane and in control of herself. Despite her best efforts, Madeline hadn’t learned what game Kristen had been playing with Luke, where her loyalties truly lay.

  “My favor . . .” Luke drawled, making her muscles clench. Relax, she commanded herself. The key to dealing with the Fallen was to stay calm. Never run when they see you as prey. Never show fear if it could be helped. “Convince Kristen to make it a masked ball. I’m attending, but I don’t want to cause a stir. Quite the opposite, actually. I want no attention drawn to us.”

  In the reflection off the window, she couldn’t make out Luke’s face. A slow nausea started in her stomach. “Us?”

  “I’m bringing along friends from Downstairs.”

  Her jaw dropped in disbelief. Spying for Luke, giving him information, was one thing. Sneaking him in crossed a line she would have trouble justifying even to herself, let alone Kristen. What he asked was impossible, not to mention ludicrous. The Fallen. Demons. Luke wanted to bring them to the ball.

  “Why?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  “Multitasking,” he shot back. “Kristen broke a promise to me. I need to collect.”

  Madeline cocked her head, studying his reflection, the strange challenge in his tone. What on Earth did Kristen get herself into with you? “I need her, Luke. Kristen and I are the strongest. Together, we can lead the Siders against the Bound. If you want me to pass along a message to her, I will, but I can’t do what you’re asking. Even you alone . . . It’s not right. If you’re going to hurt her . . .” The arm around her waist cinched tight. She swallowed her gasp of pain. Gabe had told her tales of Luke’s wrath, what he was capable of when denied. She couldn’t set Kristen up to be a victim. Even if it meant facing his anger herself. “Luke, I can’t—”

  “Shhh,” he whispered in her ear. She heard amusement in his tone. “You’re overreacting. Kristen will not be harmed at the ball. You have my word. I just need you to ease our entry.”

  Knowing he never bothered with outright lies did nothing to quell her unease. She shook her head. “Crash it if you have to. I can’t stop you. I want no part in whatever you’re plotting.”

  “That is disappointing.” He released her. She winced away, but he only opened the door to the jewelry store. Holding it ajar, he gave her an expectant look. When she didn’t move, he rested his hand on the small of her back. “Give me a chance to change your mind.”

  The slight pressure of his fingers pushed her through the door, across the store, and to the counter.

  “Can I trouble you?”

  The salesgirl glanced up at Luke’s voice, then did a double take. She rushed toward them, practically tripping over herself. “Is there something I can get for you and your . . .” Her gaze flitted over Madeline, then slipped to Luke’s arm around her. “Sister?”

  Madeline snorted. The girl blushed fiercely. When Luke wasn’t busy with devilish plots, he channeled his charisma and swoon worthy vocal skills into fronting his band. A band this girl clearly knew.

  “There’s a beautiful display of emeralds in your window there,” Luke said, pointing with his free hand. “If you’d be so kind as to bring the earrings?”

  As soon as the girl scurried off to retrieve them, Luke leaned in close to Madeline. “The Bound see the Siders as pathless, uncontrollable. Not only out of Upstairs influence, but through Touch, able to loosen any hold the Bound have on mortal souls. You’re their worst fear come to pass. To the Fallen, though, that chaos is very attractive. And every day, there are more Siders.” He leaned an elbow against the glass counter. “Can you imagine a world comprised only of the Pathless? Immortal and gone wild with no fear of punishment? To me, it sounds delightful.”

  When the salesclerk returned, he held out his hand for the earrings before waving the disappointed girl away. “You’re smart, Madeline. More clever than you let the others see. You must know the Siders can’t face the Bound on their own. At this ball, not only will the Siders be together, they’ll be willing to listen. I’ll have a chance to explain that the Fallen are not to be feared by your kind. Our goal is the same. The Siders’ survival. A new world.” His grin widened. “A devil’s playground.”

  “And all your protection will cost us is Kristen?” she snapped sarcastically.

  Instead of arguing, he went for her hand, gently working open her fingers. “Kristen will come to no harm,” he repeated. “I just need her in a position of surprise. If she’s given time to, she’ll argue.” He dropped the emerald studs into Madeline’s palm. After a moment, he raised an eyebrow and gestured to her ear. “Let’s see how they look.”

  Madeline fingered the emeralds. Finally, she put them on. “Well?”

  Luke took her chin in his fingers, tipping her head first one way, then the other. “They were meant for you,” he said as he handed over a card to pay.

  “If it goes bad, I can’t have this traced back to me,” she said quietly as she stared into the mirror on the counter. “Despite your bribery.”

  “Merely a gift,” Luke said as she regarded him in the reflection. “To remind you how kind I can be to my friends.”

  She tapped a finger against the counter, not missing his threat. If she turned him down, chances were he’d approach the other leaders. She’d be left alone against both the Bound and the Fallen. Or worse.

  “I get Kristen to have a masked ball,” she said. “That’s it?”

  He nodded.

  She tried to picture the world he no doubt imagined, damned and out of control. A world built for Luke and his kind. One that could save herself and her friends.

  She rotated a fraction and the emeralds caught the light. Their sparkle was brilliant. “I think I can do that.”

  At her words, Luke’s snapped his fingers to bring the attendant back. “I’ve changed my mind,” he told her apologetically. “Bring her the necklace, too.”

  Madeline turned to him in surprise.

  A corner of his mouth cocked up. “My clever friend needs something around her neck to remind her of me while I’m away.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Madeline squeezed her ungloved hands, trying to coax warmth into her fingers. This close to Christmas, the sidewalks were thick with mortals grabbing gifts for friends and family. The best of her Queens crew were out in pairs, making friends with perfect candidates for new Siders—guys built strong for fighting, girls lithe and clever—and then luring them back home.

  Once Gabe had told her what he’d learned, that creating a Sider was as easy as super-loading the mortals with enough Touch to erode their paths, she’d gotten to work. Only survival mattered. She wasn’t about to face the Bound without the biggest army she could muster.

  The war was coming.

  Of course, Gabe knew nothing of what she’d set out to do. I helped him, she reminded herself. In truth, she’d risked more than she should have to help Gabe when he’d Fallen. Kept him from committing the worst of sins, aided him when he’d spied Downstairs. Using what he told me isn’t wrong. It’s payment.

  Honestly, only time would tell how flawlessly her plan came together, if making Siders actually worked. So far, none of the few mortals they had captured seemed close to going suicidal. Time ran shorter than her patience.

  A dark thought needled its way in, not for the first time. A way to speed things up. Before she could pursue it, an arm curled around her waist, a voice smooth as honey in her ear. “Now where are you rushing of
f to?”

  Her heart skipped a beat, but her feet didn’t falter. She called up a well-practiced smile as she turned. “Hello, Gorgeous.”

  “Only as gorgeous as the company I keep.” Luke’s arm lifted from her hip. “Goddamn, I must be stunning just now,” he said, and gave his disarming grin. “What have you been up to?”

  She shrugged, the initial nerves Luke always brought out slowly calming. “Oh, the usual. Waiting for the so-called good guys to wipe out me and everyone I know. Bringing about the apocalypse. Shopping.”

  “Nice to see we have our priorities straight, at least. Shouldn’t you be storing Touch?” Without warning, he brushed his hand down her arm and into her pocket, then pulled out her bare hand and held it up. Luke’s friendly farce disappeared, his eyes piercing, black as pitch. “You really should have gloves on, Madeline. You’ll catch your death.”

  She laughed. Any other reaction would be a dead giveaway that something was up. Siders couldn’t get sick, not from mortal diseases, and her death had come years ago when she’d become one. She watched for traffic before crossing the street, not bothering to check to see if Luke’s eyes had lightened, if the danger had passed. Innocent people didn’t check to see if they were being believed. He fell into step beside her.

  Madeline stopped them at the window display of a jewelry store, concentrating on slowing her heart under the guise of admiring a pair of emerald earrings. Keep him talking. “So, my wicked arm candy,” she said, putting her arm through his casually. “Were you just lonely? Out and about?”

  Luke chuckled. “Not exactly.” He held a finger to the glass, pointing. His shadow darkened the pair of beautiful green stones. He tapped the window once. “I need a favor. I’d be truly grateful.”

  Suddenly skittish, she realized what he was implying; the jewels were a payment. Luke didn’t ask for help. She gave her head the slightest shake, the idea refusing to settle. “I don’t understand.”