“Camael was going to help with the milking,” Asaf said. “And Vel was going to help Ishtahar with the day’s baking.”
Gabriel started to laugh. “You three have fit in really well.”
“They’re good people.” Asaf was silent for a moment. “We’ve learned a lot here, sir. I think we understand how people can be happy even if they don’t have much.”
Gabriel nodded approvingly. “Good. I’m well glad to hear that.”
In the village, Gabriel saw Camael walking toward them. He smiled as the angel drew closer and chuckled as he saw the dirt on Camael’s hands. “Busy day, then?”
“Yes, sir,” Camael said. “The cows really needed to be milked. One of them is pregnant, too.”
“A birth is a good omen,” Gabriel said.
They walked up to the house that Ishtahar shared with her sons when she was visiting, and Vel opened the door as they approached.
“I saw you coming,” he said. “Come on in.”
“Thanks.” Gabriel led the way indoors and followed Vel to the rear of the house which was given over to the kitchen. There were several loaves of bread cooling on the windowsill, and Ishtahar was busily pulling out a bread pan from the oven.
“Ish,” Gabriel said, smiling fondly as she set the pan on the sideboard and closed the oven door. “It’s good to see you.”
She moved to him, and he hugged her and kissed the top of her head.
“I am glad to see you, Gabriel,” Ishtahar said. “My sons are not here at present. They have gone to the city, and I do not expect them back for some days yet.”
“That’s all right. I’m here for these three.” Gabriel nodded at the angels who stood by the door. “Remi asked me to tell you he’ll be along tonight.”
“I am glad. I miss him,” Ishtahar said.
“Is everything all right here? Do you need anything?”
Ishtahar shook her head. “No, we are all well. And you, Gabriel, are you and Michael all right?”
“Aye.” Gabriel let her go and stepped back. “I can see you’ve done wonders with my angels, Ish.”
She laughed as the three shuffled their feet and looked at the floor. “We had some discussions, I cannot lie. But I feel that we have all learned much and moved beyond prejudice and pain to come to understand each other better.”
“I’m pleased to hear that.” Gabriel looked at the three angels. “You need to change into your armor,” he said.
“Yes, sir.” Camael chuckled a little ruefully. “Though I find that I will miss wearing such simple clothes.” He gestured at his jeans and checkered shirt. “It is extremely comfortable attire.”
“Well, you can wear ’em again on R and R,” Gabriel said.
“Perhaps… perhaps we could come back here for R and R?” Vel asked, looking at Ishtahar.
She moved to them and embraced them one by one. “I would be delighted to have you visit for however long you wish or however long you are on leave.”
Gabriel clapped his hands once, pleased. “Get changed, lads. I’ll meet you outside.”
They bowed to him and left the kitchen. Once they were gone, Gabriel turned to Ishtahar. “I can’t thank you enough, Ish. I honestly didn’t think they’d make much headway with their understanding of humanity and individuality, but they seem to be remarkably changed for the better.”
“It was tense for a day or so,” Ishtahar said. “They were stern faced, and the Nephilim were frightened. The breakthrough came when Ahijah invited them to go fishing with him. I confess I do not understand what it is about sitting in a leaky boat in the middle of a lake that is so enticing, but when they returned, with perhaps four fish apiece, they were the best of friends.”
“Fishing’s a very philosophical thing,” Gabriel said. Then he laughed. “Michael doesn’t understand the appeal, either.”
“Gabriel, tell me true, has there been any progress made on the Grail situation?” Ishtahar’s large, blue eyes were full of worry.
“Some,” Gabriel said, “but not enough to my mind.”
“I had feared as much. I will pray doubly hard tonight for a positive end,” Ishtahar said.
“I appreciate that, Ish. I reckon we can use all the prayers for our success,” Gabriel said.
Camael, Asaf, and Vel returned, clean and dressed in their armor, their swords belted at their waists.
“I’d love to stay longer, but we have to go,” Gabriel said.
Ishtahar stepped close, standing on her toes to reach his cheek. She kissed him there, and he gave her a quick hug. “Be careful,” Ishtahar said. “I worry for you all. Please be safe.”
“We’ll do what we can, aye,” Gabriel said.
Asaf went to Ishtahar and hugged her. “Thank you,” he said. “For everything.”
She kissed his cheek. “You are always welcome here, dear Asaf. As are you, dear Vel and dear Camael.” When Asaf released her, she went to the other two angels and kissed their cheeks as they hugged her in farewell.
“Tell the boys that Mike and I will be along in a few days,” Gabriel said. “Hiwa’s got contacts that we might need.”
Ishtahar nodded. “I will let them know. Farewell for now.”
“Bye, Ish,” Gabriel said. He turned to the angels. “We go to Yerevan,” he ordered.
They saluted him and chorused, “Yes, sir!”
Gabriel smiled to himself as he teleported back to the city and his beloved Michael, the three angels a heartbeat behind him. He was very pleased that their sojourn in the home of Ahijah’s Nephilim had had such a positive effect on them.
Michael was waiting for him on the roof.
“All right, you three,” Gabriel said to the angels, “go downstairs and Haniel, Tzadkiel, and Metatron will brief you.”
They saluted and filed toward the service door that led to the stairs. Gabriel watched them go.
“How was Ishtahar?” Michael asked.
“Good. And she and the boys have done amazing things with those three. They’re like changed angels.”
“For the better, one hopes,” Michael said.
“Oh aye, much better,” Gabriel said and pulled Michael into his arms and kissed him. “Mm. Now this was worth waiting for.”
“What is worth waiting for?”
“You. Kissing you. Holding you.”
“You are very sweet, da bao.”
Gabriel deepened the kiss and slid his hands up Michael’s back to rub the sensitive spots on his wing joints.
“What are you doing, Gabriel?” Michael’s mental voice was breathy.
“Touching you. That okay?”
“I see. Yes, that is fine.”
Gabriel grinned into the kiss, gave Michael’s wing joints one final rub, and then pulled out of his lover’s embrace. “I guess we don’t have time for more, though.”
“Not right now, no.” Michael reached up to touch Gabriel’s cheek, and Gabriel leaned into it. “We have much yet to do and little time for privacy.”
“Shame. It’s been a wee while,” Gabriel said.
“It has been a few days,” Michael said, smiling gently. “It has not been that long. You can endure.”
“Aye, I can, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I want to.” Gabriel looped his arms loosely around Michael’s waist. “I like being close to you, solnyshko. And the closest I can be to you is when we’re having sex.”
Michael blushed. “I suppose that is true. There are certainly no boundaries between us during that time.”
“When we have sex,” Gabriel said.
“Yes, at that time,” Michael said.
Gabriel started to laugh. “Is saying the word sex so very hard for you, Mishka?”
“It is not proper to say it in a public place,” Michael said primly, although he was still blushing.
“I love you,” Gabriel said. “You’re adorable.”
“I love you also, and I am not adorable,” Michael said and gently pulled away and out of Gabriel’s arms. “Come, da bao,
we must go downstairs and begin the meeting. Even though Raziel and Uriel and the others have not yet returned, we still have much that we must discuss.”
Gabriel took Michael’s hand in his owns. “Aye. I reckon this meeting’s going to be pretty damn explosive, actually.”
“What do you mean?” Michael asked.
“Loud,” Gabriel said. “Everyone’ll be shouting and there’ll be swearing and probably some name calling and insults flying around.”
“Oh.” Michael pursed his lips. “Yes, that is a very good possibility. I fear that there will be much talk and little resolution.”
“Like you said, we can’t do anything until Raz gets back.”
Michael sighed. “I pray that will happen soon. We need him and Uriel, and we need Shateiel and Agrat and my Venatores.”
“Aye,” Gabriel agreed. “In the interim, gathering intelligence and making sure nothing bad happens is about all we can do, but that’s still damn important work.”
“Language. And yes, you are right, it is.” Michael started walking toward the service door. “Let us go below.”
“I’m surprised that Ondrass didn’t insist we convene in his hotel suite again,” Gabriel said.
“He did. We are meeting here first and then going there.”
“Ah. So we’re ’porting the Venatores and shifters, then?”
“Yes,” Michael said. “In any case, apart from Lyudmila, Piotr, Eleanora and Liam, Declan, Baxter, and Riley, we do not have to move many.”
“True,” Gabriel said. They reached the door, and he opened it, giving Michael a florid bow. “After you, solnyshko.”
“Thank you, Gabriel, you are very kind.” Michael went through the door and Gabriel followed him, smiling to himself.
They exited the stairwell on the level that Lyudmila and Piotr’s flat was and walked down the corridor that was full of shifters bustling about. The doors to the apartments were all open, and Gabriel could see glimpses of the interiors, the possessions and lives of the people who looked to Lyudmila for guidance and protection on clear display. He saw televisions and bookcases, chairs and sofas, tables, and in one apartment, an ancient sewing machine, painted black and still bearing its gold lettering.
Lyudmila was sitting on her sofa, sipping a cup of tea, and Piotr sat on the floor, petting their cat. They looked up as Michael tapped on the door, and Piotr gestured for them to enter.
“It is good to see you both,” he said. “Please, sit.”
Gabriel sat down next to Lyudmila as Michael sat down on the floor. “How are your people doing now?” he asked.
“They are better, Holy Gabriel, thank you. Raphael, Israfel, and Tabbris have been very kind, and those of us who have been ill or injured have been treated with world class care. I am eternally in debt to you all,” Lyudmila said.
“We are happy to help in any way we can, your majesty,” Michael said. “I am glad to hear that your sick are recovering.”
“They are, and I am very relieved,” Lyudmila said. “Would you care for some tea?”
“No thanks, not right now.” Gabriel looked at Piotr then back at Lyudmila. “You two ready to come to the meeting with everyone else?”
“Yes. I understand that there is a great deal of information to discuss.”
“Aye.” Gabriel sat back. “Are Liam and Declan and the two Venatores back yet?”
“Da,” Piotr said. “They returned an hour ago. Israfel fetched them from your home, Saint Michael. I understand that Lord Haniel went with him.”
Michael nodded in approval. “I am glad they are safe and sound.”
Lyudmila drained her tea cup and set it down on the coffee table. “And now we wait for Raziel.” She looked at Gabriel then at Michael. “I am worried,” she said in a small voice. “These amulets that your friend in Australia and that dear Ellie—Eleanora—made for us have helped enormously. I did not realize until I put it on just how much of my despair and worry came from an external source. I am disquieted by this, as, I am sure, you are as well. Yet there are worries that come from within that I cannot shake.”
“What worries are those, your majesty?” Michael asked.
“What if Raziel cannot return?”
Gabriel and Michael shared a look.
“We go on,” Michael said finally.
“That is all?” Piotr looked incredulous.
“We would do all that we could to find them, and we would enlist all our kind to aid us, but if, in the end, we lost them forever, we would mourn them and we would continue,” Michael said. “Although it grieves me to admit, this situation we are in, the threat that Naamah poses to all of creation is so grave that we cannot cease our attempts to stop her for anyone—not even for two of our own Archangels, Gabriel’s second in command, beloved Agrat, and three of my best Venatores.”
Gabriel dropped down to the carpet and took Michael’s hands in his. He could feel how tense his lover was, and he realized that this was probably the first time that Michael had voiced these thoughts out loud. “But they will return,” he said, not just for Lyudmila’s ears but for Michael. “They will, ’cause they have Raz, and Raz isn’t going to let anything beat him, not even something as difficult as time travel.”
Michael smiled at that, a smile that was tinged with relief. “That is true, is it not? Yes, you are right.” In Gabriel’s mind, he added, “Thank you, da bao. I needed badly to hear that.”
“Anything you need, solnyshko, if it’s in my power to do or give you, then I will.”
“I love you, Gabriel.” Michael’s mental voice was soft and loving.
“I love you, too.” Gabriel looked over his shoulder at Lyudmila and then at Piotr. “So let’s get ready and head over to Ondrass’s hotel suite of luxury and get to work, yeah?”
Lyudmila stood and smoothed down her skirt. “Yes. I am resolved to do all that I can.”
“As am I,” Piotr said. “You and the Brotherhood of Archangels may count on us, the Weres of the Eastern Bloc, Gabriel, Michael.”
Gabriel smiled at them both. “Spaseeba.”
Chapter Seventeen
RAZIEL WAS pensive for the rest of the festival. As he watched the Venatores dance and mingle, watched Shateiel and Agrat standing in the shadows of tabernae, smiling, he thought about what Joseph had told him and the knowledge that Samael was on his way.
“You’re going to give yourself a damn migraine, and there’s no codeine in Britannia,” Uriel growled.
Raziel grunted. “I’m thinking. Joseph said he had a vision—okay, dreams. He was told that we’d be coming. And then he said Sammy was en route. But wouldn’t Sammy have known that before we left? Wouldn’t he have remembered that Joseph was here and close to death? And who appeared in the dreams? It wasn’t one of our Brotherhood, I’m sure of it.”
“That’s a good point about Sammy.” Uriel hummed thoughtfully. “Do you want to linger and see if he really does show up?”
“I do, but I know we shouldn’t. We’ve been away too long already. I knew we’d be gone a few days, but I don’t want to stretch it out any longer than necessary. We’ve got what we came for. In the morning, we’ll pack up and ride out then ’port home,” Raziel said.
“We could stay, you know,” Uriel said. “We could camp out and wait and watch.”
Raziel shook his head. “I don’t think we should. Call it a gut feeling. I just think we should get home soon.”
Uriel sighed heavily. “I hate your gut feelings. They never end well.”
“Maybe this one won’t end well for Naamah,” Raziel said.
“Now that I wouldn’t object to.” Uriel leaned into Raziel a little, and Raziel slipped his hand into Uriel’s. “I miss our bed.”
“I miss our house.” Raziel gave Uriel’s fingers a gentle squeeze. “Do you want to go and be menacing? That young man’s paying too much attention to Angelique. She might be liberated and all of that, but I do not want an incident because of indiscretions in the past.”
Ur
iel chuckled. “All right, I’ll go haul her away. Actually, we could do that, say we’re retiring for the night because we’ve got an early start.”
Raziel nodded. “Good idea. Let’s do it.”
He walked around the edge of the dance area, watching as Uriel pushed his way through the dancers to get to Angelique. As Raziel reached Shateiel and Agrat, he chuckled to himself at Angelique’s mutinous expression as Uriel spoke to her and led her away, gesturing to Lily and Danny to follow.
“What’s going on?” Agrat asked.
Raziel turned to her. “We’re going to have an early night so we can make an early start in the morning.”
“That is a wise plan, sir. Did you succeed in finding Joseph?” Shateiel asked.
“Yeah, and that’s a whole other can of what the fuck—we’ll talk about it when we’re inside,” Raziel said.
“All right. Lead on, we’ll follow,” Agrat said.
Raziel turned and made his way back to the inn, noticing that Uriel and the Venatores had already reached the front door. He increased his speed and soon, they were all entering the building.
They walked over to the stairs and then climbed them in single file. On the landing, Raziel rubbed his face with one hand. He was tired, and he wanted to go home. The urge to hurry that was building in his gut was increasing with each passing moment.
They entered the common room and moved to take their chairs, sitting in a loose semicircle. Raziel took a deep breath and plunged straight into it.
“We’re leaving at two hours after midnight. You kids should get some sleep while you can, because our return trip is going to be long and bumpy and will probably exhaust us all. Uri and I found Joseph—just in time, as it turns out, as he’s on his death bed, and he said he could hear Sammy approaching to guide his soul.”
“If that’s true, why didn’t Samael mention it?” Agrat asked.
“That is one of several mysteries I’m trying to figure out.” Raziel leaned back in his seat. “Joseph said he’d had some visitations in his dreams telling him that we’d be paying him a visit to ask about the Grail. He didn’t say who it was, and we didn’t have a lot of time, so I didn’t ask. I’m regretting that right now. I wish I know who had paid him that visit. He also told us that two sets of copies of the Grail were made—the one we know about that was in Saint Catherine’s and another set that was delivered to Glastonbury.”
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