“We overheard Paige on the phone the other day at her office while she was doing our paperwork,” Tim said. “She was sad about it. Upset. Grandma and Uncle Bill said they didn’t want us because we’re adopted anyway, so why would they want to spend money on us.”
“Did she have the phone on speaker?” I growled.
“Yes, but she didn’t know we were there yet,” Tabitha answered. “She didn’t know how much Grandma didn’t like us.”
“I don’t think they were sad when the men came to take us away for their auctions,” Tim added.
Oh, they had sold the kids to sex traffickers. That was a bit of news we didn’t have before. If I ever met those people, I’d make sure they didn’t take another breath.
And with me, that wasn’t an idle threat.
“Why are they after us?” Tabitha asked.
Miriam thunked her head back on the wall and fluttered her hand at Ellie. Ellie gave her a dirty look. “Really? You’re leaving this to me.”
Miriam shrugged.
Ellie let out a long breath and looked at the twins that were on her lap and Miriam’s. “So, you two know how I appeared with that sword last week? And how I appeared in the car?”
“And your wings,” Tabitha said.
“Yes, and my wings. So you know all that. Well, I’m something called a versilange. A guardian from another realm, meant to protect someone very special to me. I’m a dark guardian. That just means that it’s dark where my father came from. I’m not evil or anything—everyone has free will and can choose what they will and won’t do.”
“That’s why you have black wings,” Tim stated.
“Yes, exactly.”
“So, when the voral showed up—that’s a demon who’s dark and evil—to try a wake up my powers, Miriam and Mom had to claim me for the light side as a versilange. If the bad guys had gotten to me, I would have been sucked in and become a zhadanjir. A Tartarian.”
Ellie shot a look at Miriam, who scratched her face with her middle finger. Ellie shook her head, and looked back at the two of them. “Well, they’re after you two because you can be awakened as well, and claimed for the zhadanjir.”
Both of them sat up straight at the same time, and so did Wren and I.
“Excuse please?” Wren said.
“You’re both unawakened versilange. And you’re meant to be my partners in protecting that special person.”
“Miriam?” Wren’s voice was barely a breath.
“She’s not lying. You saw the darsana. I had to do some digging to find out what was going on when they tried to take them the first time. I was actually on my way to warn you about the whole thing when I got the call that Lincoln had been hurt.”
I stared at Ellie. “That’s why you heard them the first time. They’re your partners.”
Ellie nodded, and looked at Miriam. Miriam nodded and sat up with Tabitha on her lap and gave them both an appraising gaze.
“Listen to me, both of you. You are not awakened and if we can keep that from happening until you’re well over eighteen, we will. This isn’t fun. There’s a lot of responsibility to it, and there’s a lot of training and danger. You can ask your sister about what’s gone on with her since she got her flameblade. I want you both to call for her, or for me, or if you can call your parents do that. This isn’t the first time you were attacked and this isn’t going to be the last. We’ll do everything we can to keep you safe.”
They looked at each other and then back at Miriam. “Yes, ma’am, Aunt Miri.”
Tim looked down at his shoes and back at her. “But we do get a cool sword some day?”
Miriam ruffled his hair and laughed. “Yes, you will.”
Lincoln
Everything still hurt, my leg most of all, but I was starting to feel more human again.
The twins were coming to visit me every day, and sitting on the bed with me. They managed to color the entire cast on my leg.
I never saw myself with children. Ever. But these two were amazing, and I just felt better when they were here and safe.
Certainly, I had never seen myself sporting an entire colored-in cast. While I was amused, I was hoping for something less plastery when they were going to release me in a few days. I was still keeping the cast.
My kids colored it.
Wren also brought their homework and their computers. She made sure they had snacks and drinks and they were just the best company while I was still able to do a lot of my work from the bed.
Fischer was by every day, since he worked down the street, and hung with us. He would take the kids home with him after visiting for a while, and then I was basically on my own.
I was shocked how much I actually enjoyed Fischer’s company sometimes. We were definitely friends, and I knew if he allowed it, we’d be more. But he had no interest in that, so instead we focused on Wren. I was pretty confident she enjoyed that.
A week after the accident, Detective Haden finally showed up. I knew she’d have to talk to me. She knocked on the door and walked in, a fresher-faced detective following her.
“Hey, Lincoln.” She smiled. “How many more days?”
“They’re saying two, but I’ll believe that when I’m sitting in the living room,” I answered. “Everyone’s gone for the night.”
“I know, that’s why I’m here. This is Detective Stephen Hopper. He’s working on the Rollins murder in St. Christopher’s.”
Sticking out my hand, Hopper shook it. “Mister Foster. I wish we could have met under different circumstances.”
“Yeah, preferably one where I didn’t have two dead people in my wake,” I said.
“So, Hopper has questions about the hospital and I have questions about the accident on the Vine. We’ve already talked to the kids, so this is just the last piece of the investigation. He’s going to go first, because he’s gotta get back to the office. Kid’s birthday or some crap.”
He shoved her shoulder. “First birthday. We’re going to have a big party Saturday, but today’s the official day.”
“Well, congratulations.” I smiled.
“So, let’s get to business.” Hopper pulled out a notepad and leaned against the wall.
I recited the entire story again, with all the adjustments Lily and I had agreed on when she came to visit me the first time. She’d been there at two in the morning and coached me through an official statement that didn’t involve words like dead eyes, demon, skin suit, and golem. Even though that was exactly what had been happening in that room.
Hopper got what he wanted. I knew enough to change minor details each time I told the story, things that didn’t affect the over all truth of what went on. Haden stepped out with him for a moment and then walked back in alone.
“I need your official story on the accident,” she said, “so let’s hear it.”
“It’s literally, I got on the Vine, drove about 100 yards, the kids screamed, and that was all I remember until I woke up here. I never saw the car, the driver, the situation. Nothing. One second trying to get to the house, next second waking up from anesthesia in UPenn.”
“Nothing? At all?”
“Nothing. The kids were the ones screaming. I didn’t have time to even react to that.”
“You really don’t know what happened?”
“Can’t remember,” I said. “The kids were awake, and they might be able to help you.”
“They already gave their statement. The man in the car that hit you looked straight at them, and he had no one behind his eyes. They were dead eyes. Tim even said, like a doll’s eyes.” Haden chuckled. “You’re letting them watch Jaws too young.”
“Hey, it’s a good story, and that’s a good description. Doll’s eyes. Nothing there. That’s what I saw in Gary’s.”
She plopped down into the chair there. “So, we’re dealing with two golems here. Great.” Her hand plowed through her hair and the woman looked flustered for the first time since I met her. “I don’t know how much you really know
about what’s going on here, but something a certain kind of Tartarians can do is pull the soul out of a person and spit it out into the After. They can steal the body for their use. It’s only good for about a week before it really does look like Edgar from Men in Black. A literal skin suit.”
I stared at her. “Who the fuck are you that you know all this?”
She shook her head. “I’m Detective Lily Haden—”
My head canted at her of its own accord. “Seriously with that shit right now? We’re talking about golems and skin suits and you’re going to pull that?”
“I can’t tell you. Not yet.”
“Yet?”
“Lincoln…”
“None of us understand this, Lily. You tell us something, you tell Miriam and Laxmi something else. You won’t tell us who you are, or why all of this—and I mean all of it—swirls around Wren.” I folded my arms. “My official statement is I remember nothing after the kids screaming. I didn’t see the car, I didn’t see the driver, I blacked out.”
I saw defeat in Lily’s shoulders, but she didn’t really slump down. She held herself tall and nodded. “Thank you, Mister Foster. So far, we have no reason to believe this was anything more than an accident.”
“Lily—”
She held up her hand. “I get it. You have to protect Wren and the kids.” She dropped it lifelessly to her side. “Maybe I’m fucking this all up. Maybe I’ll never get things back the way they used to be. Not a one of you knows what it’s taken to get here, to this. And perhaps I should just let the chips fall where they may.”
Lifting her head, she took a step toward me. There was a flash of white hot flames in her eyes. “But I am selfish. Greedy. And I want back everything that was stolen from me once up on a time. So, I give you hints. Information. Chances. The fucking hope that someday, I’ll be able to go home and stay there with the man I love.”
She turned and marched for the door. “Don’t ever forget that, Lincoln. You’re not the only one who has lost something—someone you’d die for.”
Oh, I’d fucked that up. Big time.
A knock on the door frame brought my head up to see who was there. I was a little surprised.
There was a tall Spanish god standing in the doorway, looking slightly lost, slightly befuddled, and altogether adorable. His black-black hair was not quite a mess but not really tamed, and his eyes were a dark chocolate brown that sparkled with a touch of polished amber in them. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and I was desperate for him to turn around and show me his presumably perfect ass.
I didn’t know Spaniards came in extra-large. I would have ordered one long ago.
Bisexuality, activate. Shit.
The Spanish conquistador took a step into the room and looked around just briefly, and then settled on me. His eyes went a little wider, a little more curious, and he swallowed hard. “Mister Foster, hello.”
“Can I help you?”
“Sorry, I’m Doctor Sebastian Mederos.”
“Oh, Ellie’s therapist.”
He nodded and walked all the way into the room, and sank onto the chair there.
“I wanted to swing by after Ellie and Wren told me what happened. I realized that’s your place I’m holed up in, and I wanted to thank you.”
“I’m not using it.” I shrugged. “Someone should.”
“You’re…just keeping a million dollar townhouse empty? Without renters?”
I smirked. “I’m a bit of a greedy bastard, you see. I like having things. Sometimes I don’t like to share them. Occasionally someone will make me see the error of my ways, and fix that.”
“Someone like Wren?”
I glanced down at my hands. “A lot like Wren.” I looked back up at him and his eyes were twinkling with curiosity.
“Tell me to fuck off, if you must, but…you and Fischer?”
I smirked. “Yes. Me and Fischer.”
“What’s that like?”
My head jerked back, and Sebastian cringed at his own question.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “My specialty is human sexual relationships, and I’ve come across so few threesome groups, my curiosity got the best of me.”
Staring at him for a moment, I shrugged. “Fischer and I have a strong friendship, and we rather enjoy our arrangement. Wren enjoys it.”
I watched Sebastian for a moment and I could see he had a thousand more questions for me. Nodding, I motioned to him. “Go ahead. We have no shame about this. We just keep it quiet because other people might try to shame us for it.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Fischer?”
“Yes.”
“Do you and Fischer have any interaction?”
“He’s straight. He has no interest. But he and I love each other in a way that allows this to work. He’s also, definitely, the alpha between the two of us.”
“Alpha?”
“He shares a room with her, I simply share the bed.”
“You have your own room.”
Nodding, I could almost see a giddy excitement in this man as he was given free rein to ask his questions. “You really haven’t ever encountered a threesome in all of your time as a sex therapist?”
“Not a good one that seemed to work,” he said. “Usually by the time they get to me, everything is shit, and my best advice is to part ways. They don’t realize the level of jealousy when a new partner comes into the relationship and screws with the dynamic. Or even better, when the one didn’t realize there were bisexual tendencies in their partner. Man, those sessions…”
I chuckled. “I have not hidden my bisexuality, so I’m pretty sure we’re okay.”
“Ellie is a fantastically well-adjusted young woman,” Sebastian said. “Her hang ups about—wait. Can I talk to you about her? Is she only Wren and Fischer’s daughter?”
“They’re her primary parents, but I step in when they need me to. The same thing with the twins. Wren and I primary, but Fischer steps up.”
“I have to check my HIPAA information,” he said. “It’s been a while.”
Holding up a hand, I sliced into his thoughts. “Doctor Mederos, how are you doing?”
“Hmm?”
“How are you doing? How are you handling life right now? Has anyone asked you? Have you seen a therapist?”
He slowed right down and glanced at his shoes. “I’m best when I’m working. Like just now, talking to you about your situation. Or when I’m focused on a patient. Wren does half hour sessions with me three times a week over the phone. She won’t let me ramp up my practice yet because she’s smart and knows I won’t actually deal with any of this.”
“This what?” I asked.
“The…” He choked. Immediately. His eyes were cloudy with tears and he shook his head. “You really are hanging around her too much.”
“She told me why you were staying at my place, Sebastian. And I know how she works. So, how are you doing with this.”
He looked me dead in the eyes. “You mean, how am I doing with the death of my wife and children?”
I nodded carefully. I didn’t really want to upset him.
“I guess as well as can be expected. I’m thankful for Wren and Detective Haden. It seems I have no one to talk to but them.” He drooped in the chair. “My brother’s gone missing as well.”
I took a deep breath. “I can empathize with that. My personal assistant has disappeared. He was more my brother than anyone else I knew. Fucking hurts that he’s not around. He would have spoiled the twins.”
“Just gone?”
“Poof,” I answered. “He took care of me when I went catatonic, and then when I woke up…gone. As much as I love Wren and Fischer, no one can replace Vance. He was with me through—”
The color had drained out of Sebastian’s face. “Who?”
“Vance. Rikers. He was my—Jesus, grab the garbage can and puke in that!”
He managed to get to it and keep all of his vomit in the trash.
He wretched for a good two minutes before finally walking into the bathroom and finding a cup and some mouthwash.
Leaning against the frame, he was still pale and shaking. He didn’t look good at all, and for a long time he just stared at me.
“Who was your assistant?” he asked again.
“Vance Rikers.”
“That’s my brother.”
I stared at him. “What?”
“Vance Rikers is my younger brother. My parents adopted me, and my dad was killed in a car accident. Mom remarried and they adopted Vance.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“No. Why do you think I just puked? I had no idea he worked for you. Why wouldn’t he tell me that?”
I shook my head. “I had no idea he had a brother.”
“And you haven’t seen him?”
“No. I had a catatonia episode. The last time I saw him was when his face faded out as I fell into the stupor.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “Christ. What the hell? He went through everything with me and never bothered to mention you. Now I’m worried I didn’t know him at all.”
“You and me both,” Sebastian said. “Where did you last see him?”
“At the townhouse you’re living in,” I answered. “I passed out in the back bedroom on the third floor.”
“You saw him, though?”
“He’s been there for me for a long time. He helped me through my rehab, and kept tabs on me. He was brilliant in the office. Wren, Fischer, Laxmi, Miriam…they’ve all met him.”
“I haven’t seen him in person in thirteen years,” Sebastian whispered. “We only ever talked on the phone. I asked him to come to dinner more than once, but he just never did.” He plopped down on the bed, his head heavy.
“It wasn’t because of our work, that’s for sure,” I said. “I would have given him time to visit, no questions asked.”
“He got all weird and mysterious about just over fifteen years ago. Disappearing, reappearing, and then he just never appeared again. Just his phone calls.”
I patted his arm. “At least he kept in touch.”
Sebastian nodded slowly. “I still miss talking to him.”
Nodding along with him, I couldn’t help but agree. “I miss him, too. How weird that we didn’t know about the other half of his life.”
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