by Lissa Kasey
“Yeah? Maybe you’d like to go back in the ground?”
“Fuck that,” Gabe said. “I have an empire to rebuild.”
“Everyone said you were sort of the anti-king. Didn’t want to be in charge.”
“Who told you that?”
“Max. Mike.”
“I’m not anti-power, only anti-media spin. Let’s work on ruling the world from the shadows, okay? It’s what I do best.”
“I just want my family safe,” Seiran admitted.
Gabe wrapped his fingers through Seiran’s hair, missing the length, but enjoying the texture. “We’ll work on that. Are the Dominion still after us? I noticed the house was open.”
“Always and probably. It’s complicated. Long story short, the Dominion has been declared a cult. A lot of people died when I reflected their spell back at them. The government has been arresting members, mostly high-ranking officials, but they haven’t gotten them all. And we can’t completely trust the government. I think they are more on board with all this because they got to seize assets and money, rather than the loss of life raising their ire.”
“Sounds about standard for any government,” Gabe remarked.
“The evidence is basically war crime level. Not sure how else to describe it. They have copies of my original reports. Video evidence from cases I worked and I have no idea how they got it. Someone on my team was recording everything, copying everything, reporting on everything.”
Which meant Seiran felt betrayed, even if it was for a good reason.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
Seiran’s gaze flashed with rage as he met Gabe’s. “You need to do better. Talk to me. Tell me if you’re struggling.”
“I will do my best to be better. Can you say the same?”
“I’m not hiding things from you.”
“But you are from your family. No more death wish. No more throwing yourself at the problem without regard to who you leave behind. You have kids who need you. I need you.” Gabe let out a breath, and with it the anger. There were a lot of places to direct that rage right now, but it didn’t need to be between each other. “This thing with Matthew scares you. But you’re not that kid anymore. Remember?”
“And if he’s a demon now? Demons are…”
“A nightmare,” Gabe agreed. “But we’ll handle it. We’ve got allies and resources.”
“Fucking fae,” Seiran grumbled. “Acting all high and mighty now that the Dominion is on the out. Trying to use me to gain more legal foothold. I am not a political pawn.”
But he was and always would be. The bane of being a Pillar. He could fade or burn bright, but the choice would never be his.
“Kaine wants you to stop being mad at Tanaka. Says he misses her,” Gabe added.
Seiran cursed again. “She did all this! Had a hand in it all. And didn’t tell me. What is it with people not talking to me?”
“I’m sorry,” Gabe said. “For my part, I think I was hoping to have something more established before sharing? I didn’t want the Ascendance to change names and then lay that mess at your feet to build from the ground up. But Tresler took over my mind before I could really make anything happen.”
“You remember that?”
“I do. It was slow. Like slugs in my veins.” Gabe shuddered. “It took a long time for me to recognize what was happening.”
“And by then it was too late?”
“Lots of patchy bits near the end. Sorry. What about the spell? The fire?”
“Sent by a coven. Several board members were in that coven. People I had worked with for years. I directed the spell back at them. A lot of them died, they were unable to stop the spell they started. They sacrificed the two boys who had messed with the golem to fuel the spell.”
“And the rest?” Gabe hoped they were not still out there, hunting Seiran. He could handle whatever came his way. But what if the kids got caught in the crosshairs?
“Some have been arrested by the military. Max has people from the Arcane Fellowship questioning them. What a terrible name.”
“Max?”
“Arcane Fellowship. It sounds dark and fluffy all at once.”
“Again, pretty sure I wasn’t there for the naming.”
“Anyway, I’m not sure they are all contained, which is why everyone is to be cautious. Jamie and Kelly are home with the kids. Everything monitored by the fae. I’ve been looking at the Fellowship too,” Seiran said. “Digging through files, meeting people, letting the Goddess search them. Found nothing.”
“Like the Ascendance, you mean?”
“That same intent, to corrupt power? All those around me so far, all those I’ve met? It’s more a curiosity. A desire to learn. Maybe they are limiting who I meet? I trust no one.”
“I’m sorry I had a part in that. I can only promise to do my best. A couple millennia of habit will be hard to break, but know that I will answer if you ask, even if it takes a bit for me to figure out what I’m thinking and feeling.” Gabe opened the bond wide on his side and left it there. “Open the bond.”
He felt Seiran release his grip on it, and the tie between them blossomed like a flower opening, awakening them both to each other’s senses. Seiran was hungry, but ignoring it in favor of sitting there in Gabe’s arms.
“Eat something,” Gabe instructed.
“You still ache,” Seiran said.
“Yeah, that’s normal. It will fade. Faster the more I move.”
Seiran sighed thoughtfully and a bit needy. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” Gabe said again. “Love you.” He felt the words settle through him solidifying their bond. He couldn’t recall feeling this at peace in a long time. Rested and bonded, he was ready for whatever was coming his way. They’d have to work at balancing their powers, especially now that Gabe had no intent of hiding his any longer. But as long as the world didn’t explode, they had plenty of time.
“I love you, too,” Seiran said. “Not forgiven though.”
“That’s okay,” Gabe agreed as he picked up Seiran and headed for the bed. “I’ve got some great persuasive techniques.”
“Yeah?”
“Be happy to demonstrate.”
Seiran sighed. “You’re too pretty to hate.”
“You like me for more than my pretty face.”
“It is very appealing. Body isn’t bad either.”
“My my, Mr. Rou, are you claiming you only want my body?”
Seiran made a pained sound, his legs tightening around Gabe’s waist. “Maybe for a few hours at least?”
“I thought you were researching?”
“A break wouldn’t kill me, and then maybe a nap?”
Gabe smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”
Epilogue
Page arrived with a military escort. He had expected execution instead of receiving a room not unlike a posh apartment. It was the nicest living space he’d ever had with a full bedroom, bathroom, and living room, no kitchen or even hot plate like his dorm had. He suspected that would have been a safety issue. There were also wards everywhere, etched into the walls themselves. And the fact that they locked him in was certainly an indication he wasn’t free to come and go as he pleased.
He’d been allowed to call his mother, informed that all lines were recorded and monitored. He even had limited Wi-Fi access to the news. No social media allowed. It felt weird to be so silent online. But Page had to admit he didn’t have a lot of friends who weren’t across the country or the world. He had spent the past six months hiding. His family blackmailing him, threatening him and his mother, and he’d tried to lose himself in the shadow of Seiran Rou, Director of Magical Investigations.
No one had noticed him there, Seiran’s power eclipsed them all, and most brushed him aside. Page was really glad he didn’t have to worry about a role like the Pillar. Magically chosen to be a political pawn. What a nightmare.
Page’s first week in lockdown, however nice his cell might be, was spent in and
out of questioning. He’d been led to a dozen tiny rooms, all etched with nullifying symbols and that weird ache in his bones that told him magic would be harder there. The first two questioning sessions he’d been locked in one of those by himself and questioned through an intercom system.
Trying to understand his state of mind, perhaps?
Seiran had been his third interview, sitting down with Page on the couch in Page’s room, aka cell, to ask things. He did record the session, both on his computer and an audio device. Page had seen both used enough to know how they worked. The questions from Seiran had been mostly benign. A lot about Page’s mental health.
The hardest to answer had been one Page still lingered on. Was he still suicidal?
The answer was maybe?
Page teetered between depression and hope most days. Reflecting back on the things he’d been a part of made him feel used, worthless, and morally bankrupt. He could spend hours trying to think of different ways he could have changed things. His family might have killed him for it, but that didn’t seem to matter much now. He expected the execution order to come at him any day.
Yet as each day stretched on, he began to think maybe not? But that made no sense. Witches died. It was how the Dominion worked. The rich and powerful ruled with an iron fist. What was okay for them, was not for the rest of the world. And Page had never been part of the elite.
His mother had cried when they talked the first time. It had been all Page could do to hold himself together. She blamed herself. But she’d done the best she could. Now their conversations were more mundane. He tried to call her at least every other day. Sometimes the questioning got to be a lot, and he just wanted to sleep. Hearing her voice soothed him in a way that he couldn’t really explain.
The last two days had been quiet. No one in to take him to another meeting, and the only time he saw anyone was for his meals, which were delivered by the guards. After two and a half weeks of endless meetings, interviews, and medical reviews, the alone time was eerie.
He wished he had something to read. Other than the news.
The first few days there had been endless stories about witch families mourning loved ones, pointing the finger at the corrupt Pillar of Earth for their murder. And then the truth began to arise. Symbols, ceremonies, bodies, and long histories of phone conversations all with the intent to put the Dominion back the way it was. No men. In fact, all men born with magic would have been killed. Sacrificed it seemed, to fuel magic back to the female members of the families.
When that story leaked, Page had felt a roll of fear in his gut. He’d never asked for any of this. And had been young when his powers first began. They’d have killed him if they could. Wanted him dead. Thought he was evil.
Was he evil? He didn’t feel that way.
Then the stories of abuse began to be published. Men with magic, or even women with the sort of dark powers Page had, coming out to tell stories of how they were treated by their Dominion families. It mirrored mistreatment from the Christian Churches. Family members burned quietly in a backyard to prevent the media from finding out. Others ostracized or running for their lives.
Every day there were more interviews published. The Dominion tried to debunk a lot of it, making wild claims, but the evidence didn’t support what they said. Originally, the media resisted, not certain it wanted to be part of the smear suddenly staining the Dominion which had held its purse strings for years. But the volume seemed to be overwhelming enough that they had caved and began publishing more and more.
Page wondered if he’d be asked to tell his story to the world. Compared to some it didn’t sound all that bad. The threats and blackmail little more than a blip to torture, rape, and murder. But he wasn’t ready. Hard enough that he judged himself harshly for the things he’d done.
The students who had used the golem were all dead. Murdered by their families. The Dominion claimed they were honor killings. The government disagreed. Page had been accused of killing Steve, though Page hadn’t touched him.
Page still struggled with the memories of freeing the vampires, thinking he was helping, and what they’d done to the golem he created. The violence and assault bothering him more than his role of actually transferring the souls. He’d messed that up too. Tying them together somehow.
He’d been asked to give blood to the golem again, to try to control it? He had, and hadn’t seen it since.
Now he paced. Who knew a couple days of almost complete solitude would unravel him? He had always been a bit of an introvert, preferring books over people. It was why he’d loved the job in the archives. What would happen to all those books now?
He sighed and paced some more, feeling a bit caged. It would be hours before they brought him food again. And he was tired of reading the news about the world and not seeing it. He couldn’t help getting a little angry. Wishing they would decide what to do with him already, rather than leave him here.
Page paced for another hour. At least he was getting exercise. Then he dropped down onto the couch and stared at the art on the wall. Very mundane, almost bland. The entire apartment, while high end in décor, was all very stark and lifeless. Grays and browns, instead of vibrant color. But Page was really beginning to crave the touch of others. That wild burning ember in all people, that he’d been able to feel since he was a child, made more sense knowing the little he did about his powers now.
The vampire Gabe had called him a summoner. His power strong with life essence. Not the same as a necromancer. It was why his Mattie had been there when they killed her in front of him for the second time. He’d pulled her soul back, not really realizing it.
Maybe he was evil. That really did sound evil. Manipulating souls.
The door opened and Page jumped to his feet, startled.
He went through a half minute of rolling emotions, unsure whether to be terrified or happy to see someone, even if it was the vampire Sam. Page knew he was powerful, and often worked as the strong arm to the vampire leader, Maxwell Hart. Did that mean he was here to take out Page? Was this to be his end?
“Come on, Page. We have shit to do,” Sam said as he waved toward the door.
Page sucked in a deep breath and headed Sam’s way, ready for the end if that was to be his destination.
“Grab your shit. You won’t be coming back here.”
Page paused. “What?”
“This is the detention wing. We’re moving you up a few floors.”
“I don’t understand.”
Sam cocked his head to the side. “Did you want to remain locked up forever? Or work through this bullshit you were born with?”
Page gaped at him. “Um, work through it if I can, but is that allowed? I mean, I’m evil, aren’t I?”
Sam laughed. “I’m evil. You’re just a kid. Get your shit. The big guy wants to see you.” He folded his arms across his chest and pursed his lips like he was annoyed to still be waiting.
Page looked around. He didn’t really have anything. They’d given him the clothes, little more than scrubs, and the laptop wasn’t his. He hadn’t even had his phone. “I don’t really have anything. When they escorted me here, they didn’t say I could take anything.”
“I’ll send someone to get your shit then.” Sam stepped back from the doorway and there were no guards in the hall.
“I’m not going home then?” Page’s stomach ached.
“I think once you see the digs here, you’d rather stay on the Fellowship’s dime. Since you’ll be working here, it’s easy access.” Sam narrowed his eyes, his gaze intense. “There will be rules of course, and you will be monitored. Just because everyone thinks you’re not a major risk doesn’t mean you can run around wild. You’ll have therapy to complete, regular assessments like the rest of us.”
“Working?”
“The Dominion is no more, my friend,” Sam said as Page stepped into the hall beside him. Everything felt very still and quiet. This hall did look a bit like a prison. “And your old boss works
here now.”
“Will I be working with Director Rou again?”
“He’s not Director here. More a minister of investigations. But no, you’ll be working directly for Hart. At least until your powers are better under control. Classes will be required. I think Hart said he called in a couple of your kind for specific training.” Sam led him down the hall to the elevator.
“There are more like me?” Page was shocked.
“Not a lot, but yeah.”
“I’m not evil?”
“Kid, do you kill puppies or babies to gain power? Rape people? Randomly steal from anyone you can because you hoard wealth? Torture vampires until their revenant takes control to use their power to create golems?”
“No, gross. Who would do that? I mean, I didn’t torture those vampires…”
“Parts of your family,” Sam said as he put his hand in the scanner and the elevator opened. “Since you don’t have any shit to move, I’ll take you right to Hart.”
Page didn’t like the sound of that, but followed Sam into the elevator.
They went up, and up, and up. Finally, the elevator opened to a reception area, and it looked like a very posh lawyer’s office. The woman behind the desk smiled at Sam and nodded. No one else was around.
Sam led Page through a side door and down a hall. Page trembled with anxiety. What would a vampire as powerful as Hart want with him?
They entered the last door at the end of the hall and Page stopped, feeling his stomach flip over. The room was dark, lit by candles. A slab sat in the center of the room and the burned body of Steve lay on it. Page gulped, forcing back bile. The smell was a lot to take in with the sight. How he knew it was Steve, he wasn’t certain. Only that he could sense it. The golem, Forest, also sat in a chair off to the side, unmoving, and looking mostly human.
“Good, let’s get this over with,” Hart said as he entered the door behind them and closed the door. He was as Page had always seen him on TV, beautiful, polished, and terrifying all at once.