The Wind-up Forest

by L. J. LaBarthe

  “Language.” Michael was frowning again. “But agreed. Will Agrat go and visit her, Shateiel?”

  “She said that she would. It has been a very long time since they last spoke. She thinks to get information out of Lilith, although it is my opinion that she would have a better time teaching a serpent to speak Aramaic.”

  Gabriel grunted. “Agree with that, too. Fucking hell. All right, but I want you hovering around her at that meeting. Keep an eye on her. I’m sure she’ll protest, because she’s one of us after all, but tell her I’m ordering it, and I outrank her.”

  Shateiel grinned at that. “It will be my pleasure. And if Lilith tries anything untoward?”

  Gabriel scowled. “Neutralize her. Don’t kill her unless there’s no alternative. Let’s not have Lucifer too pissed at us when we all know we’re going to have to kiss the asses of his new little elite guild of Archdemons.”

  Shateiel saluted. “I will be restrained, sir.”

  “Thank you.” Gabriel turned to Michael. “What next?”

  Michael rubbed his face with one hand. “I dislike that question greatly.”

  Gabriel laughed. He couldn’t help it. “So do I. But it bears askin’. What next?”

  “Very well. Deploy Camael and his lieutenants. Then you, I, and Shateiel will go to Oregon and deal with my people. I will need some time to delegate squads, so while I take care of that, I would appreciate the two of you putting them through their paces and assessing their strengths and weaknesses. In human and shifter form, please.”

  Gabriel and Shateiel saluted as one. “Sir.”

  Camael returned then. “What would you have my troops and I do, Lord Gabriel?” he asked.

  “I want the three of you to scour every forest on the planet. It’ll be a dirty job, and you’ll probably be really sick of bugs by the time you’re all done, but I need to know where—if any—there are forests with trees with bloody great wind-up keys stuck in their trunks.”

  Camael saluted smartly. “Sir, yes sir. We will report as soon as possible.” He vanished with the sound of rustling feathers.

  “Efficient,” Michael approved.

  “He is extremely,” Gabriel agreed. “All right, shall we head off to the US? Say our good-byes and all of that?”

  Michael nodded.

  Gabriel turned around. “We’ll be off,” he said loudly to the shifters, Uriel, and Raziel. “Holler if you need us, yeah?”

  A chorus of farewells and a few waves from the shifters met his words, and Gabriel grinned. “All right, Mishka. Let’s go to Oregon.”

  Michael nodded. “As you say.” He was gone a moment later, teleporting directly to his home near Salem.

  “Do you know where the house is?” Gabriel asked Shateiel.

  “Not the exact location, no, sir.”

  “Okay. I’ll move us, then.” Gabriel clapped a hand on Shateiel’s shoulder and moved them a moment later.

  Chapter Six

  IT WAS the rumbling of a car engine that first alerted Angelique to the new arrivals. She stood and gazed out of Lily’s living room window, gazing down at the street. There were few cars on the road at this hour of the morning, and Angelique wondered whether she had misheard. It was not long past 5:00 a.m., and it was not fully light.

  She heard the engine again, and this time, as she peered up and down the street from her vantage point, she saw it. The car was a truck, a big, old gas-guzzler, the sort of truck her abuelito had once had. He’d called it his pride and joy, and her abuela would swear at him in Spanish and tell Angelique and her cousins that the truck was more important to her husband than his own wife, can you imagine! The memory made Angelique smile, even as she reached for a hair-tie and pulled her long hair back into a ponytail.

  “What is it?” Lily had joined her. Angelique wasn’t surprised. Lily was the lightest sleeper of the squad; probably, Angelique thought, from the two years she’d lived as a wolf.

  “Check out the truck,” Angelique said, nodding toward the vehicle as it pulled into the driveway of Michael’s building.

  “Bloody hell. That must cost a fortune to run,” Lily said. Her English accent seemed stronger as she voiced her surprise. “Petrol isn’t cheap.”

  “Unless there’s a solar panel or three hidden away in the back,” Angelique said, but she rather doubted it. The truck had the appearance of hard use, as if it had been on the road for a very long time and had seen many nasty things and only a few trips to a garage.

  “I suppose this is the newcomers we were told about,” Lily said.

  “Probably.” Angelique squared her shoulders. “Let’s go down and see. Get the others up and moving.” She moved toward the door.

  “Thanks,” Lily said flatly. “They’re all difficult to wake up.”

  Angelique grinned at her. “That’s why you’re doing it.” She had slipped out of the apartment before Lily could reply and was bounding down the stairs two at a time.

  Angelique was more than curious about these newcomers. The previous night had been spent in pack bonding, and it had been good, a necessary thing to do, but too much emotion made Angelique uncomfortable, and seeing good, strong men reduced to tears as they talked about their war experiences flustered her. She had no idea how to respond to such an outpouring, except to listen, and even though they assured her that was more than enough, it never felt like it was. The newcomers in their truck were a very welcome diversion.

  The truck was parked right in the middle of the driveway, looking shiny and proud, sleek and strong. It was a handsome machine, Angelique thought, as she walked toward it. Its chrome was spotless and free of rust, and its paintjob, a dark, burnished red, was immaculate. She didn’t know a lot about old trucks, but Angelique knew that her abuelito, so long dead, would have been drooling over this one.

  Two men got out of the car. They had the appearance of brothers, although one was easily a foot taller and the other had a sharp, desperate look to him that Angelique had seen far too often. She called it the war-weary look, and too many men and women in Venatores had that look in their eye. The taller man had an open and pleasant face, and he was smiling. He had shoulder-length light-brown hair and a dusting of freckles over his nose. His green eyes were alight with interest and curiosity. Despite baggy jeans and shirt covering his frame, he moved with an ease that suggested to Angelique that the physique beneath the clothes was one that was muscular, lean, and fit.

  The shorter of the two men wore a battered leather motorcycle jacket over his sweatshirt and jeans, and scuffed brown work boots. His dark-brown hair was, in contrast to his brother’s, cropped short, and his own green eyes were hooded, wary. He smiled as he saw Angelique, and his expression became almost predatory. Angelique had to bite back the laughter that bubbled up inside her. This man obviously thought of himself as something of a ladies man.

  Nothing wrong with that. And it had been a while since Angelique had indulged herself. He was pretty damn good-looking, and his eyes were the most astonishing shade of green. She wondered what he looked like naked, and then mentally shook herself. Daydream later, she told herself. Work now.

  “Howdy, boys,” Angelique said, putting on her best Texan drawl. Born and raised in Mexico, she’d been educated in Texas and joined the US Air Force as soon as she’d been granted US citizenship. Affecting a Texas twang wasn’t difficult to do; she’d spent most of her adult life around Texan flyboys.

  “Well, well, hello there, sweetheart.” The dark-haired man swaggered over to her and extended his hand. “I believe we’re expected. I’m Declan and this is my little brother, Bigfoot.”

  “Declan,” said the other man, “must you? I’m Liam,” he said to Angelique, smiling at her and revealing dimples in his cheeks. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

  She laughed and shook their hands. “I’m Angelique. Ma’am’s my mom, not me, soldier.”

  “Not a soldier.” Liam shook his head. “We’re trackers.”

  “And hunters.” Declan leaned agai
nst his truck.

  “Good ones,” Liam added with no false modesty.

  “You must be okay at it to be sponsored by Gabriel,” Angelique said. She eyed the truck. “Though I have to wonder how you can afford to run that metal beast.”

  Declan smirked. “Oh, you know. Bit of this, bit of that.”

  “Ah, secrets. I like secrets.” She smirked right back.

  Liam sighed. Heavily. “Dec, do you suppose you could stop flirting for five minutes?”

  “No way, Liam. Not when such a beautiful Latina is standing not five feet away.”

  “I’m sorry for my brother, Angelique,” Liam said. “He’s older than I am, so he’s approaching senility. Plus, he gets touchy about his shifter shape, and all that touchiness can’t be good for you.”

  Angelique grinned at him. “What’s his shape?”

  “That ain’t important,” Declan interrupted smoothly. “What is important is that we’re supposed to report to Gabe. He here?”

  “Not right now, no.” Angelique shook her head. “I don’t know where he is, either. The other eight Archangels showed up out of the blue and then took off with Gabe and Mike.”

  Her words had a surprising effect on the two men.

  “They don’t do that!” Liam exclaimed.

  “Are you sure?” Declan’s cocky smirk had been replaced with a look of such intensity that Angelique couldn’t decide if she should fan herself or snarl at him.

  “Yeah, of course I’m sure! I saw it with my own eyes.” She glared at Declan, settling on a scowl.

  “I’m sorry, Angelique, we don’t mean any disrespect,” Liam said. “It’s just that this is really unusual.”

  “You don’t say,” she drawled. “We all reached the same conclusion pretty much immediately.”

  A polite cough behind her caught her attention, and Angelique turned to see her squad. To her surprise, Baxter was in his human form. He was also staring at Liam as if he’d been stunned by a large brick. Angelique mentally rolled her eyes. This could get messy.

  “This is my squad,” she said, turning back to Declan and Liam. She stepped to one side so she could introduce them. “Lily, my beta, she’s from England, unlike the rest of my squad. Danny and Baxter, my kappas, and Riley, my omega. Guys, this is Declan and Liam.”

  “Pleasure to meet you all,” Liam said, smiling warmly. His eyes lingered on Baxter for a moment, and Angelique wondered if that look was a prelude to a potential romance. God, she hoped so. She sent a quick prayer toward the sky in Spanish, asking for God to help out with that, if He could find a moment. After all, she knew He was busy.

  “Hey,” Declan said, saluting with his index finger. He was still leaning against the truck. “So, where can we put our gear?”

  “This way,” Baxter said, stepping forward. “There’s an apartment that’s ready for you guys. I hope you don’t mind sharing.”

  “So long as it’s not sharing a bed, we’re good,” Declan said jovially.

  “Ew, no.” Baxter pantomimed a shudder. “No way.”

  “Okay then,” Declan said. He turned to his brother. “Let’s get the gear, Bigfoot.”

  “Right.” Liam gazed at Baxter for a moment. “You know where everything is around here?”

  “Sure,” Baxter said. “I’m just like Alfred, Batman’s butler.”

  “You know a lot about comics?” Liam asked.

  “A bit,” Baxter said. “Twentieth-century pop culture, I’m your go-to guy. Especially for movies, comics, or cartoons.”

  Liam grinned. The expression lit up his whole face, making him seem young and ingenuous. Angelique couldn’t help but feel her wolf-self surge, a protective instinct rising inside her. This boy—man—was an innocent.

  “I like movies,” Liam was saying.

  “Yeah? Maybe we could watch DVDs one night, when we’re not on patrol or something,” Baxter said.

  “Liam,” Declan said from the rear of the truck, “you tell me off for flirting and then you do the same damn thing. Flirt later. Unpack now.”

  Liam blushed. “Sorry.” He looked at Baxter and smiled a bashful little grin. “I’d really like that though.”

  Baxter was grinning. “Awesome.”

  Angelique fell into step beside Lily as everyone followed Baxter. Baxter led Declan and Liam, who were carrying what seemed to be the world’s largest carryalls, into the main building and down the corridor.

  “Where are we going?” Angelique asked her friend.

  “Anna and I cleaned up Steve and Dave’s old place. It’s been empty since they were reassigned to New Zealand.” Lily nodded toward Baxter. “He seems pretty taken with Liam, doesn’t he?”

  “I hope it’s genuine and not some desperate attempt to prove to us that he’s over Michael,” Angelique muttered.

  “Riley said the same thing. He called Raph while they were talking. Raph said he’d be here in an hour to talk to Bax.” Lily frowned. “I really hope this is genuine too. I think Liam would be good for Bax. I get a good vibe from him.”

  “What about the brother, Declan?” Angelique asked.

  “Same, but he’s tough as old boot nails,” Lily said. “He’s seen and done some pretty awful things, I think. He’s protective of his brother, and he’s tried to keep him from seeing and doing the same stuff. I think Declan’s going to be an overprotective presence. We’ll have to run interference so he doesn’t freak Bax out.”

  “Fucking awesome.” Angelique rolled her eyes.

  “He does seem to be into you, though,” Lily said slyly. “Maybe you should work your magic on him.”

  Angelique huffed. “I was planning on screwing him.”

  “That’s what I meant.”

  They had reached the door of the apartment, and Baxter opened it, handing Liam the key. “Here you go,” Baxter said, gesturing grandly. “Your apartment.”

  They all trooped inside, and Angelique had to admit she was impressed with what Anna and Lily had done. The apartment’s wooden floors had been washed thoroughly, and the walls had been repainted in a soft blue-gray. There was a large three-seater sofa, upholstered in dark-brown wool, and a pine shelf with a TV, DVD player, and blue vase on it. By the door were two pine bookcases, holding what Angelique assumed to be the books Dave and Steve had left behind.

  “Wow,” Liam said, dropping his carryall. “This is amazing.”

  Declan was gazing around in astonishment. “I never expected something so nice.”

  “You like it?” Lily asked, stepping forward.

  “Yeah, it’s incredible. We’re used to sleeping rough—in the truck, tents, or abandoned buildings. Places that often don’t have all their walls or a roof.” Declan laughed. “I have to see the bedrooms.” He marched through the nearest door and they heard a whoop. “This is my room!”

  Liam laughed. “Okay,” he said, moving to stand at the door. Angelique joined him.

  “I’m impressed,” she said over her shoulder to Lily.

  Lily looked pleased. “Well, we thought they’d need beds, after all.”

  The bedroom held a queen bed; the blankets and sheets were white and gray. There was a closet and a dresser, and the windows had been washed and hung with thick, dark-blue curtains.

  “Is the other one like this?” Liam asked.

  Lily nodded. “It’s a little smaller, but yes, they’re basically the same.”

  Liam smiled. “Thank you. This is really awesome of you all.”

  “The kitchen’s stocked, too,” Lily said as Liam grabbed his carryall and moved to the other doorway. “Food in the fridge and pantry, plates and cutlery in the draws and cupboards. There’s also towels and soap and shampoo in the bathroom, and toothpaste and toilet paper. We didn’t know what you’d have when you arrived, so we thought it’d be better to be over-prepared.”

  “I can’t thank you enough,” Liam said, and he beamed at the assembled. “Really, guys, this is amazing.”

  “Did you say bathroom?” Declan emerged from his bedro
om. “Like, with hot and cold running water?”

  Lily laughed. “Yes. It’s through there.” She pointed to the door beyond the bedrooms. “Kitchen’s over there.” She pointed in the direction of the wall behind the TV.

  “You are a goddess,” Declan said expansively. “Do you guys mind if I take a shower now?”

  “No, of course not.” Angelique smiled. “We’ll leave you to get settled. We’ll be out in the backyard when you want to come and hang out.”

  “And if Mike and Gabe get back before then, we’ll let you know,” Lily promised.

  “Thanks, appreciate it.” Declan nodded in gratitude. “This is pretty sweet.”

  “Yeah, it’s amazing.” Liam was still grinning. “Home. Wow, that sounds amazing, Dec. Home.”

  “Home,” Declan agreed. For a moment, his face took on a wistful expression, and then the mask of cocky swagger was back. “C’mon, Bigfoot, out of the way. I want to have a shower.”

  “We’ll be outside,” Lily said and moved to take Baxter’s arm, propelling him out of the apartment and then outside of the building. Angelique exchanged an amused look with Danny and, with Riley bringing up the rear, followed them.

  She heard the front door of the apartment that was now home to Declan and Liam close, and nodded to herself. It would stand to reason they’d want some privacy. What she knew of trackers was that they rarely put down roots, and having somewhere to use as a base—somewhere with working amenities—would be considered somewhere to ward and protect as much as possible. Not just from the bad guys, either, she mused as she went outside, but from nosy neighbors, too.

  “Well,” Riley said as they all sat down on the grass, “that was interesting.”

  “I like them,” Lily said with a smile.

  “So do I,” Riley admitted. “I just don’t know how Gabriel plans for them to work with us.”

  “Does it matter? We do it our way, they do it their way. They won’t be going out into the field with us,” Angelique said.

  “How can you be sure?” Riley asked.

  Angelique huffed. “They’re not Venatores.”

  “Liam’s hot,” Baxter said.