Max gaped. “This is… this is too much,” he protested.
“No, it is not. It is the minimum I can do at this time, and I would do more, but we are in a desperate situation.” Michael sighed. “I have felt, for some days now, that everything that came with the war—both before and after—was nothing compared to what we now face. I fear we are standing on a precipice, and if we do not act swiftly and save the Grail, return it to its rightful place, that we will all be facing a terrible future.”
Gabriel whistled. “I wondered if I were the only one thinking that,” he said.
Michael looked at him. “I fear not. There is too much happening at once, Gabriel. There are too many rumblings of discontent, and I am certain that a witch of Ms. Minnie’s ability has seen the signs.” She nodded, and Michael went on. “If the Grail is not returned, we will lose all we have worked so hard to save from Taytton’s little war. And it will be remembered as being a little war, all seventy long years of it, if the Grail is gone for too long.”
Max ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he said. He took the feathers. “I’ll do what I can.”
“That is all that we ask,” Michael said. “However, I have a question.”
“Anything,” Max said.
“Why do you call yourself Mobius?”
Max laughed. “It’s one of many of my online nics. Identities,” he said as Michael’s expression became confused. “It hides my real identity while I’m doing what I do. I’ll be glad to do something a little more interesting than what I usually do.”
“The Holy Grail,” Minnie mused. “I’ll need to dig out the books.”
“And set up some more wards,” Max said.
“That too,” she agreed.
“How is Raz, by the way?” Max asked.
Michael smiled. “The same. Annoyed and frustrated, excited and gleeful.”
Max and Minnie both laughed. “That sounds about right.” Minnie shook her head. “Please give him and Uriel our love, won’t you?”
“Of course.” Michael bowed to them both. “I am sorry that we cannot linger longer. We have much yet to do today.”
“Yeah, yeah, no worries. We totally understand.” Max carefully set the feathers down on the coffee table. “I’ll get started on this. Should I contact Raz? Or you two?”
“All of the above,” Gabriel said. “I’ll leave you our cell phone numbers. Michael hasn’t yet figured out what a computer is, let alone the concept of email.”
“Gabriel, must you?” Michael asked.
“Okay,” Max said, chuckling. “We can work with that.”
“So how much do we owe you for this?” Gabriel asked.
Minnie waved that off. “It’s fine, Gabe.”
“You can’t do this for free. That wouldn’t be right,” Gabriel protested.
“If you both feel you really need to pay us, next time you’re in the area, you can help me with the gardening for a day,” Minnie said.
Michael bowed to her. “It would be an honor,” he said.
Minnie laughed. “Oh, I like him, Gabe. He’s adorable.”
“I’m rather fond of him, aye,” Gabriel said, grinning as Michael blushed. “Anyway, we gotta go. Thanks again for this, Max, Minnie.”
“Anytime, Gabe, Mike.” Max shook their hands again. “You won’t be able to ’port out of here, though, you’ll have to go to the street.” He shrugged apologetically. “We can’t let the shields down right now.”
“We would not ask you to,” Michael said. “We will be in touch in a few days, unless you find something and call us first.”
“No problem,” Max said.
“And next time, stay for dinner,” Minnie said.
“Definitely,” Gabriel said. “I could really go for your roast chicken and taters.”
She laughed. “Bottomless pit for a stomach, you. We’ll see you later.”
“Until then,” Michael said. He took Gabriel’s hand and together, they left the house.
“I hope he has some luck,” Gabriel said as they walked out onto the street. He closed the wooden gate behind them. “This whole thing is really making me antsy. It’s going to give me gray hairs, I can feel it.”
Michael looked at him in amusement. “How can you feel gray hairs growing, Gabriel?”
“I don’t know. I just can. It’s a gift.” Gabriel pulled Michael into his arms. “You have to agree this is going to be bad if we fail.”
“I do. I fear greatly for what might happen if we fail.” Michael sighed as he wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s waist. “Yet, we must put our concerns to one side for the moment and face the challenges head on as they come.”
“I know.” Gabriel kissed Michael quickly. “So, shall we go to Yerevan now?”
Michael nodded.
Gabriel took a deep breath and moved them.
Chapter Fourteen
THERE WAS a Seraphim waiting at the door to the building where Lyudmila lived. Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up as he took in the angel, and he nodded in response to the crisp salute.
“Come indoors,” he said, and the angel followed him into the dimly lit lobby.
“Sir, I’ve just come from France,” the angel said. “I have a report for you and Saint Michael about the shifter named Arkady.”
Gabriel let out a soft “Ahh.” He pursed his lips. “I take it that it ain’t a good report?”
“No, sir.” The angel sighed. “As ordered, we followed the assassins. They arrived in Moscow in good time, and immediately began to circulate around the city, hunting for information that would find them their target. They achieved their goal rather quickly, so much so, that the leader was suspicious. He had every right to be, we learned, as when he and his people arrived at the address where Arkady was supposed to be visiting with his relatives, they found nothing.”
“Nothing?” Gabriel asked. “What do you mean?”
The angel spread his hands in an uncertain gesture. “I do not know quite how to describe it. The apartment had been lived in, that much was certain, but it had been emptied of furniture, clothing, books, everything. There was a note pinned to a cabinet in the kitchen. It said that Arkady had gone and no one would be able to find him.”
Gabriel and Michael gazed at each other. Gabriel was certain that his own expression was just as confused as Michael’s.
“What do you mean, he had gone and that no one would be able to find him?” Michael asked.
The angel shook his head. “It got very strange, very fast. The leader and his people were quite angry. One of them was a witch, and she cast a spell on the apartment to see what happened. The spell revealed that this Arkady had visited the apartment, and with his aunt, he had opened a portal, stepped through, and… vanished.”
“A portal to where?” Gabriel demanded.
“Unknown, sir. Neither the assassins’ witch nor any of us could discern the location. And then”—the angel’s expression became baffled—“out of the air stepped a dozen demons, and they attacked the assassins. We couldn’t allow that, of course—they’re human. So we revealed ourselves and entered the fray. The demons didn’t slow down. They fought us tooth and nail, and they killed several of the humans. The fight lasted for perhaps an hour, and then they disappeared. One minute, we’re fighting them, the next, they were gone. And we were left with dead and injured humans in an empty apartment in Moscow.”
Gabriel and Michael shared another long look. “We had hints of demon involvement in this from Angelique,” Gabriel said.
“True,” Michael said. “Did you get any idea of who these demons were working for?” he asked the angel.
The angel pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is another thing that was strange. All demons are proud to show off who they work for. They wear the sigils of their respective Archdemon commanders with pride. Yet, these demons had no sigils. And we tried to get a reading on their auras to determine which part of Hell they came from and we couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t?” Gabriel ec
hoed.
The angel appeared frustrated. “Our power, as we tried to identify them, simply slid off them, as if it were water sliding off a glass window. We could fight them and help the humans, protect them as best we could, but we simply could not get any kind of reading on who they were, which part of Hell they came from, or who they worked for.”
“This is serious, Gabriel,” Michael said. “We could not get a reading off these assassins, and now there are demons who are as unreadable?”
“Tell me,” Gabriel said, “could you get a reading on the assassins?”
The angel shook his head. “No. But it wasn’t the same thing. It was like our powers were sliding off a shield, like a projection of some kind. The demons seemed to be blocking us from within, with their own powers.”
Gabriel looked at Michael. “So it seems we’ve got two groups who can block us.”
“Perhaps,” Michael said thoughtfully. “I find the assessment of the assassins’ blocks quite astute, however. They have some sort of technology or magic that they have developed to hide themselves. It is not something that is part of them. Therefore, it is something that we can track down and investigate.”
“Great. Add it to the list.” Gabriel turned back to the angel. “You’ve done well,” he said. “Now, I need you to go and find Camael. Tell him to go to France and meet up with Shateiel. They’re to bring back the Venatores and their two human male friends here to Yerevan.” He smiled slightly. “In the morning, that is. Let ’em get a night’s sleep. Those humans have had a rough day.”
The angel saluted smartly. “Yes, sir. Where shall I tell Camael to meet Shateiel?”
“On the edge of the Brocéliande forest in Brittany.” Gabriel saluted back. “Off you go, and good flying to you.”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir.” The angel bowed, and then vanished with a rustle of feathers.
“Well.” Gabriel heaved a sigh. “This just gets weirder and weirder.”
“And more and more frustrating.” Michael shook his head. “We can do nothing lingering here in this foyer. Let us go upstairs and see what the rest of our Brotherhood has to say.”
“Okay.” Gabriel eyed the rickety elevators, which appeared to be just as unsafe and unstable as they had the first time he had been to this building. “Why don’t we ’port up?”
Michael laughed. “I was thinking that very thing. Come.” He placed his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder and moved them.
The corridor was awash with activity. Gabriel dodged as an eagle flew by, the tips of the bird’s wing brushing his face. There were angels, shifters, and humans clustered around open doors to the different apartments, and Lyudmila was moving among the little groups, trying to keep things calm. Uriel was behind her, his sword in hand and a grim expression on his face. It was amazing, Gabriel thought, how quickly people became polite and quiet when Uriel was around.
“What is going on?” Michael wondered.
“Oh, you’ve decided to show up,” Uriel drawled. “Nice vacation?”
“Pardon?” Michael asked.
“We’ve been working damn hard here, and you two have been off doing fuck knows what, and right now, Raziel’s in western Europe with Haniel, so I’m not happy.” Uriel glowered. “And I’m playing bodyguard to Lyudmila, because people are idiots, and I don’t want to be in the middle of this stupid building if it collapses under the weight of all these angry shifters and Armenians and Russians.”
“I see,” Michael said. “Are the others here?”
“Yeah, they’re in Arkady’s old apartment.” Uriel jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
“I think we should meet in a different apartment,” Michael said.
“Why?” Uriel demanded.
Gabriel shook his head slightly. “We’ll tell you in private.”
“Awesome,” Uriel grunted. “Hey, Lyudmila.”
She turned from the group she was speaking to. “Yes, Uri?”
“Got somewhere where we can talk? Our glorious leader and his second in command have finally arrived and they want to have a meeting with the rest of us.”
Lyudmila chuckled and patted his shoulder. “I know you are relieved they are here. You may all use my apartment. Piotr will be my bodyguard while you discuss things.” She turned to Gabriel and Michael and bobbed a curtsey. “It is very good to see you, my lords,” she said. “My friend Eleanora arrived not long ago. She has been helping us here, but you are a sight for sore eyes.”
Gabriel gave her a brief hug. “We weren’t on holiday, like Uri seems to think,” he said. “We were kind of busy dealing with a fuck ton of crap.”
Lyudmila smiled. “I was certain you were, Gabriel.”
“You are well, Your Majesty?” Michael asked.
“I am, thank you, Most Holy.” She smiled shyly at him. “This way, please, and then we will leave you all to talk.”
“So Raz and Hani ain’t here?” Gabriel asked Uriel as they pushed their way through the press of bodies toward the apartment that was Lyudmila and Piotr’s.
“No.” Uriel lit a cigar. “Raziel said he had to ask Penemuel to do something. Then he said he needed to talk to Kokabiel and Baraqiel. Remiel’s not here, either. He’s with Ish and Agrat. Tabbris is, though.” He grinned viciously. “He’s in a foul mood.”
“Great,” Gabriel said. “I’m going to brick up his mouth so he can’t talk. With real bricks.”
Uriel laughed raucously. “I’ll hold him down.”
“Done deal.” Gabriel grinned. “I guess Iss is here too?”
“Oh yeah, him and Raph both.” Uriel nodded to Piotr as the young man walked out of his apartment. “Thanks, Piotr.”
“It is no trouble, Uri.” Piotr nodded curtly. “Thank you for watching Lyudmila. She works too hard sometimes.”
“Damn right, she does,” Uriel growled. “Make her stop and eat something.”
Piotr smiled the ghost of a smile. “I will try,” he said.
“Good. Okay, Gabe, let’s get this show on the road.” Uriel stomped into the apartment and Gabriel and Michael followed him, quietly closing the door behind them.
It was cramped inside the small two-roomed apartment with so many tall, broad-shouldered angels. Gabriel grunted as he sat down on the sofa, squashed between the armrest and Metatron’s bulk, Raphael beyond and Israfel perching precariously on the far armrest, beside his lover. Samael had folded his long frame into a corner, his knees drawn up tight under his chin, and he looked distinctly uncomfortable. Tabbris sat on the windowsill, Uriel on the floor, and Michael, after looking around the room, sat down on the vinyl beanbag. It squeaked as he sat on it, and Uriel laughed.
“It’s old and vinyl’s noisy,” Uriel said. “So, we’re all here, apart from Raz, Remi, and Hani?”
“I believe so,” Michael said. “Wait, where is Tzadkiel?”
“Right here.” Tzadkiel entered with Sophiel and Brieus. “Damn, this room is small.”
“Pull up a piece of floor and sit down,” Uriel said.
“Ah. Yes, all right.” Tzadkiel sat down, leaning against the sofa, while Sophiel climbed over legs and furniture and joined Tabbris on the windowsill. Brieus, after surveying the room, sat down in the doorway to the kitchen and bedroom area.
“I feel like a sardine,” Tabbris complained.
“We all feel like sardines,” Sophiel said, nudging him in the ribs.
“Don’t do that,” he complained, “I’ll fall off!”
She snorted. “I think we’re wedged in here too tightly to fall off!”
“Children,” Michael said pointedly. “Let us bicker later, please. We have much to talk about that is of great importance.”
Tabbris nodded and fell silent. Gabriel found that interesting, and he filed away Tabbris’s obedience to talk about with Michael later.
Michael was clearly surprised as well; he cleared his throat several times before he began.
“Much has happened in a short space of time,” he began. “I will recap what is kno
wn and then take everyone’s reports and thoughts on the matter.
“To begin, we were called to Georgia to listen to a report of a prophecy made by a dryad queen. The prophecy spoke of the Holy Grail and that it was facing a serious change—turning it from a holy object to a profane one. We were told that it had been stolen, although from where or by whom the dryad queen could not say.
“We learned in Archangelsk that someone had hired the mercenary guild, the Order of Midnight, to track down a shifter named Arkady. He was accused of infanticide and theft of an object that had belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, the last human guardian of the Holy Grail. Through questioning, we discovered the Order of Midnight had been hired by a woman who is not human, though they would not divulge any further information. Later, we received a report from Camael, one of Gabriel’s Seraphim, that the shifter’s lover, a shifter named Vasily, had been murdered, presumably by Arkady. Today, Gabriel and I received a report from his Seraphim that there was a serious attack in the apartment in Moscow that Arkady was traveling to. The group of mercenaries was attacked there by demons. The Seraphim gave aid to the humans, and the demons vanished after some heavy fighting. No angels were injured, but some of the humans were, and some were killed.
“In dealing with the Order of Midnight and this group of demons, there was one common thing—we could not get any information about who they worked for. They had somehow shielded themselves in such a way that we could not read the information in their minds or auras. The humans were shielded by something external to them, a spell or a device, perhaps. The demons were shielded by their own power, something internal. This is highly unusual on both counts and both warrant serious investigation. Tzadkiel, please have some of your Ophanim look into this.”
Tzadkiel nodded and made a note on a small notebook he pulled from his jacket pocket.
Michael took a breath and went on. “On Gabriel’s order, Camael and two other Seraphim are investigating the forests of the world for more of these trees with the keys in their trunks. We do not yet have his report. As there are many forests and the world is large, I do not anticipate that we will have that for a little while yet.
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