Lucca

by Karen Michelle Nutt

  Once again you win the pansy award of the year. I always knew you were weak. His father’s words taunted him.

  “I rather be weak than the miserable prick you turned out to be.” He rubbed his eyes, knowing his irrational thoughts were brought on by sleep deprivation. Sleep, he needed to lie down and rest before he hunted Juliet down to confess his sins. He’d make her come clean, too. She ran out of the apartment for a reason and he wanted to know why.

  The knock at the door startled him. He looked through the peephole. “Now my day’s complete,” he murmured before he threw open the door. “You missed the party, Eli.”

  The Watcher frowned but didn’t say anything as he entered the apartment and shut the door behind him. “I thought we’d have—” He stopped in midsentence as he took in the overturned furniture and broken pottery. He looked at Lucca who gave him a shrug.

  “Zaiden was helping me redecorate.” He headed for the kitchen. “Do you want a cup of coffee?” he threw over his shoulder.

  “Sure.” Eli followed him. “You said you wanted to talk the other day. I thought now might work.”

  Lucca emptied the old coffee filter and put in a new one. “I have a hunch you have a few questions yourself. Why don’t you get what’s eating you off your chest first.” He didn’t believe for one moment Eli came over out of friendship’s sake. He had an agenda. He might as well find out what it was first. He flipped the switch to the coffeemaker and turned to face Eli. He leaned against the counter, resting his palms on the tile behind him.

  Eli pulled out a chair to sit. “I want to trust you.”

  Lucca snorted, but Eli ignored him.

  “But maybe you can see why I’m having difficulty doing so.”

  Eli was throwing him a rope. Damn, he hated the cliché. He could either pull himself to safety or have enough rope to hang himself. He wasn’t sure which prospect sounded better. “I suppose I can.” The coffeepot gurgled behind him and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee tickled his senses. He already had his fair share of caffeine, but another cup sounded too tempting to ignore. “Is there a chance I can earn your trust?” He met Eli’s eyes.

  Eli pressed his lips together as he struggled with the decision.

  “Trust Lucca or not. That is the question. It’s really not a difficult question. Yes or no will suffice.” Lucca knew his sarcasm wouldn’t win him points, but Eli’s silence was beginning to tick him off.

  The coffeepot had finished gurgling and Lucca turned to pour two cups of coffee. “Do you want cream or sugar?”

  “Both if you have it,” Eli said with a heavy sigh. “And I do want to trust you. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. So yes, you can earn my trust and maybe I can earn yours.”

  Lucca was surprised at his generosity, but then trust did go both ways. He nodded. “Then I need to tell you something.” He placed a coffee mug in front of Eli. “For a few days now I’ve sensed my father’s presence.”

  “I’m assuming this isn’t a warm and cozy reunion.”

  “Hardly.”

  “Go on.” Eli took a sip of the coffee.

  “I think he’s been here for a while, I sensed a presence when I had an altercation with Kordon, but the first time I suspected it was truly him was at your house. After the fight, I headed for my truck and felt him.”

  “Do you think he had something to do with the attack?” Eli gripped his cup, the only sign indicating his anger.

  Lucca shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t know. He hasn’t exactly knocked on my door and told me his plans.” His gaze caught sight of the plate of cookies Juliet brought over for him. He pulled off the tinfoil and grabbed a couple before offering the plate to Eli.

  “If you haven’t seen your father what makes you so sure it’s your father’s presence you sense? Thanks,” he said as he took two cookies, leaving enough for seconds.

  “Let’s just say, my father and I have had an unusual relationship. I’ve learned to pick up his essence when he draws near. Call it a safety measure. And I found this at Purcible Andrews.” He fished into his pants pocket and pulled out the amulet “This is his. He wore it around his neck, said it made him powerful. Maybe Purcible yanked it off of my father before he perished. I just don’t know what he’s after, but since it’s my father, let me assure you, it can’t be good.”

  Eli placed the amulet on the table. “Gideon’s been to Leroy Fennings’ house. He did a reading and picked up Angel fire. It’s what took Leroy out, but we still don’t know why Leroy didn’t turn to dust.”

  Lucca rubbed his hand over his face. “I can tell you why. Leroy and Purcible were both Apparitions. They possess a human body to exist on Earth’s realm. And before you ask, I had a one on one with Barachiel.” Lucca showed Eli his artwork on his arm. “This was courtesy of the Archangel.”

  Eli met his gaze. “I’m not following. Why would the Archangel mark you?”

  “He wants me to bring him the Book of Magic. He’s looking for two humans and he claims Raziel is protecting them. Raziel opened a portal and sent them through.”

  Eli picked up his coffee cup and downed the liquid as if he wished it were a more potent brew. “Why would Raziel risk so much for the humans?”

  “Unfortunately, Barachiel wasn’t forthcoming.” Lucca strode to the counter and reached for the coffeepot. He refilled Eli’s cup and brought the sugar bowl and the cream to the table.

  Eli doctored up his coffee before he leveled his gaze back to Lucca. “What?”

  “I haven’t told you the best part yet. Leroy and Purcible were Time Guardians and my dear old dad has joined forces with Kasadya, you know one of the Satans. I can only assume they want to release the other Satans for their party of doom.” Lucca grabbed another cookie. He took a generous bite, savoring the flavor before he stared at the remainder of it.

  “What’t wrong?”

  “Just wondering if the cookies were laced with Brugmansia. I haven’t shared so much since…” He looked at Eli. “Heck, ever.”

  Eli’s lips curved. “It’s not a bad thing. Trust me.”

  Lucca had come this far, why not keep going. He shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed before he spoke again. “Did Gideon pick up anything at Purcible’s?”

  “Yeah. Gideon picked up hellish energy, dark and thick. He had thought perhaps a demon was involved, but he could find no traces of an exact breed.”

  “Just what I thought. Kasadya was there, too.”

  “It might be a good idea to see if Zaiden can find Arizul,” Eli said. “Then we’ll go from there. If we can find your father and question him, maybe we’ll have a better picture of what they’re after.” Eli sipped his coffee thoughtfully before he looked at Lucca over the rim of the cup. “Do you know where the Book of Magic is?”

  Lucca hesitated. He shared enough for the day. He knew where the book was, but he didn’t have it in his possession… yet. “It’s locked away.”

  “Good. Maybe it should stay there at least until we know what we’re up against.”

  “Sure.” He had no intentions of leaving it where it was now. His father knew where the book was located, too.

  “Now,” Eli cleared his throat. “Why don’t you tell me what brought you to my house the other night?” He leveled his gaze at him.

  Lucca sighed and put down his coffee cup. “I was curious.”

  “Curious?”

  “How did you know Ryden was your soul mate?”

  Eli looked surprised, but he recovered quickly. He shoved the chair next to him out with his foot. “Have a seat and I’ll tell you.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “Auntie Jules, I don’t feel well.” Owen exaggerated a cough for good measure, hacking a few extra times when she didn’t respond. He wanted to go to the Comic Book Store. Gideon Sharpe’s new issue for his Fallen Angels series was released last night. The comic book store had a few more signed copies available, courtesy of the author leaving extras behind after his book signing. Owen’s comic book bud
dy, Dylan called Owen this morning with the news.

  Juliet reached for the rearview mirror and adjusted it so she could see what Owen was up to. “It’s not going to work, you know. So you can stop faking. You’re going to school.”

  He scrunched up his nose at her and stuck out his tongue.

  “You can stop with the faces, too.” She had to smile when Owen’s mouth dropped opened in awe. For a split second he wondered how she knew. Then he looked up and saw her eyeing him in the mirror. He crossed his arms against his chest and looked away. “Fine.”

  Owen didn’t want to go to school and Juliet had half a mind to keep him home, but she needed to do a little sleuthing. Owen wouldn’t exactly be discreet.

  Raziel blessed her with the perceptive radar to detect anything remotely otherworldly. She didn’t sense anything preternatural about Lucca. Not unless she counted her over zealous attraction to him as a sign.

  She threaded her hand through her hair, pushing the long strands away from her face. She wanted Lucca. Even with his hot and cold signals, she knew he wanted her, too.

  I’ll be damned. Zaiden’s words came back to haunt her.

  He said the proclamation as though he discovered something unexpected about her and Lucca. Whatever that could be. One minute he wanted to pummel Lucca. The next, he eyed Lucca and her as if he were seeing them for the first time. “What was that about anyway?” Then Lucca gave his smart mouth response.

  Isn’t that the point for us?

  Lucca’s actions, his hostility all spoke of a falling out with the Watchers. Something had happened between them. Mistrust hung in the air like a flammable substance, threatening to ignite at the slightest cause. Lucca’s knowledge about the Watchers didn’t concern her. It was the way Lucca spat his cutting response to Zaiden that disturbed her. He said us. He included himself in the statement and Zaiden didn’t refute it.

  What are you, Lucca Marlowe? She gripped the stirring wheel tighter as she drove. She learned long ago nothing was black and white. Humans weren’t the top of the food chain on earth with rogue vampires, werewolves, and other predatory creatures that didn’t follow the preternatural world of conduct. The Fallen Angels, the Nephilim and the Archangels, weren’t the pretty boys depicted in paintings either. They were rugged warriors ready to exact justice if need be. Thank goodness most of the otherworldly beings followed the rules and didn’t go psychopath on the humans. Then again, humans weren’t exactly perfect either. Find anything different than what they termed the norm and secret labs were created for unauthorized tests or worse—termination. All beings had their sadistic side, but usually she had a good idea what being proved the threat. She worried her lower lip as she thought. Where did Lucca fall in all this? Good? Evil? Watcher? Human? She didn’t know, and for once Raziel’s angelic fillers weren’t working for her.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Blaize landed with grace born of his kind, his dark wings so black they glistened with a blue sheen from the overhead lights. His god-like features were only marred by the scowl he wore, and even then his good looks didn’t diminish. “Are you ready?” he growled, fangs bared.

  Lucca nodded. “If it is any consolation, relying on your help isn’t considered my night of fun either. I wouldn’t involve you if the elders hadn’t bound my wings.”

  Blaize shook his head. “That’s the problem with you, Watchers, you think you can handle anything that comes your way. Loners, the lot of you. This job is a two man gig, especially if you don’t know what the hell to expect.”

  He snorted. “And the Darklins have oodles of friends. Makes me all warm and cozy inside thinking about it.”

  Blaize’s eyes glowed red, blocking out the violet. “Shut up and take my hand.”

  Lucca grabbed his outstretched hand in a firm grip.

  “Don’t think we’re going steady,” Blaize grumbled, shimmering with a surge of magic that encased them both.

  One minute they were standing in the park around the corner from his apartment, and the next they crossed the veil to the Otherworldly realm where Angel, Darklins, and other preternatural roamed. The world stood adjacent to the human realm where the humans couldn’t see it or breach it without glamour.

  The only time preternatural beings may roam the earth’s realm without glamour was during the times the veil thinned between the worlds. Like during Ol’ Hallows Eve on October thirty-first and Yule, the traditional time being in December not January as most humans thought. These dates are for the preternatural beings, giving them freedom to reveal their true self without consequences.

  Lucca had preferred to spend his time in the Otherworldly realm when he hadn’t been forced to watch and record human events. The Grigori were meant to keep track of history in the human realm, but with Eli breaking the rules and falling for a human, the Grigori were rethinking their existence. Since Lucca had been left out of the loop since his banishment, he didn’t have details until his impromptu meeting with Eli. Who would have thought the one Watcher who had every reason not to trust him had offered the olive branch—well, so to speak. He didn’t expect to become all warm and cozy with the Watcher anytime soon, but they had formed a truce for now.

  The elders believed the Watchers did possess souls after all. The discovery proved a big deal, especially when the Nephilim had always been considered damned. They had a chance for happiness if they found their soul mate to lift the chains that kept their souls buried. Yada, yada, yada.

  The whole ordeal made Lucca’s stomach churn and not in a completely bad way. His talk with Eli only proved to worry him more. Eli confessed Ryden’s scent drew him. Apparently the soul mate’s essence is only potent to the Nephilim meant for her or him, which ever the case may be. It all sounded vaguely familiar.

  ‘You’ll want to mark her, make her yours, the feeling will be so strong, common sense evades you,’ Eli told him.

  He could contest to the out of control response. Just another problem he had to deal with as if he didn’t already have enough on his plate. He couldn’t defend himself without his wings. How could he defend a mate and keep her safe? His mate didn’t come unattached either. He would be responsible for Owen’s safety, too.

  He needed his wings. Now.

  True his banishment would end if the elders believed he had changed, that he had embraced his human side with respect. His path was in the right direction, but the elders wouldn’t just overturn his punishment because he said he’d changed. They would want proof and that would take too damn long. His father was out there and he was in league with something vile. He couldn’t wait to go through the right channels. He’d get the Book of Magic and give it to Barachiel in exchange for his wings.

  Lucca glanced around, seeing his realm in a new light. The Otherworldly realm didn’t look much different than the human realm other than the architecture spoke of a time past. Castles, pyramids, and pantheons made up their cities coexisting with each other like planned neighborhoods of historical finds. Time past differently here, too. They could spend hours here, while days passed in the human realm. It was why preternatural life spans were so much longer than humans. They may be able to live on the human plane of existence, but their bodies ticked off time on the Otherworldly plane.

  Blaize had shimmered them in front of the Temple of Moqaddas where Raziel’s Book of Magic lay locked in the Vault situated in the underground cave below the temple. He’d look for The Tomes of Nasarm, while he was nosing around in the Vault, too. Not that he planned on handing the tome over to the Hashasheens, but a least he’d have it in his possession if Kordon came gunning for him again. It was always wise to have bargaining tools at your disposal.

  Lucca glanced at Blaize. The Darklin would use his expertise of breaking and entering. The preternatural didn’t call him the Legend of Stealth for nothing.

  Lucca had been with Arizul the day he placed the Book of Magic in the Vault. Lucca was no more than seven earth years at the time, but he understood the importance of the tome. His fath
er blathered on how Adam and Eve once possessed the tome. They passed the knowledge of the book to their children. Noah used the book to build the Ark and King Solomon used the book as a reference when he wrote the Key of Solomon. Solomon’s book contained convocation and curses to summon spirits of the dead and demons, forcing them to do the conjurers bidding.

  How his father came by Raziel’s Book, Lucca didn’t know, but the tome was one book among many his father had collected and locked away in his treasure room.

  Arizul took Lucca to the Vault on two other occasions. On the third visit, he memorized the intricate passageway to the Vault. The chamber lay hidden behind a bolted door, his father having the only key. At the time, Lucca hadn’t realized the knowledge of the passageway would come in handy. It also helped that he stolen the key after his father had Kit Marlowe killed. He wanted to hurt the bastard and he knew his father would be devastated when he learned he no longer had access to his treasures. “Events do happen for a reason.”

  “What did you say?” Blaize looked over his shoulder at him.

  Lucca shook his head. “Nothing. Just find us a way in.