by Susan Illene
Chapter 6
Cori
The aroma of fried chicken filled the air. Cori flipped over the latest batch and checked on Emily—Melena’s adopted daughter—to make sure she was prepping the next set of breasts for their turn to fry. Whenever she cooked a big meal, a lot of people showed up for it, so she had to make sure there would be enough for everyone. She had two fryers going to make a dozen chicken breasts and a couple of dozen more legs and thighs. Since she didn’t have to work that day, she’d been able to start preparing dinner just after four. It was now a little past six in the evening, and everything was almost ready.
“Go ahead and switch those out,” Cori told Emily, nodding at the other fryer.
The seventeen-year-old girl leaped to the task. Emily had a much better handle on cooking than Melena, who’d given them all food poisoning a week ago when she’d attempted to make breakfast. This was quite the accomplishment when the whole household was supernatural and shouldn’t be able to get sick easily. The sensor had the strangest knack for ruining even the simplest of meals and only succeeded about a quarter of the time in making something decent, but that never stopped her from trying.
Cori had won fifty dollars on a wager that the breakfast would go terribly wrong. Lucas had to bet in his wife’s favor or else he’d have been sleeping on the front lawn in the snow. Two others had thought Melena might do better this time since she’d screwed up the last three meals. It was sad since she had such a large and well-stocked kitchen where you could cook almost anything. No one was quite certain how the sensor managed to mess up meals so badly and with such consistency.
“So I noticed you didn’t come home last night,” Emily said, glancing over at Cori through her tangled mess of brown hair. She’d been soaking wet when she got home after school. There’d been a snowball fight that had gotten rather ugly with several supernatural teenagers involved.
To look at Emily, nothing about her seemed abnormal. She was slim with straight hair a few inches past her shoulders, pale skin, and eyes as blue as the sky on a clear day. Nothing in particular would leave a person to think she was different, but the teenager and Cori had something in common. She’d also ingested Melena’s blood once. The big difference being Emily was born a sensor, so it didn’t change her as much other than making her stronger, faster, and able to heal more quickly. On the other hand, Cori had gotten a much larger dose that could possibly count for two, but no one was certain. It wasn’t an exact science.
After Emily had returned home from school and the snowball fight, she’d changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt before diving in to help in the kitchen. It was one of the things Cori would miss most once she moved to her rebuilt cabin, and according to Melena, that wouldn’t be too much longer now—maybe ten to fourteen days, depending on if all the parts and appliances arrived on time. Lucas and Melena arranged to have it built again in the same location as before, near Bartol’s cabin. Cori couldn’t wait to see the finished job, which she’d promised not to go see before it was done. That had been one promise she regretted giving since it hadn’t been easy not checking on the progress of the place.
“I stayed at Bartol’s last night,” Cori admitted.
The teenager lifted a brow. “That’s good, right?”
“I hope so.”
Emily turned her chicken pieces over. “We’ve gotta start planning for Thanksgiving. It’s always better when you’re around to make sure everything goes right, and you can invite Bartol for it, too. He needs to get out more.”
The holiday was only a few days away, and Cori had already been thinking about it. She’d love it if she could convince Bartol to eat with them, but he wasn’t much of one for being around large groups. It would take a miracle to get him there, especially since she couldn’t even get him to attend the smaller, more intimate dinners.
“Are you inviting any friends from school?” Cori asked, preferring to avoid the subject for now.
Emily nodded. “Two of them actually asked to come after they found out you’d be cooking.”
Cori was rather hoping it might draw Bartol as well. “What about their families? Are they okay with that?”
“One girl only has her dad, so he’s coming, too. The other one is just making an appearance at her family dinner and then coming here since all her parents do is fight the whole day.”
Micah—Lucas’ brother—stepped into the kitchen. “When is dinner going to be ready?”
He looked just like Lucas since they were twins, but he kept his blond hair much longer so that it fell to his shoulders and framed his golden-tanned face. The two men’s large build and strong facial features were exactly the same, though.
“Half an hour,” Cori replied.
“Good.” He rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving. Oh, and expect a few extra guests, including Kerbasi.”
“I figured,” she replied, pulling her chicken out of the fryer to cool.
Kerbasi was a former guardian—sort of a lower cast of angel—who lived in a shack behind the house. He was the man responsible for torturing Bartol in Purgatory, but he’d been reforming himself over the past year and a half—with help from Melena—and had improved enough that most people tolerated him these days. Cori couldn’t forgive him, though, since he’d done horrible things to her mate. She’d repeatedly tried to make him stay away with various threats.
Despite that, he had a way of ingratiating himself at meals no matter what she did. The man could eat more than anyone else she’d ever met—including all her supernatural friends—and when she cooked, he made sure he got his share and then some. There was no stopping him. Stronger and more experienced people than her had tried and failed.
She moved over to the potatoes to start mashing them. “Just make sure he stays out of my way.”
“Of course.” Micah nodded and left the kitchen.
Cori and Emily finished with the rest of the meal and set the table while chatting about school and other topics. Everyone filed into the dining room as they put the last of the steaming dishes down. Other than the main house occupants, including Melena, Lucas, Emily, and Micah, there was also Kerbasi, Ariel—a former angel recovering from a stay in Hell—and two nephilim from the nerou compound. Micah’s daughter, Olivia, was also there.
They ate in silence for the next ten minutes until those with sensor abilities jerked their heads up. It took Cori a moment longer to recognize that her mate had just flashed outside. What was he doing here?
“I’ll go talk to him,” she said, standing. Then pointed at Kerbasi. “Touch my plate, and I swear by all that is holy I will let Melena handle one of your next meals without you knowing it.”
The sensor coughed into her hand, smiling behind it.
The guardian was a large, hulking man who never seemed comfortable in his own body, as if it was too big for him. He claimed he could never get used to the gravity differences between Purgatory and Earth, which was why he was so clumsy and awkward. Today, he had his long, black hair pulled into a queue. It caused the low level lighting in the dining room to render his light olive complexion darker than usual and his features even harsher. Kerbasi could be a scary man to look at—if you took him seriously.
He cast his swirling silver eyes toward her. “Now that is just cruel.”
“And your point is?”
The guardian sniffed. “I do not understand why you begrudge a working man a decent meal.”
“Just consider yourself warned.”
He didn’t reply to that. Just glanced at Melena, who shook a warning finger at him. She’d been the one to do his initial rehabilitating that had made him a more tolerable person. It had been part of her punishment for breaking into Purgatory. No one had thought it would work, but after more than a year, some people believed she’d managed a miracle. Kerbasi had been showing signs of compassion over the last year that no one would have thought possible. He was still a work in progress with a long way to go in Cori’s mind, though.
>
She headed for the front door, reaching it just as a knock sounded against the solid wood. She pulled it open and smiled. For once, Bartol had come to her. Maybe her efforts were paying off after all.
He ran his gaze up and down her body before meeting her eyes. “You’re looking well.”
“I’m glad you came,” she said, stepping aside for him to enter. “We just started dinner if you want to go in and grab a plate.”
From the foyer, they could see into the formal dining room where the table was full of people. He glanced that way, winced at the crowd, and turned back to her. There was a note of apology in his voice as he spoke, “Actually, I came to see Lucas.”
Cori inwardly sighed. “Yeah, sure.”
“Give me a moment,” Lucas called out from the kitchen.
Melena’s husband did this strange thing where he rarely ate with the group when big meals were involved. Instead, he’d scarf down his food quickly outside everyone’s view before joining them at the table with a drink in hand. In other cases, he’d sit with them the whole time and eat later.
“I could fix you a plate if you want,” Cori offered.
She didn’t want to see Bartol go hungry, and the flare of his nose told her that the smell of the food was tempting him. Left to his own devices, his meals mostly consisted of potatoes or canned soup. It killed her that she hadn’t been able to bring him meals for the last few weeks, but the one time she’d left a container on his porch it was still there the next day, untouched and frozen solid. He probably didn’t ever bother to go through his front door in the winter since he could simply flash inside, avoiding the cold and snow altogether.
Bartol hesitated, glancing toward the dining table where Kerbasi chewed on a chicken breast, making a mess of himself. A flash of anger and bitterness entered her mate’s eyes before he covered it up and returned his attention to her. “What I’ve got to talk about with Lucas is important, but if you don’t mind bringing a plate to the den, I would appreciate it.”
“Sure. No problem.”
He leaned down and gave her a brief kiss on the forehead. “Thank you.”
It was the first time he’d ever made a gesture like that where others could see and even looked comfortable while doing it. Cori resisted the urge to touch him back, not wanting to push her luck. Bartol had a long way to go before he could handle that, and she had to be patient with him if she wanted his progress to continue.
Cori tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’ll bring your dinner over in a few minutes.”
He nodded, hesitated for a moment as if he wanted to say more, and then left for the den.
She passed Lucas along the way to the kitchen. He gave her an indiscernible look but didn’t comment on the unexpected turn of events. Cori just knew it had to do with Caius’ proposition. She wished she could listen in, but it was impossible to hear the men on the far side of the house with the boisterous conversation going on in the dining room. Instead, she did her best to concentrate on piling hot food on a plate and tried not to think about the reason Bartol had showed up tonight. Could he have changed his mind this soon about meeting Zoe? With the plan she and Melena had put together, they’d thought it would take at least a few more days, maybe a week. Cori wasn’t mentally prepared to see him go yet when they’d just started to make progress in their relationship.
Melena joined her in the kitchen a couple of minutes later, bringing her empty plate with her. The sensor could pick up on emotions, and no doubt realized Cori was upset and having doubts.
“This could be good for both of you if he goes,” she said, rinsing off her plate.
“Maybe.” Cori kept her gaze trained on the dish she was preparing for Bartol. “But I’d hoped we’d have more time. What if he gets out there and realizes I’m not worth the trouble, and he doesn’t come back?”
Melena narrowed her eyes. “You know that’s a little extreme, right? He’s mated to you, and you’ve been strengthening the bond again. Going away is only going to make him realize how much he needs you in his life.”
Cori spooned corn onto Bartol’s plate. “I know, but I’m only starting to make progress with him. It just feels wrong to let him go now.”
“Nothing is going to break you up,” the sensor said in a confident voice.
“You’re right.” Cori sighed. “I’m just worried—this could be really dangerous.”
Melena squeezed her shoulder. “It will be fine. If he takes the job, he should be there and back in a few days. Zoe wouldn’t hurt him, but even if she did, she can’t kill him.”
The female nephilim in question was more than thirty-two hundred years old. She was very strong, vindictive, and borderline insane. Cori didn’t trust her. Sure, nephilim couldn’t kill each other, but for all they knew, Zoe was in league with the demon. If a creature from Hell was strong enough, they could take a nephilim down. This one sounded like it might fit that description.
“I still wish someone else could go,” Cori said, feeling like a sappy fool.
This wasn’t like her at all, but she’d had an amazing night with Bartol and couldn’t get it out of her head. Making love with him and then falling asleep next to each other had been amazing. He’d even held her for a while before pulling away to his side of the bed. And in the morning, they’d had a nice breakfast together. For the first time, they’d felt like a real couple.
Cori finished filling the plate and set it on a tray, adding a napkin, a glass of water, and silverware. She might not control much at the moment, but she could ensure her mate had a decent meal.
“If it’s any consolation, I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Melena said, walking with her toward the den. “Whatever happens—you won’t be alone.”
Cori gripped the tray. “Thanks.”
They passed through the formal living room and into the back of the house where they found the two male nephilim in deep discussion. The furniture in the den was cozy and comfortable, decorated in earth tones of brown, beige, and green. There was a huge television on the wall, hooked to a surround sound stereo system. More often than not, this was where the occupants of the house ended up at night after work or school. When Bartol had first come back from Purgatory, he’d stayed in Lucas’ office next door. They’d rarely seen him come out except to eat his meals in front of the television. The den was one of the few places outside his own cabin where he seemed marginally relaxed.
“I will need to speak with Caius before we discuss this any further,” Bartol said.
Lucas pulled his cell phone from his pocket, unlocked the screen, and scrolled through his contact list. “I’ll call him now.”
A moment later, Caius answered on the other end of the line, voice clear to all those with heightened hearing. It wasn’t ten seconds after Lucas explained the situation and invited him over that Melena announced the nephilim had arrived on the front lawn. She left to answer the door.
“That was quick,” Cori noted.
Bartol looked at her, gaze dipping toward the tray she held. He took it and set it on a side table against the wall. “Thank you. I’ll eat this later.”
“Are you considering going to Russia?” she asked, unable to wait for an answer any longer.
He lifted a brow. “How do you know about that?”
Part of Cori and Melena’s plan was that she’d be the only one who didn’t bring up Caius or Zoe—at least, not unless the situation dragged out. It might have set Bartol off if he discovered the nephilim had visited her at her shop. Caius had mentioned that even saying Cori’s name seemed to cause problems.
For a man who’d done his best to avoid her until recently, Bartol sure was protective of her. Though to his credit, he still wasn’t as bad as her first husband, who’d hit any man who so much as looked at Cori the wrong way, and then he’d beat her for good measure once they got home. Bartol wasn’t like that at all, but it was good to know he wasn’t totally impervious to jealousy, either.
She nodded. “M
elena and I talked about it.”
That much was true.
“Did you know last night?” he asked, gaze turning suspicious.
She shifted on her feet, fearing he wouldn’t like the answer, but she couldn’t outright lie to him. There were already enough secrets between them. “Yeah, I knew, but I figured if you wanted to talk about it then, you’d be the one to bring it up.”
Some of the tension left his face. “That is true.”
Melena led Caius toward them. With two other large nephilim in the den, adding a third practically sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Cori still couldn’t get over how different it felt to be around powerful immortals now that she’d become something not quite human. How could she have been oblivious to their strong static charge before?
“What else can I say to convince you?” Caius asked, posture open and ready for negotiation.
Bartol frowned in the general direction of the dining room where most of the guests were still eating, then gestured toward a door a few feet away. “Why don’t we take this into the office where we’ll have more privacy?”
Lucas nodded. “Of course.”
He and Caius went first with Bartol stopping in the doorway to turn toward Cori. “You may not like what you’re about to hear, but I need you to support me on this.”
She and Melena were practically at the door, ready to follow the men inside.
“I can handle it,” Cori said, steeling her resolve.
He hesitated before waving her inside. “That is what I’m hoping.”
Chapter 7
Bartol
Bartol waited until everyone had gathered in the office before shutting the door and turning to face them. It had been a long time since he’d addressed this many people at once, and the urge to flee was strong. He looked to Cori, who gave him a confident smile even though she couldn’t possibly know his full intentions.
His mate could be a rock for him if he only allowed it.
And with that thought, he remembered his purpose. If the two of them were going to have any chance together, they needed safety, stability, and funds to survive. By taking this job, he could make a good start in accomplishing those things. He had to plan in such a way that presumed they would manage to work out their differences and become true mates, assuming Bartol got the assurances he wanted first.