The Wanderer's Children

by L. G. O'Connor

  With a sigh of relief, she motioned him toward the bedroom. “Let me get you a change of clothes. Then you can tell us what happened.”

  “He’s not the only who needs to change.” Paco looked at his tattered sleeves and headed for the guest room. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  “Do I smell chocolate?” Zeke asked, licking his lips.

  She smirked, eyeing her handiwork. “Obviously, your injuries didn’t affect your appetite.” On cue, the smell of chocolate triggered a rumble in her stomach, her resistance to Simon’s dessert forgotten.

  “I’m good as new, thanks to you,” Zeke said, turning back toward the kitchen. “Can we eat first?”

  Cara looked at his bloodstained uniform and wrinkled her nose. It would be going straight into the incinerator in the basement. “Um, I can’t eat and look at you in those clothes, sorry. How about I go and grab you one of those soufflés while you change. Just help yourself to another uniform. They’re in Simon’s closet.”

  He looked down at himself. “I see your point.”

  Cara left him to change and headed back into the kitchen. The soufflés sat forgotten on top of the stove, cooling. Eight. Enough for everyone including Simon and Angel when they returned.

  Michael gave her a mischievous wink. “I heard. Let’s meet in the dining room. I’ll bring them out.”

  In the open floor plan of the loft, the “dining room” was merely the space the kitchen melted into facing the front of the building.

  “Never a dull moment,” Brett said, following her and Kai to the table. “What kind of cool shit will I be able to do?”

  She wished she knew. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m hoping we find out this week.” Sliding out a chair, she sat down, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. Healing sapped her energy, similar to when Michael had visions or when Simon spent too much time flying. All of their gifts exacted a price.

  “When I draw your blood later, do you think Zeke would mind if I take a vial of his?” Kai asked pensively over his tented hands.

  “Depends on how big the needle is,” Zeke replied as he strode into the room, freshly dressed in one of Simon’s Guardianship uniforms. He pulled up a chair. “Why?”

  Kai shrugged. “I need some fresh comparison DNA for my tests on Cara.”

  Zeke winked at Cara. “It’s the least I can do. She saved my bacon.”

  Brett sniffed in disgust. “Please tell me Angel didn’t put you up to that.”

  “Put me up to what?” Zeke asked with a look of sincere innocence.

  “Ugh. Never mind,” Brett said.

  Cara snickered, remembering the ongoing “meat” game Angel played with Brett and knowing Zeke wasn’t in on the joke.

  Michael walked in with an overfilled tray and set it the table. Paco followed behind him, now wearing a black T-shirt—the scratches on his arms already half-healed.

  Taking a seat, Paco folded his arms across his wide chest and addressed Zeke. “Okay, brother. What happened to Isaac and how did you almost get yourself killed? If Cara wasn’t here, I’m not sure you would’ve made it to the clinic.”

  Zeke picked up a spoon. “Isaac and I were almost here when we caught a whiff of Simon’s—I mean, the rogue’s—energy a few blocks away. We engaged and he led us straight into a hornet’s nest of Dark Ones in a warehouse on the Lower East Side.”

  “Wait, who?” Cara asked mid-nibble. “What does this have to do with Simon?”

  Zeke traded a look with Paco, who just shrugged.

  “A rogue Nephil has been following Simon on and off since the day the Sentinel tagged you on the street. We think he works for Le Feu. He was impossible to track until Michael figured out he mimics Simon’s energy. That’s why we never picked him up. He’s been hiding in Simon’s shadow.”

  “How often does something like that happen?” Cara asked. “The same energy thing?”

  “About as often as we find a Nephil working for the Dark Ones who’s not a genetic experiment,” Zeke said. “Never.”

  “Should I be worried?” Cara tensed.

  “Not sure, doll,” Zeke squeezed her hand and gave her a look of reassurance. “We’re trying to capture him. Don’t worry, ’kay?”

  She returned the squeeze, appreciating his concern.

  Paco frowned. “So just the two of you? Did you see his face?”

  “We called in reinforcements the moment we took off after him.” His mouth set in a hard line. “And, no, we never saw his face. He stayed cloaked.”

  Paco’s frown deepened. “Why didn’t you call us?”

  “We’re under strict orders not to take any unnecessary risks with Simon, you, or your charges,” Zeke said, evenly.

  “Whose orders?”

  “Constantina’s.”

  Michael shook his head. “This doesn’t make any sense. The rogue was the one who warned me the Dark Ones were coming. Why would he lure you into a trap?”

  Zeke brushed his hand across his face and tensed. He glanced briefly at Michael and then at Cara. “Here’s what’s crazy… I don’t think that's what he did.”

  “What do you mean?” Paco asked.

  Zeke flipped his chin nervously toward Brett and Kai and asked Paco, “Can I speak freely in front of them?”

  Paco turned to Cara. “How much do they already know?”

  Cara opened her mouth to answer when Brett piped up, his face pinched in annoyance. “I can speak for myself, and the answer is enough weird shit to give me nightmares for a year. A few more fun facts aren’t going to make much of a difference. And in case you’re wondering, I’ve already given my word to Constantina that nothing I’ve learned is for public consumption. Cool?”

  All right-y then, Cara thought, proud of Brett for speaking up. She found playing Mother Hen draining, especially since the list of people she worried about had grown exponentially just over the weekend.

  Kai nodded. “Same here.”

  Zeke took a deep breath. “The Dark Ones had something new with them.”

  “Something new?” Paco asked.

  “Yeah, beings like Cara—genetically engineered Nephilim.”

  “What makes you think they’re like Cara?” Kai asked.

  “Not like Cara exactly, and not born Nephilim, either. They were soulless… their wings were black as coal and stunted, but they were strong and powerful, like us.” Zeke scooped a spoonful of soufflé into his mouth and added, “They’re not quite as good as us, but that doesn’t matter when you’re outnumbered ten to one.”

  “Le Feu mentioned Forrester wasn’t the only lab working on the vaccine,” Kai said, hands folded in front of him. “It’s possible another one could’ve succeeded. Interesting, they managed to develop a version with wing development.”

  In between mouthfuls, Zeke said, “What’s really crazy? I think the rogue wanted us to discover them.”

  “Why?” Paco asked.

  “He helped us escape after Isaac was stabbed.”

  Chapter 48

  KAI

  New York City. Penthouse. Monday, May 27, 1:00 AM ET

  HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMS pierced the air, tearing Kai out of a solid slumber. Disoriented, he bolted upright and fumbled to turn on the lamp, not understanding why he was sleeping on the wrong side of the bed. Then he remembered where he was… Cara’s penthouse. He and Cara had come here after Angel had returned to the loft alone to brief the group. Simon had stayed behind with Isaac.

  His heart pounded as he lunged out of bed and ran into the hallway toward the agonizing sound. He flung Cara’s bedroom door open with such force it rebounded off the doorstop.

  “Cara!” Kai yelled, his hand slapping the wall until he found the switch.

  Light bathed the room.

  “Make it stop!” Cara screamed. She sat in the middle of the king-size bed, shaking in a sweat-soaked T-shirt. Movement underneath her T-shirt accompanied by crunching and popping sounds sent a shiver barreling down his spine.

  He ran to her side. “Talk to me,
” he demanded. No time for modesty, Kai lifted her T-shirt to expose her bare back.

  “My spine,” Cara said, looking back at him as tears rolled down her cheeks in tiny rivers. He choked back a gasp as he watched her bones shift under her skin like something out of a sci-fi flick. A ripple of movement traveled along her spine as the vertebra popped up and back in a continuous path. Her shoulder blades morphed and reshaped until they had moved farther apart. Intellectually, he grasped the Nephilim changes she had spoken to him about, but nothing had prepared him for this.

  Out of breath with his chest heaving, Simon filled the doorway. There was no mistaking the wild look of panic in his eyes. “What’s going on?”

  Cara didn’t seem to notice him as her screams escalated in pitch to ear-splitting screeches.

  “Growth spurt. Get the medical bag in my room. Silver case,” Kai barked. His only choice was to put her under and then make an emergency call to Celine, his assigned Nephilim counterpart, at the Sanctuary. But not before he drew some blood. He’d extract a sample of spinal fluid once she was unconscious.

  Simon disappeared from sight, returning less than a minute later with the heavy silver suitcase.

  Kai selected a powerful sedative. He looked at Simon. “Help me.”

  Simon pressed his lips together and nodded. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Hold her arm so I can draw some blood. Then I’ll inject her.” He snapped an empty vial onto a syringe.

  Cara wailed as Simon pulled her onto his lap, cradling her as she screamed and thrashed. Using his free hand, he steadied her arm, pain etching a deep line across his brow. Kai recognized the look; he wore the same one the night he tried to comfort Melanie before her trip to Sequoia. His heart ached for Simon, understanding better than anyone what he was going through.

  Cara’s arm quivered and her body tensed as Kai sank the needle into her skin and depressed the plunger. Once the vial was full, he swapped it out for the sedative.

  Less than three minutes later, Cara’s howling stopped and she went limp in Simon’s arms.

  Kai ran his hands through his hair and dropped his head in his hands. “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?” Simon asked anxiously, cradling Cara’s unconscious body next to his heart. The movement under her T-shirt had ceased.

  Tipping his chin at Cara, Kai said, “Why don’t you make her comfortable, and then we’ll talk in the living room. She’ll be out for the rest of the night.” Kai glanced down at his boxers, suddenly feeling underdressed. “Let me put on some clothes. I’ll meet you out there in five minutes.”

  Simon nodded and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

  Kai headed back to his room. How could he admit to Simon that he was out of his depth on this one? He may have learned a great deal about Nephilim physiology in the last several months, retaining it in his photographic memory, but he still didn’t know what he didn’t know. After they talked, he’d ring Celine. She’d be in the lab by then.

  He slipped on jeans and a golf shirt and met Simon in the living room. Still in uniform, Simon sat leaning forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and sipping something from a glass. He cleared his throat and pointed to a second glass. “I hope you like brandy.”

  Not really his thing, but Kai welcomed the burn as he took a sip.

  “I’m going to need to your help, Simon.”

  His head snapped up. “What kind of help?”

  “With Cara. I’m not with her every minute. You’re the only person who comes close. Can I teach you a few things tomorrow? To do in case of an emergency?”

  “Sure,” Simon replied. Kai figured it might help Simon regain some self-confidence. Make him feel more useful in times of medical crisis. In reality, Simon already made a formidable assistant.

  “Good. In the meantime, do you remember your adolescence? Do you remember anything like this happening to you? Painful growth spurts, bones shifting? Hormone rushes?”

  Simon released a breath and gripped his glass. “Mine was a milder version of what Cara’s been going through. And I never experienced anything as painful as tonight, even when my wings emerged for the first time. My adolescence was gradual.”

  “Is this how all her growth spurts have been?” Kai asked.

  Simon shook his head. “Nothing like this until tonight. Complaints about aches and pains, but nothing a few aspirin couldn’t solve. She’s never mentioned anything beyond that.”

  Kai nodded. “Have you ever seen or heard of anything like this before?”

  Simon’s jaw tightened. “It’s rare, but yes.”

  The hairs rose on Kai’s arms. “And?”

  His eyes filled with anguish, and he whispered, “The two I know of died. Flaws within the human cells of the mothers caused massive cell rejection right before their adolescence ended. It’s called Nephilim Adolescent Collapse Syndrome.”

  Kai heart went into free fall and hit his stomach. He stared at Simon, speechless.

  “But Cara’s not really going through true adolescence. Something similar but not the same, right?” Simon growled, his eyes pleading. “An adjustment to the DNA?”

  He wished he knew. “I’ll get the samples I took today flown to the Sanctuary tomorrow. We’ll get a handle on this quickly. If she has another episode, we should take her to Beth Israel for some interim tests.” Given Cara’s unique situation, the Sanctuary was still their best option. It housed their most advanced genetics and physiology labs and all their specialists.

  “Don’t let anything happen to her, Kai,” he gritted, his eyes shining. “And promise me you won’t tell her anything until we know for certain.”

  “I promise,” Kai said. “But I need you to promise me something in return.”

  “What’s that?” His eyes connected with Simon’s.

  “Stay cool. Don’t panic or she’ll know,” Kai said.

  “Agreed.”

  Guilt stabbed Kai in the chest. Simon and Cara deserved happiness. He hoped that he hadn’t made a mistake in the formula he’d used to save Cara; that he hadn’t accidentally handed her a death sentence.

  Simon looked at the drink he held in his hands. “I’m sorry, Kai. For my behavior earlier. I meant no disrespect.”

  Kai’s admiration for Simon grew. Without a doubt, Cara had chosen the better man. Now, he’d do what he could to make sure they had a future together.

  Kai rose and clasped Simon’s shoulder. “None taken. You’re a good man, Simon. She loves you… only you.”

  With that, Kai drained his glass, turned on his heel, and headed to the guest room to call Celine.

  He prayed she’d have some answers.

  Chapter 49

  CARA

  SHE AWOKE WITH SIMON’S warmth spooned behind her, his arms securely embracing her as if trying to prevent her escape. Still asleep, she listened to his rhythmic breathing. Her anger from last night faded and she inhaled his familiar scent.

  She kissed the arm closest to her lips. “I thought you were sleeping at the loft?”

  He squeezed her closer. “I couldn’t sleep without you next to me. I’m sorry I doubted you,” he whispered in a sleepy voice from behind her. “Will you forgive me?”

  “Maybe,” she said softly. “What happened last night? I remember seeing you…”

  “Kai drugged you. How are you feeling?”

  Whatever pain she’d had last night was gone. “Fine.”

  He kissed her hair. “Tell me what to do for complete forgiveness. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  She relaxed back into his naked body. Her hormones awakened from the touch of his skin against hers, and a small smile formed on her lips. “Whatever it takes?”

  Shifting her hair out of the way, he touched his lips tenderly to her neck. “Whatever it takes…” She could feel him harden behind her, his naked arousal pressing against the small of her back.

  Desire hit her in a deluge. Reaching behind her, she lifted her nightshirt and wrapped her hand around his t
hick girth. Guiding his silky tip underneath her, she slid back onto him.

  Enveloping him in her slickness, her nerve endings exploded with need.

  He let out a sharp groan. His hands found her hips, and he rocked his full length into her, cradling her body. His movements were focused, slow, and loving.

  He nibbled her ear and whispered, “Don’t ever leave me, Cara. I can’t breathe without you.”

  She found his hand and brought his large, perfect fingers to her lips, kissing each fingertip. The feel of him was exquisite inside of her, her love for him bubbling up and overwhelming her. “How could I? My soul is inside you.”

  Snuggling her close, his arms flexed around her as he plunged deep, yet gently. Sounds of pleasure vibrated from his lips. Another wash of heat spread through Cara as his penetrating thrusts found their mark. Without warning, Cara caught the wave of her orgasm and stifled her cries as she clutched him tightly with her warmth.

  His hips pumped harder and he rocked himself in as far as he could go, widening and filling her before he quietly exploded with a powerful shudder. His body went slack behind her. He pulled her closer, wrapping her inside of the muscled columns of his arms.

  Purring in her ear, his heart beat rapidly against her back. “Was that a good start?”

  She smiled. “I’d say so… You’ve never been so quiet, though.”

  “I said I’d do whatever it takes to show you. Alerting your former lover we’re making love would be very bad form. And I understand how that might make him feel.”

  “Thank you. That was kind and very thoughtful.”

  “I want to be the man you deserve…” His voice trailed off.

  She twisted her head around to look up at him. Anger no longer burned in his eyes. Instead, they reflected a fierce love that shone brighter than anything she was accustomed to seeing. Any residual doubts she had melted away.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said.

  “Enough said.” His lips came down on hers in a kiss before the couple settled back with their limbs tangled into a satisfied heap.

  “Tell me about Isaac,” she whispered, enjoying his warmth around her. “How is he?”