* * * *
The debonair mage, Robert, led Byron further into the building. The Silver Council was nothing like what he expected. Neither mage was remotely what he’d imagined.
The biggest surprise was that they treated him fairly, asked questions, and were doing their damnedest to help him when he honestly didn’t deserve it. Best of all, they were helping his brother as well.
Robert turned to him, smoothing the perfect lapels on his jacket. “I hope you understand that until we get a handle on HARP, or at least the cell in Washington, I can’t allow you to leave. I do apologize, but for the moment you are safest here.”
“Understood. I feel safer here.” He half-laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I can admit, I was wrong. Thank you for taking care of Monty.”
“We’ll do everything we can to keep you both safe.”
“I truly appreciate it.”
Robert opened the door. “Go ahead and go inside. I’ll be back tomorrow to see if you have any information we can use to find Jones and the rest of his crew.”
Nodding, Byron stepped inside. He found Monty sitting in a chair, still reading Les Miserables by the fire. “Monty, you’re okay?”
Setting the book aside, he smiled. “Thanks to Robert and Preston. Not sure what they are, but they’re much better company than your HARP friends. They don’t assume I’m going to eat everyone in sight.”
Feeling like an asshole, Byron sank onto a seat. “So what happened? What did HARP do when I left?”
“They were gone by the time I woke up. There wasn’t a single light on. I couldn’t sense anyone, and I suppose had I checked the door, I would have found it unlocked.”
“You didn’t check?”
He rolled his eyes. “Why? They tried that once when Jerry was still around. He escaped, went after one of the guards who quickly staked him. Some of those guards aren’t human. Can’t sense them.”
“Aren’t human?” Byron asked. He always had suspicions, but to have it confirmed made his skin crawl. They were supposed to be a group created to protect mortals through harsh means. “What the hell is their agenda then?”
Monty shook his head. “Not good, whatever it is.”
“Why didn’t I listen to you?”
Shrugging, he sighed. “I make bad decisions on a regular basis. Why would you listen to me?”
“Since becoming a vampire, you seem to be making better choices.”
“Don’t know about that. But I wish I knew about HARP sooner. They aren’t what they appear.”
“And how do you know?”
“I was being followed by that bitch, Mena. She’s not what you think. She plays medic because she likes causing pain. She feeds off it.”
“How so?”
“She’s a demon. Like Jones. At least half, and something more. They aren’t right, Byron. Never were. I heard about their plans. They’re making an army he can control.”
Byron scrubbed his hands through his hair. “Why? What for?”
“Never heard that part, but they have some strange creatures roaming around.”
“Did you tell the Council?”
He nodded. “Yeah. As much as I could. Then Robert hopped in my head with his partner and they did more digging. Found stuff I never realized was tucked away.”
“Hmm. And you’re all right?”
“Yeah. They opened my eyes.”
“Sorry I got you into this mess.”
“I’ve gotten myself into worse.” Monty stood, and clapped a hand over Byron’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, bro, I’ve offered to help any way I can. Maybe you should consider doing the same.”
Chapter 12
Monty and Byron had disappeared off the face of the fucking planet. The tracking devices no longer worked. Jones stormed through HARP’s newest location, looking for anyone who might be able to pinpoint where dipshit and dumbfuck were.
Mena came out of the med bay with a Cheshire cat grin. She licked the blood off her arm, her eyes sparkling. He could have sworn he heard a purr rumble from the back of her throat. She was dangerously close to giving away her true nature.
“Whose sorry hide did you mend?”
“Niko’s. Got himself ripped into by a pissed-off cat. Seems to me we have a new pet. Not sure he’s worth the trouble. May want to put him down already.”
“Oh, but he could be useful. Possibly. We’ll put him with the rest of the test subjects.”
“More playtime then.”
“Later. Right now, I need you to find Monty and Byron.”
Mena crossed her arms over her chest and glared back. “Do you think I was diddling myself instead of searching for them?”
“No, but if wards are hiding them, it’s possible they’ll step outside, so we need to regularly scan.”
“Not if the mages have them,” she pointed out. “I told you, the other essence I found in the old place was that of a mage. They didn’t leave by normal means, they translocated out. We’re close enough to Seattle headquarters, we may as well write them off.”
“Keep trying. I’m not faulting you, this time. However, we did program Byron to come to us when he sleeps.”
Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t say a word.
“You doubt he’ll make it out?”
“If the mages have him, he’s likely locked in a cell somewhere.”
She had a point. Still, he wasn’t going to let it slide. They needed him. The Council couldn’t hold Monty and Byron forever without consent. There was no way Byron would choose to stay captive.
* * * *
Robert woke to the ringing phone. He reached behind himself to find his cell. Liz curled closer with a sleepy moan.
Regretfully, he pressed talk. “This is Robert.”
“Byron tried to escape,” Jason, one of the enforcers on guard duty for Monty and Byron, answered. “He’s deep in sleep, but acting as if in a trance. We can’t get him to wake up. He’s now in a cell, trying to find a way out.”
“I’ll be there in a moment.”
Tremaine looked over Liz’s shoulder. “Problems with HARP?”
Robert nodded. “Looks that way. I need to go release Byron from whatever hold they have on him.”
“Good luck. They’re a bunch of twisted bastards.”
“Indeed. I’ll be back quick as I can.” Reluctantly, he pulled himself from bed and went to the closet to dress before popping over to headquarters.
They had kept Monty in one of the protective custody quarters, which meant that’s where they put Byron. Clearly, he was still brainwashed, so they’d probably moved him to the warded cells to keep him contained and safe.
Robert hated the confinement wing. It wasn’t much better than a prison. Though the space would prevent Byron from doing something monumentally stupid.
Jason stood and nodded back toward Byron. “The healers couldn’t do anything for him. I figured you would have better luck.”
“Let’s hope.” Robert stepped into the cell. Byron came at him swinging. Robert popped out and reappeared behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and forcing him awake.
Byron’s momentum kept him moving. Robert let go and Byron fell face first into the magically warded glass wall.
With a groan, he slid to the floor. “What the hell?” he mumbled.
“Had to wake you up. Seems you were trying to get back to HARP.”
He shook his head, thumping his palm against his brow. “No. I’m done with them, very done with them.”
“Our guess is you’ve been brainwashed. I’m here to fix it.”
“And Monty?”
“Monty’s fine. Still in the suite we gave him, and you’ll be back there once we deal with this issue.”
“How are you going to do that?”
Robert offered his hand and pulled him to a stand. “Well, I need to go into your head to find where they implanted the suggestion to go back to them in your sleep. Assuming I can erase that, you won’t try to run off in the middle of
the night.”
“They never trusted me, did they?”
Robert shook his head. “Sorry, but no. They don’t trust anyone on the lower tiers of HARP.”
Byron’s shoulders slumped, his frown deepening. “Fix me.”
Robert nodded to the cot. “Please sit.”
* * * *
“You said your mother lingered in this realm after her death?” Jophiel asked while they ate pancakes Lincoln had made.
Lincoln scrubbed a hand through his hair and nodded slowly. “She did. It took me moving, and letting someone else live in our old place, for her to move on.”
“She called you a sinner?”
He nodded, looking away.
“Why?” As far as he could tell, Lincoln was completely innocent.
“Does it matter? I mean, I’m still a virgin, and Mom hadn’t exactly married you.”
“I won’t judge you, Lincoln. I simply want to understand.”
“Mom did.”
Jophiel rubbed his chin. “I won’t judge Victoria either.”
Blushing, Lincoln drew a slow breath. “Mom caught me jerking off while Victoria stood outside the window. She likes to watch. No one was hurt, I knew and didn’t mind. Mom freaked out.”
“How long after her death was this?”
“Three months when it began. I moved last month. I couldn’t take it anymore. At first her presence was comforting, but then she became paranoid about my soul.”
Shaking his head, Jophiel smiled in amusement. “Sometimes, when a soul stays in this plane too long after passing, they become irrational. She was here longer than most.”
“I hope. I’d hate to think she believed me damned before moving on.”
“When I find her, I’ll make sure she knows what an amazing man you’ve become.”
“Thanks.”
“As for your situation, something done between two people can hardly be a sin if it’s consensual.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Hadraniel will be coming to pick me up in a bit. I’m sure you have things to do today.”
“Told you, I have the day off. At some point I need to figure out what to wear on my date, but that shouldn’t take long. If you want to get Mom’s letters, we can do that.”
“Don’t change your plans. You have preparations to make. I’ll be in town until we deal with HARP. Now that I know I have you, I am not going to abandon my son. I’ll be coming back to visit often.”
Lincoln took their plates to the sink. “That’s going to take some getting used to. It’s not that I doubt, I don’t, but I never expected…” he let out a half-laugh, “any of it really.”
“What do you mean?”
“You, HARP, wings, Victoria. Any of this.”
“Why? Besides me.”
Leaning against the counter, he brushed his hands over his hair. “Never understood how people could be so hateful. Isn’t that the point of HARP?”
“Part of it. There’s more going on.”
“Why did they hold you for so long?”
* * * *
Some days, Jophiel could banish the memories. With his son in front of him, they hovered on the edge of his mind. Part of him wanted to hide the horrors from Lincoln, protect him from the cruelty that existed. However, he understood Lincoln was a man stepping into the world.
“Yes, HARP kept me prisoner.”
“How?”
He took a slow breath and leaned against the counter. “Ethyl’s brother wanted her to join HARP. She never could have stomached what they were about. Not even the side they show mortals. I managed to intervene, but Pete knew I wasn’t human. He came for me.”
Shaking his head, he continued, “HARP would have taken Ethyl too. Their group would have tried to brainwash her into hating all Others. And if they learned she’s my soul companion, well, they might have attempted to find a way to take advantage of the bond.”
“And that is why you sent her away. She told me that part. But I need to understand how they kept you from escaping. I watched you walk through a wall when you showed up at Council Headquarters.”
Jophiel wrung his hands, staring out the window. “They cut off my wings. Without our wings, we lose most of our abilities until they heal. Obviously, they grow back, but it takes time. I had to constantly be on guard, repress the urge to free them while they healed. I managed to get Pete out, but I was recaptured.”
Lincoln shook his head, his face twisted in disgust. “Did they remove them a second time?”
“No. I got him out without using them. I needed to know they were whole before I was willing to show them. HARP thought they’d destroyed them for good.”
“It got bad, didn’t it?”
“They tortured me for months. Did everything they could think of in an attempt to force my wings to come out, but I’ve survived worse.”
“I’m sorry. I wish there was more I could say but I have no words.”
Jophiel squeezed his shoulder. “It’s not the first time I’ve run into HARP. Through the years, they’ve gotten worse, twisted further. They never knew about Ethyl, but if they found out, it would threaten everything they believe.”
“Reincarnation?”
He nodded. “Over her many lives, we’ve always shared a bond. Some would tell you that an angel can’t truly love, that he can’t have a child. That’s not true. HARP would prefer mortals to believe that only a fallen angel comes to Earth and falls in love with humans. It happens. However, if mortals believe I’m fallen, they can justify the cruelty HARP encourages.”
“They go after angels?”
“Everything. They want Others they can control one way or another. Had they been able to force me to reproduce, they would have so they could use the child. You are what they are looking for. They have numerous ways they could control you.”
Lincoln winced. “Don’t tell Victoria, please. I don’t need another reason for her to wonder if I can handle her world. Like it or not, I’m a part of it.”
“You are. She sees that. You have to remember her past is dark, but she dragged herself out of her own private hell.”
“Did you watch over her?”
He shook his head. “Hadraniel did. He’s an angel of love. Back then, that’s what she needed. Not from another, but she needed to learn to love herself.”
“I can’t imagine everything she went through. I want to help her heal the pain. It still haunts her.”
Thankful for a happier topic, Jophiel smiled. “You will. Now, a date. You said dancing?”
Lincoln brightened. “Swing dancing. Lessons.” He shrugged. “Though, I have no practice.”
Jophiel nodded. “Oh, swing dancing. I do miss the forties.”
“Did you and Mom dance to it?”
“Yes, to live music. I had longer with her that incarnation.”
“She said you were with her a week before you disappeared this time.”
“I left to save her and her brother. I’d do it again. My one regret is that I couldn’t find her. I’ve spent years looking to no avail.”
“Why did you stop?”
“Never did. Still, something happened somewhere along the way. I couldn’t feel her after I was imprisoned. I still don’t. I suspect she’s up above now, waiting until I find her again before moving to the next life.”
“Why did she believe you to be fallen?”
“HARP dogma. Pete was convinced I must be. I sacrificed my first chance at freedom to save your uncle. Jones loved to tell everyone my wings wouldn’t grow back because I was fallen.”
“Mom told me about Pete once. Said he thought he was damned. He took his own life before she moved to Edenton.”
Jophiel’s smile dimmed. “I told him he wasn’t damned because of what he was. He was given no choice, and he refused to feed even after they turned him.”
Frowning, Lincoln said, “I’ll stop by the old place and bring you her journals, and letters. Maybe there are answers in there.”
�
�You never read them?” Jophiel asked out of curiosity.
Lincoln heaved a sigh. “I didn’t. I wasn’t ready. Or maybe I assumed it wouldn’t change anything. I’m not sure.”
“We’ll look at them together. If you’d like.”
“I think it’s time I learn more about the woman my mom was. She was always so private, and didn’t often talk about herself.”
“There are many stories I’ll tell you, but not today. Now, go on. I understand you have a few things to do.”
“Thank you.” Lincoln gave him a hug.
Jophiel squeezed back. “I’m sorry I missed so much of your life. And I fear, once your mother is back in this world, I’ll have to keep you separate from her.”
“Can you have both?”
“I’m not the only angel to fall into this pattern. It’s rare, but it does happen. I’ll do as the others before me have. Some though, eventually, find a way to keep their soulmate forever.”
“By changing them to a shifter or vampire?”
He sighed. “Yes, but our time is often too short, and I lose her before we take that step.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I’ll find her. I always do.”
Chapter 13
Lincoln walked up to Monique’s Uniques. Monique was a talented designer, as well as a witch. Her store was full of original designs, and she sometimes warded the clothes for clients.
Monique was one of the few people who hadn’t treated him like a child since she moved to town five years before. Shoving his hands in his pockets he found his way to the counter.
Monique looked up from the phone she was frowning at. “Hey, Lincoln. How’s it going?”
“Been an interesting few days. What about you? What’s that look for?”
She rolled her eyes. “An ex won’t take a hint. He seems to think I should give him another chance.”
“Has he shown up?”
“No, not that stupid. Clint’s been hanging out with me to keep him away. He’s got a fear of furry people.”
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