Chapter 12
Bartol
Bartol, Tormod, and Caius waited near the plane as Zoe gave her daughter a tearful goodbye worthy of an award. Rebecca took it with stoic grace, simply hugging her mother and telling her she’d consider seeing her again after training. It wasn’t easy to reject a parent, but the female nerou knew her mother wasn’t a good person. Bartol respected Rebecca’s maturity and self-control that she didn’t give in to the woman’s emotional manipulations.
“This is my cell phone number,” Zoe said over the roar of the plane engines, handing a slip of paper to her daughter. “You can call me anytime.”
Rebecca tucked the paper into her pants pocket. “Thanks, but…um, try to keep in mind I’m busy with training, so I won’t have much time to call.”
“Of course, but I’m here whenever you need me.”
Bartol had seen Zoe stressed and upset before, but he’d never seen her clingy. It was an entirely different look on her. She stared at her daughter like Rebecca was a lifeline, and she might drown if the younger woman got out of her sight.
“Goodbye, mother.”
The young woman took hold of her bag and climbed aboard the plane. She looked back once, but it was only to nod at Bartol and the others. Her gaze said she wished them safe travels, knowing the next step in their journey could be dangerous. She had offered to come with them, but they’d declined. While Rebecca had impressive abilities, they weren’t the kind that would help against a demon. It was best to get her back to her training in Alaska.
Zoe clenched her fists at her sides as the plane taxied toward the runway. Bartol would have liked to leave right away, but he couldn’t go until the plane was out of sight. As long as the female nephilim could see it, there was a chance she could flash on board and grab her daughter. He had to be certain the plane went beyond her ability to reach. Aircraft weren’t easy to board while flying at high speeds, but a nephilim could manage it if they could see it visually.
There was also one other matter left unresolved.
Zoe’s eyes misted as the plane entered the sky. Not once did she acknowledge the others waiting on the tarmac, watching her. She was a mother who loved her daughter unconditionally. It was too bad that meant she’d stop at nothing to bring her little family together, no matter who she hurt. Rebecca was going to have a tough time once they were both free to move around the world in a few short months.
“Well, that’s it,” Caius said after the plane disappeared in the sky. “We’ve got important places to be.”
Zoe continued to stand there, silent and rigid.
Bartol glanced at the other two men. “Go ahead. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Caius grabbed Tormod by the arms and flashed away. They were going hundreds of miles to reach Lepel, Belarus—their next stop. The nerou hybrid wouldn’t make it that far on his own. Bartol was also grateful he had an excuse not to transport Tormod, though his partners in this journey knew he’d avoid the task anyway. He’d seen the pitying looks they gave him when they thought he wasn’t paying attention. They had no idea exactly why he didn’t like to be touched, but they had likely made their own assumptions.
Only Cori knew the full truth.
Bartol’s chest tightened at the thought of her. The longer they were apart, the more they would suffer from the distance between them. He was already feeling the pain of it, and they had only begun their long journey. His anger over her recent actions was the only thing helping him to keep going and not return to her. He needed this time to figure their relationship out.
He startled when he realized Zoe was now standing close to him.
“I can’t decide who is suffering more at the moment—you or me,” she said, studying him closely.
Bartol gave her a hard look. “You asked for a few minutes alone to talk. Say whatever it is you want to say so that I can go.”
“I know you don’t plan to fight the demon, but it has to be you.”
He stiffened. “Why?”
Zoe reached a hand out toward his arm, but he stepped away. She knitted her brows. “Many of us have been tortured by Kerbasi, but why are you the only one sensitive to touch?”
“I asked a question first.”
“Because.” She sighed in exasperation. “One of my nerou sources says the demon won’t be stopped without you, though he couldn’t ascertain the full details. He saw several different versions of the future—most of them terrible with many of our mutual acquaintances dead, including angels. The only good outcome he envisioned showed you standing over the demon’s lifeless body.”
Bartol didn’t like the sound of this at all. It fed into his deepest fear that he wouldn’t be able to walk away from this mission once the demon had been located. “How long have you known that?”
“A few weeks.”
“Why didn’t you mention this before?” he growled.
“I couldn’t reveal all my cards at once in case you tried sending my daughter away early.” She glanced at the sky where the airplane had disappeared, took in a shuddering breath, and returned her attention to him. “And I thought you might want to hear the news without your friends around.”
The woman would never cease to amaze him. “Since when have you ever thought of anyone else’s feelings aside from your own?”
“Let’s just say my daughter’s visit left an impression on me.”
He could almost buy that, almost. “And why should I believe anything you’ve said?”
“I don’t have the best track record, I admit.” She glanced away. “But more than anything I do want this world to survive as it is and not under some lunatic demon’s control. There is no advantage in that for me.”
“You always find an advantage,” he pointed out.
She shook her head. “Not this time. As much as it galls me, the man who cannot stand to be touched is our greatest hope.”
Of course, Zoe could not resist one final dig at him. “I wouldn’t put too much stock in me as your savior.”
“Get over your past, Bartol, and grow a pair—or else we’re all doomed, including your mate.”
He itched to slap her, but he wouldn’t lower himself or lose control that way. She wasn’t worth it. “Go to Hell, Zoe of Chalcis.”
Picturing in his mind his next destination, he flashed away.
***
He found Tormod and Caius waiting for him at the front of the hotel they’d reserved for the evening. Since Bartol’s contact in town was a vampire, they wouldn’t be able to meet with him for two more hours—just before five in the evening since the sun set relatively early in this area. In the meantime, they’d check into their rooms and go for a late lunch.
The hotel stood two stories tall with a yellow façade, numerous windows, and a red roof. It was one of those quaint places one would expect to be comfortable. At least, that was what Caius and Tormod had claimed based on the reviews they read online. Bartol had left them in charge of that while he took care of other arrangements.
A set of steps led up to the entrance. They climbed them and went inside where warmth pushed away the winter chill. He was relieved to find the interior as inviting as the exterior. A host greeted them, took care of the paperwork and payment, and showed them to their rooms. Each of them got their own private quarters. Bartol’s had a full-size bed outfitted with flowery sheets and a maroon comforter. Not his top choice, but the color scheme didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be here long enough to care. The rest of the room appeared clean and well maintained. He checked the shower, relieved to find hot water. At the nerou compound in Russia, it had been sporadic at best. Bartol might have spent most of his life without modern conveniences, but he’d begun to appreciate them since his return to Earth.
After dropping off his bag, he met the other men at the front of the hotel. Tormod’s stomach was already growling.
“Sorry,” he said, rubbing his belly. “I seriously need a decent meal.”
Caius grinned. “I think we all do.”
They walked to a nearby restaurant their proprietor had recommended. Along the way, Bartol marveled at how much had changed since his last visit to the country. Centuries had passed. Nothing looked quite the same, and he didn’t only mean the buildings and streets. There was a time when the clothing people wore varied considerably from one country to the next, but he saw far less of that these days. In the winter, it appeared most people wore jeans or slacks and thick jackets. On a favorable note, it meant he and his comrades had no trouble blending in as they traveled from one destination to the next.
Tormod gazed at their surroundings. “At least it hasn’t snowed here recently.”
“For now,” Bartol replied.
They’d caught the town on a relatively good weather day. Bartol still found it cold—just above freezing—but nowhere near as bad as it had felt at the nerou compound. Or Alaska, for that matter, where it was the coldest of all.
They found the restaurant easily enough and got a table. With it being late afternoon, it wasn’t too crowded, but there were a few other customers. They ordered borscht, cabbage rolls filled with beef, and pelmeni as the main meals to share.
“I could eat this again,” Tormod said, sitting back in his chair with a satisfied expression. “No one makes these kinds of meals in Alaska.”
From what Bartol had heard, the nerou compound typically prepared American fare, though they sometimes had Italian or Mexican dishes. He set money on the table for the food, having thankfully brought a variety of currencies with him for the trip. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, though there are many more foods around the world you should try once you’re free to do so.”
Tormod frowned. “We’re supposed to be getting our first assignments soon, so we can begin studying the area where we’ll be stationed. Most of us will get the U.S. or Canada, but I heard there will be two slots for Australia as well.”
“Where are you hoping to go?” Caius asked.
“I’m not sure.” The nerou was quiet for a moment. “New York, Florida, Texas…all those places would be awesome, or even Australia, but none of them are going to be near my mom. She says she’ll be going back to Scotland and meeting up with my dad in the spring. I’m supposed to visit her there whenever I can.”
And since Tormod didn’t train at the European compound, he wouldn’t be stationed over there. “At least you’ve had some time with your parents, and as your mother pointed out, you’ll be able to visit.”
The nerou ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair. “Yeah, but it’s not like I can flash that far to see them whenever I want. I’ll have to take vacation time, which Remiel says we won’t get for our first year.”
“You’ll be fine,” Bartol reassured him. “You need to get out on your own and find yourself away from everyone else. This will be your chance.”
It almost felt like he was giving that advice to himself, considering that had been part of his purpose in going on this trip. Would he learn anything in the coming days that would help him figure out how to deal with Cori? Would the distance help her as well?
“I believe our friend is here.” Caius nodded toward the window.
Bartol glanced that way, spotting the man in question across the street in a sharp business suit. He stared directly at them with his dark eyes. They left the restaurant and headed outside.
Eduard, a five-hundred-year-old vampire with short black hair, a lanky build, and pale skin, walked toward them. To look at him, one wouldn’t consider him much of a threat, but he’d fought for control of the area against men and women who should have been stronger than him and won. The only supernatural in the country left who was more powerful lived in Minsk. They’d agreed to stay out of each other’s way, and even after two centuries since Bartol’s last visit, it appeared nothing had changed. Eduard was astute, cunning, and one of the best allies one could have as long as they stayed on his good side.
“It is good to see you again, Bartol,” the vampire said, dipping his chin in greeting.
“Thank you for meeting with us.”
“After what happened here recently.” Eduard shook his head. “How could I not?”
He gestured for them to follow and led them down the street to a two-story stone building with no outward clue to its purpose. They walked inside where they discovered the place was nothing short of a high-end brothel. It was lavishly decorated in red and black with lounging furniture in the front room, as well as a small bar. No women were around now, but Bartol could hear them upstairs moving about.
“This is my nearest establishment from where I found you, but if you would prefer somewhere else to meet, we can arrange transportation to convene elsewhere,” Eduard said, turning to face them.
Bartol shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
“We’ve been to more than our fair share of brothels over the years, haven’t we?” Caius grinned at him, old memories dancing in his eyes. “It’s hard to believe how long it’s been.”
“I definitely don’t have a problem with it.” Tormod’s eyes rounded as he gazed upstairs where several under-dressed women hung over the balcony. Other than female nerou and Emily, he’d spent little time around women and certainly none of the present variety.
“If you would like to stay for a little while afterward, I’d be happy to introduce you to a lady or two upstairs,” the vampire offered.
Tormod blushed, dipping his head. “I, uh, I don’t know...”
“We’ll discuss it later,” Bartol said.
In all likelihood, the young man was still a virgin. Neither he nor Caius would stop Tormod if he wished to stay for a while, but only if he was comfortable with the idea. It might even prove to be a good learning experience for the nerou and stop some of the sexually explicit graffiti he regularly painted around the compound in Alaska. His instructors were getting rather tired of it.
“Do you have someplace private where we can talk?” Caius asked.
“Of course.”
Eduard led them down the hallway toward the back where he had a well-appointed office. A desk sat in the center of the room, but there was also a comfortable seating area off to the left and a bar in the corner with an assortment of alcohol. The walls were painted hunter green with intricate crown molding accenting them. Bartol noted a lack of windows, but that didn’t surprise him. Vampires often had them blocked off, especially the older ones who could rise earlier in the day. To the right, a wide bookshelf took up the whole wall, filled with various treasures Eduard had picked up over the years.
They each accepted a drink before settling down in the sitting area.
“It’s good to see you again,” Eduard said, addressing Bartol.
He took a sip of his whiskey. It wouldn’t get him drunk, but he didn’t want that anyway. “It’s been a long time. I see you’ve done well for yourself, though.
“Better than some.” The vampire studied him, gaze running over Bartol’s burn scars. “And from what I’ve heard, I’ve certainly fared better than you.”
He shrugged. Bartol wasn’t about to discuss his time in Purgatory—not even with a man who understood pain better than most. Eduard had his own scars from his time as a human when he’d been captured as a prisoner of war, but he came to see them as badges of courage. Women weren’t repulsed by the lash marks on his back the way they would be with facial burns, which helped the vampire.
“What doesn’t kill us…” Bartol began, allowing his words to drift off.
“True enough.” Eduard’s expression became all business. “You came about the flu outbreak a demon instigated, yes?”
Bartol nodded. “But how do you know a demon was involved?”
“This was unlike any illness that has ever spread here before.” The vampire took a fortifying drink from his glass. “It struck fast and killed within twenty-four hours. Not only that, but it left the victims with black lips after they died.”
That was unusual. “Were there any other clues?”
“A witch came to me after she lost her brother in the outbreak and told me the disease had demonic ties. She claimed she could feel it.”
Caius knitted his brows. “Did you see the demon himself?”
“Once in passing.” Eduard sighed. “He didn’t appear to be anything more than an old man by the way he moved. I sensed nothing about him to indicate he was anything other than human, except for his red eyes. At the time, I’d thought it was a trick of the light since there was a flashing sign nearby, but now I wish I’d paid closer attention. It wasn’t until I conducted an investigation afterward that I realized the demon was the same person.”
“He was still quite weak then,” Bartol said, meeting the vampire’s frustrated gaze. “It’s doubtful you could have known.”
“If a sensor or nerou had been here, they would have noticed,” Tormod pointed out.
Eduard lifted a brow. “You are one of the infamous nerou, are you not?”
“Yes and no,” Caius answered for him. “He is Yerik’s son.”
“The daimoun? My God, I had no idea he even had a son.” The vampire turned interested eyes on Tormod. “I can see why they brought you if you have both angel and demon blood running through your veins.”
The hybrid tensed. “I have other uses.”
“He is also smart and highly astute,” Bartol defended his student. “He is well on his way to becoming an excellent tracker.”
And with Tormod’s abilities, he’d eventually surpass any supernatural in existence.
“Then I’m glad to have this opportunity to meet you,” Eduard said. No doubt the vampire was already seeing the advantages such an ally could bring him, but he spoke in a friendly tone that hid his more ambitious personality traits.
Bartol just knew him better than most.
Tormod relaxed a fraction in his seat. Since he was the odd one out among the nerou, his demon blood was a sensitive topic. No matter what he did—even if it might have been normal for a human teenager to do—all of his bad behavior was blamed on his lineage.
“Thank you,” Tormod replied, dipping his chin.
“Returning to the subject of the demon,” Bartol drew their attention back to him. “Were you able to retrace the demon’s steps after the fact? Such as where he stayed, what he did, whether he ate or not—any information could be useful to us.”
“In fact, I did.” The vampire took a folder from the coffee table next to him and opened it. “This is a list of places he visited.”
Bartol took a sheet of paper Eduard handed him. The demon had rented a hotel room, eaten at restaurants, and even visited a bookstore. There was also a set of coordinates.
“What’s this?” Bartol asked, pointing at the paper.
Eduard leaned closer. “Once we had a scent we could use, I had one of the local werewolves track the demon’s movements. We discovered our visitor’s scent was strongest in the woods not far from town. We believe he might have worked his magic there so as to not draw attention to himself, though we didn’t find much of anything disturbed.”
Bartol passed the paper over to Caius. “Did the victims have anything in common?”
“They attended the same church.”
“Is that what made you first look into the matter?”
“It was, along with the way the flu sickened people,” Eduard said. “The priest was the first to die at the end of a Sunday service. He’d only had a slight sniffle at the start, according to witnesses, but by the time he finished his sermon, he was convulsing and foaming at the mouth—with black lips. Eleven more parishioners who were present that day became sick shortly after arriving home and died in a similar manner. But that wasn’t what was most odd.”
“What do you mean?”
The vampire got up and headed for the bar to refill his drink. “This flu didn’t spread any farther and only affected a dozen people. It also had a one-hundred percent kill rate. That simply isn’t the way human diseases work to be so specific like that, especially since there were others in the congregation that day who did not fall ill. Also, the medical examiners were baffled by the unusual strain. It was the flu, but corrupted in a way they’d never seen before.”
“Did it target any particular age group?” Caius asked, handing the list of the demon’s movements over to Tormod.
“None. The youngest was five, and the oldest was seventy.”
They asked a few more questions before thanking the vampire for his help.
“Let me know if there is anything more I can do.” Eduard led them out of the office. “I have heard from sources beyond my territory that the demon troubles are growing worse as he moves along and could become catastrophic if he’s not stopped.”
Bartol halted in the foyer and turned. “If we need anything, we’ll let you know.”
Tormod cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot with his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets. “Is it alright if I stay here for a little longer?”
The poor boy had no experience with this sort of situation, and it showed in his bashful expression. Just a mere century ago, Bartol would have stayed to show him the ropes, but those days were long past. Not only because sexual pleasure was difficult for him now, but because the only woman who could please him anymore was a continent away. He didn’t expect anyone else to live like a monk, though, and he knew if anyone could make certain the nerou had a good first experience, it would be Eduard. The vampire would do anything to gain a new potentially powerful ally, and he wouldn’t dream of hurting the young man.
“Go ahead, but try not to stay out too late and take care coming back to the hotel,” Bartol said.
Tormod nodded his head vigorously. “I will.”
“And make certain you give as good as you get,” Caius added with a twinkle in his eyes.
Eduard patted the nerou on the back. “I’ll see that he’s taken care of and returned safely to you before dawn.”
Bartol chuckled inwardly. The young man was about to have the experience of his life.