Chapter Thirteen
THEA
“Hey! Long time.” Dani grinned at Thea as she entered the common room. “Where have you been?”
“On an assignment,” Thea said wryly, dropping down into a chair. Zak had been shocked by Cam’s theory but agreed that it was likely. He had gone to find an Archangel that might be able to help with healing her dad’s mind and told Cam to check in with Asteroth to update him on the new information.
Dani’s eyes widened. “Already?” She crossed her arms and shook her head. “So not fair. I’ve still been in training, and it’s been so boring without you.”
Thea smiled at her. “Believe me, this assignment hasn’t been all peaches and cream.”
“What happened?”
Thea told Dani all about her mother and her assignment from the Dominions, though she didn’t mention anything about the question hanging over her about what kind of being she actually was.
“Oh, wow. I’m so sorry, Thea.” The shock on Dani’s face made her look older.
Thea shrugged. “I just have to find a way to deal with it. My commander is looking for an Archangel who can maybe reverse the effects or somehow restore his memories.”
Dani thought for a minute. “I can do that,” she said. “If your mom blocked your dad’s memories, I’m sure I can unblock them.”
“You know how to do that?” Thea asked, frowning.
Dani nodded. “Yup. Virtues specialize in the natural elements, so we can affect human tissue as well, although not as powerfully as Archangels. I’ve completed my training on manipulating human material, so I could help. It would just take a little coaxing to get his mind to repair itself.”
Thea pursed her lips, unsure. Dani was still in training. What if she messed up her father’s mind even more? She got up. “Let’s speak to Zak and see what he says.”
“Sure.” Dani rose from her seat to follow Thea out of the common room. Then she paused. “You don’t mean Commander Zakiel, do you? The Dominion angel?”
Thea rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re in love with Zakiel as well!”
“How do you know all these celebrated angels?” Dani said, her confusion almost turning to annoyance. “You’ve been here five minutes!”
Thea laughed at her scowl and gave her a knowing look. “If I didn’t know them, you wouldn’t be able to meet them.”
Dani’s face brightened, though she still pouted. “True,” she said, linking her arm with Thea. “Very true indeed.”
***
Zak considered Dani’s suggestion carefully, asking her questions and regarding her thoughtfully. They sat in Zak’s office opposite him at his mahogany desk.
Dani babbled just as much in front of Zak as she did with Cam, but Zak didn’t seem phased by it just like Cam wasn’t. Maybe they were used to angels behaving that way around them.
After a few long moments, Zak said, “I will need to speak to Asteroth and see what he thinks about your training. If he thinks you’re ready, I don’t see why you can’t try.”
Dani grinned, struggling to hold in her excitement. “Thank you, Commander. That would be amazing. I’m sure he will—”
Cam entered the office, strolling in behind them. Thea could feel his presence even before she turned to look at him; his energy seemed to jolt through her whole body. When he grinned at her, a delicious feeling stirred in her stomach and then between her legs. She would never get sick of seeing this beautiful man.
“Asteroth said a Virtue angel would be best to undo the effects of an Archangel on the human mind,” Cam said as he approached the desk.
“Ah,” Zak said, pleased. “We were just discussing that. Daniah here made the suggestion that she could do it.”
Cam nodded, with a slight frown. “Have you finished training?” he asked Dani.
“I’ve finished training on the human body,” Dani said. “But I haven’t completed my training, no.”
“All right, go and see Asteroth and have him consider your suggestion. I’ll be along in a minute,” Zak said. “I think it’s best we get his recommendation, and it wouldn’t hurt for you to soften him up before I speak to him.”
Dani grinned and made her way out of the office, partially bowing to Zak and Cam as she shuffled to the door.
Thea laughed as Cam sat next to her. “Do angels really bow to you both? Or is that just Dani?”
“Some angels do,” Zak said, ruefully. “Mostly the ones that don’t interact with Powers a lot.”
“Do you think she’s trained enough to do the job?” Cam asked.
Zak shrugged. “Asteroth only trains the best. If he says she’s capable, I trust his judgment.”
“Asteroth only trains the best?” Thea asked, amazed.
Cam shot her look. “He’s a member of the Dominion League. Who else did you think you’d train with after me?”
Thea snorted. “There’s that humility of yours.”
Cam shot her with a scolding glance that slowly softened into a piercing look of desire.
Zak cleared his throat. “I need to speak to you both about something.”
Thea sobered. From his tone, it sounded serious. Cam straightened.
“I spoke to the Dominion League about the progress of your assignment, and they surmised that treating your father’s mental injuries will take quite a while, possibly a number of months in human time.” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “In the meantime, they would like you to go back out hunting, Cam.”
Cam frowned. “Without Thea?”
“There’s a specific assignment that has come up that they think you are best placed to deal with. Alone.”
“What is it?”
Zak’s expression was grim. “It’s a Legion task force.”
A silence filled the room during which Cam and Zak were locked in a stare.
Thea looked between them, disturbed by their sudden seriousness. “What’s a Legion task force?”
Zak turned to her. “Every so often, demons will come together to plan something horrible for the human world.”
Thea nodded, remembering the group of Furies she and Cam had seen on their first demon-spotting evening together.
“These groups are called demon rings. The higher the class of the demon ring, the more destructive the plan. A task force is a group of demons who are trying to accomplish a goal that specifically targets the Angel Realm.”
Thea thought for a moment. “But I thought the Angel Realm could only be affected by the human world.”
“Yes, exactly.” Zak’s eyes hardened. “The task force plan and carry out horrific things in the human world that will cause enough turmoil to effect the Angel Realm. Normally, demon task forces will be Furies or Asmos. Legion task forces are particularly lethal and hard to dismantle.”
Thea looked at Cam. The fact he hadn’t said anything wasn’t a good sign. “Why does Cam have to do it alone? I can help him.”
“No,” Cam and Zak said together.
She lifted her brows in surprise. “Why not.”
Cam turned to her. “One Legion demon is very dangerous, Thea. As a task force, they are deadly. They will target friends and family, they will torture people you love, and kill them slowly to cause you as much pain as possible.”
The haunting look in his eyes disturbed her. “Have you dealt with them before?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
He nodded. “Two millenniums ago.”
“Cam has been the only Power to destroy a task force without any human or angel being hurt,” Zak said, almost regretfully.
“What if you’re hurt this time?” Thea asked, still disturbed by something in their manner. Were they both worried?
“I won’t be,” Cam said. He took her hands in his. “Thea, while I’m doing this assignment, I need you to stay in the Angel Realm. I can’t risk anything happening to you.”
“I don’t want you to do it,” Thea said, deciding firmly.
Cam reach up and stroked her cheek, smiling. “Yes, ma’am. But this has come from the Dominion League. I cannot say no.”
She made a noise of annoyance in the back of her throat.
“Thea, I’ll be fine. I just want to make sure you are. When I did this before, I had nothing—no one to care about. I need to know you’ll be here.”
Thea swallowed and pushed down the fierce tantrum that was about to erupt in her. Obviously, Cam was completely capable of doing the assignment, especially if he’d done it before, but something about his and Zak’s behavior stirred an uneasiness in her.
“You can’t call Amber or see your father,” Cam continued. “You cannot enter the human world at all until this assignment is complete.”
“Will I still see you?”
Cam smiled and her anxiety eased a little. “Of course. My meeting with the Thrones is in two days. After I request for you to be my mate, I want you to live with me in my quarters.”
Zak stirred in his chair and Cam shot him a hard look. “Don’t tell me that’s not allowed, Zak.”
“I don’t think you should make your relationship public knowledge just yet,” Zak said. “You have to be prepared that they won’t give you an answer straight away. It’s one thing for the Thrones to know, and quite another for the rest of the Realm to be aware and be speculating about what they’ll say. Also, we still won’t have an answer about Thea until after her father’s memories are healed.”
Cam straightened to face him. “I’m not doing this assignment unless Thea is with me, Zak. In my quarters, in my bed. That is the only condition.” Joy sparked through Thea at his words, even as she burned with embarrassment about what he was implying to Zak.
“Condition?” Zak looked at him incredulously. “You are a Power angel, Cam. This assignment is your job.”
“I am a Power with a natural mate,” Cam pointed out. “You know that makes a difference. I need her. Especially while on this assignment.”
Zak exhaled, shaking his head. “All right,” he muttered. “I will try and get you moved into quarters in the same block as Cam, Thea, so it won’t be obvious you’re staying with him, but you both still need to be careful.”
Cam nodded. “Thank you, Zak. I will start the assignment as soon as I’ve seen the Thrones.”
“What will I be doing while he’s on assignment?” Thea asked Zak.
“I think it’s about time you had some dedicated flight training,” Zak said. “I’ll train you myself.”
Cam rose and Thea jumped up after him. “Thank you, Zak.”
Zak smiled and waved them away, but Thea still noticed the concern in his eyes as they lingered on Cam.