CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Zander helped Austin finish rinsing the breakfast dishes and set the dishwasher to start. Who would have thought he’d live through centuries, meet with Kings and angels and world leaders, and his greatest pride would come from the menial tasks of building a home with his beloved.
While she puttered and wiped, he reclaimed his place at the head of the table and scanned through the nightly reports. The first phase of disarming the exposure had gone well. Maybe they could get ahead of the damage after all.
“Here you are, angelman,” Austin said, handing him a mug as she settled into his lap. “To warm you on a cold, wintery morning.”
He sipped at the edge of the ceramic mug and smiled at the Bailey’s kick. He’d brought her the same thing back on that first day. “You trying to liquor me up, cowgirl?”
Austin winked and eased in close, pressing herself against his chest. “No need. I have my way with you whenever I want.”
Zander tilted his head and met her forehead with his own. “And I expect you to take advantage of that often and forever.”
Nio let off a fuss from where she slept in her little bed.
Their daughter was growing too fast. How had three months passed already? Soon, she’d be sitting up, and then walking, and then experiencing the world beyond the protection of their home. Oh, yet another thing to liquify his bowels.
He sent a prayer up to Lady Divinity and tucked thoughts of the unthinkable waaaay down.
Nio would be fine. She had to be.
Their daughter seemed to agree because her little foot came up and kicked the air.
Seth laughed, sauntering into the kitchen, looking like the cock of the walk. “You’ve got one heck of a little warrior in the making there, Z.”
A warrior? Hells no. “Nio goes nowhere near the ugliness of the three realms. She can forge her path as a business tycoon or a philanthropist or an artist.”
“And live at home?” Austin added.
He nodded. “Under the watchful supervision of her father and her uncles.”
Austin laughed as Ringo and Stetson joined them. “We’ll see how well that goes.”
Zander patted the chocolate lab, the dog’s fur cold and damp from his run outside. “We can leave the next generation of warrioring to Zane.”
Seth frowned from behind the counter, taking two frying pans from the hanging pot rack over the stove and looking at them like he didn’t know what they were for. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. Zane’s got great genes, so he’s gonna rock it, but man, I hope the world’s a better place for him.”
Zander knew exactly how he felt.
“Amen to that, brother,” Tanek said, waltzing through the dining room wall like it wasn’t there. “Imagine a world where everyone got along and we didn’t have to send our children out on the streets each night. Nice, eh?”
The thought made Zander want to weep. “Nice” didn’t begin to cover it. “So, how do we get from here to there?”
“Well,” Austin said, shifting to get up off his lap—likely to help Seth in the kitchen. He tightened his grip, not letting her escape. Austin giggled and sank back into his hold. “What’s the main cause of your battles?”
“Until recently, feeding off quota,” he answered, reclaiming his hot chocolate. “But that’s down across the board, thanks to Cassi. She and Storme have DonorWatch offices popping up in Queen Hotels all over the world. They’re providing organs and blood to a huge number of Darkworld feeders.”
“Why not circle the Darkworlder wagons and figure out what it would take to keep them towin’ the line of the accords? All y’all go on about not all Darkworlders bein’ bad.”
“Love the optimism, cowgirl, but it’s not realistic.”
She pegged him with a glare that had bite. Damn, he loved her. “Why not? The definition of insanity is doin’ the same thing over and over and expectin’ a different result, right? So, try somethin’ different.”
Zander wasn’t sure where to even go with that.
He deferred to Tanek, who was, in all things, smarter than he. “I suppose if the Darkworld have a council to discuss how much they despise us, we could start an Otherworld Council to give a voice to hear them out.”
Seth grabbed a whisk and started whipping the shit outta three eggs in a bowl. “Most daemon races aren’t make-nice folks, cowgirl. Hatred and habits grow deep roots.”
“What have you got to lose? You’re out there killin’ them anyhow. Maybe they’re as tired of runnin’ around in circles as you are. The Djinn Master was humbled enough to talk to us, Colt and Rayvn can speak to your intentions, Meck and Colin can tell them how much you help people through the club.”
“Good deeds don’t erase thousands of years of hate-monger programming.”
Austin lifted her chin and dug in. “Cassi’s Shedim prove it’s possible to co-exist, and even thrive, by sussin’ out a creative new approach. Our children are worth the effort of tryin’ to change the world, aren’t they?”
Zander met the gazes of his brothers and shrugged. Well, when you put it that way . . .
Austin watched Seth fuss in the kitchen as the Otherworld Council debate continued. The scents of French toast and bacon mingled in the air as the new father prepared his breakfast . . . or maybe his and Thea’s breakfast. Storme told her Seth had gone into Thea’s room to check on Zane just before dawn and, instead of going home, stayed the night.
She smiled to herself. Life had a way of figuring itself out if you let things happen in their own time. She’d noticed Thea rub at the skin of her forearms like it bugged her.
She remembered the sensation—how her nerve endings tingled below the surface of her skin and the physical need to be intimate with Zander, even when they were both fightin’ it.
They still didn’t know enough about Nephilim bonding to explain the how or why of things. Seth transitioning over claiming Zane versus Thea proved how little they knew—but they’d figure it out.
Until then, it was a delight to watch.
“Good morning, everyone.” Thea joined them, baby Zane cradled in her arms. Straight from the shower, the angel looked radiant. All signs of her horrible ordeal were either gone, or solidly concealed. Austin approved. Sometimes fake it till you make it was the best course.
“May I put Zane in with Nio?” she asked.
“Of course, Nio would love to nap with her cousin.”
Seth rushed over with his arms outstretched and by the scent of things, he’d rustled up a heaping platter of breakfast. “What would you like to drink?”
“I can—”
Seth held up his hand and jogged to the refrigerator. “Not this morning. It’s a known fact that new mothers are solely responsible for the baby and keeping up their strength. You don’t lift a finger for what, Z? At least a week, right?”
“Ha!” Austin laughed. “I wasn’t allowed to do anything for myself for a month.”
Zander shrugged, unrepentant. “You almost died.”
“Well then, a month it is,” Seth said. “Prepare to be well and truly pampered, angel.”
Austin watched Thea’s face as she studied her plate and fought to keep a straight face. This might well have been Seth’s first time in the kitchen. Full points for effort.
“Dig in, Thea,” she said, gesturing to the table. “Enjoy your breakfast while it’s hot.”
The next few days reset Seth’s world. He headed out each night with Phoenix, shot the shit with his twin, gushed about Zane, and then headed back to the ranch at dawn to check on his little family. Things were good with Thea too. They were settling into a rhythm. He found he liked rhythm.
Even Mother Nature seemed to be on his side.
The best part of winter in Toronto was that no one roamed the streets. Not Darkworlders. Not humans. No stirrings in the night meant they had stretches of time, when snowstorms or cold snaps hit, when they got the night off and could hunker down at home.
Tonight was one of those nights. A huge stormfront moving over the lake from Buffalo was set to hit in a few hours.
Snow day.
But first, they had one stop before they could call it a night.
He adjusted his scarf and popped the collar of his trench, thankful his modifications to make it wing-friendly hadn’t shredded it completely. That would have crushed him. He had a lot of good times wrapped up in this jacket.
Damn, it was cold.
He hated the cold. His beast growled at his mind-slushie and he got back to business. Right. Their stop.
The Djinn Master wanted a face-to-face.
You tight? Phoenix asked, flashing him the hairy eyeball as they eased up to the gated community.
“Yeah,” he said, but in truth, he was seriously wired—like, energizer bunny—wired. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I’m home with Thea and Zane.”
“Home?” Zander said, not hiding his amusement. “I’m telling Austin you said that. She’ll hold you to it.”
Phoenix’s chest bounced as he laughed. Now you’ve done it. She’ll empty your apartment and have your stuff moved in by tomorrow night.
He didn’t put it past her.
Austin was a force and when she saw a way to cut through bullshit and indecision, she got things done. What was the opposite of a wrecking ball? A mending ball? Yep, that’s what their Texan wildflower was—a mending ball.
Yeah, but the big question is, where is my room? he signed.
Phoenix smiled, his brows lifted as his hands got busy. The same place you’ve slept every night this week.
Seth waved away the teasing look. “It’s not like that. The first nights I stayed, she was recovering from her kidnapping. The next ones, I helped with Zane. I sleep on the bed with her, not in it. Layers of textiles separate us. I’m talking jammies and everything.”
Phoenix snorted. Well, that’s a first. A week with the same female and no love? That’s the opposite of my bonding.
Seth rolled his eyes. That’s because we’re not bonded.
Uh-huh . . . keep telling yourself that.
Zander smiled and checked over his shoulder to ensure they were having a private convo. “It’s good you’re in the friend-zone. It gives you two the chance to build something based on mutual respect and commitment to Zane.”
Nah, Phoenix continued. Break out your Egyptian A-game and romance her. Thea and Zane are your family. Claim them.
Seth patted his weapons vest, wondering what the hell he was missing. He wasn’t bonded to Thea, was he? Attracted to—sure. Protective of—absolutely. Phoenix had actually argued against his own point. Seth wasn’t a raging hormone and his beast certainly wasn’t gunning his train to the mating station.
No bonding. He’d dive off the moving locomotive if it was.
Whatevs. He didn’t need the peanut gallery weighing in. Co-parenting with Thea was enough. He remained free to come and go, and Thea and his son were happy and taken care of.
No romance necessary.
“And there ends tonight’s ‘Dear Abby’ sesh,” he said, his breath escaping in a white cloud of condensation. “You’re as bad as gossiping teenagers.”
Zander shrugged, checking his phone before tucking it back in his biker jacket. “Suit yourself but be warned. Thea’s a catch. If you don’t lock that female down for a lifetime, someone else will. Then you’ll be on the sidelines, watching her and another male enjoying the night-to-night with your son.”
Seth growled, his fingers curling into iron fists as his Mark hulked out and burst green. “Zane is mine. That is my family.”
As he said the words, his beast roared its approval and their agreement solidified. “That boy will know one father in his lifetime—me. His mother and I will raise him together.”
Zander held up his gloved hands and chuckled. “No. Definitely not bonded. You’re so right.”
“Fuck you, Zandros.” He and Thea had a rhythm going and it worked. Pressing for long-term polluted his warm and fuzzy. “Are we doing this, or not?”
Zander swept a hand toward the security gate of the high-end community and took the lead. The chunky soles of his Motorocks crunched over the icy pavement until they stopped in front of the manned security building.
A tap on the window prompted the Djinn inside to open up. “We’re here to meet with your Master. He’s expecting us.”
The Djinn ducked back inside, and a buzzer signaled the release of the gate. The three of them stepped through and closed things tight behind them.
As they single-filed it up the incline toward the warmly-lit mansions, Seth cleared his mind and got his head in the game.
The winding treed lane offered only obstructed sightlines, but a trained sniper could hunker down anywhere, and they’d never see him. He doubted any danger lurked though, because Zander’s dark angel mojo picked up on shit like that, and the Sumerian was striding along, loose as a goose.
Djinn were mischievous, nonviolent demons, but after that plastics factory, he’d bet they’d adopted a Fox Mulder’s take on things and were in “Trust no one” territory.
When they approached the cul-de-sac in front of the largest set of mansions, two armed guards strode out to meet them. Mike and Ike were dressed to impress in black Kevlar and carrying MP5 submachine guns.
“Trying out a new look?” he said, pointing at the guns.
“They are not meant for you, Watcher,” Ike said, ejecting the magazine to show him the silver ammunition. “We are not part of the Red-Metal Rebellion.”
“Is that what kids are calling it now?” Zander said, signaling for Mike to drop his magazine and show his too. When the request was fulfilled, Zander nodded. “Enough freezing our nuts off in the great outdoors. Can we move things inside?”
Mike nodded and walked them to the second-largest house. Whether the big mansion was a decoy for the royal family or they were visiting someone else, it wasn’t clear but did make him wonder.
The guards knocked and a stooping, silver-haired female answered the door. Djinn weren’t immortal but lived centuries. He’d guess the old girl was pushing six or seven hundred and, judging by the weight and quality of her dress, the matriarch of the royal clan. “Gentlemen, welcome. Please, do come in.”
They stepped inside and reached down for their boot laces.
She shook her head. “No, please, leave them on. Though I thank you for the courtesy, everyone is waiting.”
The three of them followed the swishing skirt of the ancient female and Seth marveled at the normalcy of it all: pictures on the wall, the scent of food in the air, the evidence of everyday life tidied and tucked on the shelves and corner tables.
In the line of duty, they’d invaded countless daemon nests, killzones, compounds, and bunkers, but rarely had they come across a Darkworlder’s home.
Rayvn and Jules’s place.
Colt’s bachelor pad.
It was rare to be invited into the life of a Darkworld family.
“Is this him?” a young woman said, as they entered a room of twenty or more people. She pointed at him and he knew she must be the boy’s mother. She crossed the great room, the vaulted ceiling making her seem even tinier.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t save him. I . . ..” Seth thought of Zane and every moment that made him love that kid more. How could a mother live through losing her son after years of those moments? His throat tightened, and he had to blink back the sting behind his eyes. “I wanted to bring him home to you.”
“You did.” Two feet shorter than him and less than half his weight, he wondered how such a delicate thing could look so strong. “You freed Taid from that place.”
She moved to hug him, and he balked. “Hold on one sec.”
He shucked out of his vest and handed his brother his sheathed Crystalline dagger. Certain he wouldn’t harm her by getting too close, he bent low and accepted her embrace.
“Taid was a good son. You allowed him to pass on, free in body and spirit.”
Seth swallowed the lump in his throat. “I wish I could’ve brought him home to you alive. I wish I could tell you we knew who took him, or why. We just don’t have any answers yet.”
“The ache in your heart touches me, Watcher. Taid deserved to find his end with someone who cared.”
Seth blinked again but his eyes grew glassy against his will.
“You have a son,” she said, staring into his eyes. He felt the gentle brush of her presence in his mind but didn’t block her. “And newly born. What is his name, Watcher?”
“Why do you ask?” Zander snapped beside them.
“It’s okay,” Seth said, appreciating the protective tone of his commander, however unnecessary. “We named him Zane.”
“Zane,” she repeated, looking to the male who accompanied her to the forefront. “Do you think it possible?”
“Think what’s possible?” Zander asked.
Regal and distinguished, the haughty male who joined them was most certainly the Djinn Master. “Djinn essence is pure energy, Watcher. When one of us expires, our essence releases to survive beyond physical death. Normally, it returns to surrounding family but perhaps, with no other options, Taid gifted you his powers to be reborn.”
The boy’s mother gripped his arm, her eyes filled with emotion. “For you to be gifted a son days later is miraculous. Taid’s essence would be strong and live on.”
Seth’s alarm bells started ringing and his beast yanked at its tether. “What would that do to my boy?”
The Djinn master eased the female away and Seth realized his Mark had lit up. The terrified gazes of the others had him fighting to calm the fuck down.
Zander stepped in front of him. “Apologies. Our Marks flare involuntarily when our most protective impulses are triggered. None of you are in danger. Seth’s emotions are simply overwhelmed as he adjusts to fatherhood. He’s cool though, right, my brother?”
Seth exhaled and shook out his hands at his sides. “I am, sorry, but my question stands. What would the boy’s essence do to Zane? Hurt him? Alter him? Would he still be him?”
“Of course, Watcher,” Taid’s mother said, rounding Zander to get back to him. “It’s not a possession, it’s essence—a gift.”
“Could it make his eyes swirl silver-blue?”
The woman broke out in a beaming smile. “It might. Can you show me?”
Seth pulled out his phone and swiped through his gallery. He’d snapped a hundred pictures of his newborn in the past days and many captured his mesmerizing eyes.
“It’s true,” the woman said, sobbing. “Look, brother. Do you see?”
The Djinn Master glanced at the screen of the phone and Seth couldn’t tell if he was happy or not. “To die free and gift his essence is the most we could have hoped for Taid. To have a Watcher’s son in possession of it, however—”
“Don’t be like that,” the mother said, shaking her brother’s pessimism off and smiling at the photo again. “He’s beautiful.”
Seth still hadn’t wrapped his head around what it meant. Djinn were powerfully intuitive and had the abilities of speed, strength, and control over nature.
“A Nephilim born with Djinn essence,” she said, “will be a truly powerful male.”
Seth nodded. “And his mother is an Angel of the Powers.”
There was a soft murmur among the gathered family and friends. Yeah, that blew his doors off too. Zane would rock the foundation of the Otherworld.
Dark. Light. And Other.
Niobe would be a force too. Phoenix said that Zander’s daughter grew more powerful each and every day.
Hey world, get ready. Nephilim next generation is coming.
Seth looked from the dazzled Djinn Master to his garrison commander. “Z, I think this is the time to build those bridges we talked about this morning. Austin’s right. I’m tired of the same ole, same ole. I want more for our kids.”
He saw the indecision in Zander’s gaze, but in the end, the Sumerian lifted his chin and exhaled. “It seems your nephew’s death has brought us to a place of shared interest. Perhaps we might discuss an idea for a different path into the future.”