Page 92 of Resurrection

“At the Dominion?”

Kaine snorted. “No. At the Fellowship.”

Gabe was confused again, but he would ask more questions later. “I’d love to shower. Can I enter the wards of the house?” He glanced around and the external barriers that had wrapped the house in plants were gone, at least from his view out the windows. The sun was bright overhead, though didn’t hurt, even while he felt the heat of it. A perk of being bound to the Pillar of Earth he supposed. Vampires didn’t burn in sunlight, not like legends rumored. But it could drain them, and make their bones ache. He didn’t feel tired at all and the stiffness likely came from his resurrection.

“Sure,” Kaine said and bounced toward the main entry Gabe recalled leading to the kitchen. He followed at a gentler pace, his body still slowly acclimating to movement. When he reached the door, he tensed, expecting a ward, but finding nothing that pushed him back. And the kitchen was unchanged. If it had been a long time, either their decorating tastes were the same, or they hadn’t cared enough to change it.

As soon as Kaine entered the kitchen he returned back to his child form. Looking about ten or so. Maybe Gabe hadn’t missed much time. He tried to remain hopeful.

Kaine put the cup in the sink, running water through it for a few seconds, then heading to the basement door. “There’s more blood in the freezer. Not as fresh as the stuff I gave you. I took the packet off the top when the garden alerted me you were there.”

Gabe heard footsteps coming down the stairs and a few seconds later the male of the twins appeared in the doorway. He blinked wide eyes. “Kaine? You didn’t wake the vampire, did you? And why is he here instead of at the crypt?”

What was his name? Mizuki? But Gabe recalled Seiran calling him Ki. Crazy how both Seiran’s boys were gingers, though Kaine’s hair was more fresh blood red, than the carrot of his brother’s. He recalled the girl had dark hair like Seiran’s. Mizuki didn’t look any older either.

“I didn’t wake him,” Kaine protested. “The garden told me he was there.”

“I’m going to go shower,” Gabe said carefully. “And maybe find my phone so I can call your dad?” Wasn’t he supposed to play a dad role too? Those were boundaries he was going to have to work out with Seiran. As long as he didn’t find himself kicked out for having to go to ground again.

Ki looked suspicious. “I’ll call him while you’re in the shower.”

“Okay,” Gabe agreed. He headed for the basement door, wondering if there was destruction from the fire he had to worry about cleaning up. But as he descended the stairs and flicked on the light, the rug was gone, the bed looked undamaged, made up like a magazine shoot, and the floor was clean, no sign of water or fire damage.

He found clothes and headed to the shower, needing to feel the warmth over his skin to chase away the lingering chill of going to ground. When he stepped out, and dressed, it was with thought as he tried to recall everything that happened. They’d been attacked. Something aiming a fire spell at Gabe through the link of his zombies, to reach Seiran? Or just take Gabe out again?

The warmth of the water had helped awaken his stiffened nerves and he felt the bond tightening. Not closing as much as a feeling that Seiran was getting closer? He had to work not to reach for Seiran. He didn’t want to interrupt him while he was driving or something.

The Fellowship? What was that?

He tugged on clothes with slow intent, mostly to keep himself from racing out to find Seiran and decimate anyone who tried to harm them again. He had a lot of questions about the time missed, and wondered if they’d settled into another rut with the Dominion still in power. He had never hated them as much as he had that first moment when Tanaka had threatened to lock Seiran away for life. And even if she wasn’t working for them now, he had no plans to ever forgive her. No one could hold a grudge like a vampire. Of that he was certain.

The door from upstairs opened, and footsteps raced down. Gabe turned, expecting to find one of the kids, but it was Seiran.

One second, he was across the room, the next he was in Gabe’s arms. Gabe catching him and holding him tight.

“Please tell me you fucking remember me?” Seiran demanded.

“I do,” Gabe agreed and silenced his next question with a kiss. It was a long and slow kiss, devouring, as well as sweet. Need building. Their bond collided and solidified, coming together as gentle laps of power instead of a turbulent tide. All the jagged edges of memories and questions soothed into an overlapping sense of unity. This was how they should have been from the start, Gabe thought.

He’d been unraveled too far. Worried that letting Seiran in would scare him away. Instead, he’d left Seiran vulnerable. He’d been so stupid. Gabe longed to throw Seiran down on the bed and memorize him all over again, while apologizing and trying to earn forgiveness. But he settled for a hand in his hair, Seiran’s legs around his waist, and one hand on Seiran’s ass.

Gabe tottered backward until they both landed in an armchair. Since his arms were full, he didn’t care. When the kiss finally ended, Seiran held tight to Gabe as though unwilling to let him go.

“You couldn’t have clued me in?” Seiran demanded.

Gabe blinked, looking around on what he was to have clued Seiran in on. Him coming back? He didn’t really get advanced notice on that. “Huh?”

“The Arcane Fellowship?”

“I don’t know what that is,” Gabe admitted. Was he still missing bits of his memory?

“The organization you helped turn the Ascendance into?” Seiran tugged on Gabe’s hair until their eyes met. “Secret society of witches, vampires, shifters, oh my? Not so secret anymore.”

Oh. “Is that what they named it?”

Seiran made a rude noise at him.

“I don’t think I was there for the naming,” Gabe said.