Page 95 of Resurrection
“The evidence is basically war crime level. Not sure how else to describe it. They have copies of my original reports. Video evidence from cases I worked and I have no idea how they got it. Someone on my team was recording everything, copying everything, reporting on everything.”
Which meant Seiran felt betrayed, even if it was for a good reason.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
Seiran’s gaze flashed with rage as he met Gabe’s. “You need to do better. Talk to me. Tell me if you’re struggling.”
“I will do my best to be better. Can you say the same?”
“I’m not hiding things from you.”
“But you are from your family. No more death wish. No more throwing yourself at the problem without regard to who you leave behind. You have kids who need you. I need you.” Gabe let out a breath, and with it the anger. There were a lot of places to direct that rage right now, but it didn’t need to be between each other. “This thing with Matthew scares you. But you’re not that kid anymore. Remember?”
“And if he’s a demon now? Demons are…”
“A nightmare,” Gabe agreed. “But we’ll handle it. We’ve got allies and resources.”
“Fucking fae,” Seiran grumbled. “Acting all high and mighty now that the Dominion is on the out. Trying to use me to gain more legal foothold. I am not a political pawn.”
But he was and always would be. The bane of being a Pillar. He could fade or burn bright, but the choice would never be his.
“Kaine wants you to stop being mad at Tanaka. Says he misses her,” Gabe added.
Seiran cursed again. “She did all this! Had a hand in it all. And didn’t tell me. What is it with people not talking to me?”
“I’m sorry,” Gabe said. “For my part, I think I was hoping to have something more established before sharing? I didn’t want the Ascendance to change names and then lay that mess at your feet to build from the ground up. But Tresler took over my mind before I could really make anything happen.”
“You remember that?”
“I do. It was slow. Like slugs in my veins.” Gabe shuddered. “It took a long time for me to recognize what was happening.”
“And by then it was too late?”
“Lots of patchy bits near the end. Sorry. What about the spell? The fire?”
“Sent by a coven. Several board members were in that coven. People I had worked with for years. I directed the spell back at them. A lot of them died, they were unable to stop the spell they started. They sacrificed the two boys who had messed with the golem to fuel the spell.”
“And the rest?” Gabe hoped they were not still out there, hunting Seiran. He could handle whatever came his way. But what if the kids got caught in the crosshairs?
“Some have been arrested by the military. Max has people from the Arcane Fellowship questioning them. What a terrible name.”
“Max?”
“Arcane Fellowship. It sounds dark and fluffy all at once.”
“Again, pretty sure I wasn’t there for the naming.”
“Anyway, I’m not sure they are all contained, which is why everyone is to be cautious. Jamie and Kelly are home with the kids. Everything monitored by the fae. I’ve been looking at the Fellowship too,” Seiran said. “Digging through files, meeting people, letting the Goddess search them. Found nothing.”
“Like the Ascendance, you mean?”
“That same intent, to corrupt power? All those around me so far, all those I’ve met? It’s more a curiosity. A desire to learn. Maybe they are limiting who I meet? I trust no one.”
“I’m sorry I had a part in that. I can only promise to do my best. A couple millennia of habit will be hard to break, but know that I will answer if you ask, even if it takes a bit for me to figure out what I’m thinking and feeling.” Gabe opened the bond wide on his side and left it there. “Open the bond.”
He felt Seiran release his grip on it, and the tie between them blossomed like a flower opening, awakening them both to each other’s senses. Seiran was hungry, but ignoring it in favor of sitting there in Gabe’s arms.
“Eat something,” Gabe instructed.