Page 19

Chapter 19

Nathan

Nathan was starting to think some of the guys lived at the Rink. It was like they never left. Everyone was already there when they arrived. Zachary bounded over to take the food from them, and rather against his will, Nathan’s gaze found Alex’s, who flushed and ducked his head, scratching at the back of his neck.

“So about last night,” Alex started, and Talon laughed.

“Whatever happened last night?” Shadrach asked, curious and teasing. He glanced between them, and Nathan’s face burned with embarrassment.

“Shadrach,” Storm growled.

Shadrach blinked innocently. “I just asked a question.”

“You asked it in an annoying way,” Storm said. “What have they already told you?”

“Nothing at all, of course,” Shadrach replied.

“They told us about the pill you had to take,” Wolf said, shooting Shadrach an exasperated look. “And the, uh, side effects.”

“Oh God,” Nathan groaned, massaging the bridge of his nose.

“I imagine both of you said that quite a bit last night,” Shadrach remarked.

Malachi barked out a laugh—and then covered his mouth when Luke shot him a halfhearted glare.

“Look,” Alex said, “things—happened. It’s not a big deal. We got the answers we went there for. Or, I guess Talon and Storm did.”

“You were there, little bird,” Talon said graciously. “You can include yourselves in that.”

Nathan wanted to sink into the floor. “We didn’t do much interrogating.”

“Lilith likely wouldn’t have answered any of your questions anyway,” Talon said.

“Let’s pass out the food before we get into this,” Luke suggested.

Nathan picked out a carton of chicken lo mein for himself and sat in one of the folding metal chairs in the loose circle at the back of the room near the sofa, which had seen better days. Storm grabbed another chair and dragged it right next to his, crossing his ankles and stretching one arm out along Nathan’s backrest.

It was strange to be allowed to touch Storm without fear of being condemned here, like none of them cared at all that Nathan was sleeping with a demon. But then, why would they? Strange to be able to accept these comforting, casual touches as easily as the others accepted the same from their own demonic partners. Was this what it would be like all the time, when he no longer had the guild to contend with? Could he love Storm out in the open and damn anyone who hated them for it?

It seemed like a dream.

When they were all seated—Alex, Shadrach and Ira on the sofa with Angela and Zachary cross-legged on the floor and everyone else in folding chairs—Nathan cleared his throat, picking at the noodles in his carton with his chopsticks.

“Maxwell called on our way over here and told me he finished his analysis on the pill I gave him.”

“And?” Luke asked, grimacing as though in anticipation of the answer.

Nathan nodded. “The contents matched what was found in the boy’s stomach. Bone dust, sulfur, salt, wormwood, and cedar. He agreed that it seems likely enough doses would allow for a demonic possession, which just confirms what we learned at In Extremis.”

“Who in the hell is Lilith’s lover?” Storm asked. “I didn’t even know she had a lover.”

“Whoever it is, she’s been keeping them a secret for a long time,” Wolf said. “I had no idea, either.”

“I’ve heard rumors,” Shadrach said, and all eyes turned toward him. He did a double-take at the sudden attention.

“Who is it?” Talon asked.

“I don’t know his name. Some kalmach.”

“A kalmach?” Talon repeated. “Really? I didn’t know any of them were topside.”

“They weren’t, last I heard. If one is now, it’s recent.”

“Kalmachs are shapeshifters, aren’t they?” Alex asked.

Talon nodded, then moved his head from side to side in a so-so manner. “Kind of. Not in the sense that they can look like anyone. They have a human form and a demonic one, and they can transform between the two.”

“Their demonic one has wings,” Shadrach added cheerfully. “I always wondered what that was like.”

“I didn’t think a kalmach would get involved in something like this. They usually keep to their own kind,” Talon said.

“If Lilith has cozied up to one, their loyalty may be divided,” Shadrach suggested.

“If we had a name, we could summon him,” Wolf said.

“She wasn’t stupid enough to give us a name,” Storm said.

“She didn’t even give us his species,” Talon pointed out.

“How do we find this guy, then?” Luke asked.

“I’d like to go back to the campus,” Nathan said. “There have been two verified attacks on campus. David Simms and the boy who attacked my squad and me during our patrol.”

“Maybe those two just so happened to be regulars at In Extremis,” Talon argued, albeit lightly.

“Or maybe they’re flooding the campus with drugs to get as many victims as they can. It would be stupid for their only victims to be coming and going from the club. That puts a target on Lilith’s business. We didn’t actually track a single victim back to the club, either. We just went there on the off-chance that a halfling knew something because of their connection to the supernatural.”

“True,” Alex agreed.

“Both of the victims we know of were college students.”

“So we could ask around and maybe find someone who’s selling,” Alex said. “Maybe talk to David Simms’s roommate.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Malachi said. “If these pills get you high and horny all at once, I can see why they’d appeal to the college crowd. They try them once, not realizing what they actually do, and keep coming back for more until there’s enough in their system for the demon to take hold.”

“And somebody’s making money off of this shit, too,” Zachary said suddenly, his mouth twisted in distaste. “If these people like the high and go back for more, they’re definitely buying from somebody. Nothing like that could be free. It’d make people too suspicious.”

“We need to find out who’s selling it, then,” Alex said. “If they’re selling on campus, there’s a trail. We just have to find it. Zach, you and I can go to the college campus and ask around for the first victim’s roommate.”

“Whoa, wait,” Talon interrupted. “What do you mean, you and Zach?”

Alex rolled his eyes, fighting back a smile. “Talon, it’ll be broad daylight, and we’re just talking to his roommate. We’re not storming the lab where the pills are made.”

“Take someone who’s actually seen combat,” Talon said.

“Ouch,” Zachary deadpanned. “You guys are the ones who won’t let me patrol with you yet.”

“ I’ve seen combat,” Alex said with an exasperated laugh. “And the rest of these guys are too old to blend in on a college campus.”

“Ouch,” Ira repeated.

“Yeah, fuck you,” Luke said without heat, his mouth full, and Malachi leaned over with a grin to kiss his shoulder.

Nathan snorted out a laugh. “No offense taken here. I feel every bit of thirty-three, thank you very much.”

Alex gestured gratefully at him. “See? I’m twenty-three—although technically my body is still twenty-two, thanks to your blood. Zach’s eighteen. We’ll blend right in, because we’re the right age for college students.”

Talon opened his mouth to speak, but Nathan beat him to it.

“I’ll come along,” he offered. “I’m not passing for a college student, so you two can visit the roommate without me. But, this way I can have your backs and report our findings back to HQ.”

A low rumble drew Nathan’s attention to Storm, who was scowling at him. Who knew demons were so protective? He patted Storm’s leg reassuringly.

Talon studied him quietly for a moment, and then nodded. “Fine.”

* * *

Nathan offered to drive and even stopped to get them all coffee on the way to the college campus. Storm’s bright smile from this morning lingered in his mind as he ordered a white chocolate mocha at the drive-thru window. Every sweet sip reminded him of the demon he’d left behind at the Rink.

“So, I know we’re pretending to be students,” Zachary said from the backseat, sucking on the straw of his frappuccino, “but what do we tell them about you, Nate? Are you an older student? A TA?”

Alex, in the passenger seat, shot Nathan a thoughtful look. “If anybody asks, you’re my older brother who’s come to visit.”

Nathan pressed a hand to his chest as though wounded. “Really making me feel my age, huh?”

Alex barked out a laugh. “I’m not responsible for however you feel, Cap. I’m just a frat guy hanging out between classes.”

He shook his head, chuckling. He eased the car into a parking spot near one of the regal brick buildings. “All right, whatever. Where is this guy’s roommate, anyway?”

“Well, David Simms’s obituary was in the local paper. It mentioned that his roommate was somebody named Jace Gellar. I couldn’t find his exact room number, but his social media mentioned the dorm hall he lives in. I figure if we head over there, it should be fairly easy to ask around for him,” Alex explained as they all fell into step together.

Nathan smiled to himself. He’d forgotten how good Alex was at his job. He’d always been a smart and capable young man. Blinded by the need for revenge, maybe, but even that was understandable. Nathan didn’t have any close family he would want to avenge like that, but when he thought of something happening to Storm, it made him want to do terrible things.

They fell into step together, pretending they belonged there amongst the carefully landscaped campus and carefree students passing them on the wide walkways. No one gave them a second look.

It occurred to him that Alex was in a uniquely similar situation as him, and if he wanted to learn more, here was the perfect person to ask. He glanced over, wondering where to begin, and Alex caught his gaze.

“What?” Alex asked.

He opened his mouth to speak—and paused when he saw Zachary, on Alex’s other side, glancing between them with idle interest.

Zachary smiled crookedly. “Don’t stop on my account. I hear all kinds of things at the Rink. I’m sure nothing you say will surprise me. I mean, unless it’s something private between you two. I don’t want to pry. I just mean if it’s scary stuff about demons, you’re probably not going to horrify me.”

“It’s—not scary stuff about demons, no,” Nathan hedged.

Zachary giggled. “Oh. That. I mean, they feel each other up all the time. They think Angie and I don’t notice, but we do.”

“ What ?” Alex squeaked.

Zachary threw his head back with a laugh. “Yeah, man! Your demon guys aren’t subtle at all. Most of the time they watch you guys like they want to eat you.” He shrugged. “It’s fine. My, uh, my dad’s been alone since my mom died. It’s kind of nice seeing some examples of happy relationships. Healthy is a little debatable, but you guys make it work.”

Nathan didn’t quite know what to make of that. In truth, it spoke volumes that Zachary and Angela, kids who’d never been exposed to the supernatural until they met the Rink crew, felt comfortable enough around them all to stick around and even allowed the ex-paladins to train them. Before he’d met them himself, Nathan never would’ve guessed that demons would be any sort of worthwhile role models to children. It sounded ridiculous on paper, and yet the demons and humans alike often made sure the kids had dinner and gave them rides home when needed.

Alex cast Nathan an overwhelmed look. “Right. Okay. So, Nate, care to share now?”

Nathan snorted. “I was going to ask if it was weird for you when you met Talon. Did you feel the same pull toward him that they all claim they felt toward us?”

Alex bobbed his head sagely. “I did. It totally consumed me. I started having dreams about him—which I learned later was because he can dreamwalk.”

“ No , really? I didn’t know they could do that.”

“Leviathans can, yeah. I thought I was losing my mind for a while.” He grimaced. “Talon didn’t handle it the best, to be honest. He didn’t want to give me a chance to push him away. I tried for a while, but I was drawn right back in. It was like no matter how much I tried to stop thinking about him, it only made me want him more.”

Invasive dreams aside, Nathan felt similar for Storm. Like staying away from him would be agony. Hell, it had been agony, and he’d only made it a day.

“Why is it like that?” he asked, although he knew Alex couldn’t answer.

“Malachi said once that he thinks it might be something about their physiology. Well, he said that would be his guess if it was only halflings. He thought maybe there was some part of the halflings that recognized something in the humans they chose. But since Talon was never human, it’s hard to say. Maybe it’s still true. Maybe something about us just calls to them. Maybe it’s all a part of some grand design, like Ira says. He says we’re meant to be a bridge between demons and humans. That we’ll protect both.”

Nathan’s head swirled. “Does he say how that comes to be?”

Alex smiled ruefully. “No. He’s fuzzy on the details. But he’s adamant that all of this is supposed to happen.”

“Am I meant…” Nathan stopped, uncertain whether he wanted to say the words aloud.

Alex stopped, and Zachary stopped a beat later, watching them patiently. Alex’s calm blue eyes were far too knowing, piercing into the depths of everything Nathan couldn’t say.

“Are you meant… to leave the guild?” Alex guessed. “Like we did?”

Nathan swallowed hard. Nodded.

Alex smiled, a small, pursed thing filled with sympathy. “I think you already know the answer to that, brother. That’s why you’re asking, isn’t it?”

Nathan’s eyes burned. He ducked his head. “Yeah. You’re right. And—” he sniffed hard, angry with himself for doing this here, when they had a job to do, “I’m sorry for my part in what happened to you, Alex.”

He shook his head kindly. “I would’ve chosen to leave on my own,” Alex said. “The truth is, I’d already been considering it. You guys just beat me to it.”

“Still. It was wrong of me. I should’ve done things differently.”

Alex tsked . “I’m pretty sure Ira would say you’re doing things exactly as you’re supposed to.”

That held far too many implications for Nathan to parse right now. He was meant to kill that boy? He was meant to be torn between the guild and his demon? He was meant to betray everything he’d been raised to believe about demons and Hell? Truthfully, he didn’t even feel guilty about his changing belief system. An overwhelming part of him wanted to leave the guild, because it meant being with Storm.

“I don’t even know how to do what comes next,” he admitted. “I know I’ll have to leave it all behind. I can’t have both. That’s been made clear.”

Alex inclined his head. “Yeah. With the guild, you’ll have to scorch the earth behind you. Pick up and move. They know where you live. They pay your salary. They own your car. Your laptop and cell phone are all guild-issued. It’s all got to go.”

Yes, he’d assumed as much. “Storm already told me I could move in with him.”

Alex beamed at him. “That’s good, right?”

“I think so. It’s just all moving so fast. I didn’t expect any of this. Falling for a demon, being faced with the choice of walking away from everything I’ve ever known.”

Alex nodded. “It’s big. But believe me, it’s worth it.”

Nathan believed that. He’d never been happier than when he was with Storm, and being able to stay with him would be worth it.

Being with Storm was forever. He knew that from the very first kiss.

“You don’t think the guild is suspicious about your relationship, do you?”

“No, I don’t think so. Sloan’s given me a time limit on working with you, but I’m taking advantage of it while I can.” He straightened, and Alex’s hand fell away. “Speaking of that, his goodwill might last longer if I actually bring him some useful information regarding this case.” If he could find more evidence of the pills’ existence, maybe together he and Maxwell could convince Sloan.

Alex nodded curtly. “Let’s get a move on then.”