Page 6

Chapter 6

Storm

The house was somehow exactly what Storm might’ve pictured for Nathan. Both it and the lawn were clean and meticulously cared for. The house was an obvious labor of love for him. Storm might go so far as to call it a sanctuary. And here he was, being invited to observe it. Nathan could’ve refused to tell him where he lived. He could’ve given him a public location like the coffee house for Storm to pick him up from. Instead, he’d invited him here. It sent a private little thrill through him that Nathan trusted him enough to let him come here.

The light beside the front door was on, and the looming trees blocked out the last fading rays of the sun. Storm shut off his truck and strode quickly to the door. He didn’t want Nathan to rush out before Storm saw the inside.

He knocked—and waited. And waited. And knocked again.

After a few minutes, the cherry wood door opened, revealing a disheveled Nathan. “Sorry, I’m so sorry. Have you been waiting long?” He squinted at Storm, his hair askew, and Storm resisted the urge to reach out and touch it.

“No. Just got here. Did I wake you?”

“Uh.” He glanced over, and Storm leaned in. The invisible press of holy warding kept him from setting foot inside, but he was able to follow Nathan’s gaze to the navy blue sofa inside the living room. The impression of his head on one of the throw pillows was still slowly rising.

“I did. Should we do this another time?” That was the human thing to offer, right? It would be weird for him to push his way inside and tell Nathan to show him how he’d been lying.

“No, no, I still want to. I didn’t mean to…” He trailed off, his shoulders sagging. His brow furrowed and his gaze fell away, like he was disappointed in himself for falling asleep.

Storm risked stepping closer, crowding into the doorway as much as the warding would allow. He wanted those slate-gray eyes on him, wanted to be the sole focus of Nathan’s attention. What he knew of the guild wasn’t great. If they were working him so hard he was falling asleep the moment he sat down, that wasn’t exactly his fault, and Storm didn’t want him berating himself for that or any other reason.

Nathan straightened, looking up at him. His gray eyes were soft and trusting, if a little nonplussed. Was Ira right? Did Nathan feel inexplicably drawn toward Storm? Goddamn, he hoped so.

“Long day?” Storm asked softly.

Nathan’s head moved in a noncommittal way. “No more than usual. I just didn’t sleep all that well last night.” His cheeks darkened, and Storm felt there was something more than he was saying.

Storm gripped the doorway, needing an anchor to keep him from reaching in and dragging Nathan closer. “Lock up. We’ll get coffee on the way to the Rink.”

Something complicated crossed Nathan’s expression, and then he shook himself. “No, no, I can just?—”

“Shut up.” He said it gently, but Nathan’s mouth snapped closed. Interesting . No anger followed, though Storm thought there was a flicker of surprise in Nathan’s eyes. “There are a dozen coffee places between here and there. It’s no big deal. Close up and come on.”

Nathan’s throat bobbed hard. “Okay,” he agreed breathlessly, reaching for his keys. He turned and grabbed his laptop off the coffee table, locked the door behind them, and followed Storm out into the night.

Very interesting. Was he such a good soldier that he’d follow any orders? Or was this a more personal reaction to Storm in particular? He wanted to find out.

Storm did love to see a strong man yield. How far would Nathan let him push?

In the cab of the truck, Nathan’s scent filled the air, like teak wood and leather and the faint, honey-sweet scent of his blood. He fought the urge to reach over and pull him across the middle seat.

“Brave of you to get into the vehicle with a demon,” Storm teased as he carefully backed out of Nathan’s driveway, mindful of where the fence ended and the mailbox was.

“I’m in no danger with you,” he said confidently.

Storm glanced over at him. “How do you know?”

He frowned slightly, like he hadn’t considered it until now. “I don’t know. Just a feeling, I guess.”

It didn’t take long to find a random coffee shop with a drive-thru. Nathan was staring listlessly out his window, so Storm reached over and fit his palm over his knee, giving it a shake and delighting in the way the denim pulled taut across his leg.

Nathan startled at the touch. “Yes? What?”

“What do you want?”

“You don’t have to—” At Storm’s resolute look, he went quiet. Those slate gray eyes went soft and vulnerable, like cloud fluff.

“What do you want?” he asked again.

“Just a… black coffee, I guess.”

That was what he’d had at their first meeting, too, but Storm didn’t recall him drinking much of it. Still, he placed the order, and then they were back out on the road, the scent of coffee mingling with Nathan’s mouthwatering scent.

“No coffee for you?” Nathan asked, eyeing him.

“Not right now.”

He hummed, going quiet.

Nathan wasn’t much of a talker, but that was fine. The silence between them was companionable, and Storm liked the quiet. His job at In Extremis had involved standing around for ten hours of it, after all. Always apart from the action, in the dark and the silence outside the chaos.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the Rink, the others’ cars were already there. He parked beside Malachi’s vintage Mustang and glanced over.

Nathan was frozen with his cup halfway to his lips, his eyes on the Rink—which, admittedly, had seen better days. The metal siding was dented in places, dirty and rusted. Weeds grew up around the edges and through cracks in the pavement, although they’d at least filled in the holes with gravel at some point. The only sign of life were the cars in the lot and the light that glowed through the glass door. Not for the first time, he wondered if they should replace the glass with something more durable. Enchanted metal, maybe. Something to keep out the unseemlies—human and demon alike.

“Looks nice, huh?” He fought to keep his expression serious.

Nathan seemed to be trying to lighten his expression into something that passed for approval. “It’s, uh—yeah, it’s nice.”

Storm sniggered. “It’s okay, I won’t tell them it’s a hovel if you won’t. They’re kind of protective of the place.”

“Of this place?” he exclaimed, the most animated Storm had seen him yet.

He laughed, throwing his head back with it, and he noticed the way Nathan’s eyes brightened at the sound. “Yeah. Baby’s first secret base, y’know?”

Nathan chuckled. “Right.”

He gestured to the building. “Come on. Looks like they’re all waiting inside. Let’s go.”

Nathan nodded, slipping from the truck. Storm paused just long enough to check the weight in the coffee cup. Still mostly full, as he’d suspected. Why order something he didn’t like?

Storm left it. If Nathan didn’t want it, that was his choice. He waited for Storm in front of the truck, hugging his laptop to his chest and looking uncertain about how to proceed. Anxiety cut deep lines in his radiant face.

“You good?” Storm asked as he locked the truck.

Nathan nodded—then shook his head. He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. It’s—I’m fine.”

“Tell me.” It wasn’t a question, and Nathan obeyed once again, sending a thrill through Storm.

His face twisted. “I figure the guild isn’t well-liked in there. And I am … the guild, in a way. A representative of it.” He turned his left hand, looking down at the ring. “I’m just not sure how this meeting is going to go.”

Storm drew closer, delight simmering through him when Nathan didn’t move away. “The humans don’t talk much about their time with the guild. Ira’s probably the most open about what it was like. But they’re all in agreement that you were one of the good ones. Ira gave them your phone number in case they needed to contact someone they could trust on the inside. Some of the demons are probably going to be a little more wary, because their only experience with the guild is violence. Malachi, in particular, almost lost Luke because of them, and he’s a grudge-holder.”

“Malachi is… a halfling like you, yes?” Nathan’s gaze met his, darting between his crimson eyes.

“That’s right.” He held a hand out toward the building. “Come. It’ll be fine.”

Nathan fell into step with him, and when they reached the door, Storm opened it and gestured for him to go through first. He ducked his head bashfully, and Storm wanted to grab his jaw and force his head up to drink in the sight of his pretty blush.

The kids were absent, which was probably for the best. The others were all waiting around the air hockey table. Malachi hovered protectively beside Luke with his arms folded and a scowl set above his crimson eyes. His hair was tied back in a messy bun, like he’d gotten ready in a hurry. Luke and Alex both sat on stools. Alex was reading over something from a file folder, one of Talon’s arms draped over his shoulders. Ira sat sideways on the table itself, one leg curled under him and the other swinging idly, brushing Wolf’s leg on each pass. Xyra and Shadrach weren’t in sight, which was also probably for the best, in the latter’s case. Shadrach liked to wind people up, and tensions were high enough without his help.

“I suppose my companion needs no introduction,” Storm said, waving a hand at Nathan.

Luke and Alex stood, smiling easily, and rounded the table to greet him. They shook hands one by one, and Nathan said, “Thank you for allowing me to come here. I appreciate the level of trust you’ve given me, and I want you to know I won’t squander it.”

“For your sake, I hope not,” Talon said coolly.

The sudden urge to snarl clawed up Storm’s throat, and he turned away sharply to crush it back down. If Talon truly wanted to kill Nathan, there was nothing Storm could fucking do about it. As a halfling, he was plenty stronger than a human, but a leviathan like Talon would wipe the floor with him. Alex wouldn’t want Talon to hurt Nathan anyway, so he was just making idle threats to make sure Nathan didn’t try anything. But knowing Storm would be helpless to protect Nathan left him feeling… unsettled.

When he turned back around, Wolf and Ira were watching him knowingly. Wolf raised one hand out beside him, palm down, and gently lowered it. Calm down , the gesture said.

Storm took a deep, fortifying breath and consciously released the tension from his body. Being at odds with Talon wouldn’t do any of them any good, and he had no claim over Nathan yet—no matter what the selfish little voice in the back of his head insisted.

Mine, mine, he’s mine.

“Can we give you a tour?” Alex offered. “We’ve done a lot of work on the place.”

“Yes, absolutely,” Nathan agreed sincerely. “I’d love to see how you operate out of a place like this.”

Before they wandered off, Storm snagged Nathan’s arm. He turned automatically, his gaze bright and eager. It settled into something softer when their eyes met—no less bright or eager, but more vulnerable somehow. Storm smiled, gently tugging the laptop from his arms.

“I’ll take this. You can show us the footage after the tour,” he said.

The tension was fading from Nathan’s limbs, and he relinquished his laptop without question.

“I’ll leave it on the table for you,” Storm added, nodding at the table.

Nathan followed his gaze—and did a double-take. “Is that an air hockey game?”

Storm fought down a smile. “It is.”

Nathan’s mouth curved into a grin. “Does it work?”

Storm pursed his lips. He wouldn’t laugh. He wouldn’t . “I don’t think so. That’s why we use it as a table now.”

Nathan clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Shame.”

Storm gave him a nudge. “Go on, take the tour.”

Nathan joined Alex and Luke, and they led him across the training area toward the back rooms. With nothing better to do, Storm wandered over to the table and carefully laid the sleek, silver laptop on the polished white surface of the table.

“How was he on the ride over?” Talon asked, watching them disappear into the back hallway.

“Fine. He was a little nervous to come, I think.”

“He should be,” Talon remarked.

Storm’s jaw pulsed.

“For the record, I think this is going to sink like a stone,” he continued, glancing at each of them in turn to gauge their expressions. “But Alex wants to try and play nice, so I’m willing to make an effort until the guild inevitably gives me a reason to go nuclear.”

“The guild may,” Storm allowed, “but he won’t. If something happens, it won’t be because of Nathan.”

“How do you know?” Talon asked coolly. “You barely know this human. You’ve met him, what, twice now?”

Anger flashed through him. “I just do,” he snapped.

Talon cocked his head to one side, studying him intently, and then said succinctly, “Son of a bitch.”

Storm sighed, turning away. He should’ve just kept his mouth shut.

“Play nice, Talon,” Ira said in that knowing way of his. He was the only one apart from Alex who could get Talon to see reason.

“Have you got a hard-on for him?” Talon asked Storm with exasperation, and Storm gnashed his teeth. “We can’t keep picking up strays.”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Ira said calmly before Storm could snap. “For as long as the guild continues to mistreat its members and drive them toward us, we’ll keep taking them in. We’ll gather allies and grow our operation.”

“I never wanted this to be an operation ,” Talon said through a groan.

“But it will be,” Wolf said, as calmly as his human counterpart. If Storm and Nathan were half as well-matched as these two, Storm could barely wait to begin. “We all see it coming. Ira has said he wouldn’t be the last human to turn sides. There’ll be others. If the next one happens to be this one, so be it. We could do worse. They all talk about that guy like he’s a brother they haven’t had a chance to visit in a while. He’s a strong warrior who’s trying to do the right thing. Let’s not ruin it before it starts by being unnecessarily distrusting.”

“Unnecessarily?” Talon asked. “Ask Malachi here if he’s unnecessarily distrusting after what they did to Luke.”

Malachi grunted, apparently unwilling to get involved in the conversation. He’d turned his head to one side, listening to the humans talking in one of the back rooms. Their voices filtered, quiet but clear, to the demons’ enhanced hearing. A few moments later, laughter filled the air, and Storm forgot his anger as he picked out Nathan’s unfamiliar laughter, like wind chimes in a breeze.

“Nathan didn’t agree with what they did to Luke,” Ira said. Storm didn’t understand how he maintained his sense of calm all the time. He wanted to break the goddamn table. “But paladins are peons in that guild. They don’t make the decisions, and you’ve seen what happens when they disobey. Give Nate the benefit of the doubt. He’s here. He’s trying, and it’s probably put him at odds with the loud majority of the guild already.”

Talon huffed out a sigh through his nose. “I’ll reserve judgment.”

“That’s all I ask,” Ira said loftily, smug now that he’d won.

The humans returned, and when they passed under the disco ball and the colored lights, Nathan craned his neck back to look at it all, the mirrored ceiling reflecting their images back at him. Storm fought down a laugh as he made himself dizzy, stumbling a bit on the padded mat.

“Y’know, I always wanted to come to a place like this as a kid,” he said. “I can’t believe you bought one and turned it into an actual base of operations, but I’ve got to say, I love it. The outside looks like something out of a horror movie, though. You might want to hang up a sign or something so people know they haven’t stumbled into a slasher.”

Luke snorted, easing through the gap in the partition. “Yeah, we know. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe we’ll get a sign after we figure out what to call ourselves.”

Alex and Luke returned to their places beside Talon and Malachi, and a quiet sense of satisfaction swept through Storm when Nathan rounded the table to stand beside him. Did he even realize he’d done it?

On Nathan’s other side, Ira asked, “How are things at the guild these days?”

Nathan bowed his head with a sigh, bracing his hands on the table. “Not great. The council still isn’t in agreement about how to handle the halflings, and Sloan has started rallying the captains to help sway them. Many believe wholeheartedly that they should be eradicated. Too few of us recognize that they aren’t killing people and that focusing on them would, at the very least, be a waste of resources. And a moral failing, in my opinion.” He shook his head. “I’m afraid that once enough of them start calling for blood, the holdouts on the council will give in to keep the peace. I believe they’re blinded by their pride. Somehow, they’ve internalized the three of you leaving with some sort of personal insult against the guild and everyone in it. They’ve been forcing the captains to check in with their squads and then report any suspicious behavior to Sloan. There’s even talk of phone and bag searches to make sure no one has been in contact with any halflings. I’ve been trying to do my part as a voice of reason, but there aren’t enough of us. We’re drowned out by the hate.”

Grim silence followed, until Alex broke it. “What does that mean for us?”

“Sloan specifically asked me to find out where your base is located. I don’t know why, but I worry he’s planning something.”

“Of course he is,” Talon said. “Prideful men don’t stop until they’ve had their perceived revenge. He’ll keep coming after us until he thinks we’ve paid.”

“Well, I won’t tell them I know where this place is,” Nathan said firmly. “As far as they’re going to be aware, we met in a public location just like Storm and I did when we first met. I’m going to tell them you’re all far too paranoid to let me anywhere near your homes or your place of work. If they don’t know where this place is, they can’t attack it like they did In Extremis.”

“They know where we live, though,” Luke pointed out. “They’ve known for a while. We were being tailed for weeks.”

“They’ve backed off recently,” Alex said. “I haven’t seen any paladins since the attack at the club.”

“Yes, Sloan told them to stand down while he worked on getting council support for another attack. If possible, you should all take this opportunity to find new places to live, at least for a while. It’s important that you stay safe. I can also… There are some books on runes in the archives. It’s forbidden for guild members to use magic, because it’s considered satanic, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you guys. Ward this place, ward your homes. Anyone who means you harm shouldn’t be able to cross the threshold.”

Hadn’t Storm just been thinking about doing exactly that on their way inside?

“That’d be fantastic,” Ira said. “They don’t know where Wolf and I live, as far as I know, but having the extra insurance would make me feel a lot better.”

“I’ve got a second apartment. Alex and I can move there,” Talon said.

“We can move, too,” Malachi said. “I’ve got the funds for a second place.”

Nathan looked at Storm, waiting.

“I can move, too,” Storm said. “I don’t already have a place like Talon, but I’ve got plenty of money stashed away. Shouldn’t be too hard to find something.”

“Good,” Nathan said. “I’ll make copies of the warding spells and send them to you tomorrow, then. There’s a couple of legitimate magic shops in LA, if you need supplies.”

“We’re aware,” Talon said. “Some of them pay to use demon blood in potions. I know of some halflings who donate.”

Alex looked uncertain. “Magic? Really?”

Nathan nodded. “There aren’t many who use it nowadays, but it’s real.”

“The guild played a big hand in almost eradicating it, actually,” Talon said. “Christians and their witch hunts, y’know?”

Alex grimaced. “Right.”

“Don’t let the King James version fool you,” Nathan said. “Witchcraft isn’t evil. Magic is just a tool, no different than the swords and holy rites we use. You guys are outnumbered, big time. Use everything you can get your hands on, including magic. Some will be more adept with it than others. I suspect Ira will have more power at his disposal, but it’ll work if you believe, just like the rest of the rites we use.”

“We’ll give it a try,” Luke said. “I’m willing to use anything if it’ll help us protect ourselves. We’ve got enemies on both sides, after all.”

Nathan tilted his head. “You do? That doesn’t sound good.”

“The guild are no friends, of course, but we’ve recently had trouble with someone amongst the halflings, too,” Luke explained. “Lilith. She’s kind of like a mob boss to the demons, and she doesn’t like us. She owns the club, and she blames us for the attack.”

Nathan winced. “Shit. I’m sorry. Do you need help with her? If paladins want to kill some halflings, maybe we can aim them at each other instead of you.”

Talon snorted out a laugh, then covered his mouth like he didn’t mean to let it escape. Alex grinned at him, nudging him playfully.

Nathan laughed, too, but added, “I’m serious! Would that work?”

“I have no idea,” Talon admitted, shaking his head. It was reassuring, at least, that Nathan had inadvertently found a way to put Talon at ease. “It might just make things worse. If you give the paladins leave to attack some halflings, what’s to stop them from attacking all?”

Nathan inclined his head. “That would be a risk, yes, but I hate to think you guys are out here with no backup.”

“We watch each other’s backs,” Talon said. “And there are a few of us not here tonight.”

“That’s good,” Nathan said. “I just wish there was more I could do.”

Unfamiliar affection filled Storm. Nathan was a good man who probably deserved far better than Storm, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him.

“Which reminds me,” Nathan said, grimacing, and pulled his laptop toward himself. “I’ve got something to show you guys. Sloan gave me a case. It’s something we’ve never seen before.” He opened up the laptop and went to his email. “He emailed me a copy of the video. I thought it might be best to show you.”

They all crowded around the laptop to watch, and Nathan stepped out of the way as he hit the play button on the video. Storm watched the shift of his back as he went. Thanks to Nathan’s explanation at the coffee shop, he already knew what he’d see on the video, and looking at his human was a far nicer view than exploding hearts.

“What are we looking for?” Luke asked.

“You’ll know it when you see it,” Nathan replied.

Storm glanced distractedly between the laptop and Nathan’s pensive expression—until the man on the screen fell to his knees.

“Whoa,” Alex said in alarm. “What the hell?”

“Oh my God!” Luke exclaimed when the figure’s chest burst open, turning to look at Malachi like he couldn’t stand to watch any longer. Malachi cradled his face and kissed his temple.

“Ugh, possessors,” Talon said, rolling his eyes. “This isn’t new. This is, in fact, very old.”

Nathan turned toward him. “What? You know what that was?”

“Of course. Old school. Possessor demons don’t get a foothold much these days. Their powers have weakened considerably as the humans’ population on Earth has grown.”

“Possessor? Like The Exorcist ?” Alex said, tugging Talon’s arm around his shoulders.

“Exactly. They’re rare these days. Unlike the monsters you hunt, they don’t have the power to come here without a host body. Why this one tried to burst out through its host, I can’t say. That would be the thing to investigate, though.”

“I was going by the morgue in the morning to look at the body,” Nathan said. “I’d be happy to have one of you along.”

“I’ll go,” Storm said quickly.

Nathan met his eyes, and Storm felt ensnared. Everything else faded away, and all he saw was Nathan.

Ira’s matter-of-fact voice finally drew his attention. “Good idea. Storm can recognize demonic signatures and report back to us.”

Satisfaction spread through him when Nathan didn’t protest, despite the uncertainty on his face. “Okay. Sounds good.”