Page 75 of Transfiguration

Con flinched at the idea, then immediately apologized. “Sorry.”

“We’ll work out the blood thing,” Sam said. “If you’re not comfortable…”

“No. It will be fine. I’ll figure it out.”

“We’ll figure it out. You are not in this alone.” Sam pulled himself away and headed for the shower. Con followed at a slower pace, stretching to ease the stiffness in his joints, and letting his reserves refill to fuel the healing he needed. “That’s some crazy power you have,” Sam said as he stripped and stepped under the water.

Con admired him for a minute, wishing Luca was there too, and the world felt more normal. “It’s been wonky of late. Since visiting that site with the big symbol you showed me before Luca—”

Sam nodded, keeping his head down under the spray. Con stripped out of his clothes and stepped in to wrap his arms around Sam. He turned the man toward him and ran his fingertips over the tears falling from Sam’s eyes. His dangerous lover was as much a big softy as Rou, no matter how he buried it beneath his burning snark.

“We will get him back,” Con said, feeling it like a vow carved into his flesh. “Them. Luca and Bella.”

Sam nodded, but Con could feel through their bond that he had doubts. Lots of self-doubt. They both had that in spades. Con reached for the soap and traced his hands over Sam’s muscular body, memorizing all of it for fear Sam would be taken from him again. His touch clinical, more snapshots to burn the memories into his brain rather than caresses, but Sam didn’t mind. Neither of them was more than half aroused. Missing their third, and the world in chaos, it was the small touches that refueled their strength.

When they arrived downstairs, there was food, but the kids were gone, everything eerily quiet. Hadn’t Seiran said he’d sent them to his mother? What about Kaine? He usually haunted the garden or crossed the veil, and after the attack from Hart, Con was really worried about the kid.

“Hey,” Kelly said as soon as he saw them. “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes. You need a snack in the meantime?”

“No,” Con said, his gaze intent on his friend. Could Kelly see the questions churning through Con’s brain? He felt like he had one of those NPC game question marks glowing over his head.

“Seiran, Gabe, and Page are downstairs,” Kelly added.

Ah. “Thanks.” He glanced at Sam. “Do you need food?”

Sam shook his head. He was still sweating. Which was unusual for a vampire, but no one said anything. They both headed for the stairs that would lead down into Gabe’s space. Sam steered Con through the main living area to a closed door and knocked.

A second later, it opened, and Gabe stepped aside to let them in. It looked like one of those TV crime rooms filled with pictures and lines drawn to link a thousand things. There were books everywhere, heaps of them piled up, and Seiran was near the wall studying one area.

Page sat off to the side near an unfamiliar man. Con frowned. The last thing they needed was another stranger involved. He didn’t know who he could trust and barely knew Page. Hadn’t Sam said Page had been part of all this mess?

Gabe closed the door behind them, standing in front of it like a sentinel.

“Where’s Kaine?” Con asked.

Seiran stiffened. Page’s eyes went huge, and Gabe shook his head as if warning not to press the issue. “Across the veil,” was all Seiran said.

Okay then. “Wanna bring us up to speed, Ronnie?” Sam asked. “Maybe let me in on why I’m on fucking fire? Cause I never sweat this bad even when I was alive. Is this the Focus bond thing?” Sam’s gaze found Gabe’s, who frowned.

Seiran turned and studied Sam. “Um… you’re the Pillar of Fire now.”

Sam blinked, and Con gaped. “What? When did that happen?”

“When you fed on Con? Maybe while you were in the ground?”

“Are you asking me?” Sam asked. “Because I woke up already feeding on Con. I don’t know why the fuck you all let me hurt him.”

“You came back as the revenant,” Con said. “I thought it would bring you back to feed you and seal the Focus bond.” And since he had come back to himself, it had worked. If that meant Sam was the Pillar of Fire now, so be it. They’d handle it just like every other hit that came their way.

“You came up pretty strong. The revenant in control. And we found the former Pillar of Fire dead a few days ago,” Seiran said. “Maybe the power found you anyway? But yeah, I sense it. You’re Pillar.”

“Wait, I’m going to be hot like this forever?”

“You hate the cold,” Seiran offered.

“Fuck,” Sam said.

“You’ll learn to smooth out the ripples of power,” Gabe said. “Think of it as meditating.”