“No one could have known her village would be raided during our sentencing,” he said softly. The two of them had invited punishment by breaking Gavriel’s law, and justice had swooped down upon them at the worst possible time. Nathaniel ached for his brother, for a past neither could change. “It was one night—”
“—that changed everything.” His vacant eyes were locked somewhere in their far distant past. “I still smell the smoke. At night, when I close my eyes, I still see her burned body.” He shuddered. “If she had left Bran, they never would have found her hiding place.”
Instead, a sickly child’s cries had led them right to her. She had been brutalized and burned. Bran had escaped unscathed. Mairi had done that, Nathaniel knew, protected her son at all costs because she had loved him, and loved Saul, beyond reason.
There was nothing left to say that hadn’t been said a thousand times before, and though he meant the words, Nathaniel knew they rang hollow. “I understand your pain.” And he wondered if hatred wouldn’t eat a hole in his gut over time as well when he lost Chloe.
“Not yet you don’t.” Saul’s focus snapped into place. “But you will.”
Saul’s first punch caught Nathaniel by surprise.
He rocked back on his heels, reeling from the unexpected assault.
Nathaniel dodged Saul’s next blow. He ducked low, then slammed his fist under his brother’s jaw. Saul snarled from the pain and staggered backward while Nathaniel regrouped. When Saul charged, he was ready.
“I’m coming to you.”
The clarion sound of Chloe’s thought sliced through Nathaniel and the distraction cost him. He grunted with pain as Saul sank his shoulder into his chest and sent them sprawling across the ground.
“No.”
He panted as he shoved Saul aside.
“Stay inside where it’s safe.”
But it was too late. His ears rang when a metal door cracked against brick.
He saw Chloe’s knees give out in a slow slide down to the concrete steps.
A static
click
and Nathaniel felt the deep resonation of Saul’s harvester bond snap into place. The connection was instinctual, automatic, and now he, Saul, and Chloe were snared in the same telepathic bond. Nathaniel reeled from the sensory overload.
Never had he linked with another harvester. Their bonds were one-sided, meant to trap prey, not be ensnared by one another.
Chloe’s fear amplified the chaotic chatter in Nathaniel’s head, fed him images ripped from Saul’s mind. Her bond with Nathaniel had made her a conductor for Saul, and now Nathaniel staggered as his brother’s suffocating rage boiled under his skin.
Saul hissed in shock and leaped to his feet. “She’s the mark.”
Chloe flinched at his voice, and hot, sick fear radiated through their bond in waves.
Saul watched with a vicious, mocking smile. “Why, pet, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you could hear us.” He wiggled his pinky in his ear. “What’s that? I didn’t catch your answer.”
Her terror-filled gaze swung between Nathaniel and Saul.
“You can see us as well?” With a sharp flap of his wings, Saul took to the air, sailing over Nathaniel’s head to land beside Chloe. From her seat on the steps, she pressed her back to the brick wall and inched away from him.
“Come here, Chloe. Give me your hand.” Nathaniel reached for her. “I won’t hurt you.”
Doubt creased her brow. She hesitated, and Saul took advantage.
He stroked her hair, her cheek. “Ah. I thought so.” Marvel lit his face when his hand touched skin rather than air. His head shot up, finally concerned they might be interrupted. “Let’s find a better place to get acquainted.”
“Saul—” Nathaniel lunged for his brother.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Saul crushed her to his chest, squeezing until her scream stopped in her throat. “You know how easily mortal toys are broken.” To Chloe, he said, “Come on, pet, let’s go play.”
His wings spread as he glided the several yards between the door and the rear of the building. With a bloody smile cast over his shoulder, Saul taunted Nathaniel, daring him to follow with the look.
Nathaniel ran, skidded around the corner, and found Chloe pressed against the rear wall. Wide-eyed, she gasped for breath through the hold Saul had on her throat.
Saul glanced over. “I knew you were hiding something, but I never imagined your secret was anything so interesting.”
“Release her, Saul.” Nathaniel crept closer. “Your quarrel is with me.”
“Is that what you want?” Saul’s voice dripped with pity. “You want to go to Nathaniel?”
Chloe vibrated with alarm and flooded Nathaniel with her anxiety through their bond. Her wild eyes latched on his golden form.
“Nathaniel?”
Her tone pleaded with him not to answer.
“I am so sorry,
meira
.”
Her eyes squeezed closed.
“This isn’t real. This is one of my dreams.”
She shivered visibly.
“Nathaniel isn’t… he can’t be…”
Saul pretended compassion. “You have no idea.”
“Enough.” Nathaniel locked gazes with Saul, but he stood his ground. “Release her.”
“Don’t make me do something we’ll both regret. Stand back.” Saul clamped his hand over Chloe’s jaw and jerked her head backward until her spine bent; then he tapped the end of her nose. “Good girl. No screams. No struggles. If anyone comes back here on your account, I will kill them. Understand?”
She couldn’t speak through the hold he had on her. Her answer flowed through their connection, pinging from Saul to Nathaniel and making Nathaniel’s head ache.
“I understand.”
“Good.” Saul shot her a patronizing grin. “Now keep quiet or I’ll find something to occupy that pretty mouth of yours.”
Nathaniel gritted his teeth. Another step closer, one more step and he could…
Saul grinned. “I see now I wasn’t the only one who believed Reuel, though I admit your attempt appears more stable than mine.” His attention turned from Nathaniel to Chloe, eyes gleaming. “How does she work, I wonder…?” He cupped her mouth and positioned his hand over her heart. The tips of his fingers pressed through skin and her mental scream stunned Saul.
With a mindless roar, Nathaniel charged. His shoulder sank into Saul’s ribs and sent him scrabbling across the ground.
“Touch her again, and I will stuff your soul into a pit myself.” Nathaniel knotted his pendant’s broken chain and settled it over his head. The second he had substance, he ushered Chloe behind his back, standing between her and Saul.
Saul rolled to his knees, flapping his wings to gain his feet. “You’ve bound her soul to yours.” Saul managed a single, winded laugh. “I’d almost given up hope, but she’s proof that stable resurrection is possible.” Hovering several feet aboveground, he whooped with triumph. “You’ve really done it.” His smile was fierce with relief. “Bring her and the shears. We’ll meet at your cabin and—”
“The only place you’re going,” a familiar voice called, “is Dis.”
Bran’s limping gate was broken by the use of a silver cane. “Delphi is expecting you.” He stopped a few feet away and planted his feet wide. “Now.”
Nathaniel breathed a sigh of relief even as Saul’s gaze met his in a clear warning.
“Do you know what the problem is with eavesdropping?” Saul settled to the ground close enough his wings eclipsed Bran. “You miss important parts of a conversation.”
“Then why don’t you fill me in?” Bran waited. “What? Nothing to say? Things looked tense when I arrived, so I doubt you two were discussing the weather.”
Saul shot Nathaniel a look. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we were making plans for tomorrow—
after
the inquiry.” His expression turned apologetic when he glanced back at Bran. “Sorry, I would have invited you, but it’s for adults only.”
Ignoring the insult, Bran turned to Nathaniel. “Is he telling the truth?”
“Of course I am.” Saul didn’t give him a chance to answer. “I wanted to learn about the woman who’s captured Nathaniel’s interest. So he invited me for lunch at his cabin.”
“Nathaniel?” Bran sounded doubtful.
“I can’t keep Delphi waiting.” Saul tapped the hilt of his dagger and Nathaniel got the message. Pay now or pay later. “So am I meeting you for lunch… or should I plan on seeing you in Dis?”
“I’ll meet you.” He had no other choice.
“Good.” Saul chuckled. “Until then, I can see you two lovebirds need some time alone.” He pointed farther down the wall where Chloe had crept several feet from behind Nathaniel. “Let me give you some brotherly advice. Women aren’t keen on being lied to, no matter the reason.”
He leaped skyward and vanished through a portal sliced by his blade.
Nathaniel watched until the rift healed itself, then faced Bran. “I’ll meet you out front.”
Though he didn’t look happy, he nodded and made his way toward the sidewalk.
When they had some privacy, Nathaniel approached Chloe.
She shrank back against the bricks. “Don’t touch me.” Imprints from Saul’s fingers dotted her throat and deepened her voice. Tears spilled over her cheeks, but her palms were too busy feeling their way along the wall to reach up and wipe them away.
The fear in her dark eyes cut him to the bone. “You lied to me.”
“I didn’t have a choice.” Not if he wanted to save her soul. “I still don’t have a choice.”
“If you think I’m going anywhere with you or that thing, you can forget it.” Her chest rose and fell with frantic breaths. “I know what you are. I’ve seen it.” More tears fell. “I’ve
felt
it.”
“I didn’t know you were being hurt.” The need to touch her, hold her safe in his arms, brought him closer. Her sharp cry made him take a step back. “You have to believe me.”
“I don’t have to believe a word you say,” she said. “You’re not who I thought you were. You’re not even human. For all I know, you’re not even real.” She swallowed past her bruised throat. “I’m going upstairs, I’m taking my pills, and you’re going back to whatever hole in my psyche you crawled out of.” Shoving past him, she broke and ran for the door.
From the mouth of the alley, Bran’s worried gaze lit on him and Nathaniel knew he had to let her go, for now. There were precious few hours left and he needed a plan.
Saul’s mind spun with possibilities until he was drunk on them. His brother had done what he failed to do. Instead of the usual sting those revelations brought, Saul felt only renewed hope.
Nathaniel had done it.
How
had he done it?
The woman, Chloe, was a marked soul. The harvester bond had linked them. Damn it. He’d been inside her head, but her images were garbled and useless. She’d committed no crimes. She was clean, a blank slate, almost as if something had shielded her thoughts, memories, from him.
Nathaniel, on the other hand… Saul’s wings lifted him higher and higher into the sky. Oh, his brother had been a very, very naughty harvester. Saul would have never thought his brother had it in him to defy Delphi, let alone over a woman, and not after the way Saul had lost Mairi.
Yet he had. Oh yes, he had. The scandal was delicious, and Saul took a moment to savor it.
“Nice. Real nice,” Reuel drawled. “Is that your handiwork?”
Saul blinked, confused for a moment. In his excitement, he’d sliced a rift that spat him out at Mairi’s gravesite. He applied a somber expression before turning toward Reuel. “Of course not.”
“I figured that’s how you’d want to play it.” Reuel tapped his wrist. “Time’s up. I’m here for the soul. I trust you have it for me?”
“I was just on my way to collect.” Saul took a step back, palmed his dagger.
“Do you really want to play this game?” Reuel loosed a shrill whistle.
Air stirred and dust blew into Saul’s eyes. His mouth parched when he heard it. Feathers rustled, twelve sets of wings thrust. It was the sound of his end approaching if he didn’t act fast.
Trates hit the ground first. His head fell back and his lungs filled with fresh air. “I remember this.”
“It’s too bright.” Arestes squinted. “I don’t like it. Let’s be done with this and return home.”
The seraphs were panting, but not from the flight. They wove on their feet, blinking rapidly.
Saul suppressed his glee. Poor little seraphs weren’t used to this altitude compared to Dis.
Pity their handler had forgotten how long it’d been since these seraphs last saw Earth.
“Wait a minute.” Reuel stepped between Saul and the seraphs. His expression was grave. “I warned you this day was coming. If I don’t turn in either you or that soul, then Delphi will skin me alive, and that’s not really how I see myself going. Tell me where the missing soul is and we’ll collect it, together. ”
Turn in Chloe? Never. Saul wanted to crawl inside her and figure out how she worked. Take her apart, piece by piece until he understood how Nathaniel had succeeded where he had failed.
If his brother knew the secret Azrael had withheld, then Saul would be freed of that burden as well. No more bowing and scraping to the warped angel. No more Zared. No more Hell and no more creatures to feed and coddle when he’d just as soon slaughter them all and be done with it.
He was tired of all the hiding, secrets, and lies. He wanted peace. Was that so much to ask?
Saul braced himself. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“Glad to hear it.” In a blink, Trates stood before Saul. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
Arestes appeared a heartbeat later. “I anticipated a hunt.” He sighed. “Ah well.”
“Grab him, boys.” Reuel had his knife in hand. “Let’s get him to Dis before he gets ideas.”
“Delphi said to bring Saul to his office.” Trates grasped Saul’s upper arm. “He didn’t say we couldn’t interrogate him first.” The seraph grinned. “I’m sure our master would appreciate any information you could give us before your punishment commences.”
Saul kept calm. He waited until Reuel sliced his portal and it shut on his heels, waited until Arestes grabbed for his free arm, then Saul struck. He sank his knife into the column of Arestes’s throat. Blood spurted. Trates howled. With a quick twist, Saul freed the blade from Arestes and sank it into Trates’s gut. The seraph staggered. Surprise lit their eyes as they bared their teeth.