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Being with Athon again was more than he’d ever hoped for. Roth didn’t really understand anything that was happening lately, but he knew letting Athon back into his life, into the heart he’d never truly left, was the best decision he’d made in a very long time.
Waking with Athon in his arms felt like coming home. Even if he was more than a little afraid it was just a fantasy, a sick joke by the Fates, just so they could rip them apart again.
Something had changed as they’d slept. He’d dreamed of Athon and the mystery woman again, but this time another male had been present. One who spoke, one who seemed important to her, and he wasn’t jealous. It was odd, but as the dream progressed he felt a tether form, a bond, like family, wash over him at the thought of the mystery male. Ni, she’d called him. Athon felt it too. He felt frustration bubble up inside him at not knowing where they were, what they were doing.
“You think she’s going to let the other guy go, Az?” Athon asked hesitantly.
They’d never thought beyond their little future of three. The possibility of adding another male to the mix wasn’t exactly comforting.
“No, Ath, I don’t think she will. If she is destined to be ours we’ll need to accept it. If she’s destined for Luc . . . heads might just roll.”
“Well, that’s comforting, isn’t it?” Athon muttered sarcastically, joy still lit his eyes though. Nothing dimmed Athon’s happy when he was on a post sex high, and after his orgasm with Roth and the dream sex, it was a double whammy of balls empty, baby. On the flip side he always seemed to get a little dopey, according to Ath, anyway.
According to Mrs Briars they’d been out for a little over a week, nine days to be exact. She’d met them in the hallway with two cups of tea and some honey biscuits, and bluntly informed them she wasn’t the least bit sorry she’d knocked their asses out. Not just theirs, but the rest of the team who’d gone to the dragon realm as well, all except for Deus. Lucky bastard.
The longer they were awake, the worse they felt, it was worse than the worst damn hangover he’d ever had, and he’d had plenty. Which was why Mrs Briars sat the lot of them in the private sitting room next to the cafeteria and practically force fed them cups of sour assed tea and too sweet biscuits. She watched them like a hawk, ready to swoop in at a moment's notice.
They had nothing to do except ponder the information they’d gathered from the dragons and the strange witch.
“Deus and Marco are acting weird. Anyone else noticed that?” Fynn interrupted Roth’s thoughts.
“Nope, what do you mean?” grunted Andy, his head down on the cool wood of the table.
“Well, neither of them have come to see us. In fact, they look like they are actively avoiding this particular room. They are spending an inordinate amount of time with the recruits and general pop, though. Not a bad thing, in my opinion we should be more active in that regard, but why the sudden interest? Not to mention when Luc left a few minutes ago they hightailed it out of his path so fast I thought they both had a serious case of gastric distress. Could you imagine those two running to a bathroom before they shit themselves? It looked kinda like that. Sheer panic, boys and girls. Looks like someone added high-tech security, too,” Fynn shared.
“Now that you mention it, and since my headache is finally starting to fuck off, what the fuck is up with that?”
Malech’s brow furrowed deeply, as if thinking and talking still hurt, and it most likely did. Fuck, it did for him. At least he could sit upright now, but woe betide the person who even thought of opening the thick brocade curtains. Light was not welcome here.
“So, what do you think happened while we were out? What are they up to? Do you think Mrs Briars knows?” Dante sounded annoyingly cheery as he sat forward in his seat.
Damn mystery loving goofball. Could nothing keep that fucker down? Well, yeah, but better he was up than down. At least this way the world wouldn’t burn. He’d come to sit with them in the dark as soon as he’d woken. His trip to the well had taken a lot out of him. The taking and disposing of corrupted souls was never a ‘done and dusted in a few hours’ kind of job.
“Of course she does. Mrs Briars knows fucking everything. Whether she’d tell us what she knows is a whole other question. From their reactions to Luc, though, I’m betting The General is out of the loop, and if she hasn’t told him? There’s not a fairy’s chance in the Chimerian Chasm she’d tell us,” Ares snapped. “Now shut the fuck up. I swear, another noise and I’ll knock us all back into deep sleep til this shit wears off. Fucking Dragon Ale. Never again.”
About twenty minutes later they were summoned to the conference room. Luc was waiting, his eyes tired, but a smile on his face.
Deus, Marco, Perri, and Malphas joined them not long after. Deus and Marco looked tired. Faces gaunt, as if they hadn’t slept a wink all week.
Luc watched them closely. Roth could tell he knew something was up and was mulling it all over.
“Right, lads and ladies,” Luc winked. “I’ve just had some very good news, and as I’m big on the whole sharing is caring thing I thought you’d all like to know the latest.”
“Luc, not to be a downer or anything . . . But is there a chance you can spit it out? I’d like to crawl back into a hole and die for the rest of the day, if you don’t mind.” Lily groaned.
Luc laughed, the happy sound bringing a soft smile to Lily’s lips. She in particular felt the weight of Luc’s mental decline, as if slowly losing her father, and in a way she was. Luc was the closest she’d ever had to a loving dad. It always broke her to see him so lost. His smile meant the world to her, it shone from her eyes.
“That’s dragon ale for you, Lil. Next time don’t drink quite so much of it,” came Luc’s retort. “Well, Ramiel has just informed me the number one most wanted fallen has finally been captured, and is currently in custody awaiting interrogation.”
“You don’t mean . . .” Malphas’s words drifted off in disbelief.
“Yes, Raum has been found, caught, and was apparently presented to them like a trussed up fattened hog, sans the silver platter. We all know of Raum, his reputation has been legendarily bad. So far he’s not talking. Ramiel has not disclosed any other details surrounding the Fallen’s capture. All other reports are sketchy at best.”
The room filled with a sense that something else was going on. Some hidden agenda, and they were out of the loop. Not their monkey, not their zoo, so it made sense in a way.
“Ramiel will be overseeing his interrogation, and it seems personal. With a motherfucker this far fallen, for this long, in some way, it has to be. Am I happy someone entered our realm without asking, not to mention while I wasn’t here? No, but since it was Ramiel, and that last part wasn’t anyone else's fault but mine, I’ll let it slide. Ramiel’s return visit has been postponed indefinitely.” His eyes locked on Marco and Deus.
“Everyone else can leave. Marco, Deus, we need to have a little chat.”
