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Cale turned. “Come. Let’s take a walk. There’s much you don’t know.”
As Declan followed the Seraph out of the Lounge, he had a feeling his life was once more taking a major turn. To the left.
Fuck.
Just when he’d learned to navigate the straight and narrow.
Chapter 16
Decatur was busy. It was early evening now, the air was crisp. Declan followed Cale in silence. There were many words inside him; he just didn’t know what the hell to ask first.
The two men slipped through the throngs of tourists and a few minutes later ended up in front of Café du Monde. “I need a fix.” The Seraph glanced his way. “You want one?”
Declan shook his head. “Not unless they’ve got Bailey’s.”
Cale winced. “You’d ruin such a delight with a cheap Irish cream?” He looked horrified at the idea and promptly ordered himself a large café au lait and a plate of beignets. Declan smelled the sweet chicory used to flavor the coffee, and the beignets were deep-fried and smothered in powdered sugar.
His stomach revolted at the sweet overkill and he moved away, back onto the sidewalk.
“Let’s walk.” Cale proceeded to down three large beignets as they headed toward the water and by the time they reached the edge of the Mississippi, the Seraph had finished every last crumb.
Cale took a long draw from his coffee cup and then spoke.
“Samael is my brother but not in the literal term. We’re both part of a select group of warriors, from every class of being. Demon, Seraphim, nephilim, vampire, shifter, magick . . . even humans.” Cale blew at the steam that hovered above his cup. “You name it, we’ve got it.”
“And the purpose for this, ah, group is what exactly?” Declan watched several seagulls fly overhead, their sad cries riding the wind as they dipped and dove toward the muddy water.
“We’re the last line of protection. We keep things in order.” He paused. “We are Guardians . . . a League of Guardians.”
“Seriously? Like the Justice League . . . or X-Men or . . .”
Cale shrugged. “We are what we are.”
“That tells me nothing.”
“Let me explain it to you this way. Our job is to make sure neither the underworld nor the upper realm become too powerful . . . yin-yang and all that. Without darkness there can be no light, the line between the two is delicate, like the thinnest weave of silk.”
Declan let Cale’s words sink in. “So you’re not one of the Seraph. You’re spying on them.”
Cale frowned. “Spying? No, that’s much too literal. I believe in the good and for the most part the Seraphim’s agenda is above reproach. But I also know that absolute rule is not the answer. How many crimes have been committed because righteous thought believed the end justified the means?” He shook his head bitterly. “Too many.”
“So you police the Seraphim.”
Cale paused for a few moments, his brow furled. “I’m not sure policing is the correct term, either. We gather evidence and act upon it if need be, work in tandem with operatives who exist in every plane of existence.”
Declan took a few moments to let Cale’s words sink in. “So who polices you?”
A smile tugged the corner of Cale’s mouth. “We answer to one of the original seven Seraphim—a true warrior who speaks directly to the highest power.” Cale licked at the bits of sugar that remained on his fingers. “You’ve already met him.”
Son of a bitch. Declan could see where this was going. “Bill.” He found it ironic the little elf man had such power.
Cale nodded but remained silent.
Declan shook his head. The whole thing sounded bizarre. “I’ve seen Samael in action when I was imprisoned below in Club Lilith. He’s no fucking hero.”
Cale nailed him with a dark look. “You will not question the demon. Every day of his existence he treads a thin line as do we all.” Cale looked away, his hands clenched to his side. “You think if the Seraphim find out of our existence they’d welcome us? Thank us for the many times we’ve driven them back from the brink of war with the underworld? From slaughtering entire peoples because they were pagan and did not believe in our higher power?”
Cale sighed. “Samael is a demon. Make no mistake that his true nature is volatile at best. His very core is fed by chaos but he swore allegiance to Askelon, or Bill as you know him, eons ago. He saw the need for control . . . for balance.”
