Luxure_The Cardinal Brotherhood Book One Page 8

  “This is bad.” Fear is evident in her eyes.

  “He’s not the one who started the rumor. He wouldn’t do that to me.”

  “Are you sure about that? It’s been a thousand years. People change.”

  “Not Cole. He’s my brother. He was my closest friend. Someone else must have tracked me. I just need to find out who and silence them before they cause any real trouble.” Even as I say the words, a part of me is concerned. Maybe she’s right. It has been a very long time. Maybe he is angry that I never reached out to The Brotherhood. My absence weakened them, and that is unforgivable. Even I see that. I need to talk to him. “I told Cole I would meet him again this Friday night.”

  “Do you have a death wish? I keep you alive all this time, under the radar, and you’re just going to walk into a firing squad of your own free will. Awesome.”

  “That’s not going to happen. I’ll be careful. I’ll make sure I can’t be tracked, and I’ll stake out the meeting spot for any sign of foul play. But I believe Cole wants to help me. I could see it in his eyes. He never could lie to me.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I need you to do something for me. I know I’m a dick for asking, but can you ask around, find out if anyone knows about half-angels, glowing eyes, anything like that? Even see if anyone knows about why Guardians would live on Earth in large numbers for one human being?”

  “You mean you want me to draw a crazy amount of attention to myself so you can get answers regarding your little human crush?”

  “I’m sorry, Sel. I know this is hard for you, and I wouldn’t ask, but you’re the only person I trust.”

  “Fine. Go and see Cole. I’ll find out what I can. But promise me one thing…”

  “Anything.”

  “Until we know what we’re dealing with, you need to stay away from this girl. No contact, no tracking, nothing. You could get yourself killed if you don’t know what you’re walking into. Promise me, Luxure.”

  The thought of it makes me feel physically sick, but I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to keep Sirena safe. I don’t want to bring danger to her doorstep. I need to speak to Cole and figure out if I need to ready myself for the fight of my life. “I promise. I’m going to keep her safe. And I’m going to keep you out of harm’s way. I won’t let this come back on you. You mean too much to me. You know I love you, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” I can’t bear to look at her, the sadness in her answer causing my chest to constrict.

  “Now go and rest. You need to be at full strength when you go to see Cole. You need to be prepared for anything. I’ll let you know when I have the answers you need.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” She leaves me without a goodbye. It’s too painful for both of us at this point. I’ll do as she asks. I’ll stay away from Sirena, and I’ll make myself battle ready in case Cole’s intentions are to stab me in the back and turn me over to Luc. I just hope beyond hope that she’s wrong.

  The city feels electric tonight. I don’t know if it’s the buzz of the beginning of the weekend with everyone leaving work to drink with friends, find lovers, and enjoy the endless possibilities of two days’ freedom from the shackles of their 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. job, or if it’s the elation I feel knowing that Sirena is close.

  I kept my word to Sel. I haven’t gone anywhere near her. I haven’t called. I haven’t been back in San Francisco in over a week. The longest week of my life. I haven’t seen Selma—she’s been out trying to get answers to some of our questions—and I’ve thrown myself into training. I’ve grown lax in the past seven hundred and fifty years knowing that everyone was convinced of my demise. I became comfortable. I’d spent thousands of years training four or five hours every day. I used to run combat drills with Cole and practice fighting techniques with all of my brothers. Collectively, we were unbeatable. An army of hundreds didn’t stand a chance against the seven of us. None could stand against us and walk away with their lives. We were known throughout the realms as invincible. That’s the reason I was Luc’s second-in-command. It wasn’t because we were friends. We were friends because I was a born leader—a warrior. He knew if I were his second, then he had the backing of The Brotherhood. I swore allegiance to no one, but I stood side by side with Luc, his equal in battle. At least that’s what I thought I was doing. In the end, he didn’t respect me enough to come to me and discuss his grievances with Abi.

  This week I realized just how much I’d let my training slip. My moves were slower, less powerful than they used to be. Training alone, I didn’t have the physical advantage The Brotherhood provided. Even in training, my senses were heightened when we were all together, and my agility was at its peak. My strength doubled, and my fighting skills exponentially enhanced. Don’t get me wrong—even now I could take on any being, one on one, and come out the victor. What I now understand is that if I get heavily outnumbered by celestial beings, then they can weaken me, but they can’t kill me without permission from the Almighty. I was too high up in Lucifer’s ranks to be killed without trial or explicit orders.

  It’s cold tonight, an eerie fog settling over the water hiding Alcatraz from view, and for the first time in a hundred years, I feel on edge, paranoid that I’m being watched, and wondering who the Guardians might have told about my presence in the city. I feel a hand on my shoulder and immediately grab hold and flip my attacker over my shoulder slamming him to the ground and dropping my knee to his chest rendering him immobile.

  “Fucking hell, Lux. It’s me!” Shit. Cole.

  I jump to my feet releasing my brother and offering my hand to help him up. “I’m sorry brother. You startled me.”

  “Who else was it going to be? No one else on this planet knows you exist.” If only that were true.

  “I’m just not used to someone else being up here with me, that’s all.”

  “Bullshit. You were ready to kill me. You’re anxious.”

  “Yeah, because you snuck up on me.”

  “I can always tell when you’re lying, brother.” I hate that he knows me so well, and yet I find comfort in it. “Talk to me. Let me help.”

  “Have you told anyone that I’m here? That I’m alive? Even our brothers.”

  “Of course not. I wanted to make sure you were safe from discovery before telling our brothers. If them knowing drew attention to you and ultimately caused you to end up on the Underworld’s radar, they would be devastated. I wouldn’t do that to them or you. Once we’re certain no one else knows of your existence, then we’ll use discretion to alert them to your return.” He pauses… and I see the moment that he puts the pieces of the puzzle together. “Hold on. Why did you ask me that? Does someone know? What have you heard that has you so concerned?”

  I grab him by the shoulders staring him straight in the eye to convey the gravity of what I’m about to ask him. “Colère. We were once the closest of brothers and friends. We fought together side by side. I trusted you with my life, but I know I hurt you by keeping my survival a secret all these years. I wouldn’t blame you for being angry, but if you are truly here to help, then I need you to do something for me.”

  “Name it, brother.”

  “Swear to me that I can trust you. You say the words, and I will believe you and never question it.” I gaze into the eyes of my brother—this familiar stranger—and all I see is love and acceptance.

  He grabs my face in his hands, his words a desperate plea. “My dear, Luxure, even when you were lost to me, you remained my closest brother. I never let go of the hope you were alive. I don’t hold any ill will toward you for doing what you had to do to survive all these years. You kept yourself safe and in doing so kept all of your brothers safe, too. Please understand that I will defend you until the end of time. I swear to you now. You. Can. Trust. Me.”

  I pull him into my arms happy to have an ally, someone to help me figure out my next move. “I believe you.”

  “Now tell m
e, what’s got you so unnerved?”

  Without giving away her identity, I explain to him how Selma had been hearing rumors passing between the planes of my survival and how it coincided with our last meeting. “It wasn’t me. You have to know that. If there are rumors circulating, then it means someone else was able to sense you that night.” I know he’s right, and deep down I believe he’s telling the truth. I don’t think for a second he would sell me out. It’s not his style. He’s Wrath for fuck’s sake. He would just take me out himself without involving anyone else, and he would take great pleasure in it, too.

  “There’s something else.” As much as I trust him, I don’t want anyone to know who Sirena is or what I believe her to be. “There are guardian angels in this city, and some of them know I’m alive and in San Francisco.”

  “What the fuck? How is that even possible? And why the hell are there Guardians in the city? I haven’t sensed any of our kind here causing trouble.”

  I have to lie. “I don’t know why they’re here, but they gave me a warning. They told me to stay out of their way, or they would make sure Luc knows I’m alive. I was heavily outnumbered, so I couldn’t just silence them and have that be the end of it.”

  “Outnumbered? How many were there?”

  “Around twenty or so.”

  “Jesus Christ, Lux. You stay under the radar for a thousand years, and in the space of twenty-four hours, you slip up enough for not only me to track you, but you find yourself in a pack of Guardians. What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “That’s the problem. I wasn’t thinking. I got bored, and I got lazy. End of story.”

  He eyes me with suspicion. “Are you sure this has nothing to do with the piece of ass you tracked that led me to you?”

  “Positive. As you said, she was just a piece of ass. Tapped it and got out. I don’t know how I ended up with the Guardians, but if they find me again, I’m on a one-way ticket back to the Underworld.”

  “I won’t let that happen. We’ll figure this out together.” I feel bad for telling him half-truths when he’s willing to put himself on the line to help me, but everything inside me is telling me to protect Sirena at all costs. If she is half-angel and half-human, then the Guardians are right to protect her. If the Underworld found out about her, they would take it as a green light to start creating half-human and half-demons. It’s against the rules to breed with humans for both demons and angels. I need to make sure the Underworld doesn’t get even a hint of her existence, even if it means lying to my brother.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Leave it to me. I’m still very much in the thick of the fight. I can find out who they are, and what they’re doing here. I’ll make sure they… disappear.”

  “I don’t want to start an all-out war. We’re supposed to coexist, are we not?”

  “You’ve missed a lot brother, but that’s a story for another day. Let’s just say there is unrest in the Underworld. The demons are getting sick of Luc’s ways. They think he’s lost his edge for a number of reasons. To be honest, he hasn’t been the same since he lost you by his side.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Don’t underestimate your influence over him, Lux. You were always his favorite.”

  “Then why did he kill Abiteth without a second thought?”

  “One thing at a time. Let’s just deal with your Guardian problem. Then I’ll try to find out who started the rumor that you’re alive.”

  “My Masuulka friend is already looking into it. I should have some answers on that front when I return.”

  “Very well then.”

  I take a moment to breathe in the city that I’ve called home on Earth for the past few hundred years. If this all goes south, I may not be able to return here. There’s a very real possibility I will have to leave it and her behind. I’m not sure if I can give up either. “I best not stay too long right now.”

  “You’re right. How will I contact you when I have information on the Guardians?”

  “Get a message to me through the Masuulka. If you are mentioned in Uitare, my friend will hear it, and I will know to come and meet you.

  “Give me a few weeks. I’ll make it safe for you, brother. Then we can find somewhere safe for The Brotherhood to be reunited.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you, Cole.”

  “You’re alive. That’s enough. Now go. I have work to do.”

  Whenever Colère has said those words throughout the ages, it has always meant the same thing—death, carnage, and a terrifying wrath unleashed on his enemies beyond anything you could ever imagine. I know I need his help. I just hope he doesn’t start a new war between the Heavens and the Underworld. Cole is never happier than when he’s at war. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  A sly grin creeps across his face. “You wound me, brother.” His laughter echoes through the beams of the goliath bridge on which we stand, and then he’s gone.

  I stand alone fighting the urge to go to Sirena to force her to explain who she is and why she’s under protection. I want to be the one to safeguard her, but I fear that I won’t be able to protect her from the deadliest of threats…

  Me.

  I haven’t heard from Selma in over a week and no word from Cole either. I know Cole can take care of himself. They don’t call him ‘Wrath’ for nothing. I am worried about Sel, though. It’s not like her to go this long without checking in with me. I have no way to find her, and I have to stay hidden. There is only a select number of the Masuulka who know I stay in Uitare, and that’s because I fucked them at some point over the past thousand years. None of them would turn me over to Luc—I’m too good of a lay, and every last one of them remains hungry for more. Unfortunately, I just have to sit and wait for her to return. It’s not in my nature, and I hate that this is what I’ve become.

  These past two weeks have been a breath of fresh air, even though impending threats are never far from my thoughts. I’ve been training, working on my fighting skills, and I feel like I’ve reconnected with a part of myself that has been dormant for quite some time. I’m a warrior. It’s what I love. It’s the only thing that gives me the same level of satisfaction as being the predator that I am. Sliding a blade through an adversary’s chest with practiced precision is almost as gratifying as sliding my dick balls-deep into a beautiful woman who shouldn’t be with me. Both are dangerous and give you an adrenaline rush that lets you know you’re alive. I’ve missed that rush even more than I realized.

  When night falls and the nine moons of Uitare rise in the sky, I head out under cover of darkness in search of my friend. I try all of our scenic hideouts, her cave, the frozen forest, and finally the lakes. I’ve learned every route to every one of our places without being seen. You learn a lot when you have a thousand years to kill. I marvel at the tranquility of the water before me. I never get tired of its beauty—the bridge between Earth and the Underworld. As the light of the moons dance across the surface of the water, I glimpse a familiar figure on the opposite side of the lake. I make the jump instantaneously.

  “I see you’ve got your strength back.” Selma sits by the water’s edge, her face solemn her cheeks glistening with tears as her thoughts fill my mind.

  “What’s wrong, Sel?”

  She quickly turns away from me wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m fine. I just needed some time to think.”

  I can tell she’s hiding something from me. She’s always been so open and honest with me. “I’m not going to ask you again, Selma. Tell me what’s going on. You left almost two weeks ago to get answers. Now you’re back, but you didn’t come to me, you came to cry in the dark at the side of a lake. Forgive me if I don’t believe you’re all right. What did you find out?”

  “God, Lux. Can you ever just let me do things my way? I needed a minute to process. Give me a damn minute.”

  “Don’t start with me, Sel. You only come down here when you’re upset, and you rarely cry. I’ve only seen you cry a handful
of times in a thousand years. What. Is. Going. On?”

  I can see that she’s on the verge of breaking down, but she’s a warrior. She pulls it together, stiffens her posture, and looks me straight in the eye. “Someone in the Underworld knows that you’re alive, Lux.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  “The rumors aren’t as vague as we initially thought. They know you’ve been in San Francisco.”

  “Fuck!” I start pacing needing to expel the sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through me. “Do you know who the source is?”

  “No. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it has to be Cole. Everything points to him. He’s the only one who came to you that night. If anyone else had sensed you, don’t you think they would have hunted you down and traded you to Lucifer in return for his favor?”

  “No. He wouldn’t. I saw him last week, and he swore to me that he only wants to help. He wants to reunite The Brotherhood, so I am strong enough to face Luc if it comes down to it. I trust him, Sel.”

  “Well, if it wasn’t him, then it had to be the Guardians, and why would they want to hand over such valuable information so readily?”

  “To get rid of me without getting blood on their hands. They know Luc would kill me in a heartbeat, and they can’t kill me without orders.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Did you find out anything about the red-glowing eyes?”

  She can’t mask the look of disdain on her face. “Red eyes, yes. Glowing eyes, no.”

  “Okay.” Is she going to make me drag it out of her?

  “The only supernatural beings with red eyes are Sirens.”

  “Well, that doesn’t apply if her dad’s an angel.”

  “I know. Plus, Sirens don’t have glowing eyes. As far as I know, there has never been a supernatural being whose eyes glow for any reason. Apparently, you and your red-eyed angel are the first.”

  How can that be? Since the beginning of time, there has never been another being with glowing eyes? Why would we trigger such a trait in each other?