Chapter Forty-four

Morrisey stepped from the bedroom, dressed in the same suit he’d worn to Will’s funeral, which fit better now, as he’d lost a bit of weight and went to the gym regularly with Farren.

Four weeks. It’d been four weeks since FAET imploded.

The apartment was now a mixture of Farren and Morrisey’s furniture, a proper coffee table replacing the old cable reel a traveler dropped Morrisey through.

Farren came out of the kitchen, handing Morrisey a glass of tea. He also wore a suit, looking every bit the runway model the original Farren had been. Two cats lay curled together in a chair, one white, the other tabby. For the first time in years, the apartment was clean enough for Morrisey to make out the pattern on the carpet.

“Are you ready?” Farren asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Morrisey took the tea and drained the glass. His hands only shook minimally as he tried to ignore his sudden craving for tequila. Tequila dulled his senses, and he needed those more than ever. Now, though, when cravings grew too strong, Farren helped him through, like he’d taken in the extra power.

They took the elevator to the lobby and ambled through the parking lot to a shiny new pickup Farren still grinned at whenever they went somewhere. The RAV4 looked forlorn, but once they found a house, he’d move it from its current spot.

Morrisey climbed into the passenger seat while Farren crawled behind the steering wheel. At least Morrisey didn’t have to creatively fold himself into the seat.

“After today, there’s no turning back,” Morrisey began.

Farren kept his eyes on the road, knuckles white where he gripped the steering wheel. “Do you want to turn back?”

Did Morrisey? He’d asked himself a million times, finally coming up with an emphatic, “Oh, hell no.”

Farren removed one hand from the steering wheel to lace their fingers together over the console. A smile tugged up his lips. “Me either.”

Morrisey pulled in a deep breath, then exhaled in a whoosh. “Then let’s do this.” He tugged at his tie. The damned thing seemed intent on choking him.

The usual traveler guard manned the compound’s security gate. He merely smiled and waved them through. The man appeared purely human. Morrisey learned to tone down the ability to see traveler auras to only when he needed to. Though now even Magestras couldn’t hide from him.

Few cars littered the parking lot, most of those official-looking vehicles.

Going through security mimicked any other day, with a walrus-mustached guy buzzing them through the door.

However, it wasn’t any other day. Many Morrisey had met in the hallways he’d never see again since they picked the wrong side in a conflict they’d likely never fully understood. He didn’t know the regular agents in the non-restricted part of the building.

Farren pushed the down button on the elevator and waved Morrisey inside when the doors slid aside. Morrisey opened himself, letting loose the gratitude at having Farren by his side. He laced their fingers together, basking in the waves of Farren’s affection until the door opened.

They weren’t going to the conference room where Leary had lost his life. The FBI brass had chosen another one, free of traumatic memories and corrupted emotions. Who knew certain travelers could sweep an area of negative energy? Several people looked up when Morrisey and Farren entered the room, a few Morrisey acknowledged with a nod.

Morrisey took a seat near the end of an extremely long table, fighting not to squirm. Being the center of attention wasn’t his thing. Especially not in a room large enough to require a microphone to be heard.

A place he did not want to be. Shouldn’t be. No one who’d ever met him would leave him in charge of a company picnic, let alone a race of alien beings living among humans.

To Morrisey’s right sat Farren, looking eminently fuckable. Carter sat ramrod straight to Morrisey”s left, and next to him was Jessalain, wearing the body she had been forced into by her former overlord, also dressed in a business suit and wearing a necktie. The fashion choice looked good on her. No matter how much she tried to blend in, she sent men into fits of lust.

Which Jessa referred to as a snack. While feeding off the emotions of others might seem intrusive, Jessa drained tensions wherever she went. Her presence guaranteed the meeting wouldn’t get out of hand. Morrisey would teach her how to shield when needed later. Arianna and Devon sat on her other side.

Most at the table appeared to be humans, with the occasional traveler thrown in. All vetted. Morrisey scanned the assembled for unauthorized travelers, dropping his own shields for better awareness. He couldn’t count all in this room as friends.

Someone had assigned Leary 2.0 elsewhere for the day. Good. It might take some time to face him without cringing.

The regional FBI director rose from his place at the head of the table. He didn’t use a microphone. He didn’t need one. His voice boomed louder than Leary’s. Was that a question they asked on applications? Is your voice loud and obnoxious? This guy definitely ticked the box.“ Everyone in this room is directly involved in what we’ll discuss today, and you’ve all earned your security clearances.” He cracked the briefest glimpse of a smile.

The director continued, “You’ve also all received training and fully understand the situation. The fact is, there are those living among us who possess skills and abilities beyond a normal human’s. They’re known as travelers who’ve come here from an extinct realm. We typical humans have three choices: live in fear, act against them, or put aside our prejudices and work together. If you’re in this room, you’ve made the last choice. We’ve handpicked each of you because we feel you’re the best for this job.

“Everything we tell you will be of the highest degree of national security. While these individuals may differ from us, they’ve sworn to uphold our laws and enforce them on others of their kind.”

“What’s in it for us?” a man called out from down the table.

“A job, mostly,” the director replied to more nervous titters. “But imagine you’re in a tense situation, facing down a gunman. Your partner can calm tensions and save both your lives and those of innocent bystanders simply by being there.”

The top brass agreed beforehand not to disclose certain advantages travelers had, like long lives and abilities to heal wounds fatal to the average human.

Or teleportation, though so far, only Morrisey seemed to possess such a gift. Oh, and they couldn’t forget the ability to interview deceased witnesses. Baby steps first.

“That said,” the director continued, “I’m here to introduce the new heads of our team in the Southeast. Most of you know Special Agent Carter, a fifteen-year veteran of the bureau. Then we have former Atlanta PD detective and current FBI agent Morrisey James, with well over twenty years of service in law enforcement. In just a few months with the bureau, he’s already closed a few cold cases, and he’s been a valuable asset to this task force.” The director turned his attention from Morrisey to Farren. “Agent Farren Austen has been with us for ten years with a glowing record.” Next, the director nodded toward Jessa, who’d chosen not to take her host’s name, but her own, adopting a surname Farren suggested as a joke. “Next, we have a relative newcomer to the FBI world, Jessalain Baker. Ms. Baker will act as a liaison and consultant. While most of you will continue your current chain of command, this team works directly for Special Agent in Charge Carter, so you’ll now have an additional layer of support with extensive knowledge of situations we resolved by guesswork before.” The director paused for effect. “Or didn’t resolve at all.”

He introduced Arianna and Devon.

Morrisey looked from human to traveler and back again, noticing more similarities these days. He’d begun picking up on human auras. Humans also had talents of their own, though without a tier system—a system Morrisey hoped to dispense with for travelers, too.

He turned to Farren, looking so much like an angel, even in human form. His aura shone like the sun in Morrisey’s sight. More and more powers manifested themselves. Who knew what Morrisey and Farren might be capable of? Tenebris and Lux. Darkness and light. With occisors to hunt.

But now they wouldn’t be hunting alone.

Morrisey would never be alone again. Especially not for his next task, put off for far too long.

Morrisey trudged to a place he’d only been once. Craig’s parents had chosen a nice plot underneath a willow tree. The bright July sun shone down, birds chirped and sang, a perfect contrast to the heaviness in Morrisey’s heart.

Flowers in hand, he stared down at a blurry tombstone. “Sorry I haven’t come to visit before. I kinda thought you wouldn’t want me to because of how we ended things.” What a coldhearted son of a bitch Morrisey had been. “I know what happened now. I’m sorry I didn’t go with you to your aunt’s. Maybe I could’ve kept you safe. I’m also sorry that I didn’t make you more of a priority.” He knelt, placing a handful of white magnolia blossoms on the grave. “I know these were your favorites. You always said you wanted us to get a house one day with a big magnolia tree in the yard.” His voice broke on the last words.

A vice grip squeezed Morrisey’s heart. He’d been so wrong. Blamed a blameless man. “I’m sorry, Craig. You deserved so much more than the crumbs of attention you got from me.” He gave in then, letting out a few years’ worth of tears.

A breeze caressed his cheek. A goodbye kiss?

Will’s jacket in hand, Morrisey approached a door he hadn’t darkened in months. How had he put this off for so long? Will might be beyond help, but he’d left a family behind. A family in need of watching over.

Morrisey looked to his right. Farren nodded in reassurance, giving an encouraging smile. Morrisey took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. The door opened a few moments later.

“Hello, Linda…”