Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE

Willow

Maddox and Killian wave us over to a table in the corner of the dining car. The warlock can see both doors from his seat, but that leaves me with my back to the room. I roll my head from side to side, and my neck cracks loudly.

Gabriel drapes his hand over my thigh under the table and gives it a reassuring squeeze, but I don't think I'll be able to relax until we're safely back in our room.

And naked.

A low sound rumbles in my angel's throat. Leaning closer, he whispers in my ear, "Keep teasing me like that, deliciae , and I will make you come at this table."

I swallow hard. He wouldn't.

His fingers press between my legs. Oh, God. He absolutely would.

"So what is Sinclair's news?" he asks, his tone so mild, he might as well be asking about the weather.

Killian pinches a thumb and forefinger together and draws a small symbol in the air. Pale, blue sparks burst over us for a brief moment, and the sounds of the other diners quiet slightly.

"There were seventeen matches to Willow's DNA across three different ancestry databases," the warlock says. "The Bureau is working on tracking them down. Eight are in the United States, three in Canada, and the rest in Western Europe."

"We—" My voice cracks. I squeeze my legs together and clear my throat. "We're getting closer. I don't think the Blade is in Europe or Canada."

Gabriel's fingers still long enough for him to pour me a glass of ice water from a tall carafe in the center of the table. "How close? Will we need to disembark tonight?"

I down half the water before I'm steady enough to answer him. "No. At least, probably not."

The server comes to take our order and drop off a bottle of red wine, but once she's hurried away, Killian checks his phone. "Sin and Zoe have stopped for the night, but they're almost a hundred miles ahead of us. The way my brother-in-law drives, that's less than an hour."

"The Bureau has learned nothing more about the Fae doctor or her accomplice?" Gabriel pinches my inner thigh through my jeans. I'd tell him to stop, but the constant state of arousal might be the only thing keeping me sane.

Maddox fills all of our glasses with the deep red cabernet. "I've been thinking about that. She might not be Fae. Druids have been known to cast spells inducing temporary insanity. Vampires can enthrall almost anyone. Sirens routinely lure victims to their deaths."

"I do not care what she is," Gabriel says sharply. "She is dangerous. We should have sent one of the vampires to the NSA. I am certain they could have found some way to access the agency's personnel files."

"What good would that have done us?" Maddox throws up his hands in frustration. "Knowing her social security number, date of birth, and home address won't help us save Willow. Three lethal vampires will."

The air around the table crackles with tension. Gabriel and Mad glare at one another, while Killian slaps a palm to his mate's chest. "Enough. Both of you. We're all knackered. Can we simply enjoy the rest of the meal together as if the world weren't about to end?"

Gabriel shifts so he can drape his arm around my shoulders. Drawing a shaky breath, I peer up at him. "I'd like that. Can we? Please?"

His gaze softens, and he presses a kiss to my temple. "There is nothing I would not do for you."

A blush creeps up my cheeks. I'm about to reach for my wine when I hear his voice in my head, so soft, it's barely there. "For you, I would even give up my wings."

By the time we finish dessert, I feel almost…normal. The Blade's call has faded to the lightest of melodies. I've even managed to ignore the memory of Hannah's voice and my fear of having my back to the room.

Maddox and Killian bicker like an old married couple. It's adorable. The warlock has a wicked sense of humor, and I could listen to him all day. His sexy British accent doesn't hurt either.

Gabriel polishes off his second glass of wine. His fingers trace patterns on the back of my neck. "It is late. We should turn in."

An odd chill settles over my skin. Killian stiffens. "Shite. The vampires are awake. And…here. We should go to the bar. It will be easier to blend in there."

I glance over my shoulder to find Kàra, Ewan, and Mist staring at us. The women are so preternaturally still, I'm not sure they'll blend in anywhere. But Ewan offers me a smile. He's only been a vampire for a little over a year, I think.

Too quickly, I jerk to my feet. My cheeks prickle as my blood pressure plummets, and darkness shrinks my field of vision down to almost nothing. Gabriel hauls me into his arms. "Breathe for me," he demands.

Trying .

"What's wrong with her?" a woman asks, her voice shockingly close.

My vision clears enough for me to make out blond hair and pale skin. Glowing golden eyes. Scars marring her cheek.

"Step back, vampire." Gabriel practically vibrates with anger as he turns so his back is to Mist, protecting me. "Willow has a medical condition."

"I'm fine," I protest. "Stood up too fast, that's all."

Mist frowns. "I meant no harm, angel. I'm here to protect her."

"Bar. Now," Killian snaps. He grabs Gabriel's arm. "And don't even think about just ‘popping' over there using your particular talents. Your little stunt after lunch was bloody reckless."

"It was necessary." Gabriel slides his hand down my back and gives my ass a squeeze. "We had somewhere to be."

The vampires order shots of bourbon, and Mist passes the bartender a generous tip to leave the bottle.

"What?" she asks when Killian gives her the side eye.

"Do you regularly drink on patrol?"

Ewan throws back his first drink in a single swallow. "Vampires cannae get drunk. One of the few things I miss. That and sunsets."

"If we live through this," Mist says, "come visit me in New Orleans." She pulls a small, fabric pouch from under her flowery peasant top. "I can day walk for up to ten minutes with this."

"Ten minutes?" Kàra chokes on her own drink. "I cannot even stay awake for that long after sunrise. Tell me of this dark—or is it light?—magic, sister."

I know so little about the world of the Other , but one thing is very clear. Vampires, witches, and angels might be terrifyingly powerful, but family is still family.

Kàra and Ewan touch one another constantly. As do Killian and Maddox. The sisters laugh and rib one another as if they've never been apart.

Until the bourbon is gone, and Mist sinks onto one of the stools and fixes her golden-eyed gaze on me. "Rumors about the ancient evil have been swirling for years," she says. "Our sire used to talk about the Blade while he tortured us." She shivers and asks the bartender for a cup of strong coffee. When Gabriel and Maddox start talking about the other archangels, she lowers her voice to a whisper. "I know what you mean to do, Willow. I can see it in your eyes."

"You're not going to try to talk me out of it, are you?"

"I would, if I thought it would do any good." Mist rests her cool fingers on my arm. "I read Tarot, and I pulled cards as soon as I got out of my sleeping trunk tonight."

"This isn't going to be good, is it?"

Mist smiles sadly. "Tarot isn't inherently good or bad. There are many ways to interpret each card. Even more when you consider the relationships between cards within a reading."

"Well, let's hear it, then." My gaze darts to Gabriel for a brief moment, but he's in the middle of an argument with Mad and Killian over someone called Sariel.

"The spread I use most often—and the one I pulled this evening—is a linear one. It relies on three cards. The first is the current situation. I drew the Devil in the reversed position. There are several interpretations, but the most common involves feeling trapped by forces you can't control."

I snort. "Well, that's fitting."

"It could be. If that's the interpretation you choose. But the Devil also suggests that the chains binding you can be broken if you're willing to accept that what you believe may not be what is actually true."

I'd tell her that I don't know what to believe right now, but she's already moved on to the second card.

"The center of the spread focuses on your challenges. For this, I pulled the Nine of Swords. Usually this represents an extreme situation. Hopelessness, anxiety, and pain. Nine is a number of completion while swords represent suffering, alienation, and great obstacles. There is something in your way." She nods in Gabriel's general direction. "My money says it has to do with him."

Shit. She's right. "He's determined to save me."

"Of course he is. He's in love with you."

I choke on my water. "He's going back to the celestial realm as soon as this is all over."

Mist's blond brows shoot up. "If he goes back to the celestial realm, I will pierce my nose with a silver stud."

"But…that's fatal, isn't it?" She's wrong. I know Gabriel cares for me, he's an angel. He can't stay.

"Not fatal. Just very, very painful." She brushes her blond hair away from her face, revealing three deep scars running from just below her eye to her jawline. "The last card I pulled—the one in the position to give advice—was Death."

"Well, that's fitting." Hearing my fate spelled out so plainly is almost reassuring.

But Mist shakes her head softly. "Death is a card of transition. It doesn't mean a literal death. Death counsels you to embrace this transition. Take the chaos within you. Use it. Don't be afraid of it, Willow. If there is a way to survive, you'll only find it by risking everything."