Even as the sun reached its peak, it brought no warmth to the cement and steel crevices deep between the towering glass monoliths of Nukan City. The direct light only lasted seconds in some places before becoming obstructed by another tower. As days grew shorter, the fickle light barely reflected down through the mirrored buildings, leaving the Depths of the city in perpetual twilight.

Nukan City was built when the need for secure servers outweighed the need for comfort. An underground cavern, hollowed out eons ago, was remodeled, lined with lead and stone. Once secure, concrete thick enough to withstand a nuclear blast was poured on top. The city above could be leveled, and the servers beneath would barely register a blip.

But that much power needed tending, and the city grew up, clustered tightly as workers poured in. The buildings rose ever higher, using partially transparent mirrors to reflect light down to the barren surface, and the poor who had no other choice but to live there.

The earth was filled with cement and steel, not dirt. In buildings that could still see sunrises, gardens and trees floated in glass prisons, carefully manicured and meticulously groomed. Every fruit and flower were tended by tanned horticulturists with expensive looking haircuts. Those who could afford to live at the top never looked down.

Everywhere in the Depths, the hum of daylight screens filled the air, the false white light as abrasive as it was necessary. Fragile weeds tried desperately to grow between the cracks of concrete, but they were always doomed to be crushed beneath the feet of the determined people looking up, hoping to see sun, and hoping for their chance to rise.

Of course not everyone looked up. There were always those who thrived in darkness. There were other ways to rise, just as there were other ways to fall.

Weaving between sky-eyed office workers and children with sallow skin, Alex didn’t look up. He had no need. He knew what was up there, and knew there was no place for him. He belonged in the Depths.

Neon lights promising illicit pleasures glowed down empty covered alleys of everlasting darkness. It was noon, a time for honest and good people to be outside, and for those who were not so honest or good to be at their jobs, struggling for promotions that led them to offices with longer daylight hours.

When true night fell, the alleys would not be empty, but Alex didn’t plan on staying long enough to see the first customers stumbling in for the night.

Alex had business with one of his usual clients, the owner of an exotic dance club called Mercy. It was a play on the man’s name, Mercato, but he was anything but merciful. Legally, he ran the strip club. Illegally, he did everything else.

However, that was precisely why Alex needed Mercato. Alex wasn’t one to judge, not when he was looking for a pusher for his newest batch of Blue Dust.

The bag with the carefully measured glass vials of the blue drug hung heavy against Alex’s back. It was a blend he had designed himself, which made it rare and expensive, but people craved it. A tiny bit cut with any other substance not only heightened the substance’s effects, but made it incredibly addictive. There were other effects, too, but only Alex concerned himself with those.

What hung on Alex’s back was everything he had manufactured over the past six months. He would ask a few million credits for it, and Mercato would gladly pay. He always did, because he could quickly turn around and sell if for triple.

Had Alex wanted to, he could have found the individual dealers to divide the Blue Dust up among, but he didn’t have the patience for that. It wasn’t about the money, anyway.

Despite hauling half a year’s supply of the most sought after drug on the market, Alex wasn’t worried about being mugged in the Depths. No, not that it didn’t happen occasionally. Some people saw a very tall thin man with a bag and couldn’t help themselves. He would always quickly correct their mistakes, and continue on his way. Depending on the assailant, that could mean anything from leaving them terrified to snapping their neck.

Nothing in the Depths scared him, because nothing could hurt him. They were just humans, after all.

Mercy’s neon light flickered, the ‘y’ burnt out on the sign. As Alex neared his destination, he realize it was not burnt out, but broken. Shattered by a bullet. He could smell blood from within the building, and the harsh chemicals being used to cover it up before opening.

Something unpleasant had occurred, but it didn’t concern Alex, so he opened the front door and entered anyway.

The club contained a stage, dancing platforms, tables with chairs turned on top of them, and an unhappy bouncer mopping the dance floor. Someone new, someone Alex didn’t recognize. It was always the new employees who got the worst jobs.

The man saw Alex as an intruder, and immediately abandonded his blood-tinged bucket and mop to stomp over. “We’re closed, get out!”

He was hoping for a fight. Anything to get out of cleaning the mess. Alex didn’t flinch as the man got close in his face, sour breath steaming. “I have a meeting with Mercato,” he said calmly.

With a sneer, the man said, “You want to audition to dance, you come back when all the other whores do.”

“I understand you’re new, and probably having a bad day, but I’d like to give you the chance to rethink your words.” The man was probably a very good bouncer. He was intimidating. He hovered in Alex’s face, threatening and aggressive, but didn’t actually touch him. It would be a shame if he had to lose his job so quickly.

“Fuck you,” the man spat. “Get out.”

Amused, Alex turned for the door. “Alright, I’ll go. Just make sure you tell Mercato I was here, and I definitely won’t be back.”

“Wait, Mr. Black.” A new voice, a familiar one.

Alex placed his hand on the door to leave. “Tony, good to see you. I’ll be going now.”

The man entered through the staff door, looking as proper as always. Glasses and tie, Tony was ever the dutiful accountant. Also, he was a skilled butcher with a switchblade.

“Please, Mr. Black, forgive our rudeness.” Tony shot the bouncer a look that could have melted steel. The bouncer recoiled and hustled back to his mop. “Mr. Mercato is expecting you, though you are early.”

“I’m told to leave, I’m asked to stay, and now I’m still wrong? What kind of game is this?” Alex opened the door. “I’ll come back later, if there’s anything left.”

“No, wait!” Tony sounded desperate, reaching out for Alex across the room. “Mr. Mercato will see you now!”

“Now? He suddenly has time for me now?”

“Yes, please, right this way, Mr. Black.”

Alex grinned to himself and closed the door. He hadn’t intended on leaving, but it was certainly enjoyable to see these men panic. He let Tony usher him into the staff offices, and caught him harshly whisper to the bouncer, “I’ll deal with you later,” before he followed Alex in.

White lights yellowed from smoke lined the hall’s ceiling, castings a sickly pallor to the backstage area of the club. They walked toward the end, where two of the little rooms had been combined into Mercato’s large office.

“Please, let me to go in and announce you,” said Tony.

“If you must,” Alex allowed.

Tony entered, barely opening the door wide enough for himself to squeeze through. Alex could hear harsh whispers through the thin walls, and from the tone, he could tell Mercato wasn’t happy about taking the meeting early. That was fine, Alex didn’t need Mercato happy, just useful.

Some sort of agreement was made, and Tony came back and opened the door. “Mr. Mercato will see you now,” he said.

Alex entered the lavish office, including its full wall monitor displaying an epic aerial view out a eighty story window overlooking a beach and yachts. Lots of bright light and tropical decor filled Mercator’s office, including a real palm tree diligently growing beneath a purple growth bulb. Wealth, so wasteful.

Mercato sat behind his big desk in a power pose, fingers touching in a triangular steeple and eyes narrowed. “Alex, you’re early.”

“You either want it or you don’t, Merc.”

The man’s eye twitched with clear rage, but he kept it contained. He was good at what he did. “Please sit,” he said in a very controlled tone.

Alex sat in the offered seat. A shift of movement on the couch against the wall caught his eye. One of Mercator’s enforcers stood at attention, except he wasn’t there for Alex. He was standing guard over the person sitting on the couch in an over sized white t-shirt, bound wrists, and a big black hood.

Following Alex’s gaze, Mercato said, “Pay no mind. We had an incident this morning, and this one might be able to help recover our losses.”

Normally, Alex wouldn’t probe. Bad things happened all the time, especially in the Depths. But something about the person on the couch bothered him, like a loose thread in a burlap sack. The urge to pick at the feeling until it unraveled filled him. “I doubt it costs that much to replace a broken sign.”

Mercato turned his hands so his palms were up. His skin was calloused. He wasn’t afraid of getting in and doing the dirty work along with his cronies. He probably liked it. “The sign is an unfortunate tragedy one of our own inflicted when he missed. That one there, though…” The crime boss shook his like he still couldn’t fathom the absurdity of the act. “He and two of his buddies tried to rob us this morning.”

Oh. Well. That was dumb.

Alex looked at the hooded person again. The oversized t-shirt made it difficult to determine gender, but he supposed they could be male. They were definitely young and helpless. And scared. Very scared.

“Three kids robbed you?”

“Tried,” Mercato corrected, as that was a very important distinction. “They tried to rob me, but the little shits just scattered when they realized the club wasn’t empty. They fired off a few rounds from a pellet gun, and tried to run away.” Mercato sneered. “Two of my employees needed stitches.”

“That where the blood on the dance floor come from?”

“Oh no,” said the crime boss, leaning in with delight. “We caught the punks before they made it out the alley. Made them kneel, and pop, pop!” Mercato made two sharp finger gun motions. The person on the couch flinched with each pop, even though he couldn’t see through that black hood.

Alex frowned. “You shot a couple kids for almost robbing you?”

“It sends a message,” Mercato said wickedly. “But this one might have some other uses. Maybe that, or he’ll join his friends.”

Alex shook his head. Such mindless violence. Humans were consistently vile. It reminded him why he was there. “Newest batch,” he said, sitting his bag on Mercato’s desk.

Pulling the bag to him, Mercato started lifting all the packaged vials of Blue Dust out and placing them on his desk. He usually took time to examine the goods, always making a show of how thoroughly he checked Alex’s work. The drugs would be counted, then tested, then counted again before they could discuss a price.

Rather than sit and watch the man, Alex stood and started wandering around the room. There were some books on a shelf with a nice coating of dust. Only for show, never read. Tacky sea shell animals lined the fake sill in front of the wall monitor, plastic googly eyes staring helplessly into the office. What horrors must they have witnessed? There were two dead pixels in the monitor playing the beach view. Nothing too interesting, but Alex examined them all because he was trying desperately not to turn his attention to the trembling hooded person on the couch.

It was like sandpaper in his brain. He could feel him like a bright spot in the room no matter where he walked or where he looked. Before long, he gave in, unable to withstand the unfathomable tug the mystery person presented.

He neared as close as he could before the lackey standing guard grunted.

Mercato lifted his head, awkward six-lensed spectacles perched on his nose. “So you do have a type,” he chuckled. “Figures you’d go for the bound ones.”

Alex ignored the brand. “Can you take off the hood? Only for a moment?”

“You serious?” Mercato had the drugs all sprawled across the desk. He was concerned about how that would look. The man had just killed two of the kid’s friends while he watched, and he was worried about him seeing some drugs?

“I’m serious. Just for a moment.” If Alex could see his face, maybe that would relieve that nagging tugging he felt every time he looked at the bound figure.

Mercato made a mocking face behind Alex’s back, then signaled the okay to his guard. The man didn’t hesitate, just ripped the hood off.

The frightened young man cringed back, looking up at Alex only briefly before his panicked eyes darted to the desk, Mercato, and the drugs. They had gagged him with a sock, tied in place with a necktie, but the unmistakable sound of begging was clear even through the fabric.

Instead of closure at seeing the young man’s face, Alex felt the string he’d been tugging at in his mind pull loose, unraveling the whole bag in a blazing burst of recognition.

Scared eyes turned back to Alex, meeting his gaze only briefly before the guard slipped the hood back over his face.

But those eyes stuck with Alex, like an after image burned into his retina. They were eyes that haunted him in his sleep. Nightmares of betrayal and murder and those eyes. Russet colored, a brown that could almost be considered red. So afraid.

Like being hit by a train, Alex realized how dangerous and deadly the situation was. A few seconds and a third bullet, and those eyes would be gone once again. The weight of the buildings above and concrete below threatened to crush him. Every shadow in every corner felt like a monster waiting to spring out with ravenous jaws. Death and destruction reigned in the Depths, and Alex was afraid. With dreaded certainty, he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to protect that fragile, terrified life before him. The weight of centuries filled him with doubt and dismay.

For the first time in a long time, Alex cared about something other than himself, and he was fairly certain it was going to get him killed.

The brief view of the room had done nothing to calm Sabe. His muffled sobs had had as much effect on the cold, black eyes of the pale man as it had Mercato and his goons. It was clear from the overheard conversation and the large amount of blue powder on Mercato’s desk that the man was a drug dealer, and in the Depths, dealers were not known for their compassion.

The hood dropped back over his head, and Sabe forced himself not to panic, to keep breathing, reminding himself that it was just fabric and he wouldn’t suffocate. Though it might be easier if he did suffocate, because then he wouldn’t have to deal with everything Mercato promised was coming to him.

Cold water dripped from his hair, rolling down his neck and soaking into the thin fabric of the over-sized white shirt. That was all they had allowed him to wear after hosing his naked body down with a freezing water. Said it would be easier for what was coming to him. Sabe knew he was vulnerable, and he knew he was in a very bad position. There was little hope, but his mind still raced, trying to see any possible route of escape.

Mercato’s voice rose over the rushing of blood in Sabe’s ears. “That kind of thing to your liking? We got others. I could have something arranged.”

“Thanks, but no. I’m not interested in others.” The man’s voice came from the center of the room, back at the chair across from Mercato’s desk. “What are you planning on doing to him?”

Mercato chucked, and Sabe felt his stomach clench with fear. “Why, you want to watch?”

“Just curious.”

“Yeah, I bet you are,” said Mercato. By his tone, it was clear he thought the other man had a fetish, and he seemed eager to cash in on the new discovery. “Well, we were just discussing the plan before you arrived, actually. People who steal from me need to be taught a lesson. I shot the other two because they were standard Depths trash, half as decayed as they were alive. This one, however, he looks practically new. You saw his face. Someone would pay well to be the first to slice that up.”

Sabe felt cold inside, colder than the water dripping down his spine.

I’m never getting out of here alive, he thought.

“Sure,” the pale man agreed. “Though I don’t see how that sets an example.”

Mercato clicked his tongue. “News will spread-”

“And what?” He said arrogantly, “I bet you already have hungry young things begging at your door to be allowed the chance to trade a couple pounds of flesh for a warm room, a full belly, and enough dope to block out the pain. They find out they can rob you and get that same chance? Well, I just hope you have enough bloody mops.”

There was a sharp click of metal on the desk, like glasses being set down angrily. “Mr. Black, my retaliation against those who have wronged me is legendary. No one would dare oppose me.”

“Maybe not as legendary as you think, since a few kids thought they could steal from you just this morning.”

The robbery had been a mistake, poorly planned and poorly executed. Wently said it would be easy, quick in and quick out. After the customers and dancers went home, before the suits showed up to work, all the cash just sitting, waiting to be taken. Desperately hungry, Sabe and Joem thought it was a great idea, and wondered why no one robbed strip clubs more often.

His friends had already paid for their mistake. Sabe could still feel the splatter of their brains against his face.

The pale man was certainly not helping the situation, antagonizing Mercato, rubbing the theft in. Any hope Sabe had of a lenient punishment was evaporating.

“That’s why this one will learn,” Mercato growled. “I’ll test him out first, make sure he understands his position, then he can spend a few days in the backroom, where the staff and our special clientele can blow off a little steam.” With nonchalance that made Sabe want to vomit, Mercato added, “Then I’ll probably shoot him, too.”

“That would certainly make an impact,” replied the pale man. His voice was emotionless, just completely heartless. Anyone who could listen to or discuss such vile acts had to be a twisted, wicked person.

“Yes, it certainly would,” said Mercato, pleased. Glass vials clinked rhythmically and neither man spoke. He was counting. Sabe couldn’t focus through the haze of panic in his mind to keep track, but he understood it was a lot.

“Good enough?” the pale man asked.

“As always, you’ve outdone yourself, Mr. Black. I’ll give you two-point-six million for this batch.” The number staggered Sabe. It was more than his mind could calculate.

“Merc, you disappoint me. Two-six? Last time it was four. Are you trying to hold out on me?”

“There was more product last time.”

“It was exactly the same, and you know it.”

“Fine. Three-five, but you’re not my only supplier. Don’t push your luck, Mr. Black.” There was a squeak of leather as Mercato settled back into his chair.

“Three-five, and you give me the boy.”

What?

“Oh, Mr. Black, you are funny today!” Mercato barked out several short, forced laughs. “I’m not going to give you the boy. He’ll earn me good money, even if he just ends up on the meat market.”

“An even three million for the drugs, and the boy,” he countered, his voice hard.

Mercato considered the offer. “I give you three for the drugs, and you can have the first night with the boy. After I’m done with him, of course.”

“I don’t share.”

With a huff, Mercato said, “Of course you don’t. Fine, three, and you can have him first, through he can’t be damaged beyond marketability.”

“No, I want him all.”

“You want him all?” Mercato asked, astounded. “Just what are you planning on doing with him? I’ve got a reputation to uphold, after all.”

“That’s none of your concern, Merc.”

“Listen, Black Ander, I’m not some low life street thug you can bully. You’re not taking the boy, and that’s final.”

Sabe’s head spun. He didn’t know what was happening. Sure, he didn’t want to stay there, but he didn’t want to be purchased by some perverted drug dealer, either.

The pale man’s voice came softer, quieter. “You give me the boy, you keep the batch. Even trade.”

“Deal,” Mercato snapped wihtout hesitation.

The guard’s rough hand grabbed Sabe’s arm and jerked him up. He was hauled, bare feet hardly touching the ground, over to the middle of the room and flung forward. He collided with something hard and unforgiving, thought it was a wall, but then an arm wrapped around him.

The pale man.

Oh, no.

On his feet, but practically petrified by fear, Sabe tried to run. His legs wouldn’t work. He started to fall, but the strong arm held him, pressed against a solid, lean chest. He could hear the man’s heartbeat, and it had an odd, second-flutter, echoing his own frightened pulse.

“I’ll be going now,” he said, and Sabe felt the deep voice vibrate through his body.

“Always a pleasure doing business with you,” said Mercato, the man’s voice oozing with satisfaction.

The pale man walked from the room, guiding Sabe’s unwilling body forward. Sabe’s mind race, trying to process what was happening, trying to find a way to save himself.

Before the door shut, Mercato’s booming laughter filled the room, and he shouted his rapturous decree to the guard.

“My lucky day! Imagine how scared people will be when they find out Mercy Mercato sends his rivals to the Black Ander!” The crime boss’s raucous laughter chased them down the hall and out of the club.

***

Frigid air hit the wet t-shirt just as Sabe’s bare feet touched the cold cement outside Mercato’s club. The sudden chill sent a shock through Sabe which finally allowed him to think clearly.

First, Sabe twisted, bringing his elbow into his new captor’s groin with as much force as he could muster. Then, he sprang forward, contorting out of the man’s grasp while he was still surprised by pain. He ripped the hood off, but there was nothing he could do about his bound hands. Fresh air filled his lungs, and he felt like he was breathing for the first time in hours.

Instinct took over, and Sabe ran.

Beyond the covered mouth of the alley was still the dim glow of daylight. Freedom and salvation waited him in that light. Sabe’s feet pounded against the rough concrete, bringing him closer to his escape. There were a few people out there, walking by and looking up. He tried shouting, but was still muffled by the tight, makeshift gag. No one heard him. No one turned their gaze away from the thin blue line of the sky above.

He would just have to run until he found someone to help.

Light was half a heartbeat away when Sabe felt arms wrap around his waist and spin him backward. The force of the pale man’s body pinned him against the alley wall, trapping his bound arms between them. Long fingers tangled in Sabe’s hair, tugging and pulling at the back of his head.

Sabe whimpered at the pain, but no one could save him. Even if someone heard him, he was blocked from the sky-gazer’s sight by the pale man’s black hair and black clothes. They were just more shapeless shadows in a shadowed world.

“Hush, I’m sorry. I’ve almost got it,” the man said.

Expecting to see anger and pain, Sabe was surprised by the calm expression of the man leaning over him. His black eyes reflected the dim light in strange swirling patterns, and his lips were pressed in a thin, determined line.

There was another tug at Sabe’s hair which made him wince, then the tie loosened and the gag fell free. The pale man grabbed the sock from between Sabe’s lips and pulled the fabric out. Sabe’s tongue felt swollen and fuzzy, but it was such a relief to move his jaw again.

Immediately, Sabe screamed, “HELP!”

The pale man’s hand covered his mouth, clamping his jaw shut. “No, don’t scream. I’m not going to hurt you.” He glanced over his shoulder to the street, but no one had heard Sabe’s short outcry. No one was coming to interfere.

The man’s strange black eyes turned toward Sabe again. There was an uneasy familiarity in that gaze, as if the two already knew each other. Sabe was certain he had never met that pale man before, and he dreaded being held captive by him. He was certainly a sick psychopath.

“My name is Alex. You don’t need to be afraid of me,” he said.

Yeah, right, Alex, Sabe thought cynically. Every instinct in his body told him that, yes, he did need to be afraid of the pale man.

“I am not going to hurt you,” he repeated, as if that would somehow make it any more true. “It is too cold for you to stay out here long, and we need to get away from Mercato. I will take you some place safe, get you warm cloths, and feed you. After that, I only want to talk.”

Sabe seriously doubted the statement, but as Alex spoke, he felt the cold settle in his bones and the routine ache of hunger gnaw at his belly. He wouldn’t survive in the Depths long as he was. He may escape the clutches of one pervert and end up frozen by the side of the road awaiting another.

And the promise of food was very tempting.

“I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth. Don’t scream.” The firm hand lowered from Sabe’s face.

He didn’t scream. His jaw ached and he moved it back and forth. His mouth was so dry. He desperately needed a drink.

“What’s your name?” asked the pale man.

“Sabe,” he replied.

“Sabine?” the man asked, his voice rising.

Sabe shook his head, watching the man’s face, trying to gauge his reactions for any sign of violence. “No, Sabe. Like, short for Sabeth.” He started to shiver, the cold alley wall almost freezing his wet shirt to his skin.

“Okay, Sabe. I’m going to take care of you. Let’s get you somewhere warm.” Alex stepped back from Sabe, standing like he expected him to run again.

But he didn’t. He couldn’t. He was too cold now, and even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t have been able to run fast enough or far enough.

With a careful snap, Alex broke the binders around Sabe’s wrist. The skin had already bruised, and it was a relief to have them off. Then Alex picked Sabe up as if he were a child.

“No! Don’t carry me!” Sabe hit Alex’s chest. It was like hitting a stone wall.

The pale man frowned. “You are practically naked and have no shoes. You are not going to walk.”

Sabe strongly disagreed. “Put me down!”

“We can either do this my way, or I will knock you out and carry you anyway. Do you understand?” His voice was harsh, but contained no malice. It was like talking to stone.

There wasn’t much option there. Being captive was terrible. Being unconscious and captive was worse. Sullenly, he agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. No one could force him to look happy about it.

Alex tucked the fabric of the t-shirt under Sabe’s legs so that it provided some measure of modesty. Then he pulled the fabric of his black sweater around them, cocooning Sabe in his arms.

Sabe hated to admit it, but he was appreciative of the pale man’s warmth. Being held and carried reminded Sabe’s body that it wa s exhausted. He refused to sleep, though. He had to know where he was being taken.

People didn’t look at them strangely. Most people didn’t look at them at all. Everyone was so caught up in their own lives they blocked out everything else. It was easier that way, Sabe knew. As he saw their faces, determinedly looking up, avoiding eye contact with anything that could remind them of the Depths around them, Sabe suspected, even if he called for help now, no one would hear him.

The smooth sway of the man’s footsteps was hypnotic. Sabe’s stressed body relaxed. He watched through a dreamlike haze was carried through the Depths. The thin line of blue sky could be seen above Alex, past his long black hair. The tops of the buildings seemed impossibly far away. Clear tubes connecting the different buildings were hardly noticeable, except when a higher-class citizen walked through. But so far away, the people just looked like fleas against the blue sky.

All natural light was gone by the time the pale man stopped in front of an access point to a building. He touched the biometric reader, and it beeped twice and turned green. The door opened and allowed them inside, slamming shut as soon as they were through.

Over two years had passed since Sabe had last been able to access the interior of a building. It felt smaller inside, and the air smelled stale. It was difficult to breath. He felt like he was being crushed in the pale man’s arms. Panic was rising in him, and he struggled to free himself once more.

“It’s alright, Sabe, we’re almost there,” said Alex, keeping the struggling body in his arms firmly under control.

“Put me down. Put me down now,” Sabe said frantically.

Surprisingly, Alex didn’t argue. He placed Sabe down beside him, then took the sweater off and wrapped it around Sabe’s body. “Better?”

Gripping the soft black fabric in tight fists, Sabe just focused on breathing in and out for a few moments. There was plenty of oxygen in the air, he reminded himself. He wasn’t going to suffocate. He yearned for wide open places and endless sky, but he couldn’t have that anymore. His options were alone, on the streets, or inside one of the monoliths, with a drug dealer. Neither were good options, but for the moment…

“I’m okay now. Sorry.”

“It’s not much further. Stay close,” said Alex.

Walking was difficult, but Alex’s steady guidance kept him moving forward. They reached the lift to take them to the first transport level. The poorly maintained track whined as it pulled the lift up, shrieking to a halt on the transport floor. They got out, and Alex led Sabe to a short-drift bank of lifts that would take them to the local floors. Besides a lady in a flowered suit waiting for a long-drift lift, the transport floor was empty.

The pale man registered his thumb on the lift screen again and pressed the icon for the sixth floor. The lift enclosed them and made a short jolt down before opening back up and releasing them at their destination.

The carpet was worn thin and stained. The walls were dirty. Crying could be heard through the thin walls of the residential level. But it was warm and dry, and Sabe felt somewhat envious of the people who lived there.

They turned down a short corridor with a single door at the end. There was a symbol followed by a three digit number on the door. It took Sabe a moment to recognize the numbers, but he finally read them. Six-three-seven. The symbol, however, he didn’t know.

“This door leads home. K647,” said Alex. “You’ll be safe here.”

The heavy door unlocked when the pale man placed his hand on the doorknob. It was probably another biometric scanner, Sabe noted. There wasn’t the usual green screen, so he assumed it was built into the doorknob itself. It was strange, and he worried that it might be something difficult to get past when the time came for him to escape.

Alex ushered Sabe inside after pushing open the door. Sabe felt a quick, fuzzy hum, then a pop, and lights flared on.

The apartment was different that Sabe had been expecting. The ceilings were high, and the main area contained a large living room and kitchen. Appliances and furniture were old fashioned, but clean. Fruit sat in a bowl on the kitchen island counter. Sabe expected them to be painted foam decorations, but when his finger touched one, the smooth skin of an apple greeted him. He jerked his hand back like he was afraid he was going to break it.

Alex closed and locked the heavy door behind them. He followed Sabe into the kitchen, watching him curiously. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” Sabe admitted softly. He looked at the apple. How long had it been since he had any fruit?

“I’ll make some pasta for you. Go ahead and eat an apple while you wait.”

“I couldn’t possibly…” But his mouth was watering and his fingers held the fruit before he could stop himself.

He brought the hard apple to his lips, just holding in there, breathing in the sweet scent. It reminded him of crisp air, hot drinks, and the laughter of his adopted family. Before the memories could sour, Sabe bit into the fruit. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

While Sabe ate the apple, Alex rummaged through cupboards and the pantry, collecting packaged food and a large skillet. He laid them out in an array on the counter before turning the stove on and placing the skillet over the dancing flames. The shiny refrigerator was practically empty when Alex opened it. He sliced a chunk off the large slab of butter inside then tossed it into the warm pan. It quickly began to melt.

Sabe watched with great interest while he chewed every bit of edible flesh from the apple. When Alex started tearing open packages and pouring the mushrooms and vegetables into the skillet, Sabe was nearly overcome with emotion. He hadn’t seen that much food in a long time. He and his friends had survived off shared nutrition blocks and broth from the soup kitchen for the past three months.

With the food heating, Alex got a glass and filled it with water from the filtered sink faucet. He sat it down before Sabe without a word, and returned to stir the contents of the skillet.

Suddenly, Sabe realized how thirsty he was. He sat the apple core down. It had been juicy, but he really needed water. The cool liquid touched his lips, soothed his tongue, and slid like ambrosia down his throat.

“Slow down,” Alex warned. “You’ll make yourself sick if you drink too fast.”

Though he knew there was sense in the request, Sabe couldn’t bring himself to listen. He tilted the glass up, gulping the remainder of the water. “Ah!” he gasped, feeling briefly refreshed.

Almost immediately after, he felt his stomach cramp with the sudden rush of cool water. Oops. He pressing his elbow into his side, willing it to go away. Though it hurt, if he’d had another glass of water, he would have drank it, too.

Alex just shook his head. He flipped the food in the pan so it cooked evenly. “Do you have any allergies, Sabe?”

“Someone once told me I was allergic to onions, but I’ve never eaten them, so I don’t know.” He felt stupid after saying it. They weren’t supposed to be getting to know each other. Alex was the enemy. He was holding Sabe prisoner. He was an evil drug dealer!

The bag of pre-cooked pasta was ripped open and added to the skillet. The spiral noodles were stirred among the vegetables and mushrooms, creating a colorful, delicious smelling meal.

Well, Sabe supposed he could spend a few minutes pretending to get to know Alex, at least while he ate.

“So… you’re a drug dealer, huh?” Sabe asked.

Alex snorted. “Yes, I am.”

“And, uh… you sell drugs to Mercato all the time?”

“A few times a year. Was it your idea to rob the business place of one of the Depth’s cruelest crime lords?” asked Alex. The question had a sharp edge to it. Apparently Alex didn’t like questions being directed at him.

Sabe slumped into the tall chair beside the kitchen island. “No. Wently thought it up, and it seemed smart at the time.”

“You haven’t lived on the streets long, have you?”

“For four years,” Sabe said defensively. “I’m not stupid, we were just desperate. I don’t remember the last time we ate real food.”

“So Wently was one of the two with you?”

“And Joem.”

Alex nodded, stirring the noodle mixture so nothing burned. “I’m sorry Mercato killed your friends.”

The words caught Sabe off guard. He hesitated a bit before whispering, “Thank you.”

“Food is done.” Alex flicked the stove off, and the fire went out in a quick puff. He got a bowl, just one, from the cupboard and poured the whole contents of the pan into it. He sat the hot food before Sabe and handed him chopsticks. “You eat this slow, or I’ll take it away from you.”

Sabe couldn’t promise anything of the sort. He leaning in and smelled the delicious meal. He wanted to pour it straight down his throat like he had the water. Instead he used the chopsticks to shovel the food into his cheeks.

When Sabe’s mouth was full and he could fit no more, Alex placed a plate over the top of the bowl, cutting off his supply of pasta. “I said, ‘Eat slow.’”

Sabe whined a complaint, then quickly chewed and swallowed most of the food in his mouth so that he could complain clearly. “But it’s delicious and I’m so hungry!” he said, food still stuffed into his cheek.

Alex sat on the stool beside him, hand still touching the plate over the bowl. “I’m going to ask you some questions, and for each honest answer you give, I’ll let you have another bite. Got it?”

“That’s not fair-”

The pale man pushed the covered bowl further from Sabe.

“Okay! No! I understand! I got it! Ask a question!”

“Thank you.” Alex moved the bowl back in place before Sabe. “First question. What is your name? Your full name.”

“It’s Sabeth. Sabeth De Moncreaux.”

The plate lifted, and Sabe’s chopstick shot in to the opening and grabbed as much pasta as possible. When he brought the food to his mouth, Alex covered the bowl again. Sabe chewed a bit, moving the food around in his mouth to swallow bits that had been there longer. He was alert, chopsticks poised, ready for the next question and any sign of movement from the plate.

“How old are you?” Alex asked.

“Nineteen. No, wait, twenty.” The plate lifted, and he repeated the rushed grab.

Alex watched him chew for a moment before he asked the next question. “How long have you lived in the Depths?”

He’d already told the man that. “Four years.” Still, the plate lifted and Sabe got another bite of food.

“Where did you live before that?”

Sabe stared at the bowl. He chewed what was in his mouth. He didn’t want to answer that question, but he really wanted more food. “New Orleando.” It was the city he had lived in, so it did answered the question, even if it wasn’t a full response.

The plate raised, and Sabe grabbed one of the mushrooms along with a couple swirls of pasta. He almost dropped it in his rush to bring it back to his mouth, but caught it with his other hand and popped it in anyway.

“Why did you run away from home?” the pale man asked.

“I didn’t run away,” Sabe said. The plate didn’t raise. His eyes flicked over to Alex, then back to the bowl, not wanting to miss the chance. “It’s true, I didn’t. I didn’t have a home left to run away from.”

Alex lifted the plate.

“What happened?” he asked, not covering the food again. Sabe took the first bite, then hesitated. He didn’t think it would make Alex happy if he stole another bite without answering the new question first.

“My family kicked me out.” He tentatively reached for more food, half expecting Alex to stop him, but he didn’t. He ate what he had picked up and waited for the next question.

“Why did your family kick you out?”

Sabe clicked the chopsticks together in the air a couple times. “We got in a fight,” he answered finally. He went to grab more food, but Alex moved his hand. He didn’t cover the food, but just waved a bit, halting Sabe’s motion.

“No, that’s not a good enough answer. Families fight. You need to explain why yours kicked you out.”

Sabe frowned. “They weren’t my real family. I was adopted by them, but Dad never really liked me.” He clicked the chopsticks together again. “He kicked me out because… Because he had caught me and Julia together in bed.”

Alex pulled his hand back and Sabe reached for more food. His stomach didn’t feel as empty now, and he didn’t feel the need to hoard the food in his cheeks. He chewed, not making eye contact with Alex. It was easier to talk about his past that way.

“Was Julia your adopted sister?”

“Yes.”

“So your adopted father caught you having sex with his daughter, and kicked you out?”

Sabe swallowed hard, the memories making his throat tight. “Yes,” he whispered.

“Did it have anything to do with you being a caenid?”

Alex might as well have hit Sabe. He dropped the chopsticks, and one clattered onto the floor. “How’d you know?” Sabe asked.

“You can pass as human, but anyone with half a brain can see that you’re not. You’re lucky that those men in Mercato’s club only share half a brain between them.” Alex stood and picked the chopstick from the floor. He brought it to the sink and rinsed it off while Sabe stared.

“Is that why you bought me? Are you going to sell me back?”

“I think you need to tell me the whole truth, and then we’ll see.” Alex handed him the clean chopstick. “If you can eat while you talk, without rushing, I won’t take the food away again.”

Sabe nodded solemnly. He had lost some of his appetite, but he was determined not to waste any food.

He began his story. “It was over four years ago…”

Bright sunlight poured through the gap between the thick curtains, falling across Sabe’s sleeping face. The warm light woke him gradually, and he blinked open his eyes. He stretched, wiggling about on the warm, silken sheets. He thought about pulling the covers over his head and hiding in the warmth, but he could smell something cooking downstairs. It was almost lunchtime.

Sabe tossed the covers off and stepped onto the plush carpet beside his bed. For bed, he only wore the silk pajama pants Mom gave him. He adjusted them so they sat low on his hips, then approached the window and threw open the curtains.

The light stunned him for briefly, but when his eyes adjusted, he looked out upon another beautiful day on the family’s orchard. Trees stretched for miles around the farmhouse. The green leaves were all dotted with flowers, and the pollinators were already busy up the ladders, dusting the soft petals. Spring was always a busy time on the orchard.

Turning back to his room, Sabe walked past his trophy wall and stood before the full length mirror. He had hundreds of trophies. Ribbons, plaques, multi-tiered towers, medals. He had earned them all. The ones Mom was proudest of were kept downstairs, on display in her sitting room. The rest she displayed in his room, and would sometimes bring her friends up to show them off, but Sabe usually ignored them. He couldn’t read what they said, anyway.

In front of the mirror, Sabe stretched, watching the way his lean muscles moved beneath his light brown skin. Short stubble was appearing under his arms and along the edge of his pajama pants, right beneath his belly button. He expected Mom would take him in to be waxed again soon, especially since they had another show coming up.

He twisted and stretched in the mirror, checking over his body, looking for any flaws in his physique. He was thin for a sixteen year old boy, which made him look younger, but it allowed the judges to clearly examine his musculature and check for any faults. He knew he had none.

Besides, Mom always said, “Puppies are always the cutest! The younger you look, the longer we win!”

She was right, of course.

Sabe walked back from the mirror, then turned and walked toward it, checking his gait, making sure his steps fell evenly and smoothly. When he got to the mirror, he leaned in, examining his skin for any discoloration. He poked at the skin around his eyes, bared his perfectly straight white teeth, and then smiled at himself. He could win the next show easy.

Entering his private bathroom, Sabe stepped onto the scale. He waited for the weight to register, then stepped off and relieved himself in the toilet. It processed his waste, bringing up a little message that said he was low on electrolytes, and needed to drink more water. He stepped back onto the scale and it registered his new weight, then he went to the sink and started washing his face.

As he was working the final lotion into his skin, Sabe tilted his head and examined his ears. He had a caenid’s classicly pointed ears, plus the two notches on each side signifying he had been bought and sold. Sometimes it seemed strange that he spent so much of his time keeping his body in perfect condition for shows, when notched ears looked like a defect.

He had met a contestant once with seven notches in both his ears. He’d been a poor sport, actually snapping at a judge when she tried to examine his teeth. Sabe had felt embarrassed for the boy. Mom had said, “They’ll notch him again for that. Sell him off quick before he hurts someone. Not like my little Sabey.” She had cooed at him and fussed over him then, and Sabe basked in the attention.

He was certainly lucky. A notch in his right ear from when he was born, its match in his left when was selected for a training school. The second notch in his right ear came after he completed the training, when he was five. Three years of lessons for how to be good, how to be obedient, and how to be the best caenid for a family, and he had been one of the top picks. He got his fourth notch soon after, and got to go home with his Mom and Dad to meet his new family.

The new family gave him a mom, a dad, and three older sisters. They begged Mom to play with him all the time, and sometimes, when they weren’t busy training for another show or pageant, she would let them. Fiona, the oldest, liked dressing him up and taking pictures of him around the orchard. She could spend hours posing him and snapping shots to share online. She was a very popular influencer, whatever that meant.

The twins, Julia and Octavia, were closer to his age, only two years older. They used to chase him around the field or play games with him. It always felt good to run with them, and it made them so happy whenever he could catch what they threw. He could jump higher than them, and they liked to challenge him, and see what he could catch. Even if he missed, he liked chasing the ball down and running it back. It was too bad they didn’t like playing outside with him anymore.

Once, Octavia threw a plastic disk, but it arched wide, getting lodged in a pear tree. Sabe tried to jump for it, but it was just beyond his reach. The girls were sad they couldn’t play anymore, and Sabe didn’t want that, so he brought one of the ladders over and climbed up into the tree.

He’d never been in a tree before. He had been about nine at the time, carefully incing along the branch until he could reach his hand out far enough and grab the disk. His fingers had just grazed it, and he only needed another inch forward, when the branch snapped.

The girls screamed and jumped back, the branch thankfully missing them. Sabe had been on top, and was mostly okay, but the rough bark had ripped up his arms and legs. He had also bumped his lip on the branch when it hit, and he could taste a little blood.

They barely had enough time to extract him from the greenery attached to the branch before Dad had descended on them. He had yelled a lot, mostly at the girls.

When he was done with that, he grabbed Sabe’s bloody hand and walked him inside to Mom. Mom had been horrified, sobbing and almost hyperventilating from the state Sabe was in. They agreed he needed to be disciplined, so he knew not to go near the orchard again. Even though Sabe promised he wouldn’t, they needed to keep him safe.

That was the only time Dad spanked him. He remembered being pulled across his knees, the thick belt coming down on his bare buttocks, and with each strike, Dad saying, “Bad dog.” The words had hurt more than the belt, and Sabe cried.

But he’d been a child, and he hadn’t understood how precious the trees were. They had done the right thing, cause he never played there again, even after the girls were allowed to take him back out.

With lots of medicine and lotions, the scratches from the tree had healed up nicely, not even leaving a single scar on his skin. Sabe was very grateful. Winning trophies made Mom proud, and he couldn’t do that if he was all scarred up. Now he knew to avoid risk and injury.

Finished in the bathroom, Sabe went to his closet and picked out an outfit. None of his show outfits, of course, but something nice. He settled on a red, single-piece shorts suit with a gold zipper up the front. It was a custom piece, as the red matched his eyes.

Sabe flicked his fingers through his roan colored hair, letting it settle naturally, yet stylishly around his face, then he went down for lunch.

“Sabey-baby,” Mom cooed, leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Chita is making lunch now. Have you washed your face?”

“Yes, Mom.” He smiled at her.

“That’s my good boy,” she said. Mom always dressed nice, and always smelled good, like flowers. Her skin was much paler than Sabe’s, but she laid out in the sun often enough that it had a warm tan. She kept her blond hair long, in soft waves down her back. During shows, they would wear outfits to match, because she understood how important a uniform presentation was for judges, especially when walking the ring.

Sabe sat down at the table beside her, keeping his back straight and his hands in his lap. Perfect manners, perfect display. Chita, the housekeeper and chef, gave them both water and plates with carefully measured portions. A bit of tuna, sliced avacado, and a lightly dressed salad.

Mom said a blessing over the meal, then they ate.

After, while Chita did the dishes, Sabe followed Mom into her office. He told her about the hair he had noticed, and she asked to see. He unzipped his suit and she crouched before him, running her fingers over his lower belly.

“Tsk. Your hair keeps getting thicker, and there’s more of it. I’m afraid we’ll need to move you up into the next age bracket soon.”

“Is that bad?” Sabe asked, worried.

“No, honey.” She stood, tugging his zipper up just halfway. “There just aren’t as many shows. Fewer chances to win.”

Sabe frowned, and Mom bopped his nose, a warning not to use expressions that could create bad wrinkles in his skin. “Sorry,” he said, relaxing his muscles. “But why are there less shows? Why can’t I just keep competing?”

“When you’re fully grown, it’s… different. But we don’t need to worry about that, do we? You’re going to be my little puppy forever, aren’t you?” She used that higher pitched voice that just made Sabe feel warm and fuzzy all over.

He smiled at her and said, “Of course!” He was barely able to contain his excitement.

“That’s my good boy. Now, why don’t you go practice your choreography this afternoon. I’ll set up your next grooming appointment.”

“Yes, Mom,” said Sabe. He then went down to the basement workout room and watched himself dance in the floor to ceiling mirrors, critiquing and correcting the routine for hours. He already knew it, but he could always make it better.

The door upstairs open and slammed shut, a signal that the twins were home from school. They were seniors, and would graduate in a little over a month. Fiona was already in college, and only came back for holidays. She was engaged, too. Both Julia and Octavia planned to go to the same college. Maybe if they were all there together, it would be easier for them to come back home more often. The house was too quiet without them.

Sabe bound up the stairs to find the girls in the kitchen laughing and eating sliced fruit and cheese Chita set out. They both hugged Sabe when they saw him, ruffling his hair.

“Cheese?” Octavia asked, holding out a piece for him.

“No, Miss Octavia, you know your mother does not want him eating extra food during pageant season,” Chita protested.

“It’s one piece of cheese,” Octavia scoffed. “It’s not going to kill him. Open up, Sabe.”

He knew he shouldn’t, but it smelled so good. He opened his mouth, and she stuck the slice of cheese in. It was certainly delicious. He tried to savor it, but it was still gone too quick.

He listened to the girls talk about their day, nodding along as if he understood how bad math was and how boring the old books they were forced to read were. No matter how they complained, he still thought it would be fun to spend the day with them at school. However, the schools had a strict ‘No Caenid Allowed’ policy, so he would never get to go.

“Thanks for the snack Chita!” said Julia. “I’m going to go study. Sabe, come with me.”

Octavia scoffed. “Why do you always take Sabe with you? It’s not like he can help you, and I doubt he likes watching you struggle through math.”

“I don’t mind,” said Sabe.

“Yeah, see, he doesn’t mind. Come on, ignore her.” Julia grabbed Sabe’s hand and practically dragged him into her room.

“Bye Octavia,” said Sabe, waving at her before he was tugged around the corner. She wiggled her fingers back at him and then pulled out her phone to message her friends.

Julia closed her door and turned the lock slowly, so no one else could hear it click into place. She spun about and smiled at Sabe. “I thought she’d never shut up. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

Gently, Julia guided Sabe to the bed. He sat down, and she sat beside him. She kissed him, and it felt good. He kissed her back, opening his lips so their tongues could explore each other’s mouth.

It was like a new game, and Sabe was grateful for it. The girls had lost a lot of interest in playing with him once they reached high school, but when Julia had showed him how teenagers played, he was very appreciative.

She pushed him down on the bed, following so their mouths stayed together. Her fingers slowly pulled the zipper back down, revealing the long line of his body. Her hand slipped under the fabric and she gripped him, rousing him to a full erection in moments.

“I love you, Sabe,” she whispered.

“I love you, too,” he said, and it was true. He loved her so much he could burst.

“When I’m an adult, I’m going to leave here. Get my own place. You’ll come with me, won’t you, Sabey?”

She was stroking him up and down. It made it difficult to think. He didn’t want to leave home, to leave Mom and Dad, but he also didn’t want to be separated from Julia. He nodded, whispered, “Yes.”

“You’ll always be mine, Sabey. I love you so much. You’re so much nicer than the boys at school. They don’t make me feel good like you do.” Her pace was consistent, her hand firm around his length. He could feel himself swell, a warning that he was close.

“It’s coming,” he said hoarsely.

Julia lowered her head, wrapping her lips around him, and he released into her warm mouth. The rush filled him with a euphoric lightness. She raised her head and licked her lips. “Let’s get married.”

“Okay,” he agreed. He would agree to anything she wanted. It made her happy. She slid up and kissed him, pressing the salty taste on her tongue deep into his mouth. He accepted happily.

Then Julia laid on her back beside him and slid her skirt up around her waist. She spread her legs. “My turn.”

Dutifully, happily, Sabe crouched between her legs and used his tongue to provide her with as much pleasure as she had given him.

When she lay contented and sprawled across the bed, Sabe curled up beside her. Julia patted his hair lazily for a while. He could have fallen asleep with her there, but eventually she got up and readjusted her clothes.

“I really do have homework,” she said. “You should probably go get cleaned up before dinner.”

“Okay Julia.” Sabe stood and fixed his clothes. She came over and kissed him again.

“Sabe, tonight, can you come to my room?”

“Tonight?” he asked. She usually only played with him during the day, when everyone else was busy.

She nodded enthusiastically. “I think tonight we should go all the way.”

“All the way where?”

“Sex, silly. We can make each other feel even better, and I think I’m ready.”

“Oh, okay,” said Sabe, not actually understanding.

“Tonight, after everyone is asleep, come to me.” Julia kissed him again, then pushed him out of her room.

His fingers pressed against his lips as he returned to his room to wash before dinner, still able to feel her touch.

Dinner was the usual feast, with Dad talking about gains and losses, Mom fidgeting with Sabe’s hair through the meal, and Julia and Octavia texting on their phones beneath the table. They had roast chicken and yams, with a pineapple-mango sorbet dessert.

“Need to work off that little tummy,” Mom laughed, rubbing Sabe’s belly. “Show me the routine.”

She and Sabe disappeared into the basement after dinner, where he showed her what he had practiced earlier in the day. She asked him to run through it multiple times, until he was dripping with sweat.

“Looking good, Sabey. We’ll get gold for sure.” He smiled at her praised and dryed himself off with a soft towel.

“They don’t stand a chance against us,” he said. He honestly didn’t care about his placement, but the better he did, the happier she was, and that was what mattered.

“I think you’ve earned a break,” she said. “Let’s go watch a movie with Dad.”

They went upstairs to where Dad was sitting in the den, flipping through channels on the widescreen. Mom sat down beside him. “Mind if we join you?”

“Course not, honey. What do you want to watch?”

There wasn’t more room on the couch for Sabe, but he didn’t mind. He settled on the floor between their legs, resting his head against Dad’s knee. Mom suggested a movie to watch, one she had heard good things about, but it was in another language. Sabe couldn’t understand it, and he couldn’t read the translation running across the bottom of the screen. He didn’t mind, though.

Dad patted his head softly, and Mom played with his hair while the movie played. They laughed together at the funny parts, and Sabe laughed too, just because he felt good being there with them. When it was over, Mom yawned and excused herself to bed.

“Do you want Sabe to stay out with you?” she asked Dad.

“Ah, no. I’m going to be headed to bed before too much longer, too. Go ahead and take him,” said Dad.

“Okay, honey. Good night. I’ll probably be asleep before you get up there.”

He nodded, turning his attention back to the widescreen, and Sabe followed Mom upstairs and to bed.

She helped him change into his silk pajamas, brushed his hair, and tucked him in bed. “Goodnight my little champion,” she said, and kissed him on the forehead.

“Goodnight, Mom,” he replied. Then she turned out the lights and closed the door.

***

Sabe didn’t sleep at all. He lay in bed, the covers pulled up to his chin, and just listened. When he focused on listening, he could hear everything in the house. He heard Dad in the kitchen, picking at the leftover chicken in the refrigerator. He heard Octavia in her room, singing along to music. Julia was typing on her computer. Mom was snoring already, asleep almost as soon as she hit the pillow.

Sabe waited. Eventually, Octavia turned down her music and fell asleep listening to the quiet songs. Dad turned off the widescreen and came upstairs. He went into the bathroom. Julia turned off her light and laid in bed, but Sabe could still hear the clicks of her computer keys. She was waiting, too.

Dad flushed the toilet, then climbed in bed beside Mom. Before long, he was snoring, too. Sabe waited another couple minutes, then slipped out from under his covers. It felt strange leaving his room at night. He wasn’t supposed to do it.

He crept down the hall on tiptoes until he reached Julia’s room. He turned the knob slowly and pushed open the door.

“Sabe?” Julia whispered hopefully.

“Yes,” he said and slipped inside.

She opened her arms to him on the bed. Her computer was on the nightstand. She was only wearing a robe. He approached her, suddenly feeling very nervous.

“I don’t know if I should be here,” he whispered.

“You love me, don’t you, Sabey?”

“Yes, I love you.”

“And I love you, too. I’m ready for you. Come here,” she said, and shrugged out of her robe.

Sabe came to her, unable to help himself from staring at her body. There was no light in the room, but he could see her clearly by the pale glow of the moon outside her window. She had never been fully naked with him before. It stirred longing deep within him, but his body was more willing to be there than he was. It still felt wrong to be with her at night.

When she grabbed him and pulled him against her, however, doubt vanished from his mind. Her body was so soft and warm beneath his hands. Her mouth was a familiar press against his. He felt so happy being with her.

“Put it in,” she whispered.

Sabe didn’t understand the request. “What?”

She gave a little frustrated growl. She opened her legs up, pulling him to her. She grabbed his erection, and pressed it into her body.

A silken heat enveloped him like none he had ever imagined. His hips moved forward unbidden, slipping himself deeper inside her. It was an amazing experience.

“Uhn, oh, god, Sabe, that feels good,” Julia moaned. “More, do it more.”

He obliged, paying attention to her breathing and her body, familiar enough with what brought her pleasure to recognize the signs.

His own release was building. He could feel it swelling. He wondered what would happen if it arrived while he was inside her.

Julia was getting close. Her fingers dug into Sabe’s back, her nails sliding along his skin. He worried briefly that it would leave marks, but at the same time, it felt wonderful and he didn’t care.

Her body exploded with pleasure suddenly, and she wrapped her legs around Sabe’s hips, pulling him fully inside her. It was deeper than he’d ever been, and the heat encompassed him fully. He felt trapped there, locked in place, but her muscles were tensing and quivering around him. It was enough to send him over, and for his pleasure to be released inside her.

He practically collapsed on top of Julia after, suddenly unable to find the strength to hold himself up. They lay there for a bit, sweat making them feel stuck to each other.

Julia kissed Sabe’s nose. “That was fun. I love you so much.”

He smiled at her sleepily. “I love you too, Julia.”

“Can you get up?” she asked.

He nodded, lifting himself off her. But then, when he tried to slide out of her body, he couldn’t.

“Ow!” she yelped, and smacked his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, I-” he tugged again, but got the same reaction.

“Ow! Stop it!”

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he said, panicked. He looked down at their bodies, right where they connected. With horror, he saw that his body, the part that swelled before his release came, had someone gotten lodged inside her body.

“Get it out!” Julia said, her cry almost a yell.

“I can’t, it’s stuck.”

“What do you mean ‘it’s stuck’?! Ow! Stop pulling! What are you doing?!”

He tried everything he could think of, but everything hurt her, and he had to stop. He was scared. He was stuck inside Julia, and she was angry.

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what’s going on!” he cried, tears filling his eyes.

“Ow! What did you do to me, Sabe?” she yelled.

The bedroom door burst open. “What the hell is going on in he- Oh Jesus Christ!” Dad entered, and then cringed back, shielding his face behind his forearms. “Sweet mother of God. Martha! Martha, get in here!!!” he yelled.

“Owie, Daddy, it hurts,” cried Julia, pushing against Sabe’s chest with her fists.

“You son of a bitch!” Dad roared. He stormed across the room. Sabe wanted to run, but he was trapped there, stuck between Julia’s legs. Dad grabbed him about the waist, and he was strong. He ripped Sabe off Julia. She screamed and tumbled to the floor as the swollen bulge burst out of her.

Mom came in, saw the scene, and raced over to her daughter. She draped a blanket over Julia, trying to comfort her, trying to make sense of the chaos. Dad hauled Sabe from the room. He started toward the stairs.

Mom rushed out of the bedroom. “Where are you taking him, Robert?!” she shrieked.

“I’m not going to have this animal in my house!” He yelled. He tossed Sabe up over his shoulder and stomped down the stairs.

The last Sabe saw of Mom, her face was twisted in a mask of horror, confusion, and revulsion. He reached out to her, whispered, “Mom,” but she turned away from him and returned to Julia’s room.

Dad carried Sabe outside to the pump house, a small building built around the plumbing that drew water up from the land. He dropped Sabe on the concrete floor. The moon was bright overhead, and Dad’s furious frame filled the door, only lit from behind by the moonlight.

“Dad, please, I don’t know what happened! I’m sorry!” Sabe begged.

The plea fell on ears deafened by rage. Dad picked up a thin stick from the ground. “You fucking mutt! How dare to rape my daughter!” He stepped forward and started beating Sabe with the stick. The first few impacts were a surprise. He had never been beaten before. But the pain caught up to him quickly. He tried to curl into a ball, protecting his head. He had no clothes, nothing to protect himself from the onslaught.

“Disgusting filth! Half breed mongrel! I never should have allowed Martha to bring you into my home! We raised you with our children, and this is how you repay us? Raping my daughter? Caenid trash like you deserves to die! You’re a bad, bad dog!” The stick snapped then, and Dad was left, holding it in his hand, looking surprised by its sudden betrayal.

Sabe was bruised and bloody, but nothing was broken. He peered out from between his arms, then crawled across the ground, begging, pleading, “I’m sorry Dad, so sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

Dad kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling backward, unable to draw in a breath. “I am not your Dad!” he yelled. “I am your owner!” A sudden idea struck him. “But not anymore.” He disappeared from the opening of the pump house.

Sabe couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t pull himself up off the floor to crawl from the shed. He just lay there, clutching his chest, trying to will himself to inhale.

Dad returned, and in his hand were a pair of wire cutters. He reached into the shed and grabbed Sabe by the hair, jerking him roughly into a kneeling position. He twisted Sabe’s head around until his right ear was clearly in reach of the sharp metal cutters.

Sabe watched him from the corner of his eye, his red eyes wide and wild. He could see the glint of metal as it reflected some of the moonlight. He took in breath finally, panic driving him.

“Please, no,” Sabe begged.

Dad just sneered at Sabe in disgust. He lined up the cut and squeezed the cutters together once, slicing into Sabe’s ear. Then he opened them and adjusted, and made a second cut, notching out a thin triangle in the skin and cartilage.

The cuts were fast, the second finished before the first started to bleed. The pain was immediate. He’d been sedated as a child when his ears were notched. He had never known the pain. But it was agonizing.

Sabe was dropped to the floor as he cried and held his hand over his right ear. The blood was pouring out, filling his ear until sound was muffled through the blood.

The man he had known as Dad spit on him. “I’m going to sell you to the first pervert I find. Someone who likes hurting their slaves, someone who is going to do to you what you did to my baby. I’m going to make sure the rest of your short life is hell.” He then slammed the pump house door shut, leaving Sabe alone to cry and bleed.

At some point, Sabe passed out. He woke when sunlight glinted through the slats of the shed, falling on his face. It hurt to move. His face was a mask of blood. His ear had bled well into the night. It still throbbed painfully.

He didn’t understand. Julie loved him. How could they be so angry that she loved him and he loved her?

He stood slowly, using the wall for balance.

If she told them what happened, just explained it, he knew it would be okay. She wanted to marry him, after all. It would be okay.

Sabe hit his fist against the door. Everything hurt as he moved. “Hello?” he called. “Can I come out, please?”

There was no answer. He tried to listen, but it was hard to hear with one ear filled with blood. He sat down against the wall. He looked at the bruises on his body. He was covered. There was no way he could win a competition against other caenids with a body so marred. They’d just laugh at him.

He thumped his head back against the wall. There was no one near. Maybe they were all still sleeping. Maybe the girls were in school. Why didn’t Mom come for him? She would understand. If he told her, she would understand.

Hours passed with no sign life outside the pump house. The sun had begun to set when Sabe heard the first new noise. It was a car with rubber tires driving up the gravel driveway. Little rocks popped and pinged as it rolled closer. His family had a solar flyer. Only visitors every came with tired vehicles. It was someone new.

Sabe tried to peer out through the thin gap between the door. He saw the flash of headlights, but couldn’t make out any details.

The car stopped and a door opened. The door to the house opened, too, and male voices spoke to each other. They moved closer to the shed.

“He’s a bad dog. Just a rotten little beast. I don’t care what you do with him.”

The new man said, “They’re all beasts. They’re cute when they’re puppies, but they get to this age, and something just snaps. If you don’t keep them on a tight leash, they start to think they’re human.”

“Disgusting. Well, he’s all yours now.” The lock on the pump house slid off. The door swung open, and Sabe backed away from the men.

The new man stepped forward, a thick black collar in his hands. “Come here, boy,” he ordered. Sabe didn’t like the look of him. There was violence in the man’s eyes. Sabe tried to move away, but there was no room for him hide in the small pump house.

“Please, don’t. I’ll be good. Please let me stay. I’ll be good!”

“You’re already mine, you little bitch.” The man lunged fast, grabbing Sabe’s ankle and dragging him closer. Sabe tried to grab anything that could stop his movement, but his hands just slipped off. When he was close enough, the man put a knee on Sabe’s chest to pin him down, then fastened the thick collar around his neck tight enough that he had to strain to breathe.

Once the collar was in place, the man took a strap from his hip and clicked it in place on the collar. A leash. Sabe had been leashed and collared.

The man stood then, brushing some of the dried blood of his knee. “See? No problem.”

Sabe’s hands went up to the collar, and he felt the buckles behind his head. His fingers tried to quickly undo them, to get it off. The man yanked the leash, stepping on it and jerking Sabe out of the pump house and onto the ground. He pulled the leash until Sabe’s face was in the dirt against his boot, the collar and leash holding him to the ground.

“You’re my property now, bitch. You leave that collar alone, or I’ll break your hands. Understand me, dog?” His voice hit Sabe like a mallet, crushing his heart with every word. The man terrified him.

When he didn’t get an immediate response, he jerked the leash tighter, and Sabe’s breath was cut off. “I said, do you understand me, dog.”

“Yes!” Sabe choked out.

“Yes, what?”

“Y-Yes…” Sabe didn’t know what the man wanted. Did he want to be called Dad, too? What were the other correct answers to the question? He didn’t know, and he was losing the little air he had left.

“Master. You call me Master, you little shit.”

“Yes, Master!” Sabe gasped, and suddenly he had air again. The leash stayed tight though, holding him to the ground.

Master shook hands with the man who used to be Dad, and said, “Thanks for selling him to me. You’re not going to have to worry about this one hurting anyone else.”

“I’m just glad you could pick him up so soon. The thought of having that rabid mutt on my property a moment longer just made me sick. You get him out of here now, and if you get tired of him, don’t think about bringing him back. Just kill him.”

Master laughed. “Oh, I can think of quite a few uses for him. Don’t worry. You’ll never see this beast again.”

The man Sabe had known as Dad left then, returning to the house. He stood with Julie and Octavia on the porch. The girls were wrapped in blankets, hugging each other, but they all just watched. Mom was nowhere to be seen.

“I’m going to let you up now,” said Master. “You can either walk beside me like a good dog, or you can crawl on your hands and knees like the bad mutt you are. Don’t think for a second I won’t beat you bloody in front of your old owners. You really want that to be their last memory of you?”

“No, Master,” said Sabe. Tears dripped from his eyes.

“Oh, you’re going to cry a lot over the next few days, boy. Don’t think for a second your tears are going to have any effect on me.” He lifted his boot and tugged the leash up. Sabe rose to his feet. He held his hands in front of his naked body, ashamed to be so exposed. Master led him to the car.

When Sabe looked to the house, he saw the look of hatred on the man’s face. The girls just looked sad. And Julie… Julie couldn’t stand the sight of him. She turned her face away, burying it in her sister’s hair.

She loved him, didn’t she? How could she let him be taken away like this?

“J-Julie,” Sabe whispered. He reached out for her. “Julie!”

The blow came to the back of his head, and Sabe found himself in the dirt. He didn’t remember falling. Master kicked him in the stomach. “Stupid mutt! Know your place. Get in the car.

Sabe started to rise, but Master kicked him down again. “Oh no, I gave you a chance to be good and you screwed it up. Crawl, bitch!”

With no dignity left, Sabe crawled to the car. He climbed into the dog carrier in the backseat, where he was barely able to fit, then Master shut the door and got in to drive.

As the car turned around and started down the driveway, Master said, “You got caught sleeping with one of the farm girls, didn’t you? Girl that age around a boy like you? Oh, I bet she just couldn’t keep her hands off. You probably didn’t even know what you were doing wrong, did you? Poor dumb mutt. It’s good for me, though. You’re going to break in real nicely, aren’t you puppy?” He laughed to himself, then turned on the radio to muffle Sabe’s cries.

***

Until that point in his life, Sabe had been lucky. He had been able to forget what he was. Caenids weren’t people, they were pets. Sabe had just been a pampered pet. He had been an award winning breed at the top of his form.

But he had also been very naive.

Caenids stayed in the nursery until they were weaned. Their mothers often had no contact with them after birth. Birth of litters was difficult, and breeding caenids had to rest immediately after the surgery that removed the pups. If not, there would be an even longer delay before they could produce their next litter, and that just wasn’t economical.

Formula and rotating nurses cared for newborns. They kept them socialized and happy, because that’s what made them pleasant pets. Any that showed signs of defect were weeded out. As personalities developed, they were auctioned to different training schools. Sabe had been sent to a top of the line academy at two years old, where he was fully trained in normal childhood development steps, like talking, toilet use, running, feeding himself, and cleaning himself, as well as specialized caenid developmental steps, like how to be a good pet.

Your owner’s happiness is your happiness.

Always obey, never question.

The life of a human is precious.

Bad pets will be put to sleep and not allowed to wake up.

Sabe knew the rules. He knew what he was. He knew why he hadn’t been allowed to attend school, hadn’t been allowed to learn to read. He was nothing but a pet.

But he had felt like family. He had been so ignorant.

He peered between the bars of the cage at the back of Master’s head. This man wouldn’t ever let Sabe forget what he was. This man would hurt Sabe in ways he knew he couldn’t imagine. No, he couldn’t imagine them, not yet. But this man would ensure Sabe was intimately familiar with pain.

If he was given the chance.

Sabe had been sheltered from the cruelty of the world for too long. It had been easy to ignore injustice or violence if it was happening to someone else. It was easy to think that maybe that other person deserved it.

But it was wrong. No one deserved to be treated like this.

Sabe watched the man drive, and he plotted.

By the time the car pulled into a parking spot, Sabe was ready.

“Home sweet home,” Master said as he turned off the car. He got out and came back to open the back door. When he opened the door, all he saw was Sabe’s unfocused eyes staring out, and frothy blood dripping from his mouth. “Shit.” The man opened the cage and reached in to find a pulse. The collar blocked his neck, and Sabe’s arms were pinned awkwardly beneath his stiff body.

Swearing, he grabbed Sabe and pulled him out of the carried. Sabe’s limp body hit the cement heavily. The boot nudged his side, but when he got no response, he started looking around for any other witnesses. “Beat him to death then try to sell him to me?” he mumbled. “That lousy son of a bitch. Drop this body right back on the farm, and I’ll go take my payment from the daughters. I’ll-”

Sabe leaped up behind the man and wrapped the leash around his neck. He crossed the strap in the back, pulling it tight with both hands. He squeezed, hanging from the man’s neck while he flailed, trying to reach back and grab Sabe.

“Kill you!” Master choked.

“Not if I kill you first,” Sabe hissed. He held tight to the man, riding his back as he dropped to his knees, clawing at his throat. He fell forward, thudding against the cement, passing out from the lack of oxygen. Still, Sabe held tight. The man was no longer fighting him, no longer a threat, but Sabe didn’t let up. He fully intended to kill the man.

But then he stopped. He could still hear the man’s heartbeat, though it was faint and fragile. Sabe couldn’t kill him. He wasn’t a murder, and he wasn’t going to become one over a man like that.

“You’re not my master,” he said. He got up, undid the buckles, and threw the collar down on the ground. “I have no master,” he declared.

The streets were dark and unfamiliar, but Sabe ran from there and kept running until he found shelter. No one came looking for him. He moved around in the shadows, stealing what he could. He clothed himself in discarded rags. He ate anything that didn’t smell poisonous. He avoided human contact for weeks, just running further away.

When he first saw Nukan City, Sabe felt drawn to it, compelled to investigate the peculiar structure on the horizon. Every day he moved toward the towers, and every day they grew taller, but never any closer. After days of travel, he finally arrived there, and knew he had found a place he could truly disappear in to.

Alex washed the dishes while Sabe sat at the bar, staring blankly into a hot mug of coffee. His story had left them both pained, though Alex was able to keep the emotions suppressed easier.

The loss of everything Sabe ever thought he loved was still a fresh wound in the young man, and it echoed through his hunched shoulders and tired eyes. Four years was not enough time to recover from such abuse, no matter how strong he acted.

Part of Alex wanted desperately to fly off and kill the people who had forced Sabe to endure such things. The family who bought and sold him, the training facility that convinced a child that his only worth was to make others happy, the breeders who saturated the market with so many new caenids and felidae each year that most were abandoned or euthanized. He wanted to tear the whole system apart, but that wouldn’t change what had already been done.

The most important concern now was to gain Sabe’s trust.

They hadn’t spoken to each other since Sabe finished the story and finished the pasta. He’d just sat, staring at the empty bowl until Alex got up and took it away. Alex had made a serving of coffee, placing the warm mug before Sabe, then started the dishes.

Now the dishes were done, and the pan was scrubbed clean, but Alex kept it in the soapy water, swirling the suds repetitively. Bubbles rose up to his elbows. They made his skin itch, but Sabe needed time to find his mask again.

After a while, the empty coffee mug clinked onto the counter beside Alex. He didn’t look at Sabe as he took the mug and washed it. He rinsed it and the clean skillet, then set them aside to dry. Alex reached into the soapy water to remove stopper, and the sink gurgled as it started to empty. Using one of the clean white towels from the cupboard beside the sink, he started drying his arms.

As he rubbed the bubbles from his skin, he turned toward Sabe. The young caenid was leaning against the counter, fidgeting with some loose threads in the the sweater Alex had wrapped around him. He was short, not even reaching Alex’s shoulder, but then again, Alex was very tall. Most people didn’t reach Alex’s shoulders.

Sabe’s two-toned hair was shaggy and unkempt, but still short. It didn’t look like he cut it, so Alex assumed it was more like fur, with the undercoat a lighter, silvery-red, and the topcoat a warm brown. They called that roan in horses, maybe it was the same for caenids. The longer brown covered his ears, which were Sabe’s most obvious caenid trait. Two surgical notches were in his left ear, just below the pointed tip. The right ear had matching marks on top, but the third notch was larger and violently cut. It was healed, but the signs of old infections, where decay ate at the skin around the wound, had left the scar ragged.

“Why are you doing this?” asked Sabe somberly.

“Doing what?” he responded.

“Feeding me. Bringing me here. I’m not a pet anymore, and I would rather die than go back to that lifestyle.”

Alex sat the white towel on the counter. “You never were a pet, Sabe. That was slavery.”

“Are you going to make me your slave, then?”

“No, I’m not,” Alex sighed. He knew Sabe had every right to be suspicious. Four years on the street should have taught him that much, at least, but he wished there were an easier way to gain his trust.

“Then let me leave.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Sabe demanded.

“Because it’s dangerous out there for you.”

Sabe yanked angrily at the loose threads in Alex’s sweater. He was making a hole in the well worn fabric. “I’ve survived so far.”

“Being captured by Mercato isn’t survival. That man is a degenerate. He would have killed you.”

“And you won’t?”

There was a pang in Alex’s heart. It was an old wound, and it filled him with overwhelming guilt. “I won’t kill you.” Not again. Never again.

“Why should I believe you?”

Alex sighed heavily. “Because… I’m not human, either.”

“What?” Sabe looked up. He had been caught off guard by Alex’s statement.

“I’m not human,” Alex repeated.

Sabe examined him from head to toe. “What are you then? You’re definitely not caenid. You don’t smell right.”

“I don’t smell right?” Alex’s brow furrowed. “What do I smell like?”

Sabe waved his hand in the air. “I’m not saying you smell bad, you just don’t smell like one of us. You smell…” His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. “You smell like antifreeze.”

“Antifreeze?” Alex laughed. He couldn’t help himself.

With a shrug, Sabe said, “Well, yeah, sort of. And kind of metal? It’s a weird smell, but it’s definitely not caenid.”

“No, I’m definitely not a caenid, either.”

“So what are you?”

Alex held out his empty hand, palm up. He gathered a little bit energy there, just enough to make a spark. A black flame burst into existence, hovering over his palm. Sabe jumped back, surprised.

“I’m a demon,” said Alex. He closed his hand and snuffed out the flame.

“Demon,” Sabe whispered. “Like in the Bible?”

Alex raised his shoulders slightly. “I guess. There’s bits of truth in everything. I’m sure there’s something in there that’s true.”

“Are you evil?”

“That’s what I’ve been told. Don’t worry, though. I’m not going to hurt you. I can’t do more than make a few flickering lights.” That wasn’t exactly true, but going into details would just confuse the young man. Alex scratched the back of his neck. “Truth is, I’m in hiding.”

“Hiding? From what?”

“Everything. That’s why I came to Nukan City, too. I needed a place I could disappear.”

Sabe was still suspicious. Why wouldn’t he be? In his limited experience with the world, why would he have any reason to believe demons existed? He’d been lied to so often through his life, it was amazing he could believe anything at all.

“You’re lying,” Sabe declared. “That’s what my head says. But my heart… I don’t know why, but I believe you.”

“You do?” That was surprising.

“I do. I mean, it makes as much sense as anything else about you.”

“Thanks, I guess.” A crooked smile tugged at Alex’s lips.

“But if you really are a demon, why did you take me? Are you going to sacrifice me or something?”

As Alex shook his head, his black hair swayed back and forth over his shoulders. “Not killing you, not sacrificing you, not even keeping you as a lab rat in one of the back rooms to experiment on, like I’ve done with my other guests.”

“What?!”

“My point is, Sabe. I may be a demon, but I want to protect you. There’s something about you that has me curious, and it’s something I’m afraid will draw even worse people than me to you, if you’re ever found. I’m offering you food, clothing, and a dry room. In return, all I ask is that you stay with me as my friend and let me keep you safe.”

Sabe’s russet eyes searched Alex’s face for any hint of deception. He was still uneasy, like a nervous animal in a new place.

“You want a… friend?” Sabe asked cautiously.

“Yes. I know this isn’t the best way to go about it, but it’s something I haven’t had much practice with lately. Can you give me a chance?”

With resignation, Sabe said, “Alright. I’ll try.” He held up a finger in warning, his eyes hard. “But we’re equals, you understand? No more policing my food.”

“Understood.” Alex offered his hand and Sabe shook on it. “Come on, let me show you to your room.” It would definitely take time to earn Sabe’s full trust, but this was a good start.

A closed door separated the hallway and the main living area of Alex’s apartment. It opened inward, and when Sabe followed Alex through, he felt that same strange fuzzy hum as when he crossed the threshold. It was like the air pressure changed suddenly. He wiggled a finger in his ear and stretched his jaw, trying to get his ears to pop.

Alex flicked a switch on the wall, and the lights above blinked on. The carpet and wallpaper were worn and dated. Some of the paper had peeled off the wall revealing older, dirtier wallpaper. The style of the hall felt completely different than the living area, and if Sabe hadn’t known any better, he would have thought they had entered a different building.

“First door, bathroom.” Alex pushed open the door on the right. The tiles were yellowed and the shower curtain had bits of mold growing on it. “It’s a guest bathroom. It doesn’t get much use.”

Obviously. Sabe doubted it had ever been cleaned.

They continued on. The hall turned a corner. Then another. It split in two different directions. They passed closed door after closed door, many of them locked, some without any handles.

“How big is this place?” Sabe asked, astounded.

“I, um, combined a few apartments. It looks bigger than it is.” Alex kept walking.

It looked like it never ended. The hallway kept splitting and twisting, like a maze. “How am I going to find my way back to the kitchen?” asked Sabe.

They turned another corner. Alex stopped at a small table with a little pot of red flowers on it. “Just follow these. Keep them on your right to reach your room, on your left to leave.”

“What? I don’t remember…” Sabe stepped back, looking down the hall they’d just come through. There was another little table with the same pot of red flowers on it. He hadn’t remembered seeing that. He definitely would have noticed the flowers. Wouldn’t he?

“It can be confusing,” said Alex. “That’s why they’re there.”

“Huh.”

Not much further passed that they reached a door with a carved design in the wood. Wow, real wood, Sabe mused. It had been years since he’d seen it. It was too rare a resource for anyone in the Depths to have.

“This will be your room. Sorry if it’s a little dusty.” Alex opened the door. He stepped in and flicked the light switch. Electric candles lit in sconces around the perimeter of the room. There was a pop as one shattered, and Sabe leaped back, startled.

“It was just a bulb,” he breathed, trying to calm himself.

“Shoot, let me clean that up. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. There should be some clothes in the wardrobe.” Alex crossed the room and started carefully unscrewing the broken bulb.

Slowly, heart still pounding, Sabe peered into the room. What he saw left him awestruck. “This is for me?”

“Hm? Yeah. Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, no,” Sabe said quickly. “Nothing is wrong.”

The room was lit in the soft glow of the electric candlelight. High ceilings adorned with intricate carvings and trimmed with detailed woodwork stretched overhead. A four-poster king size bed sat against one wall, draped with thick blankets and plush pillows. Directly across from the hall door was a wall covered by heavy curtains, as if there were windows beyond. Sabe peeked under the fabric. It was just a wall, but there were several daylight panels attached. When he turned them on, it almost felt like real light was coming through the room. He turned them back off as he continued exploring.

Across from the bed was a marble fireplace. There was even wood stacked beside it, ready to be burned. Sabe figured it had to be some sort of display. No one actually burned wood. But the inside of the fireplace still had a little ash in it, and there were scorch marks on the stone.

Beside the fireplace was a door that led to a private bathroom, which was much cleaner and much more up to date than the previous one had been. Sabe flicked the light on and off a few times, just in case one of those bulbs was going to burst, too.

Alex unscrewing the broken bulb, then started picking up the glass shards from the floor. Sabe stepped past him to investigate the wardrobe. He pulled open the top doors, frowned, and pulled open one of the drawers. He picked up the folded pants and held them out.

He’d seen clothes like that before, but only in movies. “Are you a pirate, too?” Sabe asked.

“What?” Alex stood, his cupped hand filled with fragments of glass. He looked at the pants that Sabe held. They were off-white, fall front breeches. Little silver buttons held the front panel closed, and the legs tapered, falling short of full length pants.

“The shirt is ruffled, too,” said Sabe.

“That was standard fashion at one point,” explained Alex, as if that explained anything at all. “But I guess it’s not really practical anymore.”

Sabe examined the pants again. “I mean, it’s better than what I’ve got.”

“I’ll see if I can find something more modern. Why don’t you shower and get some rest. I’ve got a few errands to run. If you want to access the Nukan web, the terminal is in the living room. You remember how to get there?”

“The flowers? Left to leave, right to room. Yeah, I remember.”

“Great. And you can eat anything you find in the kitchen. Just… when you’re in the hallway, don’t try to open any locked doors, okay?”

Sabe’s curiosity flared. “Sure, okay.” He immediately tried to imagine what Alex might be hiding behind the doors. It was definitely nothing good.

Alex took the handful of broken glass out the door with him. “We can eat dinner when I get back. Until then, get some rest. I’m sure you’re tired.”

It was true, he was, but he kind of resented being told to rest. The door closed, leaving Sabe alone to do as he pleased.

***

No matter what he decided to do, Sabe knew a shower came first. A real, honest-to-god, hot water, jet stream shower. The glass in the room fogged as Sabe stood in the spray, letting the heat beat against his skin. His last shower had been in a homeless shelter in exchange for listening to a sermon on sex outside of marriage, how it would lead him on the path to the devil. Well, the priest hadn’t been wrong.

A demon. The pale man was a demon. That little flicker of black flame, his strange black eyes, his unnatural strength- No, Sabe didn’t doubt it. Alex was a demon, and for some reason, he didn’t seem to want Sabe dead.

Alex had lost over three million credits in exchange for Sabe. By every rule on the streets and in the Depths, he owned Sabe. He could demand Sabe pay him back, he could force him into prostitution, hell, he could kill him, and no one would be surprised.

But all he was asking was for Sabe to stay with him as his friend. Sabe wasn’t going to reject the offer. It could definitely be worse.

There was a soap dispenser attached to the wall. Sabe pumped a few handfuls out and slathered it all over his hair and body. It smelled minty. He rinsed off and repeated, lathering his hair into soapy spikes. He had missed showers.

After rinsing one last time, Sabe finally turned the water off. He stepped out of the shower, but didn’t see a towel. He could feel the water dripping down his skin, and it made him twitch. Instinct took over for a brief flash, and he shook, spraying the walls and ceiling with water.

That felt wonderful.

Mostly dry, Sabe rummaged through the drawers in the wide vanity. There were basic necessities, like soap and toilet paper, but there were also grooming supplies, like razors, scissors, and nail clippers.

By the time Sabe was finished in the bathroom, he felt revitalized. His nails were neatly clipped, not chewed ragged. The few rough bristles that grew on the edge of his chin were wicked off. He had even spent considerable time snipping away at his shaggy hair. It was trimmed short in the back and longer on top, and the two tones of his hair blended smoothly.

He looked damn near show worthy.

At least, he would have been if he hadn’t been able to count every one of his ribs.

The oversize white t-shirt Mercato’s men had forced him to wear got tossed in a bin by the wardrobe. He wasn’t sure if the bin was for trash or for laundry, and he didn’t care. He would never wear that shirt again. The black sweater, however, he kept, hanging it over the back of an embroidered chair by the fireplace. Alex might want it back, and if he didn’t, Sabe would keep it. It was soft and warm, even if it was way too big on him.

Sabe pulled on the beige breeches and the white ruffled shirt from the wardrobe. The material was surprisingly soft. It was a little awkward getting the buttons fastened on the pants, but once he did, he found them comfortable. The shirt was baggy and light, with some gathers around the wrists that created a ruffle. The deep v-neck reached past his sternum, but there was a little tie that be could lace up to close it. He left it open for now.

After observing himself in the bathroom mirror, he laughed at how absurd he looked. He could have been in costume for a pageant, set to act or sing a scene from an opera. Well, if singing had been his skill. It certainly wasn’t, as they’d placed fifth in the only contest he’d ever sang in.

Remembering the pageants filled Sabe with a sudden exhaustion. No matter how hard he tried, he was always drawn back, always wondering, What if? He ruffled his hair so it was a short mess, then went back to the bedroom.

His options were to nap or find his way back to the kitchen. Sabe tested out the bed, sitting on an edge. It was very soft. He flopped back, arms spread. The huge bed accepted him, cradling him with warmth and fluff. Sabe made his decision. He grabbed the edge of the top blanket and brought it with him as he rolled, creating a warm and cozy cocoon.

Sleep won. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

***

Dreams came quickly.

He was a puppy, all wiggles and tail wags as he was being picked up by his new family. But it wasn’t the people he had called Mom and Dad. It was a black shadow with a thousand eyes. There was a beat of wings, and they were flying.

They flew high over a world covered in greenery. Trees stretched up from the ground, shooting past them as they dodged and twisted in the air.

The trees created a tunnel that led them toward a bright spot in the distance. It shifted, first looking like a tower, then a person, then a stag, then just light. They arced closer, but the many-eyed shadow faded in the presence of the light, until Sabe was alone, falling.

When he landed, the ground was soft beneath his claws. He was not a puppy, he was the hunter. He was death in the jungle, and all feared him. The ground smelled of the decay of leaves. The air was thick with oxygen. He felt high. He felt strong.

The tiniest black bird landed on a branch beside him. It chirped, and Sabe was falling again.

He fell through blue sky and black sky. Sun streaked clouds as red as the earth, covered in blood. Battles rushed past him, curving around him, creating a bubble as he fell.

And then he landed in a field of sunflowers.

An angel stood on a rock with enormous white wings that glowed with sunlight. The being turned and held out a silver hand. Sabe couldn’t see the face. It hurt his eyes.

But it spoke.

“Sabine.”

Then the world turned to fire and death.

Blood sacrifice here, retie a dimensional rift there, update the genetic anomaly, and done. The wards around Alex’s apartment were updated. He stepped onto the sidewalk outside the six story brick building and locked the door.

Hmm. A key. Sabe should have his own key to the door. Though Alex didn’t need a key himself, he felt Sabe might trust something a little more tangible.

From the sidewalk, Alex looked up at the building that housed his apartment. There were six floors, though he only lived on the top, where he had roof access. The rest of the levels were unoccupied, filled with wards and spells that prevented anyone or anything from entering the property.

Upstairs, his apartment door had a switch that allowed him to open a rift and step through to a unoccupied closet within a one of the Nukan City towers, which was a much faster way to travel to the city. With the constant inflow of people trying to reach Nukan City, traffic was almost always backed up for days.

Of course, he could have flown in less than an hour , but the risk of revealing himself was too great.

The twilight sky above was starting to show flecks of stars. To the east, the towering wall of Nukan City blocked everything for miles. It was like living in the ever growing shadow of a volcano, waiting for it to erupt.

As Alex walked down the street in the quiet horizontal neighborhood, he thought over options for a key for Sabe. He planned to pick up a blank copy at the hardware store. Then, he could attach a couple effects to the thin metal. Like, a homing pull, so Sabe could always find the apartment, or a bubble of invulnerability. Invisibility, maybe, or a monitor of Sabe’s vitals. It could produce heat, or function as a light source, or a tracking beacon, or a stun baton. The list went on.

But it was a small object, so he could only pick two. What were the best? The homing pull, maybe. That would be the most useful for Sabe, however if anyone else picked it up, they might be able to feel some of the residual effects. Alex certainly didn’t want any random, unwelcome people showing up at the apartment, but he didn’t want Sabe getting lost, either.

For the next… Well, it was already a risk to create a link between the key and the apartment, so the other spell would need to be something local, something that would only trigger if Sabe really needed it. Alex settled on a subtle effect. The key would produce heat, just a gentle warmth so that Sabe would never risk freezing to death.

Simple. Alex was pleased with his decision.

While he walked and mused, he didn’t pass more than two other people on the street. It was late enough everyone was observing the voluntary curfew, accessing the data terminals while the providers streamed at full bandwidth for the next three hours. No queues or loading screens meant everyone, no matter how much data they could afford, got complete access to the authorized internet and video library the Nukan Broadband Regulation provided every evening.

They said it was because Nukan corporations needed priority access during business hours, but Alex knew it was just another way to control the population.

He stopped at the hardware store first, where he caught the old man behind the desk snapping pictures of himself with his phone’s camera. “Just, uh, updating my grandchildren on my outfit,” the old man chuckled. He sold Alex the key, then returned his attention to the phone.

The next store Alex entered was a used clothing store. No one in the neighborhood could afford anything new, so the individual boutiques often found in the Nukan City towers were unheard of out here. He would take Sabe shopping to pick out his own outfits eventually, but for now, he just needed clothes from this century.

He bought various pants and shirts, estimating Sabe’s size. The shoes were the most difficult to guess, so he ended up getting two different pairs in different sizes. One of them would have to be good enough.

The cashier rang him up, barely breaking eye contact from the wall monitor that displayed a muted sitcom. Alex paid with his line of credit, which beeped as the funds were transfered, then took the bag of clothes and left.

Finally, Alex picked up groceries. The normally quiet store was streaming music, which interrupted every other song with a cheerful radio host promoting goods and services to the extended audience. Businesses had definitely capitalized on the limited full access hours, and every moment of prime time was filled with dense marketing.

Alex tried to block it out while he shopped, but he still left the store humming an upbeat jingle.

It took him half the walk back to get the song out of his head.

Back at the apartment, he unloaded the groceries, refrigerating anything perishable, then dropped the bag of clothes off outside Sabe’s room. He peeked in on him, and found the young man sleeping soundly in a jumble of blankets. Alex decided to delay dinner to let him continue resting a little while longer.

Meanwhile, he could prepare the key.

Deeper in the hall, Alex found one of the workrooms. This was a locked door, one Sabe wouldn’t be able to open even if he tried. Alex entered and shut the door behind him.

Motion lights turned on as Alex sat down at a workbench. He clamped the key into a vise attached to the table. Tools lined the wall, ready to be used. He started with a fine point etcher, carving the spell to unlock the door along the teeth of the key. He blew the metal dust off in a silvery puff. When he released the key from the vise, he felt the spell click into place. Good.

The other spells required a few more components. Everything he needed was within reach of the workbench in tiny little compartments built into the wall. Each reagent was where he needed it, when he needed it.

To provide heat, Alex hollowed out the key and filled the core with thermite, which he ignited and then froze in a delayed release time loop. The heat produced ceased immediately, but the glow showed it was still burning. A simple charm of requirement was attached, and with that, anyone in need who held the key would be able to feel its warmth. He fused the metal shut around the core, and it looked normal again.

The second spell was a lot harder. Alex gathered his supplies, then sat down and worked very carefully at stitching all the components into the metal of the key. When he finished, he could sense the dull knowledge throbbing in the key. It knew the way home. He coded it to Sabe, so only he would be able to feel the pull. It was a subtle enough work that Sabe probably wouldn’t even realize it was active.

Pleased with his work, Alex cleaned his workspace then went out to start dinner.

***

It was the sizzle of the sausage that eventually woke Sabe. Alex was impressed that the young man could smell it from his room, but Sabe quickly came stumbling out, bouncing down the hall walls with groggy determination. He emerged from the hall, a blanket slung about his shoulders. He still wore the cotton breeches and chemise that had been in the wardrobe. Sabe probably hadn’t seen the clothes in the bag Alex had dropped off outside his door.

As the sleepy young man approached, Alex realized his hair had been trimmed. It stuck straight up on one side from sleep, but was plastered down on the other. The fluffy cut looked a lot more manageable. His dual colored layers even blended together into a uniform shade of auburn. The caenid definitely had unique coloration. No wonder he had done so well for so long in the pageant circuit.

Of course, that’s why the caenid pageants existed, to promote different unusual bloodlines and build up champions. Then, when the young contestants became adults, their owners could stud the males out as breeding stock and earn considerably more money.

“Hope you’re hungry,” Alex said. “I made sausage.” He lifted the pan to show Sabe as he climbed onto the bar chair on the other side of the counter. All the sliced meat was sizzling and popping, nicely caramelizing around the edges.

“I am starving. That smells really good.” Sabe yawned, covering his mouth to hide his sharp canine teeth. He let the blanket slump over the back of the chair.

Alex returned the sausage pan to low heat and turned to the other pan on the stove. He gave the vegetable medley a little toss before adding extra pasta. It heated quickly, and when it was done, he separated it into two bowls. Alex added all the hot sausage to one bowl, which he sat before Sabe.

“You’re not having any meat?” Sabe asked.

“I try to avoid it when I can,” he said. He sat down beside Sabe at the bar.

“You’re a vegetarian?” Sabe picked up a piece of sausage, almost looking guilty as he held it between his chopsticks.

“Sort of. It’s just the way I was raised. I’ll eat it if I need to, but when I don’t, I don’t.” Alex picked up a piece of pasta. “You need meat, though. So please, enjoy it.” He started eating.

Sabe looked at his food a moment longer, then stuck the sausage in his mouth. Any hesitation he’d had about eating the meat while Alex had none was gone. He started devouring the food with such abandon that Alex worried he was going to choke.

“Ahem.” Alex cleared his throat. “So, you told me your story. You’ve got to have some questions for me, too.” He had promised not to police Sabe’s food habits, but he still wanted him to eat slower. The young man had been starving for long enough that too much food too fast would just make him sick. Alex hoped if he got him talking, maybe then he would slow down.

Sabe just shrugged, stuffing more food into his mouth. “You’re a drug dealing demon vegetarian. What more is there to know?”

Alex frowned. “There’s a lot actually.”

“Well, would you tell me everything if I asked?”

“Not everything, but-”

“Well, then I don’t really need to ask. If you want to tell me, you will, if not..” He shrugged again. “I don’t need to know.”

“You’re not at all curious?”

Sabe filled his mouth with more food. “Oh, sure I am. I was thinking, if demons are real, what else is real? And does that mean I’m going to Hell when I die?” He clicked his chopsticks twice before scooping more food into his mouth. It wasn’t an emotional question, more like he had already accept that was where he belonged.

“No, you’re definitely not going to Hell,” Alex said matter-of-factly.

“Uh huh,” Sabe grunted without any conviction.

“Yeah. Haven’t you heard?” Alex smiled at Sabe. “All dogs go to heaven.”

The archaic phrase caught Sabe by surprise, and he coughed and choked on all the food in his mouth. Alex patted Sabe’s back as the young man frantically struggled to swallow.

Sabe finally choked the food down and inhaled deeply. He turned on Alex, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. “You ass. I’m not a dog. You can’t just go around saying stuff like that. It’s racist.”

Alex tried to look apologetic. “Sorry. I know you’re not a dog. It was a bad joke.”

“Yeah, you better be sorry,” Sabe said, then he laughed. “Fuck, man, I did not expect you to try to have a sense of humor.”

“It’s something I’ve never had much practice with,” Alex admitted. “So really, sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“It’s all right. You’re forgiven.” He wrinkled his nose up in mock aggression. “But you call me a dog again and I’ll bite you.”

Alex chuckled. “That’s fair. Oh, by the way, I made you a key for the apartment.” He removed the spell infused key from his pocket. He had attached a long chain to it so Sabe could wear it around his neck. “I’ll take you out tomorrow and show you how to use it.”

“How to use it?” Sabe asked. He accepted the key and looked it over. “Don’t I just put it in the lock and twist?”

“It’ll be easier to just show you. Tomorrow, when it’s light out.”

“Okay. Well, thank you,” he said. He sounded like he meant it. Sabe slipped the chain over his head and let it fall beneath the v-neck chemise. “Oh, it’s warm.” The young man smiled softly as he pressed the key over his chest.

“You’re welcome,” Alex replied quietly. He wasn’t sure if Sabe heard him, but it didn’t matter.

They finished the meal in a companionable silence.

On a balcony at the top of the highest tower in Nukan City, a man stood illuminated from behind by the white lights of his office. Had anyone been awake in those early morning hours before sunrise, they could have seen him. They could have seen the way the high altitude winds whipped his long silver hair wildly into the air. They could have seen the brilliant white wings raised and trembling with the urge to glide on the updrafts that twisted between the Nukan monoliths.

But no one saw him, because the only other living beings at that height in the city were the captured trees in their suspended gardens.

The stars overhead flickered weakly against the haze of light pollution the city created. The winged man looked up to them, reaching with his arms and his wings. He stood on the stone banister, precariously balanced in his expensive leather loafers. He closed his glacial blue eyes and let the tug of the wind in his feathers remind him how it felt to fly free.

“Mr. Hart, you have a call on line one.” The night secretary’s voice came through the speaker on the red mahogany desk inside the office.

The man didn’t leave the edge of the balcony, but he lowered his arms and glared up at the stars.

“Mr. Hart, line one,” the secretary repeated. There was a hint of irritation in the older woman’s voice.

The silver-haired man hopped down from the banister and went back inside the office. He closed the glass panel to the balcony, silencing the howl of the wind. Then ran his fingers through his tangled hair, and it quickly fell like a perfect silver curtain down to his waist. He stretched his white wings one last time before settling them against his back.

“Gabriel Hart, if you leave me on hold with this man another minute longer, I’m going to hang up, and when he calls back, I’m going to tell him you told me to do it. And then I’m going to quit, sunrises be damned. Do you hear me, Gabriel? Sunrises be-”

“Thank you, Arquette, I’m taking the call.”

“Of course, Mr. Hart,” she said, resuming her professional sweetness.

Gabriel activated the display for line one. A blue screen popped up over his desk, taking only a second to connect the satellite link.

“Michael, you need to stop harassing my secretary,” he said as soon as the square jawed face of the man appeared. Michael wore a formal keffiyeh and was sitting in a mosaic courtyard bathed in sun. He always looked smug, like a king who knew his decrees would never be questioned.

Oh, how Gabriel hated him.

“You employee too many people with too few manners. In my country-”

“Oh, I swear on the Isten, I will throw myself into hell if I have to hear one more lecture about how great your little sandbox is.”

Michael scowled at him. “You should not take such oaths lightly.” He leaned closer to the screen, examining the connection image on his end. “Gabriel, why are you exposed?”

Gabriel sighed. He tugged at the light spectrum around his wings, bending it so it refracted around his feathers. The white wings flickered from sight. He wouldn’t bind them yet, not just for a phone call. “Why are you calling, Michael? Surely it wasn’t just to interrupt my free time.” He adjusted the diamond cuff links on his silk shirt, trying to mask his irritation.

“You are very unpleasant this afternoon.”

“It’s hours before dawn, Michael.”

“Not here it isn’t. I just finished a lovely lunch.” He picked up a cup of tea and sipped from the edge to prove it.

Gabriel leaned on his desk, pressing his hands firmly against the glossy wood. He looked directly into the camera lens. “Michael, is there something I can do to be of service today?” He spoke carefully, keeping control of his emotions and control of his voice.

Michael set down the tea, his face turning serious. “I’ve been hearing rumors, Gabriel.”

Of course he had. The man had spies everywhere. Gabriel employed quite a few of them himself. He controlled what information they discovered, and Michael learned just enough to feel like he was keeping track of Gabriel’s activities.

“Anything of interest?” he asked calmly, respectfully.

“Perhaps.” His eyes narrowed. “Though if this were true, it concerns me that you did not bring it to my attention.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your city,” Michael said with a finality that implied Gabriel should understand exactly what he meant.

He did, but he certainly wasn’t going to give Michael that satisfaction. “Nukan City is a very large place, Michael.”

The monitor transmitted the brief flash of irritation on the sun warmed face. “There are those who have been looking into your mirrored city, Gabriel, and they do not like what they see.”

“Nukan City is a bastion of hope and prosperity in the West,” he replied firmly. “We lead the world in technology, science, and entertainment. What issue do your rumors have with success?”

“That city is a temple of greed and blasphemy.”

Obviously Michael would think that. He was old fashioned, even for their kind. He still believed truth and honor were the most important guiding principals in a society. Gabriel knew better. He knew how easily charismatic men could pervert truth and honor into fanaticism and war. It was something even he had exploited before, when it served his purpose. If he got the chance, he’d probably do it again.

“What the humans do in their downtime is of no concern to me,” said Gabriel. He sat in his high-backed executive chair. There was a gap between the back and the seat cushion that allowed his wings to hang comfortably, maintaining the impression that he was human for all concerned. “Honestly, I’m surprised with you Michael, calling me up just to complain about a few humans having fun.”

“That is not why I called,” Michael snarled. It was so easy to get him worked up. Michael didn’t have enough people around him who would question his authority. He had begun to think of himself as an undisputed god. Gabriel made it his personal mission to press the man’s buttons any time he got the chance to make up for it. Sometimes it backfired. “I called because of the dead zones pocketed around your city. Every scan my people have done have returned with nothing.”

“It’s my problem because they couldn’t find anything?”

“They found nothing, Gabriel. As in the absence of everything. There are impenetrable fields scattered about your city, and if you are not hiding something dastardly from me, you are allowing some other entity to run amok in your territory. I will not tolerate it.”

Gabriel drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. “I would never hide anything from you, Michael,” he said, and they both knew from past experience it was a lie.

“I’ve tried being reasonable with you, Gabriel. If you cannot fix this issue, I will be forced to intervene. You have one month to remove the dead zones. After that, well, perhaps it will be time for you to return to my city and learn how a real leader rules.”

“Enjoy your tea and your sun, Michael,” said Gabriel dismissively.

“One month,” Michael repeated, then he reached out and ended the transmission.

Gabriel sneered at the empty air Michael’s face had occupied. He really despised that man. Hated everything about him, but even more, he hated that Michael was the one person he couldn’t contort to his will. Michael had seen Gabriel at his worst, knew what he was capable of, and was smart enough that he knew never to trust him again. The best Gabriel had been able to do was to misdirect him, and even that was difficult.

The dead zones had caught Gabriel’s attention, too, but besides shielding random areas of the city, the bubbles did nothing. They would exist for a few days, then dissipate. Sometimes people died in them, but that’s what humans did. They died. They died outside the bubbles all around the city even more frequently.

Besides, all the dead zones were pocketed in the lower levels. It hadn’t concerned Gabriel much because it didn’t interrupt the routine of the city. They were just there, unnoticed, then gone. The people he had sent down to investigate always came back just as clueless as when they left.

Gabriel figured he would deal with it when it became an issue. Thanks to Michael, it was now an issue. He had no intention of giving Michael a reason to demand his return.

So, he would find the culprit himself. Simple. A month? Hah. He’d have it done by the end of the day.

Gabriel stood and went over to his window. The edge of the world to the east was beginning to glow.

Sunrise.

It was amusing for Gabriel to think that he was the first person in the entire city who would see the sunrise. It was even more amusing to think of all the people beneath him who would spend their entire lives fighting for promotions, just for the chance to see a glimmer of what he saw every day.

Nukan City had turned the sun’s light into a limited resource, and businesses had never been better.

His business.

His goals.

It was his city, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to allow some sandbox tyrant to take it from him.

Gabriel watched the sunrise, smiling contently at the effortless task before him.

Sabe woke the next day feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. He showered again, not because he had to, but because he could. Then he dressed in an outfit from the mixed bag of clothes, and padded barefoot out to the kitchen.

“Morning,” Alex said, sitting in a worn, plush chair in the living area.

“Good morning, Alex. Sleep well?”

“I haven’t slept,” the pale man replied. He drank from a dark mug of coffee and continued reading the display on the wall. There was a picture of a woman with a megaphone yelling angrily before a crowd. Sabe couldn’t determine what she was so upset about though.

“Want me to make breakfast?” he asked helpfully.

“Can you cook?”

“I… I cannot. No. I guess I can make oatmeal.”

“Oatmeal is fine,” said Alex. He flicked the article on the wall aside with fingers tipped in grey nails. Another article popped up. It showed an important looking dark haired man standing in front of microphones with a serious face.

“What are you reading?” Sabe tried to ask the question casually. He didn’t want to seem nosy, but sometimes it felt like parts of the world were hidden from him because he couldn’t read.

There was a brief moment where Alex was confused, like he’d forgotten Sabe had never been allowed to learn to read. But then, like everyone Sabe had dealt with who found out his unfortunate secret, the emotion turned to pity and sorrow. He didn’t want to see that look on anyones face again, let alone some demon. He regretted asking the question at all.

Sabe turned away and started intensely opening cupboards to find the oatmeal. Every door revealed random kitchen stuff, but no oatmeal. Sabe huffed. It wasn’t his house. He had no clue where the damn oatmeal was. He finally found the pantry, but then could only stare in at the plainly labeled packages. No pictures. Even if the oatmeal was in there, he wouldn’t be able to recognize it. He slammed the pantry door shut a little louder than necessary.

When he stepped back, he bumped against the solid line of Alex’s body. The demon stood there, towering over him, and his heart skipped a beat. Was Alex angry? Had he been too loud? Sabe didn’t want to look up to verify.

Alex opened a cupboard over the refrigerator, which was just out of Sabe’s reach. He pulled a canister from behind a couple other boxes, then passed it silently to Sabe.

“Thanks,” Sabe whispered. He checked the contents of the canister. Plain oatmeal.

“I’m sorry,” the demon said. “I’ll try to keep all the food in lower cupboards.” Alex’s face was unreadable. He didn’t sound angry and he didn’t look angry, but the way he had suddenly appeared behind Sabe had sent mixed signals. It set his instincts on edge.

“It’s fine,” he said, lowering his head as he ducked passed Alex. “I can use a chair. Don’t worry about it.” Sabe sat the canister on the counter and started going about determining the best way to soften the oats. He settled on using the microwave to heat the water, then just letting it soak. He was fairly certain he’d seen someone cook oatmeal like that before.

Alex leaned his shoulder against the pantry door and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched silently as Sabe worked in the kitchen. He didn’t say anything while Sabe searched for bowls and spoons, and merely pointed when Sabe broke done and asked for help.

The water quickly started to boil in the microwave. The glass bowl he’d filled was very hot, and Sabe had to use a couple of the white dish towels to remove it. He poured the hot water carefully into the two waiting bowls. Next, he took a scoop of oatmeal and added it to each bowl. It didn’t look like quite enough, so he added another large scoop. Each bowl was then covered by a plate to trap the heat.

Now he just had to wait.

Sabe turned toward Alex, feeling awkward. “I wasn’t upset about the oatmeal,” he revealed solemnly.

“Do you want to learn how to read?” Alex asked.

It was an honest question with no hint of mockery, yet Sabe still felt himself bristle. “Isn’t it illegal to teach caenids to read?” he snapped.

“Yes, it is, but that doesn’t answer my question. Do you want to read?”

“Of course I do! But I’m twenty years old. I’ve never been to school.” Sabe wrapped him arms around himself, feeling exposed.

“I can teach you.”

“Hah. Yeah, right. You’d teach me. The demon.” He rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious, Sabe.”

Sabe looked at Alex then. He was serious. It was unsettling how serious he was. “Why?” It was the only thing Sabe could think to ask.

Alex lifted one shoulder in a noncommittal gesture. “I’ve got time to kill.”

“Even though it’s illegal?” Sabe pressed.

Alex raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Illegal is the least of my concerns.”

“Oh.” That’s right. Drug dealing demon. What would Alex care if something was actually legal or not? Sabe hid his embarrassment by turning to the bowls of oatmeal. He lifted the plates. The oats appeared to have absorbed all the water. They were kind of dry on top, but Sabe figured a quick stir would solve that. He handed one of the bowls to Alex.

They both took a bite. It was still kind of dry and crunchy in spots, but it was hot, so Sabe kept eating. He could feel the heat radiate out from his core as it filled his belly.

Alex had finished swallowing his carefully chewed third bite when he said, “Besides, if I teach you how to read, next time you’ll be able to read the directions and we won’t be eating dry oats for breakfast.”

“Oops.” Sabe looked at his nearly empty bowl, realizing that was probably true. “Yeah. Okay. If you want.” He chewed his lip. “I mean, if you have time, and you want to.” He glanced up at Alex through his lashes, keeping his face lowered. “I mean, I want to learn how to read.” He hesitated, then added, “Please.”

Alex smiled at him. “It would be my pleasure.” Then he took another spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth, realized his mistake, and offered the rest of the bowl to Sabe.

Sabe wasn’t about to waste the food, so he accepted the bowl and Alex’s share, too. He really didn’t think it was that bad.

***

After breakfast, they both got ready to go outside. Sabe slipped on the boots Alex bought him. They were a little big, but he tied the laces around his ankles tightly and could walk without them slipping off.

They gathered at the closed front door. “There’s a lot of security on this door,” Alex explained.

“Like the biometric scanner on the doorknob?” asked Sabe.

Alex pressed his lips together, thinking. “Kind of…”

“How do I register with the system?” There were no terminals near the door to log access or update profiles. Maybe it was hidden behind a panel.

“I’ve already added you, so… don’t freak out.” Alex raised his hand and pressed up on a tiny lever beside the door with a grey nail. There was a resonance that Sabe could feel in his teeth, followed by a gentle hiss, like a hydraulic pump slowly releasing pressure. Alex opened the door.

The hallway had been remodeled while they slept. That was Sabe’s first thought. Then he realized it wasn’t the same hallway at all. It was just a railing and stairs leading down. Sabe stepped out and looked about cautiously.

He could see all the way down to the ground floor of the building when he looked over the railing. The stairs ran along the walls all the way to the bottom, leveling on each floor for a landing. There were bright spots of light on each level, too. Like daylight screens… or sunlight.

“Are those windows?” Sabe asked, leaning over the railing to peer down. He felt the rail tremble and creak beneath his weight, and he jerked back as the fear of falling overwhelmed his curiosity.

“Yes, they’re windows.” Alex stepped out and closed the apartment door behind him.

“Wait, real windows? Like with sun?” Sabe bounded down the first flight of stairs until he stood beside one of the small windows. He pressed his face against the glass as he looked out.

Beyond the window was a city filled with short brick buildings and straight lines for roads. Some of the buildings were crumbling. Power lines draped over roads. There were hardly any people, but the sky was blue above them, close enough to touch.

Alex came down the stairs, too. He peeked past Sabe, seeing what he saw. “This isn’t Nukan City,” he explained. “We’re in Poriuh. Nukan City is that way.” He pointed, and Sabe squished his cheek against the window more to see. The sparkling mirrored city was there, the towers stretching up past the clouds, beyond sight. There was a bridge of cars stretching miles in each direction, filtering slowly into the tunnel that led to the Nukan Transit building.

Sabe knew the distance to be about a two day walk. He remembered being this far away, thinking he would never reach the towers. He’d been hungry and desperate, but he’d finally found his way.

Now he was back, far outside Nukan City, and he had no clue how he’d gotten there.

“Alex…” Sabe said, stepping back from the window.

Appearing abashed, Alex shrugged and said, “The door leads two places?”

“Two- What? How?!” Sabe shook his head angrily. “That’s not how doors work, Alex!”

“The little switch…” Alex mimed the motion of flipping the switch, the one that had made Sabe’s teeth hum. “Don’t be mad. It goes back, too. You’re not stuck out here.”

Sabe crossed his arms over his chest, appraising the demon critically. “I don’t like surprises, Alex. You need to give me some sort of warning before you do stuff like this. A simple, ‘Hey, Sabe! This switch makes the door open in another city!’ and I would have been like, ‘What? No way!’ and then you would have done it, and I would have been like, ‘Oh snap, you were right.’ But no, you’ve got to be all mysterious.” Sabe spun and marched the rest of the way down the stairs.

“Sorry,” was all Alex said as he followed him down.

Sabe reached the bottom first, and turned so he was facing Alex as he reached the last step. “We can’t be friends if you’re going to hide things from me.”

“I know,” Alex said. He stood on the last step, making him even taller than usual, but Sabe wasn’t going to back down.

“Then no more surprises?”

“Um… Don’t go in any of the rooms on the other floors. Some of them contain monsters.”

Sabe gaped at him. “Seriously?”

“They’re not real, just constructs. And as long as you have the key, you should be safe. Probably.”

“Jeez, Alex, what the hell?” He shook his head disapprovingly. “Next thing you’re going to tell me is you’ve got wings and a thousand eyes.” He turned toward the door, reaching for the handle, but at the last moment, thought better of it. There might be some trick to getting out this door, too, and not ending up in a new city.

He glanced back at Alex so see if he was coming, and just for a second, he saw a look on the pale man’s face that could only be described as dread. When he blinked, it was gone, and Alex was smiling softly at him.

“This door just opens,” he said.

“Oh. Okay. No tricks, no traps?”

“None.”

Sabe grasped the handle, and pulled. The door swung open, and they stepped outside the apartment building.

The sky was clear, and the air was crisp. Sabe zipped his jacket up and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Alex closed the door, then turned to Sabe. “You still have the key, right?” he asked.

Sabe nodded. He reached up and grabbed the chain from around his neck and lifted it from beneath the jacket and shirt.

“That key can open this door and the one upstairs, even if the switch is set to Nukan City. The door will always lock behind you.” Alex demonstrated, turning the handle and pushing. The door stayed shut. “Also, please don’t bring guests home without prior approval.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t have any other friends,” said Sabe.

“I’m serious, Sabe. Anyone who enters through here and is not an approved guest will not make it up the stairs. They will be eaten by monsters. I think that counts as one of those surprises you wouldn’t like, so I’m telling you now.”

Sabe frowned. “Okay, I got it.”

“Don’t lose the key, either. You can probably get in safely without it, but…” Alex tilted his hand in the air like a scale. “There’s a fifty-fifty chance something will stop you and try to eat you.”

Sabe tucked the key back under his shirt. “Don’t worry, I won’t lose the key.”

“I think that covers it all, then. Do you want me to show you around the area?” The pale man motioned to the short buildings around them.

“I guess. Do people even live around here?”

“The highway bypasses this neighborhood,” said Alex. He pointed to the line of cars waiting to reach Nukan City. They’d barely moved since Sabe had seen them out the top window. “To reach the city, you have to drive an hour away from it that way, and hope to join the access ramp there. It can take a whole day to make the trip, so no one commutes. Poriuh is mostly filled with people too young or too old to go elsewhere.” He started walking down the sidewalk. “It’s quiet, but some people are desperate. Don’t let your guard down.”

Sabe followed. “Why do you live here?”

“I’m hiding.”

“Well, yes, you told me that already. But what are you hiding from? And why here? You’re a demon. What can you possibly be afraid of?”

“I offered to answer your questions last night, but you didn’t have any. Why the sudden demand for answers now?”

Sabe grimaced. “I’m not eating now. We’re just walking. Was that a one time only offer? Am I not allowed to ask you any more questions? You just get to keep secrets from me and spring things on me when it suits you?”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Sabe.”

“Then what exactly are you hiding from? If I’m living with you, they could come after me, too.”

“They won’t find out about you.”

“I still deserve to know,” Sabe insisted.

Alex sighed. “Fine. I’m hiding because I’ve been accused of treason. Demons are trying to collect the bounty and will do just about anything to drag me back. Also, I’m a wanted war criminal among angels, except they don’t want to judge me at a trial. They just want me dead. That doesn’t even bring into account the local governments and law enforcement agencies that want to arrest me for narcotics production, drug trafficking, and murder.” Alex frowned. “I think those are the main reasons.”

For a moment, Sabe couldn’t say anything. He could only stare at Alex. “So, wait,” he said finally. “You’re wanted by the demons and the angels? So you’re, like, neutral?”

“Hardly. I am on my own side. And yours.”

Sabe followed Alex’s lead quietly for a moment. He’d realized something as they were walking, and it bothered him. “Alex… do you have a girlfriend?”

Alex tripped over a raised bit of cement. He regained his composure quickly. “Why would you ask that?”

“Boyfriend?”

“No!” he declared firmly. “No and no, I do not.”

“You don’t think that we…” Sabe motioned between the two of them.

“Hell no, Sabe. I don’t see you like that.”

“Thank goodness,” Sabe said, releasing a held breath. “I was worried there for a second. I mean, I like you as a friend, but I don’t think we could ever be… you know.”

“Trust me, Sabe, I have no interest in you in that way.”

“Who do you have interest in?” Sabe nudged Alex’s arm with his elbow.

“I don’t.”

Sabe stuck his tongue out. “Oh, come on. What’s your type?”

“I don’t have a type. Actually, the thought of physical contact with another person makes me ill.”

“Oh.” Sabe pulled his arm back and gave Alex a little more space. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. You don’t bother me.” He glanced at Sabe from the corner of his eye. “So what’s your type?” The way he asked the question had a weird undertone to it, like he already knew the answer.

Sabe frowned, thinking seriously about the question. “I like the girls with the big boobs and the tiny waists. And she’s gotta be shorter than me. Curly hair. Smells like lavender. And she has to be able to sing.”

Alex laughed. “Oh, is that all?”

“Well, she’s gotta be okay with me being a caenid, too.” Sabe shrugged. “That one is impossible.”

“You never know,” said Alex. They had reached the grocery store. “Here we are. Let’s pick up something for lunch while we’re here.”

They went inside and picked out food for sandwiches. While the cashier totaled the amount, Sabe couldn’t help but feel nervous. The final price just kept increasing with each additional item scanned. He couldn’t have afforded it, even if he’d saved every bit of money he ever had in the Depths.

When Alex scanned the chip in the thin band around his wrist, it beeped its acceptance, and they carried the bags out of the store.

“Thank you for getting the food,” said Sabe. He felt kind of guilty about picking out so many different types of meat.

Alex seemed to pick up on his discomfort. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ll give you my other credit band when we get back to the apartment. Then you’ll be able to get food anytime you want here.”

“No, I couldn’t use your money like that. Especially not since…” Sabe remembered the four million credits Alex had lost out on because of him. “I can’t.”

“It’s just money. I’ve got plenty, and I don’t mind if you use it for things you need.”

“Thanks, but, I’ll try to earn my own. I don’t feel right having you take care of everything all the time.” It was closer to being cared for, like a pet. He didn’t want to feel that way with Alex.

Alex thought while they walked. “How about this? You do some cleaning around the apartment. Dishes, dusting, stuff like that, and I’ll give you a weekly stipend. Then it’ll be your money, because you earned it.”

“I guess that could work,” Sabe admitted. The apartment did seem like it could use some cleaning.

“Great.” Alex smiled at him. “Now, can you remember how to get home?”

Reluctantly, Sabe led the way. But to his surprise, in the new city with all its unfamiliar roads and buildings, he found the apartment without needing any help. Happily, he unlocked the door, and then he and Alex went upstairs and made lunch.

The fucking Depths.

Gabriel hated the Depths. The air was thick with the decay of human flesh. Illegal squatters hid down every crevice, starved for food and starved for light. They tried to fill that emptiness the only way they knew how – drugs, sex, and violence. The standard escapes for the unfortunate.

“Sir, we could have a car sent down. I don’t think should walk,” said Elibitha, his head of security. She was a woman of average height and average appearance, but her sun warmed skin gave her a glow that made her beautiful by Nukan standards. Gabriel liked her because she was formidable and quick thinking, but she was still only human.

“It’s two blocks. What’s the worst that can happen?” Gabriel stepped out of the exterior hatch and started down the street.

“Oh, I hate it when he says that,” said Tomas, his afternoon secretary. He had an ear piece in and a tablet out, ready to answer calls or take notes. The young man wasn’t the bravest, but he always dressed nice and made a pleasant impression on business associates and guests, so Gabriel could forgive that he was a bit of a coward.

Gabriel and his entourage started through the streets. He had only told them he wanted to check out one of the zone scan glitches. They didn’t know what he was really looking for. He wasn’t quite sure either, but the last appearance of the dead zone had occurred near there. It was still active, but was beginning to shrink.

Nearly everyone stared at Gabriel as they walked by, even the sky-gazers. “Set your sights higher!” the motivational slogan had said, and the people took it literally. The entire Nukan City culture had been built around the idea.

But sky-gazers were just people from the Depths and from the lower levels of the monoliths who couldn’t afford the fee to travel at the upper exchanges. So they walked, and they looked to the sliver of sky above, and they tried to pretend like they were better than they actually were.

It was unfortunate, really, but slogging through the slums was always the fate of people who wasted their money and time.

“This is the place,” said Gabriel, turning down a sheltered alley. He could feel the dead zone in the air before him. He reached out and touched it, but found the buzz of energy unfamiliar. What had made it?

“Mercy?” Elibitha asked, disgusted. She was looking at the sign over a door, with its burnt out ‘y’.

Tomas tapped quickly on the tablet. “It’s a strip club,” he explained.

“I can tell it’s a strip club,” Elibitha snapped back. Tomas cringed away from her.

“Quiet you two. I’m going in.”

“Sir, I don’t think-”

“Ms. Gaard, you can stay out here or you can follow me, I don’t care which, but do not try to stop me.” Gabriel rolled his shoulders, wishing he could feel the weight of his wings on his back. He had bound them before leaving his office, which was a process that shielded his wings, protecting them from harm and making them imperceptible to any sense. Someone could bump into his back and they wouldn’t notice anything unusual. Not that Gabriel would allow that to happen, of course. The only downside to binding was it rendered his wings numb and practically useless.

“I’ll follow you in, sir,” Elibitha said.

“I’d like to stay here,” Tomas said sheepishly.

Gabriel glared at him, and he ducked behind his tablet. “Let’s go. Both of you.”

Reluctantly, Tomas followed Gabriel and Elibitha into the club. It was early afternoon. Only a few people sat at the tables watching the one girl spin lazily around a pole. She was mostly naked, except for a decorative decal that covered her right thigh. It was strapped in place, and Gabriel could tell, even beneath the layers of sequins, it hid rotting flesh. He looked away from the disgraceful sight.

A bouncer stepped up who looked like he’d seen better days. Besides the bruises, there was a shallow cut across his face that barely missed his eye. It looked like something done with a switchblade. “Would you like a table or a booth?” the big man asked.

“Neither,” said Gabriel. “I’d like to speak with the owner.”

“Do you have an appointment?” the man asked. He looked between the three and examined their expensive looking suits. He was trying to judge if they were sky-gazers come in to cause trouble or actual customers. He wasn’t processing information very fast, that was for sure.

“No, I do not, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist,” said Gabriel.

“Mr. Mercato only holds meetings with a prior appointment,” the bouncer said as if reciting from a script. He started flexing his muscles. “I’m going to ask you to leave now.”

Elibitha stepped between Gabriel and the bouncer. Though both men were taller than her, she looked undaunted, ready for whatever happened. “Mr. Hart asked to see the owner. If you don’t know how to do that, then you’d better go find someone with some brains to figure it out.”

The bouncer sneered down at her, lip curled back in disgust. From the look in his eye, it was obvious the man had very little regard for women. Gabriel almost hoped he would try to attack one of them, just so he could see Elibitha throw the bouncer’s big ass across the room.

But apparently the bouncer had past experience with making decisions on his own, and he second-guessed himself. “I’ll get Tony,” he announced, and trudged off.

Tomas was gripping his tablet as if it was the only thing keeping him alive in the place. There was a beep in his ear piece, and he gave a little shriek before laughing nervously and answering the call. “Mr. Hart’s office, how can I help you?” he asked, his voice only slightly trembling. “Uh huh… Oh, yes, ma’am, we do have you scheduled for your appointment next week… Uh huh… Oh, you haven’t yet? Let me check on the status of that request.” Tomas clicked about expertly on the tablet. “Oh, I’ve got it right here. Yes, the confirmation code is…” He read off a series of numbers.

While Tomas took the call, Gabriel wandered over to the bar. Elibitha shadowed him, on edge after the threat from the bouncer.

“I don’t like it here,” she said. “It feels wrong. It smells wrong, too.”

“That’s the blood,” said Gabriel quietly. He looked over at her with his cold, ice-blue eyes. Tomas was still busy on the call and couldn’t hear them, which was good, because otherwise he would have been even more scared.

“Blood?” she whispered.

“A lot of it, and recently, too.” Elibitha’s hand went into her jacket, fingers curling around her gun. Gabriel shook his head. “We won’t be needing that yet. I need some questions answered. After? Well, we’ll see. I guess it depends on how helpful they are.”

“Yes, sir,” his security officer said dutifully. She stood beside him with her hands at her sides, but on high alert.

A lean man with glasses and a tie followed the bouncer out of the backroom. He nodded his approval to the bouncer, and the man went back over to stand at the door.

Tomas, still on the call, swiftly walked away from the door, his voice getting a little higher with each word. “Thank you very much! Have a nice day. Bye!” He clicked the button to end the call.

Gabriel frowned at him. “That was a little rude, wasn’t it?”

Tomas blushed and held the tablet in front of his mouth. “Sorry,” he whispered, hiding a grimace.

“My name is Tony. How can I help you today?” the man with glasses asked. He had the careful speech of someone who didn’t accept mistakes. Probably the bookkeeper. He had a bit of blood under his nails. Probably also a sadist.

“I have some questions,” said Gabriel. “I want to speak with the owner.”

“Mr. Mercato is unavailable today,” said Tony. “Maybe I can help.”

Gabriel thought about it for a moment. “Perhaps. Do you have an office we can speak in?”

Tony motioned to the room around them. “This is as private a place as any here at Mercy. No one will judge you for anything.” He looked at Elibitha, winked, and repeated, “Anything.”

Elibitha was repulsed by the gross attempt at flirting. “Ew,” she said, lip curled in disgust.

The man just smiled at her like the creep he was.

“Alright, fine. Here’s good,” said Gabriel. “Who’d you murder yesterday?” It wiped that creepy smile off Tony’s face. Tomas gave a little squeak of fear from behind his tablet and moved in closer to Elibitha.

“You have no basis to make such accusations,” said Tony. He pushed his glasses up into place on his nose.

“No? So, you just routinely bathe this place in blood?”

“We have special events, and sometimes, things get a little carried away. It’s nothing illegal. Every person willingly participates. I have the forms-”

“No,” said Gabriel. “No forms. You killed at least one person in this very room yesterday, and I just want to know what happened. I want to know who was involved. What was involved.”

There was a spark of acknowledgment in the man’s eyes. He did know something. He looked over his shoulder to the other patrons, the dancer, and the bouncer. “Hmm. Maybe I can help you. Please, follow me.”

They went through the backroom, which was layered with years of smoke and filth. Gabriel made a note to burn his suit when they left. He’d never get the stench out. Then they went to the end of the hall where a wood printed plastic door was unlocked and opened. Tony waved them into the room, and the daylight bulbs flared down on to the most gaudy and tasteless island themed decor Gabriel had ever seen.

“Please, have a seat,” said Tony. He went around the other side of the desk and sat. The chair was adjusted too high for him, and it made him look out of place behind the desk. This wasn’t his office. Whoever it belonged to was slightly shorter. And maybe blind, he thought at he looked at the tacky room.

Gabriel took a seat, already having decided to burn his suit so unafraid of exposing it to whatever sleaze might coat the room. Both Elibitha and Tomas stayed standing behind him. “Your name was Tony, right?” The man nodded. “My name is Gabriel Hart.” There was no recognition when he said his name, so he continued on. “I would like for you to tell me what happened here.”

Tony put his elbows on his desk and leaned in, peering over his steepled fingers. There was a glint in his eye. “Mr. Mercato is a pillar of this community, you understand. He offers food and shelter for anyone in need, in exchange for a little work. Sometimes, people try to take advantage of his generosity. We had once such incident yesterday morning.”

A little work. Voluntary, inescapable prostitution. Disgusting. “Tell me about the incident,” said Gabriel. Behind him, he could hear Tomas taking notes. It wasn’t necessary, but it was good the man was keeping busy.

“Three drugged out, armed thugs broke into the club early yesterday morning after all our patrons left. They were hyped up on dope, ripping the place apart, looking for anything they could snort, smoke, or shoot up.”

“Why did they think they could find that here?” asked Gabriel. Tony gave him a sly smile that had a very clear meaning. Of course, because Mercato also sold drugs. Exploiting people for profit wasn’t enough.

“Perhaps they’d heard a rumor,” said Tony. “But we were still hear, taking care of accounts. We heard them, and came out to stop the destruction. Despite receiving multiple gunshot wounds, our people subdued them.”

“You didn’t kill them?” Elibitha asked. She had her arms crossed and looked like she didn’t believe a single word the man behind the desk was saying.

There was always a little truth in every lie. It was just a matter of seeing it.

“Of course not!” said Tony. “We’re an upstanding business here.”

“Then why is there so much blood?” Gabriel asked.

Tony sat back in the chair. “I have to admit, sometimes Mr. Mercato helps facilitate the release of certain known chemicals that aid in alleviating the suffering of people too poor to find help elsewhere.” Drugs. Probably the illegal ones. “He’s very careful about this, though, and only takes in product from the best suppliers. One of those suppliers is a very close, personal friend of Mr. Mercato.” His lips curls into a pleased smile for just a second, then he regained his composure and continued on seriously. “That, I think, is who you’re looking for, isn’t it?”

“Perhaps,” said Gabriel. He seriously doubted the dead zone had been created by anyone dumb enough to work in that club. Most of it existed outside the front entrance, anyway. An outside source was more likely.

“Well, Mr. Mercato had a scheduled meeting with his friend yesterday. The man arrived early, and saw the terrible predicament we were in. Having known Mr. Mercato for years, he just couldn’t stand to see anyone take advantage of him like that. He shot two of the thugs before we could stop him.” Tony shrugged and spread his hands out, like there had been nothing he could have done differently in the situation. “It was really a very unfortunate loss of life, but it is very hard to reason with a man like that.”

“What about the third robber?”

“Ah, that one.” The corners of Tony’s eyes crinkled with pleasure. “Mr. Mercato tried saving him, tried offering him a job to pay back the damage he’d done, but the thug was belligerent, frenzied out of his drug-addled mind. He was a danger to everyone around him. It was all we could do to contain him. Mr. Mercato’s friend could not stand the thought of leaving such a delinquent alive, but he heeded Mr. Mercato’s wishes and did not kill him.” Tony leaned in conspiratorially, his voice dropping dramatically. “Instead, he took the thug with him back to his dungeon for experimentation.”

Tomas gasped, a high pitched, panicked little squeak. It drew Tony’s eyes to him.

“Ah, yes, I took would not wish that fate on my worst enemy,” agreed Tony. “A life of screaming agony at the hands of a psychopath?” Tony shook his head sadly. “It’s just too bad the thug didn’t accept Mr. Mercato’s help.”

Gabriel thought over the story for a moment. He felt he was still missing something important. “What did he sell to Mr. Mercato?”

“Nothing,” said Tony.

“They had a meeting. You said he was a supplier. Do you really expect me to believe he brought nothing to the meeting?”

Tony appraised Gabriel thoughtfully. “It’s a delicate subject matter. It’s not something I feel comfortable discussing with people like you.”

Elibitha tensed, ready to pick a fight. Gabriel held out his hand and stayed her. He leaned forward in his chair, sharp eyes locked with Tony’s. “What, exactly, do you mean by people like us?” he asked, the slight hint of a threat twisting around his words.

Visibly uncomfortable, Tony said, “I mean no disrespect, it’s just you’re not a well known figure around these parts.”

“I’m new to the area,” Gabriel explained. He sat back in the chair again, and examined his nails. “Perhaps I, too, am someone who can become good friends with Mr. Mercato. I’m certain he’d like to be friends with me.”

Tony licked his lips, looking a little nervous. “What did you say your name was again?”

“Hart. Gabriel Hart.”

“Well, Mr. Hart, I can set up a time for Mr. Mercato to meet with you.”

“Where is he now?” It was phrased as a question, but it was more of a demand.

Tony gulped. “He had a late night. Celebrating. He’s home. Passed out.”

“What was he celebrating?” Gabriel asked. “The two deaths in his club, or the deal he struck on the drugs his friend brought?” Tony didn’t answer, but that was answer enough. “I want a sample of the supply.”

“I can’t-”

“NOW!” The word was thrown with a bit of power, enough to drive the compulsion into Tony’s brain with a good helping of fear. Gabriel felt Tomas flinch behind him, too. At least Elibitha stayed calm and composed. He could always count on her to keep her cool.

Startled, Tony leapt from the chair, knocking it over against the weird sea shell display on the shelf behind him. He’d gone pale, even paler than the usual sun-staved Depths junkies. “Yes, Mr. Hart,” he said, and rushed out of the room.

Elibitha clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “I hope you’re not wanting to take a sample of illegal drugs back up to the office with us,” she said.

“No, of course not,” said Gabriel. “Just to the lab.”

She gave a frustrated sigh. “If security catches us, the newspapers-”

“Ms. Gaard, I understand I hired you to protect me, but this isn’t one of those situations.”

She quieted, but still didn’t look happy.

Tomas shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “This place is so dirty,” he whined. “When can we go?” As if to hide the fact that he was just scared, he looked at the schedule for the day and added, “You have a meeting with the head of research and development this afternoon, and you don’t want to be late.”

“Call and reschedule,” said Gabriel.

“What?” Tomas balked.

Gabriel looked over his shoulder at his secretary. His expression was enough to quiet any further dissent. Tomas pulled up the number and made the call. “Hello, Mrs. Carol Leshner, please, calling from Mr. Hart’s office… Yes, I can hold… Thank you.”

Tony entered the room again. In his fist was clenched a glass vial. He approached Gabriel, having regained some of his composure while out of the room. “I cannot just give this to you,” he said.

“Are you asking me to pay you or take it from you?” Gabriel replied, raising one of his fine silver eyebrows.

Tony gulped. “P-Pay.”

“How much?”

“Ah, hello Mrs. Leshner, this is Tomas, Mr. Harts secretary,” said Tomas, his eyes wide as he watched Gabriel and Tony. He realized he was witnessing an illegal drug exchange, and turned quickly to face the wall, doing the secretarial equivalent of singing loudly and covering his ears. “Y-Yes, I’m sorry to notify you so late in the day, but something has come up, and I’m afraid we need to reschedule your appointment with Mr. Hart…”

Tony pushed his glasses up his nose again. He was about to let greed get the better of his judgment. “Five thousand.”

“Show me, first.”

The clenched fist opened from around the vial. Gabriel frowned. There was only a tiny bit of fine blue powder clinging to the side of the glass like frost on a window.

“Is this a joke?” Elibitha snapped. “It’s empty.”

There was definitely something there, but she was right. For five-thousand credits, the vial might as well have been empty.

“You don’t get it,” said Tony. “It’s Blue Dust.”

“I don’t care what color your dirt is, we’re not paying five-thousand for an empty jar,” she replied.

Tony looked at her like she was stupid. “Blue Dust. That’s what it’s called. You’ve never heard of Blue Dust before?” His fingers started to close around the vial. He was getting suspicious of them. Warning bells were going off in his mind. Well, it was certainly too late for that.

Gabriel stood, forcing Tony to back away from him. “I’ll give you a thousand, and I won’t allow Ms. Gaard to break your arm.”

Tony backed into the desk, knocking the lamp off onto the floor. The bulb burst with a hiss. “Yes, okay. Thousand. Deal,” he said, his voice shaking.

“Thank you, Tony. It’s been a pleasure.” Gabriel took the vial from his hand. “Ms. Gaard, pay the man, if you would.”

“Certainly, Mr. Hart.” She stepped forward and pulled out a payment coin, quickly loading it with the determined credits and passing it to the very nervous Tony.

Tomas finished his call, turning around and looking relieved to see the deal was done. He looked hopefully to Gabriel, his eyes begging to leave. Gabriel nodded, and Tomas practically leaped out the door.

Gabriel slipped the vial into his inside jacket pocket. The dust inside felt weird, like it had its own energy. He would figure out exactly what it did when he got it back to the lab.

Elibitha joined him at the door. “We’ll see ourselves out,” she said.

Tony nodded, looking relieved they were leaving.

Just before they stepped out the door, Gabriel paused, turning back to Tony. “One last thing. What was the name of Mr. Mercato’s friend?”

“That. Yes,” said Tony. He smiled again, but it was a shadow of his former cocky confidence. “Mr. Mercato’s friend is none other than the Black Ander.”

For dinner, Alex took Sabe up to a little diner in the shopping district of the Visidiary Monolith in Nukan City. He had learned from his mistake that morning, and explained where they were going and what they were doing before they even left the house. He let Sabe handle flipping the switch that activated the rift to the door in the residential levels of the city. He even let Sabe push all the buttons to activate the transport lifts that would take them up into the different levels. Alex just guided him so he knew what to touch and what to avoid.

“If you go out on your own, I’d prefer if you stay in Poriuh,” Alex said as they stood on the crowded lift rising on its clicking track up to the shopping district. It was after standard office hours, and people were everywhere, trying to get their shopping done before curfew started.

Alex didn’t like the crowds. It took concentrated effort to prevent people from bumping into him. Sabe didn’t seem to like the crowds much either. He stayed close to Alex as they got off on their floor and flowed with the crowd to the open mall.

Several of the floors had been connected there, producing a large, multi-story opening in the middle of the mall. A screen of overhead lights glowed, the natural attempt at daylight even shifting with the simulated passage of clouds. In the center of the space a large oak tree grew, though there was a sturdy fence surrounding its base to prevent people from getting too close.

Teenagers were abundant there, laughing and talking, altogether making the passing adults feel uncomfortable. Some things never changed. Sabe wasn’t much older than them, but he had a weight on him that only came with experience. Unfortunately, his were all bad experiences.

Most kids in the towers lived sheltered lives, going to school and then applying for positions in their parents company. They were often hired with equal employment status as their parents. It kept housing more manageable if everyone in a family unit was approved to live on the same level. Many teenagers would never leave the tower they were born to. Many of them had parents who had never left the tower either.

It was hard to imagine how people could subject themselves to such a contained existence, but really, Alex understood. Sometimes it was just easier to pretend to be happy with what was around and easy than to hope for something impossible.

“That one, over there,” he said, pointing at the small cafe tucked off to the side of the mall. Sabe led the way over, weaving carefully through the crowd.

They made it inside, and the door whooshed shut behind them. It was instantly quieter, down to a soft murmur of voices.

“Two?” the hostess asked. She led them to a corner booth and they sat and took the menus from her.

The menu, a thin tablet with only a single page display, was glitched on one side, making some of the names of the options appear jumbled. Alex knew what he wanted, though, so it didn’t matter to him.

Sabe looked at his menu for a bit, as if considering it thoughtfully. There were only two pictures. One of a soup, and one of dessert. He sat the tablet down and pointed to the soup. “That looks good.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Alex considered the picture of the soup for a moment. It did not look delicious, even in the picture. “I think you’d really like the braised beef and cabbage, though. Are you sure you just want the soup?”

Sabe bit his lip. He glanced at the menu again. “Well, that does sound good too…”

“Good, I’m glad you’re going to try it. I heard they won an award for it in one of the local cook-offs, but it’s never really been my thing to try.” Alex took the menu from Sabe and stacked it with his own before sitting them on the end of the table. “So, what do you think of the tower?”

Sabe wrinkled his nose. “It’s crowded. It smells like the air is recycled, but the filters aren’t working.”

That was a sharp observation. They were only on the fortieth floor. Filters were not a priority at that level. In fact, it was amazing they had any sort of tree in a public space at all. It they had gone up higher, it would be different, but there would also be a lot more security.

“It’s a good place to get new clothes, but yes, it is a little overwhelming.”

“About that… I don’t think I need new clothes, Alex. They ones you picked out are fine.”

“Sure, but it’s one thing to dress like that in Poriuh. It is completely different to dress like that in Nukan. It’s important to blend in.”

Sabe frowned at him. “What about you? You just wear all black. That doesn’t blend in.”

He had a point. “I’m also nearly a head taller than every person in here. I don’t blend in well anywhere.”

“So why do you wear all black? Is it because you want people to know you’re a demon?”

The waitress came up then, dropping off glasses of water. She gave Sabe a strange look. “Do you all know what you want?” she asked.

“Uh… yes,” said Sabe. Then he froze.

Alex jumped in. “I’ll have the veggie jhalfraezi. And I think you were looking at the braised beef and cabbage, right?”

Sabe nodded. “Yes. That.”

The waitress marked the order on her mini tablet and sent it to the kitchen. “Anything else?” she asked.

“That’s all,” Alex replied, and she left.

Sabe slumped in his seat. “I panicked. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Now, what were we talking about? Oh, yes, you were just revealing to everyone in the restaurant that I’m a demon.” Alex took a sip of his water. There was some residue in the liquid that felt gritty when he swallowed it. He sat it back down.

Sabe sank lower on the bench, practically disappearing under the table. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay. It’s not like anyone is going to believe you.”

“Still… I’ll try to be more careful with what I say.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” said Alex sincerely. “So, to answer your question, I wear black because it doesn’t go out of fashion as often. Styles change too fast for me to keep up.”

“That’s it?” Sabe perked up, sitting straight in the booth again. “Just so you don’t look out of fashion?”

“Well, that, and it hides blood better.”

“Oh.” Sabe wilted a little.

Alex didn’t mean to alienate Sabe. He liked that Sabe was asking questions, and getting comfortable around him. Maybe in time he would understand and accept what Alex was, but he had to stop assuming Sabe would be okay with it now. He had to fix the atmosphere he created. “Actually, I used to wear whatever clothes where popular for the season. I was spending thousands of credits each year just to stay up to date. And every year, the colors would shift just enough that everything I bought the previous year looked dated. It was maddening, but kind of addictive at the same time. I think my favorite shirt was this purple button up that had little lizards hidden throughout the design. It was gaudy, and it was trash, but I loved it.”

Sabe was leaning forward again, his interest piqued. He was imagining the shirt, and it put a little smile on his face. For that smile, Alex would have said or done any number of embarrassing things.

“So, one year, I was wearing that shirt, going through a shop, picking out new outfits, and this old man came up to me. He shook his cane in my face and said something like, ‘You young‘ns wear our old clothes to make fun of the struggles we endured so you could waste your lives! I had that same shirt fifty years ago! You don’t deserve to wear it!’ As I’d bought the shirt brand new when if first came out, I was a little stunned. But after the old man hobbled away, I realized I’d been wearing the same shirt off and on over the past fifty years, and because it was my favorite, I’d never switched it out with my other clothes. After that, I gave up. I just started buying black, only getting something new if my old stuff wore out.”

Sabe laughed. It was an old, familiar sound from long ago. How Alex had missed hearing that laugh. “Do you still have the shirt?” Sabe asked mirthfully. “I have to see it.”

“I don’t. I tried to keep it, but the material eventually decayed.”

“Decayed? Jeez, how old are you, Alex?” He said it with a bit of awestruck disbelief.

“How old do I look?”

“Hmm… like, twenty-seven? Twenty-eight?”

That was older than people used to assume. All the high end plastic surgeries and endless beauty regimes had skewed the public’s perception of age. “Close enough,” he said.

Sabe frowned. “You look that age, but I know you aren’t. You’re a lot older.”

“How can you tell?” he asked.

“It’s how you talk about things. Sometimes the words you use just feel out of place.”

“Correct me if you hear something too weird,” he said.

“So? How old are you?”

Alex smiled. “Guess.”

“Are you over a hundred?” Sabe whispered. Alex nodded. “Two hundred?” Alex nodded again. “Five hundred years old?” he asked excitedly.

“Shh, keep your voice down,” Alex said, looking around like someone could be listening. They weren’t. No one was interested in on their conversation, not even the bored looking hostess scrolling through her phone’s news feed.

Sabe sat back, eyes wide with wonder. “Wow. Five hundred years. What was it like back then?”

Five hundred years ago? That hardly felt like any time at all. Alex was much older, but he’d found it was easier to let people make assumptions about his age. The truth could be overwhelming. “It wasn’t too different, really. It’s technology that changes, but people tend to stay the same. Let’s see… back then, the big fad was robots that could pass as human.”

“Seriously? Robots?” Sabe cringed at the idea.

“You’ve probably see some of the movies they made about how that turned out.”

“Yeah, I did. I was scared of our toaster for weeks.” Sabe shuddered.

Alex chuckled. “I don’t doubt it. It was a pretty dark time.”

The waitress came back with their food. She sat the meat down in front of Alex and the jhalfraezi in front of Sabe. “Anything else I can get for you?” she asked.

“No, thank you,” said Alex. When she walked away, he switched their plates.

Sabe heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. I was worried for a second.”

“You’d like either one, but you really need the meat.” Alex unwrapped his chopsticks and started eating.

Sabe sniffed his food a moment, savoring the mixture of meat and spices. Then he cracked his chopsticks open and started eating. For a second, Alex was afraid he was going to stuff his cheeks and choke himself again. But then Sabe paused and looked around the restaurant. He sat up a little straighter and slowly ate like a civilized person.

Almost too civilized.

Almost like he’d been trained to eat that way.

Alex dropped a big, saucy chunk of his food on the table. “Oops.” Sabe watched him pick it back up with his fingers, putting it in his mouth, and then sucking all the sauce off each finger noisily. “It’s good,” Alex said, his mouth full.

Sabe blinked rapidly, a little shocked. Then he glanced around the restaurant. No one was paying any attention. He noticed the way he was sitting and the way he was acting. He smiled a little, then relaxed, letting his shoulders droop. He even put his elbow on the table. He took a big bite, picking up as much of the meat as he could with the chopstick and stuffing it into his mouth. “It is good,” he agreed, his words jumbled by all the food.

Alex smiled at him again, and went back to eating.

They were just about done eating when the video screens in the restaurant turned on, displaying an urgent report. Alex and Sabe both turned to watch the nearest screen. On it was an image of a burned out shell of a business. The concrete walls nearby were blackened from the heat. A reporter stood in front of the scene, firefighters rushing about behind her.

She touched her ear piece, hearing her colleague in the studio. She answered, “Yes, Jose, as you can see, emergency response has prevented spread of the fire at this time. Again, for those of you just joining us, there has been a fire in the base of MacLan tower. It seems to have originated in an illegal night club that was operating out of one of the access tunnels, possibly caused by the improper storage of illegal substances. No structural damage is being reported at this time, but authorities are already pushing to have the hollow cemented in, preventing any future defects from appearing. This is Ling Taylor on the scene outside MacLan Tower. Again, I repeat, no structural damage is being reported at this time…”

Alex frowned, eyes darting over the details on the display. “That’s… Mercy.”

“Who?” Sabe squinted. “Oh. The club. Really?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, and those marks… Do you have any idea how hot a fire would have to burn to leave marks like that on buildings?”

With a frown, Sabe said, “I really don’t.”

Alex looked over at him. “It wasn’t an accident. Someone set that fire.”

“Why does it matter? I’m glad it burned out.” Sabe stuffed the last of his food into his mouth. “They deserved it.”

“Yes, but…” Alex shook his head. Something was bothering him about the fire, something beyond the knowledge that it was set intentionally. It was just too coincidental that it would happen so soon after he had been there. He’d learned to trust his feelings about things like that long ago, even if he didn’t understand why. “I think we should go,” he said and got up from the table.

“Gonna finish that?” Sabe asked, pointing to the last couple bites of Alex’s food. Alex shook his head as he reached in his pocket to retrieve a coin.

Sabe grabbed the plate and scooped the rest of the food into his mouth. “Ah, spicy!” he gasped, breathing in quick, shallow breaths around the food.

Alex clicked the coin against his credit band, transferring the cost of the food plus a little extra onto the coin. He tossed it to the hostess. “Thanks for the meal.”

She checked the amount to ensure it would cover the cost of the meal, then smiled. “Have a nice day, sir.”

They left, working their way back through the crowd and into the transport. Sabe finally managed to swallow the last of the jhalfraezi by the time they got on the tram headed down. “So spicy! You should have warned me!”

“Was it? I didn’t notice. I don’t have half my taste buds.” Alex was distracted, looking up at the screen which played muted, captioned scenes of the burnt out building.

“How’d that happen?” Sabe asked, standing close to him. Most other people were watching the screens, too, but it was still crowded enough to make him feel uneasy.

“I was poisoned for most my childhood.” The screen switched to a series of private videos filmed by sky-gazers who had been walking by and stopped to record the blaze. One of them showed the access door exploding outward, followed by a conflagration that filled the covered alley outside Mercy. The person and their camera toppled backward from the blast.

Alex’s eyes widened. It had only been a frame, but he had seen it. The shield he had erected to prevent anyone from disturbing him while he tried to calm Sabe down outside the club was still active. It was smaller, almost gone. It appeared like a blank spot on the screen, something a camera glitch might produce. But, as the flames had engulfed the alley, they had touched the edges of the shield, sparking like blue lighting over the surface.

“Poisoned?!” Sabe whispered, barely more than a hiss. Alex looked at him, confused for a moment. What was he talking about?

“It doesn’t matter,” he said dismissively. “We need to get home.”

Sabe pouted. “Will you tell me about it there?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” How much longer did they have before the tram stopped? They had two more connections before they would make it back to the residential levels. It was taking too long, but he tried to stay calm. He couldn’t act unusual here, not with so many witnesses. Alex licked his lips nervously. “Tell me something new, Sabe. A story. I don’t care if you make it up.”

“I don’t know any stories.”

“Tell me about one of your pageants, then.”

“I don’t-”

“Please, Sabe.” There must have been something in the way Alex asked or looked that made Sabe relent.

“Alright, alright.” He reached out, hand touching Alex’s arm gently, as if asking if the contact was okay. It wasn’t, but it was something Alex could focus on, anchor himself to.

Alex nodded. Sabe’s hand felt hot and heavy against his arm. He focused on the familiar discomfort, the way he always felt when being touched. That discomfort made it easier to avoid thinking about other things.

He only listened partially as Sabe talked about the pageant. The young man was glossing it over, only talking about the most basic events. “First, we would walk the ring to present all the contestants to the judges. Then, they’d beginning examining us, checking for defects and muscle tone. Stuff like that. After they scored us, we got ready for the talent section.”

“What’d you do?”

“I danced. I can’t sing or act to save my life.”

“Do you still dance?”

“It’s hard to dance when you’re so hungry you can barely walk.” Sabe squeezed Alex’s arm. “Maybe now… I could start again.”

Alex tried to smile reassuringly at him. “Did you like dancing?”

“Yes, especially when I could design my own choreography. It was like running. Like being free.”

The tram finally slowed and stopped. Before the doors opened fully, Alex pushed through, pulling Sabe along with him. The next lift down was still loading, but is wasn’t as packed. They found seats easily. The monitors still showed footage from the fire.

Sabe touched his arm again. “Alex, you’re kind of scaring me,” he whispered.

It took considerable effort to tear his gaze away from the screen. “I’m sorry, Sabe. It’ll be okay. We just need to get home.”

Where it’s safe, where I have my wards, he thought.

“Is it because of the fire?”

“Yes.”

“Because the club burned out?”

“No. I don’t care that the club is gone. It’s because…” Because why? It was a split second, a single frame on a camera phone. It could have been nothing.

“Because why?”

“It’s probably nothing, Sabe. I’m just tired.”

Sabe settled into the seat beside him, sitting close enough that the sides of their bodies pressed together. It wasn’t comfortable, it made Alex feel queasy, but he was grateful for the distracting contact.

At least then he didn’t have to think about what was coming for him.

Yesterday, Alex hadn’t come out of his room. Two days had passed since they came back from Nukan City, since the fire at Mercy’s. Sabe had been left alone, wandering the apartment, trying to keep himself entertained. There was plenty of food, so he had spent a lot of time picking random packages out of the pantry, squishing them to guess what was inside, then ripping them open and eating whatever he found. It was a good game, and kept him busy most the day.

Today, he was afraid it was going to be more of the same. He tried making the oatmeal again, which turned out a little better, but not much, then sat down in front of the entertainment terminal and tried to see if he could get it to work.

After about ten minutes of randomly selecting options, he finally found a channel playing children’s cartoons. “Good enough,” said Sabe, relieved to be out of the menus. He sat back on the couch and watched the colorful images bounce around nonsensically.

Over an hour later, Alex emerged from the hallway looking like he hadn’t slept or showered since Sabe had last seen him. His black hair was tied in a messy knot at the back of his head. He had dark circles under his eyes. He grumbled something about coffee and stumbled into the kitchen.

Sabe muted the cartoon. “You okay?”

Alex ignored him, ripping open a single serving of coffee and adding hot water to the mug. Then he pulled a small baggie out of his pocket and sprinkled some of the powder from that into the hot liquid. Using the grey nail on his pinkie, Alex scooped a little more powder out of the bag and snorted it, tilting his head back. He held that pose a moment, blinking up at the ceiling. Then he sniffled and resumed making the coffee.

He walked over and sank into the worn chair next to the couch.

Watching Alex make coffee and snort drugs made Sabe realize just how much of a mess the demon really was. “You do cocaine?” Sabe accused.

Alex glared at him. “It’s not going to kill me. Plus, it’s not cocaine. I design my own drugs. This,” he said, holding up his coffee with the powder sprinkled in, “is not for human consumption. Or caenid.” He said the last as if he actually thought Sabe might want to try some.

Sabe made a face at him. “No way. It’s disgusting.”

Alex took a big drink of the drugged coffee. “Keeps me sane.”

“Are the drugs why your nails are grey?” he asked. He’d been wondering. Alex didn’t seem like the type of person to paint his nails, but they were a clear, pale grey color. It seemed unusual.

“No, that’s just how they grow.” His eye twitched when he said it. Alex wasn’t very good at hiding his emotions like this. Maybe it was because the drugs had kicked in. Maybe it was because they hadn’t yet.

Sabe began to wonder how often Alex actually took drugs. The pale man was acting grumpy, and Sabe did not like it. “Is that why you didn’t come out of your room yesterday? Or the day before? Were you high?”

“Unfortunately, no, I was not.”

“Then what were you doing?”

“Research.”

“About what? The fire? You’ve been weird ever since the club burned out.”

“It wasn’t just the club. Everyone inside died. Merc is dead, too. His apartment experienced an electrical failure less than an hour after the fire started. The ventilation system reversed, sucking all the oxygen from his room.” Alex rubbed at his eyes roughly. “Someone is cleaning up.”

Sabe frowned. “It’s probably just some other crime lord looking to take territory. Isn’t that what those kind of people do? I don’t understand why you’re so upset about their deaths. I’m not.” He sullenly crossed his arms over his chest. “They were going to kill me.”

“Whatever killed them might still be cleaning up loose ends, though. You’re a loose end, Sabe. I’m a loose end. There is a very high chance that whatever killed them is looking for something, and the timing of it- The day after we were there? It’s just too much of a coincidence.”

Sabe tried to gauge if Alex was serious. He seemed to be. “What do you mean ‘whatever killed them’? You don’t think it was another wannabe mob boss? You don’t think it was a human?”

“Whatever started the fire wasn’t human. It was something worse. Something dangerous.” He drained the rest of his coffee, then drooped back against the chair with his eyes closed. “I’m so fucking tired…” he muttered.

It was weird seeing the demon so worked up. Sabe felt bad for him. “Why don’t you get some sleep. I’ll be okay on my own again.”

“Can’t sleep,” he mumbled. “Too many nightmares.”

“Do you ever sleep?”

“With very high doses.” He lifted the empty coffee mug in one hand. “This won’t do it.”

“So… you want to watch some cartoons with me?”

Alex peeked open one eye. “Sure.”

Sabe unmuted the display and settled back to watch the chipper, mindless show. He tried to relax, but he always kept Alex at the corner of his vision, as if he was afraid looking away might make the man disappear again. Alex watched the brightly colored cartoon, but he barely moved, viewing it though heavily lidded eyes. If Sabe hadn’t known better, he would have thought the demon was asleep with his eyes open.

After four episodes, Sabe paused the channel and got up. “Want some lunch?” he asked.

“No,” Alex said, turning his head to follow Sabe’s path to the kitchen. “I want to find out what happens to the lollipop people in the rain.”

Sabe smiled. “You have to eat.”

“Fine. Bring me a pear.”

Sabe grabbed the fruit from the bowl on the counter and brought it back over to Alex. He had taken a peach for himself. He sat back down on the couch.

“Alex? Can I ask you something?”

“You can ask whatever you want.” He took the pear from Sabe and just held it in his hand, staring at it like it was a very long ways away.

“Who poisoned you when you were a child?”

The words seemed to take a long time to reach Alex’s brain. “How do you know about that?”

“You told me. On the tram.”

Alex squinted at him. “Did I?”

“How else would I know?” Sabe responded.

“Huh.” Alex rubbed his thumb in circles across the pear. “I guess so.”

“Well? Will you tell me about it?”

Alex twisted his hand, examining the pear and his grey nails with casual indifference. “No.”

Determined, Sabe said, “I trusted you. I told you all my dark secrets. You should trust me, too. That’s what friends do.”

For a long while, Alex didn’t say anything. Sabe waited, hoping for some sort of response. He was almost ready to give up and turn the cartoons back on when Alex finally said, “I was poisoned by my father.”

“Your father? For real?” Sabe grabbed the pillow beside him and hugged it to his chest. “That’s terrible.”

“It was terrible,” Alex agreed.

“Why did he do it? Was he trying to kill you? What happened?” The questions flooded from him. Sabe felt that if he knew about what Alex had endured, it might be easier understand the demon.

“If you really want to know what my childhood was like, I’ll show you.”

“Show me?”

Alex nodded. “But it isn’t a good story, Sabe. There is no happy ending. Just pain and misery.”

Sabe bit his lip. It couldn’t be that bad. “Okay,” he said. “Show me.”

Alex reached out and touched a grey nail to Sabe’s forehead.

Oh, how wrong Sabe was.

Sunlight rippled through the jungle canopy, casting a shifting mosaic of warm light on the two sleeping creatures enclosed in the mossy clearing. It was peaceful there, the only sound the deep rumble of contentment from the large pardua. The great beast stretched, paws kneading the earth and ripping furrows through the moss and dirt with her enormous claws.

Nestled into the warm tawny fur at her side was a tiny, frail child hidden by a puff of white feathers. He woke, but nuzzled deeper into her fur, not wanting to have to leave yet. He moved his wings so they shielded his face from the sunlight.

Voices drifted on the wind through the trees. They were calling his name, searching for him. The child didn’t want anyone to find his secret place. It was safe there. It wouldn’t be anymore if they found him.

Slowly, he pushed himself away from the comfort of the pardua and stood.

“Hadasha, I have to go,” he whispered. The pardua opened her eyes, brining her muzzle over to breathe in his scent. Her nose was twice as wide as his whole body, and as she inhaled, her breath tugged at his long black hair and the soft white feathers of his wings. She chuffed a low chirp at him.

The child pressed his forehead against her nose. His little fingers trailed across the fangs protruding from her mouth on each side of him. He did this more to keep his clothing from getting caught on the sharp points than out of concern that she might hurt him. He knew Hadasha would never hurt him on purpose.

The voices grew louder. He had to go. Hadasha stood, looking out past him, hearing the voices, too. The deep purr in her chest stopped, and her round ears perked forward. If they got too close, she might think they were a threat. If she killed anyone, she would be chased from the jungle.

The child couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

With one last longing touch through her warm fur, he moved slowly through the clearing and toward the voices. Without him there, Hadasha had nothing to protect. She disappeared with a leap into the shadows of the trees.

***

Walking through the jungle was difficult. He couldn’t fly and he couldn’t climb, and he knew better that to crawl in the dirt and soil his clothes. He was stuck slowly picking his way through the underbrush until the household servants found him.

A dark robed Homm appeared before him. Their features were hidden by the hood. “My Lord Alexiel,” the servant said, bowing deeply. “This one begs to hasten your return. Our Lord Master arrives soon.”

The child nodded. He didn’t want to go back to the manor, but he knew he didn’t have any choice. His father would be home soon. The servant picked him up gently, mindful of the yellowing bruises that still covered his body beneath the layers of fabric.

They arrived swiftly back at the manor. The successful retrieval of Alexiel was spread amongst the searching servants. Soon, dark shapes darted in from the jungle, swiftly passing through the valley, and disappearing back inside the manor. The servants were not supposed to be seen by anyone, and they traveled like shadows over the land.

Alexiel was returned to his chambers immediately. The servant who carried him in from the jungle placed him down, then backed out of the room, bowing low.

Another servant, her hood lowered, stood waiting in his chambers. Her name was Indara, and she was the servant assigned to care for him. He didn’t know if that was her actual name, but that was what she answered to, and so that was what he called her. Her hair was brown, short and choppy, a practical cut most of the servants wore. She could have been older than his mother, but since none of the servants knew their actual ages, she could have been younger, too. As a Homm, she aged differently than everyone else.

He walked to her. Her expression remained blank as he approached. “My Lord Alexiel is late.”

“I know, Indara. I was sleeping.”

“This one does not have time to bathe you now. Our Lord Master arrives soon. New clothes will have to suffice,” she said.

Hastily, Indara undressed Alexiel. The layers of cloth that made up his robes fell from his bruised little body. Soon, he stood naked except for the blue ribbon tied between his knees and the fading marks on his pale skin. Most of last night’s bruises had healed while he slept in the jungle with Hadasha, leaving only the shadows of the worst still visible.

The sky rumbled, like thunder before a storm. His father neared.

Indara quickly tied new layers of robes about Alex’s body. Except for his face, the fabric covered all his skin, even the thin line between his wings. The sleeves hung long enough to cover his hands. Straps wove through the layers to keep everything in place, and the final knot was tied beneath his hair at the back of his neck.

Alexiel fluttered his wings weakly, then pulled them tight against his back. Indara grabbed a jade comb from the shelf and started untangling the bits of moss and twig from his long black hair. He sat quietly, even though she tugged and pulled in her rush to finish.

She needed to finish faster.

The distinctive sound of his father’s wing beat could be heard in his booming approach. Unlike Alex, his father had six wings. They were huge, gleaming white, and when folded, draped from his shoulders to the ground. When his father flew, each triple beat of his wings propelled him forward. The sound as he tore through the air was thunderous.

Alexiel couldn’t fly at all. His wings were too frail. They had been broken too many times.

A loud crash, like an explosion, shook the manor, and Alexiel knew his father was home. His father’s heavy footsteps could be heard as he entered. Alexiel could track his movements from the front of the house to the dining room.

“Dinner will be served soon. Our Lord Master will wish for your presence.” Indara’s skilled fingers quickly twisted Alexiel’s combed hair in to a long braid over his shoulder.

“I’m not hungry,” Alexiel whispered, though he knew it was pointless. Indara quickly ushered him out of his chambers and down the hall, disappearing from his side before he reached the stairs. She wasn’t allowed to be seen. He had to go the rest of the way on his own.

Carefully, Alexiel stepped down the stairs. The robes made it difficult, and he had to be careful not to trip. His wings couldn’t catch him if he fell. He definitely did not want to need help.

The dining room was at the bottom of the stairs. A large table and benches spanned the length of the room. Alex thought at least twenty people could sit at that table, but the most he had ever seen was four.

Already his father, the Isten Jequn, sat on the bench at the head of the table. Three sets of wings hung from his back like a white cloak. His thick metal hair was tied back from his face with a length of blue cord. He read a thin black tablet, his severe eyes shifting as he scanned the words.

Alexiel approached the table, lowering his head and wishing his hair was loose so he could hide his face. “Welcome home, Father,” the child said, bowing.

Jequn sat the tablet down on the table. He turned to Alexiel with a smile. “I missed you today,” he said.

Alexiel stayed bowed. He had been happy when his father left for work that morning. It meant he could go to the jungle to heal and be with Hadasha. He even wished his father had been called away longer. For this reason, the child remained silent. Jequn could tell if he lied.

“Sit, Alexiel,” commanded Jequn, still smiling at him warmly, patting the bench beside him. Alexiel sat. His wings squeezed tightly against his back and he stared at the red swirls of the wood table. “I thought about you all day.” Jequn reached out, long fingers catching a loop of black hair from beside Alexiel’s face. He slid the silky strands through his fingers, then leaned in and touched it to his lips. “You smell like moss.”

Alexiel’s body tensed. “I’m sorry, Father.”

“Were you in the jungle again?” he demanded.

Wings trembling, Alexiel said, “Yes, Father.”

Jequn struck him, the back of his hand colliding with his cheek. The impact knocked Alexiel from the bench and onto the floor. He lay limply, sprawled on his side, resisting the tears that threatened to gather in his eyes.

Without another word, Jequn picked his tablet back up and resumed reading.

The featherlight footsteps of Alexiel’s mother could be heard as she arrived at the manor and approached the dining room. She entered in a swirl of soft fabric and the smell of honeysuckle. Her two white wings fluttered behind her, letting her glide across the ground as if she weighed nothing.

She moved past Alexiel without glancing down. “Welcome home, my Lord Husband,” she said, bowing. Then she sat lightly on the bench to Jequn’s left. Her wings stilled. “Alexiel, get off the floor. You’re embarrassing me,” she said coldly.

Haltingly, Alexiel moved, rising from the floor. He shuffled back to the table and sat beside his mother. He looked down. His cheek stung and his skin was turning red. His mother cleared her throat, a quiet, “Ahem,” to get his attention. He glanced at her, and she frowned at him. He knew what she wanted.

Even though he hurt, he placed his hands in his lap and sat up straight, mimicking his mother’s proper posture for dinner.

For a while, they just waited, letting Jequn read. Finally, Jequn tapped the table with a knuckle, and a servant enter the room carrying a platter of cut fruit and puffs of soft ground wheat. His mother turned her face away from the servant, looking angry, until the Homm backed from the room with a low bow.

They always observed proper dining tradition. His father ate first, then whatever he had eaten a piece of, Alexiel’s mother would eat. After, she would place a piece of the same type of food on the table before Alexiel, and only then was he allowed to eat.

About halfway through the meal, his mother said, “My Lord Husband, there is to be a Saviors festival for the next three nights at the estate of the Isten Dumah. Those of your name have been invited. Will you be attending?”

His father clenched his teeth and looked up from his tablet, irritated. “I will not.”

“It is an important festival. The Isten Dumah will be present.”

Jequn resumed reading the tablet. “I do not care. It is a waste of time.”

“My Lord Husband, to not appear at the request of another Isten would disgrace your name. If it pleases you, I shall attend as your representative.” His mother’s words were polite, but they were laced with venom.

“Nothing you do pleases me,” Jequn chided harshly.

With a huff, his mother said, “Then I request leave for this evening and the following two nights as representative of your name.”

“You’re excused from my service,” Jequn replied, not turning his gaze from the scrolling words on the tablet, “after dinner is over.”

“Yes, my Lord Husband,” she said through clenched teeth. She was always so impatient to leave, but was bound by custom to stay until she was dismissed. Alexiel’s mother rarely stayed in her chambers at the manor anymore. There was always someplace else for her to be. Parties, events, festivals, even just to visit whoever lived by the river where the honeysuckle grew. It didn’t matter where, as long as she wasn’t home. She hated it there nearly as much as Alexiel.

But he had no where else to go, besides the jungle.

The remainder of the meal concluded with silence. The platter was freckled with droplets of sticky fruit juices, but cleared of food. A servant entered the dining room, bowed low, and removed it from the table. His mother turned her face away as the servant approached. Alexiel could see a small crease in the middle of her forehead. She could remain so composed at dinner, but always had trouble tolerating the servants after.

Before the servant left, Jequn turned and spoke to him. “Wine,” he said, looking pointedly at his mother. “We will have wine.” The servant bowed again, and took the platter from the dining room.

When three goblets of red wine were placed on the table, Jequn was the only one to take a drink. Alexiel’s mother glared at his father, refusing to touch the goblet served to her. However, once the Isten drained his own cup, he stood, his heavy cloak of wings settling against his back. When the head of the table stood, it meant all guest were free to leave.

Without drinking her wine, his mother stood, bowed slightly to her husband, and then fluttered upstairs. She would leave from the balcony off her chambers, freshly dressed and clean, not to be seen again for several days.

Left alone in the dining room with Jequn, Alexiel remained motionless, staring at the goblet before him. He listened as his father stepped closer, the familiar metallic rattle of his segmented hair marking his every move. Jequn picked up the goblet that had been placed for Alexiel’s mother. “Share a drink with me,” he said, his voice soft, but stern.

There wasn’t a choice there, Alexiel knew. He reached out, his hands sliding out from his sleeves. Old bruises still patterned the back of one hand. He grasped the goblet in his palms before Jequn could notice how much he trembled. Alexiel brought it to his lips carefully, and then tilted until the liquid poured into his mouth. He could hear his father drinking too, gulping down the wine in a rush.

When Jequn finished, he slammed the goblet onto the table. The noise startled Alexiel. Wine spilled over his lips, dripping onto his chin. He sat the goblet down hurriedly. Alexiel tried to use his sleeve to wipe the wine from his face, but his father reached out and stopped him.

Jequn’s big hand grabbed Alexiel’s arm firmly, holding him still. It was where the old bruises were, but he wasn’t trying to hurt him, not yet. The Isten sat on the bench where Alexiel’s mother had sat. With his other hand, he gently touched Alexiel’s chin, tilting his head up and sideways. “Alexiel, you silly child,” Jequn whispered. “What will I do with you?”

Frozen, Alexiel squeezed his eyes shut. When he felt warm breath on his cheek, he didn’t pull away. When firm lips pressed against his chin, he didn’t cringe. When a wet tongue slid out and slowly licked the line of wine from the end of his chin, up and across his lips, Alexiel only focused on the tight grip on his arm. He understood what would happen if he moved.

“There,” Jequn said, standing again and releasing Alexiel’s thin arm. “You’re such a clumsy child. Finish drinking your wine, then go clean yourself up.”

“Yes, Father,” Alexiel whispered. He turned his face back to the table, but kept his eyes closed.

The Isten walked from the room, heavy footfall thudding on the wooden flooring. He paused at the foot of the stairs, looking back over his shoulder and wings to the table. His metallic hair clinked as he turned his head. “And Alexiel?” Jequn calmly commanded, “Take your medicine tonight before you come to me for your lessons.”

“Yes, Father,” replied the tiny voice from the table. The Isten left the room.

The Isten never flew indoors as his mother did. There was not enough space for him to spread his six immense wings. So Alexiel knew when the sound of clinking hair faded and the heavy footsteps fell silent, his father had entered his chambers and begun to work. Only then did Alexiel pick up the goblet of wine and gulp the rest of the liquid down.

He wanted to throw the cup. He wanted to smash it against the wall and break it. He wanted to break everything. Instead, he carefully sat the goblet back on the table.

“You are getting better,” a voice said from beside him. “This one did not need to catch anything this time.”

“I still wanted to,” Alexiel admitted softly.

Indara slid her hood back from her face. “It will become easier,” she said. It was supposed to be a comfort, despite her emotionless tone, but Alexiel didn’t see it like that. He didn’t want to be cut off from all his emotions, still able to feel, but unable to express anything other that subservience.

He shook his head, wanting to yell, wanting to scream, wanting to lash out at anything, but he couldn’t. Tears started building in his eyes.

Indara touched his cheek with black-nailed fingers. He looked up at her, meeting her black eyes. Eyes that were like his. Eyes that swirled slowly, a heavy black oil trapped under the corneas, coiled over the irises. It was an affect of Holloway.

“Come along,” she said. “This one will take you to your rooms and help you prepare.”

Alexiel nodded and exhaled a sigh. He stood as she did, and she took his hand in her own. She stayed by his side as he slowly shuffled up the stairs to his chambers, and through the veil that served as his door.

As Alexiel walked through his chambers, he kept his eyes downcast, avoiding looking around the rooms and corridors that made up his section of the manor. Candlelight glittered off cut jewels of every size and color as he passed. Gems littered the shelves and tables. Any time his father was gone for more than a few days, he would bring back one of those perfectly cut jewels. Alexiel hated them.

The one room not decorated by jewels or gemstones was the room where Alexiel slept. The inset shelves on the walls were still filled, but not by perfectly cut jewels. Dirty rocks, sticks, and leaves lay on the shelves. A wilting flower dropped petals from a vase onto the small table by the window. These were his treasures. Things found when he was alone in the jungle, free of his father.

Though, of all the treasures kept in this room, Alexiel’s favorite was a thin string he had twisted from Hadasha’s fur. He kept it hidden under a plain rock on the bottom shelf. Any time he could, he would gather a little more of her fur and make the string a little longer. It was nearly as long as himself now. When he knew he was alone, he would take it out and wrap it around his fingers. It made him feel safe, like Hadasha was close and could protect him.

Indara entered the bathing room, which was just past Alexiel’s bedroom. She spoke softly, other voices responding, then she motioned for Alexiel to come to her.

When he stepped in the room, it was empty, besides Indara. The other servants had disappeared, slipping through the hidden doors that led to the narrow servants corridors between the walls. The corridors allowed the servants to appear in any room, complete their duties, then leave without ever passing through the main rooms. They were not supposed to be seen, and so, they usually were not.

While Indara had spoken with Alexiel at the table, other servants had been upstairs, preparing a bath for him. Steaming water filled the shallow pool inset into the floor. His father had requested him. He needed to be clean.

A thin crystal vial sat at the edge of the pool. A heavy black liquid filled it. Holloway. His medicine. It was a poison, and it changed who he was. He had been taking it nearly as long as he could remember, but he knew, he just
knew
, it was wrong. But his father had to be obeyed. Alexiel turned away, going to stand beside the tall polished sheet of metal where Indara waited for him.

The metal served as a hazy purple mirror. It had been a gift from his father to his mother when they married. He told her it was a piece from one of the vessels that brought him here, scorched by the raw sunlight. There were few pieces remaining that were so large, and for her to have it was an honor. She kept it, for a while, but it was eventually moved into Alexiel’s rooms. Alexiel didn’t know if it was her idea or his father’s.

Facing his reflection, Alexiel waited and watched as Indara began to untie the layers of fabric from his body. Strips of cloth fell from his chest and waist. It unraveled around his legs, laying in a heap at his feet. He shivered as his skin was exposed, despite the heat in the air from the bath.

Once his clothing was removed, Alexiel stepped out of the pile of fabric. Indara gathered up the clothing and tossed it aside. Another servant would take care of cleaning and drying it later. She turned back to him, taking his long hair in her hands and untwisting the braid. The loose hair fell over his back and wings. Alexiel spread his wings and refolded them so all his hair lay smooth between them.

Kneeling beside Alexiel, Indara focused on the last task before he could take his bath. Her black nails touched his bare thigh, picking at the knot in the blue ribbon tied there. The ribbon wrapped around both his thighs, just above Alexiel’s knees, with a little slack between to allow Alexiel to walk. If he was disobedient, the ribbon got shorter. If he tried to run, or even walk too quickly, the knots would tighten, making the ribbon dig painfully into his flesh. It was a constant reminder of his helplessness.

Indara’s skilled fingers easily untied the knots this time, and the ribbon quickly fell away. Sometimes, when Alexiel was upset, he would move carelessly, and the knots would pull taut, digging into his flesh and leaving a ring of bruises. Sometimes it took hours for Indara to pick the knots loose.

While Indara folded the blue ribbon with great care, Alexiel stepped into the bath water. He sank to his knees and the water rose to his neck. The warm water clung to his submerged wings. The feeling was always strange, like his wings weren’t supposed to get wet. If wings were soggy, they couldn’t fly, but since he couldn’t fly anyway, it didn’t matter. Still, every time his wings surfaced, they would give an involuntary flutter, trying to shake the water off.

Alexiel dipped his head under the water when he noticed Indara approaching the edge of the pool. He held his breath. He could hold his breath for a long time. He had been practicing. But Indara was patient. When he came up, gasping for air with wet black hair stuck to his cheeks, she said, “Our Lord Master commands you take your medicine.”

“Do I have to?” asked Alexiel as Indara picked up the crystal vial and held it out to him.

“Our Lord Master commands it.”

“What if we just tell him I took it?” Alexiel asked hopefully.

Indara still held the vial out to him. “This one cannot lie to our Lord Master. Neither can you. Besides, he would know.”

“He would know,” Alexiel repeated sadly. He sighed, defeated, and held out his hand. She dropped the vial onto his palm.

Inside the crystal vial, Holloway, the thick black liquid, shifted slowly. Alexiel tilted it back and forth, watching the way the light glinted off the crystal but never seemed to touch the liquid. It remained black. Always impenetrably black.

Holloway was a poison used to create servants. It removed emotion, making servants obedient and docile. It stained their eyes and nails black, too, a mark of their position.

Those chosen to become servants were poisoned with it daily as infants. The doses continued until they were fully grown, along with rigorous training. By the time they were sold, they were efficient and compliant. Everything the Isten needed to take care of their property.

Alexiel hadn’t been taking Holloway his whole life, and he usually didn’t take regular doses, but when he did, it was because Jequn commanded it. A dose of Holloway would make Alexiel sick at first, then his vision would go blurry, and pain would shoot through his body to the ends of his fingers and toes. He would stop breathing for a while as pain wracked his body, but then everything would fade away. He would open his eyes, breathe in, and calmly get out of the bath.

Indara said it wasn’t supposed to hurt so much, but because he didn’t take it regularly, it reacted different in him. She also said it was best that he take the medicine while in the bath.

In water, no matter how much his body contorted and twisted, he wouldn’t hurt his wings. Alexiel faintly remembered falling out of bed once, after an early dose of Holloway. The crackle-crunch of his wings breaking stuck out in his memory more than anything. That was the first time he had broken his wings, but it hadn’t been the last. That was just the only time it had been an accident. He tried to avoid accidents if he could.

Alexiel pulled the top off the crystal vial. After several deep breaths, he closed his eyes and brought the vial to his lips. The Holloway slid heavy and bitter over his tongue and down his throat. The empty vial dropped from Alexiel’s hand as he sank back into the water. He held his breath and waited for the pain to arrive.

As always, it did.

Alexiel walked to his father’s room. The manor was dark, but beyond the thin veil to Jequn’s chambers, a light glowed. Raising his tiny fist, Alexiel tapped on the wall.

“Come in,” a voice called from within.

Alexiel pushed past the veil and entered. He only wore a single layer of cloth tied on behind his neck. His long black hair hung straight to his waist. It was still damp from the bath. He moved like he was in a dream, everything slow and distant, but still somehow more vibrant than reality.

Passing through the familiar rooms, Alexiel soon found his father sitting at the desk in his office. There were scrolls and tablets all over the top of the desk, as well as a cup of tea. Jequn always drank tea while he worked.

Alexiel approached, stood beside the Isten, and waited.

Jequn set the scroll he had been examining down. He turned to face the child before him. “Did you take your medicine?” he asked.

“Yes, Father,” Alexiel replied.

Jequn reached out, gently cupping Alexiel’s face in his hands. “You are in trouble for going into the jungle again,” he said sternly. “You need to be punished. Do you want to be punished, my sweet Alexiel?”

“No, Father, I don’t want to be punished.” Truth. He could only tell the truth. Fear rattled his brain and caught in his chest, but it was trapped within. He showed no emotion as he looked up at his father, waiting for his instructions.

Jequn stroked Alexiel’s hair back from his face. “I don’t like hurting you,” he whispered, “but you need to be punished for disobeying me. Can’t you understand I’m only trying to protect you?”

Alexiel nodded, pressing his face against his father’s warm hand. His mouth parted a little as Jequn’s thumb touched his lips. Alexiel knew what his father liked. Maybe if he was good, he could delay any punishment. His tongue curled out, licking Jequn’s thumb in a long, slow line.

Jequn watched him, his eyes sharp and filled with lust. He pressed his thumb to Alexiel’s mouth again, and the boy drew it in, sucking and licking slowly, the way he knew his father enjoyed.

“You’re so beautiful,” Jequn murmured. “And so naughty. Do you think this will get you out of your punishment?”

He had hoped, but no. He knew Jequn would not relent that easily.

Alexiel slowly pulled his mouth off Jequn’s thumb, making a little popping sound as he did. “I’m sorry, Father. I want to be good.”

“Good little boys do as they’re told,” said Jequn. “Go pick out a punishment.”

“Yes, Father,” said Alexiel, trembling. He walked into the next room. There was a box sitting amongst all the scrolls and books piled in the room. It seemed innocent enough amid all the clutter.

Alexiel knew better. He lifted the lid, staring at the various implements inside. His little fingers trailed over the different tools of pain. He had known them all at one point or another. It really wouldn’t matter which he picked. In his father’s hands, they would all hurt.

So which would make his father happiest? If he chose the paddle, it would hurt less because the pain impacted a wider area of skin. Jequn would make up for it by beating him longer, until his flesh was deeply bruised and he couldn’t sit for the entire day after. If Alexiel chose the cane, the punishment usually didn’t last as long, but the cuts were deeper and slower to heal.

Some of the objects in the box he truly hated, and dreaded the day when Jequn would pull them out again. Others, he knew he could survive.

Alexiel made his decision. He took his chosen punishment back to his father, presenting it to him with his head bowed.

“I see you’re learning,” said Jequn, pleased with Alexiel’s choice. He lifted the braided flogger from his hands. “Go get in position.”

Alexiel stood facing the wall, waiting, hands pressed flat before him, hair over his shoulders, and wings raised. He waited, his body quivering, wishing he could run, but knowing he couldn’t. Even without the effects of Holloway numbing his reactions, he wouldn’t make it far. And then his father would be really angry.

Jequn approached, his footsteps heavy enough to make the floorboards vibrate. His fingers touched Alexiel’s wings, following the line of tiny feathers up, feeling the way they twitched and shuddered under his touch. Wings were unbearably sensitive, and Alexiel had to close his eyes and bite his lip to not whimper.

“Good, keep your wings raised like this,” his father said. “Remember how much it hurt when lowered them before?”

“Y-Yes, Father,” he whispered. The pain of the whip, which had been agonizing on his back, was a thousand times worse when it sliced through the delicate feathers and muscles of his underdeveloped wings. He didn’t plan to make that mistake again, even if the extended ache of holding his wings straight up made all his muscles feel like they were burning.

His fathers fingers gently untied the soft fabric at the back of his neck. The robe fell from Alexiel’s little body, crumpling at his feet. Jequn made an appreciative noise as his fingertips traced down Alexiel’s spine to the pale stretch of skin of his lower back and the soft curve of his bottom. Any bruising from the night before was nearly gone, but there was still a yellow echo of Jequn’s hand print around his hip. His father traced the mark lovingly.

“I only do this to you to help you understand,” he said. “The jungle is a dangerous place. You are so small and so weak… Do you understand how much it would hurt me to lose you?”

Alexiel said nothing. He just lowered his head, trying to prepare for what was to come.

His father stepped back, fingers leaving Alexiel’s soft flesh. “This is for your own good,” he said, his voice hard. Then he raised the flogger and struck.

***

By the time the Isten was done with him, Alexiel was too exhausted to stand. He leaned against the wall, his arms supporting his full weight as his body shook. Trickles of blood trailed down his skin from the flogger cuts. The marks were red and vibrant, crisscrossed over his skin from below his wings to the backs of his knees, but they were shallow. They would heal quickly.

His father admired Alexiel’s back with a twisted smile of satisfaction. “You’re so beautiful when you’re in pain, Alexiel,” he announced, his voice heavy with desire. “Come stand beside me while I work.”

“Th-Thank you, Father,” Alexiel sniffled. Slowly, he put his weight back on his legs and lowered his wings. Every move ached and stung.

Naked except for the blue ribbon between his legs, Alexiel walked over to stand beside the desk. Jequn sat, flipping his wings back so they draped past the bench and the tips trailed along the floor. He examined the boy standing in front of him.

“You understand how important my work is, don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, Father.” Alexiel didn’t understand the work, not really, but he understood his father was important. Everything he did was important.

“You understand that when I have to punish you, it takes away my time. Time that should be spent solving this planet’s problems.”

“Yes, Father.” Alexiel shifted uneasily. The blood was sticky on his back. It was starting to dry.

His father touched his face, lifting his chin. “You are still in trouble, Alexiel. I will give you no pleasure tonight. But you can still serve me. Show me how thankful you are that I’ve taken my time to help you learn. Show me how sorry you are for being bad.”

Alexiel nodded. He knew what his father wanted.

He sank to his knees between Jequn’s parted legs. His tiny fingers untied the lacing along the front of the silken pants. As he’d done with Jequn’s thumb, Alexiel used his tongue and his mouth to slowly provide his father pleasure.

“Good boy,” Jequn whispered approvingly.

The Isten resumed his worked, reading from various tablets and scratching notes onto the scrolls. Alexiel stayed in that position for over an hour. His knees ached and his jaw hurt, but he persisted. It was what his father wanted.

When his father’s hand fell softly to his head, fingers tangling in his long black hair, Alexiel increased his intensity. His father’s breathing accelerated with soft sounds of pleasure.

Suddenly, Jequn’s grip tightened, and he thrust Alexiel’s mouth down onto him with merciless vigor. Alexiel couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t struggle. He could only hold his father in his mouth and down his throat and wait. There was the familiar pulse against his tongue, and he felt the thick liquid splash into his belly. It filled him until his stomach swelled.

Finished, Jequn slowly lifted Alexiel’s head, slipping from his mouth with a wet plop. The boy inhaled deeply, desperate for air. He felt like throwing up, his stomach too full, but he fought the urge away.

“Thank you, Father,” he gasped, looking up with swirling black eyes. Jequn’s grip was still tight in his hair, holding him.

“I’ve wasted enough time on you tonight,” Jequn said, meeting his gaze. “Get out.” He released Alexiel, flinging him back on the floor to land on his beaten backside.

Grateful to be released, Alexiel stood and gathered the thin material of his robe from the floor. “Good night, Father,” he said, bowing at the edge of the room, but the Isten was already filling out scrolls again and ignored him.

Alexiel left his father’s chambers as quickly as he could. Once he reached the hall, Indara was waiting, as usual. She wrapped a thick, soft blanket about his shoulders, then scooped him carefully into her arms. Exhausted, Alexiel passed out before they made it down the hall to his rooms.

The following day was spent in bed. Alexiel slept on his stomach when he could, but without another dose of Holloway in the morning, he entered withdrawals. It woke him with violent chills and fevers. He threw up several times, though after the first, there was nothing left in his stomach. Dizziness overwhelmed him any time he moved.

Indara stayed beside him, gently cleaning the cuts on his back and doing what little she could to ease his discomfort. There wasn’t much to be done except wait for the poison to leave his system and his wounds to mend.

By noon, the tranquilizing effects of Holloway had mostly worn off, and Alexiel was able to cry again. He buried his face in the pillows as all the emotions from the previous night spilled out. Drained from the outburst, he slept, and didn’t wake until the sun was almost down.

Alexiel sat up, rubbing his eyes. His back and legs still ached, but the shallow bite of the flogger had faded quickly. There were only thin lines on his skin, no worse than what he got while stumbling through the jungle.

“Indara?” he called out.

“Yes, my Lord Alexiel?” she said, appearing beside him. “Are you ready to bathe?”

He nodded. She helped him from his hanging bed, assisting him as he weakly walked across the room.

The warm water felt good. He floated on the surface, just limp and at ease. It was close to flying, or at least as close as he remembered.

Indara washed and perfumed his long black hair. She rubbed scented soaps onto his skin and ensured every part of him was fully clean. She dried him off. He sat on the tile floor in the warm bathing room while she combed his hair. He stood while she wove the layers of fabric around his body.

She never touched his wings, of course. That was an offense punishable by death. Not that Alexiel would have told, but Jequn had a way of discovering everything that happened in the manor. So his wings stayed damp, his feathers matted and tangled, but he didn’t care.

When Alexiel was fully dressed and presentable, Indara helped him downstairs. The Isten Jequn had not yet returned, but dinner preparations were underway in the kitchen. Alexiel waited outside on the porch while Indara went to get him something to eat. She brought back a dense biscuit which he nibbled on as he sat at the edge of the porch, swinging his feet in the open air.

It was too late in the day for Alexiel to visit the jungle. He wouldn’t be able to return in time. He also wasn’t allowed to visit the stables in the valley, but he could see the building from the porch. He watched the distant figures of the servants working and listened to the strange sounds from within. He couldn’t imagine what types of beasts might make those sounds, but they sounded big. Maybe even as big as Hadasha.

Sometimes, Alexiel worried that if his father discovered Hadasha, he would capture her and put her in the barn, too. He couldn’t bear the thought of the pardua being locked up. She needed to be free. Even if his father beat him for days and broke his wings, he swore he would never say a word about her. She was his secret. She was his only friend.

Alexiel finished the biscuit. It gave him a little strength, and he stopped shaking. Indara gently touched his shoulder. “This one must go. Does my Lord Alexiel wish to be escorted inside?”

The sound of thunder rumbled over the jungle. Jequn would be there soon.

Thoughtfully, Alexiel said, “No. I’m going to stay here.”

“As my Lord Alexiel wishes,” she said, hesitating only a moment before she vanished.

The urge to remain had come suddenly and intensely. Random, unpredictable emotions were common side effect of Holloway, especially when it was not taken in a consistent manner. Sometimes, Alexiel was struck by such a strong and wild emotion, he couldn’t understand the reasoning behind it at all. He just knew, right then, he wanted to be there when his father landed.

He wanted to ask him a question.

The Isten arrived with a crack in the air like the sound of a whip. He landed, dirt rising from the ground in a whirlwind about him. As it settled, Jequn approached Alexiel, thick black boots crunching across the ground.

“Alexiel? Have you behaved today?” he asked. He was watching Alexiel with curiosity. The child never waited outside for his father to return home, and the Isten was suspicious of his intentions.

Alexiel looked up at his father, summoning the courage to speak. “Father, when can I go to the academy? I want to learn with my brother,” he said.

A cruel smile pulled back Jequn’s lips, revealing too many teeth. “Oh, my poor, sweet, stupid Alexiel,” he hissed, his voice growing louder. “Is that what you want?” He reached out, grabbing Alexiel’s arm and jerking him from the porch down into the dirt. “You want to leave me? Am I not enough for you?” He shook the small boy.

Alexiel dug his fingers into Jequn’s hand, a futile attempt to pry his father’s grip from his arm. He wasn’t surprised by his father’s anger. The moment he had decided to ask the question, he knew how it would turn out. He had done it anyway. He had wanted to make his father angry. “Let me go,” he yelled, his voice rising. “Let me go! I want to learn! I want to read! I want to leave!”

Jequn shook him again. “You will never leave me!” He was furious.

“No! No! Let me go!” Alexiel demanded. He screamed, all his anger and all his fear rushing out of him in a defiant rage. He scratched and kicked at his father. The attack was useless. He was not strong enough to even scratch his father’s skin.

But it made Jequn angrier.

Jequn grabbed Alexiel and threw him over his shoulder, ignoring the child’s feeble attempts to attack him. He stomped into the manor, not even bothering to fold his massive wings.

“You will never leave me,” he repeated, enraged. “I’ll kill you before I let you go.”

The Isten carried Alexiel up the stairs and into his chambers. He stomped through his halls until he reached the room where his giant bed hung suspended from the ceiling. He threw the child down on the bed. Alexiel twisted, scrambling away from his father with a flurry of beating wings. Jequn grabbed his leg and pulled him back, dragging the sheets with him.

“Let me go!” Alexiel yelled, kicking back at his father with his free leg.

“You think this is a game, little one?” Jequn grabbed the back of Alexiel’s neck, pinning him against the mattress. He tore at the strips of fabric that had been so carefully woven around Alexiel’s body. “You think there’s a place for you out there? You’re nothing but a defective, broken little whore. You’re worthless.” He ripped the shredded fabric out from under Alexiel and threw it aside.

Naked, Alexiel fought and struggled, using his weak wings to beat at his father’s arm, trying to scratch the hand that pinned him to the bed. “I hate you!” he yelled.

His father lifted him and slammed him down once, dazing him for a few seconds. “How dare you talk to me like that you little bastard!” Jequn climbed onto the bed behind Alexiel. “Are you that desperate for the chance to defile your body with every fiend you see? Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you when they find out what you are?”

A hard rod of flesh pressed against Alexiel’s back. He continued struggling, desperately clawing at the bed to escape. The ribbon tied around his thighs prevented his legs from being of much use. His father’s fingers dug into his hips, raising him into position. The long, unyielding shaft pressed into him.

The pain was agonizing and immediate, punctuated by his father’s sharp words.

“Is this what you want? You want to be passed around and used by every man in that academy? You want the fiends to take you and fill every hole of your crippled little body with their tainted seed?” He thrust, fully embedding himself into the boy’s body. Alexiel cried out, begging his father to stop. He knew it was pointless.

Jequn leaned down, folding himself around Alexiel’s body so his lips brushed against his ear. “You belong to me, Alexiel, and I will never allow anyone else to use you.” He began moving inside him, slow at first, while the boy’s body adjusted to his presence. Alexiel whimpered helplessly, which seemed to encourage his father. He thrust harder, over and over, until Alexiel was meek and compliant beneath him once more.

For hours, his father used him in every way imaginable, in every position. At the end, Jequn lay on his back, wings spread around him, while Alexiel sat over him, raising and lowering himself on the firm pillar inside him. Jequn’s long fingers played with Alexiel’s undeveloped body, the touch light and pleasurable, even though the child couldn’t respond the same way his father could.

“If you want this, you don’t have to make me angry,” Jequn murmured. “You don’t have to pretend you want to leave me. You can just ask.”

Exhausted and broken down, lacking the will to resist, Alexiel just nodded. Bruises from Jequn’s fingers covered his skin like spots on the pardua. His mind was woozy from the various sensations throbbing through his body, both of pain and pleasure. It was more than he could stand. He almost wished for the comforting numbness of Holloway.

“Promise me you’ll never leave me,” demanded Jequn.

Alexiel would have agreed to anything his father asked of him, if only he could rest. “I promise,” he gasped.

His father’s breathing came faster. He was close.

“Tell me you love me,” he panted.

“I love you, Father,” Alexiel said.

With a moan, his father grabbed Alexiel’s hips and impaled him entirely while he filled his belly. Alexiel squirmed and wiggled, but the bulging pressure was too much. His body started shaking uncontrollably, sparks forming before his eyes. Overwhelmed, he watched to room grow dim, and then, he passed out.

Hours later, a beeping filled the room, waking Alexiel. It continued, alternating between a high pitched alarm and a low vibration, until Jequn reached the desk and turned off the device making the noise. It was the red communication tablet.

Alexiel lay sprawled on the bed, too weak and exhausted to move. His body thrummed with the familiar pulse of pain. He watched through heavily lidded eyes as his father paced into the room, scanning the red tablet with an odd intensity. Alexiel blinked, for what he thought was only a second, but when he opened his eyes again, his father was sitting on a stool that hadn’t been there before, scratching words onto parchment.

A cool breeze entered through the window, passing over Alexiel’s bare skin. He shivered and curled up on his side, bringing his knees to his chest. He draped a wing over his body, but the feathers only covered him from shoulder to hip. He was still cold.

His father looked up, saw Alexiel was awake, and smiled. “Look,” he said, he eyes bright with excitement. “It’s a message from Ahn.” Jequn held up the parchment, symbols scrawled across it. “The oracles have released a prophecy.”

Alexiel squinted at the parchment for a moment, and then closed his eyes. He couldn’t read. He didn’t know what any of it said. Even if he could, he didn’t care. He was so tired.

Parchment in hand, Jequn got up and walked over to the bed. He lay down on his stomach beside Alexiel, draping his left three wings over the small boy. Heat radiated from Jequn’s wings, and Alexiel quickly stopped shivering.

Alexiel peered up at his father’s profile from under the feathers. He was too tired to be afraid of this man. He was too tired to feel anything. Jequn gave him a quick smile, and then returned to reading the parchment, marking little notes with a sharpened charcoal pencil. Alexiel closed his eyes again, sinking into the heat that surrounded him.

“The oracles speak in riddles,” Jequn said, more to himself than to Alexiel. “Every couple hundred years they release a prophecy. Deciphered, we can understand what the future brings.” He nudged Alexiel gently, and Alexiel’s eyes fluttered open. “Do you want to hear the prophesy?”

“Yes, Father,” Alexiel murmured sleepily. He didn’t care about a prophesy. Anything his father said about Ahn made no sense, but it was one of the few things his father enjoyed talking about that didn’t bring someone some form of pain.

“Don’t worry about understanding it,” Jequn said. “I’ll explain what it means after.” Then, he read the words that had been sent from Ahn.

The fate of the faded rests
alone on the crushing shores
Count your sands, Dengir, fall upon us
Beckon through the void

So it comes, the savior,
the stag who bleeds for the hallow
A vessel rewritten makes shattered bone bonds
Haste alone will repair our doom

From the sky we shall fall
Upon the green stone as one
A brilliant retribution sought
Will turn rust into water

Chills raced down Alexiel’s spine even surrounded as he was by the heat of Jequn’s wings. The way his father read the words seemed like the Isten was pleased with the message. It didn’t sound good to Alexiel at all. It sounded ominous.

“See here, the ‘faded’, that’s the people of Ahn. Since the planet is dying, everything there is fading away.” Jequn pointed to the next line. “They refer to this planet as the shore, because there is so much natural water. There hasn’t been natural water on Ahn for several millennium.”

Alexiel nodded along, as if he understood.

“In the next line, Dengir, that’s the name they call those of us sent to this planet. And ‘count your sands’ is the most important part.”

Jequn smiled and leaned over to nuzzle his face against Alexiel’s hair. He kissed his forehead. “Remember when I told you about my specialty? Why I was chosen to come here?”

Alexiel struggled to remember the words his father had used. “General tick-you-lation,” he said quietly.

“Genetic manipulation,” Jequn corrected. “Through the usage of self-replicating transmitters that replace genomes at the cellular level.” He kissed Alexiel’s forehead again. “That’s the sand in the prophesy.” He turned back to the parchment. “They want the serum with the new genetic code shipped back soon. Then they can send the citizens to Ter, already adapted to live on this planet.”

Jequn marked a few more notes on the parchment, then continued, “In this part, ‘the savior’ references the person who creates the serum. Me. And the stag, well, I knew that beast was the key to everything.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait to rub Elohim’s face in this.”

Alexiel yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. It made his eyes water. He could feel his mind fight to stay awake as Jequn talked, but his body was so very tired. “It seems too easy,” Alexiel murmured, just on the edge of sleep.

“Hm?” Jequn said, not really paying attention.

“Seems too easy,” Alexiel repeated. He closed his eyes. “That the stag is just a stag.”

Jequn’s wings jerked back from over Alexiel. The cold that rushed in made Alexiel startle, and his eyes flew open. Jequn was scrutinizing him, all trace of humor gone from his eyes. “What do you know?” his father snapped. “You’re just a stupid child. You can’t even read. I was there when the oracles passed their first prophesy. I think I know what they mean.”

“I’m sorry, Father.” The black haired boy said the words, not sure what he had done wrong, but trying to appease his father before he got angry again.

Jequn pulled back and clicked his tongue in disgust. “Go back to your chambers. I’m done with you tonight. I have work to do.”

Alexiel obediently slid off the bed. He picked up the bits of cloth that had been his clothing and held them to his chest. His legs still trembled, but he was able to walk from the room, only looking back once. Jequn ignored him, moving to his desk, already focused on the parchment. He drank from a cup of tea on the desk, which had probably been provided when Alexiel was asleep. His father always liked to drink tea while he worked.

Legs wobbling, Alexiel walked from the room and toward the main hall. Every step made his body ache, but he knew he would sleep better curled up in the safety of his own bed. When he woke tomorrow, he would feel much better.

Indara met Alexiel in the hallway. Silently, she wrapped a warm blanket around his shoulders and wings. He pulled the blanket tight to his chest and passed her the remnants of his clothing. “Sorry,” he said. He wasn’t apologizing about the clothing.

“This one cannot forgive. This one only exists to serve. Though, with my Lord Alexiel, this one’s service will be very short.” Her words were clipped. It was as close to a scolding as the servant could get. She turned, leading Alexiel back to his chambers.

Once there, Alexiel collapsed in bed as Indara layered warm blankets over him. He fell asleep, dreaming of Hadasha’s warm fur and wishing for the day he wouldn’t be alone.

Alex jerked back from Sabe. Only a few seconds had passed, but it felt like days. Without the contact, the feelings from Alex’s memories were already fading from Sabe’s mind. Lingering details remained like scenes from a distant dream, but the intensity of the experience was muted. For that, Sabe was thankful.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, looking down. “That was a mistake. I only meant to show you the one day with the Holloway. I forgot how close it was.”

Sabe didn’t know what to say. He had received a lot of information very quickly, and it had brought up more questions than it answered. He squeezed the pillow against his chest and realized he was shaking. “Is that really what you lived through?” he asked softly, trying disguise the tightness of his voice.

Alex closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. He chuckled sardonically. “I miscalculated. How do I keep screwing up like this with you?”

“Alex..?”

“You weren’t supposed to see all that. Hell, I shouldn’t have shown you any of it.” He rubbed his face with his hands. “I’m sorry.”

Nervously, Sabe picked at the edge of the pillow, finding a loose thread. “I asked you to share. I wanted to know what you’d been through. I thought it would help.”

“Did it?” Alex’s swirling black eyes peered at out from between grey tipped fingers. The stains of Holloway.

“No…” Sabe admitted. “But I’m still glad you shared. That was a horrible childhood.” He fidgeted with the thread more, tugging it loose from a couple stitches. “How did you escape?”

Alex slowly slid his hands down his face until he just covered his mouth. “I didn’t,” he said, muffled.

“You didn’t?”

Alex shook his head. “My brother came back from boarding school. He found out what was happening and somehow convinced Jequn to let me go.”

“How old were you?”

“When I started school? Eight.”

Sabe’s heart skipped a beat. He’d known the boy in the memories was young, but that young? It made him sick. “Why didn’t anyone stop him? Your mother? The servants? They all had to know what he was doing to you.”

“Things were different back then. Anyone who could have opposed him didn’t know what was happening. Or if they did, they just didn’t care.” Alex dropped his hands from his face, letting them fall limply in his lap. “It doesn’t matter Sabe. The past is dead. People who live in the past end up dead, too. Jequn was hardly the worst thing to happen to my life, he was just the first.”

That brought up questions Sabe realized he didn’t want the answers to. Instead, he asked, “What about your wings? You had wings in the memories… Did you lose them?”

“No, I still have wings,” Alex said. “I just don’t reveal them anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

Sabe wrapped the pillow’s thread around his finger tightly, tugging at it as more stitches broke. “Can I see them?”

Alex glared at him, but the dark circles under his eyes made him look less threatening. “No,” he stated.

“Why not?”

“Because, Sabe, it’s dangerous. You can’t even imagine the amount of energy it takes for me to hide my wings. I am not going to reveal myself to you just because you’re curious.”

He was curious. He tried to imagine Alex with big, white, fluffy wings. He couldn’t do it. “Not even once? Just for a little while, I won’t-”

“No, Sabe,” Alex said, his voice firm.

“Fine,” Sabe relented. “It’s just, all this time I’ve been picturing you as a demon, when you’re actually an angel.”

“I am not an angel,” he said. The words came out bitterly. Clearly, that was a sore topic, one Sabe decided not to push further. He didn’t want to make Alex upset. His intention had been to calm him down.

Quietly, Sabe said, “Sorry.” He looked down at the pillow, restlessly picking apart the seam. He could see the white filling poking out.

They sat in silence for a while, Alex staring at the floor and Sabe fidgeting with the pillow. “I’m not upset with you,” Alex finally said, eyes diverted from Sabe. “Or your questions. I’m just…” He hesitated, as if he didn’t want to explain, but he forced himself to anyway. “Sometimes, reality is too much for me. I try to numb myself the only way I know how. There are still times when I can’t control my emotions. If I lash out, please know it’s not at you. I’m just having a bad day. With enough of this,” he said, tapping his grey nail against the empty coffee mug, “I will be fine again soon.”

“I don’t like that you use drugs, Alex, but… I understand.” Sabe looked up, his russet eyes meeting Alex’s black eyes. “I understand, and I’ll try to support you whenever I can. I can’t do much, but I can listen any time you want to talk.”

“Thank you, Sabe,” he said, and smiled for the first time that day.

Sabe smiled back. “Do you want to watch more cartoons?” Alex nodded. “Lollipop Rangers it is,” Sabe said enthusiastically.

They settled back into their seats and Sabe resumed playing the cartoon. The colorful images and cheerful music filled the display on the wall. The lollipop people escaped the rain by riding on a rainbow. It was good.

The sun was setting. Gabriel stood by his window, looking out, watching the colors fade from the sky. After a long day of meetings, his wings were still bound on his back, hidden from sight and touch. Briefly, he thought about releasing the bind, stepping outside, and warming his feathers in the last light of day.

He didn’t, or course. He couldn’t afford to be seen.

“Mr. Hart, I am leaving for the day. I’ve transfered you to Arquette,” said Tomas over the intercom system. “Is there anything I can get you before I go?”

“Have the results come back from the lab, yet?”

“No, I’m sorry, Mr. Hart. Do you want me to call down and check?”

“No. That’ll be all, Tomas. Enjoy your evening.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hart. Good night.” The line clicked off.

Gabriel waited by the window until the sun completely disappeared below the edge of the world. It was peaceful, a moment of respite in an otherwise hectic day, but it didn’t alleviate the unease within him.

The Black Ander.

It was a name used to invoke fear. Drug dealers and mobsters for generations took the name, trying to make themselves sound tougher than they were. They built their reputation on the innate dread the name conjured, without understanding the risk that came with the brand.

The real Black Ander had been a black-hearted demon who spread disease and death over the land like a shadow. No one had seen the demon in nearly two-thousand years, but that didn’t stop them from looking. Every rumor of the name was eventually investigated, either by those looking to kill the creature, or those looking to join it. The unfortunate lowlife who drew that attention never lived long after.

Still, Gabriel couldn’t bear to think of even an echo of that fiend existing in his city. He had to snuff it out.

Obviously, he knew it wasn’t the real Black Ander. That was impossible. But the dead zone so close to a place where the name was spoken made him think he wasn’t just dealing with some human with an ego. He suspected there was a low level demon yearning to become infamous dwelling somewhere in his territory. And that Gabriel could not allow.

Regrettably, when that miserable little shit Tony had said the name, Gabriel had responded emotionally. He had killed the man and burned the strip club out, leaving it a blackened shell of charred iniquity.

His sudden rage had certainly startled Tomas, but Elibitha had kept her cool, keeping them out of harm’s way while she arranged a clean up crew. By the time the news arrived to broadcast the fire, there was no sign Gabriel had ever been there.

Except two days had passed without any new dead zones to investigate. The city wide broadcast of the structural damage might have scared the culprit off. Gabriel had no other leads, either. Just a fake name and a glass vial of dust.

On the way back from the Depths, he had dropped off the vial with one of the research subsidiaries he owned. So far, they couldn’t tell him anything, just continued to run more tests. Maybe they were missing something.

“Arquette,” he said, triggering the intercom system. “I’m going to Lorsmith Tech this evening. Arrange transport.”

“Right away, Mr. Hart,” said the woman. “Will you be needing an escort?”

“Why, do you want to come?”

“You going to kill someone again?” she asked, but it was light-hearted question. “I’ve got my nice shoes on today.”

“They white ones with the little bows?” Gabriel asked, smiling.

“Yes, sir. And I don’t particularly want anyone’s blood on them.”

Arquette had been working with Gabriel since she was twenty-two. She had gotten married, had children, had grand children, and recently even had her first great-grand child. She had seen and done everything, and she was not impressed. Nothing surprised the woman.

Gabriel felt very strong affection toward her, and knew he would have trouble replacing her when she was gone.

“I see,” he said. “Well, I’ve got no plans for murder, but you never know where the night will lead me.” He smiled. “But no, I will not need an escort.”

“I’ll keep Elibitha on speed dial, just in case, Mr. Hart.”

“Thank you, Arquette.”

While waiting for the transport, Gabriel checked himself over in the office’s wall mirror. His light grey suit still looked crisp, even after all the meetings. The only thing he noticed out of place was the little silver pin on his tie. He straightened it, approving of his appearance.

Gabriel was not vain, but he understood the effect he had on people. His metallic silver hair and icy blue eyes made him stand out in any crowd, but it was the lure of power that really drew people to him. He knew, if he wanted, he could have anyone in the whole city. He rarely did, though. Humans were such a waste of his time, with their short little life spans. He had made the mistake of falling in love with a human once, a mistake he would never allow himself to repeat.

“Mr. Hart, your transportation has arrived,” the intercom announced.

“Thank you, Arquette. I’ll be right out.”

He left his office, going out the double doors to the waiting room. Arquette stood, bowing to him slightly as he passed. He smiled and nodded to her. “No big parties while I’m gone,” he said.

“Just the little ones then, sir,” she replied.

He entered the personal elevator at the end of the hall. His private car had been loaded into the slot, and it quickly dropped, zipping along the emergency routes through the tower without any interference. He waited patiently, adjusting his shirtsleeves beneath the suit jacket.

When the car stopped mere minutes later, he stepped out three buildings over and eighty floors down. He walked into Lorsmith Tech like he owned the place. He did, of course, but it still made an impression when he threw open the doors to the research lab.

“Where’s James?” he demanded.

The employees jumped, startling like mice in all their white lab coats. They scattered and panicked, ducking behind microscopes and equipment to make themselves look busy.

A woman in short heals came jogging down the hall from a back office. She was already out of breath from just the short distance. “Here! I’m here, Mr. Hart!” she said, slowing to a stop in front of him. She was breathing heavily, but tried to hide it, her nostrils flaring with each deep inhale of breath.

“Where are the results, James?” he said, turning his cold eyes to her.

She put her hand across her chest, taking a few moments to breathe before answering. “We don’t have results yet. It’s strange.”

He scowled his disapproval to her. “Show me.”

She nodded, turning back the way she had come. “This way, sir.”

He followed her back into the small office. It was filled with all sorts of machines, making it feel even smaller than it was. James motioned to the tiny swivel chair in the room. She seemed to have finally caught her breath. “I’ve got a sample under the scope. Please, feel free to look. It’s strange, Mr. Hart. I think I’ve seen traces of this before, but never so pure.”

Gabriel sat in the chair, gliding forward in the chair in as dignified a way as one could on wheels. He peered into the microscope and frowned.

“This is the sample I gave you?”

“Unadulterated, sir. You see what I’m dealing with.”

He did. He understood why she couldn’t figure out what it was made of. It wasn’t a powder at all. It was a crystallized energy casing.

“I don’t know what it’s made of,” James explained, “but I did some research on Blue Dust. It’s been gaining popularity in the last few years, but it’s not a common street drug by itself. The higher level suppliers buy it and mix tiny quantities with their other merchandise before they send it out. Somehow, the Blue Dust is said to amplify the effects of any drug, making the highs more intense.” She sniffled. “It’s also very addictive. You don’t want to touch that stuff. It absorbs right through skin.”

Gabriel adjusted the position of the slide, searching through the microscopic specs of dust. He recognized some of the elements of the design, but others were completely new to him. The way the chemicals were bound…

“Let me see the mass spectrometer results,” he said. She pulled up the file and presented it to him on a tablet. The results were different than he expected. It was frustrating. “Are you sure you ran this right?”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Hart. I mean, I handled it myself,” she said, chuckling slightly, as if it wasn’t possible for her to make mistakes.

“What other tests have to run?”

She listed them. It was a short list. Too short. She shrugged regretfully. “There wasn’t much of a sample there. I even had Emdebway break down the glass to glean any information from that. All we found was a tiny bit of black, like ash.”

“Ash.” Like from a fire. Like the one he set in the club. She knew. Gabriel appraised the young scientist again. He saw the spark of intelligence in her eyes. What would she do with that information?

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you run any more tests on that, James?” he asked.

She made direct eye contact with him when she said, “No, sir. Unfortunately, that sample got lost.”

“I see.” He smiled at her. “Do you want to know what you’re really dealing with here?”

“Very much, Mr. Hart. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” James was a very intelligent woman, but Gabriel could see she craved knowledge more than anything. Her eyes betrayed her hunger. He hoped she could prove her usefulness.

“What you’ve got here is a hyper crystallized energy casing made, from what I can tell, of regressed papaver somniferum.” He pointed to the results from the mass spectrometer. “The interior held something else, but there’s a conversion aspect making it impossible to isolate. It can’t test.”

For a while, James just stared at him. Her mouth was pressed in a thin line as she processed all the information. “One thing,” she said at last, “qualify crystallized energy.”

“It means this,” he said holding up his hands. There was a flash of blue light between his fingers, like a spark. He channeled it into a perfect thin line, then let the energy coalesce into a larger version of the casing visible in the microscope. He released the engery and caught the warm blue pod in his hand before it dropped. He held it out to James.

Her eyes were wide, filled with fascination. “That… That wasn’t possible,” she whispered, taking the offered crystal. She looked it over, examining every angle.

“James, I think you’re smart enough to know otherwise.”

“How did you do it?” she asked eagerly, the excitement rising in her voice.

“Practice. Its just energy, like you’d find in anything, but condensed and slowed. Crystallized.” He reached out and took the crystal back from her. “What I’m curious about is what went inside it.” He cracked the pod in half, revealing the hollow interior.

James studied the two halves, her mind processing. Something seemed to click into place. She squeezed past him in the small space, and pulled out a three dimensional display tablet. It thudded loudly against the desk as she hit buttons on the activation panel. Soon, a full dimensional image popped up showing an incomplete DNA model. “Here. This was strange to me before. It makes sense now, if I consider magic.”

Gabriel frowned. “It’s not magic.”

“I know that,” she said, as if he were suddenly stupid. “Magic is science we don’t understand yet. Clearly that,” she pointed at the broken energy crystal he held, “is a science I don’t understand. For me to be able to aptly process the possibilities of this problem, I need to consider magic.”

“Fine. But do me a favor and don’t call it that.”

“It’s my head, I’ll call it what I want.”

She was surprisingly stubborn when she was working on a problem. Gabriel relented. “Show me.”

James scrolled sideways on the dimensional model, manipulating the image until she found what she was looking for. She pointed at it. “There.”

There was a shadow on the display, like a glitch. It made the DNA look like it had an echo. Gabriel examined it closer. “Is this the only spot?”

“So far. I thought my machine was broken. But the compound inside the energy casing, if it’s creating echos like this, then it might not be determinable until after its been stabilized.”

“And stabilization would occur when…” He paused, thinking. “When it’s mixed with other drugs?”

“Maybe, but I think that introduces too many variables. People are mixing it with everything, from heroin to aspirin. And I think that’s the key. The magic only activates after it’s been introduced to an anchor.” She smiled, pleased with her logic.

“People. It needs to be absorbed by a human body,” he said. It made sense. “That activates the casing, causing the regressed papaver somniferum-”

“Yes!” James exclaimed. “The poppies! It’s making them more powerful-”

“More addictive-”

“And heightening the complimentary exposure-”

“To make the ancillary components more powerful!” Gabriel concluded, building off the woman’s enthusiasm.

They grinned at each other, thrilled with the revelation. James looked away first, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks.

“So,” she said, “the issue lies with testing. We need a live human to expose the Blue Dust to, and then we need to relocate the atomic structure after it has been activated, but before it has been absorbed fully.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a plan,” said Gabriel. He pressed his hands together, crushing the energy casing and redistributing the absorbed power within his body. As much as he respected the knowledge James had, he wasn’t about to start leaving bits of his power around the lab. He stood from the little swivel chair.

James placed her hand on her chin, contemplating what he was asking her to do. “It’s not really something this lab is equipped for,” she said.

“Figure out what you need, submit a list to requisitions. I’ll fund it.”

Her eyes got wide and shiny. One thing he knew most scientists loved as much as new mysteries to unravel was new equipment to play with. “Thank you, Mr. Hart,” she gushed.

“Just don’t let me down, James,” he replied. “I want those results, one way or another.”

Spending the previous day with Sabe, watching cartoons and talking, had actually been good for Alex. He had gone to sleep last night and actually slept, his dreams blissfully tame, even without the use of some of his heavier sedatives. He woke refreshed and clear headed.

Then he had felt that little twinge of guilt, the one that ate at his insides whenever he thought of Sabe, and picked out one of the pills from his stash and swallowed it.

He didn’t deserve to have all the pain go away, but he also didn’t want to dwell on the past. Numb was good.

“Morning, Sabe,” he said, standing beside the stove, cooking eggs in the remains of the bacon grease.

Sabe bounced over, standing on his toes to peek into the pan from the other side of the counter. “Oh my god, Alex, this smells so good. What are you making? I’ve never smelled eggs like this before.”

“That’s probably the bacon. Have you ever had bacon before?”

“No! I was told it would make me fat.” His nose wiggled as he sniffed the air. He found the plate of bacon Alex had covered with a cloth to keep warm. He peeked under the cloth, his eyes bright with excitement.

“Go ahead and try a piece. The eggs are just about done.”

“You sure? No, I shouldn’t. But just one- No, no, I’ll wait for breakfast.” He looked so indecisive, Alex couldn’t help but smile.

Toast popped up and Alex shifted over to add that to the breakfast plates beside the diced fruit already there. He put a little dollop of apricot jam on each piece, just enough to spread around fully. Then, he returned to the cooked eggs and scooped them out, placing them on Sabe’s plate.

“There,” said Alex. “Let’s eat.”

He grabbed the two plates, sitting them at the bar. Sabe grabbed the plate of bacon and brought that over, too. He sat it down, and with reverence, revealed the meat from beneath the cloth. “Bacon,” he whispered with awe.

They started eating. Alex had been right. Sabe loved the bacon. He ate half the plate of meat before he tried anything from the other. Eventually, he finished it all.

“That was so good!” he said, leaning back and rubbing his stomach. “Bacon is the best!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Think of it as my way of making up for yesterday,” said Alex. He picked up the empty plates and brought them over to the sink.

“Wait, I got that,” said Sabe, leaping up and bounding over. “I’ll do the dishes.”

“Oh, right.” Alex had agreed to provide Sabe money if he helped out around the apartment. He would have provided him money anyway, but it mattered to Sabe that he earn the credits, so Alex stepped back and let Sabe handle the dishes.

“You didn’t have to make anything up to me, though,” Sabe said, splashing dish water onto the floor.

Alex stood beside him, leaning against the cabinets. He wondered if Sabe had ever washed dishes before. It certainly didn’t look like it. “I did. Yesterday, you shouldn’t have seen me like that. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“You were fine. We all have bad days. I mean, I still don’t like that you do drugs, but I’m not going to try to stop you. We all cope in our own ways.” He put a plate in the drying rack that still had soap bubbles all over it.

Sabe was amazingly understanding and mature about the whole thing for a person who couldn’t rinse a plate. “Thank you, Sabe,” said Alex. “That means a lot to me.”

“Don’t worry about it, Alex. Seriously. And if you ever want to talk about anything else, I’ll be here. No judgment, okay?”

“Alright. I’ll remember that.”

Sabe took the pan Alex used for the bacon and eggs and dunked it in the water. There was a little burnt on egg on the bottom of the pan that wasn’t coming off with just soap. He grabbed a butter knife from the water and used the end to scrape rapidly back and forth across the bottom of the pan. The sound made Alex’s teeth hurt.

“Alright! Enough of that!” Alex said, pulling the knife out of Sabe’s hand. He dropped it back in the water. “How about we let that soak, and we go work on teaching you how to read?”

Sabe’s brow furrowed. He started to reach back for the pan, but Alex caught his wrist. “I’m almost done,” Sabe complained.

“You’re done,” Alex said, trying not to sound desperate. “Let’s go. This will be fine until we get back.”

“Where are we going?”

“One of my libraries.”

“Your libraries?” Sabe perked up with curiosity. He let Alex pull him toward the hallway.

When he was certain Sabe wasn’t going to rush back to the sink, Alex let go of Sabe’s wrist. “Yes, I’ve got a few. I collect books sometimes. They can take up a lot of space though, so I separate them out by generation.” Which was another way of saying he collected books until a library was full, then opened a new room and started a new collection. He wasn’t even sure exactly how many books he had. A lot. It was definitely a lot.

They went down the hall, following the red flowered path that led to Sabe’s room. When they reached the last turn, where Sabe’s room could be found on the right, they turned left. It was just a short distance down that hall before Alex stopped and opened the white panel door.

The room had two levels, and books filled every bit of shelf space, from floor to ceiling. The chandelier glowed over them, complimenting the sunlight streaming in through the window behind the desk. It wasn’t a real window, not in this room, but the display certainly felt realistic. It was easy to lose track of time in a library, so Alex found active displays mimicking the outside world helped keep him aware.

“This room is huge,” said Sabe, walking in and looking up. “There are so many books, too!”

“You can come here any time you like. If you get bored, I can show you where some of the other libraries are.”

“I can’t imagine ever getting bored if I could read all these.” Sabe walked around the edge of the room, his fingers trailing over the spines of the books. “Do you really think you can teach me?”

“I’m willing to try if you are.” Alex picked out several little books from the shelf nearest the door. They were children’s books, but were written at a time when simplicity and repetition were the main ideas behind learning to read. He sat them at the desk, then went back and found another. It was an alphabet book, but all the letters talked about their favorite things that started with their sound.

Sabe stopped at the desk. He moved the books around, looking at each of the covers with their big fonts and simple pictures. “You’ve got all these fancy books around, and then you have these for kids. Why?”

“There are seventy-four active scripts and alphabets in use in the world today. Every time someone starts using a new one, I have to learn how to read it somehow.” Alex shrugged.

Sabe stared. “You read seventy-four different languages?”

“Yes, and more. So if I can do that, how hard can it be for you to learn just one?” He sat down at the desk, and tapped the seat next to him. Sabe plopped down, already looking a little overwhelmed.

A white rectangle glowed in the surface of the desk as Alex activated the touch display. He slid his grey nailed fingertip across the light, leaving a black line behind. “S-A-B-E,” he said, saying each letter at he wrote it. “That’s your name. Sabe. You try.”

Beneath Alex’s writing, his hand shaking, Sabe tried to copy the letters. It wasn’t perfect, but it was legible. He smiled a little bit. “How’s that?”

Alex pointed to the ‘A’. “The lines touch at the top, like a triangle. If not, it can look like an ‘H’.” He drew an ‘H’ beside the word. “See?”

“Yeah,” said Sabe, looking at the two letters. “Why do they have to make them look so similar, though?”

“Don’t know. I’ve never been able to find a scribe in charge of designing a system to ask them. They always just say, ‘This is how I learned it from my teacher!’ and that’s that.”

“Dumb,” Sabe muttered, trying to stay focused.

Alex picked up the alphabet book. “I’ll read these to you today, okay? I’ll point to the words as I say them, so just try to follow along.”

Sabe nodded, and Alex began to read.

They spent the rest of the day in the library, only stopping when Sabe was hungry. Sabe had discovered he liked Alex reading to him. He liked the stories, too, especially the one about wolves.

Alex promised they would try to do a little reading every day, and Sabe agreed.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” Sabe said.

They had dinner together. While Alex cooked, Sabe pulled packages out of the pantry and made Alex read them.

“Asparagus,” said Alex.

“That’s not a real word,” Sabe complained, and tossed the package back in.

Having dinner and spending time with Sabe was almost enough to keep Alex from needing something to dull his thoughts.

Almost.

When Sabe went to bed, Alex still found himself drawn to his old familiar comforts. He locked himself in his lab, and mixed up a new batch of Blue Dust.

“Visidiary Monolith.” Sabe read the plaque attached to the transport lift. “Level twenty. Resi… Residential. Shopping, level forty. Transport bay, level fifty.”

Alex nodded along. “Yes, very good.”

Sabe beamed. Alex had been teaching him to read for almost a week. His progress had been amazingly fast. Once he understood the letters he was looking at, it just seemed to click in his mind, like he’d known it all along. Even Alex had been impressed.

“So why doesn’t this lift go up past fifty?” Sabe asked.

“If you want to go higher, you have to switch to one of the other lines at the transport bay. They tried to divide it so everyone wasn’t on a single line trying to get everywhere at once,” Alex explained.

Sabe noticed the demon had gotten a lot more comfortable explaining things lately. Any questions he asked, Alex would try to find the answer to. It helped that the demon had been around long enough to learn a little bit about everything.

Alex still stubbornly refused to answer any more questions Sabe had about his wings, though.

“What’s that button do?” Sabe asked, pointing to said button. It just had a red cross on it.

“Emergency. Push it, and you’ll get an ambulance car that’ll take you straight to the hospital level on thirty-three. But if you don’t need an ambulance, you don’t want to push it. It’ll divert to police if the stabilizers don’t detect any injuries once you’re in the car. They might arrest you for misuse of emergency vehicles.”

“Oh.” Sabe pulled his hand away from the button. He imagined the police might arrest him for more if they ever discovered what he was.

Today, the plan was to return to the shopping district in Nukan City and pick up some new clothes for Sabe. The last time they were there, they hadn’t looked around much. Sabe knew Alex experienced something like a panic attack that day, and he needed to leave, so Sabe didn’t mind that he missed out. This time, though, he was really looking forward to seeing all the shops and practicing his reading skills.

“I think I need socks,” Sabe said as they loaded onto the tram to level forty. Since it was early in the day, there weren’t many other people on board with them. Listening to the click of the track was almost relaxing.

“Socks? Did I not get you any socks?” Alex asked.

“No. It’s been fine, but my feet are starting to stick to the boots. Socks would help.”

“Yes, we’ll get you socks. Probably new shoes, too. Ones that actually fit.”

They got off on the shopping level, and this time, Sabe wasn’t as awestruck when they walked into the mall atrium. With the high ceilings, the simulated daylight, and the tree, it was hard for Sabe to remember he was in the lower quarter of a building hidden in the shadows of half a dozen other buildings.

They went into a clothing store first, and Sabe picked out a couple outfits. He spent a little time there, posing for himself and primping in the dressing room mirror while Alex waited outside. Since eating regularly, his ribs weren’t as noticeable. He was also regaining some of the muscle tone he’d lost. When he tried on a pair of red plaid pants and a tight white shirt with a diamond stitch on the sleeves, he felt pretty confident about his body. Sabe reminded himself that he didn’t need look good for a competition or pageant, but it was still okay to look good for himself.

“Nice,” said Alex when Sabe walked out. “You wanna wear that out?”

“Can I?” asked Sabe nervously. He didn’t want the clerk to think he was trying to steal it.

“Yes, they’ll just scan the tags.”

To Sabe’s relief, the clerk didn’t have any trouble with him wearing the clothes. He even complimented him, but Sabe noticed the clerk really had eyes for Alex.

When they left the store, bag in hand, Sabe nudged Alex with his elbow. “That guy liked you,” he teased.

“What? No,” Alex scoffed.

“He did. I could tell by the way he looked at you, like he was undressing you with his eyes.” Sabe waggled his eyebrows mischievously.

“You have been watching too many movies,” Alex said, but, if Sabe wasn’t wrong, he was a little embarrassed. Sabe had noticed Alex didn’t read people’s intentions toward him very well. Threats, sure, anger, definitely, but flirting? Alex was completely clueless.

“The Poriuh grocery store girl does it too. If you had to pick, which one would you choose? They’re both cute,” said Sabe.

“I wouldn’t choose either, Sabe.”

“Aw, why not? It’s just a game. I’m not saying you have to ask one out, but if you did…?”

“If I had to spend an evening with someone, I’d choose you, and then I’d make you read the Slick Stick Licks Tick book again.”

Sabe felt heat rush to his cheeks. “That was a terrible book and I am never reading it again.” He had read the words, understood the words, but when he said them aloud, the words came out a jumbled mess, like his tongue couldn’t keep up.

“It’s good practice.” Alex stopped, looking back into a shoe store. “Let’s go in here.”

Sabe got a couple pairs of simple shoes there. Even Alex picked out a new pair. He got cross stitched black ankle boots with composite density soles. “That way they don’t wear out as fast,” he said as they left.

“They’re really expensive,” Sabe repeated, holding the bags of shoes with a little astonishment.

They continued shopping, wandering through the stores, picking up anything Sabe thought he needed. By the time they were done, Sabe felt exhausted. His arms were laden with bags. Alex held a few, but mostly Sabe carried everything he had picked out. It seemed wrong to ask Alex to buy him something and then expect him to carry it, too.

“I need to stop for a moment,” Sabe said, stepping out of the flow of the crowd. There was a little gap between the shops there, probably what employees used to access the back rooms.

Alex stepped in with him. “I can carry some of that,” he said.

“No, I got it. My stuff. I can carry it. Just give me a second.” He slid the bags off his arms. There were indents in his skin where the straps and handles had been. He massaged the area with his thumbs. It hurt a little.

“Sabe, you don’t have to-”

A person with a yellow hat jumped forward from the crowd, grabbing fistfuls of bags from the ground beside Sabe. Before Sabe could register what was happening, the person was gone, disappearing into the crowd, swept along with the flow of people.

“Hey!” Sabe yelled. “My bags!” He took chase, propelling himself into the crowd. He wove through people, jumping up to see over their heads. He could see the yellow hat. He knew he could catch the yellow hat.

Running was easy for Sabe. Even in the crowd, he was fast. It was like an agility course, weaving between people, darting one way then the other. He saw the person with the yellow hat go up an escalator, and Sabe vaulted the edge and climbed up after him.

On the next floor, there weren’t as many people to dodge. The person with the yellow hat ran full out, disappearing down a hallway at the other end of the level. But Sabe was faster. He knew he could catch him.

Sabe tore around the corner, ready to leap on the thief. Except, as he did, he realized his mistake immediately.

Four men with weapons stood in the alley, and in an instant, they attacked.

“Sabe! Stop!” Alex yelled, but it was to late. The caenid jumped after the thief in the yellow hat with wild abandon, instinct to chase propelling him forward. There were too many people, and it was too loud for Alex’s words to reach him.

Alex grabbed the rest of the bags from the floor and followed after Sabe. The crowd slowed him down, even as he used his height to his advantage, pushing through them. He caught a flash of red plaid, Sabe’s new pants, at the top of the escalator to the next level.

Dread filled Alex. This was not good. He started running, not caring that he was pushing people over, making a commotion. He didn’t care that he was drawing a ton of attention to himself. Sabe was in danger. He could feel it.

Alex reached the escalator, taking the casually moving steps five at a time. He reached the top, but didn’t see Sabe anywhere. Calming himself, Alex listened over the steady murmur of people, searching for anything out of place. He heard a muffled whimper, and knew exactly where they’d gone.

Darkness descended on the alley where four men, including the one in the yellow hat, surrounded Sabe, kicking him and beating him with PVC pipes. Sabe was curled on the ground, protecting his head and his stomach as best he could, whimpering and grunting as the blows rained down on him.

It was fortunate the caenid had his eyes closed. At least then he didn’t have to witness what Alex did to those men.

“Sabe,” Alex whispered. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

A deep silence filled the alley. Sabe slowly uncurled from his protective ball and peeked through his fingers at Alex. “Are they gone?” he asked, his voice pained.

“Don’t look,” Alex said. He held out his hand. “I’ll lead you out of here.”

“Why, wha-”

“Sabe,” Alex commanded, his voice forceful. Desperate. “Close your eyes. Please.”

For a moment, Alex was afraid Sabe wouldn’t listen. He was afraid Sabe would turn and see the carnage and gore that filled the darkness of the alley, and see what Alex was really capable of.

But Sabe didn’t. He closed his eyes, placed his hand in Alex’s, and allowed himself to be lead blindly from the alley.

They returned to the lower level and stepped into a quiet alcove. Alex said, “It’s okay now. You can open your eyes.”

Slowly, Sabe opened his eyes, almost like he was afraid of what he might see when he did. When he didn’t see any blood splattered on Alex’s face, he seemed to relax. Then, Sabe noticed that Alex only held a couple bags. “Did they get away with the rest?” he asked dejectedly.

“It doesn’t matter.” They had lost nearly all the day’s shopping. Most of what Alex carried when he chased after Sabe was no longer useful. His only concern had been to rescue his friend. Nothing else mattered but that, and most of the bags had been caught in the destruction. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’ll be okay,” Sabe said. His new shirt was ripped open at the collar, exposing the boot shaped bruises along his collar bone. “I was dumb.”

“You were dumb,” Alex said, the words falling a little harsher than he meant. “They could have killed you.”

“I know,” Sabe sighed. “Sorry.”

Besides the bruises on Sabe’s chest, bruises were also forming on Sabe’s face and arms. His nose was bleeding, too, and the blood dripped onto his shoes. Nothing was broken at least. For that, Alex was grateful. “Let’s go home,” he said. “I think we’ve had enough Nukan City fun for today.” Sabe just nodded in sore agreement, and followed him from the level.

Ten days had passed since Gabriel started investigating the dead zones in the city, and he still didn’t have a suspect. No new fields had occurred for him to investigate. His scientist, James, had set up her lab, but she had yet to produce useful results. He had nothing except a fake name and some dead gangsters.

That left Gabriel sitting angrily in his office, continually refreshing the zone scan diagnostic feeds between meetings.

Gabriel knew he was dealing with a demon. The Blue Dust alone was evidence of that. The energy casing bothered him, though. That level of skill took a lot of practice, which meant he wasn’t dealing with some new creature set on the loose in the city to wreak havoc. If it hadn’t been such an absurd idea, he might have thought he was even dealing with the Black Ander himself.

That was impossible, though. The Black Ander wouldn’t dare set foot in Gabriel’s territory. They had a history, Gabriel and that demon. One that wasn’t possible to forget or forgive.

Gabriel pushed the thoughts away from his mind. He didn’t need any distractions right then. He needed to focus on eradicating the source of the dead zones. Michael was more of an immediate concern than some shadow from his past.

If Gabriel failed, Michael would send for him. If Gabriel returned to Michael’s territory, there was a high chance he would never be allowed to leave. Michael considered Gabriel to be on probation, and was just waiting for a chance to arrest him. Gabriel refused to give that man the pleasure.

Something on the scrolling feed caught Gabriel’s attention. A little tick in the camera records, like a glitch. Gabriel opened the link, accessing the live video.

It was a security monitor in Visidiary Monolith, level forty-one, shopping. Gabriel squinted at the image, trying to determine what had triggered the response. At first he didn’t see it because of the camera’s bad angle. There was a blind alley off to the side, further down the walkway. It was hidden from every security camera on the level. Even after studying at the screen, Gabriel could barely see the alley. He could, however, see the thin line of void protruding from the entrance.

It was a newly formed dead zone. Perfect.

Gabriel activated the intercom. “Transport, Visidiary Monolith, forty-one. Now!” He cut the link, knowing Tomas would do as he asked without question.

He watched the monitor, looking to catch any signs of movement. A witness, a passerby, anyone he could question to get more information. The whole screen was remained still, almost as if it were frozen. The only sign of movement was the clock in the corner slowly ticking up.

“Mr. Hart, your transport is here,” said Tomas over the intercom.

Gabriel stood, grabbing his suit jacket from the back of his chair. Just as he was about to rush out the door, a flicker of movement caught his attention on the screen. He paused and replayed it.

It looked like static in the feed, just for a couple frames, but the shape clearly formed the outlines of two people. Thrilled, Gabriel realized the demon was still there. There was a chance he could catch them if they stayed in the area.

Without delay, Gabriel left his office, grabbing Tomas and dragging him along. He ignored the young man’s yelp of protest and stuffed him into the transport with him. Then they were dropping, heading straight to the Visidiary Monolith.

***

Minutes later, Gabriel stood with Tomas at the alley containing the dead zone.

“Oh, god,” Tomas gasped, turning aside as he started to dry heave.

For once, Gabriel didn’t feel his secretary was overreacting. The alley was dripping with viscera and blood. It coated everything past the entrance, streaking down the alley like a gory display of splatter art. It had been a single sided slaughter.

Only a small oval of floor was clear a few steps beyond the entrance of the alley. Gabriel moved forward carefully, avoiding stepping in any of the mess. He crouched inside the circle, examining the area. There was a single drop of blood on the otherwise clear surface, and he could tell it didn’t belong to any of the bodies painted across the walls of the alley. He touched the small drop of blood with his finger.

It was still warm. It smelled like human, but at the same time, not human. It was strange.

“Uuugh, if you lick that I’m going to throw up, sir,” Tomas moaned.

“Shut up, Tomas. I’m not going to lick it,” Gabriel snapped. He stood and stepped back into the clear area outside the dead zone and the gore. Tomas had a white pocket square with silver stitching poking out of his suit pocket. Gabriel grabbed it and wiped the drop of blood on the delicate handkerchief.

“Hey,” Tomas protested weakly.

“Call Ms. Gaard. Let her know about the crime scene. I’m going to see if I can find whoever this belongs to.” Gabriel folded the fabric around the blood.

Tomas pouted. “Don’t leave me here, Mr. Hart. It’s icky.”

“Just call Elibitha,” he replied scornfully. Gabriel left his secretary by the murder scene and went off in the direction he’d seen the static move on the video feed.

Before long, the scent of blood drew Gabriel down the escalator. It was already fading, though. They hadn’t stayed around the scene to wait for it to be discovered. Gabriel followed the trail all the way to the lifts, where it vanished into the tram shaft.

The trams that went deeper, toward the Depths.

That figured. He knew the demon operated mostly around the Depths. It was easier to vanish that way. Even Gabriel wouldn’t be able to track the scent of one person’s blood through the packed bodies and diseased flesh that filled the lower levels.

He returned to Tomas, who was shifting nervously by the alley. He didn’t want to be there, but it was more than his usual cowardice. He was responding to the initial effects of the dead zone. While new, it seemed to project an avoidance aura that hadn’t been noticeable on the decaying field. Gabriel even watched as a mother and daughter walked by, both going wide around the alley, both finding something very interesting to look at on the other side of the mall at the same time.

If Gabriel hadn’t been actively searching for the dead zone, the massacre probably would have gone undiscovered for the next few hours.

“Elibitha is on her way,” said Tomas. “She swore at me again. I think she wanted me to share those words with you, but I’m going to pass.” He cringed nervously.

“Smart decision.” Gabriel walked to the start of the dead zone. “I want every ounce of this alley scraped up and sent to James at Lorsmith Tech.” He examined the carnage, looking for anything of immediate use. There were some bags from the stores downstairs, but they were nearly as torn up at the bodies. Maybe the demon had ambushed some shoppers. He examined the clear oval. Some of the blood was spreading into the edges, making the shape a little less precise.

If the demon had murdered a family of shoppers, why would it spare one? Why take only one with him? None of the possibilities were good. Unless the second shadow on the camera feed wasn’t one of the victims, but the demon’s ally. If that was possible, he suddenly wasn’t just looking for one suspect, but two.

Either way, Gabriel had a fresh lead. A drop of blood from a mostly human creature was a lot easier to track than a demon who didn’t want to be found.

Sabe sat shirtless on the kitchen counter while Alex cleaned the cuts and bruises on his back and arms. The medicine Alex used stung, but Sabe didn’t pull away. He knew the demon wasn’t trying to hurt him. He also knew how painful an infection could be.

“Ouch!” Sabe exclaimed suddenly, twisting toward Alex.

Alex held his hands up. One hand was empty, but the other held a wet pink towel. It had been one of the white kitchen towels once, before they started cleaning him up. It had quickly become soaked with his blood.

“My bad,” said Alex. “There was a rock. I should have warned you.”

“Did you get it at least?”

“No,” Alex admitted. “I need to try again.”

Sabe turned back around. He braced for it this time, as Alex’s grey nail pressed into a wound on his ribs. He gritted his teeth and dug his fingers into his knees, but then it was over. A sharp rock clattered into the bowl set in the sink, which was already filled with other bits of debris Alex had picked from his skin.

The thieves had stomped on Sabe and kicked him mercilessly. Some of what had been stuck to their shoes got embedded in his skin. Being thrown against the wall and ground hadn’t helped, either. He was fortunate Alex arrived so quickly or they would have beaten him to death.

“Thank you for saving me,” said Sabe, keeping his gaze forward.

“Sure. No problem.”

Sabe chewed on his lip. He knew it was a problem. Peering through his fingers, he had seen the wild look in Alex’s black eyes back in the alley. He had seen the black shadow rise up behind Alex, spreading through the air in swirls of black magic that looked like hundreds of burning eyes.

He had heard the splatters of the bodies against the walls. He doubted any of the men had escaped.

“Why do you keep protecting me, Alex?”

He was quiet for a minute, applying medicine to Sabe. When he finally spoke, Alex said, “I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life, some of them by choice. I think I feel like if I can keep you safe, maybe it’ll make up for some of that.”

“You really are a demon, aren’t you?” he asked. It had felt more like a joke before, with a few light special effects thrown in. And as a child, Alex had looked so… pure.

But that force in the alley had been anything but pure. It was corruption in its darkest form. Sabe understood why Alex had tried to hide it from him. Alex was dangerous.

“I am,” Alex replied, his fingers gently dabbing an ointment over Sabe’s wounds. “But also, I’m not. I didn’t start out on that side.”

“What happened?”

“I made some mistakes. Thought I found a place I belonged, but it ended up being worse. The usual story of a lost kid.” Alex stopped. He stepped back from the counter, walking so he stood in front of Sabe. “There. I’ve got you cleaned up as best I can. I’m not the best at healing, Sabe, but it should help a little.”

“Thanks, Alex.” Sabe slid off the edge of the counter. “For everything.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

James cheerfully greeted Gabriel when he arrived at her new laboratory in the upper levels of Lorsmith Tech. She gave him the tour, gushing about the new equipment and all the space she had. She was very grateful for everything Gabriel had provided, but she was wasting his time.

“You don’t have any results yet,” he said, interrupting her enthusiasm.

James looked abashed. “I am pioneering new ways to study and diagnose unknown quantities in the universe. It takes time.”

Gabriel didn’t have time. He needed answers. “Have you acquired test subjects for the Blue Dust?”

“We have opened it up to volunteers, but-”

“The Depths is littered with addicts. I didn’t think this would be hard for you.” He looked at the scientist coldly.

She looked back at him, only showing the briefest flicker of hesitation at what he expected her to do. “Yes, Mr. Hart. We will acquire the subjects immediately and begin testing.” She really was an intelligent woman.

“Thank you, James. Now, tell me about the crime scene.” He followed her back into the large examination room where several other scientists were working to categorize and label the various bits of goo and bone left in the Visidiary Monolith alley.

James handed Gabriel a pair of latex gloves. He put them on, humoring her. “We have discovered four bodies. Male, ages ranging between twenty-six and forty-two. Familial markings evident in two, but unlinked to the others.” She led him between the tables as she spoke.

Four of the examination tables in the room had chips of bone laid out on them in the vague shapes of a human. Gabriel picked up a shard of bone he recognized belonged to a finger. The bone edges were smooth and showed no signs of a tool. He placed it back down.

“Any idea what caused it?” he asked. He had an idea. He knew of a few abilities that could produce similar results, but he wanted to hear what she had discovered.

James looked at her colleagues in the room. “Mulcher. Meat grinder. Lasers. Acid lasers,” she said the last with a frown, looking directly at one of the other scientists. He ducked his head and tried his best to look very busy. “So far, nothing I’ve ever seen before could produce damage like this.”

“But what do you think?” Gabriel asked.

She examined his expression, trying to determine what he already knew. “I think whatever caused this found a way to tear apart four grown men within seconds. To me, it looks like the bones were cut apart at an atomic level. I think something like that would create the same splatter pattern found in that alley.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. She was very close. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” she said, sure of her response. “But until I have been able to run more tests, I will not be able to verify my hypothesis.”

“What about the other evidence found in the alley?”

James nodded, leading Gabriel to another set of tables. Tagged bits of bloody clothing and shoes were arranged across the surface, too many for just four people. Gabriel touched a the remnants of a shirtsleeve. It still had the tag on it.

“Many of the items were found in shopping bags found at the scene. Clothes, mostly, sized for a male of smaller stature than the victims.”

“A child?”

“Doubtful. Most articles were from styles popular with young men between sixteen and twenty-five. A young adult, perhaps.” Gabriel walked along the table, scanning all the items there. James was right. Nothing looked like it belonged to a child.

He stopped. A yellow hat caught his eye. He picked it up. There was blood splattered on the outside, but when he turned it over, the inside was coated with congealed blobs. He wrinkled his nose and sat it back down. How gruesome.

As he placed the yellow hat on the table, he noticed a tag peeking out from between two other items. It was small, practically hidden. Gabriel picked it up gingerly between two gloved fingers. The chain attached to the tag slithered across the table as he lifted it. A necklace. Something larger clinked before it rose into the air.

A key.

Gabriel grinned. There was power emanating from the key like a dull throb of a heartbeat. He dropped it into his hand. He could feel the energy trapped within. It was masked and dull, but he knew he could expose it. Whatever energy the key contained, he would unravel, and then it was only a matter of time before he found the demon responsible.

Snowflakes gently drifted through the air as Alex and Sabe walked back from the grocery store. It was after curfew, so the streets were quiet and empty. The snow muffled the distant noise of the traffic creeping into Nukan City. It was like walking through another world.

Bouncing happily, Sabe tried to catch a snowflake on his tongue. His hot breath kept melting the cold flakes before he could taste them. It was still fun.

“Do you want me to carry your bag?” Alex asked, smiling.

“I got it.” Sabe jumped into the air to snap at a big cluster of snow drifting down. He missed, but it stuck to the end of his nose, melting quickly into a wet drop of water. He landed back on the ground. The handle of his bag jerked, and the weak material ripped. Apples cascaded across the street. “Oops. I got them.” He chased after the fruit, gathering it from the pavement. He stacked them in the front of his jacket, pulling it out to form a makeshift basket.

“Well that bag is useless,” Alex pointed out. “I can fit the other food in mine as long as you can carry the apples.” He crouched and tried to pick up the torn bag to move all the food together, but it ripped more. Alex had to move each sealed pouch of food into his other bag individually.

Sabe carefully placed the last apple from the ground onto the pile in his jacket. “Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he said, pulling the jacket up to keep the apples from rolling away. The winter air was very cold on his exposed belly. He tried to lower the jacket some, but the apples threatened to roll.

Alex stood, supporting the bottom of his bag to prevent it from ripping with the extra weight. “Alright, good. Let’s go home before anything else happens. Do you remember the way?”

Sabe looked around the area. There were a few roads that split off in different direction. “Uhh, that way?” he said, completely unsure. It had worked last time.

“No, it’s not,” Alex said warily. His brow furrowed. “Sabe… Where’s your key?”

Sabe reached to touch where the chain had been, but the apples started to fall. He readjusted his grip on his jacket, pulling it up more to prevent anything from escaping. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think I lost it.”

“Lost it?” Alex exclaimed, breaking the peaceful winter atmosphere. “When did you lose it?!”

Shrugging, Sabe said, “I don’t know. I think when those guys attacked me in the alley. It must have gotten ripped off.”

“When- That’s been days, Sabe!” Alex shouted.

“I had other things on my mind!” Sabe shouted back. “Like nearly being beaten to death in an alley!” He didn’t know why he was yelling, but he was pretty sure it was because Alex yelled at him first.

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, looking frustrated. He breathed deep, trying to calm himself down. “You should have told me,” he said, carefully controlling his voice.

“It’s just a key,” said Sabe. He stepped out of the street to stand beside Alex. “I guess I didn’t realize it was so important.”

“I told you- Remember the monsters? The ones that live below the apartment? I told you that you needed the key to get past them. Do you want to get eaten, Sabe? Because this is how you get eaten.”

“You said they probably wouldn’t eat me, and that they were only constructs. That’s like, kids’ paper, right?”

“Construction paper?!” Alex said, his voice rising. “You thought I said the monsters were made of construction paper?!”

Sabe shrugged. “I don’t know what hobbies you have.”

“Sabe!”

“Alright, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just didn’t think about the key until now. This is the first time we’ve gone out since the attack.”

Alex shook his head, starting to walk. “Let’s just get home. I need to redo all the wards before morning.” Sabe fell into step beside him. “The next key I make you, I’m going to brand it into you skin.”

“Don’t talk like that, Alex. It was an accident. I couldn’t help it,” Sabe whined. He doubted Alex would actually brand him with anything, but the idea still made him nervous.

Alex didn’t reply. He just kept walking.

“Alex? C’mon, Alex, don’t be like that.” Sabe hurried after him down the street, trying desperately not to drop the apples.

***

Alex opened the door to the apartment building and walked inside. Sabe stayed close to him, just in case there really was a monster hiding who wanted to eat him. He was fairly sure Alex would protect him.

Sort of.

They climbed the stairs, Sabe barely able to keep up with Alex’s long legs while he carried the apples in his jacket. Alex wasn’t slowing, either. By the time they reached the top, Sabe was breathing as if he had just run a mile.

Alex unlocked the apartment door. Sabe felt the hum in his teeth as the rift switched over. The door opened and they stepped inside. It clicked shut behind them with its heavy lock.

Sabe strode into the kitchen, happy to finally be able to put the apples down. Standing on his toes, he poured the apples from his jacket into the empty sink to be rinsed.

There was a thud behind him as the bag of groceries Alex had been carrying hit the floor. Sabe turned, expecting to see that that bag had ripped, too. Instead, Alex was just standing there, his hands slack, staring. He had dropped the bag, and all the packages of food lay scattered around his feet.

“What’s wrong with you?” Sabe asked. He turned to look at what Alex was staring at.

The hall door was open. That was strange. They both always closed the door whenever they went through. It was a habit.

“I swear I closed that this morning.” Sabe walked over to shut the door. “Though I don’t see why you’re being so dramatic about- Oh. Hello.”

“Sabe.” Alex tried to whisper, but his voice came out a tight rasp. It was okay, though. Sabe understood why Alex was upset.

A man stepped out of the hallway wearing an expensive dark grey suit. His long hair shined like it was made of spun silver. He wiped his hands off on a small white handkerchief as he approached, like he’d just touched something unpleasant.

His gaze locked onto Sabe. He had the bluest eyes Sabe had ever seen, the color of water trapped in a glacier. Sabe felt frozen in his cold stare.

The silver-haired man approached, his stride confident. He examined Sabe with a sneer. “You can’t be the one causing me all this trouble,” he said. His voice was as frosty as his eyes. It made Sabe shiver.

“I don’t… you’re not…” Words were very difficult all of a sudden. He needed help. “Alex!”

With that word, the silver-haired man’s demeanor shifted. He turned, eyes searching across the room. “You!” he hissed. Then, with a speed Sabe could barely fathom, the man shot across the room at Alex.

“Oh, shit, shit, shit!” Alex yelled, turning to flee. He didn’t make it very far. The silver-haired man slammed into him, smashing him against the wall before throwing him to the floor and kneeling on his back. A hand tangled in Alex’s black hair, pressing his face against the floor.

Wincing in pain, Alex didn’t struggle. He spread his arms wide and pressed his palms against the floor, compliant. Laying there, pinned to the ground by the silver-haired man, he could see Sabe watching him, startled and shocked.

“Sabe,” said Alex, his voice strained, “I’d like you to meet my brother, Gabriel.”

Gabriel bound Alex’s arms and legs then left him sitting propped against the open wall beneath the living room entertainment display. His lip curled back with a disgusted sneer the entire time he tied Alex up, as if he could not stand the thought of touching him any longer.

Alex was not real thrilled with the contact, either. The energy infused rope stung his skin as Gabriel wrapped it tightly about his wrists and ankles. It crackled with power, disrupting his energy and making it nearly nearly impossible for him to cast. With time, he could get out of it, but for now, Alex was helpless.

Close by, Sabe sat on the couch, hugging the pillow with the bit of fluff sticking out of it. He looked afraid. He should be afraid, but Alex wished he didn’t have to be.

“What have you done with your wings, Black Ander?” demanded Gabriel, kicking Alex’s side with a hard-toed shoe. “I can barely sense them.”

“That’s the point,” Alex replied, flinching and turning his face away. He had hoped after few millennium apart, he would have gained some resistance to the effect his brother had on him, but no. Gabriel still terrified him, right down to his core, in ways that few other beings ever had.

“I can’t believe you were stupid enough to come into my territory. How long did you think you could hide?” Gabriel looked like a rabid beast as he paced the room, ready to lash out at any perceived challenge.

Alex had honestly lost track of Gabriel’s territory over the past couple centuries. He knew Gabriel was close, always operating out of one of the major cities in the West, but he hadn’t kept up with which one.

Not that it should have mattered.

Very few creatures were capable of finding Alex. He was always careful. Even within Gabriel’s territory, his brother should not have been able to find him.

“I’ve lived here for years. Why are you only finding me now?” he asked.

Gabriel pulled something out of his pocket. It dangled on a chain from his hand.

Sabe’s key.

“Well, shit.” Alex turned to Sabe. “See?”

Sabe hid behind the pillow. “Sorry,” he whispered.

Alex thudded his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He deserved to die for this. He had been very stupid.

“I wasn’t looking for you, not specifically,” Gabriel said haughtily. “I thought I had a fake, someone pretending to be the Black Ander.” He swung the key about his finger as he walked. “I thought for sure the real Black Ander wouldn’t be stupid enough to set foot in my territory, let alone throw around dead zones.”

“Dead zones?” Alex asked. He realized what Gabriel was talking about. “The barriers.” The ones he projected to shield himself and contain his energy when fought. “You were looking for those? Why?”

“That doesn’t concern you, fiend,” he spat. “For everything you’ve done, I should kill you right now.” Gabriel stalked forward as if he planned to follow through with the threat. Alex knew he wouldn’t, not yet.

However, Sabe did not. The young man panicked, leaping to his feet. “No, don’t!” He threw the pillow and it bounced off Gabriel’s head.

Gabriel froze mid stride. He turned slowly, his eyes filled with fury. “How dare you!” He spun toward Sabe. The caenid yelped and backed up, hopping up and over the back of the couch. He ducked down behind it.

“Don’t hurt him. Please,” Alex called. It was the ‘please’ which made Gabriel pause.

Slowly, his brother approached him. Alex looked up, meeting the intensity in Gabriel’s ice blue eyes even though it made his heart pound with fear.

“What is he?” Gabriel demanded, curious.

Alex didn’t break his gaze. “A caenid.”

“What is he to you?” Gabriel asked, rephrasing his question.

“A friend,” Alex said softly.

Gabriel crouched in front of him, glowering mere inches from his face. “You don’t have friends, Alex.”

“I know,” he whispered, not bothering to disguise the waver in his voice.

“Maybe I should kill this one this time. Would that make it fair? Hm?” His silver eyebrows raised with the question. He was serious. Gabriel stood, and Alex reached to stop him. A hard boot heel slammed into his chest, knocking the air from his body with a sharp crack of ribs. He felt his collar bone fracture, too. The pain made his vision swim.

“Stay,” Gabriel commanded. He walked over to the couch, peering behind it. “Caenid, huh? Come here, little puppy. You’re one of those mutts they’ve been producing, aren’t you?” He whistled like he was summoning a dog.

Filled with indignation, Sabe popped up from behind the couch. “I am not a dog!” he snapped.

Gabriel laughed at him, which made Sabe angrier. “What are you going to do, bite me? Do you have any idea who I am?”

“I don’t care who you are! I don’t care if you are Alex’s brother. You’re just an asshole!” Sabe yelled, then he sprang.

The attack took Gabriel by surprise, but only for a few seconds. He held Sabe in the air at arms length. Sabe clenched fistfuls of silver hair and pulled it in two different directions while he helplessly twisted and squirmed, captured.

Alex could see the anger in Gabriel eyes, and knew he was about to hurt Sabe. He couldn’t allow that to happen, no matter what. He struggled to get air into his punctured lungs. It couldn’t be kept a secret any longer. He had to tell them, even if it put Sabe in more danger. Right now it was the only thing Alex could think of to keep him safe.

“Don’t hurt him,” Alex wheezed. “It’s Sabine.”

“You dare say that name in my presence?!” Gabriel roared.

“Look at him. Open your fucking eyes and look at him,” Alex gasped, falling to his side in a pained slump.

Gabriel wanted to destroy the Black Ander. He wanted to rip him to tiny pieces and drop him in a volcano. That creature had no right to say her name, not after what he had done.

The squirming boy he held in his arms yanked his hair again. Gabriel turned his attention back to him. He should just kill him, the caenid mutt. He should just-

Red eyes glared at him, fierce and fiery, brimming with tears. Her eyes.

“Sabine?” Gabriel whispered. He couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t be true. His anger faded with the shock, like someone had poured cold water over him. He placed the boy on the floor. “Sabine? Is that really you?” He looked, really looked, and he could see the whole spark of her soul within this boy.

On the floor, the boy twisted and yanked, tearing strands of Gabriel’s hair free from his head. Gabriel didn’t notice the pain. “Stop calling me that!” the boy yelled. There were echos of her anger in him.

Gabriel held his wrists and gently pried open the boy’s hands, letting his silver hair slide free. He watched the way he struggled helplessly against his grip, but Gabriel was careful not to hurt him.

“I never thought I would see you again, Sabine,” Gabriel said, standing straight, his hair released.

“My name is Sabe!” The boy jerked away, taking several steps back.

Gabriel stepped closer to him. “Don’t you remember me?” he asked, confused. That wasn’t right. That wasn’t how it was supposed to work.

“I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care! Leave me alone!” The boy climbed onto the couch, ready to jump behind it again if Gabriel moved toward him.

Confused, Gabriel turned toward Alex, who was laying on the floor, his face pinched with pain. Gabriel hadn’t kicked him that hard. He was being dramatic. “What is wrong with her?” he demanded. “Why doesn’t she remember? What did you do?”

Alex opened his black eyes, looking accusingly back at him. “I found him like that. I’ve done nothing but keep him protected. The real question is, what did you do?”

Gabriel stiffened. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Liar,” Alex said, closing his eyes again.

“I want her back. She’ll come live with me until I can fix-,” he motioned to the boy standing on the couch, “-this.”

“The hell you will!” the boy said, springing over the back of the furniture. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Sabine, be reasonable. You can’t mean to stay here, not with him.” Gabriel waved his hand toward Alex.

“He is my friend, and I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“He isn’t your friend, Sabine. He’s the one who killed you,” Gabriel’s words were hard and bitter.

“Yeah, sorry about that, Sabe,” Alex chimed in from the floor.

“Shut up, Alex,” Gabriel snapped.

For once his brother obliged.

Gabriel walked over to the couch, his hands out calmly, showing he was no threat. “You really don’t remember anything, do you, Sabine?”

“Sabe,” the boy repeated the name. It was so close. What did it matter?

Gabriel held out his hand to him. “Please, I won’t hurt you.” The boy didn’t accept the offered hand. “But I could hurt the Black Ander more, if that’s what you want.” Gabriel did not like needing to resort to threats, but if that’s what it took, that’s what he would do.

Unsteadily, glancing briefly toward Alex, the boy placed his hand in Gabriel’s. His skin was a soft, warm brown, pleasant and smooth. Beautiful, like Sabine’s had been. Gabriel helped him climb back over the couch to stand before him. Sabine’s spark shined through him, but it was muted. In time, Gabriel knew he could reveal her again. He raised the hand up to his lips, but just before he could place a kiss against the light brown skin, the boy jerked back.

“Don’t,” he said, holding his hand to his chest. “Don’t touch me.” As an afterthought, glancing down at Alex on the floor, he added, “Please.”

“Come with me,” said Gabriel. He meant it. “I’ll leave the Black Ander here, alive even, if you come with me.”

Alex coughed, rolling onto his side, breathing in deep. He looked up at Gabriel, his shoulder length hair a tangle around his face. Even beaten on the floor, those black eyes defied him. “What will they do when they find out what you’ve done?” he asked. “What will they do to Sabe when they find out what you did to him? You can’t keep him safe, Gabriel. You need me.”

Gabriel snarled at him, a flash of rage, but there was truth in those words. If Michael found out about Sabine’s soul, he would do everything in his power to destroy it, and then he would turn that wrath to Gabriel. In a one-on-one battle, there might have been a chance for Gabriel to beat Michael. In this, however, Michael would have the whole backing of the Arch behind him. They would fight allied with him. Gabriel had no one.

No one, except Alex.

“Fine,” Gabriel growled. “I need you. But you betray me again, or you even think about running, and I will destroy you.”

“Yes, sir,” Alex jeered, giving a mock salute against his chest with his bound hands. He started coughing again from the pain.

Good. Little shit deserved it.

Sabe watched, dumbstruck, as Alex and Gabriel worked out a visitation schedule. Alex had gone completely passive before the silver-haired man, barely raising his voice, letting him throw him around, kick him, and tie him up with hardly a complaint. After what Sabe had seen him do in the alley, he couldn’t understand how Alex could just sit there and take the abuse.

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest, talking down to Alex. The muscles across his back flexed, tight against his tailored suit. Sabe swallowed hard, feeling strange. He squeezed his hand against his chest again, rubbing at the skin. The touch of Gabriel’s breath across the back of his hand was still there, a lingering sensation that made his skin feel all tingly. He did not like it. He wanted to wash it off.

“Sabe sleeps here,” Alex insisted, “in his own room.”

“There is plenty of room in my home,” rebuked Gabriel.

“Which is exactly where they’ll look for him,” Alex replied.

“I can protect my own home, Black Ander,” Gabriel said, a warning.

Alex shook his head, not giving in. At least he was sitting up again, not in as much visible pain. Sabe swore he had heard something break when Gabriel kicked him. His friend still remained bound, though, as Gabriel had refused to remove the ropes until after all arrangements were made.

“I need to be able to shield him regularly if you’re going to be dragging him all over the city. Unless, of course, you’re offering to invite me into your home every night?”

“Absolutely not!” Gabriel snapped.

“Then he sleeps here.”

“Fine,” Gabriel said with a snarl.

They continued discussing more details. Sabe didn’t really understand what was going on, he just knew it was about him. Well, not really. It was about Sabine.

The name was familiar, but he didn’t know why. It had acted like a switch in Gabriel, turning him from a dangerous ball of rage to an equally dangerous business executive, set out to get what he wanted. As far as Sabe could tell, what Gabriel wanted was him.

“She will come see me the day after tomorrow,” Gabriel said. “I will send a car. Since you’re so worried I might do something improper, she’ll join me in my office.”

“That’s hardly a public space,” Alex said.

“It is as public as I am willing to get right now,” he replied.

Sabe frowned. She. He kept saying ‘she’. It was starting to get on his nerves. “I’m not a girl, you know,” he said, interrupting them. Both sets of eyes turned to him.

Gabriel smirked. “Obviously. It’s just-”

“Just what?” He glared at Gabriel. “I am a man.”

He snorted. “Hardly. You’re just a boy. You can’t be more than what, fifteen?”

Sabe bristled. His lips pulled back from his teeth. “I’m twenty,” he growled.

Gabriel examined him sceptically. “Twenty? You look younger. Must be all the genetic manipulation they do when they create you mutts.”

Sabe sprang to his feet. “What did you call me, you grey- haired asshole?!”

Gabriel didn’t back down. “I called you a mutt, Mutt, which is the current unfortunate state of your body. Don’t worry, I’ll be able to fix that.” His blue eyes were piercing and cold.

“No, no,” Alex called from the floor. “That’s not part of the deal. You can’t change him.”

“What?” Gabriel snapped, facing Alex.

“You take him as he is. You cannot alter his body in any way.”

“But-”

“If you can’t handle him like this, then clearly you didn’t really love Sabine, did you? Just her body.”

“She was my soul mate. You expect me to-”

“The past is dead, Gabriel, and so is Sabine. If you try to cling to her as she was and try to live in the past, someone else is going to end up dead again. Maybe this time, it will be all of us.”

Gabriel glared at him. He turned back to Sabe, appraising him with a harsher expression than before. “I guess you will do.”

Sabe bared his teeth. “I won’t do anything!”

“Yes, you will,” Gabriel stated, as if no one ever refuse him, “and that’s final.”

“Fuck you!” Sabe spat at Gabriel’s face, then spun and stomped down the hall to his bedroom. They let him go.

***

For a long while, Sabe just lay on his bed, screaming into his pillows. When he tired of that, he rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Things were bad. He needed to leave the apartment. He needed to leave Nukan City.

There was a soft knock at his door. “It’s me. Alex.”

“Go away.”

“Please let me in. I need to talk with you.”

Angrily, Sabe hopped off the bed, marching over to the door. He flung it open. “What?!”

Alex stood there, looking ashamed and contrite. He rubbed at the rope burns on his wrists. “Gabriel is gone. For now,” he said.

“I hope he’s gone to hell, and I hope you join him, Alex. What the fuck happened back there? How could you talk about me like that? Like I wasn’t even there?”

“I’m sorry Sabe. I didn’t have a choice. He was going to kill you.”

“So?! Now he doesn’t want to kill me, he wants… he wants… He wants to turn me into something I’m not!” Sabe threw his hands in the air and walked back into the bedroom.

“He was just surprised, that’s all,” Alex said, following him into the room. “He won’t actually do anything to you.”

“How can you say that, especially after the way he beat you up? Is he another demon, Alex? Is that why you didn’t fight back?” Sabe paced, filled with too many emotions to stay still.

Alex sat on the edge of the bed. He looked down at his hands, running his fingers over marks on his wrists. “I’m not strong enough,” he said somberly. “But Gabriel will stick to our agreement. You’ll be safe around him.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere near him ever again. You can’t make me,” Sabe declared.

“You’re right,” Alex stated. “I can’t.”

“What?” He had expected Alex to put up more of a fight.

“I won’t force you, Sabe. It’s going to have to be your decision. But Gabriel just wants to sit and talk with you, maybe over dinner.”

“Like a date,” Sabe said dryly.

“Sort of, but…” Alex shrugged. “It’s your choice, Sabe. Either you meet him, or you don’t. And it’s okay if you don’t, really. He’s just going to come back here, and he’s going to beat me until you agree to go with him. Or he kills me. Whichever comes first.”

“That’s not fair, Alex. You can’t give me those options then tell me it’s my choice. That’s not a choice at all!” Sabe was upset, but more so, he was afraid. “What is he going to do to me?”

“Nothing. Right now he just wants to talk to you. Gabriel is a little over zealous sometimes, but you’ll be safe with him.”

“I don’t feel safe with him. I don’t feel safe with you, either.” He glared at Alex, but his anger was fading. Alex looked nearly as miserable as he did with the situation. The pale man’s fingers trembled as he touched his wrists.

“Is he really your brother?” Sabe asked.

“He is.”

“Would he really kill you?”

“Or worse.”

“So, if I agree to this and I go with him, you’re going to owe me.”

Alex peered up at him through his black hair. “I will owe you my life,” he said with complete sincerity.

Sabe sighed and sat down on the bed. “Then I guess that will make us even. Tell me what I’ve got to do.”

Alex paced by the front door of the apartment, increasingly nervous. He wore multiple layers of ragged, thin, black clothes that swayed with him as he walked. His hair was tied back in a messy loop with wild strands floating about his face. He looked like a homeless addict.

After the amount of powder Sabe had seen him dump into his coffee at breakfast that morning, he knew the addict part was true, at least.

The black-haired man kept looking at the clock. “Hurry up, Sabe.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Sabe said, irritated. He was nervous too, but he wasn’t as eager as Alex was for him to leave the apartment. One of the laces on his boots had snapped, and he had to undo the lacing and retie it to give himself enough slack to make a bow. That took time.

New shoes had not been among the items to survive the trip back from Nukan City. Socks had, though, so at least that was more comfortable.

“If you don’t hurry, they’re going to send someone to get you,” the demon said, agitated.

“You said they’d wait by the lifts.”

“I also said I would be beaten to death if you didn’t show up.”

Sabe stood and tapped the end of his boot against the floor. It still felt a little loose. “I think I need to retie this again,” he said.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Alex walked over, herding him out the front door despite Sabe’s protests.

“Wait, Alex, my jacket!” he said. He was barely able to snag his jacket off the hook on the wall as he was pushed passed.

Alex guided him out the door. “Out you go. Have fun on your date. I won’t wait up.”

“Oh, screw you,” Sabe sniped.

Alex held up a finger, clicking his tongue. “Not until the fourth date.” Then he shut the door in Sabe’s face and locked it.

“Asshole,” Sabe hissed, turning around. He walked down the hall, carrying his jacket over his arm. “Who does he think I’m doing this for?”

The K-district residential lifts in Nukan City were not far from the rift doorway to Alex’s apartment, but Sabe treated them like they were. Each slow step pulled him closer, like a death row inmate trudging to the gallows. Despite Alex’s assurances that Gabriel was not going to hurt him, he still was not sure he completely believed it.

A woman in a form fitting white dress and light grey cropped jacket stood by the elevator bank. Her skin was very tan, and she had freckles all over her cheeks. She was so beautiful. She looked like a movie star. Sabe couldn’t imagine what she was doing down there, but as he walked closer, her attention turned to him.

“Sabeth De Moncreaux?” she asked.

He froze, star struck. She knew his name!

She cleared her throat as if he hadn’t heard her. “Ahem, Sabeth De Moncreaux, yes? My name is Elibitha Gaard. I am Mr. Hart’s head of security. I am here to escort you.”

“Um, yes. I am,” he said, stumbling over his words. “I mean… Call me Sabe.”

She appraised him, her mouth pressed in a thin line. “Hmm. I think it’s better if we stick to formalities in this situation, don’t you, Mr. De Moncreaux?”

He felt his cheeks warm. “O-Okay. Mrs. Gaard.”

“Ms. Gaard,” she said, over-enunciating the ‘s’ sound, turning it practically into a hiss.

“Ms. Gaard,” he repeated, feeling like an idiot.

“Please, follow me, Mr. De Moncreaux.” She walked past the public lifts, heading toward the access door that was only used for emergency vehicles. She touched the screen on the control panel and the door slid open.

There was a private car waiting in the slot. Plush fabric seats lined the luxurious interior. A large screen hung over a secured display of glass alcohol bottles. There were even two windows in the car, though they only showed the dull grey interior of the current tunnel. It was just like he imagined a movie star would travel.

Sabe followed Elibitha into the car, suddenly feeling very out of place. She sat, crossing her legs at the ankle. “Please, sit, Mr. De Moncreaux.” She held her hand out to the seat across from her. “This trip will take a few minutes.”

“I didn’t realize he lived so close,” said Sabe. It was amazing Gabriel and Alex had not bumped into each other earlier.

Elibitha smiled tightly. “Mr. Hart does not live close. We will be traveling to the city center first, then we will ascend to Mr. Hart’s office at Wolfram Logistics.”

“We’re going that far?” he asked, surprised.

“As I said, this trip will take a few minutes.” The car clicked into gear, swiftly rising up the tracks. Sabe could feel it shift onto different lines, diverting and changing speed to keep moving between public trams and lifts, but the ride wasn’t bumpy. He barely heard the click of the track at all.

“What did you say you do for, um, Mr. Hart?” Sabe asked, watching the way the bolts and beams in the tunnels sped past the windows.

“I am Mr. Hart’s head of security. I am here to protect you in his absence.”

Sabe frowned at her. “You don’t look like you could protect much,” he said.

“And you don’t look like you belong in a meeting with the most powerful man in Nukan City,” she replied. “Sometimes we don’t understands things, but they happen anyways.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said.

“It is an unusual name, Mr. De Moncreaux. Family name?” she said, changing the subject bluntly.

“Kind of. Moncreaux is a coastal island off the south eastern peninsula. That’s where my family, um, comes from, I guess.” Moncreaux was where the breeder who owned his parents lived. It was his pedigree. “And ‘De’ means ‘of’ in some other language, so…”

“I’m aware of the usage, Mr. De Moncreaux.”

“What about you? Where’s your name from?” he asked, trying to keep up the civilized conversation.

“I am awfully fond of hitting things, Mr. De Moncreaux, and so, when I arrived in Nukan City, I selected a name for myself that I felt better represented my personality.”

“You changed it? What was your name before?” he asked, curious.

“If I told you, I would have to kill you, and I don’t think Mr. Hart would be very pleased with that outcome.”

Sabe chuckled nervously. “Shit, you’re not kidding, are you?”

“I rarely joke, Mr. De Moncreaux, especially when it comes to Mr. Hart.”

He leaned back from her uneasily. “I see.”

The private car moved up the tracks steadily, then split off, going horizontal. Sabe noticed the tunnel getting brighter, then suddenly, sunlight gleamed through the window. It only lasted a few seconds, then they were back in darkness.

“Did we just pass through a tube?” Sabe asked, overcome with excitement. He had only seen them from the Depths before, the clear tubes that connected one Nukan City monolith to another.

“The Nukan Link system. Commonly, the Links. We will pass through five more before we reach our building, Corvus Prime.”

“Wow,” said Sabe, kneeling on the back of the bench, face close to a window, ready. He didn’t want to miss seeing what it looked like. He had only seen the tubes- the Links, from below before. It was exciting to actually be inside one.

The next Link came, and Sabe was ready for it. He had to squint at the sudden light, but his eyes adjusted enough that he could see the buildings streaking down on both sides of him, fading into mist. They were up very high. The Depths weren’t even visible.

They passed through the next four Links, Sabe no less excited for each one. When the last blinked by, he turned to Elibitha. “Was that all of them? Are we there?”

She was looking at him strangely. “How old did you say you were?”

Embarrassed, Sabe back down on the seat properly. “Twenty,” he mumbled.

She turned toward the screen beside her, touching the button for another floor. “Before we see Mr. Hart this morning, I would like to make an extra stop.”

“For what?”

“I noticed your shoe came untied. The lace looks broken.” Sabe looked down. It had. Irritated, he started tying it again. She continued. “As head of security, it is my job to ensure the safety of Mr. Hart and his guests. A broken shoelace could be considered a danger to your health. You could trip and break your neck. I think it is well within my capacity to request a new pair of shoes for you.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “And perhaps a new outfit to match.”

Scowling, Sabe said, “You don’t like my clothes, do you?” Compared to her, he was dressed sloppy, but she didn’t have to rub it in.

“I have seen junkies pulled from sewers with more fashion sense than you.”

“I’ll have you know I am very fashionable, I just-” Sabe stopped. He had selected his clothes today intentionally, but he had done it to spite Gabriel. He did not want to go on a date with the man, so he had worn the baggiest, untidiest clothes he could find. He had wanted to look like a mess, but with Elibitha’s sharp critique, he was regretting his choice.

The car clicked to a stop. Elibitha stood. “Shopping, level one-ninety-four. This way, Mr. De Moncreaux.”

If the atrium on level forty of Visidiary Monolith had been impressive, level one-ninety-four, Corvus Prime, was awe inspiring. Sabe couldn’t believe how lavish the place looked.

Walls of smooth white marble filled the atrium. Hanging baskets of greenery and flowers were everywhere. There were trees planted through the middle, their branches woven to make a covered walkway for people to pass under. Musicians sat by a gently bubbling fountain playing soft music.

“Please close your mouth, Mr. De Moncreaux, or you will make people think there isn’t enough oxygen in the air and start a panic.”

He snapped his mouth shut and followed her into the mall.

They entered a small boutique. A soft chime played as the door swished shut behind them. A man approached in flowing robes and a sway of his hips. His skin was very dark, a brown so deep it could have been black. Liquid gold makeup highlighted his lips and eyes with intricate swirls of precisely drawn lines. A shimmer of purple dust coated his cheeks. The man radiated lavish beauty in a way Sabe could never hope to match.

“Ms. Gaard! What a pleasant surprise. How can I help you?” he asked cheerfully.

Standing beside the two of them, Sabe really felt out of place. Even if he had worn the best clothes he had, or hell, even the best clothes he owned while competing in pageants, he still would have looked like a tramp next to these two.

“Sinclair, I am afraid it is a matter of urgent business,” said Elibitha.

“What seems to be th- Oh my!” The man finally noticed Sabe was there. Sinclair covered his mouth in alarm.

“Tragic, I know,” Sabe grumbled sarcastically, rolling his eyes and turning away from the two. Sinclair didn’t have to act so shocked upon seeing him. That was definitely an unnecessary overreaction.

“I am escorting him to a meeting,” Elibitha said. She paused, one of her eyebrows quirking. “With Mr. Hart.”

Sinclair gasped again. He stared at Sabe. “You don’t mean- I didn’t think- Oh my!”

“Shh. It is a temporary thing,” she assured him.

At least that Sabe could agree on. There was no way he was going to keep putting up with this treatment every time Gabriel demanded to see him. Next time, Gabriel would meet him in the Depths, and then they’d see who looked out of place.

“I’ll see what I can do, but…” Sinclair shook his head sadly at Sabe. “I can’t work miracles.”

For a while, Sabe sat by himself on the round chaise in the dressing room while Elibitha and Sinclair scoured the shop for appropriate clothing, whatever that meant. He avoided looking at himself in the surrounding mirrors the whole time, just focused on picking at his nails.

They started hanging dozens of items on the display hooks on the wall, mixing and matching and layering different pieces, discussing the virtues of one, and discarding others. Everything was in shades of white, grey, or silver. Sabe frowned. They were going to dress him to match Gabriel. He thought that was a terrible idea.

“Can’t you use any other colors?” he asked.

Sinclair smiled at him, his teeth very white against his skin. “Just leave this to us, honey. I’ve been Mr. Hart’s personal tailor on several occasions. I know what he likes.”

“I don’t care what he likes,” Sabe mumbled, but neither of the two heard him.

Finally, they had an outfit selected.

“It’s perfect,” Elibitha said. “If you could change into it now, Mr. De Moncreaux? We are almost running behind schedule.”

“Whose fault is that?” he asked. She didn’t respond. “Fine. Where do I change?” He looked around for a changing room, but didn’t see one.

Sinclair rolled his eyes and sighed, exasperated. Swiftly, he removed Sabe’s clothes and had him changed into the new selection before Sabe could do much more then yelp a couple complaints. He pumped something into Sabe’s hair, rubbing it about and scrunching with his hands. When he was done, he patted Sabe’s cheek. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” He stepped back so Sabe could look at himself in the mirror.

Sabe almost didn’t recognize his reflection. His clothes… wow. His clothes looked good. He thought the greys and whites would wash him out and make him look dull, but they did the opposite. The red undertones in his brown eyes seemed more vibrant. His hair looked darker than normal, too, and had soft curls through it, like when it was wet.

A white leather jacket covered a soft grey vest and silver stitched collared shirt. The tight slacks were charcoal colored, woven with a floral design in the same color. The pattern was only visible when the light hit it just right.

“Hmm…” Sinclair looked at him thoughtfully. “You know, you’re not half bad. When Mr. Hart is done with you, you can stop by here.” Sabe started to protest, but Sinclair held up his hand. “Not like that, honey. I’m offering you a job, if you think you can stay off the Dust. I don’t tolerate that here.”

“A job?” Sabe asked, surprised.

“Oh, I’ve got a couple clients who would just eat you up. They’d be back every day to buy something from you.” Sinclair smiled radiantly at him. After all the insults he had endured, the compliment made Sabe feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“He doesn’t look that good,” Elibitha said scornfully. “Pick out shoes, then we’ll go.”

“I know just the thing.” Sinclair returned quickly from the back room with a pair of oxblood red leather boots. They nearly matched Sabe’s eyes. “Try these, honey.”

“Sinclair, those don’t go with the outfit at all.”

“They go with the boy, Eli, and he is owning that look.”

Sabe put the new shoes on and tied them. Elibitha examined him cynically, but sighed. “We’re in a hurry, so I guess it will be fine.” She paid for the outfit, a ridiculous amount Sabe didn’t even try to calculate.

Sabe held his chin up a little higher as he left the boutique. He smirked. “Shall we go, Ms. Gaard?” he joked, holding out his arm, doing his best imitation of old movie chivalry.

She frowned at him. “Just hurry up, or we’re going to be late.” She walked away, and he grinned as he followed after her.

“Mr. Hart, Elibitha is ascending with your appointment,” the intercom buzzed. “They’ll be here soon.”

“Thank you, Tomas,” Gabriel said. “Show them in as soon as they arrive, please.”

“Yes, sir,” Tomas sighed, then clicked off the line.

Tomas was acting a little grumpier than usual because Gabriel had requested his presence in the office early. His usual morning secretary, Charlet, was still out on maternity leave. Gabriel did not want anyone he didn’t trust in the office today, especially not those vapid temp workers who kept cycling through the position. Today was too important for him to deal with that incompetence.

Tomas pushed open the door, stepping into the office, looking suddenly cheerful. He had a peculiar smile on his face that Gabriel instantly did not like. Something was up.

Elibitha strode in next, trying to disguise her amusement with a mask of irritation. She stepped off to the side beside Tomas, but they both just watched Gabriel, eyes glittering with mirth.

The door remained empty for a few heartbeats. Then Sabe walked through, and Gabriel understood why his employees were acting so strange.

Sabe entered the room, chin raised, lip quivering, and eyes filled with determination. He was scared, but he bravely walked forward, refusing to look away from Gabriel.

Gabriel was stunned. He felt his heart flutter. Sabe was absolutely gorgeous. The clothing he wore hugged his trim body, accentuating thin hips and lean muscles. The colors made the red in his hair and his eyes appear like a jewel tone, brilliant in the sunlight. Those eyes- Sabine’s eyes- Gabriel couldn’t look away. He would have gladly drown in those eyes.

How had Gabriel missed it before? How could this be the same little beast hiding behind a couch just days ago?

“Breathe,” Tomas whispered, smirking.

The corner of Elibitha’s mouth twitched with a smile.

Gabriel realized they were still there. He also realized he had been holding his breath.

“Get out, both of you!” Gabriel ordered, marching toward them. His employees scattered, Tomas’ gleeful giggling chasing them out of the office. Gabriel slammed the door shut after them.

Sabe flinch at the sudden noise, and Gabriel immediately regretted doing it. This was not the impression he wanted to make.

While facing the door, Gabriel smoothed his suit and found his composure. He turned around to face Sabe. “I’m so sorry about that. They can be a little excitable sometimes. Please, won’t you have a seat?”

“I’ll stand, thanks,” he replied, still shaken.

“Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?”

He declined again, rapidly shaking his head.

This wasn’t going at all as Gabriel had hoped. He returned to his desk, sitting casually, hoping the barrier of the desk between them might put Sabe at ease. “Thank you for joining me today,” he said.

“I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?” Sabe fidgeted, glancing around the room, eyes lingering on the full windows behind Gabriel.

“I’m sorry about that, truly. I do wish our first meeting had not been so…”

“Brutal?” Sabe suggested.

“I was going to say ‘unexpected,’ but I suppose you are correct.” Gabriel tugged at his sleeves, pulling the cuffs out enough that the diamond links were visible past the light grey jacket. “You have to understand, discovery of the Black Ander here in my city took me by surprise.”

“He’s your brother,” Sabe accused.

“He is,” Gabriel agreed, “but he is also a very evil man.” Just how much had Alex shared with the boy about what they really were? It couldn’t be much, otherwise Sabe would have refused to stay in that apartment with him.

“Alex is my friend. He saved my life twice.”

“He also killed you, Sabine.”

“My name is Sabeth,” he snapped. “Sabe. Not Sabine. And I am very clearly not dead.”

“A fact which pleases me to no end.” Gabriel smiled at him, but Sabe still looked uncomfortable. “I am just sorry that you do not remember me yet.”

“There’s nothing there to remember,” the boy replied. “I’m not Sabine. I’m just me. The only reason I’m here is because I don’t want you to hurt Alex.”

That wasn’t quite true. There was something else there, like a quiver of curiosity. Even at the edges of Sabe’s fear, Gabriel could sense it. He could use that to gain the boy’s favor. After all, he had nothing to hide from Sabine.

“I don’t plan to hurt him again,” Gabriel admitted. “He is cooperating, as he should. He knows how much trouble he’s in, and he will behave.” For a while, until he discovers a way to weasel out of the agreement and escape.

“Even if I don’t see you again?”

Gabriel’s chest felt tight. “If you refuse to see me again, I won’t hurt the Black Ander. I’ll respect your decision,” he lied. There was no way he would allow that to happen.

Sabe bit his lip. “And today… you just want to talk?”

“Just talk, nothing more.”

The caenid boy cautiously approached one of the chairs on the other side of the desk and sat. “Okay. So what do you want to talk about?”

With a warm smile, Gabriel said, “Everything. I want to know everything about you.”

The white leather jacket creaked as Sabe crossed his arms petulantly. “There isn’t much to know.”

“You’re a caenid, aren’t you?”

“You called me a mutt before.”

Gabriel had done that. That had been a mistake. “That was very rude of me. I apologize. I was not thinking clearly when I first saw you. I could not see how beautiful you were.”

Sabe’s cheeks reddened. “Don’t say stuff like that,” he muttered.

“It’s true. You are beautiful. If I had not been so focused on dealing with the Black Ander I would have recognized you sooner.”

“You’re just saying that because my clothes are nice,” he said, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. He shifted in his chair and uncrossed his arms, nervously picking the hem of his vest.

“Your clothes are nice,” Gabriel agreed. “But it is because they suit you so well that I like them.”

Wrinkling his nose, Sabe said, “You should like them. You bought them.”

“I did?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I assume. Ms. Gaard actually paid, but I figured the money came from you.”

“Ms. Gaard took you shopping?” That had not been part of her instructions.

“Yeah… I think she thought my clothes weren’t good enough to wear here.” He glanced up. “With you.”

A quick flash of rage overcame Gabriel. How dare she make such a decision on her own! “Let me be clear. I do not care what you look like or how you dress. I would not care if you walked into this office covered in mud,” he said, his voice rising. “You are perfect, but that is not why I love you.”

Sabe cringed back at the intensity of Gabriel’s words. “You don’t even know me. I don’t- I don’t feel…”

“Please, I understand this may be difficult, but above all else, I never want you to doubt the sincerity of my feelings.”

“I can’t return them, Mr. Hart. I don’t think I could ever feel that way about you.”

Gabriel looked away from Sabe, his heart pained. Softly, he said, “Sabine was my world. She was everything to me, and the years I had with her were the happiest I have ever known. Losing her… I’ve never fully recovered. And I’ll never forgive the Black Ander for taking her from me.” He turned his gaze back to Sabe. Those red eyes were watching him, focused on the pained honesty of his words. “If I can have even a fraction of that happiness with you, it’ll be enough.”

Sabe was silent for a while, thinking over Gabriel’s words and fighting with his own conflicting emotions. Gabriel could practically see his thoughts as he struggled. The boy was still wary of him, but there was doubt there, and that was good.

With a sigh of resignation, Sabe announced, “I think I’ll take that drink now.”

The office was immense and luxurious beyond anything Sabe had ever seen before. A wall of real wooden shelves and cupboards with gilded insets stretched up to meet the high ceiling. Expensive art and books filled the open spaces, probably more for display than usage, but still impressive. Windows lined two sides of the room, curving out with a thin balcony to provide a view over half of Nukan City. Sunlight streamed through, filling the room with warm natural light. It was unreal.

“Thank you,” said Sabe as Gabriel handed him a cup of tea.

Damn. He hadn’t been watching the silver-haired man as he poured it. He could have put something in it, like a poison or a sedative. That’s what Wently told him was the first rule of dating. Never drink anything he didn’t see poured or pour himself.

However, the likelihood of Gabriel drugging him was slim. He already had Sabe alone in his office at the top of the world. If he wanted, Gabriel could probably do anything to him and no one would stop him. It was a frightening thought.

Sabe sipped the tea. It was good, but still too hot. He placed it on the little table between the chairs.

Gabriel sat on the front edge of his desk, closer than Sabe was really comfortable with, but still out of immediate reach. He looked calm, the way models did when posing for high end fashion shoots. Hell, he could have been a model. His light grey suit fit him perfectly, and his long silver hair was braided over one shoulder, accented with tiny metal rings. Icy blue eyes watched Sabe the way a predator might, which was the only thing about the man that revealed how dangerous he really was.

Coolly, the silver-haired man spoke. “As much as I would love to learn everything about you, I realize you might feel more at ease if you knew more about me. So please, ask me anything you like. I have no secrets from you.”

“Anything?” Sabe asked, surprised. He had expected Gabriel to be as secretive as Alex. He figured it was a demon thing.

Gabriel thought for a moment, then nodded. “Anything.”

Sabe had a hundred questions. He didn’t know where to start. Jumping in with big questions, like the ones Alex refused to answer, seemed inappropriate, but it also seemed like a waste of time to ask things like “What’s your favorite color?”

Silver. It was probably silver.

Gabriel shifted slightly, rolling his shoulders in a way that made his suit tighten. A sudden realization struck Sabe, and he asked, “Do all demons hide their wings?”

“Excuse me?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. Had that been too blunt?

“Uh, I mean… Alex hides his wings all the time, and you do it too, right? Is it, like, all demons?”

“I am not a demon, Sabine,” Gabriel stated, unamused.

“Sabe,” he corrected. “If you’re not a demon, then what are you?”

The silver-haired man straightened proudly. “I am Gabriel, Ahnnak, Arch governor of E’din, messenger of the final prophecy.”

Sabe just stared at him.

“An angel,” he clarified, smirking.

“Wait, you’re an angel?!” Sabe’s eyes widened. “I thought you were like Alex, and he said-”

“The Black Ander and I are nothing alike. The demons, the ones like him, are impure and corrupt. They seek the destruction of everything my kind strives to create. I work for the good of mankind.”

“No wonder you two fight so much,” Sabe observed.

Nodding, Gabriel said, “Among other reasons.”

“So… You do have wings, don’t you?”

“I do,” Gabriel admitted.

“Then, can I see them?” He tried not to look too eager, but knowing that Alex had wings he hid all the time had been driving him mad.

Gabriel regarded Sabe with a hint of amusement. “Would you like to see my wings, Sabine?”

“Sabe,” he corrected again. “And yes. Very much.”

Gabriel stood, stepping away from his desk and into an open part of the room. With his back to Sabe, he rolled his shoulders again, and Sabe felt the air move across his face, like a breeze on a cool autumn day. Excitement filled him. Transfixed, he stared at Gabriel’s muscular back.

The air shimmered behind Gabriel, a cascade of rainbow sparks. Abruptly, the shimmer vanished, replaced by huge, astonishingly white wings. Sabe jumped up from his chair, surprised.

Opening his wings slowly, Gabriel looked over his shoulder at Sabe. “What do you think?”

“They’re amazing!” Sabe gushed, moving forward. He reached out and touched the silky feathers.

“Ah, careful,” Gabriel warned quietly. The wing pulled away from Sabe’s fingertips.

Sabe drew his hand back. “Oh, sorry.” That had been reckless of him. Of course Gabriel wouldn’t want him to touch his wings.

Gabriel turned around to face him, wings spread wide behind him, gently fanning the air. The two men stood closer now, close enough to touch, and close enough that Sabe discovered how wonderful the silver-haired man smelled. He felt his cheeks warm again.

“It’s okay,” Gabriel said. “I don’t mind if it’s you, I would just prefer to be somewhere more private.” The way he regarded Sabe brought even more heat into the young man’s cheeks.

Sabe took a step back, oxblood red shoes sliding soundlessly over the smooth marble floor. He needed more space between himself and the silver-haired man. He had to stay guarded.

“What else do you want to know?” asked Gabriel. He slowly moved closer, his intense blue eyes searching Sabe’s face.

Sabe took another step back, though this one was smaller. His heart was pounding in his chest. “I, uh…” His mind was suddenly blank. Of the hundreds of questions he had for the man before him, he couldn’t remember a single one.

Gabriel stepped forward again, the heat from his body radiating outward, warm and familiar. Sabe didn’t move back this time. He lifted his chin, peering up into Gabriel’s eyes. Though Gabriel was taller than Sabe, he was not as tall as Alex. His face was close. Close enough to touch, close enough to kiss if Sabe stood on his toes. The thought was startling, but Sabe couldn’t bring himself to look away.

Wings curled forward, shielding them on each side, blocking the view of the room. Sunlight lit Gabriel from behind, and the wings appeared to glow, trapping them in a haze of soft light.

At that moment, nothing else in the world mattered. Gabriel was warm, and he was solid, and the air between them felt charged with electricity. Sabe wanted to touch him. The desire to reach out and place his hand against Gabriel chest was almost unbearable.

Swallowing hard, Sabe whispered the only thing he could think of. “What’s your favorite color?”

Gabriel leaned lower, his warm breath caressing Sabe’s skin as he slowly murmured, “My favorite color is the color of your eyes.” His lips hovered just over Sabe’s cheek. “My favorite food is but dust compared to the taste of your lips. I would gladly sacrifice my sight of all the beautiful things in this world, if only it meant your touch would guide me through the dark.”

Oh shit.

Sabe felt weak. His heart pounded. What was he thinking?! He could not be doing this. He could not be about to kiss an angel.

And yet…

Sabe tilted his face, bringing his lips in line with Gabriel’s. Fear and excitement filled him, mingling with the desire deep in his stomach. There was barely a breath of air between them. Sabe closed his eyes, rising to his toes, and-

The office door burst open. “Mr. Hart, lunch is rea- Oh! I’m so sorry! I should have knocked!” The man backed out the door quickly, and it clicked shut.

Realizing what he had almost been caught doing, Sabe turned away. He could feel his embarrassment burning across his skin. The air around them sizzled, and suddenly, the surrounding wings vanished.

Gabriel glared over Sabe’s head at the door, furious. There was a timid knock, then it creaked open, just a crack. “Mr. Hart?” came the man’s remorseful voice.

“Tomas,” Gabriel growled through clenched teeth.

“Do you want lunch now or later?”

“What do you think, Tomas?” the silver-haired man asked threateningly.

“I’ll come back later, Mr. Hart,” decided the voice from the door.

“Good idea.”

The door clicked shut.

Sabe stepped back from Gabriel just as the man lifted his hand, about to touch Sabe’s arm. “No,” Sabe said. He took another step away, then turned, hurrying passed Gabriel to go stand by the window.

Squeezing his arms around the white leather jacket, Sabe stared out over the top of the glittering, mirrored city. His mind raced. How could he have been so close to doing that? He didn’t even know this man, and what he did know told him the man was dangerous. A dangerous, aggressive, violent, selfish, primped-up, diamond-studded jerk.

“Sabine-”

“Sabe.”

“I am sorry.” Gabriel approached, but kept a careful distance. “I am not trying to force you into something you do not want.”

That was the problem right there. Sabe had wanted it. He wanted the contact. He wanted the touch. He wanted all the attention this impossibly powerful man could give him, even if it threatened to consume him.

In his hubris, he almost believed he was worthy of what Gabriel offered.

But he wasn’t. He was just a caenid slave, a nobody. He didn’t belong there. The only reason he was there at all was because they thought he was someone else. They thought he was someone he could never be.

Sabe’s vision blurred as tears filled his eyes. He clenched his teeth. He refused to cry. Callously, he said, “What did you put in my drink, Mr. Hart?”

“Sabine, I never-”

“Stop calling me that!” Sabe yelled, turning around. Anger was good. It smothered his other feelings, making it easier to think. “I swear if you call me Sabine one more time, I am going to throw myself out this window!”

Gabriel tilted his head, looking at him curiously. “Then I will catch you.”

“Argh!” Sabe screamed with frustration, stomping back and forth in front of the window. “How can you be so selfish?! Don’t you get it? I don’t like you!”

“You’re lying,” Gabriel said.

Sabe stopped pacing and glared at Gabriel. “You put something in my drink, didn’t you? Something to make me feel this way about you.”

“Is that what you really believe?” asked the silver-haired man. He was calm, his features carefully controlled, not revealing any hint of his thoughts or feelings to Sabe.

Sabe glared at him for as long as he could stand, then turned back to the window. He pulled at the bottom of his vest where he could feel a tiny thread poking out between the pressed seam. “No,” he whispered. “I don’t really believe that.”

Gabriel stood behind him, a warm presence at his back. “I will not touch you if you don’t want me to, Sabe,” he said. “You have my word.”

Hearing Gabriel say his name sent chills down Sabe’s spine. “Promise?” he asked in a whisper.

“I promise. On the wings on my back.”

Sabe turned around. Gabriel smiled softly at him. The adoration the silver-haired man had for him was clear, although misguided. It made Sabe feel guilty, as if he was trying to steal someone else’s happiness.

“How about we go out for lunch today,” Gabriel suggested. “I think I know a place you’ll enjoy.”

Sabe nodded. Getting out of the office seemed like a very good idea.

***

Tomas bowed low, almost reaching down to touch his toes. “I am so sorry about earlier. Please forgive me,” he implored.

Gabriel stopped by the secretary’s desk, his jaw set in a scowl of disapproval. “We are going out for lunch,” he said to the bowed man.

Tomas turned his head so he could look up at them. “But what about-” Gabriel’s lip curled back in a snarl, and Tomas dropped his gaze again. “Y-Yes, sir.”

Sabe felt bad for the secretary, but despite the man’s meek groveling, there didn’t seem to be any real sense of fear from him. In fact, he almost seemed to be enjoying the situation.

“Do not contact me for any reason,” Gabriel commanded.

“Yes, sir.”

Gabriel gave him one last disgusted look, then proceeded to the elevator. Sabe followed, but he caught a glimpse of a smirk on the secretary’s face as the man straightened.

Elibitha sat down the thin tablet she had been reading and rose from the chair near the elevator. “Will you be needing an escort, Mr. Hart?”

“No, Ms. Gaard.” Gabriel touched the access screen for the lift. The door swished open, the private car already in place. He looked at her seriously. “Though I do have a job for you.”

“Anything, Mr. Hart,” she responded crisply.

“I would like for you to personally go buy a new wardrobe for Sabe. A couple hundred different items should do. I saw this bracelet the other day in Aberforth Tower that would go nicely with his eyes. I’m sure you’ll find it. Have everything gathered and arranged by the time Sabe leaves this evening.” Gabriel smiled. It was not a nice smile.

“But that’s all the way across town,” Elibitha said. Her brow furrowed.

Gabriel ushered Sabe into the personal car and stepped in after. “Then I guess you had better hurry, Ms. Gaard,” he said.

She bowed to him. “As you wish, Mr. Hart.”

The door whooshed shut.

Sabe sat across from Gabriel. The personal car felt smaller than it had when he rode with Elibitha. He kept his back straight and his hands on his knees, not looking out the window as they started to drop through the tunnels.

“She’s not really going to buy me more clothes, is she?” he asked.

Gabriel shrugged. “She has yet to directly disobey me, so I imagine she will purchase the items and have them here before we get back. If you don’t want the clothes, that’s fine. I will just have her return everything you don’t like.”

Sabe frowned. “Is she in trouble for something?”

“Why do you ask?”

“It just seems awfully harsh, making your head of security run around doing errands.”

“Apparently, she feels it is part of her job now,” Gabriel said, motioning to Sabe’s clothes.

“Yeah, but, I mean, she was kind of right,” he admitted. He looked for the bag of his old clothes that he had away tucked in the car. He pulled it out from where it was wedged beside the seat and opened it. He lifted the grimy, threadbare shirt he had been wearing and showed it to Gabriel. “When I got ready this morning, I didn’t want to give you the impression that I wanted to be here.”

Gabriel regarded the shirt with a raised silver eyebrow. “And now?”

Sabe stuffed the dirty shirt back into the bag. “I-I’m glad she insisted on stopping for a new outfit.” He couldn’t imagine going to lunch with Gabriel wearing this morning’s clothes. He would have looked like a beggar following around a prince.

“Well, I’m glad you’re more comfortable, but that doesn’t change what she did. I do not want my employees thinking they know what is best for you or what is best for me. Ms. Gaard is very good at her job, but sometimes, she is too concerned with public impressions. I think she is afraid someone might ask start asking questions if I stand out too much.”

“Asking questions?”

“About what I am.”

“So, she knows about you being,” he dropped his voice low, “an angel?”

“I keep a close circle of employees who know what I am. It can be very tiring hiding all the time, so being able to rely on others to help obscure the truth has allowed me to focus on more important things.” He smiled. “Like you.”

Sabe averted his eyes, spending the rest of the ride picking at the loose thread in his vest. The private car slowed to a stop. He read the destination from the display. One-fifty-two, Corvus Prime, upper-residential.

They got out on a level that looked like an old street, complete with pavement walkways weaving between tall townhouses. Trees and street lamps alternated down the lane, and the lightscreens above mimicked a bright blue sky. Except for the one ceiling panel that was burn out, a black square against an otherwise clear day, the impression was very close to walking down a street outside.

“I thought we were going to lunch,” Sabe said as they walked by all the homes. Soft music drifted out from some and flowers blossomed in window sills of others.

“We are. There is a restaurant on this level that I think you’ll really enjoy. It’s one of my favorites.”

It made sense that there was a restaurant, but Sabe had always assumed all the residential levels looked like the one Alex used as access, with low ceilings and dingy carpets, and as many people packed as tightly together as possible. Up here was a lot of unused space and the homes reminded him more of the house his adopted family lived in. Knowing what people existed in below made it feel wasteful.

They arrived at building with pink roses embroidered on the curtains of the first floor. There were no signs that declared it was a restaurant, but Gabriel went up to the door. “Gypsy Rose Cafe,” he explained to Sabe. “It is a charming, quiet restaurant, run by the sixth generation of this family. They serve a wonderful selection of Mediterranean food, following some very classic recipes.”

“Like spaghetti?” Sabe asked.

“No, not quite. A little further back than the pasta revolution.” A chime tinkled as Gabriel opened the door. Inside, the lights were low, lit by flickering electric candles. White tablecloths covered the dozen or so round tables that filled the room. There were a few other people eating, conversing happily over their meals. It had a very old world feel, like a place gangsters gathered in old mobster movies, but it smelled delicious.

A soft woman with grey in her hair greeted them at the door. When she recognized Gabriel, her eyes lit up. “Mr. Hart! It is so wonderful to see you today.” Her pleasant eyes turned to Sabe. “And with a guest no less! Please, right this way.”

They followed her to a spacious alcove hidden from the rest of the restaurant. A lone table sat beside a carefully designed balcony display with inset screens mimicking a quiet shoreline and the gentle sound of waves. As Sabe sat at the table, he could almost feel the warmth of the sun coming through the display. The effect was very authentic.

Gabriel waited for Sabe to take a seat then sat across from him at the small table. “My usual, please,” he said to the woman. “And I believe my companion would like to try the glazed duck entree.”

“Of course, Mr. Hart. Anything for you,” she beamed, and hurried off to the kitchen.

“Duck?” Sabe asked skeptically once the woman was gone.

Gabriel smiled at him. “Yes, duck. You’ll like it.”

“I’ve never had duck before,” he said. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Gabriel ordering something for him without at least asking first. Then a thought crossed his mind. “Do you eat meat?” The question felt awkward. He hurried on. “Because Alex doesn’t, and I thought, since you’re like him, maybe-”

“No,” Gabriel said, interrupting Sabe’s ramble. “I avoid it. There’s nothing sentimental about the matter, it’s just the way things are. Don’t feel you have to hold yourself to the same obligations, though. There is much in meat that benefits you.”

“Weird,” he mused. “That’s almost exactly what Alex said.”

Gabriel’s eye twitched. “Is it?”

“Yeah. I mean, sort of. Even though he doesn’t eat it, he always cooks some meat for me. Said I need it.”

“That’s because of what you are, Sabe,” said Gabriel.

“Huh?”

“As a caenid.” When it was apparent Sabe didn’t understand the link, he continued, “Your kind are mostly carnivorous. You literally need meat. If you try to live off just plants, no matter how much you eat, you’ll become malnourished. Your body can’t absorb it properly.”

Sabe had never heard that before. “How do you know that?”

The silver-haired man shrugged, the tiny rings looped in his braided hair clinking. “I did some research yesterday.”

“About caenids?”

“About you.”

“Oh,” said Sabe, feeling his stomach lurch. “What did you find out?”

“I found out there may be some flaws in the system that people have been exploiting with the usage of caenids.” He looked sincere when he said, “I’m sorry you had to endure that.”

Sabe focused on the screen, looking out over the blue ocean as the waves gently rolled in. A bird flew over the water, its call echoing over the cliffs. Sabe thought he could smell the salt in the air, and heard the waves crash against the rocks below their alcove. He closed his eyes. He could see the people walking through the streets, bright fabrics and spices displayed in the markets. A smiling face and sun warmed skin. A hand reaching back to hold his.

“Sabe?” Gabriel repeated again. He had been saying his name for a while. Sabe opened his eyes and looked at the blue-eyed man. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he said, and sighed, slouching in his chair as reality weighed him down. “I didn’t think it would be that easy to find out about me.”

“Purchase and sale of caenids is public record. It was pretty easy to figure out what happened from there.” There was still a bit of worry in Gabriel’s eyes. It made Sabe uneasy.

“What?” he asked.

“Well… you are still owned by a man named Quintin Lauken.”

Sabe frowned. The name was completely unfamiliar to him. “So? It’s not like I’m going back.”

“Yes, but legally-”

“I don’t care about legal,” Sabe snapped. “I am not a slave anymore.”

“No, you’re not,” Gabriel agreed. “But the contract is there. I am looking into procedures to buy it from-”

“Wait.” Sabe held out his hand, glaring at Gabriel. “You want to buy me?”

The angel hesitated. “Not buy,” he said, cautious. “Not really. But I think it would be better if I-”

Sabe slammed his hand down on the table, making the little vase of fabric flowers rattle. “If you what, Mr. Hart? If you own my contract? Is that what you were going to say?” Fear thrummed in Sabe’s chest. “You think it would be better if you held my contract rather than some stranger who probably thinks I’m dead? You think that would make me feel better?”

Gabriel frowned at him. “You don’t have a lot of rights in society right now. Caenids are considered intellectual property, not people. Legally, you’re a patent owned by a laboratory in SoHo. There is legislation being introduced to grant caenids citizenship and legal status, but for now, as long as you share less than ninety-seven percent of your genetic code with humans, the best you can hope for is an animal rights activists defending your case.”

“I don’t care, Mr. Hart. If you buy my contract, I will never speak to you again.”

For a while, Gabriel appraised him, brows knit, trying to determine how serious he really was. Sabe glared back, making it clear he was deadly serious.

“Alright,” he said, raising his hands in forfeit. “I won’t touch it.”

Sabe exhaled, relieved. “Thank you.”

A waiter arrived at the table, sitting down water. He then presented empty wine glasses before them with a practiced flourish. “Good afternoon, Mr. Hart. I have a wonderful Riesling for you to try today. It will pair nicely with the young gentleman’s glazed duck.” He presented the wine he had tucked under his arm.

“Yes. Thank you,” Gabriel said, nodding for the waiter to continue.

Swiftly, the wine was uncorked and poured, the light amber liquid filling the bottom third of the glassed. The waiter bowed and left.

“So do you get this type of treatment everywhere you go?” Sabe asked, still irritated with the silver-haired man, and hoping to talk about something else. He looked around the restaurant. It was awfully quiet there.

“I pay a monthly stipend to the owners of this cafe. They keep a table reserved for me, and in exchange, they don’t have to do a lot of business to get by. It is a small, family owned business, and I want to make sure it stays that way.” Gabriel lifted his glass, swirling the amber liquid gently.

“Why?” Sabe copied the gesture. The only wines he had before were the type chugged from a box. This wine, in this restaurant, didn’t seem like the type to chug.

“This is one of the few places I can find food I enjoy. It reminds me of a time when I was happy, and sometimes I need that.” He drank from the glass.

Sabe did as well. He grimaced.

Gabriel’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Not a wine drinker?”

“No, sorry,” he admitted. He tried another sip, just to see if maybe the second was better than the first. It was not.

“When wine first became popular, I thought the same thing. Then a mentor of mine gave me very good advice. He said, ‘Wine is like most social interactions. If you must do it, pretend to enjoy it. The taste will not last forever.’”

“So you just pretend to enjoy it?”

Gabriel shrugged. The air moved around him, a light breeze touching Sabe’s skin. “After a time I stopped pretending. The different flavors stuck to me like memories. I drink one wine, and I can taste a string quartet and the touch of gloved hands. I drink another, and I taste deafening laughter and dancing on tables.”

Sabe licked his lips. “What do you taste with this wine?” he asked.

Ice blue eyes watched him. “Nothing,” Gabriel stated. “But forever more when I taste this wine, I will taste the fire in your eyes and the heat in your words. I will taste your anger and I will taste my burning desire to do anything to make you happy.”

Sabe looked down at his wine. He realized his hand was shaking. He sat the glass back down on the table. “Mr. Hart, I-”

“Please, Sabe. Call me Gabriel.”

“Gabriel,” Sabe said, the name feeling too familiar on his lips. His heart beat faster. The words poured out of him, too fast to control. “I have never been with- I mean, I’ve barely dated at all, and, well, my first time didn’t go so well, and I haven’t been with anyone since, definitely not a man. I mean, I never even considered it before.” He hesitated, drawing a breath. “But, if there’s going to be anything at all between me and y-you… I need to go slow.”

Gabriel placed his hand on the table between them, palm up. An offer, not a demand, or even a request. “I understand, Sabe,” he said.

Hesitantly, Sabe lifted his hand from beneath the table. He reached out, lowering his hand until just his fingertips sat resting against Gabriel’s fingertips. It was a tiny, gentle touch, but it sent heat through his body. Sabe looked away, focusing on the pleasant seaside display, trying to control the euphoria that filled him. He was afraid he might explode, but he did not break the contact.

From the corner of his eye, Sabe could see Gabriel watching him, his gaze filled with a guarded adoration. Sabe silenced the little voice in his head that told him he was cheating, that he didn’t deserve that look, that it belonged to another.

Like wine, he told himself, I can pretend.

The two men sat in peaceful silence in that restaurant, the lightest touch connecting them. For a while, that was enough.

And Gabriel was right. Sabe did love the duck.

They left the Gypsy Rose Cafe a couple hours later, pleasantly full and warm with wine. The alcohol didn’t effect Gabriel much, but he enjoyed watching how relaxed it made Sabe, just as he had enjoyed watching Sabe devour the glazed duck.

The young man bounced beside him, hands in his pants pockets, bumping against Gabriel’s arm in a way that could be construed as an accidental touch by anyone nearby. Gabriel knew better. Sabe’s desire to touch him was nearly as great as his own.

When the food had arrived in the restaurant, Sabe had pulled his hand away with such flustered haste that Gabriel worried the young man might always be skittish to his touch. Now, with Sabe walking close enough to rub against him, he realized he would just need to give him time to adjust. Being patient was difficult, but Gabriel could do it, if he had to. He just hoped Sabe wouldn’t force him to be too patient.

“Is this new to you?” Sabe asked as they walked. He looked straight ahead, but he had a slight smile on his lips.

“Hm?” Gabriel kept pace with him, enjoying the casual stroll. It had been quite a while since he found the time to just walk with no destination in mind.

Sabe glanced at him quickly, then looked away, still embarrassed. “Being with another man,” he said, his words strong despite his uncertainty.

“No,” Gabriel said honestly. “This is not new to me, though it has been a very long time.” A long time for any relationship that wasn’t more that a few nights of carnal release.

“Do you have a preference?” asked Sabe.

“Can you be my preference?”

His cheeks warmed, but he smiled. “No.”

“Then no, I do not have a preference. There was a time when I was fairly lax in my standards, and I accepted countless partners into my arms indiscriminately. But I was young and foolish then, and did a great number of young and foolish things. Eventually, they caught up to me.” They turned a corner, walking down a well lit street whose overhead lighting was shifting to evening. Streetlights blinked on in the dimming light. “When I was wiser,” Gabriel continued, “my first real relationship was with a friend from my youth. A man. But we were together out of necessity, I think. It was a difficult time, and we sought comfort in each other, but we also caused each other a lot of pain.”

“Sounds like you really cared for him,” said Sabe thoughtfully.

“It is possible to love people and still hurt them. Eventually, he left me. He died in the war not long after.”

“The war?” he asked.

It didn’t really feel like a topic that would be appropriate out there, walking through the quiet Nukan City neighborhood. Still, Gabriel had agreed to answer any of Sabe’s questions, so he stated, simply, “The war between E’din and the Jinn. The war we still fight today.”

“Oh,” Sabe breathed, eyes wide. A little buzz of fear raced through him.

“The war is not fought on battlefields with weapons and blood anymore. It is subtle, in the movements of governments and the beliefs of the people. It is not something you need worry about. Besides, I’ll never let anyone hurt you,” he said smiling comfortingly.

With a soft smile in return, Sabe’s shoulder bumped against Gabriel’s arm. “I know,” he said, complete confidence in those words.

Gabriel’s heart melted. Sabe was so adorable with that blush across his cheeks, he was almost painful to look at. Sabine, she had never been so chest-tighteningly cute. She had been gorgeous, yes, and fearsome when angered, but never cute.

The feelings in Gabriel’s chest were entirely new. Perhaps it was because Sabe was a caenid, he thought, trying to reason with the waves of emotion pouring through him. The species had been bred to have a lot of dog-like qualities. Sabe was certainly fluffy and soft with all the awkward enthusiasm of a puppy, but it was more than that, too. There was an aura about him that practically glowed.

One thing was for certain, Gabriel was falling in love, and it wasn’t just with the trapped echo of Sabine’s soul.

“Sabe, do you want to go to the park?” he asked, almost feeling guilty for suggesting it.

“A park?” Sabe turned to him, tilting his head.

“Yes. This way.”

They arrived at the large open area of grass, pocketed in a constant glow of imitation sunlight and surrounded by trees. If Gabriel had any doubt Sabe would enjoy the area, it was gone as soon as they stepped on the artificial grass. Sabe jumped up and down, laughing.

“It’s so real!” he exclaimed. “It’s like home!”

“Do you like it?” Gabriel asked, grinning, already knowing the answer.

Sabe turned to him with a glint in his eyes. “I bet you can’t catch me,” he said, and took off, tearing across the ground with an easy grace and speed few could have matched.

Gabriel flexed his wings, numbed from the binding, but functional enough for this. “You don’t have a chance,” he murmured. Then he raced after the young man, always letting him stay just out of reach, enjoying the chase as much as Sabe enjoyed running.

When he saw the opening, saw the moment Sabe intentionally hesitated, lingered before he turned, Gabriel pounced. He grabbed Sabe around his waist and lifted him up, spinning the laughing young man around in a wide circle before placing him back down.

Gabriel’s breathing was steady and calm, even though Sabe was panting with the exhilaration of the chase. He released his grip on the young man. “I caught you,” he proclaimed.

Sabe turned slowly, keeping his eyes low, nervous despite his joy. He remained within Gabriel’s reach, close enough to be embraced again. His fingers reached out, slowly running over the edges of a button on Gabriel’s suit jacket. “You caught me,” he agreed shyly. “I guess you should get a reward.”

Before Gabriel could speak, Sabe bounced up on his toes, his lips pressing against Gabriel’s lips in a sudden kiss that left his breath caught in his throat. It was short, a half second of contact, but it left his lips tingling.

Sabe clutched Gabriel’s jacket and buried his face against Gabriel’s chest, trying to hide the rush of heat to his cheeks.

Gabriel laughed, a short, surprised chuckle. “Wow. What do I get if I catch you again?” he joked.

Sabe shook his head, too embarrassed to even show his face. Gabriel didn’t mind, though. He liked having Sabe so close to him, clinging to him. He could feel the Sabe’s feverish heat pouring from his body. He wondered if Sabe would be bothered if he held him again, not as part of the game, but as a real embrace.

Before he got the chance to try, Sabe’s leg linked behind his. “Oops,” the caenid said mischievously. Then, he knocked Gabriel’s legs out from under him. Surprised, Gabriel fell back, wings lashing out, but unable to halt the fall. He grabbed hold of Sabe’s jacket as he toppled. Together, they tumbled into the bushes, where they landed among the soil and plants, tangled and laughing.

***

“What happened?!” Elibitha shrieked.

They arrived back at the office covered in dirt, twigs sticking out of their hair, and clothes torn. They were both grinning.

Gabriel strode past his head of security, ignoring her panicked exclamation. Sabe stayed right at his side, their fingers entwined, neither wanting to let go.

“Did you finish the shopping, Ms. Gaard?” he asked, briskly walking toward the office.

“Y-Yes, Mr. Hart,” she stammered, still bewildered. There were twenty different bags and boxes stacked beside the lift from twelve of the best boutiques across the city.

“And the bracelet?”

“It’s on your desk.”

“Thank you, Ms. Gaard.” They walked passed Tomas, and he just sat at his desk, hands covering his mouth, hiding the smile that stretched across his face. His eyes still gave away his surprised delight. “Do your job, Tomas,” Gabriel scolded, then they went into the office and closed the door.

A thin black box with a silver bow sat on Gabriel’s desk. Gabriel walked over to it, pulling Sabe across the room with him. Though he did not want to, Gabriel released Sabe’s hand in order to pick up the box and open it. A silver and black woven bracelet with red gemstone beads lay within.

“Ah, Elibitha has really outdone herself this time,” Gabriel mused. “This is exactly the one I was thinking of.”

Sabe peered into the box, leaning close. “Oh, shit. That looks expensive. You can’t seriously have meant for her to buy that for me.”

“Of course I did.”

“I can’t accept it,” Sabe insisted.

Gabriel smirked at him. “Why? You want Elibitha to have to run back across town to return it that badly? I admit, it would be amusing, but she might hold a grudge against you for being so picky.”

Sabe gasped, nudging Gabriel with his elbow. “I am not picky!” he declared.

“Oh good, then I’m glad you accept it.” Gabriel lifted the bracelet from the box, and took Sabe’s hand. Deftly, he clasped the bracelet in place, letting his fingers trace along Sabe’s skin a little longer than necessary. “There,” he murmured, “it’s perfect.”

Sabe gulped a little as he held up his arm, the woven silver bright against his warm brown skin. The red stones complimented his eyes beautifully. “Thank you,” he whispered, lowering his hand to his side.

“When will I see you again?” Gabriel asked. He reached out, finding Sabe’s hands, linking their fingers together. Sabe looked up at him, russet eyes hopeful but uncertain.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to leave Alex alone.”

“The Black Ander can take care of himself, Sabe.”

Sabe shook his head, looking down. “He can’t, though. He needs someone there with him. He gets so lonely.”

Gabriel squeezed Sabe’s hands gently. “Don’t feel sorry for that monster.” At his words, the caenid started to pull away from Gabriel’s hold, but he held on. “Please, Sabe. He’s dangerous.”

“So are you,” the young man said, eyes turning hard. “Should I stay away from you, too?”

“But Sabe, I won’t hurt you.”

“Then let go of my hands.” His tone stung. Gabriel released him, and the caenid took a step back, eyes downcast. “I need to leave.”

“Please. Tomorrow. Come back to me.”

Sabe shook his head. “I need time. Don’t rush me Gabriel. I’ll return, but… I need to be with Alex, too.”

“Why?!” His voice came out louder than he intended, but he couldn’t understand why Sabe had suddenly turned so distant. “Didn’t you enjoy being with me today? I haven’t been that happy in centuries, Sabe. I know you felt it too.”

“I was happy, but that doesn’t change anything. I’m going back to the apartment, and maybe in a few days I’ll be ready to see you again.”

“I can’t wait that long. Please, Sabe.”

Sabe stepped in, eyes down. He was close enough to embrace. His fingers touched the button on Gabriel’s jacket, tracing around the smooth edge. He stood on his toes, face raised, eyes closed, and their lips touched. The chaste kiss lingered against his lips longer than before, but sadder, too.

Gabriel wanted to hold him and never let him go again, but when Sabe stepped back, Gabriel did not reach out to stop him.

“Goodbye, Gabriel.” He left, only looking back once before he slipped out the office door.

Gabriel sat on the edge of his desk. He touched the intercom link. “Tomas. Have Ms. Gaard escort Mr. De Moncreaux home.” He turned the speaker off.

The sun was setting behind him, the last light of day sparkling across the mirrors at the top of Nukan City, but Gabriel didn’t turn to watch. All he could do was sit and stare at the door, already missing Sabe terribly.

Alex sat on the kitchen counter, staring at the front door, repeatedly telling himself, “One more minute.”

Sabe was late. The agreement had been that Sabe would be returned to the apartment before sundown. It was well past sundown, and the caenid wasn’t there. Worst case scenarios played through Alex’s mind.

Sabe was injured. There had been a crash. Assassins attacked. A lift slipped. A Link shattered.

Every possible disaster circled through his thoughts, but the worse stuck in the middle.

Gabriel broke the agreement.

What would he do if Gabriel refused to let Sabe return? Could he bring himself to go up there and confront his brother? Could he storm Corvus Prime and rescue Sabe? Or would he let him go, abandoning Sabe to his fate at Gabriel’s hands. He didn’t know. He hoped he wouldn’t have to find out.

“One more minute.”

Alex uncrossed his legs again, swinging them down, bumping his heels against the cabinet door. “C’mon Sabe,” he urged.

Maybe the caenid was lost. He could be out in the residential district, wandering confused through the halls. Alex could go look for him, but what if he was wrong and Gabriel had decided to walk him home?

His heart pounded and his limbs trembled at the thought of running into his brother out there. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the tiny pouch of white powder.

Except it was empty. He already used his daily allotment.

“Fuck.” He ripped open the bag and licked the plastic.

The ingredients he needed to synthesize more of the white powder were already gone. His remaining supply was limited. If he didn’t ration how much he used in a day, he would run out before he could make more. Normally, he could just go out and buy everything he needed. Just a couple million credits of quick-exchange Nukan currency.

Except he didn’t have that. He had a secured account he used for legal purchases, things like groceries and clothes, but that account was traceable. If anything looked unusual, it recorded an alert, and people asked questions. Two million credits worth of biohazardous materials was something unusual.

He could always sell some old stuff lying around the apartment, get the money that way, but that took time. Antiques had to be verified. It was a big process and people asked a lot of questions. Alex hated questions. If the wrong information got out, or someone got too curious, he would have demons sniffing around his door in days. He didn’t need to deal with that, not with Gabriel already looming.

If only the sale of the Blue Dust had gone through. Then he would have the currency, ready to exchange for everything he needed. Instead, he had just given it all away for Sabe, who was now lost and injured somewhere in Nukan City, never to be heard from again. Alex should have held out. He could have gotten at lease a million from Mercato. Maybe two if he had allowed the crime lord to have a bit of time alone with Sabe first.

Alex reeled, hating himself as the thought crossed his mind. He crumpled the bag and put it back in his pocket. “You deserve to suffer,” he told himself, disgusted. The residue on the bag had been enough to calm him, though, and he wasn’t shaking anymore.

He would make more Blue Dust. He would find another distributor. He would have his money for his selfish little drugs, and no one would hurt Sabe.

If only he would come home.

A click sounded against the door. The lock turned, and the rift activated. Alex jumped off the counter, rushing over to fling himself into his chair at the far end of the room. He activated the display and brought up the last article he opened, the one about the fire in the lab in SoHo. He stared at the display as if he were reading it, but none of the words were sinking in.

“Alex, I’m back!” Sabe called as he shuffled through the door. His arms were laden with bags.

“Already?” Alex asked, feigning disinterest. When the front door clicked shut behind the caenid, Alex slowly released a sigh of relief. He looked over. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“Well, mostly trash now,” Sabe said. He dumped the bags and boxes off by the kitchen counter. “It was new this morning.”

“You look like you got into a fight with a tree and lost.”

“Ha, ha.” Sabe wrinkled his nose at him. There was dirt streaked across one cheek. “Very funny. No, actually, I fell into some bushes.” He dropped onto the couch with an exhausted sigh.

“Do I even want to know?” Alex asked sternly.

“No, but I’m going to tell you anyway,” said Sabe.

Alex settled back and listened. Sabe told him everything, gesturing and getting more excited as he spoke. It was worse than Alex thought.

“You like him,” Alex accused when Sabe was done.

Sabe restlessly spun one of the beads on the bracelet Gabriel gave him. “Hey, you’re the one who told him I had his dead girlfriend’s soul. If you really thought that was true, why are you surprised I like him?”

“I didn’t think you’d cave so easily. I mean, of all the times you’ve met him, half those times he’s been beating me.”

“That was only once, and he said he doesn’t want to hurt you again.”

Alex laughed cruelly. “Oh, he isn’t even trying to hide his lies anymore!”

Sabe’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“The thing about Gabriel, above all else, is that he lies,” explained Alex, frustrated by how gullible Sabe was. Alex was aware the young man couldn’t help it. Gabriel had charisma that could pull anyone to his side, but it was still frustrating to see someone he cared about manipulated so easily.

Innocent as always, Sabe said, “No, he wasn’t lying to me.”

“Not all of it, I’m sure, but he lied to you, Sabe. It’s what he does. I don’t even think he can help it. It just spews out of him like sewage-”

Sabe stood, suddenly angry. “Shut up! What do you know? You sent me to him because you’re too afraid to face him yourself. If you can’t even handle that, then you have no right to criticize my feelings.”

Chagrined, Alex lowered his gaze. Sabe was right. He had no right to try to influence Sabe’s affection for his brother, especially when he knew how strong the pull between them would be. He was being selfish and scared.

“I’m sorry, Sabe,” he said. “I’m being an ass. I just don’t trust him.”

“He doesn’t trust you much, either.”

Alex nodded. That sounded right. “When are you going to see him next?”

Sabe sighed, exhaling heavily and dropping back to the couch. “I don’t know. He wants me to go see him tomorrow, but it’s too soon. I need time to figure out what I am going to do.”

“What do you want to do?”

Sabe blushed. He ran his hand through his hair, shaking a bit of dirt loose. “I’d like to kiss him again, for one.”

“Sabe,” Alex groaned. “I don’t want to hear it. You can’t tell me the sex stuff.”

His face turned bright red. He picked up the pillow he was slowly deconstructing and threw it at Alex. “I’m not going to have sex with him!” he exclaimed, trying to cover his embarrassment with volume.

Alex caught the pillow and tossed it back to him. Sabe grabbed it and hugged it to his chest. “You kissed him,” Alex pointed out.

“That’s just a kiss,” Sabe muttered. He touched his lips. “The other stuff, I don’t even know how it works.”

“You’ve never watched porn?” Alex asked, disbelieving.

Sabe glared at him. “When would I have done that, huh? When I was a pageant winning slave or when I was living on the streets scavenging for food? The closest thing I have in my mind for how it’s actually supposed to work is the afterimages of what you showed me from your childhood, and I don’t think that’s the type of thing I want to replicate!”

Alex felt dumb. “Sorry. No, you’re definitely right. Bad example.”

Sabe wrapped his finger around the loose thread that had initiated the pillow’s destruction. He tugged and a couple more stitches popped free. Alex wasn’t completely sure why he did it, but Sabe seemed to find comfort in unraveling things. It was a little frustrating sometimes, like living with a teething puppy, but if it helped Sabe calm himself, Alex could handle losing a few items around the apartment.

“What if I’m with him, and I don’t like it?” Sabe asked, deeply worried. “It’s not like I’ve had any other experiences to know what I like. Or, what if I see him, and I’m like, ‘Ew, gross,’ and I can’t stand the thought of doing anything?”

Alex groaned, covering his face. “I am really not comfortable talking about whether or not you’ll like my brother’s penis.”

“Alex!” Sabe hissed, embarrassed by even the word. Oh boy. For having been through so much, he had still remained very sheltered.

“I’m sorry, Sabe! I don’t know what to tell you. I can give you access to the pornography library in your room, if you think that’ll help, but I am really, really not the person to talk to about any of this stuff.”

Sabe pouted. “Haven’t you ever been with someone you like?”

With all sincerity, Alex stated, “I have never had a voluntary sexual relationship in my life.” He stood, leaving Sabe blinking over his words on the couch. “The access panel will be in your room tomorrow. You’ll figure it out.” Then, he went to bed, relieved, at least, that Sabe had returned home safe.

The meeting at Lorsmith Tech was not as productive as Gabriel had hoped it would be. They had discovered nothing about the Blue Dust that Gabriel didn’t already know.

“After we timed the catalyst, we found the tissue samples absorbed the compound too quickly to identify,” James explained, swiping through another series of charts on her tablet. “The Blue Dust compound is nearly impossible to track.”

“It’s just really good at hiding,” Gabriel grumbled, thinking of the Dust’s sneaky creator.

“It isn’t sentient,” James said, giving Gabriel a strange look.

He glowered at her. “I know that.”

“I don’t think you’ve listened to half of what I’ve talk about today,” she said, sitting the tablet on the desk with a sharp snap. “It’s almost like you aren’t concerned with the results anymore.”

He wasn’t, not really. He knew where the drug came from. Alex had been warned not to project any more dead zones, too. The lab was not really needed anymore. As if sensing Gabriel might be about to mention shutting the whole thing down, James continued.

“Since we’ve begun testing, we’ve found traces of Blue Dust everywhere. Pot, opium, heroin, cough drops, you name it, it’s there. New stuff, too, medicines they sell in stores. It’s being added to everything. The problem is, it isn’t water soluble. It needs a human body to activate, but until it gets that, it doesn’t go away. If someone flushes it down the drain, it’s in the water supply. It’ll spread through the pipes, and before long, the whole city will be contaminated.” James intensely stared at him, unable to disguise the concerns she had that had nothing to do with the scientific procedure.

She had touched the Blue Dust, Gabriel realized. She was already contaminated.

“What do we know about the long term effects?” Gabriel asked. “The users from the Depths? What have you found out?”

She frowned. “They’re junkies, the lot of them. They’ll take just about anything if it gets them high, and if it’s got Dust in it, they’ll hurt each other for the chance to have it. We’ve had to quarantine them all in separate rooms. Besides that, they seem to be doing fine.”

“And how are you doing?”

Her expressions shifted quickly. First confusion, then shock, then disbelief, and ending with acceptance. “How did you know?”

“You’re worried.”

Her mouth twitched. “Not very professional of me, I know.”

“How did it happen?”

“A scope slide slipped. It had a sample on it. The glass cut my glove, and it got in my blood.” She rubbed her middle finger with her thumb, feeling the scab over the cut there.

“Have you had more since then?” Gabriel asked. He knew how addictive the Blue Dust was reported as being. He might have to take her out of the lab, get her away from the temptation. If he did, he didn’t think any of the other technicians could match her comprehension of the matter. He would have no choice but to abandon the research.

“I have been tempted, but no,” James said. “When I touched it, it felt wonderful. It felt like everything was pure and good. But then, after the cravings started, I felt like worms were crawling inside me. I’ve had my scans, but there’s nothing there.”

“You scanned yourself?” he asked.

“Of course. A test subject is a test subject. I am mildly concerned with my objectivity in the case, but I assure you, I am not going to partake in any more of the trials.”

Gabriel reached out and touched her shoulder. “That’s good, James. I can keep you here as long as you don’t expose yourself to any more of the samples. Just keep working. If it gets too hard, take a break. Call me. Switch back over to the alley bodies for a while. I still need to know what did that.” He patted her shoulder twice, then pulled back. He did not need to know about the alley bodies. He knew Alex had killed those men in order to protect Sabe, and he wasn’t about the arrest the Black Ander for that. “I need to find who murdered those men. Can you do that, James?”

James nodded, eyes determined. “I’ll do my best, Mr. Hart.”

The earpiece chirped and Gabriel excused himself, stepping outside the lab office to answer the call. “Yes, Kylie?” he said, touching the stud in his ear. It was his current temporary morning secretary, a young woman who had trouble putting calls on hold. He swore if she was calling him to explain how she had dropped another call with some business executive, whose name she couldn’t remember, at a business that probably started with an ‘A’ or an ‘R’, he was going to immediately call the temp office and have her removed.

“Mr. Hart, you have a guest,” she said over the connection.

“I don’t have any appointments this morning, Kylie. That’s why I’m at Lorsmith Tech. If someone arrived to see me, you’re going to have to tell them to come back another time.” He rubbed his temple in slow circles, trying to remain calm.

“I don’t think he had an appointment at all,” she said. “Let me put you on hold, and I’ll ask.”

“No, Kylie, don’t-” It was too late. The line went dead. Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists, counting to ten before he dialed the line to his own office and called her back.

“You’ve reached Wolfram Logistics, office of CEO Gabriel Hart. This is Kylie speaking; could you please hold?”

“No! Don’t put me on hold, Kylie,” Gabriel rushed.

“Mr. Hart,” she said, surprised. “I’ve still got you on the other line. Oh. Wait. No. The light is off.”

“Kylie. Who is in the office?” He said the words carefully, trying not to yell, but they were clipped short with his irritation.

“Oh, gee, Mr. Hart, I didn’t ask him. I think he might be trying to sell magazines or something. He looks real young, like a college kid. Though I don’t know how he got up here. Took me days to get security access to this level.”

“Kylie. Listen to me. Is he still in the office?”

“Yes, Mr. Hart.”

“Ask him for his name.”

She put her hand over the microphone, partially muffling her voice as she said, “Excuse me, sir, what is your name?” There was a paused, then she said clearly into the receiver, “He said Saved Micro? I think I’ve heard of that band before.”

Gabriel stuck his head back into James’ office. “I’ve got to go,” he mouthed, urgently pointing at his earpiece. She nodded her understanding and waved goodbye. He ducked out, nearly slamming the door shut in his haste.

Calm. Composed. He would not run through the halls like the building was on fire.

“Kylie,” he said as he swiftly walked through the laboratory. “Do not let that man leave my office. I am on my way back.”

“Sure, I’ll try, Mr. Hart. Oh, there’s another call. Can I put you on hold?”

“No, Kylie, don’t!” But it was too late. The line went dead. Gabriel ran.

***

“Come on!” Gabriel exclaimed, standing in his private car, watching the levels tick by on the screen. It was taking forever. If he could have flown, he would have been there already.

Finally, the transport arrived, swishing open onto his office level. He walked in, eyes scanning the seats in the waiting area. They were empty. “Where is he?” Gabriel demanded.

“Who?” Kylie asked, standing from her seat behind the desk. She smoothed her floral skirt down behind her and slipped her heels back on. She walked around the side of the desk and gave him a quick, informal bow. “Do you mean the boy?”

“Yes, Kylie, the boy,” Gabriel said, teeth clenched.

“Oh, he wanted to go home. Said he would come back later.” She adjusted her foot in her shoe again, looking down like it wasn’t fitting right.

“Kylie,” Gabriel growled, and he found himself reaching for her, wanting to strangle her. He clenched his fists and put his hands at his sides.

She looked at him through her dark rimmed glasses. “Of course, I remembered what you said, about wanting to see the magazines he was selling, and I offered him some tea. He declined. I guess he’d already had a lot of tea, because he asked to use the bathroom. I was going to say yes, then I remembered you might not like strangers wandering around. He might sneak into the bathroom just to steal something. Who knows. Kids are weird sometimes, right?”

“KYLIE WHERE IS HE NOW?!” Gabriel snapped, losing his temper.

Her face went pale and her eyes got wide. “I. I. I don’t have to take this, Mr. Hart. Nobody deserves to be yelled at like that.” She turned back to the desk, grabbing her purse from the drawer. “Shame on you if you think that’s how you can treat your employees. Sunrises be damned, Mr. Hart.” She marched over to the elevator, clicking the down button and waiting for the quick shift of his personal car to move to the side and the public lift to slide into place. She stepped on, turning around and facing him with a stubborn set to her jaw. “The boy is in your office, Mr. Hart. I hope you like your magazines.” Then the door slid shut and she was gone.

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. Impossible. Just impossible. He knew humans needed time off to bond with their offspring, but he really missed Charlet. He considered asking Tomas and Arquette to take half day shifts until she returned, but he knew neither of them would agree to it. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he just skipped having a morning secretary for a while.

The phone on the desk started ringing. He walked by, ignoring it.

Sabe stood by the window in his office, the sunlight in his hair glowing like a halo. He turned as Gabriel entered, and there was a little smile on his face. Gabriel wanted to run to him and gather him in his arms. Instead, he walked with a casual stride over to stand beside him.

“I didn’t know you were coming today,” Gabriel said.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I realized I didn’t know how to call you, and I don’t have a phone.” He grinned sheepishly, squinting from the sunlight shining on his face.

“I’m going to buy you a phone,” Gabriel decided.

“That would be nice.” He glanced over his shoulder at the door. “Your morning secretary is… interesting. She refused to let me use the restroom because she was afraid I might steal something, then she asked me to wait in here for you. I think between the toilet paper and the things in your desk, she should have been a little more worried about what was in here.”

“That was the temporary secretary, and I’m sorry about that. She just quit, so it won’t really be a problem again. Do you still need to use the restroom?”

Sabe shook his head. “I didn’t need to go. I was just trying to waste time until you got back. She kept asking me questions about magazines.” He laughed. “So what happened to your regular secretary? Tomas, was it?”

“Tomas works afternoons. Charlet is my morning secretary. She and her wife had a baby. She’s taking maternity leave for another,” Gabriel paused, pretending to do the calculations as if he wasn’t aware of the exact hour of her return, “forty-two days.”

Sabe’s eyebrows raised. “A baby? Did she have it or did her wife?”

Gabriel shrugged. “I don’t know. She didn’t have a kid, and now she does. Doesn’t really matter where it came from, I just have to give her time off to bond with it.”

Sabe frowned at him.

“What?”

“That’s the first thing you’ve said that’s just really weird and makes me remember you’re not human.”

“Well neither are you, so glass houses, Sabe.”

“Huh?”

“You know, ‘those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’?” There was no recognition. Gabriel sighed, mentally striking another saying from his list of modern phrases. “Never mind. Anyway, I’m glad you came.”

Sabe bounced on his toes a bit, turning back to face the window. “Are you busy tonight?” he asked.

Gabriel had four appointments that afternoon, as well as a a dinner meeting with an investor. “No,” he said. “No plans.”

“Great! I’d like to have dinner with you.”

Grinning, Gabriel said, “I’d love that. We can go to this restaurant over in Signus Coal-”

“No,” Sabe interrupted, excited. “I want to go to a restaurant in Poriuh.”

“Oh, okay,” he agreed. His brow furrowed. “Wait, where?”

“I’m not happy about this,” Alex said, arms crossed, watching Sabe struggle to put on his new, fur-lined, black boots. The caenid already wore a thick, light grey wool coat. Gloves stuck out the pocket.

Crouched, Sabe tightened his laces. “It’s not a big deal, Alex.”

“It is a very big deal, Sabe. You invited him inside my apartment.”

“No, I asked him to come to Poriuh with me. We’re just going to be stepping through the apartment.”

Alex leaned on the counter, feeling the stone start to fracture beneath his splayed fingers. “That’s the same thing!”

Sabe stood, smoothed out his coat, and looked over at him. “You’re being dramatic, Alex. He’ll only be here a second, then we’ll be gone. He isn’t going to do anything to you.”

He lifted his hands from the counter before the stone broke enough to require replacement. “You don’t know that.”

“I do. He promised me.”

“He lies,” Alex hissed.

Sabe gave him a look that said he wasn’t going to discuss it anymore. Alex watched, helpless, as Sabe walked over and opened the front door.

“You’re here!” Sabe exclaimed.

Gabriel stood outside the door, fist raised like he was about to knock. He wore a pale grey jacket, a few shades lighter than his hair. He looked into the apartment, his eyes more chilling than the winter air outside.

“Hi, Sabe.” He handed him a bouquet of flowers. Sabe accepted them happily, sniffing the soft petals.

“Come in, please,” Sabe said, inviting Gabriel inside. The traitorous little whelp. He closed the door behind Gabriel, and suddenly the room wasn’t big enough.

Gabriel glared at Alex. Alex glared back, doing everything in his power to resist running again.

Sabe put the flowers in a glass on the counter, filling it with water to delay their decay a little longer. When he walked by Alex, he noticed the tension in the air.

“Be nice,” he scolded, his voice barely a whisper. He walked back over to the door.

Alex straighted, shoulders back, chin up, wishing he could feel the weight of his wings against his back.

“Gabriel.”

“Black Ander.”

“You are looking well.”

“And you look like trash.” Gabriel’s lip curled back in a sneer. “At least nothing has changed.”

Sabe’s elbow struck Gabriel in his gut, making him flinch and look down at Sabe’s furious eyes. “I told you to be nice, too,” the caenid snapped.

“What? That was nice,” Gabriel countered.

“Let’s just go,” Sabe said, flipping the switch on the rift. The rift activated, the hum of energy like a mouthful of bees.

Sabe pulled Gabriel out the door, but before they went, his brother looked back, snarling and giving Alex a gesture that expressed exactly how he felt about him. The door closed.

Fuck. Alex needed more drugs.

“That was rude of you,” Sabe said. “You promised you would behave.”

“I promised I wouldn’t hurt him, and I didn’t.”

“There are more ways to hurt someone than just punching them.”

Gabriel snorted and followed him down the stairs.

Sabe pulled Gabriel out of the apartment and onto the streets of Poriuh. The air was cold, their breath visible like a cloud before them. Sabe flipped his wool collar up around his neck and put on his gloves. “How did you two get to be this way? Aren’t brothers supposed to be there for each other?”

Gabriel fell in step beside him, unconcerned by the chill in the air. “I don’t know. How do you feel about your brothers? You’ve got fourteen.”

He did? “That’s not the same thing,” Sabe said, an ache in his chest. “I never got the chance to have a normal family. You do. I don’t see why you can’t give him a chance.”

“My family is anything but normal, Sabe,” scoffed Gabriel.

“Because of what your father did?”

Gabriel turned toward him, sharp, the movement a little too fast. Sabe’s instincts screamed, Run! Death from above! but he held his ground.

“What do you know about my father?” Gabriel asked, his voice frighteningly still.

Sabe licked his lips, feeling his skin already chapping in the cold weather. “I know he wasn’t a good person. I know he hurt Alex. I bet he hurt you, too.”

Gabriel looked away from him, staring into the distance with cold eyes. “Where are we going, Sabe,” he demanded, clearly angry and wanting the topic changed.

Sabe didn’t want to fight. He wanted an enjoyable evening walking through the quiet streets, the chill air keeping them close, the way couples in movies did. He knew it would not be the last time they had to discuss Alex, so he let it go. For now, he just wanted Gabriel to not be angry.

“It’s just down the next street a little. It’s one of my favorite places to eat.” Sabe reached out, touching his fingers gently against Gabriel’s arm. “I hope you like it.”

Hesitating, Gabriel glanced over at him. It was clear he didn’t want to let go of his anger, but as he saw Sabe’s gloved hand pressed against his jacket, he relented. His rage faded with a heavy sigh. “If you like it, I’m sure I’ll like it, too,” he said calmly. He took Sabe’s hand and linked their arms, pulling the caenid close.

They walked arm in arm down the cold streets until they reached a gap between the buildings where an old bus was broken down. There were lights on inside and cheerful music playing through the air. A few people stood at the makeshift window at the side, waiting for food.

“We’re here!” Sabe announced.

Suddenly, Gabriel was very heavy, and Sabe had to struggle to pull the man along behind him so they could stand in line.

“What is this?” Gabriel asked, staring in stunned horror at the bus.

“I told you, my favorite place to eat. They do meatless stuff, too.”

Gabriel was petrified, only stepping forward in the line when Sabe tugged on him. They got up to the window and Gabriel froze. Sabe grinned at the silver-haired man’s dumbstruck reaction.

Having eaten there multiple times, Sabe was confident when he ordered. “I’ll have a Tom-Yum Roll and a Happy Buddha, please.”

“Thirty four credits, kid,” the gruff man behind the counter said. He had a mustache that covered his mouth, so it was hard to tell if he was happy or not. Sabe liked to think he was happy.

Dazed, Gabriel started to lift his arm, about to scan the credit chip in his cuff link, but Sabe grabbed his hand and pushed it back down.

“I got this,” he said, pride shining in his eyes. He scanned the band Alex gave him, the one loaded with the credits he earned helping out around the apartment. The payment chirped its acceptance of funds.

They stepped off to the side of the bus where they could hear the chefs inside chatting and singing along to the cheerful music. Gabriel stood, still stunned, looking around them.

Abruptly, laughter burst out of the silver-haired man, making the metal rings in his hair jingle softly as his shook. He gazed down at Sabe. “Are you trying to kill me?” he teased.

Sabe stood close to him, grinning, hiding his face against the warmth of Gabriel chest. He ran his fingers along the front seam of Gabriel’s jacket. “It’s really good food,” he insisted.

Gabriel embraced him suddenly, squeezing him tight. He vigorously rubbed his hands across Sabe’s back, warming him through the wool coat. “What am I going to do with you?” he gushed. “How can you be so cute and so frustrating all at once?”

Warmth blossomed in Sabe. “I’m not cute,” he said, though he basked in the attention. Gabriel held him in his arms until their food was ready.

They took the paper wrapped food rolls down the street to a bench bolted in front of a wall painted with graffiti. They sat close together, knees touching, and ate.

“Did you like it?” Sabe asked hopefully after they finished the meal.

“The vegetables were previously frozen and the flour wrap was stale,” he said, “but it was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. Thank you.”

Sabe grinning broadly, not even trying to hide his sharp canine teeth. “I’m glad. I wasn’t sure at first if you would even come out here with me.”

Gabriel leaned back against the bench, placing his right arm along the edge behind Sabe. “Why is that?”

Sabe settled back, nestling under Gabriel’s arm like he belonged there. “Well, I thought you might want to stay in Nukan City, with all it’s fancy shops and stuff.”

Gabriel leaned in, nuzzling against Sabe’s hair. “I want to stay with you. I don’t care where we are.”

The words made Sabe happy, even if he knew Gabriel really preferred being in the city. “Even here?”

“Especially here,” Gabriel whispered, his breath light along Sabe’s ear. It sent chills through him.

“Stop that,” Sabe giggled, rubbing his ear against his shoulder.

Smirking, Gabriel said, “Stop what?”

“It tickles when you breath on my ear like that.”

“Does it?” He brought his hand up, finger lightly tracing along the point of Sabe’s left ear, up and down, along both notches, and then around his earlobe. Sabe’s eyes fluttered shut. That felt really good. “Does this tickle, too?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes,” Sabe breathed.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“I want… I want it to be your mouth,” he gasped.

Gabriel obliged. His tongue curled around Sabe’s ear. His lips caressed the tender skin. His teeth caught Sabe’s earlobe, tugging and sucking it into his mouth.

“Sh-Shit, wait, stop,” Sabe moaned. He had to pull away from Gabriel. The wetness on his ear froze almost instantly in the open air.

Gabriel wrapped his arm around Sabe’s shoulders, concerned at first. Then a smile slowly stretched his face as understanding dawned on him. “You don’t really want me to stop,” he said, amused.

Sabe shifted uncomfortably. His new, fashionable pants were much too tight for the throbbing strain he was putting on them. If Gabriel hadn’t stopped, he would have made a mess and would have had to walk home, ashamed and sticky. “Just. Give me a moment.”

“Take all the time you need, love. It’s not so bad watching you squirm.”

Sabe’s gut clenched. He sat forward, leaning away from Gabriel. The man chuckled, a deep vibration Sabe felt within the depths of his body.

“Please talk about something else,” Sabe begged. He bit his lip, desperate to calm himself.

Gabriel lounged, watching him with a pleased expression. “Alright. Who taught you to fight?”

“Fight?” Sabe huffed. “I can’t fight.”

“Your body is strong. It’s clear you’ve been trained.”

“I was trained to dance,” he explained, “not fight.”

“Well, it’s obvious you picked it up somewhere. It takes no small level of skill to knock me down.”

Sabe glanced over his shoulder. “You mean when I tripped you? I was just playing.”

Gabriel observed him thoughtfully. “Even if you were just playing, your form showed technique. Honestly, you’ve never fought before?”

“I try to avoid it. I’ve been in a few street fights in the Depths, when food was real scare, but otherwise, the only time was-” He stopped, the memory returning to him. His body went cold. At least that was one problem solved.

Lightly, Gabriel’s fingers touched his back, drawing slow, smooth circles with his fingertips. It was a comforting gesture. “What happened?” The silver-haired man asked.

“It was the night I was sold,” Sabe said, dropping his gaze to the cement between his black boots. “The last man who bought me. He was hauling me to his place. I bit my cheek and used the blood to pretend to be dead. When he turned his back, I attacked him.”

“How did you attack him?”

“Why does that matter?”

“I would like to know.”

Hanging his head, Sabe said, “It’s all kind of fuzzy. I remember strangling him with a leash. I looped it around his neck and squeezed, hanging from his back until he fell. I let go before his heart stopped, but I almost killed him.”

“You did the right thing,” said Gabriel. “Though, without training, I am surprised you knew how to take down someone so efficiently.”

Sabe leaned back until he settled beneath Gabriel’s arm. He nuzzled his face against Gabriel’s chest, his fingers finding a smooth button on his coat. He closed his eyes, sighing so his warm breath froze in the cold air. “Gabriel?”

“Yes, Sabe?” he murmured, wrapping his arms around Sabe’s body. Snow began to fall.

“Am I a bad dog?”

“No, Sabe,” Gabriel said, pressing kiss to the top of his head. “You’re not a bad dog. You’re a very good boy. They were wrong when they hurt you.”

Sabe felt his tears freeze to his lashes. It was silly, he knew, but hearing those words mended something inside him. The deep pain from his childhood eased while Gabriel held him in his arms. He would have been happy to stay there forever.

Decades of graffiti covered the wall behind them, the designs as bright and varied as the people who painted them. Snow drifted down through the crisp air, settling like a white blanket over the street. With their monotone clothes, the two men blended in to the winter world, a pale silhouette against the vibrant art of generations.

Though if anyone had been on that street they could have seen the way the falling snow stopped in the air, hovering like a protective wing over Sabe as he curled against Gabriel.

“He’s taking me to the ballet tonight,” Sabe told Alex over lunch. He watched the way the demon flinched, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. A spiral piece of pasta dropped back into the bowl.

He picked the piece back up. “Oh? Are you meeting him there or is he coming here again?” said Alex, feigning bored disinterest. Sabe knew better.

Whenever Sabe spoke of Gabriel, he saw fear in Alex’s every movement. They were tiny little things, like a tremble in his hands or a missed step, but they were there. In other people, the motions could have been passed off as being clumsy or inattentive, but in Alex, Sabe could see the fear they revealed.

“I’m meeting him there. I’ll take a lift up to fifty, then switch over to the Links.” He felt a lot more comfortable in the public transit system now. He and Alex had been practicing. Their first journey together through the Links had been to Corvus Prime when Sabe wanted to go to Gabriel’s office. Even though Alex had remained waiting on the upper transit level, he looked nearly ill by the time Sabe returned. On the ride back to the apartment, he requested Sabe make the journey on his own the next time he wanted to come.

“They’re not sending an escort?” asked Alex.

As long as he stayed out of dark alleys, the biggest risk Sabe had was someone recognizing him as a caenid and reporting him as a stray to animal control. However, part of the reason Sabe had won so many awards in the pageant circuit was because he could nearly pass for human. Even his ears, though clearly pointed, could easily be dismissed as cosmetic body modification. A lot of people liked the look. As long as Sabe didn’t show too many teeth in public, he could walk freely anywhere.

“The theater is only two Links over,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”

Alex looked doubtful, but he wasn’t about to offer to accompany Sabe himself. “If you say so,” said Alex, picking up his bowl of food. He brought it close to his mouth, scraping the pasta in quickly. He finished the meal in seconds and sat the empty bowl back on the counter. “I’m going out tonight, too,” he said, rising from the chair.

“You are?”

Alex rarely went out unless they needed something. He spent most his time locked in rooms somewhere in the deeper parts of the hallway. When he was out, he read news or cooked food. He was fairly predictable and dull, for a demon.

“I’ve got a meeting,” he said. He took the empty bowl to the sink where dirty dishes from breakfast were waiting. Sabe would wash them later.

“A meeting? You mean… drugs?”

“Yes, Sabe. Drugs. The same drugs I traded to get you out of Mercato’s hands.” A trade which resulted in a four million credit loss for the demon. Alex pushed his black hair back from his face and leaned against the counter. He stared at the wall as if he were lost in thought.

Sabe ate his food quietly. He didn’t like that Alex sold drugs, but he couldn’t really complain. He was a guest in the apartment, and he relied on Alex’s money for food and shelter. It felt wrong to criticize where that money might be coming from.

When he finished eating, Sabe dropped his bowl off at the sink, too. “If you’re not back when I come home, will I be able to get inside?” he asked.

“Yes. I reworked the locks. Just touch them.”

“That’s it? No key?”

Alex shook his head. “No key. We know how well that worked out last time.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mention I lost it sooner.”

With a sigh, Alex said, “It isn’t your fault. I messed up.”

“You didn’t mess up. I’m not upset about Gabriel. I’m actually kind of happy I met him.”

Alex huffed. “Well that makes one of us.” He turned and walked off, disappearing back down the hallway.

Sabe held his bottom lip between his teeth. He wished there was something he could do to make the two men like each other, or at the very least, tolerate each other’s presence. It felt hopeless.

He glanced at the dishes in the sink. He could put them off for later again, but he had time. Determined, he turned on the water and started scrubbing. Only after everything was clean and stacked in the drying rack did he head back to his room to shower.

A few couple hours later, in the nicest outfit he owned, Sabe left for a night at the theater with Gabriel. Alex was already gone.

***

They sat in Gabriel’s private car after the ballet, riding it up through the levels to his penthouse. Sabe leaned against his shoulder, holding his hand, listening to Gabriel explain the history of the ballet they had just seen. He spoke about it in such intimate terms, it was almost as if he had been there.

Sabe closed his eyes, smiling. The gentle clicking along the track and Gabriel’s steady voice were soothing. The ballet had been very enjoyable, though longer than Sabe expected. He wondered what it would be like to be on stage dancing, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He imagined the cheers of the crowd, the applause at the end. Too bad he would never get that chance.

“We’re here,” Gabriel said, gently touching his cheek.

Sabe opened his eyes. “I must have fallen asleep for a second,” he said apologetically.

“It’s late. Would you rather I take you back?”

Sabe shook his head. “I’m not tired. I’m just so comfortable with you, and your voice sounds so nice when you’re talking about something you enjoy.”

Amused, Gabriel said, “My voice puts you to sleep?”

Sabe blushed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, good. I would hate to bore you.” Gabriel grinned at him, taking his hand and leading him into his penthouse.

The private lift entrance had a short hall that went both directions. They went to the furthest door on the right, number six, and Gabriel touched the lock on the panel beside the door. It turned green and the wide door slid open.

They entered, and for as impressed Sabe was with Gabriel’s office, he found his penthouse was even more elaborate.

Windows covered the far wall, looking out from an edge of Nukan City into the clear sky beyond. Modern white furniture and expensive decor filled the area. The small kitchen off to the left looked practically unused, and when Sabe opened the refrigerator, the only thing he found were glass bottles of water. A sunken area with low backed couches was near the window, creating a perfect place to lounge and watch the sky. It was too dark to see much, the city’s glow hiding the dim light of the stars even at the edges of the monoliths. A door led off to the right, where Gabriel’s bedroom and private bathroom were. Sabe only peeked in there. He couldn’t bring himself to enter.

Gabriel opened a cupboard that held two glass jars, one of whole coffee beans and the other with loose leaf tea. There was nothing else in it. “Which would you like?” he asked, looking over the counter to where Sabe sat by the window.

Sabe ran his fingers over the white material that covered the couch. It was smooth, but very soft, and every decorative stitch of the white fabric was made in silver. There were no loose threads. He knew it had to be something expensive, and he was a little worried about sitting on it. He might get it dirty.

“Tea is fine,” he said.

Gabriel put the coffee back and found a cup for tea. There was only one. One cup, one glass, one plate, one bowl. Sabe suspected Gabriel did not get many guests. The tea was prepared quickly. Though Sabe did not see Gabriel boil any water, when he gave him the cup, the tea was hot and wonderfully fragrant.

“Thanks,” he said.

“You’re welcome. I am sorry I do not have more to offer. I spend much of my time at my office. I usually only return when I need more privacy than my employees will provide.”

“It is a very nice apartment,” Sabe said, looking around the room.

Gabriel smiled and sat beside him. He leaned back, and Sabe realized that the way the couch was designed allowed Gabriel’s wings to hang freely over the low back. It made him want to see Gabriel’s wings again, but after last time, he wasn’t sure what would happen if he did. Being surrounded by those white feathers seemed to cloud his judgment, and he didn’t think he was ready to go any further with Gabriel.

For a day, Sabe had balked at the handheld access terminal Alex had tossed onto his bed. He shoved it inside the wardrobe, refusing to look at it. Eventually, curiosity got the best of him. He pulled it out, fingers trembling, clumsily typing in the search term. Images and videos of moaning men and women filled the screen, bodies spread and exposed with great detail. Sabe had hidden the tablet under a pillow, panicked, trying to muffle the sound.

When he was brave enough to look at it again, he made sure the volume was low, then cautiously investigated the scenes. The images excited his body, though he wasn’t sure his mind was in agreement. He narrowed down that search, nervously clicking on the option that showed only men with men. What he found there did not put his mind at ease.

He had touched himself, trying to figure out how they were doing it. As he explored his body, he realized it was impossible. There was no way anything was every going to fit inside him. He couldn’t imaging enduring anything like what was happening on the screen. He just couldn’t do it.

Still, he rubbed himself, bringing about his body’s eager climax, then licked the fluid from his fingers to avoid a leaving a mess. He had returned to watch more videos later in the day, and the next, but try as he might, he just could not fathom ever doing that with anyone.

“Are you feeling okay, Sabe?” Gabriel asked. “You look kind of flushed.”

Sabe sipped his tea, trying to hide his thoughts from his face. “No, I’m fine. I was just thinking about how high up we are.”

“This is a lower level than my office. Do heights bother you?”

“I don’t think so, but when I look out there, there aren’t any other buildings. It’s just low towns, and they seem to go on forever.”

Gabriel looked out the window. “Most of them are abandoned towns like Poriuh. When Nukan was new, people could live there and commute, but as it grew, that became impossible. The towers are where it is safest, and people know that.”

“The Depths aren’t that safe,” Sabe mentioned.

“Unfortunately there are always people who find a way to undermine good intentions,” Gabriel said, disappointed. He looked back at Sabe. “You know, if you want, you could live here with me.”

“What, here?! In the apartment? I couldn’t possibly.” Sabe shook his head rapidly. The tea in the teacup swayed, though didn’t spill.

“The Black Ander has worked a charm over you, something to keep you hidden from anyone who might notice you. I do not think he needs full access to you to keep it maintained. If you ask to stay here with me, I am sure he would allow it. Then you two need only meet for lunch every couple days for him to renew the charm.”

There was a charm on Sabe? When had Alex done that? “But I like staying with Alex. I have my own room.”

Gabriel’s eye twitched. “I know you think he is your friend, but he is deceiving you. He is a degenerate miscreant who fills this world with nothing but disease and destruction.”

Sabe was taken aback by the venom in Gabriel’s words. “You must really hate him.”

“I hate his kind,” Gabriel said fiercely. “I hate what he has done. I hate everything he stands for, and I hate how he interferes.” His voice softened slightly. “But no, I don’t hate him.”

Sabe saw regret there, just a bit. “He doesn’t hate you, either. He’s just afraid of you.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes, tapping his fingers against the edge of the couch. “I doubt that.”

“No, it’s true. If you could forgive him-”

“I forgave him once, and he betrayed me. Even if I were to forgive him again, he has spent so many years spreading the wickedness of the Jinn that no other Ahnnak will forgive his presence. He is a demon, and will always be a demon.”

There was such anger and frustration in Gabriel’s eyes. Sabe wished he could do something to alleviate that pain in both men. “If you live forever, do you really want to spend the rest of your lives hating each other?”

“It isn’t that simple, Sabe,” Gabriel replied.

“You saved him once. Why can’t you do it again?”

Gabriel’s cold gaze turned to him. “What do you mean by that?” His words came out with an icy edge. He had gone still again, too motionless, and Sabe’s instincts warned him of the danger before him.

Sabe tried to lift his tea cup to his mouth to sip, hoping to use the hot liquid to calm his nerves, but the cup slipped from his unsteady fingers, dropping into his lap. He blinked once, but instead of the pain of hot tea soaking through his clothes, Gabriel’s hand was there, catching the full teacup, only a small drop of tea spilling to stain his white shirtsleeve.

Nervously, Sabe laughed. “So it comes, a savior,” he said, the words falling from his lips unbidden. He hadn’t seen Gabriel move at all. Hadn’t even felt the air shift around him. The angel was just there.

“What did you say?”

“Huh?”

“Those words. Where did you hear them?” Gabriel’s ice-blue eyes searched Sabe’s face. He sat the teacup aside on the low coffee table.

Where had Sabe heard them? He thought for a moment. “Oh. It was in the memory Alex showed me,” he said.

“Showed you?” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.

“Y-Yeah. He like,” Sabe tapped own forehead, “and then I saw. It’s all a little fuzzy now, but that was something said in the memory. I guess it just stuck with me.”

“Alex shared a memory with you.” If Gabriel had been unhappy before, he was furious now. “That rotten, decaying, shit-stained, lying little-” The silver-haired man’s words shifted, and Sabe realized he was speaking in another language, one Sabe wasn’t familiar with. The tone was clear though.

Sabe held up his hands defensively. “I asked him to! Don’t blame him for that. I wanted to know who poisoned him, and he offered to show me. It was my idea!”

Gabriel stood, walking the room, the chains braided through his hair jingling lightly with his movements. “He showed you that?! No wonder you feel so sorry for him!” He stopped, turning to face Sabe. “Those words, do you remember all the words from the memory? Do you remember the prophecy?”

“N-No, I don’t think so,” he said, but when he thought about it, the words came to mind. “Maybe a little,” he admitted.

“You must never repeat those words, Sabine. They will kill you if they discover you have heard a prophesy, even one which has already come to pass.”

“Sabe,” he replied, brow furrowed. “My name is Sabe.”

Gabriel hesitated, then sighed and sat back down beside him. “Sabe. Yes. I’m sorry, Sabe. I got carried away. Forgive me?”

“No,” Sabe said grumpily, leaning back and crossing his arms. “You start yelling at me, then you don’t even have the decency to use my name. Sometimes I forget why you act like you like me, but thank you for the reminder. I had almost forgot.”

Reaching out, Gabriel touched Sabe’s chin softly. “I do like you. I’m sorry I yelled. I’m sorry I called you by the wrong name. Will you please forgive me?” His voice was all sweet and honeyed again, such a stark difference to how he was when he lost his temper. Sabe wasn’t giving in this time.

“No. I don’t forgive you.” He turned his face, pulling away from Gabriel’s gentle fingers.

“Sabe, love, I’ll make it up to you. Anything at all. I’ll do anything for you.”

Sabe raised an eyebrow. He looked at Gabriel from the corner of his eye. “Anything?” he asked.

Gabriel nodded. “Yes.”

He faced him. “Then I want to see how you rescued Alex from your father. I want you to show me.” Gabriel’s expression hardened. Sabe thought he was going to refuse. “You promised anything. This is what I want.”

With a defeated sigh, Gabriel sat back. “Fine. I’ll show you. But you cannot speak a word of what you see to anyone, not even Alex.”

“My lips are sealed.” Sabe mimed zipping his lips shut.

Gabriel held out his arms. “Come here. Might as well be comfortable for this. I’ll go slow so I can control what you see and understand.” Sabe slid closer, nuzzling into Gabriel’s arms. He looked up at the silver-haired man, waiting patiently. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Gabriel said, then touched his fingers to the middle of Sabe’s forehead.

The world vanished.

Late morning sun warmed Gabriel’s wings as he flew over the lush jungle canopy. Wind tugged at his silver hair, and he smiled. He loved flying, and since he had turned twelve that year, he was finally allowed to make the journey home from the academy by himself.

The jungle parted ahead, revealing the valley where his home lay. He snapped his wings back, halting and hovering at the edge of the trees, looking over the land he hadn’t seen in months.

His father’s estate. The estate of the Isten Jequn.

There were several plain, low buildings at the far end of the valley for the servants and common beasts his father kept. He barely noticed them as his eyes found the stables.

It was an elaborate building with carved pillars, all carefully maintained. A tall silver spire stretched from the top of the roof. He remembered how proud he had been the first time he had flown up there. It had been the tallest thing he had known until he had started at the academy. It was still one of his favorite places, because from there, he could see all the land and far into the jungle.

Within the stables, his father kept his most exotic beasts, some of which had been presented to him as gifts. Gabriel knew he would end up there before the day was over, exploring the rafters and spying on the servants caring for the beasts, but for now, he had to present himself at the manor.

The final structure in the valley was the sprawling double level manor. There were no doors, as the entrance was a series of open archways supported by carved pillars along the porch. Thin fabric hung between each opening, and the slow morning breeze caused the cloth to sway lazily. Wide eaves surrounded the roof, which prevented all but the worst rains from ever coming inside.

Gabriel swooped down, landing in the soft dirt before the porch. He brushed his tunic off, straightening the thin rope around his waist. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty from flying so far, but so was he. His long silver hair was tangled from the wind, sticking out in unruly clumps. He ran his hands over it, but that didn’t help. He suspected he would be ordered into the bath as soon as his father or mother saw him.

Holding his head up, determined not to look ashamed despite his dirty appearance, Gabriel stepped onto the porch and pushed the curtain aside. “Mother,” he called, “Father, I’m home.” There was no answer, just the quiet shift of the fabric as he let it fall closed behind him.

It wasn’t uncommon for his parents to be away from home. Work often called his father away for days, sometimes weeks. His mother spent a lot of time at social gatherings, but it was unusual for her not to be there to greet him during one of the few holidays from the academy.

Gabriel stepped into the foyer, sliding his thin soled boots off before walking over the smooth stone. The foyer also served as a visiting room, so there were several low ottomans and plenty of cushions and pillows. It was a good place to read in the afternoon, because the sun would shine through the arches, and even in the hottest weather, the stones were cool to lay upon.

A large arch at the other end of the foyer led to the dining hall. It was a long room, all decorated in wooden pieces, with the center piece being a dark red wood table which had been carved from a single tree. The tree must have been huge, because the table could seat twenty-two comfortably. Several long, matching benches ran along each side, with a shorter bench at each end.

Not that Gabriel had ever seen that many people at the table before. His family only ever used the far end, closest to the double doors that led to the kitchen.

There was a stairway in the center of the interior wall which led up to the second floor. Gabriel tilted his head, peering up the stairs. “Mother?” he called again. There was still no answer. Gabriel frowned. Even if his father and mother were not home, it would be unusual for the house to be completely empty.

“Alex!” he called loudly. His little brother was probably upstairs sleeping. He never left the estate. Even though he was only four years younger than Gabriel, he hadn’t had to attend the academy and just got to stay home all the time, playing, or sleeping, or doing whatever he wanted. “Alexiel! Come down here!” Gabriel yelled, already feeling annoyed by his little brother.

He huffed, and turned to go to the kitchen for a snack, when he nearly walked into a tall, darkly cloaked figure. He jumped back, started, wings snapping him back through the air several feet. He put his hand to his chest, heart beating rapidly. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“This one begs my Lord Gabriel’s forgiveness,” said a voice from beneath the dark hood, bowing deeply at the waist. The voice sounded slightly feminine, but hard and emotionless. Gabriel always found it difficult to tell if the household servants were male or female, but he supposed that was the point. It just didn’t matter.

“Forgiven,” said Gabriel bluntly, though he didn’t feel very forgiving. The servants shouldn’t sneak up on him. They would never do that to his father.

“My Lord Gabriel is generous,” she said, straightening from her bow. It didn’t sound very sincere, and he suspected it wasn’t, but it was so hard to tell from her emotionless tone. “This one wishes to welcome my Lord Gabriel home. Our Lord Master and your honorable mother are not home currently.”

“Yes, I guessed as much,” he replied. It was odd that the servant came out to him unbidden, even to welcome him home. There were several dozen household servants, but they always stayed out of the way, unseen until they were needed. “And Alex? Is he still sleeping?”

The servant flinched when he said the nickname. It made him smile. “No, my Lord Alexiel,” she carefully pronounced his full name, “is currently in the jungle.”

Gabriel felt his heart flicker, a quick beat of fear. “He’s- He’s where?!” He spun on his heel, racing from the dining room and out the foyer. He shot through the thin curtains, his wings catching the air as he leapt off the porch.

Alex, alone in the jungle. The thought panicked Gabriel. His little brother couldn’t fly. He was tiny and helpless, and there were so many dangerous things out there. Poisonous berries, snakes, boars, and even pardua, the huge beasts with sword-like teeth and claws. They had been known to rip people from the sky. If one found Alex, he couldn’t possibly escape.

The jungle around the estate was thick. Gabriel didn’t know where to start. The servants would be no help. If they knew he was gone and didn’t stop him, they wouldn’t know where to look for him, either. If they even cared.

He flew up to the silver spire over the stables and perched, holding on to the warm metal with one hand as he shielded his eyes from the sun with the other. He scanned the edge of the jungle, hoping for any sign that could tell him where his brother could have gone.

Then, just as Gabriel was about to speed off in a random direction to search over the thick jungle canopy, he saw a small movement at the edge of the valley, across the field.

Stepping out from between the trees, as if just coming home from a walk, was his little brother Alex.

***

Diving down, calling his name, Gabriel landed in front of Alex in a swirl of dust, feathers, silver hair. “B-Brother!” Alex squeaked, startled. He looked up at Gabriel, black eyes wide.

“What do you think you’re doing in the jungle?” Gabriel yelled. “Are you trying to get yourself killed, or are you just that stupid?!”

Alex flinched, looking down. Long black hair slid forward over his face. He did that whenever someone yelled, like he was afraid of them. He trembled, struggling not to cry.

Gabriel stood there, breathing rapidly, his chest heaving and his heart pounding from the fear of Alex being lost, but he didn’t want his little brother to cry. He exhaled through his mouth slowly and steadily, then said, “You’re not supposed to be in the jungle.” His voice was calmer, but still tight.

“I know,” answered Alex, though it was barely a whisper.

“You could get hurt. Or worse,” said Gabriel. Then he sighed, the remainder of his frustrations fading. “You are lucky I found you and not Father. I haven’t even been back an hour, and I’m already keeping you out of trouble.”

Alex peered up at him, tears still in his eyes. Gabriel felt like a jerk for yelling at him, but the boy just didn’t seem to understand how dangerous the jungle was. He was probably out there alone for hours. He probably hadn’t eaten anything all day.

“I’m starving,” Gabriel announced suddenly. “Let’s go have some lunch.” When he smiled at Alex, the boy quickly looked away.

“Yes, Brother,” he said softly.

Gabriel frowned. He hated how timid he acted. “Come on,” he said, and grabbed his brother’s arm, pulling him toward the house.

The boy yelped, stumbling, and Gabriel quickly let go. Alex fell to the ground, wings fluttering weakly behind him.

“What-” Gabriel crouched beside him, pulling Alex’s long sleeve back from his arm. Bruises covered his skin from his thumb all the way up to his elbow. The green and yellow marks looked like they were fading, but must have been a lot worse before. Gabriel sucked in air through his teeth. “Alex, what did you do?” he asked.

With short little hiccuping breaths, Alex said, “I f-fell.”

“You fell? In the jungle? See, this is why I told you it’s not safe out there.” Gabriel noticed the boy held something clenched in his little fist. “What’s in your hand?” he asked, but he was already grabbing Alex’s hand and peeling back his grey nailed fingers.

“I found it,” said Alex, relinquishing the golden-yellow ball of fur with little resistance.

Gabriel examined it curiously. “Where? Do you know what it’s from?”

“I found it,” Alex repeated. He sounded upset, like he was on the verge of tears again.

Clicking his tongue disapprovingly, Gabriel said, “This is why you fell, isn’t it? Probably saw a clump of gold fur stuck in the bark of a tree and climbed up to get it. And since you can’t fly-” He stopped. Alex’s bottom lip had started to quiver. “Oh, come on. I’m not going to keep it. Here.” He held the fur back out to Alex, looking away. Alex was such a baby about the weirdest things, but Gabriel hated seeing him so upset. “I won’t even tell Father.”

Alex grabbed the fur from his hand, sniffling back tears. He clasped it tightly, dropping the long sleeve back over his bruised arm and clenched fist. Gabriel stood, holding out his hand to Alex. His little brother hesitated, then took his hand with the one not cover in bruises. Gabriel pulled the boy to his feet, surprised by how light he was.

“I’ll carry you,” he announced.

“What?” Alex squeaked.

“I’ll carry you back to the house. It’ll be faster.”

“No-”

“It’s not far,” Gabriel insisted. “And I left my boots inside. And I’m hungry. So just be quiet and let me carry you.”

Alex started to object again, but Gabriel grumbled irritably and scooped him up anyways. With a couple hard beats of his wings, they were in the air, across the field, and on the porch.

“There,” Gabriel said, setting Alex down in the foyer. “Now let’s find something to eat.” He walked off, not looking back as Alex stood trembling.

***

The kitchen was empty, but a large bowl of fruit sat on the counter. Gabriel lifted a couple apples off the top, checking the variety of fruit beneath. A couple pears, several handfuls of raisins, and a couple strips of dried mango. His stomach growled. It looked delicious. He sat the apples back on top, and picked the bowl up with both hands. He walked back into the dining room, bumping one of the swinging double doors open with his hip.

Alex was just now entering the dining room. He walked across the floor in short, shuffling steps. He always walked like that, like the layers and layers of fabric that wrapped around his body made it difficult for him to move too fast. It made no sense. He already couldn’t fly because his wings weren’t strong enough, and then he wore clothes that made it so he could barely walk.

At Archridge Academy, where Gabriel took classes and spent most the year, no one dressed like that. Most of the boys, whether Ahnnak, Terran, or Homm, wore light tunics, sashes, or thin pants. They owned more formal outfits, but unless it was absolutely required, nobody dressed in anything so heavy or restrictive.

If Alex had started the academy at five like he was supposed to, maybe he would dress normally. As it was, it was just one more weird thing Gabriel had to tolerate about his little brother.

“Hurry up and sit. Let’s eat.” Gabriel sat the bowl at the end of the table, and looked at the place where he usually sat, the right-hand seat from the head of the table. He hesitated for a moment, and then, defiantly, flipped his wings back and sat on the bench at the head of the table.

Alex approached slowly, almost cautiously, and took the seat to the left of the head, closest to the stairs. He was watching Gabriel oddly.

“What?” Gabriel said defensively. “Father isn’t home. He wouldn’t care, anyway.” That was a lie, and they both knew it. “Besides, I’m the first-born son, so it is my right to sit here when he’s gone.” He picked up an apple and rolled it across the table to Alex. His little brother caught it before it rolled off, but only barely. “Eat,” Gabriel commanded. He grabbed the other apple and bit into it.

Alex carefully bit into his apple, licking the sticky juice from his lips and sucking on the fruit before taking another small bite. He kept watching Gabriel out of the corner of his eye, but remained quiet.

As he chewed, Gabriel said, “So, you do anything interesting while I was gone? I mean, besides practically killing yourself walking around the jungle.”

“No, Brother,” Alex answered after swallowing the bite of apple.

Gabriel swallowed and took another big bite. “Well, Alex,” he said, and saw Alex flinch, much like the servant had earlier. He smirked. “You still like it when I call you Alex, don’t you?”

“Y-yes,” the boy responded timidly, “but inside, someone might-”

“Might hear? And tell Father? Ha!” Gabriel laughed derisively. “Everyone at the academy does it. Nobody uses honorifics anymore. It’s so old fashioned. You should call me Gabe, too.”

Alex shook his head rapidly, looking down at the table. “I can’t do that,” he said.

“It’s what all my friends call me. Try it. Say my name. Say Gabe,” he said, enunciating slowly, as if speaking to a toddler. “Guh-ay-buh.”

Gabriel watched his brother’s mouth to see if he would. Alex licked his lips nervously. “G-”

“My lord Alexiel,” a voice interrupted. Gabriel looked up, startled. It was one of the hooded servants. The same one as earlier, if he wasn’t mistaken. At least, the voice sounded the same. It was so hard to tell. “Forgive this one’s interruption. Your honorable mother has returned. If it pleases you, this one will assist you to your chambers.”

The apple dropped from Alex’s hand. He looked down at himself, all covered in dirt and still clutching the fur. He stood up, wings squeezed tight against his back. He started for the stairs without a word.

“Wait,” Gabriel said as the servant bowed to him and started to follow Alex.

“Yes, my Lord Gabriel?” the servant said, pausing.

“If Mother is back, why not stay and greet her?”

“My lord Alexiel is unclean,” the servant said, as if that explained everything. Gabriel didn’t know what to say to that, so he just watched the two of them walk up the stairs. He was unclean too, wasn’t he? He looked at his dirty flying outfit. Why weren’t the servants rushing him off to a bath before his mother saw him?

Gabriel shrugged, and grabbed a handful of raisins, popping them into his mouth thoughtfully.

Outside, Gabriel heard the familiar light beats of his mother wings. With a delicate patter, she landed on a balcony attached to her chambers on the second floor. She never used the front entrance like he and his father did, explaining that she didn’t like to touch the ground. She could have come in and out the front, Gabriel knew, without touching the ground, so he suspected she just liked to keep her arrivals and departures a little more private.

Before long, Gabriel heard the feather-light steps of his mother coming down the stairs. She saw him sitting at the table with the nearly empty bowl of fruit before him.

“Gabriel!” she exclaimed, her voice ringing with joy. She walked over to him. For as long as Gabriel could remember, whenever his mother walked, she fluttered her wings rapidly, lifting her feet off the floor enough that she practically glided wherever she went. When Gabriel was small, he had done it, too. Jequn had swatted him out of the air with a tablet when he caught him, though, and put an end to that nonsense.

“Mother, you’re looking beautiful, as always,” Gabriel said, smiling at his mother.

She was Liliel, wife of the Isten Jequn, and she was beautiful. Her two white wings were delicate and fluffy, fanning the air behind her. Her long, pale yellow hair swayed and curled, always moving about her face, but never tangling. Wide, bright blue eyes sparkled in a perfectly proportioned face, with pale skin and soft pink lips. Gabriel had never seen any other woman as dainty and radiant as his mother.

“I wasn’t expecting you back until tomorrow, my darling, or I would have been here sooner.” Liliel leaned forward, placing a kiss in the air next to each of his dirt-streaked cheeks. Up close, she smelled like the honeysuckle that grew across the river. “Oh, you’re so dirty!” She wrinkled her nose, but she smiled at him.

Gabriel grinned. “I just got home.”

“You’ve been home long enough to find food. Now you absolutely must bathe before your father gets home.”

“Are you making noodles for dinner tonight?” he asked.

“Now that you’re home? Of course! How could I think of making anything else for my darling boy?” Liliel tousled Gabriel’s hair, then paused, her perfect pink lips pouting slightly. She wiped her hand against a relatively clean part of his tunic. “My darling, dirty boy. Go, bathe now, or there shall be no supper for you.”

Hopping up, Gabriel ran to the stairs, smiling. “Make lots? I’m starving.”

She smiled at him sweetly. “Of course. Oh, and Gabriel?”

“Yes, Mother?”

“Don’t ever sit at your father’s seat again.”

Gabriel’s smile dropped. “Yes, Mother.”

“Good boy,” Liliel cooed, and grabbed the bowl from the table to carry it into the kitchen with her.

Gabriel watched her fluttering steps carry her through the double doors before he turned and trudged up the steps. Something about her made him feel uneasy. He quickly dismissed the feeling. His mother was perfect. And she was making him noodles tonight.

***

The bath was prepared by the time Gabriel got to his chambers. He flung off his dirty clothes and sank into the hot, perfumed water that filled the inset pool in his bathroom. He dipped his wings quickly, just enough to remove the dirt. The feathers of his wings were oiled, more so than usual, so any water just rolled off. A quick snap in the air, and they were practically dry. He scrubbed his face and hair, and then sat back in the long pool, wings spread out of the water behind him. He closed his eyes and relaxed, enjoying the silence.

More than anything at Archridge Academy, he missed having his own space. There, he had to share a single room and bath with two other boys. Even though they were his friends and both were Ahnnak, descendants of an Isten, like himself, sometimes he really missed being alone.

At the manor, he had an entire section of the top floor to himself. Everyone did. His father, the Isten Jequn, valued privacy. That’s why he lived in the middle of a jungle, rather than in one of the Isten cities. So Jequn, Liliel, Gabriel, and Alex all had their own private chambers. No one was supposed to enter anyone else’s section of the house unless explicitly invited. As Gabriel got older, he found he enjoyed that rule more and more.

Veil-thin fabric separated each family member’s entrance from the main hallway at the top of the stairs. Through each veil was another hallway which led to the private rooms. Gabriel’s chambers were to the right of the stairs, across the hallway from Alex. His father and mother were to the left.

Before he started attending the academy, he spent a lot of time in his mother’s chambers. Baby Alexiel had been young enough that he stayed with their mother almost constantly. She didn’t mind having Gabriel in there, keeping the baby entertained.

By the time Gabriel came back on his first academy holiday, Alex had been moved into his own rooms. The toddler stayed in his own chambers, but their mother visited him any time he needed her. Gabriel had played in Alex’s room a lot that visit.

The second year Gabriel came back, Alex had been running and starting to fly. Gabriel spent most of that holiday trying to teach Alex how to fly up to the stables spire, to their mother’s absolute horror.

Gabriel smiled at the memory of the chubby three year old in his arms, trying to fly with uncoordinated wings, baby-soft black curls sticking out in every direction. Gabriel’s own wings weren’t quite strong enough to carry them both the whole way to the spire, but they did manage to get onto the roof of the manor. Gabriel had chased him around the tiles, until their father came out, a disapproving scowl on his face.

Liliel had gathered both boys up then, tucking them inside Gabriel’s room. She allowed Alex to stay with Gabriel for the rest of his holiday, as long as they didn’t bother their father anymore. Gabriel hadn’t minded, and Alex had been thrilled. That holiday had been the first time Gabriel called his little brother Alex instead of Alexiel. Alex was still too little to understand, but the name stuck.

Of course, that was all before Alex’s eyes turned black. Alex had not been born with black eyes. His eyes had been blue. They were a bright blue, as bright as Gabriel’s own, like their mother’s and their father’s. But everything began to change, including Alex’s eyes, a few years after Gabriel started attending the academy.

When Gabriel returned on the following Harvest holiday, the manor had been silent. Liliel explained Alex had been hurt falling from the spire. He needed to rest and couldn’t be bothered. Gabriel had been consumed by guilt, since he was the one who encouraged the toddler to fly up there. His mother assured him that wasn’t the case, but he still felt at fault.

Late one night, Gabriel crept into Alex’s chambers. He found his little brother asleep in his bed, laying on his stomach. A thin sheet covered his lower half, but Gabriel could still see the bruising that covered most of his back. His wings were spread out, held flat to each side by wires and splints. They didn’t look right.

Gabriel must have made a sound, because when he looked at Alex’s face, his eyes were open, and he was staring straight at him. But instead of bright blue eyes that had always matched Gabriel’s own, Alex’s eyes were dull and black. The young boy lay still, unblinking, almost like he didn’t recognize Gabriel. Or maybe was looking past him.

Then his father’s hand closed over Gabriel’s mouth, pulling him out of the room. Gabriel screamed in surprise, but his father’s big hand muffled the sound. Out in the hallway, Jequn had scolded Gabriel, reprimanding him for entering Alex’s chambers without permission. His father then marched him outside, down to a post beside the stables, where he had secured Gabriel and given him his first lashing.

It certainly was not his last, but Gabriel still equated those first bites of the whip with his father’s cold demeanor and Alex’s dull black eyes. Afterwords, Gabriel had been invited up to Jequn’s chambers for the first time. Sniffling and sore, Gabriel had stood in Jequn’s room, watching his father read through important communications he received from Ahn.

After Gabriel was able to stop crying and calm himself completely, Jequn had calmly explained that the fall had broken Alex’s wings. They had healed wrong the first time, and had to be rebroken to be set properly. That was why Gabriel could not visit Alex. If he moved at all, his wings might not heal right, and they would have to start all over.

Jequn assured Gabriel it was very, very painful, and he shouldn’t want to put his baby brother through that again. Of course, Gabriel stayed away from Alex’s rooms after that.

However, Alex was never the same. He grew weak, too frail to even fly. He started wearing clothes that wrapped his entire body. He never smiled or laughed. His eyes stayed black.

Gabriel still told himself it wasn’t his fault. Alex would have flown up to the silver spire whether Gabriel had tried to help him or not. It was just a terrible accident, but there was nothing he could have done to stop it. Nearly five years later, he almost believed that.

Since then, Gabriel never entered Alex’s rooms. Or his mother’s. Not that either of them invited him. Sometimes, his father would ask him to come up, and they would discuss news from Ahn. As Jequn’s first-born son and heir, it was Gabriel’s responsibility to take over for the Isten one day. So, even though Gabriel still understood very little of what Jequn did, he tried to listen attentively whenever he could.

The bath water started to cool. Gabriel found a comb off to the side of his inset pool and ran it through his damp silver hair. A few knots gave him trouble, but most of it smoothed quickly. He gave his body a quick scrub, the last of the dirt drifting away in the water.

He stood, stepping out of the bath with water dripping from his body. Slowly fanning his wings to dry his skin, he walked out of the bathroom. He dripped the whole way to his closet, trying to ignore the sickly feeling that unsettled him any time he thought about Alex’s black eyes.

The clothing Gabriel chose for dinner was more formal than what he used for flight, but still not as restrictive as the robes Alex always wore. He wondered how his little brother could stand to be so wrapped up all the time. Did he ever undress? Did he sleep in those constricting robes, even at night? Gabriel doubted he really wanted to know.

The Isten Jequn expected all members of his family to dress respectably for dinners. Still, Gabriel tried to find an outfit he didn’t think he would suffer in. He chose straight-legged black pants made from silk. They were comfortable, but too delicate for flying. They bore several long rows of black stitches where an errant branch or nail had caught and ripped the black fabric. They were formal enough for dinner, as long as Jequn didn’t look too close.

The shirt he chose was a dyed blue cotton with long sleeves. It covered his stomach, chest, and shoulders, but besides the thin strip of fabric that looped around his hips, the back was completely open. Even though he usually avoided anything with sleeves, it was one of his favorite shirts, because he never had to worry about it becoming tangled in his wings.

Gabriel bounced down the stairs, following the warm smell of pasta. He passed through the dining room and into the kitchen, where he saw his mother busily working over the little fire stove.

For some reason, Liliel never let the servants help her. She didn’t even like them in the same room as her. Gabriel suspected it was because she had grown up in a Terran family and liked to do things for herself. She had been chosen to be Jequn’s wife when she was thirteen, and Gabriel had been born the following year.

Startled, Gabriel realized his mother had only been a year older than himself when she married his father. He couldn’t possibly imagine getting married already. Fortunately, as an Ahnnak, a child of the Isten, he wouldn’t have to.

Isten were immortal, as were their children, the Ahnnak. Terrans and Homm, however, aged and died naturally. Homm had the shortest life span, living forty to sixty years on average. They were wingless, but they were strong, and bred quickly and easily. They were well suited for manual labor, like farming, herding, or mining.

Terrans, who had wings like the Ahnnak, could live to be nearly three or four hundred years old, depending on the lineage. Many Terran families devoted themselves exclusively to one line of study. Healers, scientists, mechanics, and scholars were usually Terran. Homm, of course, were free to choose any of those fields of study, too, but few were ever able to master the subject within their limited lifetime.

Other families of Terrans chose to provide another service. Under the guidance of an Isten, the families worked carefully to create a suitable mate for the Isten. Isten sought certain traits to compliment their own, so their offspring would be as genetically similar as possible without any unwanted side effects. At least, that was the idea.

Once an Isten found a suitable mate among the Terrans, they brought them into their house as a husband or wife. The children from that pairing were the Ahnnak.

Jequn had been one of the last Isten to choose a Terran wife. Gabriel liked to think it was because Jequn had never met a Terran as beautiful as Liliel, but he knew his father wasn’t that sentimental. Whatever traits he had been chasing were rare, and it just took that long for him to find what he desired.

Liliel fluttered about the kitchen gathering supplies. She looked graceful, even if she were only preparing a meal. She smiled at Gabriel when she noticed him watching. “There’s my darling boy. You look much better. You have grown so much since I last saw you.”

Gabriel smiled and walked over to her. “Would you like any help, Mother?”

“Oh no, darling, I’m practically done already,” she said, motioning to the arrangement of food. When Gabriel was little, he often helped his mother make noodles. His job was to squish and beat the ground flour and water together. She would roll it flat, fold it up, and he would squish it down again. Once the dough was completely smooth, she folded it flat one last time and cut it into thin ribbons. Which is what she had done already. After that, all she had to do was drop the coils into boiling water until they were firm and chewy.

Noodles had become Liliel’s specialty, something she made anytime Gabriel wanted something special. At first, Jequn disliked the peculiar treatment of the Ter wheat, but since Liliel made it so often, he stopped complaining every time it was placed before him. As far as Gabriel was concerned, that meant his father liked it.

“Does Alex ever help you make noodles?” Gabriel asked, watching as the pot of water slowly started to bubble over the flames.

Liliel tensed, but only for a second. “You shouldn’t refer to Alexiel like that. You know your father finds the use of common names disgraceful.” She focused on the vegetables she was slicing.

Gabriel scrunched his eyebrows together. “Well, he isn’t here, so what does it matter?”

“Gabriel!” exclaimed Liliel, shocked. “Watch your tone! You know what your father would do if he heard you speak like that.” She turned toward him, the knife in her hand. There were still pieces of vegetable stuck to the blade.

Holding his hands up in supplication, Gabriel said, “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Good,” she said, turning back to the vegetables. “Now, my darling, go wait for your father while I finish here. I believe he will be arriving soon.”

“Yes, Mother,” Gabriel said, giving her a light smile as he walked from the kitchen. It was difficult to ignore the cold apprehension he felt knowing that Jequn would be arriving soon. Still, he dutifully went outside to await his father’s return.

***

Outside the foyer, sitting at the edge of the porch, Gabriel watched the sky and listened. He knew he would be able to hear his father long before he saw him. It wasn’t quite evening yet, but the air was starting to cool, and the sun had begun it’s descent toward the tops of the jungle trees.

Noises from the stables drifted up to the manor, the grunts and calls from beasts, some of which Gabriel didn’t recognize. He wondered if his father had acquired something new. He hadn’t made it down to check, not after the scare of Alex in the jungle, but it was still something he wanted to do before it got too late.

Just as he was about to hop off the porch and fly down to the stables, Gabriel heard the steady triple-beat thrum of his father’s wings. Like rolling thunder before a storm, the Isten approached.

Gabriel stood up, brushing imagined dirt from his black silk pants. He looked out expectantly over the jungle. The triple wing beat grew closer. The rhythm slowed as Jequn prepared his descent. Gabriel caught a quick flash of his father’s silver hair in the sunlight over the jungles, and then, just as suddenly, the Isten was before him.

Jequn landed, dropping heavily from the sky. Dirt swirled around his hard black boots as he straightened his knees and rolled his shoulders. He had three pairs of wings, like all Isten, and they radiated behind him, still tense from flight. Each of Jequn’s six individual wings were the length of Gabriel’s entire wingspan, if he were stretching. The immaculate feathers were brilliantly white, and Gabriel wondered, briefly, how often his father needed to preen.

Cold blue eyes locked onto Gabriel, and he snapped out of his thoughts. He fell to one knee before his father, bowing his head.

“Welcome home, Father,” the silver-haired boy said, keeping his voice steady.

“Gabriel,” Jequn said, his tone as cold as his eyes. “I did not realize you were on break.”

“It is the Harvest break, sir,” said Gabriel, tilting his head up so he could see his father’s stern face.

“Already?” Jequn asked, as if he didn’t realize another year had passed. He probably didn’t. Time passed differently for beings who had been around for several eons.

“Yes, Father.”

Jequn huffed, as if dissatisfied with the news. “Is dinner ready?”

“Yes, Father,” Gabriel said, rising to his feet. “Mother is finishing it now.”

The Isten spread his three pairs wings out as wide as he could, then started folding them methodically. The lowest pair folded first, fitting tight against his back and hips. The middle pair folded next, resting against his shoulders and draping down his back very nearly like Gabriel’s own. Then the third pair, the highest, folded in tight against the Isten’s spine, fitting in the space between the other wings. Together, the Isten’s wings created the illusion of a single, solid form, like a brilliant white cloak hanging from the Isten’s wide shoulders.

With wings adjusted, Jequn pulled his silver hair out from beneath his feathers. It clinked and rattled as it fell into place around his shoulders. Though Gabriel had inherited his silver color from his father, he had been fortunate to inherit his mother’s soft texture, rather than the thick metallic hair of the Isten.

Each coil of Jequn’s hair was formed by links of segmented silver metal. Usually, the Isten wore his hair woven or tied together to prevent the noise it made when he moved. Gabriel wondered why his father hadn’t tied it back today.

“Go inform your mother of my presence,” Jequn snapped, momentarily startling Gabriel. Gabriel realized he had been staring. Embarrassed, he bowed to his father, then ran inside.

“Mother,” he called as he slid into the kitchen. “Mother, Father is home.”

“Yes, my darling, I heard him arrive,” she said, arranging food on a wide platter. The variety looked delicious, especially the four steaming coils of wheat noodles displayed in the center. “I will just be a moment. Please, go sit with your father. I’m sure he would love to hear about how you’re doing with your classes.”

“Yes, Mother,” Gabriel mumbled, walking back into the dining room.

Jequn walked in from the foyer, glancing only briefly at Gabriel as he strode to the head of the table. He brushed his wings back, a graceful, refined gesture that prevented him from sitting on his wings. As Jequn sat on the bench, a slow ripple ran through his feathers, and then they lay still.

Gabriel took the place at his father’s right. He flipped his wings back too, as his father had done, but the move felt silly and awkward, even to him. His wings just weren’t large enough yet to bother.

After a few moments of tense silence, Gabriel got up the nerve to ask something he had been meaning to ask for a long time.

“Father,” he began, “when will Alex join me at the academy? He is eight, and it’s okay if he can’t fly. None of the Homm can fly and they do just f-”

Jequn looked at him, his expression cold and hard. “Gabriel, you will call your brother Alexiel. I do not approve of the use of common names from my first born and heir.”

Gabriel looked down. “Sorry, sir,” he said. He waited for a moment, hoping his father would still answer his question. When nothing else was said, Gabriel peeked up and asked again, “When will Alexiel join me at the academy, Father?”

“Alexiel will not be attending the academy,” was the brisk reply. Jequn looked at the stairway, practically ignoring Gabriel. Gabriel continued to stare at his father until he saw his father’s eyebrow twitch with irritation. The Isten slammed his hand on the table and faced Gabriel with an intimidating glare. “Is there something else, my son?” hissed the Isten through gritted teeth.

Trying not to look startled, Gabriel asked, “W-Why won’t he be attending?”

With a cold look in his eyes, Jequn stated, “Alexiel is defective. He isn’t intelligent enough to understand the basics, let alone the advanced ideas that are required at the academy. He will remain at home until he is old enough to be of some use, somewhere.” Jequn reached out, grabbing his son’s jaw in his right hand. He tilted Gabriel’s face up so he was looking directly at him. “Now, Gabriel, if there is nothing else, I expect you to spend this meal in silent contemplation of what it could mean to be fed all your meals through a tube.”

It was difficult to speak with Jequn’s hard fingers digging into his face, but Gabriel was able to get out a meek, “Yes, sir.”

Jequn squeezed a little bit harder, and then released Gabriel’s face completely. There would be bruising, Gabriel knew, but it would be gone by morning. He moved his jaw around, trying to ignore the panicked thrum of his heart.

Liliel spun into the room with a flourish. She placed the heaping tray of sliced vegetables, fruit, and the coiled noodles before Jequn.

“Welcome home, my Lord Husband.” She bowed to him, then took her place at his left.

Jequn examined the food, and his mouth twisted disapprovingly. He picked up a carrot, which was unevenly cut. He did not look pleased as he placed it back on the tray.

Liliel adjusted her wings behind her after she sat. The white wings didn’t move for once, though they remained open, stretched out from her back. She placed her hands in her lap, a vision of patience. She gave Gabriel a quick smile, since he was directly across from her. He tried to smile back, but it came out as a grimace.

From upstairs, Gabriel heard a soft voice, and then his little brother’s shuffling footsteps coming down the hallway. Jequn waited as Alex slowly descended the stairs and walked to his seat beside Liliel. He had bathed, and was wearing a clean outfit, which covered just as much of him as the previous one. Alex’s black hair lay in a long, smooth plait over one shoulder, the end hanging just past his hip. He sat down, eyes focused on the red whorls of the wood.

“Forgive me for being late, Father,” said Alex. His voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

Jequn chose a piece of fruit from the platter and popped it into his mouth. He chewed it carefully while he examined Alex. “We will discuss your forgiveness later, Alexiel,” said the Isten.

“Yes, Father,” Alex whispered. His wings pulled against his back tighter, and he seemed to shrink even smaller.

Gabriel chose a piece of the red fruit his father had eaten and ate it in several small bites. Custom declared he could only eat what the head of the household had eaten. It was an absurd custom, but common all across E’din. The most polite heads of the house, or hosts if it were a larger gathering, would try a single piece of each food. This allowed the rest of the family or guests to eat as they pleased. Jequn, however, made no effort to be polite. He picked through the food slowly, methodically eating one type of food at a time.

Liliel daintily selected food to pop into her mouth, looking completely at ease with the tedious custom. Gabriel knew his mother loved the lavish social life of being the wife of an Isten. She attended gatherings and ceremonies constantly, thrilling in the trivial customs that consumed such events. Gabriel had been forced to attend with her once and he vowed never to go back.

Every few pieces, Liliel would place a piece of food in front of Alex. She didn’t look at him or ask him what he wanted. She just sat it down, and he would pick it up, his fingers barely peeking out of his sleeves, and start nibbling on it.

Gabriel watched his family as they ate in silence. His father’s long, silver hair clinked whenever he reached for another piece of food. The silver segmented coils were thick and heavy, but Jequn never seem hindered by the weight. Without the breeze from her fluttering wings, his mother’s soft blond hair settled around her shoulders in graceful waves. Gabriel’s own hair was nearly a perfect combination of the two, straight and silver, but soft and light.

Then there was Alex. His black hair always stood in stark contrast to their father’s silver and their mother’s blond. It was a surprise, to be sure, but considering Liliel’s ancestors had black hair less than a hundred years before, it was just an unfortunate dormant trait that hadn’t been fully bred out of her genetics.

Gabriel definitely looked more like their father, while Alex had the delicate features of their mother. When he got older, that would probably change, like his eyes had. When they all had blue eyes, it had been easier to see the resemblances.

Some of the berries on the tray were ripe and messy. Gabriel barely touched one to pick it up and it left a deep purple stain across his fingertips. He scowled down at his skin. He wondered if he had gotten any on his face.

Across the table, Liliel sat a berry in front of Alex. Somehow, she managed to avoid staining her skin even the tiniest bit. Alex, however, tried to take a bite of the berry, rather than just eating it whole. It left a purple stain across his lips and all over his fingertips. He stared at the dark stain, black eyes focused on his skin as if he didn’t understand how it could have happened.

Jequn tapped on the table impatiently. He was watching Gabriel. “Is it common at the academy to stare at people rather than eat dinner?” he asked, his voice sharp. Gabriel looked down quickly, but didn’t say anything. The earlier threat still hung over him heavily.

“Is this what you’ve taught him?” Jequn asked, turning to Liliel. “Are these the manners all your dignified parties impart?”

“Of course not,” Liliel said with a little flutter of her hands. “Anyone should be startled to see a child nearly grown unable to eat a simple berry without painting his face. It is only natural to stare in horror and disgust.”

Gabriel blinked rapidly. Had his mother just said what he thought she said? About Alex? He looked up through his silver hair to see his father and mother glaring at each other. What was going on?

The silence stretched, Gabriel afraid to even breathe. Suddenly, scowling, Jequn grabbed one of the coils of noodles, placing it in his mouth. Liliel humphed, taking one noodle coil for herself, and one for Alex. She sat it in front of him.

Gabriel grabbed the last coil of noodles and popped it into his mouth. Even though the noodles had cooled significantly, they was still delicious. He chewed, savoring the comforting flavor.

He watched as Alex selected a single noodle from his coil, unraveling it carefully. He brought it up to his purple stained lips and then slurped. The noodle shot into his mouth, twisting and turning like a living thing, before disappearing with a wet smack.

Gabriel laughed, surprised. Alex looked embarrassed.

The Isten’s hard glare could be felt, even though Gabriel wasn’t looking at him. He squeezed his hands together beneath the table.

“Gabriel, you are finished with dinner. Go assist in the stables until moonrise,” commanded Jequn. Gabriel nodded and stood, bowing to his father. He rushed out of the manor, grateful to escape the tension in that room. If only Alex could come with him. Gabriel knew better than to ask.

By the time the moon rose, Gabriel was exhausted and sore. Stables servants weren’t shy about giving him chores if he were sent by the Isten as punishment. They never went easy on him, ensuring any fault in the punishment wouldn’t be found with them. So Gabriel got chores that were difficult, dirty, and endless.

Tonight, Gabriel hauled feed into the rafters after spending an hour mucking out empty stalls. He left his shirt over a post by the door, but his silk pants were torn, probably beyond repair. Silver hair clung to his damp skin, and he wasn’t sure if his wings could carry him and the feed into the rafters again. He might have to resort to using the ladder.

As he landed and struggled to pick up another bale of feed with numb arms, one of the servants, a tall man, approached. The man was different than most the servants Gabriel knew. He didn’t hide his face behind a hood, back out of rooms bowing, or speak like a servant. He had asked Gabriel to use his name, Marlo. Gabriel wasn’t even sure if any of the other servants had names.

Marlo’s skin and eyes were dark brown, his head was shaved, and thick black tattoos covered his arms. Like Gabriel, he only wore pants while working inside the stables, but unlike Gabriel, his arms and chest bulged with well defined muscles earned through years of hard labor.

“The moon has risen, my Lord Gabriel,” the man said in a deep voice. It rumbled from him like a growl.

Gabriel gratefully dropped the bale of feed. “Finally. I thought I was going to die.”

Marlo smiled, baring his teeth. “It is not the hay you should worry about. The stag has already killed three men.”

“Stag?” Gabriel asked, curious. There hadn’t been any stags in the stables before. It must be one of his father’s new beasts.

Marlo nodded slightly. He looked amused. “Do you want to see?”

“Yes!” Gabriel exclaimed, and then quickly composed himself. “Uh, yes, that would be fine, Marlo. Um, lead the way.”

The huge man rolled his eyes, chuckling, and then walked further into the building. Gabriel followed Marlo’s wide back, staring at the multitude of scars that criss-crossed his dark skin. Sometimes, it was easy to forget the wingless Homm didn’t heal like Ahnnak or Terran did.

They arrived at a large, enclosed stall. Gabriel peered at it curiously, until he heard something snort and slam against the wooded slats. The whole thing shook, flinging up a cloud of dirt. Gabriel leapt back, startled.

Marlo laughed, and Gabriel stepped forward again, embarrassed. “What is it?” he asked, trying to divert attention from himself.

“Fly up and look,” the man said. He crossed his arms over his chest. Gabriel did as he suggested, flying up to peer over the wall.

A large beast stood there, nostrils flaring and eyes wide. It tossed its head back and forth, ripping large divots from the wooden enclosure with enormous bone antlers. The stall was barely big enough for the beast, as its antlers, which looked like gnarled, clawed hands, spanned the whole width. It struck at the ground with sharp, heavy hooves.

Gabriel settled back on the ground beside Marlo, amazed. “That thing- It’s antlers! They must be as wide as a my wingspan!” He stretched his wings out as far as they could go and compared. “No, wider!” he said in amazement.

“He is impressive,” agreed Marlo, “but very dangerous. He has killed three, though more from their carelessness than any fault of the stag’s.”

“With his antlers?” Gabriel asked. He crept closer, trying to see between the slats.

“One was impaled on the antlers, yes. Another trampled beneath his hooves, and the last kicked in the head when he rushed in, surprising the beast. Idiots, all of them.” Marlo scowled, shaking his head.

Gabriel looked back at him. “You don’t like the other servants much, do you?”

“Like them? They are all incompetent, mindless drones. Your father hired me to take care of the beasts, but I spend most my time preventing drug-addled servants from killing themselves.”

“My father hired you?” Gabriel asked. The thought had never crossed his mind.

“What? Did you think I was another one of those void-eaten servants? I was hired,” said Marlo, “though with your father, there is very little difference between being hired and being a slave.”

Gabriel shuffled uncomfortably. “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

Marlo patted Gabriel’s shoulder hard enough to make him stumble. “You’re the son of an Isten. What do you care of the petty lives of men?” He laughed. Gabriel didn’t understand him.

“I do care,” he said. “It isn’t right.”

“What isn’t right,” said Marlo, pointing at the stag’s enclosure, “is that beast being trapped in here.”

Gabriel looked at the stall as another heavy hit landed against the side. He listened to the stag snort and scrape his antlers along the wood. He chewed on his bottom lip.

“Why is the stag here?” he asked.

Marlo shrugged. “Your father’s research, I suppose. Something about the way the bone regenerates.”

“Regenerates?”

“The stag will lose his antlers, and then grow them back again. To rebuild the bone, he needs a large supply of minerals. If he cannot find that, he will borrow from his own bone, and then replenish and regenerate those bones after the minerals become available.”

Gabriel stared at Marlo. “Why would my father care about that?”

“I only know beasts, my Lord Gabriel. What our Lord Master does with them is beyond my knowledge.”

Frowning, Gabriel turned back to the stall. “Will he kill the stag?”

“Probably,” Marlo admitted. “But that is little concern of mine. Or yours. My job is to care for the beasts, keep them alive. And your job, Gabriel, son of the Isten Jequn, is to return to the manor, before your father comes down here and starts asking questions.”

It was late. If his father did decide to come down and find him, it wouldn’t go well.

“Alright,” Gabriel agreed. “If I come down tomorrow, can I feed him?”

Marlo laughed. “Only if you don’t like your fingers.”

“Do you think I could ride him?” he added, only half joking.

Shaking his head, Marlo said, “Only if you don’t like breathing.”

Gabriel said goodbye to Marlo, then ran out of the stables with plans to come back in the morning. He grabbed his shirt on the way out the door, pulling it on before springing into the air and flying back to the manor.

***

The manor was mostly dark as Gabriel approached. There was a dim light shining through the windows of Jequn’s chambers, but nowhere else. Gabriel landed on the porch and slipped through the curtains. The moon was waning from full, but it still cast enough light that he could see as he stepped through the foyer. He walked carefully, trying to avoid any loose floor boards as he moved across the dining room. He took the stairs lightly, hoping they didn’t creak under his weight. Gabriel contemplated using his wings to hover, like his mother, but he couldn’t risk his father catching him like that again. It would be humiliating.

At the top of the stairs Gabriel crouched and peeked around the corner. His father’s lights were still on. The Isten didn’t need as much sleep as everyone else, so Jequn was often found working late into the night.

Gabriel was sore after working in the barn most the evening, and exhausted from his long flight from the academy that morning. He didn’t want his father to call him into his chambers. After a lecture about what Gabriel had done wrong, he would end up standing there the rest of the night, watching his father read news from Ahn off a tablet, or listening to him talk about distant politics. Gabriel just wanted to curl up in his bed and sleep.

As he prepared to sneak around the corner and race to his room, Gabriel heard a sound. It definitely came from Jequn’s chambers. He ducked low on the stairs. Jequn’s voice was coming closer. He was talking to someone and moving toward the hallway. Gabriel strained to listen, despite the guilt he felt from eavesdropping on his father.

“… is for your own good,” said Jequn, his voice soft. “It pains me to see you misbehave.”

“I’m sorry, Father, I will try to be good,” came the quiet reply.

Alex? What was Alex doing up so late, and in their father’s rooms, no less. They were at the archway now, where the veil separated the chambers from the main hallway. Gabriel could see their shadowed shapes through the thin fabric.

“You can try, Alexiel, but you have so much to learn.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Oh, my dear Alexiel,” his father cooed, reaching out to touch Alex’s hair. “I worry about you when I’m away.” The shadows shifted, and it looked like Jequn brought Alex’s long hair up to his lips. The hair slowly slid from his fingers, and then he said, “I have a gift for you, Alexiel.”

Gabriel popped up, fully visible for anyone watching. Luckily, no one was. He was stunned. In his whole life, his father had never given him a single gift! He watched the shapes behind the veil. Jequn placed something into Alex’s outstretched hands. It caught the candlelight, and even through the sheer curtain of fabric, Gabriel could see how much it sparkled. He ducked down again.

“Thank you, Father,” said Alex. He didn’t sound grateful. He sounded bored, like this happened all the time. Maybe it did. Gabriel slid lower as a wave of jealousy coursed through him. He didn’t want to listen anymore. He backed down the stairs until he reached the bottom, then ducked around the corner. With his wings pressed against the wall, he waited until after he heard shuffling footsteps moving past the top of the stairs and down the hall.

When he heard no other sound, Gabriel climbed back up. The lights from his father’s chambers were gone. There were no other noises. Gabriel tiptoed down the hall and slipped into his chambers.

As he slipped through the dark, familiar corridors and rooms, thoughts buzzed through his head. By the time he reached his bedroom, he was furious.

“Why did Alex get a gift?” he asked aloud. “Father never gave me a gift. What’s so special about Alex?” He picked up one of the pillows off his bed. The bed was suspended from the ceiling by chains, so when he bumped it, it swayed back and forth. Gabriel started pacing.

“He called him, ‘my dear Alexiel’,” Gabriel mocked, filling the words with spite. “Father would never talk to me like that!” He dug his fingers into the fabric of the pillow, tugging and pulling as he walked. “It’s not fair!” he exclaimed, and suddenly, the pillow ripped open. Downey fluff filled the air. Gabriel sank to his knees, surrounded by the remains of the pillow.

“Maybe it’s not like that,” he said, trying to reason with himself. “Alex is home all the time. He doesn’t have any friends. Maybe that’s why Father brings him gifts, to make him less lonely when he’s gone.” He nodded, picking at the fluff. “That’s probably all. It’s not like Alex can become his heir. Alex can’t even go to the academy. He’s useless.”

Gabriel immediately felt guilty when he said the words out loud. Sure, his brother was weird, difficult to understand, and couldn’t fly, but he wasn’t useless. He was just lonely.

With a sigh, Gabriel stood from amid the scattered fluff. He stopped the sway of his bed, and then climbed on. It rocked gently as his weight shifted, but it was a comfortable, soothing motion. He closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, he promised himself as he drifted to sleep, he would talk to Alex and his father and find out exactly what was going on.

At breakfast, only Gabriel and his father were present. His father read from the display off one of the communication tablets. It was a white one. Just regular news from around E’din.

Gabriel sat at Jequn’s right, and a servant entered carrying a platter of sliced food. Jequn looked up from his tablet and selected a sliced vegetable. He examined the even edges, appeared satisfied, and then ate it. Gabriel ate a piece as well, watching his father closely.

The Isten Jequn’s moods were always difficult to read. He would appeared calm and composed, and then suddenly, he wasn’t, and Gabriel would be left scrambling to figure out what he had done to set his father off. Over the years, Gabriel had learned a few tricks in dealing with the Isten.

Only after his father had eaten a few bites did Gabriel speak. “Father,” he said, trying to sound casual, “I think I would like to visit the stables again today.”

Jequn continued reading the tablet screen, uninterested. “There is a meeting in Lemuria today. I am leaving after breakfast. I do not care what you do while I am away.”

“Yes, Father,” he said. “It’s just… I’d like to see the stag again.”

“Stag?” Jequn said, looking up from the tablet. “The beast is dangerous.”

“Yes, sir. I don’t want to touch it, I would just like to see it again, in daylight. See, before the Harvest break started, the Isten Elohim was teaching us about these beasts that grew huge bone antlers from their heads.” Jequn rolled his cold blue eyes, and began reading the tablet again.

Gabriel continued, undaunted. “The Isten Elohim said the antlers were delicate, and would fall off if they bumped against anything.” Jequn snorted. He was still listening, even if he pretended not to be. “I think he’s wrong,” Gabriel stated. “I want to watch the stag today so I can report back to my class what they’re really like.”

“It is not proper to disagree with your instructors, especially one of the Isten,” said his father. “However, if Elohim is teaching nonsense to your class, it would be unfair for them to remain uncorrected.” He ate another piece of food and looked at Gabriel. That was the closest thing to assent that Gabriel was going to get.

The Isten Elohim hadn’t been teaching them about antlered beasts before the break. The lesson had been about electrical conductivity. But there was some sort of rivalry between his father and the instructor that Gabriel didn’t understand. He did know that any time he brought up the Isten Elohim in front of his father, his father found pleasure in finding ways to prove the other Isten wrong.

Now that he had secured permission to be in the stables, Gabriel began his second task. “I feel bad, though, starting my holiday down in the stables. I’ve barely seen my little brother at all.”

Jequn frowned. “Alexiel doesn’t have your constitution. He sleeps a lot.”

“Yes, Father, I know, but it seems like maybe I should stay at the manor with him. If you’re gone all day, I wouldn’t feel right leaving him alone.”

Jequn ate another piece of food. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Gabriel, but he didn’t respond.

Gabriel chose a thin slice of fruit, but didn’t eat it. He just held in between his fingers, regarding it thoughtfully. “I suppose I could stay at the manor. I could invite Alex-” he stumbled, almost forgetting, “-iel into my rooms. Maybe read to him-”

“Absolutely not,” snapped Jequn. Gabriel dropped the fruit, startled.

“But-”

“You do not go into his rooms, and he does not go into yours. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.”

The Isten’s sharp gaze stayed on Gabriel for a moment before it shifted back to the tablet. Gabriel exhaled slowly, carefully. He couldn’t push his father too much, but…

“Maybe Alexiel could come down to the stables with me,” he said.

The tablet dropped to the table as Jequn’s full attention turned on Gabriel. “What.”

“Instead of staying at the manor,” he said.

“You want your brother to walk to the stables,” said his father.

“I would stay with him, of course. Make sure he didn’t get hurt.”

Jequn searched Gabriel’s face for a moment. Then a little twist of a smile appeared on his face. “Your brother is helpless. He would be your complete responsibility for the day.”

“I know.”

“And should anything happen to him, it will be your fault.”

“Yes, sir, I understand.”

“Then you have my permission. Alexiel may join you on your visit to the stables today.” The Isten Jequn ate one last piece of fruit, then stood up. His hair was twisted at the back of his head this morning, so he didn’t make any noise as he moved. “I expect you both home by the time I return for dinner.”

“We will,” Gabriel said. He tried not to look too pleased as his father strode from the room.

In the foyer, Gabriel could hear his father’s voice, a low murmur. Gabriel couldn’t understand the words, but he knew his father was talking to a servant. There was a hushed response of agreement, and then Jequn’s heavy footsteps carried him out the foyer curtains.

Once outside, Jequn ascended with a powerful triple-beat snap. He was miles away in seconds, but the echo of his wings lingered in the valley and over the jungle.

Gabriel sighed. He had gotten what he wanted, and so, should be happy, but something in the thin smile his father gave him before he left made him wonder if he had made a mistake.

***

After waiting for Alex to wake and get dressed, Gabriel carried him on the short flight to the stables, insisting that it was too far for his little brother to walk. They landed in front of the door, and Gabriel placed Alex on his feet. Alex took two steps away from him, and then stumbled, falling to his hands and knees.

“You shouldn’t be wearing those clothes down here,” said Gabriel as he helped his little brother back to his feet. Alex looked away, his face tight, like he was in pain. “Are you hurt?” Gabriel asked, concerned. He grabbed his brother’s hands, turning them over so he could see his palms. They were dirty, with little marks from the rocks, but not bleeding.

Gabriel blew the dirt off Alex’s skin softly, and then looked at his face. He smiled. “There, all better.”

Blinking black eyes rapidly, Alex tried to look anywhere except Gabriel’s face. “Thank you, Brother.”

“You’ve got to be careful. Haven’t you ever been down to the stables?” he asked.

“No,” Alex replied. “Father says it is too dangerous.”

Gabriel laughed. “You don’t come here because it’s ‘too dangerous’? Yet you go wandering off by yourself in the jungle.” He shook his head. “Nothing in here is going to eat you, at least. I promise.” He held out his hand to his little brother. “Here, so you don’t fall again.”

At first, Alex hesitated. Gabriel thought he was going to refuse. Then, Alex’s small hand slipped into Gabriel’s. Gabriel was surprised by how cold Alex’s skin felt, even with the layers of fabric that covered him. He smiled reassuringly, and then led his little brother into the barn.

The servants were busy working already. None of them did more than acknowledge Gabriel and Alex, a quick bow of their heads. Then they were gone, off to work on something else.

Gabriel stopped at the first pen, one with low edges that they could both see over. Inside, about waist high, was a four legged beast with a long twitching snout. Dark eyes and round ears focused on them as they looked over. Gabriel put his hand in the pen, and it walked over to sniff at his fingers.

“What is it?” Alex asked.

“It is a tzimin. A young one.” The beast’s snout wrapped around Gabriel’s fingers, looking for food. Gabriel pulled back, and grabbed some dry hay from outside the pen. When Gabriel offered the hay to the beast, it pulled it into it’s mouth with its snout and began chewing. “Do you want to try to feed it?” Gabriel asked holding some of the hay to Alex.

“No,” said Alex. “It doesn’t look right. I think it’s sick.”

“It isn’t sick,” Gabriel said reassuringly. “That’s how they all look.”

“No, the small one is correct,” said a deep voice from behind them.

Startled, Gabriel turned to see Marlo standing behind them. He had to look up to see the tall man’s face. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Apologies, my Lord Gabriel,” said Marlo unapologetically. “But the tzimin is sick. It cannot smell, and will be unable to differentiate the hay from your fingers.”

“I don’t thin- Ow!” Gabriel jerked his hand back as sharp pain shot through his fingers. He glared down at the beast, then looked at his hand. A thin line of blood appeared across his middle and third fingers. He let go of Alex’s hand and squeezed the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

“Come on,” Marlo said. “I can’t have you dripping blood all over.” He turned and walked further into the stables.

“Sorry,” Gabriel whispered to Alex as he followed the dark skinned man. “This will only take a moment.”

Alex hesitated briefly, then followed close behind Gabriel. “Does it hurt?”

“What, this?” Gabriel said, holding up his hand. It dripped blood and he quickly covered it again. “Nah, doesn’t hurt. Just surprised me, that’s all.” It did hurt, but Gabriel didn’t want to admit that. He had wanted to show Alex all the beasts in the stables. He wanted Alex to relax around him. Then, Gabriel would be able to talk to him and find out what had happened last night with their father.

Instead, Gabriel had been bitten, and Alex looked even more tense and worried than normal.

Marlo held open a door to a room with a bed and a couple low-backed chairs. Shelves lined the wall with various bottles and boxes stacked up. “This is our medical room,” he said, “for when void-eaten servants or arrogant lords do something stupid.”

Gabriel’s face felt hot as he sat in one of the chairs. Alex stood beside him, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “You can sit, too,” Gabriel said. Alex shook his head once, but he stopped fidgeting.

Marlo closed the door, watching the two of them with an odd look on his face. He started picking through boxes from the shelves. “So this is the mysterious Lord Alexiel,” he said. “I’ve never had the pleasure, though I’ve heard plenty.”

Alex looked away, so Gabriel answered for him. “Alex is shy. I thought I could show him around today, but-”

“But you decided you would rather feed yourself to the tzimin?” Marlo chuckled. “My Lord Gabriel is so giving of himself.”

Scowling, Gabriel held out his hand. “It was an accident.”

After finding everything he needed, Marlo took Gabriel’s hand in a towel and held it as he poured a stinging liquid over the wound. Gabriel sucked in air through clenched teeth. “An accident, perhaps, but the small one knew,” said Marlo, giving Gabriel a crooked smile. “Maybe he should show you around today.”

Gabriel glared back at him. Marlo patted the wound dry with the towel. He took two thin, clean strips of cloth and wrapped them around Gabriel’s fingers, tying them off with tight little bows.

“There. Not that it will take my Lord Gabriel long to heal,” said Marlo. He started cleaning up the supplies.

“If you’re not a servant, why do you say that?” asked Gabriel.

“Hm?” Marlo didn’t seem to be listening.

“You call me ‘my Lord Gabriel’ and my father ‘our Lord Master’. Isn’t that just what the servants do? That’s how they were trained.”

“Does my Lord Gabriel not like being a Lord?” asked Marlo, amused.

“And you always sound so condescending when you say it,” Gabriel snapped.

“Like you said, I am not a servant. But your father is our Lord Master, and his rules are enforced. It does not do to draw attention to yourself in this place.” Marlo looked at Alex then, and the young boy looked away.

“Then why don’t you just call me Gabriel?”

“Before you? Perhaps. Before him? Never. A slip of the tongue is all it takes to lose it.” The big man shrugged. “Besides, there will come a time when I treat you with as much respect as your father.” He huffed and rolled his eyes, approaching the door. “Hopefully I will be dead by then.”

Gabriel scowled. He didn’t like being teased, and that was exactly what Marlo was doing. Still, he found he couldn’t be angry at the man. He stood, taking Alex’s hand again.

“Let’s go see the stag,” he said, and pulled Alex through the door.

The stag was calmer today, chewing hay that had been thrown over the stall wall. Gabriel flew up, peering over the wall at it.

“It’s huge,” he said. He looked down at Alex. “I’ll hold you up so you can see it.”

Alex shook his head and looked at the ground. He looked so out of place in that outfit in the stables, and so uncomfortable. Marlo stood back, watching him with his arms crossed over his chest. Creases appeared on his forehead as he furrowed his brow.

“It’s okay,” said Gabriel. He landed beside Alex. “You don’t have to be scared. I won’t drop you.”

Alex shook his head again, and then stopped. His small wings snapped out as his eyes lost focus. He looked like he was about to fall over. Gabriel reached out to catch him, but Alex held up his hand, stopping him. He blinked rapidly, and then he looked at Gabriel.

“Sorry, I just felt dizzy. I think I need to sit down for a little while.” Alex stepped toward the stall the stag was in and leaned against the wall. He slid down until he sat on the dirt floor, wincing. His wings cushioned his back against the wooden boards.

Gabriel hovered near Alex, unsure of what he should do. “My Lord Gabriel,” said Marlo, “can I speak with you? Privately?”

Gabriel hesitated, but Alex said, “I’ll be fine. I just need to sit for a little.”

“Okay. I’m not going far.” Alex waved his hand in the air and then closed his eyes. He rested his head against the wooden slats.

Marlo stepped into an empty stall just a little ways away. Gabriel followed him in.

“Why did you bring that child down here?” Marlo asked, his voice a hard whisper. He was carefully speaking low enough that Alex could not overhear him.

“What? I-”

“Do you realize he is going through withdrawals?”

“No, it’s- What?” Gabriel blinked.

“He is in pain, and you bring him down here to show him beasts? He should be in bed.”

“What are you talking about? He isn’t in pain. What withdrawals?”

Marlo scowled, searching Gabriel’s features. After a moment, the corners of his mouth softened, and he said, “You really don’t know.”

“Of course I don’t know!” Gabriel threw his hands into the air. “I have no clue what you are talking about.”

Marlo sneered. “You cannot be that stupid.”

“Hey, don’t call me stupid. You’re just a servant.”

“Of course, my Lord Gabriel,” growled Marlo though clenched. “My apologies, my Lord Gabriel, but I have seen many new servants arrive here still reeling from the withdrawal of Holloway, and your brother is one of them.”

Holloway. Gabriel had heard that before. It was a drug used at the training compound. It helped servants-in-training learn. Because Isten lived so long, they needed reliable help in daily management. Holloway was designed to make servants more efficient. But Gabriel didn’t understand why Marlo was bringing that up here.

“My brother isn’t a servant.”

“To the Isten, we are all servants,” Marlo retorted. He pointed out the stall in the direction Alex was. “Get your brother and take him back to his room before something bad happens.”

Gabriel wanted to reprimand Marlo for ordering him to do anything. He wanted to report him and see him whipped. But instead, he stalked around the corner to gather Alex. He froze, looking at the scene before him.

“When you said something bad,” he said, keeping his voice low, “did you mean, like that?”

Marlo stepped out of the stall and froze. He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t.

The stall door was open, and the stag had stepped out. The great antlers spread across the aisle, nearly touching the floor as it lowered its nose to Alex’s outstretched hand.

For a moment, Gabriel was fairly certain his heart had stopped. As still as Marlo was, maybe his had, too.

Then Alex looked back at them, a tiny smile of his face. The stag nuzzled his cheek, and Alex leaned against him.

Gabriel found his voice again. “A-Alex, what are you doing?” He took a small step forward. The stag snorted and jerked its head, and Gabriel froze.

Softly rubbing the beast nose, Alex said, “It is alright. Gabriel is my brother. He won’t hurt us.” The stag sniffed the air and scratched at the floor. Alex looked at Gabriel. “See? It’s alright. Come here. He’ll let you touch him.”

“No, Alex, it’s dangerous. You’ve got to get away from it.”

“It’s fine.” Alex held out his hand toward Gabriel. “Take my hand. Just let him sniff you.”

Gabriel’s feet moved forward on their own. He heard Marlo start to call after him, but his voice cut off as the stag gave another snort.

I will get to Alex and fly him away, Gabriel thought desperately. I will just grab him and run.

Gabriel reached out to grab Alex’s hand. He looked up, only for a second, but the sight stunned him. The stag towered over him, enormous. The antlers curved upward, outside his field of vision as he stared at the deep brown eyes of the beast.

Alex took his hand. Gabriel couldn’t respond. He was terrified and immobilized. Alex held Gabriel’s hand up, and the stag leaned down. Hot breath burst over Gabriel’s skin before the velvety-soft nose pressed against Gabriel’s palm.

He smiled. The beast nudged him, and Gabriel started to scratch lightly around the stag’s muzzle. Alex grinned, and Gabriel realized that was the first time he had seen Alex truly smile since his eyes turned black.

“He likes you,” said Alex.

“I like him, too,” admitted Gabriel. “But how did you…?

Alex just shrugged. He patted the stag’s jaw. “Time to go back,” he told the beast. With gentle touches, he guided the stag back into the stall and swung the door closed. Gabriel could only stand there in amazement.

Alex leaned against the stall for a moment, then turned back to Gabriel. His lips pressed into a thin line, and suddenly, he looked very pale. “Brother, I-” Alex’s body went limp, and his eyes rolled back in his head. Gabriel dove forward, and was able to catch him just before he hit the floor.

“I think,” said Marlo, visibly shaken as he stepped up behind Gabriel, “it is time you return your brother to the manor.”

Gabriel had to agree.

***

Wings beating hard, Gabriel returned to the manor with Alex’s limp body in his arms. He landed on the porch, not even pausing as he dashed through the archway into the foyer.

“Mother!” he called, hoping she was home. He hadn’t heard her return last night, and she hadn’t been down for breakfast, but he didn’t know what else to do. “Mother! Help! Something is wrong with Alex!”

Gabriel carried Alex through the dining room and up the stairs. When he got to the top, he called out again, but there was still no answer. She wasn’t home. He didn’t know what else to do.

“My Lord Gabriel,” said a servant, appearing beside him. Gabriel was too worried to be startled. “Please, allow this one to care for my Lord Alexiel.” The servant held out hands tipped with black nails to take him.

Gabriel shook his head, holding Alex’s body tightly against his chest. “What is wrong with him?”

“My Lord Alexiel needs to rest in bed. This one will take him-”

“No,” said Gabriel, stepping around the servant. “I’ll carry him there.” He walked to Alex’s chambers and marched through the veil. The servant stayed close behind him.

As Gabriel moved deeper into Alex’s chambers, the sight shocked him. There were cut gemstones and polished minerals placed on every surface. He passed a table littered with rubies the size of his fist and another glittering with diamonds. Gabriel had learned about many of the stones in his geology class. Some of them were incredibly valuable and difficult to retrieve. The Isten used many of the stones in construction, including the technology that allowed them to speak with Ahn. For so many of the gems to be just laying around a child’s room was unthinkable.

Had these stones all been gifts from their father? There has to be hundreds of them.

Gabriel tried to put the thought out of his mind as he moved into Alex’s bedroom. Alex’s bed was like his, suspended from the ceiling. Gabriel carefully braced it while he placed Alex on the mattress.

The servant was beside him, helping position Alex on his stomach. The little boy’s wings spread out, relaxed at his sides. Alex looked like he had years ago when Gabriel found him in bed with broken wings pinned straight. He half expected to look at Alex’s face and see his wide black eyes watching him.

But Alex was just sleeping. He almost looked peaceful now that he lay among sheets and pillows. Gabriel smoothed Alex’s black hair back from his face.

“What is wrong with him?” he asked.

The servant fidgeted with the bedding, trying to make the little boy comfortable. “My Lord Alexiel will be recovered with more rest.”

“He passed out. That doesn’t just happen. What is wrong with him?” Gabriel thought back to what Marlo had said. “Is it… Holloway?”

The servant flinched and stepped back from the bed. “This one cannot say. My Lord Alexiel needs silence to heal. If it pleases my Lord Gabriel, this one will provide an escort to the hall.”

Gabriel frowned. “I want to stay here until he wakes up.” He looked at Alex’s frail wings. White feathers were disheveled, laying twisted and splayed. They were a mess. How long had it been since he last preened?

The servant moved closer, and her hood dropped back from her face. Gabriel turned and stared. He had never seen a servant besides Marlo without a hood. This one had a thin face and choppy brown hair. Black eyes looked at him, emotionless. They were eyes that seemed to swirl, like a thick liquid trapped over the iris. Eyes like Alex’s.

She spoke with dry, cracked lips. “If it pleases my Lord Gabriel. However, our Lord Master does not look favorably on the occupation of another’s chambers.”

She was right. During breakfast, Jequn had forbidden him for entering Alex’s rooms. Surely he would make an exception if Alex was hurt, but, then again, maybe not.

“Will he be alright?”

“This one will tend to my Lord Alexiel.”

“I’ll go, then, but I want to know when he wakes up.”

She bowed and pulled her hood over her head. “As my Lord Gabriel wishes.”

Gabriel left Alex in the servant’s care and walked back through the rooms of jewels. Before he reached the exit, he paused. He reached out and took a blue stone with silver streaked through it from a shelf. He didn’t know why he took it. He shouldn’t care. Still, he doubted Alex would miss it with all the other gems around.

It was nearly time for lunch, so Gabriel made his way downstairs. There was a tray of food already prepared and placed on the table. Gabriel walked over and sampled a couple pieces, then looking in the kitchen to see if anyone else was there. He was alone. The servants must have prepared it for him. He went back to the table and sat down, taking his usual seat, even though he was alone. He sat the little blue and silver stone on the table next to the tray.

He started eating, thinking over what had happened at the stables. He knew there had to be something going on that he didn’t understand. It could be the Holloway Marlo mentioned.

There was a flutter from upstairs, and Gabriel thought for a second that it might be Alex, waking up, but it came from the other end of the manor, in his mother’s chambers. Liliel was home.

Before long, Liliel came gliding down the stairs and over to Gabriel. “My darling son,” she cooed. She ran her hands over his hair and then kissed his crown. “I’m sorry I couldn’t join you for breakfast. I had an early audience this morning.”

“It’s fine, Mother. Join me for lunch. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Liliel looked thoughtful, placing her finger on her pink lips. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry. I was just stopping by for a moment. See, Hesediel, granddaughter of the Isten Ridwan, had her baby early, and there’s a ceremony, and I’m expected, and you know how these things go.” She tried to look remorseful.

“I understand,” said Gabriel. “It’s just… Alex fainted in the stables.”

The corners of Liliel’s mouth turn down in a little frown. “What was that child doing in the stables?”

“I asked him to come with me. The servant said he’ll be okay, but-”

“Well, if the servant says he’ll be fine, I’m sure he will. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” She smiled again and clasped her hands together. “Now, I’m sorry my darling son, but I really must be going. I have many social responsibilities as the wife of an Isten. They’ll be expecting me. I’m sure you understand.”

“Yes, Mother,” he responded, but she had already placed a kiss on the top of his head, and fluttered off.

Gabriel finished the rest of his lunch in contemplation. How could she say that her responsibilities at a party were more important than caring for her sick son? Unless she trusted the servants to care for Alex that much. Maybe Gabriel should trust them a little more, too.

He picked up the blue and silver stone, and went back upstairs. Rubbing the smooth stone under his thumb, Gabriel crossed the main hallway to his chambers. That word kept circling his mind. Holloway. It was only used for servants, but Marlo said Alex was taking it.

One of the many rooms in Gabriel’s chambers was a library. It was filled with second-hand tomes and stained scrolls that his father no longer needed. It wasn’t as extensive as the library at Archridge Academy, or even his father’s own collection, but it did have a variety of information.

Scanning through the room, Gabriel picked out two books and three scrolls he thought might contain information about Holloway. He carried the stack back into another room where a recessed part of the floor was filled with pillows. He sat down, got comfortable, and started reading.

By the time Jequn arrived home, Gabriel was still reading. He kept finding more references to things he didn’t have access to. He searched through all the documents in his library, but there was still a lot he didn’t understand. He definitely understood more than he had. He no longer had doubts that Alex was being affected by some form of Holloway. It was in the eyes. Those black eyes were a clear mark of Holloway. He had never known before, because the servants always remained cloaked in his presence.

When he heard Jequn’s triple-beat descent, Gabriel scrambled to put all the reference material back. Alex hadn’t woken up yet. At least, if he had, the servant woman had not come to notify Gabriel. Which was unlikely. The servants did what they were told by their masters, which he now understood was partly caused by Holloway. It was designed so the Isten could have a household staff that was entirely trustworthy. Completely obedient and loyal. It was supposed to be a safeguard, nothing more.

For a product only used on servants-in-training, Gabriel didn’t understand how Alex could be taking it. The thought nagged at Gabriel with every word he read. Alex wouldn’t take something like that by choice. He probably didn’t even realize he had been taking it. Which meant someone was poisoning him intentionally.

Heavy footsteps came up the stairs and toward the end of the hallway were Gabriel and Alex’s rooms were. Gabriel shoved scrolls wherever he could make them fit. He wasn’t ready to tell his father what he had found. He wanted to find out more, because once his father knew, he would become enraged. If he cared for Alex enough to bring him gifts, he would probably kill whoever was poisoning him with Holloway. If it was a servant, like Gabriel suspected, Jequn might kill half the household until he found out who did it. Maybe even all of them. So Gabriel needed to investigate more.

But first, Gabriel had to find out how Alex was being poisoned. He couldn’t let his brother continue to get sick.

Jequn’s heavy footsteps passed into Alex’s rooms. Gabriel felt a flash of fear. He knew his father would be angry. Gabriel would have to go and explain what happened, leaving out his knowledge of Holloway, for now.

Gabriel exited his chambers to wait in the hallway for his father. He stood outside Alex’s rooms, hands behind his back, trying to rehearse what he would say. When he heard Jequn’s heavy footsteps coming back, Gabriel straightened. He held his chin up and tried not to look scared as Jequn pushed the curtain aside and emerged.

The Isten looked down at Gabriel with cold eyes. He didn’t look angry. He looked disappointed. Everything Gabriel had been planning to say vanished from his mind.

“Father, I, um, well-”

“Come with me,” Jequn said coldly. He walked by Gabriel, the floor vibrating with every heavy step. Gabriel followed behind him, focusing on the long primary feathers of his father’s six wings. The longest almost touched the floor.

Jequn led the way through the veil into his own chambers. Gabriel couldn’t help but feel apprehensive as they crossed through the rooms into Jequn’s back office. Jequn pushed open the door and motioned for Gabriel to step through. He did, keeping his head bowed. His father stepped inside and slowly closed the door.

Gabriel looked around the office. Not much had changed since he had been there during the previous year’s Harvest. Documents and maps still covered the walls. The three tablets Jequn owned sat on the desk. There was a box of spare parts, too, in case he needed to repair one of the tablets. Gabriel didn’t understand the technology, but knew it originated on Ahn, and only the Isten could repair it.

“Sit,” Jequn said, pointing to a low bench. Gabriel sat. He looked at his hands, picking imagined dirt from under his nails. “Tell me, Gabriel, my first born and heir, why your brother lies unconscious in his bed, covered in dirt from the stables.”

His father’s voice made Gabriel want to hide. He felt guilty, instantly. “It wasn’t my fault-”

“Speak up,” snapped the Isten.

Gabriel lifted his head, looking at Jequn. “It wasn’t my fault,” he repeated clearly. “We were just looking around the stables, and he got sick.”

“When you noticed he was sick, you brought him straight back to the manor?”

“No, sir. He was resting by the stall. He said he was fine.”

“He said he was fine, so you just left him there?” the Isten asked sharply.

“No, I- Well, yes, but only for a moment. I was talking to a servant-”

“You left your brother, who has never been in the stables before, alone while he was feeling ill so that you could go speak to a servant?” demanded Jequn.

“He was fine! But then the stag got out and-”

“The stag?!” Jequn’s eyes flashed with rage.

Gabriel gulped. He couldn’t look at his father’s face. “The stag got out. It didn’t hurt him, it just stood there, but he touched it.”

“Alexiel touched the stag,” Jequn repeated slowly. “You brought him down to the stables, and left him alone with the stag.”

“It was an accident,” Gabriel exclaimed. “Alex didn’t get hurt!”

The blow came so fast, Gabriel didn’t have time to brace. His vision went dark, and his cheek stung with pain. He shook his head, blinking away the darkness and the tears that sprung to his eyes. Heat rushed to his cheek in the shape of his father’s hand.

“Alexiel,” his father corrected in a dark tone.

“Alexiel,” repeated Gabriel. His throat was tight as he fought off the urge to cry. “Alexiel didn’t get hurt. He led the stag back into the stall. When the door was closed, he just fell down, and that’s when I brought him up here.”

Jequn clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “You left your brother with the stag while he was ill, and waited until he had passed out from the stress of the situation to bring him back to the manor?”

“That’s not what happened.” Gabriel’s voice stuck in his throat, and the words came out with a squeak. “It was an accident.”

“He was your responsibility, Gabriel.”

“I know.”

“He could have been killed. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, sir, but he’ll be okay, right?”

Jequn looked at Gabriel, jaw clenched tight. He didn’t answer for a moment, and Gabriel began to worry that Alex wasn’t going to heal. That he would remain unconscious and die. It would all be his fault.

“He will recover,” Jequn said. He turned away, approaching a tall shelf. Gabriel exhaled a sigh of relief until he saw what Jequn picked up.

It was a straight cane made from the hard stalk of one of the jungle palms. Dark circles ringed the pale wood. It wasn’t very thick, but Gabriel knew from past experience how much it could hurt.

“Gabriel, you are my first born and heir. When something, or someone, is your responsibility, there are no accidents. There is only success, or failure. As my heir, you will learn that.” Jequn swished the cane through the air, practicing his swing. The sound made Gabriel cringe. “And you will start learning now.”

“Y-Yes, Father.” Gabriel knew what was coming. Nothing he said would lessen or divert his punishment.

“Stand up and turn around. Put your hands on the bench.” Gabriel did as he was told. He brought his wings up over his head so they could not be accidentally struck. That was a pain he could not stand to endure again.

“I’ll give you a choice,” said his father. There was a swish of the cane behind Gabriel, making him tense, but it didn’t make contact. “As punishment for failing to keep your brother safe, you may choose ten strokes through your clothes, or six on bare skin.”

Gabriel’s heart sank in his chest. Four was the most he had ever received before with the cane, and being flogged in the yard a dozen times had been less painful than that. Ten strokes with fabric covering his skin would be unbearable. His father was strong. The thin fabric would not provide much protection. But exposing his bare backside to his father was humiliating. He couldn’t decide which would be better, but he had to make a choice fast or his father would choose for him.

“Six, sir,” he whispered. He slid the thin fabric pants from over his hips and let them fall to the floor. Flushing with embarrassment, he returned his hands to the bench and gripped the edges hard.

“This is for your own good,” said his father. “It pains me to have to punish you like this.” The cool cane touched Gabriel’s skin gently, Jequn lining up the first stroke.

“I’m sorry, Father,” said Gabriel. “It won’t happen again.”

“I know it won’t.” Jequn pulled the cane back. “Now count.”

***

Gabriel left Jequn’s chambers later, holding his pants in front of his exposed body, the only bit of modesty he could afford. The seven stripes across his backside had broken through skin with every impact, and his flesh was raw and bruised. There was no way he was putting anything on over that.

His punishment had been seven strikes instead of six, because with the first skin-splitting swing, Gabriel had forgotten to count. Pain erased any rational thought he had. He hadn’t forgotten again, though.

While he sobbed uncontrollably, his father made him stand beside his desk, until the bleeding had stopped. As Gabriel’s cries subsided into mere sniffles, Jequn turned to him, lecturing him at length over the responsibilities of being the first born and heir. Gabriel knew he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

Once Jequn dismissed him, Gabriel picked up his pants and left, though he had a lot of trouble walking. Every step hurt. He walked down the hall with short, stunted steps, thankful none of his friends at Archridge could see him.

As he reached the veil to his room, there was a sound behind him.

“Brother,” said the small, trembling voice. Gabriel turned. Alex stood there, reaching out to him.

Humiliated, Gabriel looked away. “Leave me alone,” he snapped, his voice hoarse from crying. If Alex had just told him he wasn’t feeling well, Gabriel never would have taken him down to the stables. But no, the boy said nothing, and Gabriel had paid for it with his own flesh and blood.

Pushing through his veil, Gabriel ignored Alex even as he saw the tears spring into his little brother’s eyes. He painfully walked to his bed, used his wings to help lift him onto the suspended mattress, then collapsed face first onto the soft bedding. Wounds exposed to the cool evening air, Gabriel fell asleep.

Gabriel woke in the morning starved from skipping dinner. He slid from his bed, using his wings to keep balance as he stumbled into the bathing room. The cane marks were still livid on his backside, the bruises nearly black, but his flesh had mended, just leaving seven incredibly sensitive parallel welts of new skin. He left his room wearing the loosest pants he had. Even the fine silk was nearly too much contact.

There were voices downstairs in the dining room and he paused in the hall, listening.

“…dinner last night, did you?”

“No, Father.”

“Well, no need to stand on ceremony. I’ve already eaten.”

Gabriel crouched low, peering around the corner. Beneath the sloped ceiling of the stairs, he could just see his father and his little brother sitting at the table. Jequn was reading a tablet while Alex sat in Liliel’s spot, devouring a rotika and fruit with more enthusiasm than Gabriel had ever seen him eat before. Gabriel realized his father wasn’t actually reading, but watching Alex from the corner of his eyes with an expression that, on anyone else, could have been considered adoration.

Gabriel jerked back, trying to stand, but stumbling. He fell with a thud on the floor, landing on his backside. He covered his mouth, rolling from the pain, trying not to make a sound.

He heard his father’s voice from the dining room, disgusted. “I think your brother is awake, though after the beating I gave him, he should still be in bed.”

Gabriel tried to stay still until the pain lessened. When he could tolerate it, he got back up, breathing hard, carefully staying on his feet. He refused to fall again.

With halting steps, Gabriel descended the stairs. His father’s face hardened. Gone was that soft adoration he held for Alex. For Gabriel, all he had was thinly veiled disappointment.

Gabriel stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Good morning, Father,” he said. His throat felt tight. He walked to the kitchen door and knocked twice, then gingerly approached the table. He stood at Jequn’s left, looking down at the bench as if it were some impossible task. Readying himself, he took a deep breath, and then slowly sat. He winced, wings straight out, tense and trembling. When his full weight was carefully lowered on his bruised backside, he exhaled his held breath slowly.

“Have you already eaten, Father?” asked Gabriel, not wanting to obviously give away that he had been eavesdropping. He avoided looking at Alex.

“Some of us do not have the leisure of wasting our mornings in bed,” the Isten responded.

Gabriel clenched his jaw tight, resisting the comment he knew would get him in more trouble. When his father looked at him, he quickly turned away.

“I suppose we are fortunate you joined us this morning,” said Jequn. “I have something I need to discuss with both of you.”

A cloaked servant came out with a small tray similar to the one Alex had in front of him, filled with rotika and fruit. The servant placed the food before Gabriel, and then backed from the room bowing. No one said anything while the servant was present, but once the kitchen doors swung shut, Jequn spoke again.

“There has been an emergency session of the Isten called in the capitol. I will leave today, and will not be returning until the fifth.”

“An emergency session?” Gabriel asked. “Did something happen? Did the Jinn-”

“Silence,” Jequn snapped. “It is nothing so trivial. The scholars of Ahn have finally released their interpretation of the prophecy, and we are gathering to discuss the revelations. Of course, I already know what they will say.” He smirked a little, like he was pleased with something.

“The prophecy?” Gabriel asked, raising his eyebrows. “The one the oracles sent from Ahn last year? They’ve really released the interpretation?” He couldn’t help but be a little excited by the news. Ancient prophecies had been one of the few subjects at the academy he had actually enjoyed studying. He turned to Alex, his enthusiasm bubbling over. “Did you know the oracles once predicted a king would destroy a whole empire if he attacked another country? He thought it was a good sign, so he attacked, but then he lost completely. The empire he ended up destroying was his own. But this was all long before Ahn unified into a single govern-”

“Gabriel, put food in your mouth or keep it shut,” said Jequn. “I do not need any history lessons. I was there. I remember.” Gabriel quickly shoved a piece of fruit into his mouth. As he chewed, he looked from them both, embarrassed.

“As I was saying, I will be gone until the fifth. It may turn out to be longer. It is doubtful your mother will return during that time. Some party or gathering,” he said, the disdain in his voice evident. “So I have been having trouble deciding what to do with Alexiel.”

Alex looked surprised by Jequn’s words. Gabriel was a little, too. “What do you mean?” he asked, speaking around the food in his mouth. “Doesn’t he just stay here?”

“With both myself and your mother gone, I cannot trust that something won’t happen to him,” said the Isten.

“Well, I’ll be home,” Gabriel said. “The Harvest holiday isn’t over for a while, so I can watch him.”

“Like you watched him yesterday?” Jequn asked.

Gabriel’s cheeks reddened. “We wouldn’t go out to the stables. We will stay in the manor. Nothing can happen if we just stay in the manor.”

Jequn clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Gabriel, I don’t think you’re ready for that responsibility.” He looked over at his silver haired son. “Especially since I received a notice of your progress at the academy this morning.”

Gabriel cringed. That couldn’t be good. “I’m sorry, Father.”

“Sorry?” Jequn scoffed. “Those fool instructors are enamored with you. They think you aren’t working up to your full potential. One of them even had the audacity to say you were brilliant, if only you could apply yourself.” Cold blue eyes glared at Gabriel. “Do you have any idea how humiliating that is? As the son of an Isten, my son, everything you do is reflected onto my name.”

“I didn’t know,” Gabriel protested.

Jequn looked down at his tablet again. Very calmly, he said, “Do you remember what I said about accidents, Gabriel?”

Gabriel licked his lips nervously. “Yes, sir.”

“And do you think it is an accident that you’re failing two classes with instructors who think you have the potential to be doing advanced coursework?”

“No, sir.”

“Are you even capable of taking responsibility for your classes? Or do I have to visit Archridge Academy myself to punish your laziness?”

“No, sir- I mean, yes, sir, I’ll be responsible.” Gabriel felt flustered. He definitely didn’t want Jequn at the academy. “I’ll try to do better in my classes.”

“Not try, Gabriel. You will do better in your classes.” The Isten drank the rest of his tea and placed the cup back on the little tray it had been brought out on.

“Yes, Father,” said Gabriel.

“Well,” said Jequn, “if you can accept fault in that, I suppose it is only fair that I give you another chance to prove you can be responsible.” He stood up, a ripple running through his wings as the feathers lay smooth again. “Gabriel, the manor and Alexiel are your responsibility while I am away. Do not fail me.” He looked down at Alex, who had just taken a bite of rotika. “And Alexiel, you will obey your brother.”

Both boys answered, “Yes, Father.”

Jequn walked toward the foyer. As he passed behind Alex, Gabriel saw his fingers accidentally trail over Alex’s wings, sending chills through the young boy’s body. Alex hid behind his hair, cheeks flushed.

Wings were extremely sensitive, and it was considered a social taboo to touch another’s wings. Even an accidental touch could be overwhelming. Gabriel pretended not to notice, trying to save his little brother some of the embarrassment the contact brought.

“Obey the rules of the manor while I am gone. I will know when you disobey. I always know.” Jequn placed the tablet into the hands of the servant waiting in the foyer, and then stepped outside. Gabriel felt the deep vibration of the Isten’s wings in his chest as Jequn took off, and then all fell silent.

Though he was alone with Alex, Gabriel didn’t feel the need to speak to the boy. He felt annoyed, actually. Alex watched while he sullenly picked at his food. He didn’t have much of an appetite anymore. He flicked his fruit around the tray until a piece splatted wetly against the wood.

“Brother?” Alex asked timidly.

“Hm?”

“Are you angry? With me?”

Another piece of fruit flipped off the tray. It rolled to the edge of the table then dropped to the floor. Gabriel sighed. “I’m not angry with you. It wasn’t your fault. I just… I just wish you weren’t so helpless. It’s weird.”

“I’m sorry, Brother.”

“Like that,” Gabriel said. He picked up his rotika and pointed it at Alex. “Always saying ‘Yes, Brother’ and ‘No, Brother’ or ‘I’m sorry, Brother’. It’s weird. We’re only four years apart, but sometimes I think you’re as scared of me as you are our father.”

Alex didn’t say anything. He picked up a piece of fruit from his tray and chewed it slowly.

Gabriel sighed and tore off a big bite of the rotika. While he chewed, he stared at Alex. Usually Rotika was one of his favorites. It was ground flour and water, blended and rolled into a flat circle. The servants cooked it on a flat pan until light brown spots appeared, and then puffed it over an open flame. They always served rotika still warm.

Today, though, it didn’t have the same appeal. He swallowed and said, “What you did with the stag yesterday, that was weird, too.”

“It was?”

“Of course it was! Did you see the antlers on that beast? It could have killed you. How can you be so scared of everything, yet so stupid when it comes to real danger?”

“He wouldn’t hurt me,” said Alex.

“No? A fly could have buzzed into his ear. A flick of the stag’s head to chase it off, and there you would be, skewered and dead.”

“He wouldn’t have hurt me on purpose. That would have been an accident.”

“There are no accidents,” Gabriel yelled. He threw down the rotika on his tray, and then winced. The motion jarred him, sending pain shooting up through his back. He placed both hands on the table and stood, wings spread straight out behind him, quivering. “There are no accidents,” he repeated, hissing out the words through clenched teeth. “Then why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”

Alex shifted uncomfortably, like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. It was frustrating. Gabriel hurt too much to deal with his weird little brother today. When he knew Alex wouldn’t answer, Gabriel sighed and moved around the table. He started walking toward the stairs, limping with each step. He made it halfway there when Alex stood up.

“Brother?” Gabriel paused. With intensity uncommon in the small boy, Alex announced, “I want you to come with me to meet Hadasha.”

***

This is a bad idea, Gabriel thought. A very, very bad idea.

He followed Alex closely as they walked deeper and deeper into the jungle. Normally, he found his brother’s slow speed tedious. Now, he could barely keep up. Alex stepped and moved through the twisted trees and vines as if they weren’t there. Gabriel, however, kept getting tangled in vines and caught on branches. He tripped over roots he was certain hadn’t been there, and almost lost Alex completely when the boy passed between two shrubs that looked like one solid plant. If he hadn’t seen the little white flash of feathers when he passed the spot, he would have been lost entirely.

“Almost there,” Alex said, looking back over his shoulder.

“We shouldn’t be out here,” Gabriel said, struggling to climb up and over a moss covered log. “Father will be mad.”

“Yes,” Alex said. “It’s a secret.”

“Is your ‘friend’ a secret, too?” Gabriel asked. He knew he sounded snide, but he was tired and all this tramping through the jungle wasn’t making his backside any less sore. In fact, he was fairly sure he felt worse.

“Yes,” Alex said, stopping on the path. He looked back at Gabriel with sad black eyes. “You won’t tell him, will you, Brother?”

“No, I won’t tell him about your stupid little friend,” he grumbled. “I can’t believe you come out here whenever he’s gone.”

“Not all the time,” Alex said, “Just when I-” He cut off his words. Alex was going to say something, and he stopped himself. Gabriel moved closer.

“When you what?” he asked.

Alex wiggled his toes in the dirt, looking down. A little black beetle crawled by his foot. “When I get hurt.” He glanced up at Gabriel, then looked further up the path. “We’re almost there,” he said, and he started walking again.

Gabriel followed behind. Away from the manor and the surrounding estate, his little brother seemed different. More vibrant, somehow. Like he was actually alive, and not some broken doll.

“Do you get hurt often?” Gabriel asked. He tried to keep his voice calm and even, as if he were only asking about the weather.

“Yes,” the black haired boy said. He pushed a branch to the side and slipped through. Gabriel mimicked the action, but the branch snapped back and scraped his arm.

“Fiends take you!” Gabriel swore. He rubbed at his arm, which was red, but not bleeding. As he stumbled through the path, he found Alex watching him curiously. “The branch,” Gabriel explained dryly.

“What are ‘fiends’?” Alex asked.

“You don’t know?”

“No, Brother.”

“They’re like beasts,” Gabriel explained. “But, I guess, evil.”

“You guess? Have you never seen one?”

Gabriel shrugged. “No one has. They don’t live in E’din with us.”

“Then what does ‘fiends take you’ mean?”

“It means… I was angry.”

“At the tree?”

“At the tree,” Gabriel said, his cheeks feeling warm. “Are you going to take me to see Hadasha or not?”

Alex gave Gabriel a quick smile that Gabriel almost missed as the small boy turned and continued up the path.

They walked a little ways more before the path opened into a clearing. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, covering the mossy ground with a green and gold mosaic. Alex hopped over a couple stones, his fluttering wings making his steps light, and then he sat on a fallen branch.

“This is it?” Gabriel asked, walking forward. His foot slipped on a moss covered stone, and he almost toppled over, except his wings snapped out and caught the air. Pain raced through his back as he used muscles that were still bruised from the day before.

“Now we wait.” Alex patted the log next to him. “Sit here. Then when Hadasha comes, she’ll know you’re okay.”

Muttering to himself, Gabriel made his way over to the log. He sat down next to Alex, carefully lowering his weight.

“Oh, if it hurts too much to sit, you can lay on your stomach. The moss is soft.”

“I’m fine,” Gabriel growled. He was still embarrassed about being seen last night. After being struck by the cane seven times, the idea of anything touching his raw and bruised skin has been unfathomable. All he had wanted to do was crawl onto his bed, lay down on his stomach, and never move again.

“It’s okay, you know,” Alex said, looking out into the trees. “I know it hurts.”

Gabriel studied Alex’s profile. Light wind tugged at Alex’s black hair, twisting it playfully around his face. He was just a child, but he looked so old, so… damaged.

The clothing Alex wore hid most of his body. Still, from beneath the collar, Gabriel could see faint green and purple marks on the boy’s neck. “Alex,” Gabriel asked carefully, “who hurts you?”

Alex’s eyes flickered toward Gabriel, but only for a second. He looked back out into the jungle. “I’m not supposed to say.”

“We’re not supposed to be in the jungle, either. Let’s just think of it as another secret. I won’t tell. I promise.”

Alex hesitated. His lips parted, and then pressed tightly together again. He shook his head.

“How about I tell you one of my secrets then?” said Gabriel. “Something I’ve never told anyone else.”

“Okay,” the quiet voice replied.

“Sometimes, when I’m at the academy, I think of never coming home. One of my friends, Barach, he says that I can come live with him.” Gabriel watched Alex while he spoke. “His mother is an Isten, but even when he gets in trouble, she doesn’t hit him.”

Alex’s thin black eyebrows furrowed. “Father… I think he likes hurting people,” the black haired boy whispered.

“He tells me it’s a punishment. That I deserve it. He says it’s ‘for my own good.’” He took on his father’s haughty tone, mocking the Isten’s voice. Alex cringed a little bit. “I don’t know sometimes. He beat me for bringing you out to the barn when you were sick. I didn’t even know!”

“He knew.”

“What?”

“Father knew.” Alex looked away. “He knew I was sick.”

Gabriel stared at Alex as information started clicking in place in his mind. That smile. That smile his father had at breakfast, when Gabriel asked for permission to take Alex to the stables. He knew Alex would be sick, and that something would happen. Jequn knew he could blame Gabriel, and then punish him.

“Why?” Gabriel asked incredulously.

Alex shrugged. “He said you tried to manipulate him.”

Gabriel shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. Even if he had been trying to manipulate his father, he had been careful.

“Then why didn’t you tell me you were sick? If you had said you weren’t feeling well, I wouldn’t have made you come down to the stables.”

“I’m not allowed to talk about it.”

“About being sick? That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s not just sick, it’s…” Alex trailed off, looking out into the jungle.

A cold feeling crept through Gabriel’s stomach. “Holloway?” he said, offering the word that he now knew Alex was unable to say.

Alex stiffened, his wings pulling in close to his back. The unkempt feathers trembled. “You know about that?” he whispered.

“I heard about it yesterday, from Marlo. Before you got out the stag. He said you were going though withdrawals. When we got back to the manor, I read some information about what Holloway was.” Gabriel shook his head, his silver hair brushing over his wings. “I thought you wouldn’t know about it. I thought someone was giving it to you secretly, but… It’s Father, isn’t it?”

Alex blinked rapidly. He didn’t say anything. Gabriel reached over and took Alex’s hand. The younger boy flinched, but didn’t pull away. Gabriel entwined their fingers together.

“Alex,” he said, “look at me.” Slowly, Alex turned his face toward Gabriel. Gabriel looked directly into his black eyes, unwavering, unblinking. “Is Father the one poisoning you?”

“Y-Yes,” Alex whispered.

“And he hurts you?”

“Yes.”

“How does he hurt you?” Alex turned his head away, but Gabriel squeezed his hand. “You can trust me, Alex. I’m your big brother. Taking care of you is my responsibility.”

“You won’t hate me?”

“I won’t hate you,” Gabriel promised. “Please, trust me.”

Alex nodded, and then turned on the log so his back was to Gabriel. He pulled his hand free from his brother’s and then started gathering his hair over his shoulder.

“Can you untie the knot at the back of my neck?”

Gabriel’s fingers quickly untied the knot of fabric. “There,” he said, separating the pieces.

“Thank you.” Alex held his head to the side so his hair hung down in front, and then he pulled the top of his clothes past his shoulders. He wiggled a little bit, slipping his arms out of the sleeves. He pulled the rest of the fabric down, over his thin chest and waist to gather at his hips. Gabriel could only stare.

All over Alex’s back, there were bruises. Some of them were big, five clearly defined marks where fingers had dug into Alex’s skin. Around Alex’s ribs, shoulders, and neck, there were bright bursts of bruising, like bite marks. There were even little pink welts where teeth had cut through and the skin had healed. More of Alex’s pale skin was covered in bruises than not. And the bruises kept going down, past Alex’s hips, hidden by the fabric.

Alex looked over his shoulder at Gabriel, worry in his black eyes. Gabriel snapped his mouth shut. He could see the marks around Alex’s neck. He had been strangled. “He did this to you? Last night?”

The black haired boy nodded. He looked away. “He was jealous. He thought, in the stables, that you wanted to touch me.”

“Touch you?” Gabriel asked, surprised. “Why would I-” The last piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “Oh.”

At the academy, there were other students, not much older than himself, who were already married. Others weren’t, but acted as if they were. Some of them just did it for fun. Gabriel hadn’t done it himself, but he knew about it. About sex. However, the possibility of it ever happening between a father and a son had never crossed his mind.

Before now.

Alex started to shiver. It wasn’t cold out, but still, Alex’s body trembled. Gabriel could tell Alex was afraid of what he would say and how he would react. Honestly, Gabriel couldn’t think of anything. His mind went blank like it had when Jequn first brought that cane down upon his flesh. So, he did the only thing he could think of.

Gabriel hugged Alex. He moved in front of him, and pulled his little brother against his chest. He was gentle and light, not wanting to hurt Alex any further. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t know. It isn’t your fault.”

Alex’s eyes widened and his body tensed, but as Gabriel continued to hold him, tears started dripping down his cheeks. He pressed his face against Gabriel’s chest as his body shook with silent sobs.

Smoothing Alex’s black hair, Gabriel held his little brother until the crying started to subside, whispering, “It’s okay,” and, “I’ll keep you safe,” all the while.

When Alex pulled back, Gabriel wiped the tears off his face. Alex looked up at his older brother and smiled. At that moment, Gabriel saw the baby brother he had known years ago. He knew that happy child was still in there, and he knew he would do anything to protect him.

Suddenly, the insects and the birds in the surrounding jungle fell silent. Gabriel tensed, looking around. Alex slid off the log, looking into the forest. He looked back at Gabriel with a smile. “Hadasha is coming.”

***

Fingers digging into the mossy bark log, Gabriel watched Alex stand in the middle of the clearing, looking up into the jungle trees. The top part of Alex’s clothing remained bunched around his waist, held up by a thin belt of fabric tied around his hips.

The air was too still. Gabriel’s wings quivered, and he fought the instinct to jump into the air and fly as high as he could. He began to suspect he should have found out more about his little brother’s friend before following him into the jungle.

“Alex? What type of beast is Hadasha?” he asked warily.

The little boy just shrugged. “Hadasha is Hadasha.”

“Does she have feathers, like ours?”

“No.”

“What about scales, like a snake?”

“She isn’t a snake, Brother.”

“A simian, then? With hands and a tail?”

Alex shook his head. He stood on tiptoe, wings fluttering weakly behind him as he peered into the deep shadows. The way the light from the canopy above passed over his bruised skin made the injuries seem worse.

Gabriel looked to the trees where Alex was staring. He couldn’t see anything, but an acute sense of dread filled him.

“A stag, then?” Gabriel whispered, hoping he was wrong.

“No. Now, hush. She shouldn’t see you first. You might scare her.”

“Right,” Gabriel mumbled.

After a few moments of complete silence, Gabriel heard a slight rustling, like wind through leaves, only, there was no breeze. The shadows in the trees seemed to shift. One second, Alex and Gabriel were alone in the clearing, the next, a flash of golden fur surrounded Alex.

Gabriel fell backward off the log with a yelp. He wanted to fly, but he couldn’t orient himself. He scrambled down toward the end of the log and peeked around, half expecting to see his tiny brother in the jaws of the beast.

Instead, Alex was cupped in the beast’s paw as it sniffed at his chest. A pink tongue flicked out between two huge fangs twice, tasting the exposed skin.

Alex squirmed and pushed back on her wide black nose. “Stop! Hadasha, no! Your tongue is too rough!” He was smiling, almost laughing. She chirped back at him, her body rumbling with a deep, content sound. She sniffed his hair and face, and then bumped her forehead gently against his body. Alex squeezed himself against her, arms wrapping around her muzzle.

Gabriel’s mind raced in a full on panic. He could fly out of there, but Alex couldn’t. If he grabbed Alex, he could carry him. But no, he wouldn’t be able to get his little brother out of the beast’s clutches. If he did, he certainly wouldn’t be able to get away fast enough before the beast’s claws ripped through his wings.

“Brother?” called Alex. “Come out. Hadasha thinks you’re hiding from her.”

Slowly, Gabriel peered over the log. Large amber eyes stared at him from the middle of the clearing. He froze. His wings quivered. He could fly. He could definitely get away, but-

“Brother, come over and greet Hadasha.” Alex walked between the two, holding out his hand. “If you don’t, she’ll think you’re prey. Here, take my hand. It will be alright.”

Gabriel slowly stood up. His legs were shaking as much as his wings. “We can run, we can-”

“Brother, you said you would meet my friend,” said Alex insistently. “Come over here and say hello.”

Gabriel finally looked to his little brother. “This is a fiend-taken pardua, Alex! This isn’t a friend!”

The beast growled, really low and steady. She took a step forward, but Alex looked back at her, raising a hand, palm outward. She paused, but her tail twitched back and forth.

“Hadasha is my friend, Brother, and she isn’t going to hurt you.” Alex looked back at Gabriel. “Unless you try to run or fly away. She eats things that run or fly.”

Licking his lips nervously, Gabriel placed his hand in Alex’s. He stepped over the log. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Alex smiled up at Gabriel. “Be nice, Brother. Don’t scare her.”

“Me? Scare her?” He laughed. “If I live through this, you and I are going to have to talk about your choice in friends.”

Alex led Gabriel forward into the middle of the clearing. When they were so close that Gabriel could feel the beast’s hot breath on his face, Alex stopped. “Hadasha,” he said, “this is my brother, Gabriel. Gabriel, this is my friend, Hadasha. Let her sniff your hand, Brother.”

Gabriel held up his hand before her nose. “N-Nice to meet you, Hadasha. Please don’t eat me.”

The pardua sniffed his palm. Even with his fingers spread, her black nose was twice the size of his hand. Hadasha was huge. Amber eyes looked down at him, as if still deciding whether he should be eaten or not. Her fangs were enormous, as long as his arms, and her paws looked like they could easily crush his chest. Tawny golden fur rippled over powerful muscles. Dark brown rosettes spotted her fur. That’s why he hadn’t seen her coming. Her spots mimicked the way the light fell through the trees.

Finally, Hadasha seemed to decide she wasn’t going to eat him. She turned away, pacing in a circle before flopping down with a sigh. Gabriel lowered his shaking hand. He didn’t even resist as Alex tugged him over beside the beast and to the ground to rest against her side.

Alex settled back against Hadasha’s fur, just behind her front leg. Gabriel knelt next to him, and after a little persuading, leaned back into her fur. She was warm and soft.

Hadasha looked back, scenting the air around them. Then she lay her head down against the mossy floor, and began purring loudly. Her front paws kneaded the mossy ground slowly, ripping long furrows through the soil.

Vibrations from her chest gradually relaxed Gabriel’s body. He rested back, his silver hair curling amongst the tawny pardua’s fur. Looking up at the flickering light cast down through the trees, his heart calmed in his chest.

“This… isn’t bad.”

“Hadasha always stays with me here,” Alex said. His face was pressed against the beast’s side, his features partially hidden by her fur. He kept his eyes closed and looked peaceful.

“How often do you come here?” Gabriel asked softly. He felt that if he spoke too loud, he would break the calm of the clearing.

“When father is gone for a few days, or when I’m hurt and don’t want to be around the servants in the manor.”

“The servants know?”

Alex nodded. “One of them tried to follow me out here once. I don’t know what happened to him.”

“But they don’t tell Father?”

“He knows. Sometimes he uses it as an excuse to punish me. He doesn’t know about Hadasha, though.” Alex opened his black eyes, looking up at Gabriel. “As long as I obey him, I don’t think he’ll stop me. But if I’m bad or do something wrong…”

“He’ll make sure you can never come out here again.” Gabriel sighed.

Alex closed his eyes again and nuzzled against Hadasha’s side. She started purring louder.

“Alex, how did you meet Hadasha?” asked Gabriel.

“She found me, here, in this clearing. I was crying, because Father had just broken my wings again. He left for a few days for a meeting, and I tried to run away. I didn’t get very far.” Alex shrugged, his little white wings rising and falling with his shoulders. “I think she was going to eat me, but then she didn’t. She lay down next to me, and stayed until I could go back home.”

Gabriel stared at his little brother. How much pain and torment had this little boy endured at the hands of their father? He couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t let it continue.

“I’m so sorry, Alex. I didn’t know. You should have said something to me. Or Mother! She would have stopped-”

“She knows.”

Gabriel blinked. “Mother knows what?”

“Everything. That’s why she is gone so much. She doesn’t like seeing me.”

“That’s not true. At dinner, she sat right by you. Served you food, even. She was happy.”

“It was an act,” said Alex. “For you. When you come home, she pretends that everything is normal. When you’re gone, she only comes out of her chambers at dinner, because Fathers insists. Most of the time, she just stays away.”

More than the horrible things Jequn did, Gabriel could not believe Liliel, their sweet mother, could know about something like this and not do anything to stop it. Unless Jequn hurt her as well.

“She’s our mother. She would do anything to protect us. I’ll talk to her. I know she wouldn’t let Father hurt you if she could do something to stop it.”

Alex’s wings squeezed tight against his back. “Nobody can stop him, Brother.”

“I will. I won’t let him hurt you anymore. No matter what.”

Alex didn’t respond. He just pressed himself against Hadasha. She chirped softly, adjusting her massive weight, and shifted to her side. Both Alex and Gabriel adjusted with her, curling up against her warm belly.

As Gabriel lay in Hadasha’s warmth, he watched his little brother. Alex’s breathing gradually steadied, and his body relaxed. His black hair hung around his bare shoulders. The bruises were still visible, but were definitely growing lighter. Gabriel wondered if he carried similar bruises all across his bottom and legs. He didn’t want to know. Healing quickly didn’t make getting hurt any easier. In Alex’s case, it seemed to make it more common. If Alex had been Homm, would Jequn have inflicted so many injuries on him? If Alex had been Homm, would he have survived eight years?

As his thoughts raced, Gabriel felt his own eyes growing heavy with sleep. He leaned his head against the pardua’s soft fur. The sound of birds and insects had begun again around them, but it all felt quieter, more peaceful than before.

It felt safe.

Gabriel closed his eyes, and was lulled to sleep by Alex’s hidden world.

“Brother, wake up.”

Gabriel groaned and rolled over. He covered his head with his wing. “Just a few more minutes,” he mumbled. His bed shifted beneath him.

No, that wasn’t right. Hadasha shifted. The muscles under her warm fur bunched. She lifted one of her rear paws up to her belly, nudging it between Gabriel and her stomach. Gabriel opened his eyes as his body was propped against her tensed rear paw. He had a moment to notice the dark pads of her feet and the dirt under her thick back claws before she kicked out, launching him across the clearing.

Flung through the air, Gabriel’s wings snapped out at they tried to catch him, but he was too close to the earth. He hit the ground rolling, tumbling across the clearing until he landed face first in the moss. Dazed, he lay still, his wings spread behind him as if they could still do something to break his fall. When his head stopped spinning, anger filtered in, and he pushed himself up.

“Fiend-taken pardua!” he shouted, turning around. “What was that for?!”

Hadasha still lay on her side. She looked amused. Alex stood next to her, his hand over his mouth. He looked amused too, though he was doing a better job of hiding it than the pardua.

Gabriel stalked toward them, wings puffed up behind him. “Not funny,” he snarled. Hadasha made a noise, growling while she moved her jaw. Gabriel froze. It sounded like she was talking, and what she was saying was definitely a warning.

Alex placed a hand on one of Hadasha’s long fangs. “Stop that. He isn’t going to hurt us. He’s just grumpy because you pushed him away.”

“Pushed me away?! She didn’t push me away! She threw me!”

“You weren’t waking up.”

Gabriel glared at Alex, but behind the little boy, Hadasha glared back at him. Gabriel shivered, settling his ruffled feathers against his back. “Fine. Sorry I yelled,” he grumbled.

“See?” Alex said, turning to the beast. “Now you should say sorry, too.”

Hadasha’s lip curled back from her teeth.

Alex looked sternly at her, putting his little fists on his hips. His clothing was still draped around his waist, and Gabriel realized most of the boy’s bruising had faded to a dull brown. He looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. They had been out here all day.

Hadasha huffed, turning her head away from Alex. She stood up, lifting her massive size off the ground with a lazy grace. She padded across the clearing, moving toward Gabriel. His body tensed up, ready for flight, but he felt immobilized in her amber gaze.

The beast stopped in front of him, sniffing his hair, silver strands twisting around him, caught in her hot breath. She chuffed twice, low and pleasant, then bumped her muzzle gently against his forehead.

Gabriel stumbled back from the contact, unprepared. He rubbed his head as he watched her turn and lumber back toward Alex. The little boy was smiling at them.

“I knew you could be friends,” he said, obviously happy.

Gabriel felt his cheeks grow warm. He looked away. “Yeah, yeah. We should be going back home. I don’t want to miss dinner again.”

“That’s why I woke you. Hadasha is hungry, too.”

“We’re not taking that beast back to the manor,” Gabriel quickly clarified.

Alex tilted his head, looking at him with a puzzled expression. “Of course not, but if we stay too much longer, she might think it’s her job to feed us, too.”

Gabriel grimaced. “I don’t think I want to see that.”

Alex shook his head. “You don’t.”

Hadasha stopped before Alex, chirping at the little boy. He flung himself across her muzzle, reaching up and scratching the bridge of her nose. The pardua pressed against him, rumbling a low purr that Gabriel could feel across the clearing.

When they pulled apart, Alex walked over to stand with Gabriel. He held a little clump of tawny gold fur in his hands. Gabriel remembered his arrival from the academy and the little ball of fur he had found in Alex’s hand then. It was the same.

“You are so weird, Alex,” said Gabriel, shaking his head. “You collect her fur?” Alex’s hand tightened around the clump. Gabriel wouldn’t try to take it from him again. He knew how much it meant to the little boy. “Just don’t get caught. Even if Father does know you come out here, he can’t know about the pardua.” He turned, stepping toward the bushes that led toward the path home. “I don’t know what he would do, but-”

A rush of feathers shot out of the bush. Gabriel yelped and stumbled back. He fell, knocking Alex down with him.

A large bird shot straight toward the canopy, brown wings flapping frantically. Gabriel and Alex both looked up, watching it fly. It had almost reached the higher branches, when Hadasha effortlessly sprang into the air.

Time felt slower as Gabriel watched Hadasha leave the ground. Her body stretched, long and lean. Powerful paws reached out, almost delicately scooping the large bird from the air. She brought it to her mouth, between her long, sword like fangs, and bit down. She twisted in the air, landing with a nonchalant ease, the bird’s body twitching in her jaws.

Gabriel was stunned, seeing the beast before him. That could have been him if he had tried to fly away. She could have ripped him from the sky as easily as she had that bird. He felt cold all over.

Hadasha’s amber eyes watched the two boys for a moment, then she chuffed invitingly. Alex touched Gabriel’s arm. “We have to go back now,” the black haired boy said. At first, Gabriel thought he was talking to him, but when he looked, he saw Alex was talking to the pardua. With a start, Gabriel realized the beast was offering to share her prey with them.

Gabriel stood quickly. He helped Alex up from the ground. The beast watched them for a moment, then calmly turned and walked away. At the edge of the clearing, she jumped, claws digging into tree back as she pulled herself into the low branches. She disappeared from their sight quickly, though Gabriel could hear her moving deeper into the jungle.

Alex touched his arm again. His fingers were cold. “Let’s go, Brother.”

“Y-Yeah.” The sight of that beast bringing down that bird so easily unnerved him. Alex looked incredibly calm, though. His dark eyes swirled with the thick blackness of the Holloway. The threat of the pardua didn’t even register as one of his concerns.

They started down the path back toward the manor, Gabriel following Alex and watching the surrounding jungle carefully. Before they got back to the estate, when the light from the valley was visible through the trees, Alex stopped and asked Gabriel to help him retie his clothing. Gabriel did, and they continued on, reaching the manor’s porch just as the sun set.

***

Dinner was prepared and presented to the boys shortly after they sat at the table. Alex sat across from Gabriel, looking down at the red patterns in the wood.

“You should lead this meal,” said Gabriel, nudging the tray of food closer to the smaller boy.

“I couldn’t,” Alex stammered.

“Sure you can. It’s just you and me. It’s okay if you make mistakes.” Gabriel smiled. “I don’t mind.”

“No, Father put you in charge of the manor.”

“And I say you should lead the meal. Come on, Alex, it’ll be fun.”

“But the servants-”

“Are what? Going to tell Father we ate dinner?”

Alex looked sullenly at the tray. “I can’t.”

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. “If you don’t eat, I won’t eat,” he said. He snapped his wings out, spread wide behind him.

They sat there like that for a couple minutes. Gabriel’s stubbornness wouldn’t let him give in, even as his stomach ached with hunger. Finally, Alex timidly reached out for the food. The boy picked up a thinly sliced white root vegetable. He brought it all the way to his lips, then stopped. Alex looked over at his brother, and Gabriel smiled encouragingly.

Shutting his eyes tightly, Alex shoved the food into his mouth. He chewed it quickly and swallowed.

“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Gabriel said, laughing. He grabbed the same type of food and tossed it into his mouth.

Alex peeked through heavy lashes across the table to see Gabriel smiling at him while chewing. He looked around the rest of the dining room, as if he had expected to instant retribution once he swallowed the food. Nothing bad happened.

The little boy reached for another piece of food. Something different. With less hesitation, he ate that. Then another. Gabriel knew Alex had to be just as hungry as he was, and realized all the other times he had seen Alex eat, the black haired boy had been restraining himself. Possibly even going hungry after meals, so not to offend their father or mother.

Before long, Alex and Gabriel had cleared the plate. They were both full, though Alex had eaten a majority of the food.

A servant entered, retrieved the tray, and then exited, bowing low.

“I want to go down to the stables and talk to Marlo again,” Gabriel decided.

Licking the corners of his mouth, Alex said, “I’d like to see the stag again.”

Remembering how familiar Alex had been with the beast, how fearless the little boy seemed of all beasts, Gabriel hesitated. “Um, well, I told Father I wouldn’t take you down there again.”

Alex slumped on the bench. Wings tightened against his back. “Oh. Okay.”

Gabriel sighed. “Come on, let’s go while there’s still a little light left in the sky.”

They left the dining room and walked out through the foyer. Gabriel touched Alex’s arm before the younger boy jumped off the porch.

“We’re going to fly.”

“I can’t.”

“I’ll help you.” Gabriel smiled. “Just like I used to when you were a baby.”

Gabriel fluttered his wings, stepping off the porch to hover in the air before Alex. He took his little brother’s hands in his, pulling him closer to the edge. Alex shook his head frantically, but his wings started flapping in an unsteady and shaky rhythm.

“That’s it, keep going,” encouraged Gabriel.

He pulled Alex off the porch, moving backward. Instead of dropping to the dirt, Alex was able to stay in the air. He seemed so surprised, he stopped moving his wings.

Gabriel tugged him upward, linking his arms under Alex’s shoulders and holding him against his body. Their faces were close together. Gabriel smiled at him. “I’ll keep us in the air. You just try to move us forward, okay?”

“B-But my wings have been broken so many times,” said Alex hopelessly.

“Your wings can become strong again. We Ahnnak heal quickly. You just have to try.”

Alex shut his eyes tight. His wings started moving again, asymmetrically hitting the air. They moved through the air a little bit, Gabriel helping pull them along. “Strike the air with both wings at the same time.”

Sweat beaded on Alex’s forehead, but he tried to follow his brother’s advice. His frail little wings snapped and beat at the air. Then, suddenly, both wings snapped down at the same time. Air shot through the feathers, and they pushed forward. Alex did it again, and again, the long suppressed instinct resurfacing. He opened his eyes, looking at Gabriel with amazement.

“I knew you could do it,” Gabriel said proudly.

It still took them a long time to reach the stables, and when they did, Alex was exhausted and drenched with sweat. Gabriel helped him land and pushed his damp hair back from his face.

Gasping for air, Alex said, “I can’t believe I flew. If Father finds out, he’s going to break my wings again.”

“No, he won’t. I am going to stop him from ever hurting any of us again.” He looked to the stables. “But first, we need some information.”

***

Gabriel kept tight hold of Alex’s hand as they wove their way through the aisles of the stables. Every once in a while, Alex would stop, staring at a beast in one of the pens or stalls, but Gabriel hurried him along before Alex could do anything other than look.

They found Marlo in a pen with the saiga mother and her two babies. When he saw them approach the side of the pen, he grunted and kept working. He brought hay into the pen, lifting the bale as if it weighed nothing. Gabriel knew how heavy they were, and was a little impressed that the Homm could pick them up so easily.

“What’s that?” Alex asked, looking down into the pen.

“They’re saiga,” said Gabriel. “The males have tall, spiraling horns, but the females don’t.” Gabriel pointed at the beast’s bulging noses. “They have enlarged sinus cavities to filter dust and warm air in climates with snow.”

“Snow?” Alex tilted his head, looking at the dry grass colored beasts. “I didn’t know anything lived in snow.”

“Sure, lots of things do. They grow dense coats of fur that keep them warm.”

“Why is it here? We don’t ever get snow.”

“Because,” interrupted Marlo, sounding irritated, “saiga reproduce in pairs. They almost always have twins.” He walked over to the edge of the pen. “Now, why are my Lord Gabriel and my Lord Alexiel down in the stables again, amongst the beasts and men?” He glared at them coldly. “What suffering have you come to inflict on me this time?”

“No suffering, I just want to talk,” said Gabriel.

“There is plenty of suffering in talking.” He opened the pen and backed out, making sure neither of the baby saiga slid out with him. He shut the gate and latched it.

Beside him, Gabriel felt Alex stiffen. He turned to look at his brother, and found he wasn’t staring at the beasts, but at Marlo’s back. Criss-crossed across the man’s broad back were thin cuts. They overlapped the scars already there, but were fresh, the skin around them bruised.

“What happened?” Gabriel whispered.

Marlo looked back at them and grunted with disapproval. “You happened. Bringing that void-eaten addict down here.”

“He’s not an addict,” Gabriel growled. “He is being poisoned by my father.”

Marlo looked at them, jaw slack. Then, he barked a short laugh, startling them both. “Then that’s even worse!” He started marching away. “Do not involve me in the affairs of Isten. I tend beasts. I want no part in this.”

“Marlo, wait!” called Gabriel. He pulled Alex along with him. “I just need some information.”

“Last time I gave you information, our Lord Master visited me himself. Thank you, but no. I know nothing about anything you are asking about.”

“I’m going to stop him,” said Gabriel. “He is molesting his own son, and I am going to stop him.”

Marlo stopped, and Gabriel nearly walked into him. “Molesting?” he asked slowly.

“He forces himself on Alex.”

Marlo stood there, his back to them. He grumbled something, clenched his fists, and then stamped his foot before turning around. “Fine, I’ll do what I can to help, but I swear, if you two get me killed, I will make sure every shard of my soul comes back to haunt you.”

“No one will know you helped us. Now, can we talk? Somewhere private?”

They followed Marlo to the medical room. The tall man checked inside, then ushered them in. “What questions do you have?” he asked after closing the door.

“About Holloway. I need to know what it is, and how to reverse it,” said Gabriel. He sat in a chair, draping his wings over the low-back. Alex stood just behind him, fingers lightly touching the hem of Gabriel’s short tunic sleeve.

Marlo sucked in air through his teeth. “There is no good answer to what you ask.”

“I just want the truth. The books I’ve read list it’s properties, but they were written by Isten and their supporters. By those accounts, those who choose to be servants take it to help them with their training.”

“Wait, ‘choose to be servants’? Is that what your fancy books say?” Marlo started laughing.

Gabriel’s eyebrows twitched in anger. “You’re supposed to be helping me,” he said through gritted teeth, “not laughing at me.”

“Then stop being so stupid!” Marlo snapped, his laugh cutting off sharply. Gabriel glared back at him. “You talk like people choose this life. The servants on this estate? They were born into it. They’ve been taking Holloway since they were infants. There was no choice.”

“That’s not true, the Isten would never allow-”

“Brother,” said Alex, softly touching Gabriel’s shoulder, “it’s true. Indara told me.”

“But… why?” Gabriel felt stunned. How could anyone force another person to be a servant, even if they were Homm? How could the Isten allow it?

“Obedience,” said Marlo. He looked at Gabriel with pity. Gabriel hated it.

The silver haired boy leaned forward, his eyes hard. “Then how do I reverse it?”

Marlo held up his hands. “You can’t. It is permanent.”

“No, that can’t be possible,” whispered Gabriel.

“I’m sorry, my Lord Alexiel,” said the tall man, looking to Alex. “Whatever has been done to you cannot be undone.”

“No!” Gabriel stood up. He glared at Marlo. “There has to be something-”

“Nothing can be done,” Marlo said, stepping toward Gabriel. His deep voice rumbled low in the room. Gabriel refused to be intimidated by the big man. He puffed his wings out, glaring up at him.

“You lie.”

“By the time servants are six years old, twice daily doses of Holloway have burnt out anything resembling emotion from their minds. Resistance goes next, followed by rigorous training on obedience and etiquette. Every female is bred once when she comes of age, and then they are sterilized and set to work for a master who cares little about their survival.” Marlo reached out, grabbing the front of Gabriel’s shirt in a big hand and jerking him close. “You and your kind don’t care about them. You see them as tools to be tossed away when they’re broken.”

“Get. Off. Me.” Gabriel said slowly. He looked up at Marlo, furious that the man would touch him.

“Yes,” hissed Marlo, releasing Gabriel’s shirt. “Whatever my Lord Gabriel commands.”

“Brother, please, let’s go.” Alex stepped forward, reaching out to Gabriel.

Gabriel held his hand out to his little brother, and Alex entwined their fingers together. The walked toward the door, Alex pulling Gabriel as far away from Marlo as the room would allow.

Marlo remained standing in the room, glaring back at Gabriel. “When you grow up,” he called as the door was closing, “you’ll be just like him!”

They left the stables quickly.

Gabriel scooped Alex into his arms and flew him back to the manor, ignoring the boy’s weak protests. Moonlight glinted off his silver hair as it tangled in the breeze. They landed on the porch, Gabriel ensuring he placed Alex gently on the floor, before he stalked inside the foyer. He lashed out in anger, kicking a low bench, sending it clattering across the floor.

“Brother…” Alex whimpered, a tremor in his voice.

“I can’t believe that- that, Homm! Who does he think he is? Of course it can be reversed. What was I thinking, asking some stupid stables servant. He is only fit to clean beasts’ dung.” Gabriel stomped across the room, his footsteps loud on the stone floor.

“I’m sorry, Brother. Please don’t be angry.” Alex’s voice was tiny as he followed, hands tucked into his sleeves, wings tight against his back.

Gabriel stopped at the doorway to the dining room, hand resting on the frame. He took slow, even breaths. His wings fluttered behind him once, agitated, before settling calmly against his back.

“I’m sorry, Alex, I didn’t mean to be angry. I was just frustrated.” Gabriel turned and gave Alex a tight smile. “I just… I can’t believe there is no way to reverse what our father has done to you.”

“Does it matter?” Alex asked, looking down at the cold stone floor.

“Matter?”

“If I stay, I mean. Will the color of my eyes really matter?”

“It’s not just your eyes. Holloway has poisoned your mind, too.”

“Indara says… she says it won’t affect me like them. Because I’m not Homm, and because I don’t take it regularly.” The black haired boy stared down, his hair hanging around his face.

Gabriel stepped close. “Does Indara know a lot about Holloway?”

Alex shrugged.

“Can I talk to her?”

“I can ask her, but I need to talk to her alone.”

“Alright,” said Gabriel. “Where will she be now?”

“My chambers.”

“How about I wait outside, and if she says it’s okay, you can invite me in.”

Alex nodded. They went upstairs, moving at Alex’s speed. He seemed to move easier through the house today, but his pace was still hindered. Gabriel waited in the hallway while Alex slipped through the veil that covered the entrance to his chambers.

He waited, listening. He could hear the hushed voices inside, but couldn’t determine what they were saying. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at the knots that the wind created. He started twisting his hair into a braid, which he released as Alex reemerged.

“Brother, you can come in.” He held the veil open. “Only… she won’t speak to you. Not directly.”

Gabriel entered. “What? Then how am I going to get answers from her?”

“Well, Indara said she can only answer Father.” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. That was not a very encouraging response from the servant. Alex quickly added, “But she’ll talk, she just can’t answer any questions.”

“Take me to her.”

Alex turned, walking ahead of Gabriel through his chambers. It was clear the boy was nervous about having Gabriel in his chambers. They both knew he shouldn’t be there and that Jequn would be furious if he found out, but it was too late for that now.

“Um, Alex? Do all these jewels come from Father?” Gabriel tried to phrase it as a casual question, but his curiosity came through.

It was clear Alex was uncomfortable talking about it. “Yes.” The boy squeezed his wings against his back, trying not to look at the scattered jewels and polished stones.

“They’re… gifts?”

“Yes, Brother.”

“Father has never given me a gift like this.” Alex didn’t respond. “Maybe,” said Gabriel, “he gives you gifts because he knows what he does is wrong. Like he’s trying to apologize.”

“Father wouldn’t apologize.”

With a sigh, Gabriel said, “I know. It was just a thought.”

They entered Alex’s bedroom. The servant from before, the woman with the short brown hair and black eyes, stood in the short hall that led to the bathing room, just passed the bedroom. She bowed low to Gabriel.

“This one begs My Lord Gabriel’s forgiveness.”

Gabriel’s silver eyebrow twitched. “Forgiven,” he said suspiciously.

“My Lord Gabriel is generous.”

“I want to speak to you about Holloway,” said Gabriel.

“This one cannot answer any except our Lord Master, but this one will speak while attending to the care of my Lord Alexiel, heedless of any additional ears that happen to overhear. However, it is late, and my Lord Alexiel’s bath awaits.” Indara motioned for Alex to come into the bathing room.

“Now?” squeaked Alex.

“If it pleases my Lord Alexiel. My Lord Gabriel can wait by the wall so that he may hear any words spoken.”

Alex looked down at the floor and shuffled forward to the bathing room. Gabriel followed, but he stopped just outside the door. He peeked inside curiously.

“Woah, what’s that?” he asked, seeing the polished sheet of metal.

Seeming to ignore Gabriel, Indara said, “If it pleases my Lord Alexiel, please stand before the mirror so this one can help you undress.” Alex walked over, looking embarrassed, trying to hide in his hair.

“That’s not a mirror,” stated Gabriel. “That’s an iridium shield. The purple haze comes from the coating layer of manganese quartz glass being exposed to direct ultraviolet sunlight.” He shook his head. “That’s part of one of the ships. Where did you get that?”

“Father gave it to Mother when they married.” Alex watched his reflection. Indara swept his hair over his shoulder and started untying the knot of fabric at the back of his neck. “It’s been in here for the last few years.”

Gabriel leaned back against the door frame, looking back up the hall toward Alex’s bedroom. All the gifts and now this? What was Jequn playing at?

“That ‘mirror’ is priceless,” he said. “For you to have it as a changing mirror…” He shook his head again, crossing his arms over his chest. His wings stretched and twitched before refolding with a shiver of feathers. He had to focus on what was important. “Tell me about Holloway.”

Indara let the fabric drop over Alex’s shoulders and then helped him pull his arms from the sleeves. “What Holloway is, how it is made, that is not important,” she said. “Why it was made is known. Obedience. How it creates obedience is what matters.”

In the reflection of the metal, Alex watched as Gabriel rubbed his temple with his fingertips. The servants words were irritating. “What do you mean?” he grumbled.

Indara untwisted the thin fabric belt from around Alex’s hips. His clothing dropped to the floor in a heap. He stepped out of it, and Indara tossed all the fabric aside. She knelt beside Alex and started to untie the knot in the blue ribbon.

“This one was trained to be a servant from birth. There is nothing else. Holloway destroys resistance over years.” She looked up at Alex. “But my Lord Alexiel is not training. With daily doses, there would be nothing left for resistance. My Lord Alexiel resists because our Lord Master allows it.”

Gabriel looked over, irritated by the servant’s answer. “If you’re not going to answer, just- Woah. Alex, why are your legs tied together?”

Alex clasped his hands in front of his body and let his hair drape around his shoulders, hiding as much skin as it could cover. “A ribbon. I have to wear it.”

“Father?” asked Gabriel, though he already knew the answer. “Fiends take him!” He spun and stormed out of the room, swearing the whole way. He had to leave Alex’s chambers and enter his own before he found what he was looking for. He came back, and that void-eaten servant was still kneeling there, picking at the blue ribbon tied to Alex’s legs. No wonder the boy had so much trouble walking! Jequn had hobbled him.

Alex was shaking as Gabriel approached, dagger in hand. His wings squeezed against his back. Gabriel stomped up, grumbling curses at his father he wasn’t yet brave enough to say aloud. He reached Alex and bent down, slicing the ribbon in half between Alex legs.

“Brother!” shrieked Alex, hopping back. Indara put her hands at her sides, jaw clenched tight. She watched Gabriel move toward Alex.

“Hold still or I’ll end up cutting you, too.”

Alex froze, eyes wide, as Gabriel stepped toward him. The silver haired boy dug his fingers under the tight blue ribbon around Alex’s thighs, slid the dagger beneath the ribbon, and pulled back. The ribbon fell to pieces. He did the same to the other side, then gathered the pieces from the floor. He held the handful of cut ribbon in Indara’s face.

“Any more of this?” She shook her head. “Good. Never tie him up like that again, no matter what our father says.” He stomped out of the room, slicing the ribbon into smaller pieces as he left.

Gabriel hid the bits of ribbon in his chambers, next to the blue rock he had taken from Alex’s room. He planned to burn it later. When he returned to the bathing room, Alex was in the bath, completely submerged in the water, wings and all. He stopped in the doorway. Indara was watching him, black eyes emotionless.

“My Lord Gabriel risks more than his skin in these endeavors. A betrothal ribbon of the Isten is a sacred thing. Failure will be worse than servitude.”

“Then you had better hope I don’t fail,” Gabriel snapped.

She looked at the water, where Alex was still holding his breath, little bubbles rising to the surface. “This is not the life for him,” she said quietly.

“Then help me save him,” he demanded.

She turned her back to him again. “This one will help as much as this one is able.”

Alex surfaced, breathing deeply as his wet hair hung around his face, floating like black tendrils through the water. Indara crouched beside the pool. Gabriel couldn’t help but glare at her. He couldn’t stand how tedious dealing with the servants was. If they would just speak plainly, everything would be fine. If they would have told him about Alex, Gabriel never would have let things get so far out of control.

He noticed Alex watching him as Indara started to work lotion into his hair. He looked worried, and Gabriel was shocked to realize it was because of him. Alex watching him with the same cautious, scared eyes he had when he watch the Isten rage. He looked at Gabriel with fear. Marlo’s words struck Gabriel again. When you grow up, you’ll be just like him.

No.

Never.

Indara spoke as she washed the compliant little boy. “This one has assisted my Lord Alexiel for the past fourteen months. Before this one was another. Before that one, another. Never has our Lord Master commanded more than two doses of Holloway in a row. Most of the effects will be temporary. Emotions are dulled, but not erased. Outburst are a common side effect of withdrawal, but even these will fade. In Ahnnak, normal emotions may even return over time. However, the stain will be permanent.”

Gabriel sighed. He closed his eyes tightly. “So his eyes will never be blue again?”

“Never. Away from Holloway, my Lord Alexiel will flourish. That will not be possible unless he is taken away. The color of his eyes will matter little.”

“We can’t just run away. There is no place in E’din that Jequn will not find us.” Gabriel paced back and forth in the doorway.

“This one was taught to please Isten by following the laws set in place for the household. Each Isten may differ, but they all follow the old customs of Ahn.” Indara took a thin clay saucer from beside the bath and dipped it into the water. She let the water dribble over Alex’s hair, rinsing out the lotion. Quietly, she said, “Laws are set to protect those unable to protect themselves.”

“The laws of Ahn,” said Gabriel, snapping his fingers. “Of course. Alex, I think I know what to look for now. When you’re done, come into my chambers.” Without waiting for a response, Gabriel spun out of the room.

***

Hide bound books. Gilded scrolls. Stone carved tomes. Gabriel grabbed everything in his library pertaining to the laws of Ahn. He started stacking them on the table in the middle of the room. One of the scrolls bounced to the floor, unrolling as it went.

His pile grew. He grabbed more and more until he had found every possible article pertaining to the laws of Ahn and Ter.

“Brother? May I enter?” Alex called.

“Yes, I’m in the library,” hollered Gabriel.

After a couple moments, Alex entered the library. He looked scrubbed clean, and the robes he wore seemed a little simpler, though they still covered most his body. He also looked nervous.

“Help me carry these,” said Gabriel, pointing to the table.

Alex picked up the scroll from the floor and started rolling it back up. “Where are you taking them?”

“The pit. Uh, my study, it’s got a drop down area with lots of pillows. It’ll be comfortable, and the lighting is good.”

Between Gabriel and Alex, they could not carry all the books and scrolls on their first trip. Gabriel left his brother to organize the stacks so they wouldn’t fall over while he went back for the remainder. When he returned, Alex was kneeling among the pillows. The scrolls, books, and tomes were arranged according to size. Well, at least they wouldn’t fall over.

Gabriel dropped the rest of the pile next to Alex. “Okay, let’s start with the newest records. Anything written on Ter.”

Hands hovering over a dark red book, Alex looked back at Gabriel. “Which ones?”

“The newest. They’ll say- Oh. Sorry, I forgot,” he said. Alex had never been taught to read. Gabriel slid next to his little brother and opened one of the books. The first page had all the copy information. “See these symbols here? Those are numbers. One-six-two.” He pointed to each symbol as he said the number. “This mark is D.E., which stands for Domninion of E’din. That means this book was written in 162 DE. Do you know today’s date?”

Alex shook his head, his damp hair swaying slowly with the movement. “The month is Harvest.”

“You were born in 585 DE. You are eight now, so…” Gabriel trailed off, encouraging Alex to finish.

Lips moving, Alex slowly counted up. “Five-hundred-ninty… three?”

“Yes. Today is the second of Harvest, 593 DE.” Gabriel smiled at his little brother. “So this book was written four-hundred-thirty-one years ago. It’s not that old, but there’s probably some newer.”

Gabriel selected one of the heavy tomes and sat it before Alex. He flipped open the cover, and pointed to the year. “This book was written on Ahn. They have different years than us. See this symbol? It means ‘Yfelri Age’. It started after one of the oracles’ prophecies. Currently, they are in…” Gabriel paused, calculating the Ahn year, “That’d be 7866 YA.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot.”

“Their years are longer than ours, too.” Gabriel’s wings lifted in a shrug. “If you can remember those symbols, DE and YA, you can sort these out for me. I want to start with the newest, everything written on Ter. Do you think you can do that?”

Looking between the two open books, Alex nodded. “Dominion of E’din and Yfelri Age. Yes, I think I can do that.”

“Good,” said Gabriel with a smile. “I’m going to start reading.” He grabbed one of the scroll. “Almost forgot. Scrolls have their dates carved into the handle, right here. See? DE.”

Alex looked and then nodded. He turned back to the stacks and began checking them, moving them around. Gabriel didn’t know if Alex really understood, or could remember the symbols, but it would keep the boy busy for a little while. He settled back against the pillows, pulled open the scroll in his hands, and started to read.

The last candle flickered out. Gabriel looked up, surprised. The chandelier above him was made with clear crystal, cut in a way that it refracted light down onto the pillow strewn pit. Though the other candles had already gone out, one candle in the chandelier had provided plenty of light to read by.

Now, however, Gabriel was startled to find that when the candle went out, he could still see. Dim light filtered in through the curtains. It was already morning.

Stacks of unread books and scrolls lay spread in a chronological line to Gabriel’s right. Useless read documents were tossed haphazardly to his left. Only two things had potentially helpful information, both scrolls, but they referenced other material that didn’t exist in his library. Still, he kept them separate from either pile. It was the best he had found so far.

Gabriel had already worked through half the documents. Reading them in order, newest to oldest, had been helpful. It was easy for him to find the patterns in the books, and quickly determine their contents without needing to read all the text. He was glad he had asked his little brother to sort them.

The little boy had trouble with the year numbers at first, but after a few questions, he picked up on it quickly. He had even been able to figure out the Ahn years, even though the numbers were much bigger. Then, finished, he had curled up among the pillows and watched Gabriel read until his black eyes grew too heavy to keep open.

Now, Alex whimpered softly, hiding his face in the pillows. His wings twitched as he dreamed. Gabriel reached out and touched his shoulder, calming him as he had several times through the night. The boy grew still again.

Gabriel sat the current scroll aside. His eyes felt tired and gritty, like he had been reading in a sandstorm. He yawned. The sky was growing brighter, but the sun had yet to rise. He knew he should sleep, even if just for a few hours.

Taking care not to wake Alex, Gabriel adjusted a couple pillows and then lay down beside his brother. With all the pillows, the recessed lounge was warm and comfortable. He closed his eyes, exhausted, though his mind raced with information.

He lay still, trying to quiet his thoughts, but he wasn’t falling asleep. How could he be so tired and not fall asleep? He groaned and rolled from his stomach onto his side, opening his eyes.

Alex’s sleeping face peeked from under a pillow across from him. Gabriel felt tremendously protective of the small child. All the weird little habits he had hated before made sense, with what Alex had endured. Gabriel felt guilty for how he had acted, always being so annoyed by the boy. He knew he had to get Alex away from their father, no matter what.

If Alex joined him at Archridge Academy, neither of them would ever have to return here. It had occurred to Gabriel that he could just return to the academy by himself and notify one of the other Isten of what had been happening. They would rush in and save Alex.

Maybe.

Or they would want proof. After all, Jequn was one of them. Why would they believe a child over one of their own kind, who they had known forever?

And what if Jequn found out what Gabriel planned before Gabriel could get someone to help? He might do something to Alex. He could hurt him. He might even kill him and dispose of any evidence. Gabriel couldn’t take that chance.

Of course, if what Gabriel had in mind did work out, but Jequn pushed him all the way to his final option, everyone would know about them. Everyone would know what Gabriel’s father had done to Alex. It would be humiliating to go to school. It would follow him for the rest of his life. He hoped he could avoid that. Alex had been through so much already. He deserved a chance to live like a normal child.

If Gabriel was correct, he didn’t think he would have to push his father that hard. Image meant a lot to the Isten. His reputation among all the Isten mattered. His status on Ter mattered. To save that, Jequn would bargain with Gabriel, as long as he understood Gabriel was serious.

With a little luck, Gabriel expected his father would allow Alex to attend Archridge Academy with Gabriel, and continue to pay for any expenses either of them had. Then, after Gabriel himself was old enough to become Alex’s guardian, they would cut themselves off completely from the Isten. Even their mother would move in with them, and none of them would ever have to see Jequn again.

Gabriel sighed. If only he could find the right laws. Laws of land, laws of ownership, laws of inheritance and privilege. He was certain he had seen them all before. Likely, in his father’s chambers.

Again Gabriel realized he wasn’t asleep. It was getting brighter. He should just get up and keep looking, even if the words were starting to become difficult to understand.

Just as he began to rise, Alex shifted closer. He squirmed a bit, until his forehead and nose were pressed against Gabriel’s chest. His right wing fluttered a couple times, then settled back against his small body. Gabriel smiled. He draped his arm across Alex’s hip.

Listening to the rhythmic breathing of his little brother, Gabriel quickly fell asleep.

***

Bright morning sun filled the room. Alex squirmed in his arms, but Gabriel was relaxed. He didn’t want to wake up. His little brother twisted, pushing against him, trying to wiggle free, but he was warm and comfy, and Gabriel wanted to snuggle a little while longer. He squeezed Alex, pulling him closer.

A sharp elbow shot out, hitting hard into his ribs.

“Ouch!” Gabriel released Alex quickly, clutching his side. Irritated, still half asleep, he watched Alex scramble away. “Fiends take you! What was that for?”

Alex hid behind a pile of pillows. “I’m sorry, Brother! I didn’t mean to,” he said, the words coming in a rushed panic.

Gabriel rubbed his side and clicked his tongue against his teeth. “For as skinny as you are, you shouldn’t be able to hit that hard.”

“It was an accident.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “You just startled me. I don’t even think it’ll bruise.” He yawned and looked around the room. “Ugh. It’s still so early.”

“I was trying not to wake you.”

“Oh? Is that what that was?”

“N-No, you had your a-arm around me.” He hid behind his black hair. “I didn’t mean to.”

Sickened, Gabriel realized why Alex had panicked. He hadn’t meant to make his brother feel trapped. Trying to put him as ease, Gabriel stood up and stretched his arms and wings into the air. “Well, since we’re both up now, let’s go have some breakfast.” He winced a little and lowered his arms. He touched the sore spot, then laughed a little. “Remind me next time that falling asleep next to you is dangerous.”

Alex just nodded.

Gabriel looked at all the books remaining to be read. There was still a lot to go through. “After breakfast,” he decided, “let’s relocate to the foyer. I think there will be enough light down there, and we won’t need to use any more candles.”

“Yes, Brother.”

The silver-haired boy held out his hand to Alex. He grinned. “Come on.” Timidly, he took his hand, and Gabriel pulled him to his feet. He ruffled Alex’s hair. “It always surprises me how light you are. When we get to the academy, you are going to need to start eating more.”

“The academy?” asked Alex. They walked from the recessed lounge and down the hall. Without that ribbon binding his legs, it seemed like the boy was able to keep up easier.

“Of course. Where else would I take you? Archridge Academy is safe. You can start studying there. Reading, science, mathematics, everything you’ve missed out on.” Before they crossed through the veil into the main hallway, Gabriel looked down at him and smiled. “Best of all, you’ll be close to me.”

A strange look filled Alex’s eyes. Uncertainty. Fear. Hesitation. Gabriel tilted his head, concerned. “You don’t want to live at the academy with me?”

Alex shook his head. “It’s not that, Brother. I’ve just… never been beyond the jungle. I’ve never even seen another manor.”

Guiding him through the veil, Gabriel said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be there for you. Most other people don’t live in manors. They have houses, small ones, all clustered together. There are little towns all over E’din like that, but Archridge is different. It was designed for children of the Isten.”

“Are there a lot of children there like us?”

“No,” explained Gabriel as they walked toward the stairs. “There’s never more than a couple dozen Ahnnak at the academy at one time. Some are even third or fourth generation. Most of the students are Terran. They’re like us, but without any Isten parentage. Then there’s the Homm.”

“Are they… servants?”

Gabriel scoffed. “The academy doesn’t use servants. The headmaster hires people from the nearby villages to tend the grounds. The Homm that attend as students are either those born from Terran, but don’t have wings, or they are royalty.”

They made it to the bottom of the stairs to find a platter of food already on the dining room table. The double doors to the kitchen were still swinging slightly. They must have just missed the servant placing the food down.

Alex followed Gabriel across the room. Rather than sit on the opposite sides, Gabriel sat and patted the spot next to him expectantly. Alex stood there like he didn’t know what to do.

“But that’s not your seat,” he said hesitantly.

“Just sit down, Alex,” Gabriel responded dryly. Alex sat, his little wings pulled in tight against his back.

The platter of food, an array of apple slices, berries, and several slices of orange melon, looked delicious. Gabriel pulled it closer to the both of them, and motioned for Alex to take the first bite. If Alex led the meal again, at least Gabriel would be sure he was getting enough to eat.

But Alex refused, shaking his head like he still thought he could get in trouble for eating out of turn.

Using a serious, almost scolding tone, Gabriel said, “You woke me up. You injured me, and now, you’re going to stave me by refusing to eat? I didn’t know you were so cruel.”

Alex’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he struggled to find the words to respond. Gabriel picked up a little purple berry and popped it into Alex’s open mouth.

Startled, Alex covered his mouth with his hand. He blinked a couple times, then began chewing.

Gabriel grinned at him. “See? I knew you could do it.” He nudged Alex’s shoulder with his, then started eating as well.

Resigned, Alex led the meal. He ended up eating twice as much as normal, just because he couldn’t seem to remember if he had already tried some of each type of food.

Gabriel smiled, slowly eating a thin slice of apple. It was good to see the little boy eat well, even if Gabriel had to trick him in to doing it.

When the meal finished, Gabriel stood. “Let’s go grab the books.”

It took them several trips, but they were able to bring the remaining books, tomes, and scrolls downstairs. Gabriel kept two scrolls separate, placing them on a stool by the dining room entrance. They arranged the pillows in the foyer recessed lounge, which was similar to the pit in Gabriel’s room, but much bigger. They got comfortable and Gabriel started to read.

Despite not being able to understand the words scrawled across the pages, Alex stayed close, watching Gabriel. He brought him the next volume every time he tossed one aside, but since he could only read the numbers, he wasn’t able to help much otherwise.

After a while, Gabriel noticed how dejected Alex looked. He called him over, pointing at one of the pages in a book. “This isn’t what I’m looking for, but it’s interesting.”

Alex squinted at the words. “What does it say?” He stared at the words as if he was trying to make sense of patterns in bark on a tree.

“This is an active law on Ahn. It says, ‘The removal of any rooted, photosynthesis-based life form from any property must be first approved by the council. Failure to submit an appropriate relocation arrangement will result in the denial of a permit. Action without a permit will result in a fine equal to the biological benefit of the destroyed organism.’” Gabriel looked over at Alex. “That’s plants. This is a law to protect plants.”

Alex scrunched up his nose. “They give plants laws?”

Nodding, Gabriel said, “Ahn is covered by cities. They’re these huge iron structures, so tall, they say you can’t even fly to the top. Well, if they could still fly outside.” He shrugged his shoulders, fanning his wings slightly in the process. “The cities used to be separate, but now they’re all connected. There is no place left for plants to grow naturally.”

Having been raised so close to the jungle, it was a difficult idea to understand. They had seen how trees and vines and mosses covered everything. If something was torn out, another plant would always fill in. Even on Jequn’s estate, the valley was filled with various grasses. Stone paths connected all the different structures, but there were seasons when the waist-high plants obscured the paths completely. If left alone, the jungle would probably reclaim the whole valley.

“If there aren’t any plants, what do they eat?” asked Alex.

“There are some plants, ones that produce fruit, but it’s so expensive to grow and care for that only the really rich can afford to eat it. Everyone else eats this powdery stuff, compressed into a bar.” Gabriel rubbed his fingertips together. “Like sand.”

“They eat sand?”

“It isn’t really sand. But it feels like it. All their food is created in laboratories, through cloning. They add vitamins to it, and that’s all the people need to survive. Well, and water of course, but that is run through an immense filtration system.”

“Oh,” said Alex, as if he understood. He didn’t understand at all.

Gabriel smiled at him. “It’s okay. You’ll learn about all this stuff when you come to the academy.”

Alex watched Gabriel read for a little while more, before he worked up the nerve to ask, “Do you really think it’s possible?”

“Hm?” Gabriel glanced over. He had gotten distracted with another passage.

“Me going to the academy. Do you really think Father will let me?”

“He won’t have a choice.” Gabriel tapped the book. “There are laws in here to protect plants. Somewhere, I’m going to find the law that proves what he is doing is wrong. Then, when I confront him about it, he’ll have to release us, or I’ll go to one of the other Isten.”

“But… doesn’t Father already know the laws? If it was wrong, why would he do it?” Alex squeezed his wings against his back. He looked down, like he couldn’t stand to look at Gabriel when he spoke.

“There was no one else strong enough to question his authority before. I can. I am his heir, and there is nothing he can do against me. Either he will release us from his command, or I will go to the other Isten, and he will face justice among them.” Gabriel sat the book aside. There was nothing in that one that would help them. He reached out, tucking Alex’s black hair behind his ear. “If I have the laws to back me up, he’ll know I’m serious. More than anything, our father and all the other Isten fear being disgraced. They are old and full of pride. I can use that against him.”

Alex looked over at Gabriel. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I won’t leave you here with him. I promise. After all, I’m your big brother. It’s my job to watch out for you.”

Alex gave Gabriel a small smile. “I’ll get your next book,” he said, and went over to find the next book chronologically.

“This is it!” Gabriel exclaimed, jumping to the air. He hovered, the wind created from his wings sending a discarded scroll rolling across the floor.

Alex sat up abruptly, looking about. He had fallen asleep after their lunch break. He looked disoriented, like he wasn’t used to waking in places other than his room. He watched Gabriel float back and forth across the room.

“You found it, Brother?” asked Alex, stifling a yawn. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, then blinked rapidly.

After hours of searching, Gabriel had found what he needed. “Yes, this is it. It’s a detailed listing of crimes against Isten, and their respective punishments.” He flipped a page to read the other side, then flipped it back. “This is enough to stop Jequn.”

Gabriel crossed the room again as he read, stepping lightly across a bench before taking to the air again. He kicked off the wall on the other side of the room, crossing back. He never bothered looking up from the book.

“What does it say?” asked Alex, sitting on the floor, tugging nervously at his hair.

“It says, well, I’ll just read it to you,” said Gabriel. He stood precariously on the edge of a stool, wings fanning the air behind him as he read the following passage:

As we rely upon the Isten for our history and knowledge, we so entrust our future to our ancient guardians. Though they walk among the cities of Ahn as our equals, we revere their presence as a paragon of righteousness. Therefore, any violation against the Isten, their progeny, or their estates will result in a swift arraignment with a prompt resolution. For all cases involving Isten, the maximum penalty applicable will be enforced.

White

Maximum fine paid to the estate of the prevailing Isten.

For all instances when the honor or integrity of an Isten is besmirched.

Beige

Theft, damage, or destruction of property resulting in a monetary loss to the estate of the Isten, including from the result of deception or forgery.

Tan

Assault of an Isten resulting in bodily damage, without proven intent to kill.

Fallow

Abduction of an Isten or their progeny.

Assault or physical abuse of any minor descendant of an Isten, through six generations.

Rust

Assault resulting in bodily damage, with proven intent to kill.

Instances of non-consensual sexual contact and molestation. Increased fines in cases involving minors.

Red

Assassination of an Isten, involuntarily or through indirect action without a proven premeditated intent to kill.

Crimson

Premeditated assassination of an Isten.

Black*

Crimes against Isten resulting in the endangerment of Ahn.

—

Isten, Heirs who have come of age, and three generations of direct descendants are given the same rights and privileges as the Isten. All spouses and servants are property of an Isten, and their removal or destruction is considered a fineable theft from the estate.

*Noted: Black is an archaic level often omitted in favor of a judicial execution.

Gabriel held the book out triumphantly. “See?”

Alex started to agree, but stopped and quickly shook his head. “I’m sorry, Brother. I don’t.”

With a quick flutter of his wings, Gabriel hopped from the stool. He landed gracefully beside Alex. “Our father is an Isten, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you and I are his direct descendants. As his sons, or progeny as this calls us, we receive the same rights he does. And it states right here under Rust that what he is doing to you is illegal.”

“Rust…” Alex said the word slowly, like something about it bothered him.

“I think it’s a reference to the level of punishment,” Gabriel explained. “To make cross referencing easier. There’s probably a whole series of books that go into the details of various punishments.” He shrugged and sat down beside Alex. “I just don’t have access to them.”

Gabriel was thrilled. He had done it. He grinned at Alex, and after a moment, Alex smiled back at him. The little boy still looked uncertain, though.

“I told you I could do it,” said Gabriel. “You’ve got to trust me.”

“I do, Brother,” said Alex.

Ruffling Alex’s hair, Gabriel said, “Let’s get these useless books back up into my chambers. We’ve got what we need now.”

“Yes, Brother.” Alex started collecting scrolls while Gabriel gathered the tomes and books. They were on their third trip up the stairs when they both heard a door close, then feather-light footsteps coming from Liliel’s rooms.

“Mother is home,” said Gabriel enthusiastically. Alex didn’t look like he shared the sentiment.

***

Liliel emerged from her chambers while Gabriel and Alex gathered the last few books and scrolls to return to Gabriel’s library. She fluttered lightly down the stairs and paused in the dining room. She daintily came toward the foyer.

“My darling Gabriel,” she called out. “Are you in there?”

“Yes, Mother,” Gabriel called back. “We’re in here.”

The graceful Liliel stopped, flat footed, in the connecting archway. Her wings faltered for a moment, before resuming a slow flutter. “Oh, my. Whatever are you doing in here with all these books, and… your brother.” She gave Alex a look that made the young boy turn away and hide behind his hair.

“Mother, I am doing research.”

“Research?” she asked, attention returning to Gabriel. “A project for the academy, I suppose? You know, at a recent gathering, I spoke with Hesediel, whose third cousin is an instructor at Archridge, and she said that you are doing quite well. Very popular amongst your peers. I even hear there may be a few young Terran who have their eye on you.” Liliel smiled. “Of course, I expected as much. You inherited much of my grace and beauty. Just remember, though you may amuse yourself with whomever you wish, marriage is only an option with a girl of proper breeding and prestige.”

“Mother!” said Gabriel, heat rising to his cheeks in embarrassment. “I’m not going to marry a girl! I don’t even like girls-”

“Oh, darling. You don’t have to like them. You just have to breed one.” She gave him a little smile. “When the time comes of course.” Liliel stepped into the room, tiptoeing across the floor. Her fingers trailed over the top of a low cabinet where fresh flowers were displayed in a vase.

There was nothing Gabriel could say to change her mind, so he tried to guide the subject back to what was important. “And no, this isn’t research for a project at the academy. I am looking into the laws of Ahn.”

“Laws?” Liliel puffed dismissively. “Why would you be looking up something as dismal as that?”

Gabriel straightened, holding his chin up and flexing his wings. “I know what Father is doing to Alex, and I’m going to stop it.”

The vase Liliel had been examining toppled, crashing to the floor. Water and cut flowers lay among the broken glass. She spun toward Gabriel, eyes wide. “What? Oh no, no, no, no. Oh, my darling boy. What are you thinking?” She smoothly flew across the room to him. The light dress and her blond hair drifted around them, fanned by her wings. She gently touched his cheeks with her fingertips. “You cannot oppose him.”

“Of course I can. I can’t let him keep hurting Alex. I won’t let him hurt you either.” Gabriel reached up and cupped her hand in his, pressing it against his cheek. “I’ll protect you both. You don’t have to be scared.”

Liliel looked at him sadly. “My darling boy. You don’t understand.”

“I do understand.” He stepped away from her, picking up the book that held the laws against Isten. “See here,” he said, opening to the page. “These laws cover Isten and their descendants. Alex and I are protected by these laws, even against him. If I tell anyone-”

Liliel snapped the book shut. “Gabriel. There is something that I must tell you. I thought it would be okay, that you would never need to know, but I see that isn’t possible anymore.” She motioned to the pillows on the floor. “Sit, please, and listen to me.”

Clutching the book to his chest, Gabriel took a step back. Liliel sat on one of the taller stools, crossed her bare ankles, and stilled her wings behind her. She looked picturesque, serene, but her overly calm expression made Gabriel feel tense.

“Please, this is for both of you,” said Liliel, looking to Alex. “It is time you heard this, too, Alexiel.”

Slowly, Alex approached. He wouldn’t lift his head. He just started down at the ground as he knelt on the cushions before their mother.

“What is this about?” Gabriel demanded, the unease rising in him.

“It is about you both, and me. And your father, as many things often are.” She held her hand out, a practiced motion as if she were simply inviting him to sit at dining table during a banquet.

Begrudgingly, Gabriel crossed his legs and lowered himself to the floor. He held the book tightly in his hands, resting it in his lap.

With a soft smile, Liliel began, speaking with a leisurely lilt. “I was born from a long line of Terran who were specifically bred to be a match for Lord Jequn. I married him when I was thirteen. He was my destiny.” She shook her head, soft curls floating about her face. “I was scared, but he was a doting husband, more than any girl could hope for. He even painted the ceiling over my bed to match the positions of the stars in the sky from the first night we were together.” She paused sadly, like there was a heavy weight on her chest. She licked her soft pink lips, and continued in a soft voice. “You, Gabriel, were born a year later.”

“What does this have to do with-”

“Gabriel, please just listen. This is going to be hard enough to tell you without you interrupting,” scolded their mother.

Sullenly, Gabriel remained quiet. He glanced over at Alex, who hadn’t moved a muscle since he sat down. His little fingers, tipped in gray nails, dug into the fabric covering his legs. With his head lowered, his black hair hung in a solid sheet that hid his face.

“After you were born, your father’s interest in me faded. He had his heir, he had done his duty. He became distant. I tried my best to raise you, but I was so lonely.” Liliel looked down at her hands. “I started attending social events even when your father was unavailable. Before long, he stopped coming, even if he was available. I would go, make an appearance for both of us, and he was free to spend his time as he wished, away from people.”

She clasped her hands tightly in her lap. “That’s when I met him. I was almost seventeen. It was a grand ball. He was charming, and sweet, and kind, and I fell in love.”

The book in Gabriel’s lap felt heavier. He blinked, staring up at his mother. The pit of his stomach felt numb as he struggled to understand her words.

“Over the following six months, we met at every event possible. As much as I loved him, he loved me more. He wanted to marry me. He said he could take me away from everything, even out of E’din. But…” Liliel turned her head away from her sons, looking out the foyer. “I couldn’t abandon my responsibilities as the wife of an Isten.

“I came home. I never spoke to him again. I tried to devote myself to Jequn, but he had changed while I was preoccupied with all the social obligations. His previous attitude was a front to keep me and other Isten appeased. He no longer felt the need to act, and I quickly discovered just how distorted his affections could be.”

Gabriel’s fingernails dug into the cover of the book. “He hurt you?”

“Not intentionally. But he had tendencies to be aggressive. Easily angered. I did all that I could to make him happy. I had to, because soon after, Alexiel was born.” She looked toward Alex, her pale blue eyes sad. He didn’t look up. “When you were born, there was a lot of concern over your hair color. It was decided, even with carefully selected breeding, that my genetics were at fault. A century old dormant trait had risen. You still had our blue eyes, and so, it was settled, and Jequn thought nothing else of it.

“For a year, we were a happy family. I still attended the social gatherings, for both myself and Jequn, but only when necessary. I thought I could put it all behind me no one would ever need to know.” Liliel licked her lips again, and closed her eyes. “Then you started attending the academy. I tried to occupy myself, caring for Alexiel, but it wasn’t enough.

“I started accepting more invitations to events and gatherings. By the time you were in your second year at the academy, I was fully immersed in that world. I connected with others there, and stopped feeling so alone. I wouldn’t call it love, but what I’ve found fulfills me. But Jequn found out about the affair.”

Clenching his teeth, Gabriel said, “How did you ever think you could hide that from him?”

“I was young. Blind to my faults.” Liliel’s pale eyebrows scrunched together. “We all make mistakes in our youth that we regret. And when my husband found out, he was furious. He could have killed me, and probably would have, if he hadn’t realized the truth.”

“Truth?” asked Gabriel, growing frustrated. “What truth?”

Ignoring his question, Liliel continued. “He offered me a deal. He would let me live. I could continue my ways, keeping up the pretenses of our union. In return, I would give him Alexiel.”

“You bargained over the life of your child?” snarled Gabriel. He felt angry and confused. How could Liliel, his sweet, dainty, perfect mother, be saying anything like this?

“You still don’t understand?” Liliel shook her head. “I had to make the deal. If I didn’t, Jequn would have killed both me and Alexiel. I did it to save us both.”

“Why?”

Alex raised his head and looked directly up at Liliel with emotionless black eyes. “Jequn isn’t my father, is he?”

Liliel looked down at her black haired son. “No, he isn’t. You are nothing more than the illegitimate child of a Terran, and it is well within his rights as an Isten to claim you as a servant of his household. I did everything I could to protect you-”

“Protect him!?” Gabriel jumped to his feet. “Alex is being poisoned and raped.”

Liliel looked disappointed by Gabriel’s outburst. “Your father may have his peculiarities, but I think he loves Alexiel, in his own way. This is for the best. For all of us.”

“No, this is only best for you,” said Gabriel angrily. “I’m going to stop it. I’m going to stop him, and I’m going to stop you.”

“You can’t,” Liliel said with finality. “Don’t you understand? He is an Isten. You are his heir and will one day be nearly as powerful as him. I am his wife. I will be taken care of until the day I die.” She looked down at Alex with a wistful pout to her pink lips. “And Alexiel will grow up at Jequn’s side, rather than as a servant to be disposed of. As long as no one else finds out about Alexiel’s true parentage, he will remain the privileged child of an Isten until the day he dies.”

“No. This is all wrong. You should have stopped it. You should have-”

“What should I have done, my darling boy? Taken my youngest child and fled beyond E’din? Told the authorities? Admitted to my affair? I would have been killed, and Alexiel would have been disposed of. Such disgrace of an Isten is unheard of.”

Liliel cast her gaze from her silver haired son, the heir of an Isten, to her black haired son, the ill-fated child of an affair. Gabriel looked angry, as she expected him to, but Alex just looked empty. She looked away in disgust.

“You can try what you want, but you will not succeed. My Lord husband is powerful, and he is cruel. You will only bring pain to yourself and your brother.” She stood up, moving away from Gabriel and Alex with a little flutter of her fluffy white wings.

Alex slowly got to his feet. He kept his wings pressed tight against his back, so the movement looked awkward. He watched Liliel move away from them. As she reached the cabinet beside the broken vase, he said, “Mother?”

She turned back toward him, but her eyes stayed on Gabriel. “Yes, Alexiel?”

“Who is my father?”

“If you want to keep living, you will keep Jequn in your heart as your father.”

“Who was he really,” asked Gabriel. He scowled at her grimly, and resembled Jequn more than ever in that moment.

Liliel sighed. “He was just a man. Black hair and blue eyes. He attended gatherings as a ward of some magistrate. He was no one important.”

“His name?”

“That I will not share, for your safety and my own.”

“Was he Terran or Ahnnak?”

Liliel gave Gabriel a little smirk. “Darling, I do not know. He had wings, but we spent much of our time pursuing other activities rather than discussing our lineage.” She brushed her hands over her light dress, as if smoothing away wrinkles. “Now, I see that my presence will be unnecessary over the coming days. I have an event to attend, and I will return later, once your father has put a stop to this silly rebellion.”

Gabriel bristled. “How can you dismiss us so easily?”

“My darling boy, you are just too young to understand how the world works. You will thank me for all my sacrifices when you are older.” She even turned and gave Alex a weak smile. “This is all truly for your benefit.”

Alex turned away, body rigid.

Gabriel glared at his mother. She walked away from them, dainty white wings carrying her lightly across the floor. She floated up the stairs, prepared to leave even after her short visit.

“Good. Fine. We don’t need her,” Gabriel spat. His chest felt hot and his mind felt numb. He still couldn’t bring himself to believe it. He turned toward Alex and reached out to touch his shoulder. The black haired boy flinched away at the light touch. “Alex…”

“Yes, Br- Gabriel?”

“No, Alex, don’t do that,” pleaded Gabriel. His heart felt heavy. “Even if it’s true, we’re still brothers. This doesn’t change anything.”

Alex moved away from Gabriel. “I’m sorry. I need to be alone for a while.” Before Gabriel could respond, the little boy was walking through the cloth hanging in the archways of the foyer.

Alex jumped off the porch, walking faster and faster. He started running, tugging his clothing up higher as he raced to the jungle edge. Gabriel only watched, holding the once prized book to his chest.

To his right, he heard the quick flutter of his mother’s wings as she took to the sky, soaring toward the distant river where the honeysuckle grew. He wondered if she would meet a lover there, and wondered how many times before it had happened.

The jungle enveloped Alex. Gabriel knew where the little boy would go now, and he didn’t feel the same apprehension as he had before. Alex was as safe in the jungle as he was in the manor, if not more so.

Gabriel looked down at the book. He had been so close to saving him. He couldn’t give up. He still had to try.

Determined, Gabriel stormed upstairs. He was going to the library to study. But this time, at the top of the stairs, rather than turning right toward his own rooms, Gabriel turned left. He marched purposefully down the main hall, shoved aside the veil, and entered Jequn’s chambers.

The sun set and rose again while Gabriel remained in Jequn’s library. He read books and scrolls, searching desperately for anything that could help him. By the time the morning sun glared in through the window at him, he had only found a single, thin tome that held anything of use.

A servant lingered in the doorway, watching him from beneath a heavy cloak. The servant had been there the whole night, unmoving. Gabriel wasn’t supposed to be in Jequn’s rooms, and the servant only added to the unease he felt.

But it didn’t matter. The servant could report everything he did back to Jequn. Trespassing was the least of Gabriel’s concerns at the moment.

Standing from the desk in the middle of the room, Gabriel stretched. He closed his eyes and reached up. His muscles ached as he moved for the first time in hours. A twinge in his wings let him know a feather was twisted, rubbing irritably against another. He glanced over at the servant. He never liked to preen in front of others, but the servant wasn’t going to leave.

He thought about leaving the feather out of place, but he couldn’t avoid thinking about it. It made his skin crawl. Decidedly, he pulled his wing under his arm, pinning it against his chest with his chin, and fixed the offending feather and its neighbors. His fingers passed over the shaft, working in deft little movements. He flattened the vanes, lining up the tiny barbs so they lay smooth.

When all his feathers lay sleekly back in their places, he released his wing. He stretched both wings out behind him, and gave them a quick flutter. It felt much better.

Gabriel looked over at the servant, who was still staring at him from beneath a heavy hood. He scowled. “If you think standing there is enough to make me leave, you’re wrong. I don’t care if you tell my father. I am not leaving here until I find something that will help me save Alex.”

The servant stepped into the room and bowed slightly at the waist. A man’s flat voice came from beneath the hood. “This one would ask my Lord Gabriel if this one can be of any service.”

That surprised Gabriel. “What? Why?”

The servant straightened. “This one may not know disobedience, but that isn’t the same as not knowing right from wrong.”

“So, you’re not going to tell Jequn about me being here?”

“This one will inform our Lord Master. That is unavoidable.” Gabriel felt dismayed. “However, until our Lord Master returns, this one will obey and serve my Lord Gabriel in whatever manner necessary.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the servant. “If you do this and Jequn finds out, you’ll be punished. Why would you risk yourself like that?”

“This one is disposable. My Lord Alexiel deserves better, and there may only be one chance to free him.”

Gabriel looked down at the books on the table and all the irrelevant knowledge contained within. The servant was right. This was Alex’s only chance to escape Jequn. If Gabriel couldn’t free his brother, he would never get another opportunity. Jequn would make sure of it. The Isten would kill Alex to protect his honor. Gabriel had to succeed now, and he had to do everything in his power to do so.

“Get me something to eat. I’m starving,” said Gabriel, sitting back down at the desk. “And tell me when Alex returns from the jungle.”

“As my Lord Gabriel wishes,” the servant said, and he bowed low, backing from the room.

Grabbing the next book, Gabriel flipped it open and continued his desperate search for information.

***

It was early afternoon when the servant announced Alex’s return to the manor. Gabriel left his growing stacks of scrolls and books and went downstairs to greet him.

Walking across the valley, Alex looked dirty and small. His clothing and hair were disheveled, like he had spent the night on the ground. He probably had, but Gabriel was sure Hadasha had been with him. As uncomfortable as the pardua made Gabriel feel, he trusted the beast wouldn’t harm Alex. She would protect him, as she had done for years, even when Gabriel couldn’t.

Gabriel waited on the porch while Alex approached. The little boy kept his eyes downcast, and didn’t look up even as he stood in the dirt before Gabriel.

“Welcome home, Little Brother.”

Wings squeezed in tight against Alex’s back. “Please don’t call me that.”

“Why?” Gabriel hopped off the porch and stepped up to Alex. He reached out and touched Alex’s chin. Lifting the boy’s face so he could see into his black eyes, Gabriel said, “Even if we have different fathers, we share a mother. We are brothers. And even if we didn’t share a mother, it wouldn’t matter. You have been my brother since I first saw your face, and you will be my brother forever more. There is nothing you or anyone else can say or do to change that.”

As Alex looked up into Gabriel’s face, his bottom lip started to tremble and his black eyes filled with tears. Gabriel grabbed Alex, pulling him in for a tight hug. Alex pressed his face against Gabriel’s chest, and sobbed, “B-Brother!”

Gabriel rested his cheek against the top of Alex’s head, feeling the silky black hair against his skin. He fought the urge to cry as well. He would do everything he could to protect this boy. No one else would ever hurt him again.

“Come on,” said Gabriel at last. “You’ve been out all night and day. Let’s get something to eat.”

Alex just nodded as he sniffled. It took all his effort to stop crying, so he didn’t speak or protest as Gabriel took his hand and led him inside. They sat down at the dining room table. A servant soon placed a large tray of warm food before them. Roasted roots, edges blackened from the fire, sweet melon, and four pieces of lightly toasted puffed rotika.

Gabriel didn’t pressure Alex to lead the meal this time. He ate a piece of each food quickly, and then sat back and watched as the famished boy devoured bite after bite.

Two pieces of rotika quickly vanished while Gabriel still nibbled on his first piece. “You can have the third piece,” he told Alex. “I’m not that hungry.”

Alex hesitated, but only for a moment. He snatched the last piece of rotika and quickly devoured it. Gabriel was amazed. He had never seen his brother so hungry. A night in the jungle, crying and upset, had probably worn him down. The boy deserved as much food as he wanted.

By the time the food was gone, Gabriel couldn’t help but stare out toward the foyer. “He’s coming back tomorrow.”

Alex stared down at the whorls of red wood that made up the table. “Brother, I was thinking… If this isn’t possible, maybe we should just stop. We could apologize to him, and he might even forgive us.”

“What? Why would you even think that?” Gabriel looked at Alex, but his brother avoided his gaze.

“He is going to be angry. He might-” Alex swallowed hard. He slouched, appearing smaller than he was. “He might hurt you,” he whispered.

Gabriel scratched at his silver hair. “I can handle anything he does. I am his heir. He won’t do anything that will be visible when I go back to the academy. When we go back to the academy,” he corrected.

“But-”

“No, Alex, I’m not giving this up. I have a plan. You’re just going to have to trust me.” He smiled at his little brother. “You trust me, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes, Brother.”

“Then don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.” Gabriel ruffled Alex’s hair. “Now, why don’t you go upstairs and get cleaned up. I’m sure Indara is lurking around somewhere, ready to help. You know,” he said contemplatively, “the servants will do anything they can to help. They want you to be free of here, too.”

“Did Indara say that?”

“Her, and another one. I thought he was spying on me while I was in Jequn’s library, but it turns out he just wanted to help. Well, as much as he is able.”

Alex spun toward Gabriel, eyes wide. “Y-You were in his library?”

Gabriel tried not to look guilty. “There are more books and scrolls in there. I needed access to the information. It isn’t a big deal.”

“But the library is in his chambers. You can’t just go in there!”

“I can, and I already have. It’s fine, Alex. Just trust me.” He smiled at him, trying to make it look as reassuring as possible. From the look on Alex’s face, he wasn’t sure he succeeded.

“I trust you, Brother. I’m just afraid for you.”

With a smile, Gabriel said, “Go get cleaned up. I’ve got a surprise for you tonight.”

Alex went upstairs, and Gabriel went out to the foyer to wait. He pushed aside a curtain hanging from one of the archways and looked out to the jungle. A cool breeze pushed through the trees, rustling the leaves, making the branches sway. It would be a comfortable night, even if the heat of the day was still evident.

He heard a soft noise behind him, and turned. Though he had expected the sight, it still caught him off guard.

Alex stood just inside the foyer awkwardly. His black hair was woven into a tight braid that lay down his back. It was all pulled back from his face, leaving the boy’s small features stark and exposed. He wore an old flight outfit of Gabriel’s. A light blue sash hung from one shoulder, crossing between his wings in the back and over his chest in the front. The sash was pinned over one hip to a wider strip of fabric that wrapped around Alex’s hips. It covered him down to mid thigh, which, though longer than Gabriel had worn it, was still more revealing than anything Alex had worn in years.

“Indara said you requested I wear this,” said Alex. Embarrassed about the attire, Alex kept fidgeting. He didn’t know where to hold his arms, and no matter how he shifted, he couldn’t cover all his exposed skin.

“I did. That’s the type of clothing boys wear at the academy when they go flying.”

“It doesn’t cover much,” muttered Alex.

“Most clothes don’t. Light and simple. That’s the style. None of those old-fashioned, tangled robes that require a servant to get in and out of. When you’re at the academy, you’ll see. Nobody wears anything that could hinder flight.”

Alex walked over to Gabriel slowly. He kept tugging at the fabric around his hips, trying to make it cover more of his legs. Gabriel kind of felt bad about asking the servants to dress him in the casual outfit, but not enough to change his mind.

“Let’s go outside. You’ll see why I wanted you dressed more practically.” Gabriel stepped off the porch, wings catching him before his feet touched the dirt.

Alex looked unsure, but Gabriel held his hand out to him. “I can’t fly,” he said.

“It’ll be just like last time.” Alex carefully placed his hand in Gabriel’s, and then Gabriel pulled him into the air. Alex’s wings started to flutter, too fast, but at least synchronized. Gabriel grinned. “See? You’re getting the hang of this. Now, try to level out some, focus on moving more air, not faster.”

Alex clung to Gabriel, his gray nailed fingers digging into his brother’s forearms. He looked frightened, but he did as Gabriel said. The small wings slowed until he found a rhythm that kept his body in the air. With little bounces up and down, he hovered before Gabriel.

“Don’t let go,” said Alex, panicked.

“I’m not letting go. You’re doing fine. I’m going to start moving backward slowly. Try to follow along. Feel how the air courses over your feathers.”

“I think the air is going to pull my feathers out.”

Gabriel glanced at Alex’s wings. His feathers were rumpled and twisted. “When was the last time you preened?”

“Like, with soap?”

“No, not soap. Preening, as in straightening out feathers and ensuring they are even and smooth.”

“I don’t. I mean, I never have, because I don’t fly.”

“Well,” said Gabriel, guiding Alex higher into the air, “you’re flying now. I guess I’ll have to teach you how to preen properly, too.”

Alex didn’t respond. As the ground got further away, he focused intently on the steady rhythm of his wings. Then, a breeze came over the jungle, tugging at his feathers, and he missed a beat. He dropped quickly, and let out a yelp. His wings stopped all together, reflexively tightening against his back.

“Ugh, no, Alex, keep flying!” exclaimed Gabriel. His wings beat at the air as he held onto Alex’s arms. The boy dangled beneath him.

The panic was evident in Alex’s eyes, but he forced himself to start flying again.

Once Alex’s weight was lessened, Gabriel pulled him back up so they floated evenly, face to face. “You always have to keep flying. Even if you think you’re going to fall. Just spread your wings, and relax. The air will catch you.”

“I’m no good at this. It’s terrible. I’m not supposed to fly.”

“You’re doing just fine, Alex. We’re almost there.”

They were higher than the manor now and they could almost see over the trees of the jungle. Gabriel coaxed Alex higher and higher, and the boy merely focused on keeping his wings going. Sweat beaded across both their foreheads.

Gabriel looked behind them. They were almost there. He angled their course carefully. When the roof of the stables lay beneath his feet, he stepped down carefully. Alex landed beside him with a thud. He didn’t release Gabriel’s arms, even though they were no longer in the air.

“What do you think?” asked Gabriel. “I always liked coming up here. I thought I could see the whole world from that spire.”

Alex looked around the rooftop of the stables. They had landed beside the silver spire, above the line of trees now. Jungle stretched out on every side of them. The sun was descending, but still radiant. The canopy swayed like a vibrant green sea.

“It’s amazing,” said Alex. “I never realized the jungle spread so far.”

“It goes farther than we can see from here. The academy is that way,” he said, motioning to the northwest, “and Lemuria is that way.” He pointed southeast. “It takes me six hours to fly to the academy. In a carriage, it takes closer to eighteen.”

“Eighteen hours? It’s that far away?”

“Yeah, but that’s nothing. I’ve never been to Lemuria, but if I did, it would take me almost two whole days and nights of constant flight to get there. And I wouldn’t even be able to stop, because I would be flying over open water.”

Alex stared to the southeast, eyes wide. “Open water? Like a river?”

“Much bigger. It’s an ocean so deep, light never touches the bottom. It spreads so wide, you can’t see the other side, no matter how high up you fly.”

“That sounds terrifying.”

“It’s beautiful. Some day, I’ll take you there. Maybe we’ll even get to go to Lemuria together.” Gabriel grinned down at his brother.

Alex looked up at him, unsure, but he returned the smile. “I think I’d like that.”

They stayed on the stables’ roof past sunset. Gabriel persuaded Alex to try flying on his own, hovering over the rooftop. After a few false starts, they sat down at the base of the spire, and Gabriel diligently straightened out Alex’s feathers. The next time Alex jumped into the air, his wings lifted him with ease. Gabriel promised to catch Alex if he fell, but the little boy didn’t need help. He got more confident with every beat of his wings, once he realized he could support himself.

By moonrise, Alex was gliding around the spire, laughing. Gabriel cheered him on, and under the stars, just for a little while, they were able to forget about everything.

When they returned to the manor, they were both exhausted. The muscles in Alex’s back and shoulders ached. His wings were still too small for his body and required extra effort to keep him in the air.

Gabriel escorted Alex inside, stifling his own yawn. “You should get some sleep,” said the silver haired boy.

“What about you? When was the last time you slept, Brother?”

“I’ll be fine. I just want to check on something first.”

In front of the veil leading to Alex’s chambers, the small boy paused. “Um… thank you for taking me flying.”

“Did you like it?”

Alex nodded. “It was scary at first, but yes. I didn’t think I would ever be able to fly like that.”

“You’ll get better. Before long, I bet you’ll be as fast as me.”

Alex smiled. “Really?”

“Of course. At the academy, you’ll get to practice a lot.”

Looking down, the smile faded from Alex’s face. “Are you going back in there?”

Gabriel looked down the hall, behind them. “I am. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Go get some sleep. When I get all this worked out, you’re going to want to be rested. It’s a long trip to the academy.”

“Yes, Brother. Good night.” Alex turned slowly and passed into his chambers. Gabriel waited until he could no longer hear Alex moving within, then walked down the hall to Jequn’s rooms. He took a deep breath and entered. Tomorrow, Jequn would return. And this would all be over, one way or another.

***

For the rest of the night, Gabriel referenced scrolls in Jequn’s library. Ship manifests, early genetic manipulation, the uprising. Pieces were finally starting to snap together. He wasn’t sure he liked what he found, though.

When the servant entered with a strong tea and a bowl of fruit, Gabriel barely acknowledged him. He drank the tea, gulping it in a single swallow. The servant took the cup away as soon as Gabriel set it down. He returned before long with another, and Gabriel stopped.

“This tea… What’s in it?”

“It is a brew our Lord Master consumes on the long nights, when other honorable Isten seek his accomplishments. If it affects my Lord Gabriel as it does our Lord Master, sleep should not be necessary.”

Gabriel smirked. The servant was right. He could feel the effects of the tea making the blood in his veins feel jittery, but he felt alert. “Thank you. Why don’t you keep these coming. I think I’m going to need a lot of tea for this.”

“As my Lord Gabriel wishes.”

The servant left, and Gabriel returned to the latest scroll. It was a weathered article from over three hundred years ago.

…And so it shall be known. The pronouncement of the descendants, for their crimes and those of their lineage, are cast designated.

Of the first born and heir, he shall be cast from E’din to remain in exile. No longer will his crossing be permitted into our lands. The barriers will be enforced.

Of the second, she will be buried beside her father, though the honor stricken from her title. The nameless tomb will serve to remind others of the cost of dissonance.

Of the third, the infant, he will be entrusted to a magistrate for his upbringing. His inheritance is nullified, and for the crimes of his lineage, he will remain a ward until the one-hundred-fiftieth revolution of Ahn since his birth.

No further descendants will be acknowledge by the Isten of Ahn or Ter.

Gabriel put down the scroll. He picked up the charcoal pencil and scratched out several quick calculations. The dates lined up. Everything matched. He dropped the pencil on the desk with a sigh.

He knew who Alex’s father was.

The sun slowly crept across the sky, sinking toward the horizon. Dreams brought Gabriel out of his sleep, and he woke with a start, blue eyes snapping open. He lay in Alex’s lap, staring up at the dimming sky as his little brother quietly watched him.

He slowly sat up, shifting so he sat beside Alex, feet hanging off the edge of the porch. “Sorry about falling asleep on you.”

“I don’t mind.” Alex stretched his legs as if he hadn’t moved them in hours. He stuck his feet out, wiggling his toes in the air.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Just a little while.” Alex glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “You seemed tired.”

“I just came out here to clear my head,” Gabriel explained. He looked up at the little puffs of cloud that drifted above them. “It was so calm, I guess I just lay down.”

“Did you sleep at all last night?”

“No. I was reading. I didn’t even realize it was morning until I heard the birds.”

“Did you find it? What you were looking for?” Alex focused on the trees farthest away across the valley.

“I did.”

“Do you still think it’s going to work?”

Gabriel was quiet for a long while. “Alex… When Jequn gets here, I want you to go to your rooms. Don’t come out until I say it’s okay.”

“But-”

“This is important. Just promise me.”

Alex lowered his head, clenching his hands together tightly in his lap. He looked worried, like he wasn’t happy about the idea. Either it was because he didn’t trust Gabriel, or it was because he didn’t like the idea of Gabriel being alone with Jequn. Gabriel wasn’t real fond of the plan either, but it was the only one he had.

“Alright, Brother, I’ll stay in my chambers,” the boy finally agreed.

“Thank you.”

They sat in silence for a long while after, just watching the sky and the jungle. The shadows stretched longer, until only the silver steeple on top of the stables glitter with sunlight.

That’s when they heard it, a low rumble, like thunder in an approaching storm.

“Go!” Gabriel insisted. “Get to your chambers!” He jumped off the porch, standing in the dirt, chin lifted in a defiant posture. His blue eyes remained fixed on the distant sky.

Alex only hesitated for a second before he scrambled inside and ran to his rooms. The resonating triple-beat crack filled the valley.

Then, everything fell silent.

Jequn had returned.

***

Dust swirled around Jequn’s heavy black boots. He rolled his shoulders and shook out his three sets of wings, sending a cloud of dirt up around Gabriel. Gabriel held his ground, teeth tightly clenched, though he had to squint to avoid getting dirt in his eyes. Jequn watched him, cold and calculating, until the dirt settled.

Very stiffly, Gabriel lowered himself to one knee. He looked straight up at his father. “Welcome home, Father,” he growled.

“Is that what this is?” Jequn asked. He stretched his wings out, so the six bright white wings radiated around him. “Perhaps you need additional lessons in hospitality.” He started folding his wings in against his back. First the lowest pair, tight against his back and hips. Then the middle, draping down his back from his shoulders. Last, the highest, fitting tight against his spine.

Gabriel rose to his feet. “We need to talk.”

“About?”

“Alexiel.”

Jequn snorted. “Of course it’s about Alexiel. Well, is it something urgent, or am I allowed to enter my own house first?” Gabriel couldn’t tell if his father was amused or irritated. He didn’t think either was a good option.

“I doesn’t matter where I speak to you, but I will speak to you.”

The Isten’s eyes narrowed. “Then you will let me choose? How generous of you.” He waved his hand toward the manor. “Then by all means, escort me to my chambers so I may bathe after such an arduous journey. If that is acceptable to you, of course.”

Gabriel tensed, hands balling into fists. His father was mocking him. He tried not to snap and lash out, but he didn’t think he would be able to speak without saying something detrimental. Instead, he just turned and stepped onto the porch, leading the way to Jequn’s chambers. He caught a glimpse of his father’s snide smile before his back was turned.

Inside the manor, the only sound came from Jequn’s heavy footsteps as he followed his son. The air felt thick, like they were being watched. They probably were, though none of the servants made themselves known. They climbed the creaking stairs, and at the top, Gabriel glanced down to Alex’s rooms. Was that Alex’s shadow he saw, or just his imagination?

At the veil that covered the entrance to Jequn’s chambers, Gabriel stood aside. Jequn pulled back the fabric and motioned impatiently for him to enter. The silver-haired boy slipped through and calmly walked to the large bathing room at the far end of the hall.

The pool that served as Jequn’s bath was separated from the other rooms by a sealed corridor. Gabriel opened the first door, which hissed on its hinges. Jequn stepped through without glancing at his son, and walked down to the second door. He didn’t open it until he heard the first door click shut.

When the second door opened, heat and moisture filled the corridor. The two doors served to keep most of the moisture from the bath out of the rest of Jequn’s rooms. There were too many ancient and irreplaceable documents that could be damaged if exposed. Gabriel followed his father through and shut the door behind them.

Jequn’s bathing room was larger than either Gabriel’s or Alex’s. A mosaic of colored glass covered the walls and floor, surrounding a deep pool filled with steaming water. The pattern was a scene from ancient Ahn, before the cities covered the surface of the planet. Unfamiliar flowers, blue and purple trees, a crimson river, and a herd of graceful creatures with spiral horns and immense wings created the scene that Gabriel had once been fascinated to see.

Now, he blocked it all out. He focused on his father and his duty to rescue his brother.

Jequn casually began unstrapping the belts around his waist. They thudded against the glass tile, weighted with heavy little pouches. He unfastened his black pants and untucked the dark gray shirt. The shirt, designed with extra fabric crossed in the back, unfolded once free of the pants. Jequn slipped it off his shoulders and tossed it aside. He stepped out of his boots, kicked off his pants, and entered the steaming water.

The Isten submerged in the water entirely, even his wings. Gabriel waited at the edge until Jequn surfaced, tossing his metallic hair back from his face in a clinking cascade.

“Ah, nothing quite so wonderful as returning home,” said the Isten. He looked up at Gabriel, and scowled slightly. “Well, almost nothing. You wanted to talk. So then talk.” He leaned back against the edge of the pool, his wings low in the water. He moved them slowly beneath the surface, creating tiny whirlpools all around him.

“It’s about Alexiel,” said Gabriel. “I know what you’ve been doing to him.”

Jequn raised an eyebrow. “Do you now?”

“I’m telling you now, it’s over. You won’t ever touch him again.”

Jequn chuckled, and he looked up at Gabriel. “Oh, you’re serious?” he laughed.

Wings bristling and teeth clenched, Gabriel said, “Yes, I’m serious.”

Jequn started laughing. He doubled over, clutching at his sides while he laughed. Gabriel just stood there, angrily glaring down at him.

“Oh, you poor, stupid boy,” Jequn said when his amusement had dimmed enough that he could speak. “You don’t know anything, do you?”

“I know enough. I know this is wrong. I know it is illegal. I know you could have your land and title stripped from you.”

“Is that so?” He smirked, settling back in comfort against the wall.

“Instances of non-consensual sexual contact or molestation are a rust level offense. Since he is a minor, the punishment is more severe.” Gabriel had read the passage so many times, he could practically quote it. He hoped it made him sound confident and assured, and hid how uncertain he actually was.

Jequn regarded Gabriel for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively. “Those laws are antiquated and only enforced against the mortal citizens of Ahn. Isten are above such trivial things.”

“It doesn’t matter who it is. The laws are there to protect Isten and their descendants. If I report what you’ve been doing, the other Isten will investigate, and everyone will find out.”

Eyes narrowing, Jequn repeated very slowly, “If?”

Gabriel took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm. “If you allow Alexiel to leave here and attend the academy with me, I won’t report you. You continue to provide for our expenses, but you no longer have contact with either of us. We will remain, to all others, your loyal sons, and you will get to keep your honor.”

The humor slid from the Isten’s features. “Is this extortion? Are you trying to manipulate me?” asked Jequn incredulously.

“If that is what it takes to make you stop hurting Alexiel.”

Jequn glared up at his silver-haired son. His nostrils flared with each breath, and his mouth was set into a grim line. “You think you’re clever, don’t you, Gabriel? You have no idea what you’re doing. You have no idea who you’re even fighting for. Maybe it’s time you learned the truth.”

“He isn’t your son,” interjected Gabriel.

Jequn’s lip pulled back into a sneer. His wings stilled beneath the water, tension visible through all his muscles. “I see you’ve been busy while I’ve been away.”

“I know everything,” said Gabriel. “I know about Liliel’s affair and how you’ve been poisoning Alexiel with Holloway since you found out.”

“Then you also know what that makes him,” Jequn spat. “A Terran bastard, devoid of any rights or privileges. By allowing him to remain on this estate, I have protected him.”

“Protected him?!” said Gabriel angrily. “You raped him!”

“Rape?” Jequn stood in the pool, the surface of the water at his waist. Steaming water dripped from his hair, running down his bare chest. He moved toward Gabriel with a dark, predatory glint in his eyes. “He is willing. He enjoys it.”

“He is a child.” Gabriel pointed his finger accusingly at Jequn, his temper flaring. “Manipulating him and poisoning him so that he obeys you doesn’t mean he enjoys it. He is scared. He hates it, and he hates you. You know that, otherwise you wouldn’t be so afraid of letting him attend the academy.”

“Is that what you think is happening?” Jequn stood at the edge of the pool in front of Gabriel, looking straight up at him. Gabriel felt the urge to step back, get out of reach, but he knew it wouldn’t matter. If his father meant to hurt him, he would. “Without me, he would be just another nameless Terran bastard. He would be at some whore house, pleasing whatever deranged fiend walked through the door. I’ve seen that look in his eye. He would enjoy it, and he’s already so very good at it.”

Gabriel snarled down at his father, “You are the only fiend deranged enough to do this to a child. I won’t let you touch him again.”

The Isten was out of the water, slamming Gabriel back against the wall before the silver-haired boy realized he moved. Jequn towered over him, a large hand encircling Gabriel’s neck. Water dripped from his metallic hair, landing on Gabriel’s face with little splatters that made him flinch. The Isten was intimidating and terrifying, even when wet and naked. Maybe more so.

“I’m starting to find your little rebellion less than amusing,” said Jequn darkly. “Just what hold does that little whore have over you?” He pushed up on Gabriel’s chin, exposing his neck in a long line of pale flesh. His thumb casually caressed the boy’s frantic pulse. Jequn leaned in, whispering very softly, “Or are you offering to take his place?”

Gabriel swallowed, the tight press of Jequn’s hand against his throat making it difficult. “No,” he said, though his voice squeaked. He repeated the word again, forcing more strength into his voice. “No. I am your heir. If I tell the Isten what you’ve done to Alexiel and me, they’ll send you into exile. You’ll lose everything.”

“They won’t believe you.” Jequn squeezed Gabriel’s throat, cutting off his air. He slowly lifted him off his feet until his son was eye level with him.

Gabriel’s wings flapped feebly, pinned too close to the wall to help. He clawed at Jequn’s fingers, but his father’s grip was too strong. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and little spots blurred his vision.

“Besides,” Jequn said casually, “what is to stop me from killing you right here?”

Choking, Gabriel whispered, “I know… I know who…”

“Hm? What’s that?” Jequn leaned in, his ear near Gabriel’s lips.

“I know… his father…”

Jequn straightened, watching his son’s face as he fought to breathe. Eventually, Gabriel lost the strength to struggle. His wings fell limp, his hands dropped to his sides, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Everything faded away.

Then, suddenly, his face smacked against the cool mosaic floor, and he sucked in deep breaths that left him coughing. A cluster of hexagonal gray flowers patterned the mosaic floor before him. His eyes fought to focus on the simple design as his mind struggled to remember his purpose there.

Jequn crouched before Gabriel, six wings raised, blocking the candle light from the rest of the room. Gabriel lay in the shadow cast by the wings and looked up into his father’s blue eyes. The cruel eyes glowed from within, piercing straight into Gabriel, leaving him cold.

“What did you say?” asked Jequn. He was calm. Too calm, like the surface of a river whose current could drag him down, casting him into a watery black abyss.

“I know who his father is,” rasped Gabriel.

“You’re lying,” said Jequn. “The name he gave your mother was fake. There is nothing to trace him.”

Gabriel shook his head. “I figured it out,” he said.

“You figured out the name of the Terran who spewed his seed in your whore of a mother and spawned that little atrocity?” snapped Jequn viciously.

“He isn’t a Terran.”

Disgusted, Jequn growled, “A Homm?”

“No.” The word triggered a coughing fit. Every breath that passed through his bruised throat hurt. He tried to adjust to breathe easier, pushing himself up onto his shaking hands and knees.

However, this only seemed to infuriate his father.

Without warning, Jequn stood and kicked Gabriel in the stomach, the impact lifting and spinning the boy into the air. One of Gabriel’s wings lashed out, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from crashing into the wall. His face bounced off the mosaic tiles, then he dropped heavily to the floor, landing hard on his back and wings.

Gabriel’s abdomen spasmed with pain, leaving him feeling paralyzed and unable to draw in a new breath. Writhing and gasping, he could only lay there and stare up at Jequn helplessly.

“Stay on the ground while I talk to you,” said Jequn with a sneer. “It’s better than you deserve right now.”

Back arching and wings thrashing, Gabriel finally took a breath. He never thought it could be so painful to breathe, and yet, so desired. It was difficult to think of anything but the agony in his chest. He rolled to his side, curling around his stomach. His wings pressed tight against his back, making him look smaller.

“You expect me to believe Alexiel was sired by an Ahnnak. Do you think I’m stupid? No Isten would allow their progeny to breed a Terran with unverified pedigree, let alone one who is already married.” Jequn crouched down again. He reached out and picked up a lock of Gabriel’s silver hair. As he ran the long silver strands through his fingers, he said, “Liliel was designed for me. She is worthless to any other Isten or their descendants.”

“But it’s true. Alex’s father is an Ahnnak,” said Gabriel.

With a swift yank, Jequn ripped the hair from Gabriel’s head. The boy bit back a scream. “Alexiel,” the Isten corrected.

“Alexiel,” sobbed Gabriel.

Jequn rubbed the loose hair between his fingers, letting the silver strands fall to the floor before Gabriel. “I think you’re lying to me. Alexiel is just some worthless bastard, earning his keep at my pleasure. I could destroy him whenever I want.”

“I’m telling the truth, and if you kill him, I will tell everyone who his real father is. Everyone will know you raised another man’s child for years. They’ll know about the affair, and how you still allow your wife to sleep with other men.”

Jequn brought his hand down fast to strike Gabriel’s face, but stopped just before he made contact. Braced for the impact, Gabriel flinched as feather-light fingertips touched his cheek, gently caressing his skin.

“I should kill you.” The words were emotionless, a simple statement by the Isten.

Voice trembling, Gabriel whispered, “If you do, everyone will expect you to make Alexiel your heir. Then, you will have another Isten’s descendant as heir to your name.”

“I could kill you both. And your mother.”

His father’s touch, even so gentle, made him want to panic and flee. He forced himself to take small, controlled breaths. “If you kill us all, you will be ridiculed as the only Isten to lose their entire house.”

Slowly, Jequn’s fingers traced the features of Gabriel’s face. His cheekbones, his brow, the bridge of his nose. Gabriel didn’t dare move, even as Jequn’s fingers brushed over his lips.

“It would be a tragedy,” the Isten whispered, his cold blue eyes focused on Gabriel’s mouth, “but these things happen.” He tapped Gabriel’s lips twice, not hard, but Gabriel still flinched with each touch.

Jequn withdrew his hand from his son’s face. He leaned in very close, so Gabriel’s vision was filled with nothing but his father. “Tell me the man’s name,” he demanded.

Gabriel watched Jequn’s expression very carefully as he said, “Sachiel.”

A blank look came over Jequn’s face. His eyes dulled, like he no longer saw the room around him. It was a look Gabriel had seen before. The Isten instructors at Archridge Academy would get that look when they were searching through thousands of years worth of memories to find an answer to a question. Gabriel had never seen that look on his father, but he knew, immediately, when Jequn remembered the name.

“You lie!” Jequn hissed. He snarled at Gabriel, and the boy thought for sure his father was going to hit him again. Instead, Jequn stood and began pacing a short distance back and forth. His six wings twitched, agitated while Jequn alternated between snarling to himself and mumbling calculations.

While his father was distracted, Gabriel carefully sat up. He leaned back against the wall, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. The pain in his stomach and chest was lessening, but his throat still hurt. He expected to see bright bruises covering his neck by the time he got out of there.

He silently watched his father pace. He knew Jequn was calculating dates, as Gabriel himself had done in the library. But what took Gabriel two days to discover in books and scrolls, Jequn determined in minutes.

Jequn stopped at the edge of the pool, going completely still. His wings relaxed, not laying quite as smooth as when folded, but not tense and extended. The silver coils of hair lay around his shoulders, no longer dripping water down his chest. The Isten stayed there for another minute, immobile.

When he turned back to Gabriel, there was a different look in his eyes, something more guarded. “This is what is going to happen. You are going to return to the academy first thing in the morning.”

“But-”

“Don’t interrupt me,” thundered Jequn. His eyes narrowed upon his son. “When you return to the academy, you will prepare for and immediately take the advanced coursework admittance test. Understood?”

“I-I’m only twelve. I can’t test for at least two more years.” The advanced classes were open to students, fourteen and older, who excelled in all the standard classes. It took months of preparation and several recommendations from instructors to even be considered for the program. And then there was the test. Most students who tried failed the first two times. That’s why sixteen was the standard starting age for the advanced coursework. Gabriel had suspected that one day his father would force him to take that route through the academy, but he had expected it to be another three or four years away.

“As the son of an Isten, you will test whenever I say you will test. And you will pass. And your score will be perfect. You are done humiliating me at that institution, boy.”

Shaking his head, Gabriel said, “It’s not possible. There’s no way I can pass.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find a way.” Jequn smirked, looking down at Gabriel. “I will arrange for a transport to bring Alexiel to the academy by the new moon. He will begin classes as soon as they resume.”

Gabriel stared up at his father. The Isten was serious. He was really going to allow Alex to attend the academy. Gabriel had done it! But instead of the elation he thought he would feel from triumphing over his father, he felt apprehension.

Jequn continued, “I want you to understand something, Gabriel. You are my only son and heir. There is no one who holds more control over you than I do. No Isten will interfere on your behalf.” He reached down, grabbing a fistful of Gabriel’s hair, and wrenched him up from the floor.

Gabriel cried out, clutching at his silver hair. Jequn’s firm grip held him so he could barely touch the mosaic floor. His toes desperately tried to alleviate some of the pressure from his scalp. Tears stung his eyes, and he glared through them with hatred for his father.

“I will tolerate nothing less than perfection from you,” said Jequn. “It is clear to me now that your values are misplaced, but I will teach you the errors of your ways. When you test for the advanced coursework, your score will be perfect, or I will hurt Alexiel. Any error you make, I will take out of his flesh. Is that simple enough for you to understand?”

Horrified, Gabriel said, “You can’t do that. The instructors-”

A quick shake silenced Gabriel as pain radiated through his scalp. “I can, Gabriel, and I will. And you will know that every wound on his body is your fault. Do you understand?”

Gabriel desperately tried to think of something to say, something to turn the situation around, but Jequn shook him again, and he couldn’t think of anything but the pain. “Yes!”

“Yes?”

“Yes, sir, I understand!”

“Good boy,” said the Isten with a condescending smile. He released Gabriel’s hair, and the silver haired boy dropped to his knees. He kept his eyes downcast. He may have gotten what he wanted from his father, but at what cost?

Jequn turned back to his bath, which was no longer steaming hot, but still warm. “Oh, and Gabriel, if you fail me, you will discover how much kinder it would have been to leave him here with me.” He stepped into the pool, sinking down until it covered his shoulders and wings. “You’re dismissed. I expect you out of this manor by first light or I will deal with you myself.”

“Yes, sir,” said Gabriel. Shoulders slumped and wings limp, he picked himself off the floor. He left the room without raising his eyes from the mosaic floor. He walked out of Jequn’s chambers, trying to understand how everything had become so twisted. He felt defeated and helpless.

Walking through the main hall, he saw a shadow surrounded by light from Alex’s chambers. Gabriel looked up. Alex stood in the archway, peering up at him with his wide black eyes.

“Brother? Y-You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine. I told you to stay in your rooms.”

“I didn’t know i-if you would come back. I thought he might-” his soft voice broke off, struggling to hold back tears.

Gabriel sighed. He walked up to Alex and gently ruffled his black hair. “It’s okay, Alex. You get to come to the academy. He’s going to arrange transport for you, and you’ll be there by the time classes start back up after the Harvest break.”

“Really?” Alex looked as if he couldn’t believe something like that could be true. That expression hurt Gabriel’s chest more than anything Jequn had inflicted on him.

“Yes, really. You’re going to be at the academy with me.”

“But how? How did you get him to agree?”

“I told him I wouldn’t let him hurt you anymore, and I agreed to start taking some advanced classes.” Gabriel smiled bitterly. He touch his neck, which he knew would be a mess of mottled purple. “He isn’t very happy with me right now. I have to leave for the academy by first light.”

“I’m so sorry, Brother. I shouldn’t have-”

“Stop. Don’t, Alex. I’m your big brother. I have to protect you.” Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to tell Alex that he had failed that. He couldn’t tell him he would be in just as much danger at the academy, if not more.

No, it was still Gabriel’s responsibility to protect Alex. He decided then that he would do everything in his power to make sure the Isten had no excuse to hurt the boy again.

Gabriel hugged Alex, surprising the smaller boy. “I’ll protect you,” he promised. He pulled back, and Alex watched him with wide eyes. “I have to leave in the morning, but you’ll be following me soon after. You’ll be okay. We’ll be together again in a few days at the academy, alright? Can you be strong until then?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, Brother.”

Gabriel smiled at him. He patted his head one more time. “Say goodbye to Hadasha for me, okay?” Alex nodded. With a determined stride, Gabriel went in his rooms to prepare for his return journey to the academy. He stopped at the entrance and waved to Alex. The little boy waved back, then Gabriel let the curtain swing shut.

Gabriel knew at that moment he would do anything to protect his little brother, forever and for always.

Gabriel gently slid his fingers from Sabe’s forehead. Sabe blinked his eyes open. His cheeks were wet. He touched his face, surprised to find he had been crying. He swiped at his face with his palms, not saying anything.

Gabriel leaned back, watching him, one arm draped around Sabe’s shoulders. He didn’t speak either.

Unlike with Alex, more than a few seconds had passed while Gabriel showed him the memories. It could have been hours. The tea in the cup was cold. The moon shone in through the window. Everything was silent.

Sabe sniffled. “You…” His voice broke.

“Shh. It’s okay. It was all a very long time ago.” Gabriel pulled him in close, and Sabe pressed himself against Gabriel’s chest. He shut his eyes tightly. He could hear Gabriel’s heartbeat. The steady sound was strong and brought him comfort.

“You protected him,” Sabe whispered.

“I failed him,” said Gabriel. There was sadness in his voice.

“No, you got him out. Wasn’t that enough?”

Gabriel stroked Sabe’s hair slowly. “What was asked of me was impossible, but I tried. I lost sight of myself along the way. He set me up to fail, and I did. It became too much for me. Alex is the way he is now because of my selfishness.”

“It wasn’t your fault, your father-”

“Eventually, we all have to take responsibility for our own actions.”

Sabe held on to him. He focused on remembering where he was, not drifting back into that lush green world with those beasts. He found the button on Gabriel’s vest, felt the smooth edge as he traced his fingers around it.

“Sabe?”

“Hm?”

“Do you forgive me? For calling you Sabine?”

He had forgotten about that. He looked up into Gabriel’s eyes, those cold, ice-blue eyes. The eyes of an unfortunate child. The same eyes he shared with his cruel father. Sabe forgave him. He pressed himself up, gently kissing Gabriel’s lips. The contact was soft and warm, but it was also very real and very current.

He kissed Gabriel harder, pushing against his welcoming mouth. Their lips parted, and their tongues touched, tentative at first, then increasingly eager. Gabriel’s hands were on his hips, moving him closer, sitting Sabe up on his lap. Sabe straddled him, cupping his face with his hands as he breathed in everything warm and good and wonderful about Gabriel.

Desperately, they kissed until Sabe was forced to break away, gasping. He pressed his forehead against Gabriel’s while he panted. He realized how he sat, his legs open over Gabriel’s hips. Something hard pressed against him, pinned between layers of fabric and their bodies.

Sabe’s own pants were tight, but he knew he wasn’t ready to offer his body to Gabriel. He had to stop.

“I think I should go home,” he said, the words barely a breath against Gabriel’s lips.

“You can’t go out like that,” Gabriel whispered back. His fingers brushed along the front of Sabe’s pants, and his erection ecstatically responded.

“No, I can’t-”

“You don’t have to do anything, Sabe. Trust me. Let me take care of you. Let me touch you. Let me hold you in my mouth. Nothing else.”

The image of Gabriel’s lips wrapped around him caused Sabe’s lower belly to clench. He inhaled shakily, supporting himself on Gabriel’s body. “But I’m not ready to… I don’t think I can t-touch you yet.”

“I’m not asking you to. Please. I want this, Sabe. Will you let me?”

Sabe wasn’t sure. If Gabriel touched him, if he took Sabe into his mouth, would Sabe be able to stop if he tried to push further? He knew he didn’t have the strength to fight off the silver-haired man. He would be helpless, and worse, in his haze of arousal, he might agree to something he wasn’t ready for.

But more than anything, he wanted to trust Gabriel.

He nodded.

Gabriel kissed him again passionately. He left Sabe gasping for breath. His fingers touched Sabe’s pants, tracing the outline of the bulge. It made Sabe’s legs shake. The button fly popped open with little resistance. Gabriel touched his flesh, and it was electric and amazing, and Sabe knew he wouldn’t last long under Gabriel’s ministrations.

Gabriel pushed Sabe back, urging him to stand before the couch between his parted legs. Sabe did. Gabriel tugged Sabe’s pants down until the tight fabric was gathered at his thighs. “Hold your shirt up,” Gabriel said, his voice husky.

Sabe did as he was told.

With his pants around his knees and his shirt held up past his bellybutton, Sabe had never felt as nervous and exposed as he did standing before Gabriel. He also felt tremendously excited. The way Gabriel looked at him made him feel as if his heart stopped. There was such devotion in his blue eyes, Sabe found it difficult to breathe.

“Exquisite,” Gabriel said, his breath a whisper across Sabe’s most sensitive skin. His erection throbbed. Then, those wonderfully kissable lips parted and Gabriel took him into his mouth.

Nothing Sabe had ever experienced before prepared him for the pleasure Gabriel could provide with his lips and tongue. He couldn’t stand. Gabriel’s hands grasped his hips, supporting him and holding him upright, while also sucking him further into his mouth.

Sabe moaned, his whole body shaking. He felt the swell at his base as Gabriel sucked, his tongue curling in amazing ways around him. “G-G-Gabriel,” Sabe whimpered. “It’s coming.”

The silver-haired man drew him in deep, the jewelry in his hair clinking. His fingers squeezed Sabe’s hips, keeping him in his throat as Sabe started to convulse. It was the most intense orgasm Sabe had in his entire life, and it left him seeing spots. Aftershocks rolled through him as Gabriel slowly released Sabe from his mouth.

With great care, Gabriel helped Sabe fix his clothes, pulling the pants back up and fastening them. He made sure everything was smooth and in order. It was all Sabe could do to stand there and not fall over. He knew, right then, if Gabriel had asked for more, he would have done it.

But Gabriel didn’t.

“You’re beautiful, Sabe. Thank you.” He placed a kiss against Sabe’s belly before straightening his shirt. “I will take you home now.”

Sabe didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay, but he knew Gabriel was right. It was time to go, before things got out of control.

“Yes. Okay.”

Sabe held Gabriel’s hand as they walked to the door. Gabriel smiled down at him, his eyes sparkling with something like happiness. “I love you, Sabeth,” he said.

The announcement surprised the caenid. How could he respond to that? “I-I…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the expected reply. Was that how he really felt, or was it just an effect of the amazing feelings coursing through his mind and body?

Gabriel just smiled. “It’s okay. You don’t need to say anything. I just want you to know.”

Then Gabriel took him to the private car, riding it in silence with him, just holding him close. On the residential level, he walked Sabe to the rift door, kissed him goodnight, and left.

Slowly, Alex pressed down on the plunger, the clear liquid oozing through the needle and into his vein. The cold spread through him, followed by welcoming numbness. Alex slid the needle out of his forearm, clenching and unclenching his fist. He dropped the syringe into the glass bowl on the floor beside his bed, where it clattered against others from nights past.

He lay his head back on the pillow, holding his arm up so he could feel the liquid steadily spread toward his heart. He continued opening and closing his fist, though he was already unable to feel his fingers.

Good. He was tired. He welcomed the darkness the drugs brought.

The latest batch of Blue Dust was sold, multiple distributors eagerly accepting his asking price for the smaller quantities. It took most the evening, but it got him enough quick credits to exchange for everything else he needed. Enough for the powder, enough for the poisons, enough to block out the world.

When the clear liquid reached his heart, Alex stopped breathing. He closed his eyes, his hand falling limply to his side.

Death.

He welcomed it with open arms, but it wouldn’t kill him. For a little, while his body sorted out the ever changing cocktail of toxins he pumped into his veins, he would be allowed to sleep. When he woke, he would be hungover, but rested.

The only thing he had to fear were the dreams.

Tonight he dreamed he was a child. He sat alone in a clearing, staring through green leaves to the blue sky always just out of his reach. His wings quivered against his back, too small. Too weak. He yearned to fly, but he didn’t move from the mossy log.

Alex knew which moment that dream showed him. He remembered why he was so afraid. His mothers words circled him, biting at his skin like a viper. It was a dream of the day he was told Jequn wasn’t his father.

Memories of Jequn played before him, tormenting him as he sat in the clearing. All the little words and actions that would have revealed the truth eventually. Alex had been stupid not to see it.

Maybe when he grew older and tried to resist his fate, he would have discovered the truth on his own. Jequn might have told him, given him the same choice he had given his mother.

Obedience or death.

Or, if the Isten had grown tired of Alex in the way he had grown tired of Liliel, maybe there would be no choice.

It would be an accident, staged in the jungle. A splatter of blood across decaying leaves and a broken body ravaged by beasts. If anyone cared enough to ask, Jequn would tell them of his son’s tragic fate. That was always going to be Alex’s destiny if he stayed. He understood that now.

Alex fell from the log to curl in the dirt. His young, void-eaten mind could not handle the mix of emotions that flooded through him. The black spots in his brain, where Holloway had destroyed some of the links in his mind, numbed some of the feelings. He clung to that blackness.

Emptiness, he understood. If he had to live this life, maybe that would be for the best. If he was nothing more than a possession, wouldn’t it be better to feel nothing?

Rage rushed through Alex’s chest, choking the air from his lungs. It was familiar now, but in the dream, in his youth, it had been new. He reached out, digging his hands into the mossy dirt, ripping out fistfuls of the greenery. He clenched it in his hands, focusing all his rage and anguish into the plants in his fists.

Alex felt the emotion leave him, coursing to his hands. He felt something like a spark across his palms. He saw a quick crackle of energy jump from one hand to the other, like a bolt of lightning, but inverted. Black.

He opened his hands, releasing the green moss and dirt. Grey dust fluttered down to the ground instead, like ash. Even that soon vanished.

Alex rubbed his hands against his clothing, all his anger gone. Whatever had happened with the moss had startled him and left him feeling vulnerable. Tears started pouring from his eyes, and he quickly found himself sobbing.

That was how Hadasha found him. Curled up in the dirt, crying uncontrollably.

She approached slowly, moving like a flickering shadow in his dream. She sniffed the air, searching for danger, then bumped her nose against him.

Alex stood and threw himself against her muzzle. “It’s hopeless,” he cried, his young voice high and pained. The despair reached through his dream. “He’s going to kill me.”

Hadasha raised her head, lifting Alex from the ground, still clinging to her muzzle as she walked toward the center of the clearing. She circled a patch of sun a couple times before settling down. She tilted her head, dropping Alex off at her side.

He slid off the top of her nose and stood beside her. He pressed his face against her side, wiping tears and snot into her fur. A ripple raced through her coat, and she nudged him away and licked the spot several times to clean it. Her amber eyes focused on him, standing there sniffling, tiny wings shaking behind him. Her tongue flicked out, wiping his face clean in one rough swipe.

Alex covered his face with his hands and dropped into a crouch. She lay her head sideways against the mossy ground to watch his odd behavior.

“Hadasha,” he said from behind his hands. Her ears twitched forward, focusing on him. She ran her tongue over the long, sharp fangs protruding from her mouth. “I want you to hunt me.”

Peering out from behind his fingers, Alex’s black eyes focused on Hadasha’s teeth. Her amber eyes watched him, but not with the predatory gleam he desired. She was curious, not aggressive. She was never aggressive with him.

Sliding forward, Alex placed his hand against one of her deadly fangs. They were longer than his arm, and as sharp as any knife he had seen. He had watched her kill a dozen times. He knew how powerful her jaws were. He knew how easy it would be.

“Please, Hadasha, just one bite,” he begged. “Then everything will be over.”

Hadasha lifted her head and looked at him. She started purring.

“No, no, attack me. Kill me!” He stood up, getting close to her mouth. He hit her with his fists. “Bite me, kill me, eat me, please, anything,” he cried.

With a grumble of annoyance, Hadasha lifted her paw. As she would have with an overzealous kitten, she knocked Alex’s feet out from under him with a single swipe. She sniffed at him, trying to determine what was wrong, but he kept lashing out at her. He cried again, practically hysterical.

Hadasha chuffed and pulled the boy close to her. He still struggled, so she simply lay one of her heavy paws over his body.

Alex couldn’t move. He was pinned beneath her in his dream in the same way the drugs pinned him in his body. She didn’t eat him. As a child, he cried, he sobbed, he screamed, until there was nothing else left to come out. Hadasha just watched him, sniffing around him sometimes, but mostly laying and purring. Even when Alex gave up, exhausted, the weight of her paw stayed over him. It wasn’t until night fell that she pulled him close, wrapping her body around his.

Alex turned to her warmth, finally calm. He slept without any more dreams.

Though for very different reasons, neither Alex nor Sabe emerged from their rooms before lunch.

Alex walked groggily through the hallway, still feeling half dead. The temporal rift he sustained, with all its halls and rooms, felt like it was turning around him. He righted it with a little nudge, and the hall settled. Most of the rooms were real, pocketed outside of time, but still accessible through the link the hall created. They were easy enough to link, too, which is why he had become such a hoarder over the last few centuries, never throwing anything away, just storing it in another room.

He passed by Sabe’s door. It was quite clear the young man had figured out the access panel for the entertainment unit. Sabe seemed pretty devoted in his research, too. At least he wasn’t asking any more questions. There was nothing about Sabe’s situation with Gabriel that made Alex comfortable, and Sabe’s willingness to share did not help anything.

“Lunch in ten!” he yelled as he walked by the door. He heard an embarrassed squeak followed by a thud. At least Sabe was awake.

He went out to the kitchen and made his coffee, sprinkling a generous helping of powder into the liquid. He had enough to get him through a few months. By then, he would have another batch of Blue Dust ready to go.

He sipped the hot coffee, enjoying the numbness that crept into his body. Caffeine always seemed to help it absorb faster, but it was probably just the comfort of drinking something warm. His hangover felt like it was receding, too.

An ache remained in his ribs, even as the rest of his body’s senses dulled. After being kicked by Gabriel, Alex knew he probably should have diverted more of his energy into healing faster, but instead, he let his fragmented ribs mend slowly and naturally. Part of him knew he deserved the lingering pain, but it was nearly gone now. Tender new bone had grown in, and he no longer felt the remaining shards in his lung when he breathed.

Sabe wandered out, trying to look nonchalant, as if he hadn’t just been doing very biological things in his room. Alex pretended not to be aware as he got out the supplies for lunch.

“Pasta okay?” he asked, already pulling the sealed package from the cupboard.

“Again?”

“I like pasta.”

“And even though you’re a vegetarian, you eat butter.”

“I like butter.”

The caenid grinned lopsidedly at him. “Alright, sure. Pasta is fine.” He sat at the bar and sniffed the flowers Gabriel had given him three days ago. They were already starting to wilt, and they filled the room with their sickly sweet smell of decay. Sabe seemed to enjoy them, though.

“How was the ballet?” Alex asked, not because he wanted to know, but because he knew Sabe wanted to talk about it.

“It was amazing,” the caenid said, grinning without trying to hide his fangs. “I’ve only ever danced alone, so it was pretty surprising how precise they all were. Did you know they play live music during the whole thing? I couldn’t believe it. And the dancers stayed right on beat. I always thought with live music it would be hard to react to what came next, because what if someone in the band messed up? But they didn’t. Not once.”

Alex smiled as Sabe spoke, his enthusiasm infectious. He mixed the pasta into the vegetables in the skillet. “So it was a good date?”

A blush crossed Sabe’s cheeks. “The ballet was good. Then… we went back to Gabriel’s apartment.”

Holding up the spatula, Alex said, “No, no, stop right there. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Nothing really happened,” the caenid lied, cheeks hot. “We just talked.”

Alex shook his head and dished up the food. It wasn’t completely heated, but it would be good enough. He sat the bowl in front of Sabe so he would stuff his face and stop speaking.

“I’m going out today,” Alex said, intentionally changing the subject. “Alone,” he added when Sabe perked up.

Sabe slouched. “Oh.” He mumbled around his stuffed cheeks, “We need more bacon.”

“I’ll pick up more bacon on my way home, but I’m probably going to be gone all day. Will you be okay on your own?”

“I’m not a little kid,” the caenid said. “I can take care of myself for one day.” He ate more food hastily, but seemed distracted, like he had something else on his mind. After a bit, cheeks still stuffed, Sabe said, “Hey, um, Alex? Can I ask you something?”

“Usually.”

“Well it’s… I was wondering… What happened to Jequn?”

Emotionless, focused on the bowl before him, Alex replied, “When I was fifteen, I killed him.”

“You… killed him?” His russet eyes widened.

Chewing, Alex just nodded.

“Then… you did escape him. You got free.”

“Free.” Alex scoffed at the word. “I’m never free. They ensured that when they punished me.”

“Punished? Even after what he did? How did they punish you?” asked Sabe, a little nervous about the answer.

Alex regarded him for a while, trying to determine if he should really say anything. Sabe’s curious eyes looked back at him as he continued to eat. The young man really had no clue what he was asking about. Even after all those centuries, it was still a sore subject for Alex, one he didn’t like discussing with anyone, even someone he thought of as a friend.

He sighed heavily. He spun the word with a bit of power, casting a edge of finality to the discussion.

“B̰l̗ac̞̭̦k̙͙̜͘.”

Sabe blinked, unnerved by the energy he felt touch him with the word. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words to ask more. He frowned and resumed eating, perplexed. Alex felt a little guilty about forcing an end to the conversation, but not enough to talk about it any longer.

Shifting the topic back to something marginally more comfortable, Alex asked, “You meeting Gabriel again tonight?”

Sabe shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Well, if you leave the apartment, be careful. Are you still wearing the bracelet?”

“Always,” said Sabe, holding up his arm. The black and silver band with the red stones was there. Since Sabe intended on wearing the gift constantly, Alex had borrowed it and etched a couple protective wards into the gems. The expensive garnets held the spell work well.

“Let me see it again,” Alex said, and Sabe held out his arm. He touched a grey nailed finger to the bracelet and the wards pulsed, reactivating at full power. “Good to go for another couple days.”

Sabe shook his arm. “Always feels weird when you do that.”

“It’ll keep you hidden.”

“What exactly are you two so worried about hiding me from?” he asked.

“A lot. Gabriel will be in a lot of trouble if anyone finds out about you.”

Pouting, Sabe asked, “Because I’m a guy?”

“What?” Alex tilted his head, confused for a moment. “No. That’s not why.”

“Then what?”

“It’s your soul.”

Sabe rolled his eyes, leaning back on the bar stool with a bored look. “My soul, huh? You mean Sabine’s soul. It’s always Sabine this and Sabine that. For someone I’ve never met, I really don’t like her some days.”

Alex ate some of his pasta before speaking. “Do you even know what a soul is, Sabe?”

“Sure,” he said, reaching for more food. “It’s what goes to Heaven or Hell when you die. I learned about it at the church my adopted family took me to.”

“That’s not exactly right.” Alex thought about it. It had been a long time since he had to explain it to anyone. “Think of a soul as a solid glass ball inside you, except it’s made up of energy. The laws of physics state that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. The same idea applies to a soul’s energy.”

“Huh?” Sabe’s brow furrowed.

Alex tried to clarify. “When someone is conceived, a new soul begins forming, pulling in shards of energy from all over to make a new glass ball. When they die, the soul shatters, much like a glass ball would if dropped from a great height. A hundred thousand shards scatter to a hundred thousand new lives, each joining with others to form a new, whole glass ball. It is a process tied to the planet’s magnetic field, and we refer to it, simply, as a soul shatter.”

Sabe frowned and narrowed his eyes. “That makes no sense.”

“It is more complicated than that, but the point is, a soul shatter is the natural way of the world. Every living creature holds a core of energy within which will shatter and spread upon their death. There are rare cases when a couple shards from a previous soul end up together in a new soul, and the new being might have flashbacks of their past life.”

“I saw that on a show once,” said Sabe. “This woman remembered growing up in another country. Like, details and everything, even though she’d never been there.”

“Yes, something like that is possible if she had a double or triple shard. But, like I said, it is very, very rare.”

Sabe looked thoughtful for a moment. “Then what about me? I mean, if what you say is true, and I’ve got pieces of Sabine’s soul, why don’t I remember anything?”

“That’s the problem, Sabe. You don’t have pieces of Sabine’s soul. You have her entire, unshattered soul within you. Though I don’t know why you don’t remember anything.” Alex looked at Sabe seriously. “But you need to understand, the soul within you goes against the natural law and order of this planet. If the wrong people find out what you are, they will stop at nothing to destroy your soul. And Gabriel.”

Sabe gulped. “Why Gabriel?”

“I may have killed Sabine,” said Alex grimly, “but I certainly wasn’t the one who bound her soul.”

It was late the next day when Sabe called Gabriel from his new phone. He sat on his bed, nervously listening to the line ring.

On the third ring, the call connected. “Yes?”

“Can I come over tonight?” Sabe asked.

“Of course,” Gabriel answered, his voice very professional over the line. “I’m still at the office. I’ll send Elibitha to get you.”

“I’ll be ready around seven.”

“Perfect. She’ll be waiting. I’m in a meeting right now, so I’m afraid I have to make this abrupt. Is there anything else?”

Sabe could hear voices in the background. No wonder Gabriel was being so distant with him. “That’s all. I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Gabriel said, then the line cut off.

Sabe flopped back onto the bed. Holding the phone to his chest, he thought about the coming night. He wanted to talk to Gabriel and ask if what Alex told him yesterday was true. It was too absurd to be possible, but the black-haired demon had been too serious for him to doubt everything he said.

However, Sabe knew he was using that as an excuse. He was really looking forward to a chance to spend time with Gabriel, no matter what the reason.

The shower was hot, and he scrubbed his skin and hair extra hard. After he shook the water off, he took the grooming supplies from the drawer and trimmed his hair. The woman he sometimes still thought of as his mom had always had him professionally groomed before competitions. In between those sessions, Sabe learned to cut his own hair. It grew fast and would become unruly if he didn’t keep the darker hair trimmed. It made him look scruffy, which had always been frowned upon.

With practiced ease, he clipped the back of his hair short, leaving it longer as he went up. He blended the two layers together on top until it was difficult to see he actually had two different textures and colors of hair.

When Elibitha bought him the new wardrobe, she provided hair products along with the clothes and shoes. It was the same stuff the boutique owner Sinclair used in his hair before. Sabe worked it in and scrunched, giving his dry, straight hair a softly curled texture.

He had to admit, Elibitha really had outdone herself when she went shopping for him. Even if it was Gabriel’s way of scolding her, she thought of everything. Then again, Sabe supposed any person who worked closely with Gabriel had to be exceptional.

Once he felt his hair was presentable, he got dressed all in shades of grey, but it didn’t bother him so much anymore. The red beads on the bracelet around his wrist were enough color.

There was still a half hour before he needed to meet Elibitha at the lifts, though he knew she would probably be there early. Sabe walked out to the living area. He had to keep a hand along the wall as he walked. Since yesterday, it felt strange, like the floor was slightly tilted, even though everything looked normal.

He stepped out of the hall door, shaking away the disorienting feeling. The living room felt normal, at least. Maybe it was just nerves. He closed the door behind him.

“Hey, Alex.” The black haired man was sitting in his chair, reading more articles. Law stuff. Sabe could read the headlines, but most the words used in the article made no sense. It was very boring, but when Alex was out there alone, that’s what he always tended to look at.

“Going out?” he asked, glancing away from the wall display for a moment.

“Yeah. I’m going to see Gabriel.”

Alex stood and stretched, pale skin peeking from under the edge of his layered shirts as he lifted his arms over his head. He groaned, rolling his head. “Ah, I’ve definitely been sitting too long. Are you going alone?”

Sabe shook his head. “No, Elibitha is picking me up. We’re taking the private car.”

“I see.” Alex smiled at him. He walked bare foot over to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee. When he finished stirring the hot water in, he asked “When are you going to be back?”. He brought the coffee up to his lips and sipped. The black in his eyes seemed to swirl as he watched Sabe.

Sabe hesitated, averting his eyes. “I, um… might not be back until morning.”

Alex choked on the coffee. He set the mug down and brought his hand to his chest, wincing as he coughed, like his ribs still hurt where Gabriel had kicked him.

“Sorry!” Sabe rushed over, patting his back lightly.

Alex waved him away, cleared his throat, and swallowed again. “Sabe, you can’t be serious!” he exclaimed.

Cheeks burning with embarrassment, Sabe tried to defend himself. “I’m not saying anything is going to happen. I just want to talk to him, but… It’s our fourth date.”

The words sank in slowly, Alex recalling what he had said that first day he sent Sabe out the door to go see Gabriel. His eyes widened. “Sabe! That was a joke! It was a terrible, stupid joke. You don’t have to do it because of that!”

“I know. I’m not. I mean, I might not do anything. I just want to talk to him tonight, but if things happen, well…”

“No. Nope. I’m not going to listen to this. If this is what you really want, fine, but don’t tell me about it.” Alex shoved his hands back through his hair, pushing it away from his face. He looked flustered.

Sabe grinned a little bit. “Oh, come on. You’re my only friend. If I don’t talk about it with you, then who?”

“I don’t care who.” Alex glared at him, but the look didn’t hold any weight. “Anyone other than me.”

Sabe pouted. “I don’t think the grocery girl will understand that I’ve got an angel boyfriend.”

Alex shook his head, his black hair falling back around his face. “I don’t understand it either, Sabe. Just…” He sighed. “Be careful tonight.” He picked up his coffee again, walking back toward the chair. “It’s okay to tell him ‘no’ if you feel uncomfortable.” He sat down in the chair. “And if he doesn’t listen, stab him in the eye.”

Sabe laughed, even though he knew Alex wasn’t joking. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

Shaking his head and mumbling, Alex went back to reading the articles. Sabe finished getting ready, then went to the door. He flipped the switch to activate the rift to Nukan City and released the lock. “Have a good night, Alex,” he called back cheerfully.

As the door swung closed, the demon grumbled, “Good night, Sabe.”

***

Elibitha was at the lift already, looking impatient. She wore dark grey slacks and a white high collared blouse. Sabe had yet to see her wear jewelry, but she was so beautiful, she didn’t need to.

“Ms. Gaard,” said Sabe, grinning at her.

Mouth pursed, she observed him head to toe. “Mr. De Moncreaux. I am here to escort you to Wolfram Logistics. Do you have everything you need?”

“Yup, I’m all ready.”

“Right this way,” she said, touching the access panel for the private car. They sat apart from each other and the car began its journey, clicking quietly along the tracks.

“So, about last time,” said Sabe. “I’m sorry about what happened.”

She looked at him suspiciously. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“You got in trouble because you were trying to help me look nice.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I didn’t do it for you, Mr. De Moncreaux.”

“I know, but then you had to go and buy me all those clothes, and I guess what I’m saying is… Thank you. It wasn’t fair that you had to do that, but thank you. Everything fits perfect.”

Elibitha snorted. “Mr. Hart has informed us of his affection for you.” She said the word like it tasted bad in her mouth. “As his head of security, I will do whatever I have to do, even if I don’t understand why.”

Sabe peered at her curiously. “Are you jealous of me?” he asked.

“Jealous?! Of a kid like you? Never!” she huffed. She looked at the screen, watching the levels tick by. “Though… I have never seen Mr. Hart so quick to trust anyone as he has done with you.”

It wasn’t jealousy, Sabe realized. She was worried about Gabriel. “You really care about him, don’t you?”

“I am his head of security. His well being is my only concern.”

They rode in silence for the rest of the ride. Sabe still looked out the windows during the brief trips through the Links, but it was already too dark to see more than the hazy glow of the Nukan City lights.

They arrived at Gabriel’s office without making any further stops. Elibitha motioned for him to proceed her out the lift door, and he stepped into the extravagant white and silver lobby. There was a small door to the left that led to the employees area, with a break room, bathrooms, and several smaller offices, but the main point of interest in the whole room was the ornate double doors that led to Gabriel’s office.

The desk outside Gabriel’s office was occupied by a woman with grey streaked black hair. It curled softly around her chin, every curl in its place. Warm brown skin, several shades darker than Sabe’s own, was creased around her eyes and mouth from a lifetime of smiling.

She rose when Sabe approached, standing on low-heeled white shoes with little bows around her ankles. She was pleasantly plump, and looked like a woman who spent a lot of time hugging her grandchildren. Sabe liked her immediately.

“Mr. De Moncreaux, it is a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said, her voice bright and welcoming. “I am Arquette Todd. You may call me Miss Arquette, young man.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Sabe, smiling at the woman. “You can call me Sabe, if you want.”

“Sabe. Yes, dear.” Her smile was like sunshine, warming Sabe all over. He refrained from wiggling, though it was hard. If he had ever had a grandmother, she was exactly who he would have imagined. “Mr. Hart had to take an urgent call a few minutes ago. I’m sure he will be with you shortly. In the meantime I thought it would be nice for us to talk.”

“Okay, Miss Arquette,” Sabe said, though he wasn’t sure what she would want to talk to him about.

“I work for Mr. Hart in the evenings,” she said. “I have been with him for nearly all my life. He is a great man. I thought you would have to be someone pretty special to catch his eye the way you’ve done. I can see I wasn’t wrong.” She took Sabe’s hand in her own, leading him over to a bench. They sat side by side, and she patted his hand with hers. “Though when I heard how you two showed up covered in dirt and twigs, I could hardly believe it.”

Elibitha snorted, crossing her arms. She stood by the wall. “It was disgraceful,” she said, but there was a little smile at the corner of her mouth.

“Now, Sabe, dear, Elibitha and I care very much for Mr. Hart. We all do here. He is family. It is important to us that we know you aren’t just playing games with him.”

“No games, Miss Arquette,” said Sabe. “I… I really care about him.” He did. It was strange saying it out loud, though.

Arquette smiled, squeezing his hand. “Good. I am pleased to hear that. It makes dealing with all the angry calls so much easier.”

“And the death threats,” Elibitha added.

“And the lawyers,” continued the secretary.

“Don’t forget the contract killers,” reminded the head of security.

Sabe looked back and forth between the two women, confused. “The what?”

Arquette smiled at him patiently. “You see Sabe, dear, Mr. Hart is a very important man. He is the core of this company. People expect certain things from him. When he says he’ll be somewhere or do something, and then doesn’t follow through, well…”

“People get furious,” said Elibitha. “Then they try to get even.”

“I don’t understand what this has to do with me,” said Sabe.

“These past few days, Mr. Hart has canceled and skipped no less than twelve meetings with some very influential people. He broke contract three times.”

“All because you asked to see him,” said Elibitha scornfully.

Sabe frowned at her. “I didn’t know. That’s not my fault.”

“Of course not, dear,” Arquette said, patting Sabe’s hand. “We’re not saying it is.”

“I am. I’m saying it’s your fault,” Elibitha said. “You are a distraction.”

The disapproving look Arquette gave Elibitha could have melted steel. “Mr. Hart deserves to have distractions,” she said in a scolding tone. She turned to Sabe, her expression softening. “Especially ones like you. I just hope you understand you can’t be too distracting. If Mr. Hart has prior obligations, it would be nice if you could encourage his attendance.”

“I think I understand, Miss Arquette,” Sabe said.

Arquette squeezed his hand. “I knew you were a smart boy.” There was a very quiet chirp, one Sabe wouldn’t have heard if he wasn’t sitting so close to the secretary. She let go of his hand and brought her finger up to her ear, listening to the earpiece. “Yes, Mr. Hart. I’ll send him right in.”

She turned her attention back to Sabe. “Mr. Hart will see you now.”

Fucking Michael.

Gabriel stood at his desk, angrily glaring at the spot Michael’s face had occupied. He had called looking for answers. Gabriel was well within the time frame provided. He still had another six days. Michael had no reason to be demanding results now.

It did not matter that Gabriel had already taken care of the issue. It was the principle of it all. If Sabe hadn’t been in the lobby, he would have made up excuses and forced Michael to wait another six days before giving him an answer. Instead, Gabriel coarsely told him, “I found the origin of the dead zones. It was a demon. I took care of it.” He wanted to be done with the man.

Michael looked suspicious, but then again, that was how he always looked at Gabriel. He went in to one of his long winded lectures about how sloppy Gabriel was for letting a demon exist in his territory for so long. Gabriel thought he was never going to shut up.

At least he was done now. Gabriel notified Arquette as soon as the tedious call was over. Sabe entered, closing the door quietly behind him.

“Everything okay?” the young man asked, walking closer. He wore tight charcoal slacks with white floral embroidery on one leg. The fuzzy grey sweater covered to mid thigh, but the wide neck made it so it hung off one shoulder. The line of exposed skin from Sabe’s jaw to shoulder made Gabriel forget completely about Michael.

“Yes, everything is fine,” Gabriel replied, coming out from behind his desk to greet Sabe. “Sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s okay.” Sabe appeared nervous. He swiveled the toe of an oxblood boot back and forth.

“What did you want to see me about?” Gabriel had hoped Sabe just wanted to spend time with him, but there was clearly something else on the caenid’s mind.

“I talked to Alex.”

Great. Nothing good ever came from talking to the Black Ander. “About what?” he asked pleasantly.

“About, um, souls.” Sabe looked down, tugging at the front of his sweater. The long fuzzy sleeves covered his arms down to his knuckles. Only his fingertips peeked out. “He told me about how they break, and it sounds kind of weird to me, but then he said something about how my soul isn’t broken. Wasn’t broken, and that because of that, people might want me dead.” He peered up at Gabriel, russet eyes filled with concern. “He said people might want you dead, too.”

Damn that Black Ander. He had no right to explain any of that to Sabe. If the boy needed to know, Gabriel would have told him, but if there wasn’t any immediate danger, it was just cruel to make Sabe worry. The knowledge also made him a bigger target.

“A lot of people want me dead,” Gabriel said. “They have wanted me dead for a very long time, and they can continue wanting. I am not in this business to satisfy.” He touched Sabe’s chin, stroking his fingers along the caenid’s smooth jawline. “And I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

“But is it true?” Sabe asked.

With a heavy sigh, dropping his hand back to his side, Gabriel said, “It’s true.”

“Soul shatter? Sabine’s soul? All of it?”

“Yes, but I must caution you to about the language you use. Even here, it is not completely secure.” He walked back over to his desk.

Sabe frowned. “Are you just saying that because you don’t want to talk about it?”

“I am saying it because it is something I have never spoken of before to anyone. As much as I pride the security of my office,” he motioned to the large room around them, “in this matter, I still have doubts.”

“So… is your penthouse safe?”

Gabriel froze. Maybe Sabe had come to him for more than just answers to questions. Carefully, he said, “My penthouse is a much more private area. I can secure it completely when needed.” He could secure the penthouse with as much skill as he could secure the office. He didn’t think anyone would overhear them either way, but if it meant getting Sabe alone in his home again…

“If we go there, will you tell me what you did?”

Gabriel pretended to mull it over. “I guess that would be acceptable.”

Sabe was smiling a little when Gabriel turned back around. “Can we stop and get food on the way? I’m starving.”

***

“For such a little thing, you sure do eat a lot,” said Gabriel. He sat on the couch in his penthouse watching Sabe. The caenid sat on the floor, eating chow mien from a take out container on the coffee table with enthusiasm.

Cheeks stuffed with noodles, Sabe asked, “Will you hate me if I get fat?”

Gabriel laughed. “I won’t hate you if you get fat,” he reassured the young man. He knew it would take a lot more than a double serving of chow mien to make the caenid fat, though. The species had a high metabolism, which was part of why Sabe was always so warm to the touch.

“So tell me about Sabine. How you did it,” said Sabe, motioning in the air with his chopsticks. “Alex made it sound like an unshattered soul was impossible.”

“What I did, I did out of desperation. The Black Ander left me no choice.” Gabriel tapped his fingers along the arm of the couch. The next time he saw the Black Ander, he was going to break something. “Sabine was mortal, but I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I spent decades trying to find a way to extend her life. During that time, she convinced me to forgive the Black Ander, and we allowed him into our home. For a while, he even helped me with my research.” Gabriel clenched his fist, the memory still making him angry.

“What happened next?” Sabe slurped a noodle into his mouth.

“The Black Ander betrayed me. I had almost created a flawless immortality for humans. I just had a few glitches I needed to work out in the cure and then she could have been with me forever. He knew that, and in his black-hearted way, he decided to strike, taking everything from me that mattered at a time when I actually had hope.” Gabriel opened his fist slowly, keeping his emotions under control. He would never forgive the Black Ander for what he had done. “I found her in the vault, dead at his hand.”

“He killed her just to hurt you?” Sabe asked, confused. “Why?”

“The Black Ander is a creature twisted by the will of the Jinn. I do not seek to understand his void-eaten mind,” he replied curtly.

“But you were so close as kids.”

“Children grow up, Sabe.”

The young man didn’t look convinced. He lifted more noodles into his mouth. “After you found her, what did you do?”

“The spark of her soul still lingered in her body, but there was nothing I could do to save her from the wound he inflicted. I acted in desperation and grief, pulling energy from within me that I’m not sure I could even access again. I did everything I could think of to hold her soul together, but eventually, she was gone.”

Gabriel let out a long, slow breath. “Four thousand years, no matter how I searched, I never found her. I believed I had failed.” He smiled softly at Sabe. “Until I saw you.”

Sabe froze mid chew, his cheeks puffed with food. He chewed a couple times very quickly then swallowed hard. “Four thousand years? I thought you were the same age as Alex.”

Gabriel raised a silver eyebrow. “How old did he say he was?”

Sabe’s brow furrowed. “He didn’t say… not exactly. I thought he was around five hundred?”

“Five hundred?” Gabriel laughed. “He’s closer to five hundred centuries, and even that’s being generous.”

Sabe squinted, having obvious trouble with the math. “So you’re both really old?” he asked simply.

“Yes. I have been very old for a very long time. I have watched cities built from a crack in a road, and watched them disappear in a wave of disillusionment.” He looked out the window to where the stars should have been. The modern world had too much light pollution, but it was a necessary sacrifice for advancement.

Sabe watched him quietly for a while, thinking. Eventually he asked, “Is it weird, then, that I’m only twenty?”

Gabriel grinned at the adorable young man. “No, it isn’t weird. You’re young, but you are old enough to make your own decisions with your life. I am just grateful you are allowing me to be one of your decisions.”

Sabe bit his bottom lip nervously. “I need to use your restroom,” he announced. He stood and hurried off without another word.

Chuckling, Gabriel gathered up the empty containers of food and threw them away. He cleaned up the splatters of sauce that landed on the table. Sabe was definitely acting strange, but he thought he knew why. Though he may have been young and inexperienced, Sabe was old enough to choose his own path. Gabriel was really looking forward to guiding him along it.

Sabe washed his hands in the guest bathroom, rubbing his face clean with the water while he did. He dried off with the monogrammed hand towel hanging beside the sink. Staring at himself in the mirror, he noticed how pale he appeared. Doubt filled him.

Back in the privacy of his own room, he had fantasized about being there. Reality was a lot different than fantasy, though. Sabe felt drawn to Gabriel, but he was scared, too.

Gabriel was incredibly old, like, thousands of years old. He’d had other partners in the past. The man was clearly skilled at everything he did. How could Sabe possibly think he could be good enough to please someone like that? With his inexperience, he would just humiliate himself, and probably annoy Gabriel in the process. Maybe it would be best if he just went home.

Feeling defeated, Sabe walked back out to the lounge. His empty food containers were gone. Gabriel stood by the window, his suit jacket thrown over the back of the white couch. He stared out at the night sky as he unfastened the diamond cufflinks at his wrists.

It was the most undressed Sabe had ever seen the man. As he walked up, he felt a little uncertain, almost ashamed, like it was improper for him to see Gabriel in that state. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to turn away from the sight.

“What are you looking at?” asked Sabe, trying to maintain his composure.

“I’m looking for stars,” said Gabriel.

Sabe peered out the window. It was difficult to see the sky past the glow of the city’s lights. “There’s one,” he said, pointing.

“That’s an airplane.”

Oh, it was. Sabe watched it slowly drift across the sky.

Gabriel rolled his shoulders, his strongly defined muscles pressing tight against the thin material of his shirt. The way the man’s muscles rippled made Sabe’s heart pound. He did not want to turn and stare, but he watched the movements from the corner of his eye, entranced.

“How do you wear shirts over your wings?” he asked softly. Except for the way Gabriel’s muscles moved across his back and shoulders, there really weren’t any other clues that he had wings.

“The shirts are split,” the angel said. “It’s a simple glamour to make them look whole, woven into the fabric.”

“A glamour?”

“It’s like a code for how the energy should respond. It can remain active without someone maintaining it.” Gabriel looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you so curious about my clothes?”

Sabe turned his face away, intently searching for more stars. “I think it’s interesting. You’re able to hide what you are every day, and no one ever questions you.”

“It can be very tiring,” Gabriel admitted. The dim light from outside made his ice blue eyes appear colorless as he stared into the sky.

“Do you have to hide even here?” questioned Sabe, glancing over.

“Within my home? No. Normally, I do not. It is one of the few places I can relax without worry of being discovered.”

Sabe licked his lips. “What about now?”

Gabriel turned to him, grinning. “Sabeth De Moncreaux, are you asking to see my wings again?”

“No!” he exclaimed. Then he added, quieter, “Unless you want to.”

Amused, Gabriel turned and stepped back down into the recessed lounge, dropping his cuff links on the table with a clatter. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. As he unbuttoned the next, Sabe became aware of what was happening. He spun back toward the window.

“What are you doing?” he asked, panicked.

“I thought you wanted to see my wings,” replied Gabriel, “without any glamour.”

“I do, but…” He turned back around, shyly peering at Gabriel.

“Shall I continue taking off my shirt?” the man asked, touching the next button that would expose more of his perfect pale flesh.

Sabe gulped. “Y-Yes.” He found it increasingly difficult to breathe as each button popped open, exposing a thin line of flesh down to Gabriel’s navel. The fabric tugged loose of the light grey pants.

What Sabe could see of Gabriel’s chest looked as if he had been carved from stone. His light skin was smooth with pale blue veins running under the surface, like marble. Gabriel reached up, grabbing the back of his shirt. He pulled it up and off over his head, then shook his straight silver hair back into place.

Sabe could only stare. Nothing he had seen on the access panel compared to what stood before him. Gabriel was perfect. His eyes greedily tracked every move the man made.

Carefully, Gabriel folded the shirt and lay it over the couch next to his suit jacket. Turning his back, Gabriel regarded the caenid over his shoulder. “Well? Can you tell where my wings are?” he asked.

Sabe examined Gabriel’s broad back, stepping closer. There was no sign of where the wings emerged, just smooth, flawless skin over well defined muscles. He had expected to see static or a blur, something that might reveal the truth. “I don’t see anything.”

“That’s because they’re bound,” said Gabriel. “Watch.”

The air shimmered before Sabe, filling with a cascade of prismatic sparks. In a flash, the shimmer vanished. Gabriel’s huge white wings stretched from his back, solid and just as awe-inspiring as before.

Gabriel stretched, reaching up toward the ceiling with his arms and wings. The overhead lights made his white feathers glow, like he was radiating light. He lowered his wings with a satisfied groan and the soft rush of his feathers folding behind him. “It’s been too long since I’ve done that.”

“Wow. They’re so beautiful,” Sabe whispered, stepping forward. He raised his hand, then remembered how the wings had pulled away from his touch in the office. He hesitated.

Gabriel glanced back as he rolled his shoulders. His wings opened and closed, settling again with a soft shifting of feathers. “It’s okay,” he said, “just be careful.”

Sabe moved closer, drawn in by his intense curiosity. Gabriel’s wings parted, moving gracefully in the limited space. Sabe peered at the feathers, watching the way they shifted with every movement. He reached out, fingers stroking down the longest white feathers.

Gabriel shivered. “Careful,” he cautioned, his voice firm. Sabe almost pulled his hand back, but Gabriel had not asked him to stop. With intentional delicateness, he ran his fingertips lightly over the edge of Gabriel’s wing. The feathers passed under his fingers like silk. Gabriel groaned and swayed.

“Are you okay?” Sabe asked quickly, stepping back in case he had done something wrong.

“I had forgotten what it felt like,” he panted, having difficulty breathing. His eyes were closed.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, worried.

Gabriel smiled, chuckling softly. “Wings are sensitive, Sabe, but it didn’t hurt.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” Gabriel admitted, opening his blue eyes and looking back at Sabe. “I don’t want you to stop. I just don’t know how much of that I can endure.”

Sabe looked at Gabriel’s wings again. They trembled before him, stretching wide. He stepped back in, placing a hand on each wing, feeling the way the feathers vibrated under his touch.

Gabriel’s head dropped forward, his silver hair sliding around his face like a curtain. Sabe examined where the wings erupted from Gabriel’s back. Tiny feathers faded into his skin there. As he exhaled, the edges of some of the feathers trembled. Lightly, Sabe brushed his fingertips along them, then, drifting lower, he ran his fingers down Gabriel’s spine. The silver-haired man’s skin was cool and smooth, completely flawless.

Curious, Sabe pressed his face against Gabriel’s wing. He breathed in, inhaling through his nose and mouth. The feathers smelled of clear air and starlight, like a memory from long ago. It was a scent that lingered in Sabe’s mind, making him dizzy.

Gabriel gave a shuddering gasp. “Careful,” he repeated, barely more than a whisper.

“Are you really that sensitive?” Sabe asked, his breath ruffling the feathers beside his face.

His words came in ragged breaths. “It has been a very, very long time since anyone has touched my wings.”

“Because you keep them hidden?” Sabe ran his fingers lightly up the wings.

Shivering, Gabriel said, “No. In our culture, a touch like this is a very intimate experience, one only exchanged between Ahnnak who trust each other.” He swallowed with some difficulty. “For all our power, our wings are our greatest weakness.”

Sabe blinked, watching the muscular back and quivering wings of the man before him. He realized the position of trust Gabriel had placed him in. It was almost an intoxicating feeling.

Never in his life had Sabe been in a position of power over another person. Everyone told him what to do and when to do it. They abused him and expected him to return with a smile. For nearly all his life, he had done exactly that. Watching Gabriel, the way the man waited, unguarded and exposed before him, Sabe realized he had been expecting more of the same treatment from this man.

He didn’t doubt Gabriel could move fast enough to defend against a real attack, but that wasn’t the point. Gabriel was allowing Sabe to see him at his most vulnerable.

“Why do you trust me?” Sabe asked, running his fingers across Gabriel’s wings, watching the way the feathers twitched under his touch.

Gabriel swallowed a couple times before answering. His voice came out hoarse and strained. “Because if I can’t trust you, if I can’t show you how much you mean to me, then there is nothing else in this world that matters.”

“Because of Sabine?” Sabe asked, unable to stop the jealousy within him.

“Yes, and…” Gabriel hesitated. He took several deep breaths as Sabe spread his hands through his feathers. “Because I see in you everything I loved in her, and more. I think, even now, if you did not share her soul, I would love you, Sabeth.”

Blinking rapidly, surprised by the sincerity of his words, Sabe asked, “You would love… me? Not because of Sabine, but just me?”

Gabriel looked back at him, framed by his long silver hair. “Yes, Sabe. I love you.”

Sabe couldn’t respond. Even if he had wanted to say them, the words wouldn’t come.

Gabriel turned toward him, tucking his wings in to avoid hitting Sabe. He held out his hand. “When you say it, I want you to mean it. If one day, you can love me even half as much as I care for you, I will be happy, but I do not want you to lie to me if you’re not sure about how you feel.”

Sabe took his hand, and Gabriel pulled him in close. Sabe found himself pressed against the man’s bare chest, Gabriel’s arm around his back holding him firmly. The scent of Gabriel’s skin and the touch of his sculpted body filled Sabe with desire like he had never known before. He slid his arms around Gabriel’s waist and looked up into his blue eyes.

Gabriel gazed down at Sabe with longing. “Tonight, all I want is to offer you myself, body and soul.”

***

Gabriel’s bedroom was twice as large at the room Alex had given Sabe. It was sparsely decorated. The white pieces of furniture all followed very crisp, clean lines. It was very modern and very simple. None of that really mattered though. As Gabriel led him into the room, Sabe’s only focus was on the bed.

The bed was huge, covering the center half of the room. Opulent pillows and sheets draped over the surface. It was big enough for Gabriel to lay on, wings spread, and still have space.

After exploring the size of Gabriel’s wings up close, Sabe understood why both Alex and Gabriel lived in places with such high ceilings. They needed room to stretch their wings.

They stood beside the bed, and Gabriel turned toward him, still holding his hand. Sabe found his gaze drawn to the bed’s silver stitched comforter. It looked incredibly soft. He imagined how it would feel against his bare skin. He immediately regretted that thought as his growing erection throbbed.

Blushing, he forced himself to look at Gabriel. His eyes caught on the man’s chest. His skin was smooth and unblemished all the way down to his navel. There, a delicate line of silver hair grew, trailing down to disappear beneath the edge of Gabriel’s tight slacks.

Sabe snapped his eyes up to Gabriel’s face. “I can’t. I haven’t-”

“Shh,” Gabriel hushed gently. “That’s not what I’m asking of you. I am offering myself as proof of my devotion.”

The offer was difficult for Sabe to process. “You mean… But I thought…?”

With a mischievous smile, Gabriel asked, “Do you think of me as such a single dimensional creature that I only know how to give, not take?”

“No, that’s not it. I just thought, because of Sabine, that you would…” He shook his head. He couldn’t say the words. It had never even crossed his mind to imagine their positions in any other way.

Gabriel brushed his fingers along Sabe’s face. “But you are not Sabine. There is joy to be discovered in your body. For both of us, I think.”

Heat rushed to Sabe’s cheeks. His body eagerly pulsed in agreement with Gabriel’s words. The silver-haired man smiled knowingly, then sank to his knees before Sabe. He lifted the soft sweater and hooked his fingers into the waistband of Sabe’s pants, gently sliding them down. Sabe’s firm erection sprung free.

The warm caress of breath made Sabe shiver. Gabriel did not touch him, but he looked up, mouth poised and lips parted. Sabe stared down into Gabriel’s ice-blue eyes. He held his breath.

“May I?” Gabriel asked as if he were merely asking to borrow a pen. His tongue slid over his lips.

“Yes,” Sabe breathed. If he had any further concerns about the night, they vanished as Gabriel’s mouth enveloped him.

That wonderfully skilled mouth lathered him with attention, pulling him in deep and holding him. Gabriel’s tongue worked in ways that were difficult for Sabe to imagine, but they felt so good. Legs shaking, he put a hand on the bed to steady himself.

Gabriel’s long silver hair hung loose, oddly silent without any of his usual jewelry. It felt cold as it brushed against Sabe’s exposed thighs, making him shiver. He tentatively stroked Gabriel’s hair back from his face.

There was a pleased moan deep in Gabriel’s throat that encouraged the touch. It vibrated through Sabe’s body. Running his hand through Gabriel’s hair again, Sabe gathered the silver locks onto the top of Gabriel’s head, his fingers tangled in the cool strands. He held on tightly, drowning in the ecstasy the man’s mouth provided, but not hindering Gabriel’s movements. Gabriel knew what he was doing well enough on his own.

When he thought he could take no more, Sabe pulled Gabriel’s head back, freeing himself from the intense pleasure. “W-Wait,” he gasped. He didn’t want it to be over so quickly. He let go of Gabriel’s hair, and the cascade of silver fell neatly around his shoulders. Gabriel’s wings fluttered, the only sign of tension in the man’s positively calm exterior.

Gabriel rose to his feet with an unnatural gracefulness. He licked his lips. “I wouldn’t mind tasting you more, but if you need a break…” He smirked, raising a silver eyebrow and glancing suggestively at his own pants.

Sabe yanked his sweater down to cover his exposed body. “You jerk!” he said, embarrassed by the suggestion. He shoved Gabriel back, and the man fell gracefully onto the bed with a laugh. The mattress bounced a couple times.

Like a posed model, Gabriel leaned back on his elbows, looking down the length of his body at Sabe. His dark grey slacks were tight around his hips, unable to hide the large package within. Sabe was definitely staring.

Gabriel’s wings spread to each side, stretched from one end of the bed to the other. He grinned at Sabe. “So you don’t want to touch me?” he asked, amused. It was pretty obvious Sabe did want to touch him. His fingers twitched with the urge.

“Just… Let me go slow,” Sabe said, his voice quiet. He crawled onto the bed between Gabriel’s legs. He placed his hands flat on Gabriel’s slacks, feeling the luxurious fabric. He adjusting until he was kneeling between Gabriel’s spread thighs. Slowly, he slid his hands up to the waistband of Gabriel’s pants. His palms passed over the hard outline of Gabriel’s member.

“Tease,” Gabriel whispered, breathing in sharply. “You’re going to wrinkle my pants if you keep touching them like that.”

“I guess I could take them off,” Sabe suggested, his heartbeat thundering in his chest. He touched the top button, hesitating.

“Yes, I think that would be a good idea,” said Gabriel.

The first button popped free with a little tug. More of the delicate silver fuzz across Gabriel’s lower belly was revealed. Sabe gulped and opened another button, then another, releasing Gabriel’s firm shaft to the air. His finger accidentally brushed along the skin as he opened the pants further.

Sabe paused. He repeated the motion, running his finger along the edge of Gabriel’s erection. He could not believe how smooth the flesh was. The soft skin covered a firm pillar of heat, and Sabe found he desperately wanted to explore more.

Sliding back off the bed, Sabe grabbed Gabriel’s pants by his ankles and pulled them off. He dropped them in a crumpled pile on the floor, then bounced back onto the bed, returning to his place between Gabriel’s bare thighs. He needed to find out if all his skin was so smooth.

“Sabe, those need to be folded,” Gabriel said, looking at his slacks on the floor.

“Hush. Give me a second.” He wrapped his hands tightly around Gabriel’s length, squeezing firmly, fascinated by how the man responded to his touch. If Gabriel was going to say anything more about his wrinkled pants, it was cut off by a moan.

Gabriel’s body absolutely mesmerized Sabe. He forgot to be nervous. He explored the area between the man’s defined hips, loving the feel of his skin. Lowering his face, Sabe nuzzled his nose into the soft silver curls at the base of Gabriel’s shaft. He breathed in deep. The smell was amazing. Sabe felt the urge to roll in Gabriel’s scent until it covered him. He rubbed his cheek against Gabriel’s erection, thrilling at the touch of the smooth skin. Before he realized what he was doing, he tilted his head and licked the perfect flesh. The taste was wonderful, much different than he had been expecting.

Gabriel groaned with pleasure. His wings twitched. “Yes, that feels so good.”

Encouraged by the praise, Sabe licked again. He drew his tongue up along the underside of Gabriel’s shaft, discovering with delight that he enjoyed exploring with his mouth even more than his hands. The sensations were more intense with his tongue, and Gabriel’s lower belly clenched with each firm lick.

At the tip, Sabe hesitated. He brought his tongue around the surface of the head, gathering the moisture he found there. It was a good flavor, one that revealed just how aroused Gabriel was. Sabe enjoyed the thought of being the one to cause Gabriel that pleasure. He licked his lips, parted them, and lowered his mouth over the firm shaft.

He had to open his jaws a little wider than was comfortable to take the throbbing manhood into his mouth. He sucked, lapping at the head as it pressed against his tongue. He listened to Gabriel’s heavy breathing, trying to do things he thought the silver-haired man might like.

Eager to please, Sabe bobbed his head up and down. It wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it would be. Actually, he kind of enjoyed doing it. He kept going, drawing more of Gabriel into his mouth. He had just twisted his head, trying to adjust without releasing the length of flesh from between his lips, when Gabriel suddenly grabbed his hair and jerked him up.

“Teeth,” Gabriel hissed, breathing hard. Sabe panted, Gabriel’s firm grip in his hair sending surprisingly enjoyable jolts of pleasure through him. Sabe licked his swollen lips, craving more.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’ll be careful.”

The look in Gabriel’s eye showed he didn’t quite believe him. “Yeah, I think we’ll need to work on those skills another time. You’ve definitely got the enthusiasm, though.” He slowly released his grip on Sabe’s hair, patting him softly.

Sabe lowered his face back down, but he didn’t take Gabriel into his mouth again. There was a long red welt up the length of the once flawless shaft where one of Sabe’s sharper teeth had accidentally scraped along the sensitive flesh.

“Sorry,” he whispered again, licking the wound with apologetic little caresses of his tongue.

“Oh, fuck me,” Gabriel swore, watching him. “You’re so fucking cute, I would probably let you bite me and not even care.” Sabe glanced up, and Gabriel quickly and firmly clarified, “No biting. That wasn’t a request.”

“Was ‘fuck me’ a request?” Sabe asked, meeting Gabriel’s eyes.

“Do you want it to be a request?” the silver-haired man asked.

Sabe flicked his tongue over the shaft again. “Yes,” he breathed.

“Sabe,” Gabriel said, his tone firm but filled with desire, “fuck me.”

He slid further back onto the bed, using his wings to help steady himself as he moved. Sabe didn’t need more encouragement than that. He ripped off his sweater, kicked out of his pants, and was bouncing across the bed to Gabriel in an instant.

The angel turned so his back was toward Sabe, his wings spread on each side of the young man as he bound into position. Sabe wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s hips, pulling him close as he nestled his face against the skin between Gabriel’s wings.

His body throbbed with the desire to be inside Gabriel, but he didn’t want to cause him any pain. A bit of panic broke through the fog of his arousal. “What if I get stuck?” he whispered against Gabriel’s skin. The little feathers moved with his breath.

“Stuck?” Gabriel repeated, struggling with the word. “You mean your knot?”

Sabe pressed his face firmly against Gabriel’s back, rubbing his face against his skin as he shook his head. He was too embarrassed.

“Knotting is natural with your kind. You won’t hurt me. I’m not that fragile,” Gabriel assured him, almost sounding irritated by Sabe’s concern.

Still, he sensed Sabe’s hesitation. He took one of Sabe’s hands and brought it up to his mouth. He started with Sabe’s pinkie, sucking each one of his fingers into his mouth in turn.

Gabriel’s lips and tongue were amazing, even in doing such a simple act. The gentle scrape of his teeth drove Sabe wild. He moaned and his erection pulsed with desire.

“Come on, darling,” Gabriel whispered, licking Sabe’s thumb again. “Fuck me.”

Sabe didn’t need to be told again. He took his hand back, stroking himself while he lined up where he needed to be. With a little pressure, Gabriel’s body opened to him. It was tighter than anything Sabe had known before. He had to work his way in slowly, but the intense heat that surrounded him was worth it.

At first, Gabriel just lowered his head, supporting his weight on his elbows. His hair spread across the white comforter in silver swirls and his wings trembled above him. His breathing was shallow, but he didn’t complain.

About half of Sabe’s hard length was inside Gabriel’s body, but the caenid had to pause. The pressure and feelings surrounding him were just too intense. If he couldn’t control himself, he knew he wouldn’t last more than a few seconds longer. He just needed to wait.

Gabriel seemed to have other ideas. He was adjusting to Sabe’s presence inside his body. He wiggled his hips and arched his back, pushing back further.

“W-Wait,” Sabe said, trying to hold Gabriel’s hips still. “Stop.” The silver-haired man didn’t listen. He drew Sabe further into his body with each arch of his back and roll of his hips.

“Ooh, there,” Gabriel moaned, rocking back with pleasure.

Between watching the way Gabriel’s body moved beneath him and the tightness surrounding him, Sabe knew he couldn’t last long like this. He released Gabriel’s hips and wrapped his hands around the base of his wings, applying gentle but firm pressure. Little feathers poked out between his fingers as he squeezed.

Instantly, Gabriel froze, pushed back and impaled on Sabe’s body.

“I said stop,” Sabe breathed, barely able to control himself.

Gabriel obeyed this time. His whole body trembled, but he didn’t move.

“Just give me a moment,” Sabe whispered, his voice strained. He lowered his cheek against Gabriel’s wings, rubbing against the feathers while he worked to clear his head. He had never felt anything so wonderful as Gabriel’s body stretched around him, but he did not want it to end so soon.

Gabriel remained motionless, barely breathing. He lowered his forehead to the comforter and waited, teeth clenched. His hair hung around him in a curtain of silver.

They remained frozen like that until Sabe felt he had control of himself again. He loosened his grip on the wings. Teasingly, he ran his fingers over the white feathers along the edge. The angel shivered, and the motion coursed like an electric charge all the way into Sabe’s body.

“That wasn’t very nice,” Gabriel grumbled coarsely.

“Well, you don’t listen very well,” Sabe replied. He withdrew from the tight hole and then pressed back in, long and slow. Every time he ran his fingers over the tiny feathers on the wings, the man would twitch and shiver, but otherwise, Gabriel remained still.

Gradually, Sabe was able to increase his speed. He found which angle brought the soft gasps to Gabriel’s lips, and he tried to repeat that. He felt the swell of his body, his knot, as Gabriel called it, growing. Sometimes it pressed against Gabriel’s opening, but he always pulled back before it could slide in.

After a while, Gabriel began moving his hips again. He pulled his hair to one side so he could look back at Sabe. “Come on, darling,” he growled. “Harder. Don’t be afraid. You won’t hurt me.”

“I’m not afraid,” Sabe said, thrusting forward.

Gabriel closed his eyes a moment and breathed in. He opened them again, the lust evident in his gaze. “Harder. Fuck me like you mean it.”

“You’ve got a dirty mouth for having such a pretty face.”

“Sabeth,” Gabriel snapped. “You either fuck me hard or we’re switching places.”

Sabe was definitely not ready for that. He also didn’t like how bossy Gabriel was being. He smirked a little, running his fingers through the man’s feathers. “Hard, hm?” he mused.

Gabriel’s eyes closed and lowered his head, breathing with difficulty. Sabe smiled and placed his fingers along the top edge of Gabriel’s wings near his back. Using the wings as leverage, his increased his pacing. It was harder to maintain control, but the friction was amazing.

The first time his knot accidentally entered Gabriel’s body, they both gasped. Sabe was still able to pop it back out.

The next time, Gabriel rolled his hips back to meet him, and the swell forced in and stayed in. Gabriel hissed a sharp breath through his teeth at the sudden intrusion, and clenched the bedspread in his fists.

“I told you,” Sabe said, tugging back. Gabriel’s body wouldn’t relinquish its hold over him, though. “I was trying to be careful.” Well, so much for that. Sabe was restrained to short quick thrusts, buried deeply in Gabriel’s body. Everything felt tighter. It certainly wasn’t a bad sensation.

Gabriel was muttering something between his moans. Sabe couldn’t tell if the words were pleased or angry. With Gabriel, it was probably both.

Sabe felt his knot swelling larger, and he knew he was close. He pressed his lips against the skin between Gabriel’s wings, breathing in the scent of his skin and feathers. “It’s coming,” he murmured.

“F-Fuck,” Gabriel swore as Sabe’s orgasm released inside him.

The waves of pleasure crashed over Sabe repeatedly. He lay heavily against Gabriel’s back and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Sorry,” he said softly, his body twitching with rolling aftershocks. Gabriel supported his weight, but Sabe could feel his muscles shaking.

As the waves of his orgasm subsided, Sabe wondered if Gabriel reached his climax, too. He found the angel’s rigid member still jutting from his body and wrapped his hand around it. “Let me help,” Sabe whispered.

Gabriel moaned his name, and his body clenched tightly around him. His hips moved, tugging against on the large knot stuck in his body. Sabe kissed Gabriel’s back, stroking his member the same way he liked to stroke himself.

It didn’t take much longer after that before Gabriel started shaking. He climaxed with Sabe’s name on his lips. The feeling was electric, radiating back into Sabe. Every nerve in the young caenid’s body flared with the shared pleasure, and his muscles convulsed, forcing another immediate orgasm from his overly sensitive body.

“G-Gabriel,” Sabe whimpered, shaking with the overload of pleasure.

Gabriel collapsed to the bed, breathing hard. His wings lay flat on each side of him. Sabe stretched over the top of him, still trapped inside the man’s body. He didn’t think his legs would have held him even if he hadn’t been stuck, so he didn’t mind being there. Gabriel was warm and pleasant.

Sabe pulled his hand out from under Gabriel’s body, sucking the sticky fluid from his fingers. He was a little disappointed when he couldn’t find any more. It tasted good, like sparks on his tongue.

He laughed, pressing he face against Gabriel’s back. “I think my brain broke,” said Sabe.

“Something broke,” Gabriel muttered, but he looked back over his shoulder at Sabe and was smiling. “You okay?”

“I should be asking you that.”

“Yes, you really should.”

Sabe winced. “Was it bad?”

“You need practice. You’re like a rutting bull.”

Sabe huffed. “I’d like to see you do better.” The grin on Gabriel’s face made Sabe immediately regret those words. “A-Another time.”

“Yes, another time,” Gabriel agreed.

Sabe rubbed his face against Gabriel’s back, enjoying the smooth feel of the man’s warm skin. “Sorry about grabbing your wings,” he said.

“Sorry for not listening,” Gabriel replied. He crossed his arms in front of him to use as a pillow. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position.”

“Was it bad?” Sabe asked again, a little softer.

“No, not bad. Inexperienced, yes, but not bad. I’m serious about the practice, though.”

Sabe smiled and chuckled, squeezing Gabriel tightly. “And I suppose you’re offering to help me practice?”

“Of course,” Gabriel said with a smirk. “It would be my pleasure.”

Sabe lay across Gabriel’s back, tracing circles with his nail over Gabriel’s skin. The angel quietly lay beneath him, eyes closed and relaxed. Sabe knew he wasn’t sleeping, but he didn’t mind. He enjoyed the quiet moments spent so close to the man.

Finally, the swell of his body receded enough that Sabe slipped out of Gabriel. He rolled off, careful not to land on the angel’s wings. His felt drained.

Gabriel slid off the bed, picking up his pants from the floor. He snapped the fabric in the air, and then folded them nicely and placed them on a bedside table.

He returned to the bed and lifted the covers, motioning for Sabe to crawl under. The young man did quickly, and Gabriel slipped in after him, laying on his side and keeping his wings straight back on the bed.

They lay facing each other, naked, but surrounded by the warmth of the blankets. Sabe pressed himself against Gabriel’s chest, still finding the touch of the man’s skin wonderful. He closed his eyes.

“Gabriel?” he asked sleepily.

“Yes, Sabe?” the angel responded with a drowsy murmur.

“Why is all your furniture white?”

Gabriel laughed and pulled Sabe tightly into his arms.

The following morning, Gabriel had a meeting at his company with someone important. He was about to call Arquette and ask her to reschedule it, but Sabe remembered what the secretary said the night before, and insisted he go in.

“Besides, I’m so tired. I think I just want to go back to bed.” Sabe yawned, not used to waking up so early. He didn’t even think the sun was up yet.

“You can sleep here,” Gabriel offered. “Or come to the office with me. There are rooms there you could nap in.”

Neither of those options sounded that appealing. He didn’t like the idea of waiting around Gabriel’s fancy, empty apartment all day, and he certainly didn’t want to be the boss’s boyfriend laying in someone else’s office.

When he explained that to Gabriel, the man just smiled. “Boyfriend. You called me boyfriend.”

“Shut up,” Sabe said, embarrassed. He threw a pillow at Gabriel which the man easily avoided.

They got dressed, though Sabe’s process involved staring blearily at his pants and trying to figure out if the seam was on the inside or the outside.

Gabriel emerged from the shower clean and almost instantly dry. He stood in front of the mirror and tied his hair back with a woven twist of silver chain.

Sabe sprawled on the bed, finally succeeding in putting his pants on, and watched Gabriel fix his hair in the mirror. It only took a few minutes, but the results were intricate and beautiful.

“It’s just hair,” Gabriel said when he saw Sabe watching him. “Don’t be impressed by hair.”

“It’s pretty.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and got dressed. With his wings still visible, Sabe was able to watch the way the shirt, vest, and jacket fit around the extra appendages. A split up the back allowed the fabric to lay on each side, with a thin strip that ran down the middle. Once they were on, Gabriel straightened the fabric and it fused together with a glint of light, appearing seamless.

Gabriel spread out his wings, beating at the air hard, and then folded them against his back. With a crackle, the white wings vanished, and the suit looked whole.

Gabriel checked himself in the mirror once more. Then he offered his hand to Sabe. “Breakfast?”

“Sure.”

They went down two levels to a quiet cafe and ate together. Sabe had eggs and bacon. He could probably have eaten twice as much, but was too tired to order another serving. Gabriel ate fruit and flat bread.

After Gabriel paid, they returned to his lift. “Drop me off, then you can take the car back to the residential area. I don’t want you in the public trams this early.”

Sabe agreed, mostly because he didn’t mind the extra time alone with Gabriel. He was just too tired to hold much of a conversation. He dozed against Gabriel’s shoulder, their fingers entwined.

Before the private transport arrived at the office, Gabriel kissed Sabe sweetly, touching his cheek. “I love you. Get some rest. Call me if you need anything.”

Sabe smiled at him. “I will. Have a good day at work.”

Then the lift door opened, and Gabriel marched out, back straight and eyes hard, ever the flawless executive.

Sabe pressed the button on the lift access panel that got him home, then he lay across the seats and napped.

The door binged as it opened, and it took Sabe a moment to remember where he was as he sat up. Groggily, he stepped out of the car, smacking the button that would return it to wherever it waited to be called on again.

Sabe shuffled through the hall yawning. It was too early. How could Gabriel possibly function with so little sleep?

As he turned the first corner, Sabe’s instincts told him something was wrong. Even for being so early, it was too quiet. A scent lingered in the air, like dirt and leather. Sabe froze. He couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but he knew he needed to run.

“Alex!” He yelled, sprinting for the door.

He didn’t make it.

A quick bite of metal, like two pins, shot through the back of Sabe’s fluffy sweater. A stream of electricity poured into his body. He hit the ground, rigid and spasming with the continued shock.

A man’s boots appeared before his face. They were leather and covered in dirt. Sabe knew them. He didn’t need to be able to look up to see who they belonged to.

The voice from his nightmares said, “Is that how you greet your Master after all this time? What a bad dog.” A boot impacted Sabe’s side, the pain barely noticeable over the voltage paralyzing his muscles. “Not so tough now, are you, bitch?”

Another man’s voice, equally familiar, nervously said, “Collar him. We have to go.”

Hands reached for him, a length of thick black leather held between them. With horror, Sabe felt it slip around his neck and tighten to the point he could barely breathe. There was nothing he could do. No one was coming to help him.

“I told you I would find him. Nobody double crosses Mercy Mercato and gets away with it,” said a third man. “Let’s go.”

Another kick came, connecting with Sabe’s jaw, and this time, he blacked out.

“Mr. Hart, we know what the Blue Dust does,” said James. She handed him the results on the tablet. He read through them twice before he responded to her.

“What dose is this accurate for?”

“It’s cumulative. Once twenty milligrams of Blue Dust have been ingested, all subjects are completely sterile. Depending on how they’re acquiring the drugs, that can happen in as little as three to seven doses.”

Gabriel handed the tablet back to her. “And you?” She had touched it, undiluted. It had entered her blood.

James slowly raised her shoulders. There were tears in her eyes but they didn’t spill over. “I never wanted to have kids anyway. I’m married to my work.” She sniffled.

Gabriel touched her shoulder. “I’m sorry, James.”

“It’s fine. Right now, I just want to catch the bastard who is doing this.” It was the most impassioned thing Gabriel had ever heard her say that wasn’t about science.

“Can you keep working?” he asked her.

“Yes. Of course I can.”

“Good. Tell me as soon as you discover anything else. We need to find a way to reverse this.”

Gabriel left Lorsmith Tech, walking very calmly to his private transport. Inside, he stood. As it started dropping through the levels, he touched the stud in his ear, activating the earpiece. “Tomas.”

“Yes, Mr. Hart?”

“I won’t be back this afternoon.”

“Er, can I ask why, Mr. Hart?” came his secretary’s hesitant voice.

“No, Tomas. Hold all calls until further notice.”

Tomas sighed heavily. “Yes, Mr. Hart. Until then.”

Gabriel powered off the line. He placed his hands on the door, trying to keep control of his temper. The metal began to wrinkle under the pressure from his fingers. He released it and forced himself to sit down. He watched the numbers tick by on the screen, and for each one, he thought of another way he was going to hurt the Black Ander.

Sterilization within twenty milligrams. That was what the Blue Dust did. Alex had taken his poison to the streets and made people want it. How long had he been spreading it? How many humans were already affected? Did it matter anymore?

Soon, it would enter the water supply. Anyone in the city could be poisoned, not just the addicts in the Depths. There would be a surge of infertility, like an old world curse descending on Nukan City. He could see the city’s doom within two generations unless something could be done to reverse it.

The lift stopped. Gabriel had the key found at the crime scene in his pocket. As long as he had that, he could break through whatever wards the Black Ander erected to keep him out. He could follow his tainted energy anywhere in the world. It was a black link to his foul brother, and he was the only one that could put a stop to his destructive ways.

At the rift door, Gabriel raised his hands to knock. Before his knuckles touched it, the door flung open.

Alex stood there, immediate disappointment filling his face. His shoulders slumped. “Oh, it’s just you,” he grumbled.

Gabriel didn’t wait for an invitation. He stepped in. The Black Ander’s wards nipped at his skin, trying to keep him out, but he brushed them aside like the nuisance they were. “I know what you’ve done,” Gabriel said, moving toward the middle of the room.

The Black Ander stayed by the open door, looking out into the hallway. “You’re going to have to be more specific,” he said.

Gabriel spun, eyes flashing with anger. “Your filthy poisons! You’re sterilizing humans in my city?!”

Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh. That.” He looked out the door again before slowly pushing it shut. The lock fell into place with a resounding thud.

“You stupid fuck, I should kill you right now!” Gabriel stormed toward the Black Ander, who backtracked and plastered himself against a wall. He kept his eyes averted. “Why are you doing this?”

“We all have our reasons,” came his dull and meaningless response.

“And what are yours, Black Ander?” Gabriel grabbed the front of his shirt, slamming him against the wall. “Are you doing this to fuel your sick little drug habit, or are you just following orders?”

Those black eyes glanced at him, a glint of loathing in the swirling void. “How many things do you do that only have one purpose?”

“Tell me why,” Gabriel snarled.

The Black Ander took several controlled breaths before speaking through clenched teeth. “Humans are a plague. You and your kind encourage their spread like locusts. They destroy everything they touch. I am merely giving the planet a fighting chance.”

“Tell me how to reverse it.”

“You can’t,” said Alex.

“Like hell I can’t. You will show me exactly how you created it, and then you are going to help fix this. If you don’t, I will find another way to protect Sabe, and I will have you presented to the Arch in pieces before Sabe even comes out of his room.”

Alex tilted his head and stared at Gabriel, brow furrowed. “What?”

“You heard me, Black Ander. I will rend you limb from limb, and-”

“Sabe,” he said. “Sabe is with you.”

“No, he-” Gabriel stopped. Cold dread filled him. “He came here this morning.”

“Gabriel, when did you last see him?”

“Four o’clock.” His chest felt tight. He couldn’t breath. It was happening again. He was going to lose her again. He reached out, trying to sense Sabe’s energy somewhere in that apartment, but the same charms that kept Sabe hidden from others also kept him hidden from Gabriel.

“That was eleven hours ago. Let me go. We have to find him. We have to-”

“You!” Gabriel yelled, enraged. He slammed Alex back against the wall. Plaster sprinkled down like snow in his black hair. “This is your fault! He could be anywhere! You were supposed to protect him!”

Alex winced, holding his hands up in a passive posture. “I have been waiting for him since last night. How could you have sent him home alone?” Gabriel growled and slammed Alex into the wall again. The Black Ander closed his eyes. Pained, he said, “It’s been eleven hours. We don’t have time to fight.”

He was right. Eleven hours. He could be anywhere. “We have to find him,” Gabriel said, slowly releasing his hold on the Black Ander. “Nothing is more important.”

Alex rubbed his chest when Gabriel let go. “I can track him, but we need to find where he vanished.”

They found a little blood and Sabe’s phone, screen shattered, laying in the hall only two turns away from the safety of the apartment. Sabe had been so close. Alex felt sick, but there was nothing he could do to change the past. He focused on finding Sabe.

Gabriel crouched by the blood. The lights in the hall flickered, casting shadows of his unseen wings on the walls. He was shaking, angrier than Alex had seen him in a long time.

“Who did this?” Gabriel hissed, low and threatening. If he was trying to scare someone, it was working. Alex felt his pulse increase.

“I’m trying to focus,” he said. “You need to calm down.”

Gabriel flew at him, stopping just short of hitting him. Alex turned his face away. He could feel his brother’s hot breath on his neck, the heat and rage radiating from his body like electricity. “I am not going to calm down until Sabe is safe in my arms again.”

Closing his eyes and taking shallow breaths, it was all Alex could do to remain standing there. “If you can’t calm down, leave.”

“Why?” Gabriel snapped.

“Because in this light, you look a lot like Jequn.”

For a moment, Alex didn’t think his brother would understand. Then Gabriel stepped back, withdrawing his energy from the air around them. The lights stopped flickering, and the hallway was bright and still once more.

Gabriel stood at the end of the hall, back turned. He clutched Sabe’s broken phone. “Just find him,” he said quietly.

Right. That. Alex knew the smell of Sabe’s blood already, but he couldn’t follow him by that alone. That was part of why he linked the rift in the Depths. Malnourished people, disease, and drugs made the stench of the lower city clouded. Everywhere smelled of blood, and nothing stood out clear for long.

Hundreds of people had walked through the hall in the past eleven hours. Alex had to focus to see past them. He closed his eyes, spread his hands, and sent tendrils of black energy into the air. The magic clung to the residue people left behind, falling into the general shape of their being. He sifted through the day, focused on finding Sabe first. His echo was easy to locate.

Alex’s magic coalesced on one form. A shadow moved down the hall before him, covering its mouth as it silently yawned. Suddenly it stopped, alerted by something. It started running, then went completely stiff and fell to the floor, vibrating.

“Sabe,” Gabriel whispered. Pain filled the name.

Alex rewound the shadow, following it again.

Yawn. Stop. Run. Fall.

Again.

He locked on to the time frame, and spread his energy out, trying to find anyone else present.

Yawn. Stop. Run. Fall.

There!

Three more shadows moved into the area. One held its arm out, finger pulling in on an unseen trigger just as the shadow of Sabe started to run. He fell, and the shadows moved in closer.

The largest shadow approached the shadow of Sabe on the floor. It kicked him. Gabriel swore, and his sharp words sent a jolt of fear through Alex’s body. The displayed shadows vanished as Alex’s concentration broke.

Alex glared at him, and Gabriel glared back. “Do it again,” he commanded.

Shaking out his hands, Alex brought the images back.

Yawn. Stop. Run. Fall. Kick. Then, the large shadow crouched, fastening something around shadow Sabe’s neck.

The third shadow stepped forward, gesturing as it silently spoke. Alex knew the shape and mannerisms of that man. But that didn’t make sense. He was supposed to be dead.

There was another kick, and the shadow of Sabe flickered out.

Alex dropped the spell.

“What happened?” Gabriel demanded. “Why did you stop?”

“I know who one of the attackers is. Mercy Mercato. Name sound familiar?”

Seething, Gabriel said, “No.”

“It should. You burned out his club in the Depths less than a month ago. I thought you killed him, too.”

“If I didn’t kill him then, I’m certainly going to kill him now.” Gabriel clenched his fists. “Where is he?”

Alex shrugged. “Like I said, I thought he was dead. After the fire, there was a ventilation issue in his apartment, and he was reported deceased.”

Gabriel’s lip pulled back in disgust. “He was the one you sold your poison to, wasn’t he?”

Alex looked away. “He used to be my primary distributor, yes, but he was also the one who held Sabe captive when I first found him.”

“Sabe told me what you did.” Gabriel marched by Alex. “That doesn’t change anything. You’re still poisoning everyone. If we don’t get Sabe back, I will have no further use of you. I will send your head and your wings to the Arch, and the rest of your miserable body back to the Jinn.”

His stomach dropped at the thought of returning in any way to the Jinn, even dead. “We’ll get him back,” Alex said, more for his own benefit than Gabriel’s.

“We better, Black Ander. Come on.”

Hesitating only a moment, Alex caught up to his brother. “Where? I can’t tell where they took him.”

“Wolfram Logistics. We’re getting backup.”

***

Being in that small of a space with Gabriel was difficult on a good day. When he was angry, sitting in the private lift with him was practically suffocating. If Alex could have squeezed himself any closer to the wall, he would have. He kept one hand over his face with his elbow propped on his knee, trying to focus on breathing.

“Ms. Gaard, there has been an incident,” Gabriel said, touching the tragus stud in his ear. “Sabe has been kidnapped. Visidiary Monolith, level six, between K622 and K631. Full sweep, have Tomas access surveillance. Three men, one identified as Mercato.” He listened for a moment. “Yes. Full force authorized.” He lowered his hand, ending the call.

“You really want to get humans involved in this?” asked Alex.

Gabriel glared at him with cold blue eyes. “They are my humans. We are headed to my office. You will keep your filth to yourself while we are there.”

“It was probably one of them that betrayed you,” Alex pointed out.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Doubtful. If anyone is at fault, it’s you. You were supposed to protect him.”

“I shielded him from detection from Ahnnak and Jinn, not normal humans who you managed to piss off.”

“Are you implying it is my fault Sabe was taken?” Gabriel asked, his words a warning to answer carefully.

Alex leaned against the far wall more. “If the flaming shell of a strip club fits…”

“Shut up, Alex,” Gabriel snarled. “I’ll break your jaw if you say another word.”

Alex closed his eyes and tried to be silent. He bounced his leg in an attempt to distract himself from the tiny slice of hell he found himself in. The tiny plastic pouch of white powder was in his pocket. His fingers itched to dig it out and snort some of the calming drug. He wouldn’t, though, not in front of Gabriel.

Gabriel touched the piercing again. “Tomas.” He listened for a moment. “The transport level? Then?” He listened again, his lips pressed into a tight scowl. “Access closed circuit networks. Personal phones. Whatever you need to track them in the Depths. Find them.” He ended the call, looking over at Alex.

Alex silently regarded Gabriel with skepticism.

Gabriel glowered. “I won’t really break your jaw. You can speak.” Alex didn’t have anything important enough to say at the moment to take that risk. Gabriel huffed and continued. “Tomas found three men moving onto the sixth level at three o’clock. They waited by the elevator bank. My personal transport arrived at four-thirty, and static moved from the car. Your doing?”

“The static? It’s part of the cloaking spell.” Video surveillance was the bane of hiding in Nukan City. Everything was recorded. Refracting light to created a static image was the easiest way to avoid it. Transferring that effect to Sabe had been simple enough, and a good idea, at the time.

“We can’t use any facial recognition to find Sabe thanks to you,” Gabriel said. “We have to hope something shows up with one of the three men who took him. Carrying Sabe, they entered the short drift, went up to the transport floor, then dropped down to street access. They left the building and entered the Depths. From there, they vanished from the live feed. Tomas is accessing local circuits to find where they might be.”

“You actually trust those humans to look into this?”

“Yes, I do. Now, while we are in my office, you will remain silent unless spoken to. Nobody is to know we are related in any way. Use a different name. You will not touch or interact with any of my employees, do you understand?” Gabriel glared at him.

Alex tilted his head. “Are you embarrassed of me, brother?”

“You are a walking plague, Black Ander. Of course I am embarrassed by you.” Daylight filled the car for a few seconds as they passed through the first Link. When they were only in artificial light again, Gabriel solemnly said, “Also, Michael has been watching me.”

“Michael?”

“Yes. Michael,” Gabriel scoffed. “Arch warlord of E’din. Savior of all fucking humanity.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “I know who Michael is. I mean, why is he watching you? Aren’t you on the same side?”

“The bastard has grown bored without physical battles to wage. He sees enemies everywhere. He has spies everywhere.”

“Your humans could be spies for him.”

“They are not,” Gabriel growled. Light from the next Link filled the private transport.

“Then you know who his spies are?”

“Many of them.”

“But not all.”

“No, I do not know every one of them, however my closest employees are above suspicion. I trust them.”

“Trust,” Alex said, revolted. “It’s amazing you’re still alive.”

Gabriel’s cold gaze fell on him, and Alex turned to face the wall. They rode in silence through the next three Links.

As distressed at Alex was over Sabe being kidnapped, there was little he could do to find him while trapped in the lift with Gabriel. Any channel he could have searched to find the caenid was blocked by the charms and spells he had placed around him. If he got close enough, he would be able to sense his own spellwork, but at a distance, he was just as blind to Sabe as anyone else.

After losing the key, Alex had been afraid someone would track another linked spell back to him. He realized now that he had always expected Sabe would be captured one day, but he had assumed it would be by the Arch, because of something Gabriel did. In his selfishness and fear, Alex had not wanted them to be able to find him through Sabe. He hadn’t created a link between himself and the caenid, and now, he cursed himself for his cowardice.

“It’s my fault,” Alex admitted.

Gabriel’s eye twitched. “As much as it would please me to blame you and you alone, I cannot. I never should have let him leave my side.” He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. “Tell me what you know of Mercato.”

“He was a crime boss in the Depths, with a focus on selling drugs and people. Owned Mercy, the club you burnt out. Within two hours of his club’s demise, there was a ventilation issue in his apartment, and he was reported dead. I assumed that was you, too.”

Light from the sixth Link filled the car. “It was not,” said Gabriel. “I destroyed the club while investigating you, and may have lost my temper. It was purely accidental. I had no reason to go after the owner, though I might have confiscated a few dozen cases of Blue Dust from his private warehouse a few days later.”

“You did what?!” exclaimed Alex.

The outburst made Gabriel stand, towering over Alex, bound wings filling the small car. “Do not raise your voice at me, Black Ander. I was tracking a demon, and it was unfortunate for both of us that it turned out to be you.”

Alex did not back down. “You stole from Mercato? Are you insane?! The man is a sadistic bloodhound. He never forgives anyone for anything. If he traced that theft back to you, no wonder he kidnapped Sabe!”

Gabriel lunged, grabbing Alex’s shirt and jerking him away from the wall. He threw him to the other side of the small transport lift. Alex crashed into the display of glass bottles. They shattered, raining glass on him as he fell to the seat and rolled to the floor. He lay there, cringing, feeling the stinging alcohol seep into the shallow cuts the glass made in his back and arms.

Glaring down at Alex with animosity, Gabriel said. “We’re here. Get up and try not to look so pathetic.”

Slowly, Alex pushed himself up to his hands and knees. He shook his head, the glass tinkling to the floor as it fell free from his hair. He stood carefully, using the seat for support.

The lift stopped and the door slid open with a cheerful ding. Gabriel marched off, not looking back. A woman who radiated practiced destruction met Gabriel and immediately began updating him on everything she knew.

Alex stayed in the car a moment, feeling the black energy spark along his skin. He had to stay calm. Sabe needed him. He couldn’t let his fear distract him, not now. He took several deep breaths until he regained his composure and the energy reabsorbed into his body.

Chin raised, Alex shook a bit more glass off his shirt. He stepped into the lobby of Gabriel’s office. The inflated display of wealth in the decor was just as pompous and arrogant as Gabriel himself. Everything matched him in shades of white and silver, even the four humans standing in the room. It was repugnant.

Gabriel intentionally ignored Alex’s presence as he walked further into the room. “Charlet, you came.”

“Of course, Mr. Hart,” said a whip thin woman with a long black ponytail. She bowed to him. “I will always be here in your time of need.”

“Thank you,” he said, and he sounded sincere.

“We were able to identify one man with the name you gave us,” said the first woman. “The file is on your desk, though there isn’t much of use in there. We are waiting on identification for the two other men, but they are not registered in the Nukan City database.”

A grandmotherly woman who stood with the dignified strength of years of experience said, “We will get Sabe back, Mr. Hart.” Gabriel seemed to accept her assurance. He even smiled at her.

Alex hated watching it. How could Gabriel possibly reveal himself to so many people and expect them to actually help him? It was a waste of time, and he was just setting himself up for failure.

A lean man with tan skin and too much gel in his coiffed hair was the only one to acknowledge Alex standing by the elevator. He approached formally, holding out his hand. “I am Tomas, Mr. Hart’s afternoon secretary. Are you a witness to the kidnapping?”

Smirking, Alex took Tomas’ hand in his, even though the touch made his skin crawl. “Pleasure to meet you Tomas. My name is Alex, though I’m afraid you may have heard of me as the Black Ander.” His black eyes swirled in the light, and Tomas jolted with surprise, jerking his hand back. “And no, I am not a witness, I am Gabriel’s br-”

Gabriel’s fingers bit into the back of Alex’s neck, cutting off the words. He pushed Alex’s head down as he brought his knee up into his stomach. The impact knocked the breath out of him, but he stayed on his feet, bent over at Gabriel’s side as he struggled for air.

Through clenched teeth, Gabriel said, “Excuse me, Mr. Black and I need to have a private discussion in my office.” He marched Alex across the room, his grip like a steel clamp on his neck. Alex had little choice but to follow.

The door slammed shut behind them. Gabriel pinned Alex against the wall. “What did I tell you?!” Gabriel yelled, barely a breath away from Alex’s face.

Too close. Much too close.

“Back off,” he said, trying not to let his panic fade through.

Cold fury filled his ice-blue eyes. He glared at Alex like he wanted to rip him to pieces. Alex almost wished he would just do it and get it done with.

“I ordered you to use a fake name. I ordered you not to touch anyone. I certainly remember ordering you not to mention that we are related. And yet, what is the first thing you do? You-”

The words broke off as Gabriel’s focus shifted. He still looked at Alex, but his expression had changed to one of perplexed disbelief. Up close, Gabriel could clearly see the energy Alex wove around his skin. In an appalled voice, Gabriel asked, “What did you do to your wings?”

The scrutinizing, cold gaze alternated between the exposed skin at Alex’s neck and the air at his back where his wings should have been. There was nothing there for Gabriel to see.

The spell Gabriel used to keep his wings hidden was an ancient one, just a simple bit of energy manipulation that shifted light and numbed contact. It was a basic and efficient spell which could be activated or dropped in seconds, perfect for walking among humans. The only drawback was how easy the spell was to track. Anyone with a thread of knowledge about any arcana could look beyond the bent light and see the truth.

Unfortunately, Alex’s spell to hide his own wings was not so simple, but it was untraceable. Gabriel’s annoying inability to respect personal boundaries had revealed the hard work he had tried so desperately to keep hidden.

Curious, Gabriel leaned in, tasting the air and breathing in the energy Alex bound to his skin. “What have you done?” Gabriel wondered aloud, as Alex turned his face away from him. His brother’s hand raised, caressing the air over Alex’s exposed throat. He didn’t touch him. He didn’t have to. Gabriel could feel the threads of energy and plucked them with his fingertips.

Alex felt the framework he constructed around his body tremble. The wings he so desperately needed to hide threatened to synchronize with the rest of him. “Stop,” he pleaded.

“How did you do this?” Gabriel asked. “It shouldn’t be possible, and even if it was, the amount of energy it would take?” He clicked his tongue against his teeth, then lowered his hand. “You surprise me, Black Ander. You must really be afraid of something if you’ve resorted to hiding your wings with a temporal shift.”

Alex closed his eyes, trying to control his breathing. His hands shook. “It is only a tenth of a second,” he explained, struggling to calm the pounding of his heart.

Frowning disapprovingly, Gabriel said, “Keeping your wings a tenth of a second of out time from the rest of you? That’s reckless, even for you.”

“I do what I have to.” His hand was still shaking. Try as he might, he wasn’t calming down.

“What are you hiding from?” demanded Gabriel. The air behind him shifted as he puffed his wings, making himself look more intimidating.

“Besides you?” asked Alex. He turned his black eyes to meet Gabriel’s gaze, glaring at him. A silver eyebrow raised in question, asking if Alex was really willing to challenge him like that. Alex wasn’t. He looked away. “I’m hiding from the Jinn,” he answered.

Gabriel laughed a short, derisive sound. “The Black Ander hiding from the Jinn? You are their omen of death! Their black-hearted little poster boy. They treat you like their prince. Why hide?”

“If they can’t find me, they can’t make me go back.”

Eyes narrowed, Gabriel asked, “You don’t want to go back?”

Alex shook his head once.

“You abandoned them?” Alex didn’t respond. Gabriel scowled. “Or you’re just waiting for the time when Iblis calls you back into service.”

Alex flinched at the name. “I cannot disobey him.” He said the words because they were true and because he had no choice. There was no escape from the Jinn, and he lived with that dreaded knowledge constantly.

Gabriel’s mouth twitched into a disgusted sneer. “You don’t want to. Even in hiding, you still spread death and disease everywhere you go. You’re filth. You belong with the Jinn.”

At Gabriel’s bitter words, the tremble in Alex’s hand got worse. Black light crackled over his fingers, snapping along his skin and dancing up his arm.

Shit. He couldn’t stop it.

Gabriel glanced down at Alex’s hand and realized what was happening. He balled his fist in the front of Alex’s shirt, slamming him back against the wall and pinning him there painfully. Alex’s fractured ribs, nearly healed, ached with the pressure, threatening to snap again.

Alex winced. He moved his sparking hand out to the side, keeping it away from everything. He couldn’t let that energy touch anything, not the wall, not Gabriel, nothing. His arm shook, black power sparking and sizzling against his skin.

“You’re slipping. Control yourself, Black Ander,” Gabriel ordered. He slammed him back again, hard enough that the plaster cracked behind Alex’s head.

The power wasn’t fading. Alex needed the drugs in his pocket. He needed them now. He tried to reach for them with the opposite arm, but his hand shook too much to cooperate. “Powder. Pocket,” he murmured, barely able to speak as his jaw locked shut.

Gabriel understood. His long fingers dug into Alex’s pocket, pulling out the little plastic bag. He held it in front of his face. “Fucking druggie,” he growled as he tore open the bag with his teeth.

It took all Alex’s control to keep the sparks from spreading up his forearm. One of the layers of his shirts caught, the black cotton slowly dissolving in fractals to grey dust. His muscles seized from the tremors, and he found he couldn’t open his jaw as Gabriel lifted the bag to pour the powder into his mouth.

“Fuck,” Gabriel hissed. Decisively, he dumped the contents into his own mouth and dropped the bag. He grabbed Alex’s jaw, prying it open enough that his lips parted, though only slightly. Gabriel pressed his mouth to him and forced the spit-damp powder in with his tongue. He broke the contact as quickly as he could, releasing Alex’s jaw.

Gabriel slapped him hard. “Calm the fuck down,” he ordered.

Holding the drugs under his tongue, waiting for them to absorb, Alex tried to focus on the sting of his cheek and the painful pressure against his chest. Gabriel’s fist, tangled in his shirt, would bruise.

“I can’t believe the shit you put me through,” Gabriel said, irate, glancing at the black sparks. “You may belong with the Jinn, but until I’m done with you, you’re mine, you got that? I own you. You’re going to do what I say, when I say it. Right now, I need you to help me find Sabe, and I swear if you don’t, I will beat you to death myself. Do you understand me, Black Ander?” When Alex didn’t answer, he slammed him against the wall again. “Alex! Do you understand?!”

Gabriel’s words lanced through the panic. “I understand! Stop yelling at me!” The sparks started to fade from his skin, retreating until only his fingertips glowed. The shaking stopped, too, the fear within him receding. He closed his fist, reabsorbing the last of the chaotic energy.

Gabriel pinned him a moment longer, just to be sure, then he released Alex’s shirt. He pushed back from him with a repulsed snarl. “There is something seriously wrong with you,” he declared, as if it was something Alex didn’t already know.

Alex slid down the wall until he sat on the floor. “You need to keep your hands off me,” he murmured. He could feel the drugs entering his system, a manufactured calm.

“Are you even capable of protecting Sabe?” Gabriel asked. He spit on the floor and rubbed his palm roughly across his mouth. “Can you even get through one void-eaten day to help me find him?”

Alex closed his eyes. The layer of his shirt was still dissolving, but it hadn’t spread to the others. They were made of different materials. It should be fine. “I can help. I want to find him, too.”

Gabriel glared down at him. Alex noticed the air behind Gabriel shimmer, like his wings were trembling. That was weird. What was Gabriel afraid of?

There was a knock on the door. It cracked open. “Mr. Hart. We identified a suspect. Robert Walstan. He was spotted entering an access tunnel beneath Aberforth Tower.”

Gabriel offered his hand to help Alex off the floor. “Come on,” he said. “We’re going to war.”

Cold cement and artificial light were the first things Sabe noticed when he woke. The next was pain. His side and face hurt where he had been kicked. His bracelet and his phone were gone. The thick collar pinched his neck, making every breath an act of will. His head throbbed as he peered out from the bars of the kennel he lay in, trying to identify where he was.

The room was large, but divided into different zones. On one side of the room, cameras perched on tripods sat aimed at a well lit stage. Metal structures with leather straps were spaced around the scene, and though Sabe couldn’t exactly identify what they were for, the scent in the air alerted him to their intended purpose.

Sex, blood, and death.

On the next wall was another staged scene, but it was dark. He could make out the outline of a bed and a couple fake plants. The scent from there was the same.

The kennel Sabe was locked in sat along the wall used for storage. Plastic trunks designed to haul and pack heavy equipment surrounded him. There was just enough room in the kennel for him to lay down or turn around, but he was able to peer over the edge of the open trunk next to him. If was filled with a foam block, carved out with the shape of a camera. Nothing was within reach of the kennel that could help him escape.

A door along the fourth wall, blocked from Sabe’s view by a stack of plastic trunks, opened and shut. He heard voices, and lay back down, closing his eyes, hoping they wouldn’t realize he was awake.

“I told you, this place is completely secure. It’s unregistered. We film movies here sometimes, that’s all.” Sabe knew that voice. It was Mercato, from the strip club. He was supposed to be dead. “My boys out front make sure no one gets in without authorization.

“Wait, unregistered? I thought you said you owned it.” Sabe’s heart ached as he heard that voice.

Dad.

“Oh yeah, I own it all right. I own half the Depths. This little piece of it is something we like to call an Umbrage. Nobody knows about it, nobody looks for it, and if some do-gooder happens to find it, well, nobody is going to be tracing the blood stains back to me.” Mercato chuckled. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. Consider it a little something extra for all you’re paying me. Speaking of which…”

“Robert, pay the man,” the third voice said. Sabe trembled, and not because of the cold. That voice still haunted his dreams.

Master.

“Yes, about that,” said Dad- no, Robert. His name was Robert. “I feel like twenty-five million is far too steep a price to pay for-” There was the sharp sound of skin impacting skin, and a man cried out.

“I said pay him.”

“Y-Yes, of course.” Plastic disks clattered onto a table. “Here, Mr. Mercato. Twenty-five.”

“Pleasure,” Mercato oozed. The pieces were scraped off into a bag. “You know, I wouldn’t have helped you find him for such a low price if I hadn’t been dealing with issues of my own. You’re lucky you contacted me when you did.

“Luck had nothing to do with it, Mercato. I’ve been searching for that little bitch since he attacked me. I knew that rabid mutt would show up somewhere.”

Mercato chuckled. “Oh, Quintin Lauken, you’ve got a reputation of your own, don’t you? Hard to believe you let some dog take you down.”

“Hard to believe you traded him away for a handful of dope,” Quintin snapped back.

Quintin Lauken. Master. Sabe focused on the name. He was just human. He was nothing to be afraid of.

Mercato’s voice soured. “We don’t get many caenids in the Depths. It isn’t a mistake I’ll make again.”

“Guys, I think he’s awake,” said Robert. Sabe tried to hold still, but he was shaking too much for it to be believable.

Quintin stomped up to the kennel and kicked the bars hard with his black, steel-toed boots. It lurched and rattled, tilting back. Sabe flailed, grabbing the bars at the bottom of the kennel. Then it crashed back down, pinching his fingers between the metal and cement. He jerked his hand out, feeling skin scrape off around his nails. He squeezed his hand to his mouth, teary-eyed from the pain.

“There’s my little bitch,” Quintin cooed, leaning in close to the bars. “Miss me?”

Sabe remained silent. He glared at the man through his tears. Quintin’s hair was cropped shorter, but he still had the same cruel eyes Sabe remembered.

Robert stood behind Quintin, his features twisted into a mask of hatred so intense, he was barely recognizable as the man Sabe had once called Dad.

Mercato swaggered up to peer into the kennel, too. “You know, I once said someone would pay dearly to be the first to slice up that pretty face. They would also pay a lot to watch it happen on video.” He grinned. “You boys want, I get a crew in here in a couple hours to film whatever you want to do to that mutt, and I’ll split the proceeds with you fifty-fifty.”

Quintin smiled sadistically at Sabe. “You hear that, puppy? I could make you a movie star. Is that what you want?”

Sabe shook his head ‘no’ rapidly.

Quintin grunted. “Seems you forgot how to speak to your Master, dog.” He kicked the kennel again, and it tilted back before slamming back to the ground. Sabe yelped. “Now I asked you a question! Answer me, boy!”

“N-No, Master!” His heart was thundering in his chest, and suddenly, it felt like the last four years had been nothing more than a dream. He had never escaped, not really.

Quintin crouched beside the kennel, peering in with a vicious grin. “I may not cut you up, but I like the idea of filming what I’m going to do to you. Then, when I have you back home, we’ll always be able to watch and remember our reunion, won’t we, puppy?” He looked back at Mercato. “Get your crew in here. I’ll take your deal.”

Mercato chuckled. “You know, if you need any audience participation, I might hang around and see what you have planned.”

“It’s your studio, Mercato. Do what you want.” Quintin turned back toward Sabe. He stroked the metal kennel with a near loving caress. “But I’m going to break this bitch first.”

Mercato’s eyes gleamed maliciously. “I know a certain CEO who is going to love this video.”

“You have what you want, now,” Robert said. “I’m done. I’m leaving. I don’t care what you do to that beast, but I’m not going to stay around and watch.”

Quintin stood and turned toward Robert. “You will do as I say, old man, and I say ‘stay.’ Or are you still thinking about trading one of your girls for this mutt?”

Robert’s face contorted with impotent rage. “We had a deal.”

“The deal stated you help me until I have him back home. If you don’t like it, well,” Quintin turned to Mercato with a sick smile. “I suppose we could make two movies.”

Mercato tapped his chin as he considered it. “His face isn’t worth much, but a his death might be.”

Quintin raised an eyebrow and looked back at Robert. “Well? Which will it be?”

Paler, Robert said, “I’ll stay. I’ll watch.”

Sneering, Quintin said, “Good. Now go get me some food, and none of that brick shit they eat down here. Real food.”

“Fine,” Robert said, walking to the door. “Mr. Mercato?”

“Yeah, I’ll take something too,” he said, licking his lips. “Meat.”

Robert left and the door clicked shut again.

Quintin looked down at the short crime boss. Mercato grinned and said, “So about that second movie…”

Nodding approvingly, Quintin returned to the kennel. He gazed down at Sabe, smirking. “Yes. I think we have an arrangement, Mercato. Now let’s discuss how you’re going to pay me.”

“Mr. Hart, I would strongly advise against flying,” said Charlet, strapping a second sword to her back.

Gabriel dropped his cufflinks on the lobby desk then turned to her, scowling. “I’m going. It’s the fastest way to get there.”

“It is still daylight, and your wings cannot be seen.”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m seen. I’m going.” He took off his grey suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

“Mr. Hart, no.” Charlet tightened the strap firmly across her chest. She had dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn’t been sleeping much lately. He wondered if the baby had been keeping her up. He wondered if she would be focused enough to fight for him. “Aberforth Tower is across town, but Tomas has already cleared the lift line. We will arrive just as quickly in a car as you would in the air, sir, and we will not damage your reputation in the process.”

“It takes too long,” Gabriel said. “I need to get to him now.”

Beside Charlet, Elibitha made a fist, testing the prongs on the electrified cestus she fit over her hands and wrists. A blue bolt snapped over her knuckles like a stun gun. She said, “We know what quadrant of the tower they’re in, but not where. We still need time, and you will do no one any good by running off on your own.”

“She’s right,” said Alex.

Gabriel glared at him. Figured his brother would take the side of a human only when it opposed Gabriel. “I won’t be alone. You’re coming with me,” Gabriel informed Alex.

“I’m not flying out there,” Alex insisted. “We’ll take the lift with your heavily armed humans.”

Arquette draped a bandolier across her chest like a sash. She picked the large gatling gun from the floor and brought it to her shoulder like it weighed nothing. Alex took half a step away from the elderly woman, eying the weapon. “Mr. Hart, forgive me for being blunt, but I got my ass kicking shoes on today, and we are ready to go. Get in the damned lift.”

They were all against him, Gabriel realized, every last one of them.

“But Sabe-”

“Won’t be saved any faster with you flapping around drawing attention to yourself,” said Arquette.

Gabriel gave in. “Fine. Let’s go.”

There was a larger lift loaded in the slot, filled with more weaponry and utilitarian seating. Alex stood in the corner, squeezed between a rack of guns and the wall. Arquette sat beside him, apparently taking some interest in him.

That was unsettling. The woman had been with Gabriel long enough to see a lot of things, and she never showed interest over anything he did anymore. Her curiosity might be troublesome if she started asking questions.

Elibitha and Charlet entered and started concealing more weapons from the racks on their bodies. Gabriel stood at the door. Tomas stopped outside the lift, clutching his tablet.

“Get in,” Gabriel commanded.

“How about I just stay here and run diagnostics for you?” said the secretary. “I can hack open doors, give you directions, stuff like that.”

Gabriel grabbed his shirt and pulled him into the lift. He hit the button to close the door and start their descent.

With all the passages cleared through the tunnels, the lift dropped with enough speed that Gabriel felt lighter. Tomas hurried to a chair and held on, covering his mouth with one hand. “I’m gonna be sick,” he moaned.

“Don’t worry, Tomas, you’ll get used to it,” Arquette said, patting his leg comfortingly.

“I don’t want to get used to it,” the man muttered. “It’s too fast.”

Gabriel stared at the doors, counting the seconds. He felt Alex move from the corner, coming up beside him. He seemed to have himself under control now, although what happened in the office still troubled Gabriel.

Gabriel had witnessed the aftermath of battlefields where the Black Ander fought. He knew the raw destructive power the demon controlled. The fact that Alex was repressing it, using poisons to dampen his emotions and energy, was very unsettling.

Who knew how long the demon had been living like that. Hiding, repressing, twisting his energy in knots and tangles to shield himself and his wings from the world. It wasn’t healthy. Alex had turned himself into a time bomb, and when he finally broke down, the destruction he unleashed could be catastrophic.

Alex stepped around Gabriel’s spread wing without bumping it. Subvocally, speaking in tones too deep and quiet for humans to hear, he said, “This is your army?”

Gabriel responded in kind. “They are efficient at what they do.”

“Even the man?”

“Especially Tomas.” Gabriel cleared his throat, speaking normally. “Tomas, give me a layout of the quadrant we’re going to.”

Tomas hooked his ankles under the legs of the chair to keep himself secured as the lift dropped. He held out his tablet and started tapping. The screen on the side wall lit up, showing the schematics of Aberforth Tower. It zoomed in, following the green path of the cleared emergency tunnels.

“This is where we’ll be going. Robert Walstan was seen leaving an access tunnel here. We tracked him up to the level forty, shopping, where he purchased a large quantity of food. That was forty-three minutes ago, twenty minutes before facial recognition for the tower identified him. He was already gone by the time security arrived.”

The lift changed directions suddenly, shooting through the Links. Tomas yelped, getting tossed back in his seat. No one else did more than sway.

“Where is he now?” Gabriel prompted.

Tomas swallowed hard, then continued. “He took the food back down to the access tunnel leading below Aberforth Tower.” He zoomed in on the tunnel, but it only led to a large, empty section of the city that stretched beneath several of the nearby buildings.

“An Umbrage,” said Alex, observing the screen.

“A… A what?” asked Tomas, glancing down at his tablet then back up at the screen.

“Dark, twisted areas in an already shadowed world,” explained Alex ominously. “They’re uncharted territories in the Depths, either by accident or because someone erased the data. They exist below the towers, sometimes in access tunnels, sometimes in hollows in the cement between the surface and the server cavern.”

“And how do you know this?” Elibitha asked coldly. She slid a gun into a holster under her arm.

“An Umbrage is a place people go to disappear or to make other people disappear, sometimes with an audience or on film,” replied the demon, his black eyes emotionless. “It is standard Depths knowledge to know how to avoid falling into one.”

Gabriel tensed, clenching his fist. He would not think of Sabe in a place like that. He would rescue him before anything happened.

Tomas stared at his screen thoughtfully. “Well, the map is blank, but…” He started tapping again. Lines layered over the screen. Another layer brought more lines, some of them descending below the tower. Another layer fell into place, and this time, it clearly marked the outline of several rooms. “There,” he said, pleased. “They still need electricity and ventilation.”

The lift changed direction again, dropping rapidly. Tomas dropped the tablet as he clung to his seat. Alex bent down and picked it up for him, handing it back.

“Thanks,” Tomas said, covering his mouth and looking pale.

“Get us as close as you can to the entrance,” said Gabriel.

“If I know Merc, it’s going to be heavily guarded,” said Alex.

“Good. I’m looking forward to making someone hurt for this.”

Alex smiled a little. “Yes. Me too.”

The lift stopped, and the door opened. Gunfire erupted, filling the lift with a hail of bullets.

Sabe huddled in the kennel and watched the small camera crew set up. Four men, one for each camera, ignored him as if he were nothing more than another prop. To them, he probably was. It didn’t seem like their first time filming something like this.

“I want to start on the bondage stage,” Quintin explained, giving direction while he ate a thick sandwich. “We’ll film another scene in the bedroom after he’s broken.”

Mercato laughed. “You think you can break him in one night?”

Quintin eyed Sabe cowering in the kennel. “I can make that pup beg in an hour.”

“You want to bet?” Mercato asked, pulling out a credit chip. It flashed with a number. Fifty-thousand.

Smirking, Quintin said, “You’re on. Time doesn’t start until we start filming, though. I want to remember every single pained inch of this boy’s submission.”

Mercato’s shivered with excitement. His eyes looked wild. “Deal.”

Both Mercato and Quintin turned as the door along the unseen side of the room opened.

“Mr. Mercato, sir, we’ve got a report of a weapons transport descending on Aberforth Tower. It originated in Corvus Prime.” The man who spoke had a deep voice, and he jingled with weaponry as he walked.

“Gabriel Hart,” Mercato sneered, fury twisting his features. “He thinks he can come down from his high tower and attack me?!” He pointed at the door. “Take a team with you. Kill them all as soon as they arrive! Bring me his head.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sabe lunged at the bars. “No!”

Quintin looked at Sabe, his eyes flashing with rage. “No?” he repeated. He spoke to Mercato, but stared at Sabe. “Tell me about Gabriel Hart.”

Mercato clenched his fist in the air like he was crushing a bird. “He attacked my business. He used the Black Ander to trick me out of the caenid, then he returned the next day. He destroyed my club and stole my supply. He thinks he can do anything he wants because he operates out of a tower, but I’ll show him. Nobody double crosses Mercy Mercato, not in the Depths, not anywhere.”

“He tricked you out of the dog?”

Lip curled back in disgust, Mercato said, “As a business man, I went seeking reparations for the slight he’d done to me. That’s when I saw it. Gabriel Hart and the stolen mutt, holding hands. I realized it was all a scam.”

A vein throbbed at Quintin’s temple. He glared at Sabe. “Bring Hart back alive,” he announced as if he had the authority to place orders with Mercato’s guards. “I think that thief deserves to watch how I’m going to use my property. Then we’ll kill him.”

“Yes,” Mercato hissed, rubbing his hands together. He nodded to the armed man and walked with him toward the door, speaking softly. After a while, the armed man left in a jingle of metal.

“Robert! Get off your ass and get the mutt out of the cage,” Quintin ordered. “Let’s get this show started.” He dropped the remainder of the sandwich on the floor and stomped over to Sabe. Crouching by the kennel, in a tone low enough that the others couldn’t hear, he hissed, “You thought you could find a master other than me? I’m going to make him watch what I do to you, and then you’ll both know who you really belong with.”

“Don’t hurt him,” Sabe whispered.

Quintin pulled something out of his pocket. It was the black and silver bracelet with the red beads. “Is that who gave you this?” he snarled.

“That’s mine! Give it back!”

That only made Quintin angrier. He stood and kicked the kennel. This time it fell all the way over, crashing to its side. Sabe winced as he landed and the bars bruised along his back. “You don’t own anything! I own you. You’re mine until I sell you or kill you,” Quintin threatened. “Nobody is going to save you from what you deserve.”

Robert walked into view, wiping food from his mouth. “What do you want done with him?”

“Take him to the stage,” Quintin ordered. “Chain him to the floor.”

Menacingly, Robert approached the kennel. He slid his thumb over the padlock until the mechanism released. As soon as he removed it from the latch and started opening the door, Sabe kicked with all his strength. The door swung on its hinge, smashing into Robert’s hand. Something snapped.

“Mother fucker!” Robert screamed, leaping back. He looked at his hand. One of his fingers bent at an odd angle. He pressed his hand to his chest.

“What are you doing?” Quintin demanded.

“The fucking mutt broke my finger!” Robert yelled.

Quintin took a threatening step toward Robert. “I told you to chain him to the stage. Do it.”

Robert glared up at him, but he moved back toward the open kennel, muttering under his breath. “Come here, you little shit,” he said, peering in at Sabe.

Sabe pressed himself against the back corner of the kennel. He wasn’t going to let them take him out. He held onto the bars, ready to kick again.

“I should have drowned you the moment you came into my home,” Robert muttered. “Filthy, mangy mongrel.” He reached in, and Sabe kicked. He hit the man’s arm, but it glanced off. Robert grabbed his ankle, squeezing hard as he began to yank Sabe from the kennel.

Sabe held on to the bars and braced his other foot inside the kennel, trying to pull his leg back inside. Robert grunted with the exertion, holding the kennel still with a boot propped on the outside edge as he pulled.

Quintin scowled. “I asked you to do one thing, Robert. How do you fuck up such a simple command?” He kicked the steel kennel again. As it rattled and shook, Sabe’s fingers slipped and Robert jerked him out of the kennel, scraping over the metal and cement.

Once he was out, Sabe spun, freeing his foot from the grasp of the man he used to call Dad. He sprang forward to escape, but Robert fell on him, pinning his body against the cement floor. He tried grabbing the collar around Sabe’s neck, and Sabe saw an opportunity. He turned his head and sank his sharp canine teeth into Robert’s arm.

Robert screamed with pain. “He bit me!”

“Worthless,” Quintin jeered. “Absolutely worthless. Hold him.” He walked by, heading for the other side of the room.

Blood filled Sabe’s mouth, but he didn’t let go. Robert shook with rage over him, using the whole weight of his body to hold him down.

Quintin returned after a moment. “Sit up,” he demanded.

Robert shifted his weight, raising to his knees. He used the force of the bite on his arm to pin Sabe’s head between his arm and his chest and pull him up with him. He locked his thighs around Sabe’s hips and wrapped his other arm around Sabe’s chest, immobilizing Sabe’s arms.

Quintin stood before Sabe, presenting what he had found on the other side of the room. Sabe’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared. Quintin grinned. “Oh, you know what this is, do you?” he said calmly. He tossed it up and caught it. “If you’re going to be a bad dog and bite, I’m afraid we’re going to have to muzzle you.”

Sabe tried to struggle, but Robert held him. He bit down harder, but his teeth hit bone. Robert swore through clenched teeth, squeezing him tighter.

What Quintin held in his hands was a gag made of a flat piece of leather with two heavy straps to wrap around his head. Protruding from the center of the flat leather stood a large, black, phallic insert.

“Open your mouth,” Quintin commanded. When Sabe didn’t obey, Quintin punched him in the face, the impact strong enough that Robert almost fell back with him. The room went dark for a second, but it was enough for Robert to yank his arm out of Sabe’s slack jaw. He wrapped his bloody arm around Sabe’s collared neck and squeezed, cutting off the little remaining air flow he had.

“I should put you down right now,” Robert hissed. “God damned mutt. I’m going to rip your fucking head off!”

“Robert,” Quintin warned, crouching before them. The pressure eased a little on Sabe’s neck, and he sucked in a desperate breath. Quintin held the phallic gag before Sabe. “Open,” he said.

Sabe glared back, tears in his eyes. He wouldn’t do it. Never.

Looking disappointed, Quintin said, “Bad dog.” Then he struck, his large fist colliding with Sabe’s soft belly. The pain made him gasp, and as soon as his mouth opened, the gag was shoved between his teeth.

He tried thrashing and shaking his head, anything to dislodge it, but Quintin kept the end of it in Sabe’s mouth, following his movements. Robert tightened his arm around Sabe’s neck, restricting his motion once more.

“There we go,” Quintin gushed, sliding the rubber phallus into Sabe’s mouth until he choked. He pulled it back out and repeated the motion over and over, watching with lust filled eyes as the thick black rubber slid through Sabe’s lips. He really enjoyed pressing it into Sabe’s throat and watching the caenid gag and choke on the intrusion. Tears dripped from Sabe’s eyes.

Pleased, Quintin forced it in fully and attached the straps behind Sabe’s head. He pulled them tight and there was a click of a lock on the buckle.

Sabe couldn’t dislodge the rubber that stretched his jaw and blocked his air. He fought to breathe around it in his throat even as he gagged, his gut convulsing with the urge to vomit. He barely noticed as Robert released him and stood. Sabe sat on the floor, chin raised, trying to breathe as his hands fumbled weakly at the locks at the back of his head and neck.

“Can you take it from here, or do I have to do everything?” Quintin demanded, standing with his arms crossed.

Robert stared at the bloody wound on his arm. He looked at Quintin, lip pulled back in a snarl. “I got it.”

“Good,” Quintin said, turning and walking away. “See that you wash the blood off his face. The only blood I want to see on that film is his.”

Robert silently mocked him as he walked away. He grabbed Sabe by the hair and half walked, half dragged him over to the stage.

“There,” one of the camera men said, pointing to center stage. “Chain him there. We’ll get the lighting and settings calibrated with him in the shot.”

“Whatever,” he grumbled. Robert forced Sabe to his knees and attached the short chain on the floor to the collar around his neck. Hatred rolled off him in waves. Sabe could only look up at the man he used to call Dad with bleary eyes, barely able to see through his tears. He reached out to him, desperate, hoping that maybe there was still a something redeemable about the man.

Robert smacked his hand away. “Filth,” he spat, then he walked away to find a rag and water.

Sabe sat, struggling to breath, unable to see past the bright lights focused on him. He listened to the people in the room move around, preparing to film his degradation.

He tried to remember Gabriel was coming for him. Gabriel would save him.

But what if he couldn’t? What if Mercato’s men killed him? What if they captured him and forced him to come there and watch. The thought of Gabriel beaten and restrained was more than Sabe could bear. He started sobbing.

When Robert returned to wash his blood off Sabe’s face and neck, Sabe didn’t struggle. He just sat there in the bright lights on the stage and cried.

Bullets pinged against Alex’s shield as he pushed forward, the haze of black energy like a bubble before him. He strained to keep it maintained, every impact as jarring as if it hit him. He gave them enough room so everyone could exit the elevator, but it took all his concentration to keep the bullets from ripping through and puncturing the humans.

They were nothing more than a weakness, but he would be damned if he would let Gabriel blame him for one of them dying.

Gabriel stepped up beside him, eyes sharp with the thrill of battle. Alex saw what he planned before he even raised his hand. “No, wait-” he said, but it was too late.

Fire erupted, consuming one of the people shooting at them. There was a moment’s hesitation, when all the guns stopped, then the sprinklers kicked on, drenching the hall. The lights turned off, and only the flashing emergency exit signs lit the hallway.

Alex glared at Gabriel as the hail of bullets resumed. “That’s not helping! We are two hundred floors down. They will reverse ventilation if they think it’s a fire they can’t control.”

Gabriel observed Alex a moment, then said, “Lightning?”

Alex flinched as the bullets struck before him. “Through two hundred stories of steel and surrounded by water?”

Gabriel huffed. “Ice, then.”

“Enough with the elemental bullshit,” Alex snapped.

“Mr. Hart,” said Elibitha, stepping forward. “We got this. When you get your chance, go find Mr. De Moncreaux. We’ll be right behind you.”

Finally, someone sensible.

“Listen to her,” Alex growled, straining to maintain the shield. Gabriel glanced between them, then nodded.

“Get me an opening.”

“On it,” said Elibitha. “Miss Arquette?”

The older woman walked up carrying the gatling gun at her side like a purse. She hoisted it up, bracing it on her hip, and aimed. She looked sideways at Alex, her brown eyes alert. “Can I shoot out of this bubble, Mr. Black?”

Huh. She had a point.

He adjusted his focus. The altered shield pulled from the energy he used to keep his wings hidden. The threads of the temporal spell weakened, but he kept it maintained. “You can shoot now,” he said.

“Fire!” Arquette shouted, and the gatling gun roared.

The stream of bullets ripped through the opposing gunmen.

“Now, Mr. Hart!” Elibitha yelled.

Gabriel sprang forward in the lull, moving like a flash of silver along the ceiling. He didn’t reveal his wings, but even bound, he could use them to propel himself over the gunmen. He hit the floor and skidded through the far doorway before more than a couple people noticed him move.

A hulking man in tactical armor raced forward and lunged at Arquette, kicking the gun from her hand and knocking her down. Alex’s shield barely flickered as the man passed through. His shield was only focused on stopping bullets. Just about anything else could pass.

Charlet danced forward, her sword slicing down, striking across the man’s chest as he raised his foot to stomp down on Arquette’s head. He stumbled back, and Elibitha pulled the trigger on her gun, placing a bullet neatly in the middle of his head.

Tomas helped the older woman stand. Arquette smiled at the nervous man, nodding that she was unharmed. She brushed off her backside, straightened her bandolier, and lifted the heavy gatling gun from the floor, ready to resume the fight.

Elibitha holstered her gun under her arm. There were still more people in the hallway and more rushed in with the calls of distress. “How long can you hold this?” she asked Alex.

Indefinitely, if he dropped the spell on his wings. “Only a few more seconds,” he said. There weren’t as many bullets. The front line of gunmen had been cleared away.

Clenching her fists, her gloved hands sparking, Elibitha said, “Fight with us, Mr. Black. If we destroy them here, Mr. Hart has a chance of reaching the boy.”

“Yeah, I’m not very good at fighting,” he said.

Elibitha’s mouth quirked up at the corner. “Liar,” she said.

Alex smiled. Yeah, he was. He dropped the shield and fought along side the humans.

***

By the time they cleared the first hall, Tomas had accessed the security features of the tower and locked down any door that might allow other people to enter the passage.

“Path clear, all side doors locked,” he said, stepping gingerly over bodies and blood.

Alex wiped a sword clean on a body and handed the weapon back to Charlet. She took it from him respectfully and sheathed it across her back. “Does Gabriel even know the way through the Umbrage?” he asked.

“I’m sure he will find someone to ask,” said Charlet.

“I am certain Mr. Hart found his way.” Arquette straitened her top, eyes lingering on Alex. Her alert gaze unnerved him a little. She was too observant. “Just as I am certain there will be more people coming to stop us.”

There was a pop of gunfire that made Tomas jump and squeak. Elibitha stood over the body she had placed the bullet in. It was no longer moving. “We need to keep going. Mr. Hart needs us.” She reloaded with an extra clip from her side.

“I could stay here,” Tomas said, looking longingly back at the elevator. Elibitha actually considered it.

“No,” she decided. “Come with us. This is good training for you.”

Tomas groaned, but as they left the bloody hall, he followed close behind them.

Charlet chuckled as they passed through the flashing emergency lights. “I remember the first time I saw Mr. Hart fight.”

“Like it was yesterday,” Arquette said wistfully. She held the gatling gun over her shoulder as she walked. There was a very stark size difference between her and the gun, but she wielded it with the ease and comfort of decades of use.

Elibitha shook her head, frowning. “Our job is not to admire his skill, it is to prevent his action from being necessary.”

“It’s still pretty amazing to witness,” said Charlet.

It was difficult to understand how humans could always end up smitten with Gabriel. He was all bluster and show, a bit of flash to distract from his real power. Sure, he could toy with elements and was strong enough hold his own in a fight, but his real strength lay in his ability to trick people in to wanting to help him.

Alex scowled. Just like he was now, walking with the humans and keeping them safe in Gabriel’s absence.

Damn him.

Charlet looked over at Alex. “You’re not so bad yourself. That shield you created was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s nothing,” Alex said dismissively. “I can’t create it again, so try not to get shot at.”

They walked by a door where a couple people in black masks were trying to shoot through the electromagnetic lock. Tomas waved at them as they passed, and one of the people hit the glass with the butt of the gun. It didn’t shatter, but the noise made Tomas yelp and rush up by Alex.

“Don’t touch me,” Alex warned the man. Tomas nervously peered around him, looking for any other signs of danger.

They reached a stairwell and started down. On the next landing was a smear of blood in the shape of a body. The next floor down had the body, which was still smoking from a high voltage attack.

“I guess we found who Mr. Hart asked,” said Charlet, hopping over the rail to continue down without needing to step over the body.

They heard voices lower. “Be ready,” instructed Elibitha in a hushed tone.

They passed by an open door on a landing, but the hallway beyond was empty. Tomas lingered there, pulling up the door on his tablet, trying to figure out why it hadn’t closed and locked like the others.

Alex followed the women down the flight of stairs. He could hear six people on the next landing, heavily armed and discussing who they were waiting for.

Arquette spun around the corner on well worn tennis shoes and opened fire with the gatling gun. Some of the bullets went high, and the guards scattered. She stopped firing as Charlet dropped in, sword flashing.

Elibitha leapt down the stairs, landing with her knees in the chest of a man and driving him to the floor. She clenched her fists, the cestus sparking, then pummeled the man’s face with brutal efficiency.

One of the guards escaped down, but another rushed up toward Alex. He frowned and kicked the guard back down the stairs. That was a very poor attack and the man should be ashamed. His neck broke when he hit the last step. Well, being ashamed wasn’t really a concern any more.

“Oh crap!” Tomas squeaked.

Alex thought about abandoning him up there to deal with whatever was happening on his own. He knew what Gabriel would say if he did. He sighed and slowly went back up the stairs. Tomas stood at the top, madly pressing buttons on his tablet as a bald man with a machete charged down the hall toward the open door.

“Close! Close, damn you!” the well-dressed secretary yelled.

The man rushed the open door, blade raised to hack Tomas apart. Tomas screamed louder as he approached, but kept hitting buttons the tablet. Suddenly, the thick door clapped shut, locking solidly. The only issue was the man had been passing through the doorway at the time. He practically exploded upon impact as the thick door caught him, splattering the hallway, the landing, and Tomas with a streak of gore.

“Huh. Guess you’re fine,” said Alex, turning and walking back downstairs.

With a high whine, Tomas rushed after him. “Ew, ew, ew!” He shook his hands, flinging globs of guard everywhere.

“Is that blood yours?” Arquette asked upon seeing him.

“It’s not!” Tomas wailed, wiping it from his face.

Charlet smiled and sheathed her sword again. “Good. Let’s keep going.”

They went a few more flights down before they reached the broken wall that led into the Umbrage. Elibitha led the way, on high alert.

“There’s no doors for me to lock,” Tomas whispered. “Everything is off the grid.”

Alex could hear movement from deeper within. Clicking metal and trained gunmen. It was an ambush. None of the others seemed aware of the danger. Alex lamented how weak human senses were. “There’s an ambush ahead,” he told them.

Elibitha eyed him skeptically. “And Mr. Hart?”

Alex licked his lips, then reached out and searched for his brother’s energy. He frowned. That didn’t seem right. “He’s been captured.”

“No!” Charlet exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand.

Arquette adjusted the gatling gun on her shoulder and stepped forward until she stood before Alex. “Help him,” she said, her dark brown eyes staring fearlessly into his black eyes. He started to protest, but she raised her aged finger and pointed it in his face. “Help him,” she repeated sternly. “You’re the only one who can.”

Alex regarded her with contempt. He didn’t need some old human telling him what to do. Still… “I’ll need an opening to get through.”

Arquette patted her gun with all the care of a grandmother with a new grandchild. “We can give that to you.”

They approached the ambush, Tomas clenching Elibitha’s second gun with both index fingers on the trigger. At least he was aiming it at the ceiling so no one was worried about getting shot in the back. Alex crouched low, prepared to run. He nodded to Arquette. She stepped around the corner and opened fire with the roar of the gatling gun.

Alex darted by, dropping beneath the hail of bullets like a shadow. He slipped by the ambush without any of the guards seeing him. A couple dropped under Arquette’s heavy attack, but the rest quickly returned fire. He heard the older woman dive back around the corner.

He had to believe they could take care of themselves. Alex had more important people to worry about.

Sabe.

Gabriel.

He rushed forward and allowed all the spells that bound him to slip away.

They shoved Gabriel to his knees before Mercato, hands bound behind his back. He tilted to examine the room behind the short man, and could see Sabe on stage, kneeling and gagged. A middle aged man who looked like a tired version of Robert Walstan’s photo stood beside the trembling boy, using a large pair of shears to cut the soft sweater from his body.

Gabriel lunged, springing forward. The guard at his back pressed the rifle barrel against his shoulder again and fired. Though Gabriel’s wings were still bound, unseen and unnoticed by the guards, the bullet’s unfortunate trajectory ripped though his feather, muscle, and scapula. The bullet lodged in his lung like the other six he had been hit with. Gabriel fell forward, the pain cutting through him.

“Jesus Christ!” Mercato shouted. “Warn me before you do that. We wanted him alive!”

“That’s the thing,” the guard said. “We’ve been trying to kill him.”

Slowly, Gabriel sat back up, jaw clenched. Blood plastered his hair to one side of his head turning the silver to a dull, metallic red. He looked up at Mercato, narrowing his ice-blue eyes. “Who are you?” he said, sneering. He knew the man from the file, but he also understood the man’s pride.

Mercato stepped back from him, unnerved at seeing him get shot and then sit right back up. “Don’t play dumb, Hart. You stole from me. I’m just reclaiming my losses.”

“Nope, still not familiar. Listen, if you’ve got an issue, take it up with Beth in accounting. If you didn’t submit your clock hours on time, that might explain why you’re late getting your check.”

Mercato glared. “Shoot him again,” he commanded. The guard did.

Gabriel dropped forward again, resting his head against the cold cement while he struggled to compose himself. A bullet hole through his wing was not a pain he was familiar with. It was very hard to block out.

A man walked out of a side room wearing only leather pants, a leather harness strapped over his chest, and dirty black boots. His footsteps fell heavy on the cement as he stomped toward the stage. Gabriel recognized him instantly and was filled with loathing.

“You done yet, Robert?” he asked, glaring into the bright light. Robert held up the last pieces of Sabe’s sweater in answer, then stomped off the stage. With a twisted smile, Quintin approached Mercato. “What is this?”

“It’s Gabriel Hart,” Mercato explained.

“That is Gabriel Hart?” he said with disdain. “He looks like a fucking pansy.”

Gabriel sat up again, rolling his shoulders and feeling the bullets shift inside his chest. It was a very unpleasant feeling. “I would ask who you are, but I don’t care. You’ll all be dead soon.”

Quintin huffed a short laugh. “Aren’t you something? I’ve got the perfect place for you to sit for the show. You’re going to like what I do to my pet, Gabriel Hart. I’ll show you how a real Master treats a caenid slave.”

“You won’t touch him again,” Gabriel said, glaring up at him through the blood that covered half his face. He felt the rifle slide to the middle of his back, center with his spine. If the guard fired, that was not an injury Gabriel could walk away from in a couple hours. He could end up paralyzed for days. He remained very still so as not to give the man another reason to shoot him.

“Hey, um, boss?” said a man behind a camera. “I think we’ve got a problem.”

“What?” both Mercato and Quintin said.

“It’s the film. I think it’s frozen, but… You’d better come see.”

Quintin stomped over to the screen. Mercato followed. “Show me,” said the larger man.

“This,” the camera man said, touching the display. “They’re all like this. I thought it was a bad connection at first, but I replaced the video card twice.” He tapped the screen again. “It’s just static.”

Quintin peered at the screen, leaning in like he was near sighted. He looked over at Sabe on the stage, then back to the screen. “Robert, walk across the stage,” he said.

Muttering irritably, Robert walked from one end of the stage to the other. When he passed behind where Sabe knelt, the video monitors showed the bottom half of his legs covered in static.

“What the hell,” croaked Mercato.

“Do it again, Robert,” Quintin commanded. He scowled at the screen, watching. “Is the lens clean?”

“Yes, sir,” the camera man replied. “It’s like this no matter what angle we move it to.”

“Is it recording?”

The technician pointed to the red light that blinked in the corner of the monitor. “Yes, but it’s like this even in playback.”

While they worked to figure out the issue with the video, Gabriel tensed his legs. He felt the guard’s attention slip from his back, drifting to the puzzle on the screens for a second. That was all the time Gabriel needed. He leapt with a spin and kicked the gun out of the man’s hands. He landed on his feet, facing him, and forced a strong surge of electricity through the man as he started to reach for his second gun.

Before the guard hit the floor as a sizzling, burnt out husk, Gabriel snapped his bound wrists apart. “Now, where was I?” he said, rolling his head back and forth. “Oh, that’s right. I’m going to kill you all.”

“Guards!” Mercato yelled.

Bright muzzle flashes peppered the air with bullets. Gabriel avoided most of them, but a couple tore into his body. He wasn’t moving as fast with his wings punctured. He fell to his knee as a bullet snapped though his femur.

Shit. Not good.

“Just kill him!” Mercato screamed, waving wildly.

That was when all hell broke loose in the studio.

***

Light fled from the room until every bulb and screen was merely a weak bastion against the coming dark. The humans gathered together on stage, an instinctual fear driving them toward the brightest light. A muzzle blast popped, but it was a muted black burst of light, followed immediately by a man’s scream and things crunching. The remaining guards who had been firing on Gabriel soon disappeared in a similar manner.

“What the hell is going on?” Quintin demanded, trying to squint into the darkness to see what approached. It was futile. The lights that brought the promise of safety also blinded him.

“Oh, it has been too long,” came a languorous, deep voice from the darkness. The Black Ander stepped onto the stage, the shadows rolling off him like smoke in the light. With swirling black eyes, he examined the men standing before him. One of the camera men panicked and ran. A swirling tendril of shadow caught him at the other side of the stage, yanking him with a scream into the dark.

Mercato flinched at the sounds of crunching bone that ended the man’s scream. That little movement brought the Black Ander’s attention to him.

“Merc, we had a deal,” said the Black Ander, scolding.

The crime boss, hands shaking, pulled out all the credits from his pockets. “H-Here. Twenty-five million. Take it. It’s yours.”

Alex clicked his tongue slowly, stepping forward. “It’s a matter of pride, Merc. You understand, don’t you?”

Mercato shook so bad the credit coins rained from his fingers to ping and roll across the floor.

Quintin puffed up, fear converting to anger. “Forget this freak, I’m going to fucking kill him!” He grabbed a metal rod from the props on the stage and rushed forward with a yell. With a flick of his wrist, the Black Ander sent the man flying sideways, crashing into a metal frame. Shadows curled around him, pinning him in place.

“I’m not ready to deal with you yet,” the Black Ander told the restrained man. He moved fully into the light.

“What are you?!” Robert exclaimed, voice tight.

Alex took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his nose. He smiled, raising his hands. Black light sparked between his fingertips. “I am the Black Ander,” he announced. The shadows that cloaked him dripped from his back as his dark wings raised, feathers as black as the starless void. “I am your death.”

Chaos broke out on stage as people ran. He anchored half of them to the stage as he had Quintin, and the few that made it to the dark beyond quickly perished. Only Sabe remained at the center of the stage when he approached.

Everyone else watched, terrified, except Sabe. He looked up at Alex with tears in his eyes. He was trembling, but he wasn’t afraid. Alex bent down and touched the chain attached to the floor. He looked at Sabe, but was careful not to touch him.

The links in the metal started to dissolve as black sparks spread over them in fractals. It broke free from the floor.

“Go to him,” the Black Ander told Sabe, pointing through the darkness toward Gabriel. “He’s hurt.”

Sabe took the direction and ran. He raced through the dark, throwing himself on Gabriel as soon as he saw the glint of his bloody silver hair. They toppled backward on Gabriel’s bullet riddled wings, but he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around Sabe and held him tight as the young man started to cry.

“Oh, darling, what have they done to you?” Gabriel touched the locks at the back of Sabe’s head and neck. A quick spark short-circuited the thumbprint releases, and they popped open. Gabriel unclasped the gag. He grabbed the flat leather that covered Sabe’s mouth and slowly extracted the phallus, being careful not to injure him further.

As soon as it was removed, Sabe started coughing, breathing in air like he had been suffocating. Gabriel undid the collar and tossed that aside, too. The chain attached vanished in a puff of grey ash.

Sabe clung to Gabriel and cried, “I don’t want them to hurt you any more!”

Gabriel wrapped his arms around Sabe’s bare torso. “Shh, nobody is hurting anyone any more. I’ve got you. I’m never letting you go again.”

There was a scream on stage, but Gabriel didn’t look. Sabe clung tight to Gabriel’s vest, laying on top of him. Very quietly, he whispered though his tears, “His wings.”

“Not here,” Gabriel hushed. “We need to leave. Help me up?”

Sniffling, Sabe nodded. He got to his feet and helped pull Gabriel upright. The fractured leg was too broken to provide support and his wings were too damaged to counter balance. He had to lean on Sabe’s shoulder as the young man helped him hobble to the door.

There was another scream on stage, followed by a wet splatter. Sabe started to turn, but Gabriel squeezed him tight. “Don’t look,” he said. “Don’t see him like that.” Sabe nodded and kept his eyes forward, helping Gabriel through the dark and out of the room.

The hallway outside the recording room was too quiet. There were bodies slumped along the wall in weird angles. Some of them were slowly turning to grey dust. Sabe tried not to identify them as people, he just helped Gabriel forward.

“There.” Gabriel pointed to a couple low boxes at the other end of the hall. “We can sit there and wait for the others to catch up.”

Sabe helped him over, supporting most of his very dense weight. Gabriel sat stiffly, wincing as the air shimmered behind him and he adjusted his wings. “You’re hurt bad,” Sabe noticed, tears coming to his eyes.

Gabriel gave him a pained smile. “I’ll be fine. A couple days of bed rest with you at my side, and I’ll be as good as new.”

“I’m so sorry, Gabriel! I told them not to hurt you!”

Gabriel pulled him in for a tight embrace again. “Sabeth, the only way they could hurt me is by hurting you. You are alive and in my arms again, so nothing else matters.”

Sabe felt tears drip down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around Gabriel, holding him. He had been so scared. He doubted he would ever see Gabriel again, and that feeling had been worse than anything Quintin threatened to do to him.

Sabe licked his chapped lips. It still hurt to move his jaw and his throat felt raw, but he asked, “What about Alex?”

Gabriel sighed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “The Black Ander… There is nothing we can do for anyone in that room.”

“Is he going to kill them?” he asked quietly.

“Yes.”

Sabe’s heart ached. Could he really just sit there knowing every person in that room was going to die? With a sinking realization, he found that he could.

“Why are his wings like that? Was it the shadows? Was it Holloway?”

“It was his punishment for killing an Isten. For killing my father,” said Gabriel sadly.

“Black,” Sabe whispered, remembering the word as Alex had said it.

Gabriel stroked Sabe’s hair gently, resting his face on top of his head. “It’s my fault he’s like that, but there’s nothing I can do to stop him.”

Sabe didn’t understand. “You’re stronger than him. He’s afraid of you. You could-”

Gabriel laughed, though the sound was cut off by a sharp gasp of pain. “Afraid of me? The only thing Alex is afraid of is himself. He’s afraid he won’t be able to control his powers, and he’ll destroy everything he cares about. I wouldn’t stand a chance against him if he ever fought me seriously.”

Sabe shook his head, rubbing his face against Gabriel’s chest. He felt a wet spot on the vest and jerked back. “You’ve been shot!” he exclaimed.

“Sabe, I’m fine,” Gabriel repeated. “Arquette and Elibitha are coming. Go let them know where we are.” When Sabe didn’t leave, Gabriel pointed to the door. “Go on. I’ll be right here.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

“I hadn’t planned on it,” Gabriel said, closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall. Sabe ran through the door to find help.

***

“Miss Arquette! Ms. Gaard!” Sabe exclaimed, sprinting toward them. He couldn’t believe how happy he was to see the well armed women.

“Mr. De Moncreaux!” Elibitha said, eyes wide.

“Sabe! You’re alive!” Arquette shouted, her eyes tearing with relief. She dropped her large metal gun to the floor and held open her arms. Seeing the older woman so overjoyed to see him, Sabe couldn’t help but feel emotional. He sprang into her soft embrace, and she hugged him tight, as if he were simply another of her grandchildren.

“Where is Mr. Hart?” Elibitha demanded, her concern evident.

Sabe pulled back from Arquette, looking to the head of security. “He says he’s fine, but he’s been hurt. He’s up ahead, around the next corner, and through the door. He’s sitting on some boxes.”

Elibitha took off in a jog, gun drawn and alert, even though there was no one left alive.

Arquette held Sabe’s hand tightly. “Sabe. I am sorry about what I said before. I don’t care how many meetings he misses. I have never seen him care about something the way he cares about you. He needs you. Please, stay by his side.”

Sabe nodded. “I’ll stay, Miss Arquette.”

Arquette squeezed his hand tightly. Her grip was very strong. She sniffled and dabbed under her eyes with her pinkie, looking up as she wiped away tears. “Look at me. Crying like I’ve never been in a firefight before.” She sniffled again and smiled. Regaining her composure, Arquette picked up her heavy gun. “Let’s go catch up to Elibitha before she has a stroke. She’s not good at dealing with Mr. Hart when he’s hurt.”

They entered the hall where Gabriel sat just in time to see Elibitha shake her finger in Gabriel’s face. “How can you be so reckless?! Gunfire? That’s what took you down? Do you know how many bullet proof vests I have given you and you tossed aside because you said bullets couldn’t hurt you?!”

Gabriel sat there, looking bored, until he noticed Sabe and Arquette. “Arquette, tell her she’s overreacting again. You know a few bullets never stopped me.”

“Well, Mr. Hart, you look pretty stopped right now.”

Gabriel pursed his lips. “One of them caught me by surprise. Got a lucky shot. I may have been a little distracted while trying to reach the room fast.”

“I swear to God, Mr. Hart, I am going to quit! I can’t handle this,” Elibitha announced, pacing. “If you’re not going to follow my instructions, I can’t protect you.”

Gabriel ignored her and held his arm out to Sabe. Sabe moved in, standing beside the box as Gabriel pulled himself back to his feet, leaning against him.

“Where are Charlet and Tomas?” he asked, taking a step, then pausing. He hopped a little to readjust his weight, then stepped again. Sabe supported as much of his weight as he could.

Elibitha crossed her arms over her chest. “Tomas sprained his ankle slipping in blood. Charlet stayed with him while we came ahead.”

“On your own?”

Arquette tilted her head. “I didn’t think it would be a problem after Mr. Black found you.”

Gabriel gave her a strange look. “He did, but… We’re going to go back without him.”

“He’s dead?” Elibitha asked.

“No, but he’s… busy.” Gabriel took another step. “And I’m hurt. I would like to get this bone set before it starts to heal, so, if you don’t mind, Ms. Gaard. Please lead the way.”

Together, they returned through the bloodshed, picking up Charlet and Tomas on the way. They all boarded the elevator.

As Sabe helped Gabriel sit on one of the hard chairs in the weapons transport, he quietly asked, “We’re just going to leave Alex here?”

Gabriel nodded. “He will find us when he’s ready.” He pressed his forehead against Sabe’s. “Until then, stay with me. Please?” There was a hint of desperation in Gabriel’s voice that brought more tears dripping down Sabe’s cheeks.

“I’ll be with you always,” he said, and gently kissed his lover.

Wet thuds filled the studio as the last of the noises faded from the humans on the stage. Alex stood, flipping his blood soaked hair back from his face. Blood arched through the air as his shoulder length hair wetly smacked against the back of his head.

Every step splashed with blood as he paced across the stage, surveying the carnage before him.

Mangled. Contorted. Obliterated.

He exhaled with relief, decades of pressure eased from body. His black wings beat fiercely at the air before settling along his back. His hair was too slick with blood to move with the breeze they created, but it felt wonderful to feel wind surrounding him again. No bindings, no spells, every bit of control released.

Free.

He stepped in something that squished and frowned.

Hopeless. Humans were utterly hopeless.

“It was just business,” he told the lump that had been Mercato. He spared a glance at the rack with the splayed and skinned shape of the man who owned Sabe. Used to own, Alex corrected himself. He continued by.

There was a sound as he passed that made him pause. He looked down and saw eyes rolling madly. Sabe’s adopted father. He couldn’t make noise because his jaw was missing and his throat was crushed, but somehow, he was still alive.

Alex crouched down beside him, shaking his head. “Heavy is the sin that falls upon the father of a child not raised as his own,” he murmured, placing his finger against the forehead of the man. A black spark spread from his finger to the man’s skull, burrowing into his brain in spreading fractals of black energy. After a few seconds, the eyes stopped moving.

Alex hopped up and strolled away, slipping his bloody hands into his pockets. The shadows swirled in around him, the energy contorting in waves and whorls like blinking eyes. He reabsorbed the dark energy and stepped down from the stage.

Shaking out his wings, Alex ejected any remaining blood from his black feathers. The weight on his back was a comfort, one he long missed. Uninhibited for the first time in centuries, he yearned to soar through the sky, riding air currents, moonlight on his back. He wouldn’t, of course. He couldn’t risk being seen.

He was exhausted. It was hours later, but he hoped Gabriel and Sabe had been able to make it to safety. They were together, at least. He would meet with them again once he cleaned himself up.

Walking through the lifeless studio, Alex tugged the light around his black wings, making them flicker out of sight with a crackle of energy. It would take time to rebuild the spell he had used to hide them before, but he would do it. Even if he hated it, it was safer that way. Nobody would accidentally find him. Nobody could force him to return to the Jinn before he had to.

At the wall by the door, Alex paused and flipped the switch on the circuit breaker, cutting the power to the room. The buzz of the stage lights died out. With one last look, Alex left the studio. The heavy door closed behind him, entombing the bloody remains in darkness.

Sabe and Gabriel sat at the cafe overlooking the fountains on the one-hundred-ninety-fifth floor of Corvus Prime. As far as Sabe could tell, Gabriel was mostly healed. He still walked with a limp, but Sabe was always by his side, so he never fell.

“What are you thinking about?” Gabriel asked, smiling softly over a cup of tea at him.

“About you.” Sabe took another large bite of the meat bun, savoring the juicy filling.

“Good things, I hope.”

“Well, how long do feathers take to grow back?” he asked, smiling a little.

Gabriel’s eye twitched, and he sat his cup of tea back down on the saucer. “Almost a month.”

Even though he denied it, Gabriel was very vain, and the few holes where bullets had torn through his wings had left round bald spots when the skin healed. There were tiny feathers already poking through, but when Gabriel thought Sabe was asleep, he often sat at the edge of the bed preening and trying to rearrange his feathers.

“That’ll be pretty fast.”

“A lot can happen in a month,” Gabriel replied dryly. He looked out toward the fountain. The jewelry clinked in his hair.

Sabe placed his hand on the table, palm up. He wiggled his fingers until he got Gabriel’s attention. With a sigh, the silver-haired man turned back toward him and looked down at his hand.

A small smile pressed tightly against his lips. He rested his fingertips against Sabe’s fingertips, the contact so light, it was barely there.

“Gabriel?” Sabe said, meeting his ice-blue eyes.

“Yes, Sabeth?”

“I love you.”

A tiny gasp caught in Gabriel’s chest as he heard those words from Sabe for the very first time. He whispered back, barely audible, “I love you, too.”

They finished their meal, but didn’t break the gentle touch between them.

***

They walked slowly back to the private car, taking a meandering path through the shopping district. Happy families and busy people filled the white marble mall. Sabe held Gabriel’s hand, walking contentedly beside him.

Gabriel kept his chin raised, but anymore, he moved like he was tired and sore. It wasn’t just the broken leg and bullet wounds he was healing from, either. He insisted on keeping Sabe shielded, and it took a lot of his concentration and energy. Sabe had asked him to stop, at least until his wounds were fully healed, but Gabriel had been adamant.

They entered a quiet hall beyond the main atrium when a shadow stepped out before them. Gabriel tensed. Sabe grinned.

“Alex!”

The black-haired man stepped forward, looking less pale and more alert than Sabe remembered him being. “Sabe. Brother. Ooh, you are not looking so well.”

“Black Ander,” Gabriel grumbled, but it held less animosity than normal.

Alex smiled. “I think I can fix that.” He held up his hand. From his fingers dangled the bracelet with the red beads, which Sabe had thought was lost forever. “May I?” Alex asked, holding it out.

Sabe lifted his wrist to Alex. The demon clasped it in place without touching his skin, then tapped a grey nailed finger against the red beads. Sabe felt the energy race along his body and he shivered.

“There,” said Alex, smiling at him. He turned to Gabriel. “I’ve got it from here. You can relax.”

Gabriel closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, withdrawing his own shields from around Sabe. “Thank you,” he murmured as a little color returned to his cheeks. He opened his eyes and glared sharply at Alex. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you. You still have to fix the Blue Dust.”

Alex backed down the hall, holding his hands in the air passively. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t make that anymore.”

“Alex,” Gabriel growled. “You have to reverse it.”

“Don’t ask for impossible things, Gabriel,” he replied. “Sabe, I’m making pasta tonight. I’d like it if you came home.” His black eyes swirled mischievously. “You can even bring your boyfriend.”

Sabe grinned. “See you at home, Alex.”

“Hey, don’t walk away while I’m talking to you!” Gabriel snapped, but his cold expression softened a little as Alex ducked around the corner and vanished.

“So, you’ll come with me to dinner tonight?” Sabe asked hopefully.

“No way. He’s going to poison me,” said Gabriel, waving after his brother.

“He won’t,” Sabe insisted. He felt his cheeks warm as he said, “Besides, after dinner, I could show you my bedroom. And my bed.”

A silver eyebrow raised. “Well,” he said thoughtfully, “a little poison won’t kill me.”

Sabe laughed and stood on his toes, kissing Gabriel’s soft lips while the silver-haired angel embraced him.

Epilogue

“Sir, you need to see this.”

A laptop was placed on the table before Michael, angled so the sunlight shining on the terrace didn’t glint off the screen. He poured another cup of dark tea as he watched the video.

The recording was taken through a cracked lens of a damaged camera. The angle was low and crooked, like it lay on its side on the ground. It played in glitched starts and stops. Sound only broke through every few frames with short screams of pain.

But Michael saw.

Trailing black wings, surrounded by shadow. The voice at the end as it spoke.

“…Heavy is the sin that falls upon the father…”

“Where was this found?” Michael asked.

“In a dead zone beneath Nukan City. There was a massacre. One of your sources smuggled it out before the clean up crew arrived.”

Michael breathed slowly, his heart pounding with excitement. “Gabriel,” he seethed. “I’ve caught you now. You and your bastard brother.”

He watched the video again while he drank his tea in the bright sunlight.

Yes.

Soon, Gabriel’s reign of lies would be over. Michael would ensure there was no room for doubt when he accused him before the council of the Arch. They would know Gabriel’s wicked deeds and they would know of his betrayal. Michael would destroy him.

It was only a matter of time.

–End–