Fractured Souls by Ava Marie Salinger
46
Bostrof laughed out loud,the sound booming across the bar.
Lilaia smiled. “You grounded the imp?”
“Yes.” Cassius sniffed. “That cat is not getting out until at least Thanksgiving.”
“You’re still buying him gourmet food, though,” Morgan murmured.
“His wounds are still healing,” Cassius protested. “He needs the protein.”
“Just admit you like the damn cat already, Black!” Jasper snapped.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure the imp’s wounds healed the night we rescued him,” Reuben drawled.
A tray of beer mugs slammed down on the table, startling them. The golden liquid sloshed over the sides of the glasses.
Morgan followed the knuckles clenched around the tray to Suzie’s irate face. “You okay?”
“No, I am not okay!” Suzie said between gritted teeth. “It’s opening night and you guys are scaring my clientele away!”
It had been a week since the Nether had opened under the cathedral. Tonight was the first time Occulta had reopened its doors for business. Julia had kept her promise and invited everyone out for drinks.
Morgan swallowed a sigh as he perused the mismatched group occupying the extra-large booth and the table that had been pushed up against it.
It’s a miracle no one’s dead yet. We’d normally be at each other’s throats by now.
Julia looked around the thinly crowded bar.
“It’s not that bad,” she told Suzie.
“Yeah, it’s still early,” Bailey said.
“I just saw another party of Hexa agents walk in and walk straight out again,” Adrianne observed. She glanced at Brianna. “I think they spotted their director.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the witch said coolly. “I’m a nice boss.”
Zach scoffed at that. Brianna narrowed her eyes at the demon.
Morgan studied the pale-faced group that had just done a U-turn in the vestibule. “And there goes a party of Rosen agents.”
“What?” Reuben shrugged at Suzie’s scowl. “I’m a nice boss too.”
“You’re the worst one of all of us,” Jasper muttered into his beer.
Reuben smiled and draped an arm across the back of the demon’s seat.
“There’s definitely something going on between those two, right?!” Adrianne hissed at Julia sotto voce, her avid gaze swinging between the grinning angel and the frowning demon.
A party of three men and two women walked inside the bar. They rocked to a halt when they saw Jasper and promptly whirled around.
“Cabalista agents,” Bailey concluded with a confident dip of his head.
Charlie bit back a smile next to the wizard. The enchanter had fully recovered from his fever and was back on duty.
Suzie cursed and vanished in the direction of the bar.
“It’s not usual to see you out and about like this, Bostrof,” Brianna told the Lucifugous. “And I didn’t know you were married to a Nymph.”
She tipped her glass respectfully at Lilaia.
“It doesn’t do his Underworld Godfather image well to have me draped over his arm,” Lilaia drawled.
The Nymph was wearing an elegant, white Chanel pantsuit that had practically every man in the bar ogling her, and quite a few women too.
Bostrof didn’t seem to mind the stares, his expression indicating he had nothing to fear from his competition.
“How’s Strickland holding up?” Reuben asked Morgan.
A pang of remorse shot through Morgan at the question. “He’s still pretty shocked.”
“I’m not surprised,” Brianna murmured.
“Yup.” Jasper sipped his beer. “It’s not every day you find out the kid you took under your wing was double-timing you for decades and planning to wipe your city from the surface of the planet.”
Morgan frowned. Even though all four supernatural agencies had been involved in the battle at the cathedral, it was Argonaut who’d taken the brunt of the criticism from the mayor and the media. It didn’t matter that they’d saved the lives of the people Chester and his sorcerers had intended to kill that day and prevented the Nether from opening fully. The Anglican Church wanted a scapegoat for the damage and destruction to their property and Argonaut had filled that role perfectly.
The fact that the Nether had almost destroyed the city was a fact known only to Morgan’s team, the local bureau directors, and the heads of the four agencies. No one wanted that kind of information out there.
“So, are we finally going to talk about it?” Brianna said quietly.
Adrianne stared. “Talk about what?”
Reuben sighed. “About how he closed the Nether.” He indicated Cassius with his glass. “And about his black wings and that sword of shadows.”
The angel pointed at Morgan.
Morgan and Cassius exchanged a guarded glance. They’d already spoken about what had happened that night at length and decided to keep their suspicions a secret for now.
“Guardian of Light and Prince of Night.”
Everyone gazed at Lilaia.
“They are the names my kind and Bostrof’s race remember Cassius and Morgan by,” the Nymph explained to the three agency directors. “It appears their meeting has finally unlocked the powers that were imprisoned inside them.”
Morgan wasn’t even surprised by Lilaia’s words anymore.
He and Cassius had come to the same conclusion. That it was the Fates that had brought them together, here, in this city. And that their predestined union and soul-core resonance had allowed them to tap into their hitherto suppressed abilities. Morgan frowned faintly.
What the Fates intended by it we’re still not sure. Nor do we know who confined our powers.
Cassius suspected it was the same force that had erased their memories at the time of the Fall. Morgan wasn’t so sure of this himself.
Reuben’s eyes flared with surprise as he stared at Bostrof and Lilaia. “Wait. Are you saying you’ve retained some of your memories from before the Fall?!”
The Lucifugous nodded. “They came in bits and pieces at first. It took me several decades to make sense of what it was I was remembering.”
Morgan wondered what the bureau directors would make of Bostrof’s status as the previous king of the Shadow Empire.
Brianna sighed. “Well, that little bombshell aside, you realize the agencies aren’t happy about those new powers of yours, right?”
She studied Morgan and Cassius with a frown.
Morgan shrugged. “Whether they are happy about them or not isn’t really our concern.”
The witch rolled her eyes. “Just so that we’re clear, I’m not including myself in that group. And neither are Reuben and Jasper. There would be a lot of dead people in this city were it not for what you two did down there.”
Surprise flashed on Cassius’s face as he gazed at Jasper.
“What?” Jasper said irritably.
“I thought you hated my guts,” Cassius blurted out.
Reuben smiled into his drink.
“Yeah, well, I’m over it now,” the demon grumbled. “It doesn’t mean I like you, though!” he added defensively.
“Have you guys discovered the origin of the summoning staff Chester Moran and his sorcerers had in their possession?” Morgan asked Jasper.
“No. It definitely wasn’t one from the vault in London.”
“Which means whoever acquired it had access to the Nine Hells,” Brianna said with a frown.
“By the way, what did you do with Oroak?” Cassius asked Bostrof curiously.
The Lucifugous’s eyes hardened. “He has been banished to the Shadow Empire for now. He is not allowed to set foot on Earth until I say so.”
“And the Reaper Seed trade?” Cassius asked.
“I ordered Oroak to burn the fields with his own hands.”
“Did he really do that?” Morgan said skeptically.
“His guard assures me he did,” Bostrof said. “You know the guy.” The Lucifugous arched an eyebrow at Cassius. “A certain Akamon?”
Cassius brightened. “You gave him a job?”
“Yes.” Lilaia smiled. “He is quite sweet. And handsome too.”
Bostrof frowned at his wife.
“But not as handsome as you, my love.” The Nymph patted her husband’s knee.
Bostrof’s face relaxed. Jasper grimaced.
Glass smashed behind the bar. Suzie scowled at the floor and blew a lock of pink-white hair out of her face.
Zach sighed, downed his drink, and rose to his feet.
“Where are you going?” Julia said curiously.
“To pacify a witch,” the demon drawled.
He headed over to the counter.
Lilaia studied Cassius pensively. “So, the Keeper of the Eternity Key decided to stay with you rather than return to the Hells.”
Cassius’s hand clenched around his drink. “Chester Moran’s master is still out there. He may have failed to achieve what he wanted to do in London and here, but I doubt that’s going to stop him. The imp knows I’m the only one who can protect him.”
“You suspect Chester’s master wants to free Chaos?” Bostrof said quietly.
Cassius hesitated before dipping his chin.
Reuben frowned. “It would mean the end of all the realms, including this one, if he did. Even the Heavens and the Nine Hells might not survive the destruction that Chaos would wreak upon us all.”
Tense silence followed.
“We just need to make sure that never happens,” Cassius murmured.
A commotion at the bar drew their gazes.
Brianna made a face. “Is that what he meant by pacifying the witch?”
Zach had Suzie in his arms and was kissing her with dedicated focus. The way the witch clung to him and wrapped a leg around his thigh indicated she was relishing the attention.
“It’s like a sex show,” Adrianne said morosely.
Julia took a sip of her beer. “It’s not as bad as when we walked in on Cassius and Morgan.”
“Your team walked in on you two making out?” Jasper said in a disgusted voice, his gaze swinging from Morgan to Cassius.
Color stained Cassius’s cheeks.
“In my defense, it was partly his fault,” Morgan said, unabashed.
Cassius sucked in air. “In what way was it my fault?!”
“Yeah, in what way was it poor Cassius’s fault?” Adrianne said, aghast. “You practically attacked him!”
“You attacked him?” Reuben drawled.
Morgan grinned. “What can I say? He’s one delectable piece of—”
Cassius punched him in the ribs.
* * *
It waslate by the time they returned to their apartment building. A mellow feeling danced through Morgan as they exited the elevator and headed down the corridor to their apartments. It faded when Cassius stopped in front of his door and unlocked it.
Morgan paused next to him.
“Goodnight,” he murmured reluctantly.
“Goodnight,” Cassius said, not quite meeting his eyes as he headed inside the dark apartment.
He closed the door. Morgan stood there a moment before sighing and walking over to his place.
Though they’d spent most of their days together since the battle at the cathedral, Cassius had told him he needed space to himself to take in all that had happened. Morgan had protested at first, before finally caving in the face of Cassius’s steadfast resolve.
He sighed as he headed inside his apartment.
“I really hope he changes his mind soon,” Morgan muttered under his breath. “At this rate, my dick is gonna rot and fall off.”
It was still too early for bed. Besides, Morgan knew the only way he would sleep soundly was if he were holding Cassius in his arms. He sighed, poured himself a drink, and headed out onto the terrace.
A cool breeze danced across his skin as he walked over to the railing overlooking San Francisco Bay. He scowled into the darkness and took a gulp of his whiskey.
Damn, I could really do with a smoke right now.
He’d given up on cigarettes a few days ago, after Cassius had made it clear he didn’t like smokers.
A sound came from his left.
Morgan turned his head and saw Cassius walk out onto his terrace. The angel shivered slightly before taking a seat on a deckchair. Loki appeared and jumped on his lap.
“Can’t sleep?” Morgan called out.
Cassius startled and looked over.
“No,” he mumbled.
Morgan downed his drink, put his glass down on the table next to the deckchairs, and hopped over the balustrade separating their terraces.
“What are you doing?” Cassius asked suspiciously.
“If we’re both gonna sit out here pondering the mysteries of the night sky, we might as well do it together,” Morgan drawled.
Cassius frowned. He shifted over to make space for Morgan nevertheless.
They sat in companionable silence for a while, Loki curling into a ball and closing his eyes.
“So, you’re still thinking about Strickland’s offer?” Morgan said.
Cassius stiffened slightly. “Yes.”
“We make a good team. And the others like you.” Morgan glanced at Cassius. “Joining Argonaut makes perfect sense.”
Cassius hesitated. “You think we make a good team?”
Morgan nudged Cassius’s arm with his elbow. “Of course we do. We can practically read each other’s mind on the battlefield. And we fit perfectly outside it too.”
Cassius made a face. “Are you talking about sex?”
Morgan grinned. “Maybe.”
Cassius blew out a sigh. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”
“And you love it,” Morgan said confidently.
“Yes, I do,” Cassius mumbled almost to himself.
Morgan stilled at the inherent confession in those three simple words, his belly clenching with emotion. He turned to Cassius and leaned in to kiss him.
Cassius pressed a hand to his mouth and narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing?”
Morgan blinked. “Kissing you. You just admitted you love me.”
“I did nothing of the sort!” Cassius protested.
Morgan licked his palm. Cassius cursed and drew his hand away, as if he’d been scalded. Morgan made the most of it and stole a quick kiss from Cassius’s lips.
“Oh.” Cassius stared. “Is that it?”
Morgan kept a straight face by a sheer act of will and arched an eyebrow. “You sound disappointed.”
“I am not!”
“Take the job, Cassius. We belong together.”
Cassius’s gaze shifted to the dark bay beyond the railing. He was quiet for some time.
“There’s something I haven’t told you. About what happened that night.”
Morgan waited.
“This power.” Cassius stared at his hand and flexed his fingers, his expression troubled. “It’s more than I should be capable of, as an angel. Even an Empyreal.” He looked at Morgan. “Julia was right. I am…other. I sensed it when I was fighting Chester and his master.”
“I know,” Morgan said. “You’re probably a Demi. Like me.”
Cassius drew a sharp breath. “You—you knew?!”
“Is that what you’ve been worried about this past week?” Morgan asked.
Cassius hesitated before swallowing and nodding.
Morgan sighed, wrapped an arm around Cassius’s shoulders, and tucked him against his side. “Then don’t. We’re in the same boat, you and I. And something tells me our Demigod powers have awakened because we need to be able to use them in the future.”
Cassius relaxed against him, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Morgan’s heart clenched. “Do you trust me?”
Cassius blinked and looked at him. “Of course.”
“Then don’t take everything on by yourself.” Morgan stared into the beautiful, gray eyes opposite him. “I want to share your burden, Cassius. And I hate seeing you all anxious like this, as if the troubles of the world are eating at your insides.”
“I’m sorry,” Cassius murmured.
Morgan sighed. “You don’t have to be sorry.” He pressed a kiss to Cassius’s brow. “Just promise me you won’t bottle things up and you’ll talk to me.”
“Okay.”
“Good.”
“I’ll take the job.”
Morgan’s pulse quickened. He turned and clasped Cassius by the shoulders. “You will?!”
Cassius smiled and dipped his head. “Yeah. Like you said, it makes sense.”
Morgan swallowed. “I’m sorry, but I really need to kiss you right now!”
Cassius gasped as Morgan leaned in and took his mouth in a fierce kiss.
Loki woke up and leapt lightly onto the ground.
Cassius’s lips parted and his hands rose to spear through Morgan’s hair. A small sound of protest escaped him when Morgan lifted his mouth off his a moment later. It turned into another gasp as Morgan nudged his chin up and rained hot kisses down his throat.
“Mmm, Morgan,” Cassius mumbled. “I thought you said you were just gonna—”
Morgan lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at Cassius. “I’m pretty sure we’ve solved the problem of what’s been bugging you this past week, so time’s up, buttercup. I am here to collect on seven nights’ worth of sex.”
Cassius sucked in air as Morgan kissed and nibbled the pulse beating frantically at the base of his throat. “Seven nights’ worth?! What are you, a sex mani—! Oh! Right there! Fuck, that feels good!”
Morgan grinned at the way Cassius hummed and his breath hitched with pleasure, his fingers busy on Cassius’s nipples. He pulled Cassius to his feet and walked him backward inside his apartment, hands on Cassius’s ass and mouth dancing across his face and neck.
“Don’t you have a meeting in the morning?” Cassius shivered as Morgan ran his tongue inside the whirls of his right ear. “Like, at six a.m.?”
“You mean we have a meeting.”
“We should get an early night,” Cassius murmured. “We don’t want to be—ah—late!”
Morgan smiled lazily as he stroked the hard bulge denting the front of Cassius’s jeans with his palm. “You were saying?”
Cassius’s eyes burned brightly as he glowered at Morgan. “Shit!”
His hands moved to Morgan’s belt, his lips crushed against Morgan’s mouth, and he dragged Morgan urgently inside the bedroom.
* * *
Cassius and Morgan’s adventures continue in Spellbound.
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