Angel Reborn, page 15
“Is it safe to go back?” I asked, looking back and forth between Nick and Zeck as the latter shrugged.
“My guys swept the house and property. They found no cameras, no bugs, nothing left behind. Not even fingerprints. We scanned the front door lock and saw no damage. No indication the mechanism had been compromised. Same with the lock on the French doors in the back. No windows are broken or opened. No sign of anyone anywhere around the perimeter of the house. Garage door is secure. We’ve had a team on the ground doing surveillance and a drone patrolling over the woods behind the house. We’ve seen nothing. We’ll keep patrolling, of course, and I’d like you guys to do a full inventory to ensure nothing’s missing, but for now, it’s all clear if you’re ready to return.”
“But we still don’t know who managed to access our alarm system and just turn it off to break in,” I protested. “I won’t feel safe there not knowing. And what about our neighbors? If whoever this is comes back, we could be putting other people in danger. What if Sage wants to go over to Marleigh’s or have Marleigh come over to our house? We can’t do that, but how will you explain that to either of those little girls? Or to Steph and Wyatt? No. We can’t risk going back there until we know what’s going on. Not until we know it’s safe for us and for everyone else.”
“I understand.” Nick gave a single nod. “We can stay here as long as you want, but we need to get some things from the other house. More clothes, of course. Sage has gone through every puzzle and game we have in the studio upstairs. She needs her own books and toys. And if she’s going to school tomorrow, she needs her backpack.”
I stared at him, stunned once again. “Are you seriously considering sending her to school tomorrow?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Are you insane?”
“Hear me out, okay?” Nick leaned back against the island and crossed his arms. “If their goal was to take Sage or harm her, they had plenty of opportunity last night while she was alone with Angie, but they didn’t. Any supernatural willing to go after her at a public school would be risking not only an all-out war with the Council for putting that many human children at risk, but also with the human authorities. That’s likely one of the safest places for her to be for that reason. We can have our team scope the place out in the morning before any teachers or administration arrive. With a few phone calls and a few strings pulled, we could have a couple of people stationed on the inside.”
“They’re not going to let just anyone show up at a school for the day, babe.”
Zeck spoke up. “You leave that to me. You’d be surprised what we can accomplish. In today’s climate, it doesn’t take much to get a school’s security alert elevated. And you’re assuming there aren’t already bloodline descendants working at that school. Or attending it.”
“You agree with him?” I shook my head, closing my eyes against the impossible situation we were in. “I don’t know, guys. I don’t think I’m ready to let her out of my sight. Of course, then again, if I’m the target, she may be safer away from me. I just don’t know.”
Nick took my hands in his and bent so we were eye to eye. “Hey, you know I wouldn’t send her if I thought for one minute I couldn’t keep her safe there. Until we can figure out who’s behind this and determine what’s going on with you, our lives are gonna be a little crazy. I think it’s best if we keep things as normal as possible for Sage. We’ve already taken her out of her usual routine by being here, and while I understand you not wanting to go back to New Windsor just yet, I think Sage would be happier at school with her friends than sitting around here bored. But it’s up to you, Angel. We won’t do this without you being fully onboard.”
It all felt overwhelming, like there were no good options. Nothing felt safe. Nothing felt right.
Sixteen
Nick
While I understood Aria’s hesitance in taking Sage to my mother’s estate, I couldn’t ignore that something serious was afoot with my wife. We needed to figure out what was going on before anything drastic happened, and based on what I’d seen so far, I didn’t want to consider what that might be.
I’d never known anyone to exhibit multiple traits from multiple bloodlines, not even the most powerful of the prodigy. It wasn’t supposed to be possible under the laws set forth when the original Fallen were confined to the mortal realm. Before the fall, our ancestors could control all forms of energy, being pure energy themselves. But in punishment for their corruption of the mortals, their wings were essentially clipped, metaphorically and literally. They were confined to the mortal realm, and their powers were greatly diminished. Each bloodline was granted only one energy to align with. Even if two different bloodlines came together and produced offspring, only one line’s power would be carried forth. Never two.
Yet, somehow, my human wife was showing traits of both the Veiori and Galdorcræft lines.
I had no idea what it meant, but I was terrified. And desperate for answers.
But thanks to Aria’s insistence that we not tell anyone outside Zeck and Noelle, I was shut off from the resources most likely to help.
Namely, my mother. She had studied the Fallen bloodlines for centuries, traveling the world to collect artifacts and speak with those who would dare reveal anything to a Turpisi.
She was as much an expert on all the histories, powers, laws, and limitations as anyone else I might seek out to consult.
But my hands were tied. Until Aria decided to ignore whatever instinct was driving her to remain silent, I would have to stand by the oath I’d made.
I didn’t have to stand by idly, though, which was why I was forcing the issue of testing her blood in hopes it would at least give us something to go on.
“Where are we?” Sage asked as I approached the first gate of the Garrison estate.
Aria crossed her arms with a quiet huff. Though she had finally agreed to do this, she wasn’t fully onboard with Sage coming to my mother’s house. She had asked how I planned to explain it all to Sage, and honestly, I didn’t know. I just knew I had to do whatever I could to help Aria before it got worse.
Sage’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and I smiled at her.
“Remember I told you we’re going swimming in a natatorium.”
She wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Is the natadorian in the trees? I thought you said it was a pool inside a room, like at the Community Center.”
“Natatorium. And it is inside. We have to go through the trees to get to the castle, and that’s where the natatorium is.”
Her eyes widened, the green vibrant with excitement. “We’re going to a castle? I didn’t know castles had swimming pools.”
“This castle has two swimming pools, one inside and one outside. And it has a bowling alley. And a movie theater. And tennis courts.”
Aria cut me a look that said perhaps I shouldn’t be playing up features that Sage might want to see, but it was hard not to be enthusiastic.
This was, after all, the home I grew up in, and there was a part of me that wanted to share this magical place with Sage and show her all there was to see and do.
Over the past five years, I’d often wished things could be different so my wife and daughter could know the people I cared about and could see the places that had been important to me.
Now, Aria had begun to meet some of my closest friends, and I was bringing Sage to my childhood home. Despite the dire circumstances that brought us here, I hoped Sage’s experience at the estate would be a happy one.
“How many gates does this place have?” Sage asked when we reached the third gate.
“This is the last one,” I said to her. “We’re almost there.”
I nodded to the guard in the booth, and he nodded back but didn’t otherwise engage.
When I called Mam to tell her I wanted to bring Sage out for a swim, I had made it clear that we wanted privacy and didn’t wish to interact with any of the staff. I feared Mam might question the motive behind my visit, but her sole focus had been lamenting the fact that Sage was coming to visit while she was away in the city.
Her disappointment tugged at my heart, and I felt bad, though I knew Aria was right. This was no time to complicate things further by introducing Sage to Mam or the rest of the staff.
I trusted that no one would harm my daughter, but I’d known them my whole life. Aria didn’t yet have that level of trust.
And we hadn’t yet broached the subject of how—or if—my mother would be involved in Sage’s life.
“Now keep a look out in that direction over there, and soon you’ll see the castle,” I told Sage as we neared the main house.
“Where?”
“Right through these trees. You should be able to see the top of the turrets when we round this next curve.”
Sage squealed with excitement when it came into view, and it was impossible not to smile as joy and pride filled me with equal measure.
“That’s the main part of the castle there,” I told her. “It was built in the late 1800s, a really long time ago.”
I couldn’t tell her my parents built it, or that I’d grown up here, but I did share a few tidbits of the property’s history as we got closer, pointing out things I thought Sage might find interesting.
“Wow! It’s so big,” she said when I parked the van in the circular drive at the front entrance.
Zeck was already parked in the area off to the side, having driven ahead to alert the staff of our arrival and reiterate that no one was to approach us or interact with us.
He stood waiting at the corner of the house where the path to the natatorium began.
Exiting the van, I gave him a thumbs up in question, and he nodded back to me, indicating we were all clear to head to the pool.
“Are you sure we didn’t need to bring towels?” Aria asked as she grabbed the bag she’d brought with the swimsuits and some pool toys. “I know you said there would be towels in the changing rooms, but I feel bad showing up and using their towels and then just leaving them here wet.”
“They’re pool towels. That’s what they’re there for.”
“If you say so. You know better than I about these things. When I was growing up, we went to the community pool, and you had to bring your own towels.”
“Hey, Zeck,” Sage called out, waving to him as we got out of the car.
“Mr. Zeck,” Aria corrected.
“But he said I could call him just Zeck.”
Aria looked to me with a frown.
“It’s what he wants,” I assured her. “He’s not comfortable with the Mr. title. He asked her to call him Zeck. He prefers it that way.”
“All right, missy, but unless they insist otherwise, you be sure and address adults as Mr. and Ms., okay?”
“Yes, Mommy. Aren’t we gonna go inside?” Sage asked as we headed away from the front door.
“Not today,” I said, taking her hand. “We’re just going to the pool.”
Sage accepted that without question, merrily skipping along beside me. Her joy was contagious, and though I had other more serious things to take care of while we were here, I looked forward to spending time with her in the pool once our mission was completed.
“Are you gonna swim with us, Zeck?” she asked as we approached him.
“I’m wearing my suit, aren’t I?” He pointed to his blue and green striped board shorts.
Aria seemed startled by his outfit change.
“How did you have time to go home and get a suit between taking Angie to her house and coming here?”
Zeck grinned. “You never know what adventures the day will bring, so I try to be prepared for any scenario. I keep a bag in the car with clothes to fit most any occasion.”
Returning his grin, I said, “He could probably go a week without going back home for fresh clothes with all he carries around in that car.”
“Like I said, you never know what you’re gonna need. Best to be prepared.”
He stepped aside for me to lead Aria and Sage into the natatorium. I watched Sage for her reaction, and she didn’t disappoint.
“Wow!” She squealed and clapped her hands with delight. “You said it was like the Community Center, but this is a whole lot prettier and a whole lot less crowded.”
“That’s for sure,” Aria said. Even she seemed impressed, which made me even happier. “This is beautiful, Nick.”
I followed her gaze around the massive space, trying to appreciate the details as though it was the first time I was seeing it all and not a room I’d spent countless hours in over the course of my life. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Can I jump off the diving board?” Sage asked.
“Not until you get your suit on,” Aria said, smiling at Sage’s eager enthusiasm.
“The changing rooms are through those arches over there.” I pointed to the doors along the back wall. “The ladies’ room is on the right."
“I already inspected both,” Zeck said from behind me. “We’re all clear. Marcella laid out towels for the two of you in the ladies’ room, Aria, and for the two of us in the men’s room, Nick.”
“Thanks, Zeck,” Aria said, her smile fading a bit as the worry lines crept back in.
“Is that a mermaid?” Sage asked, pointing to the statue nestled between two of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the other side of the pool.
“Yes, it is. Why don’t you go take a closer look? But no running around the pool. Walk, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“I’ll go with her,” Zeck said, and I turned to Aria once they’d stepped away.
“You good?” I asked, taking her hand to give it a squeeze.
“Oh, yeah.” Her tone was heavy with sarcasm. “I’m great. Never better.”
“I know you’re not comfortable with us being here, but this is the best way I know to get the answers we need. I’ll only be gone a few minutes, just long enough to get the testing kit and get back here. Zeck will be with you and Sage the whole time. Everyone else has been told not to make contact. We’re safe here, Angel. Mam has extra security surrounding the entire property, and there are cameras everywhere. No one is getting near this house without her team being alerted.”
“But how do we know we can trust her team?” One brow arched as she crossed her arms over her stomach. “We still don’t know if it was someone on the inside.”
“The staff here at the estate aren’t connected to the downtown compound. They’re more of a…personal…guard with direct allegiance to my mother. They are fiercely loyal. Besides that, Zeck brought along a couple of his guys as well.”
“All right.” She dropped her arms and then waved me off. “Go. Get whatever this thing is that your father invented and get back here. But you’re sure we’ll be able to do this ourselves?”
“Yes. His microsampling device is designed so you can self-collect. All you have to do is put it on your finger, press the trigger, and hold it in place. You’ll feel a quick prick, and then it’ll start collecting into the device’s reservoir.”
“And it collects enough to do the tests you need to do?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t take much. Once the reservoir is filled, I’ll take it back to the lab and run it through the computer for analysis. Then, we’ll know everything your blood can tell us.”
Sage returned, walking as briskly as possible without running. “The fish are spitting water from their mouths onto her tail so it doesn’t dry out.”
“That’s a good thing,” I told her, crouching to get on eye level with her. “We wouldn’t want the mermaid’s tail drying out, would we?”
She shook her head. “Can we go in the pool now?”
“Yes, but I need to take care of something first. You go ahead and get changed and swim with Mommy and Zeck, and then I’ll jump in with you when I get back.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
Sage seemed unbothered with my departure, but when I stood upright, Aria looked like she was going to either throw up or bolt and run at any moment.
Leaning in to brush my lips against her cheek, I whispered, “I’ll be back before you even know I’m gone.”
“Yeah. Not likely, but let’s do this and get it over with.” She let out a resigned sigh and then forced a smile as she put her hand on Sage’s shoulder. “Let’s go get changed, Sugar Cakes.”
“Keep your eye on them,” I said to Zeck when they’d walked away. “I’m leaving the totality of my heart in your hands.”
“I got you, man. Do what needs to be done, and we’ll be here waiting for you.”
Seventeen
Aria
The natatorium at Gwen’s estate was nothing like the other parts of the castle I’d seen. There were no lewd frescoes on the lofty, arched ceiling, which was painted a lovely shade of seafoam green that perfectly complemented the teal of the water beneath it.
Instead of the red brocade wallpaper, thick, red velvet drapes, and heavy gold-leafed accents, here there were the white walls lined with floor-to-ceiling, unadorned windows, which were arched at the top to match the curve of the ceiling. Whereas the interior of the castle was dark, the late afternoon sun streaming through the beveled panes here filled the room with so much light that the water and the ceiling both seemed to glow with warmth.
Inside the changing room, the walls were the same pale seafoam green, and so were the chaise lounges and the plush cushions that adorned the white benches and chairs. Ornate chandeliers lit the space, and their bright light was reflected by mirrors hanging all around the white woodwork throughout the room. Even the elaborate bouquets of fresh flowers placed on end tables and counter spaces were made of soft, muted pastel blossoms.
The entire aesthetic was something that seemed more fitting for a five-star resort spa than a creepy, gothic, vampire castle.
Under different circumstances, I would have enjoyed the peaceful serenity of the space, but I was too much on edge in our present situation to fully appreciate the calming effect.
