FOUR
A couple hours later, Sebastian stood in his office overlooking the Gold Coast. The lights were all off in his apartment as he gazed at the city lights below. The thunder of Lakeshore Drive traffic echoed back to his window, which was open, the air stirring the edges of his curtains. Sebastian stretched and took a step back as he took another sip of scotch. He turned to set the glass down on the desk next to his gun, which contained ammunition he had received only tonight. He hesitated as his eyes skimmed over the dark metal. Who would have known one day they’d be carrying weapons to use against other immortals?
Sebastian took his drink and walked to the back of the apartment to the bathroom where he washed his face and stripped out of his suit. He pulled his springy black curls back from his olive face and tied them in an elastic hair band. This face was the same one that had been looking back at him for centuries. It and the body it was attached to looked to be about thirty-five years old, which was the age on his driver’s license. He’d been in Chicago for nearly five years, which meant he was due for a transfer soon. Due to the nature of their jobs and their immortal bodies, Arrows, Lead or Golden, were only posted in one location for three to six years. In a large city like Chicago, they could get away with a little longer. In small towns, a matter of months at most.
Sebastian walked with his drink and gun into his large bedroom and opened the tall French doors to the patio. He sat at the patio table, his gun placed next to his drink, and rested on one of the matching wrought iron chairs. He looked around at the city as its sounds vibrated through him. Sebastian would miss Chicago. He had been here before, of course, like all of their other stations. The Golden Arrows’ service extended him around the globe. He sipped his drink, pondering what the next day would bring.
He was looking forward to his vacation. It was a strange feeling. He’d completed his job, and there was no depression, no let down knowing someone was hurting because of him. He’d done his duty, and he had no names to pen into his book, no tears to remember and pray forgiveness for. If all went well, eventually all Golden Arrows would be able to do their duty without the heartbreak associated with their jobs. Maybe even Lead Arrows, Sebastian mused. How different would Lead Arrows really be if their jobs didn’t involve face to face contact with mortals?
Sebastian snickered as he walked back into his room with his empty glass and gun, closing the doors behind him. Lead Arrows had a reputation for being malicious and unfeeling. He doubted they cared one way or another how their job was done. While the mission of Golden Arrows was to spread love, the Lead Arrows were charged with spreading hate. Their methods…
Sebastian sneered into the darkness as he slid into his bed. Well, that was what separated them. His mind tossed these thoughts around tirelessly for many hours more. His room had already started to lighten with the dawn by the time he fell asleep.
***
Sebastian never wanted to see this again. All the Chicago Arrows from both sides of the family were assembled to see Jeremy off to the next life. Sebastian had to admit he was impressed at the show of Lead Arrows at the ceremony. He was not surprised, however, that the line between them was anything but figurative. Mars stood with the Lead Arrows to the north while Psyche stood with Golden Arrows to the south. Every Arrow stood facing west as the sun set behind the coffin that contained their brother’s remains. The walls directly behind the monk and the coffin were made of glass and allowed the sun to shine directly into their eyes, making Sebastian wish he’d thought to wear his sunglasses again today. The dream-like quality of the situation was amplified as the sunlight and rain mingled together. The weather was suitable for this occasion, the first Arrow death in centuries. Realism had no place here.
Evans leaned on Russell’s shoulder, crying into a handkerchief. Her sobs carried over the sound of the rain on the Temple roof and murmuring voices as the Lead and Golden Arrows eyed each other from across the room. The words the monk said flowed in and out of Sebastian’s ears, but he didn’t remember one of them. Instead he asked himself questions. Who was responsible for Jeremy’s death? Was it a lone act? Would they attempt to do it again? Were the Lead Arrows really innocent?
Sebastian looked to his right at Mars. The god of war stood in a black suit, his chiseled face staring resolutely forward. He wore his trademark sneer. He was as beautiful as any of them, but it was a cold beauty. A woman directly to Mars’s right with long dark hair pulled into a ponytail looked at Sebastian and scowled. It was almost comical to think of the words of his mother from the day before. If they were a family, they were the most dysfunctional family he had ever seen. Sebastian snapped back into attention as the monk said, “…and now Psyche and Mars shall lead us to the gravesite.” That was his cue. Russell, Sebastian, and six of their brothers, which also included three Lead Arrows, stood at the front of the room to be pallbearers. There was a tense moment as Lead and Golden Arrows came face to face over the body of their dead brother. Eyes clashed, and Sebastian wondered if they’d get through the service without blows. However, no one, not even the Lead Arrows, dared do more than sneer under the watchful eyes of Psyche and Mars. The moment passed, and an Arrow opened up the glass doors at the western end of the room, allowing them to carry Jeremy into the sunset. A soft rain bounced off of the casket on Sebastian’s left shoulder as they walked over the paved stones in the graveyard. They stopped in unison at the prepared gravesite and lowered Jeremy onto the rack above the open grave. Psyche and Mars both laid their hands on the casket as the pallbearers moved back to take their place in the crowd. Even though everyone was outside, the division line between the Lead and Golden Arrows was as defined as it had been inside Temple. They all wore their insignia pins, which were in the shape of arrows, matching the tattooed mark on every Arrow’s back. Sebastian and the other Golden Arrows had gold pins, in direct contrast to the lead ones on his step family. The metal insignias winked at Sebastian as he took his place among the golden flashes of light. Mars and Psyche stood motionless above the caskets, their hands starting to glow on the fine wood of the casket as the god and goddess blessed the soul of their immortal child so he could ascend to Olympus. Light spread from their hands, brighter then the setting sun. At last, they stood back to watch as the casket was lowered into the ground.
No more words were said. Sebastian watched with Russell, Victoria, and Evans as the last shovelful of dirt was thrown onto the coffin an hour later. Russell placed his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, and Victoria leaned her face into his left arm for a few moments.
As they turned to go back to Temple, they nearly plowed over their Grandmother. “Venus,” Sebastian said in greeting. She would never allow them to call her Grandmother. “I didn’t know you’d come.”
Venus stood looking at her grandchildren with her stunning golden hair shaped into a knot at the back of her head. Like all immortals, her face was unlined by time. There had only been one face in all of history to compete with Venus’s, and that was Psyche’s.
“Of course I’d come,” sniffed Venus. “How insulting.”
Sebastian bowed, quickly. “I’m sorry, Venus,” he said. “I did not mean to sound offensive.”
At this she waved her hand in front of her as if shooing a pesky fly. “Never mind, never mind.” She stood regally watching as Mars approached from the rear of the group. With him was the dark-haired woman from earlier and a tall, muscled man Sebastian hadn’t noticed before. Neither of them looked particularly friendly. Sebastian felt Russell and Victoria stiffen next to him, and Evans shifted back slightly.
Mars extended a hand to Venus. “Venus, this is a pleasure.”
Venus took his hand stiffly. “Mars. Thank you for coming.”
Mars flashed his greasy smile, his eyes darting from face to face before settling back at Venus. Sebastian tried not to flinch under his slimy gaze. “Of course, wouldn’t miss it for the world. Terrible tragedy.”
He didn’t look like he thought it was so terrible. As a matter of fact, he was grinning. Sebastian felt Russell shift, and he felt his next statement was more damage control than social obligation. “I’m told I’ll be seeing you next week.”
Mars glanced at Sebastian with raised eyebrows. “Ah, yes. Psyche mentioned you’re going to be taking her place at the fiscal meetings. In fact, we all go back together.”
Sebastian’s eyebrows raised at that. “The Lead Arrows stay for a week? What about the quota?”
Mars chuckled. “No, no. Not all of the Lead Arrows, though I’m sure they would…be honored.” He said the last words with obvious sarcasm. The two Lead Arrows with him managed to look even more disagreeable, if that’s possible. “No, just myself, Rogan, and Aspen will stay.” Sebastian looked to the two Arrows at Mars’s side. While Lead Arrows were also built to be beautiful and amazing creatures by necessity of their duties alone, Sebastian felt no attraction toward either of them. It was hard to forget what it was they did day in and day out. The breeze fluttered Aspen’s black hair as she stared Sebastian down.
Mars spoke to Sebastian again, this time with interest. “Your mother tells me you’ve been working on a special project, though she won’t tell me what it is.”
Sebastian kept his face clear, despite the irritation in his mind at having state business discussed out in the open among their somewhat hostile relatives. Apparently, Psyche was taking her goals to unite the two families very seriously.
“It’s not completed,” Sebastian replied, stiffly. “I’ll not be prepared to discuss it in Rome.”
Mars only laughed. “Relax, dear boy. I had no intention of making you discuss it.” However, Mars’s gaze hovered a little too long on Sebastian for him to be comfortable. Sebastian began to recount his ponderings of the night before, when he wondered if Lead Arrows would be able to benefit from the new method he was researching. He hadn’t been sure they would be interested in his research at all, but it was obvious now Mars was very interested.
Sebastian decided the time to part was more than present. He nodded to his grandmother, his brothers and sisters following suit. “It was lovely to see you, Venus.” He took her hand and kissed it before turning back to Mars, his face as hard as stone. “I guess I’ll see you next week here at Temple before we head back.”
Mars grinned, his perfect white teeth glittering in the setting sun. “Indeed. We depart at three a.m. sharp for O’Hare. I have many interests waiting for me back home.” Sebastian stretched his hand out for a quick, obligatory shake before walking past Aspen and Rogan with his brethren. They had barely cleared the Temple doors before Victoria cursed to herself.
“Damn it! As if we need those slime bags hanging around any longer than normal. I won’t be able to rest knowing they’re staying here another week.”
Sebastian shrugged, incised by other issues. “I’m sure Hans is more than aware of the risks. There never was a better captain of the Guardians, except for maybe Ethan.” Ethan was the head of all Guardians in every Temple, and Sebastian knew Hans strongly admired his boss.
Russell chuckled, “Actually, Ethan always reminded me of Alfred from Batman.”
Evans giggled nervously as they made their way out of the front of Temple and back onto the street. “The Michael Gough version or the Michael Caine version?”
Russell took Evans’s arm amicably in his own. “Oh, the Michael Gough version, of course! Only packing some serious fire power. Have you ever seen Ethan spar? That man is unstoppable!”
Victoria just rolled her eyes, and Sebastian grinned as they climbed into their cars to head back to the city. The Temple was situated several miles outside Chicago. As much for mortal protection as their own, the property was a vast, gated community well hidden from prying eyes. The ride back to the city took almost twenty minutes. Sebastian parked his car outside of their favorite pub, the Dock House, and the others followed suit. As they entered the noisy and dark atmosphere of the bar, Aspen watched quietly from the other side of the street, her eyes narrowing as she waited in the dark alley for Sebastian to emerge again.