TWENTY-TWO
Garrett slid the needle expertly under Sebastian’s skin, piercing the vein. Sebastian watched as his blood was collected to be banked. He glanced over his shoulder at Aspen, who was sitting at the medical table behind him, also giving blood. She raised her eyes and grinned at him. He had a momentary flash of the passion of the night before, making his mouth go dry. Sebastian wasn’t aware what was showing on his face until Aspen smirked and slowly shook her head from side to side, rolling her eyes. Trying not to chuckle, he looked back at his arm as Garrett removed the needle from his skin, only brushing the surface of the puncture with a dry piece of gauze. The hole in Sebastian’s forearm closed over in moments. There was no need for alcohol, biohazard bags, or latex gloves in a world of immortality. They all had the same blood type, and there were no diseases. It was only a matter of collection and distribution.
Garrett placed the labeled vial on the table next to the bed before turning back to Sebastian. “This is fabulous, Sebastian. Russell came to me only hours after you returned with the drive. The work you have done on this is incredible. I think I can also follow some of the recommendations for improvements you made after your last trial.”
Sebastian nodded. “I don’t think it would take too many alterations.”
Garrett shook his head. “It’s so simple. I don’t know why someone hadn’t attempted this before.”
“Too busy trying to survive, I guess.”
Garrett blinked behind his silver framed glasses. “We live in a world full of distractions.”
“Hopefully, this will help keep us hidden until we can take care of the threat.”
“This should keep mortals in check until the danger passes. Maybe even forever. Who knows?”
Sebastian hopped off the table and walked over to where Victoria was giving blood. “Did Rogan get all of the Lead Arrows in?”
She sighed. “He’s worried. The ones he did get ahold of are in our Temples, but there are still several who are missing. They haven’t checked in. No one has seen or heard from them.”
“Any location in particular?”
Victoria shook her head. “Not at all. It seems random. Most cities are just fine but two Arrows are missing from Rome, one from Sacramento, and three from New York. They were lost in the scuffle out.”
Sebastian didn’t like this information. “Their…bodies were never found?”
“It sounds like they were taken hostage. Like…”
“Like Mars.”
Victoria nodded. “Rogan is deeply disturbed.”
“How well do you know him?”
Victoria seemed a little put off by this question and tried unsuccessfully not to stammer. “I…we…”
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I don’t care what kind of relationship you guys have.”
Victoria stood as she finished donating blood. “We don’t have a relationship. He doesn’t trust me. Or you.”
Sebastian finished her thought for her. “Or any of us, right?” Victoria nodded. “That upsets you, doesn’t it?”
Victoria shrugged. “It’s not like I don’t understand where it comes from. His life has been hell since he came here. We haven’t managed to do a single thing for him except offer Lead Arrows protection now, after their Temples are crumbling, which is partially our fault.”
“We don’t know if that’s true. I mean, what difference would it have made if Mars, Rogan, and Aspen were at their Temple when all of this happened? We wouldn’t have sent help until the attacks started, which is exactly what we did this time. It’s just bad luck on our part or good strategy on the behalf of the attacker, depending on how you look at it.”
Victoria sighed as they started toward the first floor, away from the horde of donators, which included just as many Lead Arrows as Golden Arrows. There were many wounded Arrows throughout the Temples that had been attacked, and Lead Arrow blood was in just as high a demand as Golden. Lead Arrows had been pulled off the streets, their service placed on hold. There certainly wasn’t a short supply of hate in the mortal world at the moment.
As they approached the ground floor, they turned naturally toward Psyche’s office, the hub of all information. They weren’t surprised to see Hans there, talking strategy with Cupid, Venus, and Psyche.
“It wouldn’t do any good, you see,” Hans was saying as they entered. “We’ve managed to save about half of the Temples from collapse, but we cannot simply keep our Guardians there and still protect ourselves from attack. Our Temples need the most protection right now, since they now house most of the Arrows, Lead and Golden.”
Psyche frowned as she contemplated this. “Is there no way we can keep Mars’s Temples from crumbling?”
Hans shook his head. “Even if we enlisted the help of Jupiter, he’d simply send for Guardians. We’re stretched across the globe right now. The only other option would be if we all went to Olympus and left our Temples. Then it might be possible to reduce Guardian coverage since there would be no Arrows to protect. We might be able to save the remaining Temples that way.”
Psyche turned to Cupid, who shook his head. Sebastian and Victoria stood silently in the doorway, simply listening to the exchange. Venus glanced at Sebastian. “You’ve all donated?”
Sebastian nodded. “We just came from Garrett’s offices. There are hundreds of Arrows giving as we speak.”
“It is a huge relief to know at least one part of this whole mess has a solution for the time being. As you can see, we’re running out of options.”
Victoria cleared her throat. “Should we not go to Olympus if it means saving all the Temples?”
Cupid turned to her. “I hate to run. I hate to give up our posts. We were put here as a service to mortals. It’s a disgrace to leave our Temples and hide. That’s like leaving mortals to fend for themselves. We cannot help them from Olympus. Eventually, we’d have to come back down the mountain anyway. We need to be thinking long term.”
Sebastian nodded in agreement as he turned to look at Victoria. “I understand you want to help them. We all do. Unfortunately, running to Olympus would only cause more problems in the long run.”
Hans spoke, abruptly. “We really just need to take out the threat.”
Cupid shook his head. “We have no idea where they are.” He turned to look at Sebastian. “You weren’t able to get any information out of Mars when he left? No clues?”
Sebastian glanced at Victoria who shook her head. “Only that we needed to stop ‘her’.”
“Well, that doesn’t narrow it down any,” said Hans.
Venus raised an eyebrow. “How did you manage to get any information out of him? You said he was pulled into the air.”
Sebastian nodded. “He probably would have been swept off right away, but Alex was with us. She held on to him with her power until she couldn’t anymore.”
“She just tired out?”
“She spent the whole trip changing stoplights for us so we could get closer to Mars. She was already losing steam, and she didn’t get much of a break before shit hit the fan and Mars was getting sucked into the air.”
Psyche sighed. “Like I said to her before, she did us a great service. She’s a unique individual. She’s gone from mortal to demigod ally in a matter of days.”
Cupid looked at Sebastian, pensively. “If we were able to catch Mars’s captors off guard, would Alex be able to bring Mars back here?”
Sebastian considered briefly. “The problem seems to be she can’t move anything she doesn’t know the location of. I don’t think she has to be looking at it, but she has to know exactly where it is.”
Hans cleared his throat. “So she couldn’t, for instance, just want a gallon of milk from the store and get it here unless she knew exactly where the specific gallon of milk was she wanted to get.”
“Right. And then there’s the whole not-attracting-the-attention-of-the-mortals thing.”
Cupid paced to the window. “We can be fairly certain wherever Mars is being held is out of mortal sight already. Whoever she is, she’s using Auster’s powers on a regular basis, and there are not many places you could do that without it being noticed.”
Hans snapped his head up. “Let’s start there. How many places are there that have frequent storms, severe weather?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Are we talking in the world? In the country?”
Hans considered. “For now, let’s talk in the country. Maybe as far out as Canada. Whoever it is also has to know where we are to attack, and I’m certain they wouldn’t be too far away. If we search local and don’t find anything, we’ll expand our search.”
Sebastian nodded. “I’ll find Russell, see if he can’t do a little more research since he’s the computer whiz.”
Cupid nodded. “Good. If we can get a location, we can form a plan of attack. We can’t just sit here and cower, waiting for our turn to get attacked.” He looked over at Psyche, taking her hand. “It won’t be much longer before we’ll be directly in the crosshairs.”
Psyche leaned against Cupid. “It makes sense.”
Sebastian nodded and excused himself, turning to leave the room, Victoria following on his heels. “What do you think?” she said.
“I think Cupid and Hans are right. It’s going to be us next. Everything points to it.”
Victoria pursed her lips. “We’re at war.”
“Yep. What a terrible time to have Mars gone. Now would be a really good time to have the god of war on our side.”
As they ascended the stairs, Victoria broke off to go relay more information to Rogan. Sebastian arrived at Russell’s room on his own. The door was open, showing Russell already at work on his laptop. Sebastian entered saying, “Whatcha up to?”
Russell barely glanced at Sebastian as he entered the room and sat on the bed, watching Russell work. “Typing out those changes for Garrett from the formula you provided. Garrett wants to distribute them to the rest of his staff, get several people making tablets, and get them on the streets before lunch. The mortals are getting more violent. Two bus bombs this morning and ten suicides.”
“That’s fast.”
Russell shrugged. “Well, if you think about the amount of stress in the world, it’s not surprising what the world comes to without ready love.” He turned to glance at Sebastian. “Not that you would know anything about that.”
Sebastian scowled at Russell’s knowing smirk. “I’ve got to learn how to lie.”
Russell laughed outright, leaning back in his desk chair. “You can’t. You never could. Besides, a blind person could have seen the signals. You two were roasting the airwaves over the table at breakfast.”
Sebastian shook his head and looked at the floor. Russell considered his friend for a moment. “That’s not a happy face.”
Sebastian sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Commitment issues already?”
“No! No, nothing like that. Victoria is horribly guilt-ridden over the fall of Mars’s Temples, and I am too. Not just because of Mars, and not just because of the Arrows.”
“Raises the stakes to be in love, doesn’t it?”
Sebastian’s head jerked up at the word “love”. Love? He stood up and walked around the room. Russell didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, come on, Sebastian. It’s as clear as the puppy doggy look on your face. You have been super protective of her every move since she saved you and Alex. It’s not just obligation and guilt anymore, and you know it.”
Did he? Sebastian stared at the trees outside Russell’s window as he thought. True, he’d never really allowed himself to feel this way about another person since he’d become an Arrow. Arrows, as a rule, were too busy falling in love with mortals. Since that never ended well, he’d walled himself in. Was he lonely? Sure. They all were. Was he in love?
Sebastian was so absorbed in his internal debate he didn’t hear Russell approach. He jumped a little when Russell stopped beside him. “It’s okay, buddy. It’s not like she’s a mortal.”
“She doesn’t have to be a mortal to hurt someone, does she?”
Russell considered this. “No. But it’s not like she doesn’t know what it means to be an Arrow. Could be she needs you just as much as you need her.”
Before they could talk about it further, Alex entered the room, coming up short when she saw Sebastian. “Oh, hey,” she said, hesitating.
Sebastian considered it really, really impressive that he managed to keep his face straight at the look on Russell’s. Russell was one to lecture about love and whatnot given the way he changed when Alex came into the room.
Sebastian smiled at Alex. “Hey. Feeling better?”
Alex smiled, dimples popping out in both cheeks. “Yeah. Glen forced me into bed rest all night, even though I insisted I was fine to come down to dinner.”
Russell chuckled, even though it wasn’t really that funny. “You didn’t miss much. It was meatloaf night. But don’t tell Rita I said that.” Rita was the Temple cook. She had the heart of a lion and the mouth of one too.
Sebastian didn’t linger too long in the silence that followed. He obviously wasn’t needed for whatever Alex had come in for. Sebastian turned to Russell. “Russ, Hans needs you to do something.”
Russell snapped into work mode immediately. “Sure, what?”
“He needs you to compile a list of places in the US and Canada that have frequent storms, particularly wind.”
Russell looked confused for a second, then Sebastian could see it click behind his eyes. “Ohhhhhhh,” he said. “Looking for Auster?”
Sebastian nodded. “Cupid figures if we find the storms, we find the captor.”
“Makes sense, I’ll have it before lunch.”
“I’ll let him know. See you guys later.” He walked over to give Alex a hug, which surprised her and made Russell’s teeth grind, which was really what he was going for. “See you later too.”
“Okay…” Alex said, flustered, but pleased. Sebastian grinned as he left in response to Russell’s scowl.
Sebastian headed toward the end of the corridor where Hans’s rooms were. The door was open, though Guardians were stationed there. Hans turned his head from the map on the wall as Sebastian approached the room. “Sebastian, come in.”
Sebastian nodded in greeting to the Guardians as he walked into the room. Hans had a large map of the US on the wall with many pins sticking out of it. Lines of string ran from pin to pin. “What have we here?”
Hans gestured at the red pins. “Attack sites. Right now, there are seventy-eight of them that we know of. Every Auster Temple and twenty-three of Mars’s Temples.”
Sebastian’s eyes widened as he looked. “That’s a lot of attacks.”
“It’s more noticeable when you get it down on paper, isn’t it? It always is. The blue ones are demon sightings, called in from all over the country. Rogan, Cupid, and I spent the night calling and talking to people about the sightings. They are more frequent now, and less concerned about being sighted by mortals.”
Sebastian grunted. “Someone’s getting brave.”
Hans looked at Sebastian. “I suppose whoever it is feels they have the upper hand enough to push things. They wouldn’t be wrong.”
“What about the yellow and green pins?”
“Disappearances. Last known location of missing Arrows.”
Sebastian blinked rapidly as he made a quick estimation. “There’s got to be fifty pins here.”
Hans crossed his arms as he evaluated the map. “Sixty-one.”
“The green ones are Lead Arrows?”
“Yes. Many of them were picked up during demon attacks, ones where Temples fell. You can’t see the detail on this large map.”
“No, but you can see the most disappearances take place where the Temples have fallen.” He turned to look at Hans. “You think the point of the attacks was to destroy Temples or collect hostages?”
Hans grunted approval. “You have a good tactical mind. Yes, I suspect, though I have no real proof, the majority of the attacks were launched to create a panic. Lead Arrows were nabbed in the chaos. Many of them weren’t discovered missing until later. Mind you, I think if we leave those other Temples unoccupied for any amount of time, they are going to be destroyed. It doesn’t seem to be the main focus of the attacker now, because the demon attacks have mostly ceased. They got what they came for, it seems to me. But I think they’ll come back, eventually, and finish the Temples off.”
Sebastian held his chin in his hand as he studied the pins in the map, thinking. “You certainly have a way of putting all of this into focus.”
“Well, that is my job.”
Rogan entered the room. “Hans?”
Hans glanced at the door, all business. “Yes?”
“Cupid asked if you would meet with him.”
Hans turned to Sebastian, who was still studying the map. “If you’ll excuse me.” Hans turned and walked briskly out of the room. Rogan approached the map and stood beside Sebastian.
“So, you’ve been looking at Hans’s map.”
“It really puts things in perspective.”
“You notice how there are a lot more green pins than yellow pins.”
Sebastian turned to look at Rogan, who was staring at him, coldly. “I know you don’t like us. I know you have good reason not to. But if you think I’m going to be glad there are more Lead Arrow disappearances than Gold Arrow disappearances, you’ve misjudged me entirely.”
Rogan snorted. “You’re telling me if there were more Gold Arrow abductions, you’d be glad the Lead Arrows were spared?”
“I’m telling you I don’t think there’s a difference. I look at this map, and I see abducted Arrows. You’re the one who wants to make it a prejudice issue.”
Rogan advanced on Sebastian until they were only inches apart. Sebastian kept his gaze level with Rogan, refusing to back down. Rogan sneered in his face. “Don’t think because I’m forced to hide out here that we’re buddies.”
“That’s pretty obvious right now.”
“You and your brethren think you’re the Golden Children. You have three gods over your Temples. You have the Guardians. You’ve been handed everything, and your service is love!”
Rogan sneered in Sebastian’s face. Sebastian didn’t budge, only stared Rogan down. Rogan’s face darkened as he continued. “We were given the lovely commodity of hate, and no protection. We create fights and turmoil and fear and serve the god of war. Your life is pretty swell, huh?” Rogan laughed without humor. “And now you’re going to let our Temples fall.”
Sebastian considered, carefully measuring his words. “Better your Temples than your Arrows.”
Rogan shook his head. “You don’t give a damn about us. You know you can’t survive without us, and that’s the only reason why we’re still alive. You think I don’t know why you are suddenly all buddy-buddy with the Lead Arrows’ cause?” Rogan snorted. “You hated me just as much as I hated you before you got tangled up with Aspen.”
Sebastian’s vision started to go red as he responded. “Don’t.”
Rogan cocked his head to the side. “You got into her pants, and now you’re king shit, huh?”
Sebastian grasped the front of Rogan’s shirt with both fists, his muscles bulging as he yanked Rogan into his face. “I will end you if you ever say that again.”
Rogan snarled, their noses only a breath apart. “Are you worried about breaking her heart, Golden Boy? Or are you worried about your reputation?”
Sebastian was seething and could feel himself losing control. If Rogan said one more thing, Sebastian was going to tear Rogan apart.
“What’s going on?” The voice from the door startled Sebastian into dropping his fists, though the rage in him literally made his hands shake as they dropped. He would have given just about anything to be able to smash that smug look off of Rogan’s face.
But Aspen was looking at them from the door, her face none too pleased as she assessed the situation. Rogan laughed loudly as he backed away from Sebastian toward the door where Aspen stood with her arms crossed over her chest. Sebastian glowered at Rogan as he walked away.
“Well, Golden Boy. I’ll just leave you to it.”
The meaning in Rogan’s words grated Sebastian’s already trumped up anger, making him take a step forward. Rogan timed his exit perfectly, turning and walking past Aspen, leaving Sebastian there to deal with her confused look. He couldn’t talk to her now, not while the anger Rogan had created was pulsing through his system, his accusations still ringing through Sebastian’s head.
Sebastian walked to the door, swinging past Aspen, who turned to follow him as he stomped down the hall toward his room. “What was that all about?”
“Nothing.”
Aspen exhaled, frustrated. “If Rogan’s giving you shit…”
“Rogan’s not giving me anything I can’t handle.”
“It looks like you guys were about to handle it when I walked in.”
Sebastian didn’t answer her as he shoved open the door to his room and stomped in. Aspen followed him in, closing the door. “What’s going on?”
Sebastian turned, irritated. “I told you, nothing is going on.”
“Sebastian…”
“Look!” Sebastian yelled, making Aspen jump. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m pissed off and not very good company. I don’t need a shrink to straighten out my head. I just need to be left alone. Got it?”
Aspen’s face was unreadable as she nodded briskly, once, and turned to the door.
Sebastian had just enough time to feel like an ass for yelling at her. He was about to apologize and go after her when she surprised him by locking the door and turning back around. She started removing her shirt.
“What the…what do you think you’re…” He lost his voice entirely as Aspen removed her shirt to expose the black, lacy bra underneath. She pulled her hair loose from the band at the back of her head, and her inky black hair cascaded to the middle of her back, tumbling over her shoulders. “Aspen…”
Aspen unbuttoned her pants and slid them down over equally black lacy underpants. She lifted her eyes as the pants pooled on the floor at her feet. “You don’t want to talk? We won’t talk.”
She stepped gracefully out of her clothing and sauntered up to Sebastian, her skin shimmering in the early afternoon sun from the windows. A breeze drifted in and played with her hair, arranging it over her shoulders as she approached him. Aspen lifted herself up on her toes, nipping his lower lip between her teeth, sending a jolt of hot, liquid lust straight to his loins.
Sebastian tried hard to apologize before he forgot why he was feeling like an asshole. “Seriously, Aspen, I didn’t mean….”
She grinned and then ran her hands under his shirt, moving across his back as she lowered her head and licked his neck from the base of his throat to his ear. Sebastian’s words died away in a groan. Aspen whispered. “I know.”
Unable to fight her anymore, Sebastian hastily reached down and lifted Aspen up until her legs circled his waist. He carried her to the bed as his mouth crashed down on hers, purging him of his anger. His heightened senses from his fight with Rogan were transformed into something else; something just as violent and potent, but a great deal more satisfying.
Laying Aspen on the bed, Sebastian slipped his hand into Aspen’s panties, plunging inside her, dragging a succulent cry from her lips. He was dizzy with needs, but his own melted away as he watched Aspen respond to his touch. Sebastian watched her head toss back against the covers as her back arched, urging him to go deeper. He took a hand full of the lacy garment she wore and fisted his hand on the flimsy material, tightening the fabric against her legs, making her cry out. Aspen’s body was charged with sexual heat, making every sensation a million times more potent than she could ever remember it being.
Sebastian breathed in the heady scent of her as he buried his face in between her legs, licking long, slow, and deep. Aspen shuddered and sighed. Sebastian glanced up at her face, so full of sexual wonder and happiness. He wanted to give her more. He wanted to give her everything. He pulled his shirt over his head and shucked his pants and underwear to the floor in a matter of seconds. He moved up the bed until he was lying by Aspen’s side. He wrapped one hand around her silken hair, lifting her mouth to his. Sebastian gazed in her eyes as they pulled apart, and he remembered, angrily, Rogan’s words. Rogan had tried to make what was between them into something cheap. Aspen saw Sebastian’s eyes change as she watched him. “What is it?”
Sebastian kissed her forehead, her mouth, her throat before he looked back into her eyes, his hands wandering over her body, drinking her in with touch. “You are incredibly important to me.”
Aspen’s eyes widened a little in surprise and then softened in happiness. “We’ve been through a lot.”
Sebastian nodded. “I don’t know where this is going but…” His voice died off and Aspen nodded.
“Our future will always be uncertain. I expect no promises from you.” She thought about it for a second. “I’ve never been with anyone that means this much to me.” She tried to keep her eyes dry as she continued. “Our lives are full of so many struggles and burdened with our responsibilities. You bring me peace.”
Sebastian nodded. That was the word he was looking for. Peace. There was peace here, with her. He lowered his head to claim her mouth again, and his hand lifted her leg around his hip as he slid into her, savoring every sensation. He felt her breath catching in her throat as she gasped with pleasure at their joining. He groaned as her hands moved along his back while they rocked together. He watched her eyes, drinking her in as they joined.
Aspen turned over him, straddling his waist as she rose above him. One of her straps from her bra had fallen off of her shoulder, and he slipped his hands up her arms, pulling the bra down where he could reach, unhooking it and dropping it to the floor. His hands ran over her stomach, and then gripped her hips, then traveled over her back. Her head dropped back as she moved, her long hair tickling his shins as she arched. Sebastian’s breath quickened as she moved against him, and he gasped as his hands reached above his head to grip the headboard. Aspen’s hands joined his as they raced to the end, crying out in victory minutes later. Spent and relaxed, Sebastian positioned Aspen against him in bed, cradling her back to his chest. He kissed the back of her neck as he played with her hair.
Aspen smiled as he nibbled her skin. Sighing regretfully, she stretched. “We should probably go back to our duties.”
Sebastian groaned. “I quit.”
Aspen laughed. “Wouldn’t that be nice? If it was just a job you could quit and go out to get a new one?”
Sebastian laid his head on the pillow, considering as he ran his hands through her hair. “I don’t think they’d make you stay at Temple. Not if you really wanted to leave.”
Aspen sighed, looking at a stray thread in the blanket, twisting it around her finger, absently. “I can’t imagine not being an Arrow.”
“Even when it got bad for you?”
Aspen stiffened until she realized he wasn’t speaking about anything specific. Sebastian felt the change in her, though. He lifted his head and propped it on his hand, looking down on her. “What is it?”
Aspen swallowed. “It’s not really a secret, just a bad part of the job. One of my services went really badly. I was beaten unconscious.”
Sebastian’s mouth went dry. “By who?”
“Oh, this mortal. He happened to have a lot of friends. After I left him, he brought all his buddies with him, and they beat me. If I had been mortal, I would have died.”
Sebastian closed his eyes. “When?”
“Last year.”
“So that was what Rogan was talking about, when Mars was taken. Why the solution I was working on would be of more interest to you than others.”
Aspen nodded. “It was a rough time for me. I almost abandoned my post.”
Sebastian turned her face until he could see the one tear squeezing out of her eyelid to run down her face. “Why didn’t you?”
Aspen shrugged. “If we aren’t Arrows, who are we?”
Sebastian nodded. He understood exactly. “What’s the point of immortality if you haven’t got a mission?”
Aspen smiled a little sadly. He leaned down and kissed her. When he straightened back up, he cupped her face in his hands. “You’re the strongest woman I have ever met.”
He cradled her to his chest, and they took comfort in each other. A few minutes later, they dressed, helping each other into their clothes, kissing bare skin that winked into the light as they moved. It was nice for a few minutes to enjoy life. As Sebastian was belting his pants, the light outside changed, getting darker.
“Must be rain,” he said glancing at the windows.
Aspen walked to the windows as she finished twisting her hair at the back of her head. Her hands dropped, her hair tumbling as she yelled. “Sebastian!”
Aspen’s voice propelled Sebastian to her side, where he looked out the window at the darkening sky. Sebastian cursed loudly. “Sweet Jupiter!”
Aspen’s voice shook as she replied. “There must be hundreds, no, thousands of them.”
Sebastian and Aspen looked