“Abel, Lilah, I’m sorry to interrupt, but can I have a moment?” Gregor called through the door.
“Part of the life that’s not gonna suck is not havin’ that guy up in our shit day in and day out,” Abel muttered as he let me go and moved to the door.
I walked to one of the chairs and leaned against it.
Abel opened the door and there were murmurs as Gregor came in.
His eyes came me. “Lilah, my apologies for the intrusion. I know it’s been a long day.”
I threw out a hand and gave him a small smile to tell him it was all right.
Abel shut the door, saying, “Whatever this is, can we make it fast, seein’ as it actually has been a long day?”
Gregor’s gaze was to Abel when he nodded, then announced, “Yuri phoned. He found the witch who scarred you.”
I felt my body go solid as I watched Abel’s do the same.
It took a few seconds but finally Abel demanded, “Say again?”
“He found the witch who scarred you,” Gregor repeated. “Her name is Sula. She lives in a hovel in rural Texas and is completely insane. This might be a layman’s diagnosis, but from how Yuri described her, it’s not incorrect.”
I stared.
Gregor went on, “He was quite prepared to exact retribution for you or detain her so that you could enjoy that opportunity. However, he explained that she’s already been punished by the witches who sent her after you. Punished because she failed in her mission, that being, we believe, to bring about your end. Therefore, even if retribution were to occur, she wouldn’t process it.”
“Wouldn’t process it?” Abel asked.
“According to Yuri, she’s entirely lost her mind. There’s nothing you or anyone could do to harm her. The harm has been done. She’s been living an agony for twenty years.”
“Can’t say I’m real bothered to hear that news,” Abel muttered, matching my thoughts.
Gregor nodded and spoke again, “She used a blessed athame to cut you. An athame is a witch’s knife imbued with magic. As we suspected, this is why you scarred. Yuri reported that he’s allied himself with two witches who are keen not to see The Prophesies unfold. They’re also going to assist him in retrieving the knife and perhaps a number of other blessed implements, which could cause harm if in the wrong hands.”
“If he needs help with that, we’re kinda tied up up here,” Abel noted.
“He assured me he has all the help he needs,” Gregor stated, but I didn’t get a good feeling about how he stated it, mostly because he was Gregor. He didn’t give a lot away. But even if it wasn’t written all over him, I could still tell that he was worried about his son.
“Right, then I’m obliged you took your time to come up here and share all that,” Abel replied in a leading way, that leading to Gregor taking off.
“I’m not done, Abel,” Gregor said, and I again tensed at the change in his tone of voice.
Abel heard it too; I knew by the intensity of his focus on the vampire.
“Perhaps you should sit down,” Gregor suggested, which didn’t make me any less tense.
What it did was make me move Abel’s way.
“I’m good standing,” Abel told him, not taking his eyes from the vampire.
Gregor nodded, but I didn’t think it boded well that he waited until I made it to Abel’s side and slid my arms around his middle. He also waited until Abel slid his arm around my shoulders.
Only when we had each other did Gregor again speak.
“Yuri and I feel it’s rather strange that you’ve not encountered one of our kind in all your time on this earth.”
“You’re not alone in that feeling,” Abel replied with a guarded voice.
“My son and I both feel that perhaps someone has been looking out for you.”
Abel and I, both still tense, got more so.
Gregor kept going, “This was only a theory; however, it would stand to reason that one of our own would be able to sense one of our own and, thus, keep them away from you. Not to mention, that night, it’s clear someone intervened.”
“Yeah, it is,” Abel agreed.
Gregor took in a deep breath, then holding Abel’s eyes, he rocked my man’s world.
“The witch Sula reported to the witches Yuri is working with that you were saved that night by a man with one brown eye, one blue.”
I gasped and did it hearing Abel’s swift, hissed intake of breath.
“You have a brother, Abel,” Gregor said gently.
“Holy shitoly,” I breathed.
Abel said nothing so Gregor carried on.
“One of the witches Yuri is working with, her name is Aurora, says she can assist us in locating him. Their priority mission is getting that athame and the other implements, which are being guarded by a coven in Texas. After that, they’ll be finding your brother. And to do so, they’ll need your blood.”
“He’s close.”
My head jerked back to look at Abel’s profile when he said these words.
“You feel him?” Gregor asked.
Abel shook his head. “No. But it stands to reason that if he’s looking out for me, then he would be, right?”
“Well, yes,” Gregor agreed.
“Why is he hidden?” Abel asked.
“We won’t know until we can speak to him.”
“If he’s a brother, then he’s either vampire or werewolf or both. So if he’s close, why can’t I sense him?” Abel went on.
“That we also won’t know until we can speak to him,” Gregor answered.