Shadow Revealed (The Enlightened Species Book Two) (25 page)

A barrage of voices acknowledged her: “Morning,” “Beauty sleep,” “Not five minutes,” and so on. Eros looked around, causing everyone to be quiet except Irsu, who handed her a cup of coffee.

“This is my daughter, Jerika, and our friend, Aymee.” The two females were beautiful. Jerika looked like Irsu, with dark-brown hair and the brown-green hazel eyes that ran in their family. Jerika wore her hair up in a ponytail. Aymee was human. That was surprising; she seemed totally comfortable around everyone. She had an Asian slant to her perfectly made up blue eyes and chin-length, shiny black hair swung with the movement of her head. Next to them, Umbrae felt like a thirteen-year-old boy. Their smiles were welcoming, impossible not to return.

She must have been more than five minutes; the coffee was luke warm. She dumped it in the sink and handed the empty cup to Brock, who was standing next to the pot, for a refill. “Good morning.” Her voice had finally returned. She turned to Eros, who watched her. “Good morning, err … Do want me to call you father or dad?”

Eros smiled at her. “Whatever you prefer.”

Othos piped in, “We call him pops. Really annoys him.” Brae giggled at her brother. “These females won’t let us come with you. We offered to carry bags and everything. Tell them we get to go.”

“You already have plans for tonight,” Eros chastised the boys gently. They all groaned.

“What are you doing today, dad?” she asked her father, trying the title out.

“The SOSC has accepted our offer for aid. Irsu put me in contact with someone named Sargon. He has warriors securing the Lake Powell compound. We are going to go help the investigative team go through the place. I also set up a meeting with the Council for the day after tomorrow about you and your partner’s reassignment.” Eros was true to his word and answered her questions fully. Brae would rather go with him and her brothers. “Not nearly as glamorous as shopping.” Eros gave her an encouraging hug with a fatherly kiss to her hair.

Aymee rubbed her hands together. “Ready for some girl time?” Umbrae’s hesitant nod made her laugh. “Oh, we gotta get you drunk.” She hopped out of her chair, and Jerika stood too. “Drink that in the car. We’re outa here.” They herded her toward the front door.

Enlil had reached the bottom of the stairs. He jumped out of their way, chuckling. Brae tried to appeal to him with her eyes. He didn’t intervene at all, just dropped her chain into her hand as she passed him and told her to have fun. Traitor. Umbrae kissed the chain and tucked it into her pocket.

****

Enlil could only watch, amused, when Irsu, Jerika, and Aymee dragged Brae out the door. She looked like she was headed to an execution, not a shopping spree, though her eyes brightened as he slipped the chain into her hand. Seeing two of Umbrae’s shadowed brothers energies take flight over Aymee’s vehicle gave him a sigh of relief. Every one of those females could take care of themselves, but it still made him feel better to know they had backup if they ran into trouble. Hearing male voices coming from the kitchen, he continued in that direction.

“I still think we should have done a double or nothing. Othos always wins,” one of Eros’s sons complained to his father. Since Othos’s teal-blue energy was one of the colors he had identified flying after Umbrae, it was clear all the boys had wanted to follow their sister and her friends. The other was either Baden or Brock.

“I hope they can keep up with Aymee’s driving,” Enlil announced, entering the kitchen. The younger males looked stunned; his ability to see them was still foreign to them. Eros just smiled. “Are Baden and Brock twins?” Enlil glanced over to the one who had remained behind. It was impossible to determine which he was even looking at.

Eros peered at him, considering his answer. “You’re a twin, Enlil. You of all people understand the psychic strength and vulnerability that type of bond carries. With Baden and Brock, if one is hurt, they both feel the pain. Tranq one, and both go down. The boys believe if one died, the other would follow, and I have to agree with them. We keep the knowledge that they are twins close to the vest. Usually we tell people they are thirteen months apart rather than thirteen minutes. I am sharing the truth with you in hopes you may be able to help them understand their anomalies.”

Enlil felt his knees go weak. How close had he come to killing Ninlil in his darkest times? His gratitude to Brae and Etana grew. Those final moments on the bluff with Etana had changed his life and saved Ninlil’s, and possibly Sargon’s. He turned to the twin, who looked at him with narrowed eyes. It was a fair assumption; Enlil was the first outside their family that had been told this. No assassin would want his weakness shared openly.

He addressed the twin directly. “Be glad your twin is male. When Ninlil and Sargon courted, she had me questioning my sexual orientation. Are you Brock or Baden?”

The male busted out laughing while the others looked confused. Oh, he was a twin all right. “I’m Baden. Never thought I’d be grateful my brother likes females. Damn, that had to suck.”

Eros folded the newspaper he was reading. “We are headed back to the compound at Lake Powell. Will you join us?”

Enlil wanted to take a look around that compound. He needed to assure himself that the threat against Brae and Jess was neutralized. He had wanted to ask to be included last night, but, concerned his ability to see them might make them uncomfortable, he’d resisted. Eros didn’t seem the type to ask without reason. “Any particular reason why?”

“Though I haven’t kept in contact with my nephew, there were a few things about the male my daughter killed that didn’t seem right. I believe the male she faced was a descendant, probably a son, with his face tattooed to match his father. If I’m correct, there is a good chance that the true Osiris or perhaps another will be at the location,” Eros answered in his forthright way.

Enlil looked at Eros’s sons scattered about the kitchen. If Eros was correct, there was no telling how many more Sicarius were after Brae and Jess. After last night, they would be aware of Eros and his sons, too. Eros was requesting that Enlil protect his family, and the honor was not lost to him, though part of him felt like he needed to be eyes for Brae. Right now he wished Jess were with the girls. “When do we leave?”

Eros gave him a nod of appreciation.

****

Umbrae hated to admit she enjoyed herself. She found a full-length, simply cut black dress with a racer back. She was glad her wings would be out for the dance—they made her scars less noticeable. She hadn’t been able to withdraw them when she was trying on the dress. The saleswoman hadn’t meant to be rude when she asked what had happened, and she had seemed impressed by Jerika’s explanation of Brae being a Hollywood stuntwoman.

Realizing she was hopeless in heels, the girls gave in and let her buy low pumps. Once they were done, Brae made the critical mistake of mentioning she would like a few feminine clothes. Then it was game-on. They regaled her with stories of dating adventures and misadventures. All three of them liked sex. Really. Liked it. They spent twenty minutes debating which of her brothers was the hottest. She’d bet by the end of the dance Irsu would have Othos off in some room. The Sicarius hands-down winner of the handsome award went to her father. That was kind of creepy. He may be handsome, but he was still her dad.

When the cashier rang up her items, it was four times more than she had. She could feel her blush rising in her humiliation before Irsu handed the clerk a credit card. “Irsu, I can’t let you pay for all this. I’ll just have to put some things back.” Brae was mortified.

Irsu gave her a slow grin and lifted her eyebrow at her. “Oh, dear Brae. I’m not paying for this. Your dadio gave that card to get you, and I quote, ‘anything and everything she wants. If she looks twice at an item, buy it.’” Irsu giggled. “I for one am not going to piss off king assassin.” The clerk snapped her head up. Irsu took the paid slip, dismissing her comment easily. “You know how dads can be. They’ll kill to protect their baby girls.”

The clerk relaxed and rolled her eyes. “My dad turned a shotgun on a date who brought me home late.” The young human looked at Brae with sympathy. How easily people took love and protection for granted.

****

Lick, drink suck. Brae was on her third round of tequila shots, and Aymee was insisting on teaching her to drink. They were waiting for their food to be delivered. Maybe it was the alcohol that gave Brae the courage to ask the question that had churned in her mind all day. “What is making out?” The silence at the table was deafening.

Jerika broke it. “How was the phrase used?”

Brae blushed and repeated what Enlil had said. Jerika grinned. “Oh, you are going to have so much fun.” She looked around the room. There was a disguised Aquatie in a group of human males yelling at some game on the TV. Jerika let out a high-frequency sound that the humans wouldn’t detect.

Aymee muttered, “I need to carry a dog whistle or something. The hottest guys always have super hearing.” Brae had to laugh at that.

The male was a handsome specimen. Enlightened species stayed in peak condition effortlessly, and they didn’t suffer from obesity or disease. An addiction like Zakel’s affected appearance to some extent. All three were able to heal on a cellular level, unless they were psychically castigated or too weak to heal properly. That was why Brae had scarred.

The Aquatie swung his head around, looking at each of them with interest. Jerika crooked her finger at him. Brae would never have that kind of confidence. The male squatted down to look her in the eye. His human friends all watching, but Jerika ignored them. “I need to make out for thirty seconds. Think you can handle it?”

The male turned to his friends. “One of you assholes got a stop watch?” A heavier human man stepped forward, holding a clock of some sort. Brae was stunned; Jerika was going to demonstrate it. The male turned back to Jerika with a cocky grin.

The heavy human said the weirdest thing: “Ready, set, GO!” The male locked lips with Jerika. It was exciting. Their mouths were open and their heads pivoted in opposite directions. Brae could see their tongues wiggle against each other. Brae definitely was going to try this with Enlil. “Time,” the human announced. Jerika and the Aquatie made out at least a minute longer.

When they separated, Jerika patted the male on the head. “Thanks.” She dismissed the male that simply.

The male didn’t seem to mind. “No problem. I dig the taste of lime.” He went back to join his friends yelling at the game.

Jerika looked over to Brae. “Any questions?” Brae tipped back her next shot.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“What if they figure out it wasn’t you before the ball tomorrow night?”
Ten’s telepathic voice was sorrowful. None of Osiris’s sons were particularly close; he discouraged any of them from cleaving to any one besides him since birth. They still behaved as if they were saddened by the loss of one of their numbers. The only thing that would bring his sons closer would be his death. That was the first compulsion he’d bestowed to each of them before they were old enough to realize he’d done it. Each of his male offspring allowed to grow to maturity physically resembled him to some degree. Many were tattooed to match. Any who carried too much of a resemblance to their mothers he put down before they could be numbered.

He answered his son.
“That is unlikely. If it happens, we will cross that bridge when we get there.”

Last night’s acquisition of the females had been a disappointment. He’d hoped to use the access the SOSC had inadvertently granted him through Ten as an in to their event. Up close and personal with the guests. Perhaps clip a few branches … so to speak. It was so nice of the SOSC to hire his pyrotechnic companies for the fireworks. He would have his father’s chain before the event ended. Six should be grateful he’d died swiftly. If he’d searched the females in the first place, Osiris would have his legacy.

Jess’s rescue meant the siphon would be in attendance, a twist he had wanted to avoid. The appearance of Eros and company had offset that risk somewhat. The siphons would think his sons were Eros’s. He’d already determined that Eros was still alive five years ago when he’d discovered Umbrae. Eros had been the only logical explanation for her.

That gave Eros seven children and two siphons on his team. Even with last night’s loss of number six, he still had more offspring than Eros. Funny that they had both ensured that the bloodline would continue. Maybe his uncle was more like him than he’d been led to believe when he was a child.

Seeing Umbrae with his father’s chain had pissed him off. He’d tried numerous times to regain that heirloom from the Volaticus vaults. He’d never been able to duplicate the metallic compositions Eros and Tenebrae had created. He was forced to use ivory blades. Only organic mass could be shadowed, except that special metal.

He realized how closely he’d come to facing his uncle when his bond to Six had been severed by death. He’d been safe in his office watching the warriors battle his guards through the cameras.

“When does your flight leave?” Osiris asked. He knew full well when it was scheduled. He didn’t need his son looking at the compound camera.

Ten left without question. He should have anticipated that Enlil would return to the compound in the light of day. The male ported into the center of the compound. He appeared to be alone, though with Eros that was not a guarantee. The siphon took a detailed look around. Osiris felt sure the SOSC had not yet identified Six’s age. That kind of autopsy took time. Was the siphon looking for him or Eros and his sons?

****

“Brae.” Irsu supported her with an arm around her waist. “Keep it together. You keep fading in and out.”

Umbrae tried to focus. Holy Henna, how many shots had she drunk? And why was the car so far away? Aymee stumbled, taking Jerika to the ground with her. They laughed, trying to help each other stand. How they walked at all in the heels they wore baffled Umbrae.

Two men rushed through the cars as if to help Jerika and Aymee while another leaned against a vehicle. Umbrae’s breath caught in her throat. Oh, Fates! “Irsu.” The effects of the alcohol reduced with her increased adrenalin, lending her some clarity.