Lucca (29 page)

“Do you see anyone else with me?” Lucca
snapped then took a deep breath. It wouldn’t help if he lost his
temper. Juliet and Owen’s lives depended on the brethrens’ help.
Pissing them off wouldn’t manage the results he sought. “I’m
assuming Eli told you about my visit from Barachiel.” He had called
Eli first to arrange the meeting, asking him to bring the others
with him.

“He did, but I’m still a little fuzzy why an
Archangel would approach you?” Zaiden said.

“He wasn’t interested in me, exactly. He
wanted the
Book of Magic
and thought I could help him locate
it.”

Zaiden snorted. “Are you planning to do a
little scuba diving? Last I heard Raziel’s book was sitting nice
and pretty at the bottom of the sea.”

“Was it?” Lucca leaned back in his seat,
relishing in the fact he knew something Zaiden did not.

Zaiden narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying
it’s not?”

Lucca nodded. “Yes. Barachiel wants the book
so he can locate two time travelers. Human time travelers,” he
clarified.

The brethren turned their gazes on Juliet
coming to their own conclusions. Juliet stiffened beside him and he
rested a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. “It seems Raziel had
himself a dalliance,” Lucca continued. “He fathered a child.
Barachiel wants the child; for what reasons we’re not sure, but
elimination is most likely his motive.”

Gideon stared at Juliet with interest.
Zaiden cursed, making no qualms about the precarious situation.

Eli shook his head as he leveled his gaze at
Juliet. “If you were going to mate with an Angel, did you have to
choose an Archangel?”

“Hold on.” Juliet lifted her hand to stop
him from saying more. “Owen is my sister’s child. Marie died in
childbirth.”

“You’re raising the boy?” Ryden asked
gently.

Juliet shifted her gaze to Ryden. Compassion
ruled Ryden’s features not accusations, putting Juliet at ease. She
gave Ryden a quick nod. Lucca wouldn’t admit it out loud, but
Ryden’s presence proved a good thing here. Just the buffer they
needed to keep the hot heads at the table civil.

Zaiden put the knife down and turned to
address Lucca. “I can see why Barachiel would be interested in
Owen, but why would he want the
Book of Magic
?”

“Are you ready to order?” The waiter, a
gentleman in his mid forties and a pleasant smile interrupted their
conversation. Even though lives hung in the balance, they placed an
order. When the waiter left, they resumed where they left off.

“Juliet and Owen aren’t from this century,”
Lucca told them. “Raziel made it possible for them to time travel.”
If the brethren were going to help them, fantastic, but if not, he
needed to know now. They were running out of time.

Juliet reached for Lucca’s hand and he
didn’t refuse her, but he squirmed in his seat when he noticed
Gideon and Eli staring at them, their telling gazes told him they
wanted to question him about Juliet and his relationship. It didn’t
take but a second more for Zaiden to focus in on their clasped
hands, too. So be it. Let them gawk. Juliet was his and he’d do
whatever it took to keep her and Owen safe—even groveling for their
help.

Gideon leaned on the table, resting his
forearms on the wood surface. “It makes more sense now. At the
crime scenes, I channeled and picked up an electrical current.
Since Barachiel is the Archangel of Lightning, the choice of
torture would fit his M.O. perfectly, but...” he shook his head. “I
also picked up a negative vibe, something…dark and powerful at
Purcival’s.”

“You’re right.” Lucca filled them in on what
Barachiel told him about Arizul and Kasadya’s plans.

Zaiden cleared his throat and refocused his
gaze on Juliet. “We have to face the facts here. We have two
threats. Barachiel wants Juliet and Owen, but Arizul wants you.”
Zaiden narrowed his gaze on Lucca. “I’ve made some inquiries about
Arizul. He’s kept a low profile, but he hasn’t escaped the seedier
realms notice. Arizul is not the master over the Satan. Whatever
your father is doing, it’s not his plan.”

“Barachiel believes Kasadya wants to release
the other four Satans,” Lucca said. “My father is after Raziel’s
book, too. Don’t underestimate Arizul. He’s not the victim
here.”

Zaiden nodded. “I feared as much, but wanted
to make sure you didn’t have a notion you could save your
father.”

Lucca’s harsh laugh spoke volumes. “Arizul
is beyond saving. Let’s not worry about them for now. I’ll deal
with them when the time comes. I want Juliet and Owen safe
first.”

Zaiden looked at Lucca a moment longer then
nodded. He turned toward the others. “Just so we know what we’re up
against here. No one goes up against an Archangel and wins. As for
trying to take down one of the Satans... We might as well kiss
our—” His words were cut off with a grunt. His gaze riveted to
Ryden in a fiery blaze. “Why are you kicking me?”

“Stop acting like a Guard of Judgment and
pretend you know how to channel your human side.”

Zaiden frowned, truly confused. “I’m stating
facts. I don’t see the reason to fluff the words so not to scare
the humans.”

Ryden shook her head with disbelief before
she looked at Juliet. “They’re rough around the edges, but they do
mean well.”

Juliet’s lips curved. “I work for the police
department with
rough-around-the-edge
men. I’m used to blunt
statements.” She looked at Zaiden. “I rather you didn’t sugarcoat
things.”

Zaiden threw Ryden a triumphant look, which
he received a polite roll of the eyes from her anyway.

Juliet took in a deep breath and let it out
again. “I know the chances of beating an Archangel are slim, but if
you have any advice, I’m willing to listen.”

“We can only hide you so long—hey.” Eli
looked at his wife in disbelief at being kicked into silence.

Zaiden harrumphed, leaning back in his seat.
“I’m glad to see I’m not the only one she’s playing footsies
with.”

Ryden ignored Zaiden’s quip. “Juliet may not
be able to ward off the Archangels, but all of you together could
think of a way to keep her and her nephew safe. Stop with the doom
and gloom. Juliet gets it. We all get it. Let’s plan what we’re
going to do to turn the tables.”

“Your faith in us is commendable,” Zaiden
grumbled.

“I’ve heard of a way to trap an Archangel.”
Gideon sat slouched in his seat, twirling his knife on his plate as
if the meeting bored him, but now he met everyone’s gaze. “We would
need a witch, preferably a white witch whose magic is not
corrupt.”

Ryden cleared her throat. “My cousin, Lana
is a practicing witch.”

Zaiden shook his head. “The big guys
upstairs have God’s backing. Not something you can fight against
with an inexperienced witch.”

They argued back and forth, all signs that
they wouldn’t help.
It’s suicidal. It can’t be done. It’s too
risky.
Deciding he heard enough, Lucca slid back his chair and
stood. His sudden movement silenced the table. “If you aren’t going
to help us, fine.”

Gideon sat up straight, dropping the butter
knife on his plate. “We didn’t say that.”

“No?” Lucca leaned on the table. “From where
I’m standing—”

“Will you shut your pie-hole for once.”
Zaiden glared at him. “Sit your arse down before you storm out of
here and do something foolhardy. Your wings are already bound. Are
you looking to have your head lopped off next? Truly, if that’s
your wish, let me do the honors.”

Lucca opened his mouth, ready to lash out,
but Juliet put her hand on his forearm. His gaze met hers
reluctantly. “Please, sit down. Whatever your differences are, you
did bring me here. You must trust them.”

His gaze touched each of the Watchers. Eli
should hate him, but for some reason the Watcher gave him a second
chance. Zaiden liked to goad him, but he could think of no other
he’d want at his back in a battle. Gideon’s loyalty couldn’t be
overlooked either. He had his back, even when he did his best to
push him away. It seemed Juliet knew him better than he knew
himself. Dammit anyway. He did trust them. He plopped back down in
his seat.

Gideon spoke again. “We need a real witch,
not the wannabe kind you hear about. This witch has to be able to
deal with the elements, draw on the powers of them to make the
spells a success.”

“Good thinking, Gideon. Archangels use the
elements as well.” Eli nodded.

“I’ll speak to Lana,” Ryden piped up.

“Gideon, did say a real witch not a
wannabe,” Lucca reminded her. “Are you sure she knows what she’s
doing?”

She gave him a quick smile. “I may be only
human, Lucca, but my hearing is impeccable. Lana is the real deal
when it comes to being a natural born witch.”

Lucca’s brows rose on their own accord.
“Your cousin is a born witch?”

She nodded. “She always had a knack with the
elements. Even as a child, before she realized the power she drew
was truly magic, she played a game with the leaves on the lawn,
whirling them in a circle to make what she called a leaf-monster.
Lana is pretty laid back, but if anyone got her riled, I mean
really pissed off, she’d make the earth shake beneath our feet. It
used to scare the bejeebers out of us.”

“But can she control the power?” Lucca
asked, not totally convinced.

Ryden arched one lovely shaped brow. “She’s
been working with another witch to perfect her gifts.” Ryden rubbed
her injured arm absentmindedly and Lucca wondered if the limb still
bothered her. He’d seen how she healed after the demon speared her,
but had it healed completely? Ryden met his gaze and she realized
what she was doing and dropped her hand away.

Zaiden took the lead. “We need a game plan.”
He rubbed his hand over his face and inhaled deeply. “We may be
able to hide Juliet and Owen for a while, but eventually Barachiel
will find them. What I want to know is how far are we going to take
this? What’s the bottom line here? Do we plan on taking on the
Archangel in a battle, or do we call it a day when he shows up to
fry us to a crisp?”

“No one’s going to take Juliet and Owen
out,” Lucca growled, drawing everyone’s attention. His fangs
lengthened in response.

Eli’s gaze bore into him as if he had the
ability to read minds and know Lucca’s true feelings toward Juliet.
They had their talk about soul mates and how to recognize one, but
Lucca never admitted he found his…until now. He may not have said
the words, but his actions were a definite giveaway.

Finally, Eli gave a quick nod of acceptance.
“So be it. We’ll keep Juliet and Owen safe. No matter what it
takes.”

“We’ll have to negotiate with Barachiel or
kill him.” Zaiden shrugged as if either option was okay with
him.

“We negotiate first,” Eli said. “I have a
plan for that.”

Lucca’s head was still spinning from Eli’s
response to help them. He thought Eli would want to question him
first.
So be it
, Eli says, like it was no big deal. “What’s
the catch?” Suspicion laced his words, but he didn’t care. He
wanted to know what was expected of him. The table fell silent
again.

“Lucca,” Juliet squeezed his hand, but he
wouldn’t be placated.

“No.” He looked at her then back to the
others. “I want to know.”

Zaiden’s low chuckle met his ears. “Only you
would think there was a catch.” He pushed back his chair and stood
as if his question offended him in some way. His hand slid into his
pocket and he threw down a few bills to pay for his meal he had yet
to receive. He ignored Lucca, directing his question to Ryden. “We
need to speak with your cousin. Can you set a meeting up for
us—like yesterday?”

“I’m on it.” She leaned over and picked up
her purse to retrieve her cell phone.

Zaiden nodded. “Good. I’m going to talk to a
few of the Guards and assign them to watch over Juliet and the
boy.” His gaze met Lucca’s now. “Okay with you, or do you still
think there’s an alternative motive?”

“I’m good.” Lucca swallowed the lump in his
throat. They were going to help because they wanted to, not because
they expected something in return. Relief washed over him in waves
of gratitude.

“I’ll set up first watch until you do,”
Gideon offered. “I may not be able to fly, but I can still
shimmer.” He looked at Juliet. “I can grab Owen and be out of sight
in a flash, leaving no trail. I’ll keep him safe.”

Juliet looked to Lucca and he nodded his
approval. “He’s good with a crossbow, too.”

“And I’ll take the first watch over the
perimeter,” Eli volunteered.

She gave the Watchers a hesitant smile.
“Thank you…all of you, thank you.”

“I’ll be in touch then.” Zaiden turned and
headed for the front door.

Lucca rose and hurried after Zaiden, wanting
to catch him before he shimmered out of sight. Just outside the
restaurant, Lucca’s hand whipped out, gripping Zaiden’s arm and
bringing him to a halt.

Zaiden narrowed his gaze at him, but he
didn’t balk.

“Are you still with Sarice?”

His eyes blazed brighter, but his voice
remained cool. “What’s it to you?”

“You need to stop with the blooding. It only
weakens you.”

His cool evaporated in an instant with the
baring of his fangs with a hiss. “What I do on my own time is none
of your concern.”

“It is when Juliet and Owen are relying on
you to keep them safe. You’re in charge of security here, Zaiden.
I’m trusting you with their lives.”

The side of Zaiden’s jaw worked as he
clenched his teeth. “I’ve never slacked in my duty.”

“Maybe not, but most of your duty involves
eliminating, not saving.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Juliet
means everything to me. Do you understand? I won’t let you screw
this up.”

He didn’t wait for Zaiden to respond. He
turned on his heels and went back inside the restaurant. A ripple
in the air told him Zaiden had shimmered away in a huff, but he
didn’t care. He had to speak his mind and hopefully Zaiden would
take his request to refrain from blooding while they dealt with the
threat. To make sure, he’d add another member to this team.